Liam''s Perspective


    I watched from behind a cluster of withered trees as Franklin Duval strutted around the entrance of Dn''s Hydrating Tower. His smug expression made my blood boil. The Ascendant Saints Order had beaten me here. Someone had leaked information about this ce.


    "Sir, there are twenty guards positioned around the perimeter," Sofia whispered beside me. "All Martial Masters or above."


    I nodded, analyzing the situation. The ruins of the Kane Family Manor sprawled around us, once grand halls now reduced to crumbling stone and overgrown vegetation. At the center stood the Hydrating Tower—a thirty-foot cylindrical structure of ck stone that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it.


    "How did they find this ce so quickly?" Eamon muttered.


    "Betrayal," I replied, my voice tight with anger. "Someone talked."


    Franklin Duval''s voice carried across the clearing as he barked orders to his men. "Elder Foster wants this tower secured! No one enters without authorization!"


    My mind raced. The Hydrating Tower was crucial to my ns. Inside was technology that could elerate cultivation by at least threefold. Without it, my chances of reaching half-step Martial Marquis before September 9th were slim.


    "We need a distraction," I said.


    Before Sofia could respond, a sh of light erupted from the tower entrance. Franklin held up amunication crystal, speaking into it with obvious pride.


    "Elder Foster, we''ve secured the location. The tower is exactly as described."


    A crackling voice responded from the crystal. "Excellent work, Franklin. Begin preparations for transport immediately."


    Transport? They were nning to move the entire tower?


    "That''s not possible," I whispered. "The tower is connected to underground formations. Moving it would destroy its function."


    Sofia''s eyes narrowed. "They don''t know that."


    "Which means whoever betrayed us doesn''t fully understand the tower''s mechanics," Eamon added.


    I reyed recent events in my mind, faces shing before me. Then it clicked.


    "Dudley Lowell," I spat the name like poison. "He''s the only one who knew about this ce."


    ---


    Twelve hours earlier, the Ascendant Saints Order headquarters hummed with activity. Elder Foster paced his chambers, observing Dudley Lowell with cold calction.


    "You im this ''Hydrating Tower'' elerates cultivation?" Foster asked, skepticism evident in his voice.


    Dudley straightened his shoulders. "I do more than im it. I''ve used it myself. How else could I reach half-step Martial Marquis so quickly?"


    "And yet this Liam Knight defeated you despite your advantage?"


    Dudley''s face darkened. "He had ess to the tower too. But he doesn''t understand its full potential."


    Foster raised an eyebrow. "And you do?"


    "I''ve studied ancient texts about simr structures. The tower draws energy from underground mineral veins. With proper maniption, it could produce ten times the output Knight achieved."


    Elder Foster''s lip curled into a slight smile. "Interesting. If what you say is true—"


    "If?" Dudley stood abruptly. "You doubt my word? Do you know who I am?"


    The temperature in the room dropped several degrees. Elder Foster made a subtle gesture, and suddenly two guards appeared, each holding a glowing weapon.


    "I know precisely who you are, Dudley Lowell," Foster said quietly. "A half-step Martial Marquis who suffered a humiliating defeat. A man desperate for revenge. And now, a man standing in my chambers showing remarkable disrespect."


    The guards moved closer, their weapons—Martial Marquis level treasures—pulsing with deadly energy.


    Dudley paled. "I meant no disrespect—"


    "Then sit down."


    Dudleyplied instantly.


    "These are Martial Marquis weapons," Foster continued. "One touch would reduce you to ash. Remember your position here, young Lowell. You came seeking our help, not the other way around."


    Sweat beaded on Dudley''s forehead. "Forgive my outburst."


    Foster nodded to the guards, who retreated to the shadows. "Now, tell me everything about this tower. Location. Defenses. ess methods. Leave nothing out."


    ---


    Back at the ruins, I watched as Franklin directed his men to establish a defensive perimeter around the tower.


    "We can''t wait," I decided. "If they start trying to move the tower, they''ll damage it beyond repair."


    Sofia nced at me. "What''s the n?"


    I focused my energy, feeling the power surge through my meridians. "Direct confrontation. You two create a distraction at the western perimeter. I''ll approach from the east."


    "That''s twenty skilled cultivators, Liam," Eamon warned. "Many at peak Martial Master level."


    "I know." I stood, rolling my shoulders. "But that tower is our only chance to be ready by September 9th."


    Sofia and Eamon nodded, understanding the stakes.


    "On my signal," I said, then slipped into the shadows.


    I circled the perimeter, using the fallen stones and overgrowth as cover. The energy within me pulsed, ready to be unleashed. Franklin Duval remained near the tower entrance, issuing orders and strutting like he owned the ce.


    From the western side, a sudden explosion erupted. Sofia and Eamon had created their diversion—a massive disy of me and smoke techniques that instantly drew the attention of most guards.


    "Secure the perimeter!" Franklin shouted. "Group two and three, investigate! Group one, stay with me!"


    Five guards remained at the tower entrance while the others rushed toward the disturbance. My moment had arrived.


    I burst from cover, channeling energy into my legs for explosive speed. The first guard barely had time to register my approach before my palm strike connected with his face. His skull shattered instantly, body crumpling to the ground.


    The remaining four guards turned in shock, reaching for their weapons.


    "Liam Knight!" Franklin''s face contorted with rage. "How dare you interfere with Ascendant Saints Order business!" <em ss="story-note-vis">Еnjоying thе stоry? Disсоvеr mоrе оn М|V|LЕМ6РYR.</em>


    I didn''t waste breath on words. Instead, I activated the Flowing Shadow technique, my body splitting into three afterimages as I weaved through their defensive formation.


    Two guardsunched spirit attacks—beams of concentrated energy that could pierce steel. I countered with the Divine Shield technique, absorbing their energy and redirecting it into my next strike.


    My fist connected with the second guard''s chest. His ribcage copsed, heart rupturing from the impact.


    "Stop him!" Franklin screamed, backing toward the tower entrance. "Protect the tower at all costs!"


    The third guard swung a spirit sword in a wide arc. I ducked under it, swept his legs, and drove my elbow into his throat as he fell. His windpipe crushed, he gasped uselessly for air.


    The fourth guard proved more challenging—ate-stage Martial Master with impressive reflexes. We exchanged twenty blows in the span of seconds, testing each other''s defenses.


    "You''re trespassing on Ascendant Saints territory," he growled.


    "This tower was never yours to im," I replied, before unleashing the Thunderbolt Palm technique.


    The guard attempted to block, but my palm strike shattered his defensive energy. The impact sent him flying backward, body mming into the stone wall of the tower with enough force to leave a crater. He didn''t get up.


    Only Franklin remained, his face pale with fear and fury.


    "Elder Foster will have your head for this," he threatened, backing toward the tower entrance.


    I advanced steadily. "You can tell him I''m collecting on Dudley Lowell''s debt."


    Franklin''s eyes widened. "How did you—"


    "Know?" I finished for him. "Only a few people knew about this tower. Dudley''s spite is predictable."


    Franklin reached into his robe, pulling out a defensive talisman. "This isn''t over, Knight. The Ascendant Saints don''t forgive transgressions."


    "Neither do I."


    I lunged forward, but Franklin activated his talisman. A blinding sh erupted between us, and when my vision cleared, he had vanished—escaped through some emergency teleportation method.


    Themunication crystal he''d been usingy forgotten on the ground. I picked it up, hearing Elder Foster''s voice crackling through.


    "Franklin? Report! What''s happening?"


    I crushed the crystal in my hand, cutting off the connection.


    Sofia and Eamon joined me, having dispatched the guards who''d investigated their diversion.


    "Franklin escaped," I said grimly. "He''ll report back to Elder Foster immediately."


    Sofia surveyed the fallen guards. "We don''t have much time then."


    "No," I agreed, turning toward the tower entrance. "Help me secure the area. We need to activate the tower before reinforcements arrive."


    Eamon examined the entrance mechanism. "The lock''s been forced. They damaged it getting in."


    I ced my hand on the ck stone surface. "It doesn''t matter. The tower recognizes energy signatures, not physical locks."


    Channeling my energy into the stone, I felt the ancient mechanisms responding. The door slid open with a low rumble, revealing a spiraling staircase descending into darkness.


    "Stay alert," I warned as we entered. "The Ascendant Saints will return in force."


    As the door sealed behind us, lights flickered to life along the walls. The tower was awakening.


    "What exactly does this ce do?" Sofia asked, her voice hushed with awe.


    I ran my fingers along the intricate patterns carved into the walls. "It''s a cultivation elerator. The stones absorb natural energy from deep underground and concentrate it for human absorption."


    "Like a spiritual battery," Eamon murmured.


    "More like a spiritual amplifier," I corrected. "With this, we can achieve in days what would normally take months."


    We descended deeper, following the spiral staircase to a central chamber. There, a crystalline structure pulsed with blue-green light.


    "The core," I said, approaching it reverently. "Untouched for centuries until recently."


    Sofia examined the room with professional scrutiny. "How long before the Ascendant Saints return?"


    "Hours, not days," I replied grimly. "Franklin will report directly to Elder Foster. They''ll send a Martial Marquis next time, possibly even a Saint."


    Eamon''s face paled. "We can''t fight a Saint."


    "No," I agreed. "But we can use the tower before they arrive."


    I ced both hands on the crystal core. Energy surged through my body, a rush more powerful than anything I''d experienced before. My cultivation base trembled, expanding rapidly as the concentrated spiritual energy flooded my meridians.


    "Secure the entrance," I gasped through gritted teeth. "I need time to absorb as much as possible."


    As Sofia and Eamon hurried back up the stairs, I surrendered myself to the tower''s power. The race against time had begun. September 9th loomed ahead, and now the Ascendant Saints Order stood between me and my goals.


    The betrayal hadplicated everything, but I refused to be deterred. Isabelle''s freedom depended on my sess. The wedding would not proceed as nned—no matter who stood in my way.