Legacy of Hatred

Chapter 338: Patience

Truth be told, Elder Dominic’s patience had long since crossed the point of no return.

The Elder was domineering by nature, a trait that his cultivation stage and status inside his Sect had both deepened and made right. He had earned the privilege to be unreasonable by becoming who he was, by claiming strength.

Of course, branching experts weren’t the best the cultivation world had to offer, not even close. However, they remained rare, priceless assets in those far reaches of the Kingdom, demanding all the respect that seniority and superior power were owed.

So, the issue in the valley had already sent Elder Dominic overboard, and things had only worsened. Gilbert’s intervention had turned that single instance of disrespect into a months-long chase, which he didn’t seem able to solve even now that his target should be in his grasp.

For a branching expert to waste four months over a mere rooting expert, the matter was nothing short of shameful. Elder Dominic would become a laughing stock of the cultivation world if the news spread.

There was also an issue with politics. The Elder’s status involved duties toward his Sect, which had nothing to do with that matter. Causing too many problems would actually end up hurting his Sect since that wasn’t its domain.

So, that single insult had evolved way beyond the personal. Elder Dominic and his Sect’s reputation were now on the line, and he had to bring results, no matter what it took.

Elder Dominic was on the top of a tree, his weight unable to affect the branches as he stared at the bed of leaves stretching in every direction.

Dust also rose from multiple clearings of the Elder’s own creation. His attacks were tearing that forest apart piece by piece, but he knew his target was still somewhere, and his perception had nothing to do with it.

A wooden compass rested in the Elder’s lifted palm, the spoon made of a special, Qi-enhanced mineral waving left and right, not giving a clear direction, but still reacting.

That uncertainty was actually surprising. The compass was a rank 2 item that the Elder had borrowed from the Shrouded Desert Sect. He wouldn’t have been so late catching up otherwise, but something stronger seemed to be at play, preventing it from getting a good read on the presences in the forest.

Nevertheless, that was hardly a problem for Elder Dominic. It was unbecoming for someone at his level to struggle so much against a rooting expert, but the solution was perfect for venting his anger.

It didn’t matter whether the compass was accurate. Elder Dominic would just blow up anything it pointed at. Even if he failed at getting his target, he would at least have the satisfaction of turning him into rubble.

The Elder closed his eyes, his entire existence attuning with the ground below, ready to send his heavy, profound Qi into a specific spot, only for the reaction he had been waiting for to snap his gaze open.

The compass suddenly stabilized, pointing straight ahead, prompting the Elder to move. The world seemed to open at his passage, bending its very laws to bring him to the ground far ahead in no time.

The scene that welcomed the Elder under the crowns wasn’t exactly what he had hoped for. A blonde, handsome rooting expert was leaning against a trunk, his silver robe torn everywhere, his arms crossed, a feverish smile on his face.

There was something else to that rooting expert. His presence was faint despite his clearly exceptional standing. It was actually Elder Dominic’s first time meeting a Junior that his perception forced him to acknowledge, a discrepancy clearly caused by the white halo surrounding him. ƒrēewebnovel.com

Also, the rooting expert’s long hair was strange, almost alive. His long strands’ color looked fluid, sparks of redness occasionally flashing on his blonde head.

That strange trait, the commendable presence despite the lower cultivation level, and Elder Dominic’s knowledge of the situation told him who that rooting expert was, which could be a problem, not that he would show that.

"Junior, I know the one called William was part of your team," Elder Dominic declared. "Tell me where he is, and I’ll forget about today."

Lancelot’s smile somehow grew more feverish, as if something inside him was about to burst. Still, he contained himself, instead lowering his arms, revealing the circular pendant with the symbol of a stylized man at its center.

Elder Dominic’s gaze snapped down, his long experience in the cultivation world failing him. He couldn’t hide his reaction nor the instinctive glint of greed flashing in his eyes.

After all, despite not knowing exactly what that pendant was, Elder Dominic could make quite accurate guesses. For once, it was a rank 3 item. Moreover, that symbol wasn’t something non-Church members could obtain by chance.

Knowing where Lancelot had just come out from basically set the matter in stone. He might have actually succeeded at claiming the inheritance that had remained unclaimed for centuries.

And Elder Dominic knew better than to mess with the Church, but greed was human. Besides, as much as he failed to consider political repercussions at times, he knew that there was a unique opportunity there. freewёbnoνel.com

The Elder wouldn’t actually hurt the Church. He was dealing with a rooting expert from a faraway Sect. If anything, taking whatever reward Lancelot had claimed and giving something back to the Church would be seen as heroic. Even his Sect would benefit.

Still, the personal rewards remained the main reason. Despite the support of a Sect, rank 3 assets were hard to come by, even for someone with a unique status like Elder Dominic.

It wasn’t even a matter of price. Those powerful tools were simply unavailable for the most part, locked in richer areas of the Kingdom. However, that pendant might have exactly that.

"But, Junior, you refused to answer when I called," The Elder added, changing his tune. "I’ve killed for far less. I’ll give face to your Sect and spare you, but you must hand out that storage item as compensation."

And Lancelot left the trunk, his lips parting as his hair waved on its own, completely turning from blonde to red.

"Senior," Lancelot called, "You don’t know how much I hoped for you to say that."

Before more words could fly, Lancelot lifted his arms, a torrent of raw Qi leaving his figure like a tide of invisible water, washing over a wide area, before a single spark turned all that into scarlet flames.