Legacy of Hatred-Chapter 69: Ambition

The statement was beyond cold and chilling. If it had featured different words, Liam wouldn’t have hesitated to take it as a threat to his life, and the jury was still out on that subject.

However, chilling didn’t mean emotionless. In the Elder’s case, it was actually the opposite. Something profound and unfathomably resolute stood at the statement’s foundation. It was the uncompromising and inspirational ambition of an expert who had figured life out.

And, for the first time in Liam’s life, something scorching started to boil inside him, as if part of his very being had taken fire.

It wasn’t that Liam lacked strong emotions, but they had always been quite dark and depressing. His goal probably stretched as far as the cultivation world went, but he pursued it with no enjoyment. Actually, Liam was certain that fulfilling it would bring him no satisfaction.

Liam’s ambition was sad and no different than a foreign compulsion that got in the way of whatever innocent and positive emotion his discoveries and achievements tried to create.

Yet, the Alchemy Elder embodied the very opposite outlook on life. Everything about him looked cold, but the greatest and hottest fire in the world fueled it.

"The world is cruel," The Alchemy Elder announced, slowly turning toward Liam, "But the cruelest person can force it to abide by fair rules."

The Alchemy Elder stepped forward, his figure growing even more threatening despite his lowered cane.

"Cultivators are ruthless," The Elder declared, "But the most ruthless of them all can enforce peaceful order."

Liam was frozen, but not due to that dangerous vibe. Despite having already heard and considered a different version of those teachings, the Elder’s words resonated deeply inside him, as if stirring something he didn’t know about or directly giving birth to it.

"Make no mistake," The Elder exclaimed, stopping before Liam, pointing his cane at his face. "Cultivating is an act of defiance against the natural order, against the Heavens!"

Liam was speechless but completely captivated. He ignored the cane, his black eyes glued to the intense, icy-blue glare on him.

"Cultivators seek to elevate themselves beyond their natural standing," The Elder continued. "They seek to overcome the limits the Heavens have placed on their lives and very being."

That was a profound but undeniable statement. Liam didn’t know about its philosophical repercussions, but it remained utterly correct. Humans were supposed to be mortals, but even someone as new as Liam could completely disregard the latter.

"This is what we do," The Elder uttered. "We elevate ourselves so that we can mold life and the world to our needs. Through power, we make new rules, our rules."

"What if I don’t know what I want?" Liam couldn’t help but ask. Desiring revenge wasn’t the same as whatever fueled the Elder’s powerful stance. It might be for some, but Liam knew it wasn’t for him.

"Do you truly not know?" The Elder questioned, his tone solemn. "Did you endure your little secret out of mere survival instincts like a simple beast?"

The Elder knew that wasn’t the case. It wouldn’t have been possible. High affinity to poison or not, everyone had a breaking point. It was true for animals and humans, but Liam hadn’t lost his will to fight despite surviving an unknown hell.

Of course, the Elder didn’t know everything. Liam also had the Ancestral Snake and the hatred he had inherited as a driving force, but they remained external factors. They might match his personal desire for revenge, but that wasn’t all he had.

"It’s vague," Liam admitted, feeling that his other desire was too unclear to deserve such a powerful, uncompromising stance. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Is it?" The Elder asked. "Speak it!"

"I want the strength to decide what’s right or wrong for myself," Liam timidly revealed, recalling his decision after escaping from the Divine Cult. "I don’t want to be at the whims of others anymore."

"And do you think your wish is less worthy than someone else’s?" The Elder scoffed.

Liam didn’t really know how to answer. Consciously, he didn’t believe that. He had come to that conclusion rationally, after experiencing much of the evil life had to offer, and he had even acted upon it.

However, if Liam had to be honest, confusing hesitation still existed inside him. He was a murderer. He was a bad man on a bad path, and he didn’t know how to reconcile that with the good sides of life he wanted to explore and protect.

Truth be told, Liam’s little experience in life was to blame for that confusion. His young age and cluelessness only allowed him to consider two extremes, preventing him from believing or even accepting the existence of middle grounds.

Naturally, Liam’s hesitation led to a scolding, but not through the cane. The Elder delivered a sudden slap to his cheek, which released a loud noise, but somehow didn’t hurt at all. It only forced Liam to refocus on his Master.

"It doesn’t matter how vague it is," The Elder declared, "Or how small and trivial it sounds. It doesn’t even matter if you think you are less worthy than others."

"Master, what matters then?" Liam probed.

"Whether you want it!" The Elder responded, almost shouting. "And if you do, never shame yourself with half-assed resolve! Impose your will on the world! Make your way of life the only truth!"

It was simple, really. It didn’t matter how realistic it was, if it was possible in the first place, or if a moral conflict made it irreconcilable with reality. As long as Liam desired it, it held value, and the world couldn’t have a say in it.

The world could only try to stop Liam.

"And if the Heavens come to exact their price," The Alchemy Elder added, "You laugh in their face and fight them, emboldened by a life lived without remorse."

The fire inside Liam burned with newfound intensity, but he felt the need to ask a relevant question first. "Master, do you not regret getting hurt?"

"Never!" The Alchemy Elder declared. "I, Horace Rauret, have lived and still live my life exactly how I want. My only fault was not being good enough to reach even greater heights!"

For someone so loud and seemingly arrogant, the Alchemy Elder faced his mistakes head-on, never once hiding behind them or trying to shift the blame, and Liam couldn’t help but admire that.

More than admiring, Liam even resonated with that sentiment.

"Master, I’ve been weak, cowardly, and helpless," Liam admitted. "I never want to feel or be like that ever again in my life."

"Then, claim strength," The Elder declared, "And not only when it’s handed to you. Seize the opportunity whenever it appears, even if you don’t think you need it. Defy the odds and never be satisfied! Complacency is the sin of the weak!"

And Liam understood. He had been complacent. He was the first to acknowledge his ignorance of the cultivation world, but somehow had felt confident enough to refuse an opportunity to get stronger.

That wasn’t an option. The Divine Cult might reappear at any moment, and the Dragon King himself could suddenly descend from the sky. Liam needed everything he could and more just to hope to survive his forbidden heritage, let alone enforce his desires among that mess.

"I will, Master," Liam promised, only for the cane to hit his head, pouring cold water on the fire the Alchemy Elder had lit.

"There’s ambition," The Elder said, "And then there’s recklessness. Since you’ll be facing dangers, you need to prepare accordingly."

"Prepare how?" Liam wondered, only for the cane to hit him again and remind him to utter another word. "Master."

"I hadn’t planned this to happen so soon," The Alchemy Elder revealed, "But it seems you’ll be doing your first concoction tonight."