lvin Blackthorne stared at with absolute terror in his eyes. His family na, his status, his wealth—none of it mattered now.
"Please," he begged, his voice breaking. "The Blackthorne family will pay any price!"
I looked at him coldly. "There's only one price I'm interested in."
"Na it!" Desperation made his voice crack.
"Isabelle Ashworth," I said simply. "She belongs with ."
Confusion flashed across his face. "The Ashworth girl? What does she have to do with this?"
"Everything." I stepped closer. "Your brother Dashiell thinks he can claim her. He can't."
lvin's eyes widened with understanding. "So this is about a woman? Take her then! I'll convince Dashiell to step aside!"
I almost laughed at his pathetic attempt to save himself. As if Isabelle were so object to be handed over.
"You misunderstand." My voice dropped dangerously low. "I'm not asking for permission. I'm simply informing you of what will happen."
Sothing in my tone made him tremble harder. He knew then that there would be no bargaining, no reprieve.
"Your family's influence ans nothing to ," I continued. "Your brother's pride ans nothing. What I want, I take."
Conrad watched silently from a few paces back, his expression unreadable.
lvin made one last desperate play. "Guards!" he scread. "GUARDS!"
His voice echoed across the empty courtyard. No one ca. They had either fled or decided their lives were worth more than loyalty to a dood master.
I shook my head. "No one's coming to save you."
Without warning, I struck. My fist crashed into his kneecap with a sickening crunch. Bone shattered under the impact. lvin scread, collapsing to the ground, clutching his ruined leg.
"That's for the insults your family has thrown at ," I said coldly.
He writhed on the ground, tears streaming down his face. "rcy! Please!"
I crouched beside him, grabbing his chin and forcing him to et my eyes. "I want you to understand sothing before you die. Power isn't about nas or titles. It's about what you can do."
Through his pain, fear blood anew in his eyes.
"And what I can do," I whispered, "is crush anyone who stands in my way."
With that, I placed my palm against his forehead. His eyes widened one final ti, reflecting my rciless gaze. Then I released a pulse of golden energy.
lvin Blackthorne's skull caved inward with a wet crack. His body went limp instantly.
I rose slowly, wiping my hand on his fine silk robes. One of his attendants who had hidden behind a pillar whimpered, drawing my attention.
The young man fell to his knees, shaking uncontrollably. "P-please spare !"
I studied him for a mont, then nodded. "Stand up."
He obeyed with trembling legs.
"You'll deliver a ssage to Dashiell Blackthorne," I instructed. "Tell him that Isabelle Ashworth will be my wife. Not his. If he challenges this, his fate will be worse than his brother's."
The attendant nodded frantically. "I'll tell him exactly that, Master Knight!"
"Go," I commanded.
He fled without looking back.
Conrad approached cautiously. "That was... definitive."
I felt the golden energy within settling, diminishing. The Absolute Beginning Sacred Fist had drained more than I cared to admit. My muscles ached with fatigue.
"We need to find the Divine dicine," I said, ignoring his comnt. "I sense it's nearby."
Conrad nodded. "This way. The auction items were being kept in the underground chamber."
We moved through the compound, encountering no resistance. News of what had happened had spread quickly. Those who remained gave us a wide berth, pressing themselves against walls as we passed.
As we descended the stairs to the underground chamber, I felt the familiar sensation of weakness creeping into my limbs. The aftereffects of using too much power too quickly.
"Are you alright?" Conrad asked, noticing my slightly unsteady gait.
"Fine," I lied, straightening my posture through sheer willpower.
The underground chamber was vast, its ceiling supported by intricately carved stone columns. At the center, on a raised dais, a gentle blue light pulsed rhythmically.
"There it is," Conrad whispered reverently. "The Divine dicine."
It looked like a small lotus flower made of light, floating inches above a jade pedestal. Even from a distance, I could feel its potent energy.
As we approached, I beca aware of other presences in the chamber. My senses, though dulled by exhaustion, picked up the soft sounds of breathing and the slight shuffling of feet.
"We're not alone," I murmured to Conrad.
He nodded almost imperceptibly. "I count at least two people hiding behind the pillars to our left."
I didn't turn to look. "Let them co. We'll deal with them when they show themselves."
With each step closer to the Divine dicine, the blue light grew brighter. It was srizing, pulsing like a heartbeat. This single item could accelerate my cultivation by years, possibly even help break through to the next level.
Behind the pillars, Reginald Talbot watched us approach the dais, his eyes narrowed with calculation.
"Look at him," he whispered to his companion, Blaine Paxton. "He's weakened. The fight against those Grandmasters drained him." Your support at * keeps the series going.
Blaine's lip curled into a sneer. "Are you certain?"
"Watch his gait—slightly unsteady. His breathing is labored. This is our chance," Reginald insisted. "The Divine dicine will be ours."
Blaine hesitated. "Knight killed seven Grandmasters without breaking a sweat. Even weakened, he's dangerous."
"That's why we strike from behind," Reginald hissed. "One decisive blow. You're faster than I am. You'll strike first, and I'll finish him if necessary."
Blaine nodded slowly, flexing his fingers. "When?"
"When the light from the dicine flares. It does that periodically. The brightness will montarily blind them. That's our mont."
On the dais, I reached toward the glowing lotus, feeling its energy brushing against my fingertips. The power contained within it was imnse, almost intoxicating.
Suddenly, the blue light pulsed violently, expanding outward in a blinding flash.
In that instant of blindness, I sensed movent behind —fast and deadly.
Before I could fully turn, sothing powerful struck in the back. Pain exploded through my body as I was thrown forward, blood spraying from my mouth.
I crashed against the pedestal, barely managing to stay on my feet.
Behind , Blaine Paxton laughed coldly. "Not so invincible now, are you, Knight?"
Conrad whirled around, drawing his sword, but Reginald stepped out from behind another pillar, blocking his path.
"I wouldn't interfere if I were you, Thornton," Reginald warned. "This doesn't concern you."
Blaine approached slowly, savoring my montary weakness. "The great Liam Knight, brought low by exhaustion. How pathetic."
I wiped the blood from my lips, struggling to gather my remaining strength. The blow had done more damage than it should have. In my depleted state, even my defenses were compromised.
"I'll make this quick," Blaine promised, raising his fist for another strike. "Though not painless."
His fist shot toward , aid directly at my heart—a killing blow.
But just before it connected, sothing strange happened.
A wisp of light, like fine silk, materialized between us. It caught Blaine's fist, deflecting it harmlessly to the side.
Blaine's triumphant expression morphed into confusion. "What the—"
The light grew brighter, forming a barrier between us. It wasn't my doing. I was as surprised as everyone else in the chamber.
Soone—or sothing—had intervened.
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