Legacy of Hatred-Chapter 90: Demonic Art

Liam carefully let Melissa go so that she could inspect the stone stands on her own. Still, she kept clinging to his sleeve, too absorbed in those findings to notice how used she had become to his support.

Unknowingly to Melissa, Liam’s kindness despite the discovery of one of his secrets had removed much of her wariness and barriers toward him, leading to that instinctive reliance on him.

The two went for the box first. Liam lifted its luxurious lid, and an intense presence of Qi immediately leaked out, soon showing its face in the form of a white pill resting on soft black tissue.

’Rank 2?’ Liam guessed through his perception, even leaning down to smell that white item, only for his nose to fail to capture anything.

Melissa also studied the pill through her eyes, but they soon went to Liam, and feeling her emotionless, detached gaze didn’t cause any confusion now.

"I don’t know what it is," Liam shook his head, slightly regretful.

Everything about that mission had highlighted how crucial alchemy could be for a cultivator, from its concoctions to the knowledge about its products. Yet, Liam’s knowledge was lacking despite his lucky finding of a famous Master.

’I need to study harder,’ Liam swore in his mind before closing the lid so that the pill’s Qi wouldn’t attract unwanted attention, moving to the other stand next.

Liam picked up the small tome and lowered it to his right so that both he and Melissa could read it before browsing through its contents.

’Primal Urge,’ Liam read. ’Extreme physical empowerment at the cost of the user’s sanity. High likelihood of self-injury and death due to heavy burden on body and dantian.’

The tome placed the technique in the second rank before moving to its complicated activation. Liam only skimmed through that part, but it seemed the martial art taught how to bypass the body and core’s natural limits to express superior but temporary strength.

That skimming was enough to confirm the martial art’s dangers. Even the Seismic Palm carried risks, so something that sounded far more extreme would obviously be worse in that regard.

However, Liam couldn’t help but grow interested, and for more than one reason.

’Can I endure these risks better than others?’ Liam wondered. ’Would this have greater effects on me?’

Liam’s had ten spiritual roots and the sturdy body that only the Ancestral Beasts’ bloodlines could create. He could theoretically endure far more than the average cultivator, and surpassing his unique limits promised to unleash far greater power.

Also, the safety of the Pale Moon Sect wouldn’t last forever. Randall’s death actually hinted at the fact that it had never existed in the first place.

As long as Liam pursued his desires, he was bound to add more enemies to his list, and many would be stronger than he was. They would prefer not to cross him otherwise.

Training, knowledge, and resources had limits. Meanwhile, the Primal Urge promised to be a trump card Liam could use in dire situations to overcome terrible odds he believed he would face eventually.

After all, Liam’s very bloodline had put him on such an impossible path, and having dangerous but powerful tools at his disposal could be one way of evening the playing field.

"Demonic Art," Melissa muttered while Liam was busy thinking, her more relaxed state saving her from her usual stammer.

"Is that how these are called?" Liam asked, and Melissa nodded, her detached gaze lingering on the tome before going to the luxurious case.

Liam understood the meaning behind that silent gesture, prompting him to ask a question. "Are you sure you prefer the pill even if you don’t know what it does?"

"I can t-trade it in the Se-ect," Melissa nodded before looking at Liam. "B-but you c-choose."

Melissa had no misconceptions there. Liam had saved her, had opened that secret room, and was helping her through her injury. If it weren’t for his attachment to his innocent idea of a team, Melissa would have let him take everything without complaining.

The concept of trading resources inside the Sect was new to Liam, but understandable. Still, he only focused on the choice in front of him, already knowing what he wanted.

’I’ll probably learn to make that pill myself,’ Liam considered, glancing at the tome in his hands, ’But I bet I won’t find something Demonic in the Pale Moon Sect.’

Of course, that "Demonic" classification had taken the same meaning as "dangerous power" in Liam’s mind, which had to be extremely rare among good Sects.

"You take the pill," Liam decided, storing the book inside his robe.

Liam accompanied Melissa to the other stone stand and helped her store the case in her pouch before the two got on the move. They had spent enough time in that ruined place, and it was finally time to leave it.

Yet, after returning to the previous area and climbing down the tunnel, rattling noises reached Liam’s ears, making him stop. He didn’t say anything, but his wariness spoke louder than words, making Melissa summon the cloaking vapor again.

Once the technique was in effect, Liam and Melissa finished descending the tunnel and peeked into the bright chamber, only to see that they had visitors.

A group of twenty or so rats with four level one magical beasts among them had occupied the chamber, gathering around the four corpses. Those animals were feasting on Liam’s victims, ripping their flesh apart, but the gory scene only stopped him for a single second.

Liam rechecked his hazy surroundings before stepping out of the tunnel, supporting Melissa with his numb arm. Their arrival seemed to go unnoticed until a few rats lifted their blunt noses to smell the air.

Clearly, what Liam had smelled, the rats could smell, too. Also, unlike earlier, the cloaking spell didn’t only have the sweaty Melissa. Liam was there, and the same went for the dried-up blood on his hands.

"Can your martial art withstand running?" Liam whispered, his gaze fixed on the rats.

Melissa had long since left Liam in charge, so she answered honestly, performing a nod that he caught with the corner of his eye.

Still, the intimate touch Melissa had subconsciously accepted suddenly showed its undeniable presence when Liam lifted her, wrapping his arm around her waist to carry her more comfortably.

And, as Melissa was about to yelp in surprise and embarrassment, Liam shot forward, planning to enter the tunnel the red trio had crossed before the rats, or anything far worse, could decide to check the wet scent.