Chapter 565: Sacrifice

Alchemy was a truly comprehensive field, involving many of the most crucial aspects of a cultivator.

Through that noble art, a cultivator worked on his Qi mastery, witnessed his energy’s prowess and reserves, sharpened his senses, and saw a reflection of himself, all while obtaining valuable, often priceless tools.

Despite not even being two months since the breakthrough, Liam wielded an awareness and confidence in his power that would have taken other cultivators far longer to achieve, and alchemy deserved all the praise.

Alchemy had basically vastly shortened Liam’s adjustment period, but it hadn’t covered everything. He still had to master a lot about his new level, and that without including what the branching stage still hid.

Time was the only solution. Seclusion, training, and tests were necessary to uncover and wield all that a new body, perspective, and superior power had to offer, the period likely being longer than years since it involved such a profound transformation.

Nevertheless, shortcuts existed. Alchemy had taught Liam that, too, and he knew what worked best for him. Those approaches simply needed a sacrifice, often of the self-destructive kind.

Pressure fell on Liam, and slight pain followed. The tens of centipedes that had jumped at him made full use of their flexible bodies to cover him entirely as they wrapped around him.

Biting, crawling, and squirming filled every corner of Liam’s perception, but he stood still, absorbing the experience. He was a mere ingredient being put to the test, like the many he had experimented on to learn all about their features and behavior.

As long as Liam could remember, he had always performed better in real-life situations, to the point where secluded training couldn’t even compare. A suitable dummy had fallen into his hands, so he didn’t hesitate to throw himself at it, limiting his abilities like in the battle cages.

It would hurt, but Liam didn’t even consider that. As he had once told Grace, his only real edges were a sturdier body and a firmer cultivation. If pushing them to their limits made him stronger more quickly, he would.

Of course, using a branching expert as a training dummy was unbelievably arrogant and properly mental.

Still, Liam had fought branching experts since he had little over ten minor roots. Instead, he had now found a newly advanced cultivator like him, just without his advantages.

The situation was still unbelievably dangerous, but Liam could manage through his superior senses, deeper Qi reserves, better arsenal, and Qi intensity. Besides, as long as results arrived, any injury was worth it.

There was also an added benefit to the whole reckless endeavor, one that almost made Liam wish the situation were even more dangerous.

’I didn’t expect much, but ...’ Liam sighed internally at the barely noticeable rejuvenation the foreign substance injected into his body caused.

Just like Laurel’s centipede, those wrapped around Liam were poisonous, but they were mere level one and two magical beasts.

Moreover, the math didn’t add up. Liam was sure some bites had landed, but not nearly as many as the creatures that had jumped him.

Liam released more Qi, using no specific technique while flexing his arms, putting the best his physical strength could offer against the coffin of crawling bodies.

Magical beasts were known for their physicality, and Liam wasn’t using any enhancing product or technique. However, his unique body, fueled by his superior Qi, produced results anyway.

Black blood splattered everywhere as multiple centipedes tore apart, the tightness of their coils working against their structural integrity, allowing Liam’s efforts to affect it directly.

It looked as if threads were snapping nonstop, but nothing hit the ground. Soon, only some level two centipedes remained on Liam, but they quickly weakened, drowning in the thick blackness he released.

Within seconds, the last centipede fell, poisoned to death before Liam could tear it apart, but its body also didn’t reach the ground. Actually, only toxic slime now stood at his feet, but his attention barely went there.

’They should be useful as complementary ingredients,’ Liam absentmindedly thought as he inspected his robe, deciding to remove it.

Caspar went through a rollercoaster of emotions. He felt fear at Liam’s black Qi, shock at the expanding toxicity and what that meant, and newfound anger at the fact that he was actually storing the Tribe’s centipedes after killing them.

However, the sudden undressing led to surprise, delaying Caspar’s reaction a bit longer.

As the math had already suggested, Liam only found a handful of bite marks on him despite having posed no real opposition to the assault.

Weaker magical beasts failing to hurt branching experts was hardly surprising. The superior Qi alone was a constant, passive reinforcement, both internal and external, acting as a permanent defensive layer.

Yet, Liam wasn’t as impenetrable as Dominic, and the latter’s passive defenses hadn’t been perfect, either. The level two centipedes should have done more at the very least, but their failure had an obvious explanation.

’My new skin is indeed tough,’ Liam confirmed, checking the few shallow holes that were already healing. ’My muscles, too. I’d say together they are at the level of a weak rank 2 defense-oriented martial art.’

That resilience was undoubtedly great, especially since Liam would never leave himself so defenseless in normal times. Just letting his true Qi leak nonstop would strengthen it, which already would make him immune to almost everything the rooting stage had to offer.

’Next is ...’ Liam began to think about the next asset to test, but had to turn, putting his blank face before the piercing attention he was receiving.

Rachel was hovering behind Liam, at the closest edge the black Qi he released allowed her to be. She was lying on her spear, belly-down, resting her chin on her crossed arms, her legs bending up and down as her sparkly eyes inspected him all over.

And Liam almost flinched when his nose caught a specific scent. It wasn’t the one he was familiar with, but he recognized it, and no amount of acting could hide it.

’Why is she horny?’ Liam wondered, his brain drawing a blank.