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Chapter 1,308.
🕑 Added 2024-11-25 20:56:23 +0000 UTCThis was the first time Zac had laid his eyes on a true, still-growing C-grade Natural Treasure. Its profound spirituality was on full display in a way that the C-grade alloys and refined materials couldn’t match. The flower looked much like a daffodil, with purple Void-attuned petals growing out of a pitch-black center.
The three red Dao petals didn’t actually seem connected to the main body. Instead, they floated around the pistil, forming a conic shape. Peering into the cone left Zac’s head buzzing, forcing him to turn away. The covered pistil was black and almost solely made from Void. The same was true for the oddly crooked stem reaching into the spatial gate.
Zac found it difficult to reconcile the small flower with the might of a Plant Emperor despite the blinding aura that almost forced him to his knees. When thinking of C-grade plants, enormous existences taking up regions or even planets came to mind. Heavenrender Vines, like Haro, was a perfect example. He would balloon in size upon becoming a Plant Emperor, able to cover Earth upon reaching the peak of the grade.
There was balance to everything. Plants with such immense physical bodies would have extremely unimpressive Inner Worlds, sometimes none at all. It was a different path from that of cultivators, with both benefits and disadvantages. Growing in the open meant not having any limitations on size.
Most C-grade plants could dwarf the Inner World of the world’s strongest Early Monarch, and they held as much Vigor and Cosmic Energy as dozens of cultivators at the same grade. Aggressive species like Heavenrender Vines could send out millions of vines to create a sea of attacks that few would willingly take on. However, such plants wouldn’t be able to add any noteworthy mass to their vines.
In contrast, a cultivator could leverage the full weight of their Inner World into a skill or a precision strike. Even with the lower weight of an Inner World, it could pose a greater threat. Beasts were something of an in-between. Their Beast Cores would form Inner Worlds, which were generally inferior to a cultivator’s. In return, they already had greater fleshy power available through their bodies.
Those were just the most common paths and by no means absolutes. There were Beast Emperors and plants no larger than Humans who also focused on expanding inward. The Void flower belonged to this group, as Zac was certain he was looking at the main body. The spatial gate was only there to provide sustenance, not to hold the bulk of its form.
Zac gingerly entered the inner sanctum, drawn by the flower like a moth to the flame. His body hungered for the power it represented. It was also instinctively wary of an existence exceeding its own. Even [Void Mountain] stirred on its own—a first since upgrading the Bloodline Talent with the blessings stolen from Empyrean Chalice’s interred saints.
He’d been wondering if his Bloodline Talent differed from Karz’s, who seemed capable of infinitely upgrading his Dao Sigils. It looked like his sole sigil was more discerning, directly demanding C-grade material for its next stage. While it technically meant he could upgrade it before his next bloodline awakening, Zac needed the strength to absorb the necessary materials. There was no way he dared to bring a C-grade treasure into his Soul Aperture, even a small, innocuous-looking one like the flower.
Zac kept a respectful distance while inspecting his target. The two layered realities were an expression of its nature, and it was clear that the flower wasn’t like him. It hadn’t perfectly reconciled Void and Dao like the Void Emperor Bloodline. Zac could vaguely tell that space around it was folded to create a separation between its irreconcilable parts, and eons of neglect had made its domain leak into the surroundings.
The flower would need a constant influx of energy to maintain its form. Some of it was drawn from the spatial gate, while the rest had been supplied by the Hidden Earth Abode’s Void-gathering arrays. Zac could also tell that the Hidden Earth’s ambitions weren’t limited to keeping his prize possession safe and well-fed.
The ambient energy inside the isolation chamber differed from the small amounts leaking out of the realm gate. It was neither orderly Hidden Earth Energy nor the Lowest Plane’s raw mix of Void and Dao. It was two parts of the former and eight parts of the latter, and the flower perfectly matched its aura.
Hidden Earth had been transforming the Natural Treasure to better match his heritage. Zac guessed the project hit a roadblock, or he died before finishing the transition, leaving the Void Treasure in its imperfect semi-transformed state. Its nature had already shifted from that of the Lowest Plane, causing its sole source of nourishment to destabilize its folded spaces.
With the Void Gathering Arrays turned off and the stabilizing mountains gone, the flower also suffered both from energy starvation and food poisoning. It didn’t matter much to Zac, who was only interested in the raw energy.
Despite the short deadline, Zac didn’t directly enter the isolation chamber. He moved to a worktable, picking a few of the Void Treasures along the way. They were completely different from the Void Treasures he’d bought from the Void Gate, which had been harvested around Spatial Tears or inside the Void of Space. That was a limited Void still within Heaven’s purview.
The Dao still existed within the Dao of Space, and there was very little Void Energy to be found. Otherwise, Zac could have opened up a Spatial Tear to replenish his Void Energy whenever he ran out. It was the same with the Void Beasts he’d encountered. Rather than true beings of the Void, it was more accurate to say they had a deadly allergy to the Dao of Space.
They only embodied the Void of Space, and that was enough to extract a significant amount of Void Energy with [Void Heart]. If the cores of Void Beasts were 5-10% attuned to the Void, then the Natural Treasures growing inside the flower’s domain were at least 40%. That didn’t mean they contained a terrifying number of insights into the myriad Voids of Dao.
The materials were created based on an incomplete set of truths, much like the primordial treasures and Innate Existences born in the Era’s earliest days. This wasn’t something unique to these Void Treasures—the phenomenon defined the Lower Planes and distinguished them from the prime dimensions.
While laughably shallow, the Dao at the frontier was as complete as it were in the Multiverse Heartlands. Meanwhile, Lower Planes were only exposed to a part of the tapestry. Contrary to expectation, having fewer missing pieces didn’t make Lower Planes better. A Lower Plane holding 90% of the Dao, with the missing pieces spread evenly across the seventeen peaks, was simply a worse version of a prime dimension.
Cultivating or being born there would lead to an imperfect path. Such fractured realms were also the most common, according to Esmeralda. People never heard of them since they didn’t hold much value, and the System didn’t bother integrating damaged goods. Only the occasional genius managed to escape the limitations of their environment and reforge their path under the true Dao. In that sense, being born on the frontier wasn’t too bad.
Planes holding a small but complete corner of the Dao were the ones worth visiting. The Eight Hells was the perfect example, almost solely holding the Dao of Death. They’d be among the best places in the Multiverse to look for materials of Pure Death, and undead cultivators could delve into the true nature of Death without other truths coming in the way.
With the Lowest Plane likely sitting at the border between Void and Dao, it likely held an incomplete version of both. Zac couldn't discern the exact composition in the Void Treasures he gathered, and he didn’t particularly care. Zac directly bit down on a Middle D-grade Void mushroom, and a stream of pure Void Energy spread through his body.
Thanks to the flower splitting its surroundings into two dimensional layers, the Void Treasure didn’t exhibit the unusual nature of the Lowest Plane. There was no Dao to filter out, and the mushroom’s earthy energies were very gentle. It was smoothly absorbed, replenishing some of what he’d spent during the battle.
Zac continued eating while he took out the [Fuxi Mountain Gate]. He pressed a Void Crystal against its opening and grimaced when nothing happened. This was what he’d been afraid of since trying to use the Holy Relic to pass through the shockwave. The gate was nowhere near as overbearing as his bloodline. It showed no desire to consume the crystal or the Void Energy it contained.
Changing his approach, Zac drew the crystal’s energy into his body and transferred it to his other hand, where the Holy Relic waited. Under his guidance, the wild energy properly poured into the entrance to be absorbed. Zac spent another minute experimenting. No matter what he tried, Zac couldn’t feed the gate without using himself as an intermediary.
The best Zac could do was use a single finger as a bridge. Energy entered through his nail and continued into the [Fuxi Mountain Gate] through his fingerprint. Almost nothing was stolen by his bloodline or snuck into the rest of his body. Would that be enough? Shaking his head, Zac quickly went through the dusty set of notes left on the table. They didn’t help much beyond confirming Zac’s theory of what Hidden Earth was up to.
The flower was called an [Eclipse Twin], once part of a set, where the other half had an inverted distribution of Void and Dao. Hidden Earth had consumed the other flower to force his way into Peak C-grade. The experience had almost killed him. The ancient Monarch still needed the Void Flower to perfect something he called his ‘Outer Vestige,’ but he was justifiably wary of consuming the more dangerous sibling. Hence, his attempt to realign the flower and increase its compatibility.
There’d be no stopping after he began absorbing the [Eclipse Twin]. The petals were part of a natural formation, and removing just one was no different than destroying an Array Core. The risk of something going wrong would increase with each petal he absorbed. The good news was that Hidden Earth had erased the [Eclipse Twin]’s will as part of his efforts, so it wouldn’t actively attack Zac when he tried to absorb it.
Half of the twin’s energy was stored in the petals while the rest was in the pistil. The stalk was mostly useless, in Hidden Earth’s words, only good for drawing nutrients from the Lowest Plane. Certainly, what was worthless to a Peak Monarch might very well be a rare tonic for a Late D-grade cultivator. Unfortunately, Zac had no way of storing it long-term.
He’d already discovered that true Void Treasures would be exposed to the Dao even inside Spatial Treasures, and they’d gradually erode the subspace. Zac didn’t dare put anything in his main rings, only stashing a few in a spare Cosmos Sack as an experiment. Trying to stash the ‘worthless’ stalk in one of his Spatial Treasures would probably cause the subspace to immediately collapse.
C-grade Spatial Rings or higher could probably endure a while, except he had none. Such items were equally rare and expensive since few bothered crafting them. What was the point? Only Monarchs could use them, and they already had their Inner Worlds. The exception was C-grade Worldrings, which Zac eventually needed to get for Haro.
Zac finished the notes and put them away, a rough plan already in place. Two minutes had passed experimenting, gathering information, and planning. Ready or not, the flower wouldn’t wait much longer. Zac sent a final update to his other half before fashioning a dense piece of moss into a crude knapsack. He left through the exit door and returned in seconds, the pouch filled with Void Treasure Herbs—Zac couldn’t take them away, but they could make his job much easier.
The [Five Breaths Domain]’s barrier was already on its last legs, and Zac pushed straight through without using [Void Mountain]. Blinding spiritual fluctuations slammed into Zac as he came face to face with the [Eclipse Twin]. His mind rattled, and some of his wounds reopened by the flower’s latent emanations. Despite the array’s weakened state, it had contained more than half the spirituality.
The small hatchet from the [Warbringer Dharma] became an anchor that prevented Zac from being swept away by the [Eclipse Twin]’s aura. Zac still trembled with growing hunger as he drew closer, and he used it to his advantage. The ambient energies Zac failed to keep at bay were dragged into the depths of his cells, and he released his grip on [Void Heart] to have it swallow chunks of Inverse Dao whenever dangerous levels had accumulated.
Each second inside the containment chamber came at a cost, and Zac had already spent quite a bit of his to deal with Ivar Serpico. Thankfully, Haro was readily providing Vigor through [Adaptive Symbiosis], singlehandedly maintaining [Adamance of Eoz] and [Immutability of Eoz] to lessen the load.
Zac gingerly touched one of the Void petals, slightly relaxing after confirming it wouldn’t lash out from random stimuli. His cells vibrated with desire after coming so close, and the Void demanded a taste. Zac felt himself slipping toward the madness precluding an indiscriminate binge. He held onto his sanity, carefully searching for an opening to snatch the [Eclipse Twin]’s energy.
Extracting energy from the petal proved surprisingly difficult. A small sea hid within the petal, and extracting its waters was like trying to grab the moonlight reflected on its surface. The ball of Void Energy had reached a critical mass, rebuffing Zac’s tendrils. Once again, the Void Emperor Bloodline provided the solution. The hungrier he grew, the stronger his pull became. A rivulet was soon separated from the sea and dragged out of its home.
He’d released the floodgates by creating a hole in the barrier that had kept the Void Energy contained. The sliver became the vanguard of a rapidly growing river that poured into Zac’s finger. The veins across Zac’s left arm bulged from strain as torrential energies passed through. The experience was worse than dipping his finger in acid, and threads of overwhelming force searched new avenues of escape when Zac failed to contain it all.
Zac furiously rallied his bloodline to create a moat of Void to steer the energy into the [Fuxi Mountain Gate]. The [Twin Eclipse] wouldn’t let itself be contained by such inferior power. Over and over, Zac’s defenses crumbled and were rebuilt, each cycle invariably creating small gaps. Streaks of white-hot C-grade Energy set his pathways aflame as they rushed deeper into his body.
Holding nothing back, Zac cranked the golden cyclones in his cells to their limits. Even a fraction of the flower’s power was too intense. Rather than quantity, it was a suppression of grade. Resisting its advance felt like trying to counter a Late Dao Branch with a mere Dao Fragment. Zac’s Soul worked overtime to split the invading streams into countless parcels small enough they could be safely dragged into his personal Void.
Despite the petal being made from pure Void, small amounts of Inverse Dao also made its way into his finger. Zac urgently moved it along, making it the gate’s problem. It was impossible to contain it all, and the concepts exceeded the level of Earthly Daos. To Zac, the high-grade Dao represented a far greater threat than the Void. He had no choice but to repeatedly rely on [Void Mountain]’s Dao-erasing sigil to erase or at least weaken the truths before they entered his body.
The expenditure was immense, and eating D-grade Void Treasures like snacks was only a stopgap solution. The cycle of emptying and refilling the tank would soon wring him dry. Thankfully, the petal was pouring mind-boggling amounts of energy into the [Fuxi Mountain Gate] every second. He only needed to persevere for a few minutes.
While Zac managed to keep his body in one piece, it wasn’t the real battlefield. The clash took place inside his index finger, and it was a losing battle. Cracks had begun spreading the second the process started, and Zac had no way to even slow down his defeat. Soon, his two upper joints exploded, releasing a burst of rampant Void Energy that almost took Zac’s head.
Zac quickly pressed another finger against the petal to plug the leak. Meanwhile, ancient defenses siphoned half the errant Void Energy before a loud snap warned Zac he was on his own. Hidden Earth must have designed an array to drag leakage into the rotating mountains. With those gone, the Void Energy had nowhere to go, and it overloaded the array. Undeterred by the brush with death, Zac kept going.
By the time Zac was about to finish absorbing the first petal, only a thumb, and half his palm remained. Isolated cracks had crept further up his arm, and similar wounds had been opened all over his body from random eruptions. Every moment was like walking a tightrope over a volcano, where the slightest mistake spelled certain doom.
The only thing holding steady was the [Fuxi Mountain Gate]. The chaos was utterly incapable of damaging the ancient formation made from Imperial Faith, to the point Zac had started using it as a shield. There was no sign of the treasure reaching a bottleneck. It readily accepted whatever Zac provided. The question was whether Zac had enough flesh to finish the job.
It only took Zac half a minute to drain the hidden sea, though it felt like an hour. It flickered and disappeared, prompting a deafening scream of danger that dragged Zac out of his focused state. Sensing this wasn’t something that should be blocked, he lunged to the opposite side. Trusting his instincts saved his life.
Zac barely had time to reposition before a blinding flash passed his previous location, twisting the layers of Void and Dao had become twisted. The superimposed realities had turned into a fractured fever dream with dozens of unstable layers. The only things still static were Zac, the [Eclipse Twin]’s immediate surroundings, and a huge scar flickering with remnant Spatial Energies and Inverse Dao.
The Hidden Earth Abode had been cleaved, including the platform it stood on.
Zac wouldn’t be surprised if the burst had even carved a path through the outer cave walls—it was no weaker than the all-out attack of a Late Monarch. Simply seeing it flash by left Zac covered in welts resembling radiation burns. Zac groaned and stumbled back toward the flower, resuming his extraction before the energy could be released on its own.
Seven more to go.
Comments
Aaron Pennington
Zac, survivor of countless battles and life threatening situations, meets his match: a flower
Jeff McCulley
Well, I don’t think Ogras is going to be able to help. There’s a slight chance that Pervata sends a tiny sliver of an avatar in through the hole that was just made, just to look over Zac’s shoulder. And probably an even smaller chance that Wal’Zo pops in… …but either one could say, “Why aren’t you doing it this way?” That said, I kinda doubt that TFD makes us sit through seven more petals. Maybe one more, or a time skip to the kast, the Zac tosses the treasure into the repaired Fuxi Gate, and deals with the damage. And all the other implications and ramifications.
Jeff McCulley
Nice to see another Dresden Files aficionado here. That stuff is *awesome*!
Jeff McCulley
Which part is the “crack pot” part? Because Zac first said that he needed to repair the platform in the Fuxi Mountain Gate before he could go or stick stuff inside, then last chapter he told Ograsbhe was going to stick this treasure inside a treasure he picked up. That would be this, and funneling the energy in is how he said he was going to repair the First People’s platform. So at some point he’ll be able to toss the rest of the treasure in to take care of itself. It just depends on how many petals—and body parts—that takes. Zac, the toeless wonder!
Jeff McCulley
Well, traveling through the Eternal Storm, he should have time aplenty. Which would explain why the System upgraded his cultivation area in the Yphelion so dramatically.
Mike Naka
The story has gotten a lot more complex and I think TFD has done a great job expanding the story while still keeping us all guessing. There's not a lot of stories where you're this many books in and the author still keeps you interested. The only other series I've read, and I've read over a 1,000 books, where the series gets better with each book is The Dresden Files. From book 3 and on, it's like how does Jim Butcher come up with this stuff. TFD's work is like that. DoTF started out as a simple story of survival but has become a hero's journey to save the multiverse. I never saw that coming, but it has been building since Zac got his 1st chaos shard. TFD has put soo much on Zac's shoulders as the story has progressed and I think TFD has done a fantastic job managing all the extra complexity and complications added to the story. Looking back, TFD's decision to split Zac into 2 was extremely controversial at the time with some people being butt hurt, butt it has turned out extremely well. IMHO, it's easy to get lost reading a chapter every 3 days but when it's all put together, like in a book, the story flows better. But yeah, it seems like there was more frenetic action in the first books. Butt I have come to really like the lore as it seems to have replaced a lot of the Zac and Ogras adventures from the earlier books. Butt that's just how I remember it. Of all the LitRPG I read, this is definitely my favorite. Haven't burned out yet like the others- PH, HWFWM.
Mike Naka
One of my crackpot theories is that Zac is going to use this flower to power / fix the Fuxi Gate. Then Zac will be able to hide things there. I think Zac may hide the Primo's Hollow Court prize there along with whatever he wins from winning the Ultom Trials. Can Zac hide the inheritance in the Fuxi Gate somehow? That way nobody will truly know the winner and where the inheritance went. Only the Primo will truly know Zac won. In exchange for the Hollow Court prize, Zac may get a deal from the Primo for protection. Iz will know Zac won. Iz and Zac will prolly have to get engaged b/c her family will want Zac and Iz to procreate. So Zac will have the Tyns and the UE as protectors b/c the Imperials will be coming after Zac. So after Ultom, Arcaz will explore the Abyssal Shores while Zac searches for his mum. Plus, I forget the name of the Imperial trainer Zac woke up on Ensoulus, but she's going to cream her panties from the swag Zac brings her so she should offer up more hidden goodies. Can Earth and Ensoulos handle being upgraded to C grade worlds. The merit! Bring it on!
Jeff McCulley
It wasn’t “still growing”.
John
Thanks for answering
Matthew Hay
I think we'll have a similar situation as E-grade for Zac in D-grade. He reached peak E-grade in the Void Star, then spent ~6 years (relative) working on his core, soul, and body before PV. Then 8 (?) years (relative) in PV improving soul, body, skills, and getting materials for his core. So 14 years after maxing his levels where he still needed to work on stuff before he went for the grade bottleneck. For E-grade, he only had ~100days at peak of F-grade before going for it. That's a 51x increase between grades. Before the C-grade, he must resolve the imbalance in his void constitution or he'll likely be erased by law (where he takes but does not give anything in return). He also hasn't improved his soul or void constitution since evolving, and it'd be weird if he felt they'd be ok for C-grade when he felt like he needed what he currently has to achieve D-grade. He should have to improve 1 or 2 steps in each I'd think. He also can't follow what he did before, and instead must derive the manuals himself still. He also needs to resolve any imbalance in his awakened Draugr constitution and his void-life constitution. He also hasn't opened his inheritance from Eoz, and who knows what that'll do to his life-death balance. Then he needs to get a deeper understanding of the Voids of Life and Death, probably near an equivalent of his Earthly Dao understanding, before he can reasonably create a world. Lastly, he needs to talk to his great grandpa to figure out what the Technocrats have planned for his next upgrade attempt. Which is a 500-year timeline quest, so that'll probably take a while. If we go by the 51x factor between grades as the expected factor, then that'd be 714 years after reaching Peak D-Grade before going after the C-grade bottleneck. Oh, and I've not even considered his new Apeothis or whatever his unified technique is.
Matthew Hay
I went back to investigate, and there's basically untrustworthy definitions pertaining to its grade. Basically, they couldn't get proper information on it via intel contracts in Zecia, but they believed it was C-grade based on its purpose and the fact the church gave up on their invasion to secure it. It could, however, safely fall into False C-grade, like the fruit of ascension was False D-grade. I don't believe the dimensional seed's mystic realm would be considered C-grade though, since the Stellar Ladder couldn't support any higher than a middle hegemon, and there were no power levels in that realm nearing C-grade. Also, they considered it likely C-grade due to the fact it could help form an inner world, but remember that it was a spatial treasure. It being space-attuned mucks up its equivalency in grade based purely on its ability to create inner spaces. Clearly something non-space attuned doing the same thing proves its grade, but there have been f-grade spatial pockets since cosmos sacks were introduced.
zukerburg
Maybe but I don't think so iam pretty sure they called it a C grade treasure and I don't see how a D grade treasure could create the C grade mystic realm ogras and billy were trapped in.
Henry Wartemberg
Hmm I think that might be Peak D. A hegemon uses it to form their inner world
zukerburg
What does he mean this is the first time he's seen a true still growing C grade treasure, wasn't that exactly what the dimensional seed was back in book 7
zukerburg
His life attuned constitution will allow him to regrow body parts, don't know how long it'll take him to do that since he always uses Creation energy to regrow limbs though
Lucas Gulick
I think it's optimistic to assume this will finish on tomorrow's chapter, I bet it'll continue through Fridays and end on a major cliff right as he finishes consuming the flower.
Michael
I have a feeling that Ultom will subjectively last a long time. Even Rava said that Zac needed centuries or millennia to stabilize his foundations. We’ll probably get a lot of time skips in the outer courts and in the main inheritance. A few hundred years in a primal heaven should be enough to get everyone ready for C grade.
Jeff McCulley
Mossy is a threat to New Earth, and will need to be dealt with eventually. Of course, perhaps New Earth will progress fast enough Mossy will become irrelevant. Or maybe Mossy gets left behind. Literally.
Jeff McCulley
As soon as he manages to fix platform of the the Fuxi Mountain Gate enough to be able to step inside, he has a place to store Void Treasures. Er, kinda. Maybe he will still need them sealed?
Jeff McCulley
He just got an upgrade to quickly regrow parts, too. Instead of it taking a year on its own. Can’t remember which one, but it was fairly recent.
Jeff McCulley
It was meant to reflect that sticking a C grade item anywhere in his body would be way too powerful. He’s trying to fix/fuel up the platform of the Fuxi Mountain Gate enough to get it to open and stick it inside.
Jeff McCulley
The Atwood Empire isn’t really doing all that much right now. We could get an update on how everything progressed up until the “official” end of the war, and an idea of just how many Sealbearers vanished. How many prominent families, Clans, or factions joined. Beyond that, I think that mostly they just have a slog. Claiming or reclaiming worlds. It was mentioned at one point that that final “solution” probably wouldn’t be offered to the end of the Event, so I’d expect that’s when Zac gets a nice shiny surprise. In the meantime, the only update we might get is when Zac runs into a sealbearer who wasn’t on the Yphelion, who can fill him in on current events as of when he/she left New Earth. And I don’t expect Zaccto run into any more new folks for a while yet. So, several chapters, unless TFD does a POV shift after this Dipper Mountain mini arc. I mean, the people he’s check in with are foljs like Rhubat, Boje Zethaya and Lissa, Carl’s wife. Rhubat is otherwise engaged. Admittedly, he might find Lissa at or on the way to the Hollow Court. Come to think of it, it would be fun to find out that Average or Pretty Peak were now part of the Atwood Empire. Sorry, that’s as best I can guess.
Jeff McCulley
I’ll agree to a point. The Buddhist stuff sails right by me, and feels gratuitously tossed in most of the time. I mean, why the hell bother “forming a mudra” there? And most of the cultivation stuff just sails right by me. When I reread, I just skip right over. The best thing about this “Apotheosis” thing to me is that the book will be able to cover a bunch of things with one checkmark. But these chapters, these are details. Zac’s getting g stuff. He’s in the process of making huge improvements. And hopefully getting huge rewards. If the Wendimar Clan gets a leg up, that’s a leg up for Zac in the Hollow Court. And there are eight more, and the Left Imperial Palace to go. And Ultom. And the other Flamebearers to fight. After all, Zac is just basically in the process of catching up to them right now. We’re doubtless about to cut over to Draugr Zac and Esmerelda, and him getting an identity that helps her, then they do their thing at the Mercurial Court. And who knows what’s going on with all of Zac’s seal bearers, or the Atwood Empire? I’m sorry it’s becoming a slog for you. Me, I like trying to put all of the pieces together. Let alone, identifying them in the first place. My best wishes to you!
Jeff McCulley
For the Imperials, the Gate was one of many used to anchor the Left Imperial Expanse. Remember how even the River of Time broke against it? Inside is the broken base of bridge to the Void Mountain. From what I can roughly see, the Void Mountain is the base for and the inverse of all Dao. Sorry. That’s as best I can do. In ch. 1,301, Zac says he’s hoping to use the Gate for a steady stream of Void energy, to step inside to teleport to his other body, and to hide from further Tribulations. He can also use it to learn about the First People, the folks he got his crafting skill from, and the Void. He needs to learn LOTS more about the Void. And who knows what all else he can learn in there. I’d hardly be surprised if he winds up making the Gate part of his Inner World. Zac is hoping to fix the Fuxi Mountain Gate enough to stick the flower inside.
Jeff McCulley
He’s trying to fix the Fuxi Mountain Gate so that he has a constant stream of Void to draw on. Among other things. See Ch. 1,301. His Virtuces will eat anything. This is a rare chance to fix the Gate. And if he fixes just the platform of the Gate, he’ll be able to stick the rest inside. You know, to do whatever he wants with it?
Jeff McCulley
Suggested Edits “that the Hidden Earth’s ambitions” > that Hidden Earth’s “Zac had already spent quite a bit of his to deal with Ivar Serpico” > of his “_____” to deal…? “madness precluding an” >preceding. “precluding” would mean blocking it. “on its surface” > on the surface of such a sea/on the sea’s surface. Sensing this wasn’t something that should be blocked > could OR he should attempt to block “as it were in the” >as if it were OR as it is/was “It was two parts of the former and eight parts of the latter, and the flower perfectly matched its aura.” >the flower is three and eight, so…not perfect? Just asking. “Zac continued eating while he took” > just for fun, “snacking”? lol
Flameboy
With all this talk of c grade I forgot he is only d
Douglas Davis
Micah you aren't alone in how you feel. I enjoyed the beginning of the series much more than I have since we started the whole space storm travel and Ultom arc. Details of obscure and often times badly defined cultivation and Buddhist practices doesn't really do anything for me. @SilentConsent, no not all of us do. It's turning what was once an amazing fast paced fantasy adventure series into a real slog.
Silent Consent
He needs to open his vortex and eat it!
Silent Consent
I feel like he can suck it into his bloodline space the vortex leads to.
Silent Consent
Sorry buddy but we want all the details and mystery of cultivation. D grade should take thousands of years before advancing while Zack is all ready at high D grade in just a few years. He will probably hit peak before this trial is over. Then it’s off to the technocrats and C grade.
Silent Consent
Sorry buddy but we want all the details and mystery of cultivation. D grade should take thousands of years before advancing while Zack is all ready at high D grade in just a few years. He will probably hit peak before this trial is over. Then it’s off to the technocrats and C grade.
Silent Consent
I think he was worried he couldn’t regrow his body while absorbing the petal so it was a bit of a race to see if his hand would last or if he would need to feed half his body into it. Lol
Flameboy
I have gotten into the habit of reading the comments after each chapter to help process everything so thank you everyone!! Keep the comments coming and I agree with Lucas, this series has been a major help in getting away from life for a while and a big thank you to TFD for creating a world to escape to!
Flameboy
Refresh my memory do we know what this Fuxi Mountain Gate is used for? Just to reach the peak or terminus? To be honest I don’t completely understand the peaks, terminus and heavens. TFD is extremely good at leaving us little nuggets here and there which then makes it harder for me to connect dots, leaving me to re-read many of chapters. Then as I’ve gone back and re-read the books, the first arc (in my mind) with the mystic realm , book 1-7 we learn about the system, how cut-throat the universe is, that there are a lot of powerful factions and most importantly bloodlines. Then we move on learn more about how cultivation works and the difference in power between grades and Dao levels; books 8-12 Then in book 13 and up we are changing into more history and delving deeper into peaks, terminus and heavens. So I know we will continue to get more information as we go but I just feel that by book 14 we should know pretty much everything!! But it feels like we have only scratched the surface! I’m glad that we are into it this far and it’s not getting boring and predictable but oh man - I guess I want my cake and eat it too. Okay after all of this ranting - am I missing something? Have I overlooked an area that has more information? I’ve gone back and have started re listening to book 10 to start this arc again so any help from other die hard would be greatly appreciated!
micah wales
The first two thirds of this series had a much better flow and pace I believe. I don’t think he wand waved the first 10 books and they didn’t contain nearly as much filler descriptions about dao and cultivation. To each their own just where I’m at with the series.
Jeff McCulley
This is a huge amount of character advancement, on multiple fronts, that is also going to advance the current Ultom storyline significantly. The author switches all over the place, and doesn’t just deus ex machina/wand waving to advance the character. I’m not a cultivation fan, but this is fascinating.
Jeff McCulley
“The question was whether Zac had enough flesh to finish the job.” Since when has that ever been a question? Especially since his last upgrade? “The Hidden Earth Abode had been cleaved, including the platform it stood on.” I’m really hoping that Ogras, Kalir or the Repository didn’t get “cleaved” before they were done with it! And then there’s this sequence: “Seven more to go.” Well, yeah, but… “Half of the twin’s energy was stored in the petals while the rest was in the pistil.” Uh huh. “Unfortunately, Zac had no way of storing it long-term.” Or does he? Looking back to Ch. 1,301: Zac was currently limited to sending a mental tendril into the gate, but that was only because it was damaged and completely drained. Later, he'd be able to enter in person.” And “The platform should be the key to stabilizing the treasure and entering in person.” And when TFD said that each petal was a “small sea” of void energy, coincidentally, he used the same image to give us a reference of scale: “Except, each infusion of Void Energy was no different than creating an ocean by pouring buckets of water.” So, here’s the question. Just how many “small seas” does it take to make an ocean? Three? Five? All eight? Even if the latter, Zac should then be able to enter the Fuxi Mountain Gate—or maybe just toss whatever remains of the flower in. Remember, the pistil is half the energy. Annnnnd…maybe the Imperial Faith won’t wipe out the stem? Since I’m guessing his Void Heat will be full. Wouldn’t it be nice if he could save the Dao Petals for later there in the Fuxi Mountain Gate, too?
Jeff McCulley
Haro essentially took a graft from Vivi, to remember her.
micah wales
Would enjoy the series getting back into good story telling/advancement. I feel like it’s taken a limo sized back seat to dao mysteries and chapter long explanations of minute cultivation aspects. I may be the only one but I’m slowly losing interest in what started out as my favorite series.
Joshua Little
Thanks for the chapter.
EsoEasy
I thought Haro ate Vivi???
John
When do you all think we’ll start seeing chapters showing how the Atwood Empire is doing? Anytime, mid arc, interspersed throughout the build up to the finale?
Lucas Gulick
Been a while since I voiced my appreciation for this series so I wanted to throw out a comment. Past few years have been rough, but this has been a good thing to rely on. Really appreciate TFD for making this and the community for being so positive. Blessings to all
Andrew P
I thought that referenced the void mountain sigil, not his purity of the void space
Craig
That would require putting it in his soul directly, which is noted in the chapter as being too dangerous due to the flower being a higher grade
Andrew
Thank you!
Andrew P
Can't he store it in his void pocket?
Omiso
Good thing Zac learn how to regrow limbs all the way back in E grade, still who knew the price of salvation would be a literal arm and a leg.
Omiso
Mossy is an aberrant creature, he has his own path and it's unknown how powerful he can become. Plus Haro prefer beast to other plants like Vivi.
Lex Luther S
Lol, it seems this treasure is a very intriguing little specimen. It's a shame he hasn't found a proper way to store void treasures, though that will hopefully change. Welp, he lost most his hand with just one petal so I wonder if he'll gain more resistance given this thing is most certainly helping his bloodline recover as well; possibly to the threshold of the D grade. Given that E grade was 50%, my theory is that the D grade bloodline will cap at 55%. The C grade bloodline will cap at 65%. The B grade bloodline will cap at 80%, and the A grade bloodline will reach 100%. It just fits perfectly for the remaining grades he's got. Anyways, I can't wait for Wednesdays chapter. It should wrap this up completely, and I can't wait to see the loot they get from the repository, though that'll hopefully be Fridays chapter.
Lizy Flore
Sweet, sweet chapter :) always a pleasure to read Zac flirting with Death to grab (read: eat) a treasure
The Lost Pages
Wow, this is way more intense than I was expecting. Can't wait for the next chapter.
Jeff McCulley
“Vines, like Haro, was a perfect example. He would balloon in size upon becoming a Plant Emperor, able to cover Earth upon reaching the peak of the grade” Wait…so does Haro get to eat Mossy?
Ryan Pepp
Here we go! Thank you FD!
Tommy
TFTC!
The Lost Pages
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