Legacy of Hatred

Chapter 335: Test

The profound, grander-than-life vibe from the previous conversation and the rewards’ showcase came crashing down on the spot.

Lancelot couldn’t help but inspect Liam, unaware of whether he should smile, be confused, or say something.

Even the spirit was left speechless, perplexed in ways that his life in the cultivation world and his time managing the inheritance had failed to prepare him for.

The matter involved a life-saving rank 4 item, the wisdom of a legendary expert of unfathomable cultivation, and the peerless mastery in a noble art on which that entire world was built.

However, Liam had rejected all that outright, without even showing a shred of hesitation, as if a blessing an expert at his level couldn’t even dream of receiving wasn’t worth considering.

Lancelot’s brain eventually settled for a laugh, except that nothing left his lips. Instead, he checked the spirit, silently conveying how lost he was about his Brother’s rejection.

"Young Snake," The spirit cleared his throat. "I don’t mean to brag, but I have obtained the honorary title of Grandmaster in my time. Only a few Masters in the entire Kingdom would dare to claim to be my match in the noble art of inscriptions."

Truth be told, the spirit had never expected that he would need to sell himself. It even felt awkward to do so in front of rooting experts, but Liam’s stance didn’t falter.

"Archbishop Ignatius, please don’t take offense," Liam declared, his head still lowered. "I don’t mean to belittle your expertise, but I am an alchemist."

"You are still young," The spirit pointed out, "Barely at the beginning of your cultivation journey. It’s common for cultivators to switch paths and adapt to the lucky encounters they stumble upon."

"Archbishop, I apologize," Liam rejected for the third time. "I will only pursue alchemy in this life."

A light only Lancelot could see drew his gaze back to Liam. He spotted the dark passion around his Brother’s figure, still scorching, but nowhere like a flame.

Liam’s drive didn’t flicker or wave. It was an unflinching blackness that stretched as deeply as the core of his life, the two being one and the same.

At once, Lancelot realized that there was no changing Liam’s mind, something that the spirit had yet to catch up to.

"Child," The spirit called, his tone sterner. "Back in my time, seniority was still a law every cultivator abided by. You might consider your Master great, but-."

"My Master is the greatest," Liam interrupted, his head snapping up, showing the feral killing intent that had filled his face.

Lancelot smirked at that point, refocusing on the spirit, silently siding with Liam. The latter looked ready to take down the entire inheritance out of that veiled insult, and Lancelot wouldn’t dare to miss out on the fun.

That feral killing intent updated the spirit on what Lancelot had realized earlier. Clearly, he had underestimated Liam’s loyalty, meaning he had overstepped.

"Apologies," The spirit exclaimed, even slightly lowering his head. "May I know the name of this Master?"

Liam’s main secret was already out, so he straightened himself, wanting to look as proud and confident as possible, like his Master had taught him, before uttering a single name. "Horace Rauret."

The name didn’t sound familiar to the spirit, but Lancelot’s head snapped at Liam.

"Wait, Brother," Lancelot muttered. "Do you mean Master Horace from the Three Pavilions Sect? The former Head of the alchemical pavilion?" freёweɓnovel.com

The feral killing intent instantly vanished, replaced by giddiness. Liam couldn’t help but be happy that Lancelot knew his Master. It basically confirmed how great he was.

"Him," Liam confirmed, nodding at Lancelot, before recalling another issue. "Ah, but you can’t tell anyone. No one can know that I’m Horace Rauret’s disciple, not yet."

The warning shared the previous one’s reasons. If Liam’s bloodline were discovered, thorough investigations would start, implicating anyone he had ever interacted with.

That applied to Liam’s real identity, too, which would lead to the same conclusions. If someone investigated his Master, the truth about his bloodline might come out, and the Secret Jade Sect would probably be powerless to protect Lancelot at that point.

"The Three Pavilions Sect was an authority in noble arts even in my time," The spirit commented. "For your Master to have claimed the position of Head of the alchemical pavilion, it seems I have truly misspoken."

"I’ve heard the Three Pavilions Sect has yet to find a new Head for the alchemical pavilion," Lancelot added. "It’s even affecting the Sect’s reputation."

"The Three Pavilions Sect has strict customs," The spirit announced. "Becoming a pavilion’s Head requires overcoming the previous Head’s test. Their first duty is also to set up a new test for the election of their successor."

Liam’s head was snapping left and right, darting between Lancelot and the spirit, unable to hide his excitement at the stories about his Master and his background. freewebnoveℓ.com

"These tests are a way to prevent nepotism, ensure succession, but also avoid stagnation," The spirit smiled at Liam’s bright eagerness. "The new Heads set problems specific to their noble art, something they themselves failed to solve. Since no one has overcome it yet, your Master must be far above the experts of this time."

’Is there an alchemical problem set by Master?’ Liam understood, unable to suppress the realizations that followed.

The Three Pavilions Sect indeed used a great succession method. Only Masters who could overcome problems the previous Heads had failed to solve could rise to that position, creating continuously higher standards, as well as steadily better Heads.

The fact that Horace’s test had remained unsolved proved how great his expertise was, since only someone better than him could succeed, and it was unclear whether such experts existed in the Kingdom or had any interest in the Three Pavilions Sect.

However, the matter also highlighted another point. Liam had been lost on how to succeed at one of his main life goals. He couldn’t fathom his Master’s greatness, let alone surpass him, but not anymore.

Apparently, the world had a test that could do just that. It was a requirement set by Horace Rauret himself, and overcoming it would mean surpassing his heights, so Liam added the Three Pavilions Sect to his mental list of destinations.