Liam''s Perspective


    Dudley Lowell stared at me with raw hatred burning in his eyes. The revtion of my true power had stripped away his veneer of superiority.


    "The Hydrating Tower," he snarled. "You filthy thief!"


    His usation confirmed my suspicions. The tower wasn''t just a cultivation resource – it was his secret weapon, his exclusive advantage.


    "Strange," I replied calmly. "I thought it belonged to the ancients, not to you."


    Dudley''s face contorted. His body trembled with rage. "You''ll die for this transgression!"


    The ground buckled beneath us as he unleashed his aura fully. The spectators gasped collectively. This wasn''t just the power of an ordinary cultivator – this was the might of a half-step Martial Marquis.


    ck energy swirled around him like a storm cloud. The air crackled with electricity. His pupils dted until his eyes were almost entirely ck.


    "You think you can challenge me?" Heughed, a hollow, menacing sound. "You''re still an ant beneath my boot!"


    He moved first, covering the distance between us in a heartbeat. His fist, wrapped in dark energy, mmed toward my face.


    I shifted sideways, feeling the air distort as his attack missed by millimeters. The tform beneath us cracked further from the force.


    My counter-strike was immediate – a palm thrust charged with golden energy. He blocked it with his forearm, and the collision sent shockwaves across theke.


    We separated, sizing each other up. The initial exchange had been a test.


    "Not bad for a fraud," he sneered. "But ytime is over."


    Dudley rose into the air, his dark robes billowing around him. The sky itself seemed to darken as he gathered power. This was his domain – aerialbat where his speed gave him maximum advantage.


    I braced myself as he descended like a meteor. The attack came from above, a downward strike that carried the weight of a mountain.


    "Absolute Beginning Sacred Fist!" I shouted, meeting his assault with my own technique.


    Our powers collided in a blinding sh. The impact threw me backward, my feet carving trenches in the stone tform. Pain shot through my arms from the force of the collision.


    Before I could recover, Dudley appeared behind me. His knee drove into my back, sending me tumbling forward.


    I crashed face-first into the tform. The stone cracked beneath me. Tasting blood, I pushed myself up quickly.


    "Saintly Body Skill: Third Layer," I muttered, activating one of my core techniques.


    Golden light erupted across my skin, forming an armored shell. Just in time – Dudley''s next attack struck my chest with enough force to shatter ordinary bones.


    Even through my defense, the impact was jarring. I slid backward, fighting to maintain my stance.


    "Is this all you have?" he taunted. "After stealing my legacy?"


    Dudley ripped open his robe, revealing strange, pulsing marks across his chest. Not tattoos – living symbols that seemed to writhe beneath his skin.


    "You''re not the only one with secrets," he hissed.


    His speed doubled instantly. He became a blur of motion, attacking from multiple angles. I could barely track his movements.


    A fist connected with my jaw. A kick swept my legs. An elbow crashed into my ribs. Each impact felt like being hit by a war chariot.


    I staggered, trying to stabilize my defense. Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth. My golden armor was flickering, struggling to maintain integrity.


    "Where''s your confidence now, Knight?" Dudleyughed, circling me like a predator. "Did you really think a few months in the Hydrating Tower would put you on my level?"


    His next attack targeted my dantian – a precision strike meant to cripple. I twisted desperately, taking the hit on my shoulder instead.


    Pain exploded through my body. My right arm went numb instantly.


    "Pathetic," he spat.


    Another flurry of blows followed. I blocked what I could, but more connected than missed. Each impact sent fresh waves of pain through my already battered body.


    A particrly vicious strike broke through my defensespletely. His fist, wrapped in crackling ck energy, mmed into my sternum.


    I felt something crack. The force lifted me off my feet and sent me flying backward. I crashed into the tform twenty yards away, stone fragments exploding around me.


    Blood filled my mouth. My vision blurred. Every breath sent daggers of pain through my chest.


    "Is this the great Liam Knight?" Dudley called out, his voice dripping with contempt. "The man who dared to challenge me?"


    I struggled to my knees, then to my feet. My legs shook with the effort. Blood dripped from multiple wounds, staining the fractured stone beneath me.


    The crowd watched in stunned silence. Some had expected a close fight. Others had anticipated my defeat. But no one had expected this level of brutality.


    Dudley approached slowly, savoring his apparent victory. "I''m going to make an example of you," he said, his voice carrying across theke. "When I''m done, they''ll use your fate to frighten children into obedience."


    I spat blood onto the tform. My golden armor flickered weakly, struggling to regenerate.


    "Still conscious? Impressive." Dudley stopped a few yards away. "Most would have given up by now."


    "I''m not... most people," I managed, each word sending fresh pain through my ribs.


    "No," he agreed. "Most people know when they''re beaten."


    He vanished again, reappearing directly in front of me. His hand shot out, gripping my throat and lifting me off the ground.


    "Look at him!" Dudley shouted to the crowd. "Look at your so-called hero!"


    I wed at his arm, struggling for air. ck spots danced across my vision. <code ss="ref-803aab">Thetest chapters are uploaded first on *.</code>


    "This is what happens to those who dare to stand against me!" he continued, squeezing tighter.


    With my free hand, I grabbed his wrist, trying to break his grip. His strength was overwhelming. The strange marks on his chest pulsed brighter, feeding him power.


    He mmed me back to the ground. The impact sent fresh waves of agony through my body.


    "I expected more," Dudley said, standing over me. "After all your boasting."


    I rolled onto my side, coughing blood. Each breath was torture. My golden armor had failedpletely now, leaving me vulnerable.


    Dudley ced his boot on my chest, applying pressure to my broken ribs. I bit back a scream.


    "Tell me," he demanded. "How did you ess the tower? Who helped you?"


    I remained silent, ring up at him through blood-streaked eyes.


    His foot pressed harder. "Answer me!"


    I coughed up more blood, but said nothing.


    Frustration twisted his features. He stepped back and began channeling a massive amount of energy. Dark power swirled around his hands, forming a sphere of destructive force.


    "Perhaps I''ll visit your friends after this," he said coldly. "That woman from the Celestial Apothecary Guild. Or maybe your precious Isabelle."


    The mention of their names sent a jolt through my battered body. I struggled to rise but copsed again.


    "Final chance," Dudley said, the dark sphere growingrger. "Beg for mercy. Pledge loyalty to me. Perhaps I''ll let you live as a crippled servant."


    From the corner of my eye, I saw Jackson Harding watching from his distant hill. His expression remained unchanged. Confident. Evaluating.


    Near him, another observer spoke: "The boy is finished. Dudley''s power is too great."


    Jackson''s reply carried clearly despite the distance: "Look closely. Liam Knight is starting to counterattack."


    Dudley heard it too. He nced toward Jackson, confusion momentarily recing his arrogance.


    I tasted blood in my mouth and smiled.