Defiance of the Fall

Chapter 1457: Grand Unity

Zac wasnʼt as optimistic as Ventus when it came to his prospects. While the elf survived this hurdle, Zac didnʼt need to be a Numerologist to deduce what kind of fate awaited him. The events inside the trial would be pieced together by the old tyrants outside soon enough. There was no way that such a large movement as the Phusudor Allianceʼs assault had gone unnoticed.

How was Ventus supposed to justify returning alive when all his superiors and allies had died? Ventus would be in deep trouble even if he was innocent, and the fact of the matter was that the elf was anything but. Heʼd actively traveled and coordinated with the enemy. There was no way Ventus could hide the truth when the seniors tightened the screws.

Returning to the Radiant Temple was out of the question. They would capture him on sight. In fact, his situation was almost as precarious as Zacʼs own. He may not have multiple supremacies gunning for him, but he also had no fallbacks to rely on. Truth be told, his best shot at survival might be to seek sanctuary in the Atwood Empire.

”Donʼt look so glum. I have my ways.” Ventus grinned upon seeing Zacʼs troubled expression. ”Itʼs true that I have fallen out of favor with the Phusudor Alliance. That wonʼt matter when I go above their heads.”

”Huh?”

”The Grand Unity Hall sent the Phusudor Alliance to the Hollow Court with a mission. A mission theyʼve failed spectacularly, I may add,” Ventus said.

”Grand Unity?” Zac muttered, his brows furrowing in thought. ”Who are they?”

”A true orthodoxy of Taoism. Theyʼre one of the first factions to rise in the wake of the Systemʼs awakening.”

Ventus continued to explain what he knew of this mysterious peak faction. It wasnʼt much, only touching on its origins, the fact that its main sect was located somewhere close to the Star River, and their Hundred Schools of Thought. While interesting, Zac was more occupied by the sectʼs eerily familiar name.

”Have you ever heard of an ancient sage called Fuxi?” Zac asked.
”Fuxi? Why do you ask?” Ventus said with an unnatural expression.

Zac pointed in the direction of Fuxiʼs statue. ”Weʼve arrived in a part of Fuxi Halls, and thereʼs a huge statue of him over there. Thereʼs even an unusual mantra engraved across his body.”

He didnʼt mention his findings or the [Grand Unity Canon]. He was afraid that it might get embroiled with yet another peak faction after he emerged from the trial. Still, Zacʼs offhanded comment was enough for Ventusʼ pallid face to suddenly gain a flush of excitement.

”Ha! You truly are my lucky star! Half my job is already complete!” Ventus laughed as he eagerly shook Zacʼs hands.

”Whatʼs going on?” Zac asked.

”The Grand Unity Hallʼs foundations are largely built upon the ruins of the Limitless Empire. Accordingly, pieces of that foundation were lost during the Dark Ages. Most of their Schools of Thought have incomplete or imperfectly mended heritages. The mission I mentioned was to scour the Left Imperial Expanse for these missing pieces,” Ventus grinned. ”Among them, searching for remnants of Fuxi was a task of the highest order.”

”So thereʼs a connection?”

”Iʼm not sure about the details. What little I know was conveyed by my captors,” Ventus admitted. ”But let me tell you, they were extremely excited to discover that there was a Fuxi Hall somewhere in Hollow Court.”

”Why would they rush to their deaths if they had an important mission?”

”What else could there be? Greed,” Ventus shrugged.

Zac asked a few more questions, which allowed him to confirm his earlier guess. The Phusudor Alliance had linked up with the Undead Empireʼs rebel faction in a bid for peace. However, that wasnʼt the only reason the Phusudor Republic extended a helping hand.

While they didnʼt put their faith in the promise of the White Sky Phalanx and their allies, helping them seize the Primoʼs eye was still in the coalitionʼs best interest. They feared that the rebels would give up on their dreams of liberation if their mission inside the trial failed. Theyʼd only dare raise their blades against the Primo in truth after confirming his eye was either seized or lost.

At that point, it didnʼt truly matter to the Phusudor Alliance which side would emerge victorious or if the rebels would honor their words. Civil wars in A-grade factions could span hundreds of millennia unless one side held a decisive advantage. Seeing as the dissatisfied factions had stayed their hands all these years, they definitely didnʼt believe taking down a weakened Primo would be a walk in the park.

The Undead Empire wouldnʼt have the time or energy to worry about their eternal crusade, and the pressure on the neighboring factions would relent. The Phusudor Alliance would be able to regroup and recover lost ground. And when the Undead Empire eventually settled its internal matters, it would be weakened compared to its current state.

”Furthermore, peace was not the only thing on the table. The Undead Empireʼs promised reward was something the Phusudor Alliance couldnʼt turn down.”

”What was it?”

”Ascension,” Ventus said with yearning. ”The rebels had promised some form of opportunity related to tackling the ultimate barrier. Even if it was only a long shot, the Phusudor Alliance couldnʼt let it go. A Supremacy holding down the fort would buy eons of peace, and it would open all kinds of new channels of growth.”

”How could the Grand Unity Hallʼs offering compare? In their eyes, the Phusudor were simply conveniently located servants, just as the Allbright Empire was an almost-forgotten appendage of Radiant Temple until the Fifth Pillar appeared in its backyard. If the Phusudor Alliance succeeded in their mission, they would at most gain some symbolic rewards and send some of their descendants to train at the sect. How can that compare to what the Undead Empire offered?”

”The rebels truly went all out, huh?” Zac muttered. He would be lying if he didnʼt feel a flicker of greed in his heart.

”Indeed,” Ventus said with a knowing smile. ”Perhaps they would be willing to extend you the same courtesy.”

”Not interested. Am I supposed to run around with the opportunity for Ascension in my pocket for a million years until Iʼm ready to use it? Iʼd be hounded to death by a swarm of Autarchs,” Zac scoffed. ”Besides, the eye is with Tavza, and I donʼt think her clan lacks those kinds of opportunities.”

”What a shame,” Ventus sighed, but he quickly regained his enthusiasm. ”In either case, the Phusudor Allianceʼs dereliction of duty is my opportunity. I know some of the manuals the Grand Unity Hall wants copied, and now youʼre telling me thereʼs a mysterious statue of their Supreme Ancestor a stoneʼs throw away?”

”Supreme Ancestor?” Zac said with interest. ”Fuxi survived the Dark Ages? Is he still alive?”

”No idea on both counts. And donʼt ask me to calculate the answer. Thatʼs how you put yourself in an early grave,” Ventus said. ”But if you ask me, heʼs either the original creator of one of their three main heritages rather than an old member. Or perhaps of a supreme heritage with critical faults. They wouldnʼt be desperately looking for his teachings if Sage Fuxi was actually around to build the Grand Unity Hall, would they?”

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”Youʼre right,” Zac nodded. ”So youʼre going to collect a bunch of scriptures and then jump ship when you get out?”

”You know my status in Radiant Temple was unremarkable as is. This is my chance to seize the Dao,” Ventus shrugged. ”The Phusudor Alliance wonʼt dare touch me if I join the main sect. In fact, they probably wonʼt have time to worry about me after the Grand Unity Hall learns their workers went off on a suicidal side mission and ruined their good thing.”

”And youʼre certain it wasnʼt the Grand Unity Hall that arranged the cooperation with the Undead Empireʼs rebels?” Zac asked.

”Not to my knowledge, no,” Ventus said. ”My group was still debating which matter to focus on first when we found the path to the Rapture Observatory.”

”Speaking of which, exactly how did you people find us, let alone open a passage to the Rapture Observatory?” Zac asked. ”Donʼt tell me that was your doing, too?”

”Heavens, no, though the young masters certainly were pressuring me to start calculating clues. I was stalling the best I could, citing exhaustion from the descent, but their patience was wearing thin,” Ventus said with a sour expression. ”In some sense, Iʼm only alive and well thanks to those two benefactors of the Pesvati Rift.”

”The Pesvati Rift?” Zac said in surprise.

”They approached the alliance a few days before we arrived at the observatory. They were aware of our goals and said they could help us. They even provided crystals holding a massive amount of Imperial Merit. We only had to pay a third of the cost to open the passage,” Ventus said. ”At that point, the debate ended. We were going to quickly seize the Primoʼs Eye, then come back and complete the mission.”

”And we saw how that ended,” Zac said. ”Whatʼs your next step? Are you staying here for a while, then?”

There was no need to mention the obvious; Zac had fulfilled his obligation in helping Ventus cross his tribulation. Zac had his own matters to deal with. It was time to split up unless Ventus wanted to accompany him to the surface.

”Iʼll stay here for now. This place isnʼt bad. After Iʼve recovered, Iʼll calculate the best way to go about my plan,” Ventus said as he looked at the sprawling curtain of memory lanterns.

”Then the best of luck to you,” Zac said as he handed over a map of the safer routes to the surface heʼd charted. Adding Ventusʼs ability to calculate dangers and opportunities, he shouldnʼt have any problem reaching the teleportation array that would take him back to the Hollow Court. ”Weʼll meet again if itʼs fated.”

”Before you go, I have a small parting gift. I suggest you follow this river to its end. Something that can help you is waiting for you there,” Ventus said. ”The opportunity will be gone in half a day.”

”Something I need?” Zac said with confusion as he followed the Numerologistʼs gaze.

Heʼd already investigated the area thoroughly in the weeks he spent studying Fuxiʼs mantra. The cover of imperial faith continued for a few hours, at which point both the memory domain and river of lanterns ended in an intense storm that far surpassed the chaos in the heart of the realm. Just watching the storm from a distance filled Zac with a sense of mortal danger.

Had something changed in the Natural Formation after the Primoʼs Eye was removed? Zacʼs eyes gleamed in thought, wondering if something valuable hidden within had been unearthed by the weakening spirituality. He immediately decided to check it out. Ventusʼs calculations had provided immense benefits numerous times, and it was only a delay of a few hours.

”Thank you,” Zac said as he clasped the elfʼs hand. ”Iʼll come visit you at the Grand Unity Hall if the opportunity presents itself.”

”Go ahead. The halls have been around a long time; they should be able to weather whatever storm you bring,” Ventus smiled. ”Stay safe, Chaosbringer.”

Zac wasted no time in setting out, turning into a streak of gold as he activated [Skystriker]. He arrived at the border right on schedule, his brows furrowing upon seeing it was not much different from before. An unstable tangle of Death, Imperial Faith, Stellar Energy, and Void rendered the area utterly impassable, covering thousands of miles, if not more.

If anything, the storm had picked up strength compared to before. Zac suspected the cause was streaks of Life barely discernible in the stormʼs depths. Its flavor was unmistakable: it was the Life of the First Garden. Just feeling a hint of that mysteriously malevolent life made Zac shudder as he recalled those fractured memories of his crossing.

Either way, sneaking inside was out of the question. Whatever opportunity Ventus had deduced couldnʼt possibly be hidden within. Zac wasnʼt ready to give up just yet, so he began traveling along the border, observing both the dark sky of Ninth Hell above and the memory domain below. After an hour, Zac found what he was looking for between the two.

The lantern was only one of thousands slowly being dragged toward the storm, yet it stood out like a crane among chickens. It radiated as much imperial faith as a dozen normal motes combined, cementing its status as a top-tier lantern. As Zac drew closer, further confirmation of its status became clear. The owner was a Sealbearer, except not one of the Hollow Court.

The identity of a wayward Soultaker was valuable, yet what truly piqued Zacʼs interest were the mysterious fluctuations coming from it. Similar to how Tamʼs lantern had vacillated between displaying a sliver of Roanʼs power and the veteranʼs own Dao, so did this lantern emit an exotic aura. It wasnʼt as obvious as in Tamʼs case, but Zac occasionally felt an ancient undulation that made his soul stir.

When it did, Zacʼs treasure sense also pointed him directly at the lantern. Rather than a mysterious entity, Zac suspected that this Sealbearer had come in contact with a highly valuable treasure. Perhaps theyʼd met their demise trying to seize it, just like how Everit Draom died exploring a tomb on his way to Mercurial Court.

Zac thoughtfully observed the lantern for a few minutes while his other side conferred with Esmeralda. After confirming a few points and that everything was in order, he reached out and grasped the sphere. The surroundings changed as Zac was whisked into the past, where heʼd seize the final piece of his Flamebearer seal.

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

Vilari stood at the foot of the mountain, regulating her mental state as she took in the familiar scene. It was only a few miles ahead that her previous attempt had ended in abject failure, which eventually led to her being saved by the old turtle. The mountain looked no different from last time, though what she could discern from its slumbering aura was different.

The mountain was neither especially tall nor spiritually imbued. What made it stand out from the surroundings was the intense lingering attachment imbued into its bedrock. Despite being surrounded by similar peaks, it exuded a thick, desolate air, as if it were the last mountain in the world. The locals called the phenomenon a Memory Root, and this mountain wasnʼt the only one.

On the contrary, there were hundreds of Memory Roots spread across the domain that belonged to the Anima Court. It was an unavoidable consequence of building a faction inside the Soul Aperture of an ancient A-grade creature. While the Daynight Dreamer was technically dead, its lingering soul retained attachments and regrets. Occasionally, these impulses would gather to form Memory Roots.

Most Memory Roots were like the mountain before Vilari: danger zones with supercharged emotions or lethal accumulations of enchanted Mental Energy. What made this mountain more unique was the lack of discernible opportunities that came with the reward. Generally, Memory Roots would also produce valuable Soul-nurturing resources unique to the Anima Court.

Some of the larger roots had been transformed into cultivation havens. For instance, there was a small moon made from a particularly poignant memory of the Daynight Dreamer. It was the place where it first discovered its Dao by observing a continent from the sky. Soultakers of Ultom could use the memory of that rush of enlightenment to reaffirm their own insights, like a version of Ultomʼs enlightenment.

The Memory Roots deemed useless faced another end. There were ongoing missions for disciples to disperse the Daynight Dreamerʼs obsessions. However, considering the difficulty of dealing with the roots and the high risk of mental backlash, even Inner Disciples were reluctant to take on the tasks. An alumnus or elder of the Anima Court would eventually cleanse the trouble spots if their emotional corruption began leaking into the surroundings.

Vilari had no intention of waiting for a senior to come remove the threat. The despair permeating the mountain remained perfectly contained, and there were no guarantees this particular Memory Root would ever be fixed in Anima Courtʼs recorded history. She also had some confidence in succeeding where she previously failed.

A storm of anguish struck Vilari the moment she stepped onto a winding path leading to the peak. For a moment, she felt as though she were back in that hellish bell, with only darkness and malice to accompany her. The feeling of loneliness lasted only a moment before Vilari wrenched control over the despair. She took charge of the seven idols, who were already humming with agitation over the emotional infiltration.

Their strengths joined together to form a perfect cycle of the Seven Sensations. The despair that came pouring in was dragged along for the ride, its original nature chipped away with each revolution. Eventually, it was turned into a nourishing elixir that directly washed over Vilariʼs soul. Vilari took another step and was suddenly beset with a powerful sense of déjà vu as she looked up at the peak.

It was calling her.