## Liam''s Perspective


    I studied the Man with the Mustache''s face, searching for any hint of deception. His proposition was too convenient, almost suspiciously so.


    "Let me see these ingredients first," I demanded, keeping my tone neutral.


    He grinned, reaching into his spatial ring. "Always the cautious one, aren''t you?"


    From his ring, he produced three crystalline cores that pulsed with dark energy, then eight small pouches tied with red string.


    "Three Grade-5 Demonic Beast Cores," he announced, cing the cores on a t stone between us. "And eight varieties of ancient herbs, each over four thousand years old."


    I picked up one core, channeling a small amount of qi into it. The dark energy within responded instantly, swirling violently against my light energy. These were genuine, high-quality cores.


    "The herbs?" I prompted.


    He opened one pouch, revealing dried leaves with a faint purple shimmer. "Four-thousand-five-hundred-year-old Shadow Nightshade. Touched by both light and dark energies, as required for your pill."


    My breath caught. This was exactly what I needed. But I couldn''t appear too eager.


    "The bronze mirror is worth more than this," I said coolly. "It''s from the Dao Dynasty, as you yourself pointed out."


    He stroked his mustache. "Two bronze ques from your collection, then. I know you found them in that imperial tombst month."


    I raised an eyebrow. "You''ve been keeping tabs on me?"


    "Information is survival in my business," he replied with a shrug. "Do we have a deal?"


    The ques were valuable, but ultimately useless for my cultivation or rescuing Isabelle. The ingredients he offered could help me achieve both goals.


    "Deal," I said, extracting two bronze ques from my spatial ring and cing them beside his offerings. "But if these herbs aren''t what you im..."


    "They are," he interrupted, snatching up the ques with barely concealed excitement. "I''m a businessman, not a fool. I don''t cross someone with your... capabilities."


    We finished dividing the remaining treasures from the tomb in silence. As we prepared to leave, the Man with the Mustache sighed heavily.


    "Such a shame we can''t ess the Bright Energy Grave directly on the Dragon Vein," hemented. "The treasures there would make these look like trinkets."


    "What''s stopping you?" I asked.


    "The Veridia City Martial Guild has it under constant surveince," he replied. "That, and Emerson Holmes personally visits twice a month to perform some kind of ritual."


    My interest peaked immediately. "Emerson Holmes? The Martial Saint?"


    "The very same. Whatever''s in that grave, it''s important enough for the most powerful man in the city to guard it personally."


    I stored this information carefully. Anything that interested the Martial Guild—and Emerson Holmes specifically—was worth investigating.


    "If those obstacles weren''t there?" I pressed.


    The Man with the Mustacheughed. "I''d be the richest tomb raider in history!"


    This version was sourced from *.


    I made my decision in that moment. "Remove those obstacles, and I''ll help you break into that grave."


    He stoppedughing abruptly. "You''re serious?"


    "Deadly serious."


    His eyes widened. "You''re nning to challenge the Martial Guild? And a Martial Saint?"


    "I''m nning to save someone I love," I corrected him. "If that means challenging the entire world, so be it."


    He stared at me for a long moment, then burst into nervousughter. "You''re either the bravest man I''ve ever met or the craziest."


    "Does that mean you''re in?"


    He hesitated, then nodded. "If—and that''s a massive if—you somehow neutralize the Martial Guild''s presence there, I''ll guide you into the grave."


    We sealed our agreement with a handshake. As his fingers gripped mine, he leaned closer. "Your body contains both light and dark energies," he whispered. "A true Chaotic body. I''ve only read about such things in ancient texts."


    I pulled my hand away, ufortable with his perception. "Focus on the grave," I instructed. "I''ll handle the rest."


    Back in my private chamber at the Jade Moon Vi, I arranged my alchemy equipment carefully. The Phoenix Tripod, a gift from Mariana Valerius, dominated the center of the room. Its bronze surface gleamed with mysterious runes that enhanced any pill-refining process.


    Iid out the ingredients for the Reincarnation Pill: the ice worm tears in a crystal vial, the fire dragon''s blood essence sealed in jade, the Shadow Nightshade herbs from the Man with the Mustache, a spirit beast heart preserved in special oil, and the powdered meridian dust of a fallen cultivator.


    My hands trembled slightly. One mistake in this process could be catastrophic. The Reincarnation Pill was notoriously difficult to refine, with a sess rate of less than ten percent even among master alchemists.


    I took a deep breath, steadying my nerves. For Isabelle, I would seed. I had to.


    I began by igniting the tripod with my Purple Spirit Fire—a rare me that burned hotter than ordinary fire. The tripod hummed in response, its runes glowing vibrant red.


    First, the ice worm tears. I poured the crystalline liquid into the tripod, where it sizzled against the heated bronze. Next, the fire dragon''s blood essence, added drop by drop to bnce the cold properties of the tears.


    The mixture bubbled violently, changing colors from blue to red to purple. So far, so good.


    I crushed the Shadow Nightshade between my fingers, releasing its ancient qi. As I sprinkled it into the mixture, I noticed something concerning—the herb seemed slightly less potent than it should be. Four thousand years old instead of five thousand? The Man with the Mustache had exaggerated?


    Toote to stop now. I added the spirit beast heart, watching as it dissolved into the bubbling concoction. Finally, the meridian dust, which caused the entire mixture to glow with an eerie white light.


    Sweat poured down my face as I maintained precise control over my Purple Spirit Fire. Too hot, and the pill would explode. Too cool, and the ingredients wouldn''t fuse properly.


    Hours passed in intense concentration. The mixture gradually condensed, forming a single pill that floated in the center of the tripod. Its surface shifted between light and dark, never settling on either.


    "Stabilize," I muttered, feeding more energy into the tripod. "Come on."


    Just as despair began to creep in, the pill suddenly solidified, its surface now a perfect bnce of ck and white swirls. I''d done it. The Reincarnation Pill wasplete.


    I extinguished the fire and carefully removed the pill with special tongs. Despite my exhaustion, triumph surged through me. This was my key to the next realm of power—and to saving Isabelle.


    Without hesitation, I ced the pill on my tongue. It dissolved instantly, unleashing a torrent of energy that raced through my meridians like lightning.


    Pain followed immediately—excruciating, mind-shattering pain. My body felt like it was being torn apart and reassembled. Every cell screamed in agony as the pill''s energy rewrote my very essence.


    I copsed to my knees, biting back screams. This was the critical moment—either my body would ept the transformation or be destroyed by it.


    "For Isabelle," I gasped, forcing myself to endure.


    Light erupted from my skin—first golden, then purple, then a mixture of both. My cultivation base, which had been stalled at the Consummate Inner Strength Grandmaster realm, began to crack its boundaries.


    The room around me trembled. Wood splintered, stone cracked, and metal warped under the pressure of my expanding energy. I was breaking through.


    Inner strength flooded every part of me, strengthening my bones, enriching my blood, enhancing my organs. My senses sharpened dramatically—I could hear conversations from the other side of the vi, smell the faintest traces of herbs from the storeroom.


    As the transformation reached its peak, waves of light rippled outward from my body, slicing through the mountain stone walls of my chamber like they were paper.