137 Chapter 137–A Conqueror’s Decren and a Distant Dream
137 Chapter 137 – A Conqueror’s Decree and a Distant
Dream
I stood amid the wreckage of what was once a lavish office, watching as Aidan Ortega- the legendary Colossus–knelt before me, broken and defeated. The faint blue glow around my body slowly faded as I reined in my power. The dust still hung in the air, glittering in the sunlight streaming through the shattered windows.
“Your body…” Aidan whispered again, his voice ragged. “How is it so powerful?”
I chose not to answer. Some secrets were better kept close. Instead, I turned my attention to Blaze Lane, who was frantically scrambling to his feet behind his overturned desk. His earlier arrogance had evaporated, replaced by the wide–eyed panic of a cornered animal,
“This isn’t over,” Blaze spat, though his voice quavered. “You may have defeated Aidan, but in South City, we have laws. Rules. The Lane Family has stood for generations. You can’t just walk in here and-”
“Laws?” I interrupted, my voice dangerously soft. “Rules?”
I lifted my hand toward the far side of the destroyed room, where Ellis Mitchell’s corpse lay sprawled among the debris. With a mere thought, I summoned a flickering tongue of spiritual fire–not the common flames used by ordinary cultivators, but the pale blue fire that marked true mastery of spiritual energy.
“Watch carefully,” I said.
The fire leapt from my palm and engulfed Ellis’s body. It didn’t burn slowly like normal fire; instead, it consumed with frightening efficiency. In seconds, the corpse was nothing but ash, scattered by the breeze through the broken windows.
Blaze’s face went ashen. “That’s… that’s spiritual fire.” His knees buckled. “Only cultivators at the-
“Yes.” I stepped closer to him. “Now you understand what you’re facing.”
The difference was clear to everyone in the room. Aidan’s power came from Inner Strength, a physical discipline achieved through dual cultivation of body and energy. My power came from something far more rare and feared–true spiritual cultivation,
137 Chapter 137–A Conqueror’s Decreo and a Distant Dream
the domain of the elite and legendary.
“Please,” Blaze suddenly dropped to his knees, his forehead nearly touching the debris–strewn floor. “Forgive my ignorance, Master Knight. I didn’t know–I couldn’t have known-”
“Enough,” I cut him off. “Your groveling disgusts me almost as much as your previous
arrogance.”
I turned my attention to Asher Lane, who was leaning against a cracked wall, his face twisted with pain from his earlier injuries but also burning with hatred and
humiliation.
“And you?” I asked. “The genius of the Lane Family? Do you still believe yourself superior?”
Asher’s jaw clenched. “I won’t kneel to you.”
“Won’t you?” I didn’t raise my voice. I didn’t need to. Instead, I allowed just a fraction of my spiritual pressure to bear down on him–an invisible weight that made the air itself heavy around him.
Asher struggled against it, his face reddening with effort, but slowly, inevitably, his knees began to bend. I watched without expression as the proud genius of the Lane Family was forced to kneel, not by physical force but by the sheer weight of presence.
my
“Remember this moment,” I told them both. “Remember what happens when you stand has against me. South that either of you City is too small for my ambitions, but if I hear spoken my name with anything but respect, I will return. And next time, I won’t be so merciful.
From the corner of the room came movement. Caspian Monroe had pulled himself free from a pile of debris, his expensive suit torn and dusty. His eyes darted between me and the kneeling Lane family members.
“Master Knight,” he stammered, bowing deeply. “I… I had no idea. Please accept my most sincere apologies for any offense.”
I regarded him coldly. “You chose poor allies, Caspian, Make better choices in the future.”
137 Chapter 137–A Conqueror’s Decren and a Distant Dream
With that, I turned and walked toward the shattered doorway. Behind me, I could hear Blaze Lane’s ragged breathing and Asher’s frustrated growl as he fought against the invisible pressure still forcing him to kneel.
“Thank you for the lesson,” Aidan Ortega called out as I reached the doorway. Despite his defeat, there was no bitterness in his voice–only a warrior’s respect.
I paused, then nodded once without looking back.
The next morning, sunlight spilled across the courtyard of the hotel where Eamon Greene and I had taken rooms. We stood beside a sleek black car, our bags already
loaded.
“Are you certain about this?” Eamon asked, adjusting his glasses. “After yesterday’s display, you could claim South City as your territory with minimal resistance. The Lane Family’s influence is shattered.”
I closed my eyes briefly, feeling the warm sunlight on my face. “South City is too small for what I intend.”
“Indeed it is,” came a voice from behind us.
We turned to see Caesar Nolan approaching, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp and assessing.
“Word of your victory has spread like wildfire,” Caesar said, stopping a respectful distance away. “The way you made the Lane family kneel… impressive. Very impressive.
“You disapprove?” I asked.
Caesar laughed. “Quite the opposite. I admire efficiency. You’ve accomplished in one day what might have taken others years of political maneuvering.” He paused, studying my face. “But Eamon is right. You could establish yourself here. The vacuum left by the Lane Family’s disgrace needs filling.”
“My goals lie elsewhere,” I replied.
“Veridia City,” Caesar nodded. “The true seat of power. But why? What draws you there with such single–minded focus?”
137 Chapter 137–A Conqueror’s Decree and a Distant Dream
I met his gaze directly. “Isabelle Ashworth.”
Caesar’s eyebrows rose in genuine surprise. “The princess of the Ashworth Family? Now that is ambitious.” He whistled softly. “The Ashworth name carries weight even in my circles. They’re not just wealthy–they’re kingmakers.”
“I’m aware,” I said simply.
Caesar studied me for a long moment, then broke into a wide smile. “You know, Liam Knight, I find myself increasingly glad we didn’t end up as enemies.” He extended his hand. “Safe travels. I suspect we’ll meet again when your name begins echoing through Veridia City’s halls of power.”
I shook his hand, then climbed into the car where Eamon was already waiting. As we pulled away, I caught a final glimpse of Caesar in the rearview mirror, still standing where we’d left him, watching our departure with an unreadable expression.
“Isabelle Ashworth,” Eamon mused as we left South City behind. “The most prominent daughter of Veridia City’s most powerful family. Your ambitions never cease to surprise me.”
I didn’t respond, my mind already reaching toward Veridia City and the woman waiting there–though she didn’t yet know she was waiting for me.
In Veridia City, sunlight poured through tall windows into a spacious study adorned with priceless antiques and elegant furniture. The Ashworth family estate stood as a monument to generations of wealth and influence, its grounds spanning acres of meticulously maintained gardens.
At a carved mahogany desk sat Isabelle Ashworth, her pen moving absently across a sheet of paper. Her long hair fell in dark waves around her shoulders, and her delicate features were creased in concentration. So absorbed was she in her thoughts that she didn’t notice the door opening behind her.
“Working hard, or hardly working?” came an amused, elderly voice.
Isabelle jumped slightly, hurriedly covering her paper with her hand. “Grandfather! I didn’t hear you come in.”
Michael Ashworth, patriarch of the Ashworth family, moved closer, his eyes twinkling
137 Chapter 137–A Conqueror’s Decree and a Distant Dream
with mischief. Despite his advanced age, he carried himself with dignity and strength, his silver hair neatly combed back.
“What are you hiding there?” he asked, peering curiously at the partially covered paper. “State secrets? Love letters?”
A faint blush colored Isabelle’s checks. “Just some notes.
“Notes that include quite a bit of doodling, from what I can see, Michael observed, chuckling as Isabelle’s blush deepened. “If I’m not mistaken, you must be writing his name, right?”
Isabelle looked away, unable to meet her grandfather’s knowing gaze. Outside the window, Veridia City sprawled in all its glory–a place of power, wealth, and deadly games. A place where dreams could be made or shattered in an instant.
And somewhere beyond the horizon, a man was coming who would change everything.
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