Far away from the endless reaches of Andimadoria, where the ten candidates stood before the primordial powers of their destined physiques, an old wound on Earth had begun to bleed once more.
The village where William's family lived remained quiet.
Its people continued their ordinary lives, unaware that a storm was approaching from the sky.
At the entrance of the village, several figures descended silently.
They wore black robes that concealed their identities, and their movements carried the discipline of warriors who had been trained under a ruthless sect.
One of the villagers noticed them and immediately understood that they were not ordinary visitors.
Before the alarm could spread through the village, another group appeared from the opposite side.
Young disciples stepped forward, their expressions filled with determination.
At their center stood Victoria.
No longer the frightened girl who had watched her brother disappear years ago, she had become a capable cultivator and a direct disciple of the sect that had sworn to protect William's family.
Her sword remained in its sheath, but her eyes were cold.
"State your identities."
The leader of the masked figures laughed.
A dark spiritual pressure escaped his body.
"There is no longer any reason to hide."
The warriors removed their masks.
On their robes appeared a familiar symbol.
The symbol of the Crimson Shadow Sect.
The same sect that had once imprisoned William, destroyed his life, and created the hatred that shaped his path.
A murderous intent appeared in Victoria's eyes.
"So you finally came."
The leader smiled.
"Our young master has waited for this day for a long time."
Everyone understood who he meant.
Kate.
The man who had broken William.
The name itself carried enough hatred to freeze the atmosphere.
"We are here to take the family of William."
His voice was calm, as though he were discussing something insignificant.
Victoria took a single step forward.
"Then you will have to walk over our corpses."
For a brief moment, silence covered the entrance of the village.
Then—
The battle exploded.
Swords clashed.
Spiritual energy tore through the earth.
Trees were uprooted, and deep cracks spread across the ground.
The disciples protecting the village fought with everything they had.
Victoria displayed the talent that had allowed her to become a direct disciple.
Her sword danced like a crimson storm, forcing several enemies to retreat.
She wounded many of them and protected her companions repeatedly.
However, the difference in preparation and numbers slowly became obvious.
The Crimson Shadow Sect had not sent ordinary disciples.
They had sent elite warriors specifically chosen for this mission.
One by one, the defenders were pushed back.
A disciple beside Victoria fell unconscious.
Another was struck heavily and lost the ability to continue fighting.
Blood stained the soil at the entrance of the village.
Victoria herself suffered several injuries, but she refused to retreat.
Her only thought was simple:
She could not allow them to reach her family.
But just as the battle reached its peak—
A terrifying pressure descended from the heavens.
Everyone froze.
Even the disciples of the Crimson Shadow Sect lowered their heads with respect.
Two figures appeared in the sky.
The Third Elder.
And beside him—
Kaite.
The atmosphere instantly became colder.
Victoria's grip on her sword tightened until her hand began to bleed.
He looked at her without any expression.
He remembered William's sister.
The weak girl who could only cry when her brother was taken away.
Now she stood before him as a warrior.
But his eyes carried no admiration.
Only calculation.
The Third Elder looked at the destroyed battlefield with a dark expression.
"Enough."
His voice was not loud.
Yet every person present felt their bodies become immovable.
No one had the power to resist him.
He slowly looked toward Victoria.
"You are the daughter of a family that has caused the death of countless innocents."
The memory of his own daughter, who had died during William's loss of control, still burned inside his heart.
His hatred had never disappeared.
"Capture them."
The order was absolute.
The disciples of the Crimson Shadow Sect moved immediately.
Victoria and the remaining defenders struggled, but against the power of the Third Elder, resistance was meaningless.
Chains of spiritual energy bound their bodies.
They were imprisoned.
Victoria stared at Kate with burning hatred.
"You think this is the end?"
For the first time, a faint smile appeared on his face.
"No."
He turned his gaze toward the village.
"This is the beginning."
The Third Elder and Kate began walking toward William's home.
The door that had once welcomed a child named William now stood before the two men responsible for the darkest chapters of his life.
At that exact moment, beyond countless galaxies—
William opened his eyes.
A thread of danger moved through his soul.
The connection between his existence and those he loved warned him.
Something was wrong.
Something was happening on Earth.
His hand moved slightly.
For an instant, he wanted to turn away from the final trial.
To return.
To protect them.
But before he could act—
The entire realm shook.
The primordial power before him awakened.
The Eternal Physique had appeared.
The source of the power he had pursued since the day Andrew showed him the truth of the universe.
Countless invisible threads extended through all existence.
They connected stars.
Laws.
Time.
Space.
Life.
Death.
And William realized that the moment he had waited for over ten years had finally arrived.
The final recognition had begun.
Yet somewhere deep within his heart, the warning from Earth remained.
A silent reminder that while he was approaching the power
the people who gave him a reason to become strong were standing before the greatest danger of their lives.