Chapter 51: Breakthrough
The return to the Sect was slow. Liam and Lucy had suffered injuries, and the carcass’ additional weight limited their speed, as well as the paths they could tread.
Needless to say, Erik offered to help with the carcass once more, but Liam’s second refusal settled the matter for good. Liam didn’t want to rely on him after what had happened, and that feeling stretched way beyond that.
The sun was about to set when the trio finally reached the Sect. Grey flas began to shine on its paths and main building, giving it the magical vibe only the cultivation world could create.
Nevertheless, Liam couldn’t see any magical beauty in that spectacle anymore. The recent revelations had disillusioned him, allowing him to spot the undeniable truth.
That wasn’t Liam’s ho. It wasn’t deserving of any of his gratitude. In a way, it was no different than the Divine Cult. The Pale Moon Sect’s thods were simply less outwardly cruel.
Truth was, Liam was still alone. He hadn’t found anything. He had only lost even more, his naivety this ti, which was probably for the best. Liam simply didn’t know where Lucy fell in all that.
The trio’s return caused quite a stir. There were only a handful of disciples roaming through the Sect at that hour, but they didn’t hesitate to spread the news, especially after spotting the huge animal resting on Liam’s shoulders.
The sa went for Kyle, who was overseeing the Sect’s entrance. It was his job to report back whenever sothing important happened, and the trio saw the result of that when they reached the plateau.
The Disciplinary Elder and Elder June were standing in the Outer Hall, atop its short staircase, but the sight of blood made them rush toward the trio, focusing all their attention on Liam.
"Disciple Liam!" The Disciplinary Elder called. "Are you wounded?"
"We must patch you up imdiately," Elder June added. "I’ll retrieve dical herbs and bandages from my personal stash."
Lucy and Erik seed invisible when Liam was present, but he didn’t think much of it, not now. That care was fake. It only had to do with what he could beco for the Sect.
So, Liam dropped the carcass to the ground, joining his companions in the customary bow before addressing the matter. "Elders, we failed the Sect’s mission because the magical beast attacked us."
"Forget the mission," Elder June urged, pulling Liam up to check the source of all that blood. Luckily, despite the injuries not being shallow, they had stopped bleeding.
Instead, the Disciplinary Elder focused on the carcass, finally eyeing soone who wasn’t Liam. "Disciple Erik, explain this."
"Yes, Disciplinary Elder," Erik exclaid. "Disciple Liam killed the magical beast."
"Disciple Lucy helped," Liam added while Elder June kept checking him, "So she should receive her garden."
Elder June stopped in her tracks, trying to glare at Lucy, only for her to keep her head down. Instead, Liam looked directly at her, and a beautiful, albeit fake smile broadened on her face.
"Of course," Elder June reassured. "Disciple Lucy has long since earned that reward. I had planned to give it to her first thing tomorrow."
"But you must receive a reward, too," The Disciplinary Elder stated. "Killing a magical beast as a foundation expert is no easy feat. You have earned the privilege of choosing one of the Sect’s martial arts!"
Liam began to feel excited, only for that day’s events to suppress the emotion. While that indeed sounded good, Liam couldn’t let any naivety surge. The Disciplinary Elder wasn’t doing that out of kindness anyway.
Still, as a crowd of disciples ford on the paths below the plateau, soone else rushed into the Outer Hall, crossing its doors and stopping by the short staircase.
"Disciple Liam!" The newcor called. "The Alchemy Elder requests your presence imdiately."
The newcor was none other than the Apothecary Elder, and the ntion of the Alchemy Elder made Elder June and the Disciplinary Elder hesitate, which Liam found odd.
"Disciple Liam needs to rest," Elder June eventually argued.
"The Alchemy Elder can’t wait," The Apothecary Elder responded, forcing Elder June to give up on the matter.
’Is the Alchemy Elder that important?’ Liam wondered while the two Elders moved away, urging him to comply with the order.
Liam reached the Apothecary Elder, who led him inside the mountain, walking to the very end of the wooden corridor to reveal a stone staircase.
The Apothecary Elder didn’t say anything, and Liam imitated him, following him up the several flights of stairs until another wooden door appeared.
"Reach the very end of the corridor," The Apothecary Elder ordered. "The Alchemy Elder is waiting for you there."
Liam had to admit that he was becoming curious, but his disillusioned mind kept suppressing that feeling. He crossed the door, finding the aforentioned wooden corridor and walking through it, too, only to arrive at another entrance.
Liam slid the door open, and a chill breeze blew over him. Grey braziers hung from the ceiling of a wooden balcony that peeked down at the mountain’s side.
And, at the balcony’s center, a grey-haired man sat cross-legged, crushing sothing inside a ceramic bowl.
Liam’s animal instincts tingled, but he found the atmosphere more worriso. It was strangely tense and serious, forcing him to be on his best behavior.
"Sit," The grey-haired man ordered, only throwing a glare-like look at Liam before refocusing on his bowl.
Liam sat beside the Elder in ti to see him scoop a dark powder from the bowl, using it to fill a long pipe’s socket. Then, he used a match to light it up before offering it to Liam.
"Inhale deeply," The Elder ordered again.
That wasn’t Liam’s first ti seeing a pipe. It was his second since the village’s rchant once brought one back from his travels. So, Liam carefully seized the item and inhaled from its bit.
Dense smoke imdiately invaded Liam’s throat and lungs, making him cough. Yet, sothing else affected him. His head spun. His balance tried to falter, and the sa went for his awareness, but he soon recovered, welcod by a rejuvenating sensation.
That was what Liam experienced with the Divine Cult’s drug. It was what his core needed, the nutrients his dantian demanded.
Liam stared at the long, fuming pipe still in his hands before lifting his gaze at the icy-blue glare on him. The Elder seed to have recorded his every reaction, his sickly complexion not hindering his eyes’ piercing properties at all.
"The Heavens can’t mock us enough," The Elder eventually scoffed, seizing the still-fuming pipe from Liam’s hands.
"Alchemy Elder?" Liam called, probing.
"This poison can kill a foundation expert in minutes," The Elder revealed, throwing the fuming powder back into the bowl. "Even you should have at least collapsed, poison core or not."
Liam frowned. It almost sounded as if the Elder had tried to kill him, but a different question escaped his mouth. "Is that good?"
"There’s nothing good with what you are," The Elder scoffed again, not even looking at Liam. "But I can tell you one thing. Your foundation isn’t only advanced. It’s complete."
"What does that an?" Liam questioned.
"Didn’t they teach you anything?" The Alchemy Elder cursed. "It ans that you can face the breakthrough to the next stage."
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