His appearance was more elven than human , though his skin veered toward a pale blue . He was decked in a simple white robe with wide sleeves , its lack of details and runes made it seem even more exquisite . His eyes looked like a vast starry sky , and Zac couldn’t look at them for long without feeling his soul being sucked in .
Zac turned his gaze toward a set of antlers on his head , but the thrums of power they released almost broke his mind . He barely managed to observe that one of the antlers had nine tines while the other had eight before he was forced to avert his gaze . Each had naturally formed patterns that struck at the heart of the Dao . It was like the man wore a crown of the Heavens themselves .
It was too much . The Daos sealing the Dimensional Seed in the heart of the Research Base had been bad , but this was infinitely more overbearing . The screams of danger were overwhelmed by the crashing waves of Dao . Looking away or holding onto his Void Self wasn’t enough . His path was being overwhelmed and eroded by a far greater truth .
But just like the erased world reformed , so did Zac’s mind . Suddenly , the man next to him didn’t seem so bad . He didn’t emit a speck of Dao or aura , almost like the overwhelming sensations just now had been an illusion . But was it? Zac’s heart shuddered , and his mind spun . Had he just died and been reformed? Zac had no way to tell , and there was no time to come to terms with the situation as the face in the sky spoke .
The elven man’s voice had been calm and steady , but the constellation’s voice was like stars colliding and worlds being ground to dust . They were a force of nature rather than speech that somehow formed words . Zac could tell the world would have collapsed again if not for the newcomer’s protection . Worse , what the face said was even more terrifying than how it said it .
Someone killed my daughter . -
Zac had been working under the assumption that someone like Lord Engo had been helping the Planur Dynasty accomplish its goals inside the Perennial Vastness . But the conversation indicated that to be wrong , or at least not the whole truth . The face , just like the Edict , belonged to an outsider rather than a disciple of the Perennial Vastness .
There was no way some Autarch would be able to , or even dare , force his way into the Perennial Vastness . He was dealing with a Supremacy from the First Heaven .
So they did , - the man next to Zac said without so much as a ripple on his face when the heavenly pressure mounted .
The threads are obscured , and the timeline is sealed , - the sky rumbled . - You’re preventing me from seeing the truth . Daoist Sendor , are you breaking the pact of non-interference? -
I am precisely protecting the neutrality of my realm , - the man next to Zac countered , the answer confirming his identity .
The face had called him Sendor , but it was the Perennial Vastness in the flesh . Zac had suspected as much since his sudden appearance and the ability to reverse the destruction of a whole world , but it was possible he’d sent one of his disciples .
You and your daughter brought the conflict of the Fifth Pillar to my doorstep . I acceded , as it’s inevitable that outside struggles will reach the Cosmic Galleries . But you went so far as to supplant the Heavens inside my domain! - Sendor continued , a hint of steel appearing in his voice . - Your offspring made her play , going so far as to summon your Edict to achieve her goals . It failed , resulting in her demise . -
Impossible! - the sky roared , and the world flickered like a candle in the wind .
Greed has always been the downfall of your kin , - Sendor sighed as he stabilized the Stand of Saeward .
There was a sense of helplessness in his voice , like an elder witnessing the mistakes of the younger generations yet unable to make them listen to reason .
Your great-grandfather’s generation ignored my warnings when they discovered the Sealed Mausoleum , and the fallout cost you six Supremacies . The Seventh Heaven already has a Flamebearer . To hunger for a second was to tempt Fate . -
A snort rumbled through the world , but the face made no attempt to refute the claim . Zac mutely listened , memorizing every word . It even felt like the Perennial Vastness intentionally provided him valuable information . Zac had never heard of the Sealed Mausoleum and inwardly vowed never to go there .
Zac wasn’t too surprised the imperial families managed to seize a seal , even a slot for a Flamebearer . They likely had a lot of inside information , and their resources were staggering . The fact it was the Seventh Heaven was news , though . The problem was , would he even remember that fact upon leaving the Perennial Vastness , or would it be sealed along with his memories of Valsa?
The conflict for the pillar cannot be allowed to taint the gallery any further , - Sendor continued . - I will not discipline the young or bar them from entering future galleries . They are mere tools for the larger struggle . I will , however , seal the ripples of the Left Imperial Palace within my domain . You will have to continue this conflict on the outside . -
Fine , - the sky acceded after a short pause . - Let me extract my daughter , and we’ll forget this matter . -
Zac’s heart dropped upon hearing the demand . The Planur Supremacy wanted Valsa’s soul . Zac had been fairly confident his secrets were safe just moments ago . However , between the display just now and his lingering sense of danger , he wasn’t so sure . Would the imperials be able to piece together Zac’s identity if Valsa was returned?
Worse , Sendor didn’t immediately reject . Instead , he slowly nodded as a mysterious ripple spread through the realm . Zac tried to plead for the Perennial Vastness to change his mind , but something prevented him from speaking or sending mental messages . Then , the sky shook , and boundless wrath rained down from above .
You! - a raging roar echoed through the universe , but Sendor shattered the sky with a wave of his sleeve .
Bastard , that’ll teach you to play around inside my body , - Sendor snorted , his disposition completely different .
The face in the sky dispersed , and Zac was finally rid of the looming sense of danger that had followed him for weeks . He thoughtfully looked up at the stars rearranging themselves to their normal state . Was that the key? A Supremacy had been involved in the scheme against his life . Such beings created powerful ripples on the river of Fate , which could explain why his danger sense had been triggered weeks in advance .
Zac’s eyes soon turned back to the avatar of the realm he stood inside , and Zac’s heart thumped upon seeing the man looking back at him .
Thank you , - Zac said , his mouth no longer sealed . - Uh , what— -
Vastermal Planur wanted to resurrect his daughter . Except , he didn’t care about her life . He only extracted her memories , sacrificing her soul and body to circumvent my rules . I guess he wanted the identity of you and the other sealbearers she had exposed , - Sendor explained as a mischievous grin spread across his face .
Unfortunately for the arrogant little brat , I manipulated the flow of time , tricking him into extracting the memories from six years ago . Long before you even entered my trial . Now , he got nothing useful and still has to deal with the Cosmic backlash . Do these grasshoppers think they can pull one over on me? I was already ancient when their clans were nothing but insignificant households . -
Zac could barely believe what he was hearing . For one , it sounded like the Perennial Vastness was even older than the Limitless Empire and the System itself . Zac couldn’t even begin to comprehend how long Sendor had existed . It far surpassed the nigh-inexhaustible longevity of Supremacies .