Chapter 570: Amphora

While Liam’s question might have sounded casual, everything about him was extremely wary of the newcomer. A mid-stage branching expert deserved as much.

The casual tone only had to do with Liam’s genuine immersion in his new ability. He was always at his most serious when it came to alchemy. Such was his devotion.

For once, Liam’s words didn’t lead to a barrage of shouts. The newcomer didn’t even seem to have taken offense, and his stern inspection of the area explained why.

Liam was indeed a newly advanced branching expert, but his presence said otherwise. The advantage that had carried over from the rooting stage gave him the aura of a cultivator fully established in the low-stage, and that wasn’t all.

Nothing had escaped the rank 2 Poisonous Breath, and Liam’s continuous release of black Qi had touched anything that might have.

The top of the rocky formation had been a jagged wasteland mere minutes ago, but a hellish landscape of bubbling slime and toxic fumes had replaced a sizable chunk of it, and they were still expanding.

There was no underestimating that. Even the most arrogant expert couldn’t ignore the death Liam was unleashing by merely existing, and the newcomer also seemed to have other priorities.

The middle-aged man summoned a glassy amphora, the liquid inside so transparent it was almost invisible, only for the power it radiated to turn it into a bright spot in Liam’s perception.

Caspar gasped at the sight of the item and hurriedly tried to cup his fist when the newcomer offered it to him, using whatever autonomy his Qi allowed.

Sadly, the attempt only served to remind Caspar of his missing arm, but the newcomer pushed the amphora on him anyway, even interrupting the glare Liam was about to receive.

Liam had become curious at that point, and the feeling was rewarded. Caspar opened the amphora with his teeth before emptying its contents, which quickly produced results.

The bleeding on the stump had long since stopped. Branching experts wouldn’t die of such things anyway. Yet, the black veins on Caspar’s body suddenly receded, and even his infected skin paled, regaining its normal tanned look.

The trails of infected Qi were the only issue the transparent water didn’t fix. Still, Caspar’s energy had already isolated them, and his sudden recovery improved how well he could keep them at bay.

’It’s far better than healing pills,’ Liam reviewed. ’Though definitely wasn’t alchemy. A disposable rank 3 item? A unique resource?’

Liam’s knowledge only allowed him to confirm what the transparent liquid wasn’t. As for his senses, they told him that Caspar had recognized the item. It likely was famous in the area, but that wasn’t the time for questions.

Caspar still wasn’t fine, but he was better. He might have depleted a lot of his Qi, but he still had some, and he could resume fighting with a mid-stage branching expert at his side.

That was truly dangerous. Liam’s poison played well in situations of numerical disadvantage, and his arsenal was somewhat satisfactory, but the stakes had changed completely.

The training was over. No matter what came next, Liam had to face it with his full strength.

Nevertheless, despite clearly acknowledging the danger, the newcomer ignored Liam once more, his figure suddenly disappearing.

Liam didn’t lose track of the newcomer, and that was why a foot-shaped cavity replaced his figure.

Rachel was still in the sky, casually sitting on her spear. She was far higher than usual since Liam’s Poisonous Breath had been way too scary, but she hadn’t missed anything about the battle.

Of course, that was an exaggeration. As a rooting expert, Rachel hadn’t actually been able to capture everything. Still, she saw the important bits, especially the newcomer’s arrival, and her face showed a rare seriousness upon recognizing him.

Fear came next. Rachel couldn’t follow it, but she knew something was coming. She tried to retreat, only for an apocalyptic clash to unfold before her spear could begin to move.

Shockwaves spread everywhere in the sky, engulfing Rachel as one of her metal bracelets brightened to create a compound sphere of silver mirrors around her.

As basically the Dark Heaven Tribe’s princess and with such an overzealous inscription master for a father, Rachel obviously had life-saving items of the rank 3 kind. That silver shield was one, allowing her to remain safe in her place and witness the clash’s result.

A broad, muscular back that Rachel hadn’t stopped studying even once hovered before her atop a familiar fan. The newcomer was also there, standing in the air in front of Liam, his handsome face cold.

Liam had jumped to Rachel’s defense, even unleashing the Defying Stomp to catch up with a superior expert, but his momentum-enhanced kick hadn’t done much against his crossed arms.

"Rachel, get your parents," Liam said, matching the cold look with a feral one. "He isn’t the only one who arrived."

"The slut from the Dark Heaven Tribe stays here," The newcomer warned. "She has to pay for killing my nephew."

"Nephew?" Liam questioned.

"Outsider," The newcomer snorted. "I’m Andrew of the Invincible Oasis Tribe, Uncle to my dear nephew Chester. This is a family matter, so step aside."

’They are all somehow related,’ Liam realized. It seemed Tribes truly valued family when it came to leadership.

As for the statement, the fix was easy. Liam only had to say the truth.

"You are mistaken," Liam declared. "I killed Chester."

Liam looked down at Caspar, who was still shocked by the fact that he had kept such an incredible movement technique hidden. Since it had come to that, Liam might as well come clean about everything.

"I’m also the one who killed Jacob," Liam added.

Anger filled the area. The air seemed about to explode due to the shift in the atmosphere, but the temperature suddenly dropped. Liam had already sensed the cause, so his eyes went to his left, where Amber had appeared.

"The Red Sandstorm Tribe and the Invincible Oasis Tribe have agreed to a meeting," Amber announced. "Everyone’s presence is requested."