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Chapter 1,243.
🕑 Added 2024-04-26 20:53:37 +0000 UTCThe peak of Middle Hegemony with Life, Death, and Conflict upgraded to Earthly Daos before Ultom. That was the ambitious target Zac set for himself and what he'd been desperately rushing towards, always feeling like he was falling behind. The past couple of months had completely changed that.
The Empyrean Chalice's training internalized and stabilized the huge amount of experience he'd accumulated through years of bitter fighting on the frontlines. The Atavism built upon his reinforced foundations, leading to a harvest of insights he'd been gathering since first coming in contact with the Remnants during the Eastern Trigram Hunt. The following series of breakthroughs allowed him to reach his goal with months to spare.
While somewhat expected since passing Rava's test, it left Zac at a loss. Sure, there were still things to improve, from his Technique to Soul and Constitutions. Honestly, Zac could have filled his day five times over with things that needed his attention. And yet, he was finished. Done. He felt tapped out like he'd spent all his money in a delirious shopping spree.
Except, instead of hard-earned money, it was his accumulation and momentum that had been exhausted. Just forcing his Daos of Life and Death to the next stage had squeezed out every little bit of his insights. The path forward was a haze so dense that Zac couldn't tell which direction to take his first step.
He'd advanced too far too quickly. Rava had repeatedly warned him her training regimen was only a patch and that he'd soon need to slow down. Zac wasn't foolish enough to disregard her teachings, and crossing two minor stages of Hegemony in as many years was indisputably too fast. Still, he'd always held onto the notion that he was the exception to the rule, like with so many other things.
So long as he had the resources and opportunities, why shouldn't he be able to keep going? There shouldn't be any lack of either now that they'd reached the inner parts of the graveyard, provided they didn't get embroiled in a conflict with the Black Heart Cult. He wasn't reliant on the Heavens for progress, only his two hands and his determination.
Now, Zac wasn't so sure. It might just be the exhaustion from surviving a heated battle just after facing death in the storm curtain, but Zac really felt like he'd reached a mental bottleneck as much as a cultivation one.
He even hoped that the Centurion Project was the key to triggering the trial early. He was raring to go, knowing the current situation held nothing for him. The thought of staying months inside the Imperial Graveyard waiting for the timer to reach zero was almost too much to bear. Zac wasn't convinced some troves would be enough to rekindle his momentum.
The only cure was time. Time to digest, rest, and regain a sense of normalcy after years of never stopping or slowing down. The same was true for his followers. And yet, rest would elude them until they'd dealt with the trial and its aftermath.
Zac shook his head, focusing on the present. There was no point in fretting about what would happen after reaching their destination. Whatever happened, he would deal with it, and the experience would set the stage for his next breakthrough.
For now, Zac needed to recover. Jaol was slightly neurotic, but he was rarely wrong. If he believed they'd been exposed, then that was likely the case. Zac ate another set of powerful Healing Pills and Natural Treasures, uncaring about their large amounts of Pill Toxins now that he had another batch of refined lightning cooking. Scabs and scars dried out before falling off, exposing smooth skin beneath.
Meanwhile, liquid resembling glistening moonlight filled the cracks in his Soul Aperture, mending the cracks while leaving Kintsugi-like patterns. It was courtesy of a powerful Soulmending Treasure he'd bought in the Limited Exchange. It was a forced recovery, though not that big of a problem, so long as he didn't overindulge. Part of it would be dealt with by the refined tribulation, the rest through practicing the [Nine Reincarnations Manual]. Until then, he would be able to use his Daos without much issue.
Seeing the cracks rapidly mend made Zac think of his bonded companion, and he suddenly felt a lot better after observing Kator through the administrator access. The reaver's state was far worse than Zac's, as not even the Tribulation Lightning was spared from their bond of solidarity. The healing vat had exploded, and he'd been forced to take out a spare.
He was still sitting in its bubbling liquid, almost in a catatonic state. The damage to Kator's warbones had worsened, with nasty scorch marks and the cracks reaching almost twice as far. His spiritual fluctuations were unstable, too, indicating his soul had taken hidden damage. There were no signs of any lightning or Heaven's aura. As expected, the link transferred the damage, not the physical attack.
Kator's soul wasn't as powerful as Zac's, even if Izh'Rak Reavers' souls benefitted from their bone-tempering methods. The [Solidarity Link] didn't take that into account when sending over half the damage. What was manageable damage to Zac was a significant setback for Kator. Zac assumed the reaver possessed some top-tier healing treasures, but he didn't have [Purity of the Void] or refined lightning to deal with the drawbacks.
It was highly unlikely Kator would be able to make any last-minute improvements before the trial in his current state, which was exactly what Zac hoped to see. Gaining another two Earthly Daos instilled Zac with confidence in case they really came to blows, but it would be for nothing if Kator broke through on his own.
Zac kept monitoring Kator with a sliver of his consciousness as he resumed his observation of his Dao Continent. He might be unable to see the path forward, but there were still discoveries to be unearthed of the road he'd already walked.
The engines kicked to life forty minutes later, allowing the Yphelion to resume its journey. Galau had come through again, doing the work of a full crew in half the time. Zac knew it was only possible by taking some shortcuts, but so what? They could worry about returning the Yphelion to a pristine state after they were safe.
Three more hours passed before his communication token buzzed, and Zac got to his feet with a grunt. He was far from having recovered his energy and healed his wounds, but the past month had already accustomed him to constant interruptions. He took a steadying breath before emerging from his chambers.
"They're back?" Zac said, seeing the bridge was almost empty with most combatants still in recovery.
"Nothing yet," Jaol said. "We needed your opinion. We're about to leave the calmer stretch. We've already plotted a preliminary path based on the trajectories you've sent. It's just, if we enter and—"
"If we encounter another enemy on the tight corridors, it won't be as simple as dealing with a trove," Ogras said as he emerged from the shadows. "You're okay?"
"Everything went well, thank you," Zac nodded, turning back to Jaol. "Can our ship handle it?"
"The energies are growing denser. We'll surpass what we dealt with before the curtain in a day or two," Jaol said.
Zac turned to Galau, who scratched his chin. "The shields aren't in a great state right now, but they'll be ready when we reach the more dangerous sections. That's provided we don't enter another firefight, mind you."
"So storms or cultists, we can't do both?" Zac summarized.
"We can try to find a calmer path by traveling along the storm wall," Jaol offered.
"A calmer path this deep in?" Ogras said. "How can there be such a good thing? We'll just increase the odds of running into whoever received that signal."
"I agree," Zac said. "The Yphelion's advantage lies in its speed, so that's what we'll have to rely on. Knowing we're here won't help if they can't catch up, and entering the storm will let us shake off any potential pursuit."
"Understood," Mark said, and the Yphelion resumed its journey.
Soon, they were back in the more familiar environment of the Imperial Graveyard, navigating narrow paths of relative calm with storms surrounding them. Zac stayed on the bridge, following the dizzying screen with a grim expression, half-expecting a boatload of Black Heart Cultists to pop up at any turn.
Hours turned to days, and Zac finally started to relax, believing the signal never managed to reach its intended target. There were no signs of Kan'Tanu or their masters anywhere, nor any other ships for that matter. Then again, the environment was growing increasingly chaotic and full of interference. Some stretches were so turbulent that a whole armada could have hidden an hour away without the Yphelion picking anything up.
Without any cultists to muddy the waters, their daily life went back to the hectic schedule of fitful bouts of training and recovery between clearing the paths of hostile Troves and aberrations. It quickly became obvious there was a difference in both risk and reward beyond the storm wall. The Troves grew larger, and they often held actual ruins and heritages.
Jaol believed an untouched cluster of Mystic Realms and Inner Worlds had emerged from the Void, similar to the Centurion Lighthouse. The unstable region had torn them apart, but the resentment hadn't had time to taint these remnants yet. Zac's Spatial Rings were rapidly filling up with ancient relics. He was picking up everything not bolted to the floor, even if it lacked any spirituality or clear purpose.
Rava had given him the task of bringing back items from the Limitless Empire, and Zac had no way to tell what she'd value and what was junk. He had plenty of spare rings, so there was no need to be discerning.
The others were also enjoying a bountiful harvest, including finding two more seal pieces. One of them belonged to the Anima Court, allowing Vilari to finish her seal. She used the insight to redraw the twisted version of the [Ember of Seven Sensations]. Reworking it would hopefully help against any lingering dangers, though Zac wasn't convinced it was enough to deal with the entity.
Despite their gains, they were forced to leave most valuables behind as they pushed through the storm at a breakneck pace. They entered the breaches to disperse the accumulated resentment or Spatial Energies, not look for loot. There wasn't time to break through the defenses of the real treasuries, whether it was ancient arrays or swarms of beasts and ghosts.
Not to mention, everyone was running on fumes. They were never given enough time to recover from the cultists, and the troves appeared with increasing frequency. Zac did what he could to cover for his companions with his newfound strength, a task easier said than done. His new Earthly Daos had given a boost to his strength and endurance, but it wasn't enough to keep going at this pace.
It wasn't a sustainable pace. Thankfully, they wouldn't have to keep it up much longer. The beacon signal kept growing stronger. One week in, it suddenly activated on its own, dragging Zac out of his meditation. He didn't infuse his will—it was seized—and Zac felt a powerful connection form.
Zac gasped when the tool turned to dust in his hands, only calming down when he could clearly feel their destination like a thread of fate. They were slightly further than he'd hoped, but they were still less than ten days away. It was at that moment Jaol rang again, this time with the message Zac hoped to never have to hear.
'Enemy spotted!'
"They came after all?" Zac said after rushing to the bridge.
"More like we came to them," Jaol sighed, opening a series of screens. "There's a heavy presence in the area."
"Can you see if it's Kan'Tanu or Black Heart Cult?"
"Not yet," the navigator said, and a few taps lit up spots on the maps. "I haven't discovered any vessels, but there appears to be a network of satellites set up here."
"Satellites?" Emily said. "How's that possible? Wouldn't the storms tear them apart?"
"I… think it's native corpses controlled by Heart Curses," Jaol explained. "Their energy signature is indistinguishable from the resentment. Our scanners only noticed them after they began sending signals similar to the Void Beast's."
"So the storm might be full of spies?" Zac grimaced. "When they started sending signals, was it related to us?"
"Definitely. Our cloaking methods clearly don't work against them. They might be noticing the energy we're stirring up with our flight rather than the ship."
"Should we destroy them?" Joanna suggested.
"No, they're deep in the storms, and it won't do us much good," Zac said after looking at the screens. "We'd lose more than we'd gain."
"Is it possible to block the signal?" Ogras asked.
"Impossible," Jaol said. "Even if I had the means, such a blockade would probably be just as noticeable to our enemies. Our scanner range is far greater than theirs, though. If we can figure out a way to discover them ahead of time, we might be able to navigate around them."
"Won't help us much if we're already discovered," the demon muttered, glancing in Kator's direction.
The reaver had been silent and brooding since being wounded, even if his bones had already healed up. He shook his head. "You're expecting too much of me, demon."
"Do what you can," Zac said to Jaol.
"I'll see if I can come up with something," Jaol nodded, though his face wasn't optimistic.
"We'll lead them right to the Foreign Gods if we're not careful," Joanna cautioned. "It might not be random that we encountered these things so close to our destination."
"I know, but we don't have much option but ot keep going," Zac said. "If getting hold of those things was so easy, the Kan'Tanu would already have seized them."
"It might be for the best," Emily said. "Pull them all together and then unleash the Gods on them."
"You never know," Zac nodded.
Unfortunately, things didn't turn out as they hoped. Signals from hidden satellites kept going off as they advanced. Another six hours later, Jaol discovered the first vessel moving to intercept. Later, the Yphelion warned of a Monarch blocking their route, forcing them to cut through a storm to reach an alternative path.
No matter what they did, they couldn't shake off the pursuit. Their situation only grew more hopeless.
"Is the whole cult hiding out here?" Ogras spat after a day of dogged pursuit, seeing the seven vessels picked up by their long-range scanner.
"They're corralling us," Joanna exclaimed. "If we follow their arrangements—"
"We'll get surrounded and taken out," Zac nodded, glowering at the screen.
The path they came from had already closed like a trapdoor slamming shut. They only had two routes forward, each blocked by cultist vessels. Braving the storms was an even worse option. They'd picked up multiple C-grade fluctuations from aberrations. Even if their shields could endure the storm, they couldn't endure that level of resentment.
"Pick the weaker side and head straight toward it. We're breaking through!"
"Wait, I managed to break through their shielding," Jaol said, his face pale as snow. "There are Monarchs hidden in each camp!"
Zac drew a sharp breath. Facing a genuine Monarch was asking too much on a good day, let alone in their current state. It'd be no different than smashing an egg against a rock if Zac insisted on forcing their way through. Neither was backing down an option. Zac glanced at Galau, who grimly nodded in agreement. They were out of options, so they could only roll the dice and hope for the best.
"Brace yourselves!" Zac roared as he triggered the backdoor module hidden in his sleeves.
"Draugr, what are you—"
Kator didn't have time to finish his sentence before a wave of Death spread and flooded every room and hallway of the Yphelion. It felt like they'd plunged into an icy lake.
"—doing?" the reaver continued, warily looking around as a foreign aura permeated the bridge. He suddenly stood ramrod straight and released his Dao. "You madman! What have you done?"
"I used another method to escape. What are you doing?" Zac said, his mind mostly on the surge of information that had poured into his mind.
"Escaped? You've doomed us," Kator said with a hollow laugh as dark threads began to appear.
They were everywhere: on the walls, ceiling, and the instruments. Even on the people around him. Zac looked with trepidation as a line appeared on his left wrist, and his shock only deepened upon realizing he was utterly incapable of removing it. He quickly turned to the reaver, who seemed to be the only one to understand what was happening.
"Where is this?"
"If I'm not wrong, you've brought us to Kālasūtra."
Comments
Kconraw
Thx for the chapter
Jacob
That is not correct. The Buddists of Samsara use Life, Death, and Karma. So the Buddists could be in this demention.
Josh Sabo
Anyone lol when Zac got a little kick out of Kators condition after the lightning 😂
Amani
So Thea has nothing to do with this. The people she is with use Life, not death and they should not be in this death space if they have a life ship engine.
Nate
Seems like this is going to be a Thea thing. IDK how I feel about Zac not having a talk with Kenzie about Thea getting killed before Thea comes back. Also, “in the course of their earlier lives, these unfortunate people used to slander honest people and cause innocent people to die by means of lies (mṛṣāvāda), harmful words (pāruṣyavāda), malicious gossip (paiśunyavāda) and idle comments (saṃbhinnapalāpa). Or else, as perverted officials, they were cruel, violent, dishonest and harmful. It is as a result of their wrong-doings and calumnies that they undergo these punishments”.
Jeff McCulley
This hell is Death. I suppose TFD just figured it would be too easy for Zac if he just had another pure Death asset, like when he lucked into the training camp. That was just straight a good thing, regardless of how hard to access. Either that or he had a Buddhist realm that he’ read about that he really, really wanted to use sometime—and this is it. ;) And we don’t know this is the only place the death engine takes them to. Multiple settings?
Jeff McCulley
So…the other (life) drive should take them to the Heaven of Kama Sutra, right? Because what’s more all about life than that?
Aaron Schwartz
hell of black cords ［黒縄地獄］ ( Kālasūtra; Kokujō-jigoku): The second of the eight hot hells. It is said that in this hell the bodies of offenders are wrapped with heated black iron cords, and with these cords as guides are sawed or slashed to pieces. The Sanskrit word kālasūtra means the thread of death. Kāla means death and fate, and sūtra means thread, cord, wire, or measuring line. Explanations of the hell of black cords differ slightly according to the source.
Bryce H.
Hopefully Kator will gain some respect for the Atwood Empire after rolling with them for a while. We do shit differently out here on the frontier. Adventuring with Zac is like strapping a homemade rocket fueled by dice rolls onto a tin can with no seatbelts as the captain uses Jack Sparrow's compass for navigation. We need another Carl chapter lol. Just that poor guy endlessly sniping while in the middle of the most hectic warzone you could imagine as gods clash in the distance, literally ripping space apart.
Thenais
oh yeah, bring them all to kamasutra
Drew
Love the thought of Kator getting wrecked by the tribulation damage sharing and second-guessing the wisdom of that play.
Nate
While they are still workshopping on whether they are going to kill Kator or not, they might want to factor in that he's the only one in the gang rn that really knows anything. Kator's just in awe how the fuck these jerkoffs are still alive. Catheya never got to experience a full Zac adventure until now. Wonder if Esmeralda is going to give them a hand for this one.
Jeff McCulley
That and the other sangha Autarchs were hanging around the rift I suppose Zac is heading towards. Maybe they packed up and went home?
Jeff McCulley
No, the homing gadget disintegrated, and he now has a (karmic?) link directly to the beacon himself.
Nate
So WTF happened to the beacon? Did it get lit if it just randomly got destroyed? This is the first time that they told Kator and the rest of them that they are A-grade.
Lex Luther S
Kator knew he was asking for a world of hurt given he's had plenty of examples of how zac and arcaz operate.
Lex Luther S
Wish it was happy fuckin Monday after that cliff.
Lex Luther S
I'd forgo the politically biased ChatGPT for fear it'd cram political BS not in the novel; besides, by the time AI becomes that advanced, we'll likely see actual services for just that. As for literally creating an entire webtoon, I'd say within the next 3-5 years we'll see it. 3 years for it to appear and 5 for it to become actually worthwhile. Though I'd prefer an actual person drawing the webtoon, it would be hard given the sheer length of chapters currently out.
Lex Luther S
No one knows who the first defier was. Some rumors say he ascended to the peak in under 100 years, and some say he was a blazing comet that left as fast as he appeared. We just don't have enough info from TFD about The First defier. But no, there's absolutely no benefit of being a mortal unless you're like zac. As mentioned, because he has zero affinities across the board, he is free in a way like no one else throughout the entire multiverse. Free to pick whatever path he wishes and set on it. Even yrial and his mother made remarks, even seeming jealous, in my opinion. As for the cultivation and mental wall he's hit, I feel this is TFD hinting at what comes after Ultoms end; which is zac and his followers and empire, just resting and shoring up their foundations for the future. Rava said it'd take centuries but I feel that's for his followers; zac and ogras will be set by the time earth's assimilation comes around, which means they'd be able to set out for the Eternal storm while the rest train with rava and stay behind to keep greedy fools from getting too happy with zacs missing presence.
Lex Luther S
I feel he'll become the defacto leader of the zecia sector, with the zecia empires only waiting till zacs a monarch to openly confirm they're now subsidiaries of the Atwood empire. Gotta save face somehow and there's no way there won't be some monarchs unhappy with following a hegemon, no matter how busted. Though this could change if zacs human persona gets taken on as a disciple by someone like Iz grandpa.
Lex Luther S
Gonna need more than a Gellar field if the Wicked Rākṣasas and worker-demons mentioned in the belief of the hells are there
Omiso
Taking a shortcut through a Buddhist hell... that Gellar Field better be active.
Joseph Jones
Was just thinking about how Thea is riding with the Buddhist trying to use her as a connection of fate to Zac
Palmer Evans
Has there ever been talk of adapting this series into a webtoon? It does seem like it’d be hard to do it true justice but I’d still pay to see it adapted in some manner. Hoping within the next couple years that ChatGPT could just adapt a book into a webtoon version. I’d imagine authors could make very easy tweaks to art style and amount/type of information that’s included
Andrew
Thank you!
Charles Travasos
Idk if I’m reading it wrong but when Zac was talking about momentum he said it like everyone who progresses as fast as he did is destined to him a wall they can’t climb by just pushing through. I don’t know how canon The First Defier is but didn’t he ascend to the pinnacle in 100 years? I thought that was one of the few benefits of being a mortal?
Joshua Little
Thanks for the chapter.
Mateo Lopez
I believe Zac break is gonna be after Ultom is said and done. He will go back to Earth and rest until the the Systems shroud drops. Then him and the Atwood Empire are going on a conquest in a war ravaged Zecia. Claiming nearly the whole thing with whole factions joking him. Including the Kavrial empire
Tyler
So, the Creators (I'm bad with names) said they couldn't make a Life-Death Chaos Engine, right? It seems like the system didn't want to give that to Zac either, and the Dao the escape methods used is based firmly under the Dao of Samsara. It cheated and gave him a Samsara Engine.
Johnny
Hell yeah 😂
gavin knoell
Tyfc
Victor
Oh oh, that can’t be good. Although if the system made it so Zac gets into this situation there is something important that he’ll probably get there. 😬
Mason
Well, that can’t be good.
Mason
Kala sutra: One of the twenty-eight hells. Those who treacherously behave towards Pitṛs, Brāhmaṇas, etc., are sent to this;1 a hell under the earth
Alexandre Bergeron
Kamasutra has been reached
Kris Boxall
I think Zac’s only going to get a short break after Ultom before heading into the Eternal Storm
Shurjin
What a cliffhanger 🥲🥲
Sanc Asura
Seeing the pile of bones get zapped was nice.
Tyler S.
Enjoy your weekend and hope for a smoother work for you TFD, thanks for the chapter
Jack Trowell
It's the name of one of the hells in Buddhism.
Jack Trowell
It's the name one of the hells in Buddhism
Lanny blackmore
Lower plane?
Lex Luther S
Hmmmmm. Seems next week will be the ultimate climax of their journey in the imperial graveyard. I'm willing to bet Iz some how shows up and they end up working together to reach the breach. As for what Kālasūtra is, that I don't know but given it was something installed by the system, zac will surely turn it into an opportunity. As for Zac hitting a cultivation and mental block, I feel this is very much for the best. It shows that not even he is above the law of balance and he must slow down. Certainly won't happen till ultom and the fallout is done and dusted but after that, a good 80 years of peaceful cultivating waiting for earth's assimilation will be exactly what zac needs. He'll continue to shore up his foundations with Ravas help and finally he won't have to go full throttle at all times. At least until he's a peak hegemon and sets off for the Eternal storm for his mother's mission, zac will finally have some RnR. Edit: Ok, so Kālasūtra is apparently one of the Buddhist hells. Here's what I got from the wiki. Kālasūtra (कालसूत्र) refers to one of the eight great hells according to the “world of transmigration” section in the 2nd century. Wicked Rākṣasas, guardians of the hell (nirayapāla) and worker-demons ceaselessly measure the damned with a black cord (kālasūtra); with an iron axe (kuṭhāra) they put them to death and cut them to pieces; they shorten what is long (dīrgha), they lengthen what is short (hrasva); they round off what is square (varga), they square off what is round (vṛtta); they cut their arms and legs, tear out their ears and noses and cut off their hands and feet with a great iron saw (krakaca); they amputate them and cut them up. They cut their flesh into pieces and weigh the quarters of meat. Now, my guess is, through something the system installed, they've entered one of the lower planes with a connection to the Sangha. And with the meaning of shortening what is long and lengthen what is short could mean they've simultaneously jumped way past the blockade and fallen way behind their original position and I think surviving whatever these black threads have in store for them is key to breezing past the blockade and closer to the breach. Hopefully only a day or two out from the breach. But the issue is what the Kan'Tanu and black heart cultists are cooking up and it's why I feel zac and Co. will eventually run into Iz and that Lu fellow. It just fits too perfectly and Iz will get another taste of the chaos zac can sow.
martin smith
Cant wait for the kick off, another great chapter, thanks
jerome
Who would ever think monks are the bad guys…
Random Information
Kalasutra?
Krispy sock
Happy fucking Friday
