Legacy of Hatred

There were four rooting experts on the scene, and none was even remotely average. That mission had summoned the six Sects’ true elites, so nothing Liam had done went unnoticed or unanswered.

The untrained eye might have linked Liam’s swift victory to his superior items. After all, he wielded a rank 2 weapon, and not an ordinary one.

However, no such misconceptions arose. None of the four rooting experts even thought of giving Liam’s weapons any glory. They simply didn’t deserve it.

Liam had been faster than Hugh, meaningfully so, while not relying on martial arts. Since the two were at the same level, that significant gap couldn’t come from Qi mastery alone.

At once, everyone understood that Liam possessed something greater than a low-grade circulation technique.

The finding was stunning. Theoretically, a low-grade circulation technique was the most foundation experts could endure. Their meridians simply weren’t ready for higher amounts of Qi yet.

Nevertheless, the four rooting experts found it easy to justify that minor impossibility. Liam’s most famous advantage was enough to explain it.

Of course, no one considered that a high-grade circulation technique was involved. All the guesses pointed to a medium-grade one.

Still, the short battle had also shown that Liam was more than his talent. He made use of it to the best of his capabilities, but true skills accompanied that advantage.

Liam’s timing had been perfect, showcasing mastery of his skills. The distraction he had created with the Black Bow had perfectly accounted for his speed, allowing him to exploit that opportunity without giving Hugh any chance to retaliate.

The dodge, jump, and following leap even added to that, demonstrating how confident Liam was performing those odd but effective moves. He knew what he was capable of and how that fared against his opponent despite fighting him for the first time.

Yet, the most striking aspect of the whole battle had been Liam’s archery. He wielded the Black Bow as if it were an extension of his body, firing with perfect accuracy no matter his stance or accumulated momentum.

And, it didn’t go unnoticed how quickly Liam stored and retrieved the Black Bow, either. Actually, that had been his swiftest action, the only gesture the four rooting experts had risked missing, highlighting it more than everything else for that exact reason.

The battle might have been short, but a realization descended among the rooting experts. Probably, no foundation expert was Liam’s match. He had reached the utmost apex of what that cultivation stage could offer, a peak only his talent could provide.

Truth be told, the four rooting experts didn’t even know such heights could exist for foundation experts, but Liam had proven them wrong.

Naturally, Hugh dealt with something entirely different. As shocked as he was, he had to delay his inspection of the battle, prioritizing Liam’s questions instead.

The knife pressing on Hugh’s neck kept his movements slow. He carefully lowered his arms, leaving himself defenseless while sending a hand into his robe.

Then, just as slowly, Hugh pulled out a rectangular tablet, which Liam seized with the hand pressing on his head before jumping back, finally freeing his opponent’s neck.

Liam stored the new tablet in his robe before finding the four rooting experts looking at him. That was what usually happened, so Liam took it as normal. It even played into the idea of increasing his reputation.

However, showcasing strength was meant to deter people from wanting to mess with Liam, and the strategy seemed to fail where it mattered the most.

The two dark-grey-robed cultivators looked serious but impressed. Anastasia smiled as always, but a strange glint had appeared in her dark eyes.

Instead, Simon’s face had become grim, radiating a tinge of hostility that even someone clueless about people like Liam could smell.

’Did I make him warier of me?’ Liam wondered, meeting Simon’s gaze.

Liam’s secret hunt would have benefited from his prey underestimating him, but that was probably gone now. Of course, Liam also had to do his best not to let Simon become suspicious, and both strategies clearly couldn’t happen simultaneously.

’Does he know about my martial arts?’ Liam considered. ’Not that I should ever get close to him. That’s not how I’ll kill him.’

The mutual look told the bystanders that something was off, but Hugh salvaged the situation once he collected himself enough to get to his feet.

"Liam, the rumors about you don’t do you justice," Hugh politely said, bowing. "You showed me new heights today. For that, I’m deeply grateful."

That seemingly genuine politeness took Liam aback. He didn’t know whether Hugh was trying to trick him, but his nose connected the scene with Joel, giving him a good impression of his defeated opponent.

Yet, Liam never got the chance to bow in response since his nape tingled. A sense of danger invaded him, accompanied by more tangible sensations. The already hot temperature increased, and Liam instinctively felt that Anastasia was behind it.

"My, my," Anastasia chuckled. "Junior Brother, you should know better than to rile up a woman, only to leave her unsatisfied."

Something dangerous spread from Anastasia. Her figure released Qi, seemingly randomly, creating ethereal waves that spread over her surroundings without dispersing.

"Crazy whore," Simon cursed under his breath, this time in a voice so quiet that only Liam’s ears caught it, but doing something that everyone could see.

Simon jumped back, kicking the trunk he landed on to retreat even further. The action stirred Liam, Hugh, and the two rooting experts to do the same, barely saving them from what followed.

Then, somewhere among the Qi Anastasia had released, a spark flared, expanding into a red flame that spread over the rest of the energy she had tainted the environment with.

And, all of a sudden, a sea of scorching flame covered the flourishing soil, crashing into the surrounding trunks like hungry waves. The fire directly around Anastasia also rose, enveloping her in a fiery pillar that reached for the leaves above.