Born in Blood



"So you were a member after all."

Liam didn't bother hiding the annoyance in his tone. 

Despite Liam's grave look, Zeth gave him a broad smile.

"An acolyte, yes. Come with me, I'll explain on the way."

Zeth left through the backdoor and Liam followed.

"What was that black coating that enveloped your hand?" Liam asked as the two became blurry silhouettes exiting the district.

Zeth made a cryptic smile.

"Can't say. You'll have to be accepted first."

Liam frowned slightly, but kept his reservations.

The dark-eyed man kept his smile as he dashed through the forested terrain. 

The same jet-black substance coated his legs, somehow making him move faster.

"I risk a bit saying this… but whatever, it's not like you're going to back out now," Zeth added after a short pause. 

"The Temple is buying their time. What I said earlier was the truth. Some groups like to imitate what we've set out to do, but we've laid low for the past hundred or so years."

Liam raised his brows. 

How was that possible?

"I was born and raised by the Temple. Even my grandparents served as acolytes and disciples. The flame of revenge never wanes, even after death, it only rages stronger."

After Zeth's little monologue, the pair arrived at a circular pit in the middle of a mountain crevice. 

The crack itself was barely big enough for him to fit in, but Zeth thinned his body and muddled through.

'A hidden base?'

With a sigh, Liam followed him through the crevice. The gorge rubbed his back and front, but eventually, he squeezed through to the other end.

Instantly, he noticed how dark the space was. The shadows there were unnatural. 

The King's Eye could see night like day, yet there were still patches of unadulterated darkness within the passages built around them.

In addition to that, there were Ilalian inscriptions written on the uneven walls of the structure, made from the same shadowy material.

Surrounding them were countless burrows, each one leading towards deeper sections of the inner mountain.

At the same time, the floor below Liam was covered with complex writings and formations. 

'With their level of complexity, I'm pretty sure a Zenith made these.'

Liam's eyes emitted faint golden and scarlet light in the midst of all the darkness, which bewildered Zeth. 

He was about to ask how that was possible, but decided against it.

"Come, I have to bring you to an Elder. To think there's another darkness cultivator after so long…"

Liam let out a brief grunt in response.

"How strong are your forces?" he asked.

Zeth ran a hand through his hair as he led Liam down one of the burrows. 

"We're as strong as a mid-tier Sect… but after hiding for so long, most of our experts haven't been able to reap any resources to grow beyond that level."

"We have five Elders at the Zenith Rank, and about three hundred Mortal Ranked cultivators."

Liam paused. 

His plan of getting a Rank 5 tempering method went up in flames. 

Unless he worked on making his own technique, he would probably stagnate at the fourth for months and maybe years.

Still, he was being cynical. The fact that Zeniths existed meant they had techniques above the fourth level. Though, with so many Mortal cultivators, the amount of techniques and spells were most probably scarce. 

"And your Sect Patriarch? Tell me about him."

Zeth gave him a side glance.

"Only the Elders know of his current whereabouts, but everyone else is kept in the dark. It's a known fact he's been in seclusion for centuries."

"And his name?" Liam asked.

Only the crisp footstep sounds rang out within the cold passages.

"Unforgiven Shadow. Currently the only darkness cultivator within the Sect… besides you. Who knows, maybe he'll even leave his seclusion to meet with you."

Liam went pensively silent. 

The conversation died from thereon out, leaving Liam to silently contemplate his situation.

Overall, his circumstances were decent. The Temple was safe from any internal or external threat, and the Patriarch was at a higher level than the five Zeniths.

Three hours passed.

The two eventually came face to face to a shadowy, circular entrance imbued within the wall itself.

'Another formation?' Liam wondered. The danger he sensed from that wall made the hair on his skin rise. 'I'm sure if I touch that, I'll die instantly.'

Zeth placed his black coated palm on the entrance and the shadows dispersed, revealing a dimly lit hole to pass through. 

Zeth entered first, and Liam followed. 

Inside, revealed a vast, circular dungeon. 

The walls were covered with the same shadows as before, except they covered every small patch of stone. 

Liam's mental waves couldn't pass through those shadows. 

It was like an isolation chamber, allowing no light or senses to pass through the enclosed space.

'No wonder they've been hidden for that long. This place is basically layer after layer of protection.'

Liam shifted his gaze forward, to the vast, circular, dome-like area surrounding them. 

In the distance, a giant aztec-like temple made from black stone stood tall, surrounded by smaller buildings of a similar structure. 

It wasn't as big as the lion statue Liam saw, but it resembled the giant pyramids back on earth.

The amount of 'Ora' emitting from it wasn't as dense as the House of Honor, but undoubtedly close.

'At least my core and body have a chance to advance at a faster rate,' Liam thought.

Tight, dark-robed men and women walked this way and that way, and some nearby gave Liam frowned looks.

'They're all lower Ranked than me. Some don't even have awakened mental spheres!'

His early hypothesis of the Temple having lower ranking techniques proved true.

Liam grimaced, then saw the same, dark blue tattoos inscribed across their bare forearms and skin.

'Are they inscriptions of some sort?' Liam wondered as he took in the sights.

"Come, the Elders are inside the Temple. We need to set a meeting."