I stared at the hundreds of glowing jars surrounding us, each containing stolen fragments of life force—powers of creation, as Tristram called them. Making my decision, I reached for one of the brighter essences.


    "This is from a cultivation prodigy," Tristram exined nervously. "Seventeen years old when I extracted it. His talent was exceptional."


    "And now?" I asked, examining the swirling golden light.


    Tristram shrugged. "Last I heard, he abandoned cultivation entirely. Couldn''t progress despite his efforts."


    My jaw tightened. I wanted to feel disgusted, to walk away from this ill-gotten power. But Isabelle remained captive. ra was in danger. My enemies grew stronger every day.


    I had no choice.


    "Show me how to absorb multiple essences at once," I demanded.


    Tristram''s eyes widened. "That''s extremely dangerous. The spiritual conflict could—"


    "I don''t have months," I cut him off. "Teach me a faster method."


    He hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. "There is a way, but few survive it. You must create separate spiritual chambers within your dantian—likepartments in a house—to process each essence individually before integration."


    "Show me," I insisted.


    For the next hour, Tristram guided me through the technique. I sat cross-legged on the floor, dividing my spiritual core into distinct sections while maintaining its fundamental integrity. The process was excruciating, like trying to slice my own soul into pieces while keeping it whole.


    When I finished, sweat drenched my clothes.


    "Now what?" I asked, breathing heavily.


    "Choose wisely," he advised. "Start withpatible essences. Powers from simr sources orplementary attributes."


    I selected five jars—the cultivation prodigy, a master swordsman, an elderly fortune teller, a renowned schr, and a jarbeled simply "Mountain Spring - 500 Years."


    Tristram arranged them in a circle around me. "Inhale each essence separately. Direct it to a different chamber. Don''t attempt integration until all five are contained."


    I nodded, centering myself.


    The first essence—the prodigy''s—entered me like liquid fire, burning through my meridians before settling into the first chamber I''d prepared. The second felt like cold steel, slicing along my spiritual pathways. The third was a disorienting fog that nearly made me lose concentration.


    By the fourth, my entire body trembled with strain. The schr''s essence was dense andplex, resembling countless intertwined threads of thought.


    The fifth—the mountain spring—was the most difficult. Ancient and primal, it resisted confinement, flowing like water seeking any crack in my spiritual defenses.


    When all five essences were finally contained, each in its separate chamber, I began the integration process. Slowly, I allowed the barriers between chambers to thin, permitting the essences to mingle with my own spiritual foundation.


    Pain exploded behind my eyes. Competing memories and sensations flooded my consciousness—the exhration of a young cultivator''s breakthrough, the perfect calm of a swordsman''s killing stroke, cryptic visions of possible futures,plex philosophical theories, and the patient, inexorable force of water carving stone over centuries.


    I nearly lost myself in the chaos.


    Gritting my teeth, I forced my will upon the foreign energies, subduing and reshaping them until they submitted to my spiritual foundation. The process took almost two hours, but when it finished, the transformation was remarkable.


    I opened my eyes, seeing the room with enhanced rity. My spiritual perception had expanded dramatically, allowing me to sense the flow of energy throughout the underground chamber with unprecedented detail.


    "Impressive," Tristram breathed, genuine awe in his voice. "Most would be dead or mad after attempting that."


    I stood, testing my body. New knowledge and instincts hummed within me—sword techniques I''d never learned, cultivation insights beyond my previous understanding, an intuitive grasp of fate''s patterns.


    "More," I said simply.


    Tristram looked rmed. "You should rest first. Give your spirit time to—"


    "More," I repeated firmly.


    Over the next several hours, I absorbed essence after essence, gradually increasing the number I processed simultaneously. Ten at once. Then fifteen. Finally twenty.


    Each batch was harder than thest, requiring intense concentration to maintain the spiritual chambers and prevent the conflicting energies from tearing me apart. Several times, I nearly lost control,ing dangerously close to spiritual copse.


    But I persisted.


    By dawn, I had consumed over a hundred individual essences, plus several from locations and events. My body hummed with power, and my mind had expanded in ways I couldn''t fullyprehend yet. New abilities, knowledge, and instinctsyered upon my existing foundation, enhancing rather than recing it.


    "Enough individual essences," I dered, rising shakily to my feet. "Now show me how to use the city ones."


    Tristram looked at me with a mixture of fear and fascination. "Your spiritual foundation should be at the breaking point. I don''t understand how you''re still functioning."


    I didn''t fully understand it either, but my Chaotic Body seemed uniquely suited to absorb and integrate these diverse powers. Perhaps because I''d already developed the ability to bnce opposing energies within myself.


    "The city essences," I repeated impatiently.


    Tristram retrieved arge jar containing a particrly bright golden essencebeled "Gyeon City - Central Market."


    "These are fundamentally different," he exined. "They represent collective fortune rather than individual talent. Absorbing them directly would be inefficient."


    "What do you suggest?" I asked.


    "A transfer formation," he said, quickly drawing aplex array on the floor with chalk. "This will allow you to channel the essence into your weapon or an item you regrly carry. The power will infuse gradually, responding to your needs rather than overwhelming your system all at once."


    I ced the Abyssal Fang on the center of the formation. The dark de seemed to pulse with anticipation.


    Tristram carefully opened the jar, allowing the golden essence to flow into the array. The formation lines glowed brightly as they channeled the power toward my weapon.


    When the essence touched the Abyssal Fang, the de absorbed it hungrily, its dark surface momentarily showing swirling patterns of gold before returning to its usual appearance.


    "It worked," Tristram said, sounding surprised. "Your weapon has unusual properties. Most items would require days to fully integrate such concentrated fortune."


    I picked up the de, feeling a new resonance within it—a harmony with the city above us that hadn''t existed before.


    "Do the same for the rest," I instructed.


    One by one, we channeled the remaining city essences into my weapon and other items—my jade pendant, a few talismans, even my boots. Each transfer strengthened the items, imbuing them withyers of fortune and spiritual significance.


    When we finished with thest jar, Tristram looked drained. "That''s everything. You now possess powers of creation gathered over decades."


    I gazed around the now-empty chamber. "And the woman on the altar? The one I instructed you to release?"


    "Safe, as promised," Tristram assured me quickly. "I gave her enough money for lodging and food."


    I nodded, satisfied for the moment. "Now, your knowledge. Everything you know about extracting and using these essences. Leave nothing out."


    For the next several hours, Tristram shared his family''s darkest secrets. Techniques for identifying individuals with potent fortune. Methods for establishing extraction arrays across cities andndmarks. Forms for strengthening and preserving the essences once collected.


    Imitted everything to memory, not because I intended to continue his grotesque harvesting, but because understanding the process might help me counter it if encountered again.


    "That''s all I know," Tristram finally concluded, his voice hoarse from hours of exnation.


    I regarded him thoughtfully. Despite his cooperation, he remained dangerous—not just for his abilities, but for what he might do if allowed to continue his work.


    "You''ve been helpful," I acknowledged. "More than I expected."


    Relief flickered across his face. "Then we''re finished? I can go?"


    I considered my options. Killing him would be prudent. He was unlikely to change his ways, and his techniques were too dangerous to spread. Yet I''d promised to spare him in exchange for his knowledge.


    "Yes," I decided. "You can go. But not back to your old life. You''ll leave Gyeon City today and never return. If I hear of anyone else being harvested for their essence, I''ll find you."


    He nodded rapidly. "Of course, of course. I understandpletely."


    I gathered my enhanced items, preparing to leave this grim chamber behind. "Onest question. The Golden Core you mentioned earlier. Where is it?"


    Tristram hesitated momentarily, then moved to a hiddenpartment in the wall. He retrieved a small box made of dark wood, carved with protective symbols.


    "Here," he said, opening it to reveal a luminous golden sphere about the size of a plum. "My son''s core. Preserved after his death."


    I took the box, examining the Golden Core within. It pulsed with power—not quite alive, yet not entirely inert.


    "And what can be done with this?" I asked.


    "A cultivator can absorb it to strengthen their foundation," Tristram exined. "Though it carries risks. The core retains some characteristics of its original owner." <em ss="in-imprint-a">Sample from My Virtual Library Empire—read more on M&VLEMPY&R.</em>


    I closed the box. This would be a significant addition to my collection—my fourth Golden Core, alongside those I''d taken from Jason Kent, Edgar Reynolds, and Leonard Walsh.


    "Thank you for your cooperation," I said, turning toward the exit.


    As I reached the doorway, I sensed a sudden shift in Tristram''s energy—a coiling of power, a decision made.


    I spun around just as he lunged, a concealed formation de glinting in his hand.


    "Too valuable to let walk away," he hissed, driving the de toward my heart.


    My body moved instinctively, enhanced by the hundred-plus essences I''d absorbed. I caught his wrist, stopping the attack with insulting ease.


    "I was willing to honor our agreement," I said coldly.


    His eyes widened in fear. "Wait—"


    I didn''t wait. My palm struck his chest with precise force, rupturing his dantian and shattering his spiritual foundation in a single blow. He copsed, blood trickling from his mouth as his life force rapidly drained.


    "Some lessons are learned toote," I murmured, watching the light fade from his eyes.


    Once I confirmed he was dead, I methodically searched his body and the remaining hiddenpartments in the chamber. In a concealed safe, I found another Golden Core—Tristram''s own. He had extracted and preserved it, likely as insurance against fatal injury.


    That made five Golden Cores in my possession now. A remarkable collection that would significantly advance my cultivation when the time was right.


    I left the underground chamber, sealing it behind me with a formation that would prevent anyone else from essing its secrets. The night was waning, dawn only hours away. I needed to return to my quarters and process everything I''d learned and gained.


    Back in my room, I sat cross-legged on the bed, examining my enhanced weapons and items. The Abyssal Fang now carried the collective fortune of Gyeon City''s busiest market. My jade pendant contained the essence of an ancient temple. Even my boots held the power of a well-traveled mountain path.


    As for my own spiritual foundation, it had expanded dramatically, integrating the diverse powers I''d absorbed. I could feel new abilities and knowledge settling into ce, ready to be utilized.


    Yet I hesitated to immediately advance my cultivation level. The recent influx of power needed time to stabilize, and more importantly, breaking through to the next level would create a spiritual fluctuation that might attract unwanted attention from the Veridia City Martial Guild or other powerful entities hunting me.


    No, better to maintain my current level while fully integrating these new powers. When the time came for advancement, I would do so from a position of greater security.


    I was examining the five Golden Cores when a gentle knock came at my door.


    "Enter," I called, quickly concealing the cores.


    rissa Johnson stepped into the room, her usual confident demeanor somewhat subdued. "Liam, there you are. I''ve been looking for you."


    "What is it?" I asked, noting the concern in her eyes.


    "A message from Rex Osborne," she said. "He''s summoned me back to the Mystic Realm."


    I raised an eyebrow. "Summoned? That sounds urgent."


    She nodded. "It is. And it concerns you as well."


    "How so?"


    "The Umbral Covenant," she exined. "Rex believes they''re prepared to fulfill their promise regarding the Ten-thousand-year-old Medicinal Material."


    My interest sharpened immediately. Such a rare material could be crucial for healing Isabelle or advancing my own cultivation.


    "When do you leave?" I asked.


    "Tomorrow morning," she replied. "Rex emphasized haste."


    I considered this development. The timing was inconvenient—I still had matters to settle in Gyeon City, including the disposition of my newly acquired powers and resources. Yet the medicinal material was too valuable to ignore.


    "I''ll need to make arrangements," I said thoughtfully.


    rissa nodded. "Of course. I''ll prepare for departure."


    After she left, I returned to examining the Golden Cores, considering how best to utilize them. Their power was immense, but absorption required careful nning to avoid spiritual damage.


    As I studied them, a sudden chill ran down my spine—not from external danger, but from an internal realization.


    ra Vance.


    In all the chaos and power acquisition, I''d momentarily forgotten about the young girl with the pure dark energy body. The Frostfall Sanctum had shown interest in her, and ording to my sources, they were mobilizing resources to capture her.


    I shot to my feet, gathering my essential items. ra wasn''t just an innocent child—she was connected to something ancient and terrifyingly powerful. If the Frostfall Sanctum got hold of her, the consequences could be catastrophic.


    I needed to leave Gyeon City immediately. The powers I''d gained could wait, but ra''s safety couldn''t.


    As I rushed toward the door, it opened before I could reach it. rissa Johnson stood there, a strange expression on her face.


    "I was justing to find you again," she said, her voice unusually animated. "I have news you''ll want to hear."


    "It will have to wait," I replied firmly. "ra is in danger."


    "That''s just it," rissa insisted, blocking my path. "The Ten-thousand-year-old Medicinal Material—I''ve almost secured it."


    I paused, torn between urgency and opportunity. "Almost?"


    rissa''s eyes gleamed with excitement. "Yes. And it changes everything."