Born in Blood



Hearing Unforgiven Shadow's response, Liam couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. 

A scowl formed on his face anyways.

The Ravenous Leash Sect was a large-size Sect.

They were the controllers and dominators of the entire bloody island.

And this maniac wanted to fight them?

Though, Liam could read between the lines.

The Patriarch was going to leave his seclusion.

How long until then, the man didn't really specify.

Nevertheless, Liam wasn't prepared for something of that caliber.

Usually, the larger Sects living in the Main Lands would have more than twenty to thirty Elders. 

Although the Ravenous Leash Sect was indeed a large-sized Clan, they weren't as massive, otherwise they'd just live in the Main Lands themselves.

However, they most definitely had around 10 to 15 Zenith cultivators in their midst.

Not to mention, if the Temple were to attack them, they would obviously have to fight on their turf.

Unless, of course, a trap of sorts were set in place.

Mid-size Sects were another headache, but they were somewhat manageable with the Temple's forces.

But before all of that, the Temple controlled a very small portion of the island.

Maybe 7%. 

Just 7%.

This was after the raids on several small-size Sects like the Verdant Warrior Sect.

On average, a mid-size Sect ruled roughly 7% of the island.

If the Temple made a successful attack on them, they would almost double their lands.

But still, that would amount to 14%.

And the Ravenous Leash Sect?

They ruled over 46% of the island!

This meant that in order for the Temple to take over the entire island, they had to defeat 7 mid-size Sects – claim their resources and martial arts – just to stand a chance.

…It was suicidal!

But the Temple was stubborn.

Their Patriarch's words were set in stone.

At the same time, this plan of action also meant that the Patriarch was a shield against the country-wide bounty on his head.

Thus, Liam was pulled along into their reckless plan.

In fact, Liam decided to contribute in a massive way in order to raise their chances of survival.

He met with Elder Jax first and asked how many operations he could do with the Dark Star.

There were only twenty operations possible with the available materials.

"Why are you asking?" the Elder questioned.

Liam gave him a deep look.

"I have 2,000 people scattered around Ilali. I want them to join the Temple."

Slowly, the Elder's eyes widened with shock.

With newfound excitement, the Zenith instantly gave Liam the thumbs up.

Thus, Liam called Jargon and ordered him to bring all the Blood Troupe members into the Sect.

All around Ilali, from market places, gambling dens, dueling arenas, small-sized Sects all the way to large-size Sects, were individuals who migrated to the Ravenous Leash island.

Obviously, they were inconspicuous as they did so – only traveling in groups of ten and through different methods.

There was a confused outrage as talented disciples deserted their Sects and simply left without another word.

Jargon himself was gaining a steady reputation as an up and coming celebrity of the gangho.

But he simply vanished one day.

Similar to countless others.

By the time they all gathered and arrived, Liam had met and briefed them on the current events.

Jargon was relieved to see his liege stronger than ever.

The entire Temple was shocked to see the huge following Liam had under his wing, especially how respectful they were to him.

It didn't take long for the two parties to hit it off. 

The highest ranking members of the Blood Troupe were under Elder Jax's care. 

They mistook his wicked grin as a smile, unaware of the torture laying in wait.

With the added force, the Temple was basically on the edge of becoming a large-size Sect.

There was no lack of resources now that there was a surge of new wealth, techniques and manpower.

As such, appropriate raiding squads were formed. 

The smallest Sects lacking Zeniths now stood no chance whatsoever against the unstoppable onslaught.

Slowly, the percentage of land owned by the Temple rose.

Four months passed.

From 7% to 12% in just four months.

And that was only through exterminating Sects without any Rank 4 cultivators on their side.

The Ravenous Leash was on the east.

The Shadow of Temple was on the west.

Slow and silent, the Temple's reach was stretching over the western edges and encompassing those in between.

There weren't any major attacks just yet, since the Elders had to prepare first – which was what they were doing.

Some Ravenous Leash Sect members were kidnapped and tortured for valuable info.

Unfortunately, their martial arts were not kept on their person. 

An honest shame, since Liam actually had an interest in that sort of thing.

From what Liam saw, it was a special Art that allowed them to command a Spirit Beast, somehow connecting them to their core.

Sort of like a companion.

Nevertheless, they provided a small but valuable amount of info regarding their networks and numbers.

It was just a few low ranking members of the Sect, after all. They couldn't afford to kill someone important.

Another three months passed.

Meanwhile, Liam made steady progress on most of his projects and even completed a few.

The Shifter study had achieved a breakthrough.

Liam realized the substitutes to the liquid darkness and 'Ora' he was going to use.

It was his Shadow and his blood.

Both had alterable qualities.

Beside that, all Liam did was really perfect his String Blood Arts and train his centers of power. 

At the same, Liam's Shadow manipulation had gotten much better.

Over time, he learned how to envelop his Dusk Blades and merge shin-deep into the Sea of Darkness with his Shadows.

And finally, a mid-size Clan – the Alluring Fairy Sect – was going to be attacked after months of preparations.

It was a female only Sect.

They fought using aphrodisiacs and mental spells, including a martial art that incited powerful desire. 

However, direct battles weren't their strong suit.

The entire Temple fought that battle, including all five Elders.

Liam's anticipation had reached its peak when he realized that fact.

Though, once the raid commenced, he was pretty disappointed with how fast it was over.