Legacy of Hatred-Chapter 113: Jade

The air stopped flowing. Time froze, and the very world halted its functions to pay homage to the boundlessness that had graced it with its presence.

Liam didn’t dare to blink, but the scene in his vision suddenly changed. A tall man materialized between him, Joel, and Maxwell, his arrival taking less than what his brain needed to process the event.

Actually, that abrupt materialization couldn’t be calculated with something as long as seconds. The newcomer’s arrival had been so instantaneous he might as well have always been there, defying any experience or measurement in Liam’s possession.

Sensing Maxwell’s superiority over Joel had given Liam another idea of the differences that could exist inside the same stage, almost confirming his guess about his talent’s eventual advantage.

However, the man who had descended upon the area seemed to exist to destroy that misconception. The Elders were still beyond what Liam could imagine defeating, but the newcomer simply defied the very concept of power.

Despite the Alchemy Elder’s warning, the power differences among cultivation stages were beyond what Liam could comprehend. It definitely wasn’t a hurdle that divine talent alone could overcome.

"Master!" Maxwell promptly greeted, his tone radiating pristine seriousness as he cupped his fist and bowed at the newcomer.

Joel followed suit, bowing but uttering a different greeting while mustering the same seriousness. "Disciple Joel greets the Sect Leader."

Liam’s mental exhaustion receded at the instinctive danger he felt. His mind resumed functioning at full speed, going past its limits to connect dots. He truly was before the Sect Leader, the theoretically highest figure in the entirety of the Pale Moon Sect.

"Disciple Liam greets the Sect Leader," Liam also announced, snapping out of his shock to perform a bow.

"You may rise," The newcomer said in a deep, almost ancient voice that seemed to carry the secrets of the world.

Liam had to fight against his curiosity to keep his gestures polite, but his black eyes eventually went to the tall man’s face. He had long white hair and a short grey beard, but no wrinkles or other traces of age affected him. He barely looked to be in his forties.

Still, the man’s brown eyes were as deep as the darkest abyss but also brighter than the very stars. They didn’t actually shine, but Liam found it hard to look directly into them.

That eventually made Liam focus on the man’s frame. He looked quite lean, but Liam never once saw that as a weakness. Nothing about that reason-defying entity could fall in that category.

"Disciple Liam, I worried you were abusing my Sect’s kindness," The Sect Leader announced, his calm gaze able to pierce Liam’s very soul, "But I can see you made good use of those ingredients."

Liam could only keep his head down. That seemingly casual look made him feel so naked that it almost hurt, but he could understand what the Sect Leader was talking about.

After all, such a superior existence couldn’t possibly fail to notice the vast number of rank 1 items on Liam’s persona. He was stuffed with those, from the tip of his sleeves to his pouch, as if ready to fight a war.

"I must also express my gratitude to you," The Sect Leader continued, the sharpness of his gaze receding. "Horace never cared for Sect-related issues, but that has started to change since you arrived."

The sharpness receded until Liam could lift his gaze, finding a warm smile on the Sect Leader’s ordinary face.

"I experienced something similar myself," The Sect Leader revealed. "Isn’t that right, disciple?"

"Master, you honor me!" Maxwell exclaimed.

The Sect Leader pointed his smile at Joel, who promptly bowed again, before turning toward Maxwell. The latter only cupped his fist now, pristine resolve brimming on his face while he waited for his Master’s directives.

"The neighboring Sects pushed our hand," The Sect Leader exclaimed. "They think us weaklings that can be bullied around with mere numbers."

Liam couldn’t see the Sect Leader’s face anymore, but his stern tone told him that his smile was no more.

"Disciple, show the Sects how wrong they are," The Sect Leader declared. "Obliterate them."

"Yes, Master!" Maxwell shouted.

The dense, boundless pressure disappeared as quickly as it arrived. Liam didn’t blink this time, either. All his senses had actually sharpened to their utmost limits to capture everything he could about that superior being, but he completely failed to see him move.

Once again, Liam took longer to realize that the Sect Leader had disappeared than the departure itself.

Nevertheless, someone who hadn’t had the chance to speak during that miraculous meeting ended up reacting before Liam and Maxwell. Joel unleashed his intense, stern face, seemingly unable to contain himself anymore.

"Senior Brother, do we have permission to kill?" Joel asked.

"The goal is to win," Maxwell pointed out before killing intent enveloped his figure, "But the Pale Moon Sect can’t let such insults slide."

"And the other Sects can’t win if their teams are dead," Joel continued, smirking.

"Ensuring Brother Liam’s survival is paramount," Maxwell declared. "Winning is paramount. Dwindling the other Sects’ ranks is welcome."

Joel understood the assignment, only to remember where Liam stood, deciding to speak for him since he knew how problematic that could be.

"Junior Brother has been busy preparing all this time," Joel warned. "He needs a summary of the Mutated Battlefield to follow the plan of action."

"I brought a book with me," Liam mentioned. "I can-."

Liam didn’t have the chance to finish his line since something magical unfolded in his vision. Maxwell waved his hand, and a green jade tablet materialized in his palm, appearing out of thin air.

Maxwell threw the item at Liam, who spotted the inscription’s symbol on its surface, prompting him to pour his Qi into it.

A vast array of information suddenly became available, as if existing right outside Liam’s mind, only needing his intentions to read. His mere thoughts could also rearrange that detailed list, instantly reaching what he required.

That method was leagues more efficient than reading, but Liam didn’t delve into it right away, instead focusing on something he had noticed earlier. Maxwell had no pouches with him, and the jade definitely hadn’t come from his robe.

’Was that a magical item?’ Liam wondered, his gaze falling on the silver ring on Maxwell’s forefinger, before orders forced him to interrupt the inspection.

"Let’s head to the carriage," Maxwell ordered. "Disciple Liam can read and rest there. The plan can wait until we are almost there."

And so, the trio headed for the carriage, which seemed to have remained unaware of the Sect Leader’s brief visit. Still, Liam mostly focused on the fact that Maxwell had noticed his poor state, his thoughts even stretching past that.

Despite not liking the idea of being protected, Liam had to acknowledge Maxwell’s strength.

Yet, if the Pale Moon Sect could send its Head Disciple, so could the other Sects. After all, everyone knew that the goal was to get rid of Liam, so that level of protection probably was to be expected.

’Surviving this might be hard,’ Liam calculated, his Qi going into the green jade again, wanting to find information that could help him preserve his life.