Legacy of Hatred-Chapter 104: Gap

After the nine kowtows, Liam hadn’t held anything back anymore. Ten spiritual roots aside, he trusted his Master with all his doubts, even the darkest ones. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The Alchemy Elder turned, too smart to have misconceptions about the origin of Liam’s question. He knew it was about Melissa and the core disciple who fancied her.

That threat had existed ever since Liam had returned from the mission, but he had only just realized its gravity.

"As a foundation expert?" The Alchemy Elder mentioned. "It’s impossible."

"But, Master," Liam exclaimed. "You said that alchemy is the only noble art-."

"I know what I said," The Alchemy Elder interrupted. "Now, disciple, what does the gap between different stages consist of?"

The sudden interrogation didn’t take Liam by surprise. It was actually a common occurrence, which he was ready to tackle.

"Greater Qi reserves," Liam listed, "Better Qi."

"And what does that imply?" The Alchemy Elder questioned.

"Better, greater effects when performing similar actions," Liam answered, "Access to superior arts, greater stamina, and higher resistance against inferior Qi."

Despite being a rank 1 martial art, a rooting expert would unleash greater effects when performing the Seismic Palm out of sheer virtue of superior Qi.

Moreover, rooting experts could make full use of rank 2 items and martial arts with stricter requirements. Their superior Qi even made rank 1 tools less effective against them, creating a theoretically insurmountable gap.

Of course, everything had limits, and Liam couldn’t help but glance at the shelves again. One of the containers there had eight of the same Poisonous Cloud pill he had used in the ruins. They were all rank 1, but their quantity might overcome that gap.

"That gap broadens with each superior cultivation stage," The Alchemy Elder explained. "Foundation experts are closer to rooting experts than rooting experts are to branching experts, and it only gets worse."

Liam nodded. He knew that part, and his lived experience even confirmed it. The Elders and the snake still felt somewhat unreachable after all.

"So, disciple, don’t get any strange ideas," The Alchemy Elder warned. "If a branching expert tries to kill you, use that art that left you half-dead last time and run away."

Liam diverted his gaze as a grim memory rose into his brain. He had obviously tested the Primal Urge during his seclusion, and things had often ended poorly. The Demonic Art was incredible, but its dangers were straight-up terrifying.

"Master," Liam called, tilting his head in confusion. "Why aren’t you telling me to stay away from Sister Melissa, then?"

Liam had made his decision, but wanted his Master’s opinion since he trusted his judgment.

"That core disciple would have found an excuse anyway," The Elder snorted. "I know how cultivators think. Even if you refused that girl, her behavior would have been enough to prompt a reaction."

Liam felt glad about his decision now. The Master-disciple relationship went beyond mere lessons. It involved moral guidance, too. It was no different from a son wanting to make his father proud.

"And the breakthrough follows the worsening trend," The Alchemy Elder added, sitting behind the cauldron, seemingly wanting to reassure Liam. "Becoming a branching expert is challenging and dangerous. That core disciple is likely to fail."

Liam could only believe his Master, so he seized a wooden case from the shelf and brought it to the cauldron for the usual inspection.

The Elder checked the dark-brown powder inside the case with his fingers, even smelling it, before giving his evaluation. "You poured the Plague Fruit’s juice too early."

’So that what it was,’ Liam exclaimed in his mind, seizing the pipe nearby to prepare it for his usual smoke, only for bashful thoughts to return to his mind.

"Foolish disciple," The Elder promptly scolded, hitting Liam’s head with his cane, easily reading his expression. "At least you aren’t an eunuch."

That familiar word led to some confusion, which Liam expressed after lighting the pipe. "Master, are you mad or not?"

"Mad?!" The Elder cried. "You are Horace Rauret’s disciple! Women should crawl at your feet in the presence of your greatness! The opposite would only bring shame to my name!"

’Why would women crawl anywhere?’ Liam wondered, only for the knock resounding from the entrance to distract him from topics he had decided not to overthink.

Opening the entrance revealed a series of pouches lying in front of it, which Liam didn’t hesitate to bring inside and show to his Master, who nodded in approval.

"Are these the ingredients the girl bought you?" The Elder asked. "She indeed did you a great kindness."

The pouches also featured the ingredients Liam had ordered earlier that day, but he remained in agreement with the Elder. If anything, holding those valuable items in his hands urged him to repay Melissa’s kindness.

"Disciple, you should repay kindness when possible," The Elder declared after reading Liam’s expression. "What do you have in mind?"

"Master, I’m thinking I can help Sister Melissa with her breakthrough," Liam immediately revealed.

"How?" The Elder questioned, resuming his interrogation.

"I can’t just add my Qi to water," Liam considered. "Maybe the Blank Leaves can work in a concoction. Better yet, I might mix it with a Qi-Storage pill or a specific elixir."

Those were actually good, creative answers, prompting the Elder to reward his disciple’s efforts with better explanations.

"Water cores’ nutrients usually require formation masters or large quantities of spirit stones," The Elder explained, "But your hypotheses might work. However, you lack the skills and ingredients to test them."

Liam completely agreed. Even if he decided to help Melissa with her cultivation, he still had to become a better alchemist first. His plan hadn’t changed, but that topic rekindled a previous doubt.

"Master, can cores evolve?" Liam questioned, taking a puff from his still-fuming pipe. "Sister Melissa said something similar in relation to high affinity."

"That is indeed the case," The Alchemy Elder admitted, "But it’s something that doesn’t really concern you."

"But, Master, isn’t my affinity to poison as incredible as my talent?" Liam wondered, repeating his Master’s words.

The genuine curiosity depicted on Liam’s face told the Elder that there was no escaping that topic, so he decided to deal with it now and never again.

"Dantians have a specific nature that reflects the Heavens’ elements," The Elder explained. "Fire, water, wind, earth, and metal are the five basic ones. Everything else stems from them."

Since poison wasn’t on the list, Liam understood that the explanation was far from over.

"Through a lucky combination of high-affinity, right nutrients, and environment," The Elder continued, "Dantians can evolve. Just like water becomes ice at low temperatures, a water core can turn into an ice core."

Needless to say, the topic had captivated Liam at that point.

"Complex elements are more intense and powerful than basic ones," The Elder revealed. "It’s why Disciple Melissa is an inner disciple. Many Elders believe her water core will evolve into an ice core."

’So poison is a complex element,’ Liam noted down in his mind.

"Although," The Elder uttered, throwing a less angry, knowing look at Liam. "That’s a belief coming from Disciple Melissa’s cold demeanor. From what I’ve seen, that girl is too fiery for ice."

Liam felt shy for some reason, diverting his gaze but holding the cheek where Melissa had kissed him, using a question to escape that tease. "Is it a rare occurrence?"

"Quite rare," The Elder confirmed, "And often demanding great talent. The last recorded one happened a few years ago. An eight-spiritual-roots genius from a Sect near the Inner Circles’ border evolved from fire to living fire."

Liam’s mind broadened. That topic was vaster than he thought. However, so were the Heavens, so he could accept those seemingly endless possibilities.

"Yet, that’s water and fire, two basic elements," The Elder pointed out. "Poison is a complex element. Even if everything about you is stupidly miraculous, an evolution is more unlikely than your talent. It would be impossible to replicate even with the help of Grandmasters."

’But my talent isn’t what Master thinks,’ Liam considered, deciding to probe a bit further.

"But, Master, wouldn’t it be good if my core evolved?" Liam questioned. "It would become even more powerful than poison, right?"

"Foolish disciple, what do you think poison can evolve into?" The Elder snorted. "Nothing good can come from something even more complex than that."

"Why?" Liam wondered. "Is it because of the nutrients?"

"That," The Elder sighed, diverting his gaze, "And because you would be dead, quite literally."