## Liam''s Perspective


    I watched as my spectral hand mmed into Soren Ashworth. The ground beneath him cracked as he crumpled like a rag doll. Blood sprayed from his mouth, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief.


    "Consider this your first real lesson," I said, stepping over his fallen form.


    Soren wheezed, trying desperately to speak. His elder rushed to his side, casting a panicked healing technique.


    "Monster! You''ve crippled the Ashworth heir!" the elder screamed.


    I didn''t bother looking back. "He''ll live. Though he might want to reconsider his career choices."


    The other cultivators parted like water as I walked toward the central pavilion. Their fear was palpable. Some fled outright, while others pressed themselves against the edges of the teau.


    The pavilion doors were sealed withplex energy formations. Ancient symbols glowed across its surface, warning intruders away. Behind those doors, Emerson Holmes was attempting his breakthrough to Martial Marquis.


    I ced my hand against the door. The energy formations sparked and fought against my touch. With a surge of my newfound power, I shattered them like ss.


    The doors burst open, revealing a dimly lit chamber. At its center floated Emerson Holmes, suspended in a cocoon of swirling energy. The Dragon Vein''s power funneled directly into him through streams of golden light from the ceiling.


    His eyes snapped open, fury etched across his face. "WHO DARES?!"


    "Just an old friend," I replied, stepping into the sacred space.


    Recognition dawned in his eyes, quickly followed by disbelief. "Liam Knight? Impossible! You were crippled!"


    "I got better," I said with a cold smile. "Unfortunately for you, I''ve interrupted something important, haven''t I?"


    Emerson''s face contorted with rage. He was suspended in the most critical moment of his breakthrough attempt – the meridian expansion phase. Interruption at this stage wasn''t just inconvenient; it was potentially catastrophic.


    "Do you have ANY idea what you''ve done?" he snarled, the golden energy around him flickering unstably.


    "Ruined years of preparation?" I suggested. "Wasted countless resources? Set back your ambitions? Yes, I believe I do."


    He struggled to maintain his position in the air, but the disruption was already spreading. The energy streams from the ceiling began to waver and sputter.


    "Guards! GUARDS!" he bellowed.


    "They won''te," I told him. "They''re upied with a rather beaten Ashworth prodigy."


    With a roar of frustration, Emerson abandoned his meditative pose and thrust both hands toward me. "Die, you insignificant worm!"


    I sidestepped his hasty attack andunched forward. My fist connected with his chest before he could defend himself. The impact sent him crashing into the far wall of the pavilion.


    "That was for every innocent person the Guild has ever harmed," I said evenly.


    Emerson pulled himself from the rubble, blood trickling from his mouth. His eyes burned with hatred. "You''ve made a fatal mistake, Knight. This is the Dragon Vein – the source of my greatest power!"


    He raised both arms, and the chamber began to rumble. The golden streams intensified, converging on his body. His aura expanded explosively, filling the pavilion with crushing pressure.


    "Feel the might of the Dragon Vein!" he roared.


    A massive wave of golden energy surged toward me like a tsunami. I crossed my arms before me, channeling my qi to form a barrier. The wave hit me with tremendous force, driving me back several steps.


    Painnced through my body as the energy burned against my skin. My clothes smoldered, and blood trickled from fresh cuts across my arms. <em ss="ref-0c180d">This chapter was made possible by themunity at *.</em>


    Emersonughed. "Not so confident now, are you? The Dragon Vein contains the umted power of generations!"


    I gritted my teeth and held my ground. "Impressive. But borrowed power is still just borrowed."


    He sneered and summoned another wave, evenrger than the first. "Let''s see if you can stand after this one!"


    The second wave crashed into me with double the force. This time, I slid back only two steps. Blood dripped more freely from my wounds, but my stance remained firm.


    Emerson''s eyes widened. "What? How are you still standing?"


    I wiped blood from my face. "My body adapts quickly. An unfortunate trait for my enemies."


    Rage contorted his features. "Then I''ll crush youpletely!"


    He drew upon even more power, the very foundations of the pavilion cracking under the strain. The third wave of energy came as a concentrated beam, aimed directly at my heart.


    When it hit, I moved back only half a step.


    "Impossible!" Emerson shouted, his voice tinged with the first notes of fear.


    I advanced now, pushing against the continuous stream of energy. Each step was slow but deliberate. The golden light scorched my skin, but I felt my body growing stronger with each passing second.


    "Your problem, Emerson," I said through gritted teeth, "is that you''ve never faced true adversity."


    Another step forward.


    "You''ve never been beaten to the edge of death."


    Another step.


    "Never been betrayed by everyone you trusted."


    My hand reached through the torrent of energy, grabbing his throat.


    "Never had to remake yourself from nothing."


    I lifted him off the ground, the Dragon Vein''s energy still pouring into him but doing nothing to stop me.


    "Your poweres from this ce," I said, blood streaming down my face. "Minees from surviving everything that should have killed me."


    Fear hadpletely reced the arrogance in Emerson''s eyes. He wed desperately at my grip.


    "The Dragon Vein," I continued, "is just another tool. It can''t save you from someone who''s already walked through hell."


    I threw him across the chamber. He crashed into his meditation altar, sending ancient artifacts scattering across the floor.


    Emerson scrambled to his feet, his robes torn and bloodied. He looked around frantically, as if searching for some weapon or escape route.


    I walked toward him steadily, my wounds already starting to close. "Speak up, Emerson. Without the power of the Dragon Vein, what tactics do you have left?"


    His face drained of all color as he backed away from me, the mighty Martial Guild elder reduced to a cornered animal before my advance.