Chapter 1,300.

“How long’s it been?” Ogras asked.

“Just over two weeks,” Zac said and briefly recounted what happened while Ogras absorbed his prey.

While catching Ogras up to speed, the demon started a parallel conversation through telepathy. ‘No wonder that bastard suddenly acted like he’d been injected with chicken blood. It almost overwhelmed me after the Dao burst.’

‘Are you okay now?’ Zac asked.

The subtle changes to the demon’s appearance hadn’t passed Zac by. His horns were an inch longer with a rougher surface. The outline of his skin-like scales had also become slightly more pronounced, moving closer to the crocodile’s shape. Ogras also exuded the brutal aura of a primeval beast, though he was already learning to rein in that aspect.

‘I should count myself lucky that misery loves company. The other guests inside my Spiritlock Physique lent a helping hand. I suppose they couldn’t live with the idea of some arrogant newcomer claiming the prize they’ve eyed for years,’ Ogras said. ‘With how things played out, I should light a stick of incense for that old bag of leather for disrupting my breakthrough.’

‘It ended up helping, after all?’

‘Little Antuka’s bloodline gained a boost, and the extra energy saved me months of Body Tempering to stabilize the stage. The old ancestor even imparted a few memories holding extremely profound insights into the Dao of Shadows.’

‘And the bloodline itself?’

‘My shadows have gotten more resilient, as we hoped. Its application is almost universal.’

Zac understood the concept well. Resilience was at the core of his Eoz bloodline, to the point his Draugr branch was awarded the nickname ‘The Vanguard’. Increased toughness provided a comprehensive advantage, from exploring hostile environments to improving the staying power of attacks.

Ogras seemed to relish being the one coming out ahead and kept going. ‘The little guy even gave me a nice little bonus. Shadow cannibalism.’

‘Huh?’

‘The crocodile could eat shadows to empower itself and part of that ability was transferred to me. I can consume the shadows of others to recover, and my shadows should exhibit a natural suppression against other Shadow cultivators.’

‘Sounds like an anti-assassin ability,’ Zac commented.

‘Exactly. People walking the same road are bound to run into each other. My odds of surviving such meetings have increased,’ Ogras said with satisfaction.

At that point, Ogras was fully caught up to speed, and the trio had turned their attention to the memory domain in the basin’s center.

“I assume that’s our next stop?” Ogras asked.

“Provided you’re ready to go,” Zac said.

“I’ve been lying around long enough. Let’s go.”

They opted for stealth over speed, steadily making their way over under a multilayered shroud of illusions and redirected attention. Zac kept a constant watch on the sea of azure smoke, ready to respond to the smallest disturbance. It remained silent throughout, which only made his hackles rise more.

Something was very wrong with the bottom of the crater, though observing so long left Zac wondering if the mist might be what kept them safe more than anything else. It completely blocked Dao and Energy, acting as a powerful seal separating the depths and the surface. The reticent sea didn’t see fit to provide an answer, and Zac eventually had to shift his focus to the approaching domain.

It wasn’t quite what Zac had expected after seeing a floating city. Ogras, especially, shared his disappointment, and his greedy gleam was replaced with annoyance. “No wonder it’s so high in the air. So much for a city of celestials hidden in a cloud of providence.”

The eye-catching memory domain looked very different up close. The shroud had hidden a surprisingly commonplace settlement built upon a mountain slope. The azure fog had climbed a conical cut-out of the missing mountain, making the city the tip of an iceberg. And like with a real iceberg, most of the domain could very well be hidden beneath the surface.

“We shouldn’t stay exposed like this for too long,” Ventus cautioned. “The mist isn’t the only thing we have to worry about.”

Zac nodded in agreement. “I’ll try to enter as the veteran.”

The group had already shared their identities before crossing the crater. Ogras kept his identity as an assassin from Ventus, only sharing his public persona as a wandering sellsword. The Numerologist had managed to get his hands on the identity of a scribe of the Limitless Court. That didn’t mean Ventus’s alter ego came from the Left Imperial Palace or the empire’s mainland.

The Limitless Court was the name for the empire’s civic branch, and it had countless departments. The Celestial Workshop responsible for building the Imperial Road, for instance, came under its purview. The court’s roles ranged from imperial advisors to simple clerks, with a scribe being closer to the latter.

Simply put, Ventus was a middle-ranked public servant. Zac’s status as a decorated veteran was more respected, not to mention his identity as a Founding Family descendant. That wasn’t to say Ventus’s identity was without merit. It suited his personality, and no one would raise their eyebrows at a scribe popping up.

They were often dispatched to deliver or implement orders, and taking a sabbatical to travel the empire was both common and encouraged. To govern, one first needed to understand. A scribe’s journey was a form of cultivation, preparing them for the Imperial Examinations to become true officials.

The trio flew through the domain’s border, immediately stepping onto solid ground. Zac felt his seal coming alive and focused on Tam Brooks’ seal. Terea Wendimar’s identity deactivated, confirming that Insik told the truth before trying to get him killed. Zac could freely choose his identity upon entering a domain. Another experiment confirmed the next part.

Zac needed to exit and reenter the domain if he wanted to use his other brand—swapping identities in the middle to throw off a pursuit wouldn’t work. Flickering in and out of existence didn’t raise any waves as Zac returned as Tam Brooks. His antics were hidden by the safeguards that made the locals gloss over the incongruities related to the trial.

The smell of fire and steel permeated the city, confirming the theory they’d formed by observing from the outside. Rather than a remote sect or ancestral manor, the domain had captured a mining town. More precisely, it had captured the districts closest to the mine’s main entrance. Offices, smithies, bars, and stores stood shoulder along six wide roads that all pointed to the mine.

The place was bustling, with raucous laughter leaking from the taverns and rough miners coming and going. The district could have passed off as a mortal settlement if not for the intense spirituality permeating the town. The miners were, at the very least, Late E-grade cultivators. Most were Hegemons, and Zac could sense a vague pressure indicating the presence of Monarchs.

The city was clearly part of a more flourishing region than the shallows Zac had mostly encountered thus far. The strength and appearance of their group, at most, resulted in a second look. There was no lack of powerful travelers mixed with the locals. Some were wandering cultivators, others mercenaries moving in groups. Occasionally, these warriors would be guarding merchants.

What stood out the most about the city wasn’t its powerful population, but the unusual spirituality.

“I can’t place it,” Ogras muttered, and Zac had no answer to give him.

His attention was held captive by the intense pull of Fate coming from the mine. It was like providence from dozens of treasures had been twinned into a thick rope of Fate. Its true nature was waiting to be uncovered, and Zac had to enter his Void State to not rush straight into the depths.

“Let’s just ask,” Ventus said and walked over to a hawker with his nose deep in a book. “Excuse me, my good man? We’re faraway travelers. Could you tell us about these mountains? I can’t place its spiritual root.”

“Ah? You’ve come to the Dipper Mountains without knowing anything? What kind of--” the hawker’s words caught in his throat when looking up from his book. With a far more respectful tone, he continued. “Ah, sir, that is…”

“Please continue,” Ventus said with a disarming smile as he put away a glimmering identity token imbued by Dao of Order.

“Well, the Dipper Mountains are blessed by one of the seventeen Celestial Kingdoms, the hidden Kingdom of Earth. Its Dao has transformed the minerals in unusual ways. Some have proven extremely useful for everything from smithing to formations. The mountains were declared a Strategic Resource of the Empire some 50,000 years ago.”

The three shared a look. No wonder they’d sensed the mark of the Inverse Peak on the crater’s walls. The whole mountain range was filled with its Dao.

“The Kingdom of Earth rarely makes an appearance like this. To see a whole mountain range graced by its touch,” Ventus exhaled with wonder.

The hawker carefully looked around before continuing at a lower volume. “According to rumors, it’s because a gate opened deep beneath the mountains. The Dao is coming out of it.”

“Oh? A gate leading where?”

“Some say the Nine Hells. Others say Paradise.”

“You don’t know?” Ogras interjected.

“Not simple folks as us, at least,” the hawker wryly said. “I hear even Celestials scoured the underground, though that was long before my time. They found nothing, but many locals still dream of finding the gate and the fortunes it might hold. And you can still strike it rich with some luck and hard work.”

“You’ve been most helpful,” Ventus smiled and glanced at Zac, who took out one of his ancient crystals with some annoyance.

They’d decided he and Ogras would act as Ventus’s bodyguards during the visit, which apparently included acting as a bank. The hawker’s eyes went round upon noticing its grade, and he quickly packed up his stall and left after giving his profuse thanks. Judging by the hawker’s wares, the crystal likely surpassed what he sold in months.

They spent the next hour walking the streets, catching the latest gossip of Dipper Seven. As the mining town’s name indicated, it was only one of dozens such settlements. In fact, the Dipper Mountains were hundreds of times larger than the crater they saw outside.

Single-numbered mines like Dipper Seven were the most prosperous, except for three that were fully under the empire’s control. There was even an Autarch overseeing the region, though he never appeared in the public mining towns. His presence alone was enough to keep the Monarchs in check, and order was overall good. The town was definitely stable enough for Zac to seclude himself and upgrade a couple of skills.

Zac resisted the call of the mine, instead opting for a meal in a restaurant geared toward Hegemons and wealthy travelers. Zac hadn’t eaten anything decent since Black Zenith, and the restaurant employed skilled spiritual chefs. Having just advanced his constitution, Ogras was equally starved. The two devoured dishes the moment they were brought in, while Ventus only picked his food.

“You’ve been silent,” Zac commented upon seeing Ventus stare at the glass in his hands.

“I’m trying to figure out if the signs are real or if I’m putting them there,” Ventus said.

“What signs?” Zac asked.

“Great misfortune,” the Numerologist sighed. “All these people will die in the next few weeks.”

The declaration was enough to put a damper on the feast. Zac leaned forward as he looked around. There were at least five Late Hegemons seated in the public area, and the private rooms held even more. Altogether, there were close to fifty D-grade Cultivators in the establishment, a force strong enough to give Zac a headache. “They’ll all die? Can you really divine something like that with a glance?”

“With living beings, no. These illusions are different. They are recorded memories with a clear beginning and end. Whatever catastrophe struck Dipper Seven was strong enough to bleed into the rest of the recording as background noise,” Ventus explained before looking at his abacus with hesitation. “The impression is different from my usual art—it doesn’t seem to follow any familiar order. I could be coloring the deduction with fears of my own future.”

“I’d trust your gut on this one,” Ogras said. “I doubt the Dipper Mountain just up and walked. Something big happened here, and we’ve been given a front-row seat. Could the story of the gate to the Lower Plane be real? Maybe it erupted and swallowed the whole thing.”

“It’s possible. Can you precisely calculate when things will go down?” Zac asked. “Do we need to leave?”

“We still have time, a week at the very least. I’d have to gather a large amount of information to make an accurate reading. I need to connect the clues in the present with the upcoming event. If we can figure out what, then I’ll be able to say when.”

“We could look for lanterns in the crater while waiting for things to settle down here,” Ogras suggested. “We’ll jump back in after the dust has settled and pick through what’s left.”

“I’m not sure that’d work, not unless one of us stayed inside. I believe these realms only progress in time while trial takers are inside,” Ventus said. “It’s our presence that drives history forward. On its own, Dipper Seven will forever exist in the same moment.”

Zac agreed. Between trillions of citizens across millions of years of imperial rule, there had to be a specific reason these particular memory domains were born. The System or the architect behind the trial wouldn’t let the domains conclude on their own. The trial revolved around rewriting history, and the past needed outside input to be altered.

“I saw another domain collapse after its fate was drained,” Zac added. “Waiting outside could cost us the opportunity.”

“You think there’s an opportunity here?” Ogras asked.

“I do,” Zac nodded. “The mines are calling me. The pull is incredibly strong.”

“Incredibly strong? What if instead of a breach, some miner’s about to find something so valuable it’ll trigger a bloodbath?” Ogras said with a nostalgic expression. “Just like back then.”

Zac exhaled, recalling the chaotic melee where he and Ogras first met—the battle over the [Fruit of Ascension]. “We have a few days. Let’s gather clues and decide after we reconvene.”

“We passed a tax office earlier. They should have detailed reports on the mines and notable deals going down,” Ventus said. “I’ll visit as a traveling scribe looking to gain experience.”

“A place like Dipper Seven will have a seedy underbelly. I’ll see if the local tyrants are up to something.”

“Then… I guess I’ll check out the mine,” Zac said.

“You have the build for it,” Ogras snickered before draining his cup. “I’ll find you in a few hours.”

Zac paid for the table and set out, unable to delay a second longer. He stood before a desk at the entrance before he knew it, handing over five low-grade crystals.

"Solo entry," Zac brusquely said. “What’s the current cut?”

“68% for solo miners,” the lazy attendant answered while handing over a Cosmos Sack covered in blue patterns.

“Thank you,” Zac said and walked inside.

Zac fastened the bag on his belt and walked into a huge relay station. His Spatial Treasures were all sealed by a formidable array the moment he stepped past a line of blue runes. Only the borrowed Cosmos Sack worked, and it would be inspected on the way out. This was how the empire prevented unauthorized mining and secured a steady supply of important resources.

Solo miners were required to hand over a whopping 68% of their haul, while locals attached to the mining guilds would enjoy a better quota. In return, the guilds helped with everything from maintenance to keeping order. Zac looked at the runes covering his spatial ring. He didn’t know how to break it, but he doubted it could stop a skilled formations master or thieves like Esmeralda.

Then again, if you were skilled enough to overcome such seals, there was little point wasting your time in the Dipper Mines. Their common produce wasn’t valuable enough to draw such talents. The seal on his ring was also useless against Zac. He’d learned how to use the Void to overcome a similar restriction in the Orom World, and that seal was much stronger.

Just the entry hall was more than three miles across, a town within a town. On the opposite side, twenty-eight enormous steel balls were lined up, each over twenty meters tall. They were covered in complex runes and each emitted a distinct aura. Zac spent a couple of minutes taking it all in. He still couldn’t pinpoint Fate’s pull—it permeated the whole mountain.

Striking up conversations with the miners proved difficult. They treated strangers with suspicion and refused to give any information about new findings. Zac couldn’t blame them. Finding an untapped repository was a critical trade secret, especially if it was within the safe zone. The further down one followed the tunnels, the more dangerous the energy flows would get. It was the same as what he’d witnessed on Kavista, except the powers involved on a Primal Heaven were infinitely greater.

Eventually, Zac walked over to the closest sphere. Throwing over a crystal to a surprised miner. “I’m sorry, what’s this?”

“They’re ladders—one for each vein. You just insert your energy and pick a location,” the miner said, adding after some thought. “Don’t go too deep on your first dig. The depths will get a rookie killed.”

“Storms?”

“And beasts. And mine collapses. And… other things,” the miner said with a pointed look. “The law can’t see in the dark.”

“Thank you,” Zac said and walked over to the metal ball.

The name Green Sea Vein was engraved at its top. Zac infused his will, and a labyrinthian map of countless corridors appeared in his mind. It had a web of thousands of nodes starting at Zac’s position, each a possible teleportation spot. The vein was named after a massive underground lake only ten nodes below.

The arrangement didn’t rely on the Dao of Space. Instead, the ball allowed you to move through the mountain’s veins with incredible speed. Most sections still required days of travel from the closest node, especially deeper down. The Green Sea Vein was massive, and there were twenty-seven more just like it.

Zac only felt a reaction from fifty-odd nodes. The rest were likely outside the memory domain’s borders. Sensing nothing special, Zac inspected one metal ball after another until he abruptly stopped. The feeling was gone as quickly as it appeared, making Zac wonder if he’d been mistaken. Then, the crater’s vaguely familiar shapes and the inexplicable attraction fused into certainty.

There was a streak of Void hiding behind the veil of Earthly Dao.