Legacy of Hatred-Chapter 82: Cloud

Liam and Randall advanced through the just-discovered stone passage, wary of any odd detail. Still, the tunnel was perfectly straight, neither rising nor descending, featuring no turns or anything that could alert the two cultivators.

The only real oddity was with the stone passage’s brightness. The yellowish halo was far more intense there due to the higher concentration of glowing dust, which Liam couldn’t help but put at the center of his considerations.

’Where is all this coming from?’ Liam wondered. ’It can’t be just because I opened the door.’

The previous chamber had also been brighter than usual, but the collapse could explain that. Instead, the stone passage didn’t grow any dimmer as the two delved deeper into it, and the absence of damage on its surfaces left Liam with nothing to connect that feature to.

’Is it coming from the walls?’ Liam considered, not excluding the possibility of erosion that his sharp eyes couldn’t see. ’But they would be bright, too, in that case.’ 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Liam couldn’t be sure of that, but another explanation sounded more accurate. If he couldn’t blame the collapse, the breaking of the secret door, and the erosion, he had to conclude that the bright dust had always been there, or another source existed at the end of that passage.

Yet, the passage soon ended in a perfectly intact wall, seemingly rejecting that second hypothesis, but Liam knew better.

’This passage must have remained closed ever since the Sect collapsed,’ Liam calculated, ’The air doesn’t smell stale, so some magic should still be at work. As for the dust, it must have remained trapped here since the last opening.’

In Liam’s mind, that could only mean one thing. That wall wasn’t the end. There had to be another secret door that led to the source of that greater brightness.

Randall had remained silent throughout the advance, hiding his darker thoughts behind his closed mouth. Liam had even shown justified confidence in those environments, so Randall let him take the lead.

Still, some fear invaded Randall when he saw Liam wear his battle stance. His instincts told him to argue against it, but Liam immediately launched a violent palm strike, sending tremors everywhere.

Randall could only squeeze himself against the wall, hoping that the surface would save him from whatever collapse might follow. Yet, the faint tremors subsided before anything could break.

"Can you at least warn me first?!" Randall scolded, instinctively keeping his voice down.

Liam ignored Randall, instead focusing on his left palm, a muttered comment escaping his mouth. "That felt different."

Liam had unleashed enough Qi to pierce through an eventual secret door, but the wall had sent back different vibrations compared to earlier. His attack had still carved a palm-sized hole, but no wide cracks had opened from it, and the tremors had also spread through the tunnel.

’This must be a proper wall,’ Liam concluded. ’So, left or right?’

Liam tilted his head in thought, replaying the hurried escape and fall in his mind.

’We have always turned right,’ Liam recalled, ’Like spiraling down instead of descending straight.’

A vague layout formed in Liam’s mind. His time in Krosstoen’s mountain had given him a great sense of direction, allowing him to create a mental map of that underground place.

’It should be right again since it would bring us back to the center,’ Liam guessed.

Of course, that guess was unfounded. Nothing confirmed that the place only expanded downward. Those ruins could have branching paths leading farther away from the center that Liam had calculated, but trying to follow a pattern was better than acting blindly.

That wasn’t only due to the concern toward the passage’s structural integrity. The place still held many dangers, so Liam wanted to preserve his strength when possible. Tiredness had yet to arrive, but it would come if he kept launching Seismic Palms nonstop.

So, Liam faced the wall to his right and summoned his Qi, remembering to nod at Randall before unleashing his strike. Familiar vibrations immediately ran through his left arm, before welcome sounds reached his ears.

Liam’s palm pierced the wall and opened relatively horizontal cracks, which spread downward until rocks fell. Another short hole opened, revealing an even brighter passage.

Liam didn’t hesitate to crawl under the hole, and Randall promptly followed. Surprisingly, the new tunnel rose, even leading to sharp right turns that matched Liam’s mental layout. That Sect really seemed to expand concentrically, and reaching another dead end only emboldened Liam to push further.

Crumbling noises unfolded after Liam unleashed his martial arts on the wall in front of him. He hit the correct surface on his first try that time, opening a hole that led into a properly bright environment.

There was no tunnel ahead. Instead, crossing the hole led Liam to a chamber without the usual smooth surfaces. The four pillars connecting floor and ceiling were the only man-made elements, and the reason why immediately became clear.

The vaguely circular chamber had rocky surfaces, with many yellowish, bright spots that radiated Qi. The latter were everywhere, be it the uneven floor, wall, and ceiling. It seemed Liam had arrived at the mine Joel had been looking for.

Nevertheless, the bright environment couldn’t distract Liam. It couldn’t, since it contained something far more concerning. The yellowish mineral wasn’t the only trace of Qi. Three figures also radiated it while warily looking at Liam.

Neil, Milo, and Jason were also inside the chamber, gathered in a battle formation, startled by the sudden, limited crumbling. Yet, seeing Liam come out of the new hole made them relax and wear stiff smiles.

"Senior Liam!" Neil awkwardly greeted. "I’m glad to see you alive and well!"

Liam didn’t respond. His face had instantly grown cold, reeking of killing intent as he walked toward the trio. His stance couldn’t have been clearer, but the red group didn’t retreat.

Talent or not, Liam was alone. He couldn’t possibly be crazy enough to launch himself at three cultivators already in a battle formation. If anything, showing hesitation and fear toward his cold stance would give him social leverage.

Of course, the red trio greatly miscalculated what coursed through Liam’s mind. He wasn’t putting up an act. He wouldn’t even know how. Liam didn’t hesitate, either, since he had already made his decision back then.

Actually, only one thought managed to invade Liam’s brain during his chilling advance. ’Oh! That’s why Master said to use my sleeves.’

A swift gesture accompanied that realization. Liam swung his right arm, throwing a small pill at the trio. Neil and the others promptly stepped back, but the item exploded into a dark cloud when it hit the rocky floor, immediately engulfing them.