As much as Liam had believed that nothing could surprise him anymore, that scenery did, and it wasn't only about the whole magic vibe that enveloped it.
Liam should have been able to spot something so grand during his climb, but didn't. He should have heard something, but he had to get this close for his ears to capture voices and footsteps.
"How can such a place even be hidden?" Liam wondered, ending up speaking instead of thinking.
Lucy was still stuck in her shocking realization when Liam's question snapped her out of it. The marvel depicted on his face was heartwarming and understandable, making her smile again, knowing she had worn the same expression when she first saw the Sect.
"Come, Liam," Lucy eventually called. "We still have some way to go."
Liam nodded and began to follow Lucy, but his eyes remained on the mountain's side. He kept looking up even as the two stepped on the path, and the world transformed once again.
The clouds Liam had spotted earlier finally reached the area, covering the moon and stars, deepening the night's darkness.
However, small grey lights lit up in the path's upper parts in response, revealing braziers that hung at the circular boulders' sides. Similar fires also appeared on the vast buildings above, making Liam lean away from the wall to try to check them.
"The lower caves are for the outer disciples," Lucy couldn't help but reveal in front of Liam's evident curiosity. "Mine is also among them."
"Do cultivators live in caves?" Liam asked, still checking the world above.
"Not always," Lucy giggled. "Caves are common, but anything where you can't be disturbed works."
"So, did I disturb you earlier?" Liam asked, genuine worry filling his expression as he looked at Lucy.
Once again, that honesty felt blinding. Lucy hesitated, needing a whole second to recover and overcome that dangerous weapon.
"I'll tell you more about my garden if you become a disciple," Lucy promised, bringing a finger to her mouth. "Just, don't mention it anymore, please?"
Liam immediately nodded, earning himself a smile from Lucy before the two resumed climbing the path. They remained silent now, Lucy focused on leading the way, while Liam was trapped in his curiosity.
The circular boulders, which were apparently caves, looked imminent. The two only had to take another turn to get on their path, but a small hut Liam couldn't spot earlier stood in that corner, and two boys sat on stools in front of it.
The two boys looked as old as Liam. One had short blonde hair, while the other had a head full of red curls. They both wore the same pale-grey robe as Lucy's, but their right arms featured a wooden tablet tied with black cloth near their shoulders.
"Sister Lucy," The blonde boy greeted, standing up once he spotted Liam. His red-haired companion did the same, and both ended up sizing up Liam.
"Brother Erik, Brother Kyle," Lucy greeted, cupping her fist and performing a polite bow. "This is Liam. He wishes to see the Disciplinary Elder."
Liam abided by his promise to Lucy and remained silent, but his animal instincts started to tingle when the two young men's inspection grew more serious. Clearly, what Lucy had requested was no ordinary favor.
"Is he an outsider?" The blonde boy asked. "Why have you brought him to the Sect?"
"Brother Erik," Lucy called, only to realize she had no idea how to explain the situation. "It's difficult to explain. I believe this is a matter that must be brought to the Elder."
"Is he a mute?" The red-haired boy, Kyle, questioned, approaching Liam, circling him to inspect his figure. "Why are you letting Sister Lucy speak for you?"
"Brother Kyle, please," Lucy pleaded, breaking her bow. "I wouldn't have brought him here if I hadn't deemed him worthy of an audience."
"And how did you decide that, Sister Lucy?" Kyle asked, stopping at Liam's side, his hand reaching for his messy black hair. "Is this nest over your ears making you deaf, too?"
Lucy didn't think much about the gesture. She didn't like it, but that light bullying was the norm, especially with outsiders.
However, that didn't apply to Liam. The Divine Cult had carved instincts so deeply inside him that they bypassed his thoughts. He didn't want that boy to touch him, and his hand grabbed his wrist before he could think about holding back.
"Hey!" Kyle shouted, trying to retract his hand, only for Liam's grip to remain unmovable, forcing him to use words. "How dare you lay hands on a member of the disciplinary committee?"
Kyle tried to yank his hand away again, but Liam didn't even budge. His steel grip was a deadly trap, which his cold black eyes soon joined.
And for some reason, a chill ran down Kyle's back under that black gaze. It seemed as if Liam had stopped seeing him as a fellow man. His cold eyes only reflected the calm and calculating intentions of a predator about to slaughter a prey.
Luckily, Lucy intervened before the situation could degenerate any further.
"Liam," Lucy called, reaching Liam's side, urging him with a concerned but firm tone. "Brother Kyle was just jesting. Please, let him go."
Obviously, Lucy had gained some insights into Liam's absurd physical strength, making the scene easier to accept. However, the same didn't apply to Kyle and Erik, who didn't know what to think.
Nevertheless, Liam diverted his gaze, looking deep into Lucy's brown eyes, trusting her. He abruptly opened his hand, and Kyle risked stumbling as he retreated, only managing to restore his balance after taking a few steps back.
But, despite Lucy's efforts, the situation had already degenerated. Liam's ears were the first to notice it, bringing his gaze to the paths above and past the hut, but the others soon caught up with his senses.
Murmurs had started to spread as young faces peeked past the path above. Kyle's shout and the general commotion had attracted the nearby disciples' attention, and rumors about a potential fight were already resounding.
Liam didn't care much about the audience, but Lucy, Erik, and especially Kyle did. Reputation was a significant factor in that world, and Kyle had just suffered a major insult.
"Brother Kyle," Lucy called, hoping to prevent the unavoidable, but her plea fell on deaf ears.
"This outsider decided to attack a proud member of the Pale Moon Sect's disciplinary committee!" Kyle shouted, even raising an arm to address the audience above. "I, Flame Fist Kyle, accept his challenge!"
Liam arched his eyebrows in surprise. He didn't know what challenge Kyle was talking about, and that title also sounded odd and haughty. Still, Kyle quickly showed how fitting it was.
The sense of terror that Liam had started to connect to the Qi spread inside him while Kyle's figure brightened. That glow flowed toward his fists, which he bumped against each other to create a shocking reaction.
And, out of nowhere, red flames appeared around Kyle's hands, covering them as he stretched his arms toward Liam.