Defiance of the Fall

Most importantly , this benefited the Umbri’Zi family , - Va Tapek added .

But they weren’t even here? - Catheya said with confusion .

Exactly . They were somewhere else . At the Tarramak Vault , in fact , - Ruz smiled .

What! - Catheya almost screamed . - Don’t tell me they seized it?! -

Alas , no , - Ruz said . - Holding that place is too costly , not worth the effort . But destabilizing it , especially after it was prematurely forced open… -

The Havarok Empire has been locked out of over twelve sectors , - Catheya said , the situation finally dawning on her .

The Sixth Protector of the Havarok Empire forcing his way here in his full form was enough to destabilize the gate . The moment he fled back in defeat , the Umbri’Zi managed to destabilize their pathways even further . War is already raging across the stars , - her father nodded . - By the time the Havarok Dynasty manages to reconnect to the frontier , we will already have purified half of them . Their backers can’t fault the Undead Empire on this method , and one of the conquered sectors… is ours . -

We’ll be able to form a province! - Catheya’s eyes gleamed .

Losing a profitable business in the Twilight Harbor was a big hit , but what was that compared to the revenue of a whole Sector? Certainly , they would have to pay a tax to the Umbri’Zi Family , but they both had the bloodline of Zi . The Sharva’Zi had always been extremely well treated in their dealings in the frontier thanks to that link .

But why didn’t you tell me anything? - Catheya eventually huffed . - Am I really your daughter? -

We couldn’t risk our plans leaking . With the Eidolon involved , we couldn’t let juniors hold any critical information , - Va Tapek smiled . - What if you were captured inside the mystic realm , and they dragged the truth out of your mind? This plan was extremely risky , with a high chance for failure . -

Old men and your secrets , - Catheya glared .

Well , it all worked out fine , didn’t it? - Ruz shrugged . - Truthfully , things played out more beautifully than we could ever have dreamed . Who would have thought that the Sixth Protector would arrive with such fervor? We really have your little friend to thank . But he’s also made the situation a bit complicated . -

My friend? - Catheya asked with confusion . - What’s wrong? -

He killed the scions of both the Eidolon and the Eternal Clan before he ripped the very fabric of the Mystic Realm asunder . He even crippled the Realm Spirit during his rampage from what we’ve gathered . He essentially removed all the roadblocks for Alvod’s Ascent , forcing the Sixth Protector to come in person instead of conjuring an avatar or possessing a descendant , - Va Tapek explained .

But he also dragged us and the Umbri’Zi into the mix . You were mostly sent in there to provide you with experience , yet one of your party members , another Draugr , became the focal point of the trial . He even killed two Scions of the empire , opening us up for a broader line of questioning , - Ruz sighed . - Our plan would only truly work if we had plausible deniability . -

That crazy witch Uona attacked him first . She was running rampant here in the frontier , doing whatever she wanted . She almost killed me as well , and put a bounty on me! - Catheya frowned . - Arcaz didn’t even want to go to the City of Ancients , but Uona forced his hand . She only has herself to blame . -

Still , someone from the Empire will need to speak to us , to you in particular , about what transpired inside . We need to find a strategy to protect our family from being sanctioned , - Ruz continued , clearly not caring about the details of the events inside . - Our situation is precarious enough as it is . -

Catheya understood his reasoning . For her father , who was in the right or wrong among the junior generation didn’t matter . What mattered were the political implications and how they could affect the clan . - You’re not suggesting we’re supposed to cook up some lie and push the blame on Arcaz , right? -

Well , we still haven’t learned who the Empire will send . Our response highly depends on what camp the ambassador belongs to , - Ruz sighed . - The Umbri’Zi is sending a delegate as well . We’ll hopefully be able to figure out a path with their help . -

I am already here , - a pealing laugh echoed out through the vessel , and only then did Catheya realize another Draugr right next to them , like she had always been there .

Mistress Umbri’Zi , - Ruz exclaimed sith shock , and both he and Va Hurriedly bowed .

Catheya quickly curtsied as well , her heart rapidly beating as she understood the implications of how her father acted . The Umbri’Zi was a far more powerful clan than Sharva’Zi , but there was no need for such deference between Monarchs . That could only mean one thing ; the Umbri’Zi had sent the avatar of one of their Autarchs to look into the situation .

Her heart tightened as she gazed upon the woman . This had all ballooned far beyond what she had expected . She had felt somewhat certain that her plan would work , but that was before she knew of the truth behind the curtains . But she should have known that Arcaz Black would somehow become the unwitting lynchpin in a massive political plot .

Because why wouldn’t he?

No need for formalities . We’re of the same branch , - the woman said as her eyes turned to Catheya . - How marvelous . You are almost a spitting image of little Be’Zi , but you have a warmth that she always lacked . I was under the impression she had succumbed some time ago , yet I read a conflicting report on my way here? Is that stubborn little girl still alive? -

Catheya’s eyes widened even further since she finally realized who this was . This was not one of the outer elders or lesser Autarchs of the Umbri’Zi . This was the Matriarch herself , Reyna Umbri’Zi , someone who was at least a fifth-step Autarch . An ancient being who had lived for at least 20 million years , partly thanks to her mastery over the Dao of Time . A wave of her hand and the Sharva’Zi would be annihilated .

Don’t over-think things , child . The fact that I am here is a good thing , - Reyna said . - The Ambassador will arrive in three days . Before then , I have been sent to get to the bottom of a few things . -

You’ve been sent…? - Catheya muttered with incredulity while the brows of her father furrowed in consternation .

Who could send a fifth-step Autarch on an errand , except those two factions?

That is beside the point , - Reyna said . - Now , answer my question . -

Ancestor Be’Zi Sharva’Zi is alive , according to Arcaz Black , - Catheya hurriedly said , not daring to lie in front of this ancestor . She was an arch-duke of the empire and someone who could decide the fate of not only Arcaz but also her clan . - Arcaz Black has been in contact with her . She… sent a message that she was unable to return at the moment . -

So she’s alive , - Reyna sighed as a scene appeared in front of them , a scene Catheya hadn’t seen before .

However , she knew the place ; the City of Ancients . Catheya looked on with wide eyes , and it felt like she was seeing her travel companion for the first time . Terrifying markings covered his face , and chaotic swirls of unbridled power coursed around him . He didn’t seem like a warrior , but a force of nature , a calamity that couldn’t be quelled .

His silver gazed looked down upon a bedraggled Uona like an Emperor meting out judgment , and a moment later heavenly lightning slammed down on the vampire , extinguishing her body and soul . Was this how Arcaz had ended the two powerhouses? How was something like this possible?

Be’Zi is alive , and her apparent disciple happened to unleash hollow Chaos . It looks like she refused to give up on that unclimbable peak . Well , she was always a stubborn one , and it seems to be working for her , - Reyna continued before she waved her sleeve , prompting the scene to disappear .

Catheya breathed out in relief , realizing that Reyna didn’t care that their ancestor had seemingly broken the commandments of the empire to pursue the Path of Oblivion . Was it because of a familiar sentiment , or was it possible that the Path of Oblivion didn’t clash with the Heart of the Empire?

He is an odd one , - Reyna muttered before she turned to Va Tapek . - I gather you scanned him . Is it true he lacks the mark? -

He is truly unattached , - Va Tapek confirmed with a small bow . - I had never heard of a member of the divine race not attached , which was why I sent back a report . -

It was that report that resulted in me having to visit this Heaven-forgotten corner of the multiverse , - Reyna smiled before she turned to Catheya . - Child , tell me what you know of this young man . It is more important than you know . -

I… - Catheya hesitated for a few seconds , her eyes flickering between her father and the ancient matriarch of the Umbri’Zi family .

You care for him , - Reyna slowly said with a small smile , and a small box appeared in her hand . - Don’t worry , I mean him no harm . In fact , here . -

This is? - Catheya asked with confusion as she took the box , only opening it when she saw the nod from the old Autarch . - Perennial Vastness! -

That old thing still hasn’t given up , still biding his time in that mysterious realm , - Reyna said with a smile . - I was curious , so I had a talk with the newly ascended Autarch . A remarkable young man . It is a shame he declined our offer to be awakened , he would have made an impressive Outer Elder . In either case , Alvod Jondir left this behind for Arcaz Black , with the message that while the mission was a failure , the end result was acceptable . This is his reward . -

Catheya’s eyes were wide as she looked down at the token in her hands . This thing was beyond precious and something even scions of the Empire would want . For a Mortal like Arcaz , it might be his best path of forming a proper core .

Of course , you can use it yourself if you so desire , - Reyna snickered as she looked at Catheya teasingly . - I don’t care either way . -

No , I will deliver it to him , - Catheya hurriedly said . - More importantly , I bring a message from Arcaz Black to the empire . -

To the empire? - Reyna said with a raised brow . - Big words from a child . Then again , he clearly has wild ambitions . Tell me , what did he want you to convey? -

Catheya took a deep breath before she explained Arcaz’s unique situation . She tried to paint him and his weird abilities in as positive a light as she could , of how he could benefit the Undead Empire . Of course , she failed to mention what a lightning-rod he was , and the chaos his human identity had already caused back in the Zecia sector .

No matter what his actions might look like , he bears no ill will against the Undead Empire . However , he is worried that he would become an experiment to some Monarch if his situation became known , which is why he has refrained from coming home until now , - Catheya ultimately said .

A being of both life and death? So he’s an Edgewalker? How interesting , - Reyna eventually said , looking a bit surprised for the first time since appearing out of nowhere . - It’s not very often one of these aberrations show up , and I think it’s only the second time the undead half is Draugr . I think I understand now why he reached out to me . -

The response was absolutely not what Catheya had expected , and she struggled to understand what was going on . Edgewalker? Catheya had never heard of the concept , and neither had her master by the looks of it . In fact , he looked extremely surprised at the information , which was no surprise considering he had scanned Arcaz before .

But all that was pushed away when she heard Reyna’s last statement . She had already considered this when hearing that the Umbri’Zi Matriarch had been sent here by someone .

Could it possibly be one of the two Abyssal Lords who was behind this?

Chapter 790 : The Final Twilight

The fact that one of the two A-grade leaders of the Draugr race might have taken an interest in something like an E-grade cultivator was almost incomprehensible . People at their level didn’t even care whether Monarchs lived or died , and generations of E-grade cultivators would live and die in a single cultivation session of theirs .

At the same time , Catheya knew what she could and couldn’t ask about , so she instead focused on the other part Reyna had divulged .

Edgewalkers? Something like this has happened before? - Catheya hesitantly asked .

She felt a wave of regret upon remembering how confidently she had assured Arcaz about how this plan of hers would work . But it turned out she was talking out of turn , lacking critical information . She had never heard of such a marvelous thing , which was why she was so adamant that Arcaz could become a high-value member of the empire .

But if they were common , his value would immediately plummet , which meant his safety was no longer guaranteed .

The Multiverse is beyond ancient . What hasn’t happened before? - Reyna smiled . - We could even create them if we wanted . Unfortunately , they all have a fundamental weakness no matter if they were created artificially or if they were born from some cosmic hiccup . -

A weakness? - Catheya said with worry .

Life-Death Edgewalkers cannot form a Cultivator’s Core because of their contradictory nature , - Reyna sighed . - If they could , they would have become strategic resources of our empire . Agents who could walk completely unfettered in the land of the living? But now , they are simply natural oddities , dayflies with a small window of glory . -

Catheya blanched when she heard of Arcaz’s Fate . Was this the work of the Law of Balance? He was shining too brightly , like a candle burning from both ends . It felt extremely unfair that the path of someone so miraculous as that would be cut short at the measly E-grade . But if not even someone like Reyna knew of a solution , odds were that there wasn’t one .

At least there was one piece of good news that came with this . - So no one would want to kill him for research , at least? -

Research? - Reyna snorted . - What’s there to research? If it was possible to actually nurture beings who could keep both their races and pass on that ability , we would have long figured it out . Some things are simply outside of the Heavenly Law . However , it is still of paramount importance we bring him in . -

May I ask why? - Catheya hesitantly asked .

Do you know how long it has been since we encountered an unattached Draugr? - Reyna asked .

I- - Catheya stuttered , not following the shift in topic .

384 Million years ago , a small settlement in a Mystic Realm , - Ruz said , seemingly understanding something . - Long-lost tribe members of the Zul . Today , the Zul have four Ancestral Nodes instead of three . -

Just so , - Reyna said . - The Children of Draug lost much in the Dark Ages . Whole bloodlines surrendered to the void . We managed to reclaim some of what we lost by retracing our steps after the Empire was founded , but we are still not complete . Too much time has passed by now , and the odds of finding any more of our brethren are growing bleaker every day . Yet here he is , Arcaz Black . A fresh infusion not seen in eons .

We cannot let the other races , especially the Eidolon , learn of this . Since the sacrifice of moving the Ancestral Lake , we have been considered the weakest race . But we have slowly accumulated and recovered for so long . An addition to our bloodline can have cascading effects within a few million years , just like the branch of Zul had back then . If Arcaz Black carries one of the three missing bloodlines… It can be revolutionizing . -

What would you have us do? - Ruz said with a serious frown . - Clan Sharva’Zi will do everything in our power to help with this mission . -

First of all , these matters don’t leave this room . If one of the other factions learns of this matter , they might hunt him down to prevent our race from gaining this asset , - Reyna said . - Secondly . Arcaz Black’s true identity is Arcaz Umbri’Zi going forward , a lineal Heaven’s Chosen nurtured in secret by my clan .

We will take the blame on this one , and say that he has been sent to a sealed world to reflect on his actions and recover from the backlash of using the remnant of Oblivion . Luckily , we have records of all three sides meddling with that cursed thing , so it shouldn’t be too big a problem shifting the blame . I’m sure those ancient aberrations don’t mind , - Reyna smiled .

Catheya only gaped in response . That man was simply not bound by convention . She had hoped that she would be able to secure Arcaz a decent position through his unique abilities , but he had somehow subverted her expectations and become a Scion at the absolute top of the food chain , far surpassing even her standing .

We’ll say we sent Arcaz Umbri’Zi to hasten the collapse of the Mystic Realm and force the Dreamer Autarch to make a move , but he went too far in his zeal to accomplish his mission . Just as that young bloodling did , by all accounts . That should be enough , - Reyna said . - Any questions? -

No complaints , - Ruz hurriedly nodded , though Catheya could see he wasn’t too happy with the turn of events .

She could understand why . Clan Sharva’Zi had been the sole link between Arcaz Black and the Undead Empire , and now it turned out he might carry a bloodline so valuable that the Abyssal Shores dispatched the Avatar of a five-step Autarch . Both the connection between herself and Arcaz , and his connection with her Ancestor , firmly tied their wagons together for good or bad .

But now , Reyna Umbri’Zi had snatched him , along with the potential benefits he could bring , in one fell swoop .

Good . Now , where is this little troublemaker? - Reyna asked .

I’m sorry , we had no idea he was an Edgewalker when the realm collapsed . We looked for Arcaz Black , but not his Dreamer counterpart , - Ruz sighed . - We truly have no idea what happened to him . He might have slipped away , but I am afraid something else might have happened that might prove a problem . -

There is no way he fell here , - Catheya said with conviction .

He is alive , - Reyna nodded in agreement . - He has managed to hide his tracks surprisingly well , but we would know if he had fallen . -

It is something else , - Ruz sighed with a shake of his head . - Something odd took place during the ascension , but it went unnoticed due to the chaos . After things calmed down , we tried to create a tally of survivors and harvest any high-potential bodies . But we stumbled upon a problem . A huge number of Dreamers , undead warriors , and even corpses are missing . Millions , altogether . -

Missing? - Reyna frowned .

Innumerable warriors were sucked into the Void , yet we could scarcely find a single one when forcing open a path . We’ve also received reports of small spatial tunnels opening , sucking in unwitting warriors . At first , we thought it was simply space crumbling from the ascension , but after seeing the Void… -

You think they’ve been abducted? - Reyna frowned as she closed her eyes .

No one in the room dared interrupt whatever the ancient Autarch was doing until Reyna opened her eyes with a frown after ten minutes . - It is barely discernible , but there are some remnant spatial fluctuations in the void . I cannot place the energy signature though . It might be the work of a Spatial Autarch , or it might be some aberrant energy wave rippling through the Void . -

Ruz and Va Tapek looked into each other’s eyes , unable to come up with any helpful suggestions .

I will send word back home to see if any of our archivists recognize what this is , - Reyna sighed before she turned toward Catheya . - Meanwhile , we’ll also follow the assumption that he made it out as he had planned . It is of paramount importance that we find him quickly . Where do you think he would go in this situation? We must ensure he stays Draugr . -

I’m sorry? - Catheya said with confusion . - I think he can change races as he wishes? -

Not like that , child , - Reyna snorted . - As I said , Life and Death cannot both be the basis of a Cultivator’s Core . It would lead toward Chaos , the peak that completely refused being categorized by the Apostate of Order . The fundamental stages of cultivation in this era are simply not suited for such a thing , no matter if you’re within the System’s purview or not .

Something has to be sacrificed to move forward , - the Autarch continued . - Life-Death Edgewalkers do have one way to break through to Hegemony . They can discard one of their identities and become a singular whole , crippling part of themselves to continue on the road of cultivation . If Arcaz Black would discard one of his facets , which one do you think it would be? -

Catheya hesitated a bit , not immediately providing an answer even with her father wordlessly urging her on . Finally , she made a decision .

Arcaz Black is a progenitor , the leader of a planet that will stay shrouded until he has reached Hegemony , - Catheya eventually said . - He isn’t beholden to any faction , and he has a seemingly endless source of wealth to come and go as he pleases . He is suspicious to the point of paranoia , and if some random stranger tries to tell him what to do , he is almost guaranteed to throw a wrench in those plans .

You shouldn’t underestimate his ability to cause chaos . He singlehandedly managed to change the fate of a whole sector while still in the F-grade , and you saw how he managed to influence events here . -

That was him?! - Va Tapek exclaimed with shock , drawing confused looks from the other two .

Va Tapek quickly explained what had happened in the Zecia Sector , of the Stele of Conflict and the quarantine that had almost prevented him from leaving .

To think he has such an impact on fate . Clearly , the System has honed in on him for some reason . Just where did this child sprout from? - Reyna frowned , but she soon relaxed again as a smile spread across her face as she looked at Catheya . - Having said so much , I guess you have a proposition for us , no? Looking at you reminds me of your little ancestor , so I might be amenable to accept as long as it is within reason . -

I don’t know where he is right now , but I am willing to head back to Zecia and talk with him about this situation . I should be able to get a message through to him one way or another . That way , I can make sure he doesn’t make any hasty decisions , and someone like me shouldn’t raise any flags among our enemies , - Catheya said . - But I want something in return . -

She could feel it . Arcaz was like a whirlwind of fate , one that was constantly advancing . She didn’t know exactly where he was headed , but she knew that she wanted to go along . But she also knew that she wouldn’t do as things stood . Arcaz Black had been weaker than her when they entered the Twilight Ocean , but he shot right past her in two short years .

If she wanted to travel alongside that man , to experience the true marvel of the Multiverse , she needed something beyond a simple opportunity or treasure . Her momentum needed a fundamental boost , her foundations needed to be remolded . Otherwise , she would just become an impediment to his path , an empty vase who couldn’t bring anything useful to the table .

This was her chance to catch up , to become a travel companion who had the strength to withstand the winds of fate that surrounded Arcaz Black . If she didn’t seize it , she had the feeling that he would be so far beyond her the next time they met , that he might as well be from her father’s generation .

For all she knew , he was already off somewhere creating more chaos and making progress on his cultivation .

——————-

Zac was filled with a sense of helplessness as he looked at the gargantuan creature far in the distance . Over two weeks had passed since trapped in this infernal bubble , but he still wasn’t any clearer on the situation . Why had this huge thing captured him and all the others? And where was it taking them?

He desperately wanted to escape , yet he didn’t dare make a move . The Leviathan-looking beast had shown exactly what it did with those who rebelled . Zac still remembered the scene vividly .

The appearance of a creature that would dwarf even the enormous snake in the Twilight Chasm obviously hadn’t gone unnoticed . Scale and sizes were hard to grasp in the Void , but the Leviathan had to be at least tens of thousands of meters long . It looked a bit like an alien fish , with gills glowing in green and white , and at least ten sets of eyes that emitted extremely powerful spatial fluctuations .

There was also fin large enough to shroud out the sky on its back as well , but its tail more resembled an octopus’ . Thousands of thick fleshy tentacles stretched toward the depths of the void , each one of them emitting the same spatial fluctuations as its eyes . It was clearly a beast that leaned heavily on the Dao of Space , which explained why had so effortlessly appeared in front of them .

At the same time , Zac was somewhat certain it wasn’t a Void Beast . First of all , it looked nothing like the grotesque Void Beasts he had encountered thus far . But more importantly , its aura was completely different . It emitted the primal aura of a high-grade beast , suffused with powerful spatial fluctuations .

Furthermore , it didn’t seem to have much love for Void Beasts .

Four times over the past two weeks it had stopped or made detours , with the sole purpose of ripping a couple of unlucky Void Beasts to shreds . The longest hunt took them through five dimensions and lasted a whole day , yet it didn’t eat them or harvest any parts . It only unleashed terrifying waves of spatial turbulence at them , leaving mangled scraps behind before moving on .

Being the target of a mysterious mythological beast had unsurprisingly put the other caged cultivators on the edge , and some of the bubbles had started to shudder as their captives held nothing back in a desperate attempt to escape . The Leviathan’s solution to quelling the rebellion was simple ; it ate the spheres that emitted strong fluctuations .

Seeing the huge beast simply devouring over a hundred cultivators , many of which were emitting more powerful auras than himself , had eliminated Zac’s thoughts of escape . He still had the Oblivion Energy , but even if he managed to break open the impossibly sturdy bubble , then what? He would be stuck in the Void , unable to leave and without any means to break free . The Leviathan would simply recapture him or gobble him up .

He reluctantly decided to wait for a better opportunity . Thankfully , the beast didn’t seem interested in actually eating anyone else , and it soon turned around and reentered the vortex it had created . Zac had been elated for roughly five seconds until he found his prison following suit . A moment later , he had found himself part of a bobbing river of shimmering bubbles coursing through an endless series of dimensions .

The Leviathan was unhindered by space or any dimensional barriers , effortlessly opening one portal after another , scuttling through space with even greater ease than any Cosmic Vessel Zac had heard of . Sometimes , Zac found himself looking out at unfamiliar stars and galaxies , but usually , his view had been the endless darkness of the Void . All the while , the string of captives had been dragged along .

Zac’s nerves had been extremely taut the first hours , but the Leviathan never attacked any more of the captives after the first warning . Even now , every single prisoner was completely unscathed , if you discounted the mental torture of not having any idea of what was going on . Of course , the draining array was still active , though it only kept him at an extremely weakened state .

An even greater torture for Zac was the fact that there was a spatial lock inside the prison , one that was so comprehensive that he couldn’t even peek inside the pile of Spatial Rings he had looted . For all he knew , he might be sitting on a vast fortune , or perhaps even some odd treasure that could get him out of this place . But the items inside the Spatial Treasures might as well be on the other side of the universe .

He was still able to open his Status Screen though , and he smiled as he once more looked at the new Limited Title .

The Final Twilight : Place first during the final Twilight Ascent . Reward : All Attributes +10% , Strength +5% . Effect of Attributes +10%

Chapter 791 : Leviathan

The final Twilight Ascent had been far more dangerous than the previous ones , especially considering the fallout . Unfortunately , that hadn’t been enough for the System to deem it necessary to award Zac another limited title slot or title permanence . But it had at least adjusted the reward .

Zac had seen historical examples of status screens in his missives , and the first position in the E-grade Twilight Ascent would generally provide between 6% and 10% attributes , along with a maximum of 8% effectiveness . Generally , the slaughter-based trials provided the highest rewards , which wasn’t a surprise considering the System’s predilection for carnage .

His special version far surpassed the historical records even if it technically was a Dao-based trail , and it was way better compared to the titles that he had gathered so far . Seeing the massive boost the new title provided , Zac doubted he would be able to find anything better in the short run .

Limited Titles would get better and better for every grade , eventually far outstripping the normal ones . Even then , the Limited Titles you could gain in the D-grade rarely reached a boost of 15% to any attributes from what Zac had heard . So it was an extremely welcome addition , and Zac once more opened his status screen , partly out of boredom .

Name

Zachary Atwood

Level

123

Class

E-Epic] Edge of Arcadia

Race

D] Human – 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 , Equanimity , Heart of Fire , Big Axe Gladiator , The Final Twilight

Dao

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

Core

E] Duplicity

Strength

12709 Increase : 123% . Efficiency : 287%]

Dexterity

5097 Increase : 88% . Efficiency : 206%]

Endurance

8740 Increase : 116 , 5% . Efficiency : 275%]

Vitality

7256 Increase : 104 , 5% . Efficiency : 262%]

Intelligence

2035 Increase : 82% . Efficiency : 206%]

Wisdom

4215 Increase : 89% . Efficiency : 216%]

Luck

540 Increase : 106% . Efficiency : 229%]

Free Points

Nexus Coins

D] 933 662

No title permanence meant The Final Twilight-title had replaced the one called Weight of Sin , which was the aggressively mediocre title he received upon climbing the Memorysteel Mountain . The long downtime had also allowed him to fill out his three recently opened nodes using the leftover kill energy from Uona along with some crystals .

He was lucky to have taken out a small hill of Supreme Nexus Crystals just before the bubble’s arrays sealed his skill fractals and Spatial Rings . They didn’t help against the constant drain on his energy reserves that kept him weakened , but as long as he pushed the energy he absorbed straight into his nodes , the siphoning array didn’t manage to snatch it all . That way , he had managed to gain the three missing levels on his human side , where he had put the free attributes into Dexterity as usual .

Unfortunately , he couldn’t use the energy from the crystals for much else . He had surreptitiously tried activating Surging Vitality] with Void Energy to recover his wounds though . It had worked , but the bubble actually started vibrating slightly in response , prompting Zac to hurriedly stop before the warden noticed .

Being unable to activate his healing skill didn’t matter all that much though . Most of the damage to his body was to his foundations and nodes , which wasn’t something Surging Vitality] could help with . His improvements on that side were slow , but he was definitely in far better shape compared to when getting captured .

His nodes didn’t feel like they were teetering on the brink of collapse any longer , though it would probably take another month or two of rest before they were back in peak condition . The cracks from conjuring another Glimpse of Chaos would most likely take even longer to recuperate from , but the event hadn’t saddled any worrisome lasting changes from the looks of it . It wasn’t great , but Zac knew that it would take most people years to recover from a situation like his . If not for his weird constitution , he would perhaps be permanently crippled .

The pathways on his shoulders had been widened a bit , and a couple of new engravings had formed , giving them a stronger aura of Creation and Oblivion . It was like every time he conjured a chaos pattern , Cyclic Strike] was somewhat altered in a direction better suited for its new purpose . Zac even looked forward to seeing what it would turn into after getting anointed five times .

Perhaps he would freely be able to infuse his skills with the power of the remnants by that point , allowing them to reach the same terrifying levels of force as when he fought in the Twilight Ocean . As for the remnants , they hadn’t woken up at all since getting shoved into the refurbished fractal prison .

But the fractal had already begun draining the remnants again in an ironic mirroring of his own situation . Just as Zac had hoped , the stream of purified energy was greater now compared to before , with more energy enforcing both his soul and his constitution . This proved his idea worked ; that each set of remnants was like a multiplier to his cultivation speed for his Soul Strengthening Method and improving his bloodline .

The risks would obviously increase with each set he gathered , but Zac’s soul had made tremendous improvements since getting stuck with the first splinter . He didn’t sense any instability in his mental state at all , though he knew that the effect of the remnants was extremely hard to catch .

In other good news , the quest that Alvod Jondir had pushed upon him when they met in the Twilight Chasm had simply disappeared around a week after he was whisked away on the journey . From his prison , it was impossible to tell what that meant . His best guess was that Twilight Harbor had finally collapsed , losing its status as a sanctioned capital and prompting all open quests to close .

Other possibilities were the death of the Eveningtide Asura or him simply dissolving the quest . In either case , it was one less thing to worry about , though Zac couldn’t help but wonder if it wasn’t preferable if he was caught by Alvod rather than the terrifying beast in the distance . After all , things had seemingly turned out pretty well for the Asura , and Zac had inadvertently helped with his plans quite a bit .

Zac shook his head before closing his status screen , once more resting his back against the cage as he gazed upon the vast darkness around him . If not for his capture , he would probably be home by now . Yet he found himself here , unable to help his people at all . He hadn’t gained any screen of the Incursion’s status either , leaving him completely in the dark of how they fared .

But he would need to find a way to save himself before he could save his people .

His attributes had skyrocketed since traveling to the Twilight Harbor , to the point that his effective attributes had pretty much tripled . He remembered he had just barely passed 4 , 000 Strength around the time Leandra returned to Earth . Now he had over 12 , 000 , while his Efficiency had increased as well .

Add to that the less quantifiable improvements , such as the destructiveness of his evolved Daos , his upgraded weapon , his evolved skills , and his further awakened bloodline , and you could almost say he had been reborn in the Twilight Harbor . He was even confident that he would be able to take on ten copies of his previous self without breaking a sweat .

But what did that matter to the enormous beast dragging him to some unknown place? This thing considered Hegemons to be tasty snacks . Zac even doubted that an Annihilation Sphere right in its head would manage to harm it .

The days passed and Zac started to wonder if he’d ever get out of this place . But finally , there was a change . The Leviathan emitted the powerful spatial ripples that were the tell-tale sign that it was about to enter another dimension again . That alone wasn’t surprising , but when his prison passed through the vortex , his eyes widened .

One Leviathan had turned into three , each one looking identical to the other two . At the same time , the number of bubble prisons had almost doubled , and Zac looked at the scene with shock . He still hadn’t found any helpful clues , but he mentally started to prepare himself for one final struggle .

No matter what was going on , the fact that these monsters had started to gather up possibly meant they were closing in on their destination . Of course , there was not much to prepare . He had hurriedly stowed away his axe the moment he decided to not escape , fearful that being armed would incur the wrath of the Leviathan .

Meanwhile , Love’s Bond] had turned unresponsive since he had fed it the mysterious egg . He would perhaps be able to force it into its shield form , but he would rather not unless absolutely necessary . Soon enough , the three Leviathan’s opened a huge gate and entered together , and Zac’s heart trembled as he felt the tremendous waves of Spatial Dao on the other side .

This was it .

A moment later , his bubble passed through . A sudden burst of radiance forced Zac to cover his eyes for a second , and he realized they should have entered in a proper dimension this time around . However , any thoughts on their location were thrown to the back of his mind as he saw what the river of bubbles was flying toward .

He had been naïve . Those little worms that had dragged him here weren’t fit to be called Leviathans . The thing in front of him was a true Leviathan . It almost felt like his mind was breaking from estimating just how large this beast was , but one thing was for sure ; it was not just the size of a planet like Earth , it even dwarfed some of the continental plates that made the Twilight Harbor .

It looked quite similar to the Space Fish that had taken him here , but this ancestor had clearly undergone a series of bloodline evolutions compared to Zac’s chaperone . The difference wasn’t just like the difference between Vul , the Barghest Alpha , and its brethren . It was like the difference between a dragon and a small lizard .

Looking at the Leviathan felt like looking at the Laws of space . A lazy wave from any one of its innumerable tentacles caused massive cracks in space , and the sail-like fin on its back was massive enough to blot out the Heavens themselves . A nebula churned around it , almost looking like cosmic waters .

Its body was also covered in huge scripts that almost seemed to be alive . Together , they formed some sort of natural formation , one that was far beyond his scope of understanding .

Zac had never seen anything like this before , not even in his Dao visions . He knew there were impossibly large beasts wandering the endless Multiverse , but it was another thing entirely to be placed in front of one . As for its power , it was definitely not just the equivalent of a Monarch .

This was a proper Primordial Beast , one that emitted a noticeably stronger aura compared to the Havarok Autarch he saw the other day , though it still didn’t quite reach the level of Be’Zi or her husband . Why was something like this here in the frontier?

Or had he actually left the frontier already , dragged to another sector entirely by the Space Fish?

A flash of light dragged Zac out of his thoughts and his eyes away from the terrifying being he was floating toward , just in time to see his guide disappear in a puff of spatial energy . Only then did he properly take in the situation , and his heart sunk even further . His group captives were just the latest arrivals .

There were innumerable bubbles all around the behemoth . Another vortex appeared in the distance , and yet another beast chaperone came dragging a few hundred bubbles . Just like the one that had taken him here , the beast disappeared in a spatial ripple the moment it emerged , leaving its captives to their fate .

Were the smaller beasts living inside their parent? Or were they just clones?

Even without a beast to guide them , the spheres kept moving in an orderly fashion . But Zac’s horror only mounted when he realized where he was heading ; the Leviathan’s gaping maw . It was no wonder the smaller beasts hadn’t eaten any more captives as they traveled . They didn’t dare steal their leader’s dinner .

Zac’s heart beat like a drum as he scrambled for a way to survive . He had hoped that he had been captured to become an indentured worker or something considering he had been left alive . If that had been the case , he would have a shot at escaping by using his Void Energy . But now , he knew he couldn’t wait any longer . He could feel it – if he entered that impossibly large maw , his odds of survival were essentially zero .

The Leviathan’s mouth was large enough to swallow planets whole , but it wasn’t the sharp fangs that worried him . Its maw was filled with a terrifying cloud of spatial destruction , far beyond any spatial tears he had ever seen . There was no way he would survive even a second in such an environment , yet he and the other bubbles flew toward it with blazing speed .

Terror overwrote the overwhelming pain from using the power of the remnants as a storm of Dao and Mental Energy entered the two pathway highways on his shoulders , where Axe and Coffin were forced together . Luckily , the beast guarding his bubble was gone , giving him a small window of opportunity . What little Oblivion Energy he had saved up in his Soul Core was dragged out , acting as the catalyst for the Annihilation Sphere .

A small ball full of endless destruction rapidly grew between his hands , and Zac felt a burst of rage bubble in his mind . The shock along with the damage left behind by the remnants had made him susceptible to the whispers of the splinters . But Zac forcibly took control of the madness , using it to squeeze out a little bit more energy from his harried mind .

Meanwhile , he activated Piercing Gaze] in search of any weak spot in his prison with the help of Void Energy , ignoring the small shudder that spread across the cage . Unfortunately , the sphere used concepts far beyond his understanding or scope of what his skill could decipher , so Zac could only slam his attack into a random spot on the wall with righteous indignation .

The satisfying scene of his cage cracking like a dome of glass didn’t appear . Zac was dismayed to realize there was a hidden spatial barrier between himself and the surface of his cage . It was just a thin film , yet it felt like his attack was forced to cross hundreds of miles to reach the wall .

By that point , his energy was almost completely expended . The sphere holding him captive only rippled a bit before a series of esoteric patterns suddenly appeared across its surface , joining the ones that Zac suspected were responsible for the restrictions and energy drain . Zac scrambled for other ideas , but it was helpless .

He still had access to his Void Energy , but that didn’t do him much good . His weapon was sealed inside his spatial ring , but he knew that his skills would be worthless in this situation in either case . Others had unleashed far more powerful attacks than his without any luck . The high-concept Dao inside his Annihilation Sphere had been his only hope .

There was no way that Love’s Bond] would do any good in this situation either . More importantly , he was worried that activating skills would prompt the Leviathan to lash out at him prematurely , based on the new runes that covered his bubble . His only hope now was that his cage would break the moment it entered the huge maw of the Leviathan and that he’d survive with the help of Void Zone] long enough to swim out of there .

However , Zac looked around with confusion as his own sphere suddenly made a turn and diverged from the others’ . Almost all of the innumerable cages were dragged toward the beast’s maw , but his own joined a few thousand others that instead shot toward the huge fin on its back . It didn’t take long to figure out what differed between his own and the other spheres either ; the engravings .

His own cage was covered in dense scripts thanks to using the Annihilation Sphere , as were the others who had avoided disaster . The markings weren’t identical , but they rather held varying echoes of the Dao , where Zac could sense a mix of Pure Death and Conflict on his own – the ground components of his Annihilation Sphere .

Another prison that wasn’t flying too far from him actually emitted temporal fluctuations , and Zac spotted a humanoid man sitting inside with closed eyes as though he was in the middle of meditation . Meanwhile , the bubbles which had no such unique markings things moved toward the beast’s mouth .

It didn’t look like patterns were based on cultivation strength either . He saw at least two Peak or at least High Hegemons shooting toward the mouth , both of them desperately banging on the barrier as they were dragged toward their doom . He had spotted them in the Void outside the Twilight Harbor before , and he had seen the shocking attacks they had unleashed in an attempt to escape back into the main dimension .

His eyes met one of the other’s for a moment , and he saw a chaotic mix of emotions in the Revenant’s eyes . Confusion , fear , rage and indignation . Most importantly , reluctance . Reluctance to have their path ended like this , to become food to some monstrous beast . Zac turned away , unable to look on as they were dragged into the spatial storm .

He felt so weak and helpless , but more so , he was filled with relief . The Annihilation Sphere hadn’t managed to break him out of his prison , but it looked like it had allowed him to survive the first culling . Something about the energies he had unleashed had piqued the Leviathan’s interest , saving him from a gristly end .

The question was , what was it planning?

Chapter 792 : Orom

The group of bubbles that had avoided the fate of becoming a part of the Leviathan’s feast was soon divided even further , where ninety percent moved together toward the tails . Next was roughly six or seven percent that shot away together , moving toward a large ridge on the beast’s back . Zac was in the third group , the second smallest one with just over a hundred of the - earmarked’ cultivators .

The final group was just one solitary sphere , covered in layers and layers of engravings . It looked completely different from the others , and it suddenly just disappeared in a puff of spatial energy . As for his own cohort , it shot toward a spot just ahead of the enormous sail-like fin on its back .

Zac instinctively knew that he had survived some sort of culling , but he was still filled with unease as his cage got closer and closer to the space fish . The gargantuan Leviathan took up most of his vision by this point , stretching across the horizon . It was filled with such tremendous power that Zac couldn’t stop his body from shaking .

Suddenly , a large portal opened up in front of him . It looked a bit like the ones the smaller Leviathans had created to pass through dimensions , but this one was far more stable . It was lined with patterns that looked a lot like the brands that covered the whole body of the beast , natural expressions of the Dao .

The small group of spheres shot straight into the portal , and Zac felt an odd spatial ripple pass through him before he was shrouded in absolute darkness . A searing pain suddenly erupted on his left arm , followed by a wave of weakness that spread through his body . Zac had no time to figure out what had been done to him before the darkness lifted and Zac found himself lying with his face down in the dirt .

He hurriedly scrambled to his feet only to find himself in the middle of a forest glade , surrounded by the captives from the other bubbles who had been sent through the final portal . His mind blanked out for a moment , and as he looked up at the purple sky , he wondered if they had been teleported to some world .

The warriors around him all gave Zac the impression of powerful elites , and he immediately tried to flash away to create some space for himself . However , he found that the energy in his body was extremely sluggish , and another type of seal prevented him from activating Earthstrider] . Not only that , he felt so helplessly weak since passing through that portal .

The other cultivators were as clueless as he was on what was going on . A few tried to escape from the group , only to find the glade sealed with some sort of array . The moment they got close , an ominous rune appeared out of nowhere .

The bubbles were gone , but they were clearly still trapped , and Zac took the chance to check his situation . The result wasn’t great . First of all , there was a new brand on top of his left hand , at the spot where he had felt the pain before . It was extremely complex and reached halfway up his elbow , far surpassing the one that Catheya’s master had once placed there .

It was clear that this brand had replaced the restrictions covering the bubbles , sealing his power and limiting energy circulation to a slow crawl . In other words , it was a prisoner brand , similar in function to the arrays that usually covered dungeons and prisons in the Multiverse . After all , you needed something to make sure a powerful captive didn’t suddenly lash out and kill their captors .

A glance at his status screen confirmed his suspicions . His real attributes were still there , but they were struck over , replaced by a line that simply said 1 , 000 .

One thousand attribute points? That was something you’d see on an F-grade elite . No wonder he felt so weak . He was lucky he had already placed Verun’s Bite] into a spatial ring . Just carrying the axe when restricted like this would be a bit of a struggle since its most recent upgrade .

In fact , a few captives were in that exact predicament . Shimmering weapons were lying in the grass next to them , and they were desperately trying to lift them , only to barely be able to budge them . Others were luckier , wielding tools without such forbidding weight . However , the brand on Zac’s arm seemed to prevent him from communicating with Love’s Bond] , essentially turning it into a useless necklace .

Zac felt extremely exposed after having his attributes restricted to just 1 , 000 points , but at least it looked like everyone had been dragged down to the same level , even the Hegemons . Everyone’s aura was extremely uniform , except for the unique flavor granted by everyone’s Daos .

In other words , the 1 , 000 referred to Effective Attributes , though Zac had already guessed as much after sensing his current strength . After all , his current power was well below the state when he finally passed 1 , 000 raw Strength by the end of the Tower of Eternity . He didn’t get much time to think about the implications , as a new face suddenly appeared on top of a stone just outside the glade .

Congratulations , you lucky bastards . You get to live another day , - a gruff voice echoed out , prompting everyone to look over with apprehension .

The first words out of the new arrival were a bit crude , but they were still a relief to Zac . It looked like his life wasn’t in immediate peril , which would give him a chance to figure some way out of this place . After all , his Void Energy had already proven to work against the restrictions of the Space Fish .

Having access to that hidden force had to be a tremendous advantage in this place . Not only did it allow him to unleash skills while the others were helpless , but the skills might even contain their original strength if they could properly circumvent the prison seal . Skills like Abyssal Phase] might prove to be the key to getting out of this place unseen and unnoticed .

But for now , Zac would bide his time . He needed to understand what was going on , and he once more glanced at the captives around him . This time , he noticed something odd . They were all roughly the same size . If it was just a bunch of humans , Zac wouldn’t have thought much of it , but there were all kinds of races here .

He had long become accustomed to seeing cultivators the size of buildings walking the streets , but he was now standing shoulder to shoulder with a beastkin that should at least have a meter on him . There was also a proper Ogre shaman in the mix , whose race often reached five meters or so . That scene confirmed something else he had already suspected ; these people weren’t all from the Twilight Harbor .

In this small group alone , 11 races weren’t native to the harbor , three of which he didn’t even recognize . At the same time , he recognized a couple of insignias on the captives and the style of clothes a few others wore . It was clear that the Leviathan had sent out its feelers in multiple directions , but roughly half of these people came from the same place as he did . Moreover , he recognized a few people who should be from the Havarok Empire judging by the tattoos that covered their faces .

As for the one who spoke just now , it was an unknown humanoid race that almost looked a bit metallic . He had just one large eye on his forehead like a cyclops , but that eye had three different pupils . He wore a gold-lined white robe , held together by a golden brooch that seemed to be an insignia of some force that Zac didn’t recognize .

He didn’t wear any weapons , but Zac’s instincts told him that the man was some sort of fighter leaning toward Strength just like himself . There was an innate sense of pressure emanating from his body , one that made Zac think of Greatest . No one made a move upon seeing this unknown man , but Zac could sense how many tensed up and prepared for battle .

May I ask why you have captured and sealed us all? - a middle-aged man in a flowing robe eventually said .

Do I look like a jailer to you? - the metallic man snorted . - I’m in the boat as you . I just got here a few millennia before you all . -

Zac’s heart lurched upon hearing millennia , and a few other blanched as well .

You were all conscious for the capture? You saw that big bastard eating your companions? - the man continued . - Well , that’s the Orom . Your new home for the foreseeable future . This whole place is inside its body . It’s a true realm rather than an inner world , so don’t bother looking for the big guy’s soul . -

Your strength is greater than ours , why? - the man continued , and Zac only realized the discrepancy now . The man in front of them was indeed a bit powerful than the group of warriors around him .

See this badge? - the metallic man said as he pointed at the brooch . - This is the insignia of the Orom Attendants . We complete some tasks for the Orom , and it provides us with some unique benefits in this place . A gold badge attendant such as myself has twice the attributes as normal citizens , though that doesn’t matter much in this place . The access to unique training grounds that this brooch provides is far more important . -

Zac raptly listened to the metallic man , but he simultaneously kept trying to figure out the rules of this place . A muffled curse from the woman next to him drew his attention to something , and he hurriedly focused on the Spatial Ring on his finger . There didn’t seem to be a spatial lock sealing them any longer , but the prison brand prevented him from using this thing as well .

A golden badge is the equivalent of a Hall Master of a sect , I suppose , - the metallic man continued , ignoring the actions of his captive audience . - There are both higher and lower ranks . You better be careful if you run into someone with an Emerald Badge . Their attributes are capped at 10 , 000 , and they are the only ones allowed to kill others in this world . -

Next , over a hundred crude plaques appeared in his hands , and they flew over to each captive . - For now , you’re just citizens . You don’t need to wear these like I do if you don’t want to . But don’t lose it since you need it for various things in this place . You don’t want to be forced to replace one , trust me . -

How do we become attendants? - a beastkin asked as he snatched his token .

You don’t , - the metallic man shrugged . - At least not right now . You will find out more when we reach the town . But suffice to say , while this place is a bit weird , some things will be quite similar to a sect . You can slowly work your way up the ladder and gain contribution points . These points can then be turned in for all kinds of convenient things . -

Can they be used to buy back our freedom? - the original man asked , and the group perked up at that .

No , you can’t . But there is a straightforward method to get out of here , - the man smiled . - You simply need to confirm your Dao . -

What?! - a man roared . - Become a Divine Monarch? Why not ask us to defend our Dao while we’re at it!? -

Hey , I don’t make the rules . I just relay them , just like how I was told when I was dragged to this place , - the attendant grinned .

The proclamation was pretty shocking , not only to Zac but to those around him . Becoming a Divine Monarch was just not a matter of time , but talent and opportunity . Even if everyone in this small group was a Heaven’s Chosen , actually becoming a Divine Monarch was just a longshot that normally required a large number of lucky encounters .

The man had essentially given them all a life sentence .

Now , don’t look so glum , - the metal man said . - Your fate could have been a lot worse . Didn’t you see where most people were headed? -

Did the others really get devoured? - an insectoid woman asked with a frown , and Zac shuddered upon remembering the scene outside .

It was an almost incomprehensible loss of life that had taken place . That was still taking place , by all accounts . It was a stark reminder of how Earth had essentially been a trial ground where the challenges and dangers were artificially controlled by the System . Out here in the wild , there were no safety nets , and death could lurk around any corner .

But the citizens of Twilight Harbor and the trail takers who visited such as himself were truly unlucky . First , the whole harbor got blown up by the struggle between a bunch of old monsters . But the lucky few who managed to enter the Void to avoid the fallout were snatched up by some crazy monster lurking in the shadows .

As far as we can tell , - the metal man nodded . - You survived the great filter of the Orom , which means you have potential . The others were deemed lacking and were instead turned into nourishment . This is actually an exciting period for us old citizens as well . The Orom only feeds when it finds a congregation of fate , and that means two things . Fresh faces like you people , and a deluge of new items up for grabs . -

Zac guessed the deluge of new items came from the hundreds of thousands of Spatial Rings that the Orom swallowed . Just the thought of all that wealth made Zac’s heart beat a bit faster , almost to the point he forgot their gristly origins . There had been a lot of Hegemons in the mix , and even some Monarchs might have fallen . His wealth was pretty terrifying compared to most E-grade cultivators .

But compared to what this space fish swallowed , it was simply nothing .

What about the other groups who survived? - another man asked with worry in his eyes . Zac guessed he had seen someone he cared about setting off toward the tails .

There are three groups . The largest group is sent to do miscellaneous tasks for the Orom . Indentured Servants , I guess . The second group is second-string cultivators . You’ll learn more about them later . As for you , you’re the first-string , which is what you want to be if you have to be stuck inside an enormous monster . -

There was one more group . A single sphere , - another captive muttered .

Oh? - the metallic man exclaimed with surprise . - That’s pretty rare . I haven’t heard of such a thing happening in over a hundred thousand years . I am not sure , but I heard those people are potential disciples , sent to an inheritance trial . Others believe the Orom accidentally swallowed someone with too big a backing and is just providing them with an opportunity or some restitution before letting them go . I’m not sure which is true . In either case , it’s not related to you guys . -

Then what does this Orom want with us? - an old man standing next to Zac asked .

That’s the good news ; it just wants you to cultivate . To break through your shackles , no matter if it’s related to your levels , constitutions , insights , souls , or crafts . Become a Divine Monarch or the equivalent , and you have provided enough to be set free , - the man snickered . - As to why the Orom is doing this , I think most of you can understand . -

Zac had no idea what he was talking about , but looking around he saw an understanding look on most of the new captives .

How are we supposed to cultivate with our resources sealed in our Spatial Rings? - a woman asked with a frown . - I doubt this Orom can provide all the specialized arrays and treasures we need . -

Outside Spatial Treasures are sealed in the Orom World , apparently because of some terrifying item that was brought onboard millions of years ago . Almost killed the big bastard , according to the records , - the attendant laughed . - However , there are secured locations you can take out any items you need for cultivation , and they will be scanned for problems . You can then transfer them into locally-made Cosmos Sacks . -

What about my weapon? - a man frowned as he looked down at a blue staff that clearly had extraordinary origins .

Alright , in a few moments , you will have a brief window to stow away items . You will not be able to take anything out though , - the attendant said before touching his golden insignia . - I suggest you take this opportunity , or the items will be lost to you forever . -

Zac felt a shudder from the brand on his arm a moment later , and he realized the brand must have received some command . He tried infusing his will into the ring on his hand , but it was still out of reach . However , he saw the others hurriedly stow away the weapons that were lying on the ground .

Well , let’s get out of here . We need to be gone before the next group arrives . I will lead you to the closest settlement . You’ll get a better understanding of the situation over there . But if you want my advice ; simply settle down and focus on your Dao . This place isn’t all-too-bad , - the attendant grinned .

Then again , I’m sure you’re all thinking of various ways to escape . I did as well , at first . But you will find that the Orom is not so easily tricked . -

Chapter 794 : EXPERIENCE

Settling down is fine for some , but my Dao is confirmed through slaughter , - a scarred human said with a frown . - Settling down would destroy my path . -

Don’t worry . There are designated zones for that as well , - the metallic man with a lazy wave as he started walking , and a shimmer across the glade indicated that the barrier had been deactivated . - Come , it’ll all be clear enough soon . Of course , you’re free to go wherever you want . I won’t stop you . -

The hundred-odd cultivators looked at each other with confusion , and most shrugged before following the Orom Attendant . A few others , including the man who traversed the path of slaughter , walked off in their own direction , soon blending with the foliage . Zac guessed those people were wandering cultivators unwilling to become part of a collective .

As for himself , Zac decided to follow the bulk of the captives . It didn’t make much sense for the attendant to be lying , and he needed to understand this place better if he wanted to attempt a prison break . The old human who spoke up earlier walked along as well , and Zac gradually made his was over to him .

Excuse me , - Zac said with a low voice . - Could you explain why the Orom captured us? -

What makes you think I know? - the old man said with a raised brow .

You looked like you did . I think only a few of us were left out of the loop , - Zac said with a helpless shrug .

Well , whatever , - the old man sighed . - You can see this one as a freebie , seeing as we got caught together . Do you know the most common way to reach the peak of cultivation? -

Talent and lucky encounters? - Zac ventured with some confusion .

Hardly , - the man snorted . - Theft! -

Cultivation is endless , but resources are lacking . Especially at the top , - the old man sighed . - Not only that , but the demands on understanding become greater and greater , soon to the point that even the most talented cultivators get overwhelmed . So , they steal . Steal resources . Steal cultivation havens . Steal Dao and Fate . -

Steal Dao and Fate? - Zac blurted , thinking back to the events of the Twilight Ascent .

It was clear that the Eveningtide Asura had turned the whole Twilight Ocean into some sort of cultivation resource . And come to think of it , the quest was designed to - perfect the Tapestry of Twilight . ’ Was that the same thing? Using generations of cultivators to shore up his understanding . Each death , each breakthrough , a fragment was siphoned to himself .

Looks like you get it , - the old man nodded . - This big bastard is using cultivators to speed up its progress from the looks of it . It’s a crooked path , but it’s better than doing nothing . It’s the same as what most cultivators keeping people inside their inner worlds are doing . -

Zac’s eyes widened a bit at that . This was common practice?

Of course , it’s usually descendants who gain resources , safety , and a superior environment in return , - the old man added . - Absorbing hostiles into your world would be extremely dangerous , and it’s impossible in most cases . This big guy can only do it because we’re not actually inside an inner world . We’re quite literally inside its body , like parasites . -

How does that affect us? - Zac asked . - If our fate is getting robbed? -

No idea , - the old man grimaced . - But it’s not like your Daos can get ripped out of your body . Most likely you will find progress and cultivation slower , as some of the benefits goes to the landlord . And being trapped like this might slow down your momentum , subverting your fate . But I guess we’ll find out more over the following centuries . -

Centuries . . . - Zac muttered with a helpless shake of his head .

Don’t tell me you’re part of the younger generation? - the old man exclaimed as he looked over at Zac with surprise . - I thought all of us were old hands who had already confirmed our paths . But now that you mention it . . . Your aura . . . -

E-grades and early Hegemons being dragged here are somewhat rare . I think you’re the third one to pass the filter this time around , though a few more should arrive over the following week . Your insights are too shallow to bring any benefits to the Orom , but it has decided to take a bet on you . If one is snatched , they usually have something interesting going on , - the metallic man grunted as he looked back from the front . He had clearly heard the whole conversation . - If you want my advice , kid , avoid the combat-oriented places for now . -

Why? - Zac asked , realizing he might have inadvertently divulged more than he should have . - Isn’t everyone sealed the same? -

A few of the captives immediately started laughing , and the old man looked at Zac like he was a fool . - Brat , stop my fist . -

Zac looked over with surprise , only to find a punch already flying toward his face . Zac’s own body was thankfully already moving by instinct , and he used one hand to divert the blow while countering with a gut-punch of his own . There was something off with the old man’s attack though , and Zac was forced to adjust his body over and over to avoid its trajectory .

However , no matter what he did , the fist just kept getting closer , while his own attack was somehow way off-mark . A moment later he found himself on the ground with a blazing pain in his head . He tried to get back on his feet , but he was actually groggy enough to fall back down on his ass .

What just happened? Their attributes were the same , yet it felt like the old man was twice as fast as he was .

Brat , I could defeat ten of you simply based on my experience , - the old man laughed . - And I’m just a Late-Stage Hegemon . The Monarchs would be able to take on an army of you brats while having the same attributes . Our attributes are locked , but that doesn’t mean we can’t benefit from our understanding of combat and the Dao . -

Well , shit , - Zac muttered as he shook his head to regain some clarity .

It was true . He’d be able to take out at least ten people with similar stats back on Earth based on his combat experience alone . Add to that , the combat stances he started to form based on his Daos and his Path , and he was undefeatable . But compared to a Late Hegemon , he was still far lacking in experience . They had all fought longer than he had lived .

Furthermore , those who made it to this place , rather than getting killed , were all unusually talented from the looks of it . It would be odd if they hadn’t all formed a path of their own and spent millennia polishing it .

Well , it’s not all bad , kid , - the metallic man laughed as he started walking over . - You’re at the bottom of the totem pole right now , but the fact that you were dragged here proves your talent is uncommonly high . People in your situation seem to have the highest chance of leaving this place , only exceeded by the high-grade Monarchs right at the precipice . Some of us might rely on you in a few dozen millennia to get word to our families . -

Zac looked at the metallic man with gratitude—he was helping him out here . The last sentence could act as a deterrent to the old monsters around him . Messing with him might be nice to relieve some stress in this messed-up situation , but it might come back to bite them in the future .

Besides , he had one unique advantage to defend himself in this place if it came down to it . His bloodline .

Have there been people saved by their families? - a graceful woman asked , speaking up for the first time .

There are occasionally such things happening , - the metallic man nodded . - Some people have been teleported out from this place without breaking through . Others have just disappeared . Most of these people have been ransomed by the Orom , or perhaps the Orom was threatened to spit them out . But don’t expect anything unless you have Autarchs among your elders . -

And some have disappeared? - another man said speculatively .

They might have died or they might have figured out a way to escape . No trap is perfect , - the attendant shrugged . - And don’t ask me how , I have no idea . If you lack the confidence to confirm your Dao but have some powerful ancestors , I’d suggest you start making fate tokens and giving them out to those who seem to have the potential to leave the normal way . Usually , when someone confirms their Dao , a few more people are freed within a few centuries . -

Is it possible to break through grades in this place? - Zac asked .

Most look at the Orom like a jailer , but you can also consider it a gardener , - the metallic man said as he reached a hand toward Zac to help him up . - We are the crops it’s growing . And how could crops grow without the proper nourishment? You’ll find that this place has some advantages that are hard to find elsewhere . I’m Murbot , by the way . -

Zac , - Zac grunted as he got back on his feet . He shot a glance at the old man who’d explained things to him earlier . - Some punch . -

Don’t feel too bad , I’ve been beating up brats like you for two thousand years , - the man guffawed . - Your reaction wasn’t bad , much better than my shitty descendants . -

Zac smiled in return , though he was a bit surprised inwardly . The Hegemon looked pretty old , to the point Zac suspected he was running out of longevity . But two thousand years was nothing to someone at that level . If anything , he was still young , completely different from the old Hegemons who had been stuck at some bottleneck for eons .

He didn’t know why the man looked like that , though it probably was just a mark of eccentricity . Most people preferred to stay young-looking , while others went in a different direction . On second thought , Zac should have figured that was the case . What would the Orom want with an old man stuck at a bottleneck? How many insights and breakthroughs could someone like that provide?

The group started moving again . However , they only moved for another few minutes before they stopped again . It wasn’t due to Murbot explaining something , but rather because of the appearance of a densely engraved pyramid in the woods .

A seal mountain , Pseudo C-grade! - the old man exclaimed , and more than one warrior rushed forward with greed in their eyes .

However , Zac stayed behind , as did most of the captives . Greed had made even these Hegemons forget themselves , but Zac understood it wasn’t a coincidence they passed this thing . How could something so valuable just be up for grabs? And how would anyone even stow it away with their Spatial Treasures locked?

As expected , the old masters soon returned a bit shamefaced a minute later , all of them unsurprisingly empty-handed .

What a waste , - the old man groaned as he threw a wistful look at the mountain . - That’s at least 100 C-grade coins left lying in the wild . -

Zac looked at the mountain with shock and avarice , plans already forming in his mind . Perhaps there would be an opportunity to snatch it in the future with the help of his Bloodline Talent . Perhaps there were even better treasures waiting out there for him .

It’s a good reminder for you all , - Murbot grinned . - As I mentioned before , you will be able to transfer your items to local Cosmos Sacks , but you need to be careful . You need the strength to put the items back again . This thing was left here three hundred thousand years ago by a gold badge wanting to show off to a new batch of recruits . No one has been able to take it away since . -

Zac snorted , and a few laughs emerged from the group . The scene was a bit odd considering everyone had just become a prisoner , where most were bound to be trapped for the rest of their lives . If it was earthlings , most would be deep in a pit of despair . Then again , these people were all Hegemons and higher who had confirmed their paths and were elites in their own right .

Something like this probably wasn’t enough to cause a ripple in their mental state even if they didn’t have the hidden means as he had .

The group kept walking for another two hours , their progress feeling uncomfortably slow now that his Dexterity had been cut down to a tenth . Although , Zac’s annoyance was nothing compared to the Hegemons who probably weren’t used to walking long stretches anymore . People kept peppering Murbot with questions , but he wasn’t too interested in divulging any secret tricks of this place .

He kept saying that everything would be made known when they reached their destination . And finally , a small town came into view , looking almost like something you’d find in a fairy tale . The streets were wide and clean , and the homes were beautiful mansions . Not only that , the ambient energy was extremely dense , something Zac noticed since being dragged into this place . It wasn’t just a matter of quantity , but quality .

Catheya had talked about outer realms being far from the Heavens when describing the frontier , but he hadn’t understood what that meant . Now , it felt clearer . He wouldn’t say the Cosmic Energy was attuned or that the air was filled with Origin Dao . It was simply . . . Better .

He could sense his Daos with greater clarity , like the opposite feeling of when he was in the Tower of Eternity and the Dao felt hollow from the time dilation . It didn’t feel as palpable as when Earth was newly integrated and rife with Origin Dao , it was stable and pervasive . Perhaps it was equivalent to a C-grade continent , considering that people had managed to achieve Divine Monarchy in this place .

As far as prisons go , this is probably the best one I’ve been locked inside , - a beastkin muttered , prompting a few laughs .

If you like this place , then you better work hard . You remember those second-string cultivators I mentioned? - Murbot said as he glanced back at the group . - Their environment is . . . Not quite as nice . You are presented with a carrot , they are presented with a stick . If you don’t progress fast enough , you will be relegated down and they will take your place . And let me tell you , those people would be ready to slaughter their clans for a chance to move here after a few years in that place . -

Zac shuddered , once more reminded that the Orom wasn’t some benign being that provided cultivation opportunities for the fun of it . It was doing all this for its cultivation , and any dead weight who didn’t provide insights would be discarded . He’d heard a few stories about the kind of places where established factions created deathsworn , squads of humanoid killing machines . The Orom was most likely using those kinds of cruel methods to squeeze out any potential it could from those second-string cultivators .

I’ll give you a warning . You are safe from the first relegation , after which you will have to fight for your right to stay . Things might look relaxed , but everyone is desperately cultivating to stay ahead , - Murbot added . - Now , follow me . There is one last place I need to show you before I set you loose . -

The group walked for a few more minutes until they reached a large square filled with people , a mix of old prisoners and other cultivators who’d just been dragged here as well . The old cultivators seemed to belong to two groups . The first group was walking in and out of a large building , clearly having errands to run .

The other group was just there to look at the newcomers , and Zac noticed a few of the new captives were approached . Zac’s eyes thinned , his scammer-sense waking up . Almost like the prisoners were trying to take advantage of the newcomers somehow . Of course , no one who’d made it here was a fool , and it looked like the attempts were met with failure .

This place is the beginner’s square , - Murbot explained as he pointed at the large hall with constant foot traffic . - The store is over there . There are more towns out there on this continent , and they all have roughly the same items . You all get 1 , 000 Purchase Points to start off , which can help you get settled in the Orom World . There are various ways to gain more points , but read about that yourselves . Alright , I’m off . Good luck , hatchlings . -

The attendant turned and used his superior attributes to zip away . Zac looked in his direction for a few moments before turning to the two massive steles that were erected in the center of the square . They listed the rules and regulations , and the more people read , the worse their expressions got .

Zac was the same with a furrow on his face . This place looked nice and orderly , but in reality , it was pretty sinister .

31

Chapter 795 : FREEDOM’S END

The world they had been trapped in was simply called the Orom World , and they currently occupied a town somewhat morbidly named Freedom’s End . There were seventeen more towns in total , though you were allowed to set up a cultivation cave almost wherever you wanted . Traveling this world from end to end would take about five months , even with their current attributes , proof of just how massive the innards of this Leviathan was .

There had to be some high-grade spatial manipulation at play for this to be possible . The Orom had been larger than a planet , but it ultimately wasn’t large enough for someone with 1 , 000 Dexterity to take almost half a year to rush from end to end .

Thankfully , there was a system of teleportation arrays that only required 10 Purchase Points to use . Even better , the first three uses were on the house , allowing the newcomers to check a few things out . After that , you had to use the points you collected . The most straightforward method to gain more points was to make improvements to your cultivation .

Every single Contribution Point you gained , also awarded a single Purchase Point . Unfortunately , there was no clear explanation of how many points different breakthroughs awarded . It was all up to the discretion of the Orom , decreed through the brand on their hands . You could also gain Purchase Points through trade or a few other means , but Contribution Points only came from making progress .

As to why there were eighteen towns , it was related to the cultivation like most things in this place . Freedom’s End had no particular attunement , but there were seven neighboring zones that all had different attunements related to nature . Zac looked around the square , sensing that most cultivators in the area had an earthy aura . Freedom’s End was probably where these Nature-aspected cultivators completed any business they had .

Most of the other towns had similar functions , being central hubs surrounded by enriched cultivation environments following various peaks , from Space to the Five Elements . Zac’s eyes eventually stopped at the eighth settlement—Samsara’s Edge . It was a town surrounded by zones of Life and Death .

Wasn’t that just perfect for him?

The description of Samsara’s Edge even had an additional note that the Death-attuned zones were filled with Miasma rather than Cosmic Energy , and Zac guessed that was where most of the undead in the Orom cultivated . Zac had already realized that escaping right away was impossible , no matter how much he wanted to get back to Earth .

Whether the escape method he landed on would rely on Kenzie’s teleportation arrays or him making use of his bloodline , he would probably only get one shot . So first , he needed to recuperate to a perfect state , and if possible , empower himself even further before making his move . Secondly , it would take some time to devise a plan , considering it was a proper Autarch keeping him trapped .

He couldn’t just plonk down the teleportation array in the middle of the forest and expect it to work .

As for rescue , Zac didn’t hold up much hope . Even if someone from the Undead Empire became interested in him after Catehya’s report and the events in the harbor , how would they even find him? He’d stopped counting after passing through fifty dimensional layers on his way to the Orom , and the beast most likely used various Top-grade methods to avoid being hunted down .

And while his mother was technically an Autarch as far as he could tell , there was no way she would be interested in helping him . The only way Zac could see that happening was if she felt his imprisonment an affront to her own exalted name or something similarly insane . He would have to rely on himself to get out of here , and he kept reading the large stele in hopes of gaining clues that could help with that .

As to why the Orom was interested in so many different peaks of cultivation , Zac had no idea , and neither was it explained . Perhaps it was hoping to draw inspiration from all kinds of sources . Besides , Spatial Cultivators were just too rare , just like Karmic Cultivators . There was no way it would be able to fill a whole world like this with Spatial Cultivators , at least not without garnering a whole lot of unwanted attention .

Zac guessed that using his Annihilation Sphere had marked him as a unique talent of Death or perhaps even Oblivion , which was why he was sent to cultivate rather than turned into food . The sphere likely had some sort of affinity tester , and he wasn’t surprised that it didn’t initially consider him a target for nurturing .

Not all the towns were these kinds of elemental hubs though . One of them housed an arena where you could fight against both beasts and other cultivators . You could even bet your Purchase Points there when fighting , but betting on others wasn’t allowed . You needed to earn any points you gained in the Orom World .

Another town held the gate to the 'Wilderness' , a vast sector teeming with beasts . It was a place to temper yourself , to confirm the insights you’d gained while meditating .

The space in the Wilderness was far larger than the rest of the Orom World combined , but that resulted in the cultivation environment being worse . Setting up a cultivation cave there would be impractical , but those who confirmed their path through slaughter would invariably spend a lot of time there .

Skill fractals were unlocked there as well , though the attribute limiters were still active . Zac didn’t quite understand how you could possibly power up a Monarch’s or Hegemon’s skills with only 1 , 000 attributes available , but he guessed the Orom had figured out some way to let cultivators use lesser versions of their skills .

If one of the plaques held the various spots and highlights of this world , then the next one held the rules . As Zac read one after another , it became all-too-apparent that the luxurious and carefree front of this place was all but an illusion . There were extremely strict rules put in place to maximize the benefits of the Orom .

Just as Murbot mentioned , there were recurring relegations . E-grade cultivators were measured once every five years , Hegemons once every fifty years , and Monarchs once every five hundred . The rules were simple : there were only so many spots on the first-string , and those spots were handed out based on the number of Contribution Points you gathered since the last relegation .

If you were a first-string cultivator and got stuck at some bottleneck , you’d probably get replaced by a second-string cultivator soon enough . And the lowest-performing members of the second-string were straight-up killed as a warning to the others . That essentially meant any Hegemon who found themselves unable to make progress for a few hundred years would get executed .

As new arrivals , their situation was a bit special . Murbot had mentioned being safe from the first relegation , but that was only against the old prisoners . Their group of new arrivals would have one reshuffle in three years before they started to compete against the main population for slots . Zac guessed that was an extra measure , because those prison bubbles were only so accurate to determine talent .

If you didn’t perform , you’d quickly fall out of grace and enter a world of hurt . Conversely , there were perks of making large strides in your cultivation . The more Contribution Points you gathered , the more Purchase Points you could exchange for different kinds of cultivation treasures without affecting your placement . Even better , high placements would provide additional benefits such as access to restricted cultivation grounds .

And from the sounds of it , there were marvelous spots inside the Orom that were attractive to even Monarchs .

As for the other rules , they were like most clans , except stricter . That was actually a good thing for Zac , considering how he was at the bottom of the totem pole . Killing was strictly prohibited , and even harassing cultivators who were meditating resulted in harsh contribution penalties .

The method to become Orom Attendants like Murbot was simple enough as well . You needed to gain a certain amount of total contribution , while also completing some quests the Orom assigned .

There were a few other rules that made it clear this place wasn’t some sect though . For example , procreation was banned . Having a child would result in harsh penalties , and the child would be taken away . Zac guessed the Orom didn’t want sprawling clans springing up inside its body , draining its resources , and it took to draconian measures to make sure that didn’t happen .

That resulted in there only being roughly 500 , 000 cultivators living in the Orom World . Of course , this small group alone would most likely be able to easily conquer a sector like Zecia , considering most of them were elite Hegemons and Monarchs the Orom felt was worthy to keep around .

Three years . . . I’ll have to go all out , - the old man said with a grimace before he turned to Zac . - So , what will you do , brat? -

I’ll rest a week or two before I start looking for a place to set up camp , - Zac sighed . - I was almost killed a few times over before getting captured , I need to recuperate a bit . -

You were in the middle of a fight as well? Where did you come from? - the old man asked curiously .

Zac didn’t immediately answer , prompting the old man to snort . - What a careful brat . I’m just trying to figure out how wide a net that big bastard was casting . I’m from the Yr’Lyserium Sector , a subsidiary sector of a faction called the Radiant Temple . -

A few of the new arrivals walked over , and a tattooed warrior spoke up . - 23rd Outer Regiment of the Havarok Army . -

The old man and two others looked at the beastman with small frowns , but he soon relaxed with a shrug . - I guess old grudges are irrelevant here . -

I came from the Twilight Harbor , - Zac said , and many indicated they had the same origin , just like he’d suspected .

Oh , that trading hub in the frontier? - the old man exclaimed with surprise . - Quite a distance from us . This big bastard has quite some reach . It should have made use of the Tarramak Vault somehow . Must have defended its Dao under the Path of Space to accomplish something like this . And how come so many of you came from there? -

I don’t think Twilight Harbor exists any longer , - Zac said . - I’m not sure exactly what happened , but a full-scale war broke out , destroying a whole Mystic Realm while I was still inside . It was pandemonium outside , and I was dragged into a spatial tear . I was captured before I found a way back into the main dimension . -

He obviously wouldn’t mention that he played a pretty big role in destroying the Twilight Ocean . As far as he was concerned , Arcaz Black had nothing to do with him . He wasn’t sure he would ever be able to use that identity again , depending on the Undead Empire’s response to his actions .

Of course , this was all dependent on him actually finding a way out of here .

The Twilight Lord sacrificed the Mystic Realm to create a chance to form a Ladder to Eternity , - a beautiful woman with two long tails sighed . - I was thrown into the Void before I had a chance to see the result . -

An ascent in the frontier? - the old man exclaimed , and a few others had faces full of longing as well . - I wish I was there to see it . -

He was really trying to become an Autarch? - Zac asked curiously as he looked at the two-tailed woman . - I thought that wasn’t possible in the frontier . -

He’d already discussed the situation with Catheya at length , but the people around him were all old monsters who should know more . He would have to be crazy to not make use of the opportunity to play dumb and glean some hard-to-access information .

The woman hesitated , but eventually said , - That is normally the case . I’m just a Hegemon as well , so I don’t know how it was possible . -

As the universe matures , the Dao grow scarce , - the insectoid woman spoke up . - The Boundless Heavens have ushered in an era of prosperity , but the Heavens can’t keep up . The ancient factions refuse to give up their advantages and draw the Heavens to their side , leaving the Dao scattered in the frontiers . Still , the Dao is omnipresent , and the Heavens can be recalled to the frontier with the right catalyst . -

The Boundless Heavens occasionally integrates unusually energy-dense dimensions , allowing for a burst of progress before those at the peak intervene , - another old man smiled . - Those ancient factions say it’s for the safety of those on the frontier . With them shrouding the Heavens , no Autarchs will naturally appear . In return , Autarchs will find travel on the frontier a constant drain on their foundations . -

The cultivator didn’t say it outright , but his expression told Zac all he needed to know on what he thought about the protection of the ancient factions . It was just an excuse to drain the weaker sectors and enrich their own cultivation grounds . Those kinds of things were beyond him , but it further explained why Leandra had been so insistent on taking Kenzie away from Zecia at least .

So , anyone breaking through to Autarchy inside the Orom and freeing everyone is impossible? - Zac sighed , realizing that insight would never be enough to reach Autarchy .

It didn’t matter how deep your insights were or how great a foundation you had laid down . If you lacked that pure connection to the Heavens , no one would be calling down the Heavens to defend their Dao . If Zac was a space fish abductor , then his first order of business would be to make sure that kind of connection was impossible .

Unless someone figures out a way to steal the foundation of the Orom itself to fuel their Ascent , - another man said with a lazy shrug . - It’s already a link to the Heavens through its own confirmed Dao . Seems like it doesn’t want to find out if such a thing is possible , thus booting anyone with a confirmed Dao . -

The group kept discussing the Eveningtide Asura’s attempt for a while longer , but people started setting out soon enough . Ultimately , they had only been gathered together by chance , and only two pairs seemed to have any relation to each other on the outside .

I guess something like this is hard to stomach for a youngling like you , - the old man sighed as he looked at the people walking away . - For me , this place might be the only chance I have of ever forming an inner world . -

Just when I was about to try out for the Radiant Temple , - Zac said with a smile . - I received a token to head over to Yr’Vanium Sector and all . -

Really? - the old man guffawed . - Well , if you manage to get out , you can always contact my old friend . He’s just an information officer in the Radiant Temple , but has some good connections and a soft spot for outside hires . His name is Io Sardovar . -

You have that much hope in me? - Zac smiled .

The old man grinned a bit as he furtively looked around . - Your reaction is the same as ours , but our situation isn’t the same . This place might actually improve our chances to reach Divine Monarchy . I essentially had no hopes before , but this place . . . at least gives me a sliver of a chance . But a young E-grade fledgling like you should be a lot more struck to have their path derailed . I think you have some confidence in getting out of here . Do you have an Autarch ancestor perhaps? Are you a descendant that one of the Grand Elders sired outside the temple? -

Zac only gave a blank look in return , knowing all-too-well what the old man was thinking .

Well , whatever , - the old man snorted when Zac refused to answer . - In either case , I’d like to leave a message with you as soon as I figure out how . In return , you can come once a month to get pummeled by me . You still have a lot of room for improvement , so it should provide you with some inspiration . I will reside somewhere in Glimmershroud . -

Glimmershroud was one of the towns surrounded by zones related to the Dao of Order and the Dao of Space . Zac couldn’t sense which one the old man followed , but he leaned toward the former considering what he’d learned about the Radiant Temple .

Alright . Those paths unfortunately aren’t for me , but I’ll come over if I get some points to spare , - Zac smiled .

Bring some alcohol if you do . A vigorous brat like you should be able to gather a lot of Purchase Points in short order . Don’t be stingy with your friends , - the old man said before he sauntered away .

Friends? You didn’t even introduce yourself , - Zac muttered with some exasperation before he walked toward the contribution exchange .

There were two functions the Contribution Store filled : to sell the cultivation resources available in the Orom and unseal the items locked in your Spatial Treasures . Zac wasn’t sure which of those services he was most eager about , and the prospect of treasure almost allowed him to forget the predicament he was in .

32

UNBOXING

The insides of the Contribution Store were quite large , with a fifty-meter-wide disk where just as many clerks stood in attendance . Zac noted they all wore the same white robes , with a similar insignia as the one Murbot wore . However , Zac sensed that these people weren’t someone standing above him in the Orom’s hierarchy , but rather below .

These people emitted extremely faint auras , and Zac guessed their attributes were locked at something like 2-300 at best . Most likely , they were part of the servants , the people who made up the largest group of those captured .

Some of the disks were occupied with customers , and Zac noted that anyone using the services had their surroundings blurred , making it impossible to see what was going on . Zac thought for a second before he walked over to one of the free attendants , this one a middle-aged human .

Welcome , how can I help? - the man said with a smile .

Uh , I’m new here . Do you have a catalog or something I can look through? - Zac asked .

Oh , young master is part of the latest batch? - the man sighed , and Zac could see some jealousy flash in the man’s eyes before it was gone . - Of course , the Exchange provides a catalog free of charge . -

He handed over a crystal , but Zac looked at it with confusion . How was he supposed to activate it with the brand on his hand?

The energy seal is a lot more complex than you might expect , - the man said with a small smile . - Just try to activate it like normal . -

Zac was a bit skeptical , but followed the instructions . Suddenly , his Cosmic Energy flowed freely , entering and activating the crystal without issue .

You can divide items in the Orom World between authorized and unauthorized . The seal will not prevent you from using authorized items , while unauthorized treasures will be locked out , - the clerk explained .

Zac had already read about this on the signs outside , but was surprised how seamlessly it worked . The prison array on his hand was clearly High-quality if it could make distinctions like that on the fly .

Where do I authorize my items? - Zac asked .

Do you see the rooms over there? - The man pointed to the left . - Those are unsealing chambers , one of the few places where you can activate your Spatial Ring . You can take out any items you require there and have them authorized . You should beware though , the room is covered in arrays that would detect if you try to take out something dangerous or detrimental to the Orom . If you take out such offensive treasures , you will be deducted Contribution Points , perhaps even executed . -

If I had items like that I wouldn’t be here , - Zac cursed under his breath .

This Primordial Beast was just too careful , maintaining such restrictions even on E-grade cultivators . Still , that wasn’t all bad . The more draconic the measures , the better it might actually be for him . The more focus they put on places like these unsealing chambers , the less attention they might place on other parts of the Orom where they wouldn’t expect Spatial Rings to work .

For now , Zac focused on the situation at hand . He’d been given 1 , 000 Contribution Points , and he might as well make the most of the situation . However , the more he read the more his brows furrowed together .

This is it? - Zac eventually asked .

Well , we are right at the end of a cycle , and it was an unusually long one . No new materials have appeared for almost eight hundred years , the last time the Orom fed , - the man helplessly explained . - However , there are also better items available , though young master needs to increase his standing first . There are also some unique attuned items in their respective settlement that you will not find in the others . -

Zac nodded in understanding .

When will the stock be replenished then? - Zac asked .

It was a bit morbid to ask about the scraps from the innumerable people the Orom had killed and consumed , but he couldn’t be picky in a place like this . He , in particular , required large amounts of resources to progress . If his prison escape dragged out , he would definitely need every advantage he could get to stay ahead .

The servants are fast at work categorizing the newly acquired items , - the clerk explained . - It usually takes around two months until the process is complete . At that point , the items will be added to the stores or made available in other ways . Some treasures might appear before that , though , as you new arrivals exchange items for points . -

Zac thoughtfully nodded . The last part was the result of an odd rule in the Orom World , where you could only sell outside items to the Orom itself , in exchange for Purchase Points . However , if you crafted pills or grew herbs inside the Orom , you could sell them freely , though at a price set by the Contribution Store .

An odd rule designed to extract as much progress as possible out of the captives , but Zac guessed it was the result of some other incident far in the past . According to Murbot , the Orom World had been extremely lax at the start , but things had become increasingly draconic over the eons as highly motivated cultivators kept causing chaos in their attempts to escape .

Alright . For now , I’ll take a Low-grade Cosmos Sack and an Elementary Cave Kit , - Zac said .

The Cosmos Sack wasn’t anything impressive , except for the fact that it was an authorized item . Its size was just a tenth of his better Spatial Rings , but that was more than enough to carry miscellaneous items he needed during his stay here . There were far better versions as well , but things got expensive very quickly . The Cosmos Sack he bought cost just 10 Contribution Points , whereas the worst Spatial Rings cost over 500 .

The Elementary Cave Kit cost 50 Contribution Points and was a set of five arrays meant to facilitate cultivation . Three of the arrays were for cultivation : a gathering array to increase energy density , a purity array to strengthen the attunement of the cave , and a clarity array that worked like the incense and prayer mats in his possession .

The last two were an isolation array that would allow you to cultivate without interruptions , and finally a climate array that dealt with everything from temperature , humidity , to things such as cleaning and pest control . Zac didn’t really benefit from the energy density or the attunement for his normal cultivation , but it might be needed for something else—his soul .

The oceans in his soul had probably surpassed what was intended by the Nine Reincarnations Manual] already , and his soul had taken another leap forward after consuming the second Splinter of Oblivion . He just needed to rest up and consolidate his gains , after which he was ready to take the next step .

The Elementary Cave Kit was heavily subsidized as well , to the point it was almost a freebie for newcomers . But apart from that , it was slim pickings . Zac also got a more detailed map of the Orom World for 5 Contribution Points , after which he walked over to the unsealing chambers .

The room was empty when Zac entered , and he could feel how a number of arrays activated the moment the door closed behind him . It felt like he’d entered a different dimension altogether , probably a security measure in case a Monarch took out some terrifying offensive talisman with the power to destroy a country .

A crystal lay waiting on a table , and a burst of information entered Zac’s mind after instilling the crystal with some energy . Zac mulled things over for a few seconds before pile after pile of various Supreme-grade crystals appeared in the room before entering his new Cosmos Sack . After that , Zac took out various herbs he’d gathered in the Twilight Ocean .

He was focusing on things that would benefit his cultivation in the short run , either through direct digestion or after being turned into pills . After the natural treasures , he also took out a series of arrays . Each time he took out an array disk , a presence descended on the room before the item was scanned .

His Soul Cultivation Arrays and specialized energy gathering arrays passed just fine , but when he tried taking out an escape talisman , it immediately combusted . Thankfully , a few of his practice axes weren’t stopped , but he didn’t dare take out Verun’s Bite] in case the Orom would destroy it .

Soon enough , a small hill of items had entered his new Cosmos Sack , at which point Zac was content . Luckily , it was cheap enough to authorize and transfer cultivation resources . Basic cultivation resources were free , which included all types of Nexus Crystals and most common herbs .

The more unique herbs Zac had taken out from the depths of the Twilight Ocean were scanned for 1 Purchase Point each , and the arrays weren’t that much more expensive . By the time Zac was done , he’d only spent 34 Purchase Points , saving the rest for when the other resources appeared .

Of course , Zac didn’t immediately leave the chamber . This was one of the few places where he could freely open Spatial Treasures , and he’d been waiting for weeks to find out exactly what kind of treasures he’d been carrying . His heart beat with anticipation as he took out one item after another from his pockets .

First , he checked the Cosmos Sacks he picked up in the Void and from the cultivators in the City of Ancients . Altogether , there were dozens of them , yet their combined value wasn’t anything too impressive . Unsurprisingly , even the ones he got from the Void had exclusively been owned by E-grade cultivators and lower , and the gains were thereafter .

The only exceptions were a couple of Manuals that seemed higher-quality than anything he had back on Earth , along with a Body Tempering Manual . Most of their information was sealed , but Zac still put them in his Authorized Sack . There were also two High-quality herbs Zac didn’t recognize , along with a few thousand Twilight Fruits .

After picking out what he wanted , Zac threw each Cosmos Sack onto another array in the room . Space twisted , and a moment later the sack was gone and Zac had gained a couple of Purchase Points . The items in each Cosmos Sack provided between 0 and 2 points . It wasn’t much , but it helped cover some of his expenses while freeing up his pockets .

After performing a mental tally , Zac realized why the Orom was so insistent on keeping a monopoly . It actually paid less than a tenth compared to the prices quoted in the store , which no doubt helped it save a lot on expenses . It was a bit annoying , but Zac wasn’t too interested in making more points in any case .

Instead , he focused on the Spatial Rings he’d looted . Most of them had been taken from bodies that emitted fierce auras , and he had high hopes for their contents .

And he wasn’t disappointed .

The first ring contained a vast assortment of arrays , Cosmic Crystals , unique treasures , and information missives . It was a shocking collection of items , far surpassing any of the bags he’d looted in the Twilight Ocean , and going through them all would take months . There were thousands of other items as well .

Sets of equipment that seemed to be D-grade , weapons , tools for blacksmithing , raw metals , and ores . Zac looked upon the huge array of items with wonder until he finally put the ring back in his pocket without taking anything out . The treasures in this thing were definitely worth a whole pile of D-grade Nexus Coins , but he didn’t want to take out things in the Orom World unless necessary , both to avoid any unforeseen risks and the expenditure .

His Mental Energy swept through one ring after another , and while most had clearly belonged to the wealthy among the younger generation , a few of them had been owned by proper Hegemons . One thing he noticed was the huge discrepancy in wealth between the D-grade cultivators .

A few barely had a any Cosmic Crystals or treasures to their names , while the items were cheap mass-produced stuff . It was just like the broken-down Cosmos Sack he’d looted from the Hegemon skeleton that had become an octopus’ home . He had been way poor , no matter if you compared to Zac himself or the previous owner of the first ring he scanned .

Meanwhile , a few rings had hundreds of impressive-looking raw materials , everything from stacks of jade boxes containing natural treasures to slabs of shimmering metals . If converted into Nexus Coins , each such item would probably be worth anything from a few hundred to tens of thousands of D-grade Nexus Coins .

Two rings only contained mountains of low-grade cultivation materials , perhaps some Clan’s stock of resources taken away when the chaos ensued . The quality of the items was much lower than what he’d sent back home to Earth with Vilari , but the quantities more than made up for it .

Zac’s mind was abuzz as he kept a mental tally of his estimates , and he eventually passed 4 C-grade Nexus Coins by the time he’d gone through all the rings . It wasn’t like his wealth had skyrocketed , but that was a huge windfall , and one not tainted with the bad blood of Leandra’s gift . Furthermore , there were hundreds of items , treasures , and materials he hadn’t included or given low price tags since he had no idea what they were worth .

For all he knew , the actual number might be five times his estimate .

He also located a bunch of items he could directly benefit from , including both Attribute Fruits and Dao Treasures to replenish his dwindling stocks . But he left those items behind as well , wanting to plan out his next move before wasting any more Purchase Points .

Next , he eagerly took out the Spatial Gem that had supposedly belonged to Aia Ouro , and his eyes lit up when he swept his mind through the crystal . It was extremely well-stocked with all kinds of arrays and related materials . More importantly , the Spatial Tool contained two different types of crystals that emitted energy fluctuations that resonated with his soul .

There were even three densely engraved boxes , each one containing what seemed to be a supreme cultivation treasure , two of which clearly related to the soul . The last one was a piece of black glass , which Zac had no idea what it entailed . Considering it was treated with the same importance as treasures that gave off even greater mental fluctuations than the grass he used for cultivation in the Twilight Chasm , it had to be something special .

Finally , Zac turned toward the final item—Uona’s Spatial Ring . From the looks of it , Clan Noz’Valadir was more powerful than Hive Ouro , and Uona was more of an elite than Aia Ouro , so he had great hopes for her Spatial Treasure . However , Zac’s eyes widened with horror the moment he infused the ring with energy .

It was like he’d set off some chain reaction when activating the item , and the spatial pocket rapidly collapsed . He desperately started taking out one item after another , focusing on the materials and items that looked the most expensive or useful . There was simply too little time though , and he was dismayed to find his mental tendril suddenly cut off , and the ring crumbled .

In front of him , five items were resting on the scanning table : a box containing six sanguine gems shimmering with dark energies , two pieces of metal that seemed even better than anything he’d found in the Twilight Ocean , a vial of blood , and a set of Information Crystals .

That was all he managed to take out before the ring crumbled . Though the rest were mostly mountains of loot from those she’d murdered in the trail by the looks of it . These five items should have been among the best things in her possession . The array scanned one item after another , and Zac was surprised to see it took as long to scan the vial as the rest of the items combined .

Not only that , he noticed that scanning the blood cost a whopping 100 Contribution Points , even though the process normally was almost free . Zac thought the odd gems to be the most valuable , but it looked like it was the blood . Zac thought back to his battle with Uona , and the events that preceded it . He'd wondered where she got the energy to raise so many Blood Thralls while also nurturing that terrifying Blood Effigy .

Was this blood perhaps the answer?

The vial was sealed , but even then , he felt a sense of pressure emanating from the swirling blood inside . It should be a Pseudo D-grade item at most , considering she had brought it into the trial . Although , it was also possible Uona had managed to sneak inside a proper D-grade material with the help of her ancestor .

In either case , Zac hoped it would be useful for Verun to finally make the push toward Peak E-grade , and perhaps even set the foundations for evolving to D-grade in the future . He stowed away the items in his Cosmos Sack before finally leaving the sealed chamber and the Contribution Store .

From there , Zac traveled Freedom’s End for a few more hours , learning snippets of information here and there . Eventually , he picked an empty house , of which there were quite a few , and settled down for the day to digest what had happened .

As he looked down at the street from his window , Zac pondered on what he should do next . His first instinct had been to escape as quickly as possible to go back to Earth , using his bloodline to circumvent the Orom’s restrictions .

But was that really the right move?

The incursion back on Earth had already started , it was too late for him to do anything about it . Not that he could , in either case . The level limit was 100 , while he’d reached 123 . The cost to enter as reinforcement would be shocking , if he was allowed inside at all . He couldn’t be certain , but he didn’t think it was a coincidence the opportunity was awarded while he was gone . It wasn’t an opportunity meant for him .

He still couldn’t enter the inheritance trial either , and according to Leandra , it would be years before the Dimensional Seed reappeared in the Million Gates Territory . Meanwhile , his actions in the Twilight Ocean had no doubt caused some ripples , and he couldn’t put his whole faith in Catheya’s ability to turn the situation in his favor .

Perhaps , hiding out in a space fish for a couple of months while things calmed down wasn’t the worst of ideas .

33

THE PURSUIT OF COMPLETENESS

It wasn’t just a kneejerk reaction to stay inside the Orom for longer than Zac initially planned . From what he’d gathered , the Orom would keep dragging poor souls to be filtered for over a week .

Even if Zac managed to escape , he would probably be dragged right back in . However , the Orom apparently moved with shocking speed most of the time , swimming through various dimensions just like its smaller brethren . It would be far better to escape while the beast was on the move since it would be gone in an instant , hopefully leaving Zac behind in some empty corner of space .

Traveling to Freedom’s End for half a day proved this place was full of opportunities . There were unique resources , and it was veritably teeming with old masters that he would normally never have the chance to interact with on a somewhat equal standing .

There was also the Wilderness , an optimal place for him to perfect his stances . Your power was fixed , but the beasts kept getting stronger the deeper you delved . The only way to push farther was to improve what you could do with the power you had , just like how that old man had easily knocked him on his ass earlier .

There were some powerhouses in this place that had been able to accomplish unbelievable things in the Wilderness with raw skill and tactics . There was still a lot of room for improvement in this regard , and Zac got the feeling working on his stances would also help him get closer to forming his last two Dao Branches .

Zac looked out across the settlement from the window of his temporary residence for another few minutes before he made his decision . He would follow his guts—stay behind for a while longer to recuperate and consolidate his gains . Then extract this place for all the benefits he could get his hands on before escaping .

As for the downsides , they didn’t much matter to Zac if he didn’t plan to stick around . He was safe from the first relegation , and he had enough resources to produce impressive improvements in case he was still around in three years for the shake-up .

However , this all hinged on his bloodline being able to help him break out of this space fish .

If that didn’t work , Zac was in big , big trouble . He wasn’t as smart or as knowledgeable as most of the other captives . He didn’t have a cultivation method to gradually push him forward , and he wouldn’t be able to simply meditate to make breakthroughs . His Void Energy was the only thing that gave him an edge .

If these kinds of people hadn’t managed to flee from this prison through conventional means , how could he?

But cultivating in this place for the long-term was out of the question . He’d gained a decent idea of the required advancements to be safe from relegation , and it didn’t look good . With new people being added every few hundred years , there was no settling down . In fact , the demands were so high , the average lifespan in the Orom World was just a tenth compared to the outside .

Monarchs were lucky if they could survive 100 , 000 to 150 , 000 years , a far cry from their natural lifespans . Hegemons would usually be relegated out by the time they turned 10 , 000 unless they managed to break through to Monarchy and get a boost of momentum . Of course , there were also innumerable examples of people suddenly finding themselves stuck , dying far earlier compared to this .

The reason was simple . After that initial burst of breakthroughs , their improvement slowed down , making them unable to compete with the new arrivals . Soon enough , the old were relegated , replaced by new faces who hadn’t yet expended their potential or momentum . Zac didn’t want to live in a desperate environment like this longer than he had to , but there was one more reason to escape .

After seeing the Contribution Shop and learning about the various places and benefits available , Zac had come to a simple conclusion—he wouldn’t be able to continuously progress in such an environment . He hadn’t encountered any real bottlenecks with his unique cultivation method so far . But in return , he required a lot of resources , no matter if you talked Dao , Levels , Soul , or Bloodline .

The Orom expected you to make most of your progress simply by cultivating , making use of the dense ambient energy and attuned zones . There were unique cultivation grounds in this world as well , but those places cost Purchase Points , and people only used them when they were at the precipice of breaking through .

Making breakthroughs would net him Contribution Points and the equivalent amount of Purchase Points , but he would have to spend far more resources for every breakthrough compared to what said breakthrough was worth .

The Wilderness wasn’t any help either . Since people’s attributes , including the Orom Attendants , were limited to 1 , 000 in the Wilderness , the beasts were just early to Middle E-grade over there . Even if Zac managed to slaughter half of what was out there , he wouldn’t get enough kill energy to reach Peak E-grade .

His fortune in the form of Nexus Coins was also almost useless here . Who’d take a System currency in a prison where there was no place to spend it? Besides , there were the harsh restrictions on trade that didn’t go through the Contribution Store . There had been occasions where late Monarchs had started hoovering up Nexus Coins when they were at the precipice of confirming their Dao , but events like that were extremely rare .

Luckily , Zac was disgustingly wealthy for an E-grade cultivator , which would keep him safe in the short run . However , his requirements would only increase . What currently felt like a mountain of wealth in his Spatial Rings , might not seem as impressive by the time he started looking to form his Cultivator’s Core .

Ultimately , Zac would enter a downward spiral , where his gathered resources were rapidly depleted while being unable to replenish them . Soon enough , he’d be broke , and would be relegated one step after another until he was culled .

And the mere process of reaching Hegemony was a problem . Ignoring issues like missing out on the inheritance trial back home , would he even be able to form a core in a place like this? He’d long since gathered a few missives that had methods for mortals to take that step , but it didn’t look too optimistic . The exact methodology differed , but the essence was the same .

You had to consume innumerable treasures , preferably containing the attunement of your path . From there , you’d use one method or another to extract the essence of the treasures , and push it into the spot where your core would form . Like that , you would add one layer after another while keeping constant pressure with arrays and Mental Energy , until something like a core formed .

It was technically possible for Zac to accomplish that here , though there were no facilities available that could aid him with the process . After all , the Orom didn’t swallow mortals , it focused on those with extremely high attunements . Zac was even afraid to commission the arrays he needed , in case it would result in him being purged .

Besides , Zac was reluctant to use the methods he had on hand . It was painfully clear that the methods he’d gathered so far were extremely basic . Their odds of success were abysmally low even for people with weak foundations . With so many different treasures making up the core , it would become unstable .

When connected to one’s pathways , the rampant energies would rip it apart before you had a chance to properly refine and strengthen it . For someone like him , Zac wasn’t even sure if it was possible .

Secondly , even if he succeeded , the result would be lackluster . The kind of core you formed with this type of method would be weak and full of imperfections . Most likely , you’d be stuck at early D-grade , unable to evolve the core any further . Zac’s plan had always been to find some sort of high-grade technique that worked for mortals , possibly through a System-reward , like how he got his Soul Strengthening Method .

If that failed , he would try to adapt the best one he could get his hands on , making it more suitable to his unique condition and the opposing elements of his path . After all , it wasn’t like he simply needed to form an ice-attuned Cultivator’s Core or something . He had to somehow cram Life , Death , and Conflict into the core without it exploding .

Perhaps Yrial had some insights considering his path of fire and ice , or Zac might be able to glean some solutions from the Realm Spirits in his Spatial Ring . He might even be able to figure something out with the help of the term Edgewalker , now that he knew he wasn’t alone . All of which required time and the ability to freely travel in search of answers .

Certainly , the prospect of being bottlenecked and killed wasn’t the only reason he needed to escape . Just the thought of being stuck inside the Orom as the world outside passed him by filled his heart with a sense of existential dread . Perhaps the people of Port Atwood would think he died during the Twilight Ascent , especially if they managed to find out about the collapse of the Twilight Harbor . Perhaps they would believe he abandoned Earth , turning his gaze toward a wider stage .

Zac quickly stabilized his mind before his thoughts spiraled out of control , and instead focused on what he could do . For now , he needed to recover himself to peak condition , so Zac spent the next five days stabilizing his body . He even decided to use 200 of his Purchase Points to use one of the High-grade facilities in Freedom’s End for two days .

It was a recovery room that used dozens of arrays and attuned energies to recover all sorts of wounds and ailments . As Murbot said , the Orom fed during congregations of fate , which usually meant war . A lot of those who were dragged here were already wounded , sometimes grievously so . The Orom was aware of this , and therefore provided services that would get its captives to quickly return to cultivating .

Zac’s wounds were pretty bad , but the room he used could even heal Peak Hegemons . The cracks in his soul were rapidly mended , though that was partly thanks to some of the items found in Aia Ouro’s Spatial Gem . The same was true for his wounds , though the lingering echoes of Chaos resisted the healing process .

Another thing the arrays were unable to fix was the hidden damage from overusing the energy of the Remnants . The spider , vein-like cracks on the upper half of his body were still there , though they were invisible to the naked eye . The array did at least help Purity of the Void] shoo some of the foreign Daos from his body , and when he walked out of the healing chamber , it felt like he’d been on bed rest for over two months .

During his stay in Freedom’s End , he had seen one group after another being led here . His group was the largest one so far , with some of the others only having a dozen people . However , on the third day , a lot of Havarok warriors and undead Revenants arrived , staring daggers at each other .

Zac was shocked to learn that the Umbri’Zi Clan had declared war on the Havarok Empire , and fierce battles were currently taking place across multiple frontier sectors . He even spotted a couple of Draugr , though he noticed every single one had pretty diluted bloodlines , kind of like Nala who guided him through Twilight Harbor . He guessed Orom knew enough not to anger a clan like Umbri’Zi and left the true clan members alone .

Or perhaps it killed them all to hide any traces of what it had done .

On the third day , Zac had also made an extra trip to the Contribution Store and taken out all the various cultivation methods he’d gathered since arriving in the Twilight Harbor . Some came from those he had fought , others came from various sources . For example , there was a stack of old methods he found in the cave of the Beast King where he got his aura-hiding bracelet .

From there , he hurried to a nondescript mansion where a dozen cultivators were already lining up . Zac entered when it was his turn , and emerged with a smile thirty minutes later . The Information Crystals had all been sealed to block his prying , but how could that be a problem in the Orom World?

The man Zac visited was called Provedius , a middle-grade Monarch and a Jade Orom Attendant , surpassing even Murbot . He was also known as the greatest unsealer of the Orom World , and had effortlessly unlocked every single method Zac had gathered , with the sole exception of two of the crystals belonging to Uona and one of Aia Ouro’s .

Provedius had been unsealing stolen and looted missives for over 50 , 000 years in hopes of stumbling onto something that would provide the inspiration to break through his current bottlenecks . In fact , he had specifically come over to Freedom’s End for that very purpose . Even better , the only price he demanded for his services was that he was allowed to make a copy of any information he unlocked .

If he ever managed to get out of this place , he would probably have an exceedingly valuable heritage to base his faction on . Unfortunately , the Orom prevented Provedius selling any of the methods he’d gathered over the millennia , since that counted as selling outside goods . Then again , he probably wouldn’t have made the methods public even if he could .

Most people would be unwilling to sell techniques in a place where you competed in terms of progress . What if you sold a method that allowed your competitor to surpass you , forcing you into relegation?

As for the content of the Information Crystals Zac had unsealed , they were mostly useless . There were almost one hundred different cultivation methods , though it only felt worthwhile to put five or so in the Academy back home . It wasn’t that the others were bad , but there were issues with spreading your base too thin .

It was better to focus on a handful of paths , where the successive generations of Port Atwood could expand and add detail to the heritage . That way , they would also be able to form more coherent armies if needed . If Zac put the hundreds of methods he’d collected until now in the Academy , it would become too chaotic , and the odds of elites emerging would decrease rather than increase .

But there were a few Information Crystals that were quite useful to him , especially from Aia Ouro’s Spatial Gem . More than half contained a vast compendium of Arrays and inscription patterns , a good chunk supplementing the information he’d gained from Catheya . There was also a soul cultivation manual that seemed extremely powerful . It was called the Thousand Lights Chapter] , but Zac wasn’t sure a non-spectral cultivator would be able to cultivate it without making some pretty big modifications .

However , there was a lot of general information about soul cultivation attached to the method , which was helpful even for Zac and his Nine Reincarnations Manual] . It delved deep into what a soul was , and how to utilize it as efficiently as possible . There was even a technique that couldn’t quite be considered a skill , but something he was keen on trying out .

It was called the Thousand Lights Avatar] , but it didn’t actually look like it required the Thousand Lights Chapter] to work . It was a technique where you continuously extracted Mental Energy and your Dao from your soul and infused it into your spiritual body . In the beginning , it wouldn’t do much good , but after you had reached some success , you would see all kinds of benefits .

First of all , it would continuously strengthen the spiritual body , including one’s pathways , which was extremely useful as Zac neared the later stages of the E-grade where every node-breaking was fraught with danger . At higher grades , it could do even more miraculous things , such as performing spirit walks with your spiritual body .

For a spectral cultivator , it was pretty much a cloning technique .

At the highest stage , it would be a second life of sorts . If you got your soul destroyed in battle or cultivation mishap , you could reform a backup soul with your Thousand Lights Avatar] . It would be significantly weaker compared to your original soul , but it was obviously far preferable to dying .

Reaching that state would take hundreds of years of effort though , and wasn’t something that could benefit in the short run . For now , all the general information on soul cultivation and soul evolutions were far more useful . While the comments were for a different heritage , they still added to his understanding of his own method .

After all , the version of Nine Reincarnations Manual] he possessed was extremely terse , without any insights or experiences . Last time , he only realized mid-breakthrough how the first reincarnation actually worked . He wanted to be better prepared for the second round , and this might help him out .

As for the description in the Nine Reincarnations Manual] , it wasn’t much more helpful compared to the first one :

Refined by the seas of Life and Death , the soul returns to the Samsara . Continuous reinvention is at the heart of the Heavenly Law . From a singular unity , the multitudes of the Cosmos can be beseeched . From Eight Trigrams a system is formed , where the singular unity is supreme .

Nine Dharmas , nine Heavens , nine layers of the Abyss .

The cycle of Life and Death is the cycle of the Samsara and the pursuit of completeness .

Zac felt the clue lay in the second paragraph . But what did nine Dharmas , nine Heavens , and nine layers of the Abyss refer to? The number nine was central to his Soul Strengthening Method , and to the Dao itself , but it didn’t help him much in preparing for the second reincarnation . If there was some repeated process involved in the reincarnation , he would have to aim for nine revolutions to reach perfection .

And that was exactly what Zac was planning on doing .

34

A THOUGHT TO CHANGE THE WORLD

Apart from the compendium on arrays and souls in Aia Ouro’s Spatial Gem , there was also a good treasure compendium , along with descriptions of popular cultivation resources the Eidolon used . The special treasures the ghost had saved were listed as well , giving Zac a proper understanding of what he was dealing with . Unfortunately , the glass pane was related to crafting Illusion-based items , and thus useless for him .

However , both of the others were natural treasures with great effect on the soul . One would strengthen it , while the other purified it . Aia Ouro had probably saved them for when making a push to the D-grade , but now they’d become fuel for Zac’s second reincarnation . He was already somewhat confident his soul had reached the required levels before . But with this , he was almost certain .

Apart from the two treasures , most of Aia’s other items were geared toward soul cultivation . Many had similar effects as the treasures , only with lesser potency . Apparently , the Eidolon used sticks of incense rather than pills , which made things a bit difficult for Zac . He was afraid of wasting the efficacy with his corporeal body , so he simply started eating the sticks instead , ignoring the extremely acrid taste .

Five more days passed , and Zac saw how activity had started to die down in Freedom’s End . Some people had taken the opportunity to stretch their legs when the new batch arrived , others tried to scam them . But with the excitement all-but-over , most returned to their cultivation caves , while the new arrivals spread out across the Orom World .

Now , there was just a smattering of people walking down the streets of what almost looked like a ghost town . It wasn’t a surprise , considering most people in this world were Hegemons who usually spent years at a time in seclusion . The next time people would emerge was probably when the new products had been tallied and added to the Contribution Stores .

Seeing as his condition was way better now compared to before , Zac knew it was time to get started and find out whether his plans to escape would work . Zac hadn’t just rested and studied Aia’s soul missives over the past week . He also started planning his escape while scouring the city for intelligence on how harshly the Orom World was monitored .

As far as he could tell , the Orom didn’t care one whit about what went on in this place . It didn’t monitor its inner world at all by the looks of it , and simply let the attendants do the job while it passively reaped the rewards .

Even if someone escaped , it didn’t seem to care too much . If anything , the old captives expected the new arrivals to try various methods to escape . If someone actually figured out a way , good for them . Of course , any attendant who reported a missing person or an escape method would be awarded a bunch of Contribution Points .

Knowing this , Zac decided to perform a few experiments , and he left Freedom’s End heading due north . Traveling by foot was pretty inefficient , what with the restrictions and his inability to use Earthstrider] , but he still decided to walk between Freedom’s End and Samsara’s Edge . The two cities were pretty closely situated , with the Life-attuned areas neighboring the Nature-attuned zones .

There were even two unusually large mixed-meaning zones where cultivators could set up their caves .

Going by foot would take around two weeks , but it would allow him to get a better understanding of his surroundings . Unfortunately , it turned out his second sense coming from Forester’s Constitution] was disabled as well as he walked through the forests , but it wasn’t like there would be a bunch of treasures waiting right at the edge of a city .

With the energy so dense and rife with Dao , treasures could certainly grow . Unfortunately , the people who’d been trapped in this world for millennia had essentially memorized all the hotspots and picked the Spirit Herbs the moment they matured . Many also liked to stake out small claims to grow herbs to supplement their cultivation or took up professions like inscriptions or alchemy to save on Purchase Points .

Days passed , and Zac reached a slightly dour stretch of woods with a clear depression of Cosmic Energy . It was a no-man’s-land between the attuned zones . All the zones in the Orom World were supported by gargantuan gathering arrays that concentrated the energy into smaller areas , which resulted in seams of lower-quality land appearing in-between .

This stretch was the worst for setting up cultivation caves or growing herbs , and the only time cultivators spent in these zones was when they passed through the area . Conversely , the middle-point of every zone was where the energy and attuned energy was the densest . That was also where the Orom Attendants set up their cultivation caves , and they were able to push people out with the help of their superior attributes .

But Zac wasn’t interested in the cultivation havens at the heart of the zones . In fact , he decided to travel by foot exactly because he wanted to reach this desolate place . He walked around for a few hours until he found a small mountain and dug himself deeper and deeper through the rock until he was over a hundred meters below ground .

At this kind of depth , it would be extremely difficult for cultivators at the surface to notice his activities , even if they chanced upon the area , which was perfect in case you planned on performing some clandestine experiments .

Zac looked around for a good while even after setting up the isolation array , but he eventually turned his attention toward the ring on his finger . At first , he tried to instill it with his Cosmic Energy , but the result was the same as before . There was an invisible barrier barring his path , and his Cosmic Energy turned completely turbid upon even attempting to activate the Spatial Treasure .

Next , he took a steadying breath before rousing his bloodline . He wanted to use his Void Energy to activate the Spatial Ring . At first , there was no response , but it wasn’t because of his plan being a failure . It was simply a bit difficult to control this elusive energy . If Cosmic Energy felt like a hard-to-control river that coursed through his body , then Void Energy was simply a vacuum .

How do you push nothingness into a Spatial Ring?

However , his eyes lit up after a few minutes upon seeing his hard work paying off . He’d been forced to expel a larger chunk of Void Energy , completely covering his right hand . That had been enough to trigger the ring , and his mouth turned into a wide grin as he took out a Supreme Nexus Crystal . Zac placed it on the ground and waited for over an hour , but there was no response .

Zac breathed out in relief before placing the item back in his Spatial Ring , fearing that putting an unauthorized item in the authorized Cosmos Sack might somehow be exposed . Next , he decided to take an even bigger risk and removed an offensive talisman . Even then , nothing happened , though Zac only kept it out for five minutes before hurriedly putting it back .

Five minutes was what it would take him to take out and finish one of his spare teleportation arrays . Seeing that he could take out a talisman that long meant part of his plan would work . Zac decided against actually activating a teleportation array though , afraid that doing so in the Orom World would spoil his only opportunity to escape .

Zac also took out Verun’s Bite] for a moment and was relieved to feel its weight decreasing after sending a mental command to the axe . A fractal leaf from Nature’s Edge] also appeared just fine , and Zac grinned when he felt the power the skill emitted . It was weaker compared to his full power , but it was definitely stronger than 1 , 000 effective Strength .

With this , he doubted anyone but Emerald Badges in the Orom World would be a threat to him if it came down to it .

All through the experiments , the prison seal had been completely inert . It didn’t look like it had any safeguards that scanned for energy output or spatial fluctuations in the vicinity . His bloodline completely circumvented its limitations , just like he’d hoped . Having confirmed his bloodline mostly worked in this place and what he could and couldn’t do , Zac didn’t waste any more time .

He immediately set off , heading toward the Life-attuned side . He wanted to find a place right at the edge of Life and Death to set up a cultivation cave , which would give him the best environment to perform his second reincarnation . The energy density in these seams was far worse compared to the central zones , but they were still better than most places on Earth .

Besides , there was that intangible quality of Dao in the air . That alone made the Orom World superior to most D-grade planets , no matter where inside the space fish you stopped to cultivate . As for the lacking density of ambient energy , Zac had more than enough crystals to create a terrifying Life-Death environment .

Soon enough , he left the desolate band between the zones of Nature and Life , and found himself in another lush forest a day later . Zac looked around with interest , and he felt the contrast between the two zones was quite illuminating .

Life and Nature were closely linked , to the point that a huge chunk of those who cultivated either , cultivated some sort of mixed-meaning Dao . He would personally have walked down that road as well with his Hatchetman class , if not for the Remnants changing his plans and pushing him down the paths of Pure Life and Death .

Therefore , seeing the difference between the forests helped him get a somewhat better understanding of the two peaks .

The forest rife with the Dao of Nature had filled him with harmony . Like every plant and tree had been connected , a part of a bigger whole . It was almost akin to the interconnectedness of the Dao of Karma , where the forest was as much one singular entity of massive power as it was millions of individual plants and beasts .

Cultivating the Dao of Nature would allow one to draw on that vast and ancient power , becoming one with the forest . It was to let the cycles of nature push one forward , cultivating in balance and tranquility .

The forest of life was a stark contrast to this concept . The feeling Zac got here wasn’t one of harmony , but rather one of chaos . Some trees towered toward the sky , drenching their surroundings in darkness , their trunks uneven from greedily absorbing the ambient life . Others were twisted and full of bulbous knots , the Divine Energy having resulted in weird mutations .

No two trees or bushes were alike , each one reborn into something unique from the Life Attunement . They had set off on their individual journeys , fueled by the endless possibility of life . Most journeys clearly ended in disaster judging by the hollow trunks and dead plants , but Zac saw how some of these failed creations were consumed by their neighbors or turned into vessels for parasitic plants .

It was a scene of constant and unpredictable growth , and Zac eventually took out a practice axe as his eyes glistened . The axehead danced among the foliage as the air whistled . Zac kept swinging his axe while moving forward , not one of his swings identical to the previous ones . The turbulent forest had resonated with his Evolutionary Stance , and he couldn’t stop himself from practicing it for a while .

He didn’t infuse any energy into the attacks , and neither did he imbue the weapon with his Dao . He just moved along the path , his attacks echoing the impression he got from the various trees around him . He didn’t know how long he was in this state , where he kept delving deeper into the heart of the Evolutionary Stance , urged forward by the ambient energy and the whispers of the leaves .

With each swing , he also got closer to his vision of the Branch of Life he wanted to form . It was finally starting to diverge from the Nature-heavy aspect he inherited from his Hatchetman class . But looking around , Zac realized he didn’t need to give up the imagery of a tree just because he wanted to walk down the path of Pure Life .

Life was everything , and anything could be Life . It represented endless possibilities , the spark that led to a river of events . It was—

Zac didn’t get any further as he suddenly felt a pressure weigh down on him , and his eyes flicked open just in time to avoid walking right into a person . He hurriedly took a step back , realizing the person he’d almost crashed into was some sort of tree person .

Or at least he assumed that . Half of her face looked human , except for the green hair and iris , but a transformation covered the other side . Skin was replaced by bark , and small twigs grew from her chin and eyebrows , sprouting small purple leaves . The woman almost made Zac think of a corpse that had been left to rot in a forest . But her aura was vibrant , much like the trees around them , though Zac felt he could sense a hint of something malicious beneath the exuberance .

The pressure she emitted was the same as his , though Zac still held some trepidation from her gaze . It wasn’t just the fact that she was no probably a Late Hegemon or even higher , but there was also something else . Meeting someone in this desolate stretch of forest was a poignant reminder that he just arrived in the Orom World , and there were probably a bunch of hidden rules and tricks he wasn’t aware of .

A bit crude , but it has captured the essence , - the woman smiled , though the smile turned crooked because of the wooden side of her face . - I don’t recognize you . Are you part of the new arrivals? -

Uh , yes , - Zac slowly nodded .

Samsara’s Edge is that way , - the woman said and pointed to the right . - If you continue down this path you will reach my abode . I hope this little friend will accommodate me and take the long way around . A few of my experiments are approaching fruition . -

Experiments? - Zac asked with confusion .

Plants , - the woman explained . - I don’t want them to be impacted by your killing intent at the precipice of their metamorphosis . A thought can change the world , don’t you agree? -

I guess? - Zac said with confusion . - I’m sorry , I wasn’t planning on intruding on anyone’s domain . Is there any way for me to make sure I don’t make this mistake again? -

Normally , someone will extend their aura to warn you if they don’t want you to approach their arrays . Unfortunately , it seems you were a bit caught up in your axe to notice me , - she explained .

Oh . . . - Zac coughed as he turned away . - Well , again . I’m sorry . Have a good day . Good luck with your experiment . -

Zac hurried away , making quick strides toward the city . The woman had been congenial enough , but her aura was a bit off . Zac couldn’t be sure , but there was a sheen of madness and despair hidden in her smiling eyes . Perhaps , she was on the edge of relegation . Who knew what someone in that position might do to someone she believed was messing with her final chance at breaking through?

The weirdly exuberant forest had turned oppressive after that encounter , and Zac increased his pace while keeping greater watch of signs of other cultivators . It still took him five days to reach Samsara’s Edge , at which point it almost felt like a weight had lifted from his shoulders .

The settlement was quite similar to Freedom’s End , though half the city was shrouded in the familiar turquoise haze of Miasma . Zac had to admit that the Orom was quite gutsy , daring to set up sections of Pure Death in its body . What if it spread , turning the beast into some abomination like the creatures you could still encounter in the Dead Zone back on Earth?

In either case , it wasn’t Zac’s problem , and he made a quick trip to the Contribution Store . Just like the clerk back in Freedom’s End had said , this store provided a few Life and Death-attuned treasures that weren’t available anywhere else . Zac spent another 58 points to purchase a few more items before leaving again .

Zac kept going straight through the city , heading down the main street which also acted as a demarcation between Life and Death . From there , he entered the Wilderness heading deeper and deeper for three full days before slowing down . He looked down at his map and could confirm he’d reached his destination .

He had traveled down the no-mans-land between Pure Life and Pure Death for the past week , and reached the spot right between the central areas of the two zones . This place was where the no-man’s-land was the thinnest due to the overflowing energy density , and Zac smiled when he felt the familiar clashes between Life and Death .

He spent the better part of the day looking for the perfect spot , and finally found something with potential . There was a small lake with rivers coming in from both zones , bringing with them attuned energies . A constantly churning haze covered the surface of the waters , but still , Zac entered .

Initially , he hoped to find an underwater cave to dry out , and wound up finding something better . There was a small island in the middle of the lake , completely hidden by the haze on the waters . Zac stepped back onto land , and the more he looked around , the more satisfied he became .

The ambient energy wasn’t as good as in the Twilight Chasm , but there were constant winds of either Life or Death coming his way as he stood at the shores . They were pure as well , far more so than the muddled concepts that had been crammed together into Twilight Energy . With some work , this place would become his paradise while remaining unusable for others .

Zac walked across the island a few times before coming to a decision . The ground was soft sand , making it too annoying to set up a proper cave . There wasn’t much point in undertaking that kind of job for a temporary abode , so he simply covered the whole island in an illusion array and isolation array .

From there , he added the cultivation arrays , though he swapped out the gathering and purity arrays with a portable arrangement he brought from Port Atwood . Their quality wasn’t necessarily better than the Elementary Array Kit , but they were more suited for his purpose—to gather and agitate Life and Death to complement his cultivation method .

Finally , Zac cut down a couple of trees and fashioned a simple cabin , and he placed it in the middle of the island . It was extremely crude , with just a bed in a side room and a prayer mat in the living room . But it would serve his purposes . He spent the next few hours making sure everything was up to par , which led him to also add a second line of arrays to cover the whole lake , just in case .

Of course , the odds of someone crossing this particular segment were far lower compared to most areas in the Orom World . No undead would willingly leave their Miasmic zone to enter an area that was essentially poison to them . The same was true for people cultivating Pure Life , or finding inspiration for their mixed-meaning Daos in the Life-attuned zones .

With this many layers of arrays , it would be impossible even for Emerald Attendants to spy on him . Only the Orom should be able to peer inside , but that was a risk Zac would have to take . With that , Zac returned to his cabin before taking out another array disk . This time it wasn’t a protective array , but rather the disk needed to practice the Nine Reincarnations Manual] .

He had investigated what needed to be investigated . Had healed what needed to be healed . It was time to start working on his breakthrough so he could earn some points and treasures before getting out of here .

35

THE FIRST CLUE

Zac shook his head with some helplessness as he pushed his makeshift raft across the lake . He’d been so full of purpose as he sealed himself on his little island a month ago , yet he found himself leaving without having accomplished what he set out to do . But who could have expected it would take over a month to fully digest those two soul treasures that Aia Ouro left behind?

At first , the energies the items contained simply floated about in his Soul Aperture , but he quickly found that each cycle of Nine Reincarnations Manual] had infused a little bit more of the energies into his Soul . Absorbing the treasures worked in his human form just fine , but he came to understand the effect was better when he was drenched in Death .

Therefore , he had spent most of his time in his Draugr form to get the most out of the items .

This was something Zac had decided on since long ago . He would have to use his Specialty Core in this place . No matter if it was to break the prison seal on his left arm or for escaping , Zac would need to use everything in his arsenal . Furthermore , people were restrained in this place , to the point they shouldn’t be able to glean anything from him even if the array in his body wasn’t active .

The good news was that the prison seal didn’t seem to notice anything amiss when transforming , and neither the Orom itself nor one of its Attendants came running to inquire what the hell was going on . The bad news was that changing race and inner energy didn’t break or weaken the prison array .

He was just as sealed in his Draugr form as his living one .

At least the situation allowed him to freely cultivate his soul over the past month . It might have taken longer than expected to fully infuse the medicinal efficacy into his soul , but the effect was stellar . Altogether , his Soul Core had grown in size by over 10% . More importantly , Zac felt it had reached some sort of limit , prompting the leftover energy of the first treasure to be absorbed by Spiritual Void] .

The cleansing treasure also managed to expunge impurities he didn’t even know he had , just like when he’d taken that lava bath . A lot came from eating all that grass down in the Twilight Chasm , but he also sensed hidden energy from all kinds of encounters , from Aia Ouro’s soul attack to tribulation lightning .

As proof of his progress , he’d gained 68 Contribution Points during his cultivation session , just from his soul becoming stronger . He felt ready to take that next step , but one thing held him back . Soon , two months would have passed since being trapped in the Orom World , and it was about time for the new stock to appear .

It was a huge event where people had saved their Purchase Points for centuries in hopes of finding something that would help them break through their bottleneck . It was like Black Friday in space , where everyone would rush to purchase items before they were snatched by someone else . The competition for items that suited him wouldn’t be in very high demand , but there were still some cultivators at the E-grade and early Hegemons to compete with .

Furthermore , there were the second-string cultivators who would also get a chance if he waited too long .

Zac planned to make this trip after undergoing his second reincarnation and use his newly-collected Contribution Points , but how could he possibly take that step with the whispers of treasures causing his mind to stray every five minutes? Now that he’d completely absorbed the soul treasures , he’d decided to make the trek back to Samsara’s Edge and check out the wares .

The trip was uneventful , but the same couldn’t be said for the settlement when he finally reached it after a couple of days . Samsara’s Edge was slightly larger compared to Freedom’s End , yet it didn’t feel empty at all . There was an unprecedented hustle and bustle , with constant foot traffic up and down the streets .

Unsurprisingly , the people were mostly a mix of undead and cultivators emitting vibrant auras , though Zac was surprised to see quite a few monks among the living who didn’t exactly emit the aura of a life cultivator . Had the Orom snatched up cultivators from some clash between the Buddhist Sangha and the Undead Empire a few thousand years ago?

It was the first time Zac had seen so many Buddhist cultivators in one place . The Buddhists had a small presence in the Zecia Sector , but he hadn’t run into a single one during his travels . Just like Catheya said , the Buddhists generally cultivated in seclusion , which made their methods unique in a sense .

Most cultivators were forced to continuously seek out lucky encounters to progress on their paths , but numerous monks never left their temples . Zac had no idea how something like that was possible , though he suspected there had to be some drawbacks to such a method . All cultivation had to adhere to the Law of Balance , and if they could continuously progress without outside help , there had to be something they were forced to give up in turn .

Suddenly , a monk turned around , having sensed Zac was staring at him .

Amitabha , Benefactor , - the monk smiled as he slowly walked over . - Is there something amiss? -

Uh , - Zac coughed . - No , I was just thinking about something . -

Benefactor is unfamiliar to me , - the monk said . - Is Benefactor perhaps a new arrival? If Benefactor has any advice , this poor monk will be happy to listen . Lasting peace and the holy life are discovered through new friendships . -

I’m not experienced enough to dish out advice . It’s just . . . I was once a progenitor , - Zac said , figuring he might as well ask something that had confused him for a while . - From a sector without a strong Buddhist presence . Yet there were monks looking just like you , long before we were integrated . -

So , it was like that , - the monk nodded . - All is one , one is all . The hymns of the Akaniṣṭha are the hymns of the Cosmos . Anyone can listen in and gain enlightenment . -

They’re a poison of the heart , a plague on the Multiverse , - a snort emerged from behind , and Zac looked over with surprise .

It wasn’t an undead cultivator , as Zac anticipated by the voice’s cadence , but rather a dour-looking human who emitted a strong aura of decay . - The Buddhist Sangha is corruption . It is the death of self . The more they ensnare with their gospel , the stronger their mountains grow . And with the things they control . . . -

The monk only smiled . - Amitabha , Buddha’s love reaches all . But a heart needs to be open to receive the love . -

You are one of the new E-grade brats , right? - the necromancer said , ignoring the monk and instead turning his gaze on Zac . - Be careful of spending too much time around monks . They’re natural pathbreakers , destroying everything to fuel their own enlightenment . If you’re not careful , you’ll turn into an empty vessel , endlessly reciting sutras to empower their Śakra . If they’re left unchecked , one day the Immortal Buddha will open his eyes , and that is when we all fall . -

After that , the dour man grunted with disgust and walked away , heading for what looked like a temporarily set-up restaurant .

Benefactor must excuse my old friend , - the monk said with a smile . - We were brought here at the same time , and we carry a shared fate . -

That’s fine , - Zac said . - It was just a stray thought I had upon seeing your familiar clothing . -

Then , I hope Benefactor finds what you’re looking for , - the monk nodded . - And remember , while one’s flesh can be fettered , the mind will always be free . It is never too late to turn back from the sea of bitterness . We always welcome discussion into the path . -

Zac nodded , and he watched the monk slowly walk away , his thoughts swirling . He remembered Catheya having mentioned a bunch of Mountains and Temples , with the One Paradise standing at the top . Then this monk had in turn mentioned Akaniṣṭha , which Zac believed was one of the Divine Realms of Buddhism .

Did that place contain something that could send out the Dao of Buddha or whatever to all corners of the Multiverse , enabling monks to start sprouting up even on unintegrated worlds? What had that kind of power? Was it the result of some supreme being at the peak of the A-grade practicing their Dao?

Or perhaps one of those Eternal Heritages that Qi’Sar mentioned? Considering the Buddhist Sangha was one of the most powerful factions in the Multiverse , it stood to reason that those people controlled at least one such heritage .

Even more worrying were the warnings of the necromancer . By his words , the Buddhist Sangha sounded pretty dangerous , no matter if you talked about forced conversion or the Buddha himself . However , Zac wouldn’t take something like that at face value , especially not from someone who clearly had a grudge with the monks .

Still , the warning made him a bit leery about the smiling monks around him as he headed toward the exchange .

There was a large gathering already waiting outside , but it didn’t look like the new stock hadn’t arrived just yet . In fact , the doors to the Contribution Store were closed , something that wasn’t ever supposed to happen . Zac also spotted a couple of clerks standing by the entrance , and he walked over after some thought . The moment Zac walked up to the closest one , she wordlessly handed him a talisman with a bow .

What’s this? - Zac asked as he accepted the item .

With the high foot traffic around these times , the Orom has long instituted a queue system to avoid any issues . When the talisman lights up , you have ten minutes to enter the Contribution Store . After that , you have up to 30 minutes to peruse and purchase the new items . No one else is allowed to enter over the next two weeks , - the clerk explained .

So , all these people will be before me? - Zac grimaced .

No , it is random . Though higher-ranked citizens do have an advantage , - the attendant smiled . - But perhaps your Luck will pull through . -

Alright , thank you , - Zac nodded and walked away .

He didn’t have much else to do , so he made the rounds through Samsara’s Edge , listening to the discussions and looking at what kind of cultivators had chosen paths related to Life or Death .

Zac was also surprised to find himself at the center of some attention , even among undead cultivators . It wasn’t anything bad though . It was mostly people throwing out an olive branch with vague promises for exchanging pointers . Zac didn’t understand it at first , but soon enough , a Peak-stage Hegemon explained it .

There was definitely some truth to Murbot’s explanation about the E-grade cultivators that the Orom passed through its filter . There were multiple examples of young elites crashing through the grades in the Orom World , their terrifying momentum generating a positive cycle where they got access to better and better cultivation resources and cultivation grounds .

However , there was one more reason the E-grade cultivators got some attention . Members of the younger generation were the most likely people to get picked up by someone on the outside . It wasn’t a surprise , considering any E-grade cultivator a Primordial Beast found interesting was more likely to come from some powerful faction with Autarchs .

Of course , most E-grade cultivators didn’t belong to either of those two groups , but they had good odds of becoming high-level Attendants as well . In either case , there was no harm in doing some networking , considering it could help them out down the road .

Zac wasn’t the greatest conversationalist , but he managed to get to know quite a few Hegemons over the next few days , and his vision was greatly broadened . Turns out , most people staying in the surroundings didn’t cultivate Pure Life or Death like he was , but rather swapped between sectors in hopes of sparking new insights .

A few didn’t cultivate Life or Death at all , instead absorbing themselves in a foreign Dao for a while in hopes of finding inspiration , just like the Orom was doing by the looks of it . Zac passively stored away any information he could glean from the discussions , until one day he stumbled onto something extremely important to him .

I’m sorry , did you say Six Profundity Empire? - Zac exclaimed as he looked at the Revenant with shock .

That’s right , why? - she asked , clearly a bit surprised at Zac’s strong reaction . - Why , are you from there? Don’t worry , past grudges don’t matter in this place . -

No , - Zac said with a shake of his head . - I just heard it’s an impressive empire . My ancestor visited it once . -

Oh? - Lorna exclaimed , her eyes widening a bit . - Your ancestor was an explorer? -

Zac knew what she was driving at . She surreptitiously tried to inquire whether his ancestor was someone capable of travel between empires , which would make them a powerful Monarch at the least , possibly even an Autarch .

Something like that , - Zac smiled . - Could you tell me more? -

Well , the Six Profundity Empire is a decent strength A-grade force of Daoist Origins . It is not quite at the level of the Undead Empire , but it does have some connections to the Buddhist Sangha , while also being a core member of the Star Alliance , - Lorna explained . - Our contact with them is mostly on the battlefront . -

Where is this empire located? - Zac asked , elated to finally find some clues to Kenzie’s whereabouts . - And what’s the Star Alliance? -

The Six Profundity Empire claims a stretch of the Cosmic River and its surrounding areas . The Star Alliance is a group of empires that have banded together to protect their interests against larger enemies , - Lorna said . - The Undead Empire doesn’t have any direct contact with them , but some sects of theirs occasionally join in on crusades against us when they’re looking for bloodshed to temper themselves . -

Zac asked a few follow-up questions until he believed he had a decent understanding of where that huge empire was located . It was hard to get a proper grasp of locations in the Multiverse , considering it was mostly specks of activity surrounded with vast chasms of nothingness . But hearing Lorna explain it , it didn’t seem completely impossible for him to reach .

He could set course for some sector controlled by Buddhist Sangha , and find his way from there . Or , he could head in the general direction of this Cosmic River Lorna mentioned , which was like a streak of unusually fertile cultivation grounds that stretched for an insanely great distance .

Worlds inside this river would all have greater energy densities than normal , and the Dao was pretty clear as well . There were even some sections of the river that had turned into impossibly large formations that prevented even Autarchs from forcing their way inside , making it amazing cultivation grounds shielded from the outside world .

If he didn’t want to go through the Buddhist Sangha , he could instead cross the Undead Empire in his Draugr form . If members from the Six Profundity Empires sometimes joined the Buddhist Sangha in their crusade against the empire , they should be somewhat closely situated to the warfront that the Eternal Clan was responsible for .

Of course , either of those options was absolutely impossible in his current state , not counting being held prisoner at the moment . Even if he managed to escape , there was still no way for him to make his way there . He would have to either find a series of wormholes , or somehow get teleportation tokens High-grade enough to teleport through the whole Multiverse .

But those things were beyond rare .

He’d hoped to get his hands on a few teleportation tokens in this place , but it looked bleak . Tokens had a maximum radius , and most only worked within a single sector . The better ones , like the one he got for Twilight Harbor or the one that would take him to the Yr’Vanadium Sector of the Radiant Temple , could pass through a couple of sectors . But that was it .

The distance between Zecia and the Six Profundity Empire was most likely tens of thousands of times greater compared to the one between Zecia and the Twilight Harbor , and he might even die of old age during transit if he didn’t use a higher-tier teleportation array . As to how Leandra was planning on traversing such a shocking distance , he guessed peak Technocrats had their own methods not bound by the rules of the System .

Zac eventually nodded in thanks and accepted a sealed message from the Revenant to her clan before moving on . She was a member of the Undead Empire , and if given the chance , he’d send word of her situation to her descendants . A while later , Zac sat down and started meditating while waiting for the treasures to arrive .

And after three days of meditation , Samsara’s End was lit up with activity as the first batch of cultivators were called to the Contribution Hall .

36

DEPTHS OF DEATH

Unsurprisingly , most of the fifty cultivators who were called first were high-grade Attendants , with the majority sporting insignias wrought from white jade . Jade was the stage between Gold and Emerald , with bronze being the lowest tier .

Except for citizens such as himself , of course .

Zac knew that most of these cultivators were Monarchs , and he imprinted every single face to memory , making sure he wouldn’t accidentally annoy one of these people in the future . However , as he memorized their appearances , he noticed something surprising .

Why are there no Emerald Badges here? There should be some in the area , right? - Zac asked a neighboring cultivator . - I figure those people would be the most motivated to find some items . -

Emerald Badges can teleport to a private town with the help of their tokens , - the man sitting next to Zac explained with a face full of envy . - They don’t need to make the trek to the cities . Besides , I hear the best items don’t leave Liberty Point , making it pointless to head over here . -

Oh , - Zac nodded his understanding .

It looked like Murbot wasn’t kidding around when talking about the benefits of becoming an Attendant . The best items weren’t even released to the public cities . That wasn’t the only benefit Emerald Badges had from what he’d learned over the past days . Emerald Badges could actually avoid up to five relegations .

It was a small concession by the Orom in hopes that they’d manage to break that final threshold and provide a huge burst of insights . Conversely , Jade Attendants got one freebie , while Gold Attendants and lower had to live in constant fear of relegation just like everyone else .

Thankfully , Zac’s Luck pulled through , and he didn’t have to wait more than a few hours before his talisman lit up . He immediately entered the Contribution Center and sunk his attention into the stock after nodding at the clerk .

Staggering volumes .

There was simply a shocking number of items added to the Contribution Store . The number of unique treasures had multiplied over one hundred times over , and the stock of base cultivation resources had skyrocketed by at least five hundred times . Some materials , like basic Cosmic Crystals , had their supply increased thousands of times over .

Zac couldn’t even begin to estimate the value of all these items , and this was only what was available to common citizens such as himself . It was a testament to just how many resources the Orom World went through in over five hundred years . Even more shocking was the fact that over 95% of the resources the Orom snatched didn’t even enter the Contribution Store .

Anything of middling or low-quality was somehow ground down and distilled into the pure energies that went into running the Orom World and feeding the Orom and its handful of descendants .

It was also obvious that a frantic shopping spree was already taking place , seeing as the listed stock was continuously dwindling on all kinds of items . The scene filled Zac with some anxiety , and he started scouring the list for anything that could either help with escaping or his cultivation .

Thankfully , the clerks hadn’t been idle over the past two months , and every single item had been analyzed and categorized , making it easy to find useful items . Zac didn’t find anything that would prove useful in a prison break , but he did spend a good chunk of his remaining Purchase Points on three sets of items .

The first purchase was two bottles of Pseudo D-grade Node-Breaking pills that seemed to even exceed the Aethergate Pills] he’d bought in the Twilight Harbor . They were called Stellar Enkindling Pills] , and there were altogether ten inside each bottle . As long as his pill immunity didn’t reduce their effect too much , these would be able to help him push through most of the High E-grade .

Since the pills were made for E-grade cultivators , the two sets of Peak-quality pills only cost 80 Purchase Points , which was nothing compared to the items meant for Hegemons or Monarchs . They were also made for the living rather than undead cultivators , which decreased the likelihood Zac would already have built up a natural immunity to the materials that went into them .

Secondly , Zac purchased a chunk of an interesting material he’d never heard of before— Spiritual Ice] . But it wasn’t meant for his soul cultivation . Its only apparent use was to temporarily freeze and harden one’s spiritual body . At the surface , it didn’t seem very useful , especially since it apparently turned your mind extremely turbid . But it did have one interesting ability .

As it froze you , it also made your body and mind more durable , allowing you to lessen the impact of a node bursting . Seeing as it didn’t seem to clash with his other preparations , he figured he might as well get it , as he would soon start going for the nodes in his head . The more protections he could layer for that step , the better .

The third item was an unnamed Peak E-grade natural treasure containing both Life and Death , quite possibly a treasure that some poor soul had found in the Twilight Ocean before being culled . It didn’t have any direct uses listed , but Zac figured it might come in handy when forming his core in the future . Besides , with its wild and untamed energy and its unknown use , it only cost 120 Purchase Points , making it a steal .

There were hundreds of other items he really wanted , many of which he had never heard of but possessed marvelous effects . There were unique treasures that could improve affinities , strengthen souls , awaken bloodlines , and form constitutions . There were even items that contained Dao Impartments . And that was just the tip of the iceberg .

But Zac was like a beggar that stared through the window to some luxury store , the wares inside far beyond what his wallet could handle . Altogether , he’d spent just over 250 Purchase Points , leaving him with 468 . The more marvelous treasures that he spotted cost over ten thousand points , and there were even some scaling over one hundred thousand .

Did that mean the items the Emerald Attendants kept for themselves were priced in the millions?

Having completed his goal , Zac left the Contribution Store and set course for his private island in a hurry . He didn’t bother buying any crystals , herbs , or cultivation methods put for sale , considering he had more than enough of those kinds of things in his Spatial Rings .

He’d already been eager to return to his cultivation before , but now there was an additional reason .

Most of the treasures were out of his reach , but he had set his sights on one particular Supreme-grade treasure that he might be able to snag . There was a Death-attuned item with a similar purpose as the Eye of Har’Theriam] . Unfortunately , it cost over six thousand Purchase Points , far beyond what he could currently afford .

Zac wasn’t sure whether there were any undead E-grade cultivators apart from him who were able to make use of that thing , but if there were , then it had suddenly turned into a race for Purchase Points . If not for the fact that the items he purchased were cheap and of extremely limited quantities , he wouldn’t even have bought them .

But Zac hoped the items would allow him to gain a couple of levels in one go , recouping the cost of the pills and then some .

Having talked with the older captives for a few days helped him gain a better understanding of what to expect in terms of Contribution Points . A general rule of thumb in this place was that you’d get Contribution Points equivalent to the number of raw attribute points your breakthrough provided .

So , if you formed a Dao Seed , you’d get 15 Contribution Points , whereas forming a Dao Branch might grant you something like 2 , 500 . However , that was just a general rule , and the Orom could award anything from half to three times the points dependent on how useful the brands deemed the insights .

Thankfully , breakthroughs that provided no attributes could still provide points , sometimes even more generously than Daos . Soul cultivation was such a topic , and the Orom seemed very interested in that aspect of cultivation , to the point that Mentalists often were among the most long-lived people in this place .

The points Zac got before were just a small incentive to keep pursuing the path , but a big payoff was hopefully waiting for him after his reincarnation . Even if he couldn’t afford the treasure that could find and open Hidden Nodes right away , he would hopefully be able to use his sales quota to convert some of his less useful treasures to Purchase Points . Unfortunately , it turned out that each Attendant rank and grade had sales quotas of their brought-in treasures .

It was a small safeguard to prevent wealthy , but otherwise unimpressive , prisoners from converting mountains of common cultivation resources into enough Purchase Points to snatch a bunch of extremely valuable treasures . Some things were hard to find even for the Orom , and it wanted the best treasures to go to the most talented cultivators , just like how a sect worked .

Besides , the conversion rate was just atrocious . He had seen just how stingy the arrays were when he offered up dozens of Cosmos Sacks .

Making actual breakthroughs was his only way to get it , and he was determined to buy it before anyone else . Since opening his Quantum Gate] , Zac had made it a primary goal to try and open up new nodes on his Draugr side . Considering they were considered a divine race among the undead , their Hidden Nodes shouldn’t be anything to scoff at .

Even if he had teased Catheya a bit about her nose , it was a pretty amazing ability . Not only had it exposed his true nature in the Tower of Eternity when everyone else was none the wiser , it also proved extremely useful when exploring . While a treasure nose was useful , Zac hoped he would be able to get a node that improved his combat strength , either in defense or offense . After all , out of the four nodes he’d opened so far , only Spiritual Void] could help him in battle .

The surroundings turned to a blur as Zac rushed back to his island . Soon enough , he reached the lake that had turned into his temporary home , and he passed through the barriers to reach the island . The ambient energy had turned even denser since he left , a result of the arrays still building up the environment by siphoning energy from the surrounding waters .

Zac rested for a couple of hours to stabilize his mind before he took out the first of the array disks . It was time .

The hours passed as one revolution replaced another , and he found himself steeped deeper and deeper into a deathly abyss . Each revolution was imbued with the Fragment of the Coffin , and each revolution increased the ferocity of the black ocean in his mind . Eventually , Zac finished the seventh cycle , and his face was pallid , covered in Death-suffused sweat from the pain in his mind .

Even back in the Twilight Chasm , his soul had reached the level of strength needed to empower six revolutions with his Daos without harming himself . Back then , he would have managed to empower the seventh cycle too if he really pushed himself , yet he found himself struggling at this same level almost a year later .

On the surface , it looked like he’d barely improved , but Zac knew the situation wasn’t as simple as that . Since finishing his eight-month cultivation session in the Twilight Chasm , his two soul oceans had undergone a drastic change . First , they were transformed and empowered in the valley when he was steeped in Life and Death . The concepts stored within the oceans had more than doubled , which also meant the storms they kicked up during cultivation had doubled in ferocity .

Next , the oceans were infused by the Remnants . The shard had stayed for months in his Soul Aperture , but the real transformation of the oceans took place when he formed the Glimpse of Chaos . Torrential amounts of Oblivion and Creation had been squeezed out of the Remnants and dragged through the oceans before they entered the pathways on his shoulders .

The two oceans had even been marked by Chaos when he circulated those two slivers of Chaos through his body . Perhaps , that had been the biggest factor behind the shocking and unpredictable storms that were kicked up every time he cultivated .

At the same time , his soul had gained a lot of power after the chasm . Surviving all kinds of trials and tribulations could strengthen one’s soul just like it led to breakthroughs in one’s Dao . And Zac wasn’t lacking in tribulations , no matter if looking to the mysterious light that infused his soul , the actual tribulation lightning , the storm of Oblivion that forcibly empowered his soul , or the benefits of forcibly sealing a Shard of Creation for months .

Along with the marvelous treasures left by Aia Ouro , his mental strength was many times greater compared to when leaving the Twilight Chasm . Without that , he probably wouldn’t even have managed to last five Dao-empowered cycles with how his oceans looked . If anything , seven revolutions right now most likely eclipsed the difficulty of performing nine Dao-empowered revolutions with normal soul seas .

That brought a question of its own . Was he ready to undergo a reincarnation or not? His Soul Core had pretty much reached sublimation for what the method allowed . He could sense the benefits were minuscule compared to the difficulty of finishing a revolution . But at the same time , he worried the powerful oceans would increase the difficulty of his breakthrough , which spoke for empowering his soul even further .

These thoughts plagued Zac over the past month as he slowly digested the two soul treasures , but he didn’t want to wait any longer . The faces full of desperation and hope in Samsara’s Edge urged him on , reminding him of what was at stake . This was ultimately a prison , one that he needed to get out of . He couldn’t get complacent and let his momentum stall or he’d never seize the opportunity to escape .

This was the one .

He had a better understanding of the process , and a broader knowledge of the soul in general . He had dozens of Spatial Rings containing innumerable treasures that he could take out if necessary . He even had Cosmos Crystals attuned to Life and Death that could unleash an unprecedented storm of energy if need be .

The cost of a single one of those crystals could bankrupt a hundred E-grade elites , yet he had more than a hundred of each kind . He lacked for nothing , and only the fear of crushing his soul once more held him back . But no longer .

Zac forcibly shook his mind awake before it was claimed by the deathly chill . Shortly after , an imposing will pushed down on the deathly ocean as he contained some of the Chaos brought from the seventh infusion . The next moment , his Dao Avatar on top of the Soul Core turned into its Draugr form before spewing out a storm of deathly Dao as Zac opened the gates to Spiritual Void] .

The stored-up Dao joined the faltering stream from the hanging coffin before they dragged the already deathly Mental Energy into the array disk for an eighth revolution . As he was drained , Zac rapidly lost control over the churning waters in the pitch-black ocean , but could only grit his teeth and withstand the waves crashing into his Soul Core .

The minutes passed , until finally , a storm of even stronger Death poured back from the array and into the ocean . A deep rumble echoing through his Soul Aperture made Zac’s nose bleed , but he kept going , using the same solution as he had during the first reincarnation . Two months had passed since getting trapped , which was enough to stockpile quite a bit of Oblivion Energy .

He forcibly squeezed the entrenched energies from his soul , pouring them into the array disk along with the last scraps he could squeeze from the hanging coffin . Zac hurriedly crushed a few Soul Crystals , but the energy that entered his mind was like a few drops of rain in a parched desert . With a puff , it was gone , only providing minimal relief as Zac started the ninth revolution .

Zac didn’t know if a second had passed or a century . Time had no meaning to Death , and his consciousness had come as close as humanly possible without crossing that threshold . He had no wants , no desires . He’d melded with the nothingness , a small spot of darkness in the raging sea of the Abyss .

He was Death .

A small ripple broke the illusion , and Zac found his utterly drained soul flicker awake as the final cycle was completed . His energy came crashing back like an icy river , pushing the deathly darkness of the ocean to perfection . The rumble was even greater this time around , and it almost felt like the Heavens had been summoned to his Soul Aperture as dark clouds formed over the raging sea .

However , these clouds were pitch-black , mirroring the waters below . They were vapors of Pure Death . And their mere aura caused small cracks to spread across Zac’s Soul Aperture . Zac found himself slipping into that soothing darkness again as the storm in his mind reached cataclysmic proportions , and he hurriedly sent a mental command into his Specialty Core .

He had pushed the Nine Reincarnations Manual] beyond its limits in its descent into Death , and it was time to form the counterpoint to his reincarnation .

37

PERFECTION

A ripple passed through Zac’s Duplicity Core , and a few seconds later , another wave of Death spread through his body , almost fusing with the impossible volumes of unadulterated Death accumulated by the Nine Reincarnations Manual] . The chill of Death was still there , as was the raging storm in his mind . However , it no longer threatened to consume his sense of self , to convert him into an unthinking Revenant .

Being Draugr was to be one with the Abyss , and the pitch-black ocean in his Soul Aperture was less than a shadow compared to the lake from which his race sprung . But that didn’t save his harried Soul Core from nearly drowning to the raging waters . The golden ocean was rapidly shrinking as well , unable to counteract the ferocious momentum from its nemesis .

Zac felt himself slowly losing control , until a loud snap startled him awake . It was the array disk in his hands that had cracked , unleashing a storm of unrelenting Death upon the area . The wooden cabin around him instantly rotted away and crumbled around him , but the energy didn’t spread too far .

It was somehow contained above him , no doubt a part of the array’s function to help with this final step . The churning clouds of Death were mesmerizing , and Zac felt echoes of the higher truths hidden within . However , he quickly refocused on the task at hand . Insights were good and all , but surviving this tribulation was even better .

He hurriedly took out the Life-attuned array disk and started up the second set of revolutions . He knew he was at the most precipitous state , and he desperately held on while the cycle began . As long as he could withstand this first revolution , the golden ocean would come to his aid in containing the deathly ocean .

Zac once more found himself in a state of limbo , where all thoughts were expunged except his desperate struggle to contain the chaos in his mind . The staunch willpower he’d nurtured through innumerable Life-and-Death encounters had come to his aid , turning into an indestructible wave breaker that kept his Soul Core just safe enough to withstand the surging tides .

Each second was agony , but he held on , refusing to give in to the abyssal ocean . And at last , a surge of warmth entered his soul as the first revolution finished and brought with it a wave of untainted life . The golden ocean roused itself , finally starting its counterattack to reclaim its lost ground . It was still not nearly as powerful as the churning black waters , but it was a start .

One revolution after another passed through the small disk in his hands . He was getting closer to a state of balance every minute , but Zac was forced to swallow Soul Mending pills like they were candy to prevent his Soul Core from crumbling prematurely . As he suspected , the war that raged by the time he finished the seventh cycle surpassed what the method called for .

His shimmering core was completely submerged , drowned by towering waves that slammed into each other .

Yet Zac pressed on , a sheen of madness glimmering in his abyssal eyes . He held it all together with a small film of Mental Energy and sheer will . Black veins stood out all over his face as he started the eighth cycle . It felt like an eternity , but finally , a crashing wave of Mental Energy full of vigor returned .

His whole Soul Aperture was veritably vibrating by this point , but he pushed on . There was no turning back now . Not only would it cause a tremendous backlash , but it would just make his future breakthrough more difficult . The energies crammed into his aperture had already surpassed what it could withstand , so what good would continued cultivation do? He needed to break through and increase the capacity of the tank .

Not to mention he’d already broken one of the array disks .

A sense of hollowness spread through his body as he extracted all the accumulated energy of Creation and pushed it right into the array . He let the disk do its thing while he used every ounce of will and remaining energy to simply stay coherent , to stave off the tendrils of life that were poison to his Draugr form .

Zac wasn’t sure his Soul Aperture would last the whole cycle no matter how strong his will was , and he desperately searched for solutions . Eventually , he could only swallow Soul Mending pills by the handful while pushing a huge amount of Miasma to his head , using it to pressure the aperture from outside to maintain a semblance of equilibrium .

Somehow , Zac managed to pull through , but he was still filled with trepidation as a storm of Life came rushing back into his mind . He was rapidly losing control , and a crack from the array in his hand unleashed a wave of Life into the surroundings , pushing the deathly clouds that still raged to the side .

It almost looked like the siblings to the clouds of Rapturous Divide] had been summoned , and a war to match the one in his mind erupted all around him . It even started dragging the ambient energies of the whole area into its struggle , and the opposing Daos in the Orom World were more than willing to comply . Zac wasn’t surprised , and he could only hold on for dear life as the storms inside his Soul Aperture grew even more ferocious .