Law of the Jungle

Might is right. This is the primal law of the jungle, and this creed not only rules the animal kingdom, but also shapes the lives of men. Having harnessed the elusive Qi energy, humanity has divided the world into zones and mastered the creation of extraordinary artifacts, edging closer to immortality. Yet, this evolution has only entrenched the fundamental law: power grants privilege. The strongest claim the finest resources as well as the right to rise above others. What chance does an ordinary youth from the neglected zero zone have in such a world? Is it his destiny to reach unimaginable heights-or to vanish into the abyss of mediocrity, just another forgotten face in a crowd of millions? The answers rest with the inscrutable Heavens-the silent watchers of human fate. Incidentally, where do demons and ancients fit in this grand scheme? Their mysterious roles in this epic tale remain to be unveiled.

The law of the jungle declares: it's every man for himself! This principle applies not only to the human world, but also the domain of their greatest adversaries, the demons. Their world's Tier Zero differs little from the Tier Zero of the human world. The resources are just as scarce, the creatures just as vicious, and the absence of law just as blatant. Yet the Heavens show no mercy when the push comes to shove. When it's time to conquer Tier Zero of an alien world, retreat is not an option. For the privilege of ascending to immortality is reserved only for the strong.

What could possibly go wrong at a Tier Zero school of ascension when all the powerful foes have been vanquished and a bonded pair of Seekers can handle any adversary-not just at their current stage of ascension, but also from the initial ranks of the next one? It turns out quite a lot can derail-especially when clans decide to contest who is to gain access to the Primordial Soul for the next decade. The Seekers find themselves forced to put textbooks aside and engage in their usual business: accomplishing the impossible.

The Law of the Jungle is clear about one thing-if you cross the high and mighty, you're courting disaster. But even when the Grim Reaper comes knocking for Vyllea of the Urbangos tribe, Seeker Zander isn't going to surrender her without a fight! And for someone prepared to do anything for the one you love, no law in the world can stop you from saving their life. Thus, our Seekers are back in action, facing the First Tier ahead-alluring, brimming with energy, and rife with cultists and ascension schools. Seems like it's time for our heroes to face fate head-on and carve a place for themselves in the First Tier. Because that's the only thing Seekers know how to do!

A school of ascension once again. But now, instead of the energy-starved Tier Zero, the Seekers have taken on the First Tier, so this school's a whole different beast. It's massive. It's majestic. It strikes awe into the hearts of the students and nips any thoughts of breaking the rules in the bud. The Seekers are unwelcome here, for they don't play by anyone's rules. But aren't rules there to be broken? As for the school . . . Well, the entire First Tier's gonna miss it for sure. When the Seekers roll in, one should expect chaos. Trouble will follow them and find them even behind the school's high walls. For such is the law!

The God of the Querancy Cult has been defeated. The School of Spirit Power in the First Tier has begun to recover, demons have been driven away, traitors found, and criminals punished. The First Tier of the human world has achieved an idyllic state of peace for the first time in over a thousand years! But does idyll suit Seekers? The Second Tier of the human world remains closed to Zander and Vyllea, so the Seekers' attention turns to the demon world. An elite school in the second circle? Well, why not? The demons have had it easy for a long time! It's time for them to find out just how much of a handful two conjoined Seekers can be!

Seekers occasionally find themselves in situations when a single world no longer suffices. Even as matters remain unfinished in the First Tier of the human realm, the demon world beckons them with all the adventure and peril it has to offer. And one doesn't just go to the demon world for a leisurely stroll. If you need a reason to go, it has to be one like joining the elite school of the Second Circle. And if there are enemies to be made, they should be the kind that make shivers run down your spine. Seekers Zander and Vyllea care little about such trivialities. As far as they're concerned, shivers are the lot of those who get in their way.

The obliteration of the settlers' ark hasn't gone without consequence-the ancients have struck back. Anomalies have vanished, all the higher-ranking Nascent Gods have fallen, and the passage between the Tiers has been sealed. Cultists are on the rise, determined to destroy everything that remains. The world is spiraling into chaos, ruled by a single law: kill or be killed. Yet the Seekers refuse to back down or surrender to fate. When the whole world stands against you, it only means one thing-there will be plenty of spoils! For the Heavens would accept nothing less!

The law of the jungle is straightforward-all means are justified in one's pursuit of ascension. After all, it's the result that matters-not how you achieve it. And yet the end doesn't always justify the means-especially when the ascension of one requires the suffering of hundreds. The Heavens do not take kindly to such acts. And so it came to pass that the Seekers have been forced to take matters into their own hands, bringing light to places where it had never shone before. However, the Bohao Cult has turned out to be far stronger than initially thought, with roots deeply embedded in both the human and demon worlds. But who cares? The stronger the enemy, the better the spoils! The Seekers live by that principle alone!

To wage war against the Bohao cultists, who have essentially taken control of both worlds, you need to think strategically. Eliminating the leadership seems logical, but with no access to the central region where the cult's leaders hide, that's a dead end. Hunting down individual cultists would take centuries, and they'd just recruit more in the meantime. So what do we do? The best approach would be to cut off all supply lines of the ancient substance they rely on and destroy every concentration camp where they keep the unfortunates they intend to sacrifice on their altar. This should force the cult's leadership to come out of their strongholds and into the outlying tiers-which is exactly what the Seekers are after. The more enemies they attract, the richer the rewards from their downfall!

The Bohao cultists have just got their noses bloodied-it was hardly fatal, but humiliating all the same. Their leadership has now turned their attention to the Seekers, baffled at how such insignificant pests could have managed to sting them so painfully. Moreover, they couldn't punish the Seekers for their impertinence-those pesky gadflies had already slipped into the demon realm. The Seekers are intent on fighting this infection, and so they mean to track it to its source. That could only be one place-Holiton, a true blight of the demon world. That's where the supply chain of the filthy yellow sludge leads, and it's also a convergence point for all the caravans of human cargo. So what are the Seekers going to do now? They intend to get there fast and do what they do best to eradicate the cultists completely!

Every so often, reality shatters all our expectations. The Bohao Cult's top brass have proven far too formidable an opponent for the Seekers to crush with a single strike. Our heroes are in dire need of new strength, new knowledge, and new techniques. But where should they begin their search for those? The cultists have sealed off all access to the Primordial Soul and started a relentless hunt for House Bao. Tensions ride terrifyingly high while Zander and Vyllea are once again forced to do the impossible. But who would expect anything less of the Seekers?