Chapter 1,264.

Yselio stumbled out from the Faithgate, the clamor in his mind amplified by the agony wracking his body. The chains leading to the depths of his subconscious tried to drag him under, to have his Ego join the duality waiting for him. Not today. Pain became pleasure as darkness became light, and the chains were stopped in their tracks.

Yselio took a steadying breath and severed the connection. "It's done."

"What's done? You waited until the lingering faith is but a trickle, only to come back empty-handed?" Ylvin said with a shake of his head. "Silly boy."

"I'm simply following my instincts," Yselio smiled. "It's served me well so far. Generally."

"Generally, he says," Ylvin scoffed. He glanced upward like he was peering through the endless layers of steel. "Are you really leaving him be? If you're correct, this will be your final opportunity. Having two completed seals would put you head and shoulders above the competition."

"Perfection is an illusion, and the tallest trees have to face the wind. I have my own path to follow," Yselio said, slightly bowing at the veiled woman who'd silently stood with her hands clasped. "I also fear our esteemed guest would take offense."

"The Vigil will not get involved in the Flameseeking Trial," Leyara responded, her eyes flickering with the fires of destiny.

"Oh? Even when it involves an old companion?" Yselio said.

"I've already severed my mortal bonds to fulfill my duty."

"How admirable." Yselio applauded while inwardly snickering.

For calling themselves impartial, these haughty nuns sure liked to put their thumb on the scale. Not that Yselio minded. It would have been impossible to succeed without the Vigil's assistance. Without her prayer, there would have been no way to connect the Tobrial Dynasty's Imperial Qi with the slumbering faith of the Starfall Court.

Certainly, this little chosen wasn't enough to deter Yselio from pursuing his goals. However, seeing the young Void Emperor step out of reality to deal with the Izh'Rak Reaver reaffirmed his belief. Zachary Atwood was a yet-unripe fruit covered in thorns. Targeting him now would bring little benefits while potentially ruining something good in the long run. Zachary Atwood was like a window to the past.

Who stood better positioned to reap the harvest of a resurgence of the Limitless Empire than the Seven Heavens? And who more personified their fate than Yselio?

"I cannot believe you wasted one of your resurrections on taunting a dying old monster. What if he realized the writ only held enough Imperial Qi to release one shockwave? What if my intelligence was wrong?"

"Then that would have been my fate," Yselio said with equanimity as he bared his chest for the priests. "How can I seize fate without accepting the accompanying risks? And while I couldn't be certain about how Sorothom would act after his repeated setbacks, I never feared you would have failed in your task."

"How is it?"

"His demise will be linked to me, and his sin will become my providence."

"The providence of the Tobrial Dynasty," Ylvin reminded with a raised brow. "Be careful not to confuse the two."

"A slip of the tongue," Yselio said as the priest finished up the sigil around the wound left by Sorothom's nail.

"Well, you left him well and truly infuriated. I'll be surprised if he survives the second cycle with how his Dao is faltering." The gruff guardian didn't press the issue, instead turning to the clerics standing before the door. "Is it done?"

"We're only awaiting Lord Vindicator's authority," the pandit assured, his ancient voice echoing through the subterranean corridor.

"Then let's not dally," Yselio said, placing his hand on the thick gate.

The priests began chanting, and sigils wrought from the Imperial Qi of the Tobrial Dynasty sank into the sealed door one after another. Yvin infused his will while Leyara became the bridge between old and new. The door smoothly slid open, and a wave of brutality came wafting out.

"Shit!" Ylvin swore, urgently placing himself before the Hegemons as he unleashed his Inner World to its limits. The second Monarch was only a step slower, forming a protective Sanctuary for the group.

Yselio took a deep breath, feeling the ancient aura of the Elder Guardian was the most exquisite of perfumes. "How marvelous. It should be equivalent to a Fifth-step Autarch in its current state."

A B-grade puppet wouldn't make much of a difference to the Seventh Heaven, even an exquisite one like the Starfall Court had left for them. Its value lay in its undying frame that had achieved False Eternity. Its value was inestimable, whether as a vessel for the Princes and Archdukes or as a crafting material.

Even more valuable was the source of Ancient Arcana slumbering beneath it—a key to seize Ultom and Destiny.

-------------------------

Zac felt no joy from the unprecedented surge of Kill Energy flooding his body. He only felt a deep, spiritual lassitude as Kator's words rattled in his mind. Was he right? Were all his efforts in balancing benefits and deterrence futile before fate's whims? Was there no coming back from clashing destinies?

There had never been a true grudge between the two. There was just a mutual antipathy since day one, one that had grown and festered until it became something more. While Kator largely was the instigator, Zac hadn't helped. Zac almost felt like he'd woken up from a dream, recalling just how much of his mind had been occupied with plans for Kator's demise since they set out. It was a hatred strong enough it could be called poison.

Right or wrong, the chapter was closed. He'd survived, and Kator was dead. Zac could make up whatever justifications he pleased, and the inch Kator lacked had let Zac devise the plan that led him here. He'd considered his problem from every angle and found no way for his Draugr half to survive the third tribulation while grappling with Kator in the middle of the White Sky domain.

He'd barely managed to reach the seal unscathed by infusing his technique with the Void, but he wouldn't be able to maintain that state with the Four Desolates ravaging his body. The only way was to avoid the danger altogether. Meanwhile, Zac's breakthrough faced a huge problem. Even if Kator died, Zac had lost or spent too many of the limited resources meant for his core. Unless he figured out a way to reverse the damage, he would walk away with a broken core at best.

The Void Realm was his solution to both problems. Ever since he swallowed a decent chunk of the Memorysteel Mountain and its treasures, Zac had wondered where everything went. As his grades increased, so did his bloodline's voracity, going so far as to consume mountain ranges and enough treasures to blow Zac up dozens of times over. It was all here for the taking, provided he survived the final bolt.

The churning sky had gone mad after Zac had opened the pocket of Void and escaped. The clouds had intensified as the Heavens directed more of their attention to this forgotten corner of space. Zac had already sensed two rapid discharges since taking on the third bolt, meaning the pope was still alive and undoubtedly suffering from guilt by association.

Zac would have liked nothing more than to send even more trouble his way, but he had his own punishment to worry about. He'd already sensed the Heavens weren't done with him when he looked up at the sky through Ultom's lens. Zac suspected it was building toward a two-cycle tribulation for his attempt at Monarchy, meaning he'd have to face five bolts at Peak Hegemony and six when erecting his Inner World.

Each bolt exponentially added to the tribulation's lethality, but Zac was more confident now that Kator wasn't in the way. The sky trembled, releasing its final wave of destruction. The column of pitch-black lightning only briefly paused after entering the Imperial Domain, seemingly looking for the target that disappeared. It failed, causing the whole bolt to target Zac's human side.

Zac had expected as much and was prepared. [Void Mountain] rippled with power and Zac infused space itself. Inside the Void Realm, Zac felt a nearby ripple and flashed over. He pushed from the other end, managing to open a small slit that connected his bodies. The lightning bolt shuddered, and two-thirds plunged into the vortex, destroying the pathway as a consequence.

What remained in the main dimension crashed into [Void Mountain]'s sigil, triggering a costly mutual eradication. Zac held on for everything he was worth, heedlessly spending what the Void Realm provided. Whatever slipped past the sigil was weakened by [Void Zone] and consumed by a struggling [Void Heart], leaving only a trickle of punishment.

Being only able to use [Void Mountain] with one of his bodies at a time, Zac had to face the brunt of the tribulation head-on inside the Void Realm. Thankfully, the subspace came to his aid, causing a second round of erosion stacked on top of the Imperial Faith. Still, what remained was almost grotesque, far surpassing the third bolt's intensity.

The third tribulation was the final strike of the first cycle, while the fourth began the second. It was a full tier higher, holding a much higher ratio of Law over Heavenly Dao. Even with the Void Realm helping out, Zac could do little as it ravaged every corner of his body. He soon began exhibiting similar signs of erosion as Kator, where he lost whole chunks of flesh and bone to desolation.

With Zac's body facing such devastation, there was no need to mention the main target for punishment. Zac rallied everything in his arsenal to resist, yet whole swathes of debris were turned into nothing but memories of former glory. Seeing the heavy losses despite his best efforts was almost enough for Zac to give in, yet he staunchly held on against all odds and reason.

The moment his human side was safe, he activated [Void Mountain] on the other end. Any dense gathering of Law throughout his body was swept away before he focused on his core. With the lightning being a finite resource, Zac eventually gained the upper hand. Moments later, the Four Desolates began escaping his body. This time, Zac did nothing to hold them back, immensely relieved to feel the crackling clouds reluctantly turn their attention to the other transgressor.

Inspecting the state of his body, especially the scorched ruins within his Quantum Space, added another feeling to the relief—futility. Almost half the pieces of his Cosmic Core had been destroyed, and the energies still flooding the proto-space had nowhere to go now that the lightning was gone. It could only accumulate, putting further strain on the space and his damaged Specialty Core.

Even if Zac got things under control, there was no way to form a satisfactory or even functional core with what remained. He hadn't even begun the second step of his Core Formation, and he'd already fallen hopelessly behind. It'd take a miracle to turn the situation around. Since the System didn't seem intent on providing any added benefits, Zac would have to create the miracle on his own.

Zac moved out, following the familiar ripples until he found what he sought among all the familiar rubble. The hourglass had lost more of its sand resisting the Void Realm's erosion, though the passive pressure couldn't compare to the direct harm of directly facing the Four Desolates. Seeing it intact, Zac said a silent prayer before triggering the hidden mark in his body, summoning the only one who could help in his current situation.

"Look at you, a leaking sieve reeking of desolation." Sendor shook his head. "What do you have against breaking through like a normal person? Taking on more suffering doesn't necessarily mean a greater reward."

"It's not like I asked for this," Zac muttered.

"I will not shield you from the Heavens," the Realm Spirit said, looking at the remnant arcs of lightning escaping Zac's body.

"I'm not asking you to."

"That's good," Sendor nodded, taking in the Void Realm with curiosity. "Void Emperor, indeed. How did you—"

"First, please heal me before I fall apart."

"Most of your wounds have the mark of the Four Desolates. Healing you is not as simple as regrowing flesh."

"I saw you revert the damage of a Supremacy. Surely, this is child's play."

Sendor looked at Zac for a moment before shrugging. "I suppose it doesn't cross the threshold."

Zac felt his pain melt away as limbs and flesh reformed. This was why he used his Draugr side to endure most of the punishment while his human half stayed safe through his Void abilities. He'd already decided on summoning Sendor the moment he came up with this plan, even if it meant having no safeguard for the upcoming trial.

"Now, what scheme have you cooked up? What's this, then?" Sendor said, glancing at the hourglass.

"No need to pretend," Zac said with a roll of his eyes.

Analyzing the hourglass during his epiphany immediately exposed its true nature. It wasn't a supreme treasure like he'd assumed. It was pure Temporal Energy left by an incredibly powerful being. It was something similar to the Imperial Edicts he'd faced a few times, transcending transcended skills or conventional forms of Dao. Not like the Eternal, but there was surely Authority in the hourglass.

Not only that, there were even hints of Sendor's aura mixed in. Zac could have intuited the rest even without Ultom's assistance. Esmeralda suffered under a curse, and she'd gotten Sendor and another Supremacy to suppress it. She'd sacrificed most of her remaining reincarnations to help Zac deal with Kator and make it through his tribulation.

It was a huge gamble, making her mission inside the trial one of life and death. After all, Zac couldn't give it back even if he didn't desperately need it. The moment Esmeralda extracted it from her body, it had become rootless. It would soon fade away, and the Authority would return to its owner.

"I need you to modify this seal to revert the damage to my core."

"I knew it," Sendor grimaced. "Reversing a failed breakthrough is not something a C-grade brand can accomplish. Removing wounds doesn't break the balance as you'd heal anyhow. What you're asking for is a reversal of fate similar to resurrection. I would need the strength of my true body, provided I was even willing to pay the price for you."

"Not when you have this," Zac said as he pointed at the hourglass.

Sendor wordlessly looked at the hourglass for a moment before sighing. "It looks like that little lass bet everything on you. Are you aware of what this is?"

"I am," Zac said. "And I will repay her."

"So long as you know," Sendor nodded. "Your idea has ramifications. Old Man River will notice this. Notice you. If he wills it, time will move in his direction. Your Karmic protection will not work if you're the one extending a hand. Even then, there's not enough to undo the damage that's been done."

"I'll take what I can get," Zac said. "As for the senior, I'll just have to add him to my list of entanglements and debts."

"Very well. That old codger probably won't bother with you in the short run. He's content waiting for the Zenith like most of the old guard," Sendor said as a thread of light entered the hourglass. "Direct it into place and I'll do the rest."

Zac dragged the hourglass into his body and through the Quantum Space's hatch. Time reversed, and the desolation began teeming with Life and death. Scorched ash became debris radiating barely contained power. However, the hourglass was losing sand quicker than the debris was restored. Just ten seconds later, the last grain reached the central container, and the hourglass winked out of existence like it had never been there.

"That's all I can do," Sendor said, his avatar almost entirely translucent. "The rest will be up to you."

The hourglass hadn't managed to return any pieces that left his body. While regrettable, it was a huge improvement from before. His state was roughly between the first and second bolt. It was still bad, with almost 15% of his core lost. Any core he built on such shaky foundations was bound to have problems.

But so what? That was a problem all Mortals faced. Zac was confident he could find enough treasures to repair today's damage, like the water he got from the Endemyre Sage. So long as his core could produce and release energy, he could keep forging ahead.

"Wait!" Zac said, realizing Sendor's apparition was about to disappear after having expended all the sigil's energy. "The Eternal, her sacrifice. Can you tell me anything about it?"

"You've met that dusty old spirit, haven't you? I knew the Terminus Council wouldn't be able to sit still after you popped up," Sendor laughed.

The Realm Spirit was gone by the time he'd finished the sentence. Zac was still happy with the clue Sendor provided on his way out. For one, there was the mention of the Terminus Council again, and it sounded like Wal'Zo was part of it. Secondly, Sendor didn't seem too worried about it.

Zac still had some misgivings about incorporating the heritage of the Stellar Wanderers into his unified method, but Sendor's calm made him calm in turn. Maybe he could treat it like what he'd taken from the Sangha. Worrying about the details of his plan would have to wait. The clock had been reset, and he needed to take advantage.

It wasn't difficult to localize what he needed. The Void Realm was literally overflowing with materials already refined by his bloodline.