My second sh cut through the air, leaving a brilliant blue trail of energy behind. I poured everything into this attack, determined to break through their defenses. But once again, the disk-wielder moved with practiced efficiency, positioning his artifact directly in the path of my sword light.


    "Futile," he sneered as my attack collided with the disk.


    The artifact absorbed my sword energy, spinning faster than before. With a flick of his wrist, he sent it flying back toward me—my own power now turned against me, amplified and corrupted.


    I barely managed to dodge, the redirected energy st cratering the ground where I''d stood moments before. This wasn''t working. Each attack Iunched was bing a weapon for them to use against me.


    "Is that all the infamous Liam Knight has to offer?" taunted the leader, his scarred face twisted in a mocking smile. "We expected more from the man who''s caused the Guild so much trouble."


    I gritted my teeth, mind racing through options. The Reversal Disk nullified my sword techniquespletely. If I tried the remaining shes of the Nine shes of the Azure Heaven, I''d only be giving them more ammunition.


    "Spread out," ordered the leader. "Formation Beta."


    The eight assassins moved with practiced precision, forming a wider circle around me. This wasn''t random—they were positioning themselves to maximize the effectiveness of their artifacts and minimize my escape routes.


    I needed to change tactics. With a quick motion, I sheathed my sword and dropped into a defensive stance.


    "Giving up already?" the dagger woman called out. "How disappointing."


    I didn''t respond. Words were wasted energy now. The leader nodded to a tall, thin man on his right, who stepped forward with a small ck box in his hand.


    "Since you''re proving less entertaining than promised," the thin man said, opening the box, "perhaps this will motivate you."


    He removed a small chunk of ck Gold Stone—a rare mineral known for its ability to nullify and corrupt cultivator energy. In its raw form like this, it was incredibly dangerous to handle.


    "Do you know what happens when ck Gold Stone is shattered near an active energy user?" he asked, holding the stone between his fingers. "The resulting wave disrupts all cultivation techniques within range. Quite painful, I''m told."


    Before I could move, he crushed the stone between his fingers. A wave of sickly ck energy erupted outward, washing over me like acid. My golden protective aura flickered violently as the corrupting energy attacked it from all sides.


    Pain shot through every meridian in my body. It felt like my blood was boiling, my energy channels copsing in on themselves. I doubled over, struggling to maintain consciousness as the ck Gold Stone''s effects ravaged my system.


    "Much better," the leader observed coldly. "Now we can proceed without further dramatics."


    Two assassins moved in from opposite sides, brandishing curved daggers that glinted with poison. I managed to avoid the first strike by pure instinct, rolling to the side despite the agony coursing through me. The second de caught me across the shoulder, slicing through my ck robe and drawing a line of blood.


    The poison burned immediately, spreading numbness from the wound site. These weren''t meant to be killing blows—they were toying with me, wearing me down.


    I pushed myself back to my feet, my movements sluggish. The golden light protecting me had dimmed considerably, barely visible now as it fought against the ck Gold Stone''s corruption.


    "He''s still standing," noted the dagger woman with mild surprise. "Resilient."


    "Not for long," replied another assassin, stepping forward with a staff that crackled with electrical energy.


    He swung the weapon in a wide arc, catching me in the ribs before I could fully dodge. The impact alone would have been painful enough, but the electrical discharge that followed sent convulsions through my entire body. I crashed to the ground, muscles spasming uncontrobly.


    My robe was in tatters now, exposing the countless wounds and bruises I''d umted. Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth as I forced myself up to one knee.


    "Why continue this pointless resistance?" asked the leader, genuine curiosity in his voice. "You must realize you can''t win."


    I spat blood onto the stone pavement. "If you knew anything about me, you wouldn''t ask that question."


    Looking up at the night sky, I noticed their aerial magical artifact—a floating eye that was likely transmitting our battle back to Guild headquarters. Emerson Holmes was probably watching right now, enjoying the spectacle.


    With renewed determination, I channeled energy into my legs andunched myself upward toward the floating eye. If I could destroy it, at least Holmes wouldn''t get his entertainment.


    "Stop him!" shouted the leader.


    Three assassins moved simultaneously, intercepting me mid-air. One caught me with a kick to the sternum, another struck my back with an energy-infused palm strike, and the third mmed me back to the ground with a gravity technique.


    I hit the stone courtyard hard enough to crack the pavement, the impact knocking what little air remained from my lungs. Pain exploded through my body, and for a moment, darkness crept into the edges of my vision.


    "A valiant effort," said the leader, standing over me now. "But ultimately meaningless."


    Through blurred vision, I saw all eight assassins gathering around me, each preparing their final techniques. The disk-wielder positioned his artifact directly above me, ready to absorb and redirect anyst-ditch energy attack I might attempt.


    "President Bat sends his regards," the leader said, raising his hand to signal the final attack. "Your interference in Guild affairs ends tonight."


    I could see it in their postures—they were about to unleash everything at once. The thin man produced another,rger piece of ck Gold Stone, while the others charged their weapons with lethal energy.


    This was it. If I remained passive, I would die here. My mission would fail. Isabelle would remain captive. Everything I''d fought for would be lost.


    In that moment of rity, the choice became simple. Survival mattered more than secrecy. Living to fight another day outweighed maintaining my cover.


    As the eight assassinsunched theirbined final attack, I made my decision. Let them see what I''m truly capable of.


    The golden light that had dimmed to near invisibility suddenly erupted from within me—not from my sword, but from my entire body. It burst outward with explosive force, radiating pure physical might rather than sword energy.


    The assassins faltered mid-attack, startled by this unexpected development. The disk-wielder frantically tried to position his artifact to absorb this new manifestation of power, but it was useless—this wasn''t sword energy that could be captured and redirected.


    "What is this?" gasped the leader, shielding his eyes from the intense golden light. C#h@a%pt%e*r s%o+urc$e-: My Vi%r^tu+a.l+ L&ib#rar^y! Emp*ire! (&*$).


    I rose to my feet, my body shedding the damage it had sustained as the golden light intensified. My tattered robe fluttered in the energy radiating from my form.


    "You wanted to see what I''m truly capable of?" I asked, my voice resonating with newfound power. The disguise was dropping away now—not just my concealed abilities, but the restraint I''d maintained for so long.


    The thin man hurled his piece of ck Gold Stone at me in desperation. I caught it mid-air, the corrupting mineral crumbling to dust in my golden-wreathed hand.


    "Impossible!" he shouted. "No one can touch raw ck Gold Stone without—"


    I didn''t let him finish. With speed that left afterimages, I moved to stand directly before him. "I''m not just anyone."


    The assassins franticallyunched their attacks all at once, but they were toote. I drew my fist back, golden energy coalescing around it in patterns that none of them had seen before—ancient formations that hadn''t been witnessed in centuries.


    "Absolute Beginning Sacred Fist!" I roared, as the true extent of my power finally revealed itself.