Liam''s Perspective


    My body swelled with power, bones stretching, muscles expanding. I felt myself growing taller,rger, my frame nearly doubling in size. The golden light of my transformation illuminated the entire tform, casting long shadows across the fractured stone.


    Jackson Harding''s voice carried from the observation hill. "The Cosmic Form! I''ve only read about this in ancient texts!"


    I now stood nearly ten feet tall, my skin radiating celestial energy. The remaining chains binding me shattered like ss.


    Dudley Lowell stepped back, momentary shock shing across his face. Then his lips curled into a sneer.


    "Impressive light show," he spat. "But size means nothing against true power."


    His ck aura intensified, the four symbolspleting their merge into a single, malevolent seal. The corrupted guardians—turtle, dragon, phoenix, and tiger—now formed a pulsing mass of destructive energy.


    "Four Symbols Demonic Seal: Execution!"


    He thrust his palms forward. The ck seal expanded rapidly, bing a wave of dark energy that roared toward me with apocalyptic force.


    Even in my enhanced form, I felt the overwhelming malice. This wasn''t just abat technique—it was designed for annihtion.


    From the observation hill, I heard panicked voices. The shockwave from Dudley''s attack was already reaching the spectators. <i ss="story-note-vis">М|V|LЕМ*РYR is thе hоmе оf this сhаptеr</i>


    "Everyone back!" Jackson shouted, throwing up a barrier of energy to shield his disciple. "This technique could kill even Grandmasters caught in its periphery!"


    Several martial artists were thrown backward despite their defensive techniques. Others scrambled to put distance between themselves and the battlefield.


    I nted my feet firmly, channeling energy into my Venerable Fifth Mountain. The sacred peak materialized above me, radiating golden light to counter the encroaching darkness.


    "Mountain Sovereign Stance," I growled, my voice deeper in this form.


    The ck wave crashed against my mountain technique. The impact sent shockwaves across the entire area. Trees on the distant hillsides bent as if in a hurricane. The tform beneath my feet cracked further,rge chunks of stone breaking away into the abyss below.


    Pain shot through my enhanced body. Even with my transformation, Dudley''s technique was overwhelming. The ck energy began eating through my golden defenses.


    "You see?" Dudleyughed, his voice distorted by the demonic energy flowing through him. "Even your ultimate form can''t match me!"


    My bones started breaking under the pressure. First my fingers, then my wrists. I felt my ribs snap one by one, my enhanced healing unable to keep pace with the damage.


    Blood filled my mouth. The Cosmic Form was faltering, golden light flickering like a dying me.


    "I''m disappointed," Dudley called, advancing slowly. "Is this all the famous Liam Knight has to offer?"


    The ck energy surged again, consuming more of my defensive light. Half my body was already engulfed, the demonic energy corroding my flesh wherever it touched.


    Pain became my entire world. My vision darkened around the edges. I felt myself weakening, the transformation starting to fail.


    On the observation hill, Jackson Harding''s expression had turned solemn. "He fought well," he said quietly to his disciple. "Few could withstand that technique for even seconds. He''ssted nearly a minute."


    I heard these words as if from underwater, my consciousness fading. The darkness was nearlyplete now, only a small pocket of golden light remaining around my head and chest.


    "Isabelle..." Her name slipped from my lips as the void closed in.


    The ck sphere finally engulfed mepletely. From outside, it must have looked like I had simply vanished, consumed by Dudley''s destructive technique.


    Inside, I floated in absolute darkness. No light. No sound. No sensation except pain.


    Was this death?


    Dudley Lowell lowered his hands, breathing heavily. The demonic symbols faded, leaving only the ck sphere where I had stood.


    "It''s over," he announced, turning away. "Let this serve as a lesson to anyone who would challenge the Veridia City Martial Guild."


    Jackson Harding stared at the sphere with narrowed eyes. "A waste of talent," he murmured. "That boy could have be something truly great."


    The spectators began to disperse, some looking disturbed, others relieved the battle had concluded.


    "Master, should we go?" Jackson''s disciple asked quietly.


    Before Jackson could answer, a sound stopped everyone in their tracks.


    A crack appeared in the ck sphere.


    Dudley Lowell froze mid-step. "Impossible."


    Another crack formed, then another. Golden light began seeping through the fissures.


    "What''s happening?" someone whispered.


    The cracks widened, spreading across the sphere''s surface like a spiderweb. The golden light intensified, burning away the darkness where it emerged.


    Dudley Lowell turned back, disbelief etched on his face. "No one survives the Four Symbols Demonic Seal. No one!"


    Inside the void, I refused to surrender. Each heartbeat sent ripples of defiance through my broken body. My consciousness, though fragmented, held onto a single thought.


    I will not die here.


    My meridians, nearly destroyed by Dudley''s attack, began to reconstitute themselves. Energy flowed through pathways that shouldn''t exist anymore. The jade pendant at my neck pulsed with ancient power.


    The golden light within me grew stronger, pushing against the crushing darkness.


    On the outside, the ck sphere shuddered. The cracks multiplied, light pouring out in blinding rays.


    Jackson Harding''s eyes widened. "Incredible. He''s actually breaking free."


    Dudley Lowell''s face contorted with rage and disbelief. "Die already!" He thrust his hands forward, pouring more demonic energy into the sphere.


    The darkness thickened momentarily, the cracks narrowing. But only for an instant.


    With a sound like thunder, the ck sphere shatteredpletely.


    Golden light exploded outward, forcing everyone to shield their eyes. When they could see again, I stood in the center of the tform.


    But I was changed.


    My Cosmic Form had evolved. The golden light now contained streaks of silver and blue, cosmic energies swirling around my massive frame. My eyes shone like twin stars, holding knowledge beyond mortal understanding.


    "How?" Dudley Lowell''s voice cracked. "That''s not possible!"


    I took a step forward. The tform trembled beneath my foot.


    "You asked me why I wouldn''t die," I said, my voice resonating with newfound power. "Now you have your answer."


    Dudley stumbled backward, true fear crossing his face for the first time.


    "What are you?" he whispered.


    I advanced on him, each step closing the distance between predator and prey.


    "I am what you feared I would be," I answered simply.


    Jackson Harding stood transfixed on the observation hill. "The legends were true," he breathed. "The Cosmic Form isn''t just a transformation technique—it''s evolution."


    The real battle was about to begin.