Born in Blood



Liam and Usan met after exactly 2 weeks, outside the Temple's domain. The two were waiting for someone, their gazes fixed towards the distant horizon and setting sun.

Only the victors were allowed to receive the fruit. 

Usan now had a working arm on his stump, ringed with stitches and incisions, while Liam still had nothing.

With a nonchalant expression, Usan made a series of flexing and stretching gestures with his new arm, glancing at Liam from the side.

He looked slightly proud doing it, too.

Liam sighed and shook his head.

"How are you going to get the fruit?" Liam asked him.

Usan smirked slightly.

"We're visiting the Sacrosanct Tree."

Liam pursed his lips.

"Your father. Is he there? I don't want to get spotted by a powerhouse and promptly get butchered because of some sort of tour."

Usan chuckled and shook his head.

"Rank 6 powerhouses don't even look at Mortal ranked cultivators. Why do you think the tournament went the way it did?"

"A Rank 6's mental sphere is so powerful, their consciousness stretches out for thousands of kilometers."

"A simple parable could be like watching a giant anthill squirm with a million ants."

"Do you focus on each individual ant?"

"You don't. They just appear as one solid collective to your eye."

Liam slowly nodded in understanding, amazed.

Rank 6's had unimaginable powers.

No point thinking about it now.

[He's here,] Usan transmitted.

Eventually, a figure grew closer from the distance. A clean-shaven, tall, aloof-looking cultivator donning platinum robes.

He bore the usual traits of the Moyong family – long silver hair pulsing with light and radiant eyes. 

He was a little older looking than North Star, but a slight bit weaker. Usan didn't look like he recognized him.

Yar'wei Moyong was the man's name. It roughly translated to Luminous Path.

'Boring name.'

Usan flew upwards and made Liam fly beside him as the three met midair, exchanging terse nods.

Yar'wei was another Rank 5 cultivator, making Liam wonder how strong the Moyong really were.

Liam had reverted back to his Shadow Demon appearance, and Yar'wei gave him a searching look, scrutinizing every little detail on his face.

"I've never heard your real name," Yar'wei said conversationally. "Do enlighten me."

Usan was about to respond, but Liam was slightly quicker.

"Bob."

Yar'wei raised a brow.

"Bob… a strange but exotic name. What part of Ilali are you from, exactly?"

"We're not here to discuss names," Usan cut in before Liam dug a grave for the both of them. 

Yar'wei looked back to Usan with an aloof gaze. He looked calm and collected, and any emotion besides boredom wasn't visible on his face.

"Very well."

Yar'wei turned around and flew to the direction of the light palace, followed closely by Liam and Usan.

Liam looked below as he flew. At their sight, the millions of people still gathered on the ground started to cheer and roar at their passing figures.

Mostly, they screamed and chanted Liam's moniker.

'Why are they still here?' Liam frowned. 'The tournament is over already, retards. Go home.'

Liam shook his head.

Finally, the three arrived at the light-made domain.

Starting with Yar'wei, Usan entered the massive palace followed by Liam.

The place was damn massive. Beautifully ornate furniture that looked ancient with natural designs that seemed otherworldly. 

Besides them, there was no one else. Not even servants or the natural disciples. 

After passing more than a dozen corridors, there was a slab of marble stairs leading downwards. And it was deep. As long as it went, it was brightly illuminated.

Liam constricted his eye.

He still couldn't see the ending.

'This is gonna be one long walk, isn't it…' 

Liam sighed.

***

Two hours of silent walking passed since the trio entered the basement. Liam sent Usan a side glance, and the man's face was colder than ever.

Maybe it had something to do with bitter memories, but Liam didn't ask.

Eventually, they arrived at the ending of the tunnel.

And it was damn bright!

Blindingly bright!

Liam actually had to squint as he and Usan exited the space, just for his eyes to painfully adjust.

And when it did, he took a deep breath.

Everything around him was made out of pure light. 

The place they had arrived in was a vast, natural underground structure of pure light. Even the ground below – which looked like rock – was blindingly bright.

Here and there, beautiful plants bloomed and gave life to the air. The smells that entered Liam's nose were never going to be forgotten.

But the defining and awesome feature was something in the center. 

It was huge, resembling an otherworldly pillar more than 295 meters tall that connected the bottom of the space to the top. 

Branches closest to the bark were the thickest, while those further out thinned to a hair's length. Streamlined leaves, massive and tiny, grew from them.

It looked alive. Inhaling light and glowing brighter, before exhaling and losing a tiny bit of its luster. 

This was the Sacrosanct Tree. 

A Rank 6 plant.

And it was just… beautiful.

The 'Ora' density was unparalleled. So much so, Liam was forced to protect his core from absorbing anything.

At the same time, there were more than three dozen Moyong family members grouped together in the distance. 

Some were incredibly young, not even 15 years old, while others were aged, maybe even past 100.

They wore a single piece of white cloth, and looked at Liam with amazement in their eyes.

As though they never saw another human before him.

North Star and Twilight were among them, but with no amazement in their eyes. Only hatred.

The latter's face had gone through some 'changes'. Her right eye was gone, but there were no traces of any scars of remaining damage.

"I hope you don't mind. Some of our family members hadn't seen the fruit's birth and begged to witness," Yar'wei said with his gaze on the tree.

'Wait… it's not birthed yet?'

The tree let out a loud humming noise as its branches twirled and shook, the blinding bark surging with beams of energy beneath its glossy surface.