Defiance of the Fall

The cost he had been forced to pay was shocking . Of course , that didn’t mean his prospects were all that much worse compared to Uona’s . There was still a lot of room for growth for him in the E-grade , be it levels , Dao , or skills . Meanwhile , Uona had to be at the stage where she prepared to form her Cultivator’s Core .

Besides , while the cost had been steep , it wasn’t like he was without benefits , and Zac found his gaze turn to the Spatial Ring that had previously belonged to the blood mistress . It was sealed by some unknown method , but it was bound to have a lot of good things , perhaps even materials that would be useful when forming his Cultivator’s Core in the future . Her body was valuable as well , for a variety of reasons .

Verun was clearly keen on drinking her blood , to the point that the Tool Spirit had almost entered a frenzy when they fought earlier . Not only that , but her body had essentially turned into a lightning rod that filled her with Heavenly Lightning , which still lingered in her body . That energy had proven pretty useful for him before , and Zac would hopefully be able to extract it with Void Heart] later .

Thinking of a dead person as a cultivation resource bordered on unorthodoxy , but he knew he had to grasp any opportunity that came his way as a mortal . Besides , how was this any different from raising his foes and turning them into members of his army? He had already gone pretty far in his pursuit of power . Also , it somehow felt justifiable in this case , considering Uona had called him cattle before .

There were other gains besides the loot as well , and Zac opened his Status screen .

Name

Zachary Atwood

Level

123

Class

E-Epic] Fetters of Desolation

Race

D] Draugr – Void Emperor (Corrupted)

Alignment

Earth] Port Atwood – Planetary Lord

Titles

Born for Carnage , Ultimate Reaper , Luck of the Draw , Giantsbane , Disciple of David , Overpowered , Slayer of Leviathans , Adventurer , Demon Slayer I , Full of Class , Rarified Being , Trailblazer , Child of Dao , The Big 500 , Planetary Aegis , One Against Many , Butcher , Progenitor Noblesse , Duplicity Core , Apex Hunter , Heaven’s Chosen , Scion of Dao , Omnidextrous , Eastern Trigram Hunt – 1st , Tyrannic Force , Achievement Hunter , The First Step , Promising Specialist , Tower of Eternity – 8th Floor , Heaven’s Triumvirate , Fated , Peak Power , Sovereign-Select , Frontrunner , Apex Progenitor , Pathstrider , Runebinder , Runic Erudition , Grand Fate

Limited Titles

Tower of Eternity Sector All-Star – 14th , Weight of Sin , Equanimity , Heart of Fire , Big Axe Gladiator

Dao

Branch of the War Axe – Early , Fragment of the Coffin – Peak , Fragment of the Bodhi – Peak

Core

E] Duplicity

Strength

11792 Increase : 110% . Efficiency : 261%]

Dexterity

4772 Increase : 80% . Efficiency : 187%]

Endurance

8114 Increase : 101% . Efficiency : 250%]

Vitality

6615 Increase : 89% . Efficiency : 238%]

Intelligence

1945 Increase : 74% . Efficiency : 187%]

Wisdom

4036 Increase : 81% . Efficiency : 197%]

Luck

514 Increase : 96% . Efficiency : 208%]

Free Points

30

Nexus Coins

D] 933 662

He had actually gained three full levels without trying , and without using the torrential amounts of kill energy that still filled his body . His mind was a bit fuzzy on the details , but one had been burst open when the four remnants clashed in his body . It had already been at the precipice of opening since long ago , and the rampant energies had pushed it over the edge .

Luckily , between the Supreme Healing Treasure and the Stone of Hope] , the damage wasn’t too bad . The other two nodes had been opened with him barely noticing from the two streams of Chaos . Each tendril had infused a minuscule amount into a node of their own , and the nodes had simply been open the next moment , without as much as a pop or eruption .

It was a welcome surprise , but Zac was more interested in something else , and he opened the Bloodline Screen after allocating the 30 free points into Dexterity .

Bloodline

E – Corrupted] Void Emperor

Talent

Force of the Void – 50% , Void Zone

Bloodline Nodes

E]Void Heart , E] Spiritual Void , E] Purity of the Void

Nodes

E] Quantum Gate

The two biggest gains were related to Force of the Void] and Quantum Gate] . The bit of Chaos that hadn’t entered his nodes had been swallowed by his Bloodline , pushing it forward by a huge degree . His Bloodline Talent had been improved all the way to 50% in one go .

Unfortunately , he somewhat felt the small vortices in his cells had reached saturation . Zac couldn’t be certain , but he guessed that he wouldn’t be able to pass 50% , at least not without evolving the talents or his Bloodline .

The recently discovered node had finally appeared in his Draugr-form as well , and it looked like his previous theory had been correct . He had needed to infuse the Hidden Node with Oblivion on his undead side to complete it . He had no idea whether he was simply lucky that he had the Oblivion and Creation necessary for the formation , or whether any two opposing forces would do the trick .

However , as Zac looked at the small node at his sternum , he couldn’t help but feel a bit confused . As far as he could tell , it didn’t do anything . It didn’t seem interested in swallowing any energy , and it didn’t provide any attributes or abilities either . Zac hesitantly circulated a small stream of Miasma to pass by the node , but there was simply no response . It might as well have been a decoration .

Zac grimaced , wondering if it was really something meant to be used with the machinery of the Technocrats , rendering it useless for him . He wasn’t ready to give up just yet , but now was not the time to experiment . Zac sighed as he closed the status screen and once more turned his gaze toward the sky .

The more pressing matter was what the hell he should do next .

The chaotic scars continued to spread across the sky , and he could sense that the atmosphere itself had started to become a bit volatile . He hadn’t been lying when giving the Mystic Realm one hour before all hell broke loose . If anything , he had been underselling just how rapidly the Mystic Realm was deteriorating .

When the Chaos had been coursed through his pathways , he had somehow inherently understood what would happen next . The cracks would increase with exponential speed until the Mystic realm destabilized and collapsed . He and everyone else would be thrown out , perhaps into the void , perhaps into the Twilight Harbor where a bunch of Divine Monarchs waited .

He had absolutely no idea how things would play out at that point . Even surviving the realm exploding felt uncertain unless the System stepped in . And even if he did , he would still be in extreme peril . Things were bound to get extremely chaotic when the realm collapsed a year early , with Alvod and the other Monarchs struggling to seize whatever it was that could help them ascend .

Zac remembered the terrifying shockwaves when the Voridis A’Heliophos fought against the Collector and the Administrator inside the Mystic Realm back on Earth . Just some errant bursts of energy had been enough to maim him . As bad as that was , it was nothing compared what waited outside .

At least three Divine Monarchs were going all out to seize the chance at Autarchy , with even more Monarchs entering the fray to help out their side . Any errant strand of energy from such a struggle was enough to turn him to dust a hundred times over .

Zac sighed as he took out the communication crystal to Catheya and infused a small amount of Miasma into it as he held a Supreme Miasma Crystal in his free hand . The connection was opened almost instantly , indicating that she had probably been waiting for him to call .

It’s me , - Zac said with a hoarse voice .

Are you okay? - a worried voice emerged from the other side .

A bit worse for the wear , but I’ll survive , - Zac grunted as his gaze shifted from the spatial ring where Uona’s lifeless body was stowed away , to the fracturing sky above . - More importantly , you need to prepare yourself . Things got a bit out of hand , and the Mystic Realm will collapse in less than an hour . -

Zac’s mouth tugged upward as he could hear a muted groan on the other side .

You said - a little bit chaotic’ , - Catheya sighed , the exasperation so palpable it could be felt through the communication crystal . - I guess I should have understood we have very different definitions of what that entailed . -

Chapter 779 : Company

Zac smiled as he let Catheya release some steam through the communication crystal . She had probably been under a lot of pressure the past days , and letting her lecture him a bit actually helped him readjust his psyche . He could feel how his mental state was a mess at the moment , a chaotic skein with fraying ends .

It was no wonder , with how brutal the battle had been .

It was the first time he had been pushed like this since fighting Void’s Disciple , where death loomed at every corner and there was no way for him to back down . He had been close to dying many times over down in the chasm as well , but it was far more palpable when getting pushed beyond your limit in a head-on collision against a peer .

I guess that’s par for the course with you , - Catheya continued through the crystal , her volume growing louder as she went on . - Why wouldn’t you destroy a Mystic Realm or two? Most people would be happy with the Title and the treasures they harvested , but I guess they simply lack ambition of a greater man . -

Well , you know , - Zac coughed , and immediately grimaced when some pain flared up in his side .

I am guessing Uona fell by your hands when the Heavens descended , - Catheya muttered .

I’m sorry to implicate you guys . She gave me no option , - Zac sighed .

That’s fine . We both knew that this was a likely outcome by how things turned out . I’m more shocked you actually managed to take her out than anything else , - Catheya said . - But tell me , did you kill the Eidolon as well , or was that someone else? -

Oh? Aia Ouro died? - Zac exclaimed with surprise . - I thought they would survive my attack after they fled . -

So you did battle the ghost as well , - Catheya groaned . - And their preparations on the inside? -

Destroyed . By me , - Zac admitted .

So you have now managed to infuriate not one , but two , of the great factions of the Undead Empire? - Catheya groaned . - A shame there are no reavers around , or you could have aimed for the trifecta . I already dread the day you visit the Heartlands . I wouldn’t be surprised if you managed to enrage one of the Founders as well . -

Zac simply snorted in response as he kept focusing on restoring his body while doing some field repair of his pathways with the help of Spiritual Anchor] . It would take weeks of work to restore the pathways , but some small alterations would at least lessen the amount of Miasma he was leaking every second .

Well , what’s done is done , - Catheya eventually relented . - Do you need me to head over? -

No , that’s okay , - Zac said after some hesitation .

He didn’t know exactly how things would play out when the Mystic Realm broke apart , but he figured that it might be a bad idea to get thrown out together with the Draugr scion . Her master would probably move to either capture or save her , depending on exactly where his allegiances lay . She , in turn , would inform him that she had valuable intelligence for the Empire .

Her master wouldn’t be able to kill her due to the compulsions , and he would be forced to take her to an ambassador or representative without any undue delay . Catheya would essentially use the information about him as a method to protect herself in case her master had turned traitor against the Sharva’Zi Clan .

It was the least Zac could do after all the trouble he had caused her and her clan by killing not only Uona , but even Aia Ouro by the looks of it .

However , the arrays in the town have broken apart . The inner mansions probably have a lot of good things , - Zac added . - It might be a good idea to continue your looting in here . -

Really? - Catheya exclaimed , some excitement apparent in her voice . - Well , if the realm is going to collapse in an hour , I might as well give it a go . If I’m going to get ripped apart by the void , I’d prefer to die a wealthy woman . Besides , we have long run out of targets here on the outside . -

Zac wasn’t surprised . While he had entered the City of Ancients , Catheya had enacted a plan of her own . She wasn’t willing to enter the obvious trap that the city represented , but that didn’t mean she was simply going to sit around . She had instead decided to target some cultivators on the outside .

Many had come for the treasures in the City of Ancients , but fewer than half had ultimately entered . There had been quite a few enterprising individuals who set up shop as well , and they had absolutely cleaned up by profiteering on the cultivators preparing to enter the city . They had charged exorbitant prices for things like defensive talismans or puppets and the like , often taking the natural treasures of the Twilight Ocean as payment .

Catheya had decided to rob these merchants whose Spatial Rings were overflowing with low- and middle-grade treasures .

The Havarok and Radiant Temple have entered the core of the city by the looks of it . You’ll have to contend with the regular elites of the Mystic Realm though , - Zac added .

That’s fine . Our little trio has become pretty adept at fleeing by this point , - Catheya laughed at the other side . - Are you sure you’re okay? -

I’m fine , - Zac grunted , though his heart suddenly lurched . - Well , I have to go now . We’ll talk a bit later . -

Zac wouldn’t have minded talking with the Draugr a bit longer , but something had changed . He wasn’t alone in the forest any longer .

He immediately cut the connection to the communication crystal while bracing himself in case he would have to fight the new arrival . A middle-aged man had suddenly appeared out of nowhere right in front of him , without producing as much as a ripple of energy . Zac’s danger sense didn’t give off any indication of mortal danger upon the arrival of the man , but he still felt an immense sense of pressure as he stared into the eyes of the man .

The cultivator was a variant human judging by his appearance and clothes , but he didn’t feel like a trial taker . The man rather gave off the indomitable aura of an old master , even if he didn’t emit even a speck of spirituality . However , while he looked pretty imposing , his state was pretty wretched .

Blood ran down his nose and from the side of his mouth , and small cracks covered his face and exposed hands . Zac frowned when he sensed the familiar aura in the wounds , and he quickly formed a hypothesis , one that was all but confirmed after a few seconds had passed .

You are the Realm Spirit everyone has been looking for , - Zac hoarsely said .

Correct , - the man nodded . - Of course , this is just an Avatar . My true self is still in the castle . You really did a number on my body just now . -

Zac was about to answer , but he was shocked silent when the man shuddered until the visage carrying the telltale pallid complexion of a revenant . Zac’s mind short-circuited for a second as he looked at the transformation . Was the Realm Spirit like him , someone with two races?

I see your thoughts are racing , but I’m sorry . We are not the same , young man , - the middle-aged man smiled . - I am not the real thing . -

The same? - Zac hesitantly said .

There’s no point to play ignorant with me . You have been walking inside my body for years , - the man snorted , his voice suddenly having a slightly different cadence since changing form . - I realized something was different about you the moment you entered the realm . Truthfully , I most likely wouldn’t have noticed you if not for the fact you brought that ancient Dao Purifier inside . Since then , I have been keeping watch .

It was only after you transformed in the Hollowtongue Mountains I could confirm your situation . Don’t worry . No one , not even the usurper hiding in the depths of this realm , knows of your true situation . In fact , I have helped obfuscate your exact situation from Alvod Jondir’s gaze . -

Zac knew the jig was up the moment he mentioned the Hollowtongue Mountains , and he inwardly cursed Va Tapek again for having him mule such a dangerous item into this place . The Hollowtongue Mountains was where he swapped races the first time , and where he first deactivated his array . Thankfully , it looked like the Realm Spirit Didn’t care , but Zac still felt extremely exposed with his secrets out in the open like this .

Don’t look so worried . Us meeting is a good thing for you . Here , a small greeting gift , - the man said and threw over a small gemstone .

What’s this? - Zac asked with confusion as he looked at the unfamiliar gem .

It is the spatial treasure of the ghost you fought earlier , - the man explained .

Aia Ouro? - Zac said as he looked at the man suspiciously .

Why are you looking at me like that? - the man snorted . - I’m just a Realm Spirit , how am I supposed to kill someone? The ghost hid inside one of the side buildings and started to cut off parts of their spirit body to rid themselves of the energy you infused into them . But their luck was truly lacking . The moment you called on the Heavens , they were restrained and lost control . The Creation energy consumed them . -

Zac looked at the Realm Spirit with wide eyes , before he wryly shook his head . Aia Ouro really had bad luck . The situation the man described sounded perfectly plausible . Of course , it was possible the Realm Spirit was lying and finished off the ghost himself . He knew too little about Realm Spirits to know whether that was possible or not .

He had tried to find out more since arriving at the settlements outside the City of Ancients , but the little he had managed to gather seemed mostly hearsay . That alone proved they were extremely rare , and definitely not something all Mystic Realms or world possessed . But from what he had gathered , they were supposed to be a unique type of latent consciousness that could awaken inside a Realm Core or World Core , somewhat resembling a Tool Spirit .

These beings would essentially turn the planet into a living entity , depending on how you defined living , which could absorb energy quicker than a normal world . This would provide all sorts of benefits for the natives , like increased energy density . More importantly , many believed a Realm Spirit could actually evolve planets by themselves , something that generally needed extremely precious treasures or help from the System .

However , the appearance of this man didn’t seem like what the missives had described . Realm Spirits weren’t supposed to be this human . They could - live’ for billions of years , as long as a planet , so their consciousness was supposed to be completely different compared to a cultivator . Communicating with them was supposed to be like trying to communicate with nature itself , and this situation clearly didn’t fit the bill .

So considering that most of what he knew was a bit off , it was impossible to tell whether this Realm Spirit was lying or not . In either case , things had already progressed to this point . He had been willing to take the blame for Aia Ouro’s death until now anyway , but now he did at least get his hands on their Spatial Tool .

Thank you , - Zac slowly said as he stowed away the crystal . - But I’m assuming you didn’t just come to have a conversation and bestow gifts upon me . -

Why not? - the man smiled . - My life is ending soon enough , isn’t my last moments better spent in company than alone? -

Zac didn’t answer the question and only kept his gaze level at the man .

Alright , I do have something important to discuss with you , - the man said , changing back to his human form mid-sentence . - But first , we should take a walk . -

A walk? - Zac repeated with a raised brow .

A group of eight warriors is closing in , four of which are possessing Dao Branches . I assume you don’t wish to encounter them in your current state? - the man smiled .

Zac worriedly looked around through the forest . He couldn’t see anyone , but his vision was limited . It wasn’t impossible someone was approaching now the arrays covering the city had broken down . Most people would probably still be out of their minds from the killing arrays , but the elites would probably make a play now that things had reached this point .

He was pretty exposed as well since he had only managed to take a few steps before toppling over . Zac groaned as he got back on his feet , barely able to perform the task by using a random spear from his Spatial Ring as a cane . Normally , he would have used the chains of Love’s Bond] to move when his legs wouldn’t listen , but that was impossible at the moment .

Alea had fled into the coffin the moment the Heavens had appeared , taking that terrifying ball of blood and Oblivion with her . Since then , Zac hadn’t sensed her presence in the slightest , and he looked over his shoulder at the coffin with worry . Cracks covered its whole surface , and it emitted dangerous fluctuations .

The little girl is ferociously holding on , - the Realm Spirit sighed . - But she has overextended herself . -

Can you tell her situation? Do you know anything that could help? - Zac hurriedly asked .

I guess you could say we are kindred spirits , - the man smiled . - I do have a solution . But for now , let’s walk . -

Hearing that the Realm Spirit might be able to help Alea , he quickly ambled forward to keep up . Following the Realm Spirit was a bit risky , but if it wanted to attack him , it would probably already have done so . The fact that he could help Alea trumped most of his misgivings as well , not to mention that it might be able to send him out of this place early .

Kindred spirits? - Zac asked curiously as the two walked toward the core again , though Zac noticed the Realm Spirit didn’t move exactly toward the central castle .

Just like the little demoness , I was once a cultivator . Two actually , - the Realm Spirit explained . - Of course , so little of my original identities survived that I’m more of a new being than an old . -

So you were a cultivator? - Zac exclaimed , but he wasn’t overly surprised .

Seeing the appearance of this man had made Zac think of the Eveningtide Asura , and of how he had become one with Twilight . It somewhat seemed that Alvod Jondir was trying to walk down the same path as this Realm Spirit , or perhaps use their resemblance to access the core of the Mystic Realm .

This place , which is now called the Twilight Ocean , was once part of my inner world , - the man sighed , once more swapping over to a Revenant . - The two faces you see me wear belong to two first-step Autarchs that fought to the Death extremely ago . Because of a certain treasure we fought over , our deaths wasn’t the end .

A small part of our inner worlds survived and fused into this Mystic Realm . Innumerable years later , my two siblings and I woke up , each one controlling one version of this realm . Now , I am the last one to remain , and I will join the others soon enough , - the man sighed . - But before that , I have some matters to attend to . -

So this is what the inner world of an Autarch looks like? - Zac muttered as he looked around with wide eyes .

Hardly . We had both defended our Dao and connected our Inner Worlds to the Heavens . Our inner worlds were far grander in both depth and scale compared to this desolate Mystic Realm , - the Mystic Realm snorted . - Here we are . -

Zac looked around with interest . The Realm Spirit had taken him to one of the mansions that were right next to the towering inner wall . Zac hadn’t passed this particular one before , but it resembled most of the other mansions that he suspected to have been lived-in by undead cultivators .

This town was created in an attempt to live as a cultivator once more after waking up , - the man sighed as he looked around . - Alas , some things were not meant to be . Time is different for a Realm Spirit . I fell asleep , and when I woke up , everyone had been dead for a million years . Some time later , I was modified by the System to become a trial ground . -

The two entered the courtyard , and Zac felt a bit of trepidation when he saw the dispersing haze congeal behind them , blocking his escape .

Just a small measure to make the treasure hunters look elsewhere while we talk , - the Realm spirit explained . - My time is running short so I will make it brief . I have a task I would like to entrust you . -

Zac looked hesitantly at the Realm Spirit , trying to suss out his motives .

I’m sorry , - Zac eventually said , steeling himself for an eventual outburst . - I have run myself ragged completing tasks for old mons- ehm , masters . You’ve seen the state of my body . I can barely help myself at the moment , let alone others . I will have to decline . -

Well , that’s a shame , - the Realm Spirit said with a raised brow . - But what if the task I’m talking about is for you to take a priceless treasure away from here? Something marvelous beyond compare , and something that should be highly beneficial for someone with your unique situation . -

Zac blankly looked at the Realm Spirit for almost ten seconds before he released a deep sigh .

Alright , what do you need me to do? -

Chapter 780 : Marvellous Beyond Compare

Zac’s body was on the verge of shutting down , but he still couldn’t stop himself from accepting such a lucrative task . How could he possibly say no to a treasure that a former Autarch called - marvelous beyond compare’? It was even to the point he might form a Heart Demon if he turned away now , forever wondering how things would have panned out if he hadn’t backed down at this moment .

I knew I could count on you , young man , - the Realm Spirit smiled . - By the way , you can call me Qi’Sar . -

First of all , tell me how to help my Tool Spirit , - Zac said , trying to remember if he had heard that name before .

But he drew a complete blank , as there was nothing of the sort mentioned in the missives he had poured through , and neither had Catheya mentioned it .

Her grade is too low , and she is overwhelmed by the ferocity of the energies she has absorbed . It is slowly tearing her apart as she is unable to refine the energies quickly enough , - Qi’Sar said . - In her current state , she will last a few days at the best . Luckily , there are many ways to help her . The easiest method is to provide something that will seal the energy temporarily , allowing her to take out and refine it bit by bit . -

Zac nodded in agreement , feeling the method feasible . After all , that was exactly what he was doing with the remnants in his mind . The fact that he had a few days was a relief as well , as he really needed to rest for a few more minutes .

I just so happen to possess some refined Temporal Crystals . Have the Tool Spirit absorb a few of them , and she will be able to seal the rampant energies within a temporal field , drastically slowing the rate of destruction . It should be enough for her to refine them , - the Realm Spirit continued .

Perfect , - Zac exclaimed . - Where are they? -

I do not have them on me , - Qi’Sar smiled . - Remember , I am just here as a projection . Lucky for you , they are right by the treasure . I have used quite a few Temporal Crystals to speed up its maturity so that it could be taken away before this realm collapsed . -

So just what is this treasure you want me to take? - Zac asked curiously .

All in time , - the Realm Spirit said .

Zac frowned in annoyance , but his brows quickly smoothed out . It was a bit odd that he didn’t want to say , but hearing the explanation gave some indication of what kind of treasure it was . From the sounds of it , the item was something living rather than a fully-formed treasure . Otherwise , Qi’Sar wouldn’t have needed to put it in a Temporal Field to mature it .

Wait , it’s not the item that the Divine Monarchs are fighting over? - Zac hesitantly asked .

No , - the Realm Spirit said with a shake of his head . - They are fighting over the true core of this Mystic Realm , a mutated World Core that contains echoes of the Daos my two predecessors possessed before dying . They are trying to take my place and directly connect with the core , which would allow them to more easily transform and absorb the Dao within . Along with some other preparations , they have a decent chance of calling down the old Heavens . -

Zac’s heart beat an extra time when he thought of a core containing the Dao insights of an Autarch . Even if he could get a small whiff of that , he would probably push all three of his Daos to the peak of what the E-grade could withstand . Even that white light that passed through him in the valley would probably be unable to match up to something like that .

Don’t even think about it , - the Realm Spirit snorted when he saw the greed in Zac’s eyes . - Even if I helped you get close to take it , you would only get yourself killed . A sense of propriety is important for a cultivator , to know when to advance and when to back away . -

Alright , I get it , - Zac muttered as he sat down on a dusty chair , not forgetting to keep restoring his body as best as he could . - Are we in a hurry? -

We have some time , but I cannot linger too long , - Qi’Sar said . - The System has deactivated the real restrictions of my castle , allowing the children to slowly make their way toward my sanctum . I need to return within fifteen minutes to stop them from trapping my spirit . I want to die on my own terms . -

Fifteen minutes , - Zac sighed . - Barely enough to make some field repairs . This better be worth it . -

Don’t worry , you will not be disappointed . The item I want you to take away is of lower grade than the World Core , but it might be just as useful to an Edgewalker such as yourself . -

An Edgewalker? What? - Zac said with confusion .

It is what you call people such as yourself , beings that innately hold two opposing paths . You walk at the edge between two grand Daos , - the Realm Spirit explained .

There are more people like me? - Zac asked with a mix of relief and disappointment .

What is truly unique in the Multiverse? - the man smiled . - But I can’t remember ever encountering one such as yourself before . It should be quite rare , especially Life-Death Edgewalkers . -

How would the Undead Empire react to someone like me? - Zac asked hesitantly .

I am afraid I do not know . Truthfully , I thought you a covert member of the empire , sent here because of your unique constitution . Too little remains of my memories of the inner workings of the Undead Empire . Too much time has passed , - the man said with a shake of his head . - But your constitution and the fact that you have already climbed that broken peak with some success should warrant some nurturing . -

The Dao of Chaos? - Zac muttered . - How come everyone calls it a broken peak? Is it because it’s unorthodox? -

No Dao is unorthodox , - the Realm Spirit snorted . - The Dao is the Dao . However , as the eras turn and time itself grinds to dust , the balance of the Heavens shift . Eventually , a cataclysm will take place , one where the Heavens themselves are ripped apart . -

Zac listened with confusion , not quite getting it . But he ventured a guess . - Like the Dark Age preceding the System? -

The birth of the System cannot truly be considered such an event , - the Realm Spirit said . - This current era and the era of Emperor Limitless , they are one and the same , far too short timespans to be considered eras on their own . -

But the System has been around for an extreme amount of time , far longer than even the lifespans of A-grade cultivators , - Zac countered . - That’s not enough to be considered an era? -

The lifespan of those at the peak can seem endless to most , but it cannot compare to the age of an era . When Emperor Limitless began his mad experiment , the era was still in its infancy , and the Heavens were still recovering from the previous cataclysm . Most likely , that’s the only reason his attempt succeeded , - the Realm Spirit smiled .

Zac’s eyes were wide as he listened with rapt attention , almost forgetting the wretched state of his body and Alea’s situation . This Realm Spirit clearly had access to knowledge far beyond the scope of the Frontier . This was a huge opportunity to get a deeper understanding of the Multiverse and the Dao of Chaos .

Most factions call this current era the Era of Unification . A harmonious balance of Dao , centered around the Dao of Order , - the Realm Spirit continued .

But the Apostate of Order was just the third one to appear? - Zac said with confusion . - How can his Dao be the main one? -

He is the first true Apostate , - the Realm Spirit smiled . - The Beast Progenitor was on equal standing to Limitless Emperor even before the System was born , most likely even more powerful . They simply infused their Dao into the System to give the myriad beasts of the Multiverse a path in this new reality . As for the First Defier , he was an aberration that likely will not appear again . Talomis A’Pakrava , the Apostate of Order , was the first one to reach the peak under the guidance of the System . -

How is this related to the Dao of Chaos? - Zac hesitantly asked .

The Order and Chaos , two opposite realities , - the Realm Spirit mused . - This era is one where Dao is harmonious and orderly , but during the previous era , Primordial Chaos ran free , influencing the will of the Heavens . That’s why we generally refer to the previous era as the Primordial Era . -

Did everyone cultivate the Dao of Chaos back then? - Zac said as he shuddered , remembering just how terrifying that energy was .

Hardly , but it was the glue that held the Heavens together , and its influence could be seen in all paths . Conversely , this Era is one forged through Order , where your pathways , your skills , your Titles have the echoes of Order within , - Qi’Sar said .

How do people know all this? - Zac asked . - I thought people barely knew what was going on in the age of Emperor Limitless . -

The Eternal Heritages , - the Realm Spirit smiled . - I had the luck of witnessing one such site in my lifetime , it is my greatest source of pride . -

Eternal Heritage? - Zac said , never having heard of anything like it before .

All life in the Multiverse was extinguished at the end of the Primordial Era , all matter returned to the Primordial Chaos . But some things… Are beyond the Dao itself , eternal . There are a handful of items and places that survived the cataclysm of the Primordial Era . Each one of those Heritages is beyond your comprehension , powerful enough to turn empires to dust .

It is through those Heritages much about the ancient past was discovered . I personally know of two eras that have left behind such items , a testament to the might of their time . Apart from the Primordial Era , there has also been an era where the Five Elements were the basis of all reality . There are most likely more of them out there , but the peak factions are fiercely guarding them , - Qi’Sar said .

Greater than the Dao , - Zac muttered , unable to imagine just how powerful those places were . Did they surpass the A-grade?

In contrast , not a single such Heritage has been created in the Era of Unity , at least not to my knowledge , - Qi’Sar said , confirming Zac’s guess . - The beings that created these Heritages… They would be unmatched and unopposed if they appeared in this age . -

And this is somehow related to the Broken Peaks? - Zac asked .

What Qi’Sar said was interesting , but time was limited and he needed to get something tangible he could use .

The cataclysm ended the Primordial Era , and the Heavens themselves were destroyed . Of course , the Dao is eternal , and it slowly reformed itself , giving birth to the current age . However , some parts were more affected by the cataclysm than others . The Dao of Chaos and a few others have still not been completely reintegrated into the Heavens . Then the System arrived , complicating things further , - Qi’Sar said .

Does that mean cultivating the Dao of Chaos is impossible? - Zac frowned .

Nothing is impossible , - the Realm Spirit said . - As I said , the Dao is Eternal . While cultivators call them Broken Peaks , it’s more apt to say they are obscured . You can still climb them , but it puts greater requirements on your affinities . However , walking the trodden path within the purview of the System… It has its own issues . -

Is that why the Undead Empire doesn’t want its followers to cultivate pure death? - Zac ventured .

No , that is due to another issue , but I cannot discuss it , - Qi’Sar smiled . - The compulsions still bind me , even in this state . -

Zac wanted to ask more , but it looked like they had run out of time . The Realm Spirit shuddered as a couple of new cracks appeared on his face .

It is time for me to return . Follow me , - he said .

Zac got back on his feet with a grunt , and the Tool Spirit led him deeper into the mansion , passing one opulent room after another . Eventually , they entered a seemingly unassuming study , but Zac realized what was going on when the Realm Spirit indicated for him to move a small statue . Zac walked over and pushed it , prompting a trap-door to smoothly open .

This pathway will lead to the cellar of my castle , allowing you to circumvent the cultivators guarding the entrance aboveground . The treasure room is located down there as well . The others are busy breaking through the restrictions to reach my core . If all goes according to plan , you will not meet any of the other trial takers in this venture , - Qi’Sar said .

Simple enough , - Zac muttered . - Will you tell me now what it is you want me to take away from here? -

It’s a special crystal I have nurtured with the energy of realm for millions of years , - Qi’Sar relented . - A unique creation of life and death . -

No wonder , - Zac whistled , though he inwardly wondered if things really were that simple .

As long as you take that thing away , you’re free to help yourself to everything else left in the treasury , - the Realm Spirit added .

Very generous , - Zac said with a slightly raised brow .

I can’t take it with me into the cycle of reincarnation , - the Realm Spirit laughed when he saw Zac’s skepticism . - I might as well do a good deed by helping someone on a similar path as my own . Besides , the less that is left to the vultures outside , the easier I’ll be able to pass on . -

I hate to ask , but are you able to control where I am let out when this all goes down? - Zac ventured . - I have essentially angered every party in this conflict . If you want me to take this treasure of yours away , I could use the assist . -

I might be able to slightly move you further away from the core of the action . But you should understand that I will be facing my end the moment the realm collapses , and I cannot guarantee anything , - the man said after some thought . - But if you help me with this task , I will do my utmost . -

That’s fine , I can manage from there , - Zac slowly said .

While he said that , Zac wasn’t quite as confident as he let on . In fact , he felt the odds of him being able to smoothly return to Zecia pretty slim . There was no guarantee that the Teleportation Arrays would work when he exited . The platform housing the arrays might have been destroyed already . And even if it still stood intact , there was no way that Alvod would keep it operational .

Shutting that thing down would be the first thing he did to prevent any powerful enemies from joining the struggle . Zac had some cards prepared , but they probably wouldn’t work in the middle of whatever chaos waited outside . But as long as he could get far enough away , he had a shot . If not , he would have to figure something out . There would be a lot of cultivators stranded , and a solution would hopefully present itself .

Zac couldn’t expect the Realm Spirit to accomplish something impossible , and he even felt embarrassed to ask . After all , no matter who won on the outside , the man standing in front of him would die . A former Autarch , someone who had towered over trillions of beings , one of the true rulers of the Multiverse .

Are… you okay? - Zac hesitantly asked .

Most of my old life is hazy , but the little I remember was grander than what most could ever dream of experiencing . I have seen civilizations rise and fall , I have witnessed miracles and experienced sorrows , all in the pursuit of the Grand Dao , - the man smiled . - But everything must end . I have already overstayed my welcome . It is time for me to enter Samsara . -

With that , he was gone . Zac thoughtfully looked at the spot where the Realm Spirit disappeared for a few moments before his gaze turned to the hidden corridor leading toward the castle . He tried to make sense of the former Autarch , but it was impossible to draw any definite conclusions . He had been congenial , but was Qi’Sar’s intentions really as pure as he let on?

The spirit hadn’t made any threats or tried to force his hands , but he had made it almost impossible to say no . The material to stabilize Alea just so happened to be in the same room as the mysterious crystal? The spirit would help expel him at a safe spot if Zac helped him?

Their talk had been harmonious , but if there was one thing Ogras had taught him , it was to never take people at face value . This was an old monster , two even , who had come close to the peak of cultivation . That was something that required not only talent , but also smarts , ruthlessness , and an unbendable will .

Was he really resigned to falling here and becoming fuel for the Eveningtide Asura’s ascension?

Zac knew that existential exhaustion was a real thing , but it was surprisingly rare among peak existences . Their conception of time shifted as their grades increased , and they only got where they were because of an obsession with the Dao . So it was a very real possibility that this Realm Spirit had some plans of their own , a gambit to continue their pursuit of the Dao .

The question was what role Zac’s mission had in this mess , and whether there was anything he could do to protect himself from any further machinations .

His thoughts turned for the next couple of minutes , but he ultimately shook his head and started to get ready . No matter what the true reason was for the Realm Spirit approaching him was , Zac still had to go through with it . But he would keep his eyes open and play things by the ear .

A stream of energy entered his Specialty Core , and a moment later , life spread through his body . However , Zac’s eyes widened with alarm when he felt terrifying fluctuations in his chest as a storm of Twilight Energy surged into his body . It felt like his body was being ripped apart by a million spatial tears , and like his pathways were on fire . He fell down on the ground with a scream , barely able to stay conscious .

What the hell was going on?

Chapter 781 : Linked

Pain far beyond what he had endured during the fight spread through every part of Zac’s body . He feared that the Duplicity Core had somehow been damaged during the battle without him noticing , resulting in a flawed transformation process . Thankfully , Zac quickly realized that wasn’t what was happening .

The issue seemed to be coming from his recently completed Quantum Gate] . He didn’t know exactly what it was doing , but he figured that it shouldn’t be harmful . However , the torrential amounts of Twilight Energy that surged into his body was a problem , and he quickly took out a couple of Supreme Nexus Crystals and crushed them .

The Twilight Energy around him was quickly being replaced Cosmic Energy , but the neutral energy barely had time to appear before it was dragged into Zac’s body as well . He was like a voracious vortex , but it wasn’t actually the hidden node itself that was the source of the pull . Every single part of his body greedily sucked in energy , even though his Human form shouldn’t be energy-starved at all .

He started to regret swapping races as the pain threatened to drive him mad , but he didn’t have much of a choice . He was running dangerously low on Miasma , and his pathways were an absolute mess . Meanwhile , his Arcaz Black persona had become public enemy number one , and who knew if this place would blow up early .

After all , the one-hour deadline was simply his estimate based on the chaotic decay , but there was no guarantee that Alvod or someone on the outside wouldn’t make their move before that . Someone might strike early to seize an advantage , resulting in everyone getting thrown out early .

But now , Zac started to wonder if he would even survive the transformation as he was beset by pain that far surpassed even that of the Bone-Forging Dust . Even if whatever Quantum Gate] wanted to do was beneficial , his body wasn’t really in a state to undergo any large transformations at the moment .

The process thankfully only lasted for a couple of minutes , but that short moment had felt like an eternity . Zac took a shuddering breath as he got back to a sitting position , but he froze and looked around with wonder . A few seconds later , he quickly turned his gaze inward to inspect his body .

It only took a cursory scan to figure out what was going on , and Zac breathed out in relief . Seeing the changes had pretty much confirmed that the node was implanted by his mother and her clan , meant to work in tandem with the Duplicity Core . And luckily , its function definitely wasn’t related to the Dao of Technology .

He was elated to see that his pathways had grown thicker and sturdier compared to before . Not only that , but he felt his whole body was tougher , and touching his skin confirmed that it had further strengthened the extra subcutaneous layer . He had already gained some of its benefits upon reaching D-grade race , but now it had been pushed to the same level as his undead side , along with his energy reserves .

Furthermore , the first thing he had noticed when the process was complete was that his eyesight had improved , now naturally able to spot lifeforce just like his Draugr-vision did . Seeing the result , Zac had a pretty good idea what his mother’s clan had been planning for him . He didn’t want to confirm it right now , but he was somewhat certain that his poison resistance in his human form had shot through the roof as well .

The Quantum Gate] was designed to carry over benefits . His main form , the human side , was an empty receptacle , while the other side of the Duplicity core was meant to feed things into it . Thus , he had now gained all the unique benefits of his Draugr race on his human side as well .

From the looks of it , the benefits only seemed to be those that were related to race . He didn’t have any Miasma to control , and the skills of his other Class were still out of his reach . A glance at his status screen confirmed that he hadn’t gained any attribute points either . Furthermore , it looked like the gate was a one-way street , since he hadn’t noticed any improvements at all in his Draugr form after the Hidden Node had been completed .

Perhaps , Leandra and the Kayar-Elu had meant for his other race to be machine-related , allowing them to sneak the Dao of Technology into his human body through the Quantum Gate] . Or perhaps they had planned to infuse some weird chimeral bloodline on the other side , providing various unique benefits to a human cultivator .

As to why they didn’t simply make him some more powerful race , Zac wasn’t certain . But there was generally some balance in the universe . Humans didn’t have any advantages , but they didn’t really have any disadvantages either . Meanwhile , many beings with unique abilities had harsh downsides to match .

Of course , the most likely reason was that the Kayar-Elu tried to pull one over on the System with the so-called Root Compact . Making the impossible possible .

Zac couldn’t help but have his imagination run wild with the possibilities , and he felt some mixed emotions when remembering how Leandra had felt disappointment when talking about his Draugr side , like it was a waste of their hard work . However , Zac quickly threw those useless thoughts aside , knowing that things had turned out pretty good all things considered .

As far as races went , Draugr were pretty close to the top , barring those unique and rare existences . The benefits he would get from his undead side , provided his speculation was correct , were bound to surpass what he would get from most races . It also made him even more determined to try and excavate some racial Hidden Nodes for his Draugr bloodline before breaking through to D-grade .

Besides , his undead side was what had made him walk down his current path , and possibly what had made the System steer him toward the remnants in the first place . Learning about the Primordial Era and the fall of Chaos had not dampened his willingness to walk down his current path at all .

If anything , it had strengthened his resolve . From the sounds of it , the main drawback of cultivating a broken peak was that it put greater demands on your affinity to that Dao , apart from the System not shielding you from the tribulations , but Zac circumvented the issue of affinities altogether .

He wasn’t too worried about the Tribulation Lightning either . Most missives talked about them with extreme dread , but he hadn’t felt that way at all when getting zapped . They had hurt pretty bad , but he hadn’t felt like his soul was about to be extinguished as some missives warned . If anything , the lightning almost felt beneficial to him .

Meanwhile , it sounded like cultivating within the purview of the System’s Dao had its problems as well . There were some unknown drawbacks to cultivating the incorporated Daos according to Qi’Sar , though they most likely only became apparent at the higher stages . Otherwise , he would have heard about it already .

As for the history of the Multiverse , while interesting , Zac didn’t really put it to heart . The fact that the universe was eternal and cyclical was pretty shocking , but it wasn’t like those theories weren’t floating about before the integration as well . That before the Big Bang , there had been previous universes .

It didn’t impact Zac’s life in the slightest , especially considering Qi’Sar said the current era was still in its infancy . There were possibly trillions of years before the people of the Multiverse would have to worry about the next cataclysm .

The most interesting part was the mention of Eternal Heritages , particularly those from the Primordial Era . Being able to visit such a place would be a huge opportunity , especially for someone like him who aimed for the Daos of Oblivion and Creation . Problem was , those places seemed to be monopolized by the peak factions in the Multiverse , which wasn’t a surprise , really .

The Frontier didn’t even seem to possess Ancient Realms , let alone Immemorial Realms like the one his mother was taking Kenzie to . Worrying about these Eternal Heritages was a waste of time . But simply knowing of their existence was valuable , since you never knew what you would encounter in the future .

Having confirmed the situation with the node , Zac went over his body a few more times to get a sense of how much power he could exert . The result was decent but not great . Even if his pathways were fine in his Human form , his nodes were shared between the races . They were still damaged , making it dangerous to overextend himself . The damage wrought from the remnants remained as well , and Zac could feel the hidden cracks in his foundation .

He would definitely have to avoid any more battles if possible , especially with elites who would push him . Just to be safe , he altered his appearance to that of a middle-aged man . At first , he had been worried that his true appearance would have been changed by his large expenditure of life force , but losing a few centuries at D-grade race thankfully wasn’t enough for something like that to happen .

Zac also turned his black with a greenish tint , just like how some human natives looked after cultivating among Treants on the platforms that were covered with life-and-nature-attuned arrays . Having confirmed with a mirror , Zac also hadn’t gained the pallid skin or abyssal eyes of his Draugr side , even though he had received the benefits they brought .

Hopefully , that would allow him to disguise himself as a local elite if encountering anyone , especially with his Fragment of the Bodhi . He did hold off on activating the array around his Specialty Core though , in case something unexpected would crop up . He would switch that thing on just before the realm collapsed .

Having prepared everything that he could , he walked into the corridor behind the open trapdoor , wielding a random axe he had looted during the hunt . He was relieved to see he could turn Love’s Bond] into its amulet form without issue as well since the big coffin on his back was pretty hard to hide . This way , he should be completely indistinguishable .

The hidden tunnel was simple and unadorned , but it seemed to be protected by some sort of shielding array . Zac couldn’t sense anything from the outside at all , even if he only walked a couple of meters beneath the surface . Soon enough the stone around him changed , and he realized that he was passing through the inner wall .

The pathway was only so long , and after a few minutes , he reached the end ; a solid stone wall . The Realm Spirit had disappeared before explaining the next step , but Zac looked around thoughtfully , pushing and pulling on anything . Suddenly , one of the stones lit up with a small array , prompting the wall to slide open .

Zac walked through , surprised and slightly alarmed to find himself in a clean and well-lit room lined with a couple of sparsely-stocked wooden shelves , rather than the dusty ruins he had come to know in the City of Ancients . He breathed out in relief upon realizing there was no one around , and the cleanliness was thanks to the arrays on the walls still working .

There is a crystal on the second shelf . It contains the path you need to take , - Qi’Sar’s voice echoed out in the room , giving Zac a start .

Could’ve just led the way , - Zac muttered as he walked over .

I couldn’t split my attention and keep that projection going . I am being attacked from multiple directions , and I had to shrink my consciousness from the whole realm to just this building to endure a bit longer , - the Realm Spirit sighed .

Alright , sorry , - Zac coughed as he walked over to the shelf .

Just like the Realm Spirit said , Zac found a small information crystal was hidden underneath a cloth . Inside it was a map of the cellar , giving Zac the directions to the hidden treasure room . From the looks of it , he would only need to travel around five minutes through the corridors at a decent pace to make it there , giving him some wiggle-room .

So he didn’t immediately leave the room but rather gave the small storage space a second look . The shelves were mostly empty , but there were a couple of urns that looked a lot like the vats that Ogras used to age his wine . Anything left to age had probably spoiled by now , even with spiritual energy increasing the shelf-life many times over .

But that didn’t stop him from taking them away .

Zac wasn’t done there , and he gripped one of the wooden shelves , exerting some pressure on the material . His eyes lit up as the shelf only groaned a bit in response to his strength , proving it was most likely made from D-grade materials like stones outside . It wasn’t inscribed either , meaning it could perhaps be reforged into proper D-grade equipment .

Leaving behind such good materials would be a huge waste , so the shelf joined the vats in his Spatial Ring .

What are you doing? - an exasperated voice echoed out after a moment . - I am straining myself to us time over here . -

I thought you were busy , - Zac said as he stowed away another shelf . - This is ancient D-grade wood . It’s worth a pretty penny . -

You’re heading toward a treasury as the realm is collapsing around you , yet you’re shopping for furniture , - Qi’Sar sighed . - Besides , wood is a living crafting material , like Spiritual Herbs . It is too old by now , and it has lost its spirituality . It would be one thing if the shelves were made out of refined metals or stone , but this… -

I hear you , - Zac nodded as he put the last two shelves into his spatial ring as well .

He considered ripping out the illuminating crystals from their sockets as well , but they didn’t seem like they were worth anything . He finally left the room , following the map . Outside was a spacious but empty corridor , and multiple doors were lining it . He flashed over to the closest one , and it opened without any sound , except a groan from the Realm Spirit .

The room on the other side was far larger compared to where he came from , but Zac quickly closed the door and moved on . Inside , there had been a few massive basins with large but exhausted crystals hanging in the ceiling . It looked like the room had been made to cultivate some water-based treasures , but the arrays had long failed and the water had dried up .

Zac flashed from one room after another on the way to the treasury , sweeping up everything in his path that even looked a little bit valuable . The spurring from the Realm Spirit grew more urgent by the minute , but Zac wouldn’t just leave money on the ground when visiting a former Autarch’s castle , even if time was limited .

A sudden shockwave from above shook the castle and made him stop in his tracks for a moment , but he quickly started moving again . He had first worried it was the Mystic Realm finally starting to collapse , but it rather seemed to have been the result of a clash between cultivators above him . It looked like the Radiant Temple and Havarok Empire had finally encountered each other .

Still , the scare filled him with enough urgency to just perform cursory glances into any room he passed , and he only took things that still emitted some spirituality . Still , he managed to fill his Spatial Ring with valuable metals , stones , and all kinds of tools . The rooms in the cellar all seemed to be geared toward crafting , either nurturing materials or refining them .

However , they were clearly not the - top rooms’ that the master of the castle himself would use , but rather for the live-in craftsmen of the manor who created items meant for the day-to-day operations of this vast compound . The top-tier rooms were probably upstairs , which was why the treasury was hidden down here . And soon enough , he reached the nondescript wall that held the entrance to the treasury .

Zac’s heart drummed with excitement as he followed the instructions in the crystal . A hidden chamber slid up soon enough , prompting an immensely condensed wave of Twilight Energy to waft over him . It was even beyond what he had been forced to endure in the bottom of the Chasm , and he hurriedly activated Void Zone] to not get overrun .

The terrifying amount of energy only served to fan Zac’s excitement , considering that it probably meant the room was filled with treasure . The ambient energy was so dense that it had turned into a thick haze , but it was dispersing now that the door had opened . Zac unhesitantly pushed inside , and his eyes kept growing wider as more and more of the treasury was exposed .

He had struck it rich .

Chapter 782 : The Trove of the Ocean

The treasury wasn’t too big , but what it lacked in quantity , it made up in quality . Zac had been worried that it would be just an empty room , considering how most people simply carried their most valuable possessions in their Spatial Tools . But as he looked around , there were over twenty items that emitted the powerful fluctuations of D-grade items , not including the piles of Cosmic Crystals .

It was far from his most exaggerated hopes , where boundless C- and even B-grade treasures were strewn about . But Zac knew that was impossible in a System-controlled E-grade trial . He had already realized that low- or middle D-grade was the limit of what the System would allow in this version of the Twilight Ascent .

Anything beyond that was most likely placed in the higher-grade versions of the trial . And as expected , the D-grade items were all sealed by a golden brand , proving that not even the treasure chamber of Qi’Sar was free from the System’s meddling . It didn’t look like he would be making hundreds of C-grade Nexus Coins today , but that didn’t mean his haul was anything to scoff at .

The value of every single treasure had to be measured in D-grade Nexus Coins , including the piles of Cosmic Crystals that all exuded shocking amounts of energy . And all this paled in front of the item placed in the middle of the room on a small inscribed pedestal . On top of it , a meter-tall dodecahedron wrought from mottled metal rods stood .

The metallic cage was not the real treasure , but rather acted as some sort of containment field for the thing that Qi’Sar wanted him to bring away . It was an odd-looking crystal that looked like a thick candy cane , and it hovered in the middle of the cage . But instead of red and white , it was black and golden . It didn’t emit any energy at all , but Zac quickly realized it was because of the containment field .

This is the thing I need you to take away , - Qi’Sar’s voice echoed through the hall , though his projection still didn’t appear . - My children . -

Your what? - Zac blurted .

It is a Realm Spirit . A true one , rather than one forged by chance such as myself , - Qi’Sar explained . - I have nurtured it for ten million years , expending innumerable treasures that have been left behind . Not only that , but it is a mutated twin-souled Realm Spirit , holding the affinities of both life and death . For an Edgewalker such as yourself , it is a unique opportunity to craft a cultivation planet perfectly suited to your path . -

So that’s why you were so insistent , - Zac said . - You want me to save your children from the collapse of this Mystic Realm? Is that even possible? -

They have yet to awaken , making them technically not yet alive , - Qi’Sar said . - However , they are still bound to the realm . The cage you see around it is meant to protect the crystal housing them , and to keep them stable while you bring them away . However , this can only be done at the moment when the realm collapse . -

The realm breaking down will break the connection , and I just need to take them away at that moment? - Zac confirmed . - What then? -

You acquire a high-quality world or realm such as this , and simply implant this crystal by the World Core . As long as this world has no consciousness of its own , these two children will eventually fuse with the core and truly awaken , - Qi’Sar said . - Thus , a world perfectly suited for our needs will be born , while my children will get a chance to start anew . Simple enough . -

It’s pretty big though , can I put it in a Spatial Ring? - Zac frowned .

You can , but no longer than ten years . They are not alive like you , but the environment in a Spatial Treasure is void of energy , which can harm them if too much time passes , - Qi’Sar said . - But as I said , you cannot take it now . You need to start infusing the array with power , preparing it for the end . With your wild pillage , we are cutting time short . -

What array? - Zac asked with raised brows as he walked closer .

The cage itself is the array , - the Realm Spirit sighed .

This thing is? - Zac muttered as he slowly walked a few circles around the dodecahedron , looking at the fine engravings on the rods . - Never seen anything like it . -

The multiverse is full of marvels , - Qi’Sar muttered . - Now , hurry up and start powering up the array . You are running out of time . -

Zac looked at the array for a few more seconds before he shrugged and straightened his back .

I’m sorry , but my first priority is to save my Tool Spirit , - Zac slowly said as he turned to a pile of crystals he had never seen before . - Explain what I need to do before we deal with the Realm Spirits . -

As I said , just use the refined Temporal Crystals , - Qi’Sar urged , and Zac looked at a particular pile of crystals .

The crystals were light purple and covered in engravings , and it looked like white flickering lights were trapped inside . They appeared and disappeared , seemingly at random . With the temporal energies surrounding them , it almost felt like the sparks moved back and forth in time in an eternal cycle . Most of the crystals were sealed by the System , but some were fine .

From the looks of it , the available crystals were mostly out of energy , perhaps because they had been used up to power whatever array Qi’Sar had used . It was also possible the small runes that covered their surface had failed , prompting them to leak enough energy to get downgraded from D-grade to something equivalent to Pseudo D-grade .

You simply need to have the young demoness absorb the energy within , - Qi’Sar sighed . - The Tool Spirit is supreme inside their inner world , she should have no problem using the extracted energy from the refined crystals to trap the rampaging ball of power she had absorbed . -

But how do we make sure that the crystals slow down time , rather than speed it up? - Zac frowned . - She’s already under pressure . If we mess this up she might die . -

These are refined Temporal Crystals , - the Realm Spirit said with impatience . - Simply extract the Temporal Energy from the correct rune , the circular one , and it will be made into a Temporal Deceleration Field . It is far less efficient compared to using the Temporal Crystal with an Array , but it is enough for your purpose . -

Zac picked up one of the Temporal Crystal with a frown , and he could feel the burning impatience of the spirit as he turned the crystal over multiple times before he attempted to extract some energy from the circular rune as the spirit said . Soon enough , he could feel how a small area in front of him was filled with temporal energy .

He took out a low-grade Nexus Crystals and threw it inside , and his eyes lit up when he saw it slow down to a fifth of its original speed as it passed through the Temporal Energy . Zac repeated the same experiment a few times , both trying things out with different crystals , and comparing the effect with the other rune , the one that sped things up .

I guess it is good that you are careful . Careless cultivators die an early death . But you also need to be decisive , grasping opportunities that are in front of you , - Qi’Sar eventually said as he saw Zac play around . - I can feel how those on the outside have made their move . You are running out of time . -

A huge shudder suddenly rocked the whole realm , almost to confirm the Realm Spirit’s warning . Zac looked around with wide eyes , as he felt a burst of Chaos even through the thick walls . Mixed in with it was something else , something he couldn’t place . Perhaps an attack from a Monarch on the outside had managed to make its way inside?

I can only stave off their attempts for so long , - Qi’Sar urged again .

Alright , - Zac nodded as he put a temporal stone next to the amulet on his neck and activated the rune .

At first , there was no response , but Zac soon felt a pull from the small coffin as it started to absorb the temporal energy . Zac nodded with satisfaction as he kept providing more and more energy while stowing away the other treasures in the hall .

First , the Temporal Crystals were stowed away .

Over 90% of them were sealed by a golden brand , meaning they were proper D-grade crystals . Considering their wide array of uses and their scarcity , Zac believed that this small pile of roughly 80 crystals was worth at least as much as all the Natural Treasures he had plundered over the past three years combined . These were things that had a huge demand but no steady supply in the Frontier .

In fact , he had no idea how they formed at all .

From there , he stowed away one pile of crystals after another , ignoring both the Realm Spirit’s increasingly urgent exhortations to hurry up and the increasingly powerful shakes that rocked the whole realm .

The Temporal Crystals were probably the most valuable ones in the treasury considering there were no Spatial Crystals , but the others were all D-grade crystals with various interesting attunements . Of course , there were hundreds of normal and death-attuned Cosmic Crystals , multiplying his small stockpile more than ten times over .

Altogether , the non-attuned Cosmic Crystals alone were worth tens of thousands of D-grade Nexus Coins , almost completely recouping his expenses in Twilight Harbor . Add to that all the attuned crystals , and he might just have doubled his vast fortune , considering he could probably sell these kinds of Cosmic Crystals at a premium back home in Zecia .

Apart from the crystals , there was only one more raw material ; a large block of Spiritual Metal , seemingly the same material the array cage was made from . The block was just one meter long with a diameter of 30 centimeters or so , but Zac felt his arms strain as he lifted it . It weighed almost like a mountain , shocking Zac as he exerted some pressure its the surface .

What is this metal? - Zac exclaimed .

Diluted Blackearth Steel , - Qi’Sar grunted . - Blackearth Steel is a proper D-grade metal known for its durability and ability to isolate energy . But with the System limiting materials , I had to turn it into a Pseudo D-grade alloy to prevent it from being sealed . -

Zac curiously tried to infuse some of his energy , and just as the Realm Spirit said , it was almost like it hit a solid wall . He nodded with understanding as he stowed the treasure away , and another rumble shook the treasure chamber .

You have only a few minutes , - the Realm Spirit reminded .

Alright . I am almost done , - Zac nodded as he turned his attention to Alea . She had finally finished absorbing Temporal Energy , and Zac felt the Spirit Tool had stabilized somewhat . He nodded in satisfaction and stowed away the Temporal Crystal he had used to feed Alea before sweeping the shelves bare .

The items that remained were mostly various tools , but there were also a few sets of information crystals , inscribed plaques , and even a couple of scrolls . They were all different methods of storing things like Cultivation Manuals , methods , and skills , but there was no time to go through them since the realm was really falling apart at the seams .

So what now? - Zac asked .

The array needs life and death along with energy to activate . Infuse your Daos , and the cage will do the rest . It’s set to fully activate the moment the connection between my children and this realm is cut , - Qi’Sar eagerly said now that Zac was finally ready to deal with his task .

Zac nodded and walked over , and without any further ado started infusing his Fragment of the Bodhi and Fragment of the Coffin into the cage . However , he only infused one at the time , alternating between the two Daos as he fed more and more into the Array .

What are you doing? - Qi’Sar almost screamed with fear after a particularly rough shudder spread through the treasury , almost throwing Zac off his feet . - You are too slow! My children will not make it at this rate! -

If you have followed me over the past years , you should know my energy control is pretty horrible , - Zac said with embarrassment . - Besides , my soul is wounded from before . I am infusing it as quickly as I can , but you need to hold on a bit longer . -

All because of your greed , - Qi’Sar growled , but Zac suddenly felt the realm stabilize a bit from the increasingly incessant shudders .

Still , Zac could feel how the realm wasn’t long for the world . The Twilight Energy around him was unraveling , and space had started to come apart at the seams . With his lingering connection to Chaos , he could feel they were right at the precipice .

Are we close to done? - Zac frowned as he felt his already drained soul being sapped of more and more Mental Energy . - I am running out of energy here . I need some left if I am supposed to take it away . -

Well , it needs to be able to withstand the backlash of the connection breaking , - Qi’Sar said . - And don’t worry . I will send you further away with my last breath . Now , get ready , we are abou- WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! -

The receiving runes had suddenly started to twist along with the Blackearth Steel . The isolation capabilities of the alloy were impressive , but they weren’t a match to the small burst of Creation Zac had forced into the array . He had managed to retain a small amount of both energies for emergencies , and he had chosen to use his last Creation Energy at this moment .

The vibrant force spread like a poison through the dodecahedron , causing hairline cracks to appear . The Realm Spirit was screaming at him with horror in his voice , but Zac ignored it as Verun’s Bite] had appeared in his hand . The axe was already descending toward the array as it appeared , with the two runes of sharpness and heaviness radiating a sanguine glow .

The swing bit into the metal tubes with such force that it shocked the whole treasury . The cage held , except for some small cracks that covered its surface . But Zac wasn’t deterred , and he furiously swung his axe two more times until the cage cracked altogether , unleashing a storm of contained energy .

At the same time , the whole Mystic Realm groaned as spatial tears appeared all over the place , signaling that the realm was truly falling apart . Zac was inundated in extremely condensed Life and Death , but he didn’t step back . Instead , he grabbed the shimmering crystal , hurriedly ripping it out of the socket just as he felt a surge of energy entering the room .

Cracks spread across the small spiraled gem as it started leaking energy , but Zac simply stuffed it into a treasure box along with a couple of the Life-and-Death-attuned Cosmic Crystals he had found in the room , before sealing the box with a talisman and stuffing it into his Spatial Ring .

What have you done?! - an infuriated voice roared with enough force to make the whole room shake .

Zac only snorted in response , not bothering to talk with the Realm Spirit any longer . Something had been off about the congenial Realm Spirit since the beginning , and that feeling had only become stronger after he entered the castle . Zac couldn’t pinpoint the problem , but something wasn’t right .

Seeing how urgently the Realm Spirit had wanted him to get to the treasury , Zac had been filled with reluctance , to the point that he had started stalling . Why else would he have spent twenty minutes looting ratty old furniture and broken-down tools when the world around him was collapsing?

The Realm Spirit kept being careful to not push him too hard even when wasting time , no doubt afraid its plans would fail if he became hostile . That way , less than fifteen minutes was remaining when Zac reached the treasury , giving the Realm Spirit less time to enact whatever plan it had concocted .

And having seen the cage , Zac mostly figured out what was going on .

A vast majority of the runes were foreign to him , but some were not . He hadn’t seen them in any of Catheya’s compendiums of patterns , or from any missives he had bought . Rather , they were something that had originated from Adcarkas , Void’s Disciple . After Zac had managed to kill the Dominator , he hadn’t dared take his Cosmos Sack back to Earth , but rather destroyed it along with his and Harbinger’s corpses .

However , some things still managed to make their way back , and he had seen these particular patterns upon visiting Clan Volor . It was shortly after they set up their underwater town where the frogmen had appeared on Earth .

When the Mystic Realm started collapsing , Void’s Disciple and Inevitability had been nowhere to be found . So , the Zhix traitors had decided to move toward the Memorysteel Mountain , bringing their captive gemlings with them . However , they had first collected everything in the buildings where Dominators had stayed for the last couple of months .

It was among these items Zac had found several schematics , along with some research notes and experiments . Zac couldn’t make any heads or tails of it , but Kenzie and Jeeves had quickly realized that the notes were related to soul transference . Adcarkas had been researching a way to adapt a possession-type array to make use of the Spatial Energy of the Dimensional Seed .

Most of the array schematic was missing , most likely left on Void’s Disciple’s body , but it was certain that it was the method Adcarkas used to take over the body of his daughter . And now , Zac had seen similar patterns on the cage in front of him .

The old Realm Spirit had lived for a long time , but it was clearly not as willing to enter the cycle of reincarnation as he had tried to let on .

Chapter 783 : One Shot at Eternity

Alvod looked at the array of items in front of him as he sat in the center of the Ascension Array , his heart beating with a mix of trepidation and anticipation . Four hundred thousand years of preparation , all for this moment . He would either defend his Dao and begin the next step of his journey , or he would turn to dust , as so many had before him .

His gaze turned to the chaotic scars that covered the tapestry , and he shook his head with a wry smile . Things had turned out alright , but that young Draugr was a troublemaker of unprecedented proportions . To think that he had managed to form a shadow of that elusive Dao with the help of those two cursed objects . Even more surprising , he was still alive and kicking .

It was no wonder the brat had such confidence in his path . Alvod had always thought it a fool’s errand . But who knew , he might just be able to keep climbing a while longer . Of course , seeing that fragmented Dao didn’t shake his Dao Heart at all . That little animal had his path , and he had his own .

The descent of the System and the hastened collapse of the realm was unexpected , but it didn’t change things overly much . He had lost a year of preparations , but so had those on the outside . Besides , his whole road of cultivation had been bumpy , so why should his ascent be any different?

Thankfully , the two intrusive whispers in the back of his mind had been quieted just before the System descended , which improved his odds of success by at least five percent . Most likely , it was the Draugr who , either wittingly or unwittingly , destroyed the preparations of his fellow imperials while hunting the remnant that Alvod had set loose .

Alvod had figured that one of the two being destroyed by the hand of Arcaz Black would be a good outcome , but he had underestimated the control the Draugr held over Creation and Oblivion . It appeared the masters Arcaz Black mentioned were real , as they must have provided him with something to curtail the madness of the ancient remnants , at least until they could be harvested .

It was time .

Alvod closed his eyes and focused while the array lit up around him , and his Dharma Treasure emerged from his glabella a moment later . The small wooden rowboat rose above his head , forming an illusory tidal wave beneath itself . It crashed against the daybreak , an endless cycle of ebb and flow . It was the herald of the Evening Tide , the harbinger of his Dao .

Next , Alvod threw out the Wheels of the Six Paths , each one of them taking a position on the crumbling tapestry . He couldn’t help but once more open his eyes and look at them with mixed emotions . Finding the first wheel of this ancient and heretical Buddhist treasure , the Wheel of Preta-Gati , on his homeworld had completely remolded his destiny .

It had allowed him to defy the heavens themselves as he became a ravenous ghost that fed on the world itself . It had made him unsurpassed and unmatched in might , but it had also set him down a path of tragedy . He became a calamity for his homeworld far more dangerous than any invaders . When he woke up from his stupor , nothing but ruins remained .

Things had only somewhat stabilized when he found the Wheel of Manushya-Gati as well , in the hands of a young woman he had killed in his madness . He even managed to seize a Body Tempering Manual in the Tower of Eternity that more efficiently made use of the unique energy the wheels generated .

These wheels had made him extraordinary . Without them , there was no guarantee he would even have survived the integration . Even if he did , the odds of him reaching Hegemony were slim . Monarchy was but a distant and unrealistic hope . At most , he would have managed to become a local warlord on his home planet at the edge of the Multiverse , destined to never come in contact with the real truths of the universe .

But for all the wheels had given him , they were also the cause of endless suffering . Alvod knew it wasn’t just a matter of their value causing avarice in others . The more he made use of them , the heavier his Karmic Debt would become , which maintained the Law of Balance . It had become so suffocating he had been forced into hiding for hundreds of thousands of years , unable to even gaze upon the sky .

Now , mighty foes had gathered to interrupt his ascension , making a nigh insurmountable task even harder . However , with the last two wheels collected in the Havarok Empire and his imminent ascension , things were finally about to reach a turning point . As long as he succeeded , the Six Paths would open , and he would shed the Karmic Debt he had accumulated by severing his chance at reincarnation .

He would only live once , but Alvod was fine with that . One shot at eternity was all he needed .

I am the holder of the Evening Tide , - he said , and reality shuddered as he imposed his will on the wheels . - The ages turn , Karma dies , and the world is reborn . -

The tapestry resisted , or rather the Realm Spirit did . When the wheels had turned one full circle , the Twilight Ocean would be gone , reincarnated as an avatar to his path . Alvod only smiled at the struggle , and his gaze turned to the small chalice hovering in the air , its receptacle filled to three-quarters with Primal Dao .

Seven drops , one for each wheel while the last one entered his Dharma Treasure . The rowboat was already at the peak of its grade , and the infusion pushed it one step further , putting it right at the threshold . Seeing that the treasure held , Alvod grinned his gaze turned to a small clay figurine .

Life is not life , death is not death , - he muttered as the figurine floated into his hands .

A million dense scripts flashed into being on the small figurine as it started exuding an inscrutable and earth-shattering aura . But that was nothing compared to the radiant display in his inner world , where a ten-thousand-meter-tall statue lit up in a similar manner . An unprecedented storm erupted in his inner world , with the crashing waves reaching thousands of meters in the air .

The small wooden boat became an avatar of the storm as it crashed forward , the eventide churning in its wake . It slammed into the weakened tapestry , causing reality itself to crack . The wheels turned ninety degrees , and Alvod took a shuddering breath as he felt cracks spread across his world . However , he wasn’t deterred at all , and his mouth curved upward in a bloody smile as he heard an earth-shattering rumble on the outside .

It had begun .

—————

It’s all wrong , - Elou Alu’Valadir muttered with a frown as she gazed up at the churning clouds that were accumulating , covering an area far greater than the whole of the Twilight Harbor . - What should we do , Lord Nether? -

The deep thud of an immensely tyrannic heart echoed out , its power enough to cause ripples in space itself . It pushed into the churning anomaly of the crumbling Daoworld , searching for answers within .

The effigy has failed , - Nizu Noz’Valadir frowned . - I cannot sense the presence of my descendant either . Something unexpected must have happened by the end . -

If the effigy has failed… - Grifon Alu’Valadir hesitated as he glanced at the sea of crystals that were slowly waking up , each one of them emitting the troublesome Shroud of Azur to hide the movements of the Eidolon cultivators .

No matter . Chaos has taken hold of this event , and no side will be able to seize a clear advantage , - Nizu muttered with a sigh as six golden rings appeared behind his back , each one of them throbbing with the Dao right at the edge of the threshold . - But when it comes to foundations and strength , the Eternal Clan fear no one , certainly not some frontier Monarchs . I will force my way . You two , restrain those scheming natives , and monitor the movements of Hive Ouro . -

Will they even dare- - Grifon snorted , but the grin on his face froze when space cracked .

Out from the void , nine spears emerged , forming a perfect encirclement around the spatial anomaly . Each one was almost ten kilometers long and covered in dense scriptures that palpitated with destructive energies . The next moment , nine Monarchs appeared , each one hovering above a respective spear .

A ripple echoed through the Twilight Harbor as the nine spears shot forward , heading toward the anomaly with crushing momentum .

Godslayer spikes , - Nizu muttered with some surprise . - The locals are going all out . -

Lord , we cannot… - Elou hesitated as her aura started climbing .

Not to worry , - Nizu smiled as he took out a large sanguine crystal . - You are not alone . Stopping three of them is enough . The Eidolon will be forced to make a move as well . As for the final three , the main character will have to deal with them himself . -

The two elders breathed out in relief , and they looked over at the crystal in Nizu Noz’Valadadir’s hand . Suddenly a flash of light emerged from its core , spreading its radiance for tens of kilometers and prompting the heavens to rumble .

That’s . . ! - Elou exclaimed , her eyes wide with shock and hunger .

This Heavenly Descent belongs to the Eternal Clan , - Nizu smiled as the crystal cracked .

———————-

As expected , the Realm Spirit had mixed truths with lies . The crystal really appeared to be a nascent Realm Spirit , and the array actually had the capability to protect the crystal within . But it also contained the ability to transfer a consciousness , which was a huge problem .

There was no way Zac would feel comfortable infusing a deceptive Autarch into Earth’s World Core . That was a disaster waiting to happen . He would rather break the cage and risk losing the young Realm Spirits than risk having it become a vessel to Qi’Sar . It was possible the former Autarch only wanted to find a new home to continue living , but there were all kinds of mysterious and weird abilities out there .

What if he wasn’t content staying a Realm Spirit forever? Wasn’t Zac’s dual races a perfect vessel if Qi’Sar wanted to embark on the path of cultivation again? Even worse , Zac only understood a small part of the array on the cage , and it might have contained even more hidden traps than just the Soul Transfering Array . Just the fact that it was supposed to run on his Dao was suspicious .

Zac had immediately decided to strike , even if he didn’t have all the facts .

As to why Qi’Sar was insistent on not putting it away just before the realm collapsed , his motivations were probably true . However , he wasn’t just talking about this young Realm Spirit being locked to the Twilight Ocean , but also himself . Qi’Sar probably wasn’t able to transfer his consciousness while the realm was still standing , indelibly bound to the Twilight Ocean .

The moment the realm collapsed , he would be free and have a short window of opportunity . It was right before that moment Zac had destroyed the cage , using the surge of chaos in the atmosphere to guide his timing .

So you figured it out , - Qi’Sar’s voice echoed through the chamber , the previously congenial voice now rife with sinister intentions . - I didn’t expect you to understand that array from how clueless you’ve acted over the past years . You truly hid yourself deeply . -

Zac wryly smiled , happy that his ignorance had worked in his favor for once . The Realm Spirit had clearly been spying on him , and it must have witnessed the months he spent studying basic patterns that most elite clan members had already memorized by the time they started cultivating . How could someone like him have known about an esoteric unorthodox method like a Soul Transferring Array?

Even Zac’s greed where he had looted everything he came across had worked in his favor , and Qi’Sar hadn’t suspected his motivations to loot the side chambers at all . Zac had even happily looted the worthless Twilight Fruits and low-grade herb over the past years , so why wouldn’t he go mad with greed for D-grade materials?

I’m sorry , I don’t feel comfortable carrying an old schemer like you out of here , - Zac snorted . - It probably wouldn’t end well for me . But don’t worry , your legacy will live on through your children . -

The safest option would simply have been to stall things out until the realm collapsed , giving up on the twinned life-death Realm Spirits . That way , he would make it off scot-free with a hoard of treasure . However , Zac was unwilling to give up on this unique opportunity . Qi’Sar had been lying about some things , but Zac didn’t think he was lying about how useful this crystal was .

Who knew what kind of benefits a pair of mutated and connected Realm Spirits could bring to a young world like Earth? Right now , it was unclear if the planet would even survive the two clashing elements it had been imparted with . But with these little things , Earth had the potential to become a proper C-grade world . Perhaps something even greater if Zac managed to nurture the planet properly .

There was no response from the Realm Spirit this time , but Zac suddenly felt a scream of danger , and he unhesitantly activated Earthstrider] to flash away . It was just in time as well , as something weird happened to the spot where he just stood . Space somehow twisted on itself , like a rag being squeezed . The area was returned to normal in an instant , but the pedestal that had held the crystal and array cage had turned to dust from the spatial twist .

Space itself seemed hollow as well , like it was somehow destroyed .

Zac’s eyes were wide with alarm , and he started running for his life , exiting the treasury in a mad dash . Another pang of danger warned him that he still wasn’t safe , and he ignored the protests of his body as he kept activating his movement skill , shifting almost a hundred meters in an instant . Space kept falling apart where he had been standing , and Zac knew it wasn’t just a random occurrence .

From the looks of it , Qi’Sar was destroying his own body to take out Zac .

Zac rushed toward the tunnel leading out of the castle , hoping that the Realm Spirit’s control would be weaker further away from its seat of power . However , he grimaced when he saw the whole storeroom twisting before being ripped apart . A moment later , he heard a rumble from within , indicating that the tunnel had collapsed .

One way out of here had been destroyed , but that didn’t mean Zac could stop moving . The only reason he was still alive was no doubt because Qi’Sar lacked any real means of attack by the looks of it . After all , any random skill of a former Autarch would not only be immensely powerful but also extremely difficult to avoid .

Besides , Zac figured he probably had his hands full as he felt a series of tremors . Some came from directly above , most likely a final clash between the Havarok and the Radiant Temple . But there was also the occasional shake that rocked the whole realm , and they didn’t seem to be a result of the realm collapsing .

The old monsters on the outside had probably made their moves .

Luckily , Zac had not only spent his time looting scraps after entering the castle cellar . He had studied the layout , which included the path leading up . Before , it had mostly been to keep watch for other people sneaking up on him , but now it turned into a lifesaver as Zac flashed up a set of stairs , finding himself on the ground floor .

Another rumble shocked the castle , and Zac looked upward with some surprise . The force the two sides were unleashing in their battle was nothing to scoff at . Without the remnants assisting him , Zac didn’t feel confident at all dealing with something like that . He remembered the army standing behind Ykrodas Havarok , guessing that they used some mighty War Arrays in the struggle to either protect or kill the Realm Spirit .

Having reached this point , Zac muttered a silent prayer that Ykrodas Havarok would fail at this final juncture , allowing the Radiant Temple to kill Qi’Sar , or at least harm him to the point he couldn’t waste any of his attention on Zac . After quickly orienting himself , he flashed away once more , barely avoiding the increasingly frantic attempts at killing him .

I might fall here , but I will have you accompany me across the bridge of forgetfulness , - Qi’Sar raged , and Zac’s eyes were wide with alarm as the whole castle started to rumble .

The infuriated Realm Spirit was actually collapsing the whole building after having failed to take Zac down . He desperately made his way toward the exit , but even with his movement skill , he knew he wouldn’t make it . D-grade Boulders from the ceiling were already raining down on him , and the walls were on the verge of collapsing entirely .

Having a castle fall on his head wouldn’t necessarily kill him , but that wasn’t the real problem . He had already experienced just how difficult these stones were to break through . Becoming trapped in D-grade rubble would make him a sitting duck for the realm Spirit . One spatial twist and he would be a goner .

Seeing no other option , Zac grit his teeth as infused some Void Energy into two skill fractals , prompting a large leaf to appear in front of his axehead . Two bursts of Mental Energy were squeezed from his drained soul , prompting two clouds to shoot forward just as his path was about to be blocked .

The divide of the Abyss and Arcadia appeared from two vertical slashes , its power almost unstoppable thanks to the Twilight Energy and the fact that space had become extremely brittle by now . Not even the sturdy rocks could withstand the attack , and Zac desperately squeezed through the void , emerging outside the castle in front of two shocked sentries .

Zac only glanced at the two Havarok soldiers as a sea of killing intent rippled out from his body , prompting the two warriors to instinctively step back in fear . Their short lapse was enough for Zac to make his move , which was to heedlessly run away with Earthstrider] . Behind him , the towering castle completely collapsed .

You little bastard! - a roar echoed out with enough force to make the whole City of Ancients shake , but Zac didn’t even glance back as he fled through the tunnel leading out of the inner courtyard .

Chapter 784 : Collapse

Alvod snorted as he sensed the world-ending ferocity of the incoming Godslayer Spikes . The council’s plans were truly sinister . They wanted to collapse the realm right at this critical moment , trying to force a singularity with the Realm Core as a medium for rebirth . Even if the worldly reincarnation failed , it would at least be a vicious strike at him .

It was with mixed emotions he looked out across the Twilight Harbor . Even if it was out of necessity , this little corner of the Frontier had been his home for the better part of his life . Certainly , he had spent most of the time in secluded cultivation or stasis , but he had still watched the fates of those who made the Twilight Harbor their home . Generation after generation of triumphs and setbacks , an endless cycle of ebb and flow .

All for the Dao , - Alvod sighed , his eyes hardening as he extracted another set of drops from the chalice .

This time , it was not just a few drops , but more than half of his whole reserve . He looked at the sphere of Primal Dao with hunger , but he kept his desire in check as he waved his hands . Eight Purifiers rose into the air , forming a circle around the blob as Alvod started forming Dharmic Seals with blinding speed .

The Tapestry of Twilight shuddered as a storm of meaning entered the purifiers under the control of Alvod , who added his own Dao to finish the process . Alvod quickly threw out the prepared materials at the moment of completion , before spitting out a blob of heavenly fire . The materials mixed with the Primal Dao , and Alvod breathed out in relief when the mixture congealed into a small ball of shimmering paste .

He had researched this method for close to two hundred thousand years , and spent another fifty thousand refining and preparing the materials . All that effort finally paid dividends as the compound exuded the purest of Dao and endless potential , but Alvod knew the most critical part remained . He took a deep breath before he made his move , and the whole realm shuddered as Alvod spat out a mouthful of blood .

The pain was blinding , but Alvod refused to let the darkness consume him as he released a steady breath toward the small ball . In his breath , his severed soul resided , and Alvod didn’t dare as much as blink as he looked at the compound with worry .

The seconds passed after the shroud entered the Dao Paste , and Alvod’s heart hit rock-bottom as nothing happened . Was it a failure? Had he sacrificed too little of his soul? He could spare a little bit more of his mind , but that would worsen his ability to withstand what would come next .

The spears were getting closer as well , and he knew that those foreigners wouldn’t do all the work for him . They needed to weaken him , though not to the point he failed to conjure the Heavenly Descent . They would probably leave two or three spears for him to deal with .

As he agonized over whether to cut off another part of the soul , his dismay turned to elation as the small ball suddenly transformed into a simile of his own face . At the same time , Alvod felt his conception shift , suddenly seeing his surroundings from two directions .

It worked .

While Alvod knew his gambit was a success , he knew it wouldn’t last long . A vortex appeared in front of him , and the small ball immediately shot inside , heading straight for the Realm Core .

Eat your fill , little spirit , - Alvod smiled , though he felt a pang of loss upon sacrificing so much Primal Dao . That small chalice had almost bankrupted him , and now only a third remained . - A remnant obsession thinking themselves an ancient cultivator . You thought I needed to kill you to achieve my aim? Since you are struggling to hold on , why don’t you show me the comprehension of a vaunted Autarch? A final opportunity to rekindle your lost glory . -

A piercing cry echoed out from the vortex just as it closed , and Alvod snorted as the wheels turned another 90 degrees . The shock of being forcibly infused with all that Dao had made the spirit lose its mind for a moment , allowing his plan to proceed . Of course , that was just an indirect benefit .

The ancient Dao locked in the Realm Core needed to be ignited . If that failed , all else was for naught . Without it to act as a sacrifice , the Heavens wouldn’t descend , making fools out of everyone here . Thankfully , Alvod could already feel the buildup in the heart of the ocean , and the sky outside rumbled with even greater furor . It wasn’t long now .

Satisfied , Alvod’s gaze turned back toward the situation outside . The Godslayer Spears were almost upon him by this point , but he didn’t even feel a ripple in his heart at these siege arrays that each had the power to completely extinguish the life of a peak Monarch .

I guess I should be honored you use these things against me , but it appears I have been too low-key the past years . You dare stand in defiance of me , the Eveningtide Asura? - Alvod growled as Lamentation Point] , his trident and primary Spirit Tool , appeared in his hand . - I guess I have to slay a few chickens to keep the monkeys at bay . -

Another vortex appeared , and he pointed his weapon toward the hole , unleashing his wrath .

———–

Space groaned as Refestus desperately squeezed through the crack , the light from his ancestral talisman dimming by the second . The spatial turbulence pressed closer to his body , and panic filled his heart as he struggled with all his might .

Suddenly , he was through , shooting through the vacuum of space with the pent-up momentum of his daring escape . It had worked! Refestus breathed out in relief when he saw the familiar world disks in the distance , relief washing over him when spotting his homedisk . His clan should still be okay . He had been worried over the past two years , almost to the point he left early even if it went against his orders .

Refestus had known things were bad even after the first month inside the trial , but he only realized the true gravity of the situation when the sky started to tear apart . Suspicious events had passed one after another in the trial , with the foreign Hegemons causing one scene after another . Local elites such as himself could only stay out of the way , trying to fish in the muddied waters and complete the tasks they had been assigned by the council .

But how could they deal with kill-squads of foreign Hegemons with far superior equipment and Heritages? He had personally witnessed a clash between the Eidolon and some elites from the Radiant Temple . The cataclysmic battle had rather seemed like a struggle between Monarchs than Hegemons . Since then , Refestus had just gone through the motions to complete his tasks , instead focusing on survival .

It didn’t take a genius to realize something was different about this trial , and the whole cursed realm collapsing was the final straw . Most Hegemons opted to set up protective arrays and weather the storm until they would be sent out by the Heavens , but seeing the actions of those two Eidolon had filled Refestus with doubt .

Would some defensive arrays really be enough?

If it was , then why did the two ghosts cover themselves in awe-inspiring arrays and slip through the spatial cracks in the sky , leaving the Trial early? Resfestus had quickly come to a decision , and he followed in the wake of the two imperials , opting to squeeze into a spatial tear in a bid to survive . The lack of other cultivators around him proved that he was among the first to find their way out .

However , a single look around tampered his celebratory mood , and once more filled him with dread . Heedless anything else , he once more started flying for his life in a desperate struggle to get as far away from the Twilight Ascent as possible . What sort of madness had gripped the old monsters this time around?

A sea of blood churned across the sky , the crashing waves sounding like a million heartbeats that set Refestus’ blood ablaze , like it wanted to slip out of his body and joint the sanguine waters . There were also innumerable crystals that emitted a mysterious haze , and the lights within threatened to pull his soul out of his body .

Most terrifying of all were the nine spears that were shooting toward the heart of the Twilight Ascent , each one of them controlled by one of the harbor’s true leaders . Refestus’ eyes were wide with shock when he spotted the Faebloom Monarch , the leader of the treants , his crown radiating blinding power as he shot toward the ghastly lights .

Another spike was pushed forth by Artolo , the warmongering Corpselord whose infamy was known across the whole Zervereth Sector . Even Rhodium , the Bluearch Monarch and the current leader of the Twilight Council , controlled one of the spikes as it shot straight toward the Twilight Ascent .

Refestus almost cried in relief upon following his guts , leaving early before those shockingly large needlepoints stabbed into the Twilight Ocean . The Mystic Realm was already teetering at the brink of collapse , and the Twilight Council seemed intent on putting it out of its misery .

A red light suddenly illuminated the area for a moment before it disappeared . It didn’t seem like much , but that brief flash was enough to fill Refestus with even greater horror . He puked a huge mouthful of blood as innumerable wounds opened up throughout his body , and he desperately ate one of his lifesaving pills while trying to get his rampaging Miasma under control .

He glanced back to see what was going on , just in time to see two towering giants rise from the bloody ocean . Both of them reached over ten kilometers in the air , bloody devils with four wings on their backs . One of them held a spear even larger than the incoming spikes , while the other was surrounded by three spinning rivers of extremely condensed blood .

A similar scene was taking place in the ghastly haze as three massive ghosts took form . Refestus wasn’t very clear about Ghost Dao techniques , but he felt a deep dread as he saw the twisted visages of the three avatars . The ghost in the middle also had a long horn that emitted a sinister pitch-black aura , and Refestus screamed with horror when he felt his Soulwarding Gem crack .

He hurriedly looked away before more of his protections broke , his mind reeling at the implications of what he had just witnessed .

Dao Avatars . Refestus blanched upon realizing these foreign Monarchs were going all-out , unheedingly unleashing large-scale skills that were banned in almost all cities of the Multiverse . Similar scenes took place atop the nine spikes as well as the vaunted members of the Twilight Council fully unleashed their auras .

Normally , Refustus would be cheering on the Council with all his heart , perhaps even joining the struggle . But this was so far beyond his capabilities that it wasn’t even funny . No matter what side would walk away victorious from this , it was doubtful the Twilight Harbor would even survive the event .

His thoughts turned to his descendants on the disk , and he forcibly rotated his energy to start moving again . Their clan only had Six Hegemons . The Clan Leader had already fallen in the Twilight Ascent , and who knew if the third elder would make it out now? The two elders who had remained behind had only entered Hegemony with the help of pills and other resources . They were stuck right at the beginning , barely stronger than an elite E-grade cultivator .

Refestus was the only one who would be able to protect the clan from the upheavals that would follow this war . He couldn’t take any risks here .

However , horror filled his heart as Refestus felt another towering aura appear behind him . An enormous trident had appeared , and its very presence put immense pressure on the whole area . The bloody ocean seemed especially affected by its appearance , and its waters frothed furiously in response .

The already towering aura just kept rising , until Refestus felt it reach a crescendo . He felt death looming over his shoulders , and he couldn’t help but look over one more time as he ran for his life .

Two golden balls of frantic waters shot forward , their surface covered in immensely powerful runes . They shot toward the incoming spears , aiming for both the weapon and the controller . Artolo summoned thousands of enormous chains , and space itself was ripped apart as they drew a ruthless arc toward the water bombs .

A huge golem appeared as well , conjured by the elemental who controlled another spike . The golem punched into the air , and enormous cracks of vibrant life spread forward , rushing through space with blinding speed . The councilors’ attacks clashed slammed into the incoming spheres , but they had clearly underestimated the power they contained .

Chains snapped and the golem crumbled as the spheres continued forward . The two Monarchs seemed shocked , and huge amounts of energy churned around them as they prepared their next move .

But there was no time . After the initial clash , the runes on the spheres of waters lit up , and the two balls veritably teleported forward , prompting them to become impaled on the enormous spears . It felt like time had stopped for a moment , but reality soon came crashing down as the water bombs burst .

It looked like two golden suns had appeared as enough energy to turn Refestus into cinders a thousand times over were unleashed . The explosion swallowed the whole spears along with the two Monarchs who had controlled them . Refestus’ mind turned blank as he felt the Dao contained in the shimmering light .

It was like he was gazing into the eyes of the Heavens themselves , two fiery orbs of life and death . But the impression only lasted for a moment , before a shockwave rocked reality itself . Space was twisted and compacted as the chaotic wave of Dao and unbridled energy pushed forward , each moment swallowing tens of kilometers while the epicenter became a zone of utter destruction .

There was no time to run . There was no time to set up any defenses , not that it would do him any good . Refestus could only say a mental prayer for his descendants , hoping that they would survive this calamity . Or at least that they would face as painless an end as himself .

A moment later the wave passed him by , and Refestus Ynovium was no longer .

——–

Zac looked around for any more attacks , but a pained wail from the Realm Spirit suddenly rocked the whole City . It seemed the Radiant Temple had managed to pull one over on the Havarok Empire and Qi’Sar , much to Zac’s delight . Of course , that only dealt with his most immediate problem .

Huge scars spread across the sky , vortices leading out of the Mystic Realm . He saw how torrents of energy and matter were being dragged inside every second as the Twilight Ocean collapsed . Zac peered into the void , looking for any clues about the outside , but there was nothing to be found at the other side of those tears . There was just endless darkness , making it uncertain if they actually led to the Twilight Harbor .

Another shudder rocked the whole mystic realm , and Zac heard a fearful shout in the distance . It was almost time , and he took out the communication crystal one final time .

This is it , - Zac said . - Good luck out there . -

There’s a minute or two remaining I think , - Catheya sighed on the other side . - Should we gather up? -

We better not , - Zac muttered after some hesitation . - I kind of infuriated the Realm Spirit just now . -

Of course you did , - Catheya laughed . - It’s comforting to see that some things stay the same even as the world crumbles . -

Zac smiled as he looked over his shoulder just in case .

It’s been fun traveling together , - Catheya continued . - I hope we can meet up again . The road of cultivation is long , and it’s better traversed with some company . -

Likewise , - Zac smiled . - I think I will have to lay low for a bit after this , but I hope we can meet again . Perhaps in the Heartlands , even . -

The Heavens protect us , - Catheya giggled .

Zac hesitated for a second before he decided to come clean . - I have spoken with your ancestor . -

You have?! How?! What did she say? - Catheya exclaimed with shock .

Nevermind how . She said that she cannot halt her cultivation right now . But she promised me that the threat facing the Sharva’Zi clan has been averted , - Zac said .

He couldn’t bear telling the whole truth , where it seemed like Be’Zi had abandoned her previous self altogether . Instead , he mixed truths and falsehoods .

She cannot come , after all? - Catheya said with some despondency . - Well , thank you for try- -

Catheya never finished the sentence as a weird fluctuation rippled through the Mystic Realm , causing the communication crystal to malfunction . Zac sighed as he put the crystal away before he looked up with a mix of anticipation and trepidation . The tears in the sky had combined , turning into an enormous hole that expanded with extreme speed .

In just a few seconds , it had covered half of the sky , and the Ocean Waters were suddenly just gone , reduced to a chaotic mix of Miasma and Cosmic Energy . Zac knew that this was it , and he transformed into yet another appearance while he covered himself in talismans . He urgently swore at the System to hurry up , and finally , the prompt he had waited for appeared in front of him .

The enormous spatial tear was descending like a shroud of darkness , and Zac hurriedly ate two pills while he fervently covered himself in an ashy mixture . One of the pills was another healing pill , while the second was a Karma-breaking Pill that would hopefully strengthen the efficacy of the compound he used on his body .

Next , he finally activated the array around his Specialty Core , hiding his unique constitution from any prying eyes outside . The darkness was almost upon him by this point , and Zac looked around the crumbling world with a mix of emotions . He couldn’t help but wonder if Catheya was right as he thought back to the events over the past two years .

His goal for the Twilight Harbor had simply been to push his Draugr Race to D-grade , and perhaps buy some cultivation resources for himself and the Einherjar . How had it ended up with an ancient Mystic Realm collapsing and him making enemies of multiple factions that could annihilate the whole Zecia sector if they so desired?

Were these shocking events related to the Stele of Conflict as well , or was it simply the System pushing him further down this path of no return? Or was it simply bad luck? In either case , it had left him with few options of what to do next .

It was time for him to die .

Chapter 785 : Fertilizer for One’s Path

Rhodium burned with anxiety as he saw Artolo fall , unable to withstand even the opening salvo of the Eveningtide Asura . Ovo was still standing , but the Godslayer Spike the Rox’At Elemental controlled had been damaged to the point it might as well be considered an ornament by this point . It was already leaking its energies , forming a zone of destruction stretching a dozen kilometers in each direction .

Things had gone out of control too quickly . They had all been in meditation to reach a sublime mental state before the battle , but they had been forced to wake early and immediately set out . Why had the realm crumbled early , and why had the System involved itself? They had no choice but to make their move before the Godslayer Array had properly charged up , and they had decided to control the spikes themselves instead .

That cut the might of the spikes in half , but Rhodium knew that was only part of the problem . How could someone native to the frontier be this powerful?

Especially someone who had spent almost half of his lifespan in secluded cultivation , unable to gather rare treasures and honing his skills in battle . According to their estimates , Alvod Jondir had been severely wounded when usurping the throne , to the point his cultivation had regressed to Middle C-grade . They had figured the false lord to be powerful thanks to having forcibly increased his cultivation to Divine Monarchy , but he actually surpassed his grade in strength .

It made their mission almost insurmountable , and Rhodium was filled with regrets . If they only found out about these plans earlier they would have been able to enact more airtight plans . They had barely managed to construct these spikes , yet they didn’t even have a proper delivery system . But Rhodium knew they couldn’t stop here .

The spikes had been activated , and they would only last for a few more minutes before their pathways would crack from the rampant energies contained within .

Alvod Jondir shouldn’t be able to unleash more attacks in the short run , - Heryes’s voice echoed out in his mind . - I will try to deal with one of the bloodsuckers . -

I will assist you , - Rhodium frowned as an azure river appeared around him . - We need to restrain them at least , allowing the others to finish the objective . The Faebloom Monarch will restrain the ghosts with Ovo and Ubulo . -

Alright , - Heryes agreed .

Rhodium sent a command to his spike and it changed course , now heading straight for the two sanguine avatars instead of the anomaly . The necromancer followed suit , and a towering skeleton appeared behind her . The skeleton grabbed the Godslayer Spike , intent on using it as a weapon .

The two bloody avatars got ready to meet their attack , the mage choosing to deal with the skeleton . The rivers that had surrounded her shot forward , each one of them containing boundless amounts of Essence Blood , making it wildly powerful .

The skeleton responded in kind as it spat out a shroud of condensed putrefaction . Heryes had no doubt implanted the ancient skull of her prime servant with terrifying toxins , and Rhodium prayed it would be enough to putrefy the blood of the Eternal Clan . Rhodium had no time to worry about his ally though , and he rather focused his attentions on the other avatar .

Tens of thousands of runes were appearing around the vampire’s spear as he had retracted his weapon . He was building momentum , and Rhodium knew he couldn’t tarry . He infused his Dao into the azure river , prompting it to shudder as it grew massive scales . An earth-shattering roar caused space itself to crack as the river turned into the simile of a primordial flood dragon .

It shot forward , its advance causing space itself to freeze before cracking .

However , the vampire had finished his preparations , and he stabbed forward with furious momentum . Rhodium thought to block , but he suddenly felt the shadow of death loom over him , and he quickly formed a few incantations , prompting himself and the spike to shift ten kilometers away .

It was a wise decision , as the space where he had previously occupied simply disintegrated , forming an almost endless scar in space . The dragon was badly maimed as well , but its core runes were still intact , allowing Rhodium to reform it .

The stab had carried a shocking amount of force , far beyond what Rhodium had expected . He looked over with worry , just in time to see the three rivers break out from the restrictive haze of Heryes . The streams had darkened considerably , but they still maintained more than half of their essence . They shot forward with almost untouched momentum , and Rhodium’s face sunk when he saw Heryes’ prized possession get ripped apart by the three frothing rivers .

The Necromancer paled in response , and her mind was no doubt wounded after the destruction of her puppet . She wasn’t ready to give in though , and a storm of millions of bones poured out of her sleeves , forming a dense cloud that spread over five kilometers . The bones swirled and crashed into each other , causing a deafening cacophony that rippled toward the rivers .

They were forming an ancestral curse , and Rhodium shuddered as he unwittingly moved a bit closer to Heryes . Space around her was bound to be excluded from the cursed field , which was important to know considering the crazy Necromancer’s proclivity for wanton destruction when going all out .

Meanwhile , a huge explosion behind Rhodium confirmed what he had been worried about . The monstrous jab had continued until it slammed into a world disk . The disks were covered in extremely mighty arrays , but Rhodium could feel that most of the restrictions had broken down already . He needed to make a move . If things continued this way , there wouldn’t be anything left to salvage even if they won .

His heart bled , but he still took out the small blue gemstone he had saved for over two hundred thousand years . It was supposed to be one of the core components the next time he expanded his inner world , yet he was forced to use it in a situation like this . He absorbed the primordial force within , and another roar echoed through the cosmos as the azure dragon doubled in size and shot toward the avatar with newfound vigor .

Meanwhile , Rhodium formed a series of seals , and tens of thousands of lances appeared behind him , each one a hundred meters long . a series of azure halos lit up around each one of them , filling the spear with energy until they suddenly shot forward with enough speed to cleave the void itself . They fell like deadly rain , heading straight toward the three Monarchs below .

He hoped that a direct attack would lessen the pressure on his companion , and hopefully provide an opening for someone to launch their spike at the spatial anomaly . But a deep heartbeat echoed out through the area , and Rhodium was shocked to find cracks appear on his own heart . The damage quickly healed though , and he instilled more and more energy into his spear array .

In response , a huge tidal wave of blood rose behind the three Eternal Clan members , and it pushed forward to swallow the azure spears within . Rhodium grimaced when he felt the connection to his skill break long before they managed to pierce to where his targets were sitting .

He hadn’t even managed to make them move out of the way .

Meanwhile , the whole area was crying as almost two dozen Monarchs unleashed one mighty attack after another . Rhodium knew this place would be tainted for tens of thousands of years as a result , but there was nothing to be done about it . Both he and the other councilors fought desperately to reach the Spatial Anomaly , but the imperials were far more powerful than they expected .

They managed to occupy five of the spikes , with only two managing to enter the Spatial Anomaly . That was far below what they had hoped for , but it was better than nothing . Even that was only thanks to the Radiant Temple staying out of the way , for some reason content with circulating at the edge of the battlefield .

Just two wouldn’t do it . They had estimated that they needed at least four to strike to collapse the realm entirely . Now , they would just become a small thorn in the Eveningtide Asura’s side , unless they managed to force two more inside .

Suddenly , a deep gong echoed out from above , and Rhodium´s eyes widened when he saw the churning clouds open up . First , it was just a small hole in the middle , a small weakness that leaked a marvelous shimmer . At the same time , the Spatial Anomaly was twisting , almost beating like a heartbeat as it started turning .

Another gong , and innumerable shimmering lights simultaneously flashed into being , almost forming a belt around the battlefield . The golden light had the mark of the System , and Rhodium spotted cultivators emitting weak auras within . It was no doubt the trial takers being taken out of the crumbling realm , but he had no time to worry about them as he knew what was about to happen .

The clanking sound of a wheel turning could be heard from within the anomaly , and a third gong echoed out , harkening the arrival of the Heavens . The small hole in the thunderous cloud suddenly enlarged , growing to a fifty-kilometer-wide hollow in an instant . From within , an endless amount of light poured down upon them all , drenching them in the chorus of the Boundless Dao .

The eye of the Heavens , - Rhodium whispered with a mix of marvel and horror as the energy inside his body went haywire from being exposed to the Heavenly Law .

They were too late .

The destruction had come too quickly , and the Eveningtide Asura had already seized the opportunity while their plans had fallen apart . The fact that the Heavens had descended meant the Realm Core had been seized and repurposed , used to conjure a Heavenly Descent .

Rhodium’s thoughts were a mess , with part of him wanting to furiously fight , to confirm his path by destroying another’s . Part of him simply wanted to run away . But he was locked in place as his eyes were glued to the spectacle above . From how the battlefield had grown quiet , the same was true for the others .

The Heavens itself had descended , bringing the true Dao to bear . Inside the radiant lights , the answers to all questions that had plagued him for the past eons were hidden . If Rhodium could simply find the right stream , he could finally break past the bottleneck that had locked him in place since he lost his momentum .

But a shocked shriek ripped Rhodium out of his reverie , and he looked over with confusion to see his fellow councilors attacking each other . The Faebloom Monarch had actually ambushed Ovo , who was already wounded after withstanding the attack of the Eveningtide Asura . A similar scene took place on the other side of the anomaly .

A wave of dizziness suddenly hid him , and his eyes widened in alarm as he furiously looked over at Heryes , who sighed as the storm of bones headed his way .

You?! - Rhodium roared , knowing he had been poisoned .

I’m sorry , old friend , - Heryes smiled , though there was no mirth in her eyes . - Death is inevitable . With the Heavenly Descent a fact , the harbor has reached its end . The guild needed to plan for all contingencies . You forget , our situation is far worse than yours , considering our leanings . -

So you should have fought twice as hard to protect your sanctuary , - Rhodium growled as he desperately tried to recoup his energy .

But it was like his Cosmic Energy had turned into a gas that steamed out from his pores , and he felt his inner world become shrouded in darkness . Meanwhile , the gargantuan bones of the broken skeleton scattered across the area started to regroup , once more forming an undamaged warrior that shot toward Rhodium instead of the imperials .

Two of the vampire Monarchs didn’t sit idly by , and they added insult to injury as they both had their avatars restrain and target him . However , the leader of the three ignored him , instead swallowing some small bead as thousands of tendrils emerged from his back , shooting down toward the anomaly below .

Six golden rings above his head swirled , forming a celestial song that sang of the cycle of life and death , of blood and war . The chimes fused with the Heavenly song from above , trying to harmonize . Rhodium knew the man was trying to supplant the Heavenly Descent , but he wasn’t in a position to care about that at the moment .

He saw the crashing waves of blood surge toward him , yet he was barely able to move between the poison and the pressure from above . He knew there was no point in lingering , and he activated his Spatial Displacement Treasure . But despair filled his heart as he felt how space itself was sealed .

Would he really fall here?

The Heavens might accept your offering , but we do not abide! - a snort suddenly echoed in his ears .

The voice wasn’t loud , but it contained a tremendous force as it echoed out through the cosmos . It contained the might and will of the Dao itself , and one avatar after another broke apart , unable to maintain their form in front of a superior truth as an impossible pressure descended on the area . Even the shimmering light from the Dao Ocean above dimmed , temporarily suppressed by an unbreakable will .

The next moment , the universe was split apart by a horizontal scar that stretched as far as his eyes could see . Out from it , a celestial army emerged . Tens of thousands of warriors stepped through the tear , each one reaching hundreds of meters in the air . They exuded a bloodlust that drowned the whole Twilight Harbor in a red haze , but their gazes were thankfully trained at the undead imperials and the Spatial Anomaly , rather than at himself .

Behind them , an impossibly large presence took form , its hands holding apart space itself as he pushed his torso through . He was tens of thousands of meters tall , and Rhodium felt his blood boil when looking at the inscrutable tattoos that covered the giant’s face . They spoke of bloodshed and war , of unquestionable might and of victory .

The man’s other half was still on the other side of the void , but his shocking aura forcibly kept the spatial tear open . Atop the man’s head sat a jade crown , the six red gemstones inlaid on it a clear answer to who had arrived . The Sixth Protector . Rhodium’s breath quickened when he realized what was going on , and despair quickly turned into elation . They might just make it after all .

The Havarok Empire had actually managed to send an Autarch through the Tarramak Vault somehow , in the flesh no less .

——–

Catheya looked around with wide eyes , horrified at the auras she could vaguely sense through the golden barrier around here .

Are you two okay? - she asked .

We’re fine , - Qirai wheezed , though Catheya noticed her aura was extremely unstable .

It was no wonder . The Mystic Realm had fallen apart , and their exit had been bereft of the stabilizing arrays you saw on Space Gates and Teleportation Arrays . They had been dragged through the void , their bodies exposed to chaotic Spatitial Energies along with the exhaust of the realm itself .

Thankfully , the System had taken mercy on them , erecting the golden barriers after they had withstood half the journey on their own . However , the golden glow around them was slowly dissipating , and she could already smell the cataclysmic danger that waited outside .

Get ready to teleport away , - she said as she ate a soul-soothing pill , and her two followers followed suit .

Ten seconds later , the shielding dissipated , but they didn’t even have time to activate their escape talismans before they were subdued and immobilized by multiple layers of terrifying pressure . If not for the defensive equipment they wore , their bodies might have started crumbling then and there .

Catheya looked at the scene , her eyes wide with horror . She had known it would be bad , but this was beyond even what she could have imagined . Above in the sky , extremely dense clouds stretched on as far as she could see . In its center , a marvelous light shimmered , but she hurriedly looked away when she felt her soul shuddered precipitously .

She had a good idea of what that light was , and she knew that it was not something an E-grade cultivator herself could meddle with . The Heavenly Secrets were not so easily divulged . Besides , this was no time to enter meditation . Over a Dozen monarchs floated around the Spatial Anomaly , and they clearly had been fighting just a moment ago .

But now , they all faced a terrifying army , led by a man of shocking proportions . Catheya had never seen her family’s Autarch in the flesh , but she had sensed the aura left behind by him and her ancestor . This aura was weaker , but it was extremely condensed , which wasn’t a surprise considering he was here in the flesh .

Catheya didn’t understand what was going on . She knew that this sector of the Frontier lacked proper Space Gates to allow a being as powerful as an Autarch to pass through . Had he sailed here across the vast darkness , spending god-knows how much time and even harming his foundations? And if they knew of this event that long ago , they surely should have come up with some better plans?

It didn’t make sense , yet he was here , his mere presence causing space to shudder . The implications were terrifying , but not everyone seemed to be as subdued by the arrival .

Since everyone has gathered , let’s get this show on the road , - an unfamiliar man laughed , his voice filled with boundless conviction . It was the Eveningtide Asura .

The next moment , the Twilight Ascent exploded , unleashing a surge of rampant energy that seemed without limit . Catheya looked at the almost blinding display with dismay , knowing that even a fraction of that force would be able to extinguish her in body and soul . Thankfully , the energy didn’t erupt in a shockwave of unbridled energy and Dao .

Instead , it poured into the dozens of twilight rivers that formed a spider web through the Twilight Harbor , and they lit up with unprecedented might as they started to move , gathering toward the heart of the Harbor . The huge avatar snorted as he spat a ball of destruction toward the core , but the rivers formed an enormous cocoon around it .

The power in the attack contained enough power to kill a Peak Monarch , yet the rivers managed to withstand it . Thankfully , the Autarch had controlled his power as well , and not as much as a ripple spread out toward the lower-grade cultivators .

Alvod Jondir . I have come to enact judgment on your sins , - the Autarch growled , his voice sounding like Heavenly Law .

Not even the heavens can judge me , protector , let alone you , - the Eveningtide Asura laughed from within the cocoon . - You shall all become fertilizer for my path . -

The sky rumbled in response , as though enraged by the proclamation . Nine purple tendrils started to descend toward the cocoon , and screams echoed out all around her as their aura covered the Twilight Harbor . Catheya squeezed her eyes shut , but she felt herself losing control . The Heavens had been pulled down to the frontier , and nothing could withstand its wrath .

Her mind drifted as she lost sensation , and an endless cold gripped her . Darkness crept closer , and the last thing she remembered was the silhouette of a man sitting on a balcony , enjoying the scenery of the Twilight Harbor .

Chapter 786 : Rip and Tear

Zac was startled awake by pained cries and rampant energies that rocked the area . It looked like the transfer out of the Twilight Ocean had knocked him unconscious , which wasn’t surprising considering the wretched state his body and soul were in . Thankfully he had covered himself in defensive talismans just in case , and they had activated just like they were supposed to .

Not that it was completely necessary . Zac looked around with his bleary eyes , and he saw how people kept appearing in golden bubbles that contained the aura of the System . As expected , it had provided some measure of protection for the trial takers upon their departure from the Twilight Ocean .

However , it looked like the System wasn’t willing to overexert itself . Zac’s own barrier was already gone , exposing him to the harsh realities of his surroundings . He had felt himself under immense pressure from the moment he woke up , and Zac recognized that aura all-too-well . It was the Heavens , the real one that had almost blasted him to smithereens a few times .

The whole area was drowned in that ancient wrath , and Zac felt his Cosmic Energy extremely turbid , barely answering his call . Not only that , but there were extremely powerful insights suffused into the air . Zac didn’t know it was a result of vast Dao fields that covered thousands of kilometers , or if it was the lingering result of two powerful attacks colliding in the distance .

In either case , it meant trouble , and the more he saw as he looked around , the more horrified Zac became . The whole Twilight Harbor was on the brink of collapse , with thousands of spatial tears stretching like tendrils as far as he could see .

It was like he was caught in the middle of a three-dimensional spider web , where the wrong move would end with him becoming swallowed by the void or cut apart by the scars in reality itself . Apart from the tears , space was littered with everything from struggling cultivators to whole palatial ruins floating about .

There weren’t too many cultivators appearing in flashes of light any longer . Most had either fallen or left already , and he spotted quite a few fleeing people far in the distance , moving away from the inner parts of the Twilight Harbor . Problem was , the Twilight Rivers with their spatial arrays were gone while space was unstable . Traversing this kind of war zone at the E-grade was extremely perilous , and you would have to survive for at least half a day in this environment until you could reach the outer edge of the harbor , where the teleportation arrays waited . Provided they still worked .

As to where the huge buildings and other debris came from , it wasn’t a mystery . Zac could see that he had been let out somewhere in the middle of the harbor , with world disks both in front of him and behind . More than half of the disks had already broken apart , and whole civilizations had become space debris that drifted about .

And there were corpses . So many corpses .

It was to the point that Zac’s brain could barely comprehend such a loss of life . The space between the destroyed world disks was littered with bodies , most of them F-grade mortals judging by the lack of spirituality on their bodies . They had probably been subjected to the void of outer space the moment the atmosphere of the Twilight Harbor collapsed , and that wasn’t something a mortal could withstand for more than a couple of seconds .

Of course , they might have already been dead by the time their word disks broke apart . The force required for something like that would most likely be powerful enough to extinguish their souls in an instant .

Zac couldn’t actually see the source of the mayhem . A huge chunk of a broken world disk , spanning hundreds of kilometers across , hovered in front of him , blocking most of his vision . It was a bit disconcerting to not see what was going on , but he knew that it might have been this chunk of stone that had protected him while he was unable to protect himself .

A huge shockwave from the heart of the harbor made reality groan , and large cracks spread across his protective disk . However , it withstood the impact , severely weakening the destructive wave . Not only that , but it was like space was suddenly lit up with millions of shimmering stars , and they seemed to absorb a lot of the errant energies before dimming again .

There was no need to guess where that shimmer had come from . It was the method of the Radiant Temple , where someone had set up a massive protective array that stretched as far as his eyes could see . It helped restrain the errant energies somewhat , and it had no doubt saved countless lives already .

Of course , Zac didn’t believe the temple only protected him and the other E-grade cultivators out of benevolence . If killing a bunch of mortals and low-grade cultivators put a stain on your Karma , then the opposite was probably true as well . Since Ventus liked to meddle with fate , some elder from their faction was probably using the situation to rack up Karmic Merit . Saving lives to cultivate .

But Zac couldn’t be picky . Their motives might be impure , but it was still a lifesaver considering the might contained in those strikes . Even with Void Zone] activated , he felt his bones groan in protest as the wave passed him by . Zac was so exhausted , but he knew that he needed to hold on for a while longer .

There were a few things that he needed to do be done immediately , and he hurriedly took out the prepared item . In front of him , his twin appeared . Or rather , a body that looked almost exactly like Arcaz Black , except for his abyssal eyes being gouged out . Runes covered his skin as Zac infused the body with his Dao , but the marks were fading fast . In a few moments , they would be gone entirely , having fulfilled their purpose .

It was not a clone of his , but rather something darker in nature . The man was once a Revenant , one of the stronger enemies he had fought on the way back from the chasm . He had been part of an elite squad that had tried to ambush him , but now he had been reduced to a tool that would hopefully help Zac out .

Arcaz Black’s identity had become extremely problematic , and he had to do everything in his power to steer attention away from himself , from Earth , and from the Zecia Sector as a whole . Otherwise , Alvod Jondir might come knocking in a few centuries , at that point an Autarch bent on revenge .

Now , there was also Hive Ouro and the Eternal Clan to worry about . He couldn’t put all his faith in Catheya’s ability to trade his allegiance and the fact of him being an Edgewalker in return for safe harbor . Especially not after his talk with Qi’Sar . Zac had thought himself something unique , but if a sliver consciousness of an ancient Autarch knew about people like him , he might not be as valuable to the Undead Empire as he had hoped .

And even if Catheya managed to garner some interest for him , it might only be among the Draugr factions . So it would still be in his interest to throw off the scent for the others , specifically by having Arcaz Black - die’ .

This solution was something he had prepared while waiting for the gates to the City of Ancients to open , though Varo and Catheya were the ones who did most of the heavy lifting . The corpse in front of him had become fatelinked with him , where any Karmic Links that led to Zac would also lead to this corpse . With him having used multiple Karma-cleansing items along with activating the Array around his Duplicity Core , those links should now only lead to the corpse .

Essentially , pinning the blame on a dead guy .

Initially , the method was only meant to obscure one’s Karmic threads , but Zac had taken it one step further after Catheya and Varo were done with their ministrations . With the help of his Shard of Creation , he had transformed the man’s body into a copy of his own . However , he hadn’t managed to recreate the signature Abyssal eyes and had opted to simply gouge them out .

Thus , Arcaz Black had fallen at the end of the Twilight Ascent , his body set to drift in the ruins of the Twilight Harbor . This trick wasn’t perfect , but it should make any attempts of tracking him down far harder . An adept Karmic Cultivator would probably realize something was amiss , but with the corpse’s karmic threads shining brightly , it would become nigh-impossible to find the real Zac .

Thankfully , the harbor itself would help him even further according to Catheya . With so many old monsters gathering in one spot and duking it out , the fate of an E-grade warrior should be drowned out in the white noise of their Dao . Even the Heavens had descended to muddy the waters . It was one of the few good points with the current chaos .

Thank you , - Zac sighed as he pushed the body away , letting it drift away and join the innumerable corpses that littered the area .

Ideally , Zac had wanted to take an Coward’s Escape]-pill as well the moment the realm collapsed . But he had ultimately decided against it , even after getting the prompt that indicated he had cinched the first-position title for the trial . He really wanted to get rid of the quest that the Eveningtide Asura had forced upon him , but eating that pill would mean he would fail the quest for upgrading the Creator Shipyard as well .

Materials for Karunthel] was a chained quest , and Zac feared that not getting the customized D-grade Cosmic Vessel would be the least of his losses if he ate the pseudo-death pill . Most likely , he’d be stripped of the qualifications to upgrade the shipyard altogether . He was on good standing with Karunthel , but that didn’t matter considering it was the System that set the rules .

He didn’t have any other means to deal with the lingering quest and the threat it might pose , but Zac realized the issue was fast solving itself as he looked around . The whole harbor was falling apart , so the quest should automatically fail sooner or later , considering how it was a decree quest linked to the Twilight Harbor .

Having discarded the Karmic dummy , Zac wasted no time to start his own escape . He didn’t know who was winning between Alvod and the other factions , but between the heavenly wrath and the earthshattering clashes , he knew it was just a matter of time before disaster struck his area as well .

He first tried activating the escape bangle on his arm , but as expected , there was no response . The first function of the bangle only worked in the Zecia sector , unfortunately . Zac tried various other escape treasures as well , but they only fizzled out , failing to activate . It was no wonder that the people in the distance were flying rather than zapping away .

Space was sealed , making teleportation impossible .

Zac had no option but to start moving as well , and he started releasing some Cosmic Energy to move through the vacuum of space . Thankfully , there were tons of debris lying around , allowing him to continuously use Earthstrider] to drastically increase his speed . Unfortunately , each activation resulted in a throbbing pain in his nodes , and activation was extremely arduous because of the heavenly pressure .

Thankfully , both those issues were solved by using Force of the Void] . With his bloodline talent , no energy circulation was required , alleviating the pressure on his nodes . At the same time , the restrictions from the heavens didn’t seem to affect his unique Bloodline Energy . It allowed him to move quickly , though he was expending quite a bit of Void Energy .

A scream of danger in the back of his suddenly made him flash out of the way . Just a moment later , a gust passed by the area where he previously stood . At first , it looked like nothing , but Zac was filled with horror when space simply disintegrated where he had flown a moment ago . A scar tens of kilometers long and hundreds of meters high had appeared out of nowhere .

The corpses that littered the area were utterly disintegrated by the attack , and the nearby debris was dragged into the enormous spatial tear that was left behind after the gust . Zac felt the pull as well , and he desperately activated his movement skill over and over until he got far enough .

Zac’s heart beat like a drum as he looked back , only to find that the world disk that had protected him before had finally been cut into two , exposing the scene behind . The first thing he noticed was the enormous avatar almost looking like Poseidon , wielding an immense trident as dozens of rivers surrounded him , each one of them piercing toward the sky .

It didn’t take him long to realize who it was ; Alvod Jondir , the Eveningtide Asura . He was right in the middle at it , attacked from every single direction . From the front , a humongous avatar peered out through a vast spatial fold , and Zac’s heart sunk when he felt his aura . It was even greater than his mother’s , meaning it was a bonafide Autarch who had made an appearance .

However , his aura was not that much stronger than hers , and Zac didn’t get the sense of immensity or profundity from this tattooed man as he did from Be’Zi or A’Zu . Most likely , it was a First-Step Autarch who had barely managed to break through . Of course , that still meant he was a terrifying existence who could essentially run roughshod in the frontier .

A Havarok Autarch wasn’t the only thing Alvod had to deal with at the moment . Simultaneously , a huge depression had opened up in the churning clouds above , and Zac looked at the shimmering lights that descended with marvel . It was Dao , pure Dao that held the secrets of the universe . If he could just absorb a sliver of that light…

Zac shook his head , knowing his limits . He saw those white tendrils falling like rain , the terror they contained . The Eveningtide Asura controlled the rivers having them clash with the descending punishment . The Twilight River was filled with unprecedented levels of energy , yet they were no match for that mysterious light .

The rivers only managed to withstand the energy for a moment before they disintegrated , resulting in similar eruptions like the one that had almost killed him just now . Alvod seemed undeterred , and he kept reforming the rivers as a golden pillar rose slowly rose from his body , heading towards the Dao in the sky .

That pillar was a true marvel , and it contained everything Zac had sensed inside the valley and more . He heard the crashing waves as he looked upon the light , he was transported to the edge between night and daybreak . Life was not life , death was not death .

Zac hurriedly shook his head to clear his thoughts . That pillar was perhaps even more lethal to him than the lights in the sky . It represented the path of a Divine Monarch , and its intrusive influence was incredibly powerful even at this great distance . Even worse , it was just one of three such pillars that rose toward the sky .

Alvod’s Dao Pillar wasn’t even the tallest one . While Alvod was busy clashing with a celestial army led by the Havarok giant , tens of thousands of huge red seals hovered right next to him , seemingly trying to fuse with his avatar . Zac could smell the stench of blood all the way to where he was , meaning it was no doubt the Eternal Clan .

The shortest pillar was aquamarine-white , and it flickered ominously like it was about to break apart . Three enormous ghosts surrounded it , but a sudden swipe from the Eveningtide asura cut one of them apart . Alvod received a fierce attack from the Havarok Autarch in return , but his gambit was enough to push the Eidolon over the edge , causing the pillar to collapse .

Zac was shocked at all that three people were trying to break through at the same time , while fighting each other at that . He had heard that most Divine Monarchs secluded themselves for thousands of years before making their attempt , as the smallest of distraction or stray thought might adversely affect their chances of success .

The situation had become untenable for the ghosts , and an infuriated shriek rippled through the Twilight Harbor . Zac felt his mind blur as his soul was covered in cracks , but the churning oceans in his Soul Aperture along with Soul Guardian] thankfully absorbed enough of the wail for his soul to remain intact .

Others weren’t as lucky , and Zac saw how many of the others who were escaping suddenly stopped moving , their souls accidentally crushed by the Eidolon Monarch . Not even the elder from the Radiant Temple could provide enough protection from that shriek .

That wasn’t the end of Zac’s worries as the ghosts seemed intent on retaliating . The pillar contained a Divine Monarch’s condensed Dao , and Zac saw how it was turned into a terrifying attack directed at Alvod . A ghastly fire consumed the whole avatar in an instant its radiance overshadowing the Heavens themselves for an instant .

Over twenty Twilight Rivers were ripped apart , and more than half of the bloody seals were broken as well . The destruction resulted in a chaotic mix of energies freed from their respective owner’s control , and they immediately rippled outward , destroying everything in its path .

Zac desperately push his movement skill to move even faster , but he felt the wave of destruction come closer and closer . He wracked his mind for solutions , but he couldn’t come up with anything better than throwing out hundreds of talismans behind him , expending almost half of his Cosmic Energy to activate them all .

The Defensive Talismans lit up , forming layers upon layers of barriers between Zac and the Monarchs . Zac wasn’t done there , and he quickly activated Void Zone] as well . He cursed the fact that he didn’t have any defensive skills to help out at the moment , and without any better options he simply took out some of the D-grade rubble he had swiped on the way out of the castle , forming a final layer of protection .

The wave finally crashed past him , and he felt the barriers crumble in rapid order . Next came the boulder in front of him , turning into dust after enduring just an instant . But thankfully , Void Zone] was extremely efficient at weakening uncontrolled energies , and he almost cried in relief when his body was only lacerated with deep cuts all over as the wave passed him by .

He ate a Soldier Pill and Healing Pill as he resumed his escape , but Zac worried about his prospects . It was one thing to dodge those condensed cuts that ripped space apart . But he only had it in him to block one or two more of those all-consuming waves of destruction , even with the stellar light weakening them considerably .

Meanwhile , there was still half a day’s worth of travel before he reached the edge of the harbor . Zac wracked his brain to find a solution , but he suddenly froze as he spotted something all-too-familiar not too far away .

Wasn’t that . . ?

Chapter 787 : Stronger

Zac could barely believe his eyes when he saw the small egg sail past him , barely visible among the endless pieces of rubble . But he was certain . He couldn’t sense his Mark of Creation at all , but that was definitely the egg he had dropped off at the valley , or at least a copy of it .

A shudder by his chest from Love’s Bond] confirmed it . No matter whether it was the one he had transported to the heart of the Twilight Ocean or if it was another one , it was definitely something that Alea wanted to consume . Problem was , it had quite the momentum as it soared through the ether , flying away from both the core and from Zac .

Toward a spatial tear in the distance .

It might have been expelled along with the cultivators or knocked away during the battle for ascension . Zac had no way of telling why it had appeared here , but he unhesitantly changed course , pushing himself to the limit to catch up to the thing . Alea’s situation had improved after infusing the coffin with Temporal Energy , but he wouldn’t put his faith in Qi’Sar’s advice .

The Realm Spirit was probably willing to say whatever it needed to get closer to Zac and have him put down his guard , no matter if its advice was true or not . After all , it only needed to fool him until he had activated that odd cage array around the infant Realm Spirits . For all Zac knew , infusing Love’s Bond] with the Temporal Crystals might just have slowed down everything inside the coffin , rather than just the chaotic energies .

Love’s Bond] might be breaking apart , just at a slower pace . But wasn’t this thing perfect for Alea’s situation? The small egg had been able to refine and purify the energies of the Twilight Ocean , turning them into something useful . Perhaps , it could help Alea do the same . At the very least , it was clearly something she desperately wanted .

After everything she had done for him , he couldn’t back down now , especially when it was just a small detour . He pushed off from a broken store sign that floated next to him , quickly making his way toward the item . However , Zac felt the energy in his body go haywire as he heard an enraged voice roar from behind .

Enough! -

It didn’t sound like Alvod . Rather , it was filled with a familiar Dao that beat like the drums of war , of clashing steel and bloodied swords . It was the voice of someone who had made war their path , and it felt like a general’s order that almost managed to stop Zac in his tracks . It was no doubt the Havarok leader , and Zac’s felt a wave of dismay upon realizing that the Autarch’s aura was rapidly rising . This wasn’t actually his full power?

He didn’t know the details , but according to Catheya , there were some issues that prevented Autarchs from freely roaming the - lower realms - , the Sectors that didn’t normally have the capabilities to nurture B-grade cultivators . Perhaps that was what had stopped him from simply unleashing a wave of destruction that ripped the Eveningtide Asura apart , but it looked like his patience had run dry .

Zac glanced back to see that a huge lance had appeared in the crowned giant’s hand , surprisingly similar to the one Zac had seen in the vision from the Stele of Conflict . However , while the one that the mysterious general had formed out of a crushed moon was crudely formed and filled with the raw and unbridled power of conflict , this weapon instead relied on extremely high-grade runes to attain a similar might .

In either case , it was a terror of a weapon , radiating an aura that was almost a match to its owner . Space continuously cracked around it , and Zac felt himself pierced by just looking in its direction . It was possible that this was the first B-grade treasure he had seen , and it was trained at Alvod .

At the same time , Zac actually sensed the aura of the Heavens grow deeper , more profound . Not only did the swirling vortex in the sky expand a bit , but there was a secondary source of the feeling coming from within the giant’s body . Then , an enormous rune appeared behind the giant’s back .

Looking at it felt like looking at the shimmering lights in the sky . It wasn’t a snippet of a path or intent taken form . It was pure Dao , imbued with the weight of the Heavens themselves . It was War , and Zac felt the Cosmic Energy in his surroundings bend to the will of the runes , reforming itself under a new world order .

The sky rumbled at the appearance of the brand , Zac saw how two nearby world disks crumbled , unable to withstand the pressure any longer . The two remaining Dao Pillars weren’t faring much better , and they flickered precipitously like candles in the wind . The two stopped fighting with each other for a moment , and Alvod took out an ancient-looking cauldron .

He threw it out , and it emitted a multi-colored aura that stabilized the area around him . Zac barely discerned some ancient hymns as well , reminding him of the impression he got from staring into the golden light of Rapturous Divide] . It was the song of the Arcadia , divine hymns holding the truths of paradise .

Zac forcibly kept his mind from drifting away , speeding toward the egg as he kept track of the events behind him . Alvod’s Dao Pillar had stabilized after throwing out the cauldron , and it seemed like he wasn’t planning on backing down even after the Autarch had unleashed an even greater part of his might .

The man from the Eternal Clan was clearly not ready to back down either . A thump echoed out as a red flash appeared from within the sanguine waters near Alvod , and Zac groaned as it felt like his blood was about to be pulled out from his body . Only by stopping his movement skill and activating Void Zone] did he manage to keep his blood to himself .

Others weren’t as lucky , and innumerable red streams shot toward the center of the realm . Millions of millions of bodies were instantaneously exsanguinated , and the blood turned into vast rivers . Zac didn’t know why , but it almost felt like the blood wasn’t being stolen , but that it rather returned to its origin , like rivers returning to the ocean .

The sanguine pillar stabilized as well , and Zac actually noticed that both the pillars had grown taller . Did the Havarok Imperial inadvertently help the two by unleashing his Dao? From the looks of it , his Dao had strengthened the connection between the heavens and this area , making ascension easier .

If that was the case , he was probably out of options but to unleash his true power . The Eveningtide Asura was a known monster , and an elite from the Eternal Clan had to be difficult even for an Autarch to deal with .

Good! - Alvod laughed as an enormous rowboat appeared above his head , bringing a shocking tidal wave in its wake . - Let’s put it all on the line , for my path . -

For eternity , - a dour voice echoed out from within the bloody ocean .

From within the bloody ocean , the red light flashed again . It lit up the whole Twilight Harbor , drenching even the Heavens in sanguine luster . The myriad streams of blood condensed around it , forming a massive sword . Zac was dismayed when he felt the might in that weapon . It was clearly controlled by a Divine Monarch , yet it was almost a match to the huge lance .

It was all thanks to that light , that terrifying red light that seemingly had the power to contend against the Heavens themselves .

No matter if it was the rowboat and the living ocean beneath , the lance rife with the momentum of war , or the rapier of the Eternal Clan , their might was just too much . Zac could barely withstand them now before they had even been launched . How would he possibly survive a clash between the three?

He desperately looked around in search of answers , and his eyes suddenly stopped on the egg . There was no other option . Zac propelled himself forward , no longer looking back at the three warriors fighting for supremacy . Space itself couldn’t withstand the might of their towering auras colliding .

The whole area buckled and was pushed outward , forming an advance shockwave as the three prepared to put it all on the line . Zac saw his surroundings twist and bend , but he ignored the ominous portents as he desperately jumped from one piece of debris after another to keep his movement skill going .

Each step with Earthstrider] was pushed to the limits of what the skill could achieve , even if he had to literally step on the drained corpses of the fallen to make it happen . He was a blur that cut through the compacted layers of space . Finally , he reached his destination ; the purifier egg . It was just at the edge of the enormous spatial tear which stretched in front of him like a wall of ultimate darkness , taking up his vision .

Behind , the blood-drenched auras kept increasing in intensity , and the stars in the area rapidly dimmed , unable to withstand this kind of output . Zac hurriedly grabbed the egg the moment he appeared next to it , but he didn’t stop or turn around from there . He simply kept going , disappearing in an instant as he jumped again .

Into the Void .

It was the only solution Zac could think of . The Void was dangerous and he couldn’t stay inside for long before succumbing , but was it really more dangerous than two Divine Monarchs duking it out with an Autarch? He wouldn’t bet his life on his Luck being enough to steer the errant bursts of energy from heading his way . It was better to hide between the folds of reality and then sneak back through a tear when the fighting was over .

Tearing pain assaulted his body , and it felt like he was being drained . However , the weird feeling abated drastically as he activated Void Zone] again . It was a relief that his Bloodline actually managed to protect him in this dangerous no-man’s-land , but he knew that he wasn’t out of the woods just yet .

The spatial tear was open right behind him , exposing him to the events at the heart of the Harbor . The tear had been a wall of darkness on the other side , but he could still see the three powerhouses from within the Void . Desperately , Zac tried to move out of the way , and large bursts of Void Energy were exhausted in an effort to gain some traction in this weird dimension .

It felt like he was stuck in a waking nightmare as he tried to traverse the nothingness , where he barely moved in place . He had already come in contact with the odd properties of the Void in the research base , and he had only later learned that it mostly stemmed from the fact that the Void lacked the Dao of Space .

It made traversing the Void extremely confusing , considering something that appeared to be right in front of you could be thousands of meters away , and vice versa . There was no gravity , there was no direction . It wasn’t a vacuum , it was nothingness . It was these odd features that made Teleportation Arrays possible , apparently , allowing you to move across the Multiverse for a fraction of the energy it should’ve cost .

Of course , that knowledge didn’t help him right now , but he did remember something else . Zac’s mind throbbed and his skin crackled as he deactivated Void Zone] before emitting as powerful a Dao Feld as he could , squeezing what little energy he had left to impose his will on the surroundings . It worked , and he finally found himself moving . He shot one final look at Alvod Jondir as he moved out of the way from the spatial tear .

Even if he was a madman at worst and a ruthless powerhouse who sacrificed everything for the Dao at best , Zac couldn’t help but feel some sort of connection with the man . Their origins were eerily alike , and they even walked similar paths of cultivation . Now , he was struggling all alone , desperately fighting off both an imperial elite and an Autarch to seize an opportunity to continue his cultivation .

Zac was beset by a wave of gloom as he looked at that solitary back . Was this what the pursuit of the peak looked like? Withstanding eons of loneliness , shedding everything that didn’t help you on your path . All for what? For longevity , so that you could extend your dreary existence? To seize some sort of truth that would satiate your obsession?

What pushed Alvod Jondir to these lengths?

The small wooden boat above Alvod’s head suddenly lit up , turning from corporeal to intangible as it melded with the crashing waves that had propped it up . Millions and millions of runes covered the golden waters as it split to strike both the vampire’s rapier and the Havarok imperial simultaneously . The waves contained unstoppable momentum , the condensed force of his will .

The Autarch wasn’t to be outdone , and the whole world dimmed as he swung his lance in return . Zac desperately wanted to see the result of the clash , but he ultimately chose life over discovery , pushing himself out of the way and losing the vantage .

There was no sound , and no warning as the whole Void lit up . Tens of thousands of scars appeared all around him as immense currents of furious energy burst through . The same held true for the scar he had just entered through . It was like a dam had burst , pouring a hyper-condensed mix of fireworks and lava through the spatial tear .

The current shot forward through the Void , pushing forward for tens of thousands of meters , veritably forming a luminescent river of pure destruction . Similar scenes could be seen all around him , and the whole Void was lit up .

Only then did Zac see what his surroundings really looked like . He wasn’t alone . In fact , there were tens of thousands of people in his immediate surroundings , though it was impossible to tell how close they actually were in a place like this . Most of the bodies were fallen mortals who had probably been sucked into the void , but there was some activity as well . And those who were alive mostly emitted the auras of Hegemons .

A few were busy looting the floating corpses , but most were waiting right by one spatial tear or another , clearly having a similar idea of survival as himself . Some had been too eager or simply unlucky , and their disintegrated corpses had been swept away along with the rivers of clashing energies that had formed all over .

That didn’t actually stop people , and Zac frowned when he saw a few particularly powerful Hegemons cover themselves in immensely powerful barriers before they pushed into the churning chaos that covered the spatial tears . Why were they in such a rush? This place was lethal , but Hegemons would surely be able to survive a while in this place .

The scene gave Zac a sinking feeling , and he understood that this place might be far more dangerous than it seemed . He hesitantly looked at the weakening glow of the nearby spatial tear , wondering if he should attempt an escape as well . But even the fading energy between mortals was far beyond he could handle , at least without the help of the remnants .

A shudder made Zac look down with surprise , and he saw how Love’s Bond] took on its backpack form by itself as he felt a wave of hunger in his mind . He heard the clattering of chains , and he hurriedly handed over the egg that was still in his hands . He heard the lid opening for a moment , before quickly slamming shut again .

Soon , I will be stronger , Alea’s voice echoed in his mind before the coffin shrunk again .

He sensed a wave of contentment before he lost the connection , but Zac was still elated . With such a statement from her , he could let go of any worries that her soul or foundations had been damaged by taking on the Blood Effigy’s attacks . In fact , it looked like she would evolve soon enough .

But just as one issue was solved , another one cropped up . The spatial tear that was supposed to be his ticket out from the Void suddenly collapsed , unable to withstand the barrage from outside . Left was a long river of rootless energy and vast darkness .

He was stuck .

Chapter 788 : Trapped

An obscuring shroud from a Haze Talisman spread around Zac as he hurriedly took out Verun’s Bite] , immediately conjuring a fractal leaf . He knew himself well enough to know that he didn’t have the strength to force open a spatial tear himself , at least not one large and stable enough for him to escape through . But hopefully , the dimensional wall around him would still be weakened enough for him to reopen a pathway .

At the same time , he didn’t dare to immediately cut open a path in case the terrifying energy shockwaves were still raging outside . The long scars in the Void were a poignant reminder of just how ferocious the struggle for ascension was . But no new scars were opening around him at the moment , so he ultimately infused his Daos into the blade one after another as he activated Rapturous Divide] , ignoring the throbbing pain in his head .

The two waves melded , prompting a two-colored sun to erupt a few meters ahead of him . But Zac frowned when he saw that the divide between the Abyss and Arcadia had failed to open up a path out of this place . There was a spatial rupture , but it was as thin as a strand of hair , making it sharp enough to kill someone , but absolutely useless for escape .

Zac sighed as he started looking around . Sticking around in the Void for too long was out of the question . The environment itself was harmful , and Zac didn’t want to find out if the Collector had brethren living in this area . So he needed to find another exit , and fast . The good news was that far from all the Spatial Tears that led back to the Twilight Harbor had collapsed , but getting to them quickly proved difficult .

First of all , he was forced to turn off Void Zone] if he wanted to traverse the Void , which immediately exposed him to the darkness . It felt like he was being constantly cut by thousands of small knives , and his skin was slowly drying out like it was sapped of its vitality .

Secondly , he found himself utterly incapable of actually making any progress even if he moved . His surroundings turned into a confusing blur as he propelled himself forward by expelling Cosmic Energy , with his relative position to the surroundings continuously changing . The experience was so nauseating he was repeatedly forced to stop in order to fight an onset of vertigo .

Zac quickly realized that the spatial tear had served as an anchor , infusing its surroundings with the Dao of Space . With the spatial tear gone , the normal rules didn’t apply any longer . His eyes had become useless , with directions and common logic no longer holding any sway . It became more apparent why the Hegemons had so desperately struggled to jump back through the tears , to the point some even braved the rampant energies .

They were probably afraid of getting stuck like he was .

At the same time , it was clear that not everyone had this kind of problem . There were dozens of people flickering about , somehow moving through the area to loot one Spatial Ring or Cosmos Sack after another from the innumerable corpses . They lacked the franticness of the other cultivators , clearly considering the situation an opportunity rather than calamity .

Was it Spatial Energy? Did they have some sort of Spatial Treasures that could instill the Dao of Space into their surroundings , allowing them to move freely in the Void? Or were their Daos simply powerful enough to affect vast areas of space? Zac took out two Soul Crystals and started absorbing the energy as he increased the radius of his Dao Field .

Suddenly , he noticed something , prompting him to change course . A moment later , a body appeared in front of him as though it had teleported . Or at least half of one . Of course , it wasn’t teleportation . Zac had sensed the body’s spirituality with his Dao field , and it was like their locations became connected through his Dao .

The moment he reached the body , Zac hurriedly activated Void Zone] once more , giving his body a reprieve as he checked the lower half of the fallen Hegemon for treasure . He was still as stuck as can be , so Zac figured he might as well stuff his pockets while waiting for his body to recover . Unfortunately , it looked like the warrior had carried his Spatial Tool on the hand that was missing , leaving Zac empty-handed .

Zac didn’t immediately leave , but rather kept his Bloodline Talent going for a while longer . Budding Void Emperor or not , the Void was clearly not a domain he could withstand at his current level . The damage wasn’t as bad as when he had experimented in the research base Mystic Realm , but Zac doubted he would last more than a couple of hours without his nullification zone .

Luckily , the environment did contain some of the force that Zac could refine into Void Energy , and his Void Heart] had been hard at work since he had fled into this place . Unfortunately , the pace his Void Energy was being replaced didn’t match his consumption . Even then , Zac figured he would be able to survive around half a day in this space if he alternated properly as he had down in the chasm .

Hopefully , that would be enough time for him to leave this place and for the battle outside to abate .

As if conjured by his thoughts , the Void was suddenly lit up again as hundreds of new tears appeared , each one of them spewing torrential amounts of energy into the surroundings . Zac froze in place as his eyes widened with terror , but he breathed out in relief upon realizing that none of the deadly rivers were bearing down on him .

He hadn’t completely recovered from his previous spacewalk , but he still deactivated his nullification zone to spread out his Dao Field once more , hoping that one of the new tears had appeared near him . Unfortunately , he didn’t sense anything , but he still set out , pushing his way in a random direction for a minute .

His only gain was finding two more two bodies , one of which was a Hegemon with his Spatial Ring intact . Zac spent the next hour shuttling back and forth with increasing urgency , but while his pockets were filling up with Spatial Rings and Cosmos Sacks , he didn’t have as much luck with finding any exits .

Everyone else in the area was struggling in a similar manner , yet few were successful . If anything , there seemed to be more people being forced into the void than leaving it .

The distances were far greater than Zac had anticipated . Even after moving for so long , he hadn’t run into a single living cultivator , even if there were thousands of them around scuttling about within his small section alone . For all he knew , there might be thousands of kilometers between him and the closest cultivator , or closest spatial tear for that matter .

To make matters worse , the spatial tears closed one by one as the minutes passed , and fewer and fewer new ones were carved open .

Zac couldn’t be certain , but he believed that the Eternal Clan Monarch had either been killed or forced out of contention around fifteen minutes after he entered the Void . From that point on , the energy that crashed through the dimensional barriers lacked the Dao of Blood , meaning that the clashes were only between the Eveningtide Asura and the Havarok Autarch .

And now , not a single tear had been opened over the past five minutes . Conversely , only the largest spatial tears remained .

No one bothered actively looking for loot any longer . Even those who moved freely had made their way to a Spatial Tear and snuck out , mostly ignoring the pleading gestures from the surviving cultivators left behind . Zac still flew toward any corpse he sensed in hopes their body would be floating next to one of the still-remaining tears , but so far there was no such luck .

It was starting to become more and more apparent that his original solution was bound to fail , and he eventually decided to try his backup plan . There was still an endless repository of unclaimed wealth left floating in the endless void , but Zac had started feeling a sense of urgency since new tears stopped opening .

He needed to get away from this area . If the battle for ascension had ended , the old monsters outside might turn their attention toward the next order of business : punishing the person who had caused so much trouble in the E-grade trial . He had done as much as possible to avoid being exposed , but who knew what kind of means and methods Monarchs possessed .

Zac finished looting a relatively intact body of a Hegemon and stowed away the body before activating another Shroud Talisman to obscure his actions again . Next , he took out a large stone disk . It was five meters across and one meter deep , looking like a massive coin made out of rock and embedded with hundreds of Nexus Crystals .

It was covered with inscriptions as well , inscriptions that should be familiar to any cultivator who had ever left their home ; a Teleportation Array , though a somewhat modified version .

It only lacked a few easily added strokes , and Zac urgently completed them as he inserted a series of High-grade Nexus Crystals to power the array . This was a last-ditch measure he and Kenzie had come up with before he started traveling the sector in search of materials .

The second function of his escape bracelet was that it could authorize a Teleportation Array pretty much anywhere , with some caveats . One of those limitations was that it couldn’t be used inside another array’s sphere of influence , which was what stopped him from taking it out in the middle of the Twilight Harbor .

Another downside was that using this temporary array cost five times as much as using a normal one , but that didn’t matter to Zac . Not only did he have the fortune left by his mother , but he had received an even greater windfall between looting Qi’Sar’s treasury and dozens of fallen warriors in the Void .

However , Zac and his sister discovered another unadvertized obstacle to using the bangle . As a Teleportation Array neared completion , it automatically started generating Spatial Fluctuations , making it impossible to store in a Spatial Ring . It had taken them some trial and error , but Kenzie had ultimately created five identical platforms which were 98% finished , with just a few simple additions remaining .

From there , Zac could finish the preparations in just a few minutes , far quicker than the days it would have taken to set the thing up from scratch . After that , he just needed to connect the Array with his bangle , and he should be good to go . It was this lifeline that had given him some confidence he’d make it out in one piece even if the Teleportation Arrays of Twilight Harbor had been turned off .

With this thing prepared , he would simply need to keep flying until he exited the harbor’s sphere of influence , perhaps hidden in a convoy of refugees , before he took this thing out and zapped back home .

The preparations were finished , and Zac’s eyes lit up when he saw the array light up . But , relief was quickly replaced by dismay when the flickering lights soon dimmed again . He looked over the disk to make sure it wasn’t damaged , but there was nothing amiss . Zac took out an information crystal Kenzie had prepared , but no matter how many times he looked it over , there were no discrepancies .

The array was identical to the schematic . Was it the location? A Teleportation Array utilized the Void for travel , but perhaps it was impossible to actually set one up inside it , at least without Spatial Crystals to provide Spatial Energy . Zac scratched his head in search of solutions , but he couldn’t come up with anything .

He had already deactivated Void Zone] when starting up the array , and a few minutes later the second Teleportation Array fizzled out in an identical manner . Zac stowed away the two arrays , filled with a sense of impending doom as he looked at the slowly dimming Void around him .

The streams of unbridled power were being whittled away , as were the cultivators stuck in the void . Some desperately attacked their surroundings , displaying marvelous feats of strength . A few actually succeeded and slipped away , but most were like him . The darkness grew more oppressive by the second , almost suffocatingly so .

But Zac refused to give in , and a manic gleam shimmered in his eyes as he took out one stack of offensive talisman after another , tying them together with a chaotic mix of various Attuned Crystals and energy-rich Beast Cores . Finally , he took out his last five Void Balls] , hoping to use them as a catalyst to tear a hole in space .

He knew he couldn’t hold back , seeing as his Raptururous Divide] had failed before . Even Hegemons found it hard to escape . He would have to go all out , and he reluctantly prepared his exhausted body one final time . He had one last chance to get out of here . He would weaken space with a chaotic bomb made from his energy-dense materials , and then seal the deal with an attack from Arcadia’s Judgement] empowered by Arcadian Crusade] .

If even that failed , he’d have to unleash an Annihilation Sphere . He had used his small reserve of Creation Energy to destroy the array cage around the nascent Realm Spirits , but he still retained some Oblivion in his soul . Hopefully , it wouldn’t come to that , considering how bad the damage to his foundations was already . There was still some time before he had reached his limit though , so Zac kept growing his unstable payload as he tried stumbling onto one of the few remaining spatial tears .

Suddenly , a weird crooning noise echoed through the Void , which was a shock considering the odd dimension had been completely silent since the Spatial Tear next to him closed . Zac felt an immense sense of dread , remembering the bloodthirsty Void Creatures all-too-well , and he unhesitantly threw out his bomb after infusing it with energy .

Space shuddered above his head as he activated Arcadia’s Judgement] . But before space had a chance to crack and unleash the huge wooden hand , he felt his connection to the skill get cut , prompting a sharp pain in his head like his mind had been stabbed . His vision swam from the backlash , but he desperately tried to focus his vision to try again .

But it was too late .

A shimmering sphere had appeared out of nowhere , sealing him inside and blocking his path to the churning ball of destruction . A moment later it went off , turning into a terrifying inferno of clashing elements . The destruction was beyond what even he had expected , and he hurriedly activated a few defensive talismans with wide eyes .

The measure was quickly proven unnecessary though , and Zac was filled with a mix of horror and relief when he saw that the bubble that had enclosed him didn’t as much as ripple when it was swallowed by the chaotic energies . Even a few small spatial tears slammed into the barrier , but the tears broke apart in an instant .

The sphere was unbelievably durable , and fear quickly overwhelmed his relief . Zac felt like a caged animal he furiously swung his axe into the barrier with all force he could muster , but it was futile . The spere was just as tough from the inside , and no matter what Dao he infused into his strikes , the result was the same .

There was no way a low-grade cultivator was responsible for something like this , and Zac urgently looked around to see what the hell was going on .

He made two quick discoveries which helped him stem the budding panic somewhat . First of all , the harmful environment of the Void was held at bay by the white shimmering bubble . Secondly , it didn’t look like he specifically had been targeted . The whole Void was suddenly littered with bubbles , tens upon tens of thousands of them .

Even the corpses had been encapsulated along with the still-living cultivators , and Zac saw how innumerable warriors struggled to break out . But if the success rate of escaping the Void had been bad , then this was just abysmal . He didn’t spot a single bubble breaking , which could only mean one thing ; this had to be the work of a Monarch , and not a low-grade one by the looks of it .

Things suddenly took a turn for the worse as Zac felt a wave of weakness , and he spotted a few runes that had appeared on the outside of the sphere . His prison was draining him , just like how Yod’s array had almost managed to kill Catheya before . Zac threw out a small hill of crystals to counteract the drain , but it was futile .

It was almost like the sphere had created a Void Zone] to rival his own , and nothing he tried worked . Just what was going on? His first thought was that some of the powerhouses outside had taken pity on them and decided to enter the void and fish everyone out , no doubt expecting something in return .

There was no way that it was a purely benevolent act considering the restrictive array , after all . Zac even considered swallowing his main Spatial Ring in case of being demanded an exorbitant ransom , but those thoughts suddenly flew out of his mind as a huge vortex in the Void suddenly opened up .

It wasn’t a Monarch who emerged through the mysterious spatial gate . Neither was it one of the grotesque-looking Void Beasts as far as he could tell . In fact , Zac had never seen or read any missives on the kind of creature that had effortlessly captured so many warriors . But from its appearance and size , only one description seemed apt .

A monstrous fish best described as a leviathan had appeared .

Chapter 789 : Doubts and Schemes

The darkness might only have lasted for an instant , or it might have gone on for a year , but a glimmer of light finally broke the gloom as Catheya woke up to the sound of shattering ice . All around her a sealed dome of ice broke apart as shimmering runes dissipated , exposing her and her two followers to the familiar surroundings of her master’s Cosmic Vessel .

Good morning , - a familiar voice said , and Catheya felt her heart once more freeze over as she turned her eyes toward the source of the sound .

Master , - Catheya hesitantly said as she struggled to get her mind to focus up . She needed all her mental faculties if she wanted to weather this calamity . - What happened? -

Two weeks have passed since I was forced to seal you . I had to use Myriad Ice since you were so far away from me , - Va Tapek smiled as he slowly walked into the hall . - I had to thaw you three slowly as to avoid any damage . -

And the Twilight Harbor? - Catheya hesitated as she looked around .

Gone . It couldn’t withstand Alvod Jondir’s ascension , - Va Tapek sighed .

So the Eveningtide Asura had actually succeeded . She was shocked , remembering the chaotic scene just before she fell unconscious . Even an Autarch had tried to stop him , yet he somehow pulled through? Just what kind of foundations did he have to succeed in the face of such adversity .

However , the more pressing issue was that one of Alvod Jondir’s allies stood right in front of her . She knew that she was just an ant compared to her master , but fury still thawed the chill that had still lingered in her body . - The Sharva’Zi clan has been your home for eons , so why- -

Now , don’t go saying such hurtful things , girl , - a snort cut her off , but Catheya’s eyes widened as a flood of relief filled her . Her dad was here , which meant she was safe .

Wait , her dad was here?

Father? - Catheya hesitantly said as she looked around , just in time to see her father’s lean silhouette appear next to Va Tapek from a swirl of poison .

Do Mr . Tapek seem like someone who would betray the clan for a Dreamer? I’ve taught you to think deeper , - Ruz Sharva’Zi sighed as he waved his hand , prompting Catheya to float over . - Now , let me look at you . -

Catheya had a million questions threatening to burst out of her head , but she forcibly stilled herself as she let her father scan her cultivation . Meanwhile , her two followers quickly made their exit after bowing in the direction of her father .

You’ve set the foundations for a second branch? And your affinities have increased . Not bad . It seems you’ve worked hard these past years , - Ruz eventually said , a rare smile spreading across his face . - Did you have fun in the Twilight Ocean? -

What fun? - Catheya huffed , slowly adapting to the unexpected turn of events . - Things grew way out of control . I’m lucky to be standing here . -

We had confidence in you . These kinds of experiences are required to reach greater heights . You can’t always hide in Mr . Tapek’s shadow and expect any great results , - Ruz shrugged .

I know , dad , - Catheya sighed . - Now , can you please tell me what’s going on? I saw the harbor before I was sealed . Our whole worlddisk should be destroyed , our commercial lines ruined . -

Do you really think we didn’t have an idea of what was about to happen in the Twilight Harbor? - Ruz snorted . - The bloodsuckers heard whispers about it in the Eternal Halls , but we were oblivious? -

Then why? - Catheya said with a frown . - Our foundation , millions of years of effort . -

Obviously , we got something much greater in return , - Ruz shrugged . - Think , child . Where were the Draugr during this mess? -

That’s- - Catheya muttered with hesitation .

This was something she had wondered about over the past year . Why hadn’t the Umbri’Zi thrown their hat in the ring? Why was an opportunity in Draugr Territory left for the Eidolon and Eternal Clan? They ultimately failed from the sounds of it , but it was not their opportunity to seize from the beginning .

Mr . Tapek brought news of Alvod Jondir’s plan to me over five millennia ago , long before you were even born . Since then , the elders have planned for this event . First of all , we didn’t lose much . We have been stealthily siphoning everything of value from Twilight Harbor for decades . We only lost some low-grade material that is entirely replaceable , - Ruz said .

Master? - Catheya asked with confusion . - How- How do you know the Eveningtide Asura? -

We met in the Havarok Empire , - Va Tapek smiled . - We became allies of necessity for a short while . Truthfully , I thought him dead for a long time , until he sent word to me a few thousand years ago . He needed my help . -

Catheya’s eyebrows scrunched up slightly , which made Va Tapek laugh . - Child , you’ll make me sad if you look at me with such consternation . You are correct . I am the one who told your clan about my old allies’ plans . I was also the one who helped spread the news to Hive Ouro , the Noz’Valadir , and even the Havarok Empire . But that was exactly what Alvod Jondir asked of me . -

What? - Catheya blurted .

Alvod knew he was missing two things . Daoguards to ward off the meddling of the Twilight Harbor Council while he was at a critical point of his preparations , and the ability to perfect his path without a breakthrough . Leaking the news would solve both those issues . The Divine Monarchs of the Undead Empire needed to let Alvod collapse the Twilight Ocean before they could seize the opportunity , so they became highly motivated guardians for him to complete a few critical steps , - Va Tapek explained .

As for the second part , he managed to find his answer when pressured from every direction , finally perfecting his Dao and empowering it to the point it could withstand Heaven’s wrath . Of course , he barely managed to squeak by with an unconventional method like this , becoming a One-Step Autarch . But his accomplishment will be remembered for tens of millions of years , - the Revenant mage continued .

But that means we sold out our people? Won’t the Empire sanction us? - Catheya asked with worry .

How is it a breach to tell our brethren of an opportunity of Autarchy? - Ruz shrugged with a calm face . - The opportunity was real , though we failed to mention how tightly bound the Daos of Life and Death were interlinked at the heart of the Twilight Ocean . That made it far more difficult for Nizu Noz’Valadir and Tua Ouro to connect to the Heavenly Dao than they had expected . But if things played out differently , they might have succeeded .

Unfortunately for them , providence wasn’t on their side that day , with Nizu falling and Tuo being crippled . But the fact that promising Divine Monarchs belonging to hostile camps got themselves in trouble , how is that our fault? And if some threatened middle-grade families deem fit to send us a few gifts to celebrate how things panned out , we’d obviously be amenable to that . -