Defiance of the Fall

Walking the square also allowed him to pick up more gossip . There were a couple of takeaways from the cultivators who returned from their first stint into the Void Gate . First , the dangers were very real—the beasts were seemingly endless . The casualty rates were just a guess , and more than one party had been completely exterminated , even when undergoing normal difficulty tasks .

Secondly , the Void Gate was treating the cultivators with some amount of sincerity . There were a lot of complaints about how haughty the Templars and devotees were , but they didn’t use the unaffiliated cultivators as meat shields or sacrificial pawns .

Finally , the Void Gate was powerful , exceedingly so . The returnees were restricted from discussing certain aspects of the missions , but they all said the same thing ; the Void Gate possessed shocking means and resources . Everyone knew they were the local ruler with multiple Monarchs , but what these warriors had witnessed , clearly surpassed their expectations .

But it was time to go , so Zac made his way toward the administrative building at the back of the recruitment station . It was a massive structure far surpassing anything built back home on Earth , and one would be able to fit a whole district inside if one wanted .

After showing his token to an administrator inside , he was led to a large sparring chamber that was essentially a hundred-meter-cube .

An examiner will be with you shortly , - the guide said , and Zac simply nodded before sitting down .

Still , with no one appearing even after twenty minutes , Zac eventually took out the Book of Duality] and started reading . The more he studied it over the past weeks , the more marvelous Zac found it . Not that it was long—just over a hundred pages , and reading it the first time had only taken him a few hours .

The readthrough provided some shallow insights and a brief explanation of the path of dualities . However , on the second readthrough , Zac started to realize just how much was hidden inside this seemingly simple tome . He’d already noticed the characters contained special impartments when he got the book , but he underestimated just how much they held .

He’d deciphered the first couple of pages easily enough , but the problems started to arrive when reaching the second chapter . Suddenly , it became apparent that he still hadn’t unearthed the true meanings hidden in the first chapter , and he used the second chapter as a reference to delve even deeper .

One plus one didn’t equal two when putting the meaning hidden inside the words together . They somehow fused into completely new concepts , seemingly unrelated to the original ones . And with every added character , the interconnected web of hidden truths grew increasingly complex , and it required more and more time to integrate each new character into the tapestry that was slowly forming in his mind .

At first , Zac figured the best approach was to unearth all the layers at once by trying to decipher the whole book in one go , which ultimately proved futile . Perhaps if he was an intelligence-based Peak Hegemon he’d be able to accomplish something like that , but there was simply too much contained in the Book of Duality] .

If he tried to comprehend it all at once , the depth disappeared , and he could only glean the surface-level of meaning .

But the little Zac had deciphered so far filled him with inspiration . There were no actual Daos or Heavenly Truths hidden in the book , but rather an extremely comprehensive set of information that related to the very essence of energy , patterns , and control . It wasn’t something that related to just cores either—the insights of Kalo , the mysterious author , were universal .

No matter if it was arrays , crafting , or creating skills , the Book of Duality] covered some of the fundamental underpinnings that made them possible , the process where Dao and some inscrutable patterns turned into magical things . Like the huge wooden hand of Arcadia’s Judgement] , or how it could allow you to turn into something intangible with movement skills or teleportation arrays .

In other words , the book could be considered a whole heritage , as long as you managed to unearth the truths within . It was no wonder Yrial called it one of the most valuable items in his inheritance . Zac couldn’t imagine the effort and comprehension required to impart so much into a few characters—it was another reminder of what kind of exalted existences Monarchs were .

Their understanding of the universe was so far beyond his current level , it wasn’t even comparable . To the point they couldn’t be considered humans any longer .

Zac kept reading , almost forgetting where he was . But a sudden pang of danger cut through his comprehension , and his eyes shot open just as the door to the chamber opened . Through the door a middle-aged man entered , decked in full-body armor that was of better make than the average Templar gear he’d seen so far .

It only took a glance to tell it was a proper War Regalia judging by the massive amounts of energy that coursed through the engraved runes covering its surface . That could only mean one thing—his test would be supervised by a Hegemon , and a pretty strong one by the looks of it .

29

TEO KASTELLA

You seemed quite engrossed , but I could only wait so long , - the man said with equanimity as he stepped into the room , which was immediately flooded with his overbearing aura . - Good instinct for danger . I am Teo Kastella , and I will oversee this trial . -

As the Hegemon walked over , Zac tried to get a sense of what kind of warrior he was . Teo’s aura was pure and condensed , meaning his accumulations were beyond the norm . Then again , anyone who made it to Hegemony was a one-in-a-million genius , so him being an elite was par for the course . More importantly , it looked like he was a Middle-Stage Hegemon .

As for his attunement , it was a bit reminiscent of Zac’s old Undying Bulwark class , and not just because the man was wearing full-body armor . There was a sense of impermeability and stability to his aura , making Zac guess he not only had at least one defensive Dao , but also endurance as his main attribute .

Between his level , equipment , and focus , there was simply no way for Zac to defeat this Teo Kastella in a straightforward battle . Thankfully , there was no way that could be the trial .

I am sorry about wasting your time , - Zac hurriedly said as he bowed toward the Void Gate Templar . - I am Gaun Sorom . It’s an honor to make your acquaintance . -

Gaun Sorom , - the Templar repeated . - According to our investigation , this is not the level of mission you were expected to take . Neither do you have one of the prioritized classes for this mission . Could you explain why you applied? -

Zac anticipated this line of questioning . Gaun was considered stronger than average among Wandering Cultivators , but taking on a dangerous D-grade mission was still a bit much . And he was also a pure offensive warrior , while the prioritized classes for task #1 , 032 were guardians , scouts , and defensive Array Masters .

He’d figured the discrepancy of power between himself and the real Gaun would become an issue sooner or later , and he’d workshopped a believable tale with the help of the original owner of his face . Thankfully , Gaun had been lying low the past decade because of his wounds , so it gave Zac some leeway to spin a believable tale .

Furthermore , Zac had one final ace . It was the trump card that made him dare infiltrate an established faction like the Void Gate in the first place—his mother’s array . Not even Catheya’s master , a Peak Monarch , had managed to find anything amiss . How could some Middle Hegemon , or even the Starfall Monarch , fare any better?

Zac still had no idea exactly how it worked , but apparently , Va Tapek had said everything was in order when trying to glean anything from his body or Status Screen . That was obviously impossible , considering there was no actual Arcaz Black while his body contained all sorts of weirdness . In other words , the array most likely worked on perception , making spying eyes see whatever they expected to see , finding nothing amiss .

Va Tapek expected to see Arcaz Black , so that was what he saw . These people expected Gaun Sorom , so that would be what they saw . Of course , that didn’t mean he was out of the woods . There were various arrays and skills geared toward infiltration , and it would be up to his performance to completely pass this hurdle .

Ten years ago , I encountered a great opportunity , - Zac said . - It gave me the chance to break through . -

The next moment , Zac emitted a strand of his aura—the Branch of the War Axe . Preferably , Zac would have wanted to use his Life-attuned Dao as well , but Gaun only had two Dao Fragments he had tried to fuse into a singular Branch of the Axe for the past 400 years . It would be weird if he suddenly showcased a second branch completely separate from his recorded abilities .

A major breakthrough , at your stage? - the captain hummed with some surprise . - Branch of the Axe—a pure one . You’re planning to force a breakthrough? -

My preparations are still lacking , but I hope to enter terminal seclusion soon after this beast tide is over , using any materials and rewards I gain here . -

Breaking through as a Half-Step Hegemon was harder than doing it as a Peak E-grade cultivator , to the point most people considered the feat impossible . The biggest hurdle was the defective core you allowed to fuse with your body . It had to be completely crushed and reformed into a proper one , but that would unleash its energies into one’s body , which was pretty much the same as detonating a bomb within your belly .

Attempting it was akin to suicide , though some people had accomplished the impossible through a combination of improved foundations and unique treasures . Even if it was just one out of ten thousand who succeeded while the others perished , that glimpse of hope was enough for some .

I admire your courage , but this is not a training trip , - the Hegemon said . - An offensive Dao Branch built on incomplete foundations is ultimately not enough for this mission . Some of our researchers are just E-grade . We need warriors who will be able to keep them safe , which includes repelling Beast Kings . -

I understand , - Zac bowed . - However , I do have some confidence in my ability . The breakthrough wasn’t the only thing I gained . I also contracted a powerful companion . With her , my ability to restrain enemies has increased significantly . Together with my Dao Branch , I should meet the requirements . -

The next moment , a dozen thick vines appeared from the spatial tube on his back . Zac had deliberated what he should display in this trial , and he felt Vivi was the most suitable . His Empyrean Aegis] would probably let him pass , but it was a bit too flashy . Meanwhile , Vivi was just right . She was extremely durable , and would even be able to restrain Beast Kings just long enough for him or someone else to deal with them .

Oh? - the man said as he looked at the slithering vines with interest .

Teo waved his hand , and a life-sized dummy flew over to land behind Zac . - Defend the dummy . -

Zac nodded , and one of the vines moved over to protect his ward . As for Zac , he placed himself right between the dummy and Teo .

It sounded like a bomb exploded as the Hegemon shot forward , making a beeline for the unmoving puppet , seemingly intending to barrel straight through Zac . Teo’s momentum was ferocious , but Zac was inwardly relieved to sense the Templar only using the strength of a Half-Step Hegemon at the moment .

Over a dozen vines shot out from the tube on Zac’s back , while another set formed a corridor of death no more than twenty meters wide . Zac had essentially turned the battlefield into a narrow trench , where he was the goalkeeper .

A shortsword and a metal buckler appeared in Teo’s hands , the two probably a paired Spirit Tool judging by their aura-matching design . The Hegemon unleashed a dazzling set of swings that hacked into the vines while he used the buckler to create odd shockwaves that pushed others aside .

One by one , long ropes of Vivi’s vines fell as Teo stepped closer , costing Zac a constant stream of energy to restore . Normally , Zac wouldn’t have used such a clumsy method to deal with a simple advance , but he didn’t want to use his Evolutionary Stance like this . Instead , he adopted a technique that was more akin to Gaun’s , where he used brute force as a feint to deliver his real strikes .

Having properly stepped into the Integration Stage , it was quite easy for Zac to control how much of his technique to showcase . Currently , he extracted any hint of his Daos from the way he used the vines , and rather fought as he did while trying to level his Armament Mastery] skill from High to Peak mastery . He even added in inefficiencies to the way he controlled Vivi to make it seem slightly less impressive .

Vivi’s assault still looked ferocious , with almost twenty thick vines thrumming with vigor as they tried to lash the Hegemon . However , it almost looked like Teo was taking a stroll as he moved closer , and he gave off the impression of a farmer cutting the weeds—there was even a bored expression on his face .

But suddenly , three vines split off from the chaotic mix and nimbly evaded Teo’s sword before shooting forward with almost double the speed compared to the others . Teo realized what was going on , and managed to destroy one of the vines before the others latched onto him and started dragging to pull him off-balance .

With the impressive sharpness of that sword , it wouldn’t take long for the Templar to break free , but Zac had no intention of giving Teo that kind of breathing room . He shot forward with Earthstrider] with one of his spare Spirit Tool axes already in his hand . A mighty shockwave erupted as Zac’s axe intercepted Teo’s sword .

Zac barely had time to stop the Hegemon from breaking free before a scream of danger erupted in his mind . The buckler was heading straight for his head , and it thrummed with barely contained momentum . The strike wasn’t uniquely quick or inscrutable—if anything , it felt extremely mundane if not for its force .

The problem was that the Templar must have begun the attack before the previous clash even took place , like he knew exactly what would happen . Zac urgently ducked , but his idea to counter with a devastating gut-punch was pre-empted by an armored knee rising to meet him . Once more , his movement had been completely predicted , but it wasn’t a matter of prescience .

It was experience and millennia of drills being turned into lethal muscle memory .

A duck turned into a somewhat unsightly pirouette where Zac barely managed to avoid both of Teo’s strikes . By that point , three daggers were already flying toward the dummy . It wasn’t a big deal though—one of the vines flicked them aside as Zac resumed his assault . The two were soon again locked in a heated melee , where Zac tried to break open the Hegemon’s impenetrable defenses one way or another .

The Templar wasn’t extremely quick , nor had he mastered technique as Pavina had . Teo probably didn’t focus on that aspect of cultivation at all , having simply learned his combat stance from the Void Gate . Even then , he proved a tricky enemy to deal with . Between his armor and steady stance , he was like an immutable mountain , and Zac found it extremely difficult to impede his strikes or change the tempo without physically overpowering him .

Even then , Zac was slowly gaining an advantage thanks to Vivi . Neither of them used any skills , so they found themselves locked in a melee , and it was impossible to completely avoid the unceasing advance of vines coming from the spatial tube on Zac’s back . However , a familiar situation began to unfold—the force behind Teo’s swings was gradually increasing , just like when Kaldor started cheating .

The Templar didn’t change his technique or add Daos , but when every swing hit harder and faster than the one before , Zac found himself at a disadvantage . For a while , he matched Teo’s increase in power , but he reached a point where he was using all the strength he could without raising suspicion . He could only try to hold on as long as possible , hoping that would be enough .

As Zac found himself pushed harder and harder , he couldn’t help but appreciate the Templar’s technique—or lack thereof . It was simple and direct , without any flourishes or complications . It made Zac think of the flavor text to his old skill Chop] , how there was greatness in simplicity . Teo felt like a soldier in a Roman phalanx—methodical and extremely deadly .

After having almost solely focused on technique for the past years , it was an important reminder . There were innumerable paths to the peak , and honing one’s technique was just one of them . Teo was accomplishing great things even without bothering with the Integration Stage or the stages above , freeing up his time to improve other aspects of his cultivation .

Zac couldn’t get ahead of himself and think he’d be able to easily defeat any Hegemon just because he had polished his technique to a level that probably superseded theirs . Between their experience and deeper comprehension of the Dao , the difference wasn’t all that big , and they had all kinds of ways to not only bridge but surpass that gap in a real battle .

The melee became more and more desperate , and Zac was barely hanging on by the time Teo was solidly using the power of a Hegemon . Vivi’s vines were no longer able to restrain him since he destroyed them too quickly , which increased the pressure on Zac . He knew the trial was all-but-over , and he readied himself to give up .

But suddenly , Zac’s eyes widened in surprise as the sword in Teo’s hand was gone , and a sharp whistle echoed through the room . His swing had somehow turned into an underhand throw , and the shortsword was barreling toward the dummy . There was no way to intercept , so Zac did the only thing he could think off—he slapped the dummy with a vine , throwing it a few dozen meters out of the way of the sword’s trajectory .

In a real scenario , the researcher would have been battered but alive , which was preferable to being turned into meat ribbons by the attack of a Hegemon . The sword stopped in its trajectory before flying back into the Templar’s hand as he took a step back .

That’s enough , - Teo nodded , almost looking a bit regretful . - Your axework is extremely solid . You have a surprising connection to your weapon , it’s a shame you never joined a proper faction . Looking at your strength , you can deal with the weakest of Beast Kings , while any stronger specimen will require assistance . -

I also have a supreme defensive skill . It’s what allowed me to survive to this day , but it has a powerful backlash , so I cannot showcase it , - Zac added when it looked like the Hegemon hesitated whether he should accept him . - It can buy some time even against an Early Beast King . -

Well , I’ll take your word for it . Your foundation is barely enough for the first string , but your individualistic style isn’t a good mesh . However , you can easily qualify as a second-string defender , - the man said .

I’m sorry , what does that mean? - Zac asked , not remembering anything about that in the quest description .

Due to the dangers and the fact we will be traveling with researchers with no or low combat ability , we will have two lines of defense . The vanguard will deal with most of the threats , while the second string will be assigned as personal guards , - the Hegemon explained . - Anything that slips past our outer perimeter or appears out of nowhere will be dealt with by you . In other words , a situation just like this trial .

We don’t expect you to be an immutable boulder , but someone who can buy enough time for one of the party’s real Hegemons to deal with the threats . As such , your compensation would be on the lower end of the spectrum , and your priority when distributing rare materials would be lower . -

Zac frowned as though he was in thought , but it was a pretty good deal . The task had a span of 1-5 D-grade Nexus Coins , except the remuneration wasn’t a priority . He was rather worried that it sounded like a somewhat restricted position . Unless they were given free time to explore , he would find it hard to sneak off and catch a Space-attuned Ferric Worldeater .

Would I have any opportunities to hunt for beasts or bounties as a bodyguard? - Zac asked .

You would have an opportunity to leave for three days every month , but that is contingent on the situation being stable . We will not accept any runaways with a tide barreling toward us , - Teo explained .

Zac figured that was fair enough . Just like the Templar said , this wasn’t a training journey . Getting three days a month to explore the Void Gate’s restricted areas was even quite generous . He would have to leave it up to his Luck . Even if he couldn’t find and capture a Space-attuned specimen , he should still be able to get a normal one .

And if even that failed , he might be able to have the first-string cultivators capture one of the wyrms in exchange for part of his reward .

I’m willing to take on this mission , - Zac nodded .

Then let me reintroduce myself , - Teo smiled . - I am Marshal Teo Kastella of the Order of the Hollow Vigil . As the leader of task #1 , 032 , I hereby invite you under the authority of the Starfall Monarch . -

As Teo finished his sentence , two screens popped up in front of Zac—a contract and an actual System Quest . Zac had no idea what hollow vigil meant , but he still bowed in deference once more before focusing on the screens .

Task #1 , 032 (Decree) : Protect your designated ward until the target anomaly has been stabilized , or for a maximum of 6 months . Reward : 0 . 5 – 1 . 5 D-grade Nexus Coins depending on performance . (0/1) (0/178) .

30

ZENITH VIGIL

This was the second Decree quest Zac had gotten , with the first being the one he was saddled with by the Eveningtide Asura . This one was straightforward , where he either had to guard his ward for the duration of the mission , or for 178 days . In a perfect world , he wouldn’t have to spend six months in the Void Gate , but it wasn’t too bad all things considered . Besides , the mission would be over the moment they stabilized that anomaly , so there was a small chance he’d be out of there in just a month or two .

The employment contract was pretty long-winded , and was essentially the same type of agreement he signed with Catheya before the Twilight Harbor . The only noteworthy addition was that he would be paid an additional 100 , 000 E-grade Nexus Coins for a century-long confidentiality clause that covered any secrets of the Void Gate . In addition to that , there was a rule of not actively going against the Void Gate’s interests within their domains .

The fuzzy wording , along with a couple of other phrases , left Zac a bit stumped . While the contract was more comprehensive compared to the one he signed upon entering the recruitment station , it was surprisingly vague in a lot of places . For example , - actively act against one’s interests’ was much too imprecise to avoid being exploited .

Conversely , in the contract Catheya had him sign , there were all kinds of clauses added to that section , including various scenarios . But here , it was left open-ended . It would stop Zac from destroying their buildings or attacking their people , but it was too fuzzy for the System to intercede in most other cases .

For example , him picking up any valuable he could find wasn’t directly working against the interest of the Void Gate , even if it was a strategic resource . It was just working on his cultivation . Neither would it be considered actively working against the Void Gate if he saw something untoward and decided to keep it to himself . It would be considered passively working against them at worst .

No need to look so suspicious , - Teo snorted when he saw Zac’s frown . - It’s a matter of cost reduction . Salosar is only one of our recruitment stations , we sign tens of thousands of these every day . The more stringent the clauses , the more we have to pay for them to be ratified . The Void Gate has money , but nothing is without limits . With our operating costs increasing recently , and with the beast tide hampering our revenue sources , we can’t waste a fortune on every single mission . -

Hearing Teo’s explanation , Zac now understood something—why they went through all this trouble at all . Could it be because of the war? With beasts occupying all these Mystic Realms , their supply lines had to have been thrown into chaos , which was absolutely not what you wanted to see when stocking up before a massive conflict .

Normally , they might have been able to deal with these beasts themselves . But with the deadline , they were forced to look for outside help to expedite the process .

Alright then , - Zac nodded as he accepted both the contract and quest .

A small smile spread across the face of the Marshal as he nodded with satisfaction . - Well , Gaun Sorom , welcome aboard . -

Glad to be here , - Zac nodded .

Looking at the Hegemon’s smile , Zac wondered if there was something nefarious at play , but he put those thoughts aside . He could somewhat feel how he’d started getting bogged down by paranoia since taking this disguise . Being security-minded was good , but when you saw enemies in every shadow around you , you were bound to drive yourself mad .

Obviously , a faction would have its hidden motives and goals , but that didn’t mean they were nefarious or targeting him specifically . He just needed to keep his head down and stay alert , and deal with things as they came .

The Templar waved one of his hands , prompting one of Vivi’s cut-off vines to float over . - An extraordinary specimen , but your control is a bit crude . You’re only controlling three of the vines properly . -

It’s my limit , for now , - Zac grimaced . - It’s as you say . I might be able to control one more if I give it my all , but I’ve found more success when controlling three vines while releasing a large set of diversionary vines . -

This species , I don’t recognize it . Where did you acquire it? -

That’s . . . - Zac said . - I’m sorry . -

Fine , - Teo nodded . - Are you willing to part with it for the right price? -

It’s my greatest defensive measure for now , - Zac said . - And I wouldn’t dare trick Lord Hegemon . While this plant is mighty , it is dying . I conferred with an expert who said it’s well past its pollination stage , and it will pass in a century or so . It won’t be of much use for an established faction . -

That’s a shame , - the Hegemon sighed . - Would you allow our researchers to investigate as well? They might find something your acquaintance did not . If we manage to clone it , we would be willing to give you a great commission . -

Of course , - Zac eagerly nodded , though he knew it was a fool’s hope on this man’s part . If Heda said it couldn’t be done , then no Void Gate researcher would be able to fare any better . Still , as a Wandering Cultivator desperately needing resources , he obviously wouldn’t turn down a deal like this . - It would be my pleasure to assist in any way that I can . However , with its life being so brittle , I hope we can postpone until the threat of the beast tide is dealt with . In case something happens . . . -

Of course , there is no rush , - Teo shrugged .

Good luck finding me after the beast tide is dealt with , ’ Zac inwardly laughed , but he simply nodded in agreement .

Five more have applied for the task since you did , but I only expect two to pass , - the Hegemon continued . - Then again , I might be surprised once more . In either case , I expect it will be a week before we set out . For now , stay within the compound and make your final preparations . We will provide you with some talismans and other useful items when we embark , but the rest is up to you . Any questions? -

Can you tell me a bit more about the environment we’ll visit? - Zac asked . - The quests didn’t quite specify . -

I am only allowed to share exact details of where we’re going after the mission has started , - Teo said . - But I can tell you we will be within a powerful Spatial Energy field . That will attract certain spatial beasts , so I suggest a few extra space-sealing items . These kinds of talismans generally don’t last long inside the Void Gate , but they can be surprisingly effective . -

Understood . - Zac guessed it was a bit like when he used Rapturous Divide] inside the Twilight Ocean . The ambient energy back there had supercharged the skill , making it both uncontrollable and deadly .

With that , they were done , and Zac left to prepare while Teo walked toward another sparring chamber . Zac spent the next couple of days in the research base waiting for his token to buzz . Most of the time was spent trying to delve deeper into the Book of Duality] . He’d reached a method Kalo called divergence , and Zac suspected the theories within were the foundation for , or at least related to , Rapturous Divide] .

The book detailed how forcibly keeping two opposing forces separate could create a powerful field in-between , like how magnets created a magnetic field . With the right techniques , this field could be condensed and manipulated in all kinds of ways . This trivia was more interesting than useful , though Zac wondered if this concept could be somehow used for a Life-Death core .

It was a bit similar to the marks he left on the trial wheel in Yrial’s inheritance . The energies of his two attacks had fused , which caused them to go haywire and the disk to break apart . But if he kept the two sides separate , would his creation be stabler? Problem was , could you use the theories of a gap or a chasm as a basis for a Cosmic Core? Would that leave you with a hollow core? A core with two halves , like a brain?

It seemed possible , but doing so would essentially halve the power it could exhibit , considering he’d only be able to use half the core at any given time . And what would happen if he had a pure Miasmic half while staying in his human form? Zac remembered the nauseating feeling of absorbing just a couple of wisps of Miasma from a crystal . With a proper core , would he continuously be poisoning himself? Would his Hidden Nodes even let the core stay intact?

Zac shook his head and continued deciphering the characters . The greater the theoretical base he formed , the more options would present themselves .

Apart from his studies , he spent a couple of hours a day walking around , occasionally striking up conversations with the other Wandering Cultivators . He didn’t find out much else of import , but he did hear one Late E-grade cultivator mention seeing a Half-Step Hegemon in his group teleporting away the moment the quest was done .

Most people were ferried back to Salosar on the Void Gate’s dime to save on costs , but it was good to know there were available teleportation arrays inside the Void Gate . Zac also purchased a couple of space-sealing items from a store set up by the Void Gate themselves , along with an escape talisman meant to be used in areas with strong Spatial Fields .

After three days , the recruitment station had grown a lot less crowded as squads set out one by one through teleporters , even though there was a constant stream of new arrivals . A second massive batch arrived on day five , and Zac’s token buzzed three days later . It was finally time to go .

Zac made a beeline for a building next to the administrative center—the mission command and teleportation room . Soon enough , he stood with a diverse group of cultivators in a private hall . Each emitted their auras , and it wasn’t hard to tell that almost all of them were Half-Step cultivators . The only exceptions were four who emitted the especially condensed auras of Hegemons .

It went to show just how scarce Early Hegemons were on the frontier , especially among Wandering Cultivators . Facing the group of unaffiliated warriors was Teo and another three Hegemons standing behind him . There were two women and a man , all of them Templars going by their similar sets of engraved armor .

There were also six hooded cultivators standing by their side , emitting very weak pressure , meaning they were probably the researchers .

Welcome , everyone , - Teo said as he looked at the group of elites . - The Void Gate appreciates you braving the dangers to help us . We will do our best to reciprocate your trust . For those of you who haven’t met me , I am Teo Kastella , and I will be running point during this mission . With me are Kalo Taosa and Tyla Vesass , who will command one squad each . Finally , Havasa Yrvis , leader of the second-string defenders . -

Zac glanced at Havasa , one of the two female Templars . From the looks of it , she was at the Peak of Early Hegemony . Different from Teo’s mountainlike aura , she gave off a fierce and bloody impression . Zac guessed she was an offensive warrior focusing on Strength like himself . She was probably the one responsible for executing any troublesome beasts who made it past the defensive perimeter , while the second-string cultivators kept the monsters restrained .

There’s only us? - a burly warrior asked with some confusion .

The others are waiting for us inside the Void Gate , - Teo explained . - If we brought all the members to this station , we would have been forced to climb on each other to move around . Now , this is your last chance to back down . The moment the mission starts , we will not abide deserters . -

Zac glanced around . Not a single one raised any objections . He guessed any flaky people had been filtered out before this stage . Then again , the fine for breaking the contract early was pretty steep , and failing quests should be avoided when possible . Even if a quest didn’t have any failure conditions , messing up a mission would lower your importance in the System’s eyes , which could have all kinds of negative impacts .

Alright then . We will make a jump into the Void Gate where we will have proper briefings and join up with our task members , - Teo said , and the large teleporter behind him activated a moment later .

One by one , the Wandering Cultivators stepped inside , with the four Early-stage Hegemons taking the lead . Zac recognized three of them from various intelligence packets , but the fourth one , a graceful woman with a dangerous gleam in her eyes , was completely unknown to him . Two of the others were famous Wandering Cultivators who had millennia of experience .

The final Hegemon was Uzu Huso , and he’d only broken through five years ago , which had caused some waves on Salosar Eight where he came from . After the Hegemons , the Half-Step cultivators entered , where an unofficial hierarchy formed pretty much automatically based on their auras .

This was a common occurrence among unaffiliated cultivators . They didn’t have heritage or background to compare , so they kept it simple by comparing power and feats . In this scenario , the power level Zac had set for himself barely landed him in the top twenty . However , Zac could easily tell that if he went all out , only the experienced Hegemons would be able to put up a real fight .

Apart from his titles , it boiled down to Dao . These Half-Step Hegemons had spent centuries , millennia even , squeezing out as much potential as they could from their current level . Even then , it was obvious they were just like the real Gaun , stuck with Dao Fragments , with many not even having evolved them to Peak Mastery . There were just two Zac suspected to actually possess Dao Branches .

Still , all of these warriors emitted respectable energy levels for a Wandering Cultivator , meaning they’d probably encountered their fair share of opportunities during their lifetimes .

Zac stepped onto the teleporter when his turn came , and after a brief stint of darkness , he emerged in what looked like a balcony . However , on second look it was clear it was rather a viewing gallery inside some sort of enormous stone structure , where the outer wall had been replaced by a transparent array .

The others had already walked over to the edge to take in the view , and Zac flashed over as well .

Holy crap , - Zac muttered , not needing to pretend , even after having visited places like the Twilight Harbor .

The object that took up most of his field of vision was a large sun with a bluish hue . Judging by its proximity , Zac guessed the shielding array had some sort of dampening effects to prevent people from being blinded . Even then , Zac could both sense and see extremely powerful spatial fluctuations coming from within the star .

It almost looked like a heart that beat with spatial pulses , and Zac recalled the note left along with Leyara’s - gift’ , where she wanted to talk fashion and the future under the light of the Void Star .

Was this it?

While the star was impressive , it still paled in comparison to the rest of the view . It became clear they weren’t actually on some planet with a very close trajectory to the blue sun . Spaceships , ranging from monstrous leviathans over ten thousand meters long to thousands of smaller skippers that flashed back and forth in the void , filled his view .

If not for the distinct arrays and the archaic designs , Zac would have thought he’d been teleported to a Technocrat base rather than some space fortress of a Zecia faction . As for himself and his squad , they hadn’t appeared in a Cosmic Vessel like those that flicked about . Rather , they were standing in a tower of a mind-bogglingly huge construct .

To his sides were five more towers like the one they stood in , each reaching tens of thousands of meters into the air . They almost looked like beehives with gates the smaller vessels flew into , while the larger motherships were docked outside .

The towers were connected horizontally to an unfathomably large oblong structure far below , almost looking like chimneys of a steamboat . Was it actually a ship? Could it even be considered one at this size? The scene was pretty shocking , considering this enormous construct wasn’t the only one—Zac saw three more just like it far in the distance .

Now this is a real faction , - the warrior next to Zac said , his wide eyes glued to the scene . - Just being able to witness this was worth the trip . -

So many vessels , and each one is worth a fortune , - another Wandering Cultivator added . - No wonder the Void Gate has the means to pay such generous bounties . -

One by one , the Wandering Cultivators joined Zac and the others at the edge of the room , gazing upon the scene . Even the Hegemons appeared gobsmacked at the means of the Void Gate , and Zac wasn’t surprised . The resources of a proper C-grade force simply couldn’t be compared to a D-grade one . Building a ship of this size would probably bankrupt the Salosar Cluster a couple of times over .

Welcome to Zenith Vigil , one of our supply depots , - Teo smiled .

31

MY HEART BELONGS TO THE DAO

This is just a supply depot? - a woman exclaimed . - Not a Core Ship? -

The Void Gate doesn’t employ Core Ships—we don’t actually live in space , - Teo smiled , clearly satisfied with the reactions of the crowd . - Zenith Vigil is mostly used as a relay station for the warriors of the Void Gate . I’m sure you’ve noticed the star over there . That’s our target .

I know various rumors and theories are floating about back at Salosar , - the captain continued . - But here’s the truth . That there is the Void Star , and it’s a central part of our heritage . In truth , it’s not just a celestial object—it is something far more interesting . It’s a gateway . -

All those Mystic Realms , - a cultivator muttered .

Exactly , - the marshal nodded . - This Void Star is not an entrance to one Mystic Realm—it holds thousands of realms . It is a unique object that superimposes innumerable dimensions . Except something has gone awry . The realms the Void Star holds are being flooded with beasts , and fundamental rules to travel between the realities within have become capricious .

Most missions are pretty simple—to exterminate the beasts that have invaded and restore order . In our case , we are here to study , and hopefully repair , a node that is causing trouble . Meanwhile , the leaders are trying to investigate the source of the anomalies and the beasts . -

The spatial fields around the Void Star are too powerful for teleportation . Zenith Vigil is placed as close to our destination as possible , but we will have to go by ship the last stretch . When we enter the Void Star , we expect it will take two weeks to a month to reach the anomaly , - one of the squad leaders added .

For now , let’s head to our vessel , - Teo said . - The star is a lot farther than it looks because of the dense spatial field around it . It will take three weeks before we reach it . While we travel , we will go over all the pertinent details of what you should expect inside . -

I heard previous squads had the opportunity to peruse the wares and public techniques at the supply depot before setting out? - Uzu , the Wandering Hegemon , ventured .

Unfortunately , it took too long to fill this squad . We are already late . You will have a chance to trade after we return instead , - Teo said . - Now , let’s go . -

Zac reluctantly looked away from the breathtaking scenery and exited through a gate to the side with the others . They didn’t need to go very far to reach their destination—one of the hangars was right next door , and it held a bulky vessel roughly the size of a soccer field . Its design was a lot rougher compared to the vessels the Creators had shown him , but that didn’t diminish the strong impression it left .

Zac felt like an ant being near it , and he almost salivated at the thought that his own ship would be at least three times the size of this monstrosity . The docking yard had normal gravity , yet the ship was silently floating without releasing as much as a ripple , and the group embarked with the help of floating platforms that took them into the vessel .

What kind of ship is this? - another Wandering Cultivator ventured when they had all boarded , finding themselves in what looked like a cargo hold .

It’s nothing special , - Teo shrugged . - It’s a Templar transporter . Its only good feature is its resilience and shielding . Even Middle-stage Hegemons will find it difficult to break its defenses . -

Should we expect an attack en route? - another cultivator asked .

Normally , no , - Kalo , one of the seconds-in-command , said . - But when spatial anomalies are involved , you never know what can happen . -

Everyone has a designated room matching the sigil on your tokens , - Teo continued as a map appeared above his head . - For now , feel free to walk around or get to know your squadmates . Your companions from the Void Gate have already boarded , you should be able to find most of them in the sparring chambers or the mess . We will start the first briefing in five hours in the communal area . -

The interiors of the unnamed vessel were quite simple—a third were sealed chambers that held the arrays for propulsion and defense , and another third were private compartments . That left some room for the cargo hold they currently found themselves in , two viewing decks , a couple of sparring rooms , the bridge , and a large multipurpose section that included social areas , including the mess hall .

With that , the four Hegemons left in the direction of the bridge , leaving the fifty Wandering Cultivators to their own devices . Some stayed on inside the cargo hold , discussing the Void Gate and Zenith Vigil in low volumes , while others went to explore .

Some walked in the direction of the sparring rooms with determined expressions , and it wasn’t hard to understand they wanted to fight with the Templars . Others sauntered toward the mess hall . As for Zac and a few others , they made their way toward the viewing decks , not having seen enough of the view outside .

Zac chose the deck at the rear of the vessel , since he was more interested in the Vigil Station than the Void Star—he would have more than enough time to study that thing over the coming weeks . There were already a couple of Templars there , but they didn’t pay the newcomers much heed . Zac greeted them with a small bow and got curt nods in return from roughly half of the warriors .

We’re already moving , - one of the warriors next to Zac commented , and they hurriedly moved up to the window just in time to see their vessel soundlessly float out of the hangar .

There hadn’t been any recoil or force when the ship set off , and Zac hadn’t even sensed any energies from within the ship . The arrays that propelled the system had to be protected by a pretty powerful seal to not leak out a hint of energy .

Only a minute later did Zac finally see how the vessel moved—the ship generated spatial pulses at the back . Every few seconds , they released a pulse , and it looked similar to a stone dropped in a calm lake before space restabilized .

It’s a localized spatial displacement configuration , - a voice next to Zac explained . - The ambient Spatial Energy in front of the vessel is absorbed , amplified , and released behind us , creating a smooth and mostly self-perpetuating momentum . The engine is very efficient and inexpensive to create , but these vessels only work in the vicinity of the Void Star . -

Zac turned over with interest , feeling the voice was a bit familiar . However , it wasn’t Teo or one of the other leaders who’d spoken , but rather another familiar figure .

It’s you? - Zac exclaimed with surprise .

Standing next to him was Vai Salas , the little nun who suspected him of shoplifting when entering the recruitment station . She wore one of the hooded cloaks of the researchers who’d wordlessly teleported over with the others , but she’d taken off the hood hiding her facial features .

We meet again , - Vai said and performed a small bow . - It is quite the coincidence . -

Is it really? - Zac asked with a raised brow .

Had she followed him here? And if so , why? Had she noticed something amiss with him before?

Ah , well . . . - the nun hesitated . - I did not expect to encounter you again . But when I saw your name in the mission manifest , it almost felt like fate . -

Don’t go falling in love with me , - Zac smiled at the timid nun . - My heart belongs to the Dao . -

That’s—no , - Vai said , becoming panicked as she bowed . - I’m sorry , I am not looking for a relationship . I have taken a vow with the covenant , and as such , I can’t enter any relationships before reaching Hegemony . -

Stop , stop , - Zac grimaced . - I was just joking . -

Oh , - Vai said with a small blush . - I’m sorry , I am not used to talking with strangers . But I guess we will get to know each other better over the following months . What I meant to say earlier , was that when I saw your name on the manifest , I asked the captain to assign you to me as my guardian . It felt like a sign from the Heavens encountering you twice , and I chose to listen to the will of the cosmos . -

So it was like that , - Zac nodded . - I’ll do my best . But uh , try not to get yourself in trouble , alright? -

Of course , - Vai smiled . - And don’t worry . I am not one of the non-combat researchers . I can defend myself as well , or at least run away and buy you some time . -

You’re not a researcher? - Zac asked curiously .

I am , in a sense , - Vai said . - I reached an impasse early in my cultivation . 1 , 200 years ago , I joined a special division researching the Void Star in hopes of finding inspiration for my path . I didn’t succeed , but I did find the work quite rewarding . -

You’re that ol—ahem , experienced? - Zac exclaimed , somewhat course-correcting upon seeing the pout on the nun’s face . - Sorry , I’m just surprised , considering you mentioned it was your first time leaving home . With your strong aura , I thought you part of the young elites of your faction . -

I’ve spent most of my life in the monastery , and I haven’t had much reason to lea— -

Ms . Salas , the Adjunct is waiting for us , - another researcher interrupted as he walked over , his aura indicating he was a non-combat researcher .

I am Gaun Sorom , it’s nice to meet you , - Zac said with a nod .

Hm , - the man said before turning and walking away .

I’m sorry , - Vai said with a weak smile . - The captain told me we ought to coordinate with our guardians , so I hope we can set up a sparring session during our journey? -

Of course , - Zac said .

Zac wryly smiled as he watched them walk away . The rumors certainly were true ; some of these Void Gate cultivators really looked down their noses at the Wandering Cultivators . Then again , it wasn’t Zac’s problem . He wouldn’t explode in a fit of righteous indignation just from being disregarded , as some hotheads did . If anything , the less attention these people gave him , the better .

He wasn’t in any rush , so he kept looking at the enormous space station , seeing how one vessel after another emerged or docked . Going by the size of the station’s main body and the constant traffic , Zac guessed millions of people must come and go every week . Zac wondered how the Void Gate made that work .

The Orom had been forced to continuously hunt people and use their materials to maintain the ambient energy . Were the Templars doing the same—were they forced to burn millions of Nexus Crystals every day to maintain the environment? Or were they able to make use of the Void Star somehow? Were there perhaps arrays that could copy the process of World Cores , dragging energy from the cosmos?

Was that the meaning of the Core Ships the woman mentioned earlier?

As marvelous as the view was , there were other things Zac needed to do—the first of which was to get to know the players in his squad . He might need the help of the Hegemons to complete his private mission , so he needed to start networking . He first made a quick trip to check out his compartment and found it was pretty decent . It was split up into two rooms with the outer room being a multipurpose room with a sofa set and a desk where a few books were placed . Zac looked them over , finding one contained information on the beasts of the Void Star .

The other one contained information on space . It wasn’t really a treatise on the Dao , but it rather contained useful information that would help one understand what various types of ripples meant . The book was no doubt left there to prepare the outsiders for the environment of the Void Star and to avoid any preventable accidents .

After that , Zac made his way to the mess hall , where roughly sixty people had already gathered . It was pretty clear that camps had formed not only between the outsiders and the Templars , but also within the Wandering Cultivators . Zac inwardly smiled , feeling his situation was a bit like being the transfer kid at a school cafeteria as he walked toward a table with ten Wandering Cultivators .

Is this seat taken? - Zac asked , looking at a handsome man with two swirls of flames circulating above his head .

While most of the others had restrained their auras , Uzu made no attempts to hide his ascent into Hegemony—it was almost like he was afraid someone would miss it . To his side , the dangerous-looking woman sat , sipping on some sort of hot brew that emitted dense waves of Cosmic Energy .

Make yourself at home , - Uzu waved with a wide grin . - I’m Uzu , and this here is Lady Ilka , an experienced expert from Tanlovi . -

Lord Uzu , Lady Ilka , - Zac nodded before taking in Ilka with genuine surprise . The Tanlovi Triumvirate was quite far from Salosar , which meant she had to have come here with the help of the Space Gate Guild . - I’m Gaun Sorom , second string . -

Gaun Sorom , think I heard about you , - a dour man on the other side of the table said as Zac sat down . - Heard a rumor you got your hands on a trove at the level of a Supreme treasure . -

I wish , - Zac said with a wry smile , memorizing the features of the man causing trouble . - If I had Supreme treasure , would I be taking on this kind of dangerous mission? -

Now ain’t that the truth? - Uzu laughed . - I’m flat broke after barely breaking through . If not for the rewards , why would I take this mission instead of the simple beast-killing tasks? -

A few grunts of agreement echoed around the table .

I think we made the right choice , - the Hegemon added . - Analyzing the tasks with what we’ve learned so far , I believe we’re heading for one of the higher-grade realms hidden within that celestial object . I believe the odds of us discovering bounty materials are pretty good . Might be a fate-changing opportunity , even . -

Zac nodded with some evident longing , an expression that was mirrored among some of the others . The chances of these people stepping into Hegemony were almost nil , though it was clear they hadn’t given up just yet . The others exuded a greedy glint in their eyes , probably hoping for the treasure so they could finally retire to a life of luxury back on Salosar .

Have any of you ever heard of these sorts of transforming realms? - another man asked .

This man looked a lot like a dwarf with his stocky frame and bushy beard , except he had more than a head on Billy . While the others sat on chairs , this man sat on the ground , yet he was level with the others . Going by his extremely leathery skin , Zac guessed there might be some ogre in his bloodline .

Never , - Uzu said , and the others shook their heads as well .

There were some similarities between the Void Star and the Twilight Ascent , but they were ultimately different . For one , the Twilight Ascent was a System trial , and it was the System that forcibly divided one Mystic Realm into three identical versions . This place felt far more complicated .

Eventually , everyone’s gazes turned to Ilka , the only other Hegemon at the table .

It is definitely not a common occurrence , - Ilka said . - If I had to guess , this is the only place in our Sector with this kind of layered Mystic Realm . The Dravorak Dynasty has the Hundred Fates , but those Mystic Realms are simply serried rather than superimposed . -

I cannot remember reading about anything like this in the archives either , - a scholarly-looking old man said . - It should be worth studying—it might be related to their strength . -

Ka-Lu over there worked the gates of the Drix Archives for seven centuries , he’s probably one of the most well-read outsiders on this ship , - Uzu nodded .

You think it’s the source of their spatial heritage , rather than the other way around? - Zac asked curiously .

Perhaps , perhaps not , - Ka-Lu smiled . - But it brings up some interesting questions , wouldn’t you say? A powerful heritage , a mysterious celestial object , and a faction that’s desperately gathering ancient remnants throughout the region . -

You think it’s related to the Limitless Empire? - Uzu said , his voice reduced to a whisper .

The Limitless Empire was powerful beyond our understanding . Creating something as marvelous as this stellar object should have been child’s play to them . Perhaps the Void Gate found a heritage of theirs , only they cannot freely control it or excavate its deepest secrets . So they’re looking for clues among the ruins of Zecia . -

Zac looked at the old man with surprise , wondering if he really was onto something . He remembered how Leyara had stopped at nothing to purchase some random vase back in the Tower of Eternity , just because of its connection to the Limitless Empire . Ka-Lu’s suppositions also tracked with his own guesses about the Void Gate’s connection to his heritage and Emperor Limitless .

Come to think of it , there was one more factor which indicated Zecia might have more of a connection to the Limitless Empire than one should expect from a frontier Sector . After all , it was here Leandra’s family had set up a research base looking into bloodlines . And it was here Leandra fled when their experiments failed—indicating the actual experiments might not have taken place too far away .

In theory , the Limitless Empire’s domains should have been the first thing to get integrated when the System awoke . But what if something happened , where certain parts of the empire were disconnected , or even moved away for some reason?

Remnants of the Limitless Empire? We better hope not , - the dour man muttered .

Really? You’re not interested in the remains of the most powerful empire in history? - Uzu asked with a raised brow .

I’m interested in staying alive . Any realm or Heritage connected to the Limitless Empire , no matter how depreciated , would be a core secret of a faction—something even the powerful factions above Zecia would desire . If we’re exposed to such secrets , the odds of us making it out in one piece is almost nil , contract or no , - he shrugged . - The less we see , the better . -

The man’s words put a damper on the discussion , but not without reason . They were ultimately just outsiders without powerful backing . Most factions would do whatever it took to protect their core secrets—killing a couple of Wandering Cultivators was nothing . Though Zac’s heart started to beat with anticipation rather than worry .

What if there really were clues to his heritage in this place?

32

A SEED RETURNED

Are you ready? - Zac asked .

I—Yes? - Vai hesitated as she gripped her tome tightly .

Alright then . - Zac grinned and took a step forward , the chamber flooding with unbridled killing intent . - Then try to survive . -

With that , he flashed forward with Earthstrider] as his eyes bored into Vai’s . She’d visibly paled from the onslaught of his bloodlust , but Zac still sensed she managed to infuse her tome with Cosmic Energy . The next moment , one Vai turned into ten , and space started to twist and refract throughout the whole room .

A simple spatial manipulation that essentially turned the area into a labyrinth , where the cardinal directions lost their meaning as they were turned into a Gordian knot . However , Zac only smiled and punched to his left . A tunnel was forced through the twisting corridor of space , exposing one of the nun’s avatars who looked at him agape .

Zac took another step with his movement skill to appear right in front of her , and his axe was already descending toward her head .

Eep! - Vai yelped , her eyes wide with horror at the incoming edge .

Well , it’s better , I guess? - Zac said as he stopped his swing mid-motion . - But the aura of your true self was exposed when setting up the labyrinth . And you stopped moving after erecting it , making it effortless to figure out where you were . If you swapped places with one of your doppelgangers the moment the trap was set up , you would have been able to avoid me a lot longer . Also , the trap you set up was beautifully crafted , but all that effort is wasted in front of a Beast King . Remember , keep it simple and keep moving . -

This was their fifth training session together , and even if Vai’s performance was pretty wretched , it was still a lot better than the first time they fought . Zac had quickly realized Vai barely had any combat experience at all . Turns out she hadn’t been in a single life-death battle her whole life , and his raw killing intent had been enough to render her unconscious .

When asked , Vai explained she’d reached Peak E-grade when only 28 . From there , she’d spent the next fifty years trying to progress using both adventures and the solitary methods of the Void Gate devotees . Unfortunately , she’d hit a brick wall when reaching for Hegemony , and the Void Gate wouldn’t pay for their people’s cultivation forever if they didn’t progress .

Finally , she had been forced to take up a job as an assistant at some research facility , and that was where she’d worked for the remainder of her life , slowly rising in ranks until she became a proper researcher . During that time , she hadn’t fought once , so the little she knew from her cultivation days had slowly been lost .

By now , she had essentially discarded her identity as a combat class altogether , and half of her skills had been replaced with ones that would help her with research .

That’s why Zac gave up any idea of trying to teach her basic footwork or to avoid danger , and instead settled on the basic method he’d used on Emily long ago . If he could get her used to his killing intent , she hopefully wouldn’t freeze like a deer in headlights the moment a beast came barreling toward her .

During their second training session , Vai barely managed to stay conscious , but had still been so unnerved , she’d completely forgotten how to use skills or Cosmic Energy . The little nun simply tried to stumble out of the way while shrieking at the top of her lungs , almost looking like a mortal who had yet to start cultivating .

That Vai had accomplished this much just a few weeks later , could be considered pretty good .

I’m sorry , I keep coming up short , - Vai sighed .

Don’t worry about it , - Zac smiled . - You’re making progress , and you’re probably a lot better compared to the other researchers already . -

Still . . . Could we go again? - Vai said with a determined expression .

Sure . -

Like that , they went a couple of more rounds , where Vai tried to gain some basic experience . But suddenly , the door swung open , and Zac was surprised to see Havasa Yrvis , the leader of the second-string defenders , who walked inside . They’d spoken a few times , and had even sparred once—she was the real deal .

She used a spiked hammer as a weapon , and Zac had been afraid she would tear the whole vessel apart when she swung that gnarly thing . In return , she was on the slower side for a Hegemon . She was a lot like Billy in that sense , though their personalities were nothing alike , and neither were their Daos .

Interesting , - Havasa said .

Captain Yrvis , - Zac said with a bow . - I figured this was the best way to increase her odds of survival in case something happened . -

You’re right , - Havasa agreed . - It’s too late for her to gain any practical combat ability , but getting anointed in killing intent will at least help her stay conscious during a beast tide . I’m more curious about you , and why you have such a dense killing intent . It borders on the unorthodox . -

There’s nothing of that sort , - Zac hurriedly said . - I’m simply not too bright , so I have spent the past centuries throwing myself against beasts in the wilderness . That’s how I’ve managed to gain the little amount of power I have . -

Mhm , - Havasa said noncommittally , then turned away . - We’re going to break through in one hour . I suggest you return to your compartments . -

With that , she was gone , and Zac turned to Vai for an explanation . However , he found her equally confused .

How odd , it should be a few more days , - she muttered . - Has the corona expanded? -

What’s going on? - Zac asked .

We’re about to enter the domain of the Void Star , but we’ll have to pass through a very dense spatial film first . It’s incredibly powerful and can leave hidden pockets of Spatial Energy in your body , which you definitely don’t want to have when entering a powerful spatial field . There has been more than one Void Gate disciple who has suddenly died from a tear opening up from within their body . -

Great , - Zac muttered .

Don’t worry , the odds of that happening are quite low , and our compartments have an additional layer of shielding . You’re more likely to die from a beast attack , - Vai said .

You’re not helping , - Zac sighed as he walked out of the sparring room . - After we’ve passed through that film , we’ve arrived? -

Almost . We will have to enter the correct layer , but that will only take a few hours . Thank you for the help these past weeks , by the way , - Vai said with a bow . - I didn’t realize I had such a glaring weakness . I will try not to make your job any harder than it has to be . -

Don’t worry about that and just focus on fixing that anomaly of yours , - Zac smiled . - The sooner we can go back , the better . -

Seeing as they had an hour , Zac went over to an almost-full viewing deck while Vai returned to her quarters . The Void Star essentially covered their whole vision by this point , a huge glaring wall of blue that consumed everything else . There were still no clues to how a star could hold thousands of Mystic Realms—no glimpses of anything except fire hiding within .

Neither were there any clues to the film Havasa mentioned they were approaching , so Zac returned to his cabin . There was no point in tempting fate and getting blasted with a wave of supercharged Spatial Energy . After all , the barrier had clearly moved out a lot farther than Vai expected , so who was to say it couldn’t drift a bit more?

Zac sat down in the sealed cultivation chamber and started going over his own research instead . Most of Zac’s time over the past three weeks had been spent in his room , where he deepened his understanding of the Book of Duality] . By now , most of the second chapter was - completely’ deciphered , though unlocking the remaining five chapters would no doubt add new layers to what he understood .

As to how long that would take , Zac couldn’t be certain , but he expected at least a year . And that was if he focused solely on the book . Problem was , he had a lot of things on his plate , even after having put a hold on his Soul Strengthening now that he didn’t have access to the right environment .

The more he learned from the Book of Duality] , the more he felt Three Virtues was onto something . The System , and the whole universe for that matter , was based on the concept of balance . And while there were innumerable ways to look at balance , it did seem reasonable that his human side should be Life-attuned rather than just . . . nothing .

Problem was that the Boundless Vajra Sublimation] was not just a Body-strengthening Manual . On the surface , the training method seemed quite simple—there were three different Life-attuned and body-strengthening compounds you needed to prepare , or one of their many replacements . With these compounds , you would then draw a specific array on your body before practicing a certain set of movements while chanting the provided Sutras .

Basically , Heart Cultivation and Body Cultivation mashed into one , where Zac’s instincts told him the Heart Cultivation was a trap . It was based on a completely different path from his own , where he drew strength from his convictions and his goals . Meanwhile , the Heart Cultivation method centered around relinquishing—letting go of the fetters that kept you from enlightenment .

An approach like this wouldn’t necessarily turn you into an unthinking arhat , as long as you managed to hold onto your path . But even then , it was only suitable for the type of cultivators who had severed everything in their pursuit of the Dao—family , emotions , desires , and mundane interests . It would strengthen your conviction and connection to the Dao while eroding everything else .

This didn’t work for Zac , so he was trying to figure out a way to extract only the body-tempering component of the technique , and discard the Heart Cultivation . Which was easier said than done . He couldn’t just skip chanting the Sutras . Not only would that throw off the rhythm of the technique , he could somewhat tell that the actual stances could affect his state of mind .

Even though he already had more than enough materials to start the introductory stage of the method , he had yet to practice it . Heart Cultivation was intangible and elusive , and he feared he wouldn’t notice his personality changing until it was too late .

The minutes passed , and Zac started to see a change in the cultivation chamber . Normally , you’d only sense the powerful spatial fluctuations outside when visiting the viewing deck , but Zac now found space all around him starting to stir . It was as though his surroundings had come alive , with the walls , ground , and even the air itself dancing with the beat of the cosmos .

At first , it wasn’t too bad . But then the pulse came and reality cracked .

The palace was vast beyond comprehension , looking down upon the world with indifference . It held back the endless storm , a stalwart defender that had kept its vigil for an unfathomable number of years . The very air was filled with antiquity and conviction . But few things in this universe were eternal—and the great fortress had seen its fair share of assaults .

Each mark marring its structures was a Dao perfected , each scar the representation of an indomitable will . Even the wrath of the Heavens formed intricate patterns across the walls and the towers , yet they proudly remained standing . Together , the indelible marks formed a tapestry of fate so rich that it beggared comprehension . The loss and destruction this castle had seen were enough to make the Heavens cry .

Who had built it , and who wanted to see it destroyed? What was the storm that forever drew closer? And what was that mark? The mark looked so—

The sobriety was deafening across the courtyard . It was hollow yet not wanting—not even the Heavens could impugn on its domain . There was no life , but also no death . No conflict , no future , no past . There was just emptiness .

Nine seals . Eight pillars . One destiny .

The white pebbles which made the path leading toward the solitary building were simple and unadorned , yet they made up the basis of the universe . The seven steps at the end of the path held the weight of an era , each one marked with the same solitary brand .

The building atop the small platform was simple , yet the aura emanating from within had surpassed the Heavens , surpassed the Dao . It couldn’t be defined by the Heavenly Laws , because it had transcended what should be possible . And it was waiting .

Ultom .

Mohzius Tayn thoughtfully frowned as he mulled over the messages from his disciples . The Starbeast Alliance was gathering strength while the ancient clans launched massive wars . Even the Sangha and the remaining Apostatic Clans were stirring .

Why now? It was too early for another ascent . The Heavens were still gathering momentum . But there were few other things that could cause such a stir .

Suddenly , space rippled , and a smile spread across his face as he looked to the sky .

What’s wrong , love? - he asked . - The Heavens will find you if you keep popping in like this . -

It’s busy at the moment . One of the pillars is stirring . -

Well , that would do it , - Mohzius grimaced as he glanced at the missives in his hands . - This is not a great time for us . What do you want to do? -

As you said , it’s not for us , - the Empyrean Throne said . - Perhaps we’ll find an opportunity in the future depending on how things turn out . For now , let the others fight it out . The pillars are not so easily seized . Last time , the struggle lasted almost a million years . -

That one was special , though , - Mohzius said .

They’re all special . Just stay put until I can emerge , and keep little Iz safe from the storm that’s coming . -

About that . . . - Mohzius coughed .

Old man , what have you done? - a chilly voice growled as the galaxy shuddered .

Amitabha , excuse me , brothers , - Blessed Fate smiled .

Off to that decrepit little temple of yours again , brother Fate? - Kendos frowned . - Why not just move down from the mountain? The forest path is growing treacherous . Basto’s son almost got gored by a beast of a boar the other day . -

I’m telling you , something odd is going on , - Hastus interjected . - The animals are growing bigger , meaner . -

Amitabha , what will be , will be , - Blessed Fate sighed . - One of the Heavenly constants is change , but this poor monk still needs to tend to his temple . -

The men in the room froze before their bodies started to fade . Then it happened to the small mountain village , the mountains , the country , and soon the whole world . Tens of thousands of years of history , gone . Billions of lives lived across hundreds of generations . Stars were extinguished and galaxies died out as all creation returned to the origin .

Joys and sorrows . Hopes and aspirations . Suffering and despair . All gone . Remaining was just a golden ocean stretching toward eternity .

Amitabha , Almsgivers . Born from the heart , returned to the heart . Come , child . -

Space shifted and a small island appeared , on the center of which a small mountain temple stood . Waiting by its gates stood a rotund halfling .

Teacher , - the child said with a bow when Blessed Fate walked over .

Just a few dozen millennia have passed , and you are already making progress , - Blessed Fate smiled .

It is all thanks to teacher’s blessings , but this one still has a long way to go , - Three Virtues said with another bow . - I am still far from creating a world with my heart , let alone a reality . -

Enlightenment cannot be rushed , - Blessed Fate said . - What will be , will be . But this poor monk has to confess , I am surprised . This one thought you wanted to keep your incarnations on the outside until your rebirth reached fruition . -

It could not wait . As expected , teacher was correct , - Three Virtues said as he handed his master a small white pebble whose very presence caused ripples to spread across the whole ocean .

A moment later , a golden statue rose from the depths , its continent-sized hands joined together in a mighty seal containing the authority of Buddha . Order was restored , and the Dvarapala sunk back to resume its eternal vigil .

The Kalpa turns as Ultom stirs , - Blessed Fate sighed , his eyes trained on the pebble rather than the scene outside . - Are we prepared? -

A pebble brought out and a seed returned , - Three Virtues nodded . - Though I confess , the path teacher chose seems . . . precarious . This poor monk fears it will have the opposite effect . -

There are no certainties in life , and our actions might end up accruing Mara . With everything at stake , there are no safe paths down the road , - Blessed Fate said with a sorrowful smile . - Even so , we will shoulder the weight . If this useless monk doesn’t step through the gates of hell , who will? -

33

ULTOM

Zac’s soul cried , unable to comprehend what he’d been forced to witness . He couldn’t think , he couldn’t see—his senses were filled with red and the screams of an ancient past . He desperately tried to escape , to scream for help—anything to break the vision that gripped him and was rapidly eroding his mind .

Suddenly , a soothing stream of golden warmth filled him , and his frantically beating heart gradually calmed . The ancient horror was still there—the comfort was but a firefly before a raging inferno . However , it was as though the vision of the courtyard didn’t want to be sullied , and for lack of a better word , it exited Zac’s mind on its own as the healing waves spread throughout his body .

Zac started to gain a sense of his surroundings , though the world was still steeped in red . He tried to clear his eyes , but his hands didn’t quite listen to him . So instead , he tried to ask what was going on , but only a slurred groan escaped from his lips .

Just relax , - a low voice said by his side , and Zac arduously turned his eyes to see an elderly man holding his hands over Zac’s chest , and a beautiful shimmer was released onto his body .

It was Kantomir , one of the five devotees in the squad who weren’t researchers . He was a healer , and a D-grade one at that . Why was he here? Zac tried to force his harried mind to focus , and managed to take in what he was looking at .

Blood . Blood everywhere .

Zac was still in his compartment , but no longer inside the cultivation chamber . He was lying in a pool of blood in the middle of his social area , and the remaining splinters of the door to his inner chamber were lying all around him . The walls were covered with large swathes of sanguine red—not even the ceiling was spared .

Had he punched himself out of the cultivation chamber in his delirious state? Or had someone broken in to save him? And why had he lost enough blood to paint the whole room red?

What the—What is going on here? - another gruff voice asked to the side , and Zac recognized the voice to belong to Teo .

Clearly , he was just as much at a loss as Zac himself about the situation . Furthermore , both he and Kantomir were fine , indicating the thing Zac just endured only applied to him .

I—eurh . . . - Zac tried to force his mind to focus . - I don’t know . One minute the walls started to dance , the next I find myself on the floor out here . I might have had a deviation in my cultivation . Did you drag me out of there? -

I was alerted about your state from the token and found you lying here screaming at the top of your lungs , - Kantomir explained before he turned to the Templar captain . - Is it the visions? -

Visions? - Zac said , trying to look confused as he wiped the blood from his face .

The former wasn’t anything odd . The tokens all the Wandering Cultivators wore contained a tracking array that also monitored one’s vitals . However , the second was rather shocking . The Void Gate knew about those terrifying visions?

Enough , - Teo said to Kantomir before turning to Zac . - Some warriors , mostly those with Spatial Affinity , are sometimes shown scenes from various layers of the Void Star when met with strong spatial turbulence . Your wretched state might be because you lack affinity with space . Do you remember seeing anything? -

Nothing , - Zac lied with confusion written all over his face . - Seen what? -

You might have seen one of the Beast Emperors in the depths of the Void Star , prompting the backlash , - Teo sighed . - This is our mistake . These things usually only happen in the depth of the Void Star , it must have become more unpredictable than we expected . It looks like completing our mission has become even more important . -

Will this keep happening? - Zac groaned as he slowly got to a sitting position .

Doubtful . Only you on the vessel were hit when we passed through the barrier , and we haven’t had any reports of this being a widespread occurrence . I’m afraid you were just unlucky . I guess it’s good to get the bad luck out of the way early? - Teo said with a wry smile .

Yeah , feels great , - Zac grunted .

Your soul is intact , and your body is free from any foreign Daos , - Kantomir commented . - There is a small amount of Spatial Energy in your body , but it is well within acceptable limits—nothing to indicate this event left any sequelae . -

Try to recover as best you can over the next hour , - the Templar captain added as he took out a bottle of pills . - I’ll talk to Havasa and have you placed in the inner circle of the formation for the first few days . -

Alright , thank you , - Zac nodded .

With that , Teo and the healer left the room , leaving Zac to gather his thoughts as he ate a Healing Pill—one of his own just in case . There had been something slightly off about Teo’s explanation , though Zac couldn’t say exactly what . Did the Templar know what Zac just witnessed?

More importantly , just what the hell was that vision? It wasn’t a Dao Vision , and it didn’t feel like the visions he’d seen when awakening his bloodlines or Hidden Nodes . Neither was it a journey of the spirit like when he met with Be’Zi or her husband .

It rather felt like an invasion . One moment there was nothing , but the next this whole reality had crammed itself into the recesses of his mind , latent echoes that created an unbearable crescendo for someone at the E-grade . And with the power contained in the vision , Zac’s very sense of self had been suppressed and replaced by knowledge and impressions that were now out of reach .

He still remembered the castle—and what was hidden in its center .

The power that the vast citadel exuded beggared Zac’s comprehension . He sincerely doubted even that enormous golem that accompanied Iz Tayn would be able to leave the kinds of markings which crisscrossed those walls . Even then , the castle couldn’t compare to the profundity of that lonesome courtyard .

It was like every grain of sand contained a universe , or at least truths that surpassed the glimpses of Chaos he’d conjured . Who could have built a place like that?

There weren’t too many options in that regard . Such a place was obviously erected by a peak faction far surpassing any force in Zecia or its neighboring states . Judging by the sense of antiquity and Zac’s current location , there was a clear contender ; the Limitless Empire . Just like that Wandering Cultivator had said the day they boarded the ship—the Limitless Empire possessed means that were far beyond their understanding .

That would explain why only he was affected while Teo and the healer were fine . If so , it had to be an important facility of the Limitless Empire to emit that kind of power , completely different compared to the essentially useless scraps that had popped up in Zecia so far . It seemed almost impossible for something like that to appear in this desolate corner of the Multiverse .

At the same time , Zac wasn’t certain . The obvious conclusion was that it was related to his bloodline , except his bloodline hadn’t reacted at all , and nothing had changed in his constitution . Besides , even if the truths hidden in the scars on the castle or within the small pebbles of the courtyard were blurry now , he could somewhat tell they weren’t exactly related to his origin .

There was a vague sense of connection between him and whatever lurked in the heart of that small pagoda at the heart of the courtyard . However , it was more like that place held a connection to all creation and the Dao itself , rather than holding the answer to the true meaning of the - Void’ in his bloodline .

That unfathomable sense of having surpassed the limits of the Dao raised another possibility , one that was perhaps even more outlandish—was it an Eternal Heritage? Did the castle stem from an earlier era?

Perhaps he was underestimating the profundity of the A-grade . Those people were at the very peak of the pyramid , and someone like Zac didn’t have the capabilities to gauge the difference between an Autarch and a Supremacy . It was possible that the castle simply came from some other powerful faction who had fallen during the endless years of the current age .

After all , the Multiverse was nigh-endless , and there were probably extremely powerful factions who existed outside the System’s purview . That was doubly true during the start of the System’s era when it only controlled a fraction of the domains it had now integrated .

Was the castle even real?

Ultom , - Zac muttered .

His eyes widened in alarm as he looked around with fear . Fate started gathering around him the moment he uttered the name engraved in his mind at the end of the vision . Thankfully , the convergence dissipated , allowing Zac to breathe out in relief . But that short moment had been enough to leave his back slick with sweat .

It was real—all too real—and just saying the word came with implications .

Zac spent the next hour stabilizing his soul while using Surging Vitality] to rapidly mend the small tears that had appeared throughout his body . Thankfully , the healer’s diagnosis was mostly correct , though his Mental Energy was almost completely drained after witnessing the scene .

Even after one hour , he wasn’t any closer to figuring out what was going on or what to do from here . He couldn’t bow out now , especially not if the Templar captain knew more than he let on . It would be counted as desertion , and possibly land him in big trouble . And Zac wasn’t sure he wanted to leave , even if he could .

It was he who’d been shown the scene the moment they entered the Void Star , and Zac believed an opportunity waited for him so long as he dared seize it .

The smart thing would probably be to keep his head down and avoid trouble as he completed the task and caught a Worldeater . However , the vision of that lonesome courtyard might as well have been branded onto his soul . And if there was one thing he learned from socializing with Wandering Cultivators over the past weeks , it was that opportunities that could change one’s providence were few and far between .

Most of those he’d spoken with had spent centuries desperately fighting and seeking a lucky break , risking their lives over and over . Even then , most had very little to show for it except their current levels of cultivation . A few struck it rich a few times when risking their lives inside wild Mystic Realms , but those kinds of opportunities only lasted so long after paying the entrance fee along with house and board .

Zac had already encountered enough opportunities to last a lifetime , but the same was true for everyone who ever reached the peak—he needed to continuously find and seize them if he wanted a shot at Monarchy and above . That was doubly true for him with his odd constitution and extremely ambitious path .

He didn’t delude himself into thinking he could conquer that terrifying citadel , but any random scrap related to that place could probably be considered an earthshattering opportunity for an E-grade cultivator . This was what was required to pursue the peak , the conviction he needed to catch up with his mother . Greatness didn’t come from playing it safe , there was no way his goals could be accomplished that way .

His years in the Orom World had pretty much exhausted the momentum and inspiration he’d gained from all his previous opportunities , and it was time to dive into the deep end again . Zac didn’t care if the vision was shown as part of the System’s machinations , a result of his weird heritage , or a stroke of fate . He didn’t even care if his actions or pursuits would have unexpected ramifications for the Void Star or Zecia .

It might be greedy and selfish , but Zac would still face this head-on , win or lose .

Of course , that didn’t mean he would blindly rush into the depths of this unknown terrain . This might mean he would need to delay his trip to the Million Gates Territory though . There was no guarantee he’d find what he was looking for right away , so he might have to stay on and complete more missions inside the Void Star to search for clues . But , so what?

Having come to a decision , Zac could somewhat feel how something had shifted inside him . Almost like his heart had sped up and adrenaline coursed through his body , but he knew it was something else . It was momentum , just like when he decided to risk his life for Kaldor’s Remnant or when he chose to immediately break through to the E-grade upon returning from the Tower of Eternity .

Like he was being carried forward by a wave of fate , pushing him further than he would have been able to reach on his own . Still , he let none of this show on his face as he exited his compartment , looking as good as new after having scrubbed the blood from himself and the compartment .

Right now , he was just Gaun Sorom . Right now , he would stay his hand , until it was time to make his move .

Perala’s eyes shot open as the scar in front of her shuddered . A storm of space was released from her hands , but to no avail—an ancient aura permeated the chamber for a few seconds before the scar closed . It felt like her soul had been hit by a hammer , and tears spread all over her body , separating her into hundreds of small parcels of flesh that floated across the chamber .

For a moment , she was nothing .

The Void eventually drew her back together . Even then , her white robes were drenched with blood , and she’d lost eons of vitality in that fractional moment . She closed her eyes , but there was no answer to her call . The heart had closed itself off , its beat no longer walking in step to her own .

The ramifications were clear , and she shook her head with despair .

So , another pillar is about to be unearthed , - she sighed , filled with a sense of weariness and reluctance . - Why here? Why now? It’s too early . -

She had prayed it wouldn’t come to this . Its appearance was important , vital even . At the same time , the suffering its descent would bring to the Multiverse , to Zecia , and to the Void Gate , was inestimable . All these talents that had been raised , how many would survive the winds of fate?

Suddenly , there was a ripple in the Void , and she waved her hand , the blood disappearing from her dress . The Void was parted by her command , opening a gate through space . Two people stepped through , one warrior and one nun . It was Grand Templar Kalcas and Head Abbess Salvara , the previous-generation leaders of the two branches of the Void Gate .

Mistress , - both said with a bow , their eyes turning to the spot where the scar should have been .

Is it really . - ? the Kalcas asked , his eyes veritably burning as his fighting spirit caused the Void to shake .

Tranquility , - Perala urged . - What brought you here? -

The Void Star just released a massive wave of energy , and we have lost contact with the depths , - the Abbess said . - With the marker extinguished . . . -

With the unfortunate anomalies that have plagued the Void Star as of late , we will have to make sure it’s not a coincidence , - Perala said . - But it is likely true . -

Billions of years—so many generations , - the warrior said , his eyes fraught with emotion . - The search , it’s finally over . We will get to see it before we face the Void . We can face our ancestors with pride . -

There is still a long way to go , - Perala said . - For now , stop the excavation and stabilize the paths as best we can . If we have managed to latch onto one of its nodes , we can’t lose it again . -

Of course , - the warrior eagerly nodded . - What about the outsiders and the missions? -

Let everything proceed , - Perala said with some thought . - Many are currently watching us . Besides , we don’t know what triggered the reaction—it might be a result of all the new blood arriving . Surely , we have missed more than one person carrying the bloodline over the eons . -

What about the inner array? -

Even if we have lost connection , it should still be operational , - Perala said . - I will head over myself in a moment . -

Congratulations on finishing the Eternal Vigil , - Salvara said with a deep bow , and Kalcas immediately followed suit .

Alright , enough of that , - Perala said with a small smile . - Go fulfill your tasks . We have prepared for this for an eternity , we cannot get complacent now . -

The two Monarchs nodded , and a moment later were gone , having teleported away to activate the Monasteries and the Templar Orders . Perala sighed as an ancient token appeared in her hand , and she gazed upon the fine engravings for over a minute . Eventually , she stowed the token away again before opening a window in space , showing the Void Star in all its glory .

What should she do to protect her? What could she do?

34

LANDING

Having cleansed the compartment of any hints of his outburst , Zac made his way toward the cargo hold . By this point , more than half the cultivators had arrived , and they wore a mix of somber and excited expressions . Vai was there , and she scurried over to his side when she saw him emerge from one of the hallways .

I heard something happened , are you alright? - Vai asked , worry in her eyes .

Nothing to worry about , - Zac smiled . - Just a little mishap , but I’m all better now . -

Just stay close to me after we disembark , - she said in a low volume . - I can somewhat stabilize space around us until you’re recovered . -

Thank you , - Zac nodded . - I’ll rely on you then . -

It wasn’t really necessary , but why turn down a kind gesture?

The minutes passed until the cargo hold was almost filled to capacity . Between support staff , researchers , outside hires , and Void Gate warriors , the squad had a total of 118 members , and they were all accounted for . Only the two pilots were missing , as they would take the vessel back to Zenith Vigil after dropping their squad off .

Alright , people , - Teo said as a helmet closed over his head and his Spirit Tools appeared in his hands . - Ready yourselves . You read the reports—the layer we’re about to enter is controlled by beasts—we might be attacked the moment we arrive . From this moment forward , we are at high alert . -

Zac cracked his neck as his backup axe appeared in his hand—a Pseudo D-grade mundane weapon he’d commissioned from Calrin . It didn’t possess a Tool Spirit , but it had simple repair and sharpening arrays engraved . And with it containing over 10% D-grade metals , it was both heavy and sturdy enough to take the role of Verun’s Bite] for a short stint .

Even then , Zac noticed the true value of Spirit Tools , apart from how they were noticeably stronger than their mundane counterparts . Both energy and Dao entered a spiritual weapon effortlessly . With Verun , every infusion felt like an extension of his body , whereas there was a noticeable resistance with the metal axe he now wielded , even if it was expertly crafted .

It only meant a small delay in activating skills or infusing his weapon , but that could make all the difference in a heated battle . Still , it shouldn’t matter much in this mission , considering the level of enemies he would get sent his way .

Two vines emerged from the tube on Zac’s back , snaking around Vai’s waist as she nervously fidgeted with her own Spirit Tool . The other second-string guards prepared similarly , though most of them used spiritual ropes that would prevent spatial fluctuations from separating them from their wards upon disembarking .

It’ll be fine , - Zac smiled at Vai , and he got a weak smile in return . Zac wasn’t too worried , but he wasn’t surprised the little researcher was stressed out about what would come next .

As everyone prepared , the hatch at the bottom of the Cosmic Vessel soundlessly opened , and a wave of heat and spatial turbulence pushed into the ship . A blue inferno was visible below , a raging sea of fire . It was easy to forget as you read the reports of all the different worlds inside , but the Void Star was a real star apart from a container for all those Mystic Realms .

Normally , there would be floating platforms with stabilized Teleportation Arrays right at the edge of the celestial object that would take you into the Mystic Realms , just like how it worked back on Earth . However , with the erratic spatial fluctuations the Void Star had started releasing over the past years , it had become too risky to use those things .

Instead , the Void Gate used a more straightforward solution—to jump straight into the sun . It sounded insane , but was actually a lot safer than using arrays . Apparently , the outer layers of Mystic Realms could be accessed simply by entering the corona , so you didn’t have to withstand the heat for long .

And thankfully , the Void Gate were well versed in minimizing the danger , and Zac felt extremely powerful arrays hum to life inside the vessel . The next moment , a pillar of light descended unto the sun , quenching the fires that rose to lick the hull of the Cosmic Vessel . Zac’s eyes widened in surprise , as the array exposed an opalescent bubble within .

Was that the barrier to the Mystic Realm?

Gather up the moment you land , - Teo said as he walked toward the hatch . - The mission officially starts now . -

With that , the Templar simply jumped down . From his body , a tremendous Dao Field burst forth , almost giving Zac the impression it was a whole mountain falling toward the barrier over a thousand meters below rather than a cultivator . It wasn’t vanity that made him release his Dao Field like that though .

He was acting as an icebreaker . The ship’s array had pushed away the flames , but it wasn’t able to remove the continuous waves of Spatial Energy the Void Star exuded . Teo’s condensed aura pushed at least some of it back , making the passage safer for the rest of them . The first batch of soldiers immediately followed in the Templar’s wake , after which the second captain repeated Teo’s action to cleanse the area with their Dao .

Zac was part of the third batch , but he suddenly felt a huge wave of danger , a feeling that was soon confirmed by a blaring siren .

EVERYBODY JUMP! - Havasa roared while the second co-captain of the first string threw out over fifty people in a go by generating a gust .

Zac was already on the move before Havasa finished her sentence , his Danger Sense urging him to get out of there . Vai was dragged along screaming in fear , and in a flash , they were falling toward the star below . Even then , Zac didn’t feel safe . He released a continuous series of bursts of energy to accelerate even farther .

And it was lucky—just a few seconds later , the Void Star spat out a beam of blue flames with such speed , it almost looked like a laser . It contained so much energy that Zac couldn’t even look at it straight , forcing him to close his eyes just as the pillar swallowed the ship whole .

Zac knew it was over for the transporter the moment he sensed the terrifying fluctuations within the spear of flames . Teo had mentioned the vessel could easily withstand the attacks of a Middle Hegemon , but that power was at the level of Monarchs . He could only urge himself on as he dragged Vai into an embrace , just before a shockwave caused his insides to shift .

Eat a Healing Pill , - Zac coughed as he looked at the little researcher who’d essentially curled up into a ball before glancing up at the sky .

As expected , the Cosmic Vessel was destroyed , partly scorched beyond recognition , while other sections were simply gone . That eruption had contained the Spatial Energy of at least a thousand Void Balls] . There was no coming back from that .

Thankfully , it looked like everyone had gotten out of the ship in time , with almost fifty people falling toward the Void Star above him . There was also burning shrapnel falling all around them , but that wasn’t enough to become a threat to Half-Step Hegemons . They simply slapped any burning debris out of the way if it flew too close .

Don’t get distracted! We’re passing through , - Havasa’s voice echoed out in his ears , and Zac turned toward the opalescent barrier that was constantly flickering . - Synchronize now . -

There was no time to curse their bad luck or mourn the death of the two pilots who’d ferried them here . Zac shook his ward to wake her up from her stupor , and they both activated the spatial talismans they’d been given . A flickering barrier enclosed him as a result , with thousands of foreign scripts dancing around him .

Similar scenes took place around Vai , Havasa , and the other nearby cultivators as they fell toward the final barrier of the Void Star . The shockwave had pushed them close enough to the barrier that most of the flames hadn’t had time to return . The little that remained was dealt with by the Hegemons unleashing their auras , which once more exposed the barrier within .

At this proximity , Zac could see the flickering barrier wasn’t just random bursts of energy—the barrier was more akin to a fractured mirror , where each shard showed glimpses of a different world . There was everything from apocalyptic worlds where the air itself was on fire to underwater domains just like the Twilight Ocean .

Forests , fields , cities . There were even alien biotopes of all kinds that Zac had never seen before . One shard showed what seemed to be a pulsating spiral that almost appeared to be alive , with hundreds of thousands of beasts floating around it . However , each image only lasted a moment before it was replaced by another .

Soon enough , the barrier was right in front of him , and Zac’s heart hammered as he braced himself for another vision . Thankfully , he only felt a slight discomfort as he passed through . And the varied visions were suddenly replaced by dense shimmering clouds that somehow stopped even Cosmic Gaze] from working more than a few meters .

His pores opened wide as they were met with a mix of medicinal aroma and dense attuned energies that were a mix of Life and Nature . The ground beneath still wasn’t visible , though it felt like they’d broken into paradise . However , that feeling only lasted a moment before his mind screamed of danger , and a huge claw appeared through the haze , aimed straight at him .

The talons of the claw were more than one meter long each , giving a clear indication of the size of the beast that hid within the mists . Still , there was no hesitation as a large leaf appeared in front of his axe , and he unleashed a lightning-quick attack on the incoming swipe . A grating sound echoed through the area as talon and fractal blade collided , and Zac frowned when the expected scene of the talon being cut off didn’t happen .

His swing only left a surface wound , but it did push him and Vai farther away from the beast . And on top of that , even with such a powerful collision , the haze wasn’t pushed away . Zac still couldn’t make out what attacked them .

Damn , it’s a convergence! - Havasa’s voice echoed through the clouds , now a lot more distant compared to before . - Everyone , you only need to hold on for a minute! The Spatial layers are weaker up here . As long as we pass through the clouds , you will be safe! If your talismans run out of energy , use the backups or you might be lost to the other side! -

A despairing scream echoed out within the clouds , proving it was easier said than done to get through this second gauntlet . Zac sighed . With his track record , he should have figured out that things wouldn’t go smoothly . Although this was beyond what even he could have expected .

A convergence was when two Mystic Realms became superimposed . Normally , things like this didn’t happen inside Mystic Realms as they were spatially protected bubbles hidden in the Void . But with thousands of Mystic Realms stacked on top of each other , things apparently got messy , especially at the edges of the realms .

This time around , they were unlucky , where their destination realm had superimposed with another—one filled with aggressive birds , by the looks of it . Honestly , the loss of the Cosmic Vessel and the convergence were most likely related . Too much Spatial Energy had built up in this area , resulting in both the spatially infused solar flare and the convergence .

Thankfully , Zac could tell the beast that had attacked him was one of the weaker Beast Kings , and it shouldn’t be a problem to keep it at bay . However , just as a huge beak ripped the clouds apart on its way to peck Zac to death , the whole beast rippled and disappeared .

Zac breathed out in relief as he turned to Vai who had once more entered her turtle stance with a small barrier protecting her . - Are you okay? -

I’m ok—AAH! TO THE LEFT! - she shrieked , but Zac was already on the move .

Just as one beast disappeared in a puff of spatial confusion , another one had taken its place . Now , a weird-looking and almost completely translucent floating eel was swimming toward them , leaving ripples in its wake . Zac growled as a shimmering axe appeared inside a halo behind him .

Zac swung his axe , and a ruthless wave infused with his Branch of the War Axe parted the clouds , almost cutting the eel in two . It didn’t die , but it was grievously wounded , immediately turning tail and disappearing among the clouds .

It was Conformation of Supremacy] , a skill Zac had somewhat phased out of his repertoire as of late since it wasn’t a great fit with his stances . Now that he couldn’t use his Branch of the Kalpataru , it had found some use again , and he was thankful he had the foresight to push the skill to Late Proficiency during his stay in the Orom World .

The upgrade hadn’t added any new abilities to the skill , though it increased its power and reach noticeably . And with a Dao Branch fueling the image of the Heavenfall Autarch’s unadorned axe , its strikes weren’t anything to scoff at . It wasn’t nearly as good at dealing with crowds as the explosion of blades Nature’s Edge] could release , but its lethality was close to half of Rapturous Divide]’s while still being a repeatable attack .

The bird and the eel were dealt with , but Zac didn’t release the avatar of the axe behind him as he looked around for new targets . Screams and roars filled the air , and with visibility being almost zero , the mental pressure was extreme . He even sensed auras that were well into Hegemony for a few short moments , but it looked like the more terrifying the beast , the shorter their visit to this layer was .

Even then , it felt like a terrifying Beast King could appear and strike at them at any moment , and Zac’s Danger Sense could only predict so much . It could warn him when a beast was close or trying to attack , but it didn’t warn him when a beast was about to phase into their dimension .

Over a minute passed as Zac fought off one beast after another while Vai tried to help by spotting spatial fluctuations . Finally , the shimmering haze around them was replaced by a burst of light as they pushed through the clouds . Below , they saw the first-string cultivators descending toward a seemingly endless field thousands of meters below .

They looked like little meteors , surrounded by those blue scripts that kept them locked to this current dimension until they reached the surface . Teo was still maintaining the lead , but the other captains were nowhere to be seen . Judging by the outbursts he’d sensed within the clouds , he guessed they were trying to save as many people as possible within the convergence .

There were thousands of beasts gliding through the air , though Zac could sense almost all of them were E-grade . With the bloody aura of almost a hundred Half-Step cultivators and above , the flying beasts native to this dimension kept a wide berth around them .

Another three minutes passed as the ground grew ever closer , and Zac felt like his sense of perception had been all wrong . What had looked like fields of spiritual herbs was actually a jungle of massive proportions where each plant was either hundreds of meters tall or commanded an area of a whole village .

So big , - Zac muttered .

It’s the arrays , - Vai explained from the side with a hoarse voice , finally having unfurled from her ball . - This whole realm has been modified for hundreds of thousands of years , and there are growth and gathering arrays installed deep into the ground . But without Array Masters , Arborists , and harvesters to maintain the realm , it has grown out of control .

They are big , but they’re worthless , - Vai sighed . - They are the equivalent of a cultivator whose levels are completely propped up by pills—full of toxicity and bereft of potential . -

That’s a shame , - Zac muttered before he looked at the researcher . - Some start , huh? -

Thank you for saving my life , - Vai said , looking crestfallen . - I can’t believe we ran into trouble so quickly . The Void Star must be more unstable than we expected for it to suddenly release spatial flares like that . What about the rest of the journey? -

Well , this realm looks like we expected at least , right? We might be safe now that we’re properly inside the Mystic Realm , - Zac said , though he honestly shared Vai’s worries .

From the looks of it , the problems with the Void Star had ramped up beyond what the Void Gate expected , and he couldn’t help but wonder if it was related to him and the vision he saw . And if that was the case , would he keep attracting trouble for himself and those around him?

Zac perked up as he saw energy gathering around Teo , and he pushed those troublesome questions to the back of his mind . - Ready yourself . We’re about to land . I’m sure the captain knows what to do . -

35

LUCKY DAY

The ground was rapidly growing closer , and Zac’s brows furrowed a bit when he noticed a huge pack of wolves gathering beneath them . Judging by the excited howls , the beasts believed meat was literally falling from the sky . Thankfully , the Templar captain was already on the move .

Space around him had been twisting for a while as torrential amounts of energy coursed through his body , quantities that would cause an E-grade cultivator to explode within seconds . A titanic figure appeared above Teo , its one hundred-meter tall frame blocking much of Zac’s vision . He couldn’t see what the avatar looked like from behind , except for its four humanoid hands that emitted extremely heavy pressure .

Zac could tell the avatar was instilled with at least a Middle Branch , and the air itself cracked as the Templar captain infused more and more energy into his skill .

The avatar moved as it pushed its hands toward the ground , and it felt like an atmospheric bomb had detonated just below Teo . Zac’s stomach churned from the unleashed cascading waves of rampant energies , but it was nothing compared to what happened below .

A deep , groaning rumble echoed through the area as the earth itself cried from the pressure . Everything within a thousand meters was utterly crushed by the pressure , and a manmade earthquake continued to ripple for thousands of meters . Thousands of Peak E-grade wolves were turned to mush in an instant , as plants and the ground itself were compacted into a vast crater . The huge pack of beasts had been crushed , leaving not a single intact corpse .

Zac’s heart beat like a drum as he mutely took in the carnage , shocked by the destructive capability of Teo’s skill . This was the first time Zac had seen the Middle D-grade Templar unleash his true might , and it was an eye-opening experience . That attack alone would annihilate his elite armies back home , unless they managed to erect some sort of fortification beforehand .

Even Zac himself would probably be grievously wounded , even if the attack was a large-scale strike with its force spread out . It was night and day compared to the might an Early Hegemon could exhibit , and any lingering notion of targeting a Middle D-grade Worldeater Beast King was firmly discarded .

The direct impact had both cleared out any nearby threats while creating a large , albeit bloody , landing site for the party . Most of the members of the task force had seen their fair share of blood , and getting their shoes slightly wet from beast blood didn’t faze them as they slammed into the ground one after another .

Most simply used their body to withstand the collision velocity , though some used various movement skills to land softly . Zac was part of the former group as he slammed into the ground , leaving deep cracks for tens of meters around him . Vai used some sort of Spatial movement skill that expended her momentum , allowing her to softly land on the ground right next to him at a spot void of any minced wolf . Most of the researchers used this method , either through their own skill or through talismans .

Zac was about to stand up , but a sudden surge made his mind blank out . It came from everywhere and nowhere at once—a mix of antiquity and providence . It was overbearing and elusive , an enigma and a paradox . Solving it would allow you to grasp the Dao itself , conquering time and spa—

Panic and dread threatened to consume him , but Zac managed to force his way out of the fugue state through sheer force of will , only to realize he’d unknowingly activated Void Zone] with a horrified Vai within it . Zac immediately retracted the restrictive bloodline domain , which made Vai stumble and yelp with a pale complexion .

What’s wrong? - Havasa asked as she flashed over , and Zac was eternally thankful that Void Zone] emitted no energy signature and left no clues behind .

I—ah , sorry . . . - Vai stammered . - The descent , and all this blood . . . I think I blacked out for a moment . -

This is intentional—you need to get used to these smells and this fell atmosphere , - Havasa sighed . - Let your guardian know if you need any assistance . -

With that , she flashed away , heading over to Teo who grimly looked up at the sky . A quick scan of the surroundings indicated Zac had only lost his mind for less than a second , but he still couldn’t tell if Vai had figured out what just happened . She looked extremely frazzled , her eyes darting back and forth .

Are you really okay? - Zac slowly asked .

I-I’m fine . . . I just felt something odd just now , - she said with a low volume . - It was probably nothing . -

Alright , let me know if you need me to carry you , - Zac smiled . - I should be able to fight with you on my back just fine . -

N-No , - Vai hurriedly said with a flustered look . - I’m fine , really . -

Zac nodded , but he was inwardly just as flustered as Vai looked . He couldn’t discern the truth . Had Vai noticed his activation of Void Zone] , an unprecedented ability that could completely obscure the Heavens? If that were the case , she’d lied to a Hegemon of her faction to protect him . Or was she just waiting to speak with them without him present? And had she sensed the same aura he did?

For that matter , what did the pulse mean? It’d been like a fleeting fragrance just wafting by , one that completely consumed his mind . Its origin was quite apparent—it contained the same ancient aura as the enormous castle in the vision . It proved what he’d seen wasn’t a fluke when entering the Void Star , and it was his first clue he was on the right path .

Did the impression mean there was a connection between this specific Mystic Realm and the castle , or was the aura something which had ingrained the whole beehive of dimensional layers? Zac’s thoughts churned , but he kept his face impassive as he turned his gaze upward at the last members of the expedition .

One by one , they slammed into the ground around them , some bloodied and some unscathed . The scene was impressive , though Zac still frowned when he saw the state of their unit . The original 118 members , of which 18 were researchers and supportive staff , had been reduced to 109 . Less than ten minutes had passed since the task started , and they’d lost almost a tenth of their squad to the solar flare and the ferocious birds .

It wasn’t a great start to a mission that was supposed to last months .

We were beset by bad luck , but such is Heavenly Law . We knew there would be obstacles on the way , and this was one of them , - Teo said when everyone had gathered up . - The mission will continue . At least the spatial turbulence didn’t kick us off course , and we should reach the transfer point within five days . Hegemons , stay grounded—there are quite a few beasts in this dimension . We will have our hands full without luring a bunch of them over . Scouts , set out . -

With that , the Templar took the lead , running at a pace that would feel like a brisk jog for even Late E-grade cultivators . Most of the first-string cultivators kept an exact pace to his sides , while another squad led by Tyla Vesass brought up the rear . The second-string cultivators stayed close to their researchers in the middle , and a shimmering barrier that hid their auras appeared above their heads .

Meanwhile , three scouts rushed ahead and completely disappeared among the trees .

Don’t get complacent from the barrier . It has no defensive capabilities—it will just make most beasts overlook those in the middle and attack the people on the outside , - Havasa reminded those around her . - This used to be an agricultural realm , but it has been continuously flooded with beasts over the past three years .

The army left this layer over two months ago , so we don’t expect an uneventful journey to the waystation . And remember , we need to keep moving . The window is closing , so don’t exhaust yourselves . If you’re running low on Cosmic Energy , let me know . -

Zac and the others nodded as they kept their eyes peeled on the surroundings . There had been quite a few briefings on the Void Star over the past weeks , and while Zac still didn’t have any idea of how this spatial anomaly actually worked , he did somewhat understand the rules that governed it .

The Void Star could be considered a maze , where each Mystic Realm was a room . Some of these chambers were hidden in the depths of the Void Star , whereas others were right at the surface . To reach the realm you wanted to visit , you had to pass through a certain set of Mystic Realms , making use of weak spots in the dimensional layers .

Problem was , the maze wasn’t static . The Mystic Realms kept shifting , following some sort of extremely complex set of rules , moving and disconnecting from each other . Some Mystic Realms were only reachable for short stints every century , or millennia even . Others , like the one they found themselves in right now , were almost always at the surface layer of the Void Star .

The reason they’d been forced to set out the moment they reached Zenith Vigil was that the path plotted out for them would only last for another month or so . If they took too long to reach their destination , they would have to take an alternative route that would cost them over two months .

With the Void Star being invaded , each additional Mystic Realm they had to pass through would significantly increase the risk of something going wrong . Their brush with death within the clouds was a poignant reminder of that .

Nothing happened for the first couple of hours , and they made steady progress toward the edge of the realm . There were the occasional packs whose domains they crossed , but it barely slowed them down . Some of the beasts knew better than to attack such a dangerous-looking group , while the rest were quickly dealt with by the first-string cultivators .

However , while they likely were the strongest force in this outer Mystic Realm , they couldn’t move about with wanton disregard for the wildlife . Just like in most beast tides , the animals were in an agitated , bloodthirsty state , where most attacked even if outmatched . And the bigger the commotion they caused , the more beasts they would attract .

Now and then , Teo would make a sudden turn or stop altogether for a few minutes . It was a result of the reports the captain continuously got from the scouts running ahead . Sometimes it was a particularly nasty beast or beast pack they avoided , and sometimes they had to stop to let a horde migrate past .

With things progressing smoothly like this , there wasn’t much the second-string cultivators needed to do except maintain a lookout for ambushes . With Zac’s honed Danger Sense and instincts , he would instinctively know if any beast managed to get close , so his mind was mostly occupied with Ultom .

After six hours had passed , there hadn’t been a second burst of that ancient aura . Even then , Zac’s nerves were getting increasingly frayed from a constant worry he’d accidentally expose his bloodline again . But the more time passed , the more it looked like it was a one-time thing . It happened the moment he landed , so was it connected to the Realm Core? He had a few more guesses , but he would have to journey deeper into the Void Star to make sure .

Suddenly , Teo stopped at the front of the squad and threw out a series of talismans . Trouble had come knocking , no matter how careful they were .

Battle positions , - Teo’s voice echoed out , which confirmed a real battle was on their hands .

Just thirty seconds later , a piercing screech leveled the trees in the area . The talismans Teo had thrown out lit up and blocked the shockwave altogether , but they were still surrounded by a wasteland in an instant . From the distance , a discordant mix of beasts lumbered closer , their numbers in the tens of thousands .

At the heart of the chaos , an odd beast resembling a nettle jellyfish floated , and it was no doubt the leader of the beast tide going by its aura . The beast was mostly translucent with blue streaks , and its long tendrils seemed to reach hundreds of meters behind it . Inside its body were hundreds of shimmering orbs that released mighty spiritual ripples , indicating it was a beast with an unusually powerful soul .

This was not a beast that had just evolved—it was well on its way toward the next stage of Hegemony . That beast looked troublesome on its own , and there were no less than thirty auras of weaker Beast Kings within the tide . What really made Zac’s hair stand on end was seeing the rotting bodies of some of the animals .

They weren’t dead , Zac could tell with a single glance . But they weren’t alive either . It was parasitic mind control .

From the noses , eyes , and mouths of the beasts , one could see small tendrils swaying around , looking just like miniatures of the appendages of the enormous jellyfish . For others , their whole skulls had been cracked , and a small jellyfish sat right on their brains . Some poor animals even seemed to be receptacles for dozens of parasites , arduously stuttering forward with bloated bodies .

There was no telling if the big guy was a parasite as well , or if it didn’t need to hijack other animals after having reached D-grade . In either case , it was a grotesque scene , and Zac could guess why it hadn’t avoided the powerful auras of the advance guard—the big jellyfish wanted more bodies for its descendants .

Standard battle array . It’s a swarm of Mindsiphon Parasites . Destroy both host and parasites , - Teo said with a calm expression . - Don’t worry , they’re not as dangerous as they look . -

Why the faces? You bastards should be happy , - Havasa grinned after seeing the hesitant expressions on many of the Wandering Cultivators . - Aren’t you all here for money? Have you forgotten the booklets? That right there is a bounty animal . This is a stroke of good luck to balance the bad . -

The simple mention of a - bounty’ drastically improved morale , but they didn’t get the chance to celebrate before the enormous Mindsiphon King made its move . Ripples spread across the bulbous head of the Beast King , and Zac felt a sense of danger as Mental Energy started gathering . There was no time to prepare any concerted response—just a moment later , a chaotic shockwave burst forth , ripping toward the front lines .

It was an instant attack , so it didn’t contain the full force of a Beast King . Zac could still tell that any cultivator with a weak soul or subpar defenses would find their soul grievously wounded from that attack . Lucky for them , Teo was already on the move as the complex arrays on his War Regalia lit up . A group of eight Templars channeled a War Array behind him , and he took a defensive position with his shield .

Soothing waves spread out from his shield , giving Zac the impression of waves hitting against a rocky shore . They covered the whole front line before spreading toward the incoming mental attack . There was no collision and subsequent shockwave . It was rather as though the Beast King’s attack had entered a quagmire and was gradually slowed and whittled down .

By the time it reached the front lines , only a fraction of its strength remained . Even someone who hadn’t cultivated their soul would effortlessly shrug off an attack of that level , and the warriors regained their confidence upon seeing that the attack had been easily thwarted by their captain .

Advance . Avoid the tendrils of the leader . Continuously channel your Daos to avoid getting infiltrated , - Teo said as he swung his sword , unleashing a simple blade attack toward the ranks of animals .

Almost one hundred possessed beasts were ripped apart in an instant , their bodies so mangled that the parasites couldn’t possibly have survived either . That attack was the starting signal of the fight , and the beast tide released a deafening cacophony of roars as they rushed forward . In return , the front-line warriors unleashed a barrage of attacks , turning the whole , toppled forest into an apocalyptic hellscape .

As for Zac and the second-string cultivators , their time hadn’t come just yet . Zac simply enjoyed the first-row seat for the fight . This was what he needed to see—how a squad of veteran warriors of an established faction fought . Anything he learned today could be applied to his army back home , so Zac looked on with rapt attention .

Havasa was right , even if Zac didn’t care about the bounty . Clues to an ancient opportunity and a free lesson in army tactics? This really was a lucky day .

36

PROFESSIONAL UNIT

Fiery waves of destruction fought for space with blade storms , lances of ice , and all sorts of diverse techniques as the Wandering Cultivators unleashed their ranged skills at the incoming tidal wave of rotting beasts . What little plant life remained standing after the Mindsiphon King’s opening salvo was reduced to nothingness while the ground itself opened up to swallow and crush whole swathes of beasts into a pulp .

It was as though the beasts were completely oblivious to the danger , heedlessly rushing toward the defensive line . Mounds of carcasses piled up in seconds , yet the beasts just kept crawling over their fallen brethren . Some of the smaller Mindsiphon Parasites survived and either tried to latch onto the warriors or scurry back to safety .

Thankfully , these smaller jellyfish didn’t seem able to unleash mental attacks , and with their flying speed being quite slow , they were easily dealt with . The second wave of beasts was a lot more powerful , and they either dodged or countered the skills as they pushed forward . Zac guessed their parasites either had higher levels or more purified bloodlines judging by their deft control of their hosts .

They were also led by a number of Beast Kings who unleashed their bloodline skills to protect the beasts around them , drastically reducing the effectiveness of the cultivator’s random attacks . And among it all , hundreds of thick tendrils were slithering forward—the appendages of the giant jellyfish king .

Beasts were superior when it came to numbers and constitutions , though cultivators had some advantages of their own . Teo had already pushed into the swarm of beasts like a god of war , destroying everything that came close . His War Regalia was continuously unleashing pulses of destruction , killing any E-grade beast that came within a dozen meters without the Templar so much as lifting a finger .

That was the benefit of Hegemony . With a sea of energy at your fingertips , you could continuously use both defensive and offensive arrays without issue , something that would be impossible for most E-grade cultivators . A Middle D-grade Hegemon like Teo could probably keep his War Regalia running for days without a problem .

Even the Half-Step Beast Kings and the actual Beast Kings were leery of approaching the man , giving him the space to unleash his skills . First , the avatar from before started to appear again , but it was disrupted and destroyed by Mindsiphon King as it frenetically stabbed it with hundreds of appendages .

Teo wasn’t discouraged , and the energy from the avatar turned into shining manacles that instantly bound the tendrils of the beast . At the same time , one of his vice-captains conjured what looked like a miniature galaxy that exerted a tremendous pull . A few unlucky beasts were dragged inside , reduced to nothingness in an instant .

The Templar captain pushed his hand down , and a rope of starlight connected the manacles with the galaxy . It was the first time Zac had actually seen two different people combining their skills like that , and he looked on with interest as the Mindsiphon King found over 80% of its tendrils locked in place . It was powerful enough to resist the pull , but not powerful enough to break free .

The Templars weren’t done there , as more and more manacles appeared , locking down one Beast King after another across the whole battlefield . This time , the second vice-captain made a move , and dozens of small mountains appeared among the beasts . A similar scene followed , where Teo’s fetters connected with the mountains , essentially trapping the leaders of the tide in place .

The three Templar Hegemons easily locked down more than two-thirds of the elites of the beast tides , drastically lessening the pressure the rest of the squad faced . Zac could tell these measures wouldn’t last for very long , but they didn’t really need to .

Teo had never stopped moving as he sealed everything around him , and he was already in front of the Mindsiphon King . The energy in the whole area surged as an inscribed mountain appeared above his head , looking like an evolved version of what his vice-captain used . It emitted an unquestionable weight and dominance , far surpassing the concepts of heaviness that Zac had integrated into his Dao of the Axe .

It was like the mountain contained the weight of a world as it pushed down on the Mindsiphon King

Hundreds of beasts couldn’t withstand its unseen pressure and simply collapsed into goops of blood . Even the leader was pushed closer to the ground , but the shining spheres inside its body released tremendous waves of energy as the remaining tendrils rose to meet the mountain . The tendrils and spheres started to resonate , which generated a domain of their own that mostly canceled the mountain’s pressure .

Like that , the Mindsiphon’s tendrils were all occupied , at which point Teo rose into the air and started to unleash a steady barrage of heavy swings . However , even with its tendrils locked down , the Mindsiphon still retained a lot of its power . Those weird balls inside its body shone like small suns now , and even Zac found it a bit painful to look at the waves of mental destruction that surrounded the Templar .

The leaders of the two sides had essentially taken each other out of the equation , but it was clear Teo was the stronger party since he was simultaneously keeping more than 20 Beast Kings locked down . Meanwhile , the Array Masters and defensive cultivators had created a set of fortifications and channels on the spot , expertly funneling the tide of beasts into kill zones where the offensive warriors waited .

Of course , Zac and the others couldn’t just sit by and watch while the first-string cultivators did all the work . The first-string warriors were slowly moving backward in a controlled retreat , leaving a trail of carcasses behind . Even then , the pressure was unrelenting , and the trapped Beast Kings began breaking free and madly rushed into the fray .

The first-string cultivators couldn’t deal with everything alone , but they didn’t have to . By controlling the flow of beasts , pathways opened up in the defensive perimeter that led to Zac and the other second-string cultivators . One by one , the maimed and weaker beasts were let through , where Zac and the others were waiting to finish the job .

The axe of the Heavenfall Autarch appeared behind Zac once more as a rotting boar missing half its head rushed over . Before it had a chance to even get close , it was cloven in two with one swift swing . The first swing was followed up by a second that annihilated the two small parasites who lived inside its body . A small smile spread across Zac’s face as he felt the surge of energy entering his body .

The boar was only Peak E-grade , but it was still a huge improvement compared to the beasts he’d spent years killing inside the Orom World . Those animals were mostly Early E-grade to match his restrained attributes , and they only awarded a trickle of Kill Energy compared to these animals .

With him being level 145 , it would still take quite a bit of carnage to gain the energy required for a level , but he was undeniably making progress on his levels through kills for the first time in five years . Even better , both the boar and the little jellyfish counted as kills . It wasn’t that hard to deal with the parasites either , even if the E-grade animals were only as large as a fist and almost completely invisible . While their physical form was hard to spot , they lit up like little beacons to his Cosmic Gaze] , while the semi-dead hosts had lost most of their own aura .

A moment later , Zac got to end the life of a grievously wounded Beast King that had been let through the perimeter , and a massive surge of energy entered his body . It required him essentially kill-stealing another Wandering Cultivator , but the swordsman didn’t mind in the slightest . After all , he was bottlenecked in Half-Step D-grade .

Killing a Beast King only meant risk and no reward for him . The wiry little man even gave Zac a thumbs up as he returned to his position with Earthstrider] , and Zac only grinned as he kept killing . Two minutes passed as the squad methodically dismantled the beast tide , until Zac heard Teo’s voice in his head .

Everyone , activate mental defenses , ’ the Templar captain said as the energies in the distance reached a crescendo .

By this point , the unit had added more than a mile’s distance to the Mindsiphon Parasite floating in the air , but more than half of the Wandering Cultivators activated various mental defense talismans or items . Zac felt confident that Soul Guardian] was more than enough , but he had a talisman ready just in case .

An infuriated wail echoed throughout the area the next moment as the enormous jellyfish in the sky fell toward the ground , bleeding heavily from a gruesome wound that had almost cut its head in two . It was barely hanging on by a thread , and Zac could sense a familiar buildup inside its body—it was planning to self-detonate .

One of the radiant spheres inside its body suddenly cracked , unleashing a tremendous ripple of hatred and pain that crossed the battlefield in an instant . Before the beast had a chance to detonate its other pearls or Beast Core , Teo had already leveled a second strike that seemed to have finished the job . The beast’s wails were cut short , and it slammed into the ground .

With the early warning , the mental wave passed through the ranks without causing any trouble . And without the support of the Alpha , Teo was free to run roughshod through the remaining beasts . With him attacking from the rear , the remnants of the beast tide were caught in a deadly pincer . After just a minute , all the remaining beasts had either fled or been exterminated .

We’re resting for 20 minutes before heading out , - Teo said , then simply sat down and closed his eyes with a Low-grade Cosmic Crystal in his hands .

Won’t all the blood lure other beasts over? - another warrior muttered with a frown as he looked around with worry .

Not with the body of a Mindsiphon King here , - Havasa said with a shake of her head . - This is just an outer layer , there shouldn’t be more than a hundred Beast Kings in the whole realm after the previous purge . This bastard probably found its way here by chance and enslaved all the Beast Kings it could get its hands on . The few who managed to avoid it won’t go anywhere near here . -

Do we really get a part of the bounty even if the captain did most of the work? - another Wandering Cultivator asked as he looked at the fallen Mindsiphon King with gleaming eyes .

Those are the rules for group battles , - Havasa nodded . - But the captain killed it and did most of the work—half of the bounty will go to him . Another 10% will go to Kalo and Tyla each for locking down its tendrils and the other Beast Kings , while the final 30% will be spread out among the rest of us . -

Zac took out his booklet out of curiosity , and he had to admit the Void Temple was quite generous . The Beast Core of a Mindsiphon King was valued at 1 D-grade Nexus Coin , and the remaining spheres would fetch 100 , 000 E-grade Nexus Coins each . Seeing how it could unleash powerful mental attacks , Zac guessed the items could be used in crafting tools or arrays for Mentalists .

Even if the cultivators would only see a fraction of that bounty , it was still roughly 4 , 000 E-grade Nexus Coins per man for a few minutes of work . If this scenario happened a couple of times over the next months , the accumulated bounties might end up being worth more than the mission reward .

Zac looked at the large carcass of the Mindsiphon Beast King in the distance for a second before he turned to look at the warriors . They scurried around searching for anything of value on the battlefield , while Kantomir went from warrior to warrior to make sure none of the Mindsiphons had managed to sneak on board , so to speak .

It was a novel experience being part of a proper professional unit . The closest he’d come before was the early stages of the Twilight Ocean under the lead of Catheya . Only , back then everyone had roughly the same power , which would never be the case in an open-world conflict . Seeing how Teo controlled the battle was a good learning experience .

The Templar was obviously a genius since he’d reached Middle D-grade , but he wasn’t a monstrous talent that could deal with any threat by himself . His biggest weakness was his somewhat lacking lethality , considering it had taken him a couple of minutes to kill the Mindsiphon King . But even then , there wasn’t a single casualty in the squad .

There were a lot of bruises and scrapes , but the worst wound was a Wandering Cultivator who’d been gored by a large claw of one of the Beast Kings . Seeing as his aura was stable as he sat down in meditation , Zac could tell it wasn’t a wound that would be a big problem .

And that was all thanks to Teo . It almost felt like the Templar must have had eyes in his neck going by how he’d controlled the events in a way that the pressure was evenly spread across his force . Since Zac hadn’t been too pressured from the battle , he had enough leeway to observe the movements of Teo and his two vice-captains .

It was obvious that the trapped Beast Kings didn’t break out randomly . Any time there was a lull at a certain section of the defensive perimeter , a nearby Beast King broke free from the mountain suppressing it , and delivered itself and a group of followers to the slaughter . That way , they made use of all their strength while keeping the risk at a minimum .

In a way , the smooth control felt akin to his own combat stances in how they were meant to maximize his efficiency when fighting , but the theory was rather applied to the whole battlefield .

This was exactly the kind of expertise Zac needed for the upcoming war . It wasn’t enough that he was powerful—he couldn’t be everywhere at once to protect his people . There would no doubt be battles that he couldn’t join , where someone like Ilvere or Joanna would lead instead . They would be like Teo in that case—powerful , but not a one-man army .

But they lacked his skill in terms of tactics , and also the supportive function of the Templar Order’s Array Masters and vice-captains . How would one learn something like this? Zac didn’t have this kind of heritage . There was obviously learning by doing , but learning the ropes in the middle of a raging war would lead to mass casualties .

What are you thinking about? - Vai asked curiously as she walked over .

Nothing , - Zac smiled . - I just thought it’s impressive we didn’t see a single warrior fall with such a powerful enemy . Being unattached comes with a great degree of freedom , but it precludes you from certain opportunities . -

Like you have a choice in the matter , - a nearby Templar snorted , but Zac didn’t bother with him .

Vai glared at the warrior in Zac’s stead , though her pout didn’t have much of an effect as the warrior simply closed his eyes to focus on recuperation . Zac had no interest in arguing with some random warrior he could snap in half if he so wanted , and instead focused on Vai .

You were really impressive , - the researcher said , clearly trying to recover the atmosphere . - It felt like you were everywhere . -

I haven’t been out much over the past decade , - Zac nodded as he sat down to rest . - I need some exercise to get back into optimal condition before we get to the deeper parts of this weird place . -

Alright , - Vai said . - Sorry , I won’t bother you while you recuperate . -

Zac closed his eyes as he took out a High-grade Nexus Crystal . It felt pretty unsatisfactory since he was used to using Peak-quality Crystals , but those things were quite rare in the Zecia Sector . Taking them out after a minor scuffle like this would raise some brows , so he would have to make do .

Thankfully , he hadn’t expended much of his vast energy reserves , so he spent most of the rest going over the general flow of the battle , trying to distill it into something that would be useful for his followers back home . Soon enough , twenty minutes had passed , and the group set out . Some managed to line their pockets a bit by harvesting valuable parts of the zombified beasts , but the bounty was the true prize of the encounter .

Like this , three days passed , where the squad only stopped to rest for an hour each night at safe-houses that survived the invasion . They were forced into a couple more battles against massive beast tides , but Havasa’s words proved to be true . None of the horde leaders they encountered were anywhere close to the level of the enormous jellyfish , and dealing with the enraged beasts was just a matter of time .

Finally , the squad could see the edge of the Mystic Realm in the distance , which meant they would soon reach the waystation that would take them to the next realm .

One down , eleven to go , - Havasa grinned from the side . - Let’s see what the Void has in store for us next . -

37

WAYSTATION

Zac ignored the second-string captain’s unlucky wording as he inspected the edge of the Mystic Realm . It looked a bit like the opalescent film they’d passed to enter this realm , but it seemed far more solid and gave no hint of what was on the other side . It was the dimensional bubble that , in theory , kept this realm apart from the Main Universe .

In a normal Mystic Realm , this kind of barrier was extremely sturdy , and pushing through it was harder than phasing between dimensions with a Cosmic Vessel . It contained extremely powerful Spatial Energies that would rip most people apart if they tried . That was half of the reason Mystic Realms were so difficult to invade , with the other half being the difficulty of actually locating them in the Void , with distances and directions working differently there .

Here in the Void Star , those rules were far more malleable , but they still couldn’t just pass through these inner walls with the help of a mere talisman . They needed to open a gate , which was why the waystations had been erected . Zac curiously followed the Templars into a hidden cave protected by multiple layers of still-working arrays .

They went deeper and deeper into the depths of the Mystic Realm , and thanks to the illumination arrays and generous dimensions , the tunnel didn’t feel oppressive at all . Eventually , they reached a large cave that would be able to house thousands of people if they squeezed together . Now , it was empty , with most of the waystations being unmanned over the past years .

There were dozens of doors to the sides , though Teo led them straight ahead toward a large gate on the opposite side from the entrance . But before stepping through , he stopped at one of the array consoles that lined the walls .

We mentioned these waystations in the briefings—this is one of five stations in this Mystic Realm . If you for some reason get separated from the squad , your best bet to survive is to find one of these . Your token will grant access through the arrays , - Teo explained as he activated the console behind him .

Soon , a huge map appeared that looked like just over a hundred circles of varying sizes . A smaller circle at the top was blue whereas the others were green , indicating their current location . Within the blue circle , there was a small red dot , which no doubt indicated the waystation they found themselves in . Connected to the station , there were four lines , three of which led to other circles deeper in the map , while one led to another one at the outermost layer .

This is the local chart , and it will tell you your options to leave or catch up to the rest of us . The exit arrays are clearly noted , - Teo said as he pointed at two circles over which had the mark of a teleportation array in the middle . - Of course , your best bet might be to simply stay put until another squad passes through . If the realm is overrun , these waystations are likely to be the safest spots around . -

How do we find these waystations? - a Wandering Cultivator asked . - I saw no markers on the way here . -

Your tokens have a weak array installed that can pick up the signals from these stations . Just infuse some energy occasionally and pray that the signal isn’t blocked out by turbulence . If that’s the case , you can only search by foot by wandering the edge of the Mystic Realm , - Teo explained .

Don’t bother memorizing the chart , - Havasa added when she noticed the Wandering Cultivators studying the map . - It will keep changing as the realms move and rotate . For example , this waystation is generally pointed toward the depths of the Void Star today , but in a month , it will point toward the outer edge , making it useless . -

Why can’t we use waystations to leave? - another warrior asked . - If it points toward the edge . . . -

Look at the Void Star as a large balloon with multiple smaller balloons inside . It’s not enough to break through the barrier of the smaller balloon , - a researcher explained after getting a glance from Teo . - That would only result in you entering an extremely chaotic Void within the Void Star . To leave , one needs to find the few spots where outer and inner barriers merge , allowing us to break through everything at once . -

That’s why we landed where we did . Rather than arriving right in front of this waystation , - Teo added . - There are a limited set of options when coming and going , with teleportation not working at the moment . -

After having showcased the console , Teo opened the huge gate . Within , they saw the shimmering wall of the Mystic Realm , with three stone gates installed right at its edge . They weren’t currently active , but Zac guessed they could be tuned to connect this realm with whichever one of those four neighboring realms you wanted .

However , something was clearly wrong with this place . The inner chamber was marred with splotches of blood and scars on the ground . There were a few consoles to the side , but most of them had been destroyed . There were even cracks on one of the three gates , and Zac really hoped that wasn’t the one they needed to use .

Around a month ago? - Havasa muttered with a frown as she kneeled over a spot of dried blood . - But who? I don’t remember any squads slated to use this station in this timeframe . -

Probably a squad on the way out with extensive losses , forced to take an alternative route , - Teo grimly muttered as he took out another token . - The array is functional , but they didn’t turn it off? No status report was inscribed either . Both captain and vice-captains were likely to have fallen . Perhaps a battle over some treasure erupted now that they were approaching the exit . -

The outsiders stood and watched on in silence as the Templar walked over to a pane hanging open and swapped out four exhausted Low-grade Cosmic Crystals and a Spatial Crystal . Hearing the conversation , Zac felt a bit troubled , but since none of the Templars seemed too bothered about the apparent breach of protocol , there wasn’t anything he could say or do .

Some peacetime protocols might simply have fallen through because of the chaotic situation within the star . Still , this scene was a clear indication of just how strained the situation was , and Zac was inwardly relieved he’d brought all of the Spatial Crystals he had in his possession . That way , he’d be able to operate these gates even if he ran into a situation similar to this one .

Teo walked over to a console next , and the left gate shuddered to life without any issue . It seemed to function a lot like the spatial portal Kenzie had opened with the drill back in the Mystic Realm , where it essentially looked like a doorway . On the other side , there was an identical room to the one they stood in , though it was in much better shape .

Let’s go , - Teo said and stepped inside , passing through .

The Wandering Cultivators hesitated for just a moment , before following suit . This time around , there were no surprises , and one after another they walked into the neighboring dimension . Zac was one of the last to pass through , and he braced himself just in case , where he kept his bloodline and aura tightly sealed .

And it was lucky he did , since the moment he stepped onto the ground of the other world , a pulse passed through his body to welcome him . It was still that solemn aura of antiquity , hinting at boundless possibilities . In fact , the pulse was even stronger than the last , more palpable and corporeal .

It really felt like he was moving closer to whatever emitted this signal . Thankfully , Zac had learned his lesson from the previous time this happened , and he barely managed to restrain himself before he accidentally activated Void Zone] . Even then , he found Vai looking at him with confusion , and he realized he’d frozen in place mid-step , right in front of the spatial gate .

That simple? - Zac coughed as he walked over . - We passed between Mystic Realms just like that? -

It’s not always this simple , - Vai explained . - Some realms are not as closely connected , where we have to walk through a space tunnel . Those can be a bit dangerous from what I’ve read . And like we saw before , there might be convergences that force us to fight our way into the waystations . -

Zac nodded as he looked around the room . It might look identical , but there was no mistaking this was another world going by the completely different ambient energy . For one , the room felt like an oven with sweltering heat . There were fire-attuned energies in the air as well , indicating what kind of world they’d reached . Except something was a bit off .

The ambient energy seems kind of low? - Zac asked .

The ambient energy was equivalent to an E-grade world rather than a D-grade , and not even a peak planet at that . No matter if it was beasts or treasures , there couldn’t be much of value here unless it had been teleported in .

The energy will be higher in the center of the world , but you’re right . Not all the Mystic Realms are useful , - Vai nodded . - Some are mostly used as bridges . This one should be much safer than the last , unless something unexpected happens . -

What if the waystations or the gates break? - another warrior asked as the spatial gate closed behind them . - Would we be stuck? -

These waystations are equipped with spatial stabilization much stronger than the talismans we used , - Kalo , the first-string vice-captain , grunted . - They are designed to withstand a convergence . But if some sort of spatial turbulence has made them impassable , you can use talismans to swap over to the other realm . Sometimes . -

Will be a bit of a gamble which of the connected realms you enter though , - Havasa grinned . - You’ll have to decide whether to take a leap of faith or make your way to the next waystation . Most realms have more than one . -

But what if . . . - another cultivator hesitated .

I know we encountered some setbacks at the start , but the situation isn’t that dire , - Teo said . - And any layer we enter will have at least one working station , no? If the gate on the other side is broken , we wouldn’t be able to enter that layer at all . If all else fails , your final chance at survival is to make use of the breaches . Most of them lead to other layers in the Void Star rather than into the unknown . -

The Wandering Cultivators grimaced at that , but they didn’t argue the point . Ultimately , they knew what they’d signed up for—any mission had a very real chance of dying .

As for the breaches , they were the reason for the chaos in the Void Star . They took all kinds of forms , from huge tears opening out of nowhere to stable gateways that shouldn’t exist with how the Void Star worked . Of course , convergences could be counted to this as well , though they were a rather old occurrence .

It was through these breaches that the alien beasts came pouring out , wreaking havoc on the Void Star and the Void Gate’s arrangements . The unknown Teo mentioned was the original source all these beasts originated from as they spread through the thousands of Mystic Realms . The outsiders had never gotten a clear answer on exactly where that was , and from what little the Wandering Cultivators managed to squeeze out of the Templars and researchers , neither did they .

We’ll rest here for two hours , - Teo said as he glanced at his vice-captains .

Zac and the others simply sat down and recuperated while the captains left to discuss things by themselves .

What’s going on? - Zac asked with a low voice when he saw Vai look at the three Hegemons with a frown .

It’s . . . - Vai hesitated .

Ms . Salas , - another researcher coughed .

Ah , nothing , - Vai said and quickly looked down .

Zac frowned in thought , and closed his eyes . Was there something else to the bloody scene in the other waiting room? Some issue Teo had noticed through that command token of his? Soon enough the leaders returned , their expressions calm as though nothing was wrong . Two hours later they departed , and Zac finally got to take in the second Mystic Realm in the Void Star .

There were no expansive vistas to speak of , only an oppressive path that almost felt like a tunnel running under the dark-red sky . There was no sun either , and most of the light actually came from small creeks of superheated water that glowed a radiant orange . At least Zac presumed it was water , since it definitely wasn’t lava .

To the sides were some sort of extremely dense thorns reaching tens of meters into the air , and Zac couldn’t be certain if they were alive or dead calcified plants . They emitted a weak hint of life , but that was overwhelmed by a raging fire attunement that ran through the thorny branches . There were no signs of wildlife in the area either on the ground or in the air .

Zac still kept his eyes peeled as the group entered a pathway that had clearly been cut through the thorns , acting as though some terrifying beast could jump through the brambles at any moment . It wasn’t only him . After the unexpected losses in the outer layer , where they only expected some minor resistance according to the missive , everyone was waiting for the next disaster to arrive .

Half a day passed with only the occasional attack of Middle or Late E-grade beasts until they reached an enormous lake that was almost blinding from the amount of light it released . It seemed to be both the destination and the source of the endless creeks and rivers of glowing waters , and Zac dipped his hand into it—slightly viscous like oil , but otherwise it wasn’t too different from fire-attuned water .

This is the Hako Lake . It will take us around four days to traverse it , - Teo said as three massive barges appeared in front of him . - There are quite a few beasts within , but there is only a handful of Beast Kings in the whole lake . Between our auras and the arrays on these barges , attacks are quite rare . This is also the first location where you are free to explore—some precious metals and fire-attuned plants can be harvested here . -

We’re still doing exploration after the initial losses? - Uzu exclaimed from the side .

Of course , - Teo nodded . - We will have to be a bit more restrictive with how many set out at a time , but otherwise the rules are the same . -

This was one of the perks of joining the missions . Some layers were so dangerous that everyone needed to stay together , while others had some safer regions that could be explored . Of course , safety was always relative in the Mystic Realms , and a third of the projected casualties came from these solitary excursions .

It wasn’t from blind generosity the Void Gate hired more people than they needed , and then allowed them to look for treasures in their Mystic Realms . With most of the Void Star unsecured at the moment , their normal harvesting methods didn’t work . This way , the Void Gate could harvest some of the strategic resources they needed without losing any of their own warriors .

And if a couple of wandering warriors died to make it happen , it only meant they saved money .

Remember , this lake has some Beast Kings even in normal conditions , so if you’re not confident , don’t stray too far from the barges , - Havasa added . - And if you sense any powerful spatial fluctuations , immediately return . It’s probably a breach opening . -

With that , the squads set out , with one Hegemon placed at both the stern and the bow of each barge to make sure no beasts dared swim close . Even then , there was more than one creature that swam close by to see what was going on . At first , Zac wasn’t interested in looking materials at the bottom of the oily lake , and it looked like quite a few of the Wandering Cultivators were of a similar mind after the experiences in the previous layer .

However , after half a day Zac’s eyes shot open . It was here .

It was the aura of his visions , there was no doubt about it . It was weaker than the pulses , but it was pervasive . That could only mean one thing ; there was something at the bottom of Hako Lake . Something related to either the enormous castle or the hidden courtyard . It beckoned him like a siren’s call from the depths .

It looked like he would get his answers sooner than he’d expected .

38

TREASURES IN THE DEPTHS

The signal urged Zac to jump into the waters and claim what almost felt like his birthright , but he kept himself in check . Zac could somewhat sense the aura originated from somewhere in the center of the lake . Since the barges were heading in that general direction , there was no point in diving too early . After all , he could only explore a couple of hours at most before he needed to get back .

Zac didn’t want to look too eager , so he started to prepare an excuse to join in on the fun . Luckily , an opportunity presented itself an hour later , with a small commotion breaking out on the neighboring barge . Zac and a few of the other Wandering Cultivators stood up to see what was going on , only to find Uzu grinning from ear to ear with a shimmering item in his hands .

Luckily , I have some experience with flame-attuned realms , - Uzu boisterously laughed as he showcased a large red pearl . - And reading the missives on the way , I gathered there might be a few Infernal Longevity Clams here . By a stroke of luck , I managed to encounter a clam which had just reached Hegemony . -

An Early D-grade Fire-Attuned Longevity Pearl , - one of the cultivators next to Zac muttered , his face green with envy . - A Fire Cultivator would pay a small fortune for that , or he can exchange it for a pearl that suits himself . What filthy luck . -

If there’s one , there might be two , - Zac said as he looked down at the radiant waters .

Don’t get your hopes up . There might be some Infernal Clams down there , but that guy was simply too lucky , - Havasa muttered with a shake of her head . - It takes a long , long time for those pearls to form—how could we possibly leave too many of them lying around? Just like Uzu said , he must have stumbled onto a clam that had just broken through and used the breakthrough to finalize its pearl . -

Clearly , she wanted to avoid a scenario where a bunch of people got themselves killed out of greed , and she even threw Uzu an annoyed glare .

It’s not often you see someone flaunting their wealth like that , - she perfunctorily added before sitting down .

Her comment didn’t really taper the excitement in some of the warrior’s eyes , but a few others thoughtfully looked over at Uzu , who appeared as excited as a child , showing the pearl to anyone willing to look . Just like most of the other warriors , Zac wasn’t convinced by the straightforward and innocent act . No Wandering Cultivator who reached Hegemony was simple .

There was no real reason for him to showcase that pearl . It wasn’t a bounty item , so he wouldn’t have to present it to the Void Gate . Normally , you’d just stow that thing away and pretend nothing happened , as to avoid getting a target on your back . But here he was , waving the pearl while hinting there were more treasures in the depths .

Uzu wanted more people to dive into the waters—he wanted more Wandering Cultivators to get themselves killed . Problem was that while most knew such was the case , his lure was still effective . The existence of a Longevity Pearl proved the energies at the bottom of the lake were dense enough to form Early D-grade treasures , and they weren’t all snatched by those who’d come before them .

And even if they couldn’t find something of that quality , there might still be Peak E-grade items up for grabs .

Are you going? - Vai asked with worry in her eyes . - There really aren’t that many pearls down there , but there are large schools of carnivorous fish . Even if they’re only E-grade , there are schools with thousands of beasts . -

This is what I came for . If I don’t push myself now , then when? - Zac said . - I’ll wait a few hours until some of the others return before I try my luck . Don’t worry , you’ll be safe on the barge . -

I’m not worried about myself , - Vai said with a roll of her eyes .

It’s alright , I’m pretty good at taking a beating , - Zac smiled before closing his eyes in meditation .

In reality , he was trying to pinpoint the source of the signal , but it was hard getting a proper read . It provided just a vague sense of direction . Thankfully , it was clear that it was steadily getting closer , and as the hours passed , the impression started to point down as much as it did ahead .

Zac knew it was time to go . This way , he could swim ahead of the vessels as he dove deeper , giving him more time to search for the treasure . He waited another two minutes until another Wandering Cultivator jumped out of the oily water , his arms and face covered in bleeding lacerations .

Well , I guess that’s my cue , - Zac said to Vai .

Be careful , - she whispered . - There are still many layers to go—no need to overdo it . -

I know what I’m about , - Zac laughed .

With that , he dove into the water , and he immediately grimaced with disgust . The liquid was oily and scorching hot , and utterly uncomfortable to swim in . Fiery energy tried to burrow into his cells , but the little that made it past his sturdy skin was gobbled up by his Void Heart] . Having explored the Twilight Ocean , this invasion was nothing .

There were no beasts in the vicinity , probably thanks to his proximity to the barges . He still equipped his presence-weakening cowl to complement his energy-hiding bracelet . Then , Zac took out his axe and made his way downward , heading for the ocean floor below , all the while looking out for both animals and other cultivators . Soon enough he spotted a feeding frenzy , where hundreds of smaller fish were ripping apart the carcass of a huge fish with dozens of long whiskers that seemed as sharp as blades .

However , the weird creature had been cut in two by a bladed attack , and Zac guessed he’d found the source of the previous cultivator’s wounds . A few of the frenzied fishes chose to target him instead of fighting for the dead catfish , but it was nothing that couldn’t be solved with a couple of swings .

Finally , Zac reached the bottom of the ocean , somewhat surprised to find it covered in lustrous corals , seaweed , and all kinds of plants . It was a stark contrast to the desolate landscape above water , which made Zac wonder if there were some specific reasons for it . Perhaps some sort of tidal wave that killed everything on land every few years?

Of course , Zac was more interested in treasure than solving the geographical puzzle , but he was a bit confused as he still felt the signal coming from farther down . Did he need to dig? Perhaps there was a tunnel in the area . Since the signal came from ahead as well , Zac stayed a few hundred meters above the lakebed as he continued forward .

He could tell there were quite a few creatures that lived among those corals , but he couldn’t sense anything emitting the aura of a Beast King . Even then , there were the occasional ambushes , but Zac never slowed as he drew closer and closer to his destination . And finally , he saw it—a deep crack in the ocean floor , leading into the depths of the Mystic Realm .

There was a weak pull coming from the chasm , forming a slight waterfall-like effect . However , it paled compared to the Twilight Chasm either in size or danger . This rather seemed to be a simple fissure created from an earthquake or tectonic plates moving , if that was even a thing inside a Mystic Realm .

In either case , Zac sensed the item was right below him , and his heart thumped with anticipation as he dove inside . Deeper and deeper he went , and was surprised to find the ambient energy growing more sparse the farther he swam . Soon enough , it could barely be considered E-grade , and the fire attunement had all but disappeared from the orange water .

Eventually , the radiant glow from the waters completely disappeared , and Zac could only make his way forward by his spiritual sense until he suddenly stopped . The pulse was so close he could touch it . Except he couldn’t spot anything out of place no matter what method he used .

He swam over to the rocky wall of the fissure , his hands searching the rough surface for clues . It should be inside here , but there weren’t any indications of a passage , and he couldn’t sense or spot any palpable energy signatures from within . It almost made him feel as though he was going crazy , sensing a signal that wasn’t there .

There was only one way to find out , and the water churned as Zac punched forward . The wall shuddered from the massive force as deep cracks spread for dozens of meters . And while the wall was a lot sturdier than he’d expected , Zac’s eyes lit up—the thud was hollow . One punch after another assaulted the wall until it completely crumbled , but the scene of water rushing into the tunnel he’d exposed didn’t occur .

Instead , as pieces of rocks tumbled toward the depths of the fissure , an invisible wall held the waters at bay . Zac couldn’t make heads or tails of the scene , and even if the calling had suddenly grown a lot louder , he didn’t dare rush inside . Instead , he took out a spear that he gingerly pushed inside the dark path .

The spear entered without issue , proving there wasn’t any actual barrier that held the water at bay . Honestly , that only made the situation weirder , but Zac still slowly made his way inside . After all , he was hunting for remnants of an unfathomably powerful faction . So what if it scared the water to not enter?

That didn’t mean Zac would just rush forward eyes shut , but no matter how he looked , he couldn’t figure out what was going on . Even after taking a couple of steps inside , he could neither find what kept the water at bay , nor any other energy signature for that matter . There was simply nothing after having entered the path—like he’d found a spot forgotten by the Heavens .

No energy , no Dao , no nothing . It was hollow , empty .

Growing even more curious about what he’d discovered , he turned toward the depths of the cave , to the origin of the signal . The pathway itself wasn’t a proper tunnel , more a narrow crack that Zac barely managed to squeeze through . Thankfully , it only continued for a hundred meters until Zac found himself at the edge of an extremely odd cave .

After entering the hidden chamber , Zac finally had a pretty good idea of what was going on—how this place was created and the origin of the call . The cave wasn’t very big , just fifty meters across , and it was almost completely spherical . The walls were definitely not natural , having twisted formations and patterns that would never appear in nature .

Neither were the patterns or arrays something manmade . The result of an eruption of a chaotic mixture of energies was closer to its possible origins . Zac wasn’t skilled enough to analyze the patterns , especially with all lingering hints of energy removed from the area , but he was pretty sure Spatial Energies were heavily involved . With the Void Star being so chaotic , there was a simple explanation .

A chunk of space had been teleported inside the bedrock of this Mystic Realm , pulverizing the stone that previously occupied this spot . There was even a thick layer of ashy powder on the ground to strengthen this thesis . It was just like when he and the Azh’Rezak Alpha Gwyllgi had taken up the same plot of space when the Integration descended on Earth .

Judging by the almost suffocating ancient aura in the cave , Zac had a strong suspicion it wasn’t an even fight this time around either . This time , it was the stronger party that won , and Zac’s eyes turned to the only item inside the spherical cave .

A singular piece of rubble that lay on top of the dusty layer .

If he went by appearance alone , Zac wouldn’t have given it a second glance if he were passing by . The coloring was dark grey compared to the native red , which was a bit odd , though that could have all kinds of explanations . On its surface , a few white lines were added , but they didn’t provide any tangible clues . Of course , with the stable signal it emitted , Zac honed in on it the moment he reached the mouth of the crevasse .

And even if no one else could figure out what was so special about the stone , Zac knew exactly where it came from—after all , he’d seen it before . It was exactly this material the enormous castle in his vision was made of .

Seeing it was both exciting and a bit disappointing . Exciting in the sense it had once been part of something amazing , a building that most likely housed true Supremacies once upon a time . Disappointing in the sense it was ultimately just a piece of rock . Perhaps it had been carved off from the outer wall during some ancient battle and fallen into a tear in space , carrying with it that ancient and inextinguishable aura .

But if that were the case , was this all there was to his supposed opportunity? Was it the latent aura in this piece of rock that elicited the vision? How was he supposed to make use of a piece of stone? Even after standing in front of it for a minute , he hadn’t felt any benefits to any aspect of his cultivation .

The piece of rubble might not look like much , but its aura still beckoned him , telling Zac to take it and make it his . Even so , Zac stayed in place a bit longer to scan both the stone and the cave for any threats . It was just too eerie finding this thing here , waiting for anyone to take it , and he didn’t trust his Danger Sense would work against items of this level .

But there was simply nothing , and Zac eventually chose to follow his instincts . He jumped down , his eyes widening in alarm as his landing kicked up a plume of dust . However , it wasn’t because of the stone , and Zac ferociously swung his axe in an overhead arc . Unfortunately , his attack missed , and Zac growled upon seeing a familiar figure appear right next to the piece of rubble .

It was the dour man who’d tried to get him into trouble the day they set out . His name was Kuru Cera , and he was one of the cultivators whose job was to scout ahead of the group . Of course , that didn’t mean Kuru Cera was harmless—apart from joining groups as a scout , he was also rumored to moonlight as an assassin .

I knew I did the right thing following you , - Kuru snickered as he looked down at the piece of rubble . - You moved with far too much purpose as you swam past the lakebed . I knew you had something profitable in mind . -

Zac neither confirmed nor denied it , but he was inwardly extremely annoyed he’d been exposed . He had kept a constant vigil to avoid this exact situation , but scouting simply wasn’t his strong suit . Since the scout never had any intent to kill or even harm him , Zac's Danger Sense hadn’t warned him at all . And Kuru had surprisingly good skills to both hide his presence and his aura , allowing him to stalk Zac all the way here .

You don’t want to get involved in this , - Zac said as his killing intent started to permeate the cave .

Not so fast , - Kuru grinned as he tapped the token on his waist . - Were you asleep during the briefings? Attack me , and the Void Gate will hunt you down . And according to the rules of our employers , finders keepers . I’m not sure what made you hunt down this shitty rock , but my gut tells me it’s my ticket to prominence . -

There was nothing else to say , and Zac flashed forward , propelled by Earthstrider] . If he could snatch the piece , then great . If he failed . . . Then he might have to find out how accurate these tokens were . Unfortunately , while Zac was quick , the scout was a proper Dexterity-based cultivator .

Kuru’s hand turned to a blur as he snatched the rock just before Zac’s outstretched hand could reach it , prompting Zac to seamlessly transition his lunge into a swing .

Wh— - Kuru stammered , shocked Zac actually dared to attack .

However , the scout didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence , though not because of Zac’s killing blow . A silent pulse was released from the stone , and Kuru instantaneously turned into ashy dust that kicked up a storm as Zac’s axe passed right through . At first , Zac was elated that bastard got his just desserts , but that feeling only lasted until he saw the particles falling from his own outstretched hand .

He , too , was falling apart .

39

FLAMEBEARER

There was no warning and no pain as his fingers turned to motes of dust . In an instant , his whole hand was gone , reduced to an identical ashy rain that joined Kuru’s . The phenomenon was different from anything Zac had encountered before , including his Annihilation Spheres . It didn’t destroy anything—it was rather as though the pulse erased all energy and spirituality from any matter it touched .

Out of panic , Zac did everything he could think of to stem his imminent collapse . Talismans or skills would be useless against something like this , so he tried to urge his Hidden Nodes to do something , anything . Of course , he activated Void Zone] as well , in a desperate hope his own nullification zone would cancel out the one that had been released from the piece of rubble .

And it worked .

Just like that , the collapse of his very being stopped , but Zac had no way to tell if it was a permanent stay of execution . He’d never sensed any energy causing the disintegration , and neither had his Hidden Nodes managed to cleanse or absorb anything . With his heart beating like a drum , Zac began to scramble away , but he froze with indecision .

What if Void Zone] covering the piece of ancient rubble was what kept him alive? If he ran away , would the stone regain its power and blast him again? Or had the stone accepted him after activating his bloodline talent? Was his survival proof that the stone was really meant for him , connected to his origin? Maybe he was just lucky . . . Should he run , or should he grab it?

Barely having avoided irrevocable disaster , Zac’s mind was a mess and he was locked with indecision . He didn’t even get the chance to weigh his options before the piece of rubble made his choice for him . A second , more powerful pulse rippled out from the rock , proving that his Void Zone] was absolutely incapable of restraining it .

Next , it floated up into the air , and Zac desperately flashed away to avoid it as it shot toward him . The stone seemed to have a mind of its own , and it slammed into Zac’s chest with a speed he absolutely couldn’t avoid . A deep thud echoed through the spherical cave , followed by a grating sound as the piece of stone crumbled , turning into a fine powder indistinguishable from that on the ground .

Zac looked down at his chest with mute incomprehension . Was that it?

No . His soul shuddered before both his outer and inner cores ground to a halt . He tried to circulate his energy , but it might as well have been turned into ice . Time practically stopped altogether , and he found himself unable to so much as blink , forced to stare at the frozen swirls of dust that had been kicked up by his failed escape .

His mind still worked though , and he pinpointed the source of it all right in his Soul Aperture . Four shining lines had appeared out of nowhere , exuding the very same aura as those he’d been subjected to in his vision . Zac somewhat recognized the lines—they were the very same ones inscribed on the piece of rubble .

At first , they seemed content in doing nothing , but they eventually released a third pulse that spread throughout every corner of his body . It was like his bloodline had been startled awake , the small vortices in his body opening wide as his three Void Emperor nodes entered overdrive . Although the scene didn’t elicit any fear—rather the opposite .

Expectation held Zac’s attention as the four lines started to release a pure white light containing that ancient aura , purer and more palpable than ever before . It was familiar , yet not . Almost nostalgic , for some reason . The runes didn’t need to explain it , he understood by instinct .

Kuru didn’t have the qualifications to come in contact with this item , and thus he was reduced to nothingness , not even leaving a shred nor his items behind . But Void Zone] proved something to the piece of rubble , and the final pulse that scanned him confirmed it . No matter if it was because of his connection to Emperor Limitless , or if it was simply because he’d passed some other criteria , he’d been accepted by the runes .

And now , it was time to reap the rewards .

A Quest Screen appeared in front of his eyes , but Zac didn’t get the chance to read what it said . His whole perception was flooded by that marvelous light that contained a million ideas . Primeval , boundless , and even terrifying concepts swept him away , absolutely overwhelming him . Every moment , it felt like more and more was crammed into his brain , squeezing out everything else .

His mind could only hold so much before it reached his limits . There was no ominous cracking of his soul , no tearing of his mind . Though what he felt wasn’t much better . The vast truths of the universe gradually turned into dust just like his hand , forever erasing itself from his memories . Left was just a sense of loss and inadequacy .

Zac could barely hold onto his sense of self , and if he didn’t do something , and soon , it would be just like when he got his hands on that mote of Primal Dao back in the Twilight Chasm . He needed to grasp what he could before it all slipped through his fingers . His Hidden Nodes were the only things currently doing something , each of the three nodes gleefully absorbing the light .

That wasn’t enough—more than 90% of the light was still wasted . His first instinct was to turn to the Dao just like last time , taking the chance to push his three Dao Branches further . However , as Zac tried to use the chaotic hurricane of comprehension to further his path and his Daos , there was no response .

Zac soon realized that while the situation was similar to his opportunity in the chasm , the content of that light was vastly different . Just like the cave itself and the dust of the ground , it was void of any energy or the Dao . But without Dao , what else was there? It was the glue that held everything together .

It felt like a fortune had already slipped through his fingers even if just an instant had passed , but Zac quickly gathered his wits . Of course there were other things to focus on , and he recalled the third chapter of the Book of Duality] . In an instant , it felt like he’d thrown out a net into that vast sea of comprehension , catching scraps for himself before they were reduced to nothingness .

Out of nowhere , the fundament workings of duality became so clear . Going over the words in the booklet , Zac remembered every detail , every line , and he felt the hidden implications unraveling for him at a pace that was beyond shocking . Even some imperfections left by the imperfect transcription were amended , leaving him with an understanding even closer to Kalo’s original intent .

Or perhaps it was more apt to say it drew closer to the perfect mechanics of the universe .

Cycles , harmonies , chasms , pendulums , waves , interlocking patterns , and so many other methods of utilizing and building upon duality revealed themselves to his mind’s eye . A wealth of knowledge was laid bare , filling gaps and lighting a path to the future . Gradually , Zac found that path hazy . It wasn’t that he’d run out of time—the light was weakening , but it still exuded far more than he could take on .

He couldn’t remember the later chapters of the book .

Zac had repeatedly gone over the earlier sections of the Book of Duality] over the past weeks , and the first half of the book was pretty much imprinted on his brain . It was his method to gradually decipher the book , but he hadn’t gone over the later chapters in such detail . As such , he couldn’t continue this path—there was nothing for that magical light in his mind to decipher for him .

He tried to take out the booklet from his Spatial Ring , but it was futile—either he was frozen in place or time was . He needed to change course to make the most of this opportunity . His Void Emperor nodes were continuously gobbling up what they could , but Zac could feel that even they were almost filled to the brim .

There were skills , techniques , and professions to consider , but there was something even better . Something that was firmly and fully locked in his brain .

The Boundless Vajra Sublimation] .

For once , Zac didn’t fear the pathbreaking power in the sea of knowledge that Three Virtues had left behind in his soul . Even the Buddhist Sangha were followers of the Dao . Meanwhile , the shining light seemed capable of completely stripping everything of its Heavenly Truth , opening the hood to showcase what hid within .

He delved deeper and deeper into the Body Tempering Manual , trying to understand the overarching themes and connections of the method . How were Heart and Body connected? How could the boundlessness of Buddha’s heart be removed , maybe even replaced by something that wouldn’t alter his path?

Zac’s mind shuddered and he felt a splitting headache as a million ideas were born and discarded . Though not for nothing—something was starting to form . Something uniquely his . And it wasn’t enough . Eventually , his state of clarity began to fade , and Zac felt as though he was being plunged into an abyss .

The truths he needed were getting further and further away , and as the light winked out , they were gone . Left behind in his mind were only the four white lines . But even they released a ripple and disappeared a moment later . Zac took a shuddering breath as he opened his eyes , his heart filled with a confusing mix of elation and deficiency as he saw the world speed up again .

The previously frozen clouds of dust swirled around before a churning rumble shook the cave as the waters of Hako Lake , once more glowing a bright orange , came crashing to fill the crevasse . There was no way to tell whether the runes had actually slowed time down for him , or if it had just felt that way with the speed his mind worked , but no actual time had passed since those lines appeared in his mind .

Zac let the waters crash over him and submerge the cave as a smile spread across his face . He’d been a bit skeptical upon seeing that piece of rubble , but he’d ended up gaining in a big way . That shimmering light in his mind wasn’t enough to completely reforge the Boundless Vajra Sublimation] , but it had been enough to open a door he hadn’t known existed .

The answer was within the Void .

The original method aimed to relinquish all distractions , to become an unfeeling Vajra with only their eyes on their path . It could be considered a surrender of the self , where one’s heart became empty and boundless to accept the Heavens . That didn’t work for Zac , yet the epiphany helped him realize that removing those parts would essentially remove the very foundations of the manual .

The Heart Cultivation wasn’t just there as a trap or to lure more practitioners into the arms of the Sangha . It brought purpose to the movements , to the energy circulation , to the patterns as it incorporated your Dao and your intent into the method . In a sense , it harmonized the method with your path , allowing you to create a life constitution uniquely suited for you . This was the real reason it was considered a top-tier method .

Without the heart component , the method would become utterly flawed . He would perhaps be able to force the first layer or two with treasures considering his wealth , but that would do more harm than good . If he did that , then his constitution would take on the nature of the treasures rather than of one that suited him . Such an incongruity would soon cause problems with every aspect of your cultivation .

The situation wasn’t hopeless . The details were already hazy since the shining light left him , but he’d seen how the Void could replace the Boundlessness . Instead of relinquishing one’s self , you’d ensconce it in the Void . That way , not even the Heavens would be able to influence your heart or your path .

For a normal cultivator , this path was utterly impossible—it was a path which required an absolute absence of the Dao . How else would you be able to comprehend and welcome the true Void into your heart? Affinities were a bridge between yourself and the Heavens , and not even crippling your cultivation could remove that . As long as that bridge existed , you couldn’t truly practice the kind of method Zac envisioned .

In that sense , he was unique , a person completely lacking affinities , with a Void-related bloodline to boot . As long as he could create that method , he’d become a black hole—he’d take anything he needed to progress , without letting outside elements affect his path or his heart . This wouldn’t just solve the immediate goal of getting a Life-attuned Constitution for his human side—it would also prove something he desperately wanted .

A Heart Cultivation method that would protect you from undue outside influence , no matter if it was the System , the Buddhist Sangha , or the Remnants . He’d been led around by the nose enough times by now that the thought of cultivating independence was almost as attractive as the thought of aligning his human constitution with his path .

For a moment , he’d seen it all mesh together—Life and Death held together by the Void in his bloodline , just like his triumvirate path were held together by the Dao of Conflict .

Figuring out the path he needed to take with the Boundless Vajra Sublimation] was the biggest gain , but it wasn’t all of it . Zac had fully comprehended both the third and fourth chapters of the Book of Duality] , something that would have taken him months of hard work . Not only that , the knowledge had somehow been expanded beyond what was hidden within his copy .

The former was somewhat understandable—he’d eaten epiphany-inducing treasures before . However , the second aspect was more shocking , since Zac knew those additional insights weren’t the fruit of his own understanding . They were far beyond what he could comprehend on his own , epiphany or not . The concepts came from within that rune .

Was he so lucky that it just happened to contain exactly the insights he was looking for? Zac didn’t think so . It was more like that rune represented the fundamental laws of the universe , and the underpinnings of duality were just one small piece of that . It made Zac think of that feeling he’d gotten when he was shown the empty courtyard of Ultom . That coherent and supreme understanding that unified everything which transcended the Dao itself .

Of course , the burst of inspiration he’d gotten just now was a mere shadow of the real thing . But they had to be connected .

Still , there were some things he couldn’t make sense of quite yet . First of all , the incomplete rune he’d seen in his soul didn’t match the one on the steps in the inner courtyard . More like it was part of a repeating pattern he noticed on the massive castle before his vision changed .

Related , but different . For some reason , it also filled him with a sense of familiarity . Could it be a connection through bloodline , between himself and the Limitless Empire?

Perhaps even more importantly , he’d gained such a huge windfall from finding a random piece of rubble that had been teleported to this random Mystic Realm . What would happen if he got his hands on a full rune rather than a corner? Or something that held even more of that aura?

No matter if it was figuring out a blueprint for his Cosmic Core or creating his envisioned Void Vajra Sublimation] , it was a huge undertaking . And frankly , it required comprehension and talent he might not possess . This could be his ticket to solving those two issues in one fell swoop , not just saving time , but elevating his prospects altogether .

Zac suddenly remembered he’d gotten a quest just before the wave of insights commanded all his attention , and he opened it to see if it provided any clues . For a moment he was elated . For another , confused . Eventually , he settled with being unsettled . Just what had he become embroiled in this time?

Seal of the Left Imperial Palace (Unique , Inheritance) : Form a seal of the Left Imperial Palace . Reward : Become a Flamebearer of Ultom . (1/4)]

40

THE WILL OF THE ANCIENTS

Zac didn’t know what to believe as he read the mission . More than anything he felt it a bit ironic . He’d just devised a change for his Body Tempering Manual that would shield his heart from the System , yet it looked like he needed to participate in some System-controlled inheritance to figure out the specifics .

At least , that was his first takeaway . The quest was at 1/4 , which hopefully meant there were three more pieces of rubble strewn throughout the Void Star . Three more bursts of that ultimate knowledge should be enough to figure out all his roadblocks for Hegemony , paving the way for him to visit the Perennial Vastness Realm much earlier than he’d anticipated . And that was just from progressing the quest itself .

Not only that , the quest had also given a name to that massive castle in his vision—the Left Imperial Palace . By this point , it almost seemed like a forgone conclusion that it really was part of the Limitless Empire . Anything else seemed a hopeless longshot . But just what was a Flamebearer of Ultom? A representative?

Seeing as the quest type was listed as (Unique , Inheritance) , it might act as the qualification to enter the palace? Or to at least gain access to some minor inheritance left behind by the Limitless Empire? Just the thought of an Inheritance of that magnitude almost made Zac drool with excitement . What if it was like Brazla’s Dao Repository? A repeating opportunity that might last him all the way to Supremacy .

No matter which was the case , one thing was for sure—he needed to find the rest of that rune . The nature of the actual reward didn’t even matter .

Having just gained such a massive windfall , Zac wanted to seclude himself for a couple of weeks . He needed to digest what he’d just learned and prepare in case he stumbled onto another piece of the seal . But first things first . Slumbering motes of Creation were dragged from his cells , and Zac felt the sweet nectar of unbridled possibility course through his body .