Liam focused on the cauldron and sent his first avatar in. Enormous white-golden flames gathered around it. Incredible pressure bore down on it from every direction, compressing the avatar until even Liam could feel the strain through their connection.
Fuck no. He just got these out after going through hell. He almost pulled it back out when the old man's voice strictly forbade him. "Don't."
"Senior, what are you doing to it?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?"
"Trying to cook me?"
The old man snorted. "If I wanted to cook you, brat, you would already be cooked."
"Fair enough."
Liam forced himself to wait. The pressure continued increasing. His first soul avatar sat cross-legged within the cauldron while white-golden flames repeatedly passed through its body.
Every time they did, tiny specks of murky energy were forced out, so small that Liam hadn't even been able to detect them before.
