## Liam''s Perspective


    Inded softly on the stone floor, my eyes adjusting to the soft golden glow that filled the underground chamber. The spiritual energy here was dense—almost suffocating.


    "By the gods," I whispered, taking in my surroundings.


    The chamber stretched far beyond what should have been possible. The ceiling soared high above, illuminated by strange luminescent crystals. But what captured my attention were the nts growing in orderly rows.


    Herbs. Thousand-year-old herbs at minimum. Some possibly reaching five thousand years of age.


    The Man with the Mustachended beside me with considerably less grace, stumbling forward before catching himself.


    "Sweet merciful heavens," he gasped, eyes bulging. "I''ve never seen anything like this. Even the Celestial Apothecary Guild''s secret gardens can''tpare."


    Emerson Holmes descended next, followed by Soren and the other Guild members. Holmes surveyed the chamber with clinical interest.


    "Exactly as the records described," he said. "A hidden garden of ancient herbs preserved for millennia."


    Soren pushed past me, moving toward a particrly vibrant patch of herbs. "These will fetch a fortune in Veridia City."


    I approached a cluster of shimmering blue nts. Even from a distance, I could feel their power. These weren''t just rare—they were exactly what I needed to break through to the half-step Martial Marquis realm.


    "These Five-Thousand-Year Azure Spirit Herbs," I said, kneeling beside them. "With just one of these, I could—"


    "You could what?" Emerson Holmes''s voice cut through my thoughts.


    I nced up. Holmes was watching me with an odd expression.


    "With just one of these herbs, I could reach the half-step Martial Marquis realm," I answered honestly. "My Chaotic Body has unique requirements. This herb contains the precise energy I need."


    Holmes''s face remained neutral. "Fascinating. Your Chaotic Body, you say?"


    Something in his tone made me wary, but I continued. "Yes. I''ve researched extensively. These herbs are perfect catalysts for my cultivation method."


    "And you believe you deserve such precious resources?" he asked calmly.


    "I only need one," I replied, standing up. "There are dozens here. Enough for everyone."


    Holmes chuckled—a sound devoid of humor. "Only one, he says."


    The atmosphere in the chamber shifted suddenly. The Guild members spread out, forming a loose circle around me.


    "What''s happening?" The Man with the Mustache backed toward me, sensing the change.


    Holmes''s friendly demeanor vanishedpletely. "What''s happening is that our friend Liam Knight has overestimated his position."


    Soren smirked, clearly pleased by this development.


    "Liam Knight," Holmes continued, his voice taking on an official tone. "Did you really think you could simply walk in and im treasures that belong to the Veridia City Martial Guild?"


    I kept my face expressionless. "You invited me on this expedition."


    "As a tool," Holmes rified. "Your insight proved useful in identifying the tablet. Nothing more."


    My muscles tensed as I assessed the situation. Six Guild members, all at least at the Martial Lord realm. Plus Holmes and Soren. Not good odds.


    "So this friendliness was all an act?" I asked.


    Holmes smiled thinly. "Consider it professional courtesy. Now, step away from those herbs."


    I didn''t move. "And if I refuse?"


    "Then I''ll remind you of your ce," Holmes replied coldly. <em ss="phantom-imprint">Th.i!s chap$ter% was ma.de- p*o&s+si.bl*e by them&u-ni#ty. at M-V*|!LE@M&|P!YR..-</em>


    I made a quick decision and reached for the Azure Spirit Herb. Before my fingers could touch it, a st of energy struck my hand, sending shockwaves of pain up my arm.


    Holmes lowered his finger, wisps of spiritual energy still curling around it. "I warned you."


    I flexed my hand, ignoring the pain. "What gives you the right to im everything here?"


    "Power gives us the right," Holmes replied simply. "Something you seem unable to grasp despite your recent... achievements."


    Soren stepped forward. "You''re nothing but an upstart from the slums. ying at being important because you managed a few lucky victories."


    I locked eyes with Holmes. "I thought you were different. Less blinded by arrogance than the rest of the Guild."


    "This isn''t arrogance," Holmes said. "It''s pragmatism. The Veridia City Martial Guild has tracked you for months. Your growth rate is... concerning."


    The implications hit me instantly. They didn''t just want the herbs. This was about me.


    "So that''s it," I said quietly. "You never intended to let me leave with anything."


    Holmes nodded. "Smart boy. The Guild has been debating how to handle you since your disy at Isabelle Ashworth''s wedding. Some advocated immediate elimination. Others suggested recruitment."


    "And which side won that debate?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.


    "Neither," Holmes replied. "We decided to observe. To see if your threat level justified direct intervention."


    He gestured around the chamber. "And now, thanks to this fortuitous discovery, we have the perfect opportunity to resolve the Liam Knight problem permanently."


    I shifted my stance, preparing forbat. "And how exactly do you n to do that?"


    Instead of answering, Holmes raised his hand toward the shattered remains of the stone tablet near the entrance. The fragments began to glow with an eerie blue light.


    "Did you never wonder why that tablet was here?" Holmes asked. "What purpose it served?"


    The stone fragments rose into the air, swirling in aplex pattern.


    "It wasn''t just concealing this chamber," Holmes continued. "It was suppressing the true power of the Dragon Vein."


    My stomach dropped as understanding dawned. "You knew about this all along."


    "Of course," Holmes smiled coldly. "Why else would the Guild send me specifically? I am one of the few who can channel the Dragon Vein''s power."


    The swirling stone fragments condensed into a glowing blue sphere above Holmes''s palm. Energy crackled around it, so dense it distorted the air.


    "Behold," Holmes announced. "The concentrated power of a true Dragon Vein. Energy gathered over thousands of years."


    The sphere pulsed, sending waves of pressure throughout the chamber. Even Soren took an involuntary step back.


    "With this," Holmes continued, "I possess power approaching that of a Martial Marquis. More than enough to deal with you."


    I reached for mybat skills, gathering my own energy. Against a normal opponent, my golden light would provide significant protection. But against this? I wasn''t sure.


    "The Guild has wanted you eliminated for months," Holmes said conversationally. "Your connections to Mariana Valeriusplicated matters. Politics, you understand."


    The blue sphere spun faster in his palm. "But here? No witnesses except those loyal to the Guild. The perfect opportunity."


    I needed to stall. "If you kill me, Mariana Valerius will never—"


    "Kill you?" Holmesughed. "No, no. We''re not barbarians, Liam. We won''t kill you."


    Reliefsted only a second.


    "We''ll simply destroy your dantian," he rified. "Leave you a crippled shell of a man. Alive, but harmless. Poetic, given your origins."


    I lunged forward, golden light erupting around my body. If I could reach Holmes before he unleashed that power—


    Toote.


    "Dragon Vein Art: Azure Binding Stream!" Holmes thrust his palm forward.


    A torrent of blue energy sted toward me. I crossed my arms, golden light intensifying as my defensive skills activated.


    The collision was catastrophic. My golden barrier shattered instantly. The blue energy mmed into me with the force of a mountain, sending me crashing into the far wall.


    Pain exploded through my body. My right arm hung limply, shattered in multiple ces. Blood trickled from my mouth.


    "Impressive," Holmes remarked, approaching slowly. "Your defensive skills actually absorbed some of the impact. Most would have been killed instantly."


    I struggled to my feet, left arm clutching my broken right one. My healing abilities were already working, but too slowly.


    "Dragon Vein Art: Prating Azure Lance," Holmes intoned.


    A spear of condensed blue energy formed above his finger. With a casual flick, he sent it hurtling toward me.


    I dodged, but thence changed direction mid-flight, piercing my shoulder. I bit back a scream as it tore through muscle and bone before dissipating.


    "Your speed ismendable," Holmes noted. "But futile against the Dragon Vein''s awareness."


    Blood soaked my robes. The wound wasn''t healing—the energy had disrupted my body''s natural recovery abilities.


    Where was the Man with the Mustache? Gone. Fled at the first sign of danger, no doubt.


    I gathered what strength remained, channeling my diminishing energy into a desperate attack. "Nine Heavens Crushing Strike!"


    Golden light condensed around my fist as I charged toward Holmes. If I couldnd just one solid hit—


    "Pathetic," Holmes sighed. "Dragon Vein Art: Crushing Descent."


    A wave of blue energy mmed down from above. The pressure was immense, driving me into the stone floor with such force that the ground cracked beneath me.


    Iy there, broken and bleeding. My golden light flickered weakly, barely maintaining cohesion around my battered body.


    Holmes stood over me, the blue sphere still hovering above his palm. "Do you see now? The difference between us? Between you and the Veridia City Martial Guild?"


    I tried to speak, but only blood came out.


    "Your rise ends here, Liam Knight," Holmes dered, aiming his finger directly at my dantian—the core of my cultivation. "No more surprising victories. No more defying the natural order."


    As his finger began to glow with deadly purpose, I felt something strange. Beneath me, through the cracked floor, a different energy stirred. Ancient. Powerful. Responding to my blood.


    "A shame, really," Holmes said, entirely unaware. "You had potential. But the Guild cannot allow wild cards like you to upset the bnce we''ve maintained for centuries."


    His finger descended toward my dantian, blue energy gathering at its tip. This was it. The end of my cultivation journey. The end of my ability to protect Isabelle.


    "With this," Holmes smiled coldly, "the Liam Knight problem will be permanently resolved."