Defiance of the Fall

design is that? ” Zac frowned.

”Who knows? ” Leyara smiled.
”Perhaps Emperor Limitless.
Perhaps the ancient beings who crafted the places of power.
I only know that the pillars were destined to return, and Vigil would be there to observe and aid the ascent. ”

Zac slowly digested what Leyara had told him, and he believed her on most points.
She knew way too much information just to be some frontier scion.
As for the Left Imperial Palace and Ultom being used in the construction of the System, Zac could definitely believe it.
He had had the same thoughts over the past months, and the scarred exterior lined up with Leyara ’s mention of battles.

It was pretty shocking Emperor Limitless had managed to gather eight Eternal Heritages.
However, it wasn ’t without reason since many still believed him to be the strongest person to have existed.
Besides, this all happened at the beginning of the era, before cultivation had reached its current height.

The only question that remained was whether he could trust Leyara on the most crucial part; if her faction were really only there to observe or if they were aiming for the Eternal Heritages.

”Why are you only observing? What is your end goal? ” Zac asked.

”No idea, ” Leyara smiled.
”Master wouldn ’t tell me that part.
If you want to know, you ’d have to ask her.
This is pretty much all I know.
By now, you might know more than me.
For instance, my master never mentioned anything about this Lost Plane you told us about. ”

”Alright, ” Zac sighed, though he wasn ’t completely satisfied.

Zac asked a few more clarifying questions over the following minutes, and he managed to get a few valuable pieces of information out of it.
She didn ’t know how the trial would look, or how the nine subsidiary courts played into everything.
But she was somewhat confident that no Kan ’Tanu infiltrator had managed to become a candidate, which was good news.

Most importantly, she believed that the Void Star had swallowed no more than five pieces of various seals, while most remained in the chaotic space of the Million Gates Territory.
Staying in this place was unlikely to bear fruit, especially if they managed to break the Stellar Ladder with their plan.

The two were eventually done, and it was just in time since Gemmy ’s voice appeared and told them the others were waiting at the viewing deck.

”By the way, do you know which one of the Nine Imperial Bloodlines you have? ” Leyara suddenly asked as they walked out of her quarters, her voice so casual one might have thought she was discussing the weather.

Zac ’s heart lurched, but he somehow managed to keep his face impassive.
”Nine Imperial Bloodlines? What ’s that, and why would you think I have one? ”

”Because I ’m not blind? ” Leyara laughed.
”I ’ve felt it a few times over the past weeks.
Short bursts that felt like an emperor had descended onto the battlefield. ”

Zac was shocked at how incisive Leyara was.
He had indeed been forced to use his [Force of the Void] a few times over the past weeks.
It was only to slightly speed up his skill activations to push a couple of rough situations in his favor, and he hadn ’t thought anyone would notice.
His enemies never seemed to realize, but it looked like Leyara had some means of her own.

”Why do you ask? ” Zac asked.

’

”Just curious, ” Leyara smiled.
”Just to be clear, we will not provide you with any resources or manuals even if you do. ”

”Then I don ’t have one, ” Zac shrugged.

”Stingy, ” Leyara laughed.

Zac rolled his eyes, but he was inwardly thankful.
Leyara had probably not expected him to answer, but this was a good reminder that some apparently could sense the Void Energy.
How much it mattered, Zac wasn ’t sure.
But from what he could tell, both his bloodline talents were things that broke convention, and the fewer that knew, the better.

The two soon joined the others at the viewing deck at the upper part of the mountain, the high vantage giving them a perfect view of both the soldiers outside and the work on the pathways below.
By now, it was almost complete, but some of the most complex patterns remained to be engraved.
The Gnivelings could not help with those sections, even if they had proven surprisingly attuned to the Dao and inscriptions.

He could even spot Vai working far below, just like she had since they arrived.
As far as Zac knew, she hadn ’t stopped working over the past ten days.
The remaining Hegemons were also helping, but only two array masters were actually skilled enough to direct work rather than taking on the role of assistant.

Those three wouldn ’t be sent out for the raid, but the other Hegemons were slated to join them in this final push.
Zac ’s eyes turned to Ogras, who was standing to the side.
He looked a bit pale, but his aura was stable.

”How are you doing? ” Zac asked.

”If I say I ’m mortally wounded, can I stay behind? ” the demon muttered.

Zac only laughed as he looked out at the army waiting outside, seeing that they hadn ’t changed their formation much since before.

”Still clumped together, ” Zac sighed.

”Looks that way, ” Pretty nodded.

Six enormous siege towers remained, each one guarded by roughly ten Hegemons and a horde of E-grade cultivators who all were protected by a barrier.
Work was underway to rebuild the ones that had been destroyed as well, but they wouldn ’t be finished in time for it to matter.
Pretty even believed the work was just a ruse to divert their attention.

There were no safeguards or warriors between the six armies, almost like they were inviting you to escape as that previous Hegemon had.
This arrangement was far harder to deal with compared to the previous encirclement, where they were uniformly spread out.
With how they were clumped together, it was almost impossible to take out any Hegemons now, at least not without taking on some losses of their own.

For the original plan, this wouldn ’t have mattered.
The idea was for Zac and Ogras to flee the encirclement through one of those open pathways while a diversionary squad struck one of the nearby towers.
If everything worked out, they ’d leave the lockdown without issue and he ’d activate [Flashfire Flourish].

But Pretty ’s proposal meant taking on one of the six armies before leaving.

”And we really have to take down another tower? ” Zac grimaced.

”It ’s asking a lot from you, but we simply don ’t have a lot of options, ” Leyara sighed.
”This is a gambit – we ’re all joining you in striking that spot.
If we can take out the Hegemons and the tower, the pressure on us will be much lower. ”

’

”The problem is that barrier, ” Pretty said.
”By the time we break it down, the other armies will have had time to send reinforcement, flanking us. ”

”Don ’t the two of you have something left up your sleeves? ” Ogras asked.
”You ’re supposed to be proud daughters of Heaven. ”

”We were just a small advance party meant for reconnaissance and, if possible, sabotage, ” Pretty said.
”If I had any siege treasures, I would have taken them out by now. ”

”I have a few more D-grade Talismans, but I think they can weaken the barrier at most, ” Leyara added.

”Billy can thwonk it, ” Billy offered.

The man looked more like a mummy than a titan at this point, with bandages covering most of his body.
Zac didn ’t know why he insisted on using bandages when Zac had given him top-tier pills, but both he and Gemmy were adamant they were needed to recover.

Zac hesitated for a few moments before he looked at Ogras, who curiously looked back at him.
”Remember when we got trapped by the cultists? ”

”Right here? ” Ogras asked as he pointedly glanced at Pretty and Leyara.

”No point in holding back if it will get us all killed.
Can you cover me? ” Zac asked, and he got a reluctant nod in return.

”What are the two of you talking about? ” Pretty asked.

Zac didn ’t immediately answer but instead turned to Leyara first.
”Are you able to tell who or what maintains the shield? ”

”Not from here, but I will when we get closer, ” Leyara nodded as she curiously looked at Zac.

”All right, I ’ll deal with the shield; you guys just need to be ready to blast the Hegemons when it crumbles. ”

”You ’ll deal with it? Alone? ” Pretty frowned.
”How long do you need? ”

”It ’ll be over in an instant. ”