A feral growl escaped Zac's throat, brought forth by the streams of malevolent energy rampaging through his body. The world was drowned in red, and the discordant roars in his mind pushed him toward a deviation. Zac furiously fought back as he searched for a solution. The painful throbbing in his heart was a poignant reminder that practicing the [Void Vajra Sublimation] wouldn't help. Last time, it let him endure the assault, yet it was [Void Heart] that dealt with the root of the problem.
He had to deal with it some other way. But how? Eons of slumber had weakened the anger that drove the sword through the fortress, but its source was ultimately an Autarch. Even scraps of such powerful beings were enough to threaten a Hegemon's life. His Void Emperor bloodline had worked against all odds, but it was only E-grade. Using his own Kill Energy was like smashing eggs against a rock and only aggravated the onslaught in his mind.
Could he only do that?
The deep groan of ancient wood interrupted his thoughts, warning him that the situation had worsened. The huge chamber holding the city square was coming alive, flooding it with gravitational forces. An insistent warning of imminent danger pierced the madness. Flying had become impossible, so Zac ran out of the building, each step leaving deep imprints on the ground.
A pillar of light descended from the sky, reducing the building to ash. The sudden attack helped subdue the intent, and it gathered into a ball like it was facing a great threat. Still, the red tangle retained its fiendish nature. Clamors for violence shook Zac's Soul Aperture, urging him to let go, to strike back at the oppressors who almost burnt him alive.
Muscles trembled with barely contained explosive force, and Killing Intent seeped out of Zac's body. However, there was still an unyielding core of clarity that let Zac calmly analyze the situation. Part of his resilience was thanks to the brush with death, triggering deep-rooted survival instincts.
Most of the credit had to be given to [Void Heart]. The fiendish energy had ultimately broken out of the Hidden Node, but not before a third was refined. With the remains being suppressed by the tower, he temporarily had some leeway. He needed to seize the opportunity to get out of this mess.
Not even the reinforced treasury survived the blast, and the lingering aura of life was replaced by desolation and ash. The neighboring buildings were already straining under the increased gravitational force, and the following shockwave leveled half the neighborhood.
Local pandemonium became the trigger for wider turmoil. Enormous runes glowing with steel and conviction had appeared on the chamber's walls and ceiling, but their state was no better than the rest of the fortress. Some fluctuated precariously while others had gone dark. Sustaining a powerful gravity chamber while releasing powerful bursts of energy was asking too much of the run-down arrays.
A whole range of runes exploded on the other side of the township, unleashing a wave of light and immense pressure. Zac discarded all attempts to deal with the fiendish energy in favor of immediate escape. He ran toward the exit, even going so far as to stow [Verun's Bite] to weaken his ingrown battle-readiness.
Zac only got three steps before he was forced to his knees. The gravity cascade contained enough force to make the whole tower strain and shudder, and Zac was given a front-row seat. Its immense weight kept it contained to the other side of the hall, but Zac felt like he was drowning. The vortices in his cells had slowed to a crawl, and even his Soul Aperture shuddered precariously.
A deafening tearing was like a heavenly trumpet. The eruption had collapsed unto itself, forming a singularity that tore right through the reinforced floor. With it gone, Zac sprung to his feet, taking a gasping breath as his body came alive.
The whole township was gone, crushed into dust. The only lingering proof of its existence was the handful of installations made from the same reinforced stone as the tower, such as the woodworker's residence. Even those were twisted and broken, proving just how immense the pressure had been. If the cactus spine had been placed in the middle of the town, Zac would have been turned into red paste.
He'd narrowly escaped death, yet Zac knew the interruption had dashed any hopes of escape. Two dozen energy constructs had emerged from the swirling dust, forming a half-circle around him. They were twice the size of the sentries they summoned when entering the fortress proper and more closely resembled humanoid figures. They even held a large amount of Faith Energy, which gave them a holy aura.
Not the aura of a saint but that of a paladin on a mission to purge evil. They were the swords of judgment that would deal with any sinners who targeted their homes. Even one felt like a threat to his life. Taking out twenty was out of the question. Zac did the only thing he could.
"I'm an ally!" Zac hoarsely roared as he waved the [Court Cycle Token] back and forth like a white flag. "I'm dealing with the threat right now!"
The sentries stopped their approach, but they didn't back off. They silently floated in place like they were trying to compute the unexpected turn of events. Zac scanned the exits, inwardly swearing upon confirming his fears. Trapdoors had blocked all exits except for the hole in the floor. However, it still exuded immense gravitational force, making an approach impossible.
Worse, the energy fluctuations were growing increasingly unstable. It was just a matter of time before another singularity formed. That time, he might not be as lucky.
Zac barely had time to examine the surroundings before the token's energy dropped, turning his face a shade whiter. He was actively losing energy to keep the guardians at bay. He needed to deal with the fiendish energy, and quickly.
It wasn't just to deal with the sentries. He was reaching his limits resisting the corrosion with willpower alone, and he'd only be asking for death if he started practicing the [Void Vajra Sublimation] with such a bloodthirsty audience.
Zac turned to his bloodline for help, yet the Void remained indifferent to his plight. A second ripple weakened the token further. Zac channeled the desperation as he delved deeper, using it as kindling to illuminate the path. And with a furious pull, he brought the Void to the surface.
A small black swirl formed right by Zac's chest, its appearance not causing so much of a ripple of energy. Instead, there was only a bottomless hunger. Debris and dust were dragged inside. Even the sentries flickered precariously from the pull.
The sense of impending peril skyrocketed as the constructs advanced, but Zac didn't dispel the black hole. Just conjuring it was pushing the limits of his bloodline; stemming its voracity was beyond his ability. Instead, he focused on finishing his task.
Zac's body shuddered with strain as he forced the bundle of malevolent energy out of his chest. It was reluctant to leave the comparative safety of his body, but it couldn't overpower Zac and the black hole's combined force. The bundle was stuffed into the vortex and swallowed. Then it was gone, and the sentries froze in place.
"I've defeated the invader," Zac gasped, his mind still a mess from the murderous intent.
A deafening silence reigned in Zac's nervous standoff against the tower. Finally, the arrays flickered and deactivated, and the immense pressure disappeared like a figment of his imagination. The sentries also left by sinking into the floor.
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Zac's heart bled as they took a third sealbearer piece with them on their way out. But what could he do? It was preferable to death.
As expected, the root of the problems had been the sword Autarch's intent. It made sense, considering it was made from the intent of the tower's enemy, but Zac hadn't expected its senses to be so keen to even notice it while trapped inside his body. Or that it would react so violently.
He'd activated multiple skills and used his Void Energy without any reaction. Even the Technocrats arrived through gates marked by their Dao of Technology without creating a stir.
Zac put away his token, suppressing the pain in his heart. It was time to cut his losses and get a move on. The commotion had gotten way out of hand. It was impossible for any nearby party not to notice. Worse, the powerful vibrations had probably spread through walls. He needed to leave before someone came to investigate, so he threw out a handful of aura-removing powder and escaped into a hallway.
Worries gnawed at Zac's heart as he resumed his ascent. It wasn't the threat of exposure but rather the price of his actions. There was no telling what ramifications could come of sending the fiendish energy into the Void Spiral. Zac knew next to nothing of what existed on the other side, except that it wasn't just some random dimension or plane.
It was a hidden space belonging to his bloodline, where all materials were sent during his breakthroughs. Zac also suspected that all the energy [Void Heart] kept for itself went there. Zac knew he hadn't expelled the dangerous energy. He had just hidden it deeper within his body, where not even the tower could sense it.
Doing so felt like injecting yourself with a dangerous virus, but Zac didn't have a lot of options. His only other idea was to use his Oblivion Energy, which was out of the question. With Technocrats and possibly Imperials skulking the hallways, he needed a proper fallback. Besides, who knew how the sentinels would react if he suddenly conjured a blade of pure destruction? And what would happen if the fiendish energy entered the fractal? At least he was safe for now.
Or so he thought.
Zac swore with alarm and used his token to escape into a sealed room, unheeding of the cost. He briefly scanned the interiors to confirm there were no threats before turning his gaze inward. An ochre mist had begun seeping out from his damaged node. Zac felt like he was caught in a loop, reliving a nightmare.
However, it didn't take long for Zac to realize there was something very different about the fiendish energy. It still emitted a brutal aura, but it lacked any hint of the ancient Autarch's will. The mist had to be the part [Void Heart] finished refining before the red streaks broke free.
It didn't rush through his body or assault his mind. Instead, it fused with his blood and joined its journey through his body. Zac looked on with horror and urgently created a Mental Energy trap around his Hidden Node. It successfully isolated the emerging mist from the rest of his body. But so what? It was still there, and more was escaping his Hidden Node every moment.
It wasn't certain the refined energy would trigger the tower's defenses, but Zac didn't want to take the chances. At best, it meant another drain on the token, which he absolutely couldn't afford. Not to mention, there was no guarantee the sentinels would accept his explanation after emitting the aura of their enemy a second time. But what should he do? Open another vortex?
Corralling the mist would be easy. It had been stripped of its will, so it didn't resist being trapped or moved around. But the gas was seeping out so slowly. It would take at least half an hour for it all to emerge. Zac could barely open a vortex as things stood, so holding it open that long was out of the question.
Zac was also reluctant to throw it away. Getting his hands on the mist had almost cost him his life. Besides, he'd always benefitted from [Void Heart], no matter what it spat out. Even Tribulation Lightning became a tonic most cultivators could only dream of. And while the ochre mist may not be sourced from the heavens, it was still the product of a B-grade cultivator's evolved Killing Intent. It had to be useful to someone cultivating the Dao of Conflict. If Zac could figure out the benefits of this energy, perhaps he could eventually do the same with his own Killing Intent.
If only [Void Heart] had spat out an instruction manual along with its creation. Zac found himself stumped as he looked at the sanguine blob that had formed inside its cage. His cells weren't screaming with hunger, and the mist didn't react to his Mental Energy or soul. It didn't seem useful for his Cosmic Core or gaining levels, either.
A prickling sensation provided the answer. The mist that mixed with his blood was entering cells throughout his body. Discomfort transitioned to outright pain as more fiendish energy entered his cells. It was a pain Zac was familiar with. It was the sweet agony of Body Tempering, of being broken down to be rebuilt stronger.
The torture brought him back to those early days of his struggles, where his lack of Death-attuned resources forced him to turn to crude concoctions like [Bone Forging Dust]. The red haze acted like a catalyst for his cells, forcibly expanding the golden whirlpools by making them spin faster.
Zac looked at the change with interest. Only a sliver had entered his bloodstream, yet he could feel his limits being broken and surpassed. What would happen if he released all the energy he'd collected? However, Zac soon realized there was a problem.
The golden whirlpools weren't actually getting stronger. The fiendish energy performed half the steps of a body-tempering method. It broke down his cells in a way that would let him surpass his limits, but it lacked the materials to build it back up. If nothing changed, he'd just end up with damaged foundations.
Sometimes, you simply couldn't avoid fate.
Zac gritted his teeth as he took out the box he stowed just minutes before. A powerful gust of ancient, unyielding life filled the room when he opened the lid. Without the containment array, the thorn was rapidly losing spirituality. It might as well be the fuel for his rebirth.
There was no time to figure out the best way of extracting the liquid, so Zac did what felt natural. The spine reminded Zac of the spikes he'd taken from the faceless assassin back in the Tower of Eternity, so he might as well use it the same way.
Zac's eyes shone with determination as he shattered the protective crystal. His hand moved like lightning, grabbing the thorn before stabbing it into his chest. The thorn proved its lofty origins by effortlessly piercing Zac's reinforced skin to deposit its contents right into his heart.
Meanwhile, Zac opened the cage, letting the ochre mist back into his heart. The two ancient forces joined, and the effect was instantaneous.
Zac crashed out of the room like a rampaging bull, the veins on his forehead writhing while every muscle in his body twitched. The root of the spine was still sticking out of his chest, and expanded veins had formed a golden rootlike pattern around it.
Letting a sliver of the mist into his cells had been painful. Opening the floodgates was a hellish torture that made the [Bone Forging Dust] seem like a joke. Every part of his body was dying and being reborn. Zac wanted to curl into a ball. Or better yet, practice the [Void Vajra Sublimation] to escape the woes of his mortal coil.
But Emily was waiting.
Delirious, bloodshot eyes scanned for threats before moving out. His gait was convulsive, like he'd been struck by lightning. And yet, each step echoed with the cadence of life, borrowing from his body tempering manual without practicing it outright.
Zac was barely aware of his surroundings. He desperately held onto his Void State while following the movement patterns he'd invented. Just the act of movement helped take Zac's mind off the torment, which was exactly what he needed. He was running out of time, but he had to make the most of the heavenly materials he'd been given. Because that was what they were.
Every breath was the equivalent of practicing a whole cycle of [Void Vajra Sublimation]. Fiendish energy broke the shackles holding him back, while ancient life imbued him with the power of the Cosmic Behemoths born from the primordial Dao.
Corridors and stairs blurred together. A distant pang of danger warned him of an ambush, but it didn't matter. The power to shatter mountains and swallow stars was coursing through his veins. The six Technocrats were reduced to broken bones and torn flesh, while the wounds on Zac's body closed in seconds.
Another group was slaughtered before Zac was left alone. Perhaps they'd given up, or perhaps they'd simply lost him. Not even Zac knew how many corridors he'd passed or how many floors he'd ascended, and he had the token to access areas outside the reach of others.
Zac realized he was just a few hundred meters from Emily's beacon by the time he came to. He'd run out of ochre mist and golden energy around thirty minutes ago, but it had taken him until now to finish digesting it. He felt wrung out, but his body was in pristine condition. He even exuded a vibrant aura that could be mistaken for a Natural Treasure.
He was curious about his gains, but it would have to wait. Zac was almost at the finish line, so he willed his body to finish the last stretch. Soon, there was only a single door separating him from his disciple. He'd used up another sealbearer's energy reaching this point, despite keeping its use to a minimum. In total, five out of eight were lost.
Zac threw any distracting thoughts out of his mind and readied himself. There were no guarantees that only Emily was waiting on the other side. There might be a whole swarm of Technocrats keeping her captive. Yet there was no hesitation as he put his token against the sigil, and the door soundlessly slid open.
"Welcome. We've been expecting you."