Defiance of the Fall Chapter 1427: Changes

Who would have imagined that reaching Peak D-grade, a stage that brought most Hegemons to despair, would turn out to be the smoothest part of the journey? While advancing his bloodline presented an unexpected hurdle, the Core Formation itself proceeded flawlessly. Not a single fragment of his core was lost or irrecoverably damaged, and integrating the new Peak D-grade materials encountered no significant complications.

Zac's personal growth accounted for only a portion of this success. A substantial part was due to the resources he could access since the trial's commencement. The materials incorporated into his core far surpassed anything available in the Zecia sector, as did the arrays employed to facilitate his breakthrough. The ancestors of the Allbright Empire or the Dravorak Dynasty would readily wage war for a cultivation environment akin to the Judgment Plateau's level.

As Laondio articulated in the Bloodline Vision, flourishing on the path of cultivation necessitates Land, Companions, Wealth, and Inheritance. From the perspective of the established factions across the Multiverse, the frontier was deficient in all these aspects.

Awareness of this reality instilled worry in Zac regarding the future. The early arrival of the Left Imperial Palace served as a stark reminder that such rapid progress would not continue indefinitely. He needed to leverage the limited time remaining to prepare for what lay ahead. Primarily, although his Cosmic Core was in excellent condition, there was still room for enhancement.

The core no longer possessed its former perfected aura, and its Law-attunement had diminished. Zac had anticipated this outcome, and the core now appeared virtually indistinguishable from what one might expect from a talented Cultivator. Nevertheless, having witnessed the final state of his Late D-grade Cosmic Core, Zac felt reluctant to accept it as is. If he intended to restore his core to its perfected state, the Left Imperial Expanse presented his most promising avenue.

The crux of the matter hinged on Zac's ability to outright seize the Primo’s treasure. Zac couldn't help but grimace as he scanned his Disciple token. His reserves of Imperial Merit hadn't merely dwindled; they had been completely depleted. He still possessed a few thousand points of Potentiality and all the Longanimity he had accumulated, but Zac felt like a pauper compared to his previous standing.

In Zac’s estimation, the Void Tree's steep price was justified. He learned from Tavza that advancing one's Bloodline to C-grade before opening an Inner World was considerably more difficult, yet Zac had crossed that threshold with remarkable ease. The two fruits derived from the true Void of Chaos were undoubtedly a major contributor to his success, positioning their value alongside the top-tier treasures available on the exchange. One could even argue that he had secured a substantial bargain.

Zac still had over a week remaining on his reservations and resolved to linger a while longer. His core would require a few days to stabilize, and the Judgment Plateaus offered the optimal environment for this process. This decision wasn't solely driven by the desire to maximize the value of the 12,000 merit points paid for two Judgment Plateaus. The plateaus offered exceptional security, a factor that had become unexpectedly crucial.

With the Duplicity Core still undergoing its transformation, Zac was incapable of actually utilizing his newly formed Cosmic Core. The Void proved insatiable; no energy he attempted to channel through a vortex was returned. Consequently, he could currently only activate skills utilizing Void Energy. A part of him considered starving the Technocrat Core into submission, but he had observed the precarious state it entered when deprived for extended periods.

Rather than resorting to suppression, Zac concluded it would be more advantageous to expedite the process. Initially, Zac retrieved his communicator. This time, it sprang to life upon being infused with energy. He had repeatedly attempted to contact Ogras over the preceding hours for an update on the Hollow Court, but it had been unsuccessful, with some force impeding the connection. In a way, this blockage served as further confirmation of Esmeralda’s theories.

A significant event transpired during his breakthrough, and the disturbance was not confined to the sealed-off mountain. Zac remained entirely unaware of what had occurred. Why had a tribulation descended only to disregard him? It might have made some sense if it were linked to the mysterious tree, but the Heavens had already retreated when the Void of Chaos was divided into Life and Death.

“It’s done,” Zac declared.

Ogras responded after a brief pause.

“The sky is falling? What’s happening? I need to remain on the Judgment Plateau for a few more days,” Zac inquired.

Ogras stated.

“Did you witness the appearance of two pillars in the center of the Left Imperial Expanse?”

“It seems the tribulation was drawn there, and the Indomitable Court inexplicably joined the fray. I am still unclear on the specifics,” Zac replied, subsequently detailing Esmeralda’s recording.

Ogras concurred.

“I’m not convinced it was mine,” Zac stated. “My tribulation was a month ago, and I didn’t sense any malice directed at me then. I suspect the leaders manipulated my breakthrough’s heavenly descent for their own ends, perhaps using me as a conduit.”

Ogras responded.

“Let’s just leave it,” Zac suggested after a moment of reflection. “We’re too insignificant for matters of this magnitude; we’re merely pawns in their grand schemes.”

Ogras let out a chuckle.

“Disappeared? What transpired?”

“Was it chaos caused by her, or a naturally occurring phenomenon?”

“What other discoveries did you make?”

“Is she back already?”

Ogras remarked.

“I doubt it. I could barely endure it for a few minutes when I explored it previously,” Zac admitted. “She doesn’t seem like the type to act rashly or without certainty. She must have uncovered something significant.”

“We haven’t reached that point yet. We’ll look into it together once I emerge in a few days. Keep me informed if you find anything,” Zac sighed.

Still, Zac couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret for not utilizing all his resources when searching for the Primo’s treasure upon his arrival. He could have sought assistance using Roan’s token, and he still possessed the Primo’s feather from Kator’s Spatial Ring. With his imminent breakthrough, he had deliberately refrained from using them, assuming there were no obvious leads lest they trigger unforeseen events.

Now, Tavza had capitalized on his breakthrough, gaining an advantage. As they had surmised, her seemingly arbitrary questions while navigating the graveyards held a deeper significance. They simply lacked the comprehension of the Primo and ancient lore to piece everything together.

“I will. Speak with you again soon.”

Zac stored away the communicator, his gaze drifting towards the desolate sky of the Judgment Plateau’s secluded realm. He almost would have welcomed another tribulation rather than navigating this ambiguous predicament. What was the objective behind the leaders’ push for his bloodline advancement? Could the peculiar state of his Duplicity Core be a trap set by the Kayar-Elu?

The Earth Sage was fully cognizant of Zac’s connection to the Void, and Roan possessed the capability to produce the optimal treasure for triggering his bloodline evolution. He could have also interfered with Zac’s Specialty Core to dictate the sequence of events. Even if they weren’t directly involved, it was evident they desired this outcome.

Earlier, Zac hadn’t the luxury to ponder the specifics, but evolving his Void Emperor bloodline under the scrutiny of multiple Imperial Supremacies would undoubtedly have consequences. Could they recognize the bloodline of Karz, the original Limitless Emperor? Was it Karz’s regal aura that facilitated the premature appearance of the Left Imperial Palace?

And if Karz’s aura was indeed identified, would it align the Supremacies of the Left Imperial Expanse as allies or adversaries?

The Bloodline Vision had affirmed that Karz was indeed the original Limitless Emperor. Zac wasn’t certain why Karz found it necessary to adopt the name Laondio, but he conjectured it was related to the Imperial Fate and the immense Faith Energy accumulated by the empire.

While Karz operated openly, Laondio Evrodok functioned as a strategist from the shadows, orchestrating an expanding network of schemes. Karz’s subordinate had referred to Laondio as Grand Chancellor. Upon reflection, Laondio might very well be the Grand Chancellor who dispatched Descartes Belial to the Mercurial Court. No, the timing did not seem to align.

It remained uncertain whether Karz willingly relinquished the throne in his later years or if he was truly betrayed and forced into exile by the Sindris Clan. Regardless, that event would have already occurred by the time depicted in the memory domains of the Outer Courts. Unless Laondio retained his former position, the chancellor mentioned by the Belial Descendant must be someone else entirely.

From Zac’s perspective, the era portrayed in the memory domains was merely centuries before the System’s awakening and the onset of the Dark Ages. In stark contrast, Karz spent hundreds of thousands of years with the Technocrats, according to Leandra. In the end, Karz rallied the Progenitors of the Technocrat Clans to thwart Laondio’s machinations.

What transpired during that confrontation remains a profound mystery to this day. Based on Zac’s observations in the Bloodline Vision, he surmised that Karz’s departure and subsequent return were part of a calculated scheme. Whether Karz faced betrayal in the end or made that choice intentionally, it seemed almost certain that Karz ultimately became the nexus of the System. The detached nature of Karz’s Heavenly Dome bore too strong a resemblance to the System’s transcendent presence to be mere coincidence.

Zac even harbored a suspicion regarding Karz’s need to infiltrate the Selvari. It all seemed connected to the most astonishing revelation from the Bloodline Vision: the existence of the Peak of Progress, or the Peak of Man, as Laondio had termed it.

The existence of a Peak of Man wasn’t the peculiar part. In fact, it aligned perfectly with the Peaks of Heaven and Earth, forming the fundamental trinity central to numerous Daoist philosophies. The truly astonishing element was Zac’s complete lack of any prior recollection of the Peak of Man, nor could he recall any cultivator who had pursued this particular Dao. Zac found it utterly impossible to even conceptualize how such a Dao might manifest itself.

It was as if his mind possessed an inherent blind spot, only illuminated when specific details were revealed within the vision. Zac was not the sole individual experiencing this phenomenon; the entire cosmos seemed to have collectively erased its memory of one of the cultivation peaks. Even the Technocrats, whose purported legacy was built upon the “Peak of Progress,” were not exempt from this cosmic amnesia.

Zac remembered pondering the peculiar spirituality imbued within Technocrat inventions, perceiving it as a chaotic amalgam of innumerable concepts. This was in stark contrast to the unadulterated Daos he strove to cultivate himself. He wondered if this convoluted state was the original condition of the Dao of Technology. Perhaps, with the disappearance of the Peak of Man, the original concepts were lost, compelling the Technocrats to forge new pathways of advancement.

The architect behind these machinations was undeniably clear, with all intricate plots ultimately tracing back to Laondio Evrodok. Karz was a cultivator endowed with boundless potential, potentially the only individual in history capable of cultivating a Grand Dao encompassing all seventeen peaks. Yet, Laondio Evrodok had maintained an effortless pace, a fact that fueled Karz’s growing apprehension.

The Bloodline Vision of today finally shed light on Laondio’s true path, extending far beyond his uncanny aptitude for manipulating the perceptions of those around him. Laondio emerged as an unparalleled genius, singularly dedicated to the Peak of Man, charting a course of extremity diametrically opposed to Karz’s own. Nevertheless, Laondio’s aspirations appeared no less monumental.

While the seventeen Utmost Authorities and their formidable powers were widely regarded as the zenith of cultivation, it seemed Laondio had somehow transcended this pinnacle. He had successfully lured the leaders of the Selvari, Supremacies wielding significant authority over the Peak of Man, and eliminated them entirely. With his primary competitors removed, Laondio claimed dominion over the entirety of the Peak of Man for himself.

The chasm between merely acquiring a peak’s Utmost Authority and ascending to the status of a Seal or Throne was immense. Attaining the rank of Seal or Throne was akin to becoming the sovereign of a vast empire. An emperor, though holding nominal title over his domain, could realistically command only his immediate palace and its surroundings. Millions resided within his empire, largely living according to their own whims.

What Laondio had apparently accomplished was the expulsion of the entire populace, subsequently erecting a formidable wall around his newly claimed kingdom. The sheer audacity to execute such a feat was one aspect; the immense power required to reshape the cosmic order placed Laondio on par with the primordial entities of Ancient Arcana—the very foundations upon which the Multiverse was built.

A sudden realization struck Zac, prompting him to retrieve the [Omnitool]. His initial objective upon inheriting the [Cosmic Forge] had been to fortify the crafting tool by imbuing it with treasures from all seventeen peaks. Despite his best efforts, Zac could discern no deficiency within the tool; it felt entirely complete. He questioned whether he had indeed explored a dimension rooted in the Peak of Man previously. He wondered if the tool had been self-completed, or if the Grand Dao functioned as an indivisible whole, even with one tapestry piece missing.

“Hey, have you heard about the Peak of—” Zac’s words faltered as Esmeralda suddenly approached.

A potent premonition surged through him, warning that dire consequences would ensue should Zac persist in publicly discussing Laondio’s clandestine affairs.

“Heard about what? Did you recall something?” Esmeralda inquired.

Zac swiftly altered his query. “Would you be so kind as to recite the names of the Seventeen Peaks of Dao for me, if you please?”

“What? Right now?”

“Please, indulge me. All seventeen of them, if you would.”

“Continuum, Order, Chaos, Conflict, Stellar, Karma, Nature, Impetus, Grand Tapestry, Grand Materia, Fantasy, Faith, Taiji, Heavenly, Inverse, and finally, the Solitary Peak,” Esmeralda stated. “There, are you satisfied?”

“Are you absolutely certain you haven’t omitted one?”

“Miss one?” Esmeralda scoffed. “My dear protégé, do not presume the heavens revolve around you merely because of a minor advancement. Your magnificent master was once a Supremacy. While I may have forgotten much over time, how could I possibly err on such fundamental knowledge?”

“My apologies, I am still somewhat disoriented,” Zac replied, wisely deciding to drop the subject.

He had successfully confirmed his suspicion that Laondio had actively suppressed knowledge of the Peak of Man, mirroring his tactics with Karz’s name. Pressing the issue further would prove futile. At best, Esmeralda would react similarly to the conjured individuals within the memory domains, glossing over the information upon encountering taboo subjects. At worst, she could become ensnared in this perilous affair, potentially drawing the attention of Laondio’s lingering influence. It was not worth the risk to simply satisfy his curiosity.