Most tentacles hit from above. Some came from below and ahead, but those from behind soon followed.

Liam tried to exert strength, but there was little he could do when his footholds weren’t solid. The very tentacle he had decided to run onto seemed to have turned liquid, its surface absorbing his steps, voiding any attempted propulsion.

The predicament was similar to the level three bear inside the landslide, only for magical reasons.

The tentacles slammed into Liam and tried to drown him in their oddly slimy texture. Many merged, becoming thicker and gaining enough strength to push him around without leaving his figure.

Soon, Liam heard and felt an actual crash. Three tentacles were pressing on him, one on his torso and two on his arms, each as big as his chest, keeping him in a human-shaped hole of his own creation in a wall a few meters from the ground.

Then, the attacks came.

A giant fireball, four water bullets, a slash made of air, a beam of raging vibrations, flying swords, and Qi-enhanced bolts all converged in Liam’s position, traveling through the openings in the tentacles.

Not all belonged to the second rank, but everything slammed into Liam. He had attacks targeting every inch of his figure, but nothing exploded. Nothing even touched him.

Ever since Liam’s senses had warned him of the absence of a way out, he had activated the Qi Repulsion. The vibrating membrane of black energy surrounded his body and kept spells, tentacles, and weapons away. The defensive technique hadn’t saved him from being pushed around, but had prevented injuries.

Nevertheless, the vibrating membrane was shrinking under the pressure. There were so many attacks to account for, and Liam was only one person. He saw everything getting closer, and his defensive technique was unable to endure it.

Still, the Qi Repulsion had a physical component. It didn’t actually rely on sheer strength, but the latter could aid it. Certain gestures could empower the technique’s effects.

Liam had always been physically gifted, a trait that long preceded his time as a cultivator. He had also always known the full extent of that ability, but not now.

The mission for the Rainbow Roses had given Liam an idea of his new standing after the prolonged training. Yet, he hadn’t performed extensive tests, and he had even improved the body-enhancing pill’s recipe.

Truth was, Liam had no idea how strong he was exactly, and he had more than muscles to rely on.

The black energy that made the Qi Repulsion didn’t just enhance it. It also applied insidious effects no weaker than Lancelot’s flames. Liam’s current number of minor roots actually pushed that feature even further.

The tentacles, spells, and weapons lost power while remaining in direct contact with that black energy. The latter poisoned them, turning their very fabric poisonous, making it part of its power.

Liam hissed between his teeth, his muscles tensing to no end, the veins on his neck popping as he slowly spread his arms. The pressure on him relented until his gesture became sharp.

Liam slammed his arms on the wall, and the Qi Repulsion did what its name promised. It deflected some weapons while only pushing back spells and tentacles, but that breathing room was all Liam needed.

The scarred middle-aged man was watching everything from behind the yellow fumes when they parted. He obtained a clear view of the human-shaped hole in the opposite wall, only to spot a deep footprint inside it now.

The tentacles suddenly crumbled, becoming soil, wood, and debris that fell to the ground. The middle-aged man immediately turned to his kneeling companions managing the formation, only to see that everything above their chests had disappeared, torn away.

The scarred man saw a caped figure further ahead, but he couldn’t focus on him. Scorching pain spread from inside him. He felt as if his very body was melting, and his eyes widened when he looked down at himself. There were three needles stabbed into his leg.

Screams resounded, but Liam hardly heard them. He sent his remaining needles at a couple of foundation experts nearby while glaring at the rooting expert charging at him, an ethereal beam shooting from his eyes.

The rooting expert finished his charge, only to crash onto the ground, sliding at Liam’s feet. The rank 2 Aura had made him bleed from several orifices, leaving him so defenseless that a stomp was enough to crush his skull.

Experts retreated all around Liam, falling prey to their panic in quite a lethal fashion. There was nowhere safe. Jumping back only put them near the walls, where yellow smoke was still leaking, infecting them.

Once the experts realized their mistake, they tried to reverse course, but deadly hands were waiting for them. Liam’s fingers pierced a rooting expert’s chest, tearing him in half when he spread his arms.

A whistling noise resounded above Liam’s head, but he had already lifted his bloodied hand. A sword fell on his palm, carving a shallow injury and trying to dig deeper, but he just closed his fingers.

The rooting expert watched his sword shatter into pieces before a punch landed on his nose, squashing his entire skull and making blood explode from any injury that opened.

Two experts in the rooting stage had opted to head for the broken gate, but thundering noises resounded, halting their steps and making them turn, only for two pills to explode at their feet.

Screams resounded, but they were cut short by the caped figure that entered the yellow cloud, those deaths marking the critical point.

Liam left the yellow fumes, only to see that the Master’s Pride had taken over most of the open area. Those he hadn’t killed directly had died from inhalation, leaving only three foundation experts on the opposite side of the training ground.

Two of those foundation experts got their knees and kowtowed as soon as they saw a shadow walk past the yellow fumes. Liam heard them beg among the tears, but his hands struck down all the same.

Liam turned to the remaining foundation expert at that point. He was the one who had welcomed him, but he was curled into a ball on the ground, weeping, a wet patch spreading under his butt.

If Liam’s senses were to be believed, and they always were, that foundation expert was the only one who had never attacked him. That probably wasn’t out of choice after Liam had thrown him around, but a survivor had its uses.

"Mercy!" Andrew sobbed as Liam reached for him, only for the world in his vision to spin once more. He flew, thrown into the air, beyond the rising fumes and wall, outside the building.

Liam watched that flying figure fall somewhere outside before the world in his vision became yellow. The Master’s Pride had taken complete control of the central area and was now moving to the walls. His job was almost complete. He only had one last person to kill.

Despite the storm of poison and Qi radiated from the various surfaces messing with Liam’s perception, he still sensed an unnatural spot somewhere below the area, as well as the warmth of a living body.