Legacy of Hatred-Chapter 99: Combat lessons
Liam’s eyes lit up hearing that. Unknowingly to him, the punishment had expired. He could finally step outside his cave, and the news instantly rearranged his schedule.
’I can look for the ingredients and start working on the improved recipe,’ Liam thought. ’I can also check the inner disciples’ mission board to compare prices and rewards.’
Naturally, Liam’s thoughts involved none other than the poison required for his breakthrough, which featured a series of troublesome hindrances.
Truth be told, Liam already had the poison’s recipe. The information had been among his studies, and his Master had even confirmed its viability for the goal.
The problems started there.
Due to Liam’s miraculous talent, he had to pick the virtually best rank 1 poison in existence, or among the best, since he had to remove recipes involving alchemical ingredients that the Sect and that area of the Kingdom lacked.
Such a high-quality poison obviously involved a complicated concoction process, something that Liam still lacked the skill to perform.
Moreover, the required ingredients were valuable, and Liam needed several sets of those to ensure a successful concoction while accounting for mistakes and practice.
Liam’s status could earn him one set for free, but the others probably had to come out of his own pockets, which were currently empty.
If that wasn’t enough, Liam also had to adjust the recipe to his core’s personal needs. He didn’t only need a powerful poison. His dantian demanded something suitable, too.
The way to do that was obvious. Liam had to use the black alchemical flame throughout the concoction since it fed on his true Qi, meaning he had to test what could survive that practice, increasing the number of sets of ingredients the goal demanded.
And, worst of all, Liam would be completely alone there. His Master morally opposed any form of aid. That was Liam’s test to overcome, both as an alchemist and a cultivator. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺
The many hindrances almost pushed Liam to delay the matter. After all, he could spend that time getting better at concoctions in general, building the foundation that would help him attain that complicated goal.
Nevertheless, those two practices didn’t necessarily exclude each other. Liam could still work on general alchemy while arranging the pieces necessary for what promised to be his last concoction as a foundation expert.
Also, if Liam had to be completely honest, he was dying to breathe air that didn’t smell like his cave.
So, Liam quickly finished washing up and donned a clean robe before hurrying outside, only to discover that Joel had waited for him to come out.
"Junior Brother," Joel greeted, bowing. "How nice it is to see a friendly face after so long."
Liam promptly bowed, too, failing to say anything due to the sensations hitting his perception. Joel felt stronger than he recalled. He was still a rooting expert, but his cultivation had clearly advanced through that stage.
And, knowing what had caused that change also hinted at the reason behind Joel’s presence. Updating Liam about the punishment’s expiration fell among Joel’s duties as a member of the disciplinary committee, but his lingering in front of the cave was for a different reason.
"Senior Brother, I don’t blame you for telling the truth to the Elders," Liam reassured. "I would have done the same."
Joel retained his bowing stance but lifted his head, looking at Liam through his honest, intense, warrior-like expression, seemingly pleased that he had connected those clues without anyone’s help.
"Your training with the Alchemy Elder is paying off," Joel praised, straightening himself. "Junior Brother is sharper than ever, but I’m still sorry to have ratted you out."
"Senior Brother couldn’t have lied to the Elders anyway," Liam reassured again before expressing his confusion. "But what do rats have to do with anything?"
Joel blinked but soon exploded into an amused chuckle, ignoring the matter altogether. "Allow me to walk with you today. Declaring our friendship to the Sect is the least I can do to repay you."
Surprisingly, Liam had no problems understanding that, either, mainly since it concerned something that had been in his mind. The entire Sect had probably heard about his deeds by then, and that would be his first opportunity to see the repercussions.
Still, it felt nice to discover that Joel had meant every word. Even after obtaining the mineral, he stuck with his promise, wanting to side publicly with Liam despite whatever rumor existed.
’He must be clueless, too, since his mandatory seclusion just ended,’ Liam thought before something even nicer claimed his attention.
Fresh, cozy air invaded Liam’s nostrils. Bright sunlight shone in his vision, and general cheerfulness tickled every corner of his perception. The mountain remained somewhat cold at those heights, but the change was undeniable.
Spring had arrived, and summer seemed to be just around the corner.
"Time truly flies," Joel commented when understanding what Liam was focusing on. "You’ll see, Junior Brother. The Sect is beautiful in summer."
"Will Senior Brother be here or away for the Sect’s missions?" Liam asked, diverting his gaze from the scenery beyond the path to climb toward the second plateau.
"Sect’s missions, most likely," Joel sighed, walking alongside Liam. "I wish I could have spent more time cultivating, but maybe this is for the best."
Liam wanted to ask more, but didn’t. He had to respect his fellow cultivators’ secrets, and his first question had simply been an attempt to make conversation, something he had read he should do.
Liam felt he had succeeded, so he didn’t want to screw things up by talking again.
"The mineral you and Junior Sister retrieved is limited," Joel revealed on his own, noticing Liam’s suppressed curiosity. "I figured I could save what I have left for the breakthrough. Being stuck doing missions should earn me enough contribution points to find another way in the meantime."
’Cultivators sure plan ahead,’ Liam considered. ’I’m doing the same, but I might have to push it further.’
Liam’s cultivation journey had basically started at the bottleneck. He had no experience with the gradual advance through a stage. So, managing resources and preparing valuable ingredients ahead of time were skills he had to acquire.
It was past midday, so Liam didn’t expect many people to be on the second plateau, and his ears vouched for that. However, the sight of the two familiar figures there halted his steps anyway.
The Disciplinary Elder had his muscular arms crossed while watching Melissa perform battle stances. She had tied her golden hair in an unflattering bun, and sweat already covered her all over, but her eyes were as resolute as when Liam first met her.
Of course, Melissa was also as beautiful as ever despite those unceremonious looks, rekindling bashful memories that Liam had been unable to suppress.
’She has been out for two months already,’ Liam recalled, trying to push away whatever his brain was brewing.
Liam and Joel’s arrival didn’t go unnoticed. The Disciplinary Elder threw a glare at them, only for Melissa to do something far more shocking.
Melissa almost jumped to her feet, her wide eyes glued to Liam. She lingered a whole second in that inspection before looking down at her sweaty robe, prompting her to perform a quick bow at the Elder and run away.
Needless to say, Liam was totally lost. His interaction with Joel had almost made him believe that his extensive reading had fixed his social ineptitude, but that confusing reaction shattered his hopes.
"Senior Brother, did I do something wrong?" Liam asked, catching a glimpse of the amused smirk Joel hid, before something else claimed his attention
A suffocating presence invaded the plateau, accompanied by heavy steps. The Disciplinary Elder approached Liam, ignoring the bows and greetings toward him, to utter his stern order.
"Temporary Sect’s directives demand that inner disciples in the foundation stage must attend daily combat lessons," The Disciplinary Elder declared. "Disciple Liam, I expect to see you here at dawn from now on."
