Legacy of Hatred

A foundation expert’s testimony was far from reliable. Even if the young woman were to be believed, nothing said that Lee’s departure had anything to do with the alleged assault on righteous forces.

As if reading Liam’s thoughts, Grace rushed back to the table to get her black jade. It was unclear who she contacted or what she asked, but Liam eventually saw her serious green eyes pointing at him. That was enough to convince him.

Still, it was truly odd. After all, such things weren’t supposed to happen.

’This is an open rebellion,’ Liam thought. ’Aren’t they afraid the Dragons will intervene?’

The border was a unique location, but it remained part of the Dragon Kingdom. While criminals were more popular due to a variety of favorable conditions, a full-scale attack on the righteous forces would demand a response. Liam’s Master had sent him away for far less in the end.

Worse of all, Liam could actually find a reasonable explanation for that development.

’Is this my fault?’ Liam wondered.

Liam had destroyed a Guild’s branch, even injuring Lady Jessica, its leader, beforehand. That hadn’t been his goal, but his success had exposed that force’s weakness.

If a single rooting expert could do so much damage, entire Demonic Sects and their orbiting forces could very well take complete control of the border.

Moreover, Liam knew exactly what his concoctions had been about. He had sold countless products for seven months solely to criminal forces. That was far more than the Roaring Thunder Sect had ever received, and their nature could indeed enable a wide-scale attack.

’Did I give them the means to start a war?’ Liam considered.

Having constant access to an infallible alchemist was nothing to scoff at, even if the alchemical products were limited to the second rank. With basically endless ingredients, Liam had concocted thousands of those, creating an edge significant enough to embolden the criminal forces to attack.

There were other minor details Liam could reinterpret with the current discovery. Ray had only joked about it, but tension was probably high if the righteous forces were resorting to begging him to cut them in on the business.

Liam could easily see that tension escalating into minor scuffles, growing bigger and bigger until an all-out conflict became unavoidable. With the righteous forces even having factions depending on their region, their front was far from united.

Besides, with no domains to speak of, the criminal forces could relocate if push came to shove. If the widespread attack truly attracted the Dragons, they could leave and settle elsewhere, even going straight, putting their unlawful days behind them.

Liam believed that to be possible. As long as a force had money and power, there were ways for criminal organizations to turn over a new leaf. The Kingdom was so fragmented that striking deals would be easy.

Of course, the blame game wasn’t Liam’s main issue. Now that he had established that a widespread attack might indeed be happening, he had to decide what to do with that information.

’Not even a day has passed,’ Liam calculated. ’They couldn’t have gone far, but they might have simply been the last team to join the assault.’

A branching expert could cover a lot of ground in no time, but Lee seemed to have left with a team of rooting experts. That was bound to slow things down.

Still, since Liam hadn’t sensed anything odd in the stages that morning, the assault was probably limited to elite forces, with the battle cages’ organization being the last to move.

Naturally, the opposite could also be true. Lee’s team might have been the vanguard, meaning that things were still peaceful on the surface.

Honestly, Lee could have also arranged for the stages to look normal. With unaware, drunken foundation experts and everyone else behind formations, tricking Liam might have been possible.

However, the issue remained. Liam had to make a decision no matter how little he knew or the variables he had no way to learn or control.

’Waiting for the situation to become more chaotic might be the right choice,’ Liam considered, ’But...’

Liam had looked for opportunities to escape for months, being alert for anything he could work with, only to find nothing at all. There was always the option to charge headfirst toward the surface and deal with whatever stood in his way, but that was a last resort.

Instead, an opportunity where powerful hindrances might be busy seemed to have presented itself now. Liam wasn’t sure if the attack would involve both the southern and northern borders or just the righteous forces on one side, but that didn’t matter.

The odds had never been in Liam’s favor. They were still terrible right now, but a bit better than usual, and he could work with that.

Liam released the young woman’s head and placed the flask under her face. She timidly took it and performed a quick bow, seemingly ready to dart away on the spot, only for Liam’s hand to fill her view again.

"Take these, too," Liam ordered. "Give them to the others."

More pale-red flasks had appeared in Liam’s palm. He had poisoned plenty of foundation experts, and they all needed the cure. As for whether the young woman would deliver it, that was beyond what Liam could handle right now.

The young woman took the flasks and peeked up, only for Liam to have already walked off, waving at the entrance to open it. His stance said it all, so the foundation expert performed another bow before scurrying away.

Liam re-closed the entrance, and both he and Grace got on the move without saying a word. They had planned for that moment for months, so they got to it without needing reviews.

With the additional ring, Liam had long since stored most of his belongings. He just retrieved what little he had left in the cave before donning the upper part of his robe.

Grace had more to do. The unified communication jade had a few shortcomings, mainly due to the fact that some of the channels she had engraved could be used as trackers through additional items, so she had to erase them.

Nevertheless, the preparations were swift. By the time Liam was finishing tying his belt, another pair of hands got to it and completed the job. As pointless as the gesture was in the face of imminent peril, Grace wasted a few seconds to smooth a few creases before looking up at Liam.

There really wasn’t anything left to say. Once the couple left the cave, they might either face smooth sailing or the harshest trial of their lives, but one thing was clear. No matter what awaited them, their time inside the border was over.

Liam leaned down, hands welcoming his face. He exchanged a kiss with Grace, both passionate and loving, ending with a mutual stare. Even if that were to be the end, they had at least shared one last moment.

Afterward, without even gesturing or making specific expressions, Liam and Grace left the cave.

The battle cages were an underground maze of tunnels, secret doors, and halls with formations and inscriptions hindering cultivators’ perception at many checkpoints.

Yet, Liam’s sense of direction wasn’t something mere hindrances could trick. His memory was also superb. He knew exactly two ways out of the location, one leading to the solitary pagoda, the other to the path he had trod the first time he had reached the place.

The pagoda seemed like an important place since it had hosted the meeting with Smiling Blade, so Liam went for the second option, never slowing down as he crossed corridor after corridor. He didn’t even check his surroundings, but the path remained correct.

Still, it did stand out how everything was rather empty, at least emptier than usual. There was literally no one around. In hindsight, even the foundation expert had taken longer than usual to arrive.

The couple eventually reached and finished climbing the endless staircase they had once descended, only for the ceiling to block their way. They didn’t have the token necessary to open that trapdoor, but Liam had his fists.

A chunk of the ground among a barren piece of land exploded outward, and Liam and Grace jumped out, taking in their surroundings. They weren’t alone, and that detail claimed Grace’s attention, while he focused on something else first.

Liam didn’t actually sense anything distinct, but there was something in the air, like sparks that spoke directly to his instincts. He felt the storm despite failing to discern its nature, which removed his remaining doubts.

There was indeed something massive happening inside the border.

Liam lowered his gaze at that point, an arm lifted in front of Grace, signaling her to remain behind as he walked toward the two figures sitting cross-legged a few meters away.

Trails of black energy leaked out of Liam’s figure, rising into the air, making his robe and hair flutter. The ground under his feet darkened, corrosion turning its fabric into slime. Even the air seemed to gain shadows that the night failed to hide.

The two figures stood up, both wielding swords, one black and one blue, but they didn’t point them at Liam, instead keeping them lowered at their side. They experienced some fear, as well as shock.

The last time the two had seen Liam, he had been sitting at fifty-seven minor roots, while he had eighty-three now. He was two steps into a realm beyond the Heavens, into the quasi-stage, and his whole demeanor had changed in the seven months spent fighting.

Liam possessed power beyond the rooting stage, and he wielded it with utmost confidence, adding to the oppressive, dangerous vibe he radiated, pointing it at people he considered friends.

"Lucas, Troy," Liam called. "If you try to stop us, I’m not confident I can avoid killing you."

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