Born in Blood



Before he made his way over to the island, Liam made sure to buy some pills and elixirs to bolster his progression speed.

Although his cultivation speed was slightly slower than the norm, that weakness could be addressed with the usage of pills.

Which was also why Liam was in desperate need of resources. 

Those items became more and more expensive as the centers of power progressed. 

Although Liam had a little more 250,000 'Ora' Stones, pills that helped his progression speed swallowed entire chunks of his money.

'I'm getting close to the upper-tier of the third Rank, as well. I'm probably a year or six months away from advancing,' Liam thought as he ran, using Vanishing Steps and Fleeting Foot.

Although he was happy at the prospect of attaining more power, he was also worried about what that entailed. 

'I'll need a Rank 5 body tempering method after I advance. Does the Shadow of Temple even have one? If they don't, I'll have to make my own.'

Not to mention, there was the Struggle Tribulation he would have to face, leaving him in a near-death state unless he had protection.

Eventually, Liam arrived at a cliff bordering the ocean. There was a dock there, but no ships or people.

In the distance, a large, lush island grew visible to Liam's eye, fifty to sixty kilometers away.

Zooming in, Liam spotted a large elevation, atop of which was a huge pavilion, even bigger than the Snow Moon Sect.

A humongous, marble statue of a roaring lion was built in the middle of the Sector, with its front legs clawing the clouds above it.

Liam was amazed by the sheer size of it.

'That should be the Ravenous Leash Sect. That island is infested with vicious Spirit Beasts, which is one of the reasons people don't want to go there.'

Instantly, Liam stored his robes into his ring, then dove into the water.

///

It took him four hours to arrive at the island's shore. 

More than once, sea beasts and creatures tried to attack him, but found way into his stomach instead.

Liam scanned the surroundings for any threat. Not finding any, he exited the water and dried himself off.

Screeches, growls and roars entered his ears from every direction. 

In front was a forest with red-themed trees, filled with dense amounts of 'Ora'.

Liam smiled. 

Even if there was no such thing as the Temple of Shadow, he would live on the island due to its high 'Ora' density.

Not to mention, the Ravenous Leash Sect actually interested him. 

Spirit Beasts and magical beasts were right up his alley, and if they had any beast taming abilities, he would gladly join. 

Spreading his senses, Liam realized there was a prefecture not too far from where he was. He quickly wore his robes and made his way there next.

As he got near, he saw local men and women riding domestic Spirit Beasts on the main paths. 

Raising his head, there were large cranes carrying robed martial artists on them, heading to their Sectors.

Hiding his presence and avoiding the main paths, Liam kept a low profile as he entered the district. 

Compared to the other prefectures, it wasn't as heavily guarded, and sneaking in through the back was easier than he thought.

The buildings were identical to any other prefecture, but there were plenty of shops selling Rank 3 Spirit Beast corpses, weapons and paraphernalia. 

Liam avoided the main streets that bustled with people and found a bar on the outskirts. 

Entering it, the first thing Liam noticed was how strong the bartender was. 

His mental sphere was on the same Rank as Liam's, and so was his core. The body was a bit harder to probe, but he assumed it was a Rank 3.

Compared to him, the mean-looking men and women were much weaker. As Liam came in, they went silent and sent him piercing glares.

Thankfully, Liam didn't bother hiding his aura, so they kept to themselves instead of attempting to push him out. 

Liam made his way to the bartender.

His looks were plain – dark eyes, slicked back hair, a square face and short stature. He wore a dull robe, but Liam could see the frame of a blade hidden underneath his sleeve.

Liam's eyes fixed with his. 

Although the expression on the bartender's face was nonchalant and aloof, his mental waves indicated otherwise.

"Would you like a drink, young man?" the man asked casually, his eyes devoid of emotion.

Liam remained silent for a moment. His mental waves spread out and pressed against the man's sea of consciousness.

The cultivator's eyes flickered with surprise for a split second, but he pushed away the pressure with his own waves.

"I want to ask something in private, if that's alright with you," Liam spoke in a low voice, hoping the bartender would read between the lines.

A tense silence ensued, with the two looking at each other probingly.

"You're Echorian?"

Liam nodded.

The bartender's gaze grew slightly colder, but his face didn't change. 

A moment later, he waved his hand dismissively.

Those present within the bar lingered momentarily, before leaving through the front door.

Liam didn't expect that. 

Initially, he imagined the bartender was some sort of martial artist with a dirty background, but having that kind of authority wasn't common.

The bartender gave him a hard look, prompting him to explain.

"The Temple of Shadow. Do you know where I can find them?"

On his words, the bartender's face didn't change one bit… but his mental waves instantly flickered wildly.

Liam recognized what emotion it contained. Through studying mental waves with the King's Eye, he classified them into three layers.

Intention, emotion, and thought. Through battles and conversation, the first two were the easiest to deduce, while thought was way more complex.

From what Liam could deduce, the emotion the bartender was going through was panic and shock.

Liam could also sense the man's intention to attack him, but slowly reconsider. All the while, his facial expression didn't change.

"I want to join their cause. I'm a believer in vengeance, you see. And I'd love to support them."