There was no way he’d be able to take down a Late-stage Beast King without going all-out . Even then , he’d likely be left with grievous wounds , if he succeeded at all . Either case , it would mess with the next step of his plan , so he thanked his lucky stars as he gingerly landed on one of the smaller moons . The Dao of Oblivion was much clearer this close to the Remnant .
Zac made no move toward the sun , digging a simple cave instead and settling in . He ignored the increasing sense of urgency from the Remnants trapped inside the prison . The splinters were especially agitated with being so close to one of their brethren , but the shards weren’t much better . The second sun was not far away , releasing its beckoning call . Zac let the Remnants groan and complain . Everything was under control so long as they didn’t fully wake up and start to fight .
Zac spent the next five days in - meditation , ’ where he only emerged once a day to stand at the moon’s surface . It was to get a full view of the sun as it rose from below like a sunrise . In reality , Zac didn’t spend a second in meditation . What would be the point? For one , he simply couldn’t meditate on the Daos like cultivators or the hidden Beast Kings around him . And even if he could , he was still inside a Time Chamber .
Zac kept a constant watch of energy fluctuations and auras , gauging the reactions of his neighbors . On the first day , more than ten perceptions locked onto him when he emerged from the cave . After six days , none bothered with him anymore . The auras had stabilized , indicating the beasts had returned to a meditative state . The locals would wake up when Zac made his move , but exchanging a few thousand Mana for a couple seconds of extra time might be the difference between success and failure .
The rest of the time was spent observing the sun , formulating a strategy to snatch the Remnant within . Luckily , Zac had experience with similar missions and some unique advantages that would put him in a far-better position than the unfortunate bird from the other day .
On the seventh day , Zac’s eyes opened thirty minutes before his daily outing to witness the sunrise . Everything was the same , but Zac felt the intangible winds of destiny urge him forward . The slumbering momentum in his body had started stirring years ago when he added the last piece to the Omnitool , but it had been too early . Zac had kept things in check since then , but there was no point in holding back any longer . His heart beat with excitement , but he was careful to keep his aura completely steady as he took out the Hollow Core] .
If everything went according to plan , he’d start his Core Formation within the hour .
73
LIKE THE MOTH
Mad . . . you’re mad! - Null cried in Zac’s mind as he opened his robes to expose his stomach . - You’re already at the tenth echelon , and the boss confirmed you’d reach the thirteenth by snatching these things .
Do you know what the thirteenth echelon means? I don’t even know when someone’s reached that level . It’ll be like having the boss himself aiding you in your Core Formation . A gallery’s top-tier guests hurry into seclusion after hitting the eleventh . A rare few narrowly squeeze into the twelfth , but whole galleries can come and go without such a guest appearing . -
Zac ignored Null’s prattling . It had been a daily nuisance since the guide realized what he was planning to do , or at least part of it .
You have everything you need to accomplish your goal . There’s no need to go to these lengths , risking both our lives! People normally go into seclusion for months to stabilize their Dao and minds before they break through , not doing foolish things like this! -
This is happening whether you like it or not , - Zac answered with a thought . - You’re better off cheering me on than trying to sow seeds of doubt in my mind . Or keep watch of the big guy hiding in that moon over there . -
Bah , fine! - Null said with exasperation . - For seven years you’ve tortured me with your antics . Worse comes to worst , I’ll just die . At least my torment will be over . -
That’s the spirit . - Zac smiled as he infused some Mental Energy filled with all three of his Daos into the Hollow Core] .
The Natural Treasure looked like a somewhat dull crystal orb , but it lit up when his Daos entered its empty innards . It drew some energy from the environment , prompting a set of previously invisible markings to appear on its surface . Most were natural markings , but there were also a few exquisite runes engraved .
The runes were undoubtedly carved by the artisan who realized the use of the Hollow Core] . They had nothing to do with the Core Formation itself but rather helped with absorbing the treasure . The runes detached the moment they absorbed enough ambient energy and formed a circle around his exposed belly button .
Zac felt a foreign energy enter his body and ordered his Hidden Nodes not to interfere . The energy congealed into a small sphere , which Zac dragged toward his Duplicity Core . He had long since realized that the Core Formation would have to occur within the Specialty Core , which meant the first step was to put the Hollow Core] inside .
That way , it would act like an insulating layer , protecting the Duplicity Core from being damaged while he worked with the dangerous energies of the Core Formation process . The Hollow Core] would liquefy into pure energy that nourished and stabilized the finished core , at which point Zac would connect the Cosmic Core with his Specialty Core .
Much of the Duplicity Core’s makeup was still outside his understanding . Not even Ultom could unravel the secrets behind his family’s ultimate experiment . Partly because the runes across its surface were encrypted , but most of the reason was that he couldn’t pierce the outer layers to inspect what hid within .
That fact was problematic , but the bouts of Lake-fueled inspiration allowed him to intuit a few conclusions . First , Zac strongly believed the Duplicity Core would automatically evolve when connected with a finished Cosmic Core . It was possible he’d have to fuel the process with a bunch of treasures , but he was already prepared for that eventuality .
Secondly , there was a hidden - hatch - on the Duplicity Core . He’d never managed to open it before , but Zac was certain it was meant for the Core Formation process . So , Zac led the small orb toward the hatch , prepared to yank it open by force . However , the hatch opened on its own when the orb drew close .
It was as though the Duplicity Core knew what he was up to , and the thought made a grim frown appear on Zac’s face . Truthfully , he would have preferred using his , admittedly crude , solutions over having the Duplicity Core act independently . For one , he didn’t want any help from his mother’s faction , even indirect help .
This also added unpredictability to the plans he painstakingly put together . However , he couldn’t stop now , like one couldn’t take back a loosed arrow . The hatch opening wasn’t the only change to the Duplicity Core . It was dragging energy into the space within . It was fine for now since he could use his energy and Dao to accommodate the pull .
Since it was his energy , it obviously wouldn’t add heterogeneity to his Core Formation . It would , however , affect some of his plans . Furthermore , the amount of energy dragged into the core was more than Zac could sustain . He estimated he’d last a day before running out of energy . Zac would be left with no choice but to start using treasures at that point , no matter whether he was ready to form his core or not .
Interestingly enough , Miasma wasn’t the only energy entering the Duplicity Core . Normal Cosmic Energy seeped out of the walls , providing no clue where it was stored . Not only that , the core was in an incredibly mysterious state Zac couldn’t explain . It both existed and didn’t in a weird quantum state of uncertainty .
It felt illusory , yet the energy was certainly there based on how it interacted with the Miasma . Zac couldn’t feel any connection to it either , unlike the Miasma and Dao being dragged inside . There was a weak hint of the Void hidden in the Cosmic Energy . It wasn’t like the Void Energy he used to power skills or his Bloodline Talents , but more like the theories of the Void had inverted the Cosmic Energy from its natural state .