Liam yawned lazily as he walked out of the cave. "How long was I asleep this time?" He chuckled. Seeing him finally exit his closed-door meditation, two women rushed towards him. "My Lord, you have been asleep for an entire month." One of the women answered. These two women were the same nymphs who had teleported with the group back in Nymphomania, Eldrin's acquaintances. When Rey and Madan had run into them in a questionable part of the city, they brought them back here after paying a hefty sum.
Apparently, the two of them were bred for prostitution and were already marked to be taken to one of the many pleasure palaces back in Nymphomania. But they had tried to escape that fate and fell into an even worse one.
Rey and the others simply rescued them out of sheer boredom and also a little curiosity about why the crafty elf was involved with them. However, Liam did not care.
Liam nodded at the two as he continued walking deeper into the forest. Not long after he came across a pond and he immediately dove into it, letting out a relaxed deep breath. He was finally done.
He had a goal and he had finally achieved it. The past five years had gone by in a blur, but it was all worth it. Though he took a really big detour on the way to his goal, he had arrived there in one piece.
He was now done with the first constellation of the Myriad Constellations Technique, a feat that initially seemed insurmountable. The relief and satisfaction that coursed through him were indescribable. His soul was finally whole again. How long had it been since he felt ?
The strength a complete soul gives to a person was simply unparalleled. The fragmented, weakened state he had endured for so long had been a constant drain, a reminder of his vulnerabilities. But now, with the first constellation of the Myriad Constellations Technique firmly established within him, Liam felt as if a heavy shackle had been unlocked and thrown away. His soul now thrummed with a vitality that resonated with the very essence of his being, infusing him with a sense of power and potential he had almost forgotten was possible.
After all, he hadn't formed the first constellation with just ten runes of power. Liam closed his eyes to focus on his soul space one more time. Immediately, a bright glow emanated from within, illuminating the very essence of his being. There, in the heart of his soul space, sat his first constellation dazzlingly and dozens of runes brightly shone within this constellation, each rune pulsating with a strength that far exceeded his expectations.
In total, there were about three hundred fifty three runes, a number that far surpassed what even the elite geniuses of the myriad realms who had tried to master this technique before Liam had achieved.
In the beginning, Liam only intended to push himself to fifty runes from his measly ten runes but as he started siphoning the soul energy little by little from the giant lizard creature, it was extremely addicting and he couldn't stop it.
His broken, shredded, and injured soul acted like a certain greedy little fox and continued inhaling all of the energy that it could get its hands on. The giant beast also didn't seem to notice anything amiss. Perhaps because it was just a minute fraction of the total soul energy it was harvesting, it did not care? Nevertheless, Liam continued pushing his limits and continued to siphon little by little until he reached his very limit.
At that point, he simply knew it. If he pushed things even a little more the entire thing would collapse. As it was, he was already straining his mind to the maximum. The last thing he wanted to do was break himself mentally.
So he relented at three hundred fifty three and pulled all the runes together, activating the technique to stitch them all into a constellation. The process was arduous, requiring immense concentration and willpower to withstand the pressure it exerted on the soul. Each rune had to be perfectly aligned and synchronized with the others, creating a harmonious flow of soul energy throughout the constellation.
The moment the constellation was fully formed, a profound sense of completion had washed over Liam. Liam was surprised to see that his first constellation was the symbol of infinity. Well, it could also be the number eight. He had yet to figure out what was the meaning behind it and its significance. However, the power that he felt was real.
Not only did it heal the lingering damage to his soul, but it also enhanced his overall capabilities. His senses were sharper, his mind clearer, and his control over his dao seeds and mana had improved dramatically.
Liam took his time and relaxed in the pond giving himself a much-deserved break. He only emerged from the pond several hours later, ready for the next step. He had accomplished what he set out for and now it was time to go home. But before that, there was one small matter he had to take care of that he had been putting away for a long time now. However, he no longer felt the need to postpone it anymore as his soul was whole again. Not to mention his soul strength explosively higher than it had ever been before.
Liam took another deep breath before dismissing all the soul minions he had stationed in different areas spread out all around him. For what he was about to do, he needed his full strength.
He then took out a soul bead that he had specially saved until now. Without further delay, Liam willed for the soul inside to seep out.
"Crawford, it's been a while," Liam muttered as he gripped the ball of soul in his hand. It was a powerful soul that tried to lash out against him but all of its struggles were for naught as the soul was no match for the current him.