Born in Blood

Chapter 439 Enjoyment

6 and a half years.

It was a long time, Liam had to admit.

But honestly, he wasn't too sad about it.

After a while, cultivators really stopped paying attention to time.

If they did, they'd eventually go crazy.

After all, the higher ranked they were, the more time it took for them to advance.

Time didn't move slower or faster for them.

But a powerhouse and a non-cultivator obviously viewed time through different lenses.

Days would pass in the blink of an eye, and they wouldn't pay it any heed.

Jax's face fell with shock. "You're… not worried?"

Liam tilted his head. "Why would I be?"

The real Liam would never be able to let that go.

At least some semblance of worry and frustration would show on his face.

And yet, not a trace of it showed.

Then again… 6 and a half years had passed.

What exactly happened during those years?

The Elders honestly couldn't bring themselves to ask.

Not right now, at least.

"The Empress is in your ring, my Liege," Jargon said, suppressing his shock as much as he could. "She's been perfectly preserved."

Liam nodded. "Thank you, Jargon."

…

Jargon's eyes widened slightly.

It wasn't in Liam's personality to say 'thank you.'

Then again… it was nice being appreciated.

Jargon liked the new Liam better.

At the same time, with Liam's x-ray vision, he could see strange energies around the Zeniths.

Liam called it Spirit Sight.

Calling it x-ray vision was boring.

The reason why he called it Spirit Sight was because he could see the vague Paths that the Zeniths were forming!

It was most prominent for Kerian.

It made sense.

She was a Rank 5 cultivator after all.

Liam saw reddish colors swirl around her core and body.

And her mental waves had a strange quality to them that Liam barely understood.

It was like she tried combining the qualities of fear and heat together.

At the same time, Liam could read the intention, emotion, and thought of a Zenith much clearer.

Emotions and intentions had their own colors.

Well, not exactly.

Emotion was the only one with color, but intention gave it a shape.

For example, the color red was associated with anger.

Intention gave the mental waves a wild, fire-like quality that looked like it might explode at any moment.

That was the relationship between emotion and intention.

Like paint to a paintbrush.

Thought, on the other hand, was imbued within the mental energy itself.

Little words and statements that appeared like tiny ambers of fire, before puffing out.

And now, they lasted both longer, and were clearer to see.

That was why Liam gave them such eerie looks.

He was reading their thoughts.

Lying to Liam was no longer possible.

Punishable by death, even if they thought about it.

'They're afraid of me,' Liam thought.

'Good.'

Liam could also peer through a Zenith's mind, accessing their vision.

That's what Liam was doing to Jane right now.

"I'm guessing I missed quite a bit," Liam said.

Verium's face — which looked younger and more handsome compared to his aged appearance before — grew a little darker.

"A lot," Verium said with dark eyes. "Temple-wise, some snakes thought you would never wake up, and they were organizing a change in leadership."

Liam hummed to himself, cracking his knuckles.

"I'm guessing they're led by someone?"

Verium nodded firmly, reining in his anger.

"Neren and Johan."

Liam felt the need to laugh, but all he felt was disgust.

"The two idiots from back then? I didn't even cut off their hands. Why haven't you crushed them already?"

Verium lowered his head.

"I… didn't want to impede on your authority, master. They've gathered two thousand to their side, and I didn't know what you wanted to do with them."

The Elders went silent.

Liam didn't respond.

As it was, Liam's mental waves unfurled again, scanning each and every corner of the plot of land the Temple owned.

'Found you.'

Liam used Shadow Blink.

He was gone.

Ryu let out a tense breath.

"I called it! I called it! Who called me crazy for saying he'll go mad?"

***

Liam had reappeared above a black temple made from obsidian brick.

All around the temple were roughly two thousand acolytes paired with a few Elders.

Even Aore and Ian — who Liam saved — were there, bitterness on their faces.

Shadow Blink was no longer restricted to short distances.

Liam felt like he could perfectly utilize his shadows and blood now.

However, it took roughly 23% blood because of how far the distance of the teleport was.

Liam could easily utilize that amount if he put some effort into it.

In fact, he could make some much-needed improvements to his Blood Weaving and Primordial Forging!

But first, he had vermin to exterminate.

Liam slowly merged through the temple walls and arrived into a bedroom.

There he was.

Neren and Johan, playing a game of cards as they cheered and laughed.

When they saw Liam, their eyes widened in shock.

"Y-You're a-alive," Neren stuttered, dropping his cards.

"Y-Yeah, I-I a-am," Liam mocked abhorrently

Johan frowned and rose to his feet, clenching his fists.

"You've been gone long enough. You don't hold all the power anym—"

Liam was too fast!

He appeared behind Johan.

Johan and Neren simultaneously spun around to attack.

But two pairs of claws, two for each, had pierced through their sides.

Before the two could continue their attack, Corruption flared through Liam's nails.

Shrill cries of anguish rang out from the temple.

The acolytes felt their hearts drop.

The screams continued for several minutes!

But the deserters couldn't even muster the urge to run in and do something about it!

As the seconds ticked down, those who watched felt their hairs rise out of sheer terror.

The screams were so dreadful.

But eventually, they stopped.

Silence.

Slowly, Liam emerged from the temple's walls, his sun-like eyes weren't golden anymore!

They were red!

The acolytes and Elders who watched widened their eyes in shock, terror and dread.

In Liam's hands were Neren and Johan, who seemed to have urinated and defecated themselves post-death.

He dropped the corpses, then took slow steps towards the two thousand acolytes.

Liam would enjoy this very much.