Well , that would be me , - Zac smiled as he closed the door behind him and sat down in front of Catheya .
So I rush out of the East Qi Springs , with barely enough time to dress myself— -
Now that’s a scene . -
Catheya rolled her eyes . - I come here , only to run into those firmament bastards . Like glue , those people . I essentially find myself under house arrest , acting as bait until you’re done wreaking havoc . -
I’m sorry you got implicated , - Zac said as he took out a purple Death-attuned flower he’d found on his way to the storm chamber . - A souvenir from the Calamity Mountain that fell from the sky . -
I’ll forgive you this time , - Catheya said as she accepted the flower with a small smile . - Just bring me along next time if you plan on doing something exciting . -
I only planned on evolving my soul before returning . Trouble tends to keep finding me , - Zac said helplessly .
Well , I’m glad you’re fine , - Catheya said as she enclosed the flower in a case of clear ice .
How are you feeling? - Zac asked . - You’re looking better than when I last saw you , at least . -
That’s a pretty low bar , - Catheya laughed . - I’ve never been so tired in my life . It’s terrifying trying to keep up with you . I slept a day straight before heading to the East Qi Springs . -
I can’t believe you spent Mana on a spa , - Zac said with a shake of his head .
It’s not just a spa , - Catheya said . - It’s a comprehensive treatment with acupuncture , medications concocted based on your Daos , healing , and recuperating arrays . One day in there was like resting for two weeks outside . Without it , I’d carry exhaustion and sequelae for the next mission . It just so happens to be a very nice spa as well . Why . . . don’t you wish to join me for a day trip next month? -
Actually , that sounds pretty nice . -
Really? - Catheya said , looking up from the flower with delight .
Sure , - Zac nodded . - My next destination shouldn’t be too dangerous . But knowing my luck , some lost continent or ancient beast will probably fall from the sky . -
Now that’s the truth , - Catheya smiled as she took out a bottle of wine .
I could probably use a break afterward , - Zac said . - By the way , I met two followers of Tavza . -
Zac took out the box they handed him before , finding only a Recording Crystal inside .
Catheya sighed after it finished playing . - It looks like I was led by the nose back then . -
True , but that doesn’t mean Tavza can be trusted . It just means there was another culprit this time , - Zac shrugged . - Maybe your escape will help keep them on their toes . -
Zac spent another hour catching up with Catheya while letting the tavern’s gathering arrays recover his depleted Miasma . Catheya had gained some insights during her stay in Sinner’s Lament , and she needed to seclude herself for a few weeks to ascertain whether it was something she should integrate into her core . Thus , she would also miss the mission release in the next few days . That meant the next outing would only be him and Ogras .
A few people were loitering in the streets when Zac exited , but he paid them no mind as he returned to his storefront . Giving it some thought , Zac infused his will into the shop . A fist-sized crystal appeared right next to the entrance . Anyone who infused their will into it would see a set of materials for sale . They were all things he’d picked up inside the Calamity . Some of the materials seemed useful for his Core Formation , but others weren’t useful to him .
Raw materials generally had very little value to his people back home . Even if the things he found were good , he had no people to extract their true value . Meanwhile , some guests here had incredibly deep pockets , and it was better to trade for Nexus Coins or crystals than bring them back to Zecia . The rates for materials were even higher here than in Twilight Harbor , though there was almost only demand for rare treasures found inside the Perennial Vastness or items that could help guests hunt for treasures .
Zac appeared in his mountaintop mansion , and coruscating waves of Buddha’s love greeted him . It wasn’t too bad . The pressure wasn’t as intrusive between his evolved soul and reaching the second echelon . The Core array was still trying to brute-force his blueprint by any means necessary , but Zac smiled upon seeing it hadn’t produced any real results after almost a week of running .
It had generated some scenarios where the core would turn a bit turbid or become weakened , but that was to be expected . Nothing was impervious to all Daos and elements . Seeing as the array at least produced some interesting data , Zac let it keep running while he began meditating .
A day later , Zac was almost in a perfect state . Eating the Soulhaze Lily] saved him a month of recovery while strengthening his soul by around 5% . Only a few lingering cracks from channeling so much Remnant energies remained , though Zac noted his body healed that kind of damage significantly faster thanks to his Body Tempering breakthrough . It was a shame he hadn’t managed to retain more than 15% of the lily’s energy , but Zac wasn’t too broken up about it .
The lily still provided a lot of benefits , and there were no guarantees he would have been able to harness that much more of its efficacy if he brought it back . Besides , the Perennial Vastness was full of good things like the lily .
Where to? - Null asked as Zac walked over to the teleporter .
The Quarry , - Zac said , and a gate opened up .
It was time to find out what kind of opportunity Lord Engo believed waited for him .
34
THE QUARRY
Zac checked everything was in order before stepping through the teleporter . He had returned to his human appearance for this excursion . He wasn’t worried about being attacked—the Quarry was a Green Zone , after all . But Arcaz Umbri’Zi had created too many enmities in the short-run since he’d arrived .
If someone spotted him walking around in the Quarry , there was a real risk of people annoying and distracting him while he sought treasure . And he didn’t want any strangers around if he found whatever item that made even an Autarch take note . It wasn’t without some excitement Zac stepped through , and the soothing sound of a babbling brook and wind rustling in trees replaced the hymns of the Akaniṣṭha .
Zac had once visited a quarry on a field trip when he was young . It was that kind of environment he’d envisioned ; a large hole dug out of the bedrock , perhaps with tunnels deeper into the ground . The picturesque image of a stream cutting through a hilly forest under a warm sunset was a bit jarring , even if he’d already read the reports . Of course , the information he’d gathered on the Quarry was more on function than form .
The Quarry was , just like the Keys of Ascension , a special Green Zone and one of the unique resources of the Perennial Vastness . It wasn’t spiritual stones or metals you excavated from this place , but rather something called Fate Kernels . Fate Kernels were a special Natural Treasure useful for Core Formation and nothing else . They acted as an amplifier of natural affinities , improving your connection to the Dao while speeding up the formation of your core . A Low-quality kernel improved the formation rate by roughly 5% , with each additional grade adding another five .
Saving a bit of time usually wasn’t that big of a deal for cultivators who counted their lifespan in millennia , but it was different when it came to breakthroughs . Even a talented cultivator would need months to form a core . Every single mistake during that process would worsen the result . A big mishap would ruin the whole process and likely kill you . The Fate Kernels would decrease the odds of this happening .
There were a few caveats , though . The most important was that they didn’t last long . They’d dissipate a few minutes after being excavated unless you absorbed or returned them to the ground . Therefore , you had to find your kernel yourself—there would never be any Fate Kernels appearing in the Vastness City . There had been a few occasions where cultivators managed to sell suitable kernels to nearby guests , but the odds of that happening regularly were incredibly low .