Lancelot couldn’t fly, not really, so his slow descent eventually brought him to the ground between the crowd and Grace.

Yet, by then, the crowd had exploded into a cacophony of murmurs.

"I heard these names,"

"I know! He’s the famous eight-spiritual-roots genius!"

"The one whose core evolved to living fire?"

"Yes! But why is he here? The Secret Jade Sect is near the Inner Circles."

Liam heard everything, and dots had connected in his mind long before that. He recalled his Master mentioning the living fire when discussing the dantians’ evolution. He just couldn’t understand what that famous genius was doing in such distant reaches of the Kingdom.

Of course, Liam hadn’t known the Ancestral Phoenix’s bloodline was involved, but Lancelot’s behavior made more sense after he compared him to Anastasia.

"Senior Lancelot, you are a most welcome client," Grace said, her brain also having caught up with Lancelot’s identity. "However, Master William has no interest in fighting. He prioritizes alchemy above all else."

"Wow, how did I not notice such an enchanting woman?" Lancelot exclaimed before clearing his throat and performing a half-bow. "Fairy, once I’m done with my fight, would you be willing to accompany me on a night stroll and discuss matters of love while we gaze at the stars?"

For the first time since the beginning of the performance, Grace felt her business mask was about to slip, something even Elder Dominic had failed to achieve.

"No," Grace bluntly rejected, but Lancelot had already refocused on the sitting figure behind her.

"You would have blocked it, wouldn’t you?" Lancelot questioned, his smile growing heated.

Liam was still keeping track of everything, especially the level of threat Lancelot posed. His title as Head Disciple suggested he was Maxwell’s equal, but Liam felt something more from him, and it wasn’t hard to guess its source.

Lancelot was at the peak of the rooting stage, which meant having sixty-four minor roots with his talent, on top of whatever else his bloodline had provided.

"Senior Lancelot," Grace called, leaning right to hide Liam’s figure. "Master William won’t fight."

"Ah, but he wants to," Lancelot pointed out. "I can feel the dark fire inside him. He wields passion so scorching he risks burning himself and the world with it."

Lancelot then glanced at Grace, half-bowing again. "Fairy, your passion is quite outstanding, too. I would want nothing more than to spend tonight hearing about it."

Grace had to make a conscious effort to suppress the disgust rising on her face, but Liam ended up being the one helping her now.

A brief tide of smoke rose from behind Grace, making her turn in time to catch the tall, cloaked figure reaching her side, his hood pointing at Lancelot.

"Why do you want to fight me?" Liam asked.

"Because you are the only one worth fighting in this entire valley," Lancelot declared.

Lancelot didn’t make any sense, but he didn’t need to. Just like with Anastasia, he was prey to the Passion his bloodline had cursed him with, something Liam could understand better than anyone else.

However, understanding didn’t imply acceptance, but there were ways to connect the two.

"Money," Liam announced, stretching his hand. "You want to fight me, pay me."

The confusion was widespread, with only two exceptions. Lancelot’s smile broadened, while Liam remained calm, cold calculations occupying his mind.

The new powder used two rank 2 ingredients instead of one, but Liam’s smoking pace hadn’t changed, meaning his daily expenses had increased significantly.

The shop was doing well, even too well, but Liam knew he needed more. If not immediately, to prepare for what his cultivation would inevitably demand.

Alchemy was one way of getting there, but Liam wouldn’t shy away from fighting if Lancelot made it worth his time.

Also, Liam had yet to fight even once after reaching the rooting stage, and there was a limit to what tests in seclusion could achieve.

Liam might have hunted down someone at Lancelot’s level, but a proper fight was something else, and he wanted to see where he stood.

Someone else joined the area during the tense silence. A rooting expert, a woman with long black hair and a perfect fringe, jumped over the audience to land at Lancelot’s side, not hesitating to bow at Grace and Liam.

"Fellow Daoist, please forgive what offense the Young Master might have caused," The woman apologized. "I’ll represent the Secret Jade Sect in bearing the expense of repaying this insult."

The woman’s arrival triggered another wave of confusion, but Lancelot remained immune to it.

"Sister," Lancelot called, "Pay Master William and the enchanting Fairy. I can’t fight him otherwise."

The woman snapped up, heaving a sigh at Lancelot’s smiling expression. She knew things had already degenerated beyond her control.

"Fellow Daoists," The woman addressed Liam and Grace. "How much?"

Liam tilted his hood toward Grace. That was her part to handle, and she didn’t hesitate to throw a glare at him before crossing her arms to provide a reply.

"Master William is crucial to my business," Grace declared. "He might suffer injuries that would leave him unable to perform alchemy, especially against a famous genius like Senior Lancelot."

Grace hoped that her statement would have defused the situation, or at least made the two silver-robed rooting experts hesitate, but nothing of the sort happened, forcing her to name a price.

"When accounting for the risk and the loss we’d face even without it," Grace announced, "Forty thousand spirit stones."

Gasps resounded among the audience. Even Liam blinked under his hood. That amount was four times what he now owned, which was the most he had ever possessed.

Of course, that was another attempt at deterring the fight. Grace believed the number was too absurd for a single battle, but the woman merely waved her hand.

Tinkling noises filled the area, creating an endless cacophony that widened all the eyes looking at their source. Even Grace couldn’t help but be taken aback at the sea of crystals that expanded on the ground, creating a translucent, miniature mountain chain.

It took a whole minute for the process to stop, enough for the crowd to go from shock to greed. Lifetimes of wealth were literally resting on the ground in front of the audience, within its reach, but no one moved, not yet at least.

"Do Fellow Daoists need to count them?" The woman’s voice resounded from behind the piles of crystals.

Grace did a double-take before the greed she saw among the audience forced her to act. A wave of her hand made the sea of crystals vanish inside her ring, pouring cold water on whatever the crowd was experiencing, but also marking the inevitability of the deal.

"Give us a bit," Grace declared. "Master William must prepare."

"Enchanting Fairy, I’ll wait right here," Lancelot stated, throwing a charming smile at Grace, which she completely ignored to look meaningfully at Liam.

Liam heard the silent order and retrieved his belongings, following Grace inside the tent before stuffing them in the space-ring, smelling that he would have to deal with her scoldings first.

"Why did you accept before consulting me first?!" Grace voiced a suppressed cry. "Do you know who he is?! He’s not an opponent you can fight!"

"I heard about him," Liam confirmed, summoning his pipe, "But the descendants of the Ancestral Phoenix can’t be reasoned with. Also, he gave us a lot of money."

Grace’s anger vanished when she heard "Us". Fighting was different than concocting. She might have handled the deal, but Liam would be putting his life on the line, so that money was rightfully his.

But alliances had a different meaning for Liam, and Grace finally saw to what extent, while he closed his eyes to deal with the dizziness smoking caused.

Liam frowned while struggling to maintain his balance. That was the drawback of the new powder. While not harmful, it still debilitated him for a few seconds.

Liam’s cultivation simply wasn’t advanced enough to deal with those poisonous properties as effortlessly as before, but the benefits were immense.

Even when wavering, Liam focused on his pulsating canvas and saw his minor roots grow noticeably. The process was way faster, almost making him think that a few of those would develop completely soon.

When the debilitating dizziness waned, Liam found Grace holding his arm, keeping him steady out of fear that he might fall. Yet, she had also worn a smile that never failed to make him feel in danger.

"My dear William," Grace chirped. "As my first and only friend, it’s only normal that we must make money together forever and ever, so don’t even think about getting injured or dying."

Grace let go of Liam to release his half of the spirit stones afterward, and he couldn’t help but consider a miscalculation as the crystals hit the carpet. ’How do I fight someone at Maxwell’s level without trying to kill him?’