Alexander Kane stood at the center of the trembling plaza, the last traces of the Ancient War Essence Crystal still glowing faintly on his skin. The breakthrough to Foundation Establishment First Layer pulsed through his meridians like a second heartbeat — stronger, cleaner, and far more stable than anything he had felt before.Emily Reed watched him with a mix of awe and caution. “You really did it. From being thrown off a cliff to Foundation Establishment in barely two days. The Azure Cloud Sect is going to lose their minds when those enforcers report back.”Alexander flexed his fingers, feeling the new density of his Qi. “Let them lose their minds. They created this version of me when they discarded the old one.”Victor Lang shifted uncomfortably, still glancing at the defeated enforcers groaning on the ground. “We should move. Those guys will crawl back to the sect eventually. If they send real inner sect elders next, even your system might not be enough.”Alexander nodded. “You’r