Lord Flores advanced toward Clara, his eyes gleaming with dark hunger.
"Co here, little one," he crooned, extending his hand toward her trembling form. "Your body's constitution is precisely what I need."
I strained against the dark energy chains, feeling them slowly give as my rage built.
"Don't touch her," I warned, my voice low and dangerous.
Flores ignored , his focus entirely on Clara. "Do you know what you are, child? A pure dark energy body—extraordinarily rare and valuable. Once I rge with you, my cultivation will reach unprecedented heights."
Clara pressed herself against the stone pillar, her eyes wide with terror. "M-rge?"
"Lord Flores!" I shouted, channeling more strength against my restraints. "Step away from her now!"
He cast an irritated glance in my direction. "Silence! You have no idea of her true value. This girl is a perfect cultivation tool—"
When his hand shot out to grab Clara's wrist, sothing snapped inside .
With a roar that tore from my throat, I surged forward, shattering the dark chains that bound . I crossed the distance in an instant, my boot connecting with Flores's chest, sending him flying backward into the dirt.
"Touch her again," I snarled, positioning myself protectively in front of Clara, "and I'll end your miserable life."
Flores staggered to his feet, shock and rage battling for dominance on his face. "Impossible! No one can break my dark chains in this environnt!"
His two disciples rushed forward to assist him, their faces contorted with anger.
I focused on my breathing, drawing on the Saintly Body Skill. Golden light began to emanate from my skin, growing stronger with each passing second.
"Clara," I said without taking my eyes off Flores, "stay behind ."
Flores's shock gave way to calculated assessnt. He raised his hands, dark energy swirling around his fingertips. "Your constitution may resist the ambient suppression, but you're still no match for my mastery of dark energy!"
He thrust his palms forward, sending tendrils of black energy hurtling toward like serpents.
I didn't dodge. Instead, I stepped directly into the attack, my golden-lit body absorbing the impact.
The dark energy writhed against my skin before slowly being drawn into , fueling rather than harming .
Flores's eyes widened in disbelief. "What—what are you?"
I advanced steadily toward him. "Soone you should never have crossed."
Panic flashed across his face. He gestured frantically to his disciples. "Attack! Kill him now!"
The younger n charged forward, dark energy knives materializing in their hands. I t the first with a precise strike to his throat, sending him crumpling to the ground. The second managed to slice my arm, drawing blood, but I caught his wrist, crushing it in my grip until the bones cracked and he scread.
Flores backed away, desperately summoning more dark energy. "Stay back! I've cultivated here for fifteen years! This battlefield responds to my will!"
The ambient darkness condensed into massive chains, thicker and stronger than before, lashing out from all directions.
I didn't break stride. The golden light surrounding intensified, burning away the chains as they touched . What didn't burn was absorbed, the dark energy converting to fuel for my own strength.
"Impossible!" Flores shrieked, true fear now evident in his voice. "No one can absorb pure dark energy like that!"
"I'm not just anyone," I replied coldly, closing the distance between us.
Flores's composure shattered. He turned to flee, but I was faster, catching him by the back of his robe and slamming him into the ground.
"P-please," he stamred, raising his hands defensively. "I ant no harm to the girl—I was rely—"
My fist connected with his face, the impact enhanced by both golden light and absorbed dark energy. The blow shattered his nose and sent blood spraying across the dirt.
"You called her a cultivation tool," I said, each word precise and deadly. "An object to be used." This chapter was originally posted on *.
I struck again, this ti breaking his jaw. Then I grabbed his right hand—the one he'd tried to use to seize Clara—and crushed it thodically in my grip, bone by bone.
Flores's screams echoed across the ancient battlefield.
Conrad, now freed from his weakened restraints, approached and stood guard over the whimpering disciples.
"Liam," he called, his voice cautious, "the girl is watching."
I glanced back to see Clara staring, her face pale, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and awe. The sight cooled so of my rage.
I returned my attention to the sobbing Flores. "Give one reason I shouldn't kill you right now."
"T-treasure," he gasped through broken teeth. "Real treasure. Not those worthless trinkets. I know where—"
"Where?" I demanded, tightening my grip on his throat.
"Ancient tomb," he choked out. "Three miles east. Entrance hidden beneath—"
I cut him off, my voice flat. "You tried to use Clara as a 'cultivation tool.' You planned to violate and consu her for power."
Real panic flooded his eyes. "Please! The tomb contains artifacts worth millions! Cultivation manuals lost for centuries! I'll show you—I'll give you everything—"
I stood, dragging him up by his collar until his feet dangled above the ground. "So cris can't be forgiven."
Without another word, I activated the Heaven Swallowing Skill, drawing on both the golden light and the absorbed dark energy. The combined power surged through , focusing into my palm pressed against Flores's chest.
His eyes bulged with terror in the final mont before his body collapsed inward, his essence violently extracted and absorbed into my own cultivation.
I dropped his empty robe to the ground, turning toward his disciples, who now cowered in terror.
"No! Please!" one begged. "We were only following orders!"
"We didn't know!" the other sobbed. "We never would have—"
Their pleas died as I extended my hands toward them, the Heaven Swallowing Skill claiming two more victims in rapid succession.
When it was done, I stood motionless, absorbing and processing the sudden influx of power.
"Liam?" Conrad's voice seed to co from far away. "Are you alright?"
I nodded, slowly returning to myself. The golden light faded from my skin, and I turned to find Clara.
She hadn't moved from her spot by the pillar, her small form rigid with shock.
I approached her carefully, kneeling to et her eyes. "Clara? You're safe now. They can't hurt you."
Her lower lip trembled. "You—you killed them. All of them."
"Yes," I said simply, seeing no point in lying. "They were going to hurt you in ways you can't imagine."
Her eyes searched mine. "Because of what I am? Because I have this dark energy body?"
I nodded. "There are people in this world who see others only as tools to be used. Flores was one of them."
She looked down at her hands. "If my body is valuable enough for people to kill for... will others co after too?"
The question broke my heart. She was far too young to face such harsh realities.
"They might," I admitted gently. "But that's why you need to grow stronger. And until then, I'll protect you."
She was quiet for a long mont, processing this. Then she asked in a small voice, "What did he an by 'rging' with ?"
I hesitated, unsure how to explain such things to a child.
Conrad cleared his throat. "So dark cultivators believe that physically... joining with soone who has a special constitution can transfer so of those qualities to themselves."
Clara's brow furrowed as she tried to understand. "Like... marriage?"
"No," I said firmly. "Nothing like that. What he wanted was evil, Clara. It would have hurt you terribly."
She nodded slowly, her expression solemn beyond her years. "Then I'm glad you stopped him."
I stood, offering her my hand. "We should leave this place. The dark energy isn't good for us."
"But it feels good to ," she said, looking around. "I feel stronger here."
"That's because of your constitution," Conrad explained. "But without proper guidance, this environnt could twist your cultivation."
Clara bit her lip, then reluctantly took my hand. "Can I still learn to cultivate? Even with this dark energy body?"
"Of course," I assured her. "We'll find you proper instruction. The dark energy itself isn't evil—only how people choose to use it."
As we walked away from the battlefield's center, Clara grew thoughtful.
"Mr. Liam," she said after a while, "if my body is so special, and people will keep coming after ..."
"Yes?" I prompted when she trailed off.
"Could you teach to fight like you? So I can protect myself?"
I smiled down at her. "I'd be honored to, once we're safely away from here."
That evening, we made camp at a safe distance from the battlefield. Conrad prepared a simple al while I examined the few artifacts we'd taken from Flores's body. Though valuable, they weren't the treasure he'd promised in his final monts.
Clara sat cross-legged nearby, attempting to circulate the cultivation techniques I'd taught her earlier. Her face was a picture of concentration, her small hands forming basic mudras with surprising precision.
"She's a natural," Conrad observed quietly. "Especially with the dark energy techniques."
I nodded. "Which makes her vulnerable. We need to find her a proper master, soone who can guide her without exploiting her."
After we ate, Clara approached hesitantly. "Mr. Liam? Can I ask you sothing?"
"Of course."
She sat beside , her eyes downcast. "I've been thinking about what that man said. About rging with to get stronger."
I stiffened. "You shouldn't worry about—"
"Is it true?" she interrupted, looking up at directly. "Can people really get stronger by... by mating with soone like ?"
The blunt question caught off guard. "Clara, that's not sothing—"
"Please," she said urgently. "I need to know what I am. What people want from ."
I sighed, choosing my words carefully. "Yes, in dark cultivation, there are techniques that use... intimate connections to transfer energy. But they're forbidden for good reason. They harm one person to benefit another."
She nodded solemnly, processing this.
"But that will never happen to you," I assured her. "I promise."
Clara fell silent, her small face troubled. Then, so quietly I almost didn't hear her: "Since I'm going to be caught sooner or later, it's better to let you..."
My mind went blank with shock. "What?"
Her face flushed crimson, but her eyes held mine with desperate determination. "If soone's going to use anyway, I'd rather it be soone kind like you than soone cruel like him."
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