Rise of The Abandoned Husband

I left the Grenville family's estate with my mind racing. Tyler Westwood's invitation had all the hallmarks of a trap, yet I couldn't dismiss the possibility that he genuinely possessed information about the Guardians. Either way, I had more pressing concerns. Mariana was expecting me at the Celestial Apothecary Guild in Riverbend Town, and I wasn't about to keep the Pavilion Master waiting.

The journey should have been straightforward. I chose a route through the forest paths, less traveled but more direct. The morning air was crisp, the sun filtering through autumn leaves in shafts of golden light. Under different circumstances, I might have appreciated the peace.

My communicator vibrated. It was a confirmation from Tyler Westwood – the photos I'd requested of the Guardian portrait. Smart move on his part, trying to build trust. I'd analyze them later when I wasn't exposed in the open.

Something shifted in the air. A faint disruption in the natural energy around me. I slowed my pace, maintaining a casual appearance while my senses heightened.

"Not even trying to hide anymore, are you?" I called out, stopping in a small clearing. "Show yourselves."

Five figures emerged from the trees. I recognized Barrett Hill immediately – the smooth-talking recruiter from the Umbral Covenant. His four companions wore matching black robes with silver trim, their faces partially obscured by high collars.

"Liam Knight," Barrett greeted me with a practiced smile. "What a fortunate encounter."

"Cut the act," I replied. "This isn't a coincidence."

Barrett spread his hands. "Perceptive as always. We've been monitoring your movements since you left Veridia City."

"Stalking is a better word." I kept my stance relaxed but ready. "What does the Umbral Covenant want now? I already declined your offer."

"Circumstances change," Barrett said, circling me slowly. "The Covenant has acquired access to three new Mystic Realms. Ancient ones, untouched for millennia."

I raised an eyebrow. "And this concerns me how?"

"One contains information about the Ashworth bloodline." His voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "Including where Isabelle Ashworth is being held."

My heart jumped, but I kept my face impassive. "You people really need new bait. Your lies didn't work the first time."

Barrett's smile faded. "This isn't a lie, Liam. The Covenant knows things even the Veridia City Martial Guild doesn't. Join us, and Isabelle could be in your arms within a month."

"If you actually knew where she was," I countered, "you'd have already leveraged that information for power. You're fishing."

The four robed figures shifted positions, subtly spreading out around me. I noted their movements, calculating angles of attack and escape routes.

"I'm disappointed," Barrett said with a theatrical sigh. "I genuinely hoped we could resolve this amicably."

"Nothing about the Umbral Covenant is amicable," I replied, flexing my fingers. "Your organization deals in deception and blood."

Barrett's eyes hardened. "The Covenant offers knowledge and power to those worthy enough to seize it. We've deemed you worthy, Liam. Don't make us reconsider."

I laughed. "Was that supposed to be threatening? You're overestimating yourself."

Barrett nodded to his companions. "Show him."

The four figures moved with practiced coordination, each pulling a small stone token from within their robes. They slammed them into the ground at equidistant points around me.

"Ancient Formation: Spirit Suppression," they chanted in unison.

Lines of blue energy erupted from the tokens, connecting to form a perfect square with me at its center. I immediately felt my spiritual energy being compressed, contained within my body like water behind a dam.

"What is this?" I demanded, pushing against the invisible barrier with my spiritual sense.

Barrett smiled coldly. "A specialty of the Covenant. This formation suppresses all spiritual abilities within its boundaries. No techniques, no spiritual power – just raw physical strength."

I tried to summon my Chaos Flame. Nothing happened. My connection to my spiritual energy remained, but I couldn't express it outside my body.

"Interesting trick," I admitted, reassessing the situation. "But if you think this makes me helpless, you've done poor research."

One of the robed figures lunged forward, a short blade gleaming in his hand. I sidestepped his attack with ease, grabbing his extended arm and snapping it at the elbow. His scream was cut short as I drove my fist into his throat, crushing his windpipe.

The second attacker came at me from behind. I whirled, catching her blade between my palms before headbutting her with enough force to shatter her nasal bone and send it into her brain. She dropped without a sound.

"Spirit suppression doesn't mean much," I said, facing the remaining opponents, "when my physical body has been tempered by Martial Saint power."

The third and fourth attackers came simultaneously from different angles. One wielded a chain whip, the other a pair of short axes. I caught the chain mid-air, yanking its wielder toward me and into the path of his comrade's axe. As the axe-wielder hesitated, I delivered a kick to his sternum that sent him flying into a tree trunk with enough force to break his spine.

The chain-wielder recovered quickly, swinging his weapon in tight circles. I waited for his attack, then stepped inside his guard, my fist connecting with his solar plexus. The impact liquefied his internal organs.

Four bodies lay around me, but the formation remained active. Barrett stood outside its boundary, watching me with cold calculation.

"Impressive physical prowess," he acknowledged. "But I came prepared for that too."

He pulled something from within his robes – a slender black blade about two feet long. Its surface seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it.

"Do you recognize this?" Barrett asked, running his finger along the flat of the blade.

"Should I?" I replied, though something about the weapon sent warning signals through my mind.

"This is the Devouring Shadow – a genuine Martial Saint Weapon." Pride filled Barrett's voice. "It took the Covenant three decades to recover it from the Barren Wastes."

I'd heard of such weapons – rare artifacts infused with the essence of a Martial Saint. They carried a fraction of their creator's power, making them devastatingly effective against even powerful cultivators.

"You're not a Martial Saint," I observed. "Using that will burn through your life force."

Barrett's smile turned grim. "A worthy sacrifice to bring you into the fold – alive or dead."

He gripped the hilt with both hands, and dark energy began to flow from his body into the blade. His skin paled visibly as the weapon drank his vitality.

"Last chance, Liam," Barrett called, raising the blade. "Join us willingly."

"Go to hell," I responded, bracing myself.

"You first." Barrett swung the blade downward.

A wave of concentrated killing intent and dark energy surged toward me. Without access to my spiritual power, I couldn't counter with techniques or energy barriers. All I could do was rely on my physically enhanced body.

I crossed my arms before me, channeling every ounce of my physical strength into a defensive stance. The wave struck like a physical force, driving me backward. My feet carved furrows in the earth as I struggled to remain standing.

Pain erupted across my forearms where the energy made contact. It wasn't just cutting my skin – it was attacking my very life essence. Blood began to seep through my sleeves.

"Feel it?" Barrett called, his voice strained but triumphant. "The Devouring Shadow doesn't just cut flesh – it severs the connection between body and soul!"

I gritted my teeth against the agony. Without my spiritual defenses, I was dangerously vulnerable to this kind of attack. The blade's energy continued to press against me, seeking entry points to my vital organs.

"The Covenant could have used this weapon anytime," Barrett continued, advancing slowly. "But we wanted to give you a chance to join us of your own accord."

My arms felt like they were being flayed alive, layer by layer. I needed to break free of this formation, but the tokens remained just outside my reach, protected by the barrier of the formation itself.

Barrett raised the blade again, its edge now glowing with malevolent purpose. "This next strike will sever your meridians. You'll live, but you'll never cultivate again."

The blade descended in a perfect arc, trailing darkness like a comet's tail. In that moment, trapped and stripped of my spiritual power, I faced something I hadn't felt in a long time – the real possibility of defeat.

The Devouring Shadow's edge gleamed with hungry darkness as it cut through the air toward me, carrying enough power to end my cultivation journey forever.