124 Chapter 124 – Awakened Power, Awaiting the Test
I sank deeper into the steaming water, immersed in the silent darkness of the Water Dragon Cave. The tourist crowds had long departed, leaving me alone with the ancient power of this place. I’d convinced the caretaker to let me stay after hours–a generous payment and a promise to “meditate for spiritual healing had done the trick.
The moment the last echoing footsteps faded, I felt it–the true nature of the cave revealing itself in the stillness.
“It’s not just water,” I whispered to myself, watching tendrils of steam rise in the dim light. “It’s a natural Qi–gathering formation.”
I positioned myself directly above the bubbling center of the main pool where the earth’s energy flowed strongest. Closing my eyes, I began to circulate my internal energy according to the ancient technique I’d glimpsed in my awakening. Instead of fighting against the minerals in the water, I allowed my body to harmonize with them.
The effect was immediate and intense.
Energy surged through my meridians like liquid fire. I gasped, nearly losing my concentration as waves of pure spiritual energy poured into my body. The water around me began to shimmer with a faint blue glow, responding to my cultivation technique.
“Incredible,” I breathed, barely able to maintain my focus through the rush of power.
Hours passed as I cultivated in this perfect environment. The cave’s natural energy intertwined with my own, amplifying my cultivation speed tenfold. My skin tingled as impurities were forced out through my pores, clouding the water momentarily before dissolving away.
Midnight came and went. Then the early hours of morning. I lost all sense of time a pushed deeper into my cultivation, breaking through barriers that would have taken months to overcome elsewhere.
Just before dawn, I felt it–the unmistakable sensation of reaching a critical threshold. My dantian swelled with energy, threatening to burst.
“This is it,” I gritted through clenched teeth, directing all
my
focus inward.
124 Chapter 124 – Awakened Power, Awaiting the Test
With a final push, I broke through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.
The transformation was cataclysmic. Power exploded through every cell in my body, My bones cracked and reformed, stronger and more resilient. My meridians widened, allowing greater flows of energy. My blood seemed to burn as it carried newfound power to every extremity.
When I finally opened my eyes, the entire cave was illuminated by the energy radiating from my body. The water around me bubbled and steamed not from geothermal heat, but from my own power.
I rose from the pool, feeling like a god stepping out of primordial waters. Every movement was infused with such effortless strength that I had to consciously restrain myself. The world looked different through my enhanced senses–sharper, more vibrant, filled with currents of energy I’d never perceived before.
“Liam?”
I turned to see Eamon standing at the cave entrance, his eyes wide with disbelief. In the glow emanating from my body, his face looked pale and shocked.
“My God,” he whispered, taking an involuntary step back. “What happened to you?” I smiled, feeling a strange detachment from my former concerns. Everything seemed so small now, so inconsequential compared to the cosmic power flowing through me. “I’ve changed, Eamon,” I said simply. My voice resonated differently, carrying subtle harmonics that hadn’t been there before.
“You’re… glowing,” he stammered.
I looked down at my arms, seeing the faint golden luminescence that clung to my skin.
I learn to contain the energy better.” “A side effect. It will fade a
Eamon approached cautiously, scientific curiosity overcoming his initial fear. “The Foundation Establishment Stage?”
I nodded. “And not just barely. I’m well into it.”
“In a single night?” His voice held equal parts awe and disbelief. “That’s
unprecedented.”
“This place,” I gestured to the cave around us, “is special. The ancients knew what they
124 Chapter 124 – Awakened Power, Awaiting the Test
were doing when they marked it in their texts.”
I dressed slowly, acclimating to my transformed body. Every movement felt new–both more powerful and more precise. I could sense the individual threads in my clothing. the minute currents in the air, the subtle energies radiating from Eamon himself.
“You need rest,” Eamon said, noticing my occasional wince as new sensations overwhelmed me. “Your body needs time to adjust.”
I nodded, suddenly aware of a bone–deep exhaustion beneath the euphoria of advancement. “Let’s go back to the hotel.
I slept for fourteen straight hours, my body rebuilding itself around its new power. When I finally woke, the mid–afternoon sun was streaming through my hotel room
windows.
Stretching, I marveled at how different everything felt. The world seemed both more solid and more malleable, as if reality itself had gained new dimensions I could almost touch.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand. Caesar Nolan’s name flashed on the screen.
“Knight,” his smooth voice came through when I answered. “I have a situation that could use your particular talents.”
I sat up, instantly alert. “What kind of situation?”
“An old enemy has returned to South City. He’s requested a meeting, and I’d prefer not to attend alone.”
“You have plenty of subordinates,” I pointed out. “Why me?”
e Ashworth family
There was a brief pause. “Two reasons. First, your connection to could prove useful as leverage. Second, your… unique approach to problem–solving might be exactly what this situation requires.”
I smiled to myself. Caesar had no idea how much more “unique” my approach had become overnight.
“When and where?” I asked.
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124 Chapter 124–Awakened Power, Awailing the Test
“Tonight. Eight o’clock. I’ll text you the address,” he replied. “Come alone.”
The call ended. I stood, looking out over the city, feeling an eager anticipation rising within me. This would be my first real test since my advancement–a chance to gauge just how much I’d changed.
The restaurant Caesar had chosen was tucked away on a quiet side street–the kind of exclusive establishment with no sign out front, just a discrete bronze plaque beside a heavy wooden door. The kind of place where serious business happened away from prying eyes.
Caesar was waiting outside, dressed impeccably as always, though I noticed tension in the set of his shoulders.
“Knight,” he greeted me with a nod. “Glad you could join us.”
“Us?” I questioned.
The door opened, and a familiar face emerged–Ellis Mitchell, still clearly disgruntled from our previous encounter. His eyes narrowed when he saw me.
“Him?” Ellis directed at Caesar. “This is your backup?”
Caesar’s smile was diplomatic but firm. “Mr. Knight brings valuable connections and skills to the table.”
Ellis scoffed, looking me up and down dismissively. “I’m more than enough. I don’t need anyone else interfering”
I met his gaze calmly, feeling a strange detachment from his hostility. Before my transformation, his arrogance would have irritated me. Now it seemed almost childish -the posturing of someone who couldn’t possibly understand the true depth of
power.
“Shall we go inside?” I suggested mildly.
Caesar gave me a curious look, perhaps noticing something different in n., demeanor, but he simply nodded and led the way in. Ellis followed, muttering under his breath about “unnecessary complications.”
I walked behind them both, curious about what awaited inside. Whatever threat this
124 Chapter 124 – Awakened Power, Awaiting the Tost
“old enemy” posed, I was eager to test the limits of my new power. In fact, I was almost hoping for trouble–a proper demonstration of just how much I’d changed overnight.
The world thought it knew Liam Knight. They were about to discover how wrong they
were.
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