## Liam''s Perspective


    The moonlight bathed Iceheart Lake in an ethereal glow as I followed Phoebe along its shore. Tonight was the night. After days of strategic pressure, my gambit had worked.


    "Are you certain about this?" I asked, watching her face carefully.


    Phoebe''s expression remained solemn. "No, I''m not certain. But sometimes we must make desperate choices."


    She led me toward the center of theke, following a narrow, hidden path that seemed to materialize beneath our feet. The waters parted around the invisible walkway, creating the illusion that we were walking on theke''s surface.


    "My grandmother showed me this passage when I was just a child," she exined. "Very few know it exists."


    We reached the center of Iceheart Lake where a small ind norger than a meditation tform emerged. Phoebe knelt and pressed her palm against the surface. A secretpartment opened, revealing a small gap beneath.


    "There," she pointed. "The Ice Heart lies within."


    I peered into the darkness. A faint blue glow emanated from deep inside. My pulse quickened.


    "You must retrieve it yourself," Phoebe said. "The Ice Heart chooses its bearer."


    Without hesitation, I plunged my arm into the gap. Intense cold shot through my limb, but I pushed deeper. My fingers brushed something solid, something that radiated pure power.


    I grasped it and pulled.


    The Ice Heart emerged in my palm—a crystalline structure norger than my fist, pulsing with azure light. Energy radiated from it in waves, making the air around us shimmer.


    "Incredible," I whispered.


    Phoebe nodded. "It''s said to be the condensed essence of Iceheart Lake itself, formed over ten thousand years."


    I turned the artifact in my hand, marveling at its perfection. This was no ordinary treasure. This was the key to the Military Marquis realm—and my revenge against the Veridia City Martial Guild.


    "How do I use it?" I asked, already feeling the cold power seeping into my skin.


    "Absorb its energy gradually," she warned. "Too quickly and it could freeze your meridians permanently."


    I nodded, carefully storing the Ice Heart in my spatial ring. "Thank you, Phoebe. Jade Moon Vi won''t forget this sacrifice."


    "This isn''t a sacrifice," she corrected sharply. "It''s an investment. The Ice Heart remains bound to thiske. If you betray us, it will return home—possibly taking your cultivation with it."


    Clever. She wasn''t as naive as I''d thought.


    "I understand," I said. "I''ll honor our agreement."


    As we walked back to shore, Phoebe kept her eyes fixed on the path. "You have three days before Josiahes. Use that time wisely."


    "I will," I promised. "When I emerge, Jade Moon Vi will have a protector worthy of its legacy."


    Inside, I felt a surge of triumph. The Ice Heart was mine—partly through deception, yes, but also through necessity. Sometimes the line between maniption and mutual benefit blurred.


    I would use this power to save Isabelle. To crush those who stood in my way. And yes, to protect Jade Moon Vi as promised. Our goals were aligned for now, and that was enough.


    ---


    Back in my quarters, I examined the Ice Heart more closely. Its pure energy made my skin tingle just by proximity. This was no ordinary treasure—it was leagues beyond anything I''d seen at the Celestial Apothecary Guild.


    I reached out with my spiritual sense, probing the artifact. What I discovered stunned me.


    The Ice Heart wasn''t merely infused with energy—it was energy. Pure qi condensed into solid form over millennia. No wonder it could propel someone to the Military Marquis realm.


    I set up istion barriers around my chamber. With Josiah''s deadline looming, I couldn''t afford the rmended gradual approach. I needed to absorb this power quickly.


    First, I tried the conventional method—holding the Ice Heart and slowly drawing its essence into my dantian. The power entered my body like liquid frost, spreading through my meridians with painful deliberation.


    Hours passed. Progress was minimal.


    "Too slow," I muttered, checking the time. Nearly a full day gone, and I''d absorbed perhaps five percent of the Ice Heart''s energy.


    I stared at the glowing crystal, weighing my options. At this rate, I''d never reach Military Marquis before Josiah arrived.


    A dangerous idea formed in my mind.


    Instead of absorbing from the outside, what if I consumed a piece directly? The risk was enormous—I could freeze solid from the inside out. But with time running out and Isabelle still captive, what choice did I have?


    I broke off a tiny fragment of the Ice Heart, norger than a grain of rice. Even this small piece pulsed with enough power to make my fingers numb.


    "For Isabelle," I whispered, cing the fragment on my tongue.


    The effect was immediate and violent. This copy was generated from content at *.


    Cold exploded through my body like a blizzard. My meridians seized, my dantian convulsed. I copsed to the floor, unable to scream as frost formed across my skin.


    Too much. Too fast.


    I desperately redirected my internal energy, trying to contain the surging power. My Chaotic Body technique activated instinctively, drawing on both light and dark energies to bnce the overwhelming cold.


    Still, it wasn''t enough. The Ice Heart''s power threatened to shatter me from within.


    In desperation, I activated the Nine Secrets technique Jackson had taught me. The ancient patterns formed in my mind, creating pathways for the excess energy.


    Slowly, agonizingly, I regained control. The ice receded from my skin. My breathing steadied. The power of the Ice Heart fragment began integrating with my own energy, strengthening rather than destroying.


    Iy on the floor, exhausted but alive. And stronger—much stronger.


    Looking at the Ice Heart, I realized I''d found the answer. Small fragments, carefully timed. It was risky, but possible.


    For the next day, I repeated the process. Break off a fragment. Consume it. Fight through the agony of integration. Rest briefly. Begin again.


    Each cycle brought me closer to the Military Marquis realm. Each fragment pushed my limits further.


    By the dawn of the third day, I sensed the final barrier—the gap that separated Military General from Military Marquis. It loomed before me like a vast chasm.


    One final piece remained of the Ice Heart, slightlyrger than the others. This would be the deciding factor.


    As I prepared for the final attempt, my thoughts drifted to Josiah Hale. What was he doing now? nning his attack? Gathering forces?


    ---


    At that very moment, Josiah Hale stood in the grand hall of the Ascendant Saints Order headquarters. His expression was ice-cold as he addressed the elite members gathered before him.


    "Three days," he announced. "I gave them three days to disband."


    A murmur rippled through the assembled cultivators.


    "And if they refuse?" asked one of his lieutenants.


    Josiah''s eyes narrowed. "Then we erase Jade Moon Vi from existence."


    "But Master Hale," another ventured, "rumors say Liam Knight has made tremendous progress. What if—"


    "Silence!" Josiah''s voice cracked like thunder. "Do you truly believe a mere upstart could challenge me? I am a Military Saint!"


    The room fell quiet. None dared question him further.


    "Prepare yourselves," Josiahmanded. "Tomorrow, we move against Jade Moon Vi. Tomorrow, we im Iceheart Lake."


    Little did he know that in a sealed chamber at Jade Moon Vi, I was about to consume the final fragment of the Ice Heart—and either ascend to new heights or die in the attempt.


    I held thest piece of the Ice Heart over my tongue, knowing this would be my most dangerous gamble yet.


    "Here goes everything," I whispered, and swallowed the fragment whole.