Legacy of Hatred-Chapter 84: Betrayal

A mere fraction of a second after Liam threw his pill, Randall crossed the short hole to step into the vaguely circular chamber, obtaining first-row seats to the gruesome spectacle that followed. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Randall was unaware of the nature of Liam’s core. He only knew about his talent and Seismic Palm, which was already a lot for someone who had been inside the Sect for as little as a month.

Of course, Randall had also faced Liam’s dangerous battle prowess, but what unfolded in his eyes was something else entirely. The pill’s explosion and the cloud it created urged him to crawl back into the hole, and Liam’s actions almost made him act upon it.

What followed wasn’t a battle. It was a slaughter. Liam attacked swiftly and ruthlessly, showing no hesitation when unleashing moves with the sole purpose of reaping lives.

The sight was shocking in ways that Randall couldn’t put into words. There was no second-guessing nor the slightest trace of mercy in Liam’s attacks. He knew what he was doing and was good at it.

Moreover, it looked perfectly natural for Liam.

The cultivation world was ruthless, but Randall was relatively new to it. He had also spent most of his time in it inside the safety of the Pale Moon Sect, protected by rules, sheltered from the most gruesome aspects of that journey.

Also, no one had taught Randall to kill. He knew how, but he was young, and his life had never demanded that he develop any experience in it.

So, it stood to reason that Liam appeared like a complete monster, a demon through and through. Taking lives looked no different than breathing to him, as if he had trained for that from the moment he was born.

There, Randall realized something terrifying. All of Liam’s claims about killing had never been boasts or exaggerations. He had always meant every word, and Randall had somehow managed to insult such a frightening creature.

Of course, part of Randall had realized that ever since the sparring match, but seeing it unfold made it more real. Still, instead of running away or trying to patch up that relationship, resolve surged in Randall’s mind, accompanied by calculations.

Liam had used the Seismic Palm three more times to reach that bright chamber. Randall couldn’t see what unfolded inside the dark cloud, but he could confirm that Liam relied on his martial arts at least in two additional instances to deal with Neil and Jason.

That put the total count to eight, nine if Randall included the small tournament. Moreover, the amount of Qi Liam had released had been far from inconsequential. Even Randall would be almost drained after that, so he guessed that Liam had to be close to his limit.

The equation was simple. Theoretically, Liam was almost out of Qi in a location that offered complete secrecy. A similar opportunity would probably never stand before Randall ever again, and that fearsome scene urged him to exploit it.

So, when Liam straightened himself up, inspecting the dead Jason, Randall unleashed the Ghost Step, not daring to summon the Jade Skin out of fear that the genius’ sharp perception might notice it.

The timing was perfect. Liam had just won a battle and was finally catching a breath, relaxing both in mind and spirit, hopefully lowering his guard.

The angle of the attack was also ideal. Randall went for Liam’s blind spot, right behind his back, limiting the possibility of counterattacks and defensive maneuvers to the utmost.

The Ghost Step even made Randall completely silent, basically removing his presence. Taking Liam by surprise was a certainty, which could grant Randall the initiative throughout the rest of the battle.

Nevertheless, despite all those ideal variables, Liam ended up moving a fraction of a second before Randall could reach him. Liam’s elbow abruptly rose backward, landing in the exact spot where Randall’s nose arrived.

The crash was unavoidable and violent. It was as if Liam had predicted how and where the attack would have unfolded, taking Randall by surprise before he could change direction.

Actually, the surprise effect worsened the blow since Randall basically slammed onto Liam’s elbow, empowering it through his momentum.

Cracking noises immediately spread from Randall’s nose, accompanied by a torrent of blood from his nostrils. His body also tilted backward, losing his foothold and slamming on the uneven floor, hitting his head hard enough to make his vision spin.

Randall promptly activated his Jade Skin and tried to stand up, only for something to keep him down. Liam was already upon him, his foot on his throat while he spun his right arm, seemingly stretching it.

"How?!" Randall gasped, his voice dampened by his obstructed nostrils. "Did you receive a perception technique?! But when did you use it?!"

"You attack in the same way every time," Liam coldly revealed. "As soon as I felt your presence disappear, I knew you were coming and from where."

Randall’s eyes couldn’t help but widen. Liam was right. Randall had developed the habit of using the Ghost Step to attack from his opponents’ blind spots. That was a perfect winning move with little to no counterplay, but Liam had used it to his advantage.

"Wait!" Randall pleaded. "Forgive me! I’ll help you get out of here and give you two rank 1 items, even if I have to forsake my next reward from the Sect!"

Liam didn’t even hear those words. Instead, he voiced a genuine doubt that carried some of his blinding innocence. "Why did you attack me anyway? Didn’t we have a deal?"

The innocent tone didn’t match Liam’s cold face at all. Those conflicting features actually confused Randall, preventing him from considering whether lying was preferable, bringing the truth out of him.

"You are a far greater talent than I am," Randall explained. "If I killed you, I’d remain the Sect’s favorite."

’Oh!’ Liam exclaimed in his mind. ’It was a simple betrayal.’

Of course, Randall had also taken into consideration Liam’s fearsome killing skills. He didn’t want to compete against such a frightening opponent he had already insulted, especially when Liam was bound to surpass him due to his superior talent.

Still, Liam had no need for additional details. As soon as he understood what the matter had been about, he bent down and placed his left palm on Randall’s face. He would prefer to avoid using his martial arts again, but the metallic luster that Randall’s skin radiated left him no other option.

"Junior Brother!" Randall called, his brain in full panic. "We are fellow disciples! Killing each other is forbidden! The Elders will punish you!"

Randall actually used Liam’s past words in his plea, but they had no effect.

"I don’t care," Liam calmly said. "I want to kill you."

Randall opened his mouth, but only blood spurted out of it. The same went for his eyes, ears, and already broken nose since Liam unleashed the built-up Qi in his palm, turning his skull’s insides into a squashed pulp.