Born in Blood



Good stuff?

Charade?

Clear a path?

What was Liam going on about?!

Before they could question him any further, Liam had merged with his Shadows and dove into the Sea of Darkness.

'I better take this time and clear out the more difficult cultivators for them. They won't be able to kill them without being spotted.'

Liam avoided needless altercations with the weaker beasts and swam until arriving at the closest building.

It was lit by a series of bright lamps that went eight stories up, with eaves decorated with beast statues. It was wide, too, enough that Liam could puff out a few lamps without being noticed.

Light was an obvious hindrance to the Sea of Darkness. 

Liam's Shadow Sense wouldn't work where a bright glow or a ray of piercing light tainted the darkness. He also couldn't swim in, or through those areas.

If he did, he would just get yanked back to the surface, as though a firm hand had seized him out of the shadows.

Nevertheless, there was more than enough space and hiding spots for him to do his bidding. In the first place, he didn't even need to hide.

Liam emerged behind a wall and coated himself with mental energy. 

Slowly, his attire and appearance changed to a Ravenous Leash disciple – black and white robes with a stoic demeanor.

With that, Liam simply waltzed into the building and nonchalantly made his way towards the stairs. 

Strange glances were shot his way, but the Ravenous Leash Sect was huge.

Not all the disciples knew one another, and visits from different sections of the Sector were common.

Thus, they simply returned to what they were doing.

An umbral blade flickered with light for a split second, followed by a clinking noise.

SHING!

Reeling back his chains, Liam moved up the floor, the Dusk Blades now coated with a layer of blood.

As he left, more than a dozen heads, their facial expressions preserved as they were a second ago, were sliced clean off. 

The rest of the tower followed shortly. 

A dual swing of the Dusk Blades was all that was needed to clear out an unsuspecting room.

There were just one or two Rank 3 cultivators, and they were massively unsuspecting of Liam's arrival. 

Liam exited through the peak of the tower and gave the hidden acolytes the signal to advance. 

Hundreds and hundreds of shadowy forms glided across the uneven ground and began to spread evenly across the region.

Shifting his gaze towards the distant Beast Grounds, Liam moved there next.

///

By the time Liam arrived at the Beast Grounds, another hundred or so Leash disciples were slaughtered. 

Just him.

No one else.

Using his King's Eye, he simply altered their perception of him and made himself disappear from view… then cut off their necks.

Pretty easy stuff.

Now, though, Liam was face-to-face with a collage of Rank 4 creatures held together by massive black chains.

Lions, wolves, massive snakes, hawks, and more, were stored in large chambers that were just big enough for their size.

Liam half-expected the Leashes to treat their beasts horribly, but they were taken care of surprisingly well.

They were unnaturally docile despite their species being known for their wild characteristics, not even deigning Liam a glance.

Liam studied the chains intently. It looked to be made out of a special metal bearing resemblance to Vicirum, the same metal Elder Aki used for her items.

Glowing inscription lines of Ilalian origin riddled its surface, with Meanings that Liam currently couldn't grasp.

There was no doubt that the chains were amazingly made, essentially slaving a Zenith against their will.

'Can't worry about that for now.'

Since the creatures didn't attack him, Liam could find a way to release them without being pressured.

He fiddled around with the chains, finding a compartment at the bottom that all the links converged to.

It seemed to be a controller of sorts, with eight different safety mechanisms.

Bracing himself, Liam clicked all eight at the same time, and the chains untightened instantaneously, falling to the floor with a loud—

CLINK!

Instantly, before the orange-furred wolf he just released startled awake and began its rampage, Liam moved to the next—

CLINK!

And the next—

CLINK!

And the next—

CLINK!

Using Vanishing Steps, he ran to safety and regrouped with the acolytes.

Slowly, the chained animals came to their senses. They jolted their heads left and right as their eyes slowly gained consciousness.

And they were angry.

ROAAAR!

HISSSSSSS!

SKREEEE!

Amazingly, instead of fighting each other, the beasts put aside their bestial instincts to batter their imprisoners.

'Has to be something the Leashes did to get them so pissed off. No way they would work together otherwise,' Liam thought.

In colorful swarms, they began rushing towards whatever building or civilization they could see. 

Pretty soon, explosions and clouds of poison gas spread across the lands. Buildings were rapidly being razed to the ground, and the disciples scrambled for a response.

Destruction and chaos spread from then on.

As soon as the shockwaves spread evenly through the region, it brought the raid to the next stage.

Only Elders of the Leash Sect could suppress and chain a Rank 4 Zenith beast.

Even as the strongest disciples banded together to defend their ground, there were just too many beasts to fight against.

Thus, they mounted their beasts and retreated as far as they could.

Soon, they would bring the Elders to deal with the problem.

But that was all planned for.

It was obvious that would happen.

The Leashes lacked 12 Elders, after all.

Only 6 of their Elders remained, oblivious as to what happened to the other 12.

As they took care of the mess Liam and the acolytes made, everything else would be susceptible to blatant attacks.

///

At the furthest entrance of the Ravenous Leash Sect, a massive carriage carrying a golden crane was led by a group of shrouded tradesmen.

"Stop where you are!" a disciple shouted, his reptile Spirit Beast giving the men a hostile hiss. The traders stopped. "What is this?"

The man at the lead uncloaked his hood and smiled broadly.

It was Jargon.

"A gift to your sect!"

Abruptly, the crane's crystal-eyes brightened.