## Liam''s Perspective


    "You must disrobepletely," Tobias instructed, his voice echoing in the vast chamber. "The spiritual energy needs direct contact with your skin."


    I stripped off my outer robes, watching Tobias carefully. His eyes darted nervously between me and the glowing spring. Trust wasn''t an option here, but necessity made strange partners.


    "Now what?" I asked, standing at the edge of the luminous pool.


    "Step into the waterfall," he said, pointing to where the spring cascaded down smooth stone. "That''s where the energy is most concentrated."


    The spring''s radiance pulsed like a heartbeat. Waves of power rolled off it, making the air shimmer. This was no ordinary cultivation resource – this was the lifeblood of the Ascendant Saints Order.


    "If you''re lying to me, Tobias," I warned, "your death will be slow."


    He swallowed hard. "I speak the truth. Though most cultivators would be obliterated attempting what you propose."


    I stepped forward, feeling the spring''s energy intensify. My skin tingled as if touched by lightning. Was I being reckless? Maybe. But Isabelle''s rescue couldn''t wait for cautious approaches.


    "One more thing," I said, turning back to Tobias. "Insurance."


    Before he could react, I pressed my palm against his chest. A small mark red to life, etching itself into his flesh through his robes. He gasped, trying to back away.


    "What have you done?"


    "A simple tracking mark," I exined. "Try to betray me, and I''ll know instantly. Try to remove it, and your heart stops beating."


    His face paled. "That''s—"


    "Necessary," I cut in. "Now, tell the disciples I''m a special guest of Josiah Hale. Make something convincing up."


    Tobias''s jaw clenched, but he nodded stiffly. "How long will you remain?"


    "Until I''ve absorbed enough power or until I''m discovered," I replied. "Whicheveres first."


    I stepped into the waterfall.


    The impact drove me to my knees.


    Raw power mmed into me from all directions. My meridians burned as spiritual energy flooded my system. Every cell in my body screamed in protest. The pain was excruciating – like being torn apart molecule by molecule.


    Through gritted teeth, I forced myself to breathe. To focus. To control the flow.


    Gradually, my Chaotic Body began adapting. My meridians widened, channeling the overwhelming energy through pathways usually dormant. The pain remained intense, but manageable now.


    I settled into a cross-legged position directly under the waterfall. Time to begin the real work.


    "Tell no one I''m here," Imanded Tobias as he stared in amazement. "Now go." <code ss="in-imprint-a">This content was first released on *.</code>


    He hesitated briefly, then bowed and retreated up the staircase.


    Alone with the spring, I closed my eyes and sank into deep meditation. The spiritual energy continued pouring into me, filling reservoirs I didn''t know existed. My cultivation base trembled, straining against its limits.


    Then something extraordinary happened. The barriers broke.


    My power surged forward, breaking through blockages that should have taken months to ovee. In minutes, I felt myself advancing toward the next major realm.


    This was exactly what I needed.


    ---


    "Master Tobias, what''s happening to the spring?" A young disciple''s panicked voice broke my concentration. "The energy levels are dropping dramatically!"


    I opened my eyes. How long had I been meditating? Hours, at least. My body glowed with absorbed power.


    Tobias stood at the entrance with several concerned disciples peering past him. His face showed poorly concealed rm.


    "Nothing to worry about," he assured them smoothly. "Our honored guest is conducting important research at Master Hale''s request."


    The disciples looked unconvinced. One pointed at me. "But the spring has never diminished like this before! If it continues—"


    "Are you questioning Master Hale''s orders?" Tobias snapped, his voice sharp with authority.


    "N-no, Elder Tobias," the disciple stammered.


    "Then return to your duties. All of you."


    After they reluctantly departed, Tobias approached me, keeping a safe distance from the waterfall.


    "You''re draining it too quickly," he hissed. "People are noticing."


    I remained seated, letting the energy continue flowing into me. "How much longer until Josiah typically returns from a journey like this?"


    "A day, perhaps less now that he knows he''s been deceived," Tobias answered, nervously ncing toward the stairway. "You need to finish and leave."


    "Not yet," I said firmly. "I''m close to a breakthrough."


    This wasn''t entirely true. I''d already experienced multiple breakthroughs, each one expanding my power exponentially. But I needed more. The gap between me and the Martial Saints was still vast.


    "The disciples are growing suspicious," Tobias insisted. "I can''t keep them at bay much longer."


    "You''ll find a way," I said coldly. "Unless you''d prefer I reveal your betrayal when Josiah returns."


    Tobias''s face contorted with frustration and fear. He was caught in a trap of his own making, and we both knew it.


    "At least slow your absorption," he pleaded. "At this rate, you''ll deplete centuries of umted energy in hours."


    I considered this. "Fine. Send in anyone whoins. I''ll handle them personally."


    His eyes widened. "You can''t kill our disciples! That would—"


    "I didn''t say I''d kill them," I cut in. "Now go maintain our cover."


    After he left, I adjusted my technique slightly, reducing the rate of absorption. The truth was, my body needed time to assimte what I''d already taken. The power coursing through me was raw, untamed – like trying to control a hurricane with bare hands.


    I needed bnce, not just power.


    ---


    Hours passed. Disciples came and went, each leaving with a zed look after I applied memory-altering techniques. Tobias managed the situation surprisingly well, his ambition apparently outweighing his loyalty.


    The spring''s glow had dimmed considerably. What once zed like a sun now flickered like a candle. I''d absorbed more spiritual energy than I thought possible, pushing my cultivation to unprecedented heights.


    But time was running out.


    "Master Tobias!" A frantic disciple burst into the chamber. "Urgent news from the outer sentries! Master Hale''s personalmunication talisman just activated. He''s returning immediately!"


    Tobias''s face drained of color. "How soon?"


    "Hours at most! He sounded furious!"


    After dismissing the messenger, Tobias turned to me with panic evident in his eyes. "You must leave now. If Josiah finds you here—"


    "I need more time," I interrupted, feeling the spring''s energy working through my system. "Just a little longer."


    "There is no more time!" Tobias shouted, losing hisposure. "Do you understand what Josiah Hale will do to me if he discovers this?"


    I stood slowly, water cascading off my body. The power within me hummed like a tightly wound spring. Not enough to defeat Josiah outright, but perhaps enough to rescue Isabelle.


    "Very well," I conceded. "Prepare a private chamber where I canplete my cultivation cycle. Somewhere unlikely to be checked immediately."


    Tobias looked relieved. "There''s a meditation room in the easternpound. I''ll take you there myself."


    As we hurriedly ascended the stairs, I could feel my new power settling. Raw and unstable, but immense. Each step felt weightless, as if gravity itself had lessened its hold on me.


    "What story have you been telling the disciples?" I asked as we navigated empty hallways.


    "That you''re a prodigy from a distant branch sect, sent to undergo special training," Tobias replied, constantly ncing over his shoulder. "Master Hale asionally brings such talents directly to the spring."


    "And they believed that?"


    "Most did. Some had questions, but I dealt with them."


    We reached a small, nondescript building far from the mainplex. Inside was a simple meditation chamber with basic furnishings.


    "You''ll be safe here temporarily," Tobias said, his hands fidgeting. "But when Josiah returns—"


    "I''ll be gone before that bes a problem," I assured him. "Now leave me. I need to stabilize this energy."


    After he departed, I sealed the room with defensive formations and sat cross-legged on the floor. The spiritual energy inside me still swirled chaotically, threatening to tear my meridians apart if not properly controlled.


    I needed at least three hours of uninterrupted meditation. But would Josiah Hale give me that much time?


    ---


    At the same moment, in Jade Moon Vi, Josiah Hale stood in the deserted main courtyard, his face darkening with fury.


    The entirepound was abandoned. Not a single disciple remained. Just empty buildings and training grounds, all signs pointing to a hasty evacuation.


    "Search every corner!" hemanded his apanying disciples. "Find something, anything that tells us where they''ve gone!"


    His men scattered,bing through the buildings. Josiah himself stalked toward what appeared to be the main hall, his every step cracking the stone beneath his feet.


    Inside, he found nothing but bare walls and empty furniture. No maps, no documents, nothing to indicate where Liam Knight might have fled.


    "Master Hale!" called one of his disciples. "The kitchens were left with food still cooking. They haven''t been gone long."


    Josiah nodded grimly. "They knew we wereing. That announcement was bait."


    He paced the empty hall, mind racing. If Liam Knight wasn''t here, where was he? What was his true objective?


    As Josiah contemted this, hismunication talisman vibrated. He activated it immediately.


    "What?" he barked.


    "Josiah Hale, you absolute idiot!" Corbin Ashworth''s voice exploded from the talisman, shocking everyone present. "Liam Knight is right under your nose, and you''re totally clueless. Useless! Completely useless!"


    Josiah''s eyes narrowed dangerously. "Exin yourself, Corbin."


    "My sources just confirmed it. While you''re chasing shadows, Knight is raiding your headquarters! He''s after something specific – the Spiritual Spring!"


    A cold wave of dread washed over Josiah Hale''s face. Then fury – pure, molten fury – reced it.


    "Impossible," he whispered, but even as he said it, pieces fell into ce. The announcement, the empty vi, the timing...


    "If you leave now," Corbin continued, "you might catch him before—"


    Josiah crushed the talisman in his fist, cutting offmunication. He turned to his disciples, his voice deadly calm.


    "We return. Immediately."


    He stepped outside, gathering cosmic energy until his body glowed. Then, with a thunderous crack that split the sky, heunched himself eastward, moving faster than human eyes could track.


    The race was on.