Legacy of Hatred-Chapter 85: Perspective

A wave of exhaustion rushed through Liam as he straightened himself and stretched his right shoulder once more, only allowing one tired sigh to escape his mouth.

Clearly, Liam had gone overboard. Even the so-called divine ten spiritual roots and his complete foundation had limits, and he hadn’t hesitated to abuse them.

The amount of Qi depleted by the Seismic Palm was up to the user, but that place’s secret doors were sturdy, and Liam would obviously employ deadly force when fighting. He had used his martial arts at full force every time, accelerating the arrival of his exhaustion.

Nevertheless, that had also been the whole point behind Liam’s choice of a martial art. His superior amount of Qi had allowed him to unleash deadly attacks in quick succession, something that no average cultivator had the stamina for.

Randall had been the perfect example of that. Even if he had managed to take Liam by surprise, his attack would have led to an advantageous battle, not a direct victory, emboldened by the fact that his opponent might have lacked the energy to rely on his killing move again.

’I made the right choice,’ Liam nodded to himself. ’I couldn’t have accomplished this much with a different martial art.’

Of course, Liam now had to pay the price for that extreme abuse. His Qi reserves were almost depleted, and his circulation technique needed time to refill his body.

Breathing some of the cloud’s smoke had been the only saving grace. That revitalizing poison had urged Liam’s core to produce more Qi, which the circulation technique didn’t hesitate to start refining.

Yet, that wasn’t a quick process, and Liam didn’t know how much time he had. A quick inspection of his surroundings was actually enough to reject that idea.

The vaguely circular chamber was far from isolated. The secret door Liam had broken was only one of the many holes and passages that stretched from its wall and ceiling.

Chances were the magical beasts living in that lair could invade the chamber at any moment, and Liam was in no condition to face a prolonged fight.

At the same time, advancing without taking a break carried the same risks. Instead, the chamber was safe and silent for now, other than featuring the mineral that the whole mission was about.

’Rest it is,’ Liam decided, the corpse under him reclaiming his gaze.

Liam had ended up killing once again, but his perspective on it had undoubtedly changed after his Master’s inspirational speech.

Killing still felt empty. There was no satisfaction or happiness to be found in that heinous act.

However, there was something else now. On the outside, it might look as if Liam had killed out of mere survival and retribution, but his mind had featured a fiery resolve throughout it.

There had been a strange desire behind Liam’s actions, a will to face life on his own terms that wasn’t the result of sad necessity but active ambition.

And Liam had to admit that it felt fine, not good, but nice nonetheless. The emptiness wasn’t burdensome. He didn’t experience the usual sadness, nor did he see himself as some kind of unworthy evil man.

Liam was only pursuing his way of life, and he had the same right as everyone else to do so. It was really that simple, but it had taken the Alchemy Elder’s speech to allow Liam to see that point under a new light.

’Master, thank you,’ Liam said in his mind. He was still clueless about much, but he had finally developed a firm foundation that could allow him to advance through life without second-guessing or blaming himself.

Most importantly, that firm foundation gave Liam the chance to welcome more than his revenge and Ancestral Snake’s hatred into his life. He could and wanted to have more now, but he needed strength for that.

Liam could connect his overwhelming victory to three main factors. He had a superior mindset compared to his fellow young cultivators. He played by the rules of the real world, which had none, unleashing a deadly decisiveness that his opponent lacked.

Liam also had a sharp battle sense, which had helped him choose the martial arts suited to his superior talent, creating quite a meaningful advantage.

Ultimately, Liam had to account for the pill, which fell into the resources category. Most of his recent success was actually thanks to that item.

Still, the superior mindset’s advantage would eventually vanish once Liam met more experienced enemies. Martial arts and items also took time to master and prepare, but the latter featured an exception.

The chamber had four cultivators who knew about the mission’s dangers. Liam’s sudden attacks might have prevented them from relying on some of their preparations, but that didn’t mean that they had failed to make them.

Chances were the four might have brought something at the same level as Liam’s pill to the mission, and finding it would instantly increase one aspect of the strength he needed.

So, Liam ignored Randall and went to check the other bodies. Jason had died instantly, while Milo seemed to have bled to death in a matter of seconds, but a faint heartbeat still existed among that silence.

Neil was barely breathing. The left side of his chest and anything beneath it had collapsed, slowly draining away his life, but his body was clinging to it.

Liam didn’t hesitate to reach the fainted young man, ideas running through his mind. Neil had useful information about the place, both when it came to its secret rewards and escape paths, but Liam only saw problems in keeping him alive. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

After all, Liam was a poor judge of lies and social interactions, and Neil would only be a burden in his injured state, and an unwanted one at that. So, Liam placed his foot on his neck and pressed down until cracking noises resounded.

Neil died on the spot, removing the last variable from the chamber, prompting Liam to kneel to start going through his belongings, only for a strange scent to reach his nostrils.

The scent was humid, even wet, but split into two different sources. Liam smelled water but also sweat, and the latter felt familiar. Moreover, that odor was nearby, seemingly a few meters to his right, and he pretended not to notice it before suddenly shooting in its direction.

There was nothing on Liam’s path, but his numb arm reached forward anyway, surprisingly grabbing something solid among the empty air.

Liam promptly pushed that something back, slamming it on the rocky wall, which revealed its true nature. Trails of vapor became visible, and a vague silhouette took form and grew more detailed among their dispersion.

It was like the gradual lifting of a transparent, cloaking curtain, which eventually revealed Melissa, who Liam kept pressed against the wall from her shoulder.