I t the first attacker head-on, my Golden Light surging as our energies collided. His sword strike, aid directly for my chest, never found its target. I caught his wrist mid-swing, the bones cracking beneath my grip. Before he could even cry out, I sent him flying backward with a palm strike that pulsed with concentrated golden energy.
His body crashed into three other cultivators, sending them tumbling to the ground in a tangle of limbs and curses.
"Anyone else?" I called out, my voice carrying across the basin.
The crowd hesitated, their eyes darting between and their fallen comrade. The man I'd struck was struggling to stand, his face contorted in pain as he clutched his shattered wrist.
Baldwin's face darkened with fury. "You dare attack in the presence of a Heavenly Secrets Master?"
"You're no master," I retorted. "Just an old fraud hiding behind a reputation."
Ms. Hayward stepped forward, her purple robes swirling around her ankles. "This insolence ends now. Who will stand with the Veridia City Martial Guild?"
A tall, broad-shouldered man pushed through the crowd. His aura radiated power that dwarfed the other cultivators—a Peak Form Military Marquis, at least. The air around him shimred with barely contained energy.
"I'll handle this upstart," he announced, cracking his knuckles.
The Man with the Mustache edged closer to , his voice a nervous whisper. "That's Warren Godfrey. He's known for ripping his opponents limb from limb."
"Wonderful," I muttered, intensifying my Golden Light.
Warren Godfrey stepped into the open space before , his massive fra blocking out the sunlight. "You've insulted Master Baldwin and defied the Guild. For that, I'll break every bone in your body—slowly."
I shifted my stance, preparing for his attack. This wouldn't be like the first cultivator. Godfrey's power was on another level entirely, and I could feel the murderous intent rolling off him in waves.
"Wait," Ms. Hayward called, raising her hand. "Why should only one have the pleasure? This criminal has offended us all." Her lips curved into a cruel smile. "Take him together. Show no rcy."
The crowd of cultivators began to move as one, forming a tighter circle around , Clara, and the Man with the Mustache. I counted at least thirty Marquis-level experts, with more behind them. Even with my abilities, these weren't odds I could overco.
"Clara, stay behind ," I ordered, my mind racing through possibilities, none of them good.
The little girl nodded, her eyes wide but fearless. The Man with the Mustache looked considerably less composed, his mustache twitching wildly as he glanced around for an escape route that didn't exist.
Warren Godfrey laughed, a deep, nacing sound. "This will be entertaining. I wonder how long you'll last before begging for rcy?"
I didn't waste breath on a response. Instead, I gathered my energy, preparing to fight until my last breath. If I was going down, I'd take as many of them with as possible.
The cultivators tensed, ready to attack from all sides. I saw Ms. Hayward's smirk of satisfaction, Baldwin's righteous anger, Godfrey's anticipation of violence. This was the mont they'd been waiting for—the chance to eliminate a troublemaker who'd challenged their authority.
Just as Godfrey took his first step toward , a thunderous voice bood across the basin.
"STOP!"
The command carried such authority that everyone froze, heads turning toward its source. A figure stood at the basin's edge, silhouetted against the sky. Behind him, more figures appeared, spreading out along the rim.
"What now?" Ms. Hayward hissed, clearly annoyed at the interruption.
The figure leapt from the edge, descending with impossible grace despite the height. He landed in the open space between and Godfrey, creating a small crater with the impact. As the dust settled, I recognized the familiar face of Guy Noble.
"Guy?" I couldn't hide my surprise.
He turned slightly, flashing a confident grin. "Thought you could use so backup, Liam."
More figures landed around us—twenty, perhaps thirty cultivators wearing the distinctive emblems of the Noble Family. They ford a protective circle around us, facing outward toward the hostile crowd.
"What is the aning of this?" Ms. Hayward demanded, her voice sharp with anger.
Guy Noble turned to face her, his posture relaxed but his eyes cold. "I believe I'm preventing a grave mistake. Thirty against one? Even for the Guild, that's remarkably cowardly."
Ms. Hayward's face flushed red. "This doesn't concern the Noble Family. This man has insulted Master Baldwin and defied the Guild's authority."
"This man," Guy said, pointing at , "is my friend and ally. And last I checked, having an opinion about soone's abilities isn't a capital offense."
Baldwin stepped forward, his face twisted with indignation. "He questioned my divine gift! My integrity!"
Guy Noble looked at Baldwin with undisguised contempt. "Maybe because you were wrong, old man. We all saw you point east while the herb erged in the southeast. If your 'divine gift' is so perfect, how do you explain that?"
Baldwin sputtered, unable to formulate a response. The crowd's murmurs grew louder, uncertainty spreading through their ranks as they realized the Noble Family had openly sided against the Guild and Baldwin.
Ms. Hayward recovered quickly, her voice taking on a dangerous edge. "Guy Noble. Your family treads a dangerous path. The Guild has long mories and longer reach."
Guy laughed, the sound both musical and mocking. "Is that a threat, Ms. Hayward? How interesting. Please, do elaborate on how you plan to threaten the Noble Family."
The tension in the basin thickened. The cultivators on both sides shifted nervously, aware that they were witnessing sothing unprecedented—open conflict between two major powers.
"The Guild outranks any single family," Ms. Hayward said coldly. "Even yours."
"Perhaps," Guy acknowledged with a casual shrug. "But today, we're not here as a 'single family.' We're here as friends of Liam Knight."
He snapped his fingers, and his cultivators shifted their stances, their combined auras flaring in a dazzling display of power. I recognized several Military Marquises among them, their energies pulsing in sync with Guy's command.
"Are you declaring war against the Guild?" Ms. Hayward asked, her voice deceptively soft.
"I'm declaring that Liam Knight is under the protection of the Noble Family," Guy replied firmly. "Attack him, and you attack us. It's very simple."
The Man with the Mustache tugged at my sleeve, whispering urgently, "This is unprecedented! The Nobles never stick their necks out for anyone!"
I nodded slightly, equally surprised by Guy's intervention. Our relationship had been cordial but hardly close enough to warrant this level of support. Sothing else was at play here.
Ms. Hayward's eyes narrowed to slits. "You're making a grave mistake, Guy Noble. Your father will hear of this."
Guy's smile never faltered. "My father already knows. Who do you think sent ?"
That revelation sent another shock wave through the crowd. If Arthur Noble, the patriarch of the Noble Family, had sanctioned this intervention, the situation was even more serious than it appeared.
"The Guild will not forget this insult," Ms. Hayward warned.
Guy took a step closer to her, his voice dropping so only those nearby could hear. "And we won't forget how you tried to ambush one man with thirty cultivators. That's not justice—that's cowardice. That's fear."
"Fear?" Ms. Hayward scoffed. "Of him?"
"Yes," Guy said simply. "You fear him because he doesn't play by your rules. Because he sees through your gas." He glanced at Baldwin. "And through your frauds."
Baldwin's face contorted with rage. "How dare you!"
"Easily," Guy replied, his smile turning cruel. "Just as easily as I dare to show everyone what real power looks like." Ifyou'renoton*,you'reviewingacopy.
With those words, he pulled sothing from inside his robe—a small, ornate box that seed to pulse with its own light. When he opened it, a wave of ancient energy washed over the basin, so potent that several weaker cultivators staggered backward.
Ms. Hayward's eyes widened in shock. "A Martial Saint Weapon? The Noble Family wouldn't dare—"
"We would," Guy interrupted, his voice eerily calm. "We do. This is the Sacred Fla Dagger, one of my father's personal treasures. He thought you might need a reminder of who you're dealing with."
The weapon inside the box was beautiful and terrifying—a dagger crafted from what appeared to be crystallized fire, its blade shifting and flickering like a living fla. Even from where I stood, I could feel its imnse power.
Ms. Hayward's facade of confidence finally cracked. Her gaze darted between the weapon, Guy, and her own forces, clearly calculating whether this confrontation was worth pursuing.
"This isn't over," she finally said, her voice tight with suppressed fury.
Guy's smile widened. "On that, we agree."
Ms. Hayward turned to her cultivators. "We're leaving. The herb isn't worth this... complication."
The purple-robed cultivators hesitated, looking between her and Baldwin, uncertain which authority to follow.
"Now!" she snapped.
Slowly, reluctantly, they began to withdraw. Baldwin looked stunned, his authority crumbling before his eyes as his supporters abandoned him.
"Master Baldwin," Ms. Hayward called sharply. "Will you be joining us?"
The old man's face was a mask of humiliation and rage. His gaze locked on for a long mont, burning with hatred, before he turned and followed Ms. Hayward.
As they retreated, the remaining cultivators quickly dispersed, unwilling to be caught in the crossfire between such powerful factions. Within minutes, the basin held only my small group and Guy's cultivators.
"That," the Man with the Mustache said shakily, "was the most terrifying and magnificent thing I've ever witnessed."
Guy tucked the weapon box back into his robe and turned to with a grin. "Well, that was fun."
"Thank you," I said sincerely. "But why? Why risk so much for ?"
Guy's expression turned serious. "Because my father sees what I see—a man who will change everything. A man worth betting on."
He glanced at the glowing crack where the Celestial Grass continued to erge. "Besides, you were right about the herb. That kind of insight is rare."
Clara tugged at my sleeve. "Are they really gone?"
I nodded, patting her head reassuringly. "For now."
The Man with the Mustache was still staring at Guy with undisguised awe. "You brought a Martial Saint Weapon just to help Liam?"
Guy laughed. "Among other reasons. We ca for the herb too, after all."
He turned to , extending his hand. "Partners? The Noble Family is very interested in what you're capable of, Liam Knight."
I hesitated only briefly before clasping his hand. "Partners."
Guy surveyed the now-empty basin with satisfaction before turning back to . His eyes glead with excitent and purpose as he waved his hand toward the erging herb.
"Let's go!" he declared. "Those Ten-thousand-year-old dicinal Materials won't harvest themselves."
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