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Chapter 1,219.
🕑 Added 2024-03-12 19:34:32 +0000 UTC"Cataclysmic Heritage?" Zac muttered, his eyes drawn to the key. "What's the difference?"
"A Cataclysmic Heritage does not surpass the Dao," A'Zu explained. "Instead, it uses tricks and accumulation to survive the cataclysm. This method can generally only be used once by exhausting a special invention or resource. It's not Eternal in the truest of sense, so they're named after the cataclysm it was designed to overcome."
"That means all Cataclysmic Heritages come from the Primordial Era?" Zac said with interest.
"That's the general rule. Cataclysmic Heritages will come from the previous Era. The ones hiding across the Cosmos today come from the Primordial Era. The remnants the demonic cultivator of that age discovered came from the Five Elements Era, and so on."
"Nothing is absolute," Be'Zi said.
"That's true. One should be careful about making sweeping declarations," A'Zu nodded. "I've heard of one Cataclysmic Heritage surviving multiple Eras, the Temple of the White Sky. It has endured four cataclysms without surpassing the Dao, and thus delaying its collapse. However, many consider it a True Eternal Heritage because of that ability."
"Enduring the cataclysm," Zac muttered, giving the Aetherlord a second look.
Apart from A'Zu's obvious strength, he seemed very well-informed. The Aetherlords were a small yet powerful race, but the hidden knowledge he possessed seemed to go beyond the norm, even among Autarchs. He must have held a powerful position before becoming a hermit, possibly one related to research like the Vigil or one of the neutral scholastic factions.
"It almost sounds harder than surpassing the Dao."
"It's still a monumental feat, which is why they're not named False or Lower Eternal Heritages," A'Zu said. "Nevertheless, there is an unbridgeable gap between the two. There are a few factions with the means to create Cataclysmic Sanctuaries if the Heavens began showing signs of an early collapse."
Zac nodded in thought. It sounded like one could liken Eternal Heritages to a boat caught in a storm. A Cataclysmic Heritage would keep rowing, scoop water, and mend leaks until the storm calmed down. A True Eternal Heritage would simply rise to the sky and stay above the clouds until it was safe to descend. Of course, it wasn't a perfect analogy.
The Technocrat Codex was the first thing that came to mind. The Technocrats of the Primordial Era hadn't endured the cataclysm; they had transferred information through time to avoid it. Still, it was definitely a Cataclysmic Heritage by this definition. The information had already been disseminated, and it would be gone by this Era's end unless the Technocracy built another time machine.
The term also made Zac think of the Abyssal Lake and the things hidden in its depths. Could the whole lake be another Cataclysmic Heritage? It would explain why the lake closed down when the System was born and later reopened without any issues. A Cataclysmic Heritage would be designed to withstand a far greater loss of Dao, so what was a million years of drought?
These two supposed heritages also confirmed that Cataclysmic heritages weren't anything to scoff at, even if they weren't as impressive as places like the Ultom Courts. The Technocrat Codex almost allowed Selvari to fight on equal grounds with the Limitless Empire and Laondio Evrodok. Even today, they were a seemingly unshakeable power hiding in the depths of the Eternal Storm. Meanwhile, the power hidden in the depths of the Abyssal Lake had left a powerful impression on Eoz himself.
The subject was very interesting, and not just because of the [Chaos Cipher]. Zac knew that not all Cataclysmic Heritages would be related to the Dao of Chaos, just like those pratcicing the Dao of Order were just a minority in the present. Even then, A'Zu's description indicated there might be even more heritages related to the previous Era than he'd previously expected.
Even if he didn't find what he needed in this [Waking Nautilus], there might be more chances of discovering methods and resources related to the Dao of Chaos.
"Can I ask what kind of realm the [Waking Nautilus is]?"
"That's..." A'Zu said, scratching his chin in thought. "We're not certain."
"A place of beginnings," Be'Zi calmly said.
"Yes, that's where my wife and I first met. It's also where we found the method and courage to reinvent ourselves so late into our journey."
Zac blinked as the staid Aetherlord gently smiled at his wife hundreds of meters away. Be'Zi didn't show much of a reaction, though Zac felt he could see a hint of warmth appearing in her Abyssal eyes.
"Uh, anything could help," Zac coughed, slightly uncomfortable with the ambiguous atmosphere. After all, Be'Zi was almost the spitting image of Catheya. At best, it was like watching your grandmother-in-law flirt.
"We almost died forcing our way into the Nautilus," A'Zu grunted. "We did, however, get what we came for. We also unearthed the Cipher, which let us avoid the defenses on our second visit. We broke through our shackles and prepared for over a hundred thousand years. And yet, we never reached further than the outer reaches."
"That dangerous?"
"We lack the qualifications to cultivate Chaos. Bloodline binds us, and our Terminus will be found in Creation and Oblivion," Be'Zi said.
"The Cipher should hold greater value for you," the Aetherlord agreed. The coordinates and our experiences inside are hidden within the repository. You'll be able to read it when you've reached the minimum threshold. Don't be too eager to rush into things. The key can only be used once more, and the first visit will yield the greatest results. Not to mention, the dangers cannot be overstated, even if your compatibility with the Nautilus is much greater than ours."
"I'll keep it in mind," Zac nodded, looking at the key that had floated into his hand.
The [Chaos Cipher] was essentially the equivalent of his Flamebearer seal. In a way, it was even more valuable. Ultom might be one of the greatest Eternal Heritages in existence, but there was the matter of fate and suitability. The Awakening Nautilus was a peak heritage related to the Dao of Chaos. The things inside should be more useful than anything he could get in the lower courts of the Left Imperial Palace.
He felt like it weighed as much as a mountain. The fourth gift was simply terrifying, to the point a voice of caution urged Zac to take a step back before his greed consumed him. Even if it seemed like this was a matter for a distant future, inheriting the key meant he'd also inherit the troubles that it came with. He'd seen how the established factions had acted over Ultom already.
"It's not altruism that made us give up on the Cipher," Be'Zi said upon seeing Zac frown in thought.
"We've already visited and failed twice," A'Zu smiled. "Our fate with the Nautilus is dried up. Going again would be an act of desperation no different than entering terminal seclusion. In contrast, leaving the key in your hands might yield surprising results," A'Zu said with a slight smile. "I wonder what would happen if that thing exploded, releasing the Chaos it has carried all this time."
Zac scratched his chin, opting not to comment on the last part. "I've read about the struggles over True Eternal Heritages. There's enough blood to form rivers."
"There'll always be risks with a grand opportunity. However, the Nautilus is constantly on the move and incredibly difficult to locate without the right knowledge and Dao. Not to mention, the struggle over Cataclysmic Heritages is nowhere near the level of True Eternal Heritages. A few are well-known Taboo-zones claimed by no force since the risks outweigh the reward."
"I thought the established forces would do anything to claim these things," Zac frowned.
"Many of the resources and techniques found in Heritages are useless in our current Era, or they'll require immense effort to redesign. The True Eternal Heritages are so valuable because they contain the dream of all Supremacies. They've surpassed the Heavenly Dao, grasping actual Eternity. They represent the possibility of going beyond the Terminus.
"In comparison, Cataclysmic Heritages are just peak troves, not much different from the ruins and troves of this Era's Supremacies and A-grade factions. In fact, they're often worse because of their incompatibility with the Era of Order."
So it came back to the pursuit of Eternity. Indeed, that was the only thing that could truly move those ancient Supremacies who'd already reached the limits of their path. What did methods and treasures mean to them? Ultimately, it was too early for him to worry about those matters, though it was an important warning and reminder of just how far the outsiders would go in their battle over Ultom.
"Is the Heart of the Empire a Cataclysmic Heritage?" Zac asked out of curiosity.
"The Primo's playground?" A'Zu said, shaking his head after a short pause. "No, it's a True Eternal Heritage at least ten Eras old. You should be careful of that thing."
"Most heritages carry a spirit of hope. Or at least one of defiance. The Heart... is a thing made of despair."
"This thread of fate is concluded," Be'Zi calmly said, preventing any follow-up questions.
The audience was over. Which meant it was time to head back.
"Again, thank you for this gift. I will not let you down," Zac said with a bow. "Is this the last time we meet?"
"Only time can tell whether a new thread will form."
"The top is quite narrow, and those climbing the same peak are more likely to have their fates intersect," A'Zu shrugged. "You might encounter us if you climb far enough. At that time, we'll discuss the Dao as equals, comparing our beliefs."
"I'll do my best."
Zac hesitated as he looked at Be'Zi, who might as well have been Catheya's older sister if you solely went by looks. A'Zu had made their stance clear. They wished to sever their past and pursue the Dao without mortal chains weighing them down. But could he just leave without saying anything about his relationship with Catheya? Without mentioning the unrest in the Undead Empire and how the Abyssal Shores already faced pressure from all sides?
"You are only responsible for your own path. We are secluded, not isolated. My presence will not change the course of destiny. I would only become swept up in a struggle I have no interest nor stake in. Remember, even if the empire falls, the Abyss will remain. And with the Branch of Zi being connected to your chariot, I am confident they will come out stronger. Follow your conviction."
"Good luck," A'zu said, and the throne room was swallowed by streaks of boundless power.
They formed a cocoon around his spiritual threads and shot to the sky. A moment later, Zac felt his vantage shift. He could tell he was no longer in whatever hidden realm the two had secluded themselves in. Zac didn't even know if he was in a physical plane.
He had, however, regained his connection with his body. There was no other choice. How was he supposed to advance his Dao without being connected to it? Thankfully, the scene back by the Imperial Graveyard was locked in stasis, no different than when he left. Zac put any distracting thoughts aside, focusing wholeheartedly on the impartment.
The streaks pulled him higher and higher, to the point Zac felt he'd soon reach the shimmering barrier of the Imperial Faith he'd witnessed at the end of his pilgrimage. Of course, that never happened. Zac's vision was gradually filled by larger and larger stars made from Creation and Oblivion, respectively.
And then, he floated right before the Grand Dao of the two Autarchs he'd just met, the essence from millions of years of struggle and discovery. Zac had been worried he'd encounter another situation like when he faced the tapestries of the Primordials, where their scope and pressure almost tore Zac's soul apart. His meeting had let him recover a bit, but he wasn't sure he was ready for another round.
His fears proved unfounded. The tapestries were only a few percent the size of the vast networks formed by the Heart of Oblivion and Spark of Creation. Taking in its mysteries as a whole was still far beyond his ability, but Zac didn't feel like he was being pulled under and torn apart by a deadly current.
He also had the protective field of the energy slivers that had carried him here. They formed something akin to a filter that held back the more dangerous aspects of their almost perfected paths. It let him observe the tapestry without being overwhelmed, making his mission much easier.
The fact that the tapestries were only a fraction the size of the Primordials' didn't make them any less impressive. Zac could fully appreciate what A'Zu meant when he called it pure, untainted Creation. Not only did the two offer their comprehension while holding their own opinions to themselves. They walked a path of purity, leaving almost nothing but the orthodox version of the delineated Dao.
Which was exactly what Zac sought. His goal wasn't to fully fuse Creation with Life and Oblivion with Death today. It was too early. One would support the other, like the Void upholding the Dao. They would be separate parts of a larger whole. He needed to erect a stable, pure foundation and connect it with his current Branches of Kalpataru and Pale Seal. Only when his Daos held all the concepts they needed could he work toward an actual fusion.
Time was still frozen back in his body. Even then, Zac couldn't waste time. The System's patience wasn't unlimited, and every second he dragged his feet would worsen the backlash A'Zu and Be'Zi would face. Keeping their backlash to a minimum was the least he could do after receiving their incredible gifts.
There were critical differences between the two sets of tapestries he'd observed. However, they shared the same root, and the experience made Zac's search easier. Besides, Zac felt as though the pertinent snippets of truth were calling out to him. There was no need to rob. Zac called, and the tapestry answered, freely providing the answers he sought.
The protective filter faded, exposing Zac to the unblemished Truths. Light and darkness rained down on him, filling his mind with familiar warmth. This was the Dao he'd sought for years, the Dao he'd never dared to reach for. All because of the insidious whispers that had always accompanied him from the prison in his mind.
A strengthened soul and tempered heart had made him impervious to the bouts of uncontrollable rage that had haunted him after he was first saddled with the Splinter of Oblivion. However, there had always been a seed of suspicion lingering in his heart and a fear that refused to be overcome.
Most of the cultivators in the visions were blind to the insidious effect the remnants had on their mental state. They had walked down a road of no return, forgetting why they grasped the remnant's power in the first place. Some destroyed what they once sought to protect without blinking. Even those who'd avoided the unchecked corruption understood they were fighting a losing battle. Could he be certain he was any better?
The Dao couldn't be approached with a dagger behind your back and misgivings in your heart. It required sincerity, something Zac couldn't afford with the remnants lurking in their cage. There was a very real risk that any insights he incorporated related to Creation or Oblivion would add new links to their Grand Dao. With Karma severed, there was no need to hold back.
Creation was the spark of hunger that let the beast break the shackles of their bloodline, igniting their flame of Life. It was the unyielding ferocity that let the sapling hold on in the shadows of towering trees, living on nothing but darkness and desire to grow. It was the inherent drive of the cosmos given form, moving toward greater heights.
Life without Creation was doomed to wither away. Creation without Life was possibility without purpose. When joining forces, they held the power to overcome everything. Fate would be reborn, evolving to match the vision in his heart. This was his Dao of Evolution; a cycle of perennial improvement. An improvement that would only stop when he broke through the curtain and gazed beyond the Terminus.
Oblivion was the impartial judgment that equalized everyone in Death. It was the intractable hand that pulled on the chains of mortality, delivering release to even the staunchest of struggles. It was the inherent finality of the cosmos given form, closing a chapter to open the path for the next generation.
Death without Oblivion was an empty threat. Oblivion without Death was destruction without purpose. When joining forces, they held the power to balance the scales of destiny. Fate would be seized, inexorably moving toward the vision in his heart. This was his Dao of Inexorability; a cycle of perennial control. A control that would only be relinquished when he broke through the curtain and gazed beyond the Terminus.
Together, they formed a loop. Creation brought Life, putting its mark on the world through evolution. Life reached its end, facing the inexorability of Death. Flesh, purpose, and memories faded, sinking into the depths of Oblivion. It was from this void of thought that possibility was born, creating Life anew.
The cycle was complete, and the Heavens rumbled with warning. It would have to wait its turn.
Comments
Kconraw
Thx for the chapter
Lonez Zhavec
Wow. Everything makes sense. Is TFD a philosophy major or something?
mrthorwahl
Haha my bad, I thought today was thursday...
Michael
Is that a hard requirement? This chapter said the difference is that eternal heritages surpass the dao. I think then any heritage that does that is automatically eternal?
Ashar T
Wtf is this edgeing
Jason Bradford
My neediness…is killing me! (Yeah, yeah) I must confess, it’s TFD (TFD)! Waiting for chapter’s I lose my mind…give me an sig—-ighighn….post that chapter now online!
Craig
Also, the requirement to be considered an "eternal" heritage is that it survives through multiple eras. By definition it is impossible for any heritage created in the previous era as "eternal", they havent had a second change of era to last through!
Kharas
A/N: And that's it for February, with an extra leap chapter! I hope you enjoyed the Ensolus mini-arc. March will be a good one, I'll hope to see you there! As usual, there are some off-days in March. I'm doing 2 editing days this time (most likely the 14th and 15th), and I'm also taking Good Friday off (29th). From the post the 29th of february
Chris
The void of dao isn’t the opposite of the dao. It’s the absence of the dao, hence the usage of the word void to describe it. The void of life isn’t death, it’s the absence of life. The void of death isn’t life, it’s the absence of life.
Joey
Going to be waiting for awhile given this is the last for the week
Chris
14th and 15th, so tomorrow and Friday. Also the author usually tells you at the begging of the chapter when the next day is going to be an editing day.
xlinkedx
With how often TFD keeps us on the edge, Zac would have gained enough insights by now to form a Heavenly Dao of the Axe.
mrthorwahl
Probably gonna have to F5 til monday then cus I think today and tomorrow are editing days :/
Tyler S.
Im waiting for that cliff to fall
Craig
f5 sect, assemble!
Michael Fannon
Temple of the white sky is a cataclysmic heritage. I wonder if it connected to the White Sky Phalanx and the Reavers?
Joey
Even Leandra said that Laondio wasn't all bad and kept some dangerous things trapped in the past suggests there's something out there.
Lex Luther S
Well, the issue with the former era is that cultivators weren't in such large groups. Think about it if even the grandest empires of the current era can't create an eternal heritage. Then how are solitary cultivators going to do so? As mentioned, empires and factions weren't nearly as big or enduring as the era of orders factions and eternal heritages are monumental undertakings that use the full accumulations of an eraand confounding amounts of resources to create and the sheer amount of man power would likely cripple most current eras empire. As mentioned, the limitless empire was the only one with the qualifications to create an eternal heritage, yet they made the system instead. And I'm willing to bet the system is on or near the level of an eternal heritage. Now, I do think the heavens are weakening every era, but I don't think it's from outside interference. It's just a simple fact that something rebuilt will always be weaker than it once was, even if this is just ever so slightly weaker, given the sheer amounts of eras that have come and gone has likely amalgamated into a good deal of the heavens and peaks lost. As to where it all goes, well, I'm betting to the void. Or maybe you're right, and there are foreign entities siphoning the dao outside the terminus every era, which would actually be rather cool as zac will have enemies to hack apart even as a supremacy.
It'sATap
100% they will the Earth daos of Evolution and Inexorability.
It'sATap
How can the absence of a thing be a thing in itself? Nothing can't be something be definition. Void energy exists. void of daos exist. They are things. The 'Void Era' of first people explored those things so far they reached similar peaks to the dao peaks of supremacies. I really doubt it's ONLY the absence of a thing. That might be part of it. Maybe when the dao is absent it allows a different form of energy to exist, a form that works in a different way. The voids have to be things, surely.
Tyler
Kator vanished after he punched Zac, and there is a theory that the only reason Zac was able to pull the remnants out without the Autarchs stopping him is because Kator sped Zac's time up with his punch.
Michael
The fact that the current and previous eras were unable to create eternal heritages gives some strength to the argument that the heavens are weakening with each cycle. The path to the terminus is shrinking. If it’s not a closed system, where is that power going? To the Gods outside the veil? The beings that have reached eternity siphoning power from the multiverse?
Michael
I think you are misinterpreting opposites here. When just talking about the Dao, the opposite of life is death. But is death truly the opposite of life? when it comes to the void the answer changes to “the absence of life” which is very different. The void of fire is not ice, it is simply the absence of fire. There (as far as we know) isn’t a corresponding Dao to that concept. Ice however, could benefit from the void of fire like how Death benefits from the absence of life. I’m pretty sure Zac will automatically get corresponding understanding on the void of his Daos as he grows them, so he won’t need to get his voids up to “Earthly” level since he already will have an earthly understanding of his Dao concepts. Ultimately, this is the era of “Order” but Zac is the arbiter of Chaos which is its Dao opposite. So Zac will gain the Void of Chaos, which will interact with the Dao of Order allowing Zac some control over the grand Dao of the era through Chaos and the void.
Joey
A'Zu said they are generally worse because they're created by less powerful groups who can't guarantee the usefulness of it in another era. The Technocrats otoh, were by far the second strongest group in existence based off that solely alone.
Ty Cooper
I am not sure if Kator would ever be friends. He even admits it. Plus isn't Kator attacking Zack at the moment? Try to kill him and get his seal before the Buddhist get him?
BearHandMan
Who would be the most ideal allies? He has tons of death cultivation homies, but not many life cultivation buds. Kruta is ADHD AF, so a decent representation of chaos (or at least a certain form represented via conflict) But agree, would love to see more cosmic friends
Chloe
Hoping for higher
M💬
Tbh I need Zac to have more allies now his enemies will come in spades as he advances, no one like when the maintained order is broken .
Jack Dawson
Zac might be surrounded by chaos all the time but it isn't his path, he walks the path of conflict, the struggle between life and death. It's the driving force behind both his evolutionary (life + conflict) and inexorable (death + conflict) ideals. He might be walking a broken peak but that doesn't necessarily mean he's going for the top.
Nikolai Beckel
I think Kator will eventually realize that Zac is the god of asspulls and will stop trying to get one up on him and just hitch a ride on the Zac train.
Thenais
Looks like a credo
Mahetze
"the heavens rumbled" probably means the heaven wants to get the next chaos pattern, not tribulation
Berry McCockiner
Kator is a low key power house to the series and as much as I want to see him offed, he adds such a fun dynamic. My guess is he will eventually become a friend of Zac’s.
Jeff McCulley
For the Glimpse of Chaos. System is hungry after all the energy it spent.
Jeff McCulley
It’s not that Cataclysmic Heritages aren’t all that great, it’s simply that they’re only designed to last from one era to the next—not through all of them. Like the difference between an annual flower, and a perennial.
Hakeem Gordon
While I'd also like to see him out the paws on Kator. He'd be better off using him in the Graveyard and Ultom as the gap in power (not including the wisp) has surely shrunk. Not sure how they'll match up after, but Zac has #s advantage atm
Joey
He possessed his brother when he died and absorbed his other brother
It'sATap
The 'void of daos' really seem like they need more fleshing out. It doesn't properly make sense that they could be opposites of daos when the opposites of daos already exist.. as other daos? Therefore some voids would have the exact same meaning as some daos, just.. voidy somehow? The fact that he's progressing into earthly daos before even grasping the whole other side of the spectrum seems like it's going to a massive fukin problem. He really needs to stop ignoring the fact of heritage, like cmon, it's obvious isn't it? The daos all have shared heritage throughout era, why wouldn't the voids have the same? If the Dao's can persist and grow over time then so should the voids. Maybe they are simply growing in very different directions. My best best is that the voids aren't really related to daos or meaning concepts at all. They might be closer to raw energy.
Ty Cooper
I thought Yselio died and was absorbed by his brother
ByLordMatsLuck
God I hope he kills Kator too
James Faulkner
Damn, I completely missed this lmao
James Faulkner
Yrial might just cry tears of blood 😂
James Faulkner
I’m pretty sure they’re just gonna be peak daos, because the Earthly daos need to be customized to the cultivator and he keeps talking about how he needs time to internalize the impartments.
Joey
Nah, Kator still needs to link up with Yselio
Christian Brock
https://defiance-of-the-fall.fandom.com/wiki/Defiance_of_the_Fall_Wiki
Christian Brock
Check out the wiki. A lot of what you want is there.
Salvo
Zac Dao of conflict is gonna form during this next heavenly storm. Life if conflict, fighting death is conflict. Cheating heaven and suffering its wrath is the first and only war that matters. And these autarch chump are being pacifists while Zecia is being blood to death. Time to spread the pain. “System I decided to give these autarchs the chaos motes, they were here first!”
Ty Cooper
Got to say. I am loving the March Madness. It has me on the edge of my seat. How is Zack going to make it out of this mess and is he going to kill a few autarchs and Kator. I really hope he kills Kator at least
Salvo
So I just realized that the Dao of technology may be in the same position as the Dao of creation and oblivion, that a primordial power is in possession of the broken authority and thus the endless war. If the system took our nukes and planes, is that evidence it has the broken authority?
Ty Cooper
It seems as though they are going to jump to earthly daos....or higher. They say oblivion and creation are high tear daos. I am not sure how low they can go. I am loving the March madness for sure.
Kevin Albers
Yea Creation-Life-Death-Oblivion is the framework of the cycle while Conflict is the impetus that allows the cycle to move
Ty Cooper
I mean it gives examples of one time use mechanics that could carry one through a cataclysm
Salvo
Is the time travel “known” history? Are technocrat in possession of a Time Machine? You are unwittingly asking “How good is your spying into technocrat supreme heritages?”
Joey
He was talking about how cataclysmic heritages aren't all that great
Kirin
Is he reading the same chapter?! How did he get to that conclusion 😅😂
Russell Widger
The only reason Zac didn't incorporate creation and oblivion when he got the remnants was because he was scared that the consciousness in the remnants would get a better foot hold, now that that is gone he can freely explore creation and oblivion based on his decades of experience using that energy
Dranek19
I think his conflict dao will be ok he watched the heart and spark fight I’m sure that’s more than enough for him to digest
Salvo
Yrial Dao impartment went from rot low to high and sanctuary from mid to peak. It’s their area of expertise and honestly Zac probably just needed an untainted view to confirm his path.
Salvo
Asking a large power on another faction’s secrets is sowing karma. The primo locks down his entire faction from revealing details. Zac can hear about primo secrets because he has a treaty and dao authority with him. There is no current ‘blessing’ with the technocrats.
Joey
How did he not mention the technocrat codex?
Matt Creighton
I chortled in real life upon reading the last part of this lol
Jibryl
Yea that would be great, but we will have to wait quite some time before he can actually kill supremacies.
Michael McMahon
One of my other patreon series is HWFWM and I've reread that a couple of times at this point. I haven't actually done a reread of this story yet, it almost seems too daunting at this point. I'll wait until the next long break from TFD and do it then maybe
It'sATap
well they already nearly peak, likely just being avoided as he pushed conflict forward. But with the giant infusions of dao from both the heart/spark and the grampa/grandma it'd be a real ass pull for the author to NOT have both his dao reach the 'early' level.
It'sATap
My bet is that he'll summon so many tribulations soon that they all merge and go after the biggest target, probably either the bell entity or the foreign gods
It'sATap
I think you meant to say, is the tribulation prepared for Zac
Russell Widger
Except Zac is suited for a chaos heritage and he is already aware of the dangers of it
M💬
So did Zac just skip peak branches of pale seal and Kalpataru to form early daos?
Omiso
He did it! he finally made a cycle between life and death, he might just pass Yrial trial without cheating.
Blayne Allsen
Every time I see the pre-order for the next audiobook, I do a re-listen of the whole series. And sometimes when I don't have anything else to listen to, I'll listen to the later audio books in the series (that way im not just hearing the beginning hundreds of times and I'm hearing the later books more)
FriendorFo
Adding Dao after fixing your path is nigh impossible, no? And with his Arcane classes he’s declared his path
Jeff McCulley
No, but an incoming Glimpse of Chaos would.
Jeff McCulley
“Temple of the White Sky” Huh. Gosh. Gee. I wonder where the name for the White Sky Phalanx of the Reavers came from, any ideas? Anyone? (As if Zac won’t find a way to—shamelessly—use that to his advantage)
Henry Wartemberg
Him saying that it’s not ready for fusion yet makes me think he will form two new branches or possibly shards. Creation and Oblivion. He will dao braid them in the in-between and only meld them when later creating his Earthly Dao’s
Killinger Ryan
All I know is it's one step above a branch, more than likely just a power boost overall
I think it's implied in the description, the Void,the surrounding and destination, is where the possibility of life given form by creation comes from and the inevitable destination of all things that become meaningful through the given purpose in face of death, in which finality comes oblivion. The motion between the two state, the cycle itself is Conflict that drive creation and life for improvement hence evolution and the master of death and oblivion, to test the fate of all things and culling the unworthy thus controlling the process hence inexorability, death and tax and all that jazz. So in essence, the Void is the environment/condition that facilitate the process and Conflict the driving and controlling force.
Austin Barton
He’s upgrading his life and death daos to earthy daos right now I think if he taints them with conflict it could cause problems further on how can creation and oblivion still be pure if they have a hint of conflict.
Kharas
Daos is really "Understanding" of a concept or idea. The better you understand a concept, the more you can use that concept, and the more power you draw trough it from the original heavens. Your understanding of a concept increases from Dao seeds where you start to grasp it. You then move on to Dao Fragments where your understanding of the concept grows deeper. The next level is Dao Branches that solidify your understanding of the concept and it moves on to Earthly daos where you move on from just understanding and Define your own truth so to speak. And because your understanding is so deep, you stating your own version of the concept gives you even more power over it. The power from the Daos come from the original heavens and they sure dont like it. Thats why there is 2 versions of tribulation lightning. One is from the original heavens, and the other is from the system that the limitless empire set in as a filter between the original heavens and the cultivators to finetune their training and war efforts. Normaly cultivators have seeds at F grade, fragments at E grade, Branches at D grade and Earthly Daos at C grade.. But if you are a heavenly chosen you get to start a grade early on each tier of Daos. And Zac... Because zac is awesome :) And this explanation started abit to simple, and went on for abit to long, so sorry about that. I will go to bed and get some sleep.
Mateo Lopez
Also I’m calling a Creation/life Earthly Dao and a Death/ Oblivion Earthly Dao
Mateo Lopez
I do believe he is waiting on his gains from the Endless Crusade to finish processing. After that point he would make his Earthly Dao of conflict.
Kharas
Yee, they are two whole grades and millions of years ahead of where Zac are atm. Its gonna be interesting how he is gonna make his Dao of conflict (war axe) catch up with his other two daos now. They are way, way ahead and he needs the balance for his most outrageous stunts. Maybe that is what he is gonna try to squeeze out of the system as payment for the glimpse of chaos. I imagine that the 2 Autarch KOs he got will be more than enough to make sure the bell is taken care of and the 4 1 step autarchs leave him alone.
Ichikira
If I remember correctly, Ultum was one of the pillars on which the system was built. Basically the LE used the strength of a bunch of Eternal Herritages to fuel and support the system in its early days. Over time their energy was drained and they disappeared into void (not THE void..., but you get what I mean). But they're Eternal. Eventually they recover and every so often a pillar rises back into reality. I think that's what happens, anyway!
DrSubterfuge
They are helping out a rookie, but in this case they are closing Karma rather than opening it. Maybe the quest to get 5 of them in less then a century could be seen as that, since they were trying to incentivize him not to take too long and get taken over, but in the end they are repaying a debt that they feel is owed since he helped widen the path for their advancement.
Mason W
Good call! Seems like his conviction is forming his unique Dao paths. Conviction is needed to form earthly Dao.
Kharas
As I understand it, Zac plans to reunite his bodies around the same time he makes his inner world and moves into Monarchy. You might be right and the Waking Nautilus is something he tackles after he moves into Monarchy. But the current 2 events should tie us over for a good few books yet, and who knows if TFD have something else in store for us before we get to hear about Zac building his inner world :)
Henry Wartemberg
Or blow up the imperial heavens. Seems the more Zac solution
Frardowin
Peak wouldn't trigger a tribulation.
B-Slam
It's a cycle because Zac wants it to be. That's what makes it his earthly Dao. It's Zac forcing his understanding on what would be chaos. Look at how the splinter and shard act when interacting with each other. There's one cycle there, just chaos or mutually assured destruction.
Cook Bach
Brilliant.
Jeff McCulley
Heh. Y’all realize what this encounter with A’Zu and Be’Zi is like, right? When Zac is walking along, sees some random kid earnestly playing with a practice sword, and gives him an actual magic sword, one that Zac had no use for. Just in case it might be helpful. The kid that would become Max. This is exactly like that—the only difference a matter of scale. Oh, and the fact that Zac did much more than they expected as his end of the bargain. They’re just trying to help out a rookie.
Collin Sorrells
Life and death are chaotic, not orderly at all. Maybe the overarching ultimate cycle painted out like that sounds orderly to you but the minutia of it all is extremely chaotic.
Jeff McCulley
The Heavens are after a Glimpse. One that he doesn’t have yet.
BaguaBrady
I would say we just got explicit confirmation from Be'zi that you can mix daos that are dogmatically in other peaks to get to your own interpretation of chaos (or any dao), the heavens will just resist you more
Jeff McCulley
And all of that is about “the first step” and “creating the foundations”. He’ll do peak today, then come back for earthly after assimilating both these insights, and more from the data dump the two gave him. I could be wrong, of course.
DrSubterfuge
From today: "His goal wasn't to fully fuse Creation with Life and Oblivion with Death today. It was too early. One would support the other, like the Void upholding the Dao. They would be separate parts of a larger whole. He needed to erect a stable, pure foundation and connect it with his current Branches of Kalpataru and Pale Seal. Only when his Daos held all the concepts they needed could he work toward an actual fusion." Earthly Daos now containing both pairs of concepts doesn't sound like a stable pure foundation.
Jeff McCulley
Limitless created the Courts that surround Ultom. I gather that Ultom is one of the Eternal Heritages that Limitless collected, not created.
Russell Widger
The symbol of the yinyang clearly shows the concepts delineated, what would happen if there wasn't a clear separation of the 2? Mixing creation and oblivion likely wouldn't create a homogenous grey and I'm not sure a picture could adequately portray what that would look like.
Ashar T
I dont like that he didn't describe the role of conflict and void in his path
Jeff McCulley
Uh, what? The Cipher is just a key to get in. If Zac wants to raise the energy of the sector, he needs to tell the inner sectors to stop draining it.
Mason W
The LE built on top of the Ultom Courts which were an eternal heritage. This was mentioned in a prior chapter.
Russell Widger
The key wording in the chapter was "that was HIS Dao of Evolution/Inexorability" key word being "his" not just "the" dao
DrSubterfuge
Evolution and Inexorability Daos does seem like the path forward, but he explicitly says he isn't ready to merge them yet. Unclear where exactly his daos for Oblivion and Creation are going to fall, but five total daos seems like what's happening here.
Russell Widger
No, the limitless empire used the Ultom Courts to help make the system. They didn't create the courts. They utilized the 8 pillars to help prop up the system at its birth
Ark
Zecia will be fine Zac has a lot of luck stat; more explosions the merrier.
Cody
Dont forget recombining his bodies. that'll be a journey... or literally a single chapter hard to say with TFD
Russell Widger
The phrases used in the chapter indicate he is forming Earthly Daos.. "That was his Dao of Evolution" "That was his Dao of Inexorability"
Russell Widger
That might just destroy the sector...
Justin van mele
So what I'm hearing is that Zac should drag The Cipher To Zecia and blow it up to raise the energy of the sector to B-grade. Then Zac need to use cosmic forge to create a true heart or star of chaos.
Darryl Williams
He still has the chaos to make a deal with, maybe one of his stipulations will be that his tribulation waits for a more a convenient time
Darryl Williams
Ugh, I really hope we’re skipping peak in this case. It sounds like a big enough impartment to do so.
Ashar T
I like to think of the branches as boxes for example previously his box only had life them. Now he is putting creation into the same box as life. He simple cannot mix/fuse them yet but they are still in the same box.
Chase C
My money is on him forming Earthly Daos, not additional Branches. Chapter 1217 has a lot of Zac's thoughts about how he wants to build his path, and it seems to be clear that he's planning on integrating Creation and Oblivion into his existing Daos. The most relevant passage is probably this: "The first step was infusing the concepts of Creation and Oblivion into his Daos. For this, he'd stolen fragments from the Grand Dao that best suited his path. He was certain they were enough to clarify some of his confusion, enabling him to push the Daos to Peak Branches. Depending on how his words were received by Be'Zi and A'Zu, they might even set the foundations for his Earthly Daos."
FarStryder
I think he's going to try and divert the tribulations the bell and the autarchs
Michael
So Ultom is an Eternal Heritage? I thought the limitless empire created Ultom in the current era, making it just a powerful inheritance trail? This also kind of contradicts the previous chapter when they said no faction from this era could create an eternal heritage. Aside from the LE, but they made the system instead.
Justin van mele
The axe must be added to bring pressure to the cycle to spark true chaos.
DrSubterfuge
A personal vision of whatever someone's dao represents. It's reflective of the person who wields it in a way that something lower is not.
Michael
It’s the step after Dao branch, when the cultivator “creates” their own version of the heavenly Dao. He will then need to grow his personal Dao so that one day he will be able to rewrite the heaven’s version of Chaos with his own.
DrSubterfuge
So, reading comments and rereading some of the chapter, he explicitly says that he isn't looking to join Creation and Oblivions into his existing daos yet, so these must be new Daos for Creation and Oblivion, for a total of 5 daos.
Hartmann
Kator's Dao are mixed-meaning. He should have three Earthly Daos or Branches.
Michael
I’m thinking the heavenly disruptors the technocrats are using will help him hide from the worst of it.
James Turner
Did Death and Life Daos become Evolution and Inexorability Daos, or did he just add two more branches/earthly Daos? Since TFD mentioned Kator had six Daos, I have been wondering if Zac would get there. Might have just happened.
DrSubterfuge
Uh that is a good point. So maybe the rumbling is for Oblivions and Creation branches?
Themo Grulld
5th men here XD .Quite some nice chapters lately.
Kharas
I usualy reread the series once or twice a year. The start until Ogras shows up and the time inside the technocrat base on earth are the slowest reads. Beside that its really good fun :) And with the increasing layer and level of cultivator gibberish and jargon, it does help to clarify stuff alot :)
Austin
I agree with this. Do you think it'll be enough to get 2 new dap branches? Or would they be fragments?
Chase C
That's what I was thinking before this chapter, but I think we've had several clues that he's actually ready to evolve his branches into Earthly Daos. A few chapters ago he clarified his path to Be'Zi and A'zu in a way that encompassed both Life/Creation and Death/Oblivion - and went way further expounding on that in this chapter. He's definitively stepped off the orthodox path of pure Creation/Oblivion. In this chapter, he integrated his new understanding of Creation and Oblivion enough to "complete" the cycle along with Life and Death. I think he has a great enough understanding of his path to meet the requirements for designing his own Earthly Daos. Also, I think the tribulation and new Dao names (Evolution and Inexorability) were a tell.
Aaron Schwartz
Yeah, but that’s a Dao from an entirely different peak… Mixed meaning Dao are great at the lower end, but I got the impression that you couldn’t actually reach the terminus with them. I suppose I could be wrong about that though
Daniel Rodrigues
Can anyone define what an “earthly Dao” is for me?
Tyler S.
He just has to hide under Kator with a glimps of chaos
Tyler S.
Ultom is going to be an upgraded version of the tecnocrat base, lots of info gathering and puzzle solving with possibilities of mid C-grade dangers. So i dont expect it to slow down any time soon
BaguaBrady
I would assume we haven't seen the whole picture yet. He's got his dao of conflict to add to the mix and cause a chaotic reaction after all
Dols1618
Everyone is saying Zac is forming Earthly Daos but I thought TFD made it pretty clear he is forming new separate daos for Oblivion and Creation. For a total of 5 daos. Then he will fuse them at some point in the future when they've matured.
DuskinReview
Beautifully written! Captivating! Love the impartment.
Michael Fannon
Combined creation with life and oblivion with death. Either he now has 2 peak dao branches or 2 early earthly daos. I think earthly daos since it looks like he is about to get a blast from the heavens.
Joey
So he owes Tavza a Cataclysmic Heritage and the Sindris probably have one or a real Eternal Heritage
Joshua Little
Thanks for the chapter.
DrSubterfuge
I wasn't either, but it sure sounds like he did. He knows their names and everything. Unless the rumbling Heavens is a misdirect...
James
This series is desperate for several appendices to give information about some of the more esoteric elements of the universe; one purely dedicated to Zac’s character sheet and his progression from F to current would be nice as well.
Tyler S.
He still has to give up a Glimps of chaos and doing so may allow the system to take the brunt of the tribulation, not to mention using chaos itself
brennon Petersen
Tftc!
DrSubterfuge
Oh man of course his personal Daos would be named after his cores and stances. It's perfect.
Aaron Schwartz
I think I could say that my biggest problem with this series at this point is how he organized the Dao peaks. Life -> creation and Death -> oblivion Both make perfect sense to me, but I would’ve made them both their own separate peaks , or if they were going to be penultimate, then I would put them under the Dao of order. The yin and yang is not as symbol of chaos. And that wonderful philosophical maxim, that he just ended the chapter with is a sound cosmology based on a cycle. I don’t see any chaos in it. So how could he bring it towards the peak?
Michael McMahon
I think I need to do a reread of the series. I am barely hanging on between all the different... everything that is going on the last few chapters. Loving the progression and the chapters just need to go back and refresh what everything is i think
Darnell Maxwell
Shit, forgot about the tribulation lightning. Well that's gonna make this next part more difficult.
Dylan Alexander
Doubt it, his life and death daos are not even peak yet.
Michael Fannon
Calling it now: Zac evolved his branches of life and deatg to earthly daos. And the heavens are about to hit him with a tribulation, and probably one with laws again. I really hope Kator survives this. I want his reaction.
Andrew
Thank you!
Philly Cheese
Does he combine his two branches into one concept?
trufflezz
Damn this is getting goooood
Keith
So many cliffhangers lately! No complaints though. These are fun to read and build towards what is coming next!
Lex Luther S
Interesting. Seems zacs really rocking the boat right here with his newly forming earthly daos. And that's quite interesting that a cataclysmic heritage is not something to survive multiple eras but only the current eras collapse. And even more interesting that they're giving him that key because there is literally no point in them going to the Waking Nautilus as their very bloodlines and paths limit them. But zac, someone climbing the actual peak of chaos, will have a far different experience. I'm wondering what lvl he'll be at; he'll likely wait till he's at least an autarch given he's only got one chance left lol. Man ohhh man how I wish tomorrow's ch wasn't the last one of the week because chaos will be spreading, and the heavens will be descending and you can BET there'll be a big Ole cliff.
Chase C
Wow, it actually sounds like Zac might have formed Earthly Daos. I wasn't expecting that at this point.
Laura Pilkington
is Zac prepared for a tribulation?
James Faulkner
Goosebumps, let’s see Zac tear those pesky Autarchs a new one!
Thenais
Yeaaaaah
William Keith
Tftc
Kharas
Thank you! Zac is taking at least 1 step up with his Daos with this. Its the perfect insights he need at the current point in time for each of his chaos related Daos. Hell it must be like if you are studying for an economy exam and suddenly not one, but two nobel laureates in economy shows up to help you with the more tricky questions. And they have even given him the key to a chaos related immortal heritage light thats very suited for his path. its gonna be interesting to see at what power lvl the knowledge impartment tells him to go there. I personally think its a setup for the story after the few we have going atm. So after the Left Imperial Palace when we have settled the aftermath of the Zecia war (either new sector for earth or Zac being semi in charge of the ruins of the current sector), living Zac goes to the eternal storm for technocrat and family stuff, draugh zac goes to the abyssal shores for subnautical(lower planar) challenges and fun times civil war, and after that we, depending on the power req of the waking nautilus go there. Ofc insert random explosions, looting and liberal mayhem and bloodshed along the way.. actually.. at every point of the way :p Its a fun ride! :)
Carl Scott
Thanks for the chapter
