## Liam''s Perspective


    The dark energy from the Yin Side swirled around me as Nathen led us deeper into thepound. The sensation was intoxicating - raw power just waiting to be imed.


    "This is it," Nathen said, stopping before a small stone altar. "The heart of the Yin Side."


    Pure darkness seemed to pulse from beneath the ground. This wasn''t just some minor energy deposit. This was ancient power, undisturbed for centuries.


    "Incredible," I whispered, feeling the dark energy reaching out to me like a living thing.


    Nathen watched me with cautious eyes. "Most cultivators can''t even approach this spot without protection. The energy... it consumes them."


    "I''m not most cultivators." I knelt and ced my palm against the cold stone. The darkness responded instantly, rising up to meet my touch.


    The Man with the Mustache kept his distance. "Don''t get greedy, Liam. That much dark energy could corrupt even you."


    I ignored his warning. My Chaotic Body could handle both light and dark - that was my advantage. My weapon against Dashiell and the ckthornes.


    Nathen cleared his throat. "After what you did for us, the Yin Side is yours to borrow. But we need it back. It''s our lifeblood."


    I stood and faced him. "You have my word. I only need it temporarily."


    "Your reputation precedes you, Liam Knight," Nathen said. "They say you''re the only man to wound Vice President Holmes and walk away alive."


    "Reputations can be exaggerated."


    "Not yours." Nathen''s eyes gleamed with admiration. "The Guild has oppressed us for generations. Seeing someone stand up to them... it gives us hope."


    I wasn''t in the business of giving hope. I was in the business of saving Isabelle. But I nodded anyway.


    "How do I extract the energy?" I asked.


    Nathen produced a small ck box from his robes. "This artifact was designed specifically for the Yin Side. It can store the dark energy until you''re ready to absorb it."


    I took the box, feeling its weight. "And you''re just giving this to me?"


    "Consider it payment for dealing with those Guild dogs." Nathen''s emaciated face broke into a rare smile. "Besides, I have a feeling you''ll be causing the Guild more headaches in the future."


    The Man with the Mustache snorted. "That''s the understatement of the century."


    I ced the box on the altar and channeled a small amount of my energy into it. The box opened with a soft hiss, revealing an empty chamber lined with strange symbols.


    "Just press it against the altar," Nathen instructed. "The artifact will do the rest."


    I did as he said. The effect was immediate. Dark energy poured from the ground into the box like liquid night. The air grew cold, and frost formed on the stone beneath my hands.


    "Remarkable," the Man with the Mustache whispered, his fear momentarily forgotten in the face of such power.


    When the box was full, it sealed itself with a click. I could feel the dark energy inside, pulsing like a heartbeat.


    "Thank you," I said to Nathen. "I won''t forget this."


    He bowed slightly. "We''re the ones who should be thanking you. The Guild won''t bother us again for a while, not after what you did to their precious weapons."


    "Don''t count on it," I warned. "The Guild has a long memory and unlimited resources."


    "We''ll manage," Nathen replied with quiet dignity. "We always have."


    I tucked the box into my inner pocket. "I need to go. There''s someone I need to save."


    Nathen''s expression turned serious. "The wedding everyone''s talking about? Isabelle Ashworth and Dashiell ckthorne?"


    I froze. "How do you know about that?"


    "Everyone knows," he said simply. "The ckthornes have made sure of it. They''ve been broadcasting their triumph throughout Veridia City. Even here in the outskirts, we''ve heard the news."


    My jaw tightened. Of course Dashiell would unt it. He wanted me to know. Wanted me to suffer.


    "When''s the wedding?" I asked, though I already knew.


    "September 9th," Nathen replied. "Less than two weeks from now."


    The Man with the Mustache stepped closer. "Liam, we need to go. Those Guild members won''t stay unconscious forever."


    I nodded and turned to leave, but Nathen caught my arm.


    "Knight," he said quietly. "The ckthornes aren''t like other families. Their power goes beyond wealth or political connections. They have... other resources."


    "I know what I''m facing," I replied.


    Nathen released my arm. "Then I wish you luck. And if you ever need allies against the Guild or the ckthornes, the Cold sect will remember what you did today."


    I thanked him and left, the box of dark energy heavy against my chest.


    Three hourster, we were speeding toward Eldoria on a private shuttle. The Man with the Mustache hadn''t stopped fidgeting since we left thepound.


    "You should absorb that energy gradually," he advised, eyeing the box. "Too much at once could be... problematic."


    I opened the box and let a tendril of dark energy curl around my finger. "I don''t have time for gradual. Isabelle''s wedding is in less than two weeks." <code ss="story-note-vis">Cаtсh thе fоrmаttеd vеrsiоn аt М|V|LЕМ_РYR.</code>


    "And you''ll be no use to her if you''re corrupted by dark energy!"


    I ignored him and pulled a stream of darkness from the box. It flowed into my palm, then up my arm, seeking entry into my meridians.


    My Chaotic Body epted it hungrily, converting the raw power into something I could use. The sensation was both painful and exhrating.


    "Liam, be careful!" The Man with the Mustache backed away as dark energy swirled around me.


    "I know what I''m doing," I said through gritted teeth.


    By the time wended in Eldoria, I''d absorbed half the box''s contents. My power had increased noticeably, but it wasn''t enough. Not nearly enough to face Dashiell ckthorne.


    Eamon Greene and Sofia Carrera were waiting at thending pad. Their expressions brightened when they saw me.


    "Liam!" Sofia rushed forward. "We''ve been worried sick. The Guild has been—"


    "I know," I cut her off. "I had an encounter with them already."


    Eamon''s eyes narrowed. "An encounter? What happened?"


    "I broke four of their Martial Marquis Weapons and left eight of their members unconscious," I stated tly.


    Sofia''s hand flew to her mouth. Eamon just stared.


    "You... what?" he finally managed.


    The Man with the Mustache sighed dramatically. "He''s being modest. He also thoroughly humiliated theirmander and basically dered war on the entire Guild."


    "Just another Tuesday," I said with a grim smile.


    Sofia recovered first. "Liam, that''s... that''s insane. The Guild will hunt you relentlessly now."


    "Let them." I showed them the ck box. "I have more important concerns. I need a secure ce for closed-door training. Somewhere private where I won''t be disturbed."


    Eamon nodded slowly. "I have just the ce. A chamber beneath my residence designed specifically for cultivation."


    "Perfect," I said. "I''ll need it until September 8th."


    "The day before the wedding," Sofia noted quietly.


    I met her gaze. "Yes."


    "Liam," she said gently, "everyone''s talking about it. The ckthornes have spared no expense in publicizing this union. They''ve invited every influential family in Veridia City."


    "They want me to know," I said. "They''re unting it."


    Eamon ced a hand on my shoulder. "And what exactly is your n?"


    "I''m going to crash a wedding," I replied simply. "And for that, I need to be stronger."


    Two hourster, I stood in Eamon''s underground chamber, surrounded by cultivation resources he''d gathered for me. The room was sealed, protected by ancient formations that would keep my energy fluctuations hidden.


    "Ten days," I murmured to myself as I sat cross-legged in the center of the chamber. "Ten days to prepare for the fight of my life."


    I opened the ck box and released more dark energy. This time I didn''t hold back. I needed every advantage I could get.


    As darkness flowed into me, I thought of Isabelle. Her smile. Her touch. Her unwavering faith in me when everyone else had abandoned me.


    "I''ming for you," I whispered into the darkness. "Wait for me."


    ---


    Meanwhile, in the ckthorne family mansion, Dashiell ckthorne sat across from Corbin Ashworth, discussing wedding details with practiced enthusiasm.


    "I assure you, Mr. Ashworth, no expense will be spared," Dashiell said smoothly. "Isabelle deserves the finest ceremony money can buy."


    Corbin nodded approvingly. "The union of our families will reshape Veridia City''s power structure for generations toe."


    "Indeed." Dashiell sipped his tea, hiding his contempt behind perfect manners. "And Isabelle seems... epting of the arrangement?"


    Corbin waved dismissively. "She understands her duty. Any reluctance will fade after the ceremony."


    "Of course." Dashiell''s smile didn''t reach his eyes. "I''ll ensure she''s well cared for."


    Once alone, Dashiell''s pleasant mask slipped away. His handsome face twisted with cruel anticipation.


    "I''ll ensure you suffer for every tear you shed over Liam Knight," he whispered, as if Isabelle could hear him. "Your precious hero won''t save you this time."


    His father, Roderick ckthorne, entered the room without knocking. "The arrangements are proceeding as nned?"


    "Perfectly," Dashiell confirmed. "Corbin Ashworth is entirely focused on the political advantages. He barely notices his niece''s misery."


    "And what of Liam Knight?" Roderick asked. "Any sign of him?"


    Dashiell scoffed. "None. He''s probably hiding after his humiliation at the manor."


    "Don''t underestimate him," Roderick warned. "He''s caused enough trouble already."


    "He''s nothing," Dashiell insisted. "A nobody who got lucky. If he dares show his face at my wedding, I''ll crush him so thoroughly that even his ashes won''t remain."


    Roderick ckthorneughed, a cold sound devoid of humor. "You''ve grown stronger than I expected, son. Killing Liam Knight would be as easy as pie for you now."


    As father and son plotted Liam''s destruction, they remained blissfully unaware that their intended victim was absorbing ancient dark energy, preparing to tear their world apart.