After Death had joined War , Zac swapped to his human form to add the matching Life . With all three materials in balance , the core calmed . Even better , just as Zac was about to infuse Void into the Quantum Death , he realized he didn’t need to . The dense amounts of Void were already spreading into the added section .
With the initial hump passed , Zac entered the longest stage of the Core Formation . He formed a stable cycle , adding one element after another while swapping between Draugr and human . Layers of Conflict , Death , and Life were tacked onto the growing core . Occasionally , Zac supplied Void Energy through his Void Heart] to prevent the Void from becoming too diluted . Interestingly , the vast Dao Tapestry was absorbed into his core with every layer added , providing extra strength and stability , shrinking the spiderweb a bit .
Zac almost felt like he was gestating life inside the Hollow Core] , and he was filled with anticipation as the weeks turned to months . During that time , he encountered only a few snags . Some materials destabilized before they could be used , and others didn’t react as he’d expected when forming his plan . The constant explosions were a real headache .
His Quantum Core would hold more than ten times the energy compared to most cultivators while being a mortal . And when the one month mark had passed , he knew there was no chance he’d survive the core collapsing . It was success or death .
Such a threat wasn’t enough to make Zac hesitate or back down , though the eruptions only worsened . The Core Refinement array could only take you so far when trying to contain such vast amounts of energy . Even his Hollow Core] was starting to show cracks . Zac doubted its creator could ever have dreamed his invention would get beat up so badly .
The Core Formation barrier could be moved inside the Duplicity Core if the protective shell cracked , but it wouldn’t block out the damage nearly as well . In other words , the energies would crash into the Duplicity Core , and Zac had no idea if it was designed to withstand these kinds of eruptions . After all , his Core Formation process was undoubtedly designed to be controlled by Jeeves , who’d manage the process with inhuman precision .
Two months in , Zac was forced to swallow his second Rising Sun Return] . It wasn’t to catch up but rather to turn the inner regions of the core malleable again . The internal wiring had been damaged to the point it couldn’t be ignored anymore . At the same time , Zac had no choice but to start relying on outside help .
One pill , talisman , and consumable treasure after another was used over the following days , each a powerful but costly method to absorb damage or calm the core . The large amount of toxins was manageable , but each lifeline added some extra heterogeneity to his core . Even then , the Hollow Core] cracked around the three-month mark from an earthshattering explosion that almost knocked Zac unconscious .
He held on to his fraying consciousness , clumsily containing the damage while swallowing the third and final Rising Sun Return] to repair the huge crack that reached all the way to the nucleus . Months had passed with no rest , and he’d been constantly forced to maintain full focus . His soul was a parched desert , but his red eyes gleamed with madness and excitement as a rumble shook the sky . The Hollow Core] had lasted much longer than Zac expected , and the Dao Tapestry was almost fully absorbed .
A few dark clouds had appeared in the sky over the past days , and a weak aura of punishment filled the mountain range . The Heavens hadn’t descended in earnest just yet , but Zac’s Cosmic Core was already nearing completion . Things had more or less gone according to plan , except the process had been rougher than he expected .
Yet the result was good . A few layers were still missing , but Zac could barely believe how close to his goals the core had come . Certainly , the large number of explosions left enough imperfections to make a High-quality Cosmic Core an impossibility , but it was certainly enough for Middle-quality . It wasn’t even a matter of barely pushing past the goalpost . He was well within the acceptable range .
Another three days passed , and Zac’s hands shook as he moved the refined piece of Life-attuned Natural Treasure onto the main array . His soul was too tired for telekinesis , but he roused himself as he tacked on the layer that perfectly entered the groves on the core’s surface . The region was drenched in darkness , apart from the flickering purple of the barely contained bolts of lightning above . The sky roared , and Zac didn’t dare look up , afraid that giving the boundless fury attention would unleash the storm .
There was something odd about the Tribulation Lightning this time . Technically , the tribulation for forming a boundless Cosmic Core was the same as forming Dao Branches . Cultivation was stealing providence from the Heavens , and the severity of these two crimes was considered at the same level . However , the amassed energy far surpassed what he’d endured inside the Orom World . Something about his core angered the Heavens more than normal .
At the same time , it didn’t seem very focused . The lightning was spread across the horizon rather than gathered above him . Almost like the Heavens had trouble pinpointing his exact location , making it even angrier . Zac presumed it was a feature of the Duplicity Core rather than the Perennial Vastness , adding the Technocrat’s trademark ability to hide from the Heavens .
This time , Zac didn’t mind his mother’s meddling . He’d planned to slow his progress when he reached this point , to recover before facing the tribulation . But with the process being so volatile , Zac was forced to keep a breakneck pace to the end . Even now , there was no chance to rest .
One side of the core was complete , while the other was not . Zac could already sense the incredibly dense energy streams form a perfect circuit in his Evolutionary Core , which put immense pressure on the other side . Zac shifted to his Draugr form one last time , where he branded the recently added pathways with the Void .
Balance was restored within his trinity path , and something clicked . A second circuit was completed , and two streams became one . One half felt real and palpable , while the other remained in a quantum state , like a shadow hiding from the light . The flowing rivers of energy added stability , further fusing the materials .
It was done .
Zac couldn’t use it yet , but he had a fully working core .
A powerful pulse of primal force shook the hidden space within the Duplicity Core . The wave passed through the Specialty Core’s walls , where it seemed to be amplified rather than absorbed . It spread through his body , invigorating him and filling his cells with boundless power before continuing outward .
It was an unstoppable expression of Zac’s Dao and his path , a heralding cry of his ascent . It made the ambient energy in the whole region stir , forming one apparition after another around him . They didn’t look like the Kalpataru tree nor the Iron Maiden of his Pale Seal . The apparitions weren’t even fashioned after the shifting Dao Avatar wielding his two axes .
Instead , two powerful armies materialized , forming a protective circle like an Imperial Guard . While both sides were part of his force , there was an unmistakable animosity between the camps .
One army looked like a horde of barbarian ravagers . No two were identical in shape or equipment , except they all wielded axes . They emitted a primal aura of dominance , more beast than man , with an unquenchable and unbreakable will . Like their weapons could sever Dao , Fate , and the Heavens themselves .
The other half was a dour army of hooded executioners , slightly resembling Zac’s form when using Arbiter of the Abyss] . All held a black axe , and chains wound around their black robes . Their auras truly resembled that of a judge . Their weapons held the inexorable certainty of death . Dao , Fate , and the Heavens only became subordinate truths of their will .