Defiance of the Fall

Chapter 1462: False or Real

Zac faced the shimmering realmgate with a pensive expression. His timeline was the only one remaining in [Second Nucleus]ʼs inner domain since nearly three weeks ago. Despite the lack of competition, it hadnʼt grown much stronger. It was rather showing signs of decline, as if it would soon collapse without outside intervention.

He knew he shouldnʼt be so attached to the false reality it represented, yet he found it increasingly difficult to let go. The longer he stayed before it, the more familiar hints he caught from the other side. The memories of that reality remained precious to him, and heʼd been immersed for weeks after ejecting the other timelines.

It wasnʼt just an unhealthy obsession that kept Zac posted before the realmgate. He seized the timelineʼs essence the day he stepped off the Peregrine Gondola. Since then, it had been hidden in the depths of his heart, allowing the decades inside to become a foundation for his Dao Heart. And yet, Zac had realized that the essence had yet to exhaust its value. Sitting before the realmgate helped him excavate that mysterious power, further solidifying his Heart.

If stirred, Zac could follow threads of Karma to the other side, providing glimpses of the alternate reality. The Peck clan descendants that had treated him like a grandfather for decades, the many artisans and businessmen heʼd gotten to know on Greenworth Trade Street. Zac could even sense Helisent trapped in the mix. Inside the [Omnipresence Chamber], where time and causality were relative, she was both alive and dead.

Zac eventually shook his head and turned his gaze inward. Ruminating over the existential state of friends and family heʼd spent a lifetime with was quite effective at nurturing his heart, but it also brought great emotional turmoil. While Zac was accustomed to cultivation through self-flagellation, it was usually on a physical level.

The situation within his Quantum Space was much stabler than the waves in his heart. The fourth and final Shattered Sky Nucleus had successfully been installed three days ago, and his proto space was finally fully settled. The nuclei suppressed the cardinal directions, fully stabilizing the expanded space. If it was still shrinking, it was at such a minuscule pace that it couldnʼt be measured.

Having stabilized the space didnʼt mean that the thousand-year deadline was gone. He still needed to actually form his Inner World before the space solidified. Nevertheless, his Quantum Space would retain all its potential until Zac was well and ready. And that moment was drawing closer every day.

His other body had already spent two weeks inside the Hollow Courtʼs Library, leaving the memory domain every two days to sync up their memories. [Nine Reincarnation Manual]ʼs already cultivated fourth layer had been slightly adjusted to accommodate the relocation of his Soul Aperture. The fifth layer was also complete, meaning he was fully ready to challenge his fourth reincarnation.

Zac had even fashioned a rough direction and a few guiding principles for the Sixth Layer despite not having the original manual. Getting his hands on the originals would be a huge help in perfecting the upper layers, but not having them wasnʼt the end of the world. Heʼd diverged to such a degree already that he was essentially practicing a completely different method.

This wasnʼt anything uncommon. If anything, it was the norm. By the time one reached Monarchy, a cultivator should really practice customized or self-made methods. Otherwise, youʼd quickly hit a wall of comprehension.
Zac spent a few hours looking for ways to increase the synergistic effect of [Void Emperor Apotheosis], at which point his heart had stabilized again. Without missing a beat, he once more began resonating with the realmgate. While doing so, the idols of [Warbringer Dharma] rotated around him. He was continuously polishing his heart, like waves continuously washing over a rock.

Time waited for no man. The change Zac had been expecting finally arrived in [Second Singularity]ʼs inner realm two days later. Zac turned to Esmeralda, whose aura had been rapidly solidifying since stepping into Peak Monarchy. In fact, the time it took her now was much shorter than the previous steps.

Zac guessed it made sense. Advancing through the previous stages was a matter of accumulating energy without losing control over [Second Singularity]. Meanwhile, Divine Monarchy was a matter of comprehension. Esmeralda didnʼt need to figure out what Dao to Confirm. At most, she needed to make some adjustments to incorporate the Dao of Space from her new treasure.

He was happy for his friend but filled with a sense of reluctance. Esmeraldaʼs imminent breakthrough meant that it was soon time to leave. Esmeralda had already informed him that she would stop at Early B-grade. At that point, she was strong enough to recover a few slivers of her Authority. That, in turn, would allow her to take full ownership of [Second Singularity].

What would follow was a long, meticulous integration that wouldnʼt take place inside the trial. Parting with an old companion was reason enough to feel down, and there was also the matter of the solitary realmgate. Zac felt he might grasp something if he was given another month or two before the realmgate, but there was no chance of that happening.

”My little disciple, witness!” Esmeraldaʼs voice filled Zacʼs mind, dispersing all errant thoughts.

A gentle wave of unique spatial energy expanded with the alabaster toad at the center. For lack of a better description, it was alive, filled with Esmeraldaʼs will. It covered every inch of the hidden realm in the blink of an eye, and it kept expanding. Ten, hundred, a thousand miles were incorporated in the blink of an eye, and it only kept going.

The vast clouds of ancient Spatial Energy outside the realm were swallowed, made into an offering for Esmeraldaʼs ascent. Zac watched in awe as her form expanded to the size of a mountain. She exuded a lofty, majestic presence that almost forced Zac to his knees. And yet, he wasnʼt the focus of her attention.

Esmeraldaʼs gaze turned to the sky, her eyes glowing like torchlights. The countless layers of illusions surrounding Mercurial Courtʼs island gave way. The curtains parted, exposing the Heavens—the true Heavens. Zacʼs vision began to swim as countless swirling stars appeared to cheer for their new queen.

No, they werenʼt stars.

Shimmering lights made of pure truth turned into streaks that crisscrossed each other in a web that made Zacʼs brain hurt. He realized he was looking at the Grand Tapestry of Space, at least as Esmeralda saw it. Just a glimpse filled Zacʼs mind with ideas no less revolutionary than what he seized from Ultomʼs Enlightenment, but perhaps far more dangerous.

Zac furiously held onto his Void Heart to resist the temptation of a Supreme Dao, but his will alone struggled to hold on. There was no golden pillar rising from Esmeralda to greet the heavens, like what Zac saw during Alvod Jondirʼs Dao Defense, yet Zac knew that he was looking at the same thing. Esmeralda, with her supreme confidence in her path, had rolled up two breakthroughs into one.

Many would think that having a front-row seat to such a spectacle was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. How could they possibly understand the terror of a Supreme Dao being laid bare before them? Only by harmonizing his Dao Heart with the struggling realmgate did Zacʼs state stabilize. In return, he missed out on some of the breakthroughʼs intricacies by shutting out Esmeraldaʼs Dao.

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The danger had passed, yet the beauty remained. Zac watched in wonder as the stars descended, entering Esmeraldaʼs body one after another. When those stars made of pure Dao descended toward the Eveningtide Asura, they might as well have been bombs made from ultimate truth. With Esmeralda, they were exuberant spirits welcoming an old friend home.

Esmeralda reclaimed her position among the stars, divinity made flesh. Her left hand contained the cosmos; her right, the river of time. Galaxies swirled on her back, worlds being born and dying as she breathed. She was creation; she was destruction. She was the forces of nature, causality given will. This was the true face of Authority. It was possession of realityʼs definition.

A majestic gong filled Zacʼs ears only to disappear before its reverberation could end naturally. Following right on its heels was a mirage of unfathomable size. Zac only vaguely glimpsed an endless bridge made of starlight leaving the Left Imperial Expanse, rising all the way into the sky. Surrounding it were millions of auspicious symbols, parades of celestial creatures that celebrated the occasion. They shone their light on Esmeralda, and Zac was allowed to bask in her glory.

A surge of auspicious warmth swept through his body, bringing about a familiar transformation. He felt the same way as when eating Attribute Fruits, or more precisely when he ate Luck Fruits. The light shining down from the Heavens was pure providence, and there was no one to compete with him for the scraps. Unfortunately, the opportunity was short-lived. Zac blinked, and it was gone, leaving not so much as a trace of the majesty it exuded. In fact, the whole region felt like a waning shadow of what it once was.

It wasnʼt hard to guess why. At last, there was no longer any trace of [Second Singularity] or the domain it exuded. True to her word, she had managed to seal it somewhere inside her body. The integration would continue until Esmeralda regained her former glory. And as expected, the System could not abide such a powerful variable in its trial.

Esmeralda had already retracted her strength as much as she could, but even Zac could feel the tremendous power of rejection leveraged against her. Of course, a veteran thief like Esmeralda had plenty of tricks up her sleeve. A set of Spatial Runes appeared around her, and the repulsion weakened by a significant degree.

”Not bad, eh?” Esmeralda released an exaggerated laugh as she floated over, her voice causing the very fabric of space to ripple for hundreds of miles in every direction. Zacʼs immediate surroundings were the only area not affected. It was clearly a childish way to display her might without triggering the Systemʼs banishment.

Zac was lucky that he hadnʼt just witnessed a normal Beast Emperorʼs ascent into a Primordial Beast. Not even the most talented B-grade beast would be able to perfectly restrain their aura just moments after breaking through. Zac would have been blasted to smithereens just by their latent emanations. Meanwhile, Esmeralda seemed even more harmless now than when they first met. He couldnʼt sense a speck of power from her.

”Was that... bridge-thing earlier...” Zac gulped.

”My Dao Ladder,” Esmeralda nodded, a teasing grin appearing on her face. ”What, you thought it was an empty expression?”

”There were no actual ladders the last time I watched an ascension,” Zac coughed with embarrassment, feeling like a country bumpkin.

”You mean that frontier cultivator who barely squeezed into B-grade? Iʼm not surprised. There are levels to breaking through, and he barely managed to form the simplest connection through a trick,” Esmeralda shrugged before training her eyes on Zac. ”And let me tell you right now! The phenomena you saw was not the real thing, you hear? My original breakthrough was much grander, much more!”

”Uh, alright?” Zac drawled, not sure what she was getting at.

”Cough... so when you break through in the future and cause a scene, donʼt think youʼre all that, alright?” Esmeralda said.

”I know, how could I possibly match up to the great Esmeralda with my meager talents? Iʼll be content so long as I can catch a corner of your glory,” Zac dutifully expounded.

”Youʼre my protégé, so thereʼs no need to be modest,” Esmeralda said, visibly pleased by the pageantry. ”If you fail to cause a stir with your Dao Defense, how am I to show my face in my old circles?”

”Iʼll do my best,” Zac smiled.

Zac was just about to open the status screen to see if the mysterious light before had actually increased his Luck. He didnʼt feel any different than before, but Luck was much harder to gauge than changes to his other attributes. A powerful ripple coming from the realmgate occupied Zacʼs attention before he could investigate.

Without [Second Singularity] to provide a safe haven, the shimmer of silver water could no longer endure. It was rapidly collapsing, and Zacʼs heart panged with sorrow as he watched it shrink. Its death throes came with the expulsion of countless streaks of Karma, countless fates trapped within the mirage. One particular string made Zac curse with surprise, his mind descending into chaos.

”Huh, how did that little demonling appear within your timeline? His gondola clearly connected to another one,” Esmeralda muttered as she isolated the fluctuation.

The aura was unmistakable. For some reason, Janos was on the other side of the realmgate, possibly trapped in Zacʼs old timeline. While Zac couldnʼt understand why or how heʼd appeared there, and he was more than worried about what would happen next. Was this part of Janosʼ crossing of the Peregrine Ocean, or had something gone wrong because of the invasion? If this realmgate closed, would he end up trapped in a false reality?

”Can you pull him out?” Zac urgently asked. He figured what was impossible for a Hegemon might be a flick of the wrist for an Autarch.

”Iʼm afraid not,” Esmeralda said. ”I can sense that Iʼm no longer allowed to directly involve myself with the trial. The Peregrine Ocean is deeply connected to the continentʼs Karma. My cover will be unraveled, and Iʼll be thrown out of the trial before I can pull him out.”

”What about indirectly?” Zac said, noticing the implicit meaning of her rejection.

”Bringing away [Second Singularity] has left an existential hole at this location. I can use this realmgate to plug it, so to speak. It should stabilize the timeline by directly connecting it to the Mercurial Court. From there, you can enter yourself and pull him out,” Esmeralda said.

”Then what are you waiting for?” Zac said.

”Because doing this has ramifications,” Esmeralda said with a pointed look. ”Not for me, but for you. You are bonded to this timeline, and attaching it to the Mercurial Court will have unpredictable ramifications. Our goal was always to fill our pockets while avoiding the trialʼs underlying currents. This may very well undo that goal.”

”I...” Zac hesitated, but only for a moment. With a steady gaze, he slowly nodded. ”Do it.”

Truth be told, his decision wasnʼt only about saving Janos or his unexpected presence. The idea of having his old home on Greenworth Trade Street drift off and become a hypothetical past didnʼt sit well with him. This way, he could kill two birds with one stone.

As for getting his karma entangled with the Limitless Empire, it was too late to worry about that. Besides, what was the point of cultivation if he always had to scurry like a rat in the shadows, ignoring his desires out of caution? He already stood in the thick of it, so he might as well follow his heart and let the pieces fall where they may.

”Fine, but be warned. I donʼt think youʼll have much time on the other side. This is something of a backdoor, and without a harmonizing medium like the [Peregrine Gondola], youʼll soon get ejected,” Esmeralda cautioned.

Zac nodded, and Esmeralda put thought into action. A swirl of spatial starlight formed a frame around the realmgate, allowing it to stabilize. Zac gained a matching halo, and he subtly felt his aura shift to match the alternate timelineʼs frequency. Esmeralda waved her hands again, and thousands of strings made from silver water branched out from the gate.

The strings were made of an exceedingly complex script that completely went over Zacʼs head. Most of it reeked of antiquity and made Zac think of the enormous astrolabe heʼd seen just before entering the Mercurial Court. There were also hints of Esmeraldaʼs Dao, which now incorporated the Space of [Second Singularity]. Her presence acted as a guiding hand, drawing the strings toward a hidden location.

The strings disappeared through a flickering spatial veil. A moment later, the realmgate rapidly expanded, quickly eclipsing even the strongest timelines that once occupied [Second Singularity]ʼs inner realm. Zac exhaled, knowing that the realmgate had successfully been connected to the Mercurial Court.

”You ready?” Esmeralda said as a film of Stellar Energy covered Zac like a layer of oil.

Zac nodded, and Esmeralda made a pulling motion. A tendril of silver water was extracted from the shimmering veil and manipulated to grab onto Zac. The next moment, Zac found himself pulled into another world.