The raging power of the Foundation Establishment breakthrough slowly subsided, settling into a deep, resonant hum within Lâm Minh's newly reforged body.
He felt… different.
Stronger, not just physically, but fundamentally.
His senses were sharper, his connection to the ambient Qi more profound.
The world seemed clearer, more vibrant.
His Dantian was no longer just a wellspring but a surging river of potent Qi, and this Qi now naturally circulated throughout his entire physique, nourishing and strengthening every cell.
[System Alert: Host has successfully achieved Foundation Establishment (Foundation Establishment) – Early Phase!]
[Spiritual Root: Heaven Tier (Stage 2/9 Unsealed)!]
[All attributes significantly enhanced. Physical strength, speed, resilience, and Qi capacity have undergone a qualitative leap.]
[Qi Sense (Intermediate) upgraded to Qi Sense (Advanced): Range dramatically increased. Can now perceive detailed emotional states, cultivation levels up to late Foundation Establishment, and the flow of Qi in the environment with greater clarity. Can also detect hidden formations and arrays of moderate complexity.]
[Qi Infusion (Intermediate) upgraded to Qi Infusion (Advanced): Mundane objects can be imbued with formidable power, capable of shattering stone and bending steel. Physical strikes can generate shockwaves.]
[Shadow Step (Basic) upgraded to Shadow Step (Intermediate): Near-perfect invisibility in shadows. Allows for short-distance teleportation between shadows (Shadow Blink – 1 use per 10 minutes). ]
[Cleansing Flame (Adept) upgraded to Cleansing Flame (Master): Flame is significantly larger, hotter, and can be projected. Highly effective against toxins, impurities, and cultivators up to mid-Qi Refining. Moderate effect against late Qi Refining and early Foundation Establishment.]
[New Foundation Establishment Stage Innate Ability Unlocked: Body Tempering Aura (Passive) – Host's body naturally radiates a faint aura of protective Qi, offering enhanced resistance to physical damage, toxins, and hostile Qi incursions.]
The System notifications scrolled through his mind, each one a testament to the incredible leap in power he had just experienced.
Foundation Establishment! And Stage 2 of his Heaven Tier Spiritual Root unsealed! The new and upgraded abilities were astounding.
Shadow Blink, the Body Tempering Aura… he felt like he had been reborn yet again.
But there was no time to revel in his newfound strength.
Cường and Tuấn were still chained, bleeding, and barely conscious.
The fire he'd started was spreading, threatening to engulf the entire maintenance bay.
And reinforcements from other parts of the garage, or even outside, could arrive at any moment.
He moved quickly.
With his Foundation Establishment strength, snapping the heavy chains binding his comrades was surprisingly easy.
He supported them, their weight almost negligible to him now.
"Minh… you… what…?" Cường mumbled, his eyes struggling to focus, staring at Lâm Minh with a mixture of awe and terror.
The transformation in Lâm Minh, the sheer power radiating from him, was palpable.
"No time to explain," Lâm Minh said, his voice still deeper, more resonant than before.
"We need to get out of here. Now."
He used his Cleansing Flame, now far more potent, to create a path through the spreading fire, pushing the flames back with waves of pure Qi heat.
He then half-carried, half-dragged Cường and Tuấn towards the service shaft he'd used to enter.
It was their only viable escape route.
Getting his injured comrades up the narrow shaft was a challenge, even with his new strength, but he managed it, his determination unyielding.
They emerged back onto the roof near the ventilation grate, the sounds of sirens now wailing in the distance – ASEAN Enforcers, finally responding to the chaos.
"We need to move," Lâm Minh urged, scanning their surroundings.
"The Enforcers will seal this area soon. We can't get caught."
He led them away from the garage, using his enhanced Qi Sense to find the safest, most shadowed routes.
Cường and Tuấn, despite their injuries, gritted their teeth and pushed on, fueled by adrenaline and a desperate will to survive.
They knew they owed Lâm Minh their lives, and the questions about his sudden, terrifying power could wait.
They finally reached a relatively safe hideout Hạnh used in a forgotten sector of the old city – a reinforced cellar beneath a collapsed temple.
Hạnh was there, her face etched with anxiety.
When she saw them stumble in, battered but alive, relief washed over her, quickly followed by shock as she took in the full extent of Cường and Tuấn's injuries, and then, the almost palpable aura of power emanating from Lâm Minh.
"By all the spirits… Minh… what happened to you?" she whispered, staring at him.
"Later, Hạnh," Lâm Minh said, his voice gentle but firm.
"Right now, they need medical attention. Do you have supplies?"
Hạnh, snapping out of her shock, quickly produced a well-stocked medical kit.
She was skilled in battlefield first aid, a necessity for survival in their line of work.
As she tended to Cường and Tuấn's wounds – cuts, bruises, burns, and likely broken bones – Lâm Minh stood watch, his Qi Sense extending outwards, ensuring their sanctuary remained secure.
"Breaker… is he…?" Cường finally managed to ask, his voice hoarse.
"He's unconscious. Along with most of his top lieutenants," Lâm Minh stated.
"The Skulls' leadership in this sector is effectively decapitated. For now."
Cường and Tuấn exchanged a look of profound disbelief and gratitude.
They had been prepared to die.
"You… you saved us, kid," Tuấn said, his voice thick with emotion.
"We owe you. Big time."
Lâm Minh simply nodded. "You're my crew. I wasn't going to leave you."
As Hạnh finished patching them up, she looked at Lâm Minh again, her one good eye filled with a complex mix of awe, respect, and a hint of fear.
"That power you have, Minh… it's not normal. Not even for the Awakened I've heard whispers about."
"It's… complicated," Lâm Minh admitted.
"Something I've been working on. The fight tonight… it pushed me over a threshold." He wouldn't reveal the System, not yet.
Not to anyone.
Just then, a discreet beeping sound came from a small, hidden communicator Hạnh carried.
She listened intently, her expression growing grim.
"That was one of my contacts near the Rust Market," she said, looking at Lâm Minh.
"The Enforcers have swarmed the garage. But someone else got there before them, or alongside them. Black, unmarked vehicles. Professional. Swept through the place, took bodies – both Skulls and… others – and any 'evidence.' Then vanished."
Lâm Minh's eyes narrowed. "Commander Trinh's people?"
Hạnh shrugged. "Or someone else who wanted to clean up the mess and control the narrative. My contact said it was slick, military-grade. They weren't local Enforcers."
This complicated things.
If Trinh's unit had sanitized the scene, it meant they were aware of his actions, or at least the outcome.
He had disobeyed a direct order by engaging.
The consequences could be severe.
His thoughts were interrupted by a new notification from his own System-linked communicator – a direct, high-priority summons from Yan.
[Yan: Report to designated safe house. Immediately. Commander Trinh wishes to speak with you. This is not a request.]
Lâm Minh's blood ran cold.
A direct summons from Trinh herself.
This was either very good, or very, very bad.
"I have to go," he told Hạnh.
"It seems my… unsanctioned activities have drawn high-level attention."
Hạnh nodded, her expression worried. "Be careful, Minh. People with the kind of power Trinh wields… they don't like surprises. Or disobedience."
"I know," Lâm Minh said.
He looked at Cường and Tuấn. "Rest. Heal. We'll talk when I get back."
He left the cellar, his newfound Foundation Establishment power a comforting presence, but his mind was troubled.
He had won the battle, saved his friends, and achieved a crucial breakthrough.
But he might have just started a new, more dangerous war with his own ostensible allies.
The designated safe house was in a surprisingly upscale residential district in Sector 4, a place far removed from the grime and desperation of the Rust Market.
It was an anonymous-looking townhouse, but Lâm Minh's Qi Sense detected multiple layers of sophisticated security arrays and the hidden auras of several highly skilled cultivators – Trinh's personal guard, no doubt.
They were all at least late-stage Qi Refining, a few even touching the threshold of Foundation Establishment.
Yan met him at the door, his expression unreadable.
"Commander Trinh is waiting in the study." He led Lâm Minh through a series of tastefully decorated but heavily secured rooms.
Commander Trinh was standing by a large window, looking out at the city lights.
She turned as Lâm Minh entered.
Her obsidian eyes swept over him, and for the first time, Lâm Minh saw a flicker of genuine surprise in them as her gaze registered his transformed aura, the undeniable power of his Foundation Establishment cultivation.
"Lâm Minh," she said, her voice a low, dangerous purr.
"You've been busy. And you have disobeyed a direct order. Explain yourself."
The air in the room was thick with tension.
Lâm Minh knew that his next words could determine his future, or if he even had one.