"Hmmm? Who the hell do you think you are to speak the Lord's name so casually?" The oppressive aura began to build again as the man stepped closer. "Listen here, newcomer. You may have gained some favor, but you're still at the bottom. Best not to overstep." The pressure quickly escalated making it difficult for Liam to even breathe.
Liam immediately activated his domain. He did not know what the rules were about fighting inside the main hall but clearly he did not start this. He was not about to bow down and hand over his ticket to the Eternal Sword Palace at least without putting up a decent fight.
It only took a moment and Liam had already assessed the strength of the individuals in front of him. Each and every one of them was at the Transcendent level, a rank above him. However, their capabilities were rather lacking.
Even though he was still at the awakening stage, his doman was easily able to handle the pressure from the entire group. This could only mean that they had barely formed a passable mediocre dao branch after breaking out of the dao seed. Liam could easily stall for time. He could also escape if needed.
If they pushed him more, he could even take them out if he really went all out right here and now.
However, before things could progress further, a sharp voice cut through the tension and the numerous dao domains. "Is there a problem here?"
All eyes turned to see a woman approaching, her Sword Palace robes denoting a high rank. She had sharp features, with piercing green eyes that commanded attention.
The man straightened, a hint of unease crossing his face. "Lady Seraphine," he said, forcing a respectful tone. "No problem at all. We were just welcoming the newcomer."
Seraphine's gaze flicked between the man and Liam. "It didn't look like a warm welcome to me."
While Liam was wondering who this person was, another loud voice interrupted the conversation. "Move! Move! Move! Where is he? Where is he?"
A young man came rushing through the crowd, his face flushed and breathing heavy. "Excuse me! Where is … what is his name?"
Hmmm? Liam raised a brow when he suddenly noticed that everyone around them had quieted down for some reason. They respectfully bowed their heads and became completely silent making way for the rushing brutish person.
The young man stopped abruptly upon seeing Liam, his face flushed and eyes wide. "Excuse me," he said, slightly out of breath. "Are you the one with the black ice rocks? Please tell me you have more!"
The young man stopped abruptly upon seeing Liam, his face flushed and eyes wide. "Excuse me," he said, slightly out of breath. "Are you the one with the black ice rocks? Please tell me you have more!"
"Yes, that's me," Liam replied, curious about the sudden attention. Was this the Eternal Sword Palace esteemed elder Tristan…? No… It couldn't possibly be, right?
"Thank you! Thank you! How many do you have? I can trade for all of them right now. I have many treasures. Here, see what you want and take it. I need ten black ice rocks in return."
The man proceeded to quickly take out some items and toss them on the ground. A pile of items was quickly forming near them. Most of them were swords and other equipment but the quality of items was astounding. Blades forged from rare metals shimmered with ethereal light, armor pieces adorned with intricate runes pulsed softly, and various artifacts emanated energies that hinted at powerful enchantments.
Liam's eyes widened slightly at the assortment.
"Here. Take what you want. You have the rocks?"
Liam was taken aback but he did not care. He had more than ten of those rocks and he did not mind exchanging them for these kinds of items. He bent down to examine one when suddenly all the loot in front of him vanished in an instant.
Seraphine cleared her throat loudly as he waved her hand. "Elder Tristan, why don't we calm down first…" She awkwardly smiled.
What the hell? This guy was the elder? It looked like the frantic young man was none other than Elder Tristan himself, one of the most esteemed figures in the Eternal Sword Palace.
The guy turned to look at Seraphine with a confused expression. "Huh? Sera? You are here? When did you come? I didn't see you at all."
"Of course, you did not. Elder." She gave another awkward smile before reaching out her hand and holding the young man. The next second she unexpectedly started dragging him away. "Why don't we all go somewhere nice and cozy and talk about this?" She signaled Liam to follow them and proceeded to walk further inside the main hall without giving anyone else any chance to respond.
Liam thought about it for a moment before following the dup into the grand halls of the Eternal Sword Palace. The murmurs of the crowd faded behind them, replaced by the soft echo of their footsteps against polished marble floors.
They entered a quiet chamber adorned with intricate designs and an austere style. Sunlight streamed through tall windows, casting a warm glow over the room's elegant furnishings. Seraphine finally released Elder Tristan's arm, and he turned to face Liam with a sheepish grin.
"Apologies for my... exuberance earlier," Elder Tristan said, smoothing his robes. "I tend to get a bit carried away when it comes to… ha ha ha."
"Yes. Yes. Everyone knows you are a cultivation maniac." Seraphine shook her head helplessly. "One day you are going to give someone a heart attack."
She then turned to Liam and motioned for him to sit down. "Let's talk. You were the last person to accept the quest for item retrieval. How did you get your hands on it? Can you tell us about it?"
There it was! Liam remained calm and did not immediately answer them. "I was rather lucky to come across some." He vaguely replied.
"Yes. Lucky would be the word to procure such items at your current level. I am sure you have heard by now but that entire world has vanished in the span of a few days. You have probably never been to that world so obviously you do not understand."