Liam''s Perspective


    I couldn''t sleep. The moon hung high above the Celestial Apothecary Guild, casting silver light through my window. Three days had passed since The Warrior''s Scroll published the Ascendant Saints Order''s ultimatum. Three days of tense preparation and strategic meetings.


    Three days of silence.


    Mariana''s decision had surprised everyone. Rather than issuing a public response, she''d ordered the Guild sealed. No one in, no one out. Most disciples were dismissed—sent to satellite locations or given temporary leave. Only the most essential personnel remained.


    I rose from my bed and moved to the window. The normally bustling courtyards stood empty. Ghost-like. Half the buildings were dark. Mariana had consolidated our forces, keeping only the half-step Martial Marquises and a skeleton crew of elite alchemists.


    "Reducing potential casualties," she''d exined when questioned. "Better to fight with ten skilled warriors than sacrifice a hundred disciples who can''t defend themselves."


    Cold logic. Effective strategy. It still felt like defeat.


    A knock at my door pulled me from my thoughts.


    "Enter," I called softly.


    Elder Lin stepped inside. One of our remaining Law Enforcement Elders, his weathered face showed the strain of recent days.


    "Pavilion Master requests your presence," he said. "Immediately."


    I nodded and followed him through silent corridors. Even at thiste hour, lights burned in Mariana''s study. We found her bent over maps, her delicate fingers tracing defensive formations.


    "Thank you, Elder Lin," she said without looking up. "Resume your patrol."


    The elder bowed and departed, leaving us alone.


    "They''reing," Mariana said simply. "Tomorrow."


    My stomach tightened. "How do you know?"


    "I have eyes in the city," she replied. "Josiah has assembled a strike team. Five half-step Martial Marquises, led by Elder Foster."


    My mind shed back to my encounter with Foster. The man whose pride I''d wounded. The man who now led the forceing to capture me.


    "What''s our n?" I asked.


    Mariana straightened, shoulders squared despite her small frame. "You continue training. I handle the rest."


    "That''s not eptable," I argued. "This is my fight too."


    "This is a Guild matter now," she countered. "They''ve challenged us publicly. Our response must be institutional."


    "They want me," I insisted. "Just me."


    "No." Her voice hardened. "They''re using you as a pretext. What they want is control over all alchemy in Veridia City. This was inevitable. You simply hastened it."


    I paced the small room. "I''ve improved significantly, but I''m still not at half-step Martial Marquis. I''d be a liability in battle."


    "Which is why you''ll continue training while we handle this." Mariana''s tone left no room for argument. "Your job is to grow stronger. Let me worry about tomorrow''s fight."


    "And what if you fail?" The words escaped before I could stop them.


    Silence fell between us. Heavy. Oppressive.


    "Then you''ll need to be strong enough to avenge us," she said finally, her voice barely a whisper.


    The weight of her words pressed down on me. She was prepared to sacrifice herself, to sacrifice the entire Guild, to protect me.


    "I don''t want revenge," I said. "I want to prevent a disaster."


    "Some disasters can''t be prevented, Liam." She turned back to her maps. "Only survived."


    ---


    Morning came too quickly. I''d resumed my cultivation in the predawn hours, desperate to extract every ounce of benefit from the Three Pure Ancient Trees. My meridians burned as spiritual energy rushed through them, widened by constant pressure.


    A distantmotion broke my concentration. Shouts. The sh of metal. Battle.


    They were here.


    I rose quickly, abandoning my meditation. The warehouse door burst open before I reached it. Elder Lin stood there, blood streaming from a cut above his eye.


    "Stay inside," he ordered. "Pavilion Master''s orders."


    "What''s happening?" I demanded.


    "They''ve breached the outer wall. Six of them." His breath came in short bursts. "Two more than expected."


    Without waiting for my response, he mmed the door shut. I heard the distinctive hum of a barrier formation activating. Trapped. Protected.


    Useless.


    I pounded my fist against the door in frustration. Outside, my friends fought and died while I hid like a coward. This wasn''t right. This wasn''t who I wanted to be.


    Moving to the center of the chamber, I closed my eyes and extended my spiritual sense. The Three Pure Ancient Trees pulsed with energy, responding to my silent call. I needed more power. Now.


    "I know there are limits," I whispered to the ancient nts. "But I need everything you can give."


    The trees'' aura intensified, bathing me in warm green light. I opened my meridians fully, abandoning caution. Painnced through my body as spiritual energy flooded my pathways with brutal force. Too much. Too fast.


    But I didn''t stop.


    Outside, chaos reigned. From the scattered spiritual fluctuations I could sense, at least two of our defenders had fallen. Mariana''s aura burned bright near the main hall, shing with another powerful presence.


    Elder Foster.


    I pushed harder, forcing more energy into my dantian. My skin began to glow, taking on a faint jade hue as the trees'' essence merged with my own. Blood trickled from my nose. Warning signs. I ignored them.


    A massive spiritual explosion rocked thepound. One of our formations had been broken. Then another. The invaders were pressing deeper into the Guild.


    My body trembled with both pain and power. I was close—so close to breakthrough. If I could just—


    The warehouse door exploded inward in a shower of splinters. A man stood in the doorway, his muscr frame silhouetted against the smoke outside. Not one of ours.


    "Found you," he growled, stepping forward. His aura identified him instantly as a half-step Martial Marquis. "The famous Liam Knight. You don''t look like much."


    I rose slowly, wiping blood from my face. "And you are?"


    "Skyler Huxley." He sneered, drawing a long saber from his back. "The man who''s about to make his reputation by bringing you in."


    I assessed him quickly. Strong. Confident. Probably faster than me. Definitely more experienced.


    But I had one advantage—he expected an easy fight.


    "I''m not going anywhere," I said, gathering the chaotic energy swirling inside me.


    Skylerughed. "You don''t have a choice. Your Guild is falling. Your protector is fighting for her life. And you?" He gestured dismissively. "You''re just a jumped-up alchemist ying at being a warrior."


    Without warning, he lunged. His saber blurred with speed, aiming straight for my chest.


    I didn''t dodge. Instead, I released the pent-up energy from the Three Pure Ancient Trees in an explosive burst. Green light erupted from my body, catching Skyler mid-strike and hurling him backward through the shattered doorway.


    He crashed into the courtyard, skidding across stone. His expression shifted from surprise to fury as he regained his footing.


    "Interesting trick," he snarled. "Let''s see you do it again."


    I stepped through the ruined door, emerging into sunlight for the first time in days. The courtyard showed signs of fierce battle—shattered tiles, scorched walls, sshes of blood. In the distance, the sounds of ongoingbat echoed.


    "Your friends are losing," Skyler taunted, circling me slowly. "Surrender now and I''ll ask Sect Master Hale to spare the survivors."


    "If your sect master wanted peace," I replied, "he wouldn''t have issued that ultimatum."


    Skyler shrugged. "Peace is overrated. Power is what matters."


    He attacked again, this time more cautiously. His saber carvedplex patterns in the air, testing my defenses. I evaded narrowly, feeling the de whisper past my cheek. <samp ss="phantom-imprint">T+h@is is pa!rt of a s-er$i+e#s- fr^o^m My V^ir-t#ual L&i&br.ary Emp$i!r&e^ (M*|%V-|L@1+E&M.P&YR&).</samp>


    Too close. He was faster than I''d estimated.


    I gathered energy for a counter-attack, but my reserves were depleted from my reckless cultivation. The burst that had repelled his first attack had drained me significantly.


    "Tiring already?" Skyler mocked, noticing mybored breathing. "I expected more challenge from the man who humiliated Elder Foster."


    His next strike came from below—a dirty feint followed by an upward sh. I twisted away toote. The saber''s edge caught my arm, opening a long gash from wrist to elbow.


    Pain. Blood. Focus.


    I harnessed the pain, using it to sharpen my mind. My wounded arm hung limp, but my right remained strong. As Skyler pressed his advantage, I waited for the perfect moment.


    It came when overconfidence made him overextend. His lunge left his side exposed for just an instant. I struck with everything I had, driving my palm into his ribs.


    The impact was solid. Bone cracked beneath my hand. Skyler stumbled back, eyes wide with shock.


    "Not so easy after all," I said, advancing despite my injury.


    His face contorted with rage. "You''ll pay for that."


    Before he could attack again, a massive spiritual pressure descended upon us both. The air grew thick, difficult to breathe. Mariana appeared at the edge of the courtyard, her small frame radiating terrifying power.


    "Enough," shemanded. Blood stained her elegant robes, but she stood tall. "Your leader is calling a retreat, Skyler Huxley."


    Skyler''s eyes darted between us, calcting his odds. Self-preservation won.


    "This isn''t over," he spat, backing away. "The Ascendant Saints Order doesn''t forget."


    "Neither do I," Mariana replied coldly.


    We watched in silence as Skyler fled, joining his retreatingpanions at the Guild''s broken gate. When they were gone, Mariana turned to me, her sharp eyes assessing my wounded arm.


    "You should have stayed hidden," she chided, though there was no real anger in her voice.


    "I couldn''t," I said simply.


    She nodded, understanding in her eyes. "Come. Let''s tend that wound and count our losses."


    ---


    The aftermath was grim. Two elders dead. Four disciples seriously wounded. Half our defensive formations destroyed. The Guild stood, but barely.


    We gathered in the main hall—the twelve of us who remained. Mariana sat at the head of the table, her face grave as she surveyed our depleted ranks.


    "They tested us today," she said. "Probed our defenses. Assessed our strength."


    "And?" Elder Lin asked, his injured eye now bandaged.


    "And they''ll be back," she replied. "With greater numbers and a real n of attack. Today was merely reconnaissance."


    A heavy silence fell over the room. Everyone understood the implications. We couldn''t withstand a second assault, let alone a full-scale attack.


    "What''s our response?" I asked.


    Mariana looked at me, her expression unreadable. "Strategic silence."


    "Meaning?"


    "We say nothing. Do nothing. Show nothing," she exined. "Let them wonder what we''re nning. Uncertainty breeds caution."


    "And while they''re being cautious?" Elder Lin pressed.


    Mariana smiled for the first time that day—a cold, dangerous expression. "We prepare something they won''t expect."


    I felt a chill run down my spine. I''d never seen this side of her before—the calcting militarymander beneath the refined alchemist. This wasn''t just about my situation anymore. This was about the Guild''s survival.


    "Each of you has a role to y," Mariana continued. "Instructions will be delivered individually. Trust no one outside this room."


    As the meeting disbanded, she motioned for me to stay behind. When we were alone, her formal demeanor softened slightly.


    "Your wound?" she asked.


    I flexed my bandaged arm. "Healing. The guild''s medicinal paste works wonders."


    "Good." She hesitated, then added, "You fought well today."


    "Not well enough," I countered. "I''m still too weak."


    "But improving rapidly," she observed. "Your energy signature has changed. The Three Pure Ancient Trees are reshaping you from the inside out."


    I nodded. "I can feel it. But I need more time."


    "Time is the one thing we don''t have," Mariana said softly. "When the Ascendant Saints Order returns, they''ll bring their full might. No more reconnaissance missions. No more testing."


    "How long do we have?"


    "Three days. Perhaps four." She met my gaze directly. "Not enough for you to reach half-step Martial Marquis through conventional means."


    I understood her implication immediately. "You''re considering the Soul Refinement Elixir again."


    "No," she said firmly. "I have something else in mind. Something ancient. Something forbidden."


    My pulse quickened. "What?"


    Mariana rose and moved to the window, looking out over the damaged guild. "There are techniques lost to time. Ways of channeling power that were deemed too dangerous, too... corruptive."


    "You''re talking about dark cultivation," I realized.


    She didn''t deny it. "I''m talking about survival, Liam. Whatever it takes."


    ---


    In the depths of the Ascendant Saints Orderpound, Elder Foster knelt before Sect Master Josiah Hale, head bowed in contrition.


    "We underestimated their defenses," he admitted. "And the boy... he''s not as weak as we believed."


    Josiah''s fingers drummed impatiently on his armrest. "Skyler''s arrogance cost us valuable time and exposed our intentions."


    "Yes, Sect Master," Foster agreed. "He was explicitly instructed to observe only, not to engage."


    "And now Mariana knows our tactics," Josiah continued, his voice cold. "The element of surprise is lost."


    Elder Foster remained silent, awaiting judgment.


    "Return to the Celestial Apothecary Guild tomorrow," Josiah ordered finally. "With five half-step Martial Marquises. Take no chances. Bring me the Pavilion Master alive. Kill anyone who interferes."


    "And the boy?" Foster asked carefully.


    A cruel smile twisted Josiah''s lips. "Him, you can break. But I want him breathing when you bring him to me."


    Foster bowed lower. "It will be done, Sect Master."


    As the elder left, Josiah turned to the shadowed corner of the room. "Your assessment?"


    A figure stepped forward—tall, lean, face concealed by an ornate mask. "The Pavilion Master is hiding something. I sensed... unusual energies during today''s sh."


    "Southern Continent techniques?" Josiah asked sharply.


    "Perhaps," the masked figure replied. "But there''s something else. Something ancient. Buried beneath the Guild itself."


    Josiah''s eyes narrowed. "All the more reason to take control quickly. Prepare yourself. If Foster fails tomorrow, you will lead the third assault personally."


    The masked figure bowed slightly. "As you wish, Sect Master."


    ---


    Back at the Guild, I stood alone in my chamber, examining my wounded arm in the moonlight. The cut was already healing, the edges knitting together unnaturally fast. Another benefit of the Three Pure Ancient Trees'' energy.


    A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.


    "Come in," I called.


    The door opened to reveal not Mariana, as I''d expected, but Elder Lin. His good eye gleamed with urgency.


    "Pack your essentials," he whispered. "Quickly and quietly."


    "Why?" I asked, instantly alert. "Has something happened?"


    "The Pavilion Master has made her decision," he replied cryptically. "You''re leaving tonight."


    "Leaving?" I repeated, stunned. "But the Guild—"


    "Will face whates," he cut in. "Your path lies elsewhere now."


    Before I could protest further, Elder Lin pressed a small jade token into my palm. It pulsed with strange energy—familiar yet alien.


    "Follow this token''s guidance," he instructed. "It will lead you to someone who can help you achieve in days what would normally take years."


    I stared at the token, then back at Elder Lin. "And Mariana? Where is she?"


    "Preparing for whates next," he answered grimly. "She asked me to tell you one thing: ''Remember your promise. Be strong enough to change everything.''"


    Outside, thunder rumbled ominously. A storm wasing—both literally and figuratively.


    "Let''s go," Elder Lin urged. "The Ascendant Saints Order will return at dawn. You must be far away by then."


    As I gathered my few possessions, the weight of the situation pressed down upon me. Mariana was sacrificing everything—her Guild, perhaps her life—to give me this chance. I couldn''t waste it.


    The jade token grew warm in my hand, pulsing with ancient power and pointing toward an unknown destination. Somewhere out there was the key to the strength I needed.


    I just hoped I could find it before it was toote.