Legacy of Hatred-Chapter 54: Martial arts

The Alchemy Elder glared at Liam for a few seconds before snorting in annoyance, waving his sleeve in dismissal. "Leave now. Cultivators are tough, especially those with nine spiritual roots, but injuries still shouldn’t be taken lightly."

’Is he worried about me now?’ Liam wondered, quickly dismissing the idea due to everything he had learned that day.

However, after Liam stood up, performed a bow, and turned to leave, the Alchemy Elder called him again.

"Discip-," The Alchemy Elder said before clearing his throat. "Kid, give that thing to me. There won’t be any unsanctioned training under my supervision."

Some unwillingness rose through Liam. He understood what the Alchemy Elder wanted, but handing it to him would deprive him of his only means of nourishing his core.

However, Liam couldn’t really refuse, and something did work in his favor. His foundation was complete, and the drug had fulfilled its purpose. He couldn’t rely on it to get stronger anymore.

So, Liam drew the small container from his bloodied robe, and the Elder snatched it from his hand before he could offer it to him, even uttering another snort and nodding at the exit.

Liam could only leave at that point, but the Elder remained on his feet, staring at the closing doors before looking down at the container. He studied it, first with his eyes and nose, then by dipping his tongue in the transparent ointment, only to spit it out right afterward.

"In what kind of hell did he get this?" The Alchemy Elder muttered to himself, throwing another look at the container before storing it inside his loose robe.

As for Liam, he barely noticed his surroundings while descending back to the Outer Hall. Too much had happened that day, both physically and spiritually, filling his mind with heavy thoughts.

First, there was the whole disillusionment about the Sect. Liam had finally seen that world’s true face, or rather, he had accepted how deeply it went, making him wary of his own naivety.

Then, there was the final, undeniable confirmation of the existence of the tenth spiritual root. Liam had seen it with his own eyes, or mind. His talent wasn’t only miraculous anymore. It was the stuff of literal legends.

Ultimately, there was the realization of the cultivation journey’s hurdles. Liam had to admit that he had underestimated or failed to consider what the necessity of eating poison would mean for him, but not anymore.

The comparison with trees helped bring understanding, but cultivators weren’t plants. They were humans, so what their cores saw as nutrients could end their lives.

Actually, the situation promised to be even worse for Liam. Aside from the whole affinity thing, the Alchemy Elder had stressed how many powerful nutrients Liam would need to keep improving, and that while thinking that he only had nine spiritual roots.

If nine roots were enough to earn such a solemn speech, Liam couldn’t even begin to think what ten would imply. Still, he could consider a different aspect of that challenge.

’How good of an alchemist do I need to become to concoct poisons strong enough for my core?’ Liam wondered.

Liam had initially been partial about that idea, but he couldn’t reject it anymore. It was now beyond obvious that he needed to become an alchemist, and a great one at that, to hope to reach the higher stages of the cultivation journey.

After all, it stood to reason that only good alchemists could make powerful poisons, and Liam might get to the point when he would need the most powerful of them all.

Actually, since the Dragon King probably was Liam’s target, that possibility sounded like an absolute certainty.

’At least,’ Liam eventually thought, recalling everything he had heard about the Sect’s Alchemical Hall, ’The Alchemy Elder should be good, right? He even said that he was famous in the Inner Circles.’

That detail intensified Liam’s interest, making him look forward to his next lesson with that grumpy Elder, but reaching the Outer Hall distracted him from those thoughts.

The plateau had become silent. The crowd of disciples had dispersed, and the same went for Lucy, Erik, Elder June, and the wolf’s carcass. Only the Disciplinary Elder was still in the area, waiting for Liam in the empty hall.

"Disciple Liam," The Disciplinary Elder greeted. "I hope your meeting with our esteemed Alchemy Elder went well."

Before that day, Liam might have directly revealed the discovery of his complete foundation. However, despite still feeling that urge, he suppressed it now.

Of course, the disillusion didn’t suddenly turn Liam into a great liar, so he opted for silence and a customary bow.

"Come," The Disciplinary Elder ordered, nodding, not thinking much about Liam’s silence. "I promised you a martial art, but we must deal with your injuries first."

Liam immediately straightened himself, that clearly excited gesture putting a smirk on the Disciplinary Elder’s face. Still, the latter didn’t dwell on additional speeches, instead heading for the hut connected to the communal baths.

Liam quickly followed along, only for the Elder to stop before the rocky tunnel. Someone had already prepared bandages, leaving them in the hut.

"Elder June immersed these bandages in a medical ointment herself," The Disciplinary Elder explained, turning to face Liam. "Show me your injuries."

Liam did as told, his arms slipping out of his robe to expose his torso. The Elder promptly circled him, spotting the teeth marks on his chest and hand and the cuts on his back before starting to wrap the bandages on them.

"What you did today was brave and inspiring," The Disciplinary Elder praised. "The wolf you killed was a level one magical beast, meaning comparable to foundation experts in strength, but you killed it without using martial arts."

’Level one,’ Liam repeated in his mind while the Elder kept applying the itchy bandages, his brain replaying scenes from the battle.

If Liam had to be honest, the magical beast had looked more powerful than the average foundation expert, which sort of made sense. Many animals were naturally stronger than humans, so their Qi-driven empowerment would retain that superiority.

Adding the wolf’s innate weapons to the equation created a creature that Qi-empowered humans couldn’t face through their mere bodies. Liam had done that, but he had his complete foundation, ten spiritual roots, and the Divine Cult’s training on his side.

"Disciple Liam, how did you kill the magical beast?" The Disciplinary Elder asked since Liam remained silent, and he opted for a short version of the truth.

"I went for a sacrificial play," Liam revealed. "I knew that I could deliver a fatal blow if I could force it to expose itself."

"That shows praiseworthy battle sense and great thinking," The Disciplinary Elder praised again, stopping in front of Liam to nod. "However, a cultivator’s true strength comes from his Qi, and martial arts are its highest expression."

Liam could only believe the Disciplinary Elder. As far as he knew, the Elder had no reason for lying, and something like the Fiery Fists had definitely looked cool enough to earn such a high evaluation.

"You seem to know your way around battles," The Disciplinary Elder exclaimed. "So, according to today’s battle, what kind of martial arts do you think would have helped you defeat the magical beast more easily?"