It was all pretty cryptic . Let’s just look around for now , - Zac said after some thought . - Can you fly up and get a better look at the patterns of the rivers? I saw a bunch of constellations in the vision . -
Of course . But remember , the soldiers get soup while the generals eat meat , - Ogras said before turning into a stream of shadows that shot straight into the air .
The demon never asked for details , and Zac wasn’t sure if he should tell . The Void and his bloodline were essentially his last secrets , and this inheritance was clearly related to his hidden affinity . It wasn’t that Zac didn’t trust Ogras , but he had a weird feeling that if people knew about it , they’d be worse off . Swept up and harmed by his fate . It was one thing for Iz to find out . She had Supremacies in her family who could protect her fate from being harmed .
But there were some things he could do . Zac took out sets of wooden plaques and began to carve the constellations one after another in case the vision faded . By the time the demon returned , he’d carved all 229 of them . Thankfully , they weren’t very complicated . With his experience in engraving , each only took a few seconds .
Looks familiar? - Ogras asked as he threw over a Recording Crystal .
Zac looked at the lines formed by the rivers , trying to match them up with the many transformations of the constellation . Nothing . He’d hoped for something to jump out at him , a clear direction , but the land barely managed to spark something vague .
I don’t think so , - Zac said with a shake of his head . - Do you see anything? -
The demon looked at the engraved plaques , a frown appearing on his face . - Odd . These patterns don’t seem like anything special . -
It’s hard to explain or draw out like this , - Zac said . - These are all one while being distinct . -
Well , should we keep walking toward the center of the riverbeds? There’s a small , dried out lake there . Might be something at the bottom . Should we rush it? -
We’re not in that much of a hurry , - Zac said . - And there are no guarantees the answer is at the lake . I think the inheritance is related to the kernels somehow , so let’s keep a pace where I can sense them . I need to digest the vision anyway . -
It didn’t take more than a few minutes before they stumbled upon the first kernel . After seeing—or rather sensing—the natural formation , Zac’s inkling grew stronger . He’d already had a strong suspicion the reason for his connection to the kernels was his bloodline . The kernels contained Dao but were surrounded by Void , which completely canceled their energy fluctuations .
There were still some pieces missing , though . For instance , he couldn’t sense anything akin to his Void Energy from the kernels or formations . That ancient aura was completely missing , though that specific feeling might be related to his bloodline rather than the Void itself . Knowing the Fate Kernels were related to the Void didn’t help him much . It didn’t provide him any method to scan larger regions using his Void Energy or any clues to the location of the inheritance .
The two continued on their way , and it soon became apparent why the riverbeds were called a hotspot . They couldn’t walk more than a few minutes before Zac sensed a kernel nearby . Not much later , Zac confirmed he could tell the difference between Low-quality and better kernels . An inconspicuous patch of dried clay caught their eye , and Zac extracted a silver hairpin shuddering with power .
Damn , close , - Ogras muttered as he looked at the kernel with interest . - Middle-quality Dao of the Spear . Let me have a look at it . -
Zac threw the hairpin over to Ogras , who played with the kernel . Just 200 meters away , Zac found another Low-quality kernel , but he didn’t even bother extracting it . It was proof of how many kernels were hidden in the river and how bad the efficiency of the conventional methods was . Most cultivators could spend a day turning a whole riverbed upside down only to find a dozen kernels .
Interestingly enough , they’d found that Ogras couldn’t extract most of the Fate Kernels Zac found . The moment the demon touched the hidden formation , it disappeared . He managed to take out three kernels , though , so it wasn’t an absolute rule . They tried figuring out if it had any bearing on the vision of the First People and their heritage but came up empty-handed .
Suddenly , the surroundings exploded with color , and a frantic series of images passed Zac’s eyes . The images were abstract and incredibly complex , and Zac almost felt his head swell from having them crammed into his head . A moment later , they were gone , just leaving a headache behind .
Zac grunted and shook his head . - Ow . -
You okay? - Ogras asked .
Saw something , - Zac muttered before trying to explain what he’d seen .
Weird , - Ogras said . - Might be a clue? -
Let’s look around , - Zac agreed .
After three hours of scouring the area , the two were forced to give up and keep going . There was nothing special about that region except for an elevated concentration of Fate Kernels . They even mapped out where they found the kernels , hoping they were part of a bigger whole , but that didn’t lead anywhere either . Then came another flash of images .
A whole day passed this way , between searching for clues while Zac was beset by increasingly powerful bursts of visions . Zac’s head was a throbbing mess . Like his thoughts were overwhelmed by a lingering white noise as images of the constellations forced their way back to the surface . It got so bad Zac was forced to speak , or better yet scribble down , his thoughts not to lose them .
And then , it clicked .
Two sides of a mirror . Dao and Void , - Zac muttered , his eyes gleaming as he spread out his stack of plaques on the ground . - Counterbalance . . . -
Ogras stood to the side with a frown , gaze turning between the plaques and Zac .
What do you want to do? - the demon asked . - The lake is just an hour away . Better yet , why don’t we head back to Vastness City for a break? You’re looking a bit . . . unraveled . -
No need , - Zac said as he gathered his notes . - I have it . -
Consumed by the search for truth . I know the feeling , - a snicker echoed out as K’Rav appeared from Ogras’ sleeve .
The goblin curiously looked at the constellations before turning to Zac .
You remind me of myself when I found the direction for my research . Ah , those were the days . -
Like you? Well , that’s not good , - Ogras said . - Help me talk some sense into him . -
Why would I? - the goblin laughed . - Follow the madness , kid . Sometimes you need to plunge into the depths to see the light . -
36
INVERSION
You hear that? This lunatic is cheering you on , - Ogras sighed , referring to the goblin Tool Spirit . - You have to understand that’s not a good sign . -
As I’ve said , I’m not going crazy . It’s just those visions overloading my brain , - Zac said . - Let’s go . I want to deal with this before my head explodes . Of course , if you feel this is a waste of time , you can always head back . -
Truthfully , Zac wasn’t sure Ogras had much to gain from a Void-related inheritance . Of course , there was a chance there was more to the gift of the First People . Perhaps there were other treasures apart from Void items and skills . Or techniques that could work with Cosmic Energy . After all , the corpse seemed to have realized which direction the universe was heading . Would they have bothered if he thought the inheritance was useless for such a world?
There was also the matter of the kernels . A huge Void Formation spread across the riverbeds , possibly the whole Quarry . Most likely , it was related to their formation as well . Where would the best kernels be if not by the inheritance?