Chapter 1,203.
Added 2024-02-16 19:33:32 +0000 UTCA/N: Next chapter tuesday.
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There really was a Holy Relic hidden in this remote training facility, and it seemed even stronger than Zac expected. Could it be part of a contingency where the templars hid their greatest relics, planning for a resurrection when the Dao recovered? But if that were the case, why did it have such an ominous name?
He'd pictured something like the three guardian weapons, not a 'Seed of the Apocalypse.' Then again, its name didn't matter. There seemed to be many restrictions surrounding it, but it could be another lifeline in case their Foreign Gods gambit didn't pan out.
"I suggest you give up. The seed holds enough destruction to reshape the Heavens. Are you worthy of wielding such power? Do you think it comes without a price?" Rava said, her voice full of reproach. "That said, the appearance of our Terminal Son is the first criterion of its manifestation. I will not stand in the way of destiny, but I suggest you forget about the matter until you Confirm your Dao. Before that, you'll likely end up a puppet to its will."
"Confirm my Dao?" Zac sighed, realizing his desire to solve the Kan'Tanu threat had gotten the better of him.
Rava's comment about puppets and will made the Seed of the Apocalypse sound like the Heart of Oblivion and its archnemesis. Zac was worried about combining five measly splinters of those ancient entities. How was he supposed to wield a complete item and use it to take out the Kan'Tanu armies across Zecia?
And honestly, he shouldn't have to. Zecia would have to pick up the slack if he managed to unleash the Foreign Gods. If they couldn't even do that, then Zecia was bound to collapse anyway. Would the System bother to protect Zecia after such a shameful display? More likely, it would open the gates wide open to let outsiders search for opportunities in the wake of the pillar's ascent.
Zac dropped the subject, turning to something else that had been rattling in the back of his mind for the past few days.
"You said that my bloodline carries dangerous implications before I entered the trial. What does that mean?"
"I'm sure you have many questions, but why should I answer? You've chosen a path of independence, and your unwillingness to pick a side in the Zenith War is evident. Make no mistake, we are not allies. We are both getting something out of our exchange. If you want more, you need to offer something of equal value. Eschewing balance will harm us both."
"Balance…" Zac whispered, his eyes glazing over.
Rava's words carried a unique cadence that pushed Zac into a transcendent state. Suddenly, the curtains parted before his eyes.
To cultivate was to steal from the Heavens. The further you diverged from the Law of Balance, the greater the universe would suppress you. The greater the deficit, the greater the backlash. Unorthodox Cultivators wantonly broke it in their pursuit of power, using sinister methods to hide from the Heavens.
What did it mean to be orthodox? You couldn't cultivate without breaking the Law of Balance, but perhaps you could mitigate the backlash by aligning your actions with the laws. Didn't he have countless examples of this?
The System always maintained balance in its operations. The same was true for all the old masters he'd encountered. Sendor, one of the most powerful beings in the Multiverse, strictly adhered to a principle of equilibrium in their dealings. The Realm Spirit didn't have to give Zac anything if he didn't want to. What was Zac supposed to do if Sendor said no?
The same was true for Laondio's wisp. Zac had his suspicions of events being manipulated, but Laondio had provided something in return at every step of the way. Iz was adamant about maintaining balance, from trading attacks for information to reciprocating when Zac shared his quest. Rava had paid for her trickery by opening the Halls of Service.
Even Ogras followed this logic when reforging his flag, as had his mother when she took Kenzie away. They all formed virtuous cycles by enforcing balance on themselves and others. Certainly, it was impossible to always maintain balance, and the acts of reciprocity shouldn't be confused with acts of charity.
So what about him? His vision for the [Void Vajra Sublimation], which had spread to other aspects of his path, was to take what he needed and seal off everything else. There was never any concept of balance, of reciprocity. But the Void wasn't above the Law of Balance, and neither was he.
His path was flawed.
The Eternal Servant must have discovered the imbalance and decided to help him see it, too. The epiphany didn't have an answer on how to reform this aspect of his path, and it wasn't something that needed to be immediately addressed. Just being aware and conscious of the concept was enough for now. Zac slowly exhaled and bowed in gratitude.
"Thank you."
"So long as you understand," the servant said and handed him a token. "You will not pass the screening with your affinities, so I've issued a token directly. You can discover the rest on your own. I need to leave and gather information."
Rava disappeared, leaving Zac alone in the fully functional Halls of Service. Zac tabled the matter of upholding balance, focusing on the matter at hand. He updated Ogras on the situation before walking over to the information pillar. He infused his will, and a stream of information gave Zac a comprehensive rundown of the base. By the time he'd given it a quick once-over, he found the demon standing by his side.
"You got in?" Zac said with surprise. "And you actually dared enter?"
"The barrier around this building is gone. The others remain intact," Ogras said, looking around with interest. "As for daring… If you say it's safe, I'll trust you. Who has a better nose for trouble? Where is the senior?"
"She said she needed to find information and left."
"I can imagine, after being sealed longer than the Ruthless Heavens have existed," Ogras nodded. "So what happened? Seemed like you were hiding something before. Don't worry; I highly doubt that toad dares take one step into these halls. She still seems deadly afraid of the Eternal Servant. I'll spell my name backward if she hasn't robbed a few templar treasuries in her day."
The demon was definitely onto something. Esmeralda had staunchly refused to go with Ogras, instead returning to the shrine after confirming Zac's Draugr half wasn't coming along. Giving it some thought, Zac told Ogras about his new designation and its potential connection to his Flamebearer status.
"A Holy Son, you?" Ogras snickered. "Well, you can look at it like a compliment. Their evaluation of you must be high if they put this much effort into tying you to their chariot. And if you ask me, it's better to be manipulated by the Emperor's ghost and the Ruthless Heavens than some outsider faction. If you're going to be someone's stooge, you might as well pick the faction with the biggest fist."
Zac rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm very flattered. So what do you think?"
"This is so far beyond me I don't know which thread I should pull. I'd suggest you don't tell another soul and forget about it until it becomes a problem. Becoming a chosen of these templars could be construed as an attempt to revive the Limitless Empire. That doesn't just pose a threat to the Imperial Heavens. Everyone cultivating under the Ruthless Heavens will try to prevent the return of its architects. They control the System, and the System controls us."
"You're right," Zac said. "I guess I'll just have to keep working. The stronger we get, the more we'll be able to control our fate."
"On that note," Ogras said as he eagerly looked at the various gates. "How are things here?"
"You need to pass the screening to get an access token," Zac said, pointing at the platform in the middle. "All the other buildings require merit to enter. The list of facilities is pretty damn impressive. If we survive the pillar and its aftermath, we'll have the foundations to become a peak faction in Zecia."
"It's that good?" Ogras whistled.
"It's that good. We won't be able to access the best stuff in the short run, though."
"Maybe the Holy Son gets to go for free? Perhaps while bringing a friend or two for company?" Ogras grinned.
"You'd think, right? Well, I'm better off with my starting bonus. Anyways, the hallways are feats or simpler trials. Their rewards aren't very high, but they are mostly safe if you enter prepared. Repeated use costs merit points."
"Sounds like a basic contribution system. You prove your cultivation has reached a certain threshold and receive the equivalent rewards," Ogras nodded.
"The real rewards are in the steles and missions. Don't know about the latter, though."
"Give me a second," Ogras said, appearing atop the testing platform.
"Easy," Ogras grinned two minutes later, waving an identical token to Zac's.
"Well, the order does have a desperate personnel shortage. I guess they can't be choosy and test for things like personality."
"Whatever," Ogras laughed and touched the information pillar. "Alright, let's check out the mission board."
The mission board was located in an empty spherical room with a pillar in the middle. Or rather, the room was the board. The walls were absolutely covered in glowing runes.
"There's actually missions? And so many?" Zac exclaimed.
"There's hundreds of beast-slaying quests," Ogras whistled. "But I don't recognize a single species or location. What's going on? Are they old quests from before the place was sealed?"
"Instructor Rava?" Zac said, shrugging when the Eternal Servant ignored his call. "They seem recently added. Maybe there are Mystic Realms inside? This is a top-tier training facility. They can't just send their templars-in-training to the frontlines, right?"
"Mystic Realms left untouched since the Limitless Empire's era?" Ogras said, sharing a knowing look with Zac. "Look at the grades."
The missions were assigned stars for difficulty, ranging from one to seven. There were barely any extermination quests below three stars, where the targets were Early Beast Kings. Late Beast Kings were mostly five stars, six if there were special circumstances. Six Star Missions and above were placed on the pillar in the middle. They dealt with Peak Kings or Half-Step Beast Emperors. The few seven-star quests targeted genuine C-grade beasts.
If their theory was correct, the mission rewards were the least of the potential benefits. Such ancient Mystic Realms could very well hold treasures and resources that didn't exist or had gone extinct on the outside. If their energy was dense enough to raise Beast Emperors, there should even be the kind of C-grade Natural Treasures that required millions of years to form.
"Let's not get too excited. Top-level beasts will guard any top-level treasures," Zac said. "And these quests might not even be real. It could all be inside illusion realms like the trial."
"I assure you, they are real. Our facilities have been left unattended for too long, leaving them in a state of disrepair. Clearing out the mission board is but the starting point of your reclamation work."
Both Ogras and Zac swirled around, finding the Eternal Servant floating behind them.
"You," Rava continued, her gaze trained at Ogras. "You're not templar material."
"My apologies. Then I shall just—" Ogras said, but a wall of faith stopped his hasty retreat.
"However, the world is not black and white, and people like you fill an important role. While such soldiers were generally raised elsewhere, we still have ways to temper your edge," the Eternal Servant said, and a streak of light entered Ogras's token. "Your commander said you have three weeks. Here is your progression plan. Expect punishment if you don't live up to my expectations."
"My progression—" Ogras repeated, his eyes wide with confusion as he glanced at Zac, who didn't know what to say.
"Uh, Instructor Rava? I thought you left? What's this about a plan?"
"I thought I was clear when I asked to be addressed as instructor? I have a training plan for you, too," Rava said as another light entered Zac's token. "I took a look outside to better understand your cultivation and the current era. These are the people I find acceptable."
There was a lot to unpack in Rava's answer. Zac began by infusing his will into his token, and he found two sets of information added. One was an incredibly detailed training regimen with step-by-step instructions and his expected performance. The other was a list of names. It was the latter that was the cause of the frown that slowly appeared on Zac's face.
Rava had only listed two hundred of his subordinates, meaning it was impossible to use the Ensolus Ruins to train his soldiers en-masse. The bigger problem was that a good chunk of the names on the list belonged to the Echelon Class, none of which were on Ensolus at the moment. Had Rava visited Earth? Just how far could this supposedly restricted entity move? Zac shuddered upon realizing there was no escape if Rava actually wanted to kill them.
Zac copied the list onto an information crystal and handed it to the demon. "What do you think?"
"Priority for those who are joining the graveyard mission. Compulsory among the enlisted. As for the rest… Not sure."
"The children," Zac said, turning back to Rava. "Their paths are still not set. What would their training entail?"
"You're worried I'll fill their heads with nonsense?"
"I'm sorry, but I can't have them joining a long-gone templar order. It'll add a target on their backs, and it's not right to put that kind of weight on their shoulders."
"The birth of a templar requires both Faith and Fate. Lacking just one means they have no affinity with the order, so they can only find another path for themselves. And if they have both, is it your place to stop their pursuit?" Rava said, and Zac felt the double meaning behind her words. She lightly nodded before turning to Ogras. "Are you still here?"
"Ah?" Ogras said, withering under the servant's intense stare.
"Just go. I'll update the other sealbearers first. We can decide what to do with the rest after we've experienced the training for a week."
"Two trials and seven feats to accumulate merit. Of course, right away," Ogras said and slunk away.
"You seem confident in your ability to escape. You're welcome to try, though you should be aware that it will mark you as a deserter. I'm sure you'd discover if I placed a mark on your body," Rava calmly said just as Ogras was about to leave the Mission Halls.
The demon momentarily froze before scurrying toward one of the hallways.
"For a righteous templar, you seem to really enjoy tormenting us youngsters," Zac muttered.
"Whenever did I say us templars were righteous? When has righteousness ever accomplished anything?" Rava countered. "We were willing to sacrifice everything to further our cause, so why would we restrict ourselves based on a rigid code of conduct?"
"Fine. Why do you want to control our training plan?"
"Fate brought you here. I cannot see what role you'll play in the future, but I refuse to be the reason you're found wanting now that we've embarked on this path."
"I've already chosen my path, as have most of the stronger people on your list. Taking outside input—"
"You have three weeks," Rava scoffed. "Do you have time to rework your cultivation? You're leaky vessels, and I'm a shipwright performing emergency repairs. You and the demonling are the best balanced, but your frantic progress has left hidden weaknesses. Before adding more weight to your path, you first need to mend the cracks in your foundations.
"Three weeks is not enough to accomplish that—you'll need centuries of refinement and consolidation. But my regimen will let you advance a bit further without harming your future. The others are walking imperfect paths, a few wholly missing some of the building blocks required when pursuing the Dao. Controlled suffering will let them see the truth while shoring up their greatest weaknesses."
Zac could see what Rava meant after going through the pilgrimages. He was considered an odd one out for cultivating Soul, Body, and Heart, even if his Heart cultivation was only a minor part of his Body Tempering Manual. Zac wasn't confident a single one of his followers could do it, even after reaching Peak Hegemony. As Rava said, Ogras was the only one who might succeed, thanks to this training under the Faceless Patriarch.
It was a stark contrast to the templars, who all seemed to have tempered all aspects of their cultivation. Even the weakest templars who failed to appear on a single ladder would need rock-solid foundations to pass all the trials. It was a very different approach from what you saw today, where cultivators focused on their strong points and shored up their weaknesses with skills, equipment, or even banding up with Dao Partners.
"Cultivation is different today," Zac offered.
"The Imperial Tutor has not changed the nature of cultivation. Its teachings and unfathomable methods may have raised the cosmos to a level of unprecedented prosperity. However, its assistance seems to have made some of you forget the inviolable truths discovered by your predecessors.
"A tripod cannot hold up the Heavens when it's missing a leg, and the path of an elite cannot rely on outside strength. It will leave a gap in their armor that an enemy will eventually discover. The Era is approaching its Zenith with unexpected speed. The struggle and suffering you've seen is just a prelude. Most of your followers will perish no matter what you do, but a few might get to see the conclusion if you begin your preparations early."
Rava's cynical evaluation felt suffocating. Was she right? Was the struggle for the fifth pillar the start of the war over the Era's direction? That struggle had felt like a distant concept when he first heard of it in the Perennial Vastness. Zac had subconsciously expected to be long dead by that point.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Rava said. "Let me be clear, punishment for failing to live up to my expectations was not an empty threat. A Holy Son, especially, cannot be found wanting. I'll make sure of that."
Comments
Maybe Zac needs to give the Void to his people. Emperors need vassals
Timothy Dana
2024-02-20 20:14:00 +0000 UTCAround 3-6pm
Amani
2024-02-20 20:11:05 +0000 UTCwere you reading something else?
Tomer Yud
2024-02-20 20:08:54 +0000 UTCsame!
Tomer Yud
2024-02-20 20:08:39 +0000 UTCI think he's gonna end up giving back to his followers. This whole faith thing seems to be working out
support!
2024-02-20 20:03:15 +0000 UTCDoes anyone know the usual time of day of chapter releases? Catching up after a while of not reading, so currently not got a feeling for that again yet. 😅
Thomas Laptain
2024-02-20 19:56:22 +0000 UTCI think it's possibly more than just the system. He is, in a way, giving something to the system, both in the form of the motes of chaos, as well as cultivating a broken peak and the void, both of which aren't under the system's knowledge currently, and so his path is letting the system know about them. I think it's more giving back to the heavens or whatever is beyond the system too.
Thomas Laptain
2024-02-20 19:53:49 +0000 UTCF5 ACTIVATE!!
Acidionis
2024-02-20 19:22:44 +0000 UTCThanks
Jamie Messier
2024-02-20 15:46:19 +0000 UTCI mean, he didn’t fail. He is still a middle hegemon, but I get what you’re saying. He needed help in order to do it. That is what he needs to work on, figuring out a way to ascend without the System. I think that is what these trials at the hall taught him, stop relying on the system. Start figuring out how to ascend without it.
Harley Shockley
2024-02-20 15:17:48 +0000 UTCPretty sure he’s a bullshit plot device to go to sanctuary later since he’ll need a guide or something, or he’ll die in the inheritance so someone dies even if he’s pretty irrelevant
vkn
2024-02-20 15:15:55 +0000 UTCIt replaced his heart when he “died” and then he took complete control with the spiritlock physique in the mystic realm/ dimensional seed, same time as the flag
vkn
2024-02-20 15:14:39 +0000 UTCNo balance = heavenly wrath He already failed middle hegemony by himself, imagine how bad it would be at mon/autarchy
vkn
2024-02-20 15:13:28 +0000 UTCHe doesn't have to give back to the Heavens, that's the fundamental reason they will inevitably face heavenly wrath as they ascend the ranks. He needs to give back and maintain balance in all aspects of cultivation where he can. As mentioned, his life body cultivation uses the void to take life from the cosmos and give nothing back. So in theory he is accruing a debt to the law of Balance where he could receive a lesser punishment if he didn't do this. In other words, for his body cultivation, he needs to give something back to the cosmos if he needs to take life from it for his needs. If he wants to ensure he can continue cultivating (withstanding heavenly wrath), he needs to ensure he isn't violating any of the laws as much as possible in his cultivation. Though I do think I see a point you're making, which is it seems like it may be possible to give back to the Heavens in order to maintain Balance, at which point you wouldn't receive any heavenly wrath during ascensions. No clue what that would entail though, since it is antithesis to the act of ascension.
Matthew Hay
2024-02-20 14:29:32 +0000 UTCI don’t think anyone has asked this yet, but what does he have to give back? To the heavens? His road is flawed, but what is he supposed to give back?
Harley Shockley
2024-02-20 11:53:43 +0000 UTCJoin us in our despairing wait for the updates.
Lex Luther S
2024-02-19 21:37:04 +0000 UTCI'm pretty sure it happened during the first battle of the Zhix crusade against the dominators a little while after the integration ended. It was harbinger that had killed him before his death and a few moments later, Asshole mended his wounds, replaced his heart and brought him back. Thus on that day the shadow creature gained the new name of spare parts instead of Asshole.
Lex Luther S
2024-02-19 21:35:32 +0000 UTCIt fused to him to save his life. He was basically killed, and it saved his life.
Porter
2024-02-19 20:45:30 +0000 UTCYes that. It’s fused? I guess I don’t remember that detail. The flag I understand I suppose, Ogras seems to get his own hangers on all the time.
Jamie Messier
2024-02-19 17:21:44 +0000 UTCYou mean the goblin guy from his flag? Or the shadow being he was fused to when he first encountered the umbri? If it's the latter, then that thing has long been gone. Originally fused to ogras body when he was killed and later reigned in when he cultivated the spirt lock body technique.
Lex Luther S
2024-02-19 17:18:35 +0000 UTCNice name lol
2024-02-19 06:14:41 +0000 UTCDoes Ogras still have his shadow familiar? What’s that thing been up to?
Jamie Messier
2024-02-18 23:31:07 +0000 UTCOh yeah, I feel like it will be the same as getting a new episode of my favorite show, but multiple times a week :D
Saitama Solos Supremacies
2024-02-18 22:24:51 +0000 UTCI wonder if Zac's new disciple is on the list.
Michael Fannon
2024-02-18 22:24:03 +0000 UTCEnjoy the daily cliffs. Some are much worse than others. Also, be extremely grateful for TFD. Instead of waiting years for the next book, or going on haitus that will never finish, you get a small update almost daily.
Michael Fannon
2024-02-18 22:22:46 +0000 UTCHahaha, welcome to the club. This is my only addiction and even my wife hates Zac 😂
K S
2024-02-18 11:35:08 +0000 UTCI've finally done it. I've caught up after starting the first defiance of the fall audiobook back in December. This story has consumed my life and I am finally here. What am I going to do now that I have to wait?!? Tftc!
Saitama Solos Supremacies
2024-02-18 06:24:29 +0000 UTCFrom what I’ve seen, Jaol seems to think he’s just going to keep selling himself to the highest bidder until he can run away again. Apparently he hasn’t yet figured out—unlike so many others—that Zac’s general vicinity is the most prosperous place to be.
Jeff McCulley
2024-02-17 23:05:48 +0000 UTCCue theme from Rocky.
Jeff McCulley
2024-02-17 23:03:05 +0000 UTCYes, someone…made some poor assumptions. The responses should give you an idea in what ways.
Jeff McCulley
2024-02-17 23:02:32 +0000 UTCAh, training. You've found your montage.
ouroboros
2024-02-17 21:41:09 +0000 UTCDon't you think Zac is the First Defier? Either literally because of a time travel, or a reincarnation? I think he is in some way connected to the First Defier, Leander still has many secrets, how she was able to create him when so many others tried and failed.
Porter
2024-02-17 20:26:26 +0000 UTCReading the comments, there is a disconnect, did someone post a nasty reply, got lit up by the fans... Then deleted it? Good for the wolves... No disrespect allowed
Mouser
2024-02-17 19:24:49 +0000 UTCI mean Jaol doesn’t really have a choice does he lol… but I feel like Leandra telling Kenzie to cultivate the conventional path is because that’s what she can cultivate while still using Jeeves. Also I can see her using planet destroying drones like back during the incursion days
M💬
2024-02-17 18:03:13 +0000 UTCLast we saw, Leandra told Kenzie that she could only follow a conventional path of cultivation. And even then, the System and the Heavens were still going hard after her. So, no sou—er, no more Technocrat for her. And I’m not sure if Jaol would want to hang out with what I’m pretty sure is a Technocrat faction alienated from the main bunch.
Jeff McCulley
2024-02-17 17:41:00 +0000 UTCStill wondering what Jaol’s role in the story … I still think Zac’s faction will have technocrats since TFD just introduced his father’s side and Kenzie is also a technocrat.. just think about how strong the Atwood how strong his empire will get its insane
M💬
2024-02-17 17:20:44 +0000 UTCSince neither Zac nor Ogras raised any complaint, I’m going to assume so. Though they might not have complained about the Technocrat guy. Whom, by the way, Zac should have replaced all of the mechanical parts for with upgraded biologicals long ago.
Jeff McCulley
2024-02-17 17:02:57 +0000 UTCDid her family exist during the limitless empire era or after cuz it seems Mozius and his wife have been the defacto leaders unless I am wrong
M💬
2024-02-17 16:26:00 +0000 UTCStill wondering how that works do the temples have gates to each mystic realm if so The Atwood empire might just be top 1 in Zecia when it comes to resources , they just need to advance more and get stronger
M💬
2024-02-17 16:24:15 +0000 UTCI feel it can’t be all smooth sailing like Ogras will say it’s heavens mandate to struggle, so Zac’s faction cannot be left wanting when he goes on his journey they need wars or something to keep them.
M💬
2024-02-17 16:20:34 +0000 UTCYea this is a way to raise elite with experience that can aid the next generation
M💬
2024-02-17 16:14:16 +0000 UTCSo are all the seal bearers on the list ?
M💬
2024-02-17 16:12:03 +0000 UTCI think a tournament after the integration would be a nice way to do a sector wide recruit system and a way to advertise the Atwood empire. At that point he should have enough evolved to back himself from the war and have great backers.
M💬
2024-02-17 16:09:25 +0000 UTCI think this will happen after the whole shenanigans with Ultom and the war. Post integration might be what leads to the time skip, like seeing how the sector reacts to the Atwood empires growths , we might even get greedy factions trying to to plot against him
M💬
2024-02-17 16:07:03 +0000 UTCInteresting what would you call people of the Atwood empire ?
M💬
2024-02-17 16:02:19 +0000 UTCAlso we learned that there are certain failsafes upon Assimilation. Those depend on the planets acomplishments
Hartmann
2024-02-17 13:04:59 +0000 UTCI mean the Fact he has access to to mystic realms with tons of extinct and powerful beasts is probably going to have the Tir’Emarel begging to join his inner circle
Henry Wartemberg
2024-02-17 12:28:32 +0000 UTCI honestly think that the most logical route would be to extend the shrouds timer a bit when certain mile stones are reached, or too make it relevant to the worldcore strenght and world size, basically a D grade world like Zacs get's 100 year's honestly a bit to long in my option. A middle D grade world would get 200 year's and so on, while a C grade continent may get a 1000 + year's. in the shroud.
Han Pol
2024-02-17 11:52:13 +0000 UTCYeah but the level we're talking about is far different compared to a mortal fighting on a freshly integrated planet. Whether we talk strength or foundations, the Atwood empire is just to young to contend until many of the leaders reach monarchy. Though I do hope the zecia is inundated with energy and has its energy reach a much higher lvl compared to now, it will only give hegemons and monarchs especially, a better foundation instead of the constant consumption of treasures to stave off the drain of inner worlds. But make no mistake, I too see zac one day controlling the zecia sector; but until he reaches monarchy and none of the other factions even dare contend with him, it won't happen where he controls it all.
Lex Luther S
2024-02-17 09:59:16 +0000 UTCI doubt their related but as jason mentioned, her family more than likely has an attitude simular to ravas when it comes to cultivation. Could be why her family is considered one that should never be crossed. Monarchs, autarchs and supremacies far stronger than other factions though not to the point they can go to complete war with everyone everywhere like the Limitless empire.
Lex Luther S
2024-02-17 09:50:37 +0000 UTCYeah but he's in the D grade now. Ones foundations and strength is far far stronger than a piddling E or F grade and it's at this rate that cultivation takes far far longer compared to one being on the E grade. Not only that but zac was worried about the energy requirements to reach Peak D grade let alone monarchy and how he'll solve the constant drain issue that inner worlds have. I feel this is a moment where zac and co. will actually have to slow down and shore up their foundations for at least a century. Especially those with imperfect paths like Rava mentioned. Besides, Iz herself said that it doesn't matter if one takes a few more decades, centuries or even millennia shoring up their strengths and foundations as long as they stay true to themselves and don't stall for long. Also, there's the issue of zac needing to find how to bring balance to his path. The void isn't above the law of balance and that means zac isn't either and that could take decades or even a century unless an ultom seal can help here. Hell, that might explain why his breakthrough to Middle D grade brought such a violent reaction. He's only taken and taken with never giving back and it could all come to a head with his breakthrough to Peak D grade where he's literally erased by the 4 laws.
Lex Luther S
2024-02-17 09:44:43 +0000 UTCWell, the usual route a planet that won the integration would take is to likely find one of the larger factions to latch onto. The Atwood empire is a very special existence compared to your average planet that won the integration; whether we talk of zac winning another planet or having countless business ventures; especially after calrin moved his whole consortium to be based on earth. I imagine that hasn't happened before in the zecia sector and it gave zac the foundations needed to at least kick start his empire. Besides, to keep a shroud up until one reaches monarchy would be absurd; what if no one could reach it even after hundreds of thousands of years? Especially when considering it's a D grade planet? Even a peak D grade planet likely wouldn't be able to nurture a monarch. And we've seen countless examples of how the system operates. It treats standout cultivators and factions like a loving mother while the rest are literally left to the wolves. The most it would be willing to do would be strengthening the shroud like how earth's has been strengthened.
Lex Luther S
2024-02-17 09:38:18 +0000 UTCYeah but very little is known about the first defier. Its to the point that he's considered a legend that disappeared just as a quick as he appeared and I feel that isn't the route TFD is taking zac and his cultivation. He's already some 50 yrs of age so to reach supremacy in 50 or so more years? Impossible! Especially after considering that he only averaged 1 lvl per month after reaching middle D grade, adding in that his progress for monarchy will require a far greater deal of energy and slaughter, zac himself figured even killing off 2 frontier sectors would barely nit him a few lvls and that's just honestly to much slaughter. Hell he was already worried about the energy requirements for reaching Peak D grade let alone monarchy
Lex Luther S
2024-02-17 09:25:54 +0000 UTCThis whole thing makes me wonder how any literally integrated world is supposed to keep independence. Not sure why the system even bothers with the world noble titles, when 99.9999..% of the time they’ll end up absorbed by another faction. The system shroud should really last until the first resident hits monarch at least
Michael
2024-02-17 07:36:38 +0000 UTCWell, the first defier became a supremacy in less than 100 years.
Collin Sorrells
2024-02-17 05:52:05 +0000 UTCSupposedly, the first defier made it to the peak in under 100 years.. so really, how fast is too fast?
Russell Widger
2024-02-17 05:33:12 +0000 UTCMonarchy in 30 years?That would be bananas. Even the Eveningtide Asura took several thousand to hit monarchy. Not saying Zac’s extremely efficient Deus Ex Machina CANT get it done, but a slight return towards the normal bell curve, coinciding with a tidy bit of imperial consolidation for the Atwoodians(Atwoodites? Atwoodlings? Atwoodtians?) would be a bit refreshing.
FriendorFo
2024-02-17 04:35:23 +0000 UTCNot sure about that. How many times has he been told how many decades or centuries it would take him to get to point X, only for him to now have made Middle Hegemony in less than fifteen years—with only what, a three year time skip along the way where he worked on his foundations? As Ogras is fond of saying, Zac is a tremendous cheat. He’ll find a way around it. Just as one foreseeable example, a dip on the real Abyssal Lake comes to mind. What do you think is in that hidden package from Eoz, after all? Monarchy in what, another fifteen years? Twenty?
Jeff McCulley
2024-02-17 04:30:06 +0000 UTCI feel like Rava just blatantly chastising Zac that he’s come too far, too fast is a big foreshadowing of an enormous time-skip(s) in the post sector war aftermath. Seems like the perfect setup for the reader to cut away and when we get back to him he’s exiting seclusion/relaxing slaughter to bolster his stances, ready to attempt monarchy soon.
FriendorFo
2024-02-17 03:05:02 +0000 UTCOohhhh. I get it now. This is actually DRILL Instructor Rava, and this is Boot Camp! I can just see it now. “Atwood! Drop and give me twenty…thousand!” I faintly recall some post Apocalyptic sci fi novel where the force was trying to take over a long abandoned military base—like LeJeune. The trainees’ first assignment was to cut down weeds, trim back encroaching trees—and kill the nasty monsters that infested the area. All without dying.
Jeff McCulley
2024-02-17 02:06:01 +0000 UTCI do like the chapter. One thing that is very clear; Zac’s need to ‘control’ earth independence IS limiting others’ growth. Zac is too busy to mentor everyone to his level. Earth has no elders, and that means no mentors. The Zhix are probably a big faith group. Another is probably Sui. Still wanna know what faith is to the empire servants.
Salvo
2024-02-17 01:45:50 +0000 UTCYrial has thus far avoided giving any info on the Mystic Realm he vanished into. He asked Zac to raise him when he was powerful enough, too. Be interesting if the “real” Yrial were still trapped there, though.
Jeff McCulley
2024-02-17 01:40:44 +0000 UTCIndeed. I’m hoping for a glimpse of the monsters no one has ever heard of before. Along with how various and assorted sealbearers deal with them. Ibtep, I’m looking at you!
Jeff McCulley
2024-02-17 01:37:26 +0000 UTCSure, we won’t know some names—but I’m curious just how many are currently in his army, how many are among the recruits they hired from the frontier—and how many were among those “liberated” from Kan’Tanu worlds. Oh, and how many (now) Azh’Atwood demons there are. Not to mention how many on the list Zac’s people had absolutely no idea were talented. That one might be the most fun to see. :D
Jeff McCulley
2024-02-17 01:34:11 +0000 UTCSure, 200 people to train now…but the first generation of the Atwood Empire on Middle D grade planets is even now being born, so who knows how many that will be in twenty years? And there’s time for four such generations before the shroud is lifted. And that doesn’t even take into consideration how many more times Zac might upgrade Earth and/or Ensolus in that time.
Jeff McCulley
2024-02-17 01:29:16 +0000 UTCDidn’t say it would be easy. Remember, it was less than fifteen years ago that a barghest dropped on Pudgy Zac’s head, and Earth has changed a lot since then—but that wasn’t easy, either.
Jeff McCulley
2024-02-17 01:25:10 +0000 UTCWell, folks like Kruta, Thea, Catheya, Average, Pretty and Iz aren’t around to be on the list right now—but I assume most of them will be offered a chance. I’m kind of interested to see “annealed” Leyara’s reaction.
Jeff McCulley
2024-02-17 01:22:59 +0000 UTCWhat about someone like Kruta when he arrives? Friend but not part of empire
Jay Fowler
2024-02-17 01:05:33 +0000 UTCProbably lots of Valkyries, they are the most faithful if I had to guess.
Kaladin
2024-02-17 00:33:27 +0000 UTCHell, to the fact both zac and ogras are considered the best balanced after their frantic cultivation speed shows just how unique their opportunities and paths are. With ravas' help and targeted training, that balance will become rock solid; capable of taking them to monarchy and beyond
Lex Luther S
2024-02-16 23:56:27 +0000 UTCIt's probably safe to assume any Eternal servant was at least the equivalent of an autarch. As for how this arc goes, I too am excited to see where it goes but my senses tell me we'll see a small time skip next ch as we know more than a few will complain if there's a training arc going into detail about zacs progress; whichis weird given this is a cultivation novel(lol). My bet is we'll see a time skip POV of Catheya returning and being picked up and guarded against whatever tricks and ploys kator is looking to dish out with the ch likely ending with Iz arrival upon zecia. Though I do hope we get to at least see what the training entails. Making the foundations of a monster like zac stronger really seems impossible yet she's planned out a training regimen like she was writing a grocery list.
Lex Luther S
2024-02-16 23:52:58 +0000 UTCThanks for the chapter.
Joshua Little
2024-02-16 23:45:35 +0000 UTCErrmmm I don't remember yrial ever asking that of zac. He did ask zac to being him back from the dead should he reach supremacy, but not to being his soul wisp to the mystic realm he went into. Also, yrial never informed zac of where that realm was or what it even entailed.
Lex Luther S
2024-02-16 23:44:19 +0000 UTCThis little mini arc was indeed quite good. Zac not only getting access to top tier cultivation havens for his elites but also a very experienced instructor to help right problems in the very fundamentals of their cultivation and path. Setting zac and his followers to explode forth in strength once the wars over and they have time to relax and consolidate their foundations and gains. It's an even bigger boon once you consider those like Ilvere taking what he learns here and making a more streamlined method of training for the Atwood army and the academies. Becoming a peak faction of zecia? Lol! With those foundations and ravas' expectations, I expect the Atwood empire to be ruling all of zecia and even zubor within the next 1000 years.
Lex Luther S
2024-02-16 23:41:26 +0000 UTCWell, it's only 200 people and factoring in all of his seal bearers(save for that technocrat guy) that's around 17 people right there. Add in standouts like Ilvere and about 40 from the echelon class( good chunk), and that's about 90 people right there. The rest are likely those Rava saw potential in, especially with a guiding hand like hers and most certainly characters we've only heard about in passing or not at all so getting a list would be more or less meaningless; especially when it'd take up a good chunk of the chs usual character limit.
Lex Luther S
2024-02-16 23:29:54 +0000 UTCHopefully, would be cool to see him become a bigger part of the story
X_XSilver
2024-02-16 23:29:49 +0000 UTCMan, that sounds like a nice rosey future, but I highly doubt it'll go like that unless the system keeps the shroud around zecia up for a few millennia as he reaches for peak monarchy and autarchy. Then there's still the issue of the quest from his mother, which will take a few decades at the least, even with a peak D grade ship, unless he can catch a ride in a certain flaming gallery. Though I see him eventually becoming the defacto leader of zecia, it will only be after he's reached monarchy and showed he's the biggest fist and best faction around. Afterall, when none of the other factions monarchs can contend against his subordinates let alone the emperor, then it really will be called Zacia.
Lex Luther S
2024-02-16 23:18:19 +0000 UTCYrial has at least 2 more visits, the D grade Inheritance trial and the C grade Inheritance trial. Yrial also asked Zac once he completes all trials to take his wisp of soul to the mystic realm the real Yrial disappeared into. It was mostly to give Zac an unreal long term goal to encourage him to grow without demanding something absurd at the moment he took him as a disciple but that can become a story arc of its own.
Omiso
2024-02-16 23:17:41 +0000 UTCPretty sure that Catheya is supposed to rejoin the Undead faction. There’s a chance she might show up when he meets Kator. But then, is her master even taking her back before the Courts begin? Though it’d be fun if Catheya, Iz and Kruta all popped in at the exact same time.
Jeff McCulley
2024-02-16 23:05:49 +0000 UTCI mean this mini arc has left us wanting nothing… just lovely
Kirin
2024-02-16 23:03:03 +0000 UTCDon’t think so. I think it means that while he takes what he needs for his Void Vajra Sublimation, he has to integrate giving back as well. But then, I’ve never understood that thing anyway.
Jeff McCulley
2024-02-16 22:59:27 +0000 UTCNot surprising. They are young and made from some of the most talented people in the entire multiverse. They aren't quite eonic seeds like Zac, Kator, or Iz, but they are definitely peak heaven's chosen.
Michael Fannon
2024-02-16 22:58:02 +0000 UTCRelated? No, but Iz's family is ancient and perhaps probably shares a lot of training attitude with the Instructor.
Jason Hatter
2024-02-16 22:57:37 +0000 UTCZecia becomes Zacia?
Jeff McCulley
2024-02-16 22:57:05 +0000 UTCI want to see that list !! Please. Someone tell him over on discord lol
Jay Fowler
2024-02-16 22:54:55 +0000 UTCCatheya and Iz should both show up for this crazy mission since they both are being transported by A-grades to make it in time.
Michael Fannon
2024-02-16 22:53:37 +0000 UTCMost of Zecia falls due to the war. Zac, Iz, and several others pass whatever trials inside Ultom to be marked for the next stage and the pillar begims to emerge. This turns what is left of Zecia into an energy rich paradise comparable to the heartlands. The system puts the ones who passed the best (Zac) in charge of who is let in for the next part. Zac, already having a cultivation heaven and most of the surviving groups (like the Peaks) joining up with him, becomes the de facto ruler of the best cultivating area in the multiverse with all the major players bribing him to let their own people in and proctecting him to prevent anyone else getting that ability. End result: Zac owns the space, resources, training, and opportunities he needs to go to B-grade and beyond rapidly with super powering Earth and his people. And every faction both pays for access and protects him so no one else can claim it.
Michael Fannon
2024-02-16 22:51:53 +0000 UTCThere is no way he is going to let Catheya know of the Ensolus Ruins. She would be forced to tell the Undead Empire by Tavza or Kator.
Hartmann
2024-02-16 22:29:58 +0000 UTCFrom the sounds of it, balance is 1 of 4 keys needed. It's just that balance is especially of concern because of the nature of cultivation.
Matthew Hay
2024-02-16 22:05:52 +0000 UTCI had to laugh that as I read this chapter. Not long ago Zac rather wistfully listed all of the things his Empire needed to reach peak cultivation. Including things like a Holy Land and areas where cultivation resources had been grown and nurtured for a very long time. And he just got all of that dropped into his lap, inside those long neglected training grounds. Lol! Not to mention a better Repository and knowledge. All that on top of what is likely a more comprehensive training regimen than just about any peak faction in the current multiverse has managed to hold onto… Go Team Zac! Shoot, he’s going to have clans begging to join his empire… Verana and the Tir'Emarel Clan, maybe the whole Tal-Eladar faction among them. 😂
Jeff McCulley
2024-02-16 22:02:06 +0000 UTCI'm hope as soon as Zac goes to inform his subordinates he gets a call from Catheya so she can get in on this.
Justin van mele
2024-02-16 21:57:24 +0000 UTCWhy do I get the feeling Rava is somehow related to Iz
Kahn Thorpe
2024-02-16 21:57:10 +0000 UTCIt's the eye of the tiger it's the.... boo yah training montage , nice !
Jake
2024-02-16 21:50:31 +0000 UTCAs far as “unbalancing”, look at the numbers. 62 of 200 isn’t unbalanced. Especially if there are another 38 Undead in that 200. In other words, she sees that Zac has some better “Dreamers” than he thinks he does.
Jeff McCulley
2024-02-16 21:44:18 +0000 UTCIt hardly seems like a huge change to Zac’s cultivation to set up the Void to balance the Heavens itself. Especially with the reference to a tripod, which could be Heavens, Dao, and Void?
Telewyn
2024-02-16 21:43:57 +0000 UTCIt’ll probably help appease the undead factions, who may be unsettled by Zac’s living half’s performance and merit gained during to the lighthouse.
Telewyn
2024-02-16 21:36:26 +0000 UTCOther worlds, yes. He’s just been taking the best of worlds he’s conquered, now he’s going to start to be able to hold onto some of the worlds themselves. Like also maybe, back to reclaim Ogras’ home planet once more folks get trained up.
Jeff McCulley
2024-02-16 21:36:18 +0000 UTCShe did: “You and the demonling are the best balanced, but your frantic progress has left hidden weaknesses” She knows exactly what’s been going on. Just because she’s not kissing Zac’s a** doesn’t mean she’s not bending over backwards to help him and his people get better.
Jeff McCulley
2024-02-16 21:33:53 +0000 UTCWho are you to tell him how to write? He doesn't come up with excuses. He keeps us informed. There is a difference. Relax and enjoy the story.
Shawn Treants
2024-02-16 21:22:31 +0000 UTCCan't help but feel the balance to his void vajra sublimation is in his drauger half, and vice-versa.
Jason Hardman
2024-02-16 21:19:16 +0000 UTCUh. Or get over yourself and stop subscribing for a month. Then come back and enjoy the chapters…
Stephen Taylor
2024-02-16 20:57:15 +0000 UTCWhy do you think he needs a break to build up a backlog? Is seemingly still the same writing timeframe. We just don’t see the release. That means the issue isn’t the writing it’s the release. Solution - people stop being ridiculous about it 🤷🏿♂️ To be fair 99.9% are fine it’s just the 0.1% are loud
Henry Wartemberg
2024-02-16 20:51:27 +0000 UTCI think other worlds will join the empire as he wins this war
justin
2024-02-16 20:50:32 +0000 UTCFr 😂
M💬
2024-02-16 20:45:26 +0000 UTCThere’s something wrong with you 😆 “Just in time” - when has he ever set a release time. Backlog of chapters- how do you know he doesn’t have one? Take a look in the mirror
Henry Wartemberg
2024-02-16 20:44:18 +0000 UTCI like this insight for when he tries to form his conflict attuned avatar. He will establish balance via that and merge those concepts into his conflict dao branch. It probably works perfectly for when he tries to merge life and death as well as maintaining balance is the key.
Ben
2024-02-16 20:43:34 +0000 UTCIt's his scheduled editing day you cabbage
Rushin Lad
2024-02-16 20:37:34 +0000 UTCThank you!
Andrew
2024-02-16 20:36:28 +0000 UTCWould any of those elite be able to shoulder or grasp the opportunities he's had? Zac is lucky, has amazing opportunities, and deserves the jealousy but who or how many others would be able to handle it themselves. The laws and heavens probably have killed hundreds that tried to follow in a similar path.
Kaladin
2024-02-16 20:32:51 +0000 UTCTime to kidnap some powerfull kids! ;)
Kharas
2024-02-16 20:30:23 +0000 UTCWhile I agree he should take a break and build up a backlog, this is not the way to say it. Pressure like this is how authors burn out. If anything, it is incredibly impressive he has been able to release so many chapters so regularly for so long. I hope TFD takes care of himself and takes a break to build up a backlog. Not because I am upset when we have schedule changes like this, but to keep this sustainable and healthy.
2024-02-16 20:29:33 +0000 UTCWell damn miss judgey, give me some slack. I've only been doing this shit for 3 decades and I've made the most competent Empire in this sector. I think that deserves a little credit given me an Ogras' starting points.
Darnell Maxwell
2024-02-16 20:29:06 +0000 UTCTYFTC, I am really looking forward to seeing how this arc goes. The Z.A.C. needs to improve. (Zero Affinity Container), and the selected followers really need this. He is a beast, think of how the seeds will grow. I am guessing the Instructor is an Autarch?
Doug
2024-02-16 20:28:30 +0000 UTCI think he'll see even he has balance through conflict. He's had to fight and struggle for everything he's gained. He wants an independent path and he can have it but he'll have to fight for it and to maintain it. Create his path and future, use oblivion on anything that tries to deviate or control it.
Kaladin
2024-02-16 20:25:50 +0000 UTCHmm interesting that Rava chose the Echelon class for training. Isn’t that going to unbalance the living and dead factions even more?
Michael
2024-02-16 20:24:16 +0000 UTCHopefully we get one final visit with Yrial, before he is replaced with Rava
X_XSilver
2024-02-16 20:23:01 +0000 UTCThere have been hints that all Dao Peaks meet at the end of their journeys or what has been called "Origin" but nothing has been clearly explained about it.
Omiso
2024-02-16 20:18:12 +0000 UTCSo Zac have not only gotten a training facility that can make his empire a top faction in Zecia (and possibly beyond in the frontier), but also gotten a personalized trainer of unknown power to help (and punish) him and his elite. Quiet every one.. try to listen... Whats that you say? Can you hear some sound? ohh its just the sound of teeth gnashing from the combined elite of the entire frontier being jealous of the luck being piled on Zac from on high. And we got glimpses into the story arc we will be following when the current minor problems like the war, the pillar and the technocrat shenanigans are dealt with. Its good fun! and I guess I better order a truckload of popcorn from my local store to be ready to follow along the eating, killing, exploding and all around adventuring Zac will be doing ;)
Kharas
2024-02-16 20:18:00 +0000 UTCI’m going to go (not so far) out on a limb, and say that making friendly, helpful suggestions to the author is probably better than—and far more likely to have an impact—telling him what to do.
Jeff McCulley
2024-02-16 20:12:41 +0000 UTCNow that is interesting. I had a theory for some time that the dao should only be a single peak to match the void, but ever since the first era when the peak cultivators started stealing from the heavens and defining the dao, the single dao split into the 17 peaks. This imbalance between the dao and the void is the ultimate cause of the Terminus and the death of eras. It would also explain how if there are broken peaks how the eras get shorter every time since it becomes more imbalanced each time.
Michael Fannon
2024-02-16 20:09:52 +0000 UTCbrett simon
2024-02-16 20:05:21 +0000 UTCTraining arc BABY let's fuckin GOOOOOOOOO. And man ohhhhh man the Atwood empire is about to have some of the best elites one could hope for with her training. And to the fact she's given zac the promise that their Templar orders holy son shall not be left wanting was one badass line to zacs epiphany of him sorely lacking balance. Not just that but this is the perfect place to be their top tier cultivation grounds. Certainly a space more accessible for the soldiers will be needed but for the moment, this solves that issue. As for the foundations, it seems cultivating heart soul and body is needed for ones foundations to make any true aim at eternity. Zac might be right that the current era cultivation is different but it doesn't change the fact that cultivating all 3 cab bring extraordinary benefits. As for fixing the deficiencies in zac and his followers foundations, man it's gonna be a good few decades after the wars over and zac and co. can truly sit back and fix their path to perfection. As for the zenith approaching and the war for the eras direction, it seems zac is gonna have plenty of bodies to bag when the war truly starts because I have no doubt he'll be in it. And likely apart of a certain fire families forces being the lover of a certain fire bug.
Lex Luther S
2024-02-16 20:04:23 +0000 UTCA Templar Boot Camp, huzzah! Time for a training montage.
Omiso
2024-02-16 20:01:00 +0000 UTCStarting to like rava , like Alyn Azh’Rezak on steroids
Addison Grimes
2024-02-16 19:59:22 +0000 UTCTftc!
brennon Petersen
2024-02-16 19:58:01 +0000 UTCAhh so Zac thought he had escaped the joys of a crazed teacher
Henry Wartemberg
2024-02-16 19:55:55 +0000 UTCTYFTC!!
Berry McCockiner
2024-02-16 19:54:22 +0000 UTCGreat chapter! Sounds like we might have the reason Zac was targeted by such a strong tribulation when he broke through to middle Hegemony. His current path is antithetical to the Law of Balance by taking from the Heavens without giving anything back. It'll be really interesting to see how he modifies it to bring it in line.
Chase C
2024-02-16 19:53:29 +0000 UTCTYFTC!
Ben
2024-02-16 19:33:53 +0000 UTC
