Liam's Perspective
Dudley Lowell stared at with raw hatred burning in his eyes. The revelation of my true power had stripped away his veneer of superiority.
"The Hydrating Tower," he snarled. "You filthy thief!"
His accusation confird my suspicions. The tower wasn't just a cultivation resource – it was his secret weapon, his exclusive advantage.
"Strange," I replied calmly. "I thought it belonged to the ancients, not to you."
Dudley's face contorted. His body trembled with rage. "You'll die for this transgression!"
The ground buckled beneath us as he unleashed his aura fully. The spectators gasped collectively. This wasn't just the power of an ordinary cultivator – this was the might of a half-step Martial Marquis.
Black energy swirled around him like a storm cloud. The air crackled with electricity. His pupils dilated until his eyes were almost entirely black.
"You think you can challenge ?" He laughed, a hollow, nacing sound. "You're still an ant beneath my boot!"
He moved first, covering the distance between us in a heartbeat. His fist, wrapped in dark energy, slamd toward my face.
I shifted sideways, feeling the air distort as his attack missed by milliters. The platform beneath us cracked further from the force.
My counter-strike was imdiate – a palm thrust charged with golden energy. He blocked it with his forearm, and the collision sent shockwaves across the lake.
We separated, sizing each other up. The initial exchange had been a test.
"Not bad for a fraud," he sneered. "But playti is over."
Dudley rose into the air, his dark robes billowing around him. The sky itself seed to darken as he gathered power. This was his domain – aerial combat where his speed gave him maximum advantage.
I braced myself as he descended like a teor. The attack ca from above, a downward strike that carried the weight of a mountain.
"Absolute Beginning Sacred Fist!" I shouted, eting his assault with my own technique.
Our powers collided in a blinding flash. The impact threw backward, my feet carving trenches in the stone platform. Pain shot through my arms from the force of the collision.
Before I could recover, Dudley appeared behind . His knee drove into my back, sending tumbling forward.
I crashed face-first into the platform. The stone cracked beneath . Tasting blood, I pushed myself up quickly.
"Saintly Body Skill: Third Layer," I muttered, activating one of my core techniques.
Golden light erupted across my skin, forming an armored shell. Just in ti – Dudley's next attack struck my chest with enough force to shatter ordinary bones.
Even through my defense, the impact was jarring. I slid backward, fighting to maintain my stance.
"Is this all you have?" he taunted. "After stealing my legacy?"
Dudley ripped open his robe, revealing strange, pulsing marks across his chest. Not tattoos – living symbols that seed to writhe beneath his skin.
"You're not the only one with secrets," he hissed.
His speed doubled instantly. He beca a blur of motion, attacking from multiple angles. I could barely track his movents.
A fist connected with my jaw. A kick swept my legs. An elbow crashed into my ribs. Each impact felt like being hit by a war chariot.
I staggered, trying to stabilize my defense. Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth. My golden armor was flickering, struggling to maintain integrity.
"Where's your confidence now, Knight?" Dudley laughed, circling like a predator. "Did you really think a few months in the Hydrating Tower would put you on my level?"
His next attack targeted my dantian – a precision strike ant to cripple. I twisted desperately, taking the hit on my shoulder instead.
Pain exploded through my body. My right arm went numb instantly.
"Pathetic," he spat.
Another flurry of blows followed. I blocked what I could, but more connected than missed. Each impact sent fresh waves of pain through my already battered body.
A particularly vicious strike broke through my defenses completely. His fist, wrapped in crackling black energy, slamd into my sternum.
I felt sothing crack. The force lifted off my feet and sent flying backward. I crashed into the platform twenty yards away, stone fragnts exploding around .
Blood filled my mouth. My vision blurred. Every breath sent daggers of pain through my chest.
"Is this the great Liam Knight?" Dudley called out, his voice dripping with contempt. "The man who dared to challenge ?"
I struggled to my knees, then to my feet. My legs shook with the effort. Blood dripped from multiple wounds, staining the fractured stone beneath .
The crowd watched in stunned silence. So had expected a close fight. Others had anticipated my defeat. But no one had expected this level of brutality.
Dudley approached slowly, savoring his apparent victory. "I'm going to make an example of you," he said, his voice carrying across the lake. "When I'm done, they'll use your fate to frighten children into obedience."
I spat blood onto the platform. My golden armor flickered weakly, struggling to regenerate.
"Still conscious? Impressive." Dudley stopped a few yards away. "Most would have given up by now."
"I'm not... most people," I managed, each word sending fresh pain through my ribs.
"No," he agreed. "Most people know when they're beaten."
He vanished again, reappearing directly in front of . His hand shot out, gripping my throat and lifting off the ground.
"Look at him!" Dudley shouted to the crowd. "Look at your so-called hero!"
I clawed at his arm, struggling for air. Black spots danced across my vision. The latest chapters are uploaded first on *.
"This is what happens to those who dare to stand against !" he continued, squeezing tighter.
With my free hand, I grabbed his wrist, trying to break his grip. His strength was overwhelming. The strange marks on his chest pulsed brighter, feeding him power.
He slamd back to the ground. The impact sent fresh waves of agony through my body.
"I expected more," Dudley said, standing over . "After all your boasting."
I rolled onto my side, coughing blood. Each breath was torture. My golden armor had failed completely now, leaving vulnerable.
Dudley placed his boot on my chest, applying pressure to my broken ribs. I bit back a scream.
"Tell ," he demanded. "How did you access the tower? Who helped you?"
I remained silent, glaring up at him through blood-streaked eyes.
His foot pressed harder. "Answer !"
I coughed up more blood, but said nothing.
Frustration twisted his features. He stepped back and began channeling a massive amount of energy. Dark power swirled around his hands, forming a sphere of destructive force.
"Perhaps I'll visit your friends after this," he said coldly. "That woman from the Celestial Apothecary Guild. Or maybe your precious Isabelle."
The ntion of their nas sent a jolt through my battered body. I struggled to rise but collapsed again.
"Final chance," Dudley said, the dark sphere growing larger. "Beg for rcy. Pledge loyalty to . Perhaps I'll let you live as a crippled servant."
From the corner of my eye, I saw Jackson Harding watching from his distant hill. His expression remained unchanged. Confident. Evaluating.
Near him, another observer spoke: "The boy is finished. Dudley's power is too great."
Jackson's reply carried clearly despite the distance: "Look closely. Liam Knight is starting to counterattack."
Dudley heard it too. He glanced toward Jackson, confusion montarily replacing his arrogance.
I tasted blood in my mouth and smiled.
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