Legacy of Hatred

The border was long rather than large, but the battle cages were beyond its halfway point. They were also quite north, making the northern region close, but also limiting the paths to access it.

With the righteous forces located on the border’s southern and northern edges, detours were simply useless. No matter from where Liam’s group decided to enter the northern region, they would find conflicts, or at least their area of influence.

That issue also limited what flying could achieve. Since conflicts were ongoing, everyone was on high alert. The righteous forces probably had perception methods stronger than the Axe Brigade’s, meaning that traveling in the sky wouldn’t offer any cover.

So, the only solution was making a beeline toward the northern border, cutting through conflicts to save time and avoid delays that would give interested parties the chance to intervene.

In that regard, the candidates were plentiful. Liam might have made an enemy of the Mercenary Guild directly, but basically every force now had an interest in him.

Those who had benefitted from Liam’s products would want to stop him if they saw him leaving. Instead, those who had and were suffering due to the consequences of his business would strive to punish him.

Some righteous forces saw Liam as a proper enemy, while others would prefer to capture him to benefit from his alchemical skills. He might have gone unnoticed if the deployed experts were nobodies, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

Even if some weren’t aware of Liam specifically and only knew about the alchemist, Grace was bound to reveal that information. Unlike Liam, she had gone out in the last seven months, so many had learned about her involvement in the business that had caused the all-out attack.

And yes, Lucas had confirmed that the current chaos was indeed the couple’s fault. They were only the spark the criminal forces had needed to start an attack they had desired to launch for a long time, but the blame still lay with them.

Further proof also arrived once encounters happened.

By flying, the northern region was only a week away from the battle cages, less without interruptions. Liam could activate the fan’s ability and reach it in no time, but that risked alerting whatever defensive measure the forces on the border had deployed.

So, the group flew at moderate speed right above the ground, meeting all sorts of teams heading in the same direction.

With everything going on, Liam had expected the encounters to turn into fights, but nothing of the sort happened, albeit things remained quite concerning.

After all, everyone, no matter their affiliation, always stopped in their tracks to cup their fists, greeting Liam with titles like Master Black Qi, Black Qi, or White Mask.

Grace also received her fair share of salutes, and Liam saw traces of growing concern behind her mask. Clearly, the couple had become famous in ways that might have repercussions even after they reached the northern region.

Whatever plan the couple set out to engage in, they would have to rework it around that information. With their anonymity seemingly completely gone, there might be no safety no matter how far they went.

Of course, those were problems for later. Liam mostly focused on the fact that some groups decided to follow him. His team was faster, and the audience kept its distance, but that couldn’t be good.

Also, as days went by, the sparks Liam had sensed in the air had grown more distinct. He felt the echoes of distant battles, the stench of blood carried through the air, and waves of Qi.

The closer Liam got to the northern border, the closer the chaos got, until he was able to see it with his bare eyes.

It was the fifth day of travel when Liam spotted a crowd of hundreds of rooting and foundation experts around a giant building. The latter was bigger than the branch he had destroyed, but its purpose was probably the same. He couldn’t see to which Guild it belonged, but it was clearly under attack.

Lights from spells or other attacks flashed among the crowd. Distant cries occasionally reached Liam’s ears. The ground around the huge building also moved, similarly to the formation he had once faced.

Moreover, apocalyptic shockwaves unfolded further ahead, eradicating leafless trees and twisting the air, sending terrifying gales everywhere. Branching experts were fighting, barely keeping enough distance from the building to spare it from the destruction they were unleashing.

Liam had never seen a war among cultivators. He hadn’t seen any war at all. The closest he had gotten was in the Evergreen Canyon, but that had to be the real deal, and he had to avoid it.

Problem was, Liam felt a similar clash further west, and the cultivators weren’t just around the building. Many were roaming the land toward it, with others rushing to and from what he believed was another battle.

And Liam wasn’t the only one watching. He felt attention washing over him from every direction, likely caused by perception techniques. He was being observed. He even had reason to believe all those following him had sent warnings about his arrival.

It was unclear what would await ahead, but Liam had an even bigger problem to handle. Lucas and Troy planned to continue flying ahead, only to stop when they noticed Liam hovering down, landing on the ground.

Grace hopped off, but immediately threw a look at Liam, only for him to take her cheek in his hand, his feral face silencing her.

"Get out of the border," Liam said, trying to be as reassuring as possible by rubbing his thumb on that face. "Settle somewhere safe. I’ll catch up with you."

Grace understood before her perception could update her on the event, but that arrived, too. A suffocating aura descended upon the area, sending many looks to the sky, including Lucas and Troy’s, but Grace only kept her eyes on Liam.

Back then, Grace had voiced her fears when such situations arrived, but not now. She would complain, but later, once Liam returned to her.

The kiss had also been handled already, so Grace just took the hand on her face, holding it for a second before slipping out of it. She shot a glare at the sky, but eventually turned toward the two swordsmen, summoning a rank 2 flying sword of her own.

"Lucas, Troy," Liam called the swordsmen. "Please, escort Grace to safety."

"Brother," Lucas muttered, his gaze still on the sky, "Are you sure you don’t want our help?"

"I might hurt you in the crossfire," Liam admitted, "And protecting Grace is what truly matters to me."

"Nothing will stand in our way," Troy promised, looking meaningfully at Liam.

Liam nodded, exchanging another look with Grace before the three flew away, planning to circle the battle and reach the northern region. He would have preferred to be with her for that stretch, but she had ways to defend herself. He had made sure of that.

After a few seconds, black Qi started leaking out of Liam’s figure. The fan still under his feet rose as he summoned three items. The silver greatsword appeared in his left hand, and he laid it on his shoulder, while gripping the rank 2 knife with the other after throwing something in his mouth.

The fan kept rising until it turned, putting Liam before the source of the suffocating presence. Jessica was in the air a dozen meters ahead, her disheveled hair hanging from her furious face, her fluttering sleeves highlighting the stump on her left arm.

"Black Qi, we have unfinished business," Jessica declared.

"Yes, let’s end this," Liam agreed, closing his eyes. When he reopened them, blood vessels had filled their whites.

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