Born in Blood



Liam had a second to admire the view from within the Isolation Barrier.

Not even his King's Eye or his mental energy could see through that dome.

It even dimmed out the faint rumbling noises and blocked out the falling rain. 

At the same time, only those who practiced the Ten Thousand Shadows could see it!

To others, it would be like peering through a glass mirror.

'Is this what Shadows can become?' 

Liam didn't underestimate the capability of a Zenith with six months of free time to complete her work.

However, they were on a strict timer. 

After two to three hours, the Isolation Barrier would naturally dissipate.

Also, there was a high chance the Warriors would notice the peculiar shift of ambience over the plateau. 

Still, Liam's fire of ambition grew to new heights.

But his admiration ended there. 

[The Acolytes will stay back until me and the Disciples take care of the Border Guards,] Krel commanded as he looked to his left and right.

Liam had already been briefed of Krel's plan before the raid happened.

There were 8 Disciples in his group including him, and about 20 different Acolytes. The same went for the groups that encircled the mountain.

Within the Verdant Warrior Sect, there were roughly 230 total disciples, 28 of which were Border Guards.

Each group would have to face at least three Border Guards. 

There was a small gap between the Border Guard's outposts, 20 meters each.

From the plateau cliff – where Liam and the rest was – to their towers were roughly 10 meters of flat ground.

The space in between was completely flat, with just a few shrubs and uneven pieces of rock jutting out. 

After the Border Guards, there was roughly 40 meters until the Outer Ring of the Sect, and another 40 until the Inner Ring.

For their plan to succeed, all three Border Guards would have to die at the very same time. 

Not a second before, not a second after.

If the timing went wrong, a Border Guard could simply shout and alert the entire Sect of the raid.

And a Verdant Warrior's thunderous shout could be heard from several miles away.

Krel would take the middle Guard, four disciples would take the left, and Liam with three others would take the right.

A cultivator with a Rank 3 sea of consciousness would easily be able to sense a person's presence, even from a long distance away.

Which is why Liam took out a black elixir from his ring. 

Krel and the Disciples did the same. Their expressions instantly grew sterner.

Even with its top sealed with a cork, Liam sensed danger from the liquid within.

What Liam had taken out was a Temporary Shadow Strengthening potion, something that Elder Jane had made for this specific occasion. 

The name was self-explanatory. 

It both enlarged and darkened a Shadow for a short period of time.

With one hand stuck to the cliff, Liam used his molar teeth to pull out the cork.

POP!

Before thinking twice, Liam gulped down the entire bottle of black liquid, then threw away the empty remainder into the abyss below.

The others did the same.

Their stomachs boiled as their Shadows darkened and stretched, and their complexion paled. 

As their suffering dwindled, they cloaked themselves with their Shadows, then semi-merged with the darkness provided by the Isolation Barrier.

Liam himself felt a surge of energy and power as his Shadow enveloped every corner of his body. 

He was nowhere near the level needed to dive into the Sea of Shadows. 

But with the elixir he consumed, there was no need for that.

Liam's presence had basically disappeared. It was reduced to insignificant and ignorable.

As ignorable as a Shadow.

With the added boost, the group made their move.

Liam and the three Disciples went to the right, their cloaked bodies parallel to the ground.

Another four went to the left.

Krel, with his strengthened potion, now had the ability to submerge his body into the ground and swim through the 'Sea of Shadows'. 

He deliberately slowed himself down to match the pace of the Disciples to his left and right. 

Like sharks, they neared their victims.

There was complete silence on the plateau, aside from the usual sounds of shouting and distant shockwaves.

But a closer look would reveal hundreds of slug-like Shadows inching closer to the earth-made towers.

The Border Guard to the right outpost was still in cultivation.

He had no clothes on his tanned and scarred body, like every other disciple of the Sect. 

A thick beard sat on his chin, and a natural frown plastered his square face.

Heaving a slight breath, the Warrior suddenly opened his dark eyes.

He stretched to the left and right, cracking his knuckles and yawning loudly.

Eventually, a joyous smile appeared on his face.

"I'm finally gonna meet my wife after so long!" 

During their seclusion in the mountains, Verdant Warriors were not allowed to meet their wives or marital partners at all.

It was to build and forge discipline into them, to separate them from worldly enjoyments.

But the Border Guard was going a little insane!

He loved his wife more than anything!

Although he would never say it out loud… he loved her more than the Clan's martial arts!

"I can't wait to eat her cooking again…" the man said solemnly under his breath. "It's been so long. I wonder how tall my little boys have grown."

His words faintly echoed through the air.

The Warrior peered into the distance longingly. 

His dark eyes gained a layer of confusion when he saw how rain fell in the distance, but not on him.

Confused, the man raised his head to the sky.

Rain pattered against a nigh-invisible, glass-like barrier.

Slowly, the man's eyes widened with realization as he took in a deep breath. 

Just then, a Shadow flickered under him and pierced his stomach. 

The Warrior grimaced as he prepared a counter, but another blade pierced him from the flank, and another from the rear.

Blood and air gathered in his mouth as he prepared a desperate shout.

Liam saw the Warrior's action and stuck his wakizashi down his throat.

SPURT!

28 Border Guards had been executed at the same time.