Liam returned to the main palace area almost immediately. All around him, there was chaos and confusion. Shouts rang out. Beastkin guards scrambled to their positions. Several elders were in heated discussions, their auras flaring with suspicion and unrest. It looked like he had once again started something in this world but he did not wait around to deal with the aftermath. He didn't even glance around to see what storm he had set in motion. He walked straight through the rising madness as if it didn't exist. He didn't pause or even glance toward the central courtyard where the clan elders usually gathered. He had no intention of participating in the fanfare anylonger. Without so much as a nod to the guards, he cut across the palace hallway and headed directly toward the system's teleportation portals. He tapped the glyph for the Green Mountain region without hesitation, vanishing in a shimmer of pale light. There were two reasons behind his decision. The first was simple: he didn't want to waste time. After what he had just experienced, the awakening of the rune, the emergence of the soulweaver thread, and the whisper of an ancient inheritance, it felt absurd to stay and indulge in pointless social rituals. Time was a currency he couldn't afford to squander, not when he had barely survived the last ordeal. There was too much to unpack, too much to understand, and lingering in that world served no purpose. The second reason, however, was far more critical. Liam had learned the hard way that nothing in this world remained hidden for long. Power always left a ripple. The moment he'd awakened the Soul Rune of Origin, he had felt something. Staying back, flaunting his presence, or attracting even the slightest bit of attention could be fatal. He wasn't being paranoid. He was being practical. Experience had taught him that the most dangerous part of unlocking power wasn't the trial, it was what came after. That world may have been rich with opportunity, rare herbs, alchemical wonders, secret beast nests but it wasn't worth the gamble. Not this time. Liam didn't need another trinket or hidden scroll. What he needed now was understanding. The safety and solitude of the Green Mountains would give him exactly that. There, surrounded by layers of spiritual formations and far from prying eyes, he could study the rune etched into his soul and understand everything on his terms. What he needed now… was clarity. Liam cancelled all of his orders for the next several days and fully focused on his soul cultivation. It looked like his soul cultivation technique was indeed compatible with the new rune in his soul. In fact his first constellation now started further expanding with the rune in the center. Liam felt a little nervous as he had no idea what he was doing. He was completely in uncharted territories and it felt dangerous. It would be better if he could learn more about this rune before proceeding. After spending several days on the rune, he finally decided to pause this for a while. There was also the second thing he wanted to focus on, the soulweaver thread. Liam decided to take a day's break before tinkering with that. His mind was frayed from days of nonstop meditation, and his soul, though bolstered by the rune, was still recovering from the intense awakening ritual. He wandered the quiet paths of the Green Mountain Sect, letting the crisp spiritual air clear the fog in his mind. The mist that clung to the cliffs, the distant cries of spirit beasts, the soft whisper of wind through bamboo groves, all of it helped him to relax. He decided to make a trip to the main market place of the sect where various trades typically happened. However, alchemy sect elders like Liam were rarely seen in these areas. It was only the newbies who wandered here hoping to gain some sort of benefit to make a breakthrough. Liam drew more than a few glances the moment he stepped into the marketplace. Most of the sect disciples present were either outer disciples or lower-tier initiates. They had only ever heard of the elusive Grandmaster Alchemist, rumors, legends, and hushed tales about the rising star who defied sect traditions and earned direct recognition from several Elders. Yet none had actually seen him walk among them like a normal person. The crowd instinctively parted around him. Some bowed slightly, others merely stared in awe. Liam just smiled and continued walking. Stalls filled with spiritual herbs, beast pelts, forged weapons, and glittering talismans lined the streets. A few traveling vendors even hawked oddities from distant realms, dusty relics, bottled luck, and even tamed parasites rumored to enhance spiritual perception. Liam browsed casually, not truly looking for anything in particular, letting his thoughts wander. He then wandered around all the way to the main records building where all sorts of information was stored. This was a sect exclusive resource that only elders were able to access. The towering records building stood at the edge of the inner sect grounds. Liam stepped through the arched doorway, greeted by the familiar scent of ink, old parchment, and alchemical herbs. Rows of floating scrolls and translucent index tablets floated across the inner hall like fish in a still pond. Elder-ranked alchemists and archivists occupied various alcoves, either deep in study or carefully scribing newly confirmed formulas into the eternal ledger. The moment Liam entered, a silence fell. Even among elders, his presence was an anomaly. He had not climbed the ranks through centuries of slow advancement or political maneuvering, he had shot through them like a comet, powered by results, purity, and daring. A few came to greet him and Liam simply exchanged formal greetings with them and proceeded to browse through the records room. He moved deeper into the archive, bypassing the public shelves and accessing the private chambers with a flick of his sect badge. He then started randomly browsing through everything. Hours slipped by quickly as Liam continued to be engrossed in reading various types of things such as the correct flame handling technique, how to form a contract with a fire spirit, and even records about some rare herbs that were extinct now. High rewards were offered for these rare herbs even within the sect. Most of the scrolls he pulled weren't directly related to the Soul Rune or the soulweaver thread but that didn't matter. He was simply reading to relax. Soon almost an entire day went by and Liam decided to head back to his quarters. However, just as he stepped out of the records tower a familiar face crossed his path. For a moment, Liam almost froze in his step and his eyes widened in shock. How could he not recognize this woman? This was the person from whom he had stolen the golden cauldron! He had taken it from her right from under her nose! And this person was from here? The woman in front of him was none other than the same woman he had encountered back in the system golden event when he had pillaged and plundered some sort of ancient ruin to get some weird powerful soil particles. He had no idea about the presence of the golden cauldron but clearly she knew. She had come there to claim it. But in the end, he was the one who took the prize home. He was not sure if she saw him back then or not but judging from the encounter just now he seemed to be safe. He quickly adjusted his expression and continued walking as if nothing was wrong. Inwardly, he was sweating bullets. What were the chances for this to happen? This lunatic girl just had to be from Green Mountain? Back then within the system golden event this same woman had cursed him repeatedly for destroying the whole ruin and the treasure along with it. He had cursed him and called him a blasphemer and even cursed his nine generations and forefathers. Did she even know that in the end he had managed to obtain the cauldron? Probably not. It was not like she could track something so powerful. For all intents and purposes he was a completely innocent person. Liam gave a polite nod and started walking back to his quarters. As he crossed the woman and walked away, he could feel the person turn and look at him. A chill ran down Liam's spine. "Who is that?" The woman asked. "That's the newest elder, Miss Nyx." Someone near her explained. "Hmmm… I don't know why but I feel as if I had seen him before." The woman then turned her head and started walking away. For a moment, Liam stiffened but thankfully she did not seem to recognize him. So much for a day of rest and relaxation. He had narrowly escaped from getting caught and being forced to run away from this place as well. How could he possibly stay in an alchemy sect with numerous monsters if everyone came to know he was in possession of not one but three grand treasures of alchemy! He had come to enjoy this sect quite a bit as it provided him a lot of peace and quiet and also opportunity to grow stronger. His alchemy knowledge alone had increased by leaps and bounds ever since he got here. He also managed to find a clue about his soulmancer inheritance. He did not want to leave this place just yet. Liam let out a sigh as he arrived at his quarters. Maybe his time here was indeed coming to an end. He couldn't push his luck too much after all. The three grand treasures were his sureshot path to power and he couldn't lose them no matter what.