Chapter 648: Paradise (1/2)

Zac looked around with shock and confusion, really feeling that he had arrived at paradise. He had an extremely weak perception of the Dao, but even he could feel like there was something special about the world he had appeared in. Looking at the stalks of grass gently swaying in the wind filled his mind with impressions and ideas, and the same held true for the trees in the distance.

It was like everything was filled with meaning. It wasn’t to the point of the mind-bending experience where they cracked open the Dao Funnel back then, but it was far beyond what he had ever felt on Earth even when the Origin Dao was at its thickest.

Was that what was going on? Was this hidden world the place where all the Origin Dao of Earth had gone? They had already noticed that it was running out quicker than was normal, and Zac had even thought it was absorbed by the Mystic Realm for a while. But back then he discarded the theory since the cultivation environment in the research base was much worse than it was back on Earth. Of course, it was also possible that his mother's clan had simply arranged far better living conditions for those in the core of the base.

Or was this vibrant atmosphere something created by the Dimensional Seed? A virgin world full of life. Everything pointed to the seed being a C-Grade spatial treasure, which might mean that it would create a C-Grade world. Was this the normal environment on the enormous C-Grade continents out in the Zecia sector? It couldn’t be. If that was the case, no C-grade force except lunatics like the cultists would bother risking their lives in Incursions.

At least there was no immediate threat, and the pressure was mostly gone as well, though it did feel like the gravity on this world was at least fifty times that of Earth. However, Zac quickly realized something odd and quickly looked around him.

Where was the corpse?

The body he had thrown out before was nowhere to be seen even with the help of [Hatchetman's Spirit], which didn’t bode well for the others. But just as Zac started to believe that the rune sent people to random spots in this mysterious world, one flash of light after another appeared in the distance.

The others were teleported into the same grasslands as himself, appearing one after another in the vast grasslands. It almost like the endpoint of the rune was moving in a straight line, dropping people off along the way.

Zac was relieved to see his sister appear in the middle of the pack, just after the Anointed who were losing life-force to sustain the pressure outside, but seeing her reminded him of a troubling reality. How would her Memorysteel control help her in this place? He hadn’t spotted a single Technocrat structure, let alone massive amounts of Memorysteel that could keep her safe.

Even worse, there was no way to send her back by the looks of things.

There was not much to do about it, so he simply flashed over to her, and the whole group had soon assembled and were looking around in confusion.

“What is this?” Ogras muttered as he looked around with a slight frown. “It’s like a cultivation haven for some supreme being. But are we inside the sphere or in a different realm?”

“The corruption in this place… Almost feels holy,” Rhubat mumbled with wonder, and the other Anointed nodded, clearly having some difficulty reconciling their deep-seated beliefs and what their antennae were telling them.

“Perhaps it's the Dimensional Treasure birthing a new world?” Kenzie ventured. “Has it become the World Core of this place? But if that’s the case, how can anyone take it?”

“It should be related to the treasure,” Zac agreed before he looked around with some helplessness. “The real question is what we should do now? How do we find the Dominators in a massive world? We already tried that on Earth for a year, and we only have two days now.”

Like an answer from the heavens themselves, a tremendous clap of energy suddenly erupted far in the distance, somewhere on the other side of a small mountain range. They couldn’t see the source of the blast, but radiating tendrils of energy swayed back and forth for a few seconds before a wave of pure Origin Dao swept across the lands.

Everyone braced themselves for the ripple that expanded with a speed that far exceeded the limits of E-grade warriors, but it passed right through them without causing any harm. In fact, it was the opposite. Zac took a deep breath, feeling like his body and mind had been cleansed by the shockwave. He couldn’t imagine what kind of progress he would make if he could cultivate in a place like this for a few years.

“Uh… How about we go there?” Ogras said after everyone regained their wits, and he gave Zac a slightly incredulous look. “Why don't you ask the Heavens for some treasures as well?”

“Let’s go,” Zac snorted. “There's no way to figure out what's going on here, but that place should hold at least some answers. Keep your eyes peeled for enemies.”

The source of the blast could only be one thing; The Dimensional Seed. And even if it by some chance wasn't, it was a supreme treasure that would hopefully lure the Dominators like moths to a flame. What cultivator could say no to an item that released ripples of pure Dao? Normal Dao Treasures was trash compared to an item like that.

Judging by the distance from the mountains it would take half a day to get there even if they ran, and that was provided that there weren’t any more weird spatial zones that hindered them along the way. The group quickly passed the grasslands, only stopping every thirty minutes or so as new pulses spread out from the other side of the mountain.

Zac was making rapid progress on his Daos, especially the Fragment of the Bodhi because he was surrounded by life. Who knew, he might even make a break through before this excursion was over.

Everyone else was the same. Billy was silently walking next to the Anointed with glazed, eyes like he was in a dream. Furthermore, Zac had already felt the ripples of a Dao-breakthrough from his sister.

The experience was almost surreal, and it caused Zac to hate the Dominators with newfound vigor. What a waste of time to be forced to hunt for those bastards when they only had a few days to stay in this magical place. He would much rather seclude himself somewhere in the forest, becoming one with nature.

But there wasn't much to do about the situation except take in as many impressions and insights as he could along the way.

Vicar Uld sighed and opened his eyes, his body abuzz after the ripple of condensed Dao that just passed through him. He had made strides forward again, further consolidating his insight into the Fragment of the Lance even though he gained it just a few hours ago.