Chapter 161 Search
Hearing Lorcan’s words, the two instantly raised a brow.
They simultaneously began examining Liam’s body, realizing with shock what Searching Eye meant.
The exterior of the body did not match the dried interior.
“The Face & Body Imitation pill… I’ve dealt with this many times before,” Lorcan uttered casually, putting both his palms on the dried corpse.
“Although the duration of the pill is not long, if the user dies during the process, their image won’t change even after death.”
‘Ora’ gathered on his hands and gradually peeled away the dried skin, revealing the corpse’s true identity as the servant who had gone missing.
Edwin and Ken grimaced at the same time.
‘So the boy is still alive?’ Edwin thought with furrowed brows. ‘Was he the one who did this by himself? Or did Ken’s son kidnap him? Or were they both working together?’
Lorcan took a good look at the servant’s corpse, peering down his throat and into his abdomen, then shot a look towards the clan patriarchs.
“I will need a full rundown of who this ‘Liam’ interacted with, and what his usual schedule was. We cannot throw away any possibility,” he asked Edwin, who nodded firmly in response.
“Also, please tell me more about this Blood Demon person,” he asked Ken, and the three began to speak.
///
In a certain forgery in Ucladd’s Underground, Lloyd and Rogan were playing a game of cards. Although merely a year passed, the two looked aged.
Even Rogan’s spiked hair didn’t stay up anymore, drooping down over his face.
“Three of apples paired with an ace of fruits. I win again!” Lloyd guffawed and took away the pile of ‘Ora’ Stones on the table, storing it away.
Rogan shook his head. “This game sucks.”
Lloyd tutted. “You suck,” he laughed.
Rogan sighed.
Before he could respond, three figures arrived at the forgery doors and entered.
Realizing who they were, Lloyd and Rogan reeled in shock.
What were three Zenith’s doing in their forgery?
“You are the boy’s masters, are you not?” Lorcan addressed with a ‘friendly’ smile.
Lloyd remained silent under the three piercing gazes.
Pressure grew in the room, making both him and Rogan wince and sweat.
It wasn’t too heavy. More of an indication that their life was at the three Zeniths’ fingertips.
“We were. Is he not dead now?” Lloyd broke the silence.
Lorcan hummed to himself, his gaze distant.
“Apparently not.”
“What?!” both Rogan and Lloyd exclaimed at the same time.
“He’s alive?”
Searching Eye paused, then nodded.
“He isn’t dead… not that we know of, at least. Tell us about this boy and his personality. Although you’re obliged to do so anyway, we will give you both 10,000 Stones as a reward.”
Silence.
Lloyd glanced at Rogan from the side.
Rogan did the same with a knowing grin.
All of a sudden, they burst into laughter.
“Can you imagine?” Lloyd wheezed, ignoring the Zenith. “This is the second time, too!”
Rogan couldn’t stop his guffaw. “And he did it right after taking the rewards! Even myths can’t make up something so ridiculous!”
The three Zenith’s frowned. Pressure steadily mounted and made the surroundings shake.
“Did you not hear what he said?” Ken said with an even voice and a chilling tone. “Tell us about the boy.”
Despite the growing pain on their weary mental spheres, the two laughed crazily for a good few minutes.
Slowly, Lloyd’s laughter came to a stop, then he gave Lorcan, Edwin and Ken a mocking look.
“You’re telling me three Zenith’s need the help of these two lowly cultivators… to find a little boy?”
Silence descended upon the group. Awkward and tense at the same time. Edwin clenched his fists in frustration. Ken’s eyes were like piercing knives, and Lorcan simply gave the two a probing gaze.
“That kid has escaped death more times than you can count. He will reach the Celestial Ranks. You old coots better die before he reaches you,” Lloyd broke the silence with an insult and a grin.
His fate was sealed.
Any held back pressure on his mind began to unload, like an elephant slowly stepping on a bug.
Lloyd lowered his head and solemnly closed his eyes.
Cracks were rapidly spreading across his mental sphere, but he felt strangely at peace.
‘I never gave him a moniker, did I?’ he squeezed in a thought amidst the mind numbing pain. ‘Oh well. He’ll gain plenty throughout his life. Be well, my disciple.’
CRACK!
Lloyd thumped limp on the ground, his eyes open but devoid of life. He died with a grin on his peaceful face.
Rogan gave his friend a pitiful look.
The pressure wasn’t directed at him and he watched Lloyd die.
“You can choose to live, or follow his footsteps,” Searching Eye threatened impatiently.
Rogan pursed his lips in deep thought. The silence was deafening, and the Zeniths were getting annoyed.
“Nah. I’m good. You three can suck my filthy, soot covered toes. My flame has puffed out anyway… his is still raging.”
Lorcan shook his head and turned around to leave, but not before shattering Rogan’s mental sphere.
The blacksmith thumped down beside Lloyd, a similar smile on his face.
“What a pointless waste of time.”
///
Searching Eye had spent months looking over the forest near the stadium and Ucladd.
Thanks to his spells and investigative methods, he found an alarming piece of evidence – an abandoned hideout within a mountain cavity, but without any Revel or Liam of the sort.
It turned out, they really didn’t need to question Liam’s teachers. Lisa and Adrian Royce gladly spoke about the boy, including his cold and hardworking personality.
Still, the case was difficult to deal with.
Lorcan still didn’t know whether it was just one or two of them.
“The blade used was the Blood Demon’s… but the peasant’s body was fake. Unless… did they know each other somehow?”
He spent another two months investigating the surrounding cities, but his search didn’t yield any fruit.
As Searching Eye thought of a motive, a sudden light flickered on in his head.
“The academy!”
Till now, he had only considered revenge. He didn’t see any other reasonable clue why the attack could happen. The killings were too vicious and grim for something like that.
“The kid thought this far…”
Abruptly, Edwin and Ken chose that exact moment to appear.
Edwin looked grim and silently enraged.
“There’s been word of a darkness cultivator inside the Royal Academy.”
Chapter 162 Gone
“Are you sure it’s him?” Searching Eye questioned with a frown.
Edwin paused.
How his grandson escaped from his grasp and became a member of the academy actually made him respect the boy.
But that wouldn’t stop him from breaking his bones for doing so.
“Word is he has no familial backing, and is also young and talented. There’s no doubt about it.”
Silence.
“This got difficult,” Lorcan professed.
It was one thing for Liam to be hiding in some random city as a fugitive.
It was another for him to be under the Royals.
Still, a fugitive was a fugitive.
They had grounds and authority to bring a killer to justice.
However, the patriarch of the Ken family had other plans.
To have his name dragged through the mud by a peasant was a death sentence he would execute personally, no matter the cost.
“No reason to linger then.”
The three began to shoot towards Roson with jet-like speed, turning into streaks.
The capital was at least two months away from Ucladd, but that wasn’t applicable to Zeniths.
They arrived in three hours.
Roson was vast, the thick, inscribed borders alone were nearly 300 meters tall.
There were golden towers and skyscrapers everywhere one looked, and only the top potentates of the country could afford to live in such a luxurious area.
The three Zeniths lingered outside the borders.
They couldn’t just enter willy-nilly.
Even they, as powerful patriarchs, couldn’t afford to offend Royalty. Instead, they waited outside for someone to eventually accommodate them.
As they waited, a distant figure rapidly approached from the side, sonic booms causing the air tremble at his flight.
For a moment, the trio thought that was a Royal, but he didn’t come from the city.
As he got closer, the three instantly realized who the man was.
Nature’s Hand, Benedict Voist.
An esteemed expert who specialized in alchemy and botany, and one of the largest potentates of Echoria.
He was a silver-haired, lanky, tall middle-aged man donning an azure robe embroidered with various flowery patterns. A deep frown scrunched his sharp features.
Spotting the trio, Benedict looked confused, then made a beeline towards them.
Edwin, Searching Eye and Ken paid their respects as he approached.
Nature’s Hand was a hard man to reach, and his expertise in creating pills was useful even for Zenith ranked cultivators.
“Why have you all gathered here?” Benedict questioned, confusion mixed with anger in his tone.
“Two years ago, a commoner murdered three noble heirs before escaping to the academy,” Lorcan was the first to respond. “He is now a student.”
Benedict frowned deeply.
“The Thyress family has gotten too lax… accepting peasants and commoners was always a flaw in their reasoning, yet they never attempted to fix it. Even my own grandson was mutilated by one of them! A darkness cultivator, they said,” Benedict spat in anger, crossing his arms as he looked towards the Royal city.
“It’s about time things changed around here.”
An awkward silence took over the air.
“We’re searching for the same person, then,” Searching Eye confessed. Benedict’s eyes widened in shock. “Perhaps if you join us, our chances of resolution could improve.”
Benedict paused, then nodded firmly.
A few minutes later, a Royal met them at the city gates.
Almost all Royals were women, and they all shared the same beauty – silver hair, golden eyes, red lips and pale skin, paired with their auerate silver robes.
This particular one wasn’t a Zenith by any means, yet the Rank 4 cultivators didn’t offend her. The fact that she could fly meant she was nearing that realm, and Zenith ranked Royals were monstrous.
“We pay respects to their majesty.”
The four made the Echorian gesture for respect, receiving a nod and a wave in response.
“I hope there is a good reason for this unscheduled visit. Our forces are a bit… busy as of now,” the Royal, known as Keris Thyress, mentioned with a slightly worried look.
“Please,” Ken smiled in reassurance. “We would not have bothered you unless it was. We’re searching for a student of the darkness element. We have proof he has murdered three noble heirs and escaped from his hometown. If you’d like, we can show you the corpses—”
Strangely, the Royal raised a hand, stopping him.
The four looked taken aback, but Keris looked grave.
“Does this boy have one golden colored eye and blonde hair?”
Edwin looked alarmed, but nodded profusely.
Keris sighed, inwardly cursing.
“Our forces have already been trying to locate him since two weeks ago.”
What?
“…He’s missing.”
///
The search for Liam began precisely two and a half weeks ago.
At first, there was nothing out of the ordinary.
The classes were on break, and there was at least an entire month before they resumed.
Knowing Lawrence’s personality, there was nothing strange about him staying in complete isolation.
The only proof that he even lived in that mansion were the various sounds that resounded from within it.
Soon enough, a month passed.
By then, the Headmaster and Liam’s professors grew concerned.
Liam wasn’t answering his token and refused to meet with any of his teachers. There was utter silence from him.
At that point, the Headmaster allowed himself to enter the House, and was shocked to find Rin and Nord there instead.
“Weren’t you two on a mission?” the Headmaster asked them.
Nord and Rin looked confused.
“What are you talking about?”
Reye Ornn’s chest sank.
“Your tokens! Show me your tokens!”
Nord took out his and gave it to the Headmaster, only for the latter to realize it wasn’t his token, but Lawrence’s.
Rin patted down her pockets but looked genuinely confused.
‘It’s… not with me? I was sure it was!’ she gestured with panic.
After a stern questioning, the Headmaster’s interrogation was fruitless.
The two genuinely looked confused and oblivious. They mentioned how Liam paid them 10,000 Stones just for them to skip a few classes, and they didn’t see a reason to disagree.
Cursing, the Headmaster instantly alerted Kalia, who quickly gathered all the academy professors and organized a large search party that scattered across Echorian.
///
Janice, along with a large gathering of professors, filled the bullet-train.
She had been designated an area to hunt for Lawrence – Liam Royce – but she had no intention of going there.
Chapter 163 Despair
An unkempt, filthy, short figure dashed across a foggy canyon and leaped over to the other side with a powerful jump.
If there was something Liam was exceptionally good at, it was running, and he hadn’t stopped throughout the entire two months since getting off the bullet train.
He used the most direct path towards the north western borders of Echoria, uncaring of the magical beasts and human threats that lay there.
At the same time, he didn’t bother being discreet about it. The Royal army would catch up anyways. The best thing to do was board and ship and leave Echoria once and for all.
He had prepared well for the occasion, buying stamina, mental energy and strength restoration pills beforehand.
‘I should be getting chased by now,’ Liam assessed, popping another pill that helped heal his ghostly complex.
His hands and legs turned to mist now and again, bolstering his speed. All the while, his feet would tighten with darkness and spring him forward.
‘At my current speed, it will take just three weeks to reach Revel’s marker. I’m very close!’
Although the train did most of the work, Liam still had to traverse the rest of the distance himself.
The train didn’t allow entry to areas that neared Echoria’s borders. That required permission, which Liam obviously couldn’t ask for.
He had put aside all aspects of cultivation or rest to reach that goal.
Still, he couldn’t help but feel unnerved.
A week passed, and his journey continued relatively safely.
His stomach growled with anger and his body was drained of strength, but he suppressed those feelings and continued.
Another week passed, and there was still no issue.
Liam’s worry gradually lessened, but he wasn’t deluded by that. The surroundings switched continuously, from arid drylands to marshes and mountain peaks.
On the third week, the surroundings changed to a lush forest. A canopy blocked any sunlight from piercing through. nove(l)bi(n.)com
‘There’ll just be the sea after this point. I’ll find the organization there,’ Liam smiled.
Abruptly, Liam’s chest sank to his gut.
As he ran and looked over his shoulder – a habit he had developed throughout his journey – his golden eye constricted as he saw a figure trailing him through the dense forest.
Liam cursed and tore through the air with even faster speed.
The figure’s presence was utterly silent, meaning they were capable of masking it from a Rank 2 Magus.
Looking over his shoulder, the figure was closer, enough for Liam to assess her features.
It was Janice!
She had a grave expression on her face as she followed Liam. A mix of regret, anger, pity and thrill all at the same time.
“You should have played your cards right!” she shouted from behind, an inscribed spear clutched in her hands. “I could have trained you to become my equal!”
Grimacing, Liam didn’t respond as he ran, but it was clear the professor was going to catch up soon.
Not only that, Liam’s senses picked up on a distant group behind her, roughly a dozen who’s strength matched his.
SWOOSH!
A needle-thin bullet of liquid shot from behind and grazed Liam’s thigh, spraying blood over the ground.
Before he could even grunt in pain, another barrage of them followed, but he managed to evade them by using the terrain to his advantage.
‘Damn it! She’s a complete Rank 3 cultivator! I can’t do anything to her!’
BHOOOSH!
A giant stream of water broke through the treeline and smashed against Liam’s shoulder – strengthened by Obsidian Skin and Cartilage Brace – as he attempted to evade.
The speed that the spell was activated was too fast and too strong for Liam to properly dodge against, resulting in a chunk of missing flesh on his right shoulder.
Having experienced that pain before, Liam managed to grit his teeth and continue running, but his strength was readily being sapped.
Liam stilled his anxious thoughts and used everything at his disposal, conjuring a ball of chaos the size of his fist and hurling it precisely at Janice’s figure.
BOOOOM!
Liam looked over his shoulder as the blast went off.
The shockwave was followed by a short silence, followed by Janice cutting through the cloud of dust generated from the explosion.
Liam unsheathed his blades and struck them against her spear.
CLING!
Instantaneously, another barrage of attacks followed.
There was a reason Janice was the battle professor.
Each of her attacks precisely struck Liam’s weak points, taking advantage of the length of her spear and superior cultivation. Entire chunks of Liam’s flesh started to fly off his body.
Having no choice, Liam activated the first form of his martial art.
His blades turned invisible as he weaved in and grazed Janice’s waist, but the latter brushed it off.
Pressure mounted against Liam’s mind which forced him to use Thicken to defend against.
Liam let loose every spell at his disposal, yet the mental attacks were simply slapped away.
Janice simply severed the Dark Chains from ensnaring her, but that allowed Liam to get close for the Surging Burst spell.
BOOOM!
Liam felt his fist smash against a thick membrane of water, absorbing the brunt of the attack and nullifying it.
Janice blurred, turning into a thin streak that reappeared behind him. Strangely enough, her back was to him, yet she didn’t feel the need to turn around.
Time slowed down.
There was only silence.
Liam’s eye slowly moved to his right arm, pangs of pain shooting through his body from it.
There was no arm.
Liam’s arm was severed clean off, twirling through the air.
Only blood and split bone was visible on his shoulder, spraying endless amounts of red liquid.
Liam had to stop running.
A solemn emotion filled his eye as he felt death nearer than ever.
Janice blurred again, reappearing below him and kicking his body upward in one fluid motion and sending it flying above.
CRCK!
Liam felt parts of his chest crack, his lungs devoid of any air.
His consciousness was swaying left and right, dangling like a loose thread as he ascended through the air.
‘So close. So damn close.’
The regret that washed over him felt worse than any pain he was going through. It was like a knife stabbing his heart repeatedly, then twisting and digging further.
“Such a small setback makes you despair… to think I called you determined.”
Chapter 164 Worthy
Liam jolted upright, as though he had awoken from a horrible dream, breathing raggedly and sweating all over.
He found himself amidst a shadowy domain, with umbral darkness neither his King’s Eye nor senses could pierce through.
The floor beneath him was a viscous red liquid, rippling with the slightest movement.
Liam looked at his right arm.
It was gone… but there was no pain or blood. Just a phantom limb that he couldn’t control or move.
‘It was no dream.’
Another assessing look over his marred body revealed the missing chunks of flesh. Liam was in a much worse state than he realized.
“Would you have liked it to be a dream?”
Raast’s mocking voice rang out amidst the darkness. It was still terrifying and deep as ever.
Liam grimaced… but any fear he might have had was drowned out by the bitter taste of defeat.
He felt anger at himself — for embracing death — at the cards he was dealt with, and how he was merely inches away from getting away.
“You sure talk big for someone hiding in my head. Is a voice all you have?” he countered, standing up and facing the voice.
A guttural laugh.
“No longer afraid… good. This will be easier, then.”
Liam remained silent as a silhouette emerged from amidst the darkness.
A frame grew visible, only he couldn’t properly assess it
Drip, drip, drip.
Each of the footsteps were wet and heavy, violently rippling the liquid floor.
Liam watched as the figure took its time leaving the shadows and slowly coming into view.
As it did, Liam realized he was looking at a waist.
A slightly tanned, muscular waist, decorated with countless ornate patterns that were etched into it like ancient armor.
The lower body was covered by several layers of loose red and black cloth, covering it from view.
Liam’s neck slowly creaked upwards, following the patterns up to the chest, where the same intricate designs continued and spread out, reaching the shoulders and continuing towards the arms.
…All six of them.
The arms had an alloy sheen of their own, riddled with drawings and ancient writings. Gauntlets that radiated regality and power without looking bulky or unpleasing to the eye.
Finally, Liam moved to the face. nove(l)bi(n.)com
It was square shaped and sturdy, ornate designs connected to the tanned lips, cheekbones and scalp.
Human-like, if one could call it that, except there were no irises within the glowing white eyes. The eyebrows were of a similar color, thin and saber shaped, paired with long and wild silver hair flowing behind his back.
Overall, the Ashura was at least 3 meters tall.
Liam didn’t know what emotion to express first. His mind spiraled into a chaotic mix of shock, confusion, and bewilderment, resulting in a dumbfounded expression.
There was utter silence for a good few minutes.
Liam couldn’t make heads and tails of the situation.
Why was there an Ashura in his mind?
Was it psychosis from nearing death?
Or was he already dead?
Raast stared amusingly at Liam’s shocked face. His ‘lips’ curled to a smile, which revealed a precise row of sharp, palisade teeth, sharper than any blade or knife Liam had wielded.
Liam’s shock turned into a grimace.
He suppressed any unstable emotion and steadied himself. There were a million questions to ask, but he remained silent until Raast eventually explained.
“The rest could not handle the sight of me. That’s why I took my time with you. I couldn’t risk losing a potential heir.”
…The rest? Heir?
Everything was moving too fast.
Liam’s mind spun.
“You are not the first I have visited. What you’re seeing is simply a rendition of my consciousness and body, made by the original Raast and sent throughout the realms.”
“The original Raast is already dead.”
Raast’s face slowly morphed into quiet rage on the last line.
The shadows surrounding Liam started to shake and churn. Harrowed shrieks rang out in the background. The air grew suffocatingly heavy.
Suppressing his fear took much more effort compared to before, but Liam somehow managed.
Slowly, those effects simmered down, and Liam could breathe again. His mouth opened to ask away, but the rendition’s words stopped him.
“Any questions you have regarding the war, or how I got to you, save them. This rendition has forgotten nearly everything.”
“I spent millenia trying to find someone worthy, pulling them out of their realms with only this… spirit intact.”
Liam’s eye widened. Realms? Raast pulled him into the world of cultivation?
“Lower humans are fragile,” Raast interrupted his line of thought. “I wouldn’t have chosen them if I had a choice.”
“None of them were hungry. They settled for lower forms of power and took the easy paths. Everyone I hosted died after a few years, forgotten by the world.”
“They were weak.”
Raast looked over at Liam with a complicated glimmer in his bright white eyes.
“You are different. Driven. Hungry. Angry.”
Raast paused.
“…Worthy.”
Liam remained silent.
A compliment coming from an Ashura was a strange thing to experience, yet the questions left unanswered clawed at the back of his mind.
“Worthy of what?”
Raast smiled cryptically.
“My inheritance.”
Liam’s scowl slightly softened, yet inwardly, his brain was shooting in a hundred different directions.
“What exactly can you give me?”
“A chance to survive.”
Liam grumbled. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
“You want something in return?”
Raast scoffed derisively.
“Of course.”
The air got heavy again.
“This power was the reason the war started, coveted by all the races. I can still remember that despite the holes in my memory.”
Liam frowned.
Slowly, the air got back to normal.
“Tell me how you can help first,” Liam settled on asking.
Raast grew stern.
“The chaos in your body. Its true name is Primordial Essence, and your body will soon shatter under its power. It’s too strong for normal humans to wield.”
Liam’s face turned dark. He clicked his tongue.
“And you can help me how, exactly?”
“All I can give you is the chance to become an Ashura yourself. You will lose the ability to reproduce due to the Opposition’s influence, and there’s a slight chance it won’t work due to your human bloodline.”
“But if it succeeds… you will be limitless.”
Liam remained silent. He was going to be killed shortly. He was backed into a corner, and of all things, an Ashura came to his aid.
“Tell me the condition.”
Chapter 165 Fear
The reproduction aspect of the deal didn’t bother Liam much. Courting women hadn’t been in his plans, let alone having offspring.
Raast’s glowing eyes stuck to his own. A hint of a smile appeared on his thin lips.
“Find my people and help them.”
“You’ll find acceptance from the Ashuras so long as they know you’re my heir… but you might face a bit of difficulty at first.”
“Find them how?” Liam asked. “And what do you mean by ‘difficulty’?”
Raast’s rendition gave another smug smile.
“That’s for you to find out, isn’t it?”
Liam was getting pissed.
Still, he had more questions. He opened his mouth to voice them, but tremors ran through the surroundings and stopped him.
“I’ve spoken for too long,” Raast grimaced, staring at the shadows. He shifted his attention to Liam. “The Opposition is realizing something’s wrong.”
“Your path will become infinitely more difficult now, even if you live through this by chance. Your abilities will be incomplete, but it’s up to you to improve them.”
Raast’s tone was solemn.
Liam was stunned still.
The space was going to collapse at any time now. Read lat𝙚st chapters at nov(𝒆)lbin.com Only
“Liam Royce. I come to you not as an Ashura, but as a forgotten race.”
Cracks spread across the air and started to weigh against Liam’s mind.
“Become strong! Ravage this planet! Take what’s rightfully yours! Only through power can you seize glory from their grasp.”
On those words, the entire domain of shadows had shattered.
Liam felt his consciousness yanked back inside his body. The pain returned, along with every other unpleasant sensation. He was still in the air with a swaying consciousness, only he was much more aware.
An abrupt heat shot through his body, starting from his solar plexus. His entire body started to rise in temperature, while his core contents were spiraling uncontrollably.
Chaotic energies – now known as Primordial Essence – burst forth from his core and ravaged his muscles. His organs, skin and any other body part wasn’t spared either.
It felt as though his entire body was being restructured and reformed. Liam’s consciousness wanted to switch off to avoid feeling the cruel pain.
Every time he felt like he would never experience a worse kind of agony, Liam ate his words.
From having his insides scalded, yanking out his eyeballs, having his mental sphere boiled, having his blood forcibly purified, his current predicament took the cake.
Worst of all, he could feel every individual piece of muscle, bone and organ in his body – with the exception of the King’s Eye and core – as it tore itself apart and began to reform, repeating the cycle over and over.
Liam couldn’t even scream, as his throat and mouth were being restructured too.
Even an eye began to fill in his empty eye-socket.
Janice, along with everyone else that arrived at the scene, watched with horror as Liam’s body began to pulse with bright rays of crimson light.
She felt the hair on her skin rise, warning her of the imminent danger.
She attempted to end the boy’s life then and there, but as she barely got a step closer, the chaotic rays violently pulsed.
BOOOM!
Janice was instantly blown away by the shockwave, coating her body with a membrane of viscous water to avoid being turned to mush.
Following the bright explosion, trees and surrounding terrain began to splinter and crack, eventually eviscerating.
As Janice was hurled the distance, those arriving at the scene instantly recoiled and leaped back to avoid the abrupt attack.
Unfortunately, a few were caught out, parts of them maimed due to the explosion’s power.
From the above view, it looked as though a meteor smashed against the forest, forming a giant crater.
In the center of it all, something continuously pulsed with chaotic red light, digging further into the ground.
More booms rang out, consuming chunks of the earth.
Janice managed to steady herself back on her feet at that point, watching with shock in horror at the scene ahead. Her cohort did the same, oblivious to what exactly was going on.
Eventually, the thunderous booms came to an abrupt stop, but pieces of jagged rock shot out in all directions, forcing them to take cover.
Immediately, the hair on Janice’s skin rose.
There was complete silence, but nobody dared to move.
FEAR.
Suddenly, it felt like they had become prey.
Janice’s first instinct, along with everyone else’s, was to run away without looking back.
And usually, her instincts were on point.
But all there was to it was fear.
There was nothing else holding her down.
No pressure whatsoever.
Slowly, the clouds of smoke settled.
In the center of the distant crater, a figure grew visible.
The source of that fear.
Liam let out a long sigh that sounded more like a hiss.
His voice had gotten deeper, raspier and louder.
His face and eyes looked utterly apathetic as he let out all the air in his lungs.
One of his eyes was golden, and the other a scarlet red, both emitting faint glows.
The first thing Liam did was inspect his body. His new eye didn’t have any new abilities… that he knew of, of course.
There were no clothes covering his figure, revealing his pale skin, now etched with the same ancient designs that Raast’s body came with.
They ran across the bottom of his feet, all the way to his scalp. Funny enough, his male reproductive organ disappeared, leaving his groin featureless.
His blonde hair was now pure white – containing a regal silver sheen and silent luster – almost touching the floor.
Liam then moved his arms.
…All six of them.
Each of his arms were coated in a dense alloy – a mix of gold and copper – that was built into his skin.
Controlling them was instinctive. He clenched his fists, spread and waved his six arms in different directions.
Within his body itself, there were new additions, with his bones strengthened exponentially, thickened and densened.
His chaos felt more docile and controllable compared to before, now attuned with his Ashura body.
And best of all, the massive amount of physical strength churning within him was explosive.
However, he couldn’t comfortably assess the changes, sensing the pairs of eyes converging on his figure.
Liam’s multi-colored eyes slowly shifted to dread-faced Janice standing a short distance away.
With a lithe stomp, Liam’s foot tapped against the earth.
The ground shattered like glass.
Chapter 166 Ravenous
Liam didn’t think he used much force to shoot forward.
Still, the crater Liam was standing on a second ago was now covered with cracks, while his six-armed form blurred toward Janice incredibly fast.
…A little too fast.
Liam had clenched three of his right arms and attempted to punch the battle professor, yet couldn’t ready them in time for a proper strike.
Instead, he awkwardly shoulder slammed Janice away with just his body.
Boom!
The battle professor’s reaction was late, but Liam’s lack of control over his speed allowed her to evade and react appropriately before suffering the full brunt.
Still, her inscribed spear – now broken in half – did little against Liam’s incredibly hardened skin, sending her hurling across the treeline.
As she bounced between the trees like a ping pong ball, Liam momentarily paused.
Within his solar plexus, chaos rapidly churned around a pearl-like organ, heavily protected by Liam’s chest dense plates.
Unlike the core, the walls of the pearl weren’t soft, and were made from the same material as Liam’s gauntlets.
Thankfully, Liam’s core and mental sphere seemed to be intact, only all the chaos inside it had been completely transferred to the pearl.
Still, his mind was still a bit groggy after experiencing so much pain and sudden changes in his body.
He tried willing out some darkness, but found it a bit difficult to do so.
Liam’s control over the pearl was a bit weak, but he felt as though he could strengthen parts of his body with the chaos. A feature he previously didn’t have.
At the same time, Liam realized something else.
The pearl was responsible for dividing chaos throughout his body.
That was the source of all his physical strength, since it was constantly doing so to keep his six-armed form together.
That meant he couldn’t hold his Ashura form together forever. Liam didn’t know how, but he could possibly revert to a semi-human state.
This had its own advantages.
Liam couldn’t go around looking like a demon, attracting attention and making enemies everywhere he went.
Not to mention, he could never hide his identity.
Although the golden and crimson eye would give it away, as long as he did a good job keeping a low profile, not many would recognize him.
Thus, it was good that his six-armed form had a switch.
However, this meant the physical strength churning throughout his body was not permanent.
An acceptable outcome.
It didn’t end there.
Liam felt bestial.
Bloodthirsty.
Ravenous.
Like he wanted to roar and rip into flesh. Those feelings tugged at his common sense, but he suppressed them the best he could.
‘I’m on a timer. I have to end them now!’
Liam’s multi-colored eyes shifted between Janice and the rest.
The battle professor had steadied her footing by then, but had no visible injuries. She had a Rank 4 body, after all, and countless spells to boot.
The rest were on the opposite side of the crater, readily making their way closer to him.
There were thirteen cultivators, with most having a Rank 2 sea of consciousness, Rank 3 bodies and varying cores.
Their bravery of running straight into the battle was commendable, but idiotic.
‘Her first,’ Liam’s attention went back to Janice.
Before they gained power through numbers — and he lost his Ashura form — Liam decided to eliminate the biggest threat.
Liam coiled his knees. They slowly creaked and tightened. The sound produced was like hardened metal bending by force.
Liam let loose.
The ground below wasn’t strong enough to bear Liam’s stomp. It burst into fragments and sent him flying through the air like a loose bullet aiming straight for Janice.
The professor was prepared — still suffering from shock and utter confusion — yet that did little against the sheer speed of Liam’s approach.
She attempted to slow down Liam’s launch by shooting another condensed beam of liquid straight at him.
Liam stretched his arms forward and began tearing through the stream of water. It slowed down his speed, but allowed him to come face-to-face with Janice.
With a grin revealing his palisade-like teeth, Liam’s three fists clenched, surging with chaotic energy.
A second later, his gauntlets struck Janice’s cheek, rib and waist at the same time.
The professor’s form started to liquidize, but before she could fully transform her bodily state, the attacks landed anyway. New n𝙤vel chapters are published on
Parts of her slightly cracked.
Cheekbones, ribs and hip, forcing her to wince in pain and cough a bit of blood. At the same time, her liver was crushed by the impact.
Janice was sent flying once more, but Liam wasn’t kind enough to give her respite like before.
He shot forward, following her trajectory and leaving behind shattered earth.
As he got closer, Liam quickly sensed Janice’s attempt to pressure his mind with her superior consciousness.
Although the mental waves weighing against his mental sphere were strong, it was bearable by his standards. He simply gritted his teeth.
Although Janice was a Rank 3 Magus, the pressure was more similar to a Rank 2’s capability, albeit stronger.
Liam didn’t wait for her to catch her footing – he towered above her and swiftly smashed all six of his arms on her stomach.
The force was just too much. Although her Rank 4 body held strong, the insides were severely damaged.
Janice couldn’t effectively defend herself from the blow, and the fists smashed full force against her solar plexus, vacuuming the air from her lungs and cracking the weakened ribs.
With a suppressed grunt of pain, she smashed limp against the rocky terrain, her body marred with bruises and damaged internals.
Liam was upon her again.
“What… are you?” Janice wheezed with a drooping eye as Liam towered over her limp body. His gold and red irises emitted an inhuman coldness.
Liam said nothing and picked Janice up by the neck with one arm.
By then, the remaining cultivators had arrived at the scene, staring in horror as their strongest was utterly broken, held by a six-armed creature they thought went extinct.
As they prepared their most destructive and powerful spells, Liam pulled at Janice’s neck with all of his arms.
Her Rank 4 body was stubborn… but weakened considerably.
Paired with strengthening chaos, the skin on the professor’s neck slowly started to rip and tear apart. Layers of flesh started to separate.
Like plucking a grape off its stem, Janice’s head was torn from her shoulders.
Chapter 167 Carnage
Witnessing the grim scene, the cultivators surrounding Liam instantly fired every spell and technique they could muster.
Showers of every element rained down upon Liam.
Using Janice’s corpse as a shield, he blocked most of the direct attacks that would have damaged his body.
Although Liam’s new physique defied common sense, he didn’t want to test his luck.
In the first place, he was rapidly running out of chaos, and the bloodthirsty emotions were starting to gnaw away at his common sense.
Entire chunks of earth slammed at him through Janice’s body. The force made him skitter backwards as he held his ground, his feet digging into the earth below.
Bursts of liquid shot through Janice’s skin, but lacked the power to pierce through the other side.
Gusts of wind weakened Janice’s already desecrated corpse, hacking away at her flesh.
Waves of fire burned away and cooked Janice’s skin, rendering her shielding capabilities null.
The sound of glass breaking sounded beside Liam’s ears, and a mix of flames and fumes enshrouded him, entering through his nostrils and dulling his senses.
Three entire minutes passed of constant spells and chemical weapons being used.
Eventually, the cultivators stopped to see the result of their barrage. Smoke, fire, water and scattered shards of stone spread throughout the area.
Silence ensued.
ROAR!
A guttural roar tore through the air and instantly cleared away the smoke.
The sound waves directly popped some of the academic guards’ ears, unable to strengthen their consciousness in time.
A few wounds marred Liam’s body. Slight burn marks that browned his hardened skin and small cuts that tore through his hardened skin.
Instead of leaking red, however, Liam’s blood was pure white. Strange.
What worried the cultivators the most was the wrath they saw on Liam’s face. He loudly panted like a wild animal, his teeth bared and dripping spit.
Janice, on the other hand, looked like a lump of flesh with no distinctive feature linking to a human being, but her allies couldn’t care less about her anymore.
“Call for reinforceme-”
Liam blurred as he reappeared towards the cultivator speaking. His gauntlets pierced into the man’s chest and pulled it apart from the inside, spraying blood and bone.
As the man was split into six sections, Liam’s bloodthirsty gaze shifted to the next. With another deafening roar, he leaped at the closest person and began tearing him apart.
The humans rightfully panicked.
Their most powerful spells took time to prepare, and their weapons didn’t do jack against the Ashura’s powerful body.
Somehow, it focused down on those trying to run away, and others that tried using their Jades to call for support.
Liam was ripping them apart one by one with his bare hands!
Other times, he was biting away limbs with his powerful jaw!
There was no humanity left inside that demon.
Only carnage.
///
A sliver of consciousness allowed Liam to pull himself back to his senses.
When he opened his eyes, he was holding a corpse in his hands – jaw broken and limbless, with their bulging eyes devoid of life.
A look around made him realize similar bodies were strewn all around.
Some lacked heads, others lower halves, and vice versa.
The battlefield looked grim, with pieces of flesh and viscera scattered throughout.
Liam began coughing violently. His entire body began to ache painfully, causing him to tremble slightly. He even coughed a mouthful of blood.
‘Backlash?’ Liam cursed. ‘When did I black out?’
He quickly realized he was no longer in his Ashura form. Four of his arms had disappeared, absorbed back into his body.
Still trembling with a cruel migraine, Liam took a minute to inspect the state of his body.
His pale skin wasn’t as hardened anymore, but he still retained some of that amazing strength. His hair went back to blonde, but now had a metallic sheen.
The alloyed gauntlets weren’t there either, leaving his fists bare and stained with blood, but the etched designs remained, albeit less visible.
However, the pearl within his solar plexus remained.
It was empty of any chaos – or Primordial Essence, to be precise – but it was slowly and gradually filling up.
Thankfully, the inside of his mouth had gone back to normal.
“Aaah, aaah.”
Even his voice wasn’t as demonic, but definitely deeper.
‘That idiot didn’t even give me an explanation of my abilities! Did using my Ashura form result in me going insane? I would never have killed these people so brutally.’
Fast and concise was Liam’s killing method. Torture was an indulgence he saved for people he truly hated.
Whatever emotions he might have had were intensified by a hundred when he transformed, though.
Even his pride and greed… although he didn’t feel like those emotions changed.
‘So I’m a Half Ashura, then? That means I have the best of both worlds… only I can access one of them at a time.’
Fair.
Liam picked himself up. His space-rings held on, as they were covered by the gauntlets themselves.
‘I need to leave. This place looks like a warzone and I’m just a week away from the marker.’
Liam was buck-naked. He grabbed a pair of bloodstained clothes – those that fit him at least – and put them on.
At the same time, he made sure to loot every single ring he found, including Janice’s.
As he ran, Liam found that his speed was much faster compared to before. He also gained back the ability to use his darkness spells.
‘So that’s it then. I’m half human and half Ashura.’
Putting those thoughts in the back of his mind, Liam focused on getting away. His new abilities honestly made him excited for the future.
There was also the strange fact of his blood being white, but he saved that for later.
Much faster than he expected, Liam arrived at the marker’s location in three days.
He was in a mountainous area, covered with caverns, tunnels, dens and dungeons at every corner.
“Stop hiding. I’m here on the account of Revel Ovlar, your leader.” nove(l)bi(n.)com
Silence.
“Who’re you?” a nasally voice echoed from one of the tunnels.
Liam’s face was stern.
“Your new leader.”
Chapter 168 Heir
There was silence for a good few minutes.
Eventually, groups of hooded men and women slowly exited the tunnels and surrounded Liam from all sides.
‘They’re not the strongest,’ Liam thought, assessing their auras with the King’s Eye. ‘They’ll do, though.’
Becoming an Ashura had no effect on his King’s Eye, but having another sensory organ restored his vision.
Not to mention, the red iris looked horrifying, as it was both vertical and horizontal at the same time, but it took a closer inspection to see the faint difference.
“Where’s master Revel?” a hooded man ahead, who Liam presumed was their leader, said.
Liam gave him a hard look.
“Dead.”
Gasps rang out from all sides, followed by murmurs and loud curses. Some already unsheathed their weapons.
“W-what? You’re lying!” the man responded, taking out a longsword from his hood.
Liam frowned and clicked his tongue.
“His sickness grew in the final stages of his life. I’m what remains of him,” Liam took out Revel’s token, then raised it in the air.
“Proof.”
Silence ensued.
The members of the organization, which Liam didn’t know the name of, didn’t know how to take the news.
‘Revel must have taken care of these guys well for them to call him ‘master’.’
Liam could see the man’s face through the dark hood. His expression was a mix of grief and shock, pained by the news.
To further prove his case, Liam took out Revel’s blood-red odachi, which caused another round of incredulous stares.
“What are you to him?” the man asked with a threatening voice.
Liam was getting annoyed by the venomous stares.
“His heir.”
Liam supposed acceptance would be better than a forceful takeover, but their reluctance to the news was making him impatient. He had places to be!
A tense minute passed, and the man finally spoke.
“Then we accept his wishes,” he said, uncovering his hood and revealing his scarred features. “I’m Jargon.”
Jargon looked a bit over the middle-age threshold, but face held a maturity beyond his years.
His features were weary – dark eyes that no doubt saw the pits of despair, short black hair, with tanned skin and a long scar that ran horizontally across his forehead.
The others followed suit, uncovering their hoods. They looked like the dregs of society, the forgotten and despised bunch.
Liam slicked his hair back.
“Good. Quickly show me how things are run here. I need safe passage to another country or continent, and I need it fast.”
Jargon nodded firmly.
“Follow me, sir. Our passages lead to the ships.”
Jargon entered one of the tunnels leading downwards and Liam followed closely behind him.
‘Revel really liked building hidden bases, didn’t he?’ Liam thought as he entered the mountain passage.
It resembled Revel’s hideout back in Ucladd, only much grander and vibrant. The inner passages were lit by countless bright yellow lights, connecting one passage to another.
Every corner bustled with people, staring at Liam with various emotions in their eyes.
“We’re called the Blood Troupe, and we have roughly two thousand people with us,” Jargon explained as they walked. “We’re all fugitives and criminals… but master Revel didn’t see any defects in us. He gave us spells, techniques and a place to live.”
Liam hummed in thought.
‘So he acted as a gracious benefactor and slowly raised his force using his wealth. Smart.’
“There aren’t any camouflaging formations around your base. How do you not get caught?” Liam asked.
Jargon raised a brow.
“Why would anyone want to come to a magical beast infested area? Besides yourself, of course.”
Fair point. The amount of magical beasts surrounding the base was much more than normal. Liam even had to kill a pack or two wolves to get through.
“We travel by a single ship. Towards the borders, there’s a massive docking port where countless others like us travel between countries for trade and the like.”
“Any inspections?” Liam asked. “And how fast is your boat?”
“Of course, any faster form of transportation requires money, which we don’t really have much of. Our boat has a few inscriptions on it made by Revel himself, but they’re… not the best.”
“There are minor inspections with distant travel, and major if there’s anything suspicious,” Jargon explained, rubbing the scar on his forehead. “And our documents for travel are official. Our leader made absolutely sure of it.” Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m nov𝒆lb(i)n.c(o)m
Liam nodded to himself, satisfied.
“We have to be quick. The entire country will be on the lookout for me if they aren’t already. What countries can you go to?”
Jargon looked a bit worried at Liam’s first point, but scratched his head and looked away.
“It depends on how much money you have, and if they choose to accept you. Abyssal Plains and Korsan Lands are a no-go, but other countries are more lenient.”
Liam ran through the countries he learned about.
First was Ilali, containing the Martial Alliance towards the west. Their cultures were surreal and revolved around martial arts and sectors – even their lands were called the “gangho”, roughly translating to Land of Arts.
Calligraphers and artists were venerated there, including those with high battle prowess.
Liam weighed the other options.
With the knowledge he gained through his time at the Academy, he knew a good amount about the landscape of his world.
In the distant north, there was the Empire of Duality, ruled by both an Emperor and an Empress, both of whom were Rank 6 powerhouses.
However, it was a known fact that the two were not on fair terms. The Emperor ruled one half, and the Empress ruled another.
‘I’m not interested in a dictatorship. I want someplace where I can freely practice my abilities without restriction.’
Some countries weren’t dictated just by bloodline.
There was the small country of Aiho towards the northwest, which consisted entirely of alchemy experts. However, they only allowed in individuals that had a similar specialization. Some countries followed the same route.
Countries towards the south and east were basically impossible to arrive at due to the Blood Troupe’s location – only the north, west, and the countries in between were open for travel.
Weighing his options determining each factor, Liam heaved a sigh.
‘Ilali it is, then.’
Chapter 169 Comfort
Liam’s reasons for wanting to head to Ilali varied.
Firstly, the concept of nobility didn’t exist within the Martial Alliance.
Power was respected.
That meant there would be no annoying nobles or royalty that would try to hinder or probe Liam’s cultivation.
At the same time, the Sectors in that country could provide backing so long as Liam met their requirements.
Not to mention, most Sects had their own jurisdiction over an appointed area, depending on their strength and resources.
Also, it was the nearest from the surrounding countries, which would take roughly a month or two to arrive at.
The other countries all had strict systems within their civilizations. There were even other kingdoms similar to Echoria, but what would be the point of that?
‘Ilali checks all the boxes. The only issue is finding a Sect that would be willing to accept me. From what I’ve heard, there are Unorthodox Sectors that accept anyone with no questions asked, but low level Sects often get bullied by those above.’
Getting bullied by someone stronger was an issue no country would escape. It was the theme of the cultivation world.
Liam shook his head. He was putting the cart before the horse.
‘I need to get there first.’
“Run there with me, I’m not patient enough to walk.”
Jargon looked taken aback, but nodded and ran with Liam in front of him.
“Are your people trustable?” Liam asked in a low voice.
“Yes,” Jargon nodded firmly. “I can bet my life on it, sir. We would rather bite out our tongues than become rats.”
Letting out a low hum in response, Liam would hold them up to that.
///
After an hour, Liam arrived at the passage’s ending.
It was a natural opening within the mountain that allowed for a clear view of the ocean ahead. The sourc𝗲 of this content nov(𝒆l)bi((n))
With the daylight gone, the seas shimmered with glamorous moonlight and stars.
Near the lands that connected the oceans to the seas, were a vast line of thousands of ships differing in size. Some resembled massive yachts that nobles entered through, others were kayak boats big enough for one person to fish.
Besides that were small-sized establishments – tents and bases that thousands of people rested in before setting out to sea.
Among those, there were noble soldiers that guarded the borders surrounding the docking ports.
Liam was given a fake ID he could use, a Blood Troupe member that had died in the past. Jargon was confused why he requested that, unaware of his illusionistic abilities.
“Our ship is that one,” Jargon pointed to a ship in the distance.
Zooming in, Liam saw that it was a regular ship – albeit large enough to hold 2,000 people – made from general wood and small writings on its bottom.
“Gather everyone then. We’re leaving now.”
Jargon nodded, then turned to the surrounding Blood Troupe members and began to firmly instruct them.
Liam expected more than a few rebels against his leadership, but to his pleasant surprise, the members didn’t do anything of the sort.
They began to pack their provisions and stored all their items before lining up to the passage entrance, even puffing out the lights and removing any trace of their stay.
‘They were taught well.’
Meanwhile, Liam was given a loose black cloak to hide his features with, and a cleaner set of covert clothes.
Pretty soon, the tunnel was packed with the Blood Troupe members, looking at their new leader with gazes of quiet anticipation.
“Divide yourselves into groups and enter in short intervals. Jargon has already explained everything, so I won’t repeat myself.”
As he said those words, Liam activated the King’s Eye, instantly switching his appearance to the ID he was given. He didn’t really feel comfortable showing his ability, but he needed the Blood Troupe to recognize him for later.
Those who saw the change felt their jaw loosen, but Liam didn’t give them any reprieve.
At once, he leaped out of the passage, and the divided groups followed behind him.
///
Before long, Liam arrived at the borders with his own group of people. He blended in behind Jargon who led the party, and was an expert in traveling in and out of Echoria.
It took a while for the man to calm himself down after seeing Liam’s ability, but he managed.
The borders were swarming with crowds of people, noble and peasant alike. Obviously, the potentates had their own gate, and Liam’s group had to wait in line with the commoners.
Perfect.
Liam’s clash with Janice and the rest happened three days ago, the soldiers at the gates didn’t look vigilant or on edge.
‘Even if they found the bodies, they don’t know who could do such a thing. I’m still a weak student in their eyes, and the crater is bound to make them ask questions.’
Jargon’s turn eventually came.
He uncovered his hood and spoke respectfully to the noble guard in charge. He gave the man the number of travelers, their IDs, reason for travel and more.
“I need to inspect your group and belongings,” the guard said.
Jargon nodded, and the tall, armored soldier began rummaging through the group and inspecting the space-rings, giving them probing gazes.
His hard gaze lingered on Liam for a brief second, but didn’t see any rings on his fingers.
With a dismissive look, he quickly waved his hand at the group and gestured for them to enter.
Liam slightly smiled. A Rank 1 Magus couldn’t see through his illusion at all.
Jargon led Liam to the boat and the members boarded it.
Over time, more and more people entered the ship and began unloading their supplies within its cabins.
Liam could not rest peacefully until the ship sailed, thus waited for everyone to gather completely.
Half an hour later, the ship began to move, with Jargon at the helm steering it.
Slowly, it disembarked from the docking port and joined the countless other ships that headed for Ilali.
Looking at Echoria, Liam heaved a sigh of relief.
More than fourteen years he spent in such a place – creating countless memories – but still felt no connection to.
Only in the stars would he find comfort in.
Chapter 170 Slow
After the ship safely began to sail, Liam found himself a room inside the ship’s cabin.
The Blood Troupe members cleared up a way for him, leaving him the biggest and most spacious room to rest in.
Truthfully, the organization was getting more and more useful in Liam’s eyes.
They knew their place and never spoke out of turn, like maids and butlers except infinitely more useful.
‘Is this the power of influence? I can see why nobles cling to their status so much.’
As a lone cultivator, Liam didn’t really recognize the benefits of having greater numbers.
However, he still believed in increasing his own strength by himself.
Relying so much on others would only make him more dependent on them.
Dispelling those thoughts, Liam closed the door behind him and inspected the room.
It was a cozy space lit by a single light hanging from the top, swaying left and right as the waves crashed against the ship.
Besides that, there were random books laying around here and there, with a single bed facing the wall.
Done with that, Liam sat cross-legged with a groan. Although he fought roughly 4 days ago, his body was still in severe pain.
All his muscles ached with each movement, ringing with agony. Backlash from using his Ashura form with chaos for too long.
Liam thought back to the results of the fight. ‘Why couldn’t she affect me with her mental waves? She was a Rank 3 Magus, wasn’t she?’
It took a solid minute for Liam to understand why.
To attack the mental sphere, one had to find it through the body and damage it from there. Mental waves had a limit of what they could pierce through.
‘…That means my body is hard enough to block out mental waves… I’m only at the third Rank too.’
Smiling, the first thing Liam did was check if his cultivation worked the same.
To his relief, it did.
‘Ora’ gathered around his core and nourished its insides while expanding its walls. Yet even though Liam hadn’t cultivated in the months he was running, his organ naturally expanded itself.
This was because Liam’s centers of power were of a much higher rank.
With a Rank 3 body nearing the fourth, and a Rank 2 sea of consciousness, Liam’s body was rapidly nourishing itself to align the centers of power.
‘A week or two should be enough for a breakthrough.’
Liam smiled.
His Half Ashura form allowed for normal cultivation.
‘How do I cultivate this pearl thingie, though?’ Liam wondered as his solar plexus gathered chaos. ‘It probably doesn’t require techniques… if it does I won’t be able to do anything with it for a while. I’ll have to experiment with it later. I can’t use my chaos here.’
Training with the Psionic Rune was the same. Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m nov𝒆lb(i)n.c(o)m
Just to be safe, Liam entered his sea of consciousness. There were no major differences… but his mental energy was a bit darker than usual, a tinge of red mixed with the black.
Liam grimaced.
‘This is why I blacked out… the transformation was bound to have an effect on my mind.’
After practicing a bit with his mental energy, Liam realized the issue was deep rooted. He couldn’t get it to change by simply removing it.
It was a part of him now.
Liam sighed.
A problem for another time.
‘What about my blood?’
Liam began willing out his crimson, forming a bent dagger in his hand that crystalized shortly after.
Unlike in his Ashura form, where it was pure white, his blood was back to normal, albeit somewhat brighter than usual.
‘Did its purity go up?’
Using the dagger, Liam formed a cut on his arm.
It pierced the skin and dug into the flesh, drawing blood.
‘It did! It’s probably an upper-tier Rank 1 item on its own.’
Incredible physical prowess, an entirely unique and destructive element, paired with higher blood purity than his own species.
The loss of reproductive capabilities and bestial nature was a small sacrifice for someone like Liam. Not to mention, he had a sea of consciousness and a core too!
While humans had three centers of power, Liam had four. He was in another realm of cultivation.
Even thinking about his progress made his body tremble from excitement.
Ashuras were too strong. Liam was too strong.
It begged the question, how come the Opposition wasn’t suppressing him as of this moment?
‘As if I can find the answer to that. Maybe I’m just too weak as of now… there’s still time for everything to go wrong.’
Leaving that for now, Liam shut his eyes and got to work. He took out any pills in the rings he looted which would strengthen his absorption of ‘Ora’.
Among those there were pills that were specific to a user’s element, which Liam couldn’t really use.
There were tempering methods, cultivation techniques, ‘Ora’ Stones and even Psionic Runes in the first and second Rank.
‘Maybe I should spread these to the Blood Troupe. Most of them only have Rank 2 bodies and lack cultivation techniques. They don’t have many Magi either.’
He would hold off on that for the moment. A hungry dog would come back for more, and his trust in the organization wasn’t solidified yet.
Sitting cross-legged and closing his eyes, Liam began cultivating.
///
Two weeks passed.
Liam consumed all the usable pills for both his body and core.
Despite that, his previous estimation of a week for a breakthrough was off the mark, even though he used pills to speed up his progress. A realization made him slightly grimace, but in truth, it was a reasonable penalty.
Liam’s cultivation progress was slowed.
Much slower than the norm.
Liam thought it had something to do with how rigid and powerful his body was, making it difficult for his core to expand, but it was the same with his mental sphere.
‘So much for lack of suppression. I just had to jinx it didn’t I…’
Though, it generally made sense. Liam had four centers of power, and alignment of them would take longer because of that exact reason.
Doing his best not to lament, Liam smiled broadly as he inspected his Rank 2 core.
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