Legacy of Hatred

Liam’s strength kept rising as his new cultivation produced Qi that was identical but also profoundly different from what he was used to.

The new energy was dense, thick, and powerful, but also something else, something Liam couldn’t describe. It was profound at the qualitative level rather than superficial or raw.

Liam slowly stood up, wanting to explore more of his new Qi and state. He felt different, bigger almost, and inspecting his surroundings highlighted the change more than looking inward ever did.

The rectangular room and its smooth, dim surfaces were the same as always. Yet, Liam couldn’t help but see them as a bit brittle now, as if inferior compared to what he had become.

Liam also felt the Qi running through those surfaces more clearly, as if he had a more instinctive sensitivity to it. The breakthrough had elevated his being, making him closer to that magical energy, as if his level of belonging to that superior world had deepened.

Just like fish lived in water and birds in the sky, cultivators belonged to a superior environment, to a higher way of life, and Liam now felt more comfortable in it, as if his very species had changed to make it his new, rightful home.

Things didn’t even end there.

As Liam focused on a dim surface, the little but superior Qi that was starting to circulate through his body moved, aiding his eyesight to inspect it in greater detail.

That applied to Liam’s senses, too. The room had nothing much, but its silence felt different in his ears now, fuller despite its emptiness.

Even scents that should have already vanished due to the room’s filtration system reached Liam’s nostrils. Actually, his nose actively captured them, finding traces that the old him wouldn’t have been able to smell.

’Is this what Maxwell meant?’ Liam guessed. ’I suppose I’ll understand more once I get out.’

There were more tests with the Qi Liam needed to perform, both when it came to its raw state and what it meant for his martial arts. However, his dantian was still refilling his new cultivation, and even his body was mostly empty, forcing him to delay the matter.

Also, Liam just couldn’t shake off the oddness of smelling from his mouth, or whatever that was.

Liam brought his dirty hand to his throat again, searching for the unnatural bloatedness in his salivary glands. His fingers found nothing, but he felt it, and activating a muscle he had just discovered stirred it into action.

Liam spat to the floor, releasing a yellow liquid instead of saliva. The substance immediately tried to corrode through the surface, even partially succeeding.

’Am I ...?’ Liam thought, incredulous. ’Did I grow venom glands?’

Honestly, Liam didn’t know how to take the discovery, nor how he felt about it. Humans shouldn’t produce venom, which meant that he probably wasn’t that human anymore.

Luckily, other priorities distracted Liam from that spiritual issue. Having venom in his mouth raised other concerns, demanding immediate tests.

Liam released a slight amount of venom but ingested it now, only to feel nothing at all. It tasted horrible, but nothing damaging followed. He seemed to be completely immune to it.

But Liam didn’t even experience anything rejuvenating. His dantian didn’t absorb nutrients from that venom, which made sense in hindsight. His body was producing it, so it would be akin to eating himself to grow.

’How powerful it is?’ Liam wondered, his expertise and reason providing a reliable guess. ’It should be a rank 2 venom since I’m a rooting expert, but I’ll have to test it. I also wonder how it will work in concoctions.’

The tests eased the bloatedness in Liam’s jaw, telling him that his venom was no infinite resource. He didn’t know how quickly his body would refill his glands, or whether concocting with it would create nutrients, but stashing it could be wise.

’It’s ... an advantage,’ Liam concluded, trying to see the bright side, inevitably considering something else that sent his tongue to his teeth. ’Will I grow fangs next?’

The vision Liam had experienced inevitably flashed in his mind. He recalled all of it, the vast expanse, the gargantuan figures floating lifelessly through it, as well as the sensations of that serpentine body.

What had once been nothing more than a fairy tale now felt undeniably real. Liam’s bloodline wasn’t only proof of the Ancestral Beast. He had actually witnessed their clash, or at least its culmination.

’Are the Ancestral Beast dead?’ Liam wondered. ’Does what I think death is even apply to them?’

Liam couldn’t help but recall how Crazy Uncle’s voice had resounded after he had crushed his skull. Even Cecilia had been able to move despite injuries that should have long killed her.

The cultivation world was a world of magic, so Liam’s understanding of death might not include legendary beings that had been able to taint humans with their mere blood.

Moreover, Crazy Uncle had spoken as if the Ancestral Turtle had directly tricked him, but Liam had seen its corpse. Even the Ancestral Snake hissed in his ears despite having fought a last battle it would lose.

’Was ... Is the Ancestral Dragon your brother?’ Liam asked. ’Are the seven Ancestral Beasts all kin?’

In the Mutated Battlefield, Liam had disregarded the sensation of kinship as the mere presence of fellow ancestral bloodlines. Yet, there clearly was more to it. It seemed the Ancestral Beasts were one big family, or at least used to be.

’Who birthed you all?’ Liam questioned. ’Are you alive or dead? Are you all just using humans to continue your feud, or is there more to it?’

As always, the Ancestral Snake refused to provide answers. Liam’s ears remained silent, but that didn’t stop him from finding some conclusions of his own.

Matters at the level of the Ancestral Beasts were too distant for Liam. He might have become a rooting expert, but the journey was still long.

However, one thing was clear. No matter how that final clash ended, Liam knew that the Ancestral Snake had succeeded in making the Ancestral Dragon bleed. Its offspring wouldn’t be governing the Kingdom otherwise.

Something rose through Liam’s ears at that thought. The auditory hallucination resounded, making him scratch the burn mark on his forearm, only for the slimy goo to stick to his fingers.

’I’m really smelling this with my mouth,’ Liam sighed, looking down at himself. He was covered in those expelled impurities, and it was time to remove them before his new sense of smell made him throw up.