A soft knock on my door broke the stillness of the morning. I glanced up from the ancient cultivation text I'd been studying, wondering who would visit at such an early hour.
When I opened the door, Ellis Mitchell stood there, his posture hunched and submissive—a dramatic change from his usual arrogant deanor. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his normally immaculate clothing appeared slightly rumpled.
"Liam," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "May I co in? I need to speak with you."
I studied him carefully. Despite our confrontation just days ago, there was sothing different about him today—a desperation that seed almost genuine.
"What brings you here, Ellis?" I asked, not moving from the doorway.
He swallowed hard. "I've made terrible mistakes. I... I need guidance. And I've brought sothing to make ands."
From inside his coat, Ellis produced a small wooden box inlaid with jade. He opened it slowly, revealing a pill that glead with an amber light, pulsing like a tiny heartbeat.
"The Amber Essence Pill," he explained. "It's incredibly rare—worth a fortune. I acquired it from an ancient tomb last year." His eyes t mine. "I'm offering it as an apology for my behavior."
I raised an eyebrow. "And why would you give sothing so valuable?"
"Because I'm stuck," he confessed. "I've hit a bottleneck in my cultivation that I can't break through. My reputation is ruined after Caesar cast out." His voice cracked slightly. "Everyone knows you've mastered techniques that should be impossible at your level. I thought... perhaps you could advise ."
I sensed Eamon Greene's presence behind , his suspicion radiating like heat.
"Let him in," I said after a mont. "But stay close."
Ellis stepped inside, his eyes darting nervously around the room. He placed the box containing the pill on the table between us.
"This pill can increase cultivation speed by forty percent," he said. "It's worth millions. It's yours—just please, give so guidance."
I examined the pill carefully. Its amber surface swirled with energy patterns that matched descriptions from ancient texts. It appeared genuine, though sothing about the way Ellis watched made my instincts prickle with warning.
"Why co to ?" I asked. "There are other masters in the city."
"None who've achieved what you have," he replied. "And after our... history, I need to make things right."
I sat back, considering his words. "You tried to threaten on Caesar's behalf not long ago. Now you're here begging for help. What changed?"
Ellis lowered his head. "I saw what happened to the Sterling family. How you rose from nothing to defeat them. Then I heard rumors about your performance at Golden Crane Tower." He looked up, his expression seemingly earnest. "I realized I chose the wrong path. The wrong enemies."
The desperation in his voice sounded authentic. Even knowing his treacherous nature, I found myself considering his request. Perhaps this was a genuine attempt at reconciliation.
After a long silence, I nodded. "Very well. I'll accept your offering and provide so guidance."
Relief flooded Ellis's face. "Thank you. You won't regret this."
I picked up the pill, examining it more closely. "Your bottleneck—describe it."
For the next hour, Ellis detailed his cultivation difficulties while I offered genuine insights on breaking through energy blockages. He listened intently, asking thoughtful questions that suggested he truly sought advancent.
When our discussion concluded, Ellis stood with renewed energy. "This advice is worth more than any pill. I can't thank you enough."
"Apply it diligently," I said. "Results don't co overnight."
Ellis bowed deeply. "I will. And I hope this marks the beginning of a better relationship between us."
After he left, Eamon frowned at . "You trust him now?"
"Not entirely," I admitted. "But everyone deserves one chance at redemption."
I examined the pill once more. Despite my lingering suspicions, its energy pattern matched what the ancient texts described. If genuine, it could provide a significant boost before tomorrow's conference.
"I'm going to try it," I decided, holding the amber pill up to the light.
Eamon's frown deepened. "Are you certain that's wise?"
"No," I admitted with a slight smile. "But sotis progress requires risk."
I placed the pill on my tongue and swallowed it down. The effect was imdiate—a warm sensation spread through my chest, followed by a tingling that raced along my ridians. For a mont, I felt a surge of power coursing through my body.
Then everything changed.
Sharp pain exploded in my core, as if molten tal had been poured into my veins. I doubled over, clutching my stomach as agony radiated outward.
"Liam!" Eamon rushed to my side as I collapsed to my knees.
My vision blurred as fire seed to consu from within. I could feel sothing wrong—very wrong—happening to my spiritual energy channels. They weren't expanding as they should with a cultivation pill. Instead, they felt like they were being corroded.
"Poison," I gasped, my body convulsing with another wave of pain.
Eamon's face paled. "The pill was poisoned? I'll get help—"
Before he could move, the door to my room burst open. Ellis Mitchell stood in the doorway, his submissive deanor completely vanished. A triumphant smile twisted his lips as he strolled into the room.
"How touching," he sneered, looking down at my writhing form. "The great Liam Knight, brought low by his own arrogance."
Eamon lunged at Ellis, but the man sidestepped with unexpected speed. A burst of dark energy flashed from Ellis's palm, sending Eamon crashing into the wall.
"Your guardian isn't much use now, is he?" Ellis laughed, circling like a predator. "I must say, I expected more caution from you, Liam. After our last encounter, you should have been more suspicious."
I struggled to speak through the pain. "What... did you give ?" For a better reading experience, visit *).
"The Amber Essence Pill," Ellis replied with mock innocence. "Just as I said. I simply failed to ntion it was infused with Dissolving Heart Venom—a special toxin that targets spiritual channels." He knelt beside , his voice dropping to a whisper. "It's dissipating all that precious Inner Strength you've built up. Soon, you'll be weaker than a newborn child."
Eamon struggled to his feet, blood trickling from a cut on his forehead. "You won't get away with this."
Ellis rose and struck him again with another burst of dark energy. Eamon collapsed, conscious but unable to move.
"I already have," Ellis replied coolly. "By the ti anyone finds you, Liam will be nothing but a husk—alive but spiritually broken. The perfect ssage to anyone who dares rise above their station."
The pain was becoming unbearable, waves of agony crashing through my body as I felt my spiritual energy being systematically destroyed. Yet sothing wasn't right. The venom should have completely incapacitated by now, but I could still feel a core of energy deep within , protected sohow.
Ellis continued his gloating. "The Blaze family sends their regards. They were particularly interested in seeing you humbled after that incident with young master Lane."
Despite the excruciating pain, I managed to focus on that protected core of energy within —the part untouched by the poison. I drew upon it, channeling it through my body using the ancient technique I'd learned from the jade pendant.
Ellis, mistaking my concentration for helpless suffering, stepped closer. "I think I'll stay and watch a bit longer. It's not every day one gets to witness the fall of a rising star."
With a casual gesture, he aid another strike at Eamon, who had been trying to crawl toward .
"Stay down," Ellis commanded. "Your master can't save you now."
That was when I made my move.
Summoning every ounce of strength from my protected core, I lurched upward, surprising Ellis. His triumphant expression faltered as I staggered to my feet, still in obvious pain but no longer writhing helplessly.
"Impossible," he muttered. "The venom should have—"
"Should have," I echoed, my voice ragged but gaining strength. "An interesting choice of words."
Alarm flashed in Ellis's eyes. With a snarl, he launched himself at , his fist charged with dark energy aid directly at my heart—a killing blow.
His fist connected with my chest—and stopped as if hitting a wall of steel.
I didn't budge an inch.
Ellis's eyes widened in shock as I wrapped my fingers around his still-extended wrist. A faint golden glow emanated from where my skin touched his.
"I was poisoned," I said calmly, looking directly into his terrified eyes, "but not completely."
The look of absolute bewildernt and fear on Ellis's face was almost worth the pain still coursing through my body. His carefully laid trap had failed, and he had no idea how or why.
"How are you still standing?" he whispered, genuine terror in his voice.
I tightened my grip on his wrist, the golden light growing brighter between us. "That's the question you should have asked yourself before you ca back, isn't it?"
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