Rise of The Abandoned Husband

The jade cauldron gleamed in the moonlight, its ancient surface reflecting centuries of alchemical wisdom. I sat cross-legged before it, the ten-thousand-year celestial herb cradled in my palm. Its ethereal glow pulsed against my skin, radiating power accumulated over millennia. This single plant represented my best chance at breaking through to the late-term Military Marquis realm.

"No room for error," I whispered to myself.

I'd chosen a secluded clearing in the mountain forest behind the Noble Family compound for this crucial task. The location was perfect—far enough to avoid endangering others if something went wrong, but close enough to maintain the protection of Pat Noble's influence.

The cauldron before me was no ordinary vessel. Pavilion Master Mariana had gifted it to me months ago, calling it "The Spirit Gatherer," a relic capable of concentrating elemental energies during pill refinement. I'd need every advantage for what I was attempting.

I placed the herb into the cauldron and extracted the Ice Heart crystal from my storage pouch. Even under the moonlight, the crystal emitted a frigid aura that made frost form on my fingertips. I held a portion back—I'd need it later for my breakthrough—and crushed the remainder into fine powder.

"Here goes nothing," I muttered.

I ignited the flame beneath the cauldron, controlling its intensity with my qi. Too much heat would destroy the herb's properties; too little would fail to activate them. I sprinkled the Ice Heart powder gradually, watching as it dissolved into shimmering blue ripples across the herb's surface.

Hours passed as I maintained absolute concentration. The first signs of success appeared near dawn—a purple vapor rising from the mixture, carrying the sweet scent of immortality. My heart quickened. I was on the right track.

The sun rose and set twice as I continued the refining process. By the third day, my body ached from maintaining the precise flow of qi, but I couldn't allow myself even a moment's distraction. This was the critical stage.

The liquid in the cauldron had reduced to a golden essence barely covering the bottom of the vessel. I increased the flame slightly, watching as the essence began to congeal. The air around the cauldron shimmered with energy, and I felt a growing pressure in the atmosphere.

"Form," I commanded through gritted teeth, directing my qi to shape the essence.

Tiny spheres began to separate from the liquid, each no larger than a fingernail yet glowing with concentrated power. The pressure in the air intensified. Suddenly, wisps of purple cloud materialized above the cauldron, spiraling upward into the sky.

"Pill clouds," I gasped. "Divine Rank."

Creating pill clouds was rare, something only the most skilled alchemists could achieve. To produce Divine Rank pill clouds meant I'd succeeded beyond expectation. My exhaustion temporarily forgotten, I watched in awe as the clouds dispersed into the evening sky, carrying news of my achievement to anyone attuned to such signs.

When the process finally completed, six perfect Purple-Gold Pills rested in the cauldron, each one pulsing with energy. I had hoped for more, but quality had trumped quantity. These six pills contained power beyond anything I'd previously created.

I carefully collected the pills and extinguished the flame. Dawn was breaking on the fourth day, and it was time for the second phase of my plan.

After a brief rest to restore my mental clarity, I found a flat stone deep in the mountain forest and sat down. I placed a spiritual barrier around myself—what I was about to attempt would generate enormous energy fluctuations that could attract unwanted attention.

I took out one Purple-Gold Pill and the remaining Ice Heart crystal. The pill alone would be insufficient for what I needed; the Ice Heart would provide the additional push required to break through my current plateau.

"Here's to not dying," I whispered with grim humor.

I swallowed the pill and immediately felt scorching heat spread through my meridians. Before the pain could overwhelm me, I crushed the Ice Heart crystal between my palms and pressed them against my chest, forcing its energy into my body.

The conflicting sensations of extreme heat and cold tore through me like warring dragons. I suppressed a scream, focusing instead on my breathing technique to distribute the energy. My meridians expanded painfully, threatening to rupture under the pressure.

Hours blended into days as I remained locked in meditation, absorbing the tremendous power flooding my system. My body was transforming, breaking down and rebuilding itself with each passing hour. The amount of energy I was processing would have killed most cultivators, but my unique constitution—my Chaotic Body—allowed me to endure.

On the seventh day of my seclusion, as the energy continued to rage through me, I sensed my breakthrough approaching. The final barrier between me and the late-term Military Marquis realm wavered like a dam about to break. I gathered all my concentration, preparing for the final push.

---

"It's been a week," Clara said, her small face creased with worry. She paced the courtyard of the Noble Family compound, occasionally glancing toward the mountains where I had secluded myself. "Shouldn't we check on him?"

Guy Noble leaned against a pillar, his expression calm but his eyes betraying concern. "Liam knows what he's doing. Breaking through to late-term Military Marquis isn't a simple matter."

"But seven days without word?" Clara persisted. "Even the strongest cultivators don't usually take this long."

The Man with the Mustache snorted from his seat at a nearby stone table. "Shows what you know, little girl. The kid's different from other cultivators. Everything about him defies common sense."

Patrick Noble, who had been silently observing their discussion, finally spoke. "My sources tell me unusual energy patterns have been detected in the mountains. Something significant is happening."

"Energy patterns? What kind?" Guy asked, suddenly alert.

Before his father could answer, The Man with the Mustache leaped to his feet, his eyes wide. "Everyone down!" he shouted.

A blinding flash of light erupted from the distant mountains, illuminating the entire compound as if the sun had suddenly risen at night. The light was followed by an oppressive wave of pressure that made even Patrick Noble, a powerful cultivator himself, take an involuntary step back.

A thunderous boom echoed across the valley as a shockwave radiated outward from the mountain forest, flattening trees and sending wildlife fleeing in panic. The Noble Family compound shook as if struck by an earthquake.

"What in heaven's name was that?" Guy exclaimed, steadying himself against a pillar.

Clara's eyes widened in realization. "It's Liam! Something's happened to him!"

The Man with the Mustache was already running toward the mountain path. "Either the kid just achieved something incredible," he called over his shoulder, "or he's blown himself to bits!"

---

The energy inside me had reached a critical point. I could feel my meridians straining to their absolute limit, threatening to shatter under the pressure. My consciousness wavered on the edge of oblivion as I fought to contain the raging power.

"Not yet," I growled through clenched teeth. "Not until I break through!"

I directed the conflicting energies of heat and cold toward the final barrier in my cultivation base. The barrier resisted, bending but not breaking. Frustration mounted as I realized I was still missing something—some final catalyst to complete the transformation.

In desperation, I reached deeper into myself, into the mysterious core of my Chaotic Body that I'd never fully understood. There, in the darkest recesses of my being, I found it—a sliver of pure, primal energy that had always been part of me.

Without hesitation, I seized that energy and hurled it against the barrier.

For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then the world exploded.

Light erupted from my body as the barrier shattered. Energy surged through my meridians, expanding them beyond their previous limitations. My muscles tore and reformed, stronger than before. My bones cracked and reknit themselves, denser and more resilient. Even my skin transformed, becoming a more effective conduit for the massive amount of qi now flowing through me.

I lost all sense of time as the transformation continued. When consciousness finally returned, I found myself floating several feet above the ground, surrounded by devastation. Every tree within a hundred yards had been flattened. The stone I'd been sitting on had cracked clean through. The earth itself had been scorched in a perfect circle around me.

As I descended slowly to the ground, I felt different—stronger, more aware, more alive than ever before. I flexed my fingers, marveling at the power that now coursed through my veins. The late-term Military Marquis realm was now firmly within my grasp, and I sensed that with continued cultivation, the Martial Saint realm was no longer an impossible dream.

I heard frantic footsteps approaching and turned to see The Man with the Mustache racing into the clearing, his face pale with shock as he surveyed the destruction.

"Kid," he gasped, "what the hell did you do?"

Before I could answer, Clara burst into the clearing behind him, followed closely by Guy Noble. All three stopped in their tracks, staring at me with wide eyes.

I realized then how I must appear to them—standing unharmed in the center of complete devastation, my body glowing with residual energy, my eyes reflecting power even I didn't yet fully comprehend.

Guy was the first to recover. "Liam... your aura. It's completely changed."

Clara stepped forward cautiously. "Are you... still you?"

The question caught me by surprise. I looked down at my hands, noting the faint golden light still emanating from my skin. Had I changed so much?

"I'm still me," I assured her, my voice sounding deeper and more resonant than before. "Just... more."

The Man with the Mustache circled me suspiciously, studying me from all angles. "Late-term Military Marquis," he finally pronounced. "Maybe even touching the boundary of Martial Saint." He shook his head in disbelief. "In one breakthrough. Impossible."

But it wasn't impossible. I'd done it. And as I stood among the destruction my transformation had caused, I realized this was only the beginning.

"We need to prepare," I said, looking toward the direction of Veridia City. "Ms. Hayward will return, and she won't be alone next time."

Guy nodded gravely. "Then it's fortunate you've grown stronger."

I flexed my hand, watching as energy danced between my fingers like lightning. "We'll need every advantage. The real battle is just beginning."

A distant rumble of thunder emphasized my words, as if heaven itself acknowledged the challenge that lay ahead.