222 Chapter 222 – A Father’s Desperate Bargain and a Deceptive Summons
222 Chapter 222 – A Father’s Desperate Bargain and a Deceptive Summons
He had studied Knight’s combat style extensively. The young alchemist was impressive, but Adrian had centuries of experience and now, thanks to the Thornton elders, significantly more power.
Adrian’s phone chimed. A message from Conrad confirmed that Liam Knight would
arrive at four o’clock.
Conrad’s grip tightened on his phone. “You monster—”
Conrad’s face twisted with a mixture of shame and resignation as he stepped aside.
“You have one hour,” Adrian replied coldly. “After that, I start sending pieces of your son back to you. I’ll call again for your answer.”
Despite consuming rare spiritual herbs and pushing my limits, Stage 7 remained just out of reach. Still, I couldn’t deny the new abilities I’d gained. My vision had developed strangely–I could now see through solid objects when I concentrated, like having X–ray vision from those old comic books.
“Young Master! You’ve finally emerged.”
“Look at your beloved uncle,” Adrian Bauer’s cold voice replied. “That’s what happens to those who defy Earth Fiend Valley.”
His phone rang, disrupting his grief. The caller ID showed an unknown number.
“Welcome, Liam Knight,” Adrian said with cold satisfaction. “I’ve been looking forward
to our meeting.”
“I… I need time to think.”
Eamon bowed. “At once, Young Master.”
The door opened before I could knock. Conrad stood there, his face drawn and aged
222 Chapter 222 – A Father’s Desperate Bargain and a Deceptive Summons
ten years since I’d last seen him. A flash of undisguised unease crossed his features when our eyes met.
My instincts flared. Something was definitely wrong.
“Uncle Armando…” he whispered, his voice breaking.
Conrad Thornton collapsed into his chair, staring at the withered corpse that had been delivered to his private study.
“Is everything alright, Conrad? You sound tense.”
There was a brief pause. “Everything is fine. I’ve simply had a long day. Will you come?”
“Spare me your righteous outrage,” Adrian cut in. “Your son Miles is currently enjoying my hospitality. Would you like him returned to you in the same condition as your uncle?”
“Interesting,” I said to myself, releasing the technique.
At precisely four o’clock, I arrived at the Thornton family residence in Shiglance City. The usually bustling compound felt eerily quiet. No servants greeted me at the gate, and the few guards present avoided eye contact.
“What kind of information?”
“Damn it,” I muttered, splashing cold water on my face.
“He’s alive. For now.” Adrian’s tone was casual, as if discussing the weather. “I’ve administered a special poison of my creation. Without the antidote, which only I possess, he’ll suffer a slow, excruciating death over the next seven days.”
“So there is something wrong,” I muttered, as I approached the front entrance.
“I’m sorry, Liam,” he whispered. “They have my son.”
“Perfect.” Adrian smiled coldly. “The founder will be pleased.”
“I need you to discreetly investigate the Thornton family. Something’s not right with Conrad.”
The floor erupted with blinding light as the suppression array fully activated, and I realized I’d walked straight into a carefully laid trap,
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222 Chapter 222–A Father’s Desperate Bargain and a Deceptive Summons.
“Who is this?” he answered, his voice hoarse.
Conrad’s eyes darted briefly to something behind me, then back. “Yes. Please, come in
Three days after Adrian’s ultimatum, I was reviewing alchemical formulas when my phone rang. Conrad Thornton’s name flashed on the screen.
Conrad slammed his fist on the desk. “What do you want?”
My spiritual sense suddenly prickled. Something felt off in the energy currents around
but I couldn’t pinpoint the source. I made a mental note to investigate later.
me,
Conrad’s blood turned to ice. “If you’ve harmed my son-”
He opened his eyes, savoring the power coursing through his veins. “Delicious,” he murmured.
“Any updates while I was secluded?” I asked, stretching my stiff muscles.
As I crossed the threshold, my spiritual sense screamed a warning. Energy patterns in the floor beneath me began to stir, forming what I recognized as a suppression array.
“The same thing I wanted before. Liam Knight. Deliver him to me, and your son lives.”
“Liam,” he greeted me, voice strained with forced politeness. “Thank you
for coming.”
I maintained a casual demeanor while my senses remained on high alert. “Of course, Conrad. You mentioned having information for me?”
The line went dead.
“You needn’t defeat him,” Adrian interrupted. “Simply lure him to your residence. I’ll
handle the rest.”
“Forgive me,” he whispered, though he wasn’t sure who he was asking forgiveness from -his ancestors for betraying their honor, or Liam Knight for the treachery he was
about to commit.
I activated my new vision ability, scanning the main building. Multiple figures were inside, their energy signatures fluctuating with tension. One signature, however,
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222 Chapter 222–A Father’s Desperate Bargain and a Deceptive Summons
burned differently–dark and ancient, hidden beneath the ground level.
Eamon had discovered little in his hasty investigation–only rumors that several Thornton elders had mysteriously disappeared in recent days.
The floor beneath me glowed with activating runes, and from the shadows emerged Adrian Bauer, his hands already forming seals to trigger the trap.
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Eamon nodded gravely. “Several communications from your allies, but nothing urgent enough to disturb your cultivation.”
I frowned at his unnatural tone. Conrad was usually precise and formal, but this
sounded rehearsed.
“Four o’clock would be perfect.”
Conrad stared at Uncle Armando’s corpse, then at the family portrait on his wall–his wife, dead five years now, himself, and his two sons. Only Miles remained.
“Liam,” Conrad’s voice sounded strangely wooden. “I was hoping you might join me for a meal today. I have some information that might interest you.”
Miles Thornton lay unconscious in the corner, pale and sweating as the poison worked through his system.
After hanging up, I summoned Eamon.
“Conrad,” I answered. “What can I do for you?”
“It’s… sensitive. Not suitable for phone conversation.”
I emerged from my cultivation chamber after thirteen days of intense seclusion, feeling both powerful and frustrated. My dark energy had grown substantially, but I’d hit a stubborn bottleneck at Foundation Building Stage 6.
“Your time in the spotlight ends today, Liam Knight,” Adrian whispered, preparing th array that would neutralize Knight’s spiritual energy upon activation.
I weighed my options. If Conrad was in trouble, refusing might make things worse. If it was a trap… well, I wasn’t exactly defenseless.
“What time should I arrive?”
“Knight is too powerful,” Conrad argued desperately. “I can’t force him to-”
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222 Chapter 222–A Father’s Desperate Bargain and a Deceptive Summons
In a hidden chamber beneath the Thornton family residence, Adrian Bauer sat cross–legged on a meditation mat, surrounded by five withered corpses- once–powerful Thornton family elders whose life force had fueled his cultivation.
The loyal retainer who had served his family for decades was now nothing but a dried husk, drained of life and spiritual essence. Uncle Armando’s face was frozen in a silent scream, his body shriveled like an ancient mummy.
I tested it by staring at the wall separating my chamber from the hallway. After focusing for a moment, the solid surface became transparent, revealing Eamon pacing outside.
“I’ll be there,” I promised.
Conrad covered his face with trembling hands. First, his eldest son’s death six months ago, and now this. The Thornton family was crumbling around him.
When I opened the door, Eamon jumped.
Conrad closed his eyes, torn between loyalty and his love for his only remaining son. Miles was his last heir, the future of the Thornton bloodline.
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