Chapter 82
Seven cultivators lay scattered across the ring, unconscious or barely breathing, their once–dominant auras reduced to nothing more than fading wisps.
At the center stood Adrian.
Alive.
Standing.
Victorious.
Then the realization hit.
A roar exploded through the arena, louder than anything that had come before it.
“ADRIAN!”
“ADRIAN COLE!”
“ADRIAN! ADRIAN!”
The chant rolled like thunder, wave after wave of voices hailing the man who had done the impossible. Cultivators, observers, elites, even those who had come expecting his death now stood on their feet, shouting his name as if trying to burn it into history.
Freya froze.
The color drained from her face as she stared at the ring, at the man who should have died hours ago–no, minutes ago. Her fingers trembled. Her carefully constructed future shattered in real time.
“No…” she whispered. “This isn’t possible.”
Miss Reyes, seated calmly beside her, did not look surprised. If anything, there was a faint glint of satisfaction in her eyes.
Freya turned desperately toward her. “Mrs. Reyes… please.” Her voice cracked. “You saw it. You saw what he is. We can still fix this. We can-”
But Reyes said nothing.
Adrian stepped out of the ring.
The cheers followed him, but he didn’t look at the crowd. His gaze was fixed on one person alone.
Freya.
Each step he took toward her felt heavier than any blow she had ever received. By the time he stopped in front of her, her knees gave out completely.
She fell.
Right there, in front of everyone.
The arena gasped.
“1–I was wrong,” Freya sobbed, lowering her head to the ground. “I was blind. I didn’t know who you truly were. Please… forgive me. I’ll do anything. Anything you want. I’ll worship you if you ask it. Just–just spare me.”
The silence that followed was suffocating.
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Adrian looked down at her without anger.
Without triumph.
Only clarity.
“What do you have to say now?” he asked calmly.
Freya shook violently. “I’ll confess. I’ll tell everything. Catherine’s father–his illness–it was me. I ordered it. Dr. Arvan worked for me. Every dose, every delay, every manipulation… it was all under my command.”
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
Adrian’s eyes hardened slightly.
“Then there’s nothing left to discuss.”
He turned and raised his voice. “President Renford.”
President Renford who had been seated among the highest officials of Medical City, stood slowly, his expression grave.
“Judge her,” Adrian said. “According to Medical City law. Before Mrs. Reyes decides what she wants to do.”
Freya screamed as guards moved in, but no one intervened. Not a single ally stepped forward.
Power had abandoned her.
As she was dragged away, Miss Reyes finally spoke, her voice cold and final. “A deal is a deal.”
Adrian didn’t wait to hear more.
With Kai beside him, he walked away from the arena as the chants continued behind them–his name echoing into the night, sealing his place in history.
The house was quiet when they arrived.
Too quiet.
Kai watched Adrian closely as they stepped inside, his unease growing with every second. The image of that final moment in the arena–the collapse of the Seven Earth Code, the reversal of power–refused to leave his mind.
“You’re sure you’re okay?” Kai asked finally, turning to face him. “What you displayed back there… that wasn’t ordinary. Not even close. I’ll be honest–it scared me.”
Adrian set his jacket down slowly. “Nothing will happen.”
“That’s not reassuring,” Kai muttered. “Systems don’t just shatter and reform like that without consequences.”
Adrian didn’t answer immediately.
Kai hesitated, then asked, “Now that it’s over… do you still want me around? Or can I finally go back?”
Adrian looked at him. “You said you wanted to continue healing, didn’t you?”
Kai nodded.
“I’ll fund it,” Adrian said simply. “Your own acupuncture hospital. Equipment, staff, everything.”
Kai’s eyes widened.
“And if you still want to stay,” Adrian continued, “you can be my PA when I return to the company.”
Kai blinked. “You’re serious? After all this… you still plan to go back to the corporate world?”
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“My power doesn’t contradict my work,” Adrian replied. “If anything, it makes me more capable. That’s exactly why I need you around.”
Kai frowned. “Why me?”
“Because you notice danger before it arrives,” Adrian said. “That’s your gift. Mine is different. Together, they work.”
Kai exhaled slowly. “You’ve really thought this through.”
“There’s one more thing,” Adrian added.
He reached into a drawer and pulled out a folded sheet of paper.
Kai took it–and froze.
It was a drawing.
Rough, but precise. Lines forming a face. Cold eyes. A familiar, oppressive aura captured in ink.
Kai looked up sharply. “This is-”
“The man who sealed my brain,” Adrian said quietly. “I’m going to find him.”
Kai swallowed, staring back at the drawing.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
