Chapter 33: A Proper Weapon

With this addition, Theo’s score jumped to 146.

He overtook Liana for first place.

"My assistant is number one now?" Vespera hummed.

She snatched the scoring deacon’s brush. She boldly updated Theo’s score herself. She hung the board at the top of the pavilion.

She crossed her arms and lifted her chin.

"Who dares say I only teach butchers?"

The elders remained silent. They had been fools to doubt her methods.

...

Meanwhile.

At the edge of Thunder Gorge.

"Senior Brother, help me!"

An outer disciple lay pinned under a Bear-Lion. He was powerless to resist.

His pleading gaze locked onto a figure standing atop a stone pillar.

That person wore the robes of an inner disciple.

The outer disciple never imagined his senior brother would just stand there. He watched the scene like a show, without the slightest intention to help.

Even worse, his eyes held only mockery.

It was Malakor. He had volunteered to oversee the Thunder Gorge sector.

Malakor was in a foul mood.

His plans had failed. The laborers hadn’t wandered into the traps. They went home cured of their blood curses.

Now, he just learned Garrick was captured.

He had no cultivation materials left.

The one responsible for both setbacks was the same person.

"Theo."

Veins bulged on Malakor’s forehead. His pupils flickered between slitted and human.

A mechanical bird landed on his shoulder. It clicked a sequence of warnings.

"Telling me not to stir trouble?"

Malakor’s aura grew heavy.

By now, the outer disciple had gone still.

The Bear-Lion, mid-feast, turned at the noise. But the moment it met Malakor’s gaze, its ferocity vanished. It crouched low in terror.

Malakor dropped from the pillar. His hand pierced the beast’s chest. He ripped out its heart.

He devoured the heart in three bites.

"I planned to let you grow a little longer."

"But since you ruined my materials, you will pay with your own flesh."

He pulled a cloak over his shoulders. His figure vanished into the trees.

...

Along the way, Theo didn’t spend effort hunting more beasts.

The sect’s rewards couldn’t compare to the inheritance hidden within the ice block.

The Thunder God’s Marrow.

Such an opportunity sat beyond his reach if he hadn’t invested his time and resources into Liana.

"Worth it."

Lost in thought, Theo arrived at the edge of Thunder Gorge.

Looking down, he saw a sheer drop. Mist obscured the bottom.

Not a single bird flew below the rim.

The gorge seemed unnatural. It lacked a beginning or an end. The earth looked as though it had been split by a singular, focused force.

"Where is the inheritance?"

Theo scanned the rocks. He found no trace.

Of course. Thunder Gorge wasn’t untouched. Inner disciples often patrolled here. Couples from the beast-taming peaks came here for secret rendezvous. The sect had no shortage of legends about this spot.

If the site were obvious, the elders would have claimed it long ago.

How did Liana find it?

Did she feel a calling from the opportunity here?

"Wait. It can’t be that I have to jump into the gorge, right?"

"How deep is this thing?"

Theo stepped to the edge. He peered down.

His vision blurred.

An overwhelming martial intent slashed through his mind.

The air tasted of ozone. The rocks hummed with residual energy. It felt like a strike capable of cleaving the world, relentless until its target ceased to exist.

At that moment, Theo realized his Abyssal Physique remained as fragile as mortal flesh in the face of true power.

"This gorge was carved by a single lightning strike?"

A thought took root in his mind.

A strike from ages ago. Yet its intent lingered even now.

What kind of expert could wield such power?

"Liana might reach such heights. Or even surpass them."

Theo recalled her Crimson destiny. A sovereign over the Nine Domains.

At least in the foundational realm, he wasn’t too far behind her.

Theo sighed.

"Why do I keep punching things? I need a proper weapon."

...

A cold wind swept across the gorge.

Liana arrived. She tidied her hair. Her gaze grew distant.

"The Thunder Emperor’s path remains vast. Its aura spans mountains and rivers."

Even at her peak, the one who delivered that strike earned her respect.

In her past life, Liana knew the woman who inherited this path. They relied on each other and weathered hardships together before the betrayal.

A smile touched Liana’s lips.

She reached the summit.

She noticed Theo. He stood at the edge. His clothes bore stains of beast blood.

She expected him to remain in the shallows. He should have struggled with late-stage beasts.

She had given him an extra hour.

Yet he arrived before her.

"Took you long enough," Theo grinned.

Liana had an easy trip. Her hair remained perfect.

Meanwhile, his clothes were torn.

"Rest and recover. I will wait," Liana said softly. A realization dawned on her.

Theo must have avoided all battles, rushing straight here.

"Recover?" Theo chuckled.

"I am not hurt. This is beast blood. Look."

He stepped closer.

"Two beasts blocked my path. I didn’t hold back."

Liana frowned. She reached out. She pressed a finger against his chest.

It was beast blood.

His luck was unusually good.

But this meant he forfeited the trial points.

Liana cared little for the sect’s points. Yet Theo chose to abandon everything to come here, without knowing her reason.

She looked up. She met his bright smile.

No resentment. No impatience. Just satisfaction.

He trusted her completely. He believed she had a reason for calling him here.

Why?

Liana found this boy inscrutable.

Theo shifted.

Liana’s finger remained pressed against his chest. It felt cold.

"Am I interrupting?"

A raspy voice cut through the wind.

Theo and Liana turned.

A cloaked figure stood on the only path leading to the gorge. He appeared without a sound.