Julian Radford''s calcting eyes narrowed as he studied me from across the auction hall. Blood dripped from my sword onto the polished floor, each drop echoing in the tense silence.


    "Preston Elliott," he said, a smirk ying at his lips. "I should have known it was you beneath that mask."


    I remained silent. Let him believe what he wanted. The mistaken identity worked in my favor.


    "You''ve caused quite a stir," Julian continued, taking a step forward. His remaining arm gripped his sword hilt tightly. "Disrupting a Guild-sanctioned auction, assaulting our members... the punishment will be severe."


    The two ck-robed figures nking him moved in perfect synchronization, spreading out to nk me. Their ceremonial masks couldn''t hide the murderous intent radiating from them.


    "Mid-term Military Marquises," I assessed silently. Three of them, including Julian. Powerful, but not insurmountable.


    "Your silence speaks volumes," Julian said. "Did you really think you could challenge the Veridia City Martial Guild and walk away unscathed?"


    I finally spoke, keeping my voice low and disguised. "I came for what''s mine."


    Julianughed, the sound harsh and humorless. "Nothing here is yours. Every treasure in this room belongs to the Guild now—including your life."


    Without warning, he lunged forward, his movement nearly invisible to the untrained eye. His sword gleamed as it sliced through the air toward my throat.


    I parried with my bronze sword, the sh sending sparks flying. The impact jarred my arm—Julian had grown stronger since ourst encounter.


    Hispanions attacked simultaneously from both sides. I dropped to one knee, allowing their des to pass harmlessly above my head, then countered with a sweeping strike that forced them back.


    "Impressive reflexes," Julian noted, circling cautiously. "But you''re outmatched."


    The three of them coordinated their next assault with practiced precision. Julian attacked head-on while hispanions targeted my nks.


    I channeled qi through my legs and leapt upward, flipping over Julian''s head. My sword caught the light as I descended, aiming for his back.


    Julian spun, faster than I''d anticipated. His de met mine with a thunderous sh. "ck Gold Armor," he grinned, tapping his chest. "A gift from the Guild Elders. Your pathetic weapon can''t prate it."


    To prove his point wrong, I focused my qi into the bronze sword and struck again. The de glowed faintly as it sliced across Julian''s armored chest.


    His eyes widened as a thin line appeared in the supposedly imprable armor. "Impossible!"


    "Nothing is impossible," I replied coldly, pressing my advantage.


    The other two Marquises converged on me, forcing me to defend. Their coordinated attacks left little room for counterattack. One de grazed my shoulder, drawing blood.


    The crowd had pressed themselves against the walls, terror evident on their faces. From the corner of my eye, I spotted Mariana Valerius watching intently, her expression calcting.


    Julian regrouped with hispanions, all three falling into a triangr formation. "You''ve improved since ckthorne Manor," he admitted. "But so have I."


    They attacked as one, their des converging from three directions. I blocked Julian''s strike and dodged the second, but the third caught me across the back, tearing through my robes.


    Pain red, but I pushed it aside. This wasn''t the time for weakness.


    "First blood to us," Julian taunted. "There will be much more before we''re done."


    The three circled me like wolves, their confidence growing. They believed they had the upper hand. They were wrong.


    I gathered my qi, feeling it flow through my meridians, concentrate in my dantian, and extend outward through my limbs. The energy crackled around my de, causing the air to shimmer.


    "Time to end this game," I said quietly.


    Julian sensed the change in the atmosphere. "Together!" he shouted to hispanions. "Full strength!"


    Theyunched abined assault, their qi merging into a formidable wave of energy directed at me. Their three swords became streaks of light converging on my position.


    I stood my ground, raised my sword, and unleashed the first of the Nine shes.


    "First sh: Heaven''s Division!"


    My de cut downward in a perfect vertical line. The energy released split thebined attack of the three Military Marquises, parting it like water around a rock.


    The force continued outward, cutting through several rows of seats and leaving a deep gash in the auction hall''s floor.


    Julian and hispanions stumbled backward, theirbined attack neutralized. Shock registered on their faces as they realized the power they were facing.


    "What... what kind of technique is that?" one of them whispered.


    Julian''s face hardened. "Defensive formation! Now!"


    They quickly arranged themselves in a tight triangle, their backs to each other. Julian pulled a tinum shield from his spatial ring and held it before him. Hispanions did the same, forming an imprable barrier on all sides.


    "Your fancy sword technique won''t break through tinum-grade shields," Julian called out, but I could hear the uncertainty in his voice.


    Below, I sensed movement. Guests were being quietly evacuated through side exits. Mariana remained, her eyes never leaving me. Did she suspect my identity already?


    I had to finish this quickly.


    "You think your shields will save you?" I asked, gathering even more qi. The energy swirled around me, causing my robes to billow as if caught in a violent wind.


    "Second sh: Earth''s Rupture!"


    I brought my sword down with both hands, channeling every ounce of my power into the strike. The de carved through the air, leaving a visible distortion in its wake.


    Julian frantically reached into his spatial ring, then panic flooded his face. "The ck Gold Ball! It''s gone!"


    Toote. My sh connected with his tinum shield.


    For an instant, nothing happened. Then, with a sound like thunder cracking, the shield shattered into fragments. The energy continued, striking Julian and hispanions with devastating force.


    The floor beneath them exploded upward, chunks of stone and wood flying in all directions. The entire auction hall shook as if struck by an earthquake.


    When the dust began to settle, a massive sword mark was visible on the ground—a perfect line cutting through the foundation of the building itself. At its centery Julian and hispanions, their ck and gold robes in tatters, their bodies motionless among the rubble.


    For a moment, the hall was silent. Then the sword mark began to glow, pulsing with residual energy. <cite ss="phantom-imprint">Th#is c$onten!t was f%i-rs#t! rel.e+ased on *.$</cite>


    I felt my knees weaken slightly—the Second sh had drained more of my power than I''d expected. But there was no time to rest.


    "He killed three Military Marquises with a single strike!"


    "The whole building might copse!"


    The remaining guests fled in panic, pushing and shoving to reach the exits.


    Through the chaos, I locked eyes with Mariana Valerius across the devastated hall. Recognition flickered in her gaze. She knew.


    The sword mark on the ground suddenly erupted with a blinding light, shooting upward through the ceiling and into the night sky. The building trembled violently as fractures spread outward from the mark.


    This wasn''t supposed to happen. The Second sh''s power had exceeded my control, triggering an unexpected reaction with the auction hall''s foundation.


    As chunks of ceiling began to rain down, I made my decision. I grabbed the jade box containing the Seven-Colored ze and turned toward the nearest exit.


    Behind me, the sword mark continued to erupt with bursts of energy, each more violent than thest. The fate of Julian Radford and hispanions was lost in the chaos of the copsing building.


    I had what I came for—and had left a message the Veridia City Martial Guild wouldn''t soon forget.