Defiance of the Fall

The third layer of his Body Tempering Method represented a major threshold, taking you into Minor Sublimation. The fourth layer further built on that reforged foundation. The original [Boundless Vajra Sublimation] said that the fourth to sixth layers represented the Shackles of Man, Earth, and Heavens, respectively.

The Shackle of Man represented one's past, distractions, and 'lowly pursuits.' Only by earnestly facing the Dao with a clear heart could one be reforged by the Dao into a pure Vajra. It also referred to the mortal flesh you were born with. The Minor Sublimation set you on a path forming an unmatched constitution, where flesh was not flesh but an endless fount of Life.

The Shackle of Earth referred to one's reliance on factions and the desire for political power. The boundless Cosmos would be closed off to anyone who'd sullied their heart with court intrigue. It also seemed to refer to the Lower Planes, but Zac didn't quite understand how and why. He had only scratched the surface of the Fifth Layer, and he hadn't even begun to redraw it.

The meaning behind the Shackle of Heaven was even more of a mystery, but Zac did know breaking it meant achieving Major Sublimation and reaching the next stage of Heart Cultivation. Zac wasn't too worried about it. The Sixth Layer could only be cultivated after forming an Inner World. He believed he'd better understand the method's intricacies by then.

Zac's reinterpreted version of the Fourth Layer would still break these chains, though the symbolism behind them had changed. To Zac, breaking the Shackle of Man referred to one of the central tenets guiding his path; taking control of his fate. By becoming a Void Vajra, he'd stand outside the schemes of the mundane world, pursuing the Dao and his goals.

Flames and the smoky haze of burning wood swirled around Zac as he transitioned from one step to the next. They formed matching patterns echoing the truths hidden within the movements, and those truths formed transient runes that reshaped the room's energy.

Zac's heart remained a tranquil lake as the minutes passed, and his muscles barely felt any strain when progressing into the more demanding positions. His body had already reached the apex of the fourth layer, and his constitution was further bolstered by his two bloodlines.

What made the biggest difference were the motes of Void Energy fused with his cells. They had made his body far more suited to practice the [Void Vajra Sublimation], helping him exert a greater pull on the surrounding Life-attuned into his body. Of course, that came with increased agony, though that was a small price to pay for speeding up his cultivation.

Even then, Zac felt his carefully maintained Void State ripple as his cells resisted the infusion with increasing insistence. The cactus spine had already pushed his body to the limits of the amount of Life-attuned force it could hold. Taking on any more was like trying to squeeze something into a suitcase already stuffed to the gills.

Something had to give, or he'd burst at the seams. Zac staunchly kept going, enduring the tearing pain of having millions of tiny cracks spread throughout his body. Breaking free from the Shackle of Man didn't come without a price—in a sense, it was discarding your mortality to become a being forged by the Dao. The first shackle would take you closer to the Innate Existences who naturally communed with the cosmos.

Each sutra came slower than the one before. Zac felt like he was being physically restrained by hundreds of real chains as he kept going. He struggled with everything he had, yet it wasn't enough. With just ten sutras short of finishing the circuit, Zac found himself unable to move so much as an inch.

His Draugr Hidden Nodes had already pushed him further than he could have gone on his own, but they could take no further. Zac's body shuddered under the strain, worsening the cracks covering his body. Oily sweat poured down his body, forming plumes of haze as it was vaporized by the raging inferno. The swirling flames gradually calmed down as the rhythmic cadence Zac had built up over the past hours waned.

It was at that moment a deep thud from Zac's chest reignited his stalled momentum. A primal force poured out of the Hidden Node and into his true heart, spreading to every inch of his body through his bloodstream. The refined Fiend Energy had been released right when Zac needed it most. It acted like gasoline to the fire as it entered the overstuffed hurricanes.

They shuddered and began spinning with unprecedented ferocity, pushing against the boundaries of their confined space. Zac felt like the raging storms were tearing him apart, but the agony brought new power. Zac staunchly held onto his Void State while his arms continued their measured circuit. The invisible chains holding him back groaned with complaint when the impossible was made possible.

Then, Zac heard a snapping sound, and the resistance lessened. A smattering followed the first, and Zac almost lost control. Part of it was the unfamiliar power coursing through his body, making familiar movements seem foreign. Most importantly, each shattered chain brought agony similar to forcing open a node.

Thankfully, he was almost there already. With a final stomp, the circuit closed, and the last shackle snapped. He was unbound, unburdened, and complete. Billions of hurricanes roared as the last barriers were broken through, and they rapidly expanded. A burning hurricane erupted in the sealed chamber with Zac as its eye. The immense amounts of ambient energy were all dragged into his body and became fuel for the eternal storm within.

Zac remained unmoving in his closing sutra, yet felt his form growing tall enough to touch the ten-meter ceiling before shrinking to the size of a Sky Gnome. Contraction and expansion followed each other, each cycle dragging more energy into his body. With each contraction, a large number of cells split. When the last mote of energy in his supreme-quality paste was siphoned off, the number of his cells had increased by fivefold without changing his stature. However, Zac believed he would break any conventional scale if he stepped onto it right now.

The process was over. Zac stayed in place for the next twenty minutes, savoring the changes in his body. The fourth layer was just a minor bottleneck compared to the previous breakthrough. That didn't mean the transformation wasn't noticeable. It almost seemed as though his cells had formed individual miniature worlds, creating a paradoxical scene where the hurricanes had grown a few times, despite the cells being concentrated to a fifth of their original size.

Boundless Life coursed through his veins, and Zac could tell he'd reached a point where he could regrow limbs without relying on any skills. The small cracks that had formed during his breakthrough were already closing on their own, leaving not a trace behind. Finally, Zac opened his Status Screen to inspect the changes.

Name Zachary Atwood

Level 171

Class [D-Arcane] Evolutionary Precursor

Race [D] Human - Void Emperor (Corrupted)

Alignment [Zecia] Atwood Empire – Baron of Conquest

Titles [...] Arcane Ascension, Pathbound Core, Peakmender, Destined, Cosmic Introduction

Limited Titles Tower of Eternity Sector All-Star - 14th, Equanimity, Big Axe Gladiator, The Final Twilight - 1st, Gates of Rebirth, Void Road

Dao Branch of the War Axe - Late, Branch of the Kalpataru - Late, Branch of the Pale Seal - Late

Core [D] Evolutionary Core

Strength 124,477 [Increase: 219%. Efficiency: 451%]

Dexterity 59,560 [Increase: 171%. Efficiency: 300%]

Endurance 74,239 [Increase: 193%. Efficiency: 472%]

Vitality 77,573 [Increase: 206%. Efficiency: 470%]

Intelligence 12,250 [Increase: 150%. Efficiency: 300%]

Wisdom 20,707 [Increase: 152%. Efficiency: 315%]

Luck 1,363 [Increase: 184%. Efficiency: 393%]

Free Points 0

Nexus Coins [D] 19 348 395

[Life] Void Vajra Sublimation (Fourth Layer): Base Attributes +300. Vitality +3250. Endurance +550. All Attributes +10% Vitality +25%. Effect of Vitality +15%.

Zac nodded in satisfaction. His Life-attuned constitution had finally caught up to his Draugr bloodline, and the fourth layer provided a sizeable chunk of attributes. The strong skew toward Vitality actually allowed the attribute to surpass Endurance after all this time. There were no twists or mysteries like with his Void Emperor Bloodline, which felt very welcome after these past days.

The only surprise was that unyielding resistance when he tried to cross the threshold on his own. He'd expected to almost seamlessly step into the next stage. The Fiend Crystals had sidestepped the issue today, and he had more fallbacks in case they proved insufficient. However, it was important to keep in mind for the future. He couldn't allow himself to grow lax just because his triple constitutions made Body Tempering far easier.

The last flickering flames in the braziers went out, dragging Zac out of his thoughts. A glance confirmed the array was still in working order. It had simply run out of energy during his breakthrough. He closed the screen and got dressed before moving to the normal cultivation chamber.

Streams of Life- and Conflict-attuned energy swirled inside. Someone had even placed a number of matching plants along the walls, creating a similar feeling to his [Apex Jungle]. Zac took a deep breath as he sat down with a Divine Crystal in Each hand. His upgraded constitution was clearly able to hold far more Life, and his cells needed to be topped up. Life-attuned Beast Crystals would have provided much better nourishment, but Zac wanted to give [Void Heart] a breather after the refinement.

Zac's mind wasn't really on cultivation, though. His body would recover on its own soon enough. Meanwhile, Zac felt it was time to finally turn his attention to one of the items that had stayed hidden inside [Purity of the Void] since his Draugr half returned to the frontlines; the ancient tome called [Foreign Gods].

The purification sphere had proven quite useful for long-term storage, especially after Zac realized he could suppress the space to drastically weaken the corrosive Void Energy inside. Not that it was necessary when it came to high-grade items like the [Court Cycle Token] and the [Centurion Beacon]. They were made from incredibly durable materials that effortlessly endured Zac's bloodline. The thick tome was no different than the metallic objects despite being made from ancient hide. It silently floated in the hidden space, waiting to share its secrets.

Zac had no plans of taking it out. There still was a small chance he was being observed. More importantly, he was afraid the book would release more sinister energy when flipping the pages. He was better off perusing its contents while it stayed in the Purification Sphere, where he could crank up the Hidden Node in case something went wrong.

A mental nudge opened the cover, exposing a page written in majestic letters of the Limitless Empire's script.

'On the 15,323th year of the Seventh Hexagram Order, the Foreign Gods were discovered hiding in the cracks of reality.

After twenty years of study, the Starfall Court determined the origin of the corroded realm that had given them birth. It was the fragment of a Stellar Wanderer, one of its three races of Ancient Arcana. The glory of the Ancient Arcana is largely upheld by the Eternal's mark through the river of time, reducing these gentle giants to obscurity.

However, the might of these beings born from the eddies of our Grand Kalpa cannot be overstated. Towering over the Primordial Fiendgods of our age, wielding the strength to tear apart the Chaos Apostles from the Era of Disorder with a simple tug. They were suppressed by the Terminus from birth, forever wandering the cosmos in search of a higher Heaven.'

Zac briefly paused, and not just because of the many unfamiliar terms. A deep groan, like the shifting of ancient wood, rang in his ears, and Zac realized his nose was actually bleeding golden drops. The power imparted within these words was immense. The person who wrote [Foreign Gods], or at least its introduction, couldn't possibly be someone stationed on the Sixth Centurion Lighthouse.

He was far too powerful, quite possibly a genuine Supremacy under the Limitless Empire's Banner. How could the fortress have fallen so such a state if the author was there the day it was attacked? He would have annihilated the enemies with a flick of his fingers. Zac shook his head to clear his mind of the overwhelming pressure and read on.

'Sediments of undying will have mixed with Fallen Dao, giving birth to the Foreign Gods. Cruel, bloodthirsty, and vengeful, these miscreations are a blight and a mockery of the vaunted existences they were molded from. However, while only wielding a shadow of the true Wanderer's might, they possess several desirable characteristics.

These constructs made from corrosion are neither living nor dead, forever locked in a tormented existence. They also showcase the incredible resilience of their source, requiring the work of multiple Imperial Preceptors to disperse. One of the Elder Gods even survived the strike of a Blade Cardinal passing through.

Cruelty and drive can be wiped. Purpose can introduced. Order can quell the Corruption. It would be a blessing for these pitiful existences and an act of positive Karma with the Lost Era if the Foreign Gods were given purpose beyond base instincts born from the Fallen Dao. The Empire will light a torch in the darkness for the Foreign Gods, just as we do for the Cosmos. With the authority of the Starfall Court, I establish the Centurion Project. May they act the lighthouse and guide the path toward the zenith.

The stars are falling, unknowing of their origin. We are running out of time. The pillars will hold up the vault of Heaven, and the Foreign Gods shall become their eternal guardians.

Zac's vision was already swimming by that point, but he pressed beyond the introduction in search of answers. Finally, he found what he was looking for a mention of the beacon. Zac endured the deafening roar as he skimmed the next page before decisively cutting the connection with his Hidden Node. He took a shuddering breath and swallowed a Soul Nurturing pill to alleviate the splitting headache.

The book resembled the [Book of Duality], where each word was imbued with powerful meaning and endless layers of truth. However, there was something wrong with the pages beyond the first. Only the introduction was protected by the unbending Faith of the author. The rest seemed penned by the same hand, yet their truths had been tainted by the Corruption.

[Purity of the Void] had only managed to cleanse the actual tainted energy that seeped out of the pages. The source was still there, its grade or nature resisting his Hidden Node's efforts of purification. The problem wasn't unbridgeable, but he would have to go through the book bit by bit while monitoring his mental state.

Zac's first session brought many new questions, but it thankfully provided some much-needed answers. The Limitless Empire had really found these "Foreign Gods" in what seemed like the Lost Plane. Or more likely, a higher-grade fragment than the one the Ra'Lashar Goblins stumbled onto. The whole Ra'Lashar kingdom would have been wiped off the map by a single Foreign God, let alone one of the 'Elder Gods' mentioned.

Despite their factions being diametrical opposites, the Limitless Empire had actually chosen the same route as the goblins—to seize control of the entities born from ancient taint. Of course, the Limitless Empire was far better equipped to deal with the mental Corruption with their Faith Energy. The Corruption was powerful, but Zac couldn't see it stand up to the Imperial Faith of the Limitless Empire in its heyday.

Most importantly, he found a brief introduction to the [Centurion Beacon]. It was more accurate to call it a tracker, as it wasn't the actual beacon that would let him unleash the Foreign Gods on the Kan'Tanu. Zac had already suspected something of the sort after getting his new quest. The quest told him to find a breach in the Eternal Storm, and the tracker was the key to locating it.

In other words, he had to follow its guidance to find the real [Centurion Beacon] inside the breach. Lighting it up should technically let him summon the refined Foreign Gods from wherever they were being stored. And provided they actually were still around, which didn't seem clear, considering the fortress seemed to have run into some of their former test subjects at the end.

Zac was also curious about the author and the things he mentioned in the foreword. What was a Grand Kalpa, and who was the Eternal to leave such an impression? They must have been the Lost Era's leading figure. And someone who stood out among their peers by the looks of it. In fact, it almost seemed as though the cultivators of the Lost Era were decisively stronger than the peak existences of the later Eras.

Was that what the author indicated at the end? 'Stars are falling, unknowing of their origin.' It almost matched the cryptic words Laondio muttered in Zac's Bloodline Vision to a tee. Were they saying that each time the Dao collapsed, it was left a little weaker?

And if the Stellar Wanderers were born in the 'eddies of the Grand Kalpa,' did the author mean the Lost Plane was the actual first Era, not just the oldest known Eternal Heritage?

Zac's mind churned as he felt himself drawing closer to monumental secrets buried in an ancient past. He almost dove back into the tome despite feeling like he'd taken a long bath in tainted lake water. Luckily, a light chime provided a much-needed distraction. Someone had rang the bell of his residence.

"What's wrong?" Zac asked as he opened the door.

"Everything's fine," the Valkyrie said and handed over an information crystal. "The Administrators said you asked for some information, and they've finished compiling it."

"Oh, it's done already?" Zac said with excitement, temporarily shelving the mysteries of [Foreign Gods].

It was the complete tally of the current Middle D-grade Limited Exchange. With his breakthrough around the corner and a mountain of merit, Zac needed to decide whether to splurge in the Early D-grade shop or save his money for the higher-graded store. After all, the resource scarcity in Zecia grew exponentially more noticeable at every stage of Hegemony.

Zac briefly scanned its contents as he returned to his cultivation chamber, suddenly stopping in his tracks as he reached the middle. His lips twitched as he glanced at the ceiling, or rather at the System hiding in the sky. It couldn't wait any longer for another bite?

The items were a Splinter of Oblivion and a Shard of Creation, each prized at a very reasonable 250,000 merit. Their descriptions were foreboding enough to be left alone, calling them cursed and possessed by undying will that would corrode one's rationality. That may have explained why they were left alone until now if not for the annotation indicating they'd been added just four days ago. Right after he left the tower.

It felt like such an obvious bait, making Zac inclined to reject the notion out of principle. However, various threads began to weave together into a plan. The beacon, the Foreign Gods, the [Epiclesis Bell], and now the remnants and the chance at Atavism. Perhaps there was a way to deal with all these matters in one fell swoop. Zac would have to get a whole lot stronger before enacting such a dangerous scheme. He also needed capable helpers and some scapegoats to pave the path and shoulder the fallout.

Luckily, he knew just the people.