"I don't mind sharing some of what I've discovered. Except, how do I know you have something of equivalent value?" Zac said. "You need to pay up front."
His encounter with Mox held no value to Zac. It was only another event on his way to the Hollow Court, the difference being the grade of the involved players. It was different for Tersephe. Any secrets involving Supremacies should be exceedingly valuable to their peers. In Mox's case, that intelligence was doubly valuable.
"It's that good? How do I now know you're not trying to scam me?" Tersephe countered.
"Pseudo-Eternity," Zac said with a slight smile.
"What!" Tersephe gasped, the greed evident in her eyes.
The main reason information on Supremacies was so valuable was that it was related to Authority. Seizing Authority was the only way for a Supremacy to advance or for a new one to emerge. Taking it from others was reportedly easier than seizing it from the Heavens. It was like following a treasure map instead of randomly sailing the high seas. Learning of a fallen Supremacy could be the first step in claiming her long-lost Authority.
If there was one thing that Supremacies desired more than Authority, it was Longevity. Mox had not just lived long enough to be listed in the book called [Ancients]. She possessed Pseudo-Eternity. From what Zac could tell, such a thing was exceedingly rare and usually the result of special circumstances.
For instance, Sendor was a Realmspirit, whose lifespan was connected to the Perennial Vastness. The same was true for the Realmlords of the Lower Planes, and possibly the Primo as well. Meanwhile, the existences listed in [Ancients] were generally unique Innate Existences with hard-to-replicate abilities.
Mox's solution was exceedingly evil and full of drawbacks, but would an aging Supremacy care about that? Besides, times had changed, and a modern faction might figure out ways to improve on her method. For instance, swapping out sacrifices for a larger amount of incense offerings. If possible, such a solution wouldn't rack up such a terrifying amount of Karmic debt.
"... Fine, I'll trust you this time," Tersephe said. "You are the fifth Flamebearer to appear here, though it's possible some may have entered in a disguise too good for me to see through."
"Fifth, huh?" Zac said.
The number seemed about right. It had been quite a while since the teleporters became active. It was reasonable that half the Flamebearers had wrapped up whatever threads of fate they were following by this point. Zac would have arrived weeks ago if not for his detour to the Anima court. Judging by the speed of halos suddenly appearing, the rest would probably arrive soon enough.
"The first two were Kaltosa Lu and the representative of the Starbeast alliance. They arrived right when the teleporters opened. The one known as the Primordial directly entered the main passage. Kaltosa Lu took just over two weeks before heading inside," Tersephe began.
Zac didn't let his surprise show. He hadn't expected Kaltosa Lu to arrive so early. On the contrary, he'd figured that the Centigrade Elemental was involved with the Mercurial Court's final pillar igniting. Then again, he may have been forced to leave early. From what he could tell, Kaltosa Lu had targeted quite a few Sealbearers with the [Fatesiphon Seal] he lifted from Descartes Belial.
"Iz Tayn was next. She spent five days in the outer biomes before heading in."
"Outer biomes?" Zac asked. He took the news of Iz's arrival in stride. Her family only cared about the Ultom Courts, so it made sense for her to arrive early.
"This is just the welcoming square," Tersephe said, pointing at the pathways to the sides of the square. "The palace is huge, and there are dozens of blocks arranged beyond this point. Some of them are quite dangerous. The outer wall hasn't held up as nicely everywhere."
Zac could picture what she meant. It would be like the scar that almost split the Centurion Lighthouse in two. Even if the Left Imperial Palace's protections were greater, such powerful streaks of hostile Dao could cause all kinds of destruction.
"Finally, we have the Holy Daughter of the Swarm. She arrived three days ago and snuck directly into the main gate," Tersephe continued, adding with a cheeky grin, "She didn't dare explore the exteriors at all. If you get the opportunity and want to thin out the competition, I suggest you start with her."
"And have the Swarm annihilating my quadrant of the Multiverse after I leave? No, thank you," Zac scoffed.
"If not you, then someone else will," Tersephe shrugged. "There's no love lost between cultivators and the insectoids, and she is in a very bad state. She might have found herself dragged into the afterlife by the people gathered here if not for the restrictions."
"That bad?" Zac whistled.
"From what I could tell, her true body was annihilated," Tersephe said.
"Completely annihilated?" Zac asked with skepticism. "Not just blood rebirth?"
Tersephe shook her head. "No. I'm sure of it. She carried the traces of a taboo technique. I believe she was reborn inside one of her followers. Her body doesn't match the one she entered with. She's poured a lot of resources into recovering some of her strength, but she's far from her peak."
"To think that a Flamebearer would fall so early," Zac hummed.
Having her true body annihilated was a huge deal, completely different from recovering from a single drop of blood like some high-grade cultivators could. The drop of blood in that example was not just any random drop. It was the equivalent of an escape shuttle holding everything needed for survival.
The drop itself only carried the DNA for one's bloodline and physique. The cultivator had to temporarily cram their Soul and Spiritual Body into the drop as well, or at least part of them. Only then could they recover their former glory. The more that was left behind, the harder it would be.
The situation Tersephe described was much worse. True annihilation meant losing everything. Normally, there'd be no way back unless a Supremacy reached into the past. Zac doubted that was possible inside the trial. That only left unique survival methods. It was possible the Holy Daughter's follower carried a wisp of her soul, and she had some unique treasure to send her mind into it.
From there, she could regain some of what she lost. Still, full recovery should be impossible, even with the vast resources of the Left Imperial Expanse or help from back home. It was like the bodysnatching business of the Church of Everlasting Dao. You couldn't just possess someone else's body and restart your cultivation. It went against the natural order, and the Four Desolates would push back.
Going by the selfless collectivism of insectoid species, the Holy Daughter was probably just hoping to bring back something of value to her hive, even if that was only inside information on Ultom. If Wal'Zo's words could be trusted, that the Flamebearers wouldn't be pitted against each other, she had a chance of succeeding.
Whether that was enough to retain her status was another matter. Zac doubted it. It seemed more likely the current queen would simply birth a new Holy Daughter without the current one's congenital defects.
"Do you know what happened to her?" Zac asked.
"I did purchase a rumor the other day. It's considered unverified, though, since it wasn't a first-hand account," Tersephe said with a pointed look.
Zac rolled his eyes and handed over some more information regarding Mox.
"One of the Starbeasts at the Tethered Court was heard bragging that their leader devoured the Holy Daughter, proving that the Insectoids were imperfect creatures that walked neither the path of man nor beast," Tersephe said.
"The Primordial ate her?" Zac said with surprise.
"Stay away from that one," Tersephe said in a hushed tone. "I think she's stepped into Half-step Monarchy."
"Why would she harm her path like that?" Zac muttered.
"Who knows?" Tersephe shrugged.
'Not necessarily harmed,'Esmeralda said. 'Don't forget, she's an old Supremacy with her memories intact. While she reincarnated herself into a new body, breakthroughs will still come naturally to her. Stepping into Monarchy is as easy as breathing. If I had to guess, I'd say she's not actually a half-step Monarch. Instead, she's currently mid-breakthrough.
'What??'
She just needs to keep a lid on things and wrap things up within the next few years, and there'll be no problem. Until then, she'll have a competitive advantage.'
'Is that even possible?'Zac said with surprise.
'For someone like that? Probably,'Esmeralda said.
"What else do you have for me? The value of this information isn't comparable to what I'm sitting on," Zac said.
"Don't worry. I have a little bit of everything," Tersephe said as she handed over an Information Jade.
Zac infused his will and found a repository of information neatly arranged by Outer Court and distance to it. The layout and general points of interest were noted for each one. For instance, the Radiant Court was connected to the Heavenly Peak and the Peak of Faith. It was the origin of the memory lanterns.
The Radiant Court was currently being overrun by heretics, which the information docket marked as likely a new addition to history. Originally, the Radiant Court should have been busy preparing for a grand prayer ritual. Zac guessed it was related to restraining or blinding the Heavens long enough for the pillar to be erected.
While the notations only scratched the surface, there was a little bit of everything. Having visited three of the courts personally, Zac could tell the records were mostly accurate. The jade accurately depicted the invasion of the Mercurial Court, and while it didn't use the term Omnipresence Chamber, it mentioned the court was related to the communal dream.
"Nothing on the Indomitable Court?" Zac said with confusion.
"I'm not sure what's going on there. Not a single Blooddancer of Ultom has arrived yet," Tersephe said.
"That's odd," Zac said, dropping the subject.
The two talked for a few more minutes before each party left satisfied. Zac ended up handing over a modified version of how things went down with Mox in the mousetrap, along with some of the theories accompanying her plan. Naturally, he didn't mention the [Fuxi Mountain Gate] or his traveling through the void to reach her domain.
Zac simply said his team figured out a way to call the Margrave and another Supremacy to deal with Mox. He didn't need to hide the outcome since he truly had no idea what happened. Tersephe was very satisfied with the story, and she threw in a docket of more detailed information about the Left Imperial Palace's outer biomes.
The square was nearly empty by the time they finished their talk. One Sealbearer had stepped into the gate connected to the Daedalian Court. According to Tersephe, he was someone who'd used all his Imperial Merit to avoid being swept up in the war between the Buddhist Sangha and the Pesvati Rift. Another had tried the same only to be rebuffed.
The others had headed into the side passages, likely wanting to see if the completion of the pillars had introduced some changes. It was likely. Having two Outer Courts powering the Left Imperial Palace's main array had led to a distinct increase in the power the structure exuded. Some of the deadly biomes might have already been reclaimed.
Only two Sealbearers stayed at the welcoming square, returning to meditate before their Dao Runes. Tersephe joined them, still keeping an eye on Zac and the teleporter. Zac flashed away, appearing before one of the runes. Facing it felt like being stared down by a murderous beast. There was still Killing Intent inside it that stirred his [Thousand Axes Avatar].
The rune's Dao of Conflict was more closely related to bloodshed than war, yet there were many parallels to Zac's path. Just standing before it filled Zac with inspiration. He wasn't sure if it was the Dao or the ambient enlightenment, but pictures of ancient struggles kept flashing by in his mind. With time, Zac felt he could follow the mysterious pattern to create new skills or refine his technique.
He was not the only one to react to the rune's pressure. Haro usually kept a vine or two hidden inside Zac's sleeves like eyes to the outside world, and he was mesmerized by the powerful Dao trapped within the wall. When he drew some of its emanations into the Worldring, there was a second stir.
The vat of [Bitterbone Bark Essence] was already fully drained before Zac entered the Well of Forgetfulness, yet [Verun's Bite] had remained in a nourishing slumber. The tantalizing scent of supreme bloodshed stirred her awake. Groggy and still in pain from the large crack on her blade, she instinctively sought comfort through their mental link.
Zac directly brought her out and had her take on her ring shape. He gently scratched the bone band.
"Soon," Zac murmured as he continued on his way.
Feeling Verun through their bond extinguished any desire to study the marks left by the ancient masters. There were more important matters to deal with. He took the token given to him by Pustor, the Blacksmith he met with in the Hollow Court. The token was the introductory letter meant for "Master Akke," the Theomore Dynasty's resident craftsman.
Zac infused some energy into the token and directly felt a pull coming from the left. He stowed the letter and headed for one of the side entrances. Tersephe had mentioned that a few of the previous arrivals had moved as though they knew where they were going. Zac guessed they had similar items to his introduction letter.
He soon walked through an arched tunnel in an inner wall. The wall was nearly a mile thick, and Zac felt hair-raising energies coursing within. Like the Centurion Lighthouse, much of the Left Imperial Palace's oversized architecture was likely part of its array systems.
An unkempt garden greeted him on the other side. Zac didn't see any Sealbearers in the thick overgrowth, yet he wouldn't be surprised if one or two were skulking around in there. In fact, thirty-seven Sealbearers had already arrived at the palace. It was more than Zac would have expected until he recalled another way of entry. Some of the Sealbearers could have entered agreements with the Theomore Dynasty to become helpers. Doing so should provide direct access.
The eight Sealbearers Zac saw upon arriving could be seen as the conservative bunch who sought stable returns in the form of the runes. The others were unwilling to sit still after spending so much merit and took to exploring the palace. While the potential gains were greater, there were also very real risks involved.
The garden was even larger than the welcoming square, to the point that calling it a forest might be more accurate. Zac carefully navigated between the oversized flowers and weeds, using his innate affinity to life to anticipate dangers. It didn't take long for a threat to present itself.
A seemingly normal stalk of grass suddenly lashed out. The speed and sharpness of the swing were no different than that of a sword master's. Still, the attack was only the equivalent of a Middle Hegemon, unable to so much as slow him down. Zac rushed forth just as a knotted root vegetable reeking of malice dug out of the ground. It was split in two by a flash of axelight before it could make its escape.
'Probably shouldn't eat that,'Esmeralda commented. 'Then again, who knows with you?'
"I'm fine," Zac said as he passed it by.
The Spiritual Plant didn't elicit any form of desire from his body. If anything, it prompted an instinctual revulsion. Its chaotic aura simply wasn't useful for cultivation, and its grade was too low for it to be worth feeding to [Void Heart]. Zac was more curious about what made a spiritual plant so hostile. It wasn't a plant that fed on blood, and it wasn't corrupted by the First Era.
Zac found his answer after being ambushed a few more times. A huge crack almost split the garden in two. In its depths, Zac could vaguely sense an intense murderous intent. He followed the scar to its source, finding a half-formed rune on the outer wall. Some of its energies had leaked into the garden, causing some of its flora to mutate.
Some would become malevolent plants without any value; others, supreme Natural Treasures holding traces of supreme Daos. The latter had already been picked clean over the weeks since the teleporter activated. Zac couldn't feel a single pull of Destiny in the garden. While there might still be valuables hidden in various corners of the palace's many outer biomes, they wouldn't be found right next to the entrance.
That didn't mean there was nothing of interest in the garden. For one, there were a few complete runes glowing on the outer wall. There was also a shimmering dome of gold barely visible through the foliage. It was a miniature memory domain, like a glass house erected in the wilderness. Zac gave its opaque barrier a curious look before continuing.
According to Tersephe, the domain took you to the original garden, which was way more impressive. The fated had a chance to pluck a flower, though there was a high risk of being trapped in a confusing haze of spiritual pollen.
The next memory domain Zac encountered was in the shape of a gate leading into the palace proper. While significantly smaller than the passages connected at the welcoming square, it shared one feature. Only the fated could step inside. So far, that was only one person. The gate was only one out of over fifty mini-domains listed by Tersephe. Most were locked like this one.
Zac approached mostly out of curiosity. A force of rejection prevented Zac from coming closer than five meters to the Faith Gate, but Zac sensed the rejection wasn't absolute. He took out the [Court Cycle Token] and the pressure disappeared. He quickly stowed the token inside [Purity of the Void] before the gate could drain his hard-earned Limitless Merit.
Confirming with the introductory letter, Zac kept going until he left the garden behind. On the other side was a square of broken statues. The damage on the outer wall here was even worse than in the garden, yet a lingering ambience of enduring faith prevented the broken runes from leaking into the square.
The Akke's workshop was located in a biome further away, yet Zac stopped in place before one of the statues. Its craftsmanship was exquisite, far surpassing his achievements inside the Peregrine Ocean. Even broken, it exuded a profound power, as if the statue could come alive to defend the Empire. That wasn't why Zac was so shocked. The problem was that the statue depicted someone who shouldn't exist here.
It was Terea Wendimar.