Liam's Perspective
The murmurs of the gathering crowd humd like angry wasps around Yago Lake. Thousands had co to witness what they'd already dubbed the "Battle of the Century." I stood at the edge of the stone platform, my focus razor-sharp.
I spotted Jackson Harding on a distant hill, arms crossed, observing everything with calculating eyes. Even legendary figures couldn't resist the pull of this confrontation.
Dudley Lowell waited at the center of the platform, draped in an expensive black robe embroidered with silver serpents. His face bore that sa smug smile I'd co to despise.
"Knight finally shows his face," he called out, loud enough for the front rows to hear. "I was beginning to think you'd fled the country."
I walked forward, each step deliberate. The crowd fell silent as I approached. My voice ca out cold, controlled.
"Where is Evelyn Norton?"
Dudley's eyebrows rose slightly. "Is that why you're here? For that pathetic girl?"
"What did you do to her?" I demanded, stopping ten paces from him.
He laughed, the sound harsh against the stillness of the lake. "She served her purpose. Quite willingly, I might add."
My fingers curled into fists. "You used a forbidden spell on her."
"Spell? Please." He waved dismissively. "She was eager to betray you. So won are just... easily influenced."
The crowd leaned forward, drinking in our exchange like vultures.
"You're lying," I said. "I've seen the marks on her mind."
His smile faltered for a mont. "You know nothing."
"I know about the Hydrating Tower in Dolan City," I replied, watching his reaction carefully.
His composure cracked. Eyes widening, mouth slightly agape. "That's... impossible. How could you—" Keep us going by reading on *.
"Your so-called Forbidden Power?" I continued, pressing my advantage. "It wasn't difficult to overco."
"You're bluffing," he hissed, but uncertainty had crept into his voice.
"Am I?" I tilted my head. "Would you like a demonstration of what I've learned since we last t?"
Without waiting for his response, I closed my eyes and summoned my power. Not the restrained energy I'd been using since my return, but my true strength, unfiltered and raw.
The aura erupted from my body like a volcano awakening after centuries of dormancy. Golden light spiraled around , pulsing with each heartbeat.
The ground beneath my feet cracked. Small stones levitated, caught in the vortex of my energy. The surface of Yago Lake began to churn, waves forming where there had been no wind.
"What... what is this?" soone in the crowd gasped.
I opened my eyes, fixing my gaze on Dudley. His face had drained of color.
"Impossible," he whispered. "You were crippled. Your dantian—"
"Was never broken," I finished for him. "You believed what I wanted you to believe."
My aura continued to expand, pushing outward in concentric rings of golden light. The pressure in the air intensified. Several spectators at the front stumbled backward, overwheld by the force.
"Run!" soone shouted from the crowd. Panic spread as ordinary citizens began fleeing the scene, sensing the danger of remaining too close.
Only cultivators stayed, their eyes wide with disbelief. I recognized faces among them—rivals, forr allies, neutral parties who'd co expecting entertainnt. Now they were witnessing sothing else entirely.
"His power..." I heard one whisper to another. "This can't be real."
Dudley took an involuntary step back, his own aura flaring defensively. "This changes nothing," he spat, but his voice lacked conviction.
I didn't respond. Instead, I channeled more energy, drawing from the deep well of power I'd accumulated during my months of supposed exile. The golden light around intensified, becoming almost blinding.
The lake water now churned violently, small whirlpools forming on its surface. The stone platform beneath us cracked further, jagged lines spreading like lightning across its surface.
"He's at Martial Lord level at least," soone murmured.
"No, higher," ca another voice. "Look at the water, the earth responding to him..."
I could sense hidden masters around the lake—powerful cultivators who'd concealed their presence to observe from afar. Even they were stirring now, their shock palpable.
"How?" Dudley demanded, his face twisted with rage and fear. "How did you advance so quickly?"
I maintained my focus, channeling yet more power. The golden aura darkened slightly at its edges, hints of crimson blending with the light. My Chaotic Body was feeding on both energies, growing stronger by the second.
"You think I spent my ti hiding?" My voice carried across the lake despite its quietness. "While you were slaughtering innocent families to prove your strength, I was mastering powers you can't comprehend."
The crowd had backed away completely now, forming a wide circle around the platform. Only cultivators at Grandmaster level or above could withstand the pressure emanating from .
Dudley's disciples had abandoned their positions, retreating to safer distances. Their master stood alone, his arrogance replaced by naked fear.
"This isn't over," he snarled, gathering his own energy. Black lightning crackled around his hands. "Half-step Martial Marquis isn't my limit either!"
His aura expanded dramatically, dark energy swirling around him like a hurricane. The display would have been impressive against anyone else.
But my power continued to grow.
The ground shook. Not just the platform now, but the entire shoreline. Trees at the lake's edge swayed as if caught in a storm. Birds took flight from the surrounding forest, sensing the unnatural disturbance.
"This is beyond Martial Lord," soone whispered in awe. "How can a Grandmaster possess such strength?"
I could feel my control stretching thin as more energy rushed through my ridians. I needed to maintain focus, to channel this power properly or risk injury to myself and others.
Jackson Harding remained motionless on his distant hill, watching intently. I could almost feel his assessnt—his calculation of just how far I'd co.
The elder who had officiated the duel had retreated to a safe distance, but I caught the words he spoke to another master:
"So strong... and the aura is still rising!"
Dudley's face contorted with fury and disbelief as my power continued to swell. The golden-crimson light ford a do around , pushing against his darkness, forcing it back inch by inch.
This was just the beginning. I had yet to show him my true capabilities, the techniques I'd mastered in secret. The knowledge passed down to by Jackson, by Mariana, by texts thought lost for centuries.
The lake water rose in a circle around our platform, defying gravity itself, suspended in the air like a liquid wall. The sight drew gasps from even the most experienced cultivators present.
"What manner of power is this?" Dudley shouted, his voice barely audible above the roaring energy.
I stepped forward, the stone cracking beneath my feet with each movent. My voice remained calm, controlled, carrying easily through the chaos I had unleashed.
"This is justice coming for you, Dudley. This is retribution."
The water wall rose higher, the ground shook more violently, and my aura continued to expand without any sign of reaching its limit.
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