Chapter 113: Preparation
The terrified soul immediately threw himself to the ground the moment the towering faceless existence uttered those words. Although he no longer possessed a physical body, the instinctive fear carved into countless years of cultivation remained deeply rooted within him. He had witnessed his own Ascendant Realm body reduced to nothing more than dust with a casual pinch, and now he stood inside an immeasurable consciousness where stars drifted like grains of sand and entire galaxies revolved around an endless darkness. Looking upward only made him feel smaller. The boundless figure standing before him did not resemble any cultivator, immortal, demon, or divine beast described in any ancient scripture. It simply existed, and that existence alone made resistance feel utterly meaningless.
"Please... Senior... wait..."
His voice trembled so violently that every word nearly broke apart before leaving his mouth.
"It is useless... truly useless... even if Senior devours my soul this instant, you still will not obtain the inheritance you seek. This junior dares not deceive Senior even now because there is simply no benefit in lying before an existence capable of crushing an Ascendant Realm cultivator as though he were made from ordinary dust."
Clayne paused.
He had already extended his hand toward the soul, intending to repeat what had happened with Ling Taiyin, yet the certainty in the old cultivator’s voice made him stop halfway.
"...Why?"
The soul immediately answered.
"Because I belong to a sect."
Clayne frowned.
"What does belonging to a sect have to do with memories?"
The old cultivator hurriedly cupped his hands again.
"It has everything to do with memories, Senior. Every established cultivation force that has survived for tens of thousands of years understands that inheritance is more precious than territory, spirit mines, medicinal gardens, or heavenly treasures. Resources may be stolen. Lands may be conquered. Spiritual veins may be exhausted. However, once the core inheritance of a sect falls into enemy hands, the sect itself has already begun walking toward extinction."
The old cultivator slowly lifted his head before continuing.
"Because of that, every great sect spends unimaginable effort protecting not only its disciples, but also the knowledge carried inside every disciple’s soul. Once a cultivator officially enters a powerful sect and receives its complete inheritance, the elders personally plant what is commonly called a Soul Inheritance Seal. It is not designed to control disciples. Rather, it exists to preserve the sect’s countless generations of accumulated knowledge."
Clayne quietly listened.
The soul continued speaking without daring to pause.
"The seal is incredibly profound. It intertwines with memories concerning cultivation techniques, formations, alchemy, refining methods, forbidden arts, secret manuals, and every inheritance classified by the sect. If someone attempts to forcibly search the disciple’s memories after death, those portions immediately collapse alongside the seal itself. In some sects, the destruction remains limited to the inheritance. In older sects... the entire memory sea may collapse completely."
The old cultivator sighed bitterly.
"Our Azure Cloud Sect belongs to the latter."
He smiled helplessly.
"If Senior searches my memories now, you will naturally discover fragments of my childhood, my travels, perhaps even the faces of people I once loved. However, everything truly valuable has already been locked behind countless layers of restrictions. The moment those restrictions detect forced extraction, they erase themselves before anyone else can claim them."
Clayne narrowed his eyes.
"So even if I absorb you..."
The old cultivator nodded.
"Senior would gain almost nothing worth obtaining."
Silence filled the boundless spiritual sea.
Clayne recalled Ling Taiyin.
That demonic cultivator had indeed been a rogue before founding his own force.
He had never mentioned belonging to an ancient sect.
Slowly, the pieces connected together.
"So..."
Clayne looked down.
"...that explains why Ling Taiyin only left behind a single complete Beast Enslavement Spell."
The old cultivator immediately nodded.
"Maybe, Senior."
"Maybe this Ling Taiyin created his own inheritance that has a significant amount of importance to him. Nobody placed restrictions upon it."
Clayne crossed his arms.
"Then tell me something."
The soul immediately straightened.
"If someone wanted to obtain complete cultivation memories..."
"What kind of cultivator should he look for?"
The old cultivator answered almost instantly.
"Rogue cultivators."
He continued before Clayne could ask another question.
"Independent cultivators wander the world without ancient sects protecting them. Some inherit manuals from forgotten caves. Some receive incomplete legacies from fallen immortals. Others painstakingly create techniques through countless years of experimentation. Whatever knowledge they possess belongs entirely to them."
He lowered his head.
"Their memories carry no sect restrictions."
"Their inheritances remain intact."
"Their techniques remain complete."
"Their experiences remain untouched."
"If Senior truly wishes to learn through memory inheritance rather than painstaking cultivation, rogue cultivators possess the greatest value."
Clayne slowly nodded.
That actually made sense.
The old cultivator carefully observed Clayne’s expression before speaking once more.
"There are, of course, exceptions."
"Oh?"
"Small sects."
"They often lack the resources to establish complete soul restrictions."
"Some family clans also possess incomplete versions."
"However, among major sects that have survived for countless generations..."
He smiled bitterly.
"...our memories are no longer entirely our own."
Clayne remained silent for several moments.
Then he simply nodded.
"I understand."
Outside, within the Tiny World, the remaining captured Ascendant cultivators watched in helpless terror as one after another disappeared from before them.
The strange mirror quietly collected each departing soul.
Within Clayne’s vast consciousness, every imprisoned soul met the same fate.
One after another.
The Azure Cloud elders.
The accompanying experts.
Their souls entered the immeasurable darkness.
The sect restrictions shattered exactly as the first elder described.
Large portions of their inheritances simply dissolved into countless motes of light before Clayne could even examine them.
Only fragments remained.
Broken conversations.
Childhood memories.
Scattered life experiences.
Faces.
Voices.
Battles.
Nothing resembling complete inheritances.
Clayne quickly lost interest.
Then...
Among the last remaining souls, something changed.
As Clayne reached toward another memory sea, no defensive restriction appeared.
No inheritance seal activated.
No collapsing spiritual chains erupted.
Instead, the memory sea remained perfectly stable.
Countless complete memories quietly floated before him, waiting to be explored without the slightest resistance.
Clayne’s eyes lit up.
"It seems..."
A faint smile appeared across his face.
"...this one isn’t going to be a problem."
...
Far away from the chaos consuming cities and the mysterious phenomena unfolding around Silent River Hill, one of the oldest private territories in the nation had already transformed into something resembling a fortress prepared for war. The vast estate of the Corrode Family stretched across several mountains hidden from ordinary maps, surrounded by towering walls reinforced with alloy stronger than military-grade steel. Underground bunkers extended for kilometers beneath the earth, while countless surveillance systems continuously monitored the surrounding regions. Even before the apocalypse officially arrived, the Corrode Family had quietly spent generations preparing for a disaster they believed would one day reshape civilization.
Tonight, that preparation was no longer hidden.
The entire estate had become a hive of activity.
Military trucks continuously rumbled through reinforced roads leading toward enormous underground hangars. Uniformed soldiers carrying advanced assault rifles hurried between supply depots while logistics officers shouted instructions over radios. Heavy transport vehicles rolled forward one after another, carrying ammunition, fuel, emergency rations, and specialized equipment that had apparently remained sealed for decades.
Farther away, inside one of the enormous hangars, rows of armored tanks stood in perfect formation beneath bright industrial lights. Engineers inspected every vehicle with meticulous precision while crews climbed over the hulls performing final maintenance checks. Powerful engines roared to life one after another until the entire chamber vibrated beneath the synchronized thunder of armored columns preparing for deployment.
Above ground, the sound of jet engines echoed across the night sky.
Several fighter aircraft accelerated along hidden runways before launching into the darkness one after another. Moments later, larger transport aircraft followed behind them, escorted by heavily armed helicopters whose rotors churned the surrounding air into violent gusts.
The Corrode Family had not mobilized such a force in decades.
Every person present understood the significance.
This was no ordinary military exercise.
This was preparation for extermination.
Inside the command center, dozens of large holographic displays projected maps filled with countless flashing red indicators. Satellite imagery, reconnaissance reports, and biological analyses continuously updated before experienced commanders.
One middle-aged officer pointed toward several highlighted regions.
"The concentration of mutated creatures continues increasing. Several King-class organisms have already been confirmed. According to our projections, Emperor-class mutations will inevitably appear if these regions are left unchecked."
Another commander folded his arms.
"Then we cannot wait any longer."
A third nodded grimly.
"If Emperor-class beasts establish territories before humanity reorganizes, reclaiming those regions later will require unimaginable casualties."
An elderly strategist slowly placed both hands upon the table.
"Our objective remains unchanged."
His voice was calm.
"Locate."
"Track."
"Eliminate."
He looked toward everyone present.
"We are preparing to hunt Emperor-class beasts."
Those simple words caused the entire room to become silent.
Nobody questioned the order.
Nobody objected.
Everyone immediately resumed their assigned responsibilities.
...
Deep beneath the estate, far below the military headquarters and hidden behind numerous security checkpoints, another meeting was quietly taking place.
Unlike the bustling command center above, this chamber remained almost completely silent.
The room itself resembled an ancient council hall rather than a modern conference room. Dark stone walls surrounded a circular chamber illuminated only by soft crimson lights embedded into the floor. Strange symbols covered the walls, appearing older than the nation itself.
Around the circular chamber sat the true core of the Corrode Family.
Every person present possessed an air that ordinary people would instinctively fear.
Some appeared elderly.
Some surprisingly young.
Yet every gaze remained calm.
Patient.
Calculating.
An old man seated at the head of the chamber slowly opened his eyes.
"The evolutionary phenomenon..."
His quiet voice immediately captured everyone’s attention.
"It exceeded every prediction left by our ancestors."
Several family members nodded.
One middle-aged woman leaned forward slightly.
"The appearance of the crimson mist has accelerated biological adaptation far beyond our original calculations. Even our younger generations experienced significant improvements merely by absorbing it."
Another elder calmly added, "According to every historical record preserved within our archives, such a phenomenon only manifests after humanity produces an individual whose biological evolution surpasses an important threshold. The entire species then receives a corresponding gift from the world itself."
Silence followed.
Everyone understood what those words implied.
Someone...
Somewhere...
Had accomplished something extraordinary.
One elderly woman slowly spoke.
"Our bloodline certainly benefited from the crimson mist."
Another nodded.
"More than benefited."
"My grandson awakened abilities several years earlier than expected."
"My granddaughter’s compatibility with the family bloodline nearly doubled."
"Our overall adaptation rate has increased dramatically."
One by one, the family members reported similar observations.
The old patriarch quietly listened before speaking again.
"The question is not whether we benefited."
His aged eyes slowly swept across the chamber.
"The question is..."
"Who caused it?"
The room immediately fell silent.
No one answered.
Each person began recalling every extraordinary member of the younger generation.
Every gifted heir.
Every exceptional descendant.
Every bloodline awakening.
Several names were quietly proposed.
Each was examined.
Each was dismissed.
Eventually, one elderly man slowly frowned.
"There is... one possibility."
Every gaze turned toward him.
He continued.
"Our records indicate that among the younger generation, only one child displayed biological compatibility so extraordinary that even the family physicians described it as unprecedented."
Several eyes narrowed.
Another elder slowly nodded.
"I remember."
"The child whose bloodline was considered too valuable to waste."
"The child whose biological inheritance became the foundation for another successor."
The chamber gradually became quieter.
Then one woman softly spoke the name.
"Clay Corrode."
Several expressions changed.
Another elder immediately continued.
"The son of that couple."
"The one whose natural talent astonished every researcher."
"The one whose bloodline compatibility exceeded expectations before... the transfer."
The old patriarch rested both hands upon his cane.
His eyes slowly closed.
Then they opened again.
"Call them."
His voice echoed throughout the chamber.
"Bring Clay Corrode’s father and mother here immediately. We shall reward them."
No one questioned the order.
Outside the council chamber, a servant immediately bowed deeply before hurrying away through the dimly lit corridor.
Within moments, urgent messages were already being delivered.
The heads of the household who had once been responsible for the family’s most gifted child were being summoned to appear before the entire council.