Chapter 181 Ravenous
Liam nodded in satisfaction.
The Gushing Rivers Sect was even bigger than the Snow Moon Sect, and even the latter resembled a mid-sized noble family in terms of strength.
His organization had been doing better than he thought.
With one third of them working in Sects, Liam could ask for relationships between the Clans, their martial arts and secrets.
Though that depended largely on whether or not the Blood Troupe could successfully become high ranking disciples.
“At the same time, there’s been a strange disappearance of a few Piercing Sword Sect disciples.”
Liam gave a noncommittal hum in response.
Jargon spent the next few minutes explaining every bit of information he received from the other Troupe members.
Not everything was useful, but it helped expand Liam’s knowledge of the territories.
“That is all, my liege.”
Silence.
“Good work,” Liam complimented, before cutting the connection short after a terse farewell.
Liam completed his cultivation and mental sphere expansion for the day, before taking out another rogue martial artist’s corpse and wolfing it down in his semi-transformed state.
He was carefully alert the entire time. Drifting away into his bestial instincts was a slippery slope, and one that he could easily slip on.
He devoured the corpse in an hour, then instantly transformed back.
Then, he took out the corrupted magical beast parts and daggers he made from them, spending another two hours studying its composition, its form and every intricate detail with his King’s Eye.
In an instant, Liam cursed himself for not understanding something sooner… but then again, he wasn’t a Rank 2 Magus back then.
The properties of blood and bone were merged together.
It was also why his Blood Weaving worked well with it.
The properties of blood synchronized with one another despite them being from different species.
That exact difference was also the reason the daggers shattered on impact.
All of that led to a simple conclusion.
Liam would have to combine his blood with the magical beast parts.
He began with a straightforward method.
Taking out his Rank 2 middle-tier katana, Liam willed out the crimson from his pores and coated it around his blade.
On its own, his ichor purity was roughly at the Rank 1 upper-tier level. It went up a level after he became an Ashura, and his manipulation was stronger than ever.
The thin coating of blood crystalized and sharpened.
Liam formed a cut on his bicep.
It didn’t work.
Instead of the coating and the blade cutting him at once, there was a shallow cut from the coagulation of blood, followed by a deeper cut from the blade beneath.
It was like padding sharp steel with blunt iron.
Instead of the two merging together and increasing its overall sharpness, that was what it was like.
Liam tried a few more methods of forcefully merging his blood with the magical beast parts.
None produced satisfactory results.
‘This is an issue about time,’ Liam thought. ‘Rank 3 magical beasts have rigid and sturdy structures. There really isn’t a quick solution to this problem, since the blood needs to slowly absorb the blood on its own.’
Liam took out a preservation container from his ring and placed it in the middle of the room. It was rectangular with several lines of inscriptions running across its glassy surface.
Running the sharp sword across his arm, Liam allowed gobs of his blood to pour into the container, enough to submerge two blades side by side.
With that, Liam put the container with his blades in them back into his ring, then simply waited until he saw changes.
‘The inscriptions on its surface would probably fade away… but that’s fine. I’ve gotten good enough with sharpness enhancements that I could recreate it after a few tries.’
Until then, Liam moved to the Piercing Sword Sect’s martial arts.
Martial arts in Ilali were inscribed differently. Even the spells were. They were made through a special calligraphy, which made Liam realize why exactly they were so venerated.
They were basically inscription masters!
The techniques themselves served the same purpose like normal, but the martial arts themselves were way more detailed and precise.
Through that, Liam began practicing a few moves he was confident enough to execute.
He held out a disciple’s inscribed blade horizontally, applied ‘Ora’ to it, then lunged forward with a quick thrust.
WHOOSH!
The tip of the glowing blade shot a lance of air at the room’s wall, piercing a pinpoint hole straight through the brick wall.
Liam was a bit taken aback. Half of that attack was possible due to his movements, and the rest, to the Spirit Beast-made sword in his hand.
It was masterfully made, with a metal sheen despite being made from bones. It was an inscribed Rank 2 upper-tier item, and were layers stronger than Liam’s blades.
Storing them, Liam spent the remaining night attempting to inscribe a simple spell for his darkness, studying the various Ranking spells in his possession.
Alternating between studying Blood Arts and Spirit Beasts.
///
Three months passed.
Liam steadily raised his strength and knowledge as he traveled.
The amount of sects and prefectures he had gone through were nauseating.
Despite all that, his searches for the Temple of Shadow came up short.
The north didn’t yield much except for frigid temperatures and rogue martial artists Liam killed and devoured.
He wasn’t there for long.
After the second month, Liam headed towards the western side.
At the same time, the monthly reports from the Blood Troupe gave him faint directions on where to go.
Jargon and the members were steadily growing stronger, receiving better positions within their Sects.
Still, nothing came up.
Finally, on the third month, Liam moved towards the eastern side last.
When asking around (interrogating more like), Liam heard rumors of random attacks happening throughout an offshore island, ruled by the Ravenous Leash Sect.
The Sector themselves were specialized in controlling Spirit Beasts. With his next goal in mind, Liam began running as fast as he could towards the island’s location.
Chapter 182 Intention, Emotion, Thought
Before he made his way over to the island, Liam made sure to buy some pills and elixirs to bolster his progression speed.
Although his cultivation speed was slightly slower than the norm, that weakness could be addressed with the usage of pills.
Which was also why Liam was in desperate need of resources.
Those items became more and more expensive as the centers of power progressed.
Although Liam had a little more 250,000 ‘Ora’ Stones, pills that helped his progression speed swallowed entire chunks of his money.
‘I’m getting close to the upper-tier of the third Rank, as well. I’m probably a year or six months away from advancing,’ Liam thought as he ran, using Vanishing Steps and Fleeting Foot.
Although he was happy at the prospect of attaining more power, he was also worried about what that entailed.
‘I’ll need a Rank 5 body tempering method after I advance. Does the Shadow of Temple even have one? If they don’t, I’ll have to make my own.’
Not to mention, there was the Struggle Tribulation he would have to face, leaving him in a near-death state unless he had protection.
Eventually, Liam arrived at a cliff bordering the ocean. There was a dock there, but no ships or people.
In the distance, a large, lush island grew visible to Liam’s eye, fifty to sixty kilometers away.
Zooming in, Liam spotted a large elevation, atop of which was a huge pavilion, even bigger than the Snow Moon Sect.
A humongous, marble statue of a roaring lion was built in the middle of the Sector, with its front legs clawing the clouds above it.
Liam was amazed by the sheer size of it.
‘That should be the Ravenous Leash Sect. That island is infested with vicious Spirit Beasts, which is one of the reasons people don’t want to go there.’
Instantly, Liam stored his robes into his ring, then dove into the water.
///
It took him four hours to arrive at the island’s shore.
More than once, sea beasts and creatures tried to attack him, but found way into his stomach instead.
Liam scanned the surroundings for any threat. Not finding any, he exited the water and dried himself off.
Screeches, growls and roars entered his ears from every direction.
In front was a forest with red-themed trees, filled with dense amounts of ‘Ora’.
Liam smiled.
Even if there was no such thing as the Temple of Shadow, he would live on the island due to its high ‘Ora’ density.
Not to mention, the Ravenous Leash Sect actually interested him.
Spirit Beasts and magical beasts were right up his alley, and if they had any beast taming abilities, he would gladly join.
Spreading his senses, Liam realized there was a prefecture not too far from where he was. He quickly wore his robes and made his way there next.
As he got near, he saw local men and women riding domestic Spirit Beasts on the main paths.
Raising his head, there were large cranes carrying robed martial artists on them, heading to their Sectors.
Hiding his presence and avoiding the main paths, Liam kept a low profile as he entered the district.
Compared to the other prefectures, it wasn’t as heavily guarded, and sneaking in through the back was easier than he thought.
The buildings were identical to any other prefecture, but there were plenty of shops selling Rank 3 Spirit Beast corpses, weapons and paraphernalia.
Liam avoided the main streets that bustled with people and found a bar on the outskirts.
Entering it, the first thing Liam noticed was how strong the bartender was.
His mental sphere was on the same Rank as Liam’s, and so was his core. The body was a bit harder to probe, but he assumed it was a Rank 3.
Compared to him, the mean-looking men and women were much weaker. As Liam came in, they went silent and sent him piercing glares.
Thankfully, Liam didn’t bother hiding his aura, so they kept to themselves instead of attempting to push him out.
Liam made his way to the bartender.
His looks were plain – dark eyes, slicked back hair, a square face and short stature. He wore a dull robe, but Liam could see the frame of a blade hidden underneath his sleeve.
Liam’s eyes fixed with his.
Although the expression on the bartender’s face was nonchalant and aloof, his mental waves indicated otherwise.
“Would you like a drink, young man?” the man asked casually, his eyes devoid of emotion.
Liam remained silent for a moment. His mental waves spread out and pressed against the man’s sea of consciousness.
The cultivator’s eyes flickered with surprise for a split second, but he pushed away the pressure with his own waves.
“I want to ask something in private, if that’s alright with you,” Liam spoke in a low voice, hoping the bartender would read between the lines.
A tense silence ensued, with the two looking at each other probingly.
“You’re Echorian?”
Liam nodded.
The bartender’s gaze grew slightly colder, but his face didn’t change.
A moment later, he waved his hand dismissively.
Those present within the bar lingered momentarily, before leaving through the front door.
Liam didn’t expect that.
Initially, he imagined the bartender was some sort of martial artist with a dirty background, but having that kind of authority wasn’t common.
The bartender gave him a hard look, prompting him to explain.
“The Temple of Shadow. Do you know where I can find them?”
On his words, the bartender’s face didn’t change one bit… but his mental waves instantly flickered wildly.
Liam recognized what emotion it contained. Through studying mental waves with the King’s Eye, he classified them into three layers.
Intention, emotion, and thought. Through battles and conversation, the first two were the easiest to deduce, while thought was way more complex.
From what Liam could deduce, the emotion the bartender was going through was panic and shock.
Liam could also sense the man’s intention to attack him, but slowly reconsider. All the while, his facial expression didn’t change.
“I want to join their cause. I’m a believer in vengeance, you see. And I’d love to support them.”
Chapter 183 Lies
Hearing his words, the bartender’s mask of stoicism was slowly starting to crack apart.
“If I report you to the Ravenous Leash Sect, you’ll be executed on the spot. Do you have a screw loose in your head? Don’t speak words you don’t know the meanings of.”
Liam’s gaze remained hard.
“I know you won’t. Why else would you be hiding in the middle of nowhere? I spent a total of three and a half months looking for that Sect, and they’d be fools not to take me in.”
Silence.
Liam could see the flickering of emotions that became too complicated to understand – a mix of anger, panic and slow intent to kill.
He remained quiet until the man answered.
Either the bartender was a Temple of Shadow member, or was afraid of someone from there.
Nonetheless, where there is smoke, there is fire.
After considering Liam’s words carefully, the so-called bartender shook his head.
“You are a fool. Searching three and a half months for a lost Sect. The attacks that spread throughout these regions are at random, and most of the time are done by extremists wanting to imitate the Temple’s actions.”
A scowl found its way on Liam’s face. His Ashuran instincts told him to rip the man’s head apart and force the truth out of him, but his human senses calmed his violent thoughts down.
Liam couldn’t tell if the man was lying or telling the truth. It was a mix of both, he was pretty sure, but he couldn’t tell what parts.
“The Temple wasn’t the only Sect bent on taking revenge on the attacking countries. They were one among thousands that riddled Ilali.”
Another truth.
Liam clicked his tongue in annoyance.
“At least point me in a direction. Where can I look for them?”
The man pursed his lips and shrugged.
“Maybe head towards th—”
Before the man could complete his sentence, a group of red-robed martial artists barged through the front door, kicking it open.
On their robe breast, was the embroidered emblem of a lion, the same as the Ravenous Leash Sect’s statue.
Beside them were Rank 2 Spirit Beasts – snakes, wolves and lions that looked vicious and battle-ready.
Liam kept his head low as the four martial artists – who were more or less the same Rank as him – walked up to the bartender and gave the man piercing glares.
“Are you Zeth Ohm?” the broad-shouldered disciple in front asked.
The bartender, who Liam now knew as Zeth, kept his face cold and emotionless.
Tersely, he nodded.
“Come with us.”
From the corner of his eye, Liam assessed Zeth’s mental waves.
His intent to kill was higher than ever, and so was his worry.
Abruptly, Zeth’s mental energies conjoined with Liam’s. A private transmission.
[I lied,] Zeth transmitted after connecting with Liam, his gaze still towards the group. [Help me kill these guys, and I’ll tell you the truth.]
Sighing, Liam shook his head at the man’s deceptive antics.
One of the martial artists saw Liam shaking his head and frowned.
“You come too. I have a bad feeling about yo—”
Liam blurred at the same time as Zeth.
Darkness tightened around Liam’s feet as a pair of blades materialized in his hands.
The closest man to him was too slow to react.
A corrosive line formed on both his neck and the wolf beside him.
At the same time, Umbral Needles shot towards the other three at once.
SHING! POOF!
As Liam attempted to decapitate another, the disciple was already ready, barely deflecting with his bare hands that looked to be hardened with dark metal.
Liam’s shortsword found its mark on the man’s elbow, forming a deep gash and severing bone.
“What are you fools doing?!” he bellowed, attempting to create space to avoid the fumes of smoke within the small bar.
Meanwhile, Zeth managed to pierce his hand through one of the disciples’ neck, his hand coated with a strange black substance.
To the other, he hurled a throwing knife guided by wind, but a flame-spewing snake managed to blow the dagger away.
A needle pierced the snake’s head, killing it and exploding into gas.
Liam’s smoke almost damaged him too, but Zeth managed to dodge backwards in the nick of time.
Out of four, two remained.
The two Ravenous Leash disciples grimaced in pain, their beasts lay dead and motionless. In a panic, they attempted to use their spells and run away.
Below their feet, the ground trembled and jagged spikes burst from every corner, followed by a wave of flames that surged forward and engulfed the space.
Zeth jumped back as Liam jumped in. He couldn’t afford to let them get away.
Liam activated the first form of Phantom’s Way and managed to pierce the solar plexus of one of them, then swiped upward to cleave the man in half.
A spike impaled his leg and shoulder and the flames singed his skin, but he burst through the veil of fire and hurled as many needles as he could to the remaining disciple.
He fell with a powerless grunt as corrosive gas ate away at his flesh and bones.
Liam heaved a sigh. He didn’t doubt the entire city was going to look for them now.
He quickly used his darkness to wipe away their bodies, took their rings, then made his way back to the “bartender”.
The man’s robe had been burnt off due to the flames churned out by the snake, revealing strange tattoos over his body.
“The truth. Now,” Liam said in an even voice.
Zeth shot Liam an incredulous look.
“You’re a darkness cultivator?” he asked with pure shock.
Liam frowned.
“Why do you think I’m looking for the Temple?”
Liam didn’t fail to notice that black substance that somehow strengthened Zeth’s body, but he saved those questions for later.
Zeth chuckled with amazement under his breath.
“If I knew you were a cultivator, I would’ve been glad to bring you to the Sect. The Temple has been looking for a darkness cultivator for centuries!”
Chapter 184 Meeting
“So you were a member after all.”
Liam didn’t bother hiding the annoyance in his tone.
Despite Liam’s grave look, Zeth gave him a broad smile.
“An acolyte, yes. Come with me, I’ll explain on the way.”
Zeth left through the backdoor and Liam followed.
“What was that black coating that enveloped your hand?” Liam asked as the two became blurry silhouettes exiting the district.
Zeth made a cryptic smile.
“Can’t say. You’ll have to be accepted first.”
Liam frowned slightly, but kept his reservations.
The dark-eyed man kept his smile as he dashed through the forested terrain.
The same jet-black substance coated his legs, somehow making him move faster.
“I risk a bit saying this… but whatever, it’s not like you’re going to back out now,” Zeth added after a short pause.
“The Temple is buying their time. What I said earlier was the truth. Some groups like to imitate what we’ve set out to do, but we’ve laid low for the past hundred or so years.”
Liam raised his brows.
How was that possible?
“I was born and raised by the Temple. Even my grandparents served as acolytes and disciples. The flame of revenge never wanes, even after death, it only rages stronger.”
After Zeth’s little monologue, the pair arrived at a circular pit in the middle of a mountain crevice.
The crack itself was barely big enough for him to fit in, but Zeth thinned his body and muddled through.
‘A hidden base?’
With a sigh, Liam followed him through the crevice. The gorge rubbed his back and front, but eventually, he squeezed through to the other end.
Instantly, he noticed how dark the space was. The shadows there were unnatural.
The King’s Eye could see night like day, yet there were still patches of unadulterated darkness within the passages built around them.
In addition to that, there were Ilalian inscriptions written on the uneven walls of the structure, made from the same shadowy material.
Surrounding them were countless burrows, each one leading towards deeper sections of the inner mountain.
At the same time, the floor below Liam was covered with complex writings and formations.
‘With their level of complexity, I’m pretty sure a Zenith made these.’
Liam’s eyes emitted faint golden and scarlet light in the midst of all the darkness, which bewildered Zeth.
He was about to ask how that was possible, but decided against it.
“Come, I have to bring you to an Elder. To think there’s another darkness cultivator after so long…”
Liam let out a brief grunt in response.
“How strong are your forces?” he asked.
Zeth ran a hand through his hair as he led Liam down one of the burrows.
“We’re as strong as a mid-tier Sect… but after hiding for so long, most of our experts haven’t been able to reap any resources to grow beyond that level.”
“We have five Elders at the Zenith Rank, and about three hundred Mortal Ranked cultivators.”
Liam paused.
His plan of getting a Rank 5 tempering method went up in flames.
Unless he worked on making his own technique, he would probably stagnate at the fourth for months and maybe years.
Still, he was being cynical. The fact that Zeniths existed meant they had techniques above the fourth level. Though, with so many Mortal cultivators, the amount of techniques and spells were most probably scarce.
“And your Sect Patriarch? Tell me about him.”
Zeth gave him a side glance.
“Only the Elders know of his current whereabouts, but everyone else is kept in the dark. It’s a known fact he’s been in seclusion for centuries.”
“And his name?” Liam asked.
Only the crisp footstep sounds rang out within the cold passages.
“Unforgiven Shadow. Currently the only darkness cultivator within the Sect… besides you. Who knows, maybe he’ll even leave his seclusion to meet with you.”
Liam went pensively silent.
The conversation died from thereon out, leaving Liam to silently contemplate his situation.
Overall, his circumstances were decent. The Temple was safe from any internal or external threat, and the Patriarch was at a higher level than the five Zeniths.
Three hours passed.
The two eventually came face to face to a shadowy, circular entrance imbued within the wall itself.
‘Another formation?’ Liam wondered. The danger he sensed from that wall made the hair on his skin rise. ‘I’m sure if I touch that, I’ll die instantly.’
Zeth placed his black coated palm on the entrance and the shadows dispersed, revealing a dimly lit hole to pass through.
Zeth entered first, and Liam followed.
Inside, revealed a vast, circular dungeon.
The walls were covered with the same shadows as before, except they covered every small patch of stone.
Liam’s mental waves couldn’t pass through those shadows.
It was like an isolation chamber, allowing no light or senses to pass through the enclosed space.
‘No wonder they’ve been hidden for that long. This place is basically layer after layer of protection.’
Liam shifted his gaze forward, to the vast, circular, dome-like area surrounding them.
In the distance, a giant aztec-like temple made from black stone stood tall, surrounded by smaller buildings of a similar structure.
It wasn’t as big as the lion statue Liam saw, but it resembled the giant pyramids back on earth.
The amount of ‘Ora’ emitting from it wasn’t as dense as the House of Honor, but undoubtedly close.
‘At least my core and body have a chance to advance at a faster rate,’ Liam thought.
Tight, dark-robed men and women walked this way and that way, and some nearby gave Liam frowned looks.
‘They’re all lower Ranked than me. Some don’t even have awakened mental spheres!’
His early hypothesis of the Temple having lower ranking techniques proved true.
Liam grimaced, then saw the same, dark blue tattoos inscribed across their bare forearms and skin.
‘Are they inscriptions of some sort?’ Liam wondered as he took in the sights.
“Come, the Elders are inside the Temple. We need to set a meeting.”
Chapter 185 Shadow
Liam was tense.
The first time he had met with a Zenith was with Patriarch Edwin, and that meeting got his heart pumping nervously.
Although he kept a calm face, he was worried if the Zenith was going to find out about his King’s Eye and chaos.
The same thing applied in the present… under even graver circumstances.
Liam was from a different race altogether!
He had a completely different center of power in his solar plexus, but thankfully, the chaos inside it wasn’t visible to even Zeniths.
Edwin hadn’t seen it despite having a Rank 4 sea of consciousness to probe his mind and body with.
However, the Chaos Pearl was still a physical organ. He couldn’t hide its appearance from them even if he tried.
‘There’s no choice,’ Liam thought as he followed a short distance behind Zeth.
‘The only issue is how they will react. Even if I transform into a full Ashura, I doubt I can even scratch their bodies.’
Behind Zeth, a cold aura started to spread from Liam.
“Zeth, you fool!”
A deep voice rang out from one of the triangular houses, and a thick-bearded, burly, tall man exited, making a beeline towards Liam and Zeth.
“What did you do to your outpost? You killed four members of the Leash Sect?!”
His voice was unnaturally loud and powerful, and Liam had to brace his consciousness to withstand the pressure.
Liam instantly realized the man’s mental capabilities as a Rank 3 sea of consciousness.
“Krel, relax, it was for a good reason.”
Zeth tried to calm the menacing figure down as he got closer, but the enraged frown on his face wasn’t quelled in the least.
BAM!
A punch landed on Zeth’s face, sending him flying.
When Krel’s green eyes fell on Liam, his grimace deepened. Pressure grew around him and enveloped Liam’s mental sphere.
“Who’re you?”
Liam used Thicken and took a wide jump backwards to distance himself.
In his human form, the deep pressure pressing against his mental sphere was enough to riddle it with cracks.
Frowning, he unsheathed blades and prepared for a fight, when Zeth jumped in front of the man.
“He’s of the darkness element!”
Almost instantly, the pressure lessened, and Krel’s face flickered with surprise. He looked at Liam in a different light.
“He wants to join the Temple. He helped kill those four and left no witnesses, too.”
Liam still kept his distance despite the lesser pressure.
By then, a small crowd had gathered around the commotion.
They looked at Liam with hostility in their eyes, but they couldn’t do anything.
The dangerous aura made them think twice about approaching.
Liam’s cold eyes shifted left and right, the grip on his blades tightening.
A tense silence stilled the air. All the surrounding members were waiting on the strongest of them to grant permission for battle.
“Let him pass.”
Krel broke the silence and dismissed the acolytes, who lingered momentarily before going back to their spaces.
“Leave us,” Krel asked Zeth and turned around, looking over his shoulder and gesturing for Liam to follow him.
“Come with me. I can bring you to an Elder.”
Zeth nodded and exchanged a short look with Liam, before leaving himself.
Reluctantly, Liam followed, keeping a safe distance away from the Rank 3 cultivator. He didn’t sheath his blades, but Krel didn’t blame him for it.
“You better hide those blades if you’re granted a meeting.”
Liam let out a non-committal hum in response, his attention fixed on the countless writings riddling the Temple’s surface.
A ramp ran through from the base to the peak of the pyramid, and brilliant inscriptions covered its surface.
There was a small entrance at the base, and that’s where the pair entered through.
Passing through a series of dark corridors, Liam was led to a small entrance. It was the same shadow-made formation radiating danger.
Krel coated his hand in black and placed his hand on the wall.
SHHHHR.
The entrance opened, revealing a large circular room filled with deep pressure, enough to force Liam to his knees as soon as the doors opened.
He suppressed a curse and used Thicken to bear the pain.
Krel entered with an enduring grimace and made a respectful gesture, putting his fist on his chest.
In front and above, an eccentrically masked woman wearing an inscribed black robe sat above an earth-made tower in cultivation.
Only her pale nose and plump lips were visible, showing no discomfort despite the mountainous pressure in the room.
Noticing the intrusion, the woman’s lips tightened to a frown, and with the wave of her hand, the weight on their minds disappeared.
Liam began panting heavily as he sat crouched on one knee.
“Elder Jane, forgive my intrusion, but I have crucial news.”
Krel began sweating under the Elder’s piercing gaze.
That exact gaze shifted towards Liam, who felt no gentleness under her eyes.
Despite that, he raised his head and looked at her with respect, imitating Krel’s gesture.
Elder Jane’s mental waves invaded both his mind and body, thoroughly inspecting every corner of his body, including his Chaos Pearl.
Her lips tightened even further as she had no idea what she was looking at.
“What are you?” she eventually asked. Her voice was low and soothing, but the coldness in her tone overpowered everything else.
“I can see you’re of darkness, but your body structure does not resemble a human’s.”
“You even lack a male apparatus.”
Krel raised his brows, aghast.
…What now?
Elder Jane waved a hand and dismissed him before he could voice his concerns, closing the door behind him as he left.
Liam sighed under his breath, giving the woman a wry smile.
“It’s a long story.”
Elder Jane didn’t like his words.
“I have time. Explain.”
Elder Jane’s figure suddenly turned into a silhouette of shadows that sunk into the tower.
A moment later, she reappeared from the ground below Liam’s feet, emerging from a puddle of darkness as though she had just teleported from there.
Chapter 186 Apparatus
Liam was taken aback.
The Zenith ranked Elder appeared from within the earth.
As though one end of a tunnel had formed on the tower she was sitting upon and the other right below Liam’s feet.
At the moment, she was giving Liam an impatient look, despite most of her facial features covered with the ornate mask. Her lips were tightened.
“Well?”
Liam gave a wry smile, cupping his hands respectfully.
“You see, Elder Jane, I have a Binding Oath that stops me from divulging information about my body. I’m afraid there’s nothing I can tell you.”
Elder Jane frowned.
“Lies.”
Liam’s smile slowly lessened.
“I cannot sense any Binding Oath on any of your organs.”
Elder Jane flickered her right wrist.
A black blade appeared in her grip, cutting through air despite being held perfectly still. It was barely the size of Liam’s hand, yet the edges radiated immense sharpness that prickled the hair on his skin.
A Rank 4 inscribed item!
Liam’s instincts screamed at him to run away, but he knew the Elder was way faster than him.
Any tense movement could be regarded as an attempt to run or attack.
Hence, he didn’t move a muscle, but inwardly prepared to defend.
The next moment, the woman waved her hand.
Liam’s altered appearance dissipated at once, revealing his real features.
“I’ll ask one last time. What are you?”
Liam remained silent with a hard gaze, sensing the woman’s growing frustration.
He could tell she was suppressing the urge to pressure him, either due to his darkness element, or his mysterious body structure.
Either way, that patience was running out.
“I want reassurance that whatever I say won’t leave this room. You can say it to the other Elders and your Patriarch, but never beyond that,” Liam voiced with a reluctant gaze.
Elder Jane was intrigued, both at Liam’s personality and reluctance to answer. Not many Mortal Ranked cultivators had the nerve and audacity to demand something from a Zenith. Not to mention Liam’s young appearance.
“You have my word.”
Noticing the unsatisfied look on Liam’s face, the Elder reassured him.
“It’s not something I give lightly, nor often. Anymore than this and I will force the answers out from you.”
Liam’s eyes grew cold with defiance.
Keeping his race a secret was ideal, of course, but that information itself didn’t matter too much.
After all, the Ashuras had become merely a children’s story. The true knowledge regarding them belonged to the higher-ups of the surrounding countries.
Millenia had passed since then.
Not to mention, the Temple of Shadow was known only in Ilali, and even then, their grudge was against the surrounding countries, not Liam’s forgotten race.
He expected as much of a risk, but he was willing to take it. A gamble for privacy and special treatment as opposed to suppression and competition.
“I am human. Partly,” he said.
Elder Jane’s lips twitched.
“And the other part?” she asked.
Liam lingered, dragging out the silence as much as he could, before responding in an even voice:
“Ashura.”
Silence.
Elder Jane frowned.
Her mental waves invaded Liam’s body again, way less gentle compared to before. She repeatedly inspected Liam’s solar plexus and embarrassingly, the lack of features on his groin.
The Elder didn’t know what to say.
“My god… you aren’t lying. How is that possible?” she voiced incredulously, her lips remaining parted.
Liam didn’t feel the need to explain the details. He already answered once.
“I don’t know.”
A blind man could see the lie in Liam’s words, and the Zenith’s lips pursed in anger.
“I will speak to the others about this. You’ll be given a place to stay until then.”
Liam remained silent.
Elder Jane snapped her fingers, and Krel suddenly appeared at Liam’s side, through the same shadow-teleport thing.
“Give him a room and make sure he doesn’t leave.”
With those stern words, Elder Jane turned into a shadow that became one with the ground, disappearing at once.
Krel scratched the side of his head and gave Liam a strange look. With an reluctant and awkward tone, he questioned:
“…So what’s this about a male apparatus?”
Liam cursed to himself. He was definitely gonna find a way to get it back.
///
Liam was given a small triangular shaped accommodation to stay in, not too far away from the giant Temple.
Inside, there wasn’t any furniture or even a bed – just enough space for Liam to cultivate, inscribe, forge and train with.
‘Perfect.’
Truth be told, he was a bit anxious as to what the Elders would think about his predicament. Judging by her reaction, though, it wasn’t something too worrisome.
Both Liam’s strength and element was useful for their needs.
In the first place, not having to hide his race and using all his strength gave him an exhilarating feeling of freedom.
Paired with the fact that he was well-hidden from outside eyes, he was satisfied with his current arrangement.
Liam sat cross-legged first thing and began to cultivate as time passed.
His body was rapidly nearing the upper-tier of the third Rank, but his core wasn’t nearing the liquid stage.
The estimated time for each breakthrough towards the higher Ranks differed depended on several factors.
Generally, for the Rank 2 core to advance to the liquid stage, it would roughly take a year or so.
However, Liam consumed dozens of pills he reaped from the various rings he stole.
From his estimation, it expedited his progress by a few months at most… but Liam’s progression speed was slower than normal humans.
‘Probably another six months until I advance.’
Hours passed, and Liam concluded his core and bodily cultivation, expanding his mental sphere next. Sweat covered his figure top to bottom, and his mental energy was halved by then.
Liam stopped there, then shifted his focus to the blades in his ring.
He carefully took out the inscribed container and took out the blood-drenched blades from them.
Liam inspected the weapons.
The inscriptions on their surface had completely melted away, but what remained was a dark-red material that absorbed his blood.
‘It worked.’
Chapter 187 Interview
Liam instantly noticed the differences on the blood-drenched weapons.
The black, magical beast-made blades had absorbed part of his purified blood, merging the properties between the two materials.
Liam didn’t waste a second and willed out a droplet of blood to absorb into his mental sphere.
In truth, the more complex and higher-ranked item Liam wanted to invent, the more amount of blood he had to absorb.
Smaller droplets of blood were too difficult to stuff Meanings with, but had more potential as a whole to inscribe with, since efficiency was a large part of Liam’s Blood Weaving.
However, it limited the amount of Links Liam could make.
Larger amounts were the opposite.
They allowed for more Meanings and Links, but had lesser potential.
The only problem was… it came with paralyzing pain.
For this reason, Liam didn’t train to his full capacity with the Psionic Rune, making sure to keep at least half of his mental energy to inscribe with.
Three hours passed as Liam went through the imbuing stage – imbuing the meanings he conjured onto the droplet – the absorption stage, and finally, the application stage.
Liam desperately needed rest, and his mind throbbed every second with pangs of pain.
Gritting his teeth, he scribbled away at the weapons with what remained of his strength.
After a solid hour, he was done with everything.
Liam’s blades shimmered with the blood-red writings, the glow of which looked alive, breathing in and out.
Having no strength to smile, Liam stored the blades and put his abused head to sleep.
‘Rank 2 upper-tier. Still not good enough to break through.’
///
After barely an hour or two, Liam woke up.
His head didn’t hurt as much as before, but he still didn’t feel safe inscribing for at least a week.
He prioritized stability of his mental sphere first.
‘If I let the droplet cook and pair it with blood infused magical beast parts, it should be good enough to break through… but I’ll have to set aside some time for that project.’
Still, Liam wasn’t too confident making that claim.
To forge something in a higher Rank required more than a simple increase in material and Ink.
Liam needed to improve his Meanings and further his understanding.
In other words, dip his hand into areas other than simple sharpness enhancements.
For the next five hours, Liam was absorbed in his studies, mainly Spell Making and understanding body tempering methods.
‘Each type of technique requires different kinds of Meanings,’ Liam remembered Richard’s teachings from the Royal academy.
‘Body tempering methods often require the inscriber to understand anatomy and bodily composition. The same goes for mental attacks, that require one to repeatedly stress and understand the sea of consciousness.’
Liam’s goal was to make a body tempering method that allowed him to alter and change his form freely – combining both his physical and mental abilities from his human and Ashuran side.
For that, he would begin with expanding his knowledge of Spirit Beasts, experimenting their ins and outs, alive and dead.
Firstly, that required a darkness Spirit Beast, since Liam already had experience working with them.
Two knocks surfaced on Liam’s door.
He stored all the notebooks and parchments of paper lying around his space and quickly exited the pyramid.
There, Krel quietly waited for him, saying nothing as he gestured to the Temple.
“They’ve arranged another meeting… all the Elders this time.”
Liam heaved a small breath, steeling his gaze as he prepared to meet five Zeniths.
///
Liam was ushered into a large hallroom. Instantly, a natural pressure pushed against his mind.
Six pillars made from dark stone held up the ceiling above, and in front were 5 chairs placed beside each other.
Sitting upon each one, was an Elder of the Temple.
Krel was kind enough to give Liam information about each Elder. He felt about Liam not having a male member, mistaking him to be a young man forced to castrate himself.
The first was Elder Jane, on the far left chair. She was in charge of the Mortal Ranked cultivators within the Temple, and was pensively silent.
“This is the boy?” the female Elder wearing a sleeveless robe and a black mask asked in a derisive tone. Her mental waves were far less gentle compared to Jane’s. “I expected one of our own, at the very least.”
The one who spoke was Elder Orisa, a formation master that managed to construct the Isolation Chamber surrounding the underground basement. Her skin was tanned, but covered with dark-blue tattoos.
Sitting in the middle was Elder Verium, the only one who didn’t bother wearing a mask, revealing his skinny, pale face, enough that his cheekbones were poking through. His black hair was long, with a few shades of gray here and there.
Despite that, he was still the strongest and oldest Elder from amongst the five, his blue eyes piercing through Liam’s own.
“What exactly am I looking at here?” he asked with a confused face. Not even he, despite his long age and expertise, could understand.
“Can we pick him apart and find out?” an excited, childish voice sounded next to Verium’s, belonging to a petite woman jumping in her chair. “I wanna pick him apart so badly!”
Had her Zenith aura not been there, Liam would’ve confused Elder Aki for a sassy young child.
She was even shorter than Liam was. The ornate black mask covered her face, leaving only her wild, dark-red hair visible from behind her.
“Obviously not, moron. We’ve finally found one that fits the criteria,” Elder Jax denied with a firm tone. His stature was slim and lacked muscle, but his voice was aged and knowledgeable. “If he’s worthy of it, of course.”
Jax was the remaining male Elder, and also an inscription master.
Liam remained silent all throughout, silently suffering through the five different mental waves that had little regard for his safety.
Their gazes pierced into Liam’s soul. He felt like cornered prey, but he didn’t dare show weakness.
“Tell us, boy. Why do you want to join our Temple?” Verium questioned sharply.
Liam inwardly cursed.
Was he really being interviewed?
Chapter 188 Masterpiece
Liam questioned whether or not his answers would affect his chances of joining the group.
The Zeniths could definitely tell if he lied or not… but being truthful worked against him.
In reality, Liam’s intention for joining was just to reap the benefits that came with the Temple of Shadow.
He wanted to keep away from the public view and steadily grow his strength.
Even sacrificing plentiful resources that other Sects might provide in exchange for safety.
He didn’t care about their goals and missions of vengeance.
Unless of course, his own revenge against the Royce family, which he wholeheartedly intended to carry out.
In the end, truth was the only option.
Something told him an old man like Verium valued honesty over strength, and a low-ranking foreigner lying to his face would just be disrespectful.
“I have secrets I’d rather die than speak of. I don’t have any grudge against the Imperialists or the Dual Empire, but that doesn’t mean I can’t help you in your cause.”
Liam’s words were firm, and the Zeniths read between the lines – he wasn’t going to reveal any more than he already did.
“Oh? What can you help us with, child?” said Elder Orisa, her derisive tone filled with mockery.
Liam suppressed a scowl.
“I can regularly forge Rank 2 blades through magical beasts and Spirit Beasts. I’m also proficient in inscriptions relating to blood, specifically sharpness enhancements.”
Silence.
Elder Orisa was shocked. She could tell Liam was telling the truth.
Pleasantly surprised, Elder Jane shot Orisa and the rest a smirk from the side then looked towards Liam with an approving gaze behind the mask.
“He has natural talent and doesn’t fear five Zeniths pressuring him. We’d be foolish not to let him in with so much potential,” Jane mentioned.
“Not to mention, the boy is already a Rank 2 Magus close to a Rank 4 body, and he’s already a Rank 2 cultivator.”
Another contemplative silence ensued.
Everyone had their own way of digesting that information.
Elder Verium kept quiet with his powerful gaze still on Liam.
Orisa was the same, except she really questioned the validity of Liam’s claim.
Even the childish Elder Aki grew serious, her sassy demeanors disappearing.
Having an outsider enter their Temple was against the established rules… but Liam’s abilities were too amazing for them not to consider.
Even if he was from another race.
Although Liam didn’t really understand how Zeniths thought, he was pretty sure Jax and Jane already accepted him.
Orisa turned into a shadow that sunk into the ground then reformed in front of Liam in the blink of an eye. “Show me the blades you’ve made.”
Liam didn’t argue and took out a Rank 2 lower-tier pair of blades, handing them to her.
He purposely didn’t give her the upper-tier blades he made earlier.
After all, he didn’t want to oversell himself and become a slave to the Temple, repeatedly forging and inscribing weapons for them to use.
Orisa examined the blades with keen eyes, rubbing the edges with the tips of her slender fingers. It formed a tiny wound that healed not a second after, barely drawing any blood.
‘Even a Rank 2 item barely cuts through a Rank 4 body…’
“Your name,” she asked abruptly, her gaze still on the blade.
Liam contemplated whether or not using his real name mattered.
It really didn’t, and he was pretty sure they could tell his lies.
“Liam.”
Orisa gave him a terse nod and handed him the blade.
“I approve,” she said, turning into a shadow and reappearing back in her chair as though she never left.
“I don’t care about a Mortal’s secrets. If he’s able to make weapons like that for the lower ranked acolytes to use, I don’t see a problem with him joining. Aki’s forging methods require Vicirim metal, which takes time to make and the disciples can’t even wield them.”
With her words, Orisa raised her hand.
‘So she’s a forgemaster?’ Liam wondered as he sneaked a glance at the child-like Elder.
Elder Jane raised her hand as well, shortly followed by Jax.
Aki was a bit more reserved, but eventually raised her hand.
“You better hold your own weight, or I’ll pick you apart myself! Nobody will give you free techniques!” she added with her child-like voice.
After a silence that was much longer than it seemed, Verium spoke.
“It is decided. You’ll become an acolyte first. You won’t be given special treatment… but that could change if you hold any talent with the Shadows.”
“We will put our lives on the line for your protection, and we expect you to do the same for the Temple.”
After a short pause, Liam gave a firm nod in response.
With a lower voice, meant for the Elders but not limited to them, Verium added:
“I will inform the Patriarch of the decision. Jaxon, you can personally show him the attunement procedure. We can’t let the others make any mistake with him.”
Liam remained quiet as the Zeniths exchanged nods with one another. He was relieved and worried at the same time.
In the next moment, three of the five sitting in the hallroom turned into shadows that scattered in different directions.
Jane lingered.
“With you, I’m sure we can restore the Temple to its former glory,” the Elder gave Liam a complicated smile before leaving herself.
With that, only Elder Jax remained.
Saying nothing, the Elder took off his mask and robe a moment later, revealing his pale and lean body which was riddled with intricate, black tattoos covering his skin.
His piercing, deep-set blue eyes held a dark light in them, but flickered with brilliance and maturity. Short blue hair covered his head, and a sharp scar ran across the bridge of his nose.
Elder Jax smiled lightly.
“As the name of our Temple suggests, we bring out the hidden power of Shadows,” he said, running his hand across the tattoos on his chest. “Using a body-inscription method developed by the Patriarch.”
“Unfortunately for us, we’re not of the darkness element, and we cannot bring out its true potential.”
Stretching out his arms, the tattoos on his body flickered black and shrouded his entire figure, leaving only his eyes visible. The danger radiating from him intensified enough to make Liam’s instincts scream.
“But you…” a dangerous smile formed on Jax’s thin lips, his voice deeper and muffled. “You will be my greatest masterpiece.”
Chapter 189 Respect
Shocked and amazed at the same time, Liam’s eyes widened as the Elder’s shadow wrapped around him and strengthened his aura.
The room itself darkened by a noticeable amount as Jax’s body absorbed the light.
In a split second, Jax’s form disappeared with a blink, reappearing behind Liam.
Frowning, Liam’s body reflexively moved on its own, jolting around and taking a wide jump back.
However, Jax disappeared again, standing vertically on the ceiling and defying the laws of gravity.
For the final time, the Elder merged with the room then reformed in front of Liam.
“This is nothing. My level with this Art is laughable considering how long I’ve practiced in it.”
A moment later, the black coating regressed and gathered on Jax’s right arm.
Even without the King’s Eye supporting his vision, Liam could see just how devastating that arm would be if it struck something.
Even Liam’s complete Ashura form wouldn’t survive.
Before he could use it, though, the Elder’s shadows sucked back into the tattoos on his skin and reverted to the static blue color.
His complexion visibly paled after that demonstration, with cold sweat dripping down his face.
“Art of the Ten Thousand Shadows – that’s the name of this body-inscription method,” Jax said as he wore his robe and cleared his throat.
“The Ink for the tattoos are made through the ichor of a special plant called the Dark Star. They’re rare and delicate, only growing under specific conditions and have certain side-effects.”
“The inscriptions help you absorb the essence of Shadows and strengthen your body with it. The tattoos work as a conduit, a medium, to give you control over it. As you can tell, contrasting elements have limits.”
The Elder exited the hall and Liam naturally followed.
“Only darkness users can bring out its true potential. Shadows are a byproduct of it, after all.”
“You may ask,” Jax granted, seeing the eager look in Liam’s eyes.
Liam had several questions, but one of them was much more important than the rest.
“What side-effects?”
The Elder paused for a moment, then continued.
“The plant corrupts the mind. It brings out cruelty and intensifies negative emotions. Some even start to hallucinate and go insane.”
“It’s why we were exiled.”
There was anger and solemnity in the Elder’s words.
Liam saw how the higher ranking acolytes had more tattoos compared to those below them.
He couldn’t imagine how many people lost their minds due to pushing themselves over the limit.
Liam’s mental resilience was way above average.
But if even a Zenith didn’t underestimate the Dark Star’s corruption, neither did he.
Transforming into an Ashura had a similar effect, but it was still temporary, disappearing after Liam reverted back to a human.
“Enough minor details. There’s currently not enough material for the treatment to begin, but I’ll have to run some tests to see what your limits are.”
As he said that, the pair arrived at a small room.
A torture room… judging by the unsettling tools differing in sharpness and shape laying around the space.
In the center was a black metal table, fixed with tight chains and thick braces meant to hold the victim still no matter what.
Liam heaved a slight sigh and quietly made his way on the chair, strapping himself in.
The material it was made out of wasn’t normal, as even his Rank 3 body didn’t cause it to bend.
Elder Jax looked at him approvingly.
‘I wonder what kind of life this young man lived until now,’ the Elder thought before steeling his gaze.
///
Three torturous hours passed.
Liam’s figure was covered with blood and bits of flesh. Parts of him were bent in unnatural directions, and his breathing was ragged and cold.
The beginning tortures didn’t faze him at all.
They were mild and consisted of a few cuts here and there, which Liam’s regeneration took care of not long after.
Elder Jax ramped up in intensity once he realized Liam’s tolerance for pain was much higher than normal.
Liam had spiked needles lodged in between his limbs, his nails pulled, chunks of his tongue cut and bits of his human organs pierced.
Other than panting heavily and grunting loudly now and again, Liam kept quiet and didn’t complain.
Of course, the Elder wouldn’t inflict the pain without having a way to heal it back to normal.
He simply gave Liam a strong pill to swallow and the torture session started once more.
As it continued, Jax became more and more amazed.
How could a Mortal ranked cultivator have so much tolerance for pain?
It was out of this world!
Even as he cracked Liam’s bones and shattered his fingers, all Liam did was tense his body and suppress his shouts.
Jax moved to mental torture.
He roughened up Liam’s sea of consciousness as much as he could without directly killing him.
Despite that, Liam gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to use Thicken or Corrosive Mind.
Eventually, the spare drugs that Jax had ran out, and the torture session had to be stopped.
The Elder had to admit that even he didn’t have that sort of endurance and resolve as a Mortal cultivator.
Although the Struggle Tribulation was way more difficult compared to regular torture, Liam was still not at that stage.
Not to mention, Jax was more than a hundred and fifty years old.
“You have my respect,” said the Elder with a slight smile, unstrapping Liam from the table and washing away the blood from his body using a soft stream of water.
“I’ll prioritize finding the Dark Stars. Your mental and physical fortitude is just excellent for the Ten Thousand Shadows. I’m even excited to apply the inscriptions on you.”
Liam managed a respectful gesture – the same Krel did – despite all his cells screaming in pain. “Thank you, Elder Jax.”
“Rest, now. It will probably take a month or two to find enough materials for the process, so you can steadily raise your strength until then.”
Chapter 190 Hunt
Liam exited the torture chamber, eyes drooping and breathing weak, then made his way through a series of corridors to leave the pyramid.
As soon as he left the giant Temple, Zeth, Krel, and more faces that he couldn’t recognize were standing there.
Three women and one man that were the same level of strength as Krel, with lower ranked acolytes huddled behind them.
Before they could strike up a conversation, Liam shook his head with a scowl.
They watched as he moved past them and headed towards his private pyramid, fully intent to sleep away the rest of the day.
“H-how many hours did he stay inside the despair room?”
Zeth spoke with wide eyes, and the others had the same looks on their faces.
They all had experienced the despair room.
Everyone has to in order to get their Shadow tattoos.
Elder Jax had a knack for torturing and testing the limits of the human body and mind. Zeth himself lasted thirty minutes before crying for his mother and passing out.
Thankfully, the Elder was kind enough to stop the torture if they lost consciousness.
Out of all the squadron leaders, Krel had lasted the longest – two & a half hours by the skin of his teeth.
“He’s not normal,” said Krel as he watched Liam’s back grow distant, respect evident in his dark eyes.
“We’ll see a few changes around here with his presence.”
///
Liam woke up after sleeping for who knows how long.
His headache was significantly lesser than before, but the remnants of the torture still lingered in his mind and body.
Putting on his robe, Liam took out a Spirit Beast corpse and began wolfing it down raw.
Some of his energy returned, but eating two more Spirit Beasts managed to bring him back to a stable condition.
‘Eating cultivators is way more beneficial for my body instead of Spirit Beasts. Just one would have sufficed to bring me back to peak condition.’
The problem was, Liam didn’t have any more bodies remaining to devour. He needed to restock soon, but staying underground wouldn’t accomplish anything.
‘Come to think of it, I still haven’t explored the underground and its establishments. I’m supposed to meet Krel and receive my duties as an acolyte as well,’ Liam thought with a grimace as he activated the Shadowfire cultivation technique.
As he was in thought, half an hour passed, and he subconsciously moved to the Psionic Rune.
‘The Ten Thousand Shadows are amazing to say the least. I’ve gained so many abilities during the past two years that nobody can come close to the same prowess as me.’
The King’s Eye, the Ashura body, Chaos – or Primordial Essence – blood manipulation, Shadow Clone and the vast arsenal of spells in his possession gave Liam unbridled potential.
Adding a body-inscription method would bring him to a new realm of power entirely.
A broad grin formed on Liam’s face.
Finally, he concluded his training with the Rune.
Before he left, Liam took out the inscribed preservation container and filled it with his blood.
Then, he placed two spare blades in them that he didn’t imbue with a Beast Will.
He didn’t really plan on making another pair of blades so soon, since it would completely take him out of commission, but being prepared and making use of his time didn’t hurt.
‘I should reabsorb the Beast Wills during my free time. It should help speed up my expansion again.’
With that, Liam left the pyramid, only to see Krel waiting for him outside with a friendly smile.
“You’re finally out.”
Liam raised a brow at how friendlier Krel was compared to before.
“Come, I’ll give you a tour of the underground. You’d be happy to know there’s a better place for you to live in, nearer to the Temple,” Krel said as he and Liam walked side by side through the streets.
Krel was a squadron leader.
Usually, no one would dare walk in front or beside him except those of a similar or stronger Rank.
Still, the Rank 3 cultivator didn’t take any offense as Liam did exactly that.
“Your duties aren’t that special. The Temple is laying low as of now, so the missions vary from bringing back special resources to, very rarely, quietly assassinating someone. Our goal is to silently expand our territories and gain more control over the island.”
Liam nodded in understanding. It would be weird if a Clan specialized in shadows weren’t good at assassination.
“That goal is a bit difficult considering how many sects share this place with the Ravenous Leash dogs. They also use investigative Spirit Beasts to search for traces of our presence,” Krel cursed angrily.
Liam hummed to himself in response, silently taking in the knowledge.
As the pair continued, they passed by a rowdy area where no housing pyramids were visible – instead, there were flat fields that consisted of a forgery, a small-sized tavern, and other spots where the members could entertain themselves.
Liam was confused as to why the Temple allowed for such areas, but a realization made him chuckle wryly under his breath.
Normal people naturally require socialization.
Without those facilities, Liam was sure that the members of the Temple would slowly become deranged, only intensified by the corruption effects of the Dark Star.
“Although acolytes are the lowest rank of the Temple, you’re already a Rank 2 cultivator. You’ll be given lodging suited for one. Oh, and the rankings for the clan go from Acolyte, Disciple, Shadow and finally, Elder.”
Eventually, Liam and Krel arrived at what looked like a circular space with small-sized pyramids covering its surface – paved with small walkways for people to pass through.
The cultivators there were much stronger compared to those on the outside.
A few middle-aged men among them even had Rank 2 mental spheres and Rank 3 bodies, many of them already in the liquid stage.
Krel pointed towards a specific pyramid.
“That’s yours,” he said, giving Liam a jet-black token. “And that’s the key.”
With that, the pair continued forward.
“Becoming a Rank 3 cultivator gives you the authority to command a squadron. If a group assignment calls for it, I might even lead you into a hunt or battle.”
Krel puffed his chest as he said the last sentence.
“What do you guys hunt?” Liam asked.
Krel smirked proudly.
“Rank 4 Spirit Beasts.”
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