Defiance of the Fall

I can’t believe we got a shop as part of the guest package . People here are so free they’re setting up stores? - Ogras asked from the shadows , clearly following them somehow .

Many come with instructions from their elders to trade , so they have to even if they want to focus on their breakthrough . - Catheya smiled . - Others offer various services as a way to earn Mana . Most simply use their storefront to showcase their blueprints in hopes of getting a challenge . -

What’s that? - Zac asked with confusion .

Didn’t you go over the rules before visiting the city? - Catheya asked .

As I said , I built my base in kind of a dangerous place . - Zac coughed . - I jumped through the teleporter the moment it was erected , and then I heard about your situation from some passersby before I could learn about all the rules . -

Catheya laughed . - You haven’t changed at all . It also explains why you tried to kill those people without challenging them . Still , it had a decent effect . It should make our life easier when contending for better missions . Besides , I doubt I would be able to milk those guys for much longer in either case . -

What are the rules? - Zac asked .

One moment , - Catheya said as she stopped . - We’re almost there . -

Their destination was a small tavern , and two small Unholy Beacons stood at its entrance , clearly indicating it was for the undead . They created a haze around the door , and Zac could tell the whole building was filled with Miasma rather than Cosmic Energy . He’d already seen that the Perennial Vastness didn’t bother specifically accommodating the undead in Vastness City , so leaving the Cosmic Energy of the outside environment felt like getting out of the rain .

Catheya nodded slightly at two Revenants sitting in a corner before heading deeper into the building . Zac’s brows rose upon seeing the sigil of the Abyssal Shores on the door Catheya opened . Inside , a private dining room waited . Both Catheya and Zac installed a set of isolation arrays , followed by a shroud of shadows covering the walls .

This place is safe . Relatively speaking , - Catheya said .

This environment , - a disgusted voice echoed out as Ogras appeared from the corner of the room .

I thought this would be our honeymoon , yet you’ve brought a chaperone? - Catheya pouted at Zac .

With a bunch of Undead Monarchs plotting behind my back , I have to bring my resident schemer around , - Zac smiled .

I didn’t expect the elders to be such troublemakers , - Catheya sighed . - For what it’s worth , I do think the Umbri’Zi were sincere in their desire to bring you into the fold until things got complicated . As for the later arrivals , I don’t know . -

It’s fine , - Zac said . - I’m not delusional . I know I’m not as important to them as an Eternal Heritage . I’ll be careful . Hopefully , we’ll emerge stronger on the other end . Maybe we can go back to the original agreement with the Umbri’Zi after the Azol and Reavers have left with whatever they came for .

More importantly , are you okay? We got an odd message from the Undead Empire just before entering and were worried something had happened to you . -

Well , I think I was played for a fool , - Catheya wryly smiled . - But for a moment there , I thought they were about to kill me over my seal . -

Zac listened with a frown as Catheya shared her experiences , from exploring the Million Gates Territory under Tavza An’Azol . An image of a competent but cold leader soon emerged in Zac’s mind , someone who always chose the option that would have the greatest odds of completing the mission , even if it meant losses in her ranks .

She had cut through a large section of the Million Gates Territory with the precision of a surgeon , leaving not a stone unturned in her hunt for remnants of the Limitless Empire . Eventually , Catheya reached the end , where she had been filled with a sense of impending doom and opted to flee on a stolen vessel while Tavza was occupied inside a fractured realm .

No wonder they sent that message , - Zac grimaced .

I’m so sorry about creating such a mess , - Catheya said . - I felt like a trapped animal . I had to get out . -

That’s okay . Better safe than sorry , - Zac nodded .

I don’t understand , - Ogras commented from the side . - If it’s as you said , it doesn’t make much sense for her to kill you . Our side , or rather Zac , has been abundantly clear about how important you are for the cooperation . The value of moving a lower seal to a subordinate can’t compare to the alliance with Zac . Are you sure a few years aboard the Cosmic Vessel didn’t just drive you a bit stir-crazy? -

Zac frowned at the demon , who shrugged back .

That’s . . . something I’ve been wondering myself , - Catheya sighed . - It was so clear back then . I saw one hint after another and pieced them together into a conspiracy about to do me in . But just days after I stole the ship , I felt the memories were a bit odd . Since I’d already pulled the trigger , I still fled here the moment I could activate the token . -

What do you think now? - Zac asked .

After two months here . . . I think I was played , for some reason , - Catheya sighed . - A curse , an illusion , or something similar . I’m not sure if my actions were what they were hoping for or if they were aiming for something else . Perhaps they wanted me to attack Tavza instead of fleeing , but capturing that Kan’Tanu vessel threw a wrench in the works? Or maybe they just wanted to instill me with suspicions toward Tavza , which I would transmit to you? I’m not sure . -

What a mess , - Zac muttered . - Well , what do you think? Can the cooperation continue? -

I think so , - Catheya said . - They have strict orders from the Primo himself . Any schemes between and within the Divine Races must be within bounds , not threatening the mission . And with you and your followers drastically increasing the odds of success , they can’t harm you . I know the promised Edict is real , though it doesn’t guarantee your safety . The Primo is rarely a hands-on leader . His existence is more of a guarantee against outside pressure .

As for who you’re better off aligning with , I don’t know . Tavza is Draugr , but I saw her sacrifice thousands of subordinates to scour as many pocket realms as quickly as possible , without even blinking . If she believed sacrificing you would secure the mission , she’d probably do it . Kator seems open and forthright , making friends among the locals and lower races . But I can smell trouble from him . -

If you were played , he’s a top suspect , proving he can be scheming , - Ogras added .

We knew they consider us as tools to help further their goals inside the inheritance . - Zac shrugged . - We simply have to get stronger quickly , so we get too troublesome to double-cross . -

You might need Tavza if you want to find the best treasures inside the inheritance , - Catheya said after some thought . - She’s an expert on the Limitless Empire . I hear she owns whole heritages dating back to that era . If someone can unearth any secrets in there , it’s her . -

She’s an expert on the Limitless Empire? - Zac was surprised to hear that . - Why? The Undead Empire shouldn’t have much to do with them , right? -

No , - Catheya said . - Only the Founders among the Five Races had any contact with the Limitless Empire before the System was born . It was just a private interest of hers , where she studied ancient arrays and fused them with the heritage of the Abyssal Shores . I think that’s partly why she was picked as one of the candidates . -

What about the undead in here? - Ogras asked . - Are they involved in this? -

Well , not those who have been here more than a decade , - Catheya said . - For the rest , I can’t tell . The undead here have an organization of their own , which I’ve stayed clear of for now . Either case , I’m strong enough to earn a decent amount of Mana without teaming up . I’m not forced to join like those people you saw earlier . -

Anyway , what’s going on with those humans , and why couldn’t I kill that guy? - Zac asked .

There are restrictions in place , - Catheya said . - In Vastness City , you either have to challenge or be challenged to fight a proper battle . Just going around attacking people will cost Mana . -

There’s more freedom in the various realms , though , - Ogras added , snorting when he saw Zac’s surprised look . - What? I’m not like you . I read the rulebook before coming out the gate swinging . -

Well , - Zac coughed .

Simply put , all guests have a tiering depending on their Mana levels , - Catheya said . - Every 10 , 000 Mana increases your echelon by one . So , we’ll become first-echelon cultivators when we reach 10 , 000 total accumulated Mana . For now , we’re Pre-echelon , or untiered as most call it . -

What does echelons matter , except the monthly cost? - Zac asked .

Most of the best realms have echelon-level restrictions in place , - Catheya said . - It’s also important for duels . If you challenge another untiered cultivator , they can’t decline . If they do , they’ll be hit with a penalty of 10% of their Mana . -

Conversely , higher-echelon cultivators can just ignore your challenges , - Ogras added . - Ensures we can’t just find a bunch of the top people and steal their Mana . -

Actually , you can’t even challenge people more than one echelon above you . You sort of have to prove yourself , - Catheya explained .

And I’ll get Mana if I win a duel? - Zac asked .

Sure , one hundred Mana per victory , - Catheya said . - Taken out of the pocket of the loser . -

Only one hundred? - Zac grimaced .

Also , you can only issue ten binding challenges a month , - Catheya said . - After that , your target can just say no without sacrificing Mana . You can still be challenged and accept as many challenges as you want . The guides are keeping watch , though . Any Mana-laundering schemes will result in steep penalties . -

That’s . . . - Zac frowned .

With such rules in place , there was simply no way he’d be able to snatch a bunch of Mana quickly and start working on his core .

There are bounties , though , - Catheya added . - I didn’t think you’d be able to get any based on your skill set . But I may have been wrong after seeing you thrash that guy . -

What? - Zac asked , and Ogras looked over curiously as well .

Do you remember what happened back there? Your first swing met powerful resistance , but your second one moved much quicker and went straight for his throat . Why? -

Zac thought back to that feeling . - The resistance from that barrier was pretty strong . But I felt some of the patterns were weak , like a loophole in an array . After I targeted that weakness , the resistance was a lot lower . -

That’s a bounty and why people showcase their cores on their storefronts . We’re just E-grade cultivators , and our understanding of the Dao and Energy is ultimately flawed . Even if our elders give us a blueprint , we still need to modify them to fit our pathways and Dao . Most people arrive with minor imperfections to their blueprints . Some even have failed schematics with glaring problems . -

Imperfections that others can point out and get awarded? - Ogras surmised .

Exactly , - Catheya said . - If you hadn’t broken the rules , your strike would have given you a bonus of between 10 and 100 Mana for finding an imperfection . The guy you hit would get the weakness marked on his Dao Tapestry in his manor , allowing him to start fixing it . This way , people will emerge with much better cores than if they just worked on it alone . -

Why don’t people fix their weaknesses before? - Zac asked . - Like asking their elders . -

Many don’t have elders to fix the mistakes , - Ogras shrugged . - No D-grade force would have a heritage that can lead you to a perfect core . I doubt even most C-grade forces on the frontier would . Seems most of our Monarchs manage to take that final step thanks to lucky encounters rather than strong foundations . -

Others have elders who don’t have the understanding required to perfect the blueprints . Even small differences in paths can result in wildly different Cosmic Cores . What is perfect in the eyes of the elder may be riddled with problems for the descendants , - Catheya added . - It’s also quite uncommon for elders to get so involved with their disciples . It harms them in the long run .

If they don’t find the answers to their path themselves , they have no chance of reaching Monarchy . That’s how established factions work . They raise one generation after another , hoping someone will stumble onto opportunities and inspirations that will let them climb to a stage where they can contribute to the clan or sect . -

The sentiment echoed what Iz told Zac before , though Iz’s vantage was quite a bit higher , even mentioning things like Earth Immortals .

This is also what makes the Perennial Vastness so unique , - Catheya continued . - Any imperfections you find will gradually be improved by the Mana you accumulate . You can even spend some of it to speed up that process , so you don’t have to wait decades . -

So almost like the energy from that place , - Ogras whistled before his face scrunched together . - Damn , did that mean we wasted our epiphanies on something we could have gotten here? -

I don’t think it was a waste , - Zac said . - I would never have spotted that weakness if not for the epiphanies or all that lake water . -

The what? - Catheya said with a blank stare , and Zac explained the situation about the Lost Plane and his encounter inside the Void Star .

That’s just like you , - Catheya scoffed . - And I don’t suppose you saved any for your beautiful friends? -

Girl , don’t even think about that , - Ogras snorted . - I took a dip in that water myself , and I almost had my mind twisted and Dao deviated . I don’t understand how this monster could bathe in it like it was some sort of elixir . -

He’s pretty annoying that way , - Catheya agreed .

Finally , someone who understands my plight! - Ogras said with a long-suffering look .

Whatever , - Zac groaned . - So what’s the plan if I can’t just go around and rob people of their Mana? -

You can , - Ogras grinned . - You just have to head to the Red Zones . -

9

MISSIONS

Null had called Vastness City a Green Zone , which meant the Red Zone Ogras mentioned probably was a region with far laxer rules . As expected , Catheya confirmed his guess .

Green Zones , like this city , disallow killing even during duels . There are a bunch of other restrictions , which is why I had to trick those fools earlier into challenging me one after another . For someone like you , you can just pick ten unlucky people and beat them up every month . But after that , your opponents can say no .

In Orange Zones , you don’t need to bother with duels . If you see someone in your or an adjacent echelon , you’re free to attack them . If you win , you get Mana like normal , including points for bounties . But if you kill them , you get nothing and instantly get thrown out of the zone . Deaths are honestly pretty rare unless there’s a grudge . -

And within red there are no rules? - Zac asked .

Pretty much , - Catheya nodded . - Anyone you see , you can attack , no matter what echelon they have . That goes the other way , though . People with huge repositories of Mana can bully newcomers there . Apparently , the effect is not limited to a simple shield when you’ve gathered enough Mana . You release something akin to a Dao Field , restricting your opponents while empowering yourself . Furthermore , you can fight to the death in Red Zones and get full payment for a win , so it’s quite dangerous . -

Then why would anyone go to those kinds of places? - Zac asked .

Why does anyone ever take risks? - Catheya smiled . - All the best stuff is in the Red Zones , be it opportunities for the Core Formation or missions . -

I read the booklet while you were scamming those guys earlier . My idea was to beat up ten weaklings in the city before heading to an Orange Zone to continue hunting until I gained enough Mana to move to the Red Zones , - Ogras interjected . - Or is that inefficient? -

Orange Zones are usually middle-tier zones and up . Meaning you need to pay between 25 and 100 Mana a day to stay there , - Catheya said . - And with the size of this place in contrast to the number of participants . . . -

Might be hard just to break even , - Ogras frowned .

Especially if you consider the fact that not everyone you encounter will be someone you can fight . Those who dare visit Orange Zones alone are usually pretty confident in their strength . The same thing’s true for your idea to find ten weaklings to duel in Vastness City . There’s always a higher mountain , and someone stronger might target you . For most , just coming out ahead from a month’s ten duels is considered pretty good .

Even worse , all battles have a winner and a loser . The defender will be crowned the winner if neither side can eke out a clear advantage . That’s how I kept stealing Mana against those people before , - Catheya smiled .

How is advantage measured? - Zac asked .

The guides are judges , - Catheya shrugged .

So hunting people for Mana is easier said than done , - Zac muttered .

The majority get most of their Mana from completing missions , - Catheya said . - Though there are occasionally opportunities to go all-out . For example , if you keep track of the larger coalitions , you might figure out which zones they plan on exploring . That way , you can hunt them from the shadows . There are also the events . -

Events? - Ogras asked , the orientation book appearing in his hands . - Didn’t read anything about that . -

It’s officially considered another form of mission , but timed public ones , - Catheya explained .

So , what is it? -

With so many environments , there is often something happening . Treasures being born , calamities , beast tides , and so on . These automatically generate time-sensitive missions ; everyone gets a notification through their guides . I’ve been here two months , and I’ve already gotten three , though that’s a bit higher than normal . -

Are these quests lucrative? - Ogras asked with gleaming eyes .

Not all of them , - Catheya said . - But some events are amazing treasures being born . You get to keep the item while earning Mana for snatching it and winning the event . -

And there’ll be a bunch of little bounties running around looking for the item , - Ogras said , his smile widening .

Exactly , - Catheya nodded . - Two of the limited missions I’ve seen were in Green Zones , but one was in an Orange Zone . I heard over three thousand people participated . -

Was that how you got in trouble with those Grand Firmament guys? - Zac asked curiously . - Did you beat them up during the event? -

I wish , - Catheya laughed . - I didn’t even dare go to that trial . It was just a few days after I arrived , and I didn’t know enough to gauge the danger . . . I got in trouble with those Dreamers a few days later .

It all started because of the Mission Hall . Only one person or group can take on a specific mission at a time . I found a very lucrative one perfect for my Daos . It paid well and was related to Death and Ice . Turned out it was a repeating mission a few leaders in the Firmament Alliance had claimed as their own . When confronted , I told them to eat rocks and went and took on the quest anyway . -

And they started to harass you as a result , - Zac said .

Two months now , - Catheya nodded . - But I made almost a thousand Mana from it since I made sure to struggle just enough for them to keep coming back . Their meddling led to me missing out on the first pick of the quests released once a month , but I think it was a pretty good trade . -

You have to head into town monthly if you want to accept missions? - Zac asked .

You’ll also be able to get missions from your manor , but they appear three hours later , - Catheya explained . - The best missions are usually snatched by that point unless they have some huge risks or requirements . -

So the owner of this place forces people out of their burrows if they want the good tasks , - Ogras snickered , glancing at Zac . - Planning on getting the duels out of the way? Should be a lot of targets on the streets soon . -

Might as well , right? - Zac agreed . - But how do I know which people are in the same echelon as me? -

I can help , - Null’s voice appeared in his mind while Catheya said something of the same effect . - If you focus on someone , I can tell you their echelon . Only in Green and Orange Zones , though . -

Sounds fairly straightforward . What kind of stuff do we need to do on the missions? - Zac asked .

Some are simple things like outer sect members would have to do . Harvest crops , maintain arrays , inspect various facilities , - Catheya said . - Those have little dangers and low rewards . Most quests are more like what the two of us did in Twilight Ocean . -

What? - Zac asked . - Blow things up? -

In a sense , - Catheya laughed . - A Revenant who’s been here for three decades explained it to me . The whole Perennial Vastness could be considered a laboratory where thousands of experiments are running simultaneously . The Perennial Vastness is testing various theories by reforging whole worlds based on certain concepts .

We’re just sent inside to ensure nature sticks to the plan . For example , the mission that caused my enmity with the Grand Firmament Coalition was inside a glacier that had been infested by weird Death-attuned critters . Their bodies stained the ice , and they dug paths that impacted energy flow . The mission was to find and eradicate the creatures , while any tunnel I sealed provided bonus Mana . -

And that was better than most quests? - Zac asked with confusion .

The critters had spread across a huge mountain range , - Catheya said . - I only rooted up a couple of outer burrows and avoided the main hive , and I still earned just over 3 , 000 Mana in 18 days . Even if 100 people worked together , they’d have their hands full . It was a perfect quest for larger groups . I just didn’t understand I was taking the food out of the mouth of others . -

What! 3 , 000 Mana in under three weeks? So we can earn over 70 , 000 Mana a year with these kinds of quests? - Ogras exclaimed , his eyes veritably burning .

You’re forgetting the cost of staying in the special environment , - Catheya said . - That glacier was a Red Zone costing over 100 Mana a day , so I was left with less than 1 , 000 Mana in profits . But that’s still very good . Some barely break even , while a few unlucky ones take a loss by accepting a quest they couldn’t complete . -

Even one thousand is good if you add on the duels and bounties , - Ogras agreed . - Should we head out? We can’t miss out on the good stuff if we want to finish everything in a decade . -

We’ll figure out the rest on the go , - Zac said . - Let’s try to pick a quest together the first time and then take things as they come? -

Calm down , - Catheya laughed . - The Mission Hall is only five minutes from here , and we’re still a few hours off . No one will go over there for a while longer . Let’s just relax and plan our next steps . Why don’t you tell me about your experiences since we parted in the Twilight Ocean? I’ve only gotten small scraps of information , and I’ve been dying to know . -

Zac was a bit antsy , but he sat back down and retold his experiences , from entering the Void and getting trapped by a Voidcatcher to eventually staying on Earth for a few years . They also planned a few tactics for getting as much Mana as possible , from targeting alliances like the Grand Firmament Coalition to setting up alliances of their own .

After two hours passed , Catheya scoffed upon seeing both Zac’s and Ogras’ eyes continuously dart to the door .

Alright , you two . Let’s just go . People should start appearing about now because of the grace period . -

The grace period was another restriction inside the Green Zones . You could reject challenges for one hour after being defeated in a duel . If you won , however , you could still be challenged again . It was a small protection for the weaker guests , so they didn’t lose all their accumulated Mana every time they visited the city . As long as they accomplished their tasks within the hour , they’d lose 100 Mana plus a small blueprint bounty at most .

Ogras returned to the shadows while Zac and Catheya leisurely walked out of the incensary together , making sure to be spotted by at least a few of the undead patrons . Zac wanted his appearance to be spread to any potential spies as soon as possible so they’d know he’d already met with Catheya . Hopefully , that would lessen the risk of any further attempts on her .

Catheya led him toward the center of the city . The streets were by no means heavily trafficked by this point , but there were far more pedestrians compared to the occasional passersby of before . Zac occasionally had Null divulge people’s echelons , and the vast majority were either untiered or belonged to the first echelon .

I won’t cause panic if I challenge someone , right? - Zac asked to confirm .

As long as you don’t overdo it , - Catheya smiled . - Just break through their defenses , hitting weaknesses if possible . You can lightly maim , but what’s the point if it’s just strangers and for Mana? -

Zac nodded in agreement , then flashed over to a human wearing a dress sparkling like diamonds . She wasn’t hiding her aura and was clearly a notch stronger than the average first-echelon cultivator . Of course , that didn’t matter to someone like Zac , especially after hearing that the barriers weren’t as strong when you fought through the proper channels . Instead of 80% , you’d only see a 50% reduction .

You , - Zac said , calmly looking at the youthful woman . - I challenge you . -

The woman glowered at Zac , her expression indicating she had neither been through ten duels this month nor one recently .

I accept . But I pick with skills . -

Zac glanced at Catheya , who helplessly smiled . - The defender can pick either a real duel with skills or a martial duel like I did . Most want to fight with their energy unlocked because they find it easier to defend against a challenge with access to their skills . -

Alright , - Zac said , and the two walked over to the closest dueling circle .

Listen to your wife . This time , don’t kill , - Null entreated . - I don’t want you getting kicked out on the first day . -

She’s not actually my wife , - Zac said . - So , I can just start? -

In a bit , - Null answered . - You’ll see when . -

At first , Zac didn’t understand what Null was talking about , but his eyes widened slightly as his vision shifted . The surroundings were muted , including onlookers and storefronts . Only the duel circle was fully lit , creating an illusion there were only the two of them in the area . A glass-like barrier split the arena in two to divide them , and a star-shaped pattern appeared above his opponent’s head .

It was definitely a blueprint , and Zac saw his own float above his head when looking up . It was clear what the Perennial Vastness was looking for in these bouts . It didn’t care about exchanging pointers or settling grudges . The Perennial Vastness wanted to pinpoint and remove imperfections from Cosmic Core blueprints .

Many , including Zac himself , found enlightenment during battle , even more so than when visiting special cultivation grounds . That was probably why the Perennial Vastness had arranged this kind of ruleset . A clash might shake loose some ideas and epiphanies , leading to better Cosmic Cores .

Why the Perennial Vastness cared about some D-grade blueprints , Zac had no idea . He guessed it was part of a larger effort to unravel the secrets of the Grand Daos , similar to what the System arranged during the Twilight Ascent . The quest back then was to - Perfect the Tapestry of Twilight , - with various actions furthering that goal .

In a way , you could look at the Perennial Vastness and the Twilight Oceans as experiments by the System . Only one focused on a specific path , while the Perennial Vastness seemed to look at the Dao as a whole . Perhaps that was the case with most trials controlled by the System .

Zac shook his head , focusing on the battle at hand . There was a short grace period where he could observe his opponent’s core without any distractions . His opponent’s expression was weird , as her face alternated between elation and suspicion . Zac inwardly laughed , realizing she was trying to make heads or tails of his unique blueprint .

The grace period lasted ten more seconds before the transparent wall between them disappeared . The duel had begun . Zac’s opponent hadn’t figured out the meaning of his blueprint or his path , but she still rushed forward as a shroud of stars covered her . She had opted to go on the offensive from the get-go .

Zac didn’t have the same problem . There were no mysteries to the two Daos making up the woman’s path or blueprint . She cultivated two Daos , with the Dao of Stars taking the lead . It belonged to the Stellar Peak , also called the Unattuned Peak , because it governed most of the basic Daos of energy . The Stellar Peak didn’t specifically refer to stars , but stars were included in the list of stellar objects that generated the Cosmic Energy planets later absorbed .

The peak also included all kinds of mysterious things , such as the odd rivers through space he’d seen in his Bloodline Vision . There were even whole feeder dimensions that fed the main dimensions terrifying amounts of Cosmic and attuned energies through the Void . Still , normal stars were the most common stellar objects , and also what his opponent’s Dao was fashioned after .

However , her Dao was nothing like the path of Ventus , the Radiant Temple elite he met in the Twilight Ocean . The calculative elf had combined Star Patterns with the Dao of Numerology into some sort of Astrology that actually worked . In contrast , the Stellar Mage in front of him had fused her Dao of Stars with a Dao from the Peak of Impetus—the peak governing emotions and desires .

The Dao of Wrath .

Zac had never seen a fusion like this before since she was a combatant rather than something like a Hexer or Mentalist . It was extremely rare to see Daos belonging to the Peak of Impetus in the frontier . The only one he knew with such a Dao was Vilari , who had been influenced by the Crown of Despair inheritance .

There were no weaker or stronger Daos , but it was harder to get direct results on some paths than on others . It was like how most of the combatants on Earth leaned toward warrior classes like himself . Intelligence-based mages weren’t as common since they only hit their stride in the D-grade .

That was fine for a high-grade established force , but not for weaker places on the frontier where Hegemons was a rarity . The same was most likely true with Daos . Some , like the Peak of Conflict , helped you increase your lethality from day one . But the Dao of Order or Impetus? The Dao Seeds and Fragments that made up such paths might not be very useful in Early-grade combat .

A combat-oriented cultivator might not dare delve into such a Dao , even if they had a high affinity for it . Neither would many forces want to incorporate them into their heritages , since they wanted immediate results for their armies .

Clearly , the woman in front of him hadn’t let herself be limited like that . Her Starry Dao was a Middle Dao Branch , supported by an Early Branch of Wrath . Together , they formed a shimmering shroud that continued to spread through the arena . It almost seemed like she had become the Old Heavens , a force of nature with an inherent desire to destroy everything .

Her eyes glowed with manic light as her hands became beacons of destruction . Even the sky above darkened as an overbearing domain spread from her body .

Zac wasn’t worried as he walked forward—he was elated . His duel with Iz had showcased one of his most critical weaknesses : his lacking experience against the unconventional paths and means Multiverse Heartland elites may have . Even the cultivators inside the Orom were almost exclusively from frontier Sectors or adjacent factions .

Conversely , the guests in the Perennial Vastness were talents from every corner of the Multiverse , including the huge ancient factions at its core . Catheya had estimated that no more than 10% of the guests came from the frontier . Now , his very first real opponent showcased a skillset and path completely new to him .

This was not just a place to form his core . It was a perfect training ground where he could broaden his horizons .

10

THAT HE MAY GROW ARROGANT

Zac’s bones strained under the burgeoning pressure as the stellar wrath of his opponent consumed the whole arena . Her radiant shroud spread to its very edges , and the blue sky had been turned into a star-spangled black . But it in no way resembled a calm summer’s night . Instead , the lights felt like barely contained conflagrations holding the wrath of the Heavens .

The chains of Love’s Bond] danced around him , but their dance of Inexorable Death wasn’t enough to push back the environment his opponent had created . This wasn’t the result of a skill or Mana . This was a true domain , a path similar to Dao Intent where one elevated their natural Dao Field through various means .

With a powerful domain , you’d have a home-field advantage in any environment . And Zac could tell his Dao Fields would be torn apart if he tried to fight fire with fire . Zac didn’t know the exact numbers , but he suspected the domain strengthened his opponent’s skills by at least 20% as a Cultivation Manual would . Simultaneously , he felt his energy a bit turbid , though he could overpower it with his superior Daos and attributes .

Soon , stars conjured by a skill joined the glimmering firmament , and they fell at him like a meteor shower . The scene was just as impressive as some of the Hegemons he’d fought , and Zac immediately discarded a fleeting idea to win without using any skills . His defenses had gained a huge boost after upgrading his two Dao Branches last month , but that didn’t mean he could just take a falling star to the face .

Four small skeletons appeared behind Zac as a complex sigil formed beneath his feet . It looked like a five-meter-wide summoning circle leading to the deepest recesses of the netherworld . Dense plumes of Death rose just as an oppressively dark coffin appeared above his head .

The arena shook when the first stars slammed into them .

By this point , Zac was already running , the rune beneath him seemingly tethered to his body . The Stellar Mage was slightly disadvantaged by the limited size of the arena . She seemed more suited for large-scale destruction , much like Zac’s human side . Still , it was almost as Zac were trying to force his way through a Heavenly Tribulation as stars exploded all around him .

It took just a second for Zac to reach his target . But by that point , she disappeared in a flash of light , leaving a collapsing star in her place . It imploded almost instantly , only to be swallowed by a swirl of darkness then deposited right where he felt a hint of life in the madness . A pained and enraged scream echoed from the other side , and Zac was upon her , his chains forming an inescapable net .

The Stellar Mage didn’t try to back away again , instead clawing straight at him with her glowing hands . It looked like she was about to rip apart the fabric of reality , and the light was blinding . Yet Zac wasn’t phased in the slightest as Death and Conflict fused into his axe , cutting straight at the claw .

A sudden beam shot out from the mage’s other hand , giving Zac no chance to dodge . However , when it pierced his barrier , it lost some of its radiance and speed . Zac narrowly had time to channel some Dao into his free hand and crush the light in his palm . Simultaneously , his axe slammed into her attack , and her fiery eyes became alarmed at his monstrous strength .

Her momentum was crushed by superior force , and her defenses were broken wide open . Zac was already following up on the strike , his free hand reaping forward like a scythe , cutting upward from her waist toward her neck . Her instincts were solid , and she was already moving to divert his attack .

However , the pathbound barrier failed the Stellar Mage completely , and Zac’s hand was barely impeded on its approach . His fingers stopped right at her throat , barely piercing her skin . Zac prepared to stop any follow-up attack , but a powerful force pushed him back . His vision shifted , once more returning to normal , where the surroundings were in plain view .

The duel was over .

Zac had won after taking advantage of what had felt like a huge loophole . Having driven himself almost mad trying to fuse Life and Death , Zac had ample experience in fusing two different concepts . And with the fundamental understanding of patterns imparted by Ultom , Zac could tell the Stellar Mage’s fusion of concepts was flawed in a few spots , even if they looked okay on the surface .

If she formed a core following that pattern without fixing those issues first , she would lose almost 20% of her maximum energy capacity , and issues would crop up when drawing large amounts of energy . Actually , the loophole this Stellar Mage had was far worse than the weakness of the man Zac executed earlier .

With the fight over , all the skills had been forcibly canceled by the arena , and any hints of their battle were already gone . Zac didn’t care , more focused on his Status Screen .

Mana : 2 , 146]

Zac had 1 , 978 Mana after his earlier transgression , which meant he’d gained 100 Mana from winning , and another 68 Mana for pointing out the critical weakness in her blueprint . It was an unusually high bounty , according to Catheya , who mentioned that most bounties were below 20 points . Zac wasn’t surprised , considering how much it’d affect her future core .

Upon closing his Status Screen , Zac noticed the girl was looking at him oddly , or rather , glaring at him with a fiery look .

What? Not convinced? - Zac said .

I don’t understand . Your core is riddled with weaknesses . I was sure I hit a weak spot on your pattern before you defeated me . Yet I didn’t get a single point of Mana in return . What in the Heavens is going on! -

A small smile spread across Zac’s face upon seeing how perplexed and frustrated the Stellar Mage was . Just as expected , his blueprint looked weird to an outsider . Lord Engo understood what was going on , recognizing that his Daos were held together by the concepts of the Void and simultaneously existed in two states .

What about a normal E-grade cultivator , especially one unfamiliar with his path? His blueprint must look like the crude scribblings of a fool , full of weaknesses . That was a far cry from reality , where the esoteric concepts of his core were validated by an Eternal Heritage .

Truthfully , his Void Core Blueprint could probably be somewhat improved now that he’d advanced two of his Dao Branches . But that would be small adjustments to incorporate the most recent gains , nothing like the loopholes he’d sensed in the fusion between Wrath and Stars .

You might have just missed them , - Zac said .

The girl clearly didn’t buy the excuse , and it looked like she would explode . Zac briefly wondered if cultivating an emotion like wrath was like having a Splinter of Oblivion . She took a steadying breath , and profound tranquility returned to her eyes as she bowed at him .

Well , thank you for your leniency and for pointing out such a critical weakness . I’ve been here three years , yet this is the first time someone’s noticed anything amiss with my solution . -

Zac felt a bit odd being thanked for snatching her Mana , but he guessed it made sense . What was a few hundred Mana in the face of the chance to improve their Cosmic Core? It was just another mission or a few months of accumulating the beginner’s monthly stipend .

Zac nodded and walked back toward Catheya , who was waiting outside the barrier .

I was hoping I’d get to see some of your real strength this time , - Catheya said with some helplessness . - I thought I’d made a lot of improvements over the years , but I can’t even tell what level you’ve reached . I can’t believe that girl only managed to force a single defensive skill out of you . -

Just lucky I found a pretty big weakness . - Zac turned to Ogras , who hid within Catheya’s shadows . - Why not challenge that girl as well? Her path is quite interesting . And since she cultivates Wrath , she might say yes out of anger . -

It’s tempting , but she seems to have calmed down already , - Ogras answered . - Besides , she’s a troublesome opponent for me . It’s hard to hide in shadows when stars illuminate the whole arena . Let’s split up for now so we can cover more ground . I need to target the easier prey before their duels are claimed . -

Not everyone can be so carefree , - Catheya agreed , glancing at Zac . - You probably shouldn’t be so overbearing , easily overpowering the enemy in a few seconds . Sometimes , onlookers might feel they can beat you and challenge you right after winning . But that won’t happen with a performance like that . -

Hm , - Zac muttered , having already come to a decision . - Can I display my blueprint without entering a duel? Like an invitation for people to challenge me? -

Sure , just ask your guide , - Catheya said .

Zac’s Cosmic Core appeared in the air a moment later .

What the hell is that? - Ogras blurted , while Catheya’s mouth opened as she blankly stared at his blueprint .

Their reactions were just like the Stellar Mage’s , and Zac felt his idea would work .

Draugr! I challenge you! - a shout reached them before Zac could say another word .

Zac turned around and found a green-scaled humanoid running over , looking at him like he’d won the lottery . He’d clearly missed the fight just now , thinking Zac was a weakling judging by the core .

Alright . - Zac nodded solemnly , though he was inwardly laughing . - Here is fine . -

This was exactly why he’d wanted to showcase his blueprint . What could be better bait to get some challenges than a core full of apparent weaknesses? This way , he might be able to pass the limit of the ten monthly challenges . Catheya already confirmed being challenged allotted you the full amount of Mana from winning , no matter how many battles you fought .

That was the reason she pretended to be weak earlier . She’d already made sure to fill up her monthly quota of duels and then used the Grand Firmament Coalition to make some extra money . He had to admit , it was a great scheme , and he even felt a bit bad ruining it for her .

A martial duel? Great , great! - the bulky warrior grinned as two cudgels appeared in his hands .

Zac smiled as the warrior’s core lit up above his head while the surroundings faded once more , this time in a much smaller area . Unfortunately , Zac didn’t see any weakness as critical as the one in the Stellar Mage’s schematic . Some sections were slightly weird , though Zac couldn’t pinpoint why .

That was fine , though . Not everyone would have easily exploitable weaknesses , and it was good to see what kind of bounty , if any , this level of imperfection held . The wall parted a few seconds later , and the melee cultivator rushed forward , his cudgels radiating an immense light . It seemed as though he’d attached two neutron stars to their heads .

Zac guessed he cultivated toward the Peak of Taiji , which governed Light , Darkness , and Gravity . It wasn’t as rare a path as the Peak of Impetus in the frontier . For example , Ilvere’s Fragment of Momentum belonged to this peak , as did Ogras’s shadowy Dao . However , this was the first time Zac saw a combination of Light and Gravity in what seemed to be another Dual Branch setup .

Light clashed with the black of Death as Zac activated his Inexorable Stance , his two Daos coursing through the framework of Thousand Lights Avatar] . He became one with his path , his strikes filled with suffocating pressure . Remembering Catheya’s suggestion , he didn’t go all-out , only barely fighting at the skill level of the Early Integration Technique .

Since he was holding back , Zac only managed to seize the advantage after a minute of furious clashes . The radiant force of the cudgels had become restrained at every side . The warrior desperately tried to break out , but chains were everywhere . Death was everywhere . Even Pure Light could die and be winked out , just like stars eventually running out of fuel .

It might have looked like an even match , but the warrior kept falling just short of striking Zac’s barrier . This , too , was by design . Truthfully , it was even harder to control the fight to this degree than claiming a clean victory . Once Zac felt enough time had passed , he - seized an opening - to end things . He was pushed back by the invisible force , confirming the duel was over .

What the— - the warrior swore , looking like a windfall had slipped right through his fingers . - Do you dare fight me again , but with skills! -

I dare not , - Zac smiled , ignoring the challenge since you couldn’t repeatedly farm Mana from the same person .

He’d already gotten 100 Mana for his win and another 12 for piercing a small weakness . This man wasn’t as thankful as the Stellar Mage , though . He probably thought he’d get a huge bounty by pointing out several glaring weaknesses in his blueprint , but he didn’t even get the chance to strike them .

You better hope I don’t run into you in the wild , - the warrior growled before stomping away .

Sorry about that , - Zac smiled as he walked back to Catheya , who still looked at his core with shock in her eyes .

You really did it . - ? Catheya whispered , looking at Zac hesitantly . - But it looks so . . . -

Ugly , - Ogras added from the shadows .

It’s not as bad as it looks , - Zac laughed . - It incorporates some pretty uncommon theories that make it look weird . You can challenge me if you want to test it out . -

How would I beat you? I’d just be giving up my Mana like that guy just now , - Catheya snorted . - Does it really work? Have you fused Life and Death in one core? -

You knew? - Zac smiled . - That forming a Life-Death core technically is impossible? -

I— - Catheya hesitated .

It’s fine , - Zac shrugged . - I’ve known for a while those elders have tried to steer me toward Death , thinking I can’t get both . Luckily , the inspiration of that place showed me a path . -

Heaven’s favored son , - Ogras swore . - You reach a bottleneck , and an ancient inheritance pops up from the depths of history . -

Something like that , - Zac smiled , but his grin died down upon seeing Catheya’s crestfallen look . - What’s wrong? -

I’m sorry . I was forbidden from mentioning it , but I always hoped you could prove convention wrong , - she whispered . - I keep failing you . -

What are you talking about? - Zac said with a roll of his eyes . - Few have helped me and my cultivation as much as you have , to the point you could be considered half a teacher . You have no reason to feel bad . -

Catheya smiled , but her brows soon furrowed again . - But what if it . . . -

Then I’ll deal with it as it comes , - Zac shrugged . - I’m not planning for failure at this point . -

So it’s an impossible core , - Ogras muttered . - No wonder you had to spend a lake’s worth of water and a full epiphany on that thing . I don’t understand it at all , but I can tell it’s incredibly complicated . -

It should work . - Zac nodded . - It’ll just be a pain in the ass to create . I’ll probably have to get a lot of Mana to⁠— -

Excuse me , sir , I would request to exchange pointers , - a voice interjected .

Alright , - Zac smiled , turning around to see a cultivator wearing flowing robes and holding a stone urn .

Disgusting , - Ogras swore . - People stick to him like flies to dung because of that messed-up core . I’ll catch up with you two later . Some of us have to work for a living . -

Thank God I’ve completed my duels already , - Catheya agreed . - I’ll just watch to see how this pans out . -

Forty minutes later , Zac had regained all his lost Mana and more . Attracted by his ugly blueprint , twenty-one warriors had challenged him as he and Catheya leisurely walked from street to street . Zac handled them all the same . A duel without skills where he narrowly won , and the opponent just barely failed to hit his supposed weaknesses .

Catheya looked like a proud parent upon seeing Zac use her scheme to scam people out of their Mana . Unfortunately , Zac knew he couldn’t pull something like this forever . Sooner or later , rumors would spread about his weird core and the fact no one managed to even hit him , let alone defeat him .

He still worked quite hard to make sure as few as possible realized there weren’t any real weaknesses to his core . After all , some might think the bounties were still there , but his infighting technique was too good . That way , people might come for him in the Orange and Red Zones in the future , hoping to rely on their skills or perhaps numbers to defeat him and recoup their losses .

For now , Zac wanted to keep getting challenged until word got out , making use of the steadily increasing foot traffic toward the mission center . But just as a twenty-second target was about to take the bait , the people on the street stopped in their tracks . Zac was the same , as he’d just heard a bell go off in his mind .

A global message , - Null said . - Want me to play it? -

Play it , - Zac said .

Beware , fellow guests of the Perennial Vastness! There is a devious newcomer in our midst . The name of this undead Draugr is unknown . But in the few hours since arriving , he has callously murdered another guest on the streets of Vastness City . He has also created an intentionally crude blueprint and is using it to trick people into duels .

Do not fall for it! His attributes are extremely high , and he’s estimated to have entered the Integration Stage of techniques . Few untiered and first-echelon cultivators are his match in a pure martial clash . ’

And just like that , Zac saw his money-making scheme reach a premature end .

11

SINNER’S LAMENT

What the hell! - Zac swore , feeling he’d just lost his winning ticket as he glared at Null on his arm . - Did you guys do this! -

It wasn’t us , - Null said . - High-echelon cultivators can send global messages for 3 , 000 Mana . Looks like you really annoyed someone . -

Someone wasted 3 , 000 Mana just to ruin my plan? - Zac exclaimed . - Was it those Grand Firmament guys? -

Sender is anonymous , and the voice you heard is randomized . - Null giggled . - If you want to know , you just have to become a fifth-echelon guest and pay 3 , 000 Mana for the information . -

Zac couldn’t help but laugh at the shamelessness of the guides and the Perennial Vastness . They were really willing to monetize everything . Still , considering the message listed his killing of that guy earlier , the odds were in favor of it being the Grand Firmament Coalition . Unfortunately , he couldn’t do much now that the secret had been spilled , but he didn’t deactivate his blueprint projection .

Not everyone bothered with the message , and there was no lack of obstinate people believing themselves infallible among cultivators . Unfortunately , the elemental who had just approached him was not one of these people . It laughed a bit and left after bowing in Zac’s direction .

Just my luck , - Zac muttered as he walked over to Catheya , who had followed him the whole way .

Not satisfied? - Catheya asked with a scrunched-up face as Zac stopped projecting his core . - You’ve probably earned more Mana over the past hour than I have since arriving . I just want to lie down and nurse my wounded pride . -

You look a lot like Ogras right now , - Zac laughed .

His heart must be as tempered as those baldies by this point , having to travel next to you all the time , - Catheya said with a helpless shake of her head . - So , how much did you earn in your little caper? -

Zac opened his Status Screen , and a smile spread across his face upon seeing his updated value .

Mana : 4 , 621]

It wasn’t quite what he’d expected after hatching his scheme , but it was far more than the 1 , 000 he had been hoping to get before fetching a mission . The problem was that he only managed to find weaknesses in two-thirds of the people he fought . And some had such small issues that he didn’t get a bounty for exposing them , though he might have sometimes found problems where there were none .

Conversely , some of the issues were incredibly problematic to his eyes , yet the opponents always seemed gobsmacked at being charged over 50 Mana for a blueprint bounty . In fact , almost half of his 263 points in bounties came from just three challenges . The truth of Ultom had clearly ingrained him with a unique understanding slightly different than the theories based on the Apostate of Order .

It allowed him to see things others couldn’t , though he usually operated on instincts . It was rare he had a clear understanding of someone’s issues like he had with the Stellar Mage . Mostly it was just a vague notion something would go wrong if forming a core that way .

More interestingly , he didn’t always spot a weakness right away . As warriors channeled their Daos or rotated their Cosmic Energy through their bodies , the patterns subtly changed on their barriers . It was like a sort of stress test of their blueprint , and Zac suspected even more loopholes would appear when fighting proper battles with skills .

Not much , I earned just under 2 , 700 Mana , - Zac said with a studious nonchalance , though he couldn’t stop his smile from widening upon seeing Catheya’s face almost collapse .

Let’s just go find your shadow , - Catheya sighed . - You’ve had your fun , and the missions will be released in less than twenty minutes . At least you can distract the others while the other one and I snatch a good task . -

Sounds good , - Zac said .

They continued toward the large building Zac had spotted long ago . It was far bigger than the quaint storefronts , looking like a large blue cylinder without windows . Inside was the mission center , though it sounded much more chaotic than the Void Gate’s base , where he first signed up for the Void Star mission .

They didn’t particularly try to look for Ogras—two Draugr reeking of death in a town full of the living stood out . It had been an eye-opening experience walking under the guise of an Undead Empire imperial in this place . At least one-third showed open hostility upon seeing him and Catheya . They would probably have been ganged up on if not for the rules .

Catheya had also received a couple of challenges , mostly based on her origin . Catheya accepted three , winning two and losing one , providing her with a small source of revenue . Their affiliation was quite convenient in that way , though Zac suspected things weren’t as fun for the weaker Revenants .

He hadn’t seen a single one on the streets , though he’d seen three members of the Eternal Clan in the distance . Apparently , they arrived together twelve years ago and showed no inclination to mix with the other undead races . That was fine with Zac , though he made a mental note to watch out , just in case .

Ultimately , his clash with Uona in the Twilight Ocean was barely a blip on the radar for a massive force like the Eternal Clan . It was probably written off as a failed investment for Noz’Valadir before they moved on with their lives .

Looks like you’ve had a lot of fun , - Ogras’ voice echoed out of nowhere . - A bit too much fun , apparently . -

Well , what can you do? - Zac smiled . - How did it go on your end? -

I ran around like a madman , scanning the crowd for people to challenge . Managed to get six wins and four losses , - Ogras said . - Shame my guide won’t allow me to use the flag . -

Zac was a bit surprised . Ogras had come a long way from the unimpressive scion he met during the Integration , but the people here were no pushovers . Zac had won over twenty matches in a row , but he was almost cheating thanks to his Middle Integration Stage Technique and monstrous raw attributes . The only ones who could put up a fight were those who had techniques of their own or similar advantages like Dao Intent .

As far as Zac knew , Ogras hadn’t developed anything special except for his Body Tempering . To eke out six victories out of ten as a newcomer , and without his Taboo Weapon , was an incredible result , even if it only provided a net benefit of around 200 Mana .

Good job . You didn’t happen to hear anything about who might have sent out the message? - Zac asked .

Nothing definitive . But the leader of the Grand Firmament Coalition , Nerven Serku , is the most likely suspect . Maybe it’s about saving face in front of his subordinates . The organization is bound to collapse if you just let your people get killed while looking the other way . -

Sorry , I might have created a grudge against you right out the gates , - Catheya sighed .

That’s fine . They’re the ones who messed with us first . Besides , it might be for the best . If I can get the whole coalition to hunt me down , I’ll make a lot of Mana . -

I guess that’s true . - Catheya laughed . - But remember , no fighting inside the Mission Hall or you’ll be ejected . Some will be there just to annoy and distract people . Don’t bite . Eyes on the prize . -

I got it , - Zac nodded , and they entered the building from one of the many entrances .

There were no receptions , mission boards , or Information Crystals . There wasn’t much of anything . The cylinder-shaped building was almost completely hollow , a room with a diameter of fifty meters running all the way to the ceiling . Across its inner walls , there were dozens of levels of walkways , with hundreds of small balconies jutting out a meter or two .

There were thousands of small glowing bubbles floating in the air in the center . They were the leftover quests that hadn’t been taken since the previous release . Most shone with an orange light , while there was an even mix between red and green . There were far more green quests than red , but less than half of the monthly red quests were claimed . They were simply too dangerous .

Curious about the missions , Zac focused on a random green bubble .

Green Mission : Weeding out the Gerorin Forest . Daily Salary : 22 Mana . Remove a minimum of 150 Materia-attuned weeds a day to receive a salary

What does staying in Gerorin Forest cost?’ Zac inwardly asked .

12 Mana a day , but you can visit that place ten days for free , - Null answered . - You also get to keep the herbs , but the chance of finding something worthwhile is pretty low . -

In other words , the quest provided 10 Mana of profits daily , provided you managed to reach the quota every day . Even if you succeeded , it was a far cry from Catheya’s 1000 Mana profits in eighteen days . Still , it could provide 300 Mana a month . If you completed these kinds of quests for three decades , you would have accumulated over 100 , 000 Mana .

Display the quest , - Zac said , prompting Catheya to look over curiously .

How hard is it to reach a quota like this? - Zac asked .

Harder than it sounds , - Catheya said . - If you don’t have some advantage that can help , from herbal knowledge to an elemental-based Dao , you might not make any Mana . And it’s not just finding the herbs . Most likely they’ll be guarded by Beast Kings of varying strengths . If you get wounded , you might fail to meet the quota for days while still being forced to pay the entrance fee . -

Zac nodded in understanding as he released the quest . Nothing came for free in the Perennial Vastness , and even the weakest cultivators were powerful elites . Green quests didn’t mean easy , just easier than the others . Catheya hadn’t made a big deal about the quest she mentioned , but those glacier critters had most likely been extremely deadly . Just withstanding the environment would be a struggle for someone without an Ice-attuned Dao .

He hadn’t realized it before , but if the quest was so profitable , why wouldn’t Catheya have stayed for the full month instead of leaving after just eighteen days? She had most likely been pushed to her limits or wounded and forced to leave the dangerous environment .

Let’s find a spot , - Catheya said , leading Zac up a set of stairs until they were roughly midway up the walls .

More than two-thirds of the balconies were already claimed , while some people were content staying at the railing of the walkways . The balconies provided nominally better positions , but many felt it wasn’t worth getting into a dispute over . There was ultimately a strong element of chance for the mission release .

Catheya and Zac claimed one of the balconies while he spotted Ogras on the opposite side of the building . They were still connected through a string of shadows , allowing them to converse freely . It was a benefit brought by his weird constitution , where the shadows could be considered part of his body .

If you see something interesting , immediately reserve it , - Catheya reminded . - You have thirty seconds to decide whether to take it or not . If not , just give it up before the thirty seconds are up . You can only have one mission active at a time . -

Got it , - Zac said .

There was no way to prepare for the mission release . Everyone waited , just staring out across the large empty room . The conversations eventually died down as the lingering quests from last month faded away . Another minute passed , and Zac looked on with anticipation as the ambient energy grew .

Then , a bolt of golden lightning , followed by utter chaos .

A typhoon of innumerable glowing balls appeared out of nowhere like a storm trapped in a bottle . They swirled around in the central region of the Mission Hall , their rapid movements so erratic it was often hard to even make out the color of individual tasks . The only clue was the weak hint of various Daos you could feel when focusing on certain regions . No wonder Catheya managed to snatch a valuable quest before a whole coalition . In the face of such chaos , there were no guarantees , even if you knew about the quest .

Zac felt like he was inside one of those cash games where people tried to grab onto as many bills as they could in a limited timeframe . His gaze flitted back and forth , trying to find an orange light that resonated with his Daos . He was somewhat confident in completing suitable Red Missions from the get-go . But those required either perfect alignment , a lot of helpers , or massive stores of Mana .

If you had none of those , you’d be courting death taking on such a dangerous task . Even if you didn’t get yourself killed or wounded , you’d still have an extremely hard time completing the quest , meaning you’d probably lose thousands of Mana .

The three of them planned on taking on a quest together to work on their cooperation and get the hang of things . A Red Mission was out of the question because they all had different paths . It would be better if they waited until they reached the middle echelons before taking such risks .

Zac finally sensed something promising in the storm emitting hints of Ice and some Illusory Dao . Such a quest would mesh with Catheya and Ogras while letting him get a taste of the dangers in an unfriendly Orange Zone . But before localizing the specific quest bubble , Zac heard an incredibly loud bang behind him , followed by a blinding flash that inundated him in the Dao of Light .

It was just for a moment , yet he lost track of the wisp of Dao in the chaotic storm . Zac swore with annoyance , glancing back at two men who’d positioned themselves right behind their balcony . One held a cymbal , while the other held a lamp that was the source of the strobe-like light drowning their balcony .

They clearly weren’t there to get a mission but to ruin the hunt of others . And they weren’t alone . The Mission Hall had become a madhouse where all senses were assaulted . Some factions even had guards that physically blocked their surroundings to lessen the commotion for those looking for suitable missions .

I’ll remember your faces , - Zac snorted .

Too bad they’re fake ones , you rotting bastard , - the man snickered , once more slamming the cymbal .

Ignore them , - Catheya said .

I have something , ’ Ogras said from within the shadows . - Orange bounty eradication quest . Some ancient burial site called Sinner’s Lament . Lightning and Darkness , with Death creeping up from the ground . Decent rewards from what I can tell . ’

That sounded even better than the one he lost out on , but he first glanced at Catheya , who nodded . - Sounds good . No orange quests have bad rewards , and bounty eradication quests are quite popular since they mostly rely on martial strength . It should be a suitable first mission . -

Take it , - Zac said .

Two seconds later , Null spoke up as a mission prompt appeared in front of him . - You have a mission invitation from guest Ogras . -

Orange Mission : Destroy the Cursed Mounds of Sinner’s Lament . Bounty : 300 Mana per destroyed Mound . Mounds are considered destroyed when the Sinner’s Nucleus is crushed . Maximum Participants : 10

Accept , - Zac said , and he was surprised to sense the mission’s Dao aura from his bracelet .

It’s to breed some conflict . If people sense the auras , they might figure out where we’re going , - Catheya explained upon seeing Zac’s reaction . - Alright , let’s get out of here . Our two friends here are giving me a headache . -

Zac wanted to do something against the two agitators , but he didn’t dare create another mess . However , he felt a frigid cold emanate from Catheya as she passed the disruptors .

The years are long , and the two of you are at the bottom of the totem pole , - Catheya smiled . - Watch your backs . -

With that , they left the Mission Hall , and Zac saw a stream of people leaving . Many likely rushed toward the teleporters to get out of the city before their grace period ended . Others wanted to be gone before too many people recorded the aura lingering on their wrists .

Zac didn’t much care . He welcomed low-echelon cultivators hunting him down in the Sinner’s Lament . Time was limited , and the more free Mana he could get , the better .

Before we head out , I need to deal with something , - Ogras said , remaining unseen .

What? - Zac said with confusion .

I didn’t break through my Body Tempering Method when I got the creature from that Umbra bastard . It’s sealed , but I can’t keep it for much longer now that it has been taken out of suspended animation , ’ Ogras explained . - I need three days . ’

Zac nodded . Ogras had the same plans as he—to accumulate breakthroughs for free Contribution Points .

Let’s meet-up in three days , then , - Zac said , drawing a surprised look from Catheya . - If you need me , I’ll stick around in Vastness City a while longer . -

You’re planning on scamming some more people? - Ogras laughed . - In a place like this , there’s bound to be people taking that message as a challenge . Have fun , I’ll use a few of my trial visits to get a feel of the dangers while dealing with my matter . -

Ogras was right on the money . The notice had harmed his business , but the days around the mission release were the liveliest . It would be a shame to just give up on all that free Mana .

What about you? - Zac asked , glancing at Catheya .

I’ve already expended all my trial visits , - Catheya said . - If it’s just three days , I’ll accompany you . Maybe you can take a look at my core as well? I formed my blueprint by combining my clan’s heritage with the truths of that place , but I may have missed something . -

Of course , - Zac agreed . - But I’m just going by instinct when I find weaknesses . I doubt I could explain even if I found something . -

Just knowing there’s a problem is enough , - Catheya said , locking her arm in Zac’s . - Why don’t we take a stroll through the market district? It’s one of the livelier places this time of the month . You can’t duel there , but there are arenas right outside . If you showcase your blueprint , you can lure a few people out of the safe zone . -

I’ll go stab something in the wilderness , - Ogras muttered . - I’m afraid I’ll go crazy over the unjust treatment of the Heavens otherwise . -

Alright , - Zac smiled . - To the market . -

12

SMALL ACTIONS

Zac didn’t know whether he should be happy or disappointed after having toured Vastness City for three days . Altogether , he’d managed to attract thirty-eight challenges , just seventeen more than he received in an hour before the warning went out . And only four of those were on the third day .

Certainly , the global message warned of a Draugr , meaning he could always turn into his human form and continue . But Zac wasn’t in a hurry . Vastness City had been quickly vacated in the first hours after the missions dropped . A few cultivators had arrived an hour or two after the initial mission release , aiming to get a second pick before the missions were released to the manors across the whole realm .

But they weren’t enough to waste such a good opportunity on . People who didn’t even dare compete for the missions weren’t too likely to challenge strangers out of the blue . Better save that scheme until the next mission release , when the streets were full again . He’d probably be a first-echelon guest by then , but he could always spend some Mana to become untiered again .

One interesting thing about the past three days was that only two of his challengers hadn’t read the notice . The rest of the challenges came from cultivators confident in their strength , who didn’t care about 100 Mana . For them , the announcement was marketing rather than a warning . They appeared more interested in the fact he hadn’t lost a single martial duel than they were in claiming bounties .

Everyone wanted to be the first to defeat Zac’s Inexorable Stance or at least land a solid blow . Half of the challengers came close , and Zac didn’t have to pretend to be weak . Ten of the challengers had entered the Integration Stage themselves , though only one had reached Middle Proficiency . Most of the remaining challengers held other advantages , ranging from intent and domains to powerful constitutions .

However , not one could match up to him in raw attributes , giving Zac an edge in most fights . This wasn’t the Orom World , where people’s attributes were equalized .

A few cultivators moonlighting as information merchants had long since started following him , recording the fights to be sold later . As such , people got a better grasp of where his ceilings lay , and the challengers grew more powerful . And after three days , Zac had finally encountered someone capable of pushing him to his limits .

Zac wasn’t sure if the woman was a golem or a humanoid with stone-like skin . She almost looked like a marble statue , with mysterious grey patterns covering her muscular , exposed arms . Of course , Zac had no time to figure out any hidden meaning within , considering he was busy just withstanding her unrelenting barrage .

The woman was a spear wielder , trapping Zac in the middle of a hurricane of swipes , stabs , and slams . Not even the chains of Love’s Bond] were enough to seize the momentum , forcing Zac to play by his opponent’s rules until he found an opportunity to turn the tides .

Even if their Daos , paths , and weapons differed , Zac felt connected to his opponent . They both were infighters focusing on strength . Both had three Daos , of which Conflict was one . Both had reached Middle Proficiency in their Integration Stage Technique . Zac even suspected she cultivated a constitution to match his Void Vajra Sublimation] .

There was one difference , though . While Zac had an attribute advantage , his opponent had one more card up her sleeve . Intent . She had mastered both a pathbound technique and Dao Intent , which proved to be an incredibly difficult combo to deal with .

Something like that was normally impossible . Both were expressions of Dao , based on how you looked at the truths of the universe and related them to yourself . Some internalized the Dao , becoming one with it . These people embarked on paths such as Techniques and Harmonization . Others saw it as something external to be controlled , leading to Dao Intent or domains .

Neither path was better or worse than the other . It was more a matter of affinity and personality . But to have both was almost a paradox akin to his being both living and undead .

Each attack of hers contained overpowering intent , and Zac couldn’t find any weaknesses to exploit . The only reason he hadn’t been overpowered even after nine minutes was because her intent wasn’t as developed as her technique . He could barely maintain equilibrium thanks to his superior attribute pool , though his opponent had already pierced his supposed weaknesses a few times .

Since his supposed loopholes were actually solid , her attacks had all been weakened to the point Zac could turn the situation around . Except the statue woman was like an iron dome , her blueprint completely solid . Zac had tried striking a few odd spots , but they were just concepts foreign to him .

Zac was wracking his brain to figure out a way to break the stalemate , but the only thing he could think of was to use his Void Zone] to snuff out his opponent’s intent and destabilize her . Obviously , Zac wouldn’t use any hidden aces on a random duel , which led to an impasse lasting until Zac found the familiar force pull him back .

Neither side had a clear enough advantage to be considered a winner , which meant Zac was awarded the 100 Mana as a defender after ten minutes . The victory didn’t bring Zac much joy , though . It merely served as an important reminder that he wasn’t infallible . He’d mostly fought newcomers and weaker guests over the past days . There were definitely powerful cultivators among those in the higher echelons , and he couldn’t lower his guard .

Just like Zac wasn’t happy with his win , his opponent didn’t seem to care much about her loss .

So that’s how it was , - she said , a large pearly-white smile spreading across her face as she looked at Zac appreciatively . - I don’t understand what you’ve done , but I can tell it’s extraordinary . I’ve never heard of anything like it . It’s a shame you’re undead . Otherwise , I’d invite you to join my sect . -

I didn’t expect there were low-echelon cultivators with such strength , - Zac commented . - I guess you just arrived as well? -

Ten days ago , - the spear wielder nodded before turning away . - I lost this one , but we have many years ahead of us . We’ll see who leaves their name behind in the end . -

With that , she left , heading in the direction of the market .

You done? - Catheya asked , her odd Natural Treasure already in hand .

It was inconvenient to walk around with arrays to block out their conversations from the observers , so Catheya had bought an odd Natural Treasure that had a similar function . It created a sphere of three meters where sound was isolated . In return , they couldn’t hear anything outside , making it a double-edged sword .

I doubt anyone will dare duel me after this fight , - Zac shrugged . - Did you recognize her? -

No , but someone like that won’t stay unknown for long , - Catheya said , looking at Zac suspiciously . - What , you have the guts to look at other girls while having beauty accompany you? Is Lord Emperor already thinking about his royal harem? -

How could she compare to you? - Zac smiled .

That’s better , - Catheya winked . - You’ve really improved since Twilight Harbor , and not just your cultivation . So , what’s your plan now? It’s over an hour until we meet-up with your friend . -

I don’t have any plans , - Zac said after some thought . - I’ll check out my storefront to see if anyone has messed with it and rest a bit . -

You’re still not ready to visit your manor? -

I’ll let things calm down a while longer , - Zac wryly smiled .

I can’t believe you put your manor atop a Buddhist mountain , - Catheya laughed . - You’re asking for trouble . And how am I supposed to visit when it’s like that? I don’t think I can deal with the pressure you described . -

Sooner or later , I’ll have terraformed the peak , - Zac said . - You can visit then . -

It’s a date . I’ll go freshen up and observe my blueprint a bit . We’ll meet at the teleporter in an hour , - Catheya waved before sauntering off .

Zac smiled as he watched Catheya’s receding back . Cultivating in seclusion was fine in shorter stretches , but it ultimately couldn’t compete with exploring the universe with friends . He’d had more fun in the past couple of days just catching up with Catheya while exploring Vastness City than he’d had over the past years .

And it wasn’t like one had to choose between friends and cultivation . He’d learned a lot fighting against all kinds of experts over the past few days . His recent breakthroughs into his techniques had been completely stabilized , and he’d familiarized himself with the basic knowledge of the various realms of the Perennial Vastness .

And it was finally time to check out one of the realms for himself . Zac returned to his storefront but froze upon seeing its interiors had been completely rearranged . His little shop had gained an exquisite set of furniture , and even the walls were decorated with artwork that meshed well with his path .

At first , Zac thought it was something Null or the Undead Coalition had arranged , but he realized he was wrong upon seeing a familiar face sitting at a table inside .

The place looked a bit downtrodden , so I spruced it up . I hope you don’t mind . -

You? - Zac said as he stepped into his storefront , a small frown appearing on his face . - I thought I told you to be careful when meddling with Fate . -

Sitting at a small Parisian table by one of the windows was Ventus Kalavan , the elf he’d met in the Twilight Ocean . The last time Zac saw him was after he’d killed Uona . Ventus had been a captive of the Havarok Imperials by that point , but Zac had freed him because of the help and clues Ventus provided .

Since then , Zac had barely thought of the elf , though he kept the invitation token to the Radiant Temple . It had even become one of his more important escape treasures in case he was forced to leave Zecia altogether because of the mess with Ultom .

Well , turns out your warning came too late . I dipped my feet in the well of Chaos , and my fate was indelibly altered , - Ventus sighed with some helplessness as he pointed at the free chair . - Can we talk? -

What echelon is the man in front of me?’ Zac asked in his mind .

Wow , eighth echelon! This guy’s not bad , - Null answered .

Zac was surprised at Null’s exclamation . Ventus cultivated a powerful path and was quite talented , having two Dao Branches while still in the Twilight Ocean . That was over a decade ago , and Zac could tell Ventus hadn’t been lazing around since then . His aura was more condensed and mysterious , though Zac didn’t believe Ventus was stronger than the woman he’d just fought .

Ventus Kalavan was a genius tied to a weaker B-grade force near the frontier . And he wasn’t even the strongest one in his generation of the Radiant Temple , from what he’d gathered . How had someone like him encroached the levels of Mana that only the most powerful guests reached?

Was it thanks to his insights into numerology?

Can we even talk here? - Zac said as he looked around . - I’m sure you’ve followed my actions . I bet some people have bugged my storefront . -

Being an eighth-echelon guest has its benefits . I can pay 10 Mana a minute to completely seal my surroundings , - Ventus smiled as a shimmering wall enclosed the storefront . - There . Now no one but the big guy upstairs can hear us . -

Is what he says real?’ Zac asked in his mind .

It’s real , - Null said . - But you can actually do it from the sixth echelon onward . I think he’s just bragging about his rank . -

Alright , so what’s all this? - Zac said , waving his hands at the interior .

These items were all made using native materials from Red Zones . They’ll elevate your storefront . Don’t worry . No one can steal them , - Ventus said . - I felt it a shame they’d go to waste since this is the last time I’ll visit Vastness City . -

Last time? - Zac said . - You’re about to seclude yourself? -

Just so , - Ventus nodded . - I have been here twenty-three years . Accumulating . Calculating . And waiting for you . -

Waiting for me? - Zac said with suspicion . - What scheme are you cooking up this time? -

No scheme , just an exchange born out of desperation , - Ventus sighed . - Because I don’t want to die . -

Die? - Zac frowned . - What’s going on? -

In three real years , I will be entering the Left Imperial Palace as a sealbearer , - Ventus said .

Zac’s heart thudded , but he kept his face impassive . - Am I supposed to know what that means? -

You don’t need to bother , - Ventus smiled . - After we parted , I had years to pull various threads of Fate together . Layers and layers , making up the grand calculation of the Heavens . And you should have heard that Alvod Jondir is now part of the Radiant Temple . That allowed me to glean a few critical variables connecting the past with the future .

And to be clear . I wasn’t planning on investigating you . It was just that my calculations all led back to you . To the Draugr Arcaz Umbri’Zi . And to the human Zachary Atwood . -

Zac tensed up .

It’s too expensive , - Ventus smiled . - You should be around 300 Mana short . Killing me will get you kicked out . -

You? - Zac growled . - Was it you who sent out that missive to prevent me from earning Mana? -

No , that was Holy Son Serku , - Ventus laughed . - He’s still only at the sixth echelon , but his goals are lofty . He’s very sensitive to slights to his prestige because neither his strength nor backing is at the top of this place . So the coalition he’s created isn’t as stable as some others . I just benefited from the side .

I wouldn’t ruin your good things like that . After all , I’m hoping to cooperate with you down the road . The stronger you are , the better . -

Zac wordlessly looked at the numerologist , unsure what was true and what were lies that helped push the conversation in the direction Ventus wanted . People meddling with Fate were the most annoying people to deal with .

I should add that only I know about your odd situation . And possibly Alvod Jondir , though I don’t have enough information to make a definitive statement , - Ventus continued . - In fact , the events of Twilight Ocean have been sealed in the Radiant Temple , precluding anyone from discussing them . After all , what our new Grand Deacon did came uncomfortably close to unorthodoxy . The identity of Arcaz Umbri’Zi is known among the elders , but there is nothing about your human half . -

And why should I believe you haven’t sold me out for some Contribution Points? - Zac asked .

Why would I do that? - Ventus said rather helplessly . - Maybe if it would have gotten me out of this mess . But since the Radiant Temple treats my generation as fodder , I’ll just keep this to myself . If anything , you’re welcome to bring some Chaos down on the heads of those bastards . Let them feel what it’s like to be thrown into a hurricane of fell Fate . -

Now that we’re both guests , will the information seals of the Perennial Vastness stop this guy from spreading information about me?’ Zac inwardly asked .

Maybe . Our seal only blocks things gleaned here . So , if he figured out your real identity while in here , he would not be able to share it . However , whatever he deduced before entering will not be covered , - Null explained .

Alright , so you’re a sealbearer , - Zac grunted . - How the hell did that happen? -

You probably know your sector is sealed , - Ventus said . - However , the seal doesn’t treat everyone the same . It’s not as powerful for locals , by which I mean those from neighboring sectors . A certain faction ordered the Radiant Temple to send some youths into the Million Gates Territory to test their fate . I was among them and got a seal in just three months . After that , I was sent here to break through . -

What faction? - Zac frowned .

I can’t say , - Ventus said with a shake of his head . - Suffice to say , I wouldn’t have gotten mixed up in this mess if I hadn’t been forced . There can only be one role for subordinate factions in an event this important , especially when it’s just a bunch of junior-generation cultivators . -

Sacrifices , - Zac sighed .

Exactly . The Radiant Temple won’t be damaged in the slightest , even if we all die inside . My elders have probably already collected a valuable reward for providing their superiors with a sealbearer . If I manage to survive the event , it’s simply a bonus . -

What kind of deal do you have in mind? - Zac asked . - It’s not like I can take your seal off your hands without killing you . -

For two decades , I have run simulations and calculations for my future , - Ventus said . - Almost all of the divinations end in the same result : death . The odds of me surviving the inheritance are essentially zero . But to cultivate is to go against the Heavens—I’m not willing to surrender to Fate .

When we last parted , you told me that small actions can turn into a storm that swallows all in its path . Now , that’s exactly what I hope for . -

13

PERENNIAL TRANSFORMATIONS

A storm raged in Zac’s heart upon hearing Ventus’ grim proclamation of his demise . Even if Zac wasn’t particularly close to Ventus , he didn’t wish death upon him . But the horrifying fact remained . The elf , who was more powerful than virtually all of his followers , believed himself to be facing death .

Where did that leave the rest? Was he sending Emily , Joanna , and the others to an early grave?

How could you even calculate something like that? - Zac asked . - That place shouldn’t be so easily divined . -

That’s true , and that’s another problem for someone like me . Half my power will be nullified in a realm containing such powerful latent wills and truths . But while the details of the inheritance are unknowable , I can tell the odds of my survival are growing worse by the day . It’s like my river of Fate is turning into a trickle , leaving a parched hollow through time . -

What do you want me to do? - Zac asked suspiciously . - I can’t just conjure storms and overturn the Heavens . -

Looked that way in the Twilight Ocean . - Ventus smiled . - All I ask is that you try to save me if we encounter each other inside the Million Gates Territory and let me follow you around . -

Why me? - Zac frowned . - You know I’m still just an E-grade cultivator . I plan to keep my head down and harvest some benefits before getting out in one piece . I’ve no interest in the main inheritance . -

Because you are Chaos incarnate . Staying next to you will sweep my Fate up in yours , possibly opening a path to survival , - Ventus said . - And the fact you’re not interested in the main inheritance only increases my chances of survival . -

Then you want to ride the coattails of my Fate , - Zac surmised . - And what are you ready to pay in return? -

Two payments , - Ventus said as a thick book appeared on the table . - The first is the fruit of two decades of labor . Today , I have 89 , 000 Mana , and I will enter the ninth echelon after finishing my final quest . That’s not because I am the strongest person in this place but because I have discovered a few hidden rules .

Such as? -

You must have heard about events spawning , providing handsome rewards . But did you know a global event would turn into a private opportunity if you stayed in the area where the triggering event occurred? And what if you could figure out which realms would release such an opportunity ahead of time? -

You’re saying . . . - Zac said , looking at the book with interest .

With my book of Perennial Transformations] , you will reach your destination quicker than working on your own . Your chances of finding rare opportunities in this world will also increase , - Ventus said as he took out a golden abacus . - You need to understand the Dao of Numerology to make full use of this book , but I have prepared a simplified method anyone can use . -

Zac was tempted . If what Ventus said was true , then the book was a treasure . Zac had learned a few secrets of the Perennial Vastness over the past days , which had explained why most elites only stayed a decade or two . It wasn’t that people didn’t want to stay longer , but rather that they couldn’t .

He’d figured it was just a mix of wanting to retain momentum and not wanting to linger too long inside a Temporal Chamber , but there was one more reason . There was something guests called Mana Sickness .

The more Mana you collected , the greater effect you’d have on your surroundings . For the cultivator , that was perfect since it allowed you to form your Cosmic Core more efficiently . However , you were essentially bending the fundamental laws of the Perennial Vastness , and the world started rejecting you .

The more Mana you earned , the greater the effect . Every piece increased this rejection and spending the Mana only partly helped . Some could withstand the sickness better than others , but you were essentially fighting against time at the higher echelons . If you lingered too long , either by earning and spending repeatedly or by hoping to reach echelons beyond your capabilities , you might actually lower your chances of forming a good core .

Though that was rare , you might even find yourself prematurely ejected from the Perennial Vastness . After all , someone feeling themselves succumbing to Mana Sickness could spend a few echelons’ worth of Mana to partly alleviate the pressure before quickly forming their cores .

Zac wasn’t sure if this was related to the world’s laws or intentional design by the Perennial Vastness . The result was that the top-tier elites had to keep pushing themselves and rapidly accumulate Mana before the Mana Sickness reached dangerous levels .

Meanwhile , weaker cultivators at the lower echelons weren’t as affected and could steadily work on the Perennial Vastness experiments to build up their Mana over a longer stay . However , having carried around Mana for decades , they accumulated more of the sickness , and their ceilings were much lower .

Ultimately , the speed with which you could accumulate Mana was the key to how high your Mana Ceiling was . The situation was a bit different for Zac since he needed to return within a decade in either case , but this Perennial Transformations] was still immensely useful if it could improve his Mana Gathering rate .

The book was quite tempting , yet Zac didn’t immediately accept .

You said there were two payments . What’s the other? - Zac asked .

I don’t know , - Ventus said .

What? -

Your Fate is always in flux , and I believe it will continue to change during your stay here . Because of that , I will sacrifice a millennium of my longevity to make a deduction just before entering the Left Imperial Palace , figuring out what you need . If you still don’t think it’s enough when we meet inside the inheritance , that’ll be my bad luck . -

Zac thought it over , beginning to slowly nod . - I can’t guarantee anything since I have no idea how things will play out inside . But if a situation appears where I can accept you without giving up one of my people , I’ll do so . However , I won’t fight to the death trying to free you from whoever is coercing the Radiant Temple . You’ll have to figure out how to get away yourself . -

That’s fair , - Ventus grinned as he stood . - And thus , our fates align . -

It should go without saying , but if this book turns out to be a scam , the deal is moot , - Zac added .

You should find it useful , as will your two friends , - Ventus said .

Zac didn’t bother asking how Ventus knew about Ogras . His ability to blend into shadows was difficult to spot , but it wasn’t some invincible ability .

By the way , which seal do you have? - Zac asked .

I’m a Threadwinder of Ultom , a sealbearer of the Daedalian Court , - Ventus said .

Figures , - Zac snorted . - I guess I’ll see you in a couple of years . -

Work hard like your life depends on it , - Ventus said with a smile . - Because it does . -

The elf left after that , heading toward the mission teleporters . The shimmering runes covering the storefront dissipated a minute later , returning it to its original state . Zac had already stowed the book and abacus by that point . He briefly looked at the door leading back to the mountain but ultimately shook his head .

There was nothing he urgently needed to check out back in his manor . If everything went according to plan , he’d reach the first echelon from the mission in Sinner’s Lament . And if he left a week early , he had time to break through his Soul and Constitution before the next batch of missions were released .

By that point , the storm of Fate atop Mount Illumination would hopefully have calmed down , allowing him to check things out . Instead of risking his life , Zac sat in meditation for the better part of the hour , going over his numerous battles and the inspiration they brought .

Eventually , Zac left the storefront and noticed a few people observing him from a distance . Zac didn’t care , heading toward the teleportation array . This was the price of earning thousands of Mana in a few days .

By the time Zac got close to the teleportation square , the shadows flickered .

Did it work? - Zac asked with a low voice .

I’ve broken through , - Ogras confirmed . - My attacks should be harder to deal with now that I’ve inherited the features of another shadow creature , and I gained some attributes as well . Hopefully , I’ll be able to find the third spirit in this place and infuse it in a couple of years . It is the first true threshold of the method . -

Zac nodded in understanding . Ogras had explained his Spiritlock Technique] before , and it sounded a lot like his own Void Vajra Sublimation] . After completing each layer , Ogras could break through by sealing another spirit into his body . Having already sealed two , the demon was now working on the third layer of the method . Another breakthrough was the equivalent of Zac’s Minor Sublimation .

It’s your best bet , - Zac agreed . - The creatures we’ll run into here don’t exist on the frontier . You might even want to get a second beast if you can figure out a way to store it . -

I’m thinking the same , - Ogras said . - Oh , your little girlfriend is on her way . What’s going on there , anyway? -

I’m not sure , - Zac said .

Catheya had always been flirtatious , but the situation was obviously different now compared to when they first met in Twilight Harbor . She had clearly indicated a real interest over the past days , and Zac’s arguments against new romantic entanglements only grew more tenuous .

She might have orders from above , you know , - Ogras commented . - To seduce you . -

I know her , - Zac said . - If that were the case , she would have made a perfunctory show of it to warn me . -

Well , then why not give it a go? - Ogras asked . - We’re going to be staying here for years . You can have a short vacation fling . The girl has the looks , provided you can deal with those eyes and her being dead . -

For one , this isn’t a vacation , - Zac said with a pointed look . - Secondly , there is a life after the Perennial Vastness where things are more complicated . -

For a netherbeast like yourself , this place almost seems like a vacation . And why do you need to approach everything like they’re permanent commitments? - Ogras countered . - Cultivators live for eons . How many can actually say have found a soulmate that can follow in step on their journey? It’s way too rare . Why not just have fun for a while like the rest of us? If your paths later diverge , so what? It’s not a failure . It’s just life . -

We’ll see how things pan out , - Zac sighed . - Let’s focus on blowing up some cursed mounds or whatever . -

Can’t cut your way out of this problem , - Ogras snickered , but he dropped the topic before Catheya walked into earshot .

You’re back . - Zac smiled . - How was it? -

Not too bad , - Catheya said . - I have an idea of how to fix the problems you pointed out already . I’ll just have to think about it a bit longer . Are you ready to go? -

Sure , - Zac said . - I’ve been hearing about these environments for days now . It’s about time I get to see one . -

Your friend is . - ?

I’m here . -

It’s weird how good you are at hiding , - Catheya muttered . - You have absolutely no scent when you’ve entered someone’s shadow . Well , I guess that’s a useful skill set for an assassin or scout . Let’s go . -

Zac nodded and approached the teleportation pillars . Over a hundred of them were placed on a square , looking almost like an art installation . Zac picked one at random and placed his hand on it .

Do you want to open a gate to Sinner’s Lament? - Null asked .

It was an automatic feature since he had an active quest , though he could also tell Null to open a gate to any environment he wanted , provided he possessed the Mana and high enough rank .

Yes , - Zac said , and the pillar split in the middle to create a doorway .

Zac wordlessly walked inside , with Catheya in tow , and Ogras in his shadows . There was an identical pillar on the other side , and it closed after they’d entered . For the next ten minutes , it would be impossible to teleport to Sinner’s Lament for anyone else , providing a head start for those who wanted to avoid trouble .

Their party wasn’t in any hurry , though . Zac stepped down from the platform , his arrival greeted by a deep rumble from above . The sky was almost black , with dense rolling clouds stretching as far as he could see . There was a suffocating atmosphere , and not just because it somehow felt like the Heavens were bearing down on him . Something was rising from the ground .

Something sinister .

Like Death profaned by madness and ruinous Karma , or a mix of the influence from the Splinter of Oblivion and the cursed energy of the Lost Plane rolled into one . Of course , the aura wasn’t a perfect match . More like the environment had been soiled by some sort of unorthodox cultivation path .

Judging by the name of the environment , some evil cultivator or cult might have been killed or buried here , and their cursed cultivation had bled into the ground . It wasn’t too bad , though . The energy burrowed into Zac’s body like Twilight Energy , but his Hidden Nodes easily dealt with it .

He did , however , note that Immutability of Eoz] had woken up , and it radiated soothing darkness through his body . It was the first time Zac had seen the Hidden Node wake up outside various experiments , proving the environment didn’t just have a problematic form of energy . The whole area was cursed , literally .

I took a lap , - Ogras said , appearing in a puff of shadows . - I can’t find anyone lying in wait . -

He wore a black hood obscuring his features , and a swirling haze of darkness around him made it impossible to even make out he was a demon . Just standing next to two Draugr , most would most likely take him as another undead cultivator since his path and clothing did nothing to say anything to the contrary .

It’s not worth targeting us in an Orange Zone , - Catheya said . - If I were them , I’d lay low a few months before striking when we entered a Red Zone . -

Makes sense , - Ogras said , his voice almost drowned by a deafening clap of thunder as hundreds of lightning bolts rained down on the ground in the distance . - Some place I picked . That kind of lightning shower can turn most E-grade cultivators into ash . -

We’ll have to keep watch on the skies , - Zac agreed . - Are the two of you alright in this environment? -

For now , - Catheya frowned . - But I doubt I can stay the whole month unless something changes , considering this is just the edge of the zone . It’s usually worse further in . -

What about you? - Zac asked , glancing at Ogras .

I’m fine , - Ogras laughed . - Actually , this environment is quite useful for my weapon . It absorbs the bad stuff , leaving the rest for me . -

The demon’s handling of the Shadewar Flag] was a source of worry , but Zac wasn’t about to interfere . He’d be a hypocrite if he tried to enforce orthodoxy on the demon after having turned his follower into a Tool Spirit .

Besides , it wasn’t like Ogras was sacrificing innocent mortals . The demon was just making use of the sinister atmosphere , like Zac did with lake water or other weird treasures he picked up .

I’m guessing you’re fine? - Ogras asked .

Yes , no problem , - Zac said . - Be careful , though . I have a Hidden Node protecting against things like curses , and it’s active right now . -

My Tool Spirit said as much , - Ogras said , smiling . - That long-nosed bastard even mentioned I can use it to upgrade some of my spectral followers into Sinner Wraiths . I have no idea what that is , but it sounds interesting . -

. . . What? - Zac said upon seeing Catheya’s look .

Immutability of Eoz] , - she sighed . - I can’t believe you’re really a descendant of the Vanguard . How can one person have so much luck it spills over on their surroundings? -

Why complain? - Ogras shrugged . - Just grab onto the coattails and start picking stuff up . -

Zac laughed as he surveyed the seemingly endless wastelands . Neither Cosmic Gaze] nor his normal vision provided clues about where the nearest Sinner Mound was . The only hint was that the storm seemed to weaken on the horizon in one direction .

What now? - Zac said , pointing in the direction where the storm was more furious . - Just head in that direction? -

Most teleporters take you roughly 10 to 20% into the environment , - Catheya said . - Those who want it safe can stay in the outer band , but the mounds are bound to be sparser there . -

Into the storm , it is , - Ogras grinned as he turned into a streak of shadows .

Zac smiled as he started running as well . They were paying 65 Mana a day to stay here , so there was no time to waste . They’d have to figure things out on the go . The ominous environment couldn’t quell the excitement in Zac’s chest . This was what he’d been yearning for while stuck in his cave .

The sky rumbled , the ground bled , and adventure was calling .

14

BLOOD AND THUNDER

Zac almost felt like the wet black soil beneath his feet tried to drag him under , trapping him in an early grave . But he plugged forward into the unknown , his eyes sweeping back and forth in search of Sinner Mounds .

It was both annoying and liberating that they hadn’t managed to find any Information Crystals on Sinner’s Lament over the past years . That wasn’t to say no one had visited the area , just that none of those selling information packages had one for sale when they passed . It was also possible they’d picked a seasonal environment that hadn’t been open for a few decades , and any information had been lost already .

Either case , they were going in blind with only their instincts and smarts to rely on .

Visibility was extremely bad . The pervasive darkness that held Sinner’s Lament in a death grip was not a simple lack of sunlight breaking through the curtain of clouds . The energy released from the ground contained chaotic but powerful truths , bolstering the gloom with Dao and sin .

Look , - Ogras said , and the three stopped in front of a stone monolith .

It was difficult to tell whether the fifty-meter-tall rock pillar was a natural formation or something man-made . Any potential markings had been scorched clean by repeated strikes from lightning . Yet , it emitted an incredibly foul aura , and none of them wanted to get too close .

Doesn’t look like a mound , - Catheya said . - But it clearly has an aura of sin . Let’s break it open and see what’s inside? -

Zac felt it as good a plan as any , and not even the paranoid demon had any objections . A twenty-meter icicle of black ice appeared above Catheya’s head a moment later , and Zac looked appreciatively at the deathly engravings covering it . He’d already seen hints of it before , but Catheya had clearly revamped her ice-focused heritage over the past year . Now , there was a strong aura of Death inside , and Zac almost felt like she had conjured the deathly water of the Abyssal Shores and frozen it .

The icicle shot forward , but the expected scene of rock being blasted apart by a branch-infused attack didn’t happen . A powerful repelling force emerged from the pillar in a shockwave , pushing the icicle away . Zac’s eyes widened , and an enormous coffin appeared to protect the three just before a wave of destruction flung them away . Instead , the shockwave passed them and continued for hundreds of meters before petering out .

Nasty stuff , - Ogras commented , glancing at Catheya . - Need help? -

Catheya scoffed , taking the pillar’s rejection as a personal insult . Two more icicles joined the first , and the trio generated a powerful resonance as they assaulted the pillar once more . The whole region shuddered as Catheya fought the land itself , and Zac frowned upon sensing that the energy in the area was accumulating .

The shakes and shockwaves seemed to have pushed more liquid to the surface , turning the black soil into mud . The foul liquid contained a decent amount of the native taint , but it was far from creating a problem for Zac .

The only one who had a problem was Catheya , but she’d already created something looking like snow boots out of ice . The temporary shoes kept the dirt and corruption at bay , and she only needed to occasionally reforge them before too much chaotic energy forced its way inside .

Cathey’s attacks grew increasingly ferocious , especially after Ogras coughed and started toying with his spear . And after repeatedly attacking the pillar for a minute , it finally gave out . A colossal eruption of sin swallowed everything in its wake , and Zac was alarmed to find the energy contained a similar force as the blue flames of his pygmy skeleton .

It acted like an array breaker , dismantling the fractal connections that made up his skill . Thankfully , the eruption only lasted a second , and the situation stabilized before Profane Exponents] collapsed . After things calmed down , only a pile of shimmering rubble remained .

Anything? - Ogras said , looking around .

Our guides would notify us if we cashed in a bounty , - Catheya said , shaking her head .

Well , something with that much energy might still be valuable , - Ogras said , rolling his eyes at Zac upon seeing his look . - What? Not all of us have wealth raining down from the Heavens . -

Hey , I’m with you on that one , - Zac smiled . - Let’s check it out . -

I’ll wait here , - Catheya said . - The energy in that rubble makes my hair stand on end . So much for a suitable environment . -

Zac and Ogras walked over , their steps creating sloshing sounds as they sunk to their ankles . The taint in the atmosphere skyrocketed when they stepped onto the rubble , prompting them both to look around with vigilance . Void Heart] had woken up and started to swallow energy that Purity of the Void] couldn’t deal with .

Meanwhile , Zac felt a pang of hunger from Immutability of Eoz] kicking up in gear . On the demon’s side , Zac could see the stream of corruption entering one of his sleeves grow so dense that it looked like a vapor .

Look at this , - Ogras muttered as he picked up what looked like a large raw ruby radiating waves of ominous light . - Such disgusting energy . Almost looks like crystallized blood . -

Blood of an unorthodox cultivator , if so , - Zac said . - Sinner Crystals? -

As good a name as any , - Ogras said , picking up a few more . - Might be useful for nurturing my flag . What about you? -

Zac picked up a crystal and tried absorbing some energy . It was chaotic and chimeral , just like what rose from the ground . His nodes could deal with it in these quantities , even if the crystals were quite energy-dense . Zac even judged them to be somewhere between Peak-quality Nexus Crystals and the Cosmic Crystals he couldn’t use yet .

A lot of energy in these guys , - Zac commented . - Just need to spend some effort to purify the gunk . -

Unfortunately , it’d be faster to absorb Nexus Crystals if he wanted to recover energy , and he could just use Beast Cores if he needed large quantities of energy to push his levels . Ultimately , they weren’t much use to him .

You can even use these things? - Ogras said with some shock . - Wouldn’t want to see the kind of blighted item not even your weird body can’t handle . -

Me neither , - Zac laughed . - I’ll take a few for emergencies and to study . You can take the rest unless Catheya wants some . -

That’s fine by me . - Ogras grinned as hundreds of tendrils spread from his body , extracting the Sinner Crystals from the rubble .

Enemies! - Catheya shouted .

Zac and Ogras looked up just in time to see Catheya rip apart a spectral creature with a couple of smaller icicles .

Wraiths? - Zac said with surprise , but he wasn’t sure if he was correct .

One monster after another rose from the ground , sharing both the dark sanguine hue and chaotic aura of the Sinner Crystals . They were translucent , vaguely holding the shape of grotesquely misshapen humanoids .

The creatures that had appeared out of nowhere were spectral in nature , but the deathly energies in their bodies were just a small minority in the face of the overwhelming sense of sin . From an energy perspective , they reminded Zac more of the Qriz’Ul from the Lost Plane than any spectral .

Guess it was too optimistic we’d get these good things for free . Are they here for my crystals? - Ogras muttered . - Well , we can’t have that . -

His words were followed by a sea of shadows , swallowing all the ghouls around them . Dark spears full of his Dao skewered the creatures , ripping them into shreds before they even had a chance to emerge .

Something’s wrong , - Ogras frowned . - They’re not actually dying . -

Zac took out a small throwing axe and infused it with his Branch of the Kalpataru . He threw it into the chest of a phantom , prompting it to explode . However , Zac gained no Kill Energy either . When following the energy swirls with Cosmic Gaze] , he could also tell the creature was slowly trying to reform .

Not even the Dao of Life can kill these bastards? What in the nine hells are these things? - Ogras swore as the sea of shadows surged . - They’re not ghosts . -

I don’t believe they’re actual creatures , - Catheya shouted , her hands already full dealing with an ever-increasing number of wraiths . - I think they’re resentment taken form . They’re essentially part of the environment . As long as the earth is cursed and there’s enough energy , these things will keep appearing . -

You saying we need to blow up the earth to deal with them? - Ogras said , pointedly looking at Zac . - Well , that’s your cue . You’re the blow-things-up guy . -

Can’t you capture them with your flag? - Zac said with a roll of his eyes .

These things have no soul , - Ogras said . - Won’t work . -

A piercing shriek from a phantom who had survived their onslaught interrupted their discussion . It clawed at Zac and Ogras from over thirty meters away , and deep , bleeding groves were dug into the ground as blades of condensed resentment ripped toward them . A spear appeared in Ogras’s hand , and he launched a salvo of illusory stabs that stopped the incoming wave of destruction .

They might not be real , but their claws definitely are , - Ogras frowned .

And they just keep coming , - Catheya added .

She wasn’t joking around . At first , there had only been a handful of them . In just half a minute , that number passed one hundred . And it continued to increase . Meanwhile , the wraiths they destroyed just reformed , adding to the tally .

Gather the crystals as quickly as you can , - Zac said as the large , jagged edge of Gorehew] appeared around his axe . - If they’re formed or attracted by the Sinner Crystals , the wraiths might dissipate when they’re stashed away . -

I’ll take the left , - Catheya commented as hundreds of crystalline flowers appeared around her .

They gently floated on the wind in a beautiful display . But to Cosmic Gaze] , they all looked like miniature bombs filled with Ice and Death . They flew into the field of wraiths and began a deadly dance that ground all wraiths to dust over and over in an endless cycle .

Zac took on the other side , releasing Deathmark] while personally wading into the army of phantoms . The corrosion of his domain skill had reached another level upon elevating the skill to Peak-mastery . The bloody ground frothed and bubbled , and plumes of smoke rose from the ghouls as the skill broke them apart .

The corrosive domain dealt with the resentment wraiths as they came , but their demise was hastened as one axe wraith after another joined the fray . They looked like death incarnate , valiant executioners conjured from the underworld .

A war erupted by two very different sets of wraiths , where claws met axes . The wraiths summoned by Deathmark] were far superior , but the resentment proved endless . Zac and his summoned helpers killed everything as fast as they appeared , except the situation worsened . Two were destroyed , but three reemerged , and Zac could tell they were surrounded by thousands already .

That’s all of them! There are no more crystals left! - Ogras shouted from his spot at the rubble . - Holy hells , what’s going on? It’s an ocean! We’re surrounded! -

Zac frowned , and the world froze a moment later as he became a stream of Death . He flew straight into the sky , reaching hundreds of meters in no time . He immediately understood what Ogras meant . It really looked like the area around the broken pillar had become a lone island in a sea of blood . The waves appeared frozen now that his perception of time had been shifted , but the bloody ocean stretched as far as Zac could see , even when this far into the air .

Worse yet , he could see how innumerable wraiths were rising from the waters . He couldn’t even begin to calculate the numbers , but he suspected there would be millions in a matter of minutes . Just how much blood and resentment had been trapped in the ground , and why was it all coming back up now?

It’s bad , - Zac said after landing on the ground . - There’s no way we can deal with what’s coming . -

Well , the crystals are gone , and they’re still coming , - Ogras said . - Let’s run? -

Ogras appeared next to Zac the next moment , Catheya already brought over in his shadows . The surroundings twisted a few times over as Ogras teleported them away through the Grey World , but the demon soon stopped .

Uh , - Ogras muttered . - I think we might be in trouble . -

What’s wrong? - Zac said as he fought off the wraiths that were already bearing down on them .

We’re trapped , - Catheya sighed as she pointed to the left . - We moved in a circle . Look . -

Zac glanced over and saw the broken pile of debris just fifty meters away . It had already been claimed by a storm of wraiths that now ambled toward them . Zac knew how quickly Ogras could move with his movement skill , so something was obviously wrong .

I think the ocean is forming a natural trapping formation . How is this an Orange Zone! - Ogras spat .

Fight and move , - Zac said . - It might be just movement skills that are blocked . -

The trio set out , with Zac in the front and the other two dealing with the wraiths to the sides . The chains of Love’s Bond] were already empowered by Blighted Cut] and dripping with corrosion . They moved like deadly snakes piercing one wraith after another . A swing of Gorehew] summarily destroyed the few that made it through the web of destruction .

The wraiths returned fire in kind . Claws raked through the air , and balls of condensed resentment were spat . Even the rising tide of bloody water formed spikes and constraints , trying to hamper their escape . Yet Zac was like a steamroller , destroying everything that impeded their path with a storm of violence .

The familiar sea of shadows had swallowed the sea of blood to their left . Innumerable spears wrought havoc , while Ogras complemented it with a graceful dance with his spear . Zac could tell the demon had made many improvements in his Combat Technique . He’d seen just how big a boost Zac’s stances were when they reunited in the Void Star , and it looked like the demon had worked hard on that aspect during his years in the Million Gates Territory .

Still , Zac could tell Ogras wasn’t actually embarking on the path of techniques like himself . It seemed more like the demon had developed a combat style that meshed better with his Daos than the crude techniques he’d learned back in Clan Azh’Rezak . Ultimately , Zac felt intent would suit the demon’s battle style better .

Catheya froze the whole ocean on her side , which temporarily slowed the formation of wraiths . Those that made it through the sheet of ice were then destroyed by her flowers . The trio’s strength was more than enough to deal with the onslaught , although Zac wasn’t optimistic about the situation .

He wasn’t wasting much of his Miasma to deal with the wraiths , but Ogras and Catheya should already have used up more than 20% of their stores . And if anything , their plight was only growing more serious . They had been running for ten minutes , and the only change was that the ocean had gone from reaching their ankles to their knees .

We’ll run out of energy if nothing changes , - Catheya said , echoing Zac’s thoughts .

The sky! - Ogras exclaimed .

Zac looked up , and he almost groaned . A huge swirl was forming above their heads , gathering tremendous energy . The cloud almost looked like a strobe . They’d probably have been blinded if not for the Dao-empowered darkness .

And then the darkness was dispersed .

The world was drowned in a cleansing white as a waterfall of punishing lightning rained down from the sky . The whole sanguine ocean was pushed to a boiling point , and each bolt annihilated thousands of wraiths . That didn’t mean Zac and the others were safe . The lightning was indiscriminately trying to destroy everything on the ground , them included .

Ogras had blocked the first bolts with a wave of shadows , but his skillset wasn’t optimal at defending . Still , the quick response gave Zac time to activate Profane Exponents] again . A huge five-meter coffin formed an umbrella of protection while Catheya froze and shattered the bloody sludge around them to prevent lightning from spreading to their legs .

Ogras even fished out a set of metal spears and drove them into the ground in a circle around them , using them as lightning rods that would lead any stray arcs into the ground . It felt like they were witnessing the end of days as thousands of bolts rained from the sky .

Not good , - Zac swore as he felt one impact after another on his shield .

The lighting wasn’t just pure destructive energy . It contained a complex set of patterns that were even more effective at destabilizing his skill than the shockwave from before . Each bolt destroyed some of the fractals , leaving the whole barrier weaker . Zac could feel how the skill grew more unstable by the second , and nothing he did managed to turn the tides .

Meanwhile , the resentment of Sinner’s Lament was trying to fight back . The millions of destroyed wraiths had turned into a shroud of darkness that tried to block out the lightning . But it was futile . Zac would have thought the Old Heavens themselves had descended if not for the lack of that ancient fury . The shroud of sin was purged , and the bloody ocean vaporized or pushed back into the ground .

Zac desperately held on , channeling huge amounts of Mental Energy into the skill to forcibly keep it together . Eventually , it looked like both the Heavens and the earth had been exhausted , which allowed the three to breathe out in relief .

The skies didn’t clear up , but they at least returned to their normal level of gloom . The sea of blood was gone , and so were the wraiths . Profane Exponents] collapsed after Zac stopped infusing the skill with Mental Energy .

Whew , - Ogras said as he dragged one of his spears from the ground .

It had melted and turned into a twisted ornament , though Zac noted the material had transformed somewhat . The metal now contained a hint of that purifying lightning . If reforged , could it perhaps be turned into something that destroyed the wraiths more permanently if they returned?

Three hours in and we almost get ourselves killed . This place is far more dangerous than the trial zone I visited , - Ogras spat .

Welcome to the Perennial Vastness , - Catheya laughed . - Where every zone is a deathtrap . -

15

SINNER MOUNDS

The trio slowly moved away from the scorched battleground , unwilling to stay and afraid to run too quickly and trigger another event . Yet even after ten minutes , the surroundings showed no inclination of going out of control again , which allowed them to breathe out in relief .

The lightning really saved our bacon there . - Ogras frowned . - Were we just lucky , or was that by design? -

It should be by design , right? - Zac said . - Otherwise , this place would be a taboo zone rather than a place for guests to refine themselves . It’s not even considered a Red Zone . -

I think so as well , - Catheya agreed . - I guess the lightning will be conjured when the corruption reaches a certain point . As long as we endure until then , we’ll be safe . -

I guess we’ll just have to keep going to find out , - Ogras said . - Could also be because we destroyed that pillar . If we avoid those things and just look for the mounds , we might not attract such a calamity . -

Give me a few of those crystals you looted , - Catheya said .

What? Why? - Ogras said , his eyes narrowing .

Has poverty driven you mad? - Catheya giggled . - I want to see if I can use them to create some sort of compass . Our current situation isn’t too good , no matter if the ocean rises again . -

What do you mean? - Zac asked .

We need to start looking for clues , - Catheya explained . - With 300 Mana per mound , we need to destroy two every three days to break even . Even more if you’re deemed to have provided more to their destruction than us because of your strength . -

You’re saying that with such a low daily quota , the mounds are likely quite far apart , - Ogras said .

That’d be my guess , - Catheya nodded . - If you’re alone , you only need to find one every five days . If you find two , you’re making a windfall . In other words , if we just run around randomly and have an unlucky streak , we might not see a single mound for a week . Especially if we get stalled by waves of phantoms . -

And if we fine-comb each region , we’ll waste too much time , - Zac sighed .

Exactly , - Catheya said . - Don’t get fooled by all the Mana you’ve earned over the past days . Normally , Mana doesn’t come so easily . Withstanding the eruption of resentment can be considered a basic test of strength , but we also have to use our heads . -

Can you experiment while moving? - Zac asked , his chains forming a chair . - Might as well continue toward the center of the realm while we figure out a plan . I can carry you while you focus on the Sinner Crystals . -

Perfect , - Catheya smiled as she sat down .

A moment later , a floating worktable of ice appeared in front of her , and one tool after another appeared from her Spatial Ring .

Keep going . I’ll scout the surroundings for clues , - Ogras said , relinquishing some of his spoils of Sinner Crystals to her , then disappeared in a puff of shadows .

It’s hard to believe how much that guy has improved since I saw him in the Tower of Eternity , - Catheya commented while she began shaving off the rough edges of one of the Sinner Crystals . - I mean , I improved because I got invited to the Abyssal Shores . But he’s been in the frontier the entire time? -

Well , he did get sucked into a newly-born Dimensional Seed shortly after we parted the first time , - Zac chuckled . - The birth of a new realm drowned him in Origin Energy , to the point his whole body was refined and improved . And that’s just one of his lucky encounters . -

A gathering of Fate , - Catheya hummed .

Zac kept running toward the heart of the realm for the next hour , stopping at anything that looked out of place in the dour world . They could soon confirm that the bleak wastelands hadn’t always been a desolate wilderness . They did find hints that large cities had once stood here . However , that was eons ago . Now , only hints of foundations remained .

Digging up the foundations of some of the ruins didn’t provide any clues beyond the fact that the resentment in the ground was noticeably worse within any city limits . It gave credence to the theory that a large-scale sacrifice might be the source of all the Fell Energy . Zac even found some Sinner Crystals sitting right in the soil within city limits .

Catheya ventured they’d be able to find Sinner Mounds if they found large enough cities . The resentment would be the densest there , possibly giving birth to whatever a Sinner Mound was . Unfortunately , they didn’t have any better idea on how to find cities than mounds . Perhaps if they found a map of the fallen kingdom , but they didn’t uncover so much as a scrap .

While Zac alternated between walking toward the inner regions and digging through the mud , Catheya was fast at work with her experiments . She’d already refined dozens of raw Sinner Crystals , which now had the same shape as any Nexus Crystal .

From there , she’d begun carving intricate patterns on their surfaces , reminding Zac of the elevated crystals he’d found in the treasury of the City of Ancients . However , these patterns weren’t designed to make energy extraction easier , though Zac couldn’t tell what she was up to .

I’ve broadened my study of formations from just focusing on raising bodies , - Catheya commented when Zac looked over curiously . - After visiting the Abyssal Shores , I realized I couldn’t just focus on my cultivation if I wanted to become a real Heaven’s Chosen . All the bigshots have some unique advantages . Formations will help me both in combat and while adventuring . After learning about the Left Imperial Palace , I’ve redoubled my efforts . -

Zac nodded in understanding . He was the same , though almost to the point of overdoing it between his various side-projects like Soul Cultivation and his techniques .

Well , let me know if you need more crystals , - Zac said . - Seems there are accumulations everywhere . -

Let’s not tempt fate just yet , - Catheya smiled .

Unfortunately , trouble came knocking even if they weren’t looking for it . Zac noted that the ground started to get wetter again , almost like walking through moss after rain . The ambient energy was also stirring , and Zac could tell where it was headed .

Five minutes later , he saw the first resentment wraith rise from the ground . Zac was about to strike it down , but an illusory spear ripped it apart as Ogras appeared .

Anything good? - Zac asked .

Nothing , - Ogras sighed . - Just a bunch of deposits . I did find a few tombstones , but there was nothing inside . -

You dug up the graves? - Zac laughed as he destroyed another wraith . - Asking for trouble . -

Nothing happened , - Ogras shrugged . - I destroyed a smaller pillar on the way back as well . The accumulation had already begun and releasing a bunch of crystals seemed to have hastened the process . Also , we’re clearly being targeted . It’s like the bloody ground is conscious . When I moved quickly , I reached dry land . But when I stopped , the blood caught up . Even returning to my previous locations showed it had dried up after I left . -

Running away probably won’t work , even if we leave before the ocean emerges , - Catheya commented . - In return , we can hasten the tribulations by splitting up and destroying pillars . -

You don’t feel we have enough excitement already? - Ogras laughed .

Well , it might be important , - Catheya said . - There has to be a connection between these surges and the mounds . And the more eruptions we withstand , the better our understanding will be . -

Well , let’s take care of this before we figure out our next step , - Zac said , his chains already weaving a net of destruction around them .

You two deal with this round , - Catheya said . - I want to keep working on these crystals and see if I can figure something out while the resentment is surging . -

Sure , - Zac agreed .

He’d have to cover a wider area , but it didn’t much matter . Now that they knew they just needed to stall , they didn’t have to fight as hard . The wraiths weren’t too smart , and even simple tricks would slow them down .

Good luck , my handsome guardians . - Catheya winked as a small icehouse rose around her . - I’ll be in my lab . -

Pretty convenient , that , - Ogras muttered . - I guess it’s time to get our hands dirty again . Ought to see how my little helpers deal with this place . -

A moment later , a stream of spectral creatures streamed out of the demon’s sleeve .

You’ve given them Sinner Cores? - Zac asked curiously .

It’s an experiment , - Ogras said . - We’ll see if that little bastard knows what he’s doing . -

Bah! How could such a simple experiment stump me? - a derisive snort countered as the goblin warlock emerged . - It’s just some condensed resentment marked by ritual magic . It might have proven a bit troublesome if the essence remained , but this is clearly a shadow of the original resentment . A tenth of a percent , at most . -

The goblin punctuated his words by gathering the resentment and throwing it into a pack of ghouls . For some reason , the creatures went insane and started fighting each other instead of advancing .

See? Simple enough . -

There’s the trademark Ra’Lashar overconfidence , - Ogras laughed .

You two are friends again? - Zac asked curiously .

Hardly . But we’ve reached an accord , - K’Rav said .

As in , he gave up , - Ogras said with a roll of his eyes .

What do you know? I’ve finally gotten the chance to see the true nature of the wider universe . With this - System’ in place , I am better off helping with the realignment process of the Shadewar Flag] . That way , I can be grandfathered into the Heavenly Path and given a chance at rebirth . -

So now I have a half-competent helper , - Ogras grinned .

Bah! You might have found some clues while sipping on the truths of the Lost Plane . But so what? Every Ra’Lashar Warlock has done the same , and see where that got us . Besides , a fool like you wouldn’t be able to realize those goals in tens of thousands of years if not for my expertise . -

Alright , I’ll leave the two of you to it , - Zac said with a helpless shake of his head as he covered the other side of the ice lab .

Ten minutes later , they found themselves in a sea of thousands of shrieking wraiths that tried to rip them apart . They quickly confirmed by the increased intensity of thunderclaps that another lightning punishment was already accumulating .

Then the sky lit up , and a purifying rain showered the surroundings . Zac had already set up his shield canopy , looking thoughtfully at the sky .

Hold the fort , will you? - Zac said as he started walking .

Ah? - Ogras said with surprise , rolling his eyes upon seeing Zac walk out of cover . - Lunatic . -

I’m just going to— - Zac said , but his explanation was interrupted by a flash of white .

Zac felt like his whole body was set on fire , and every muscle twitched from the voltage coursing through his limbs . Even his Miasma was electrified , though the effect was highly unstable . It was lucky Black Death] was attached to a chain , or he’d most likely have dropped it . Since there was no time to lose , Zac forced his arms to listen . He threw his axe at one of the few nearby wraiths still standing , his eyes observing all changes .

It worked . He’d infused his edge with his electrified Miasma , and the wraith had been completely destroyed . He still didn’t get any Kill Energy from destroying the creature . Still , he could see that the accumulation of resentment had been purified rather than ripped apart only to reform later .

Seeing Ogras’ spears during the last tribulation gave him the idea . Zac figured it might be the key to dealing with the Sinner Mounds .

That hurt , you know , ’ a voice said in his mind as one of the chains flicked his head .

Sorry about that , ’ Zac wryly smiled as he retreated beneath the shield canopy again .

A while later , the chaos subsided . Overall , the surge hadn’t been quite as bad as the previous one , which was possibly linked to destroying the huge pillar before .

The sky really holds a sealing formation designed to keep the resentment in check , - Catheya nodded as she stepped out of her hut . - A lightning cultivator would likely be able to speed that process up by infusing their Dao into the clouds . Or even borrow its strength . -

Did you figure anything out with the crystals? - Zac asked .

The Sinner Crystals did resonate with the environment when the resentment surged , especially after I engraved some amplifying patterns on them . I can create an array that can tap into that force . But I don’t know how to tune my compass to a Sinner Mound without seeing one , - Catheya sighed . - We might have to find one by chance and study it before I’ll have any solutions . -

Split up and search? - Ogras offered . - We should all be able to deal with at least one or two surges without too much trouble , especially if they get weakened when split up . -

Seems like our best bet , - Zac agreed .

Wait , - Catheya said , taking out three crystals . - I figured we’d need a way to communicate , so I got these . Some outside communicators encounter issues inside the Perennial Vastness , but these are made by native materials . -

Don’t stray too far , - Zac said as he accepted a crystal .

The three split up , with Zac running straight ahead while Ogras and Catheya veered slightly to the left and right , respectively . A few minutes later , they were out of sight , swallowed by the darkness .

The sky rumbled as Zac ran . Occasionally , he flew into the skies with Abyssal Phase] , but it didn’t much improve his vantage . The pervasive darkness swallowed the horizon , leaving him with a meager field of vision . Like this , minutes turned into hours .

The wraiths have started gathering here , - Ogras’ voice echoed through his crystal .

Nothing here yet— - Zac said , but he was soon proven wrong . - No , never mind . They’re here . -

And here , - Catheya soon added , and the screeching wails of her enemies joined the cacophony around Zac . - A clue , perhaps? -

It did seem like Ogras’ tide had appeared slightly before Zac’s , while Catheya’s came last . Might mean the corruption was stronger in the demon’s direction , which could indicate a mound . Then again , it might be the opposite , with a mound on Catheya’s side gobbling up the surrounding resentment .

Well , it’s worth following up on , - Zac agreed . - Let’s see how the surges look when split into three . -

In the end , the eruption came and went . Splitting up had weakened the onslaught somewhat , but it turned out that wasn’t an advantage . In return , it had taken longer for the lightning punishment to condense , forcing them to waste more energy to stall the wraiths .

They gathered up for the next couple of surges to defend together before splitting up again . Eventually , ten surges and the better part of a day had passed , and Zac started to wonder if they’d missed something . Until finally , there was a change .

I think I have something , - Catheya’s voice echoed through the communicator . - Come over to me . -

Zac changed course , veering straight left , following the tracking feature in Catheya’s communicator . Half an hour later , he’d caught up with her , and the demon arrived soon after .

What’s going on? - Zac asked .

Over there , - Catheya said , pointing toward the horizon . - I’ve seen lightning strike at the same spot three times now . It happens every twenty minutes or so . Furthermore , the resentment in the ground is being dragged over there . -

Finally , - Ogras grinned , glancing at Zac . - I was starting to worry your luck was on the fritz . -

Let’s just go , - Zac smiled , and they rushed toward the spot Catheya indicated .

The location was hard to miss after getting close . Every large natural landmark in Sinner’s Lament had probably been blasted by the lightning , so seeing a large hill really stood out .

Calling it a mound was an understatement . It was over two hundred meters tall and twice as wide . Most of it was covered in the dense clouds of resentment , but Zac could see lingering bolts of lightning crackle within the sanguine mist before dying out .

It was undoubtedly a lingering effect of the previous punishment from above , but it was far from enough to extinguish the extreme amounts of sin that had accumulated . The mound oozed resentment , both literally and figuratively .

The mission had mentioned they needed to destroy a Sinner Core to claim the bounty . Zac had no idea what the core looked like , but it didn’t much matter at this point . If he blew up the whole hill , the core should also be destroyed . If not , he’d keep digging .

Alright , you guys ready? - Zac said . - I’ll blast it apart in one go . -

Go for it , - Ogras grinned . - It’s finally time to earn some Mana . And I bet there are thousands of Sinner Crystals in this thing . -

Wait , you lunatics! - Catheya laughed , lightly slapping Zac’s arm . - Give me a second to take some measurements . Besides , we should wait to see what happens when the next lightning bolt strikes . -

Alright , - Zac sighed , but he still sent a mental command to his Duplicity Core .

Miasma was replaced by Cosmic Energy , and Verun’s Bite] appeared in his right hand . The moment Catheya was done , the Sinner Mound would be met with judgement .

16

RESENTMENT AND PUNISHMENT

The lightning struck the mound every twenty minutes , so it wouldn’t be long . However , Zac and the others were forced to continuously retreat farther and farther away . The mound’s aura was incessantly rising , creating a domain that even Zac had trouble dealing with . No wonder lightning had to strike so often . If it didn’t , this place would unleash surges twice an hour . Or possibly generate something even worse .

Zac wasn’t even sure what would happen if he struck the mound while it contained such vast amounts of resentment . It could lead to an explosion that swallowed them all . Catheya was right ; better let the formation in the sky pave the way before making a move .

Ogras and Catheya weren’t idle while Zac prepared to strike . Ogras kept watch of the surroundings while sending shadows and captured souls to investigate the mound and what was going on underground . He didn’t find out much , except that the mound was just as dangerous as it looked . Any shadow that tried to dig into the hill had to be sacrificed before Sinner’s Lament’s extremely evil taint rushed into the demon’s body . And any spirit that entered the ground was profaned to the point the Shadewar Flag] soon lost control .

Catheya performed her own experiments , mostly recording the energy signature of the mound while trying various means to lock onto it . Eventually , Zac saw an array of engraved Sinner Crystals light up , their tips pointing toward the Sinner Mound .

Yes! - Catheya exclaimed .

Just in time , - Zac smiled as he glanced at the rumbling sky . - You’re done with this one? -

I’ve found the signature , - Catheya nodded . - I can’t guarantee my solution is perfect , but it should work . I can keep refining it over the next days from here on out . -

Perfect , - Zac said , cracking his neck . - We can’t stand around this thing much longer anyway . -

Zac hadn’t reached his limits yet , but he could tell Catheya and Ogras were struggling with the accumulated resentment . Its concentration was terrifying next to the mound , even compared to the surges they’d endured . Something must be preventing the resentment from turning into wraiths here and remaining a blighted Miasma .

Ogras’s eyes were already tinted with red , and Zac could tell he was struggling with containing murderous impulses . They had to constantly rotate their Dao to remove the filth of the environment , but who knew what kind of sequela this kind of thing left behind?

We should create a sealed chamber after this to cleanse the filth , - Catheya sighed . - Might even need a visit to the Eastern Qi Pools after this task . -

A spa day doesn’t sound too bad right about now , - Zac laughed .

The sludge pouring out from the mound had already reached their ankles , and it was pitch-black in contrast to the dark red of the previous surges . Almost like something was nibbling at his feet , but Zac didn’t avert his eyes from the storm in the sky .

Finally , a lightning bolt as thick as an ancient oak came crashing down . The mound wasn’t to be outdone , and a pillar of resentment rose to block . Ultimately , Sinner Mound couldn’t match the wrath of the skies , and the pillar was ripped apart after exhausting less than a third of the lightning . The bolt continued , drowning the whole area in blinding light .

A tsunami of crackling gunk was thrown off from the mound , but a wall of ice rose to prevent it from swallowing them . The light was already fading a second later , and Zac knew this was his chance .

Cosmic Energy surged in his body , and a gate appeared in the sky . It was completely different from the crude scar in space that appeared with the weaker versions of Arcadia’s Judgement] . It didn’t even close after the huge wooden hand emerged . Instead , it grew over ten times in size as it teleported over to hover right above the Sinner Mound .

A dense set of patterns formed at the portal’s edge , and the whole mound groaned as it was drowned in golden-green light . The scene was reminiscent of his old skill that went into the fusion of Arcadia’s Judgement] , Nature’s Punishment] . However , this time , no mountain or tree came crashing down . Instead , something exuding the air of Arcadia shone down upon the world from within the spatial gate .

Zac knew just what kind of terrifying pressure that light emitted . He’d turned a hill even larger than the Sinner Mound into a crater with that light alone after he’d finally evolved Arcadia’s Judgement] to Peak-mastery . But the Sinner Mound actually resisted the tremendous pressure , even if the top layers of soil and stone were crushed and pushed away .

That’s a Sinner Mound , alright , - Ogras muttered , and Zac’s eyes widened in shock .

A gargantuan stake piercing through a huge pile of corpses .

That was what hid beneath the soil and oil-like emanations from the mound . The bodies radiated an intensely strong aura of sin , and pitch-black liquid continuously poured out of their mouths and hollow eye sockets . With tens of thousands of bodies , they produced a swimming pool’s worth of gunk every second , which should be impossible , considering how dried and withered they looked .

As for the enormous spike , it was clearly not part of the mound itself . It was created with a deep blue metal and contained a powerful aura of lightning . It was covered in complex runes that made Zac’s soul shudder .

A stake imbued with the wrath of the Heavens , piercing straight at the heart of sin .

The runes seemed to be powered by the lightning bolts to dig deeper into the mound . But the sinister sludge covered the spike , filling the runes with corruption . The Sinner Mound was pushing back , probably trying to remove the spike altogether .

An array flag , perhaps? - Ogras ventured .

Seems that way , - Catheya agreed .

Zac hesitated , but he had to make a decision . The skill had already been activated , and he couldn’t delay for too long before he needed to follow through . After all , the glowing gate to Arcadia wasn’t the true face of Arcadia’s Judgement] . It was still the axe strike .

The wooden hand was even larger than before , and the runes covering it were no longer indistinct . They glowed with mesmerizing light , holding the truths of Life and Conflict . At Peak-mastery , the skill had truly become an avatar of his Daos . The twenty-meter axe was perfection , seemingly a treasure born from nature and the Heavens themselves .

It exuded tremendous power , including a punishing aura that resonated with the spike . The skill had been activated , so judgement was to be meted out . The axe descended , but it didn’t aim for the pile of leaking corpses . Instead , it crashed toward the head of the spike .

Thousands of runes fell through the gate of Arcadia , and they all poured into the stone axe . The emerald runes covering the handle and head lit up with unquestionable might , holding a wrathful aura like it contained the will of the ancient Heavens .

World-ending force slammed into the spike with enough impact to cleave mountains . For a fraction of a second , it was as though the world had frozen before time resumed . A huge scar cut the Sinner Mound in two , hundreds of meters across and just as deep . It formed a canyon over twenty meters across , and the desiccated corpses were simply erased from existence .

But the spike held against Zac’s most powerful attack , as did a glowing red orb that had previously been hidden in the heart of the mound . Looking at the nefarious light made Zac’s heart thump , and he felt a wave of killing intent almost consume him . The feeling disappeared as quickly as it came , the madness quelled by the Void in his heart .

The Sinner Core held , but not for long . Even if Arcadia’s Judgement] failed to cleave it in two , it acted as a hammer . The thunder spike had been forced more than halfway into the sphere , and Zac could see how incredibly pure arcs of lightning had been injected into the core .

A piercing wail rippled through Sinner’s Lament as the Sinner Core shattered into hundreds of splinters , and Zac’s vision doubled as he almost keeled over . Ogras groaned while a shroud of shadows sealed him inside , while a talisman floating behind Catheya snapped .

Bounty Claimed . Share : 120 Mana , - Null said , but Zac had no time to celebrate his idea being correct .

The split-apart mound was twisting and frothing , and Zac found himself thrown hundreds of meters away by an enormous eruption of resentment that crushed Catheya’s ice wall .

A surge! We’re trapped! - Catheya shouted as she crawled to her feet , completely covered in grime after landing in a knee-deep pond of blood .

Zac glanced up at the sky and sighed . The clouds were exhausted after unleashing that bolt of lightning . No help was forthcoming from above . Besides , this surge was different from the ones before . There were no wraiths at all . Instead , the resentment poured into the mound that had already fused back together .

A lot of corpses had been destroyed , but even more crawled up from the depths , their resentment joining to form something terrifying . They couldn’t let the scene continue . Thankfully , his skill was still not over , and he’d held the final component in reserve as long as possible just for something like this .

The ground shook and heaved until a primal fury from the depths of the earth erupted . The ground split apart , and thousands of rune-covered spikes emerged . The reformed mound immediately collapsed again when faced with the wrath of the land it had soiled . A storm of destruction swept through the rocky formation , ripping apart corpses by the thousands .

Yet it wasn’t enough . Zac looked on with helplessness as a stream of new corpses crawled out from the depths . Zac rushed forward , but another wail from the mound conjured a storm of resentment so powerful he couldn’t get closer . He tried to cut it open with a series of fractal leaves , but they were just swallowed and consumed .

A pang of danger forced him to flash out of the way , narrowly avoiding a putrid blade made by the corpses’ black liquid . Zac hesitated whether he should force his way inside , but the storm suddenly abated .

Of course , - Ogras , who had already caught up , groaned .

The mound was gone , replaced by a macabre construct of innumerable desiccated corpses . It had no set shape , but it looked more like an enormous isopod with dozens of legs than a humanoid . The corpses turned into formable clay upon becoming part of the creature , some being twisted beyond what should be possible to make up a piece of a leg or a claw .

The corpses kept spewing out the black tainted liquid as well . Some of it formed the blades of resentment it kept shooting at them , where even the blades that missed formed putrid pools that made Zac’s hair stand on end . Most liquid stayed on the construct and hardened into a protective shell .

A pang of danger made Zac flash away just as Ogras shouted , - Below! -

The ground had come alive , and an oily fanged maw dripping with resentment had formed right where Zac stood . The attack was like a starting call , and madness gripped the area . Faces , hands , spikes , and pitfalls appeared all around them . Every area within ten meters of where a resentment blade landed had been possessed .

Powerful blades were raining from above , and insidious dangers struck from below . The area had become a true zone of death . The barrage was endless . Even worse , it prevented Zac from focusing on the huge creature that was the source of it all . A vague sense of danger emanated from the thing , and he knew he couldn’t let it accumulate forever .

A wave of frigid cold passed him , instantly freezing the ground where he stood . The ten-fingered claw that had just tried to grip him was trapped in place , leaving Zac completely unencumbered for a moment . He glanced back and saw that a black crown of ice appeared on Catheya’s head as she rose into the air .

Five teardrops with ancient engravings of ice appeared behind her head , and a frigid cold swept out in every direction . In no time , an area of hundreds of meters had been turned into a world of ice . The roiling waves of the lands were frozen solid , the spikes and pitfalls cracking into chunks of dirty ice .

Deal with the big guy . I’ll try to stop it from gathering more bodies! - Ogras shouted as six wings grew from his back .

The ghastly flag had been fully unfurled , forming a band of anguished faces three meters long . Just looking at the tapestry of suffering made Zac’s soul shudder .

A storm of spears from the flying demon destroyed everything locked within the ice . In an instant , a huge crater over thirty meters deep had been formed , exposing a terrifying truth .

The whole bedrock was now filled with corpses , almost an endless number crawling for the surface . A stream of Ogras’s captured wraiths was already pouring into the hole , dragging bodies out and ripping them apart by the hundreds .

Catheya’s world of ice had already spread into the hole , locking the seeping resentment in place and protecting the wraiths from being assimilated by Sinner’s Lament . The corpses lost some of their unnatural flexibility from the cold , while Ogras’s wraiths remained unaffected .

Zac wasted no time as he flashed through the air , using the floating steps of Earthstrider] to appear right beneath the creature . A storm of fractal leaves erupted from his body , each one two meters long and imbued with both War Axe and Kalpataru .

The corpse construct emitted an unstable aura approaching Middle D-grade , but the shell of corruption it had created couldn’t defend against the unstoppable force trapped inside the fractal leaves . Huge chunks of black oil and dry flesh were carved out of the creature , falling like rain all around him .

A huge , twisted face formed on the creature’s stomach , and dozens of sinner blades shot at Zac . Unfortunately for the enormous creature , Zac was far too agile in his human form . Another patch of grass appeared beneath his foot as he took another step in the air . The next moment , he appeared over a hundred meters away , right behind the creature .

The monster was already forming another layer of corruption around its wounds , but Zac didn’t care . The outburst from Nature’s Edge] had destroyed hundreds of corpses , shrinking the construct by almost 10% . And he wasn’t finished there . Four powerful vines stabbed into the ground , giving Zac some upward momentum to keep him in the air a bit longer . Simultaneously , a hundred-meter leaf appeared in front of Verun’s Bite] .

The blade was almost as tall as the creature and contained the truths of the Abyss and Arcadia . The blade fell , and the world was delineated . A spatial divide cut the huge creature in two , creating a ten-meter-wide corridor of nothingness . The blade lingered for a few seconds , disintegrating any corpses that tried to move toward the other side of the unbridgeable chasm of Rapturous Divide] .

But the skill couldn’t last forever . Zac looked up at the creature as he landed on a platform of ice formed by Catheya , and had to immediately flash away to avoid dozens of sinner blades . The two halves were already fusing into a whole , though they had shrunk once more . Zac grunted with annoyance .

If the construct refused to die , he’d just have to keep swinging until there was nothing left to reform .

Ten minutes later , Zac panted atop a frozen pile of broken flesh , almost half of his Cosmic Energy consumed . Ultimately , he hadn’t found any better method than methodically cutting the creature down until no corpses were left . There were no weaknesses to the construct , and none of the three managed to find anything like a core of its energy .

The punishing thunder ultimately hadn’t come to their rescue , though the corpses were thankfully possible to permanently destroy , unlike the resentment wraiths .

Nothing , - Ogras swore as he appeared next to Zac . - I was almost sure the shards of the Sinner Core fueled it . -

Maybe it was , but the pieces dissolved before we could find them , - Catheya guessed . - After all , we dealt with this thing in the crudest way possible . -

Now that we know what to expect , we should be able to snatch the pieces before they disappear . That might prevent the construct from forming altogether , - Zac said .

How did you know to hit the spike before? - Catheya asked curiously .

So far , we haven’t managed to destroy any wraiths , except when using items empowered by thunder . - Zac shrugged . - I was worried the Sinner Core would share the same properties and reform even if I cut it . It seemed more prudent to target the spike that was full of the aura of lightning . -

What now? - Ogras asked as he turned to Catheya . - Can we use that array of yours? -

The array of Sinner Crystals soon appeared , but she shook her head soon after .

Not from here , at least , - Catheya said . - We’re most likely too far away . The energy in the crystals can’t reach very far . The compass should be able to reach further during a surge , but I’m not sure the ambient energy is enough . We may need a powerful sacrifice of resentment to work . -

A sacrifice? - Zac said . - So , more crystals , or what? -

Exactly . The more crystals we sacrifice , the greater the range . -

Then we need to gather crystals to find mounds , but the more crystals we gather , the more waves of wraiths we’ll have to endure . -

Just so , - Catheya nodded .

Seems straightforward enough . The harder we work , the more mounds we’ll find , - Ogras shrugged . - I guess we can rest when this is all over . -

17

KEYS OF ASCENSION

Zac released a long pent-up sigh of relief as he stumbled out of the teleportation array , appearing in Vastness City . The gate closed behind him , and Zac was finally free from that wretched place . Only then did he truly realize just how grimy he was . He was covered almost from head to toe in blood and corruption and literally oozed sinister energies into his surroundings . Even the angry scars on his body almost glowed .

A few people curiously looked over as Zac appeared , but seeing a wretched-looking human was all too common in this place . Too many looked like they’d been hit by a truck when coming back from their missions . Besides , it was close to the end of the month . Those who wanted to duel would have finished their fights already , so no one tried to urge him to leave the protected teleportation square .

Ogras and Catheya had teleported straight home to their manors . The twenty-one days in Sinner’s Lament had completely wrung them dry , to the point Zac had been forced to carry them to the exit .

For three weeks , the assaults never relented . It didn’t matter if they didn’t harvest so much as a single Sinner Crystal . Within two hours , they would be attacked all the same . And they’d soon found out that without farming a decent chunk of crystals , they’d fall behind on rent . Stress kept building as corruption accumulated , and there was never any time to recover . At least not if they wanted to make Mana .

Even with Catheya’s method to localize the Sinner Mounds , they barely managed to find and destroy one mound a day . The rest was spent gathering Sinner Crystals , withstanding surges , and trying to take some fitful bouts of rest . At least the rewards were pretty good .

Twenty-two Sinner Mounds meant a total bounty of 6 , 600 Mana . After deducting twenty-one days’ worth of fees , they were left with a profit of 2 , 505 Mana . Of that , Zac had earned just over 1 , 000 , while Catheya and Ogras shared around 750 each . Unfortunately , that meant Zac had stalled out at 9 , 803 Mana , just shy of reaching the first echelon .

Zac had gained the biggest share simply because he’d been responsible for dealing with most of the mounds and withstanding a larger part of the surges . However , his share was only so much bigger than the others because Ogras and Catheya were needed to profit . Catheya had figured out the method of finding the mounds , and her Dao of Ice was integral to quickly dealing with them .

Meanwhile , Ogras had proven incredibly efficient at gathering Sinner Crystals , especially after successfully raising the first resentment wraiths . He used his shadows and the Shadewar Flag] to carefully extract crystals from the ground and various structures . His method didn’t release nearly as much resentment , which allowed them to avoid a few surges a day while collecting crystals to localize mounds .

Apart from the Mana , only Ogras managed to find some benefits . Sinner Crystals , shards of Sinner Cores , and incredibly foul plants that had taken root in the center of the zone all went to the demon for experimentation with his flag . Zac and Catheya couldn’t find anything useful , though they harvested some Lightning-attributed metals to trade or sell .

It was an important reminder that even Catheya was a newcomer in this place and didn’t have all the answers . The mission sounded suitable from the description , but it proved to be quite a chore with no benefits for their core formations . Sinner’s Lament was more suited for Hexers , Summoners , and Lightning cultivators than their trio .

Altogether , Zac felt the experience reminiscent of the higher levels in the Tower of Eternity . Completing the tasks required certain skills and understanding , and Zac , back then , had been forced to brute-force every level . Here , that method was impossible . Even if he had strength to spare , so what? It wouldn’t help destroy any more Sinner Mounds .

In fact , Zac wasn’t confident he’d have broken even on the mission if he went at it alone , relying on his Luck and Endurance to scour Sinner’s Lament in search of bounties . Even after weeks of digging through the ruins , Zac only managed to form a vague idea that the position of the cities and mounds wasn’t completely random . There was a pattern , though Zac was still far from extrapolating any useful information from his hunch .

Zac now better understood why so many top-tier characters in the Perennial Vastness chose to set up coalitions . One person couldn’t know everything , so joining up with people with complementary skillsets would increase their Mana gain even if they worked with weaker companions .

It was a shame that Ventus was about to leave . A numerologist was probably a huge asset in this place . At least they had the Perennial Transformations] , which was already in Catheya’s hands . Zac had been too busy dealing with the wave of wraiths while Catheya and Ogras recovered to bother with the book , but Catheya had spent the better part of the month reading .

She’d hoped to use the secrets within to improve their results for the quest , but the theories proved too complex to learn in a day or two . Judging by her engrossed face as she poured over the endless numbers and patterns on the pages , the book was the real deal .

Zac didn’t return to his storefront . Instead , he entered a rest area by the teleporter , where he borrowed an empty room . A full hour later , Zac emerged clean and mostly refreshed , and he went straight back toward the teleportation square .

Keys of Ascension , ’ Zac said in his mind as he touched a pillar , and a path opened straight away .

Zac passed through the gate , and a cloud of incredibly dense energy greeted him . It was completely different from the disgusting gunk he’d suffered in Sinner’s Lament . In fact , it was almost the opposite . His exhausted mind felt invigorated and clear . The small amounts of lingering resentment from Sinner’s Lament were soon stripped away .

The Keys of Ascension was a special Green Zone included in the free trials and one of the places Ogras visited before the mission . Zac found himself at a platform floating in a sea of clouds , with an ancient stone bridge ahead . Two people were crossing , but they ignored Zac as they stepped up to another teleportation pillar next to his .

A moment later , they were gone , leaving Zac alone to marvel at the impossibly large structure . Zac felt he was looking at an Escher painting come to life , stretching thousands of meters into the sky . He couldn’t even tell what shape it held . One moment it seemed like a cube , but it was a sphere after Zac blinked . It contained tens of thousands of rooms , buildings , statues , and all kinds of random features , each moving about in defiance of any logic based on three-dimensional thinking .

Zac wasn’t sure if the Perennial Vastness had built this thing or if it had picked it up like so many other of its opportunities . It didn’t matter to Zac as he started toward the construct . What mattered was that the Keys of Ascension had the best cultivation chambers in the whole Perennial Vastness .

Zac had been given twelve hours of free access . After that , it would cost a whopping 500 Mana an hour , proving just how valuable the zone was . It could be considered the most valuable of all the free trials , and guests generally thought it a small accommodation because almost everyone who arrived had the same idea as Zac and Ogras . People were hoarding breakthroughs . With the Keys of Ascension , people could get that part out of the way and instead focus on gathering Mana and improving their blueprints .

The enormous structure didn’t get any easier to understand even as Zac approached , but Ogras had already shared the experience of his visit . The moment Zac reached the edge of the bridge , he released his Branch of the Kalpataru while starting to recite his Void Sutras . Zac felt a pull , and he curiously followed the calling as he walked toward the keys .

Rooms kept appearing and disappearing , whole castles came and went in the blink of an eye . Then the confusing blur started to stabilize until Zac found a set of golden stairs waiting for him . He didn’t hesitate as he stepped onto it , and his surroundings shifted . The bridge leading to the teleporters was gone , and he found himself in the middle of the confusing mesh .

Statues , arches , towers , and all kinds of buildings danced around him , each holding incredibly pure and powerful truths . It all blended together in a tapestry akin to the Heavens themselves . Zac didn’t let himself be distracted . He never stopped channeling his Dao , and he kept most of his attention on the stairs . This place wasn’t dangerous , but it wouldn’t hold your hand .

If you stepped off the path or got confused by the powerful Daos , you might find yourself lost among the Keys of Ascension . Let alone wasting your twelve hours of subsidized experience , you might even end up deep in debt before you managed to find your way out .

His ears roared with foreign yet enticing Daos , yet Zac staunchly took the next step as it was created . Sometimes it felt like he was walking upside down . Other times he felt inverted . He ignored his senses and kept on until he reached a small golden pagoda . It was simple and unadorned , except for two statues depicting tranquil flames to the side of the entrance .

Zac breathed out in relief , and the chaos outside died down upon ascending its seven steps . The temple looked quite small on the outside , yet it was over one hundred meters across within . The floor was neither tiled nor made from wood . It was rather made up of a sea of gold nuggets ranging from the size of pebbles to fists .

Floating above were innumerable motes of golden Life . The scene almost made Zac feel like he was walking into a grill or a cauldron , and that feeling was only reinforced upon passing the gates . An incredible wave of heat hit him when he stepped inside , a heat far beyond most of the volcanoes he’d visited .

Yet , it didn’t feel uncomfortable at all . The heat was filled to the brim with the Dao of Life , and his partially Life-attuned Constitution was enkindled rather than damaged . To his normal vision , there was no heat source in the temple , but the situation was very different upon activating Cosmic Gaze] .

In the middle of the temple , there was an empty circle . With his Dao-attuned gaze , he could see a raging golden fire within—a true Spiritual Flame of Life , completely unblemished and untainted by the Peak of the Grand Materia . The walls were covered in runes resonating with his path , but their function was clearly just to contain the incredible power hidden within that central flame .

Thankfully , there was not a hint of the Sangha in the chamber . The original method of Boundless Vajra Sublimation] strongly recommended cultivating inside powerful Dharmic Flames , such as the Samadhi True Flames . Therefore , Zac knew the Keys of Ascension would produce a cultivation chamber with flames because of his chants , and he’d been worried he’d be forced to deal with pathbreaking Dharma while breaking through .

As luck would have it , the Keys of Ascension produced a chamber with an invisible flame of Pure Life , almost reminiscent of the Void .

None among the guests knew whether the rooms were created in one’s image to so perfectly match their cultivation methods or if the confusing mesh of chambers held far more rooms than one could imagine . Remembering the incredible scenes outside , Zac wasn’t any closer to the answer either .

Zac cast away any doubts and confusions , focusing on what was important .

It was time to break through with the Void Vajra Sublimation] .

In a perfect world , he would also have used the Keys of Ascension to break through with his Nine Reincarnations Manual] . Unfortunately , the breakthroughs of his soul took quite a while . Just the first step required him to channel the full cycle , and most breakthroughs had taken a couple of days . There was no way he’d manage to break through in twelve hours , and he didn’t have the luxury of spending all his Mana on this zone . Thankfully , he already had a plan for his soul , so it wasn’t like he was out of options .

Zac let his mind fuse with the surroundings as he walked toward the central circle . He was fast becoming Life in its purest form . The dancing motes around him , the nuggets beneath his feet . It all filled him with inspiration . Every breath took him further away from the harsh environment of Sinner’s Lament and gave him the gift of Life . Even if Zac somehow failed with his breakthrough , he would most likely leave with a hundred years of recovered longevity .

One piece of clothing after another was stripped and put away , which brought Zac even closer to the Dao . His movements were slow and deliberate , yet filled with meaning . It was like the Dao of Life guided his hands . His mind soon emptied of everything except the Dao of Life and the Void Vajra Sublimation] .

Everything else faded away . His struggles , his worries , his past , and his future . In comparison , Zac felt the Void Vajra Sublimation] had never been as clear in his mind , not even when he created it with the truths of Ultom . The environment in the Keys of Ascension obviously couldn’t compare to an Eternal Heritage , but the light of Ultom was bereft of Dao .

Here , the Dao of Life was infused into his understanding , like color suddenly added to a black and white image .

Zac painted one rune after another onto his body , each imbued and perfected by the golden motes fusing into them . Soon , he was covered from head to toe , glowing like a golden Buddha . He took a deep breath and stepped into the central circle . The scorching heat of the invisible flames licked his skin , but the flames that would instantly have incinerated most E-grade cultivators only helped activate the medicinal paste on his skin .

The chants of Void echoed in his mind . Zac didn’t know if a minute or an hour had passed , but he felt the world align . Zac’s eyes shot open , and he took his first step toward Minor Sublimation .

The whole room shook as he stomped on the ground , and the lazy motes of golden light in the temple kicked into a frenzy . Life surged to unprecedented heights , creating a powerful restrictive force . Yet years of arduous practice had made heart and body as stable as mountains , and he smoothly finished the first stance .

Like the two previous times he broke through , a rune holding an aspect of Life was left behind . Only this time , it didn’t feel like a feature made real by his heart alone . It shone in gold , seemingly instilled with the very essence of the Heavens . There was nothing intangible about the rune—it was so real it almost made the rest of the temple feel lacking in corporeity .

An unending stream of Life poured into the rune , and Zac was inwardly relieved he’d chosen to wait rather than breaking through back on Earth . The quantity and quality of truths the rune absorbed from the temple far surpassed what he’d be able to produce back home , no matter how many Divine Crystals or Natural Treasures he took out .

Even if he’d managed to break through , it wouldn’t be as perfect as it would here , just like he’d barely squeaked by in some of his breakthroughs of the soul . The cost of 500 Mana an hour was steep , but Zac felt it was definitely worth it as one golden rune after another appeared inside the Spiritual Flames .

Two hours later , Zac’s hands clasped together , forming the 189th and final Sutra of the third layer . Each one contained enough energy to turn a Hegemon into ash . Together , they formed a cocoon of Life , the key to his transformation into a Life-attuned Constitution .

Though the runes didn’t fuse into the body themselves . Zac could feel how they resisted the pull , almost like the Heavens were trying to prevent its secrets from being stolen . Zac already knew this would happen , and not a ripple could be seen on his face as he started to pull .

Having completed a full cycle of Minor Sublimation , Zac had fully entered the ethereal state of the Void . His will was unbendable , and the runes were dragged closer and closer while a storm of Life raged through the temple .

Finally , the runes touched his body , branding themselves on his skin and forming another set of mysterious pathways . For a moment , Zac felt like he’d formed a bridge between the Heavens and himself , and a sense of awe overcame him as he peered at the very heart of the Dao of Life .

Marvel soon turned into pain . Unbelievable pain and a sense of impending disaster .

18

MISGIVINGS

Suffering was a constant companion on the journey of Body Refinement . The agony Zac had to endure to forcibly push through three layers of the Void Vajra Sublimation] in a couple of years would’ve been enough to break the spirits of most cultivators . Yet that was nothing compared to the pain now wracking his body .

Millions of tendrils burrowed into him like flesh-eating maggots , each one a stab at his body , mind , and heart , chipping away at Zac’s conviction and sanity . The currents of divinity were uncaring about his suffering , spreading like wildfire through his body now that they’d been forcibly dragged from the Heavens .

It seemed like the energies were more interested in destroying than reforming , an eager match to gasoline upon encountering the powerful golden swirls in the depths of his cells . Before , there had been order to the tremendous power hiding those miniature storms . Now , chaos was unleashed as his body tried not just to paint the cells golden but to turn them into actual gold .

Was this punishment for going against the natural order , trying to steal Life from the Cosmos? The bridge to Heaven collapsed , its foundations cracked and in disorder . Zac was left standing on the other shores , seeing what he’d built over the past years be consumed by the raging fire of the glowing runes .

Had he been wrong? He’d been so sure the method he’d created with the truth of Ultom would work with his constitution , and nothing he’d experienced during his years of diligent practice had given him cause to think otherwise . Now , Zac found himself dealing with what seemed to be a state of mutual rejection between method and body .

Should he give up?

The thought was small and fleeting , yet it created huge waves in his mind . Zac’s heart shuddered , and the golden runes flickered before he could rein it in . Even then , his ethereal state was damaged , and new suspicions and worries replaced the ones he’d pushed down . Zac did what he could to regain his meditative state . He was in trouble . The Void Vajra Sublimation] was based on the heart , so when the heart wavered , so did the method . This couldn’t go on .

Zac gritted his teeth , and the world dimmed . He’d activated Void Zone] in the middle of his breakthrough in an effort to forcibly recalibrate his state of mind . Thankfully , the method was fused with the Void . The runes across his body only lost a little bit of energy after being drenched in Void Energy , and the invisible flames readily replenished what he lost .

Most importantly , the sudden wave of nothingness calmed his frayed heart , allowing him to analyze the problem calmly . The method clearly indicated a tipping point where resistance became acceptance . Heavens and Earth would become one , and external would become internal . He just needed to maintain his Heart of Void , continuing to pilfer from the Heavens until he reached that point .

And while the method was more dangerous and agonizing than he’d expected , he could tell he was getting closer . He no longer wielded Life . He was fast becoming Life . Even with eyes closed , Zac could feel his body shine with divine light , like a golden statue .

If it was just pain , he could endure it . This kind of violent reaction wasn’t mentioned in the method , but it could have explanations other than a failed breakthrough . His attributes and Vigor were far beyond the norm because of his Draugr half and various experiences , just as his cells could contain far more energy than normal because of his bloodline . It was also possible his body had a harder time than normal accepting an attunement because he lacked the affinities to pave the way .

How could that stop him? He was the inheritor of a bloodline so powerful the System itself targeted it . He wouldn’t let a minor bottleneck on a Body Tempering Method impede him . Even if convention and logic told him no , so what? As long as he held on to his path , he’d make the impossible possible . This was just like when using Bloodline Resonance] to get control over his Bloodline Talents . Sometimes , you just have to keep going .

Yet , the poisonous thoughts crept back as Life continued to pour into his body . Words of caution , of not giving in to sunk-cost fallacy as he ran toward a dead end . That there was just too much energy inside the 189 golden runes that still glowed with inexhaustible divinity .

Not even his cells could accommodate this much force , and the temple was inexhaustible in its accommodation . Zac was just reforging his body , not forming a Cosmic Core . Even his danger sense started to indicate imminent doom as his cells began to show cracks from the overload .

It was like a volcano had been trapped inside his body as Zac furiously condensed , purified , and suppressed with his Dao and his determination . Yet , he found it harder and harder to hold on . The agony consumed all thought , and he could tell the runes were only halfway consumed even when he teetered on the brink of collapse .

He had no option but to activate Void Zone] again . Not to recover his state of mind but to let his cells rest and stabilize for a few seconds . When he deactivated the talent , the Dao of Life had been pushed deeper and integrated further with the core of his being . This cycle continued for a while , with Zac forced to make things up as things came , using everything from his bloodline and his Dao to forcibly quell some spillover with Spiritual Ice .

Then , his closed eyes snapped open in horror .

No! - Zac roared as he tried activating Void Zone] in a panic .

It was too late . The threshold had been reached , but not in the way it was supposed to . The volcano brewing in his body erupted , its fury and ferocity so intense that Zac lost the connection to his bloodline . He was unable to even move as he found himself trapped by the glowing runes . The cocoon of his transformation had turned into his prison .

Blinding cracks spread across his fingers , then his arms , releasing plumes of bloody mist that were instantly burned by the invisible flames . The cracks covered his whole body in an instant , a situation far beyond anything even the splinters had created . They reached the very depth of his body—trillions of cells , trillions of fractures .

And then it all collapsed .

Zac screamed with horror , yet not a sound was made as his body exploded into a mottled dust cloud that was pushed to the corners of the sealed temple . As Zac’s body was destroyed , so were his thoughts . There was no past , no future—only the glowing warmth of Life . The feeling was a blanket on his soul , a comforting one rather than suffocating .

If he accepted this new phase of existence , he would become one with the cosmos and the Heavenly Dao . Yet a powerful wave of repulsion made the dust shudder . Zac wasn’t ready to give in . His determination acted like a beacon , gathering his scattered thoughts . With his soul spread through the cloud , he started to pull . And as Zac pulled , he held onto his Dao Heart .

His perception shifted , and the cosmos was suddenly held at bay . Between the unceasing fount of divinity and himself was an impassable wall of demarcation . He was once more the Void , looking in at Life from the outside . And he started taking what he needed . Zac refused to consider defeat or surrender , even for a moment .

So , he’d exploded . It wasn’t good , but he was still alive . And the dust was somehow connected to him , allowing him to impose his will on it . He would survive this tribulation , even if he had to create a body akin to Ubu’s , the Life Elemental he met inside the Orom World .

From there , he could figure out how to return to a fleshy state . He was already planning on doing the same for Alea , so what was one more body? He might even be able to create it right away with Creation Energy after the situation stabilized . One thing was for sure , though . No matter what , he wouldn’t give up .

Zac had too many people relying on him , too many goals left unfinished . So what if he became a walking cloud of Life only held together by sheer force of will? It wouldn’t impede his path . As though agitated by his thoughts , the dust churned and roiled as it started being dragged back toward the circle of invisible flames . Like a pilgrimage , where the pieces of his broken self returned to their origin .

And on the way , the mottled dust took in the ambient Life of the temple . And just as Zac took what he wanted with his Heart of Void , so did he repel what he didn’t need . As a result , the dust started shedding , their mottled exteriors replaced by gold far more radiant than the motes of Life dancing around .

Eventually , the first swirls of dust hesitantly entered the invisible flames . The cloud shuddered and smoke of various colors separated from the dust . Black , grey , green . Small oily drops were also formed , falling like a profane rain toward the golden nuggets below . But no matter whether it was mist or oil , black , red , or green , it was all incinerated by the invisible flame of Life .

Zac vaguely sensed the transformations taking place and furiously held onto his conviction . To reform what was broken . To continue down his path . And in response , a shape started to form in the center of the circle . It wasn’t a hand or a head , but rather the first rune of the Void Vajra Sublimation] .

This time , it wasn’t made from medicinal paste or his Heart . It was made from the broken-down and purified rubble of Zac’s body . It was completely without blemish , a perfected expression of Life . One after another , more golden runes bloomed under the nourishment of his heart . And with every rune forming , Zac felt his scattered thoughts congeal . Almost like an imaginary wall made from his Dao Heart kept his soul in place , gently guiding it back together .

Eventually , 189 runes of purest Life formed an outline of a being . One grand cycle for the Heavens and one for the Earth . Joined together by the nine minor wheels of Life , one body of divinity perfected . It was still just a hollow pattern , but only half of the dust had entered the Spiritual Flame circle by this point . More refined dust was being pulled in by the second . As long as Zac kept going , something akin to a body would form .

The moment the final rune was perfected , Zac heard a bell in the depths of his mind . Unprecedented clarity was followed by a stream of new information . It wasn’t an epiphany that came from his reinforcing his path . It was like the cultivation method in his mind had unfurled like a flower bud , displaying previously hidden pieces . A grand voice echoed through his mind , filled with power and compassion .

Only by surrendering the self can the one become the Boundless Cosmos . Only through a Heart of Dao can the Boundless Cosmos become the one . Sublimation through rebirth . Reality subject to an eternal will . The path of the immutable Varja . ’

Sublimation through rebirth , ’ Zac thought , the hidden despair in the depths of his heart swept away , replaced by anticipation .

With the hidden chapter of the method unfurled , Zac finally understood what was happening . There was a hidden tribulation at the threshold of the Minor Sublimation—a tribulation of the Heart . The breakthrough would only continue if your Heart was firm enough , even in the face of disaster .

If it failed , your soul would gradually disperse in the clouds . If inside a Buddhist domain , your essence could be reformed into a Dharmic Will , which could be infused into a statue or a Dharmic Treasure . For someone like Zac , it simply meant death .

Zac had no idea why the hidden danger hadn’t shown itself even when he reforged the method with the truth of Ultom , but he wasn’t too disappointed . He could feel how his Dao Heart had made a breakthrough even before his body , reaching a state akin to the Integration Stage of technique . Like a metal , a Dao Heart could only be tempered when put into the fire , whether it was life-and-death encounters or significant setbacks to their cultivation .

If Zac had known he was supposed to disintegrate , he would just have focused on the next step , and his heart wouldn’t have aligned as well with his path . And from the information , Zac could tell the heart was the key to passing the Minor Sublimation . Only when one’s will was powerful enough to alter reality and control the dust could you reforge your body .

This wasn’t a hidden trap of the Sangha but rather a way to increase the rate of success of their practitioners at the expense of the ones lacking Fate . The unexpected pain , the growing sense of unease , and finally , the collapse . It was all there to trigger and temper the practitioner’s Heart . If their Dao Hearts couldn’t withstand the despair of having their body collapse , they wouldn’t be able to finish the second half of the breakthrough in either case .

Heart was the key . What he believed real , was real . What his heart deemed false , was false . Everything was in place .

Of course , he still needed to complete this breakthrough before celebrating . Just understanding the situation didn’t mean he could relax . The avatar made from runes was still hollow , and the burst of information had created waves in his heart .

Some of the runes had already destabilized , while the remaining dust started scattering . Zac reaffirmed his heart , spreading his will through the temple . The process resumed and sped up until nine separate swirls entered the invisible flames simultaneously . Seven entered gates that had appeared on his body from the top of his head down to his groin . The final two entered through the hands of the runes , which formed the closing mudra of the Void Vajra Sublimation] .

As the purified dust entered his body , it was dust no longer . Under the transformations of his heart , veins and bones were forged . Then came organs , each one glistening with Life like a Natural Treasure . Eventually , a golden statue sat within the invisible flames , perfect and fully formed . The dust was expended , the impurities banished .

He was whole .

Zac stood and walked out of the flame , but he didn’t get dressed . Instead , he touched his Spatial Ring , and a small vial appeared in his hand . It was the drops Iz had gifted him after his first breakthrough of the Body Tempering Method . Zac carefully swallowed a single drop then hurried back to the central ring , afraid to lose his current state of mind .

One drop wasn’t his limit , but there were only six drops remaining in the small vial . He needed to save some for his other projects , and he had the time to stabilize his breakthrough inside the Perennial Vastness .

He let himself continue to be annealed in the flames of Life for a while longer while studying the updated Void Vajra Sublimation] . Between the incredible temple that had facilitated such a perfect breakthrough and his elevated state of mind , Zac was in a state of utmost clarity and certainty .

Previously unclear parts of the fourth layer of the Void Vajra Sublimation] were unraveled and fixed , getting closer and closer to a workable method . Only when he heard a soft ding did he slowly open his eyes .

Thirty minutes , like you asked , - Null reminded .

Thank you . - Zac smiled .

He was still some ways from finalizing the fourth layer of the method , but the Keys of Ascension wasn’t the place to finish that work . It was far too expensive and using it for anything but breaking through was a waste of Mana .

Zac looked down at his body . He was still golden and glowing with the lines of Life , but the radiance receded into the depths of his cells with a thought . Normal flesh replaced the golden metallic hue . That didn’t mean his body had lost anything , neither did it mean his Void Vajra Constitution had entered a dormant state .

In a sense , his body couldn’t be fully considered one of flesh anymore . He was moving closer to a Dao Body , something cultivators normally only gained after stepping into Monarchy . By that point , their true being was the world they nurtured inside their body , while their outer body could be considered a projection of themselves .

Still , his body wasn’t entirely flesh either . With a thought , a series of runes appeared across his arms as his skin turned golden . A moment later , the markings were gone . Zac nodded in satisfaction . His heart dictated what was real and what wasn’t . If his heart said his body was flesh and looked human , it would .

Zac felt like his body had become a treasure trove of hidden benefits , and he began unearthing them as he always did—by opening his Status Screen .

Life] Void Vajra Sublimation (Third Layer) : Base Attributes +50 . Vitality +500 . Endurance +250 . Base Attributes +5% , Vitality +5% . Effect of Vitality +10% .

19

COMING HOME

The boost to Zac’s attributes was mostly expected , though the new improvement to Base Attributes was a welcome surprise . The increases didn’t change much for Zac by this point , but you obviously wouldn’t say no to free power . Unfortunately , awakening a constitution didn’t provide a title , just like his Soul Cultivation and Technique hadn’t .

Some gains were benefits on their own . Besides , Zac guessed these specialized forms of cultivation weren’t really part of the System’s training regimen . The System was there to mass-produce warriors through levels and grades . Ultimately , it was still more efficient to push more cultivators with weaker foundations to higher grades on a macro scale . Raising peak existences that could push toward the limits of cultivation was ultimately a matter of chance .

Elites would always strive to go beyond the bare minimum in either case and didn’t need the System’s handholding every step of the way . If anything , that could probably backfire , like how Iz couldn’t let her extremely powerful elders explain every step of cultivation for her . Some things needed to be discovered by yourself .

Zac’s attributes weren’t the only gains of his breakthrough . His body felt incredibly light , and his Cosmic Energy flowed without impediments . His whole body was in nigh-perfect condition , completely unsullied by the taint of Earthly matter . He remembered how much putrid oil and multi-colored clouds had been released and incinerated as he reformed .