Legacy of Hatred

The rushed, mostly uninterrupted escape had gotten in the way of Liam’s training. Concocting always took priority, too, so his skills with the greatsword hadn’t improved at all.

However, there was one aspect involving alchemy and greatsword that Liam hadn’t stopped exploring, using every empty second at his disposal to improve it since its training brought benefits to both.

The Demoness’ technique fell into the third layer of Qi mastery. At least, that was how Liam had approached the field. It was a continuous compression of his black Qi that used the greatsword as a cauldron, demanding split-second adjustments to keep going.

Compared to what Liam had seen his Master do with Qi alone, that single application was quite narrow, but training was training. Besides, a key aspect of the third layer was to make use of it mid-battle, and Liam had definitely improved in that regard.

Throughout the flight and conversation, Liam had forced his Qi to spin inside his huge weapon, dealing with the variables in the back of his mind, preparing to unleash that attack.

As for the last reason behind the order of Liam’s priorities, it became evident once the blackness receded, the morning sunlight revealing the technique’s effects.

Compared to the forward torrent Liam had launched against Jessica, the blackness had spread spherically now. It had been an instantaneous wave of a concentrated version of his Qi, the higher density enabled by his training reflected in his surroundings.

The rocks, snow, and tundra touched by the blackness were no more. A shallow crater made of a sizzling, bubbling slime had formed, with faint trails of smoke occasionally rising into the air.

Chunks of the air had also suffered, giving birth to denser black patches that hovered above the crater, dispersing as they expanded.

As for the people caught in the blast, fate definitely wasn’t kind to them.

Bodies without most of their superficial layers fell left and right, their darkened, exposed tissues squirming, twisting, and sizzling. Some had entire limbs missing, as if the blackness had devoured them.

There were screamers, or at least some who attempted to cry in pain, only for them to become choked, painful noises. Natural hindrances, distance, and higher innate defenses had left some survivors, but they didn’t look like they would be alive for long.

A few cultivators were on their knees, trying to hold their unresponsive throats littered with black blood vessels, only to find their hands missing, their very bones turned into toxic slime.

Others lay down, powerless to oppose the damage the dark patches all over them inflicted, only for the slimy ground to worsen their condition.

Foam leaked from quivering mouths. Dark blood fell from bloodshot, wide eyes and corroded nostrils while the very Qi the cultivators tried to summon fell prey to the infection, becoming poison for their existence.

Not everyone was dead, but the entire team of fifteen was out of commission. By comparing those effects to the techniques in Liam’s possession, he could only label his attack as a rank 3 spell.

The Demoness had given the idea, but Liam had created a martial art worthy of that name. Actually, in many ways, that condensed black Qi could be seen as the best attack in his possession.

It wasn’t just about one training method benefiting multiple aspects of Liam’s skillset. It wasn’t even about that immediate yet broad destructive power.

That original rank 3 spell had something vastly superior to all of Liam’s other rank 3 assets. It was dirt-cheap in terms of Qi consumption. Honestly, it didn’t even put a dent in his reserves since it relied on Qi density rather than quantity.

Of course, there were disadvantages. The spell required constant attention and time to prepare, but Liam could get better at both with training.

Another disadvantage was the spell’s maneuverability. It didn’t have any. There was no way to control the expansion of that compressed Qi. At most, Liam could redirect it into a current by pushing his physical strength to the limit, but that was it, which created a problem when fighting alongside allies.

Liam had remained safe from the immediate expansion because that condensed energy was still his Qi, making him immune to it.

The greatsword had been the one unleashing the condensed energy, so its fabric had remained untouched. The spinning that had happened inside it had also compressed the black Qi, preventing its deadly properties from leaking out, so no damage had unfolded during the spell’s preparation.

Liam had bound the fan through his Qi and venom, sharing his features with it, saving it from potential damage, too, but everything else would be fair game for the compressed Qi. He had already risked hurting Grace in the carriage, but she might straight up die if caught in that attack, drowning in all-devouring blackness.

Still, power was power, and the technique had the potential to accompany Liam through the entirety of his cultivation journey. It used his natural Qi after all. Just like his venom, that energy would improve with him, enabling even stronger iterations.

Such was the value of the Demoness’ idea, of her energy beyond the limits of the Qi, and Liam was certain he would continue perfecting it in his own way.

The choked screams died out by the time Liam brought the greatsword back to his shoulder. Nothing was left of the Deacon since he had been the closest to the immediate expansion. He jumped, his feet landing on the fan that had just returned after finishing off the survivors.

Everything had happened too quickly for the other two teams to react, but they were still there, and Liam couldn’t allow it. Now that he had chosen battle, he had to kill everyone and do it quickly to prevent complications from arising.

Letting someone go would attract reinforcements, and Liam couldn’t move yet. At the same time, heated battles risked disturbing Grace, and that had to be avoided, too.

So, Liam threw a body-enhancing pill in his mouth as he flew to his left. Of the two remaining teams, the one in that direction was more numerous and slightly higher up the mountain, becoming his next priority target.

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