Lockbreaking

## **Introduction**

The vast universe is a mysterious place with a history stretching past million and millions of years. Through these long years many materials, plants and other precious treasures of heaven and earth end up being covered by the dust and sealed by the cosmos hibernate themselves into different structures, which are referred to as sourceboxes. Sourceboxes have different degrees of dangers which if one is not careful, could trigger the danger zones released by the sourcebox.

To open up these sourceboxes is a dangerous task and those capable of doing so are referred to a Lockbreakers within the Human Domain. Becoming a cultivator is a rare opportunities for mortals while becoming a lockbreaker are even rare among cultivators. In the Human Domain, there are only less than a million registered Lockbreakers and many fewer graded Lockbreakers.

There were some cultivation requirements for Lockbreakers, though they were merely minimum requirements. For example, a Discerning Elementary Lockbreaker had to at least be a Melder, while a Perceptive Intermediate Lockbreaker had to at least be an Explorer. This was simply the minimum level of strength needed for each Lockbreaker level, rather than the cultivation limit that a Lockbreaker of a specific level could achieve. One needed to be an Enlighter and also master a sourcebox array in order to become an Array Master. While it was also possible to become a Senior Array Master as an Enlighter, a Realm Array Master had to be an Envoy.

## Lockbreaker Grades

Lockbreaker Grades are graded based on their abilities to unlock the same grade sourcebox while confirming their control of star energy and skills to lockbreak sourcebox. Early Lockbreaking grades are divided into three grades and each Grade is sub-divided into five stars. These are the Discerning Elementary Lockbreaker, the Perceptive Intermediate Lockbreaker and the Boundless Advanced Lockbreaker.

### Discerning Elementary Lockbreakers

There are many applicants who wish to become Lockbreaker but to be even ranked a Discerning Elementary Lockbreaker is no easy feat. There is a clear divide for those that manages to become a Discerning Elementary lockbreaker and only once one is graded can they be truly considered a lockbreaker.

In the Fifth Mainland, the test required for a cultivator to join the Lockbreaker Society was the Starburst Orb where one had to settle the berserk energy within ten seconds in order to even qualify to become a Lockbreaker. Ten seconds is the lowest possible baseline, and many Lockbreakers who take the full ten seconds to complete the task ultimately proceed no further than holding a title and aren’t even able to become a one star Lockbreaker. Only those who can calm the orb within seven seconds have a chance of becoming a one star Lockbreaker. Those three seconds are actually nothing more than a bit of hope given by the Society, as for those that take the full ten seconds aren't good enough to succeed in lockbreaking and could even endanger their lives due to their low control levels.

Promotion into a higher grade of Lockbreaking is only possible by cracking open a sourcebox of the corresponding grade, recording that process and uploading that recorded video into the Lockbreaker Network for review by the High-Ranking Lockbreakers of the Lockbreaking Association. The video can also be sold for Star Crystals to other Lockbreakers who wish to see how others lockbreak in order to gain experience.

### Perceptive Intermediate Lockbreaker

Perceptive Intermediate Lockbreakers are the next step after the Discerning Elementary Lockbreakers and have the capabilities of utilizing star energy whether it's through manipulating their own star energy more efficiently or through dismantling enemy's attack that is formed through star energy. Perceptive Intermediate Lockbreakers are even more rare compared to the Discerning Elementary Lockbreakers as they are the more advanced Lockbreakers that could be utilized and employed by the more powerful organizations. Perceptive Intermediate Lockbreakers could rival Hunter ranks with just their abilities to interact with star energy and counter the enemy.

### Boundless Advanced Lockbreaker

Those that have reached Boundless Advanced Lockbreakers have lofty status as there are not many Boundless Advanced Lockbreakers available and could be easily counted due to their scarcity. At the Boundless Advanced Lockbreaker realm, the ability to manipulate star energy are so powerful that a Hunter Realm that had reached this realm can easily defeat an average Enlighter Realm, while it was rumored that President Geoffrey onced defeated five Enlighter realms by himself with just his abilities as a Boundless Lockbreaker.

At the Boundless Lockbreaker rank, a Lockbreaker was finally able to utilize the dangers of Sourceboxes and arranged them as a Sourcebox Array and take advantage of these arrays to trap and hinder others. Every Boundless Advanced Lockbreaker enjoyed privileges that far surpassed what regular Lockbreakers received. The moment that an Advanced Lockbreaker died, their death would invariably be investigated by the Lockbreaker Society, which was the same as having ten Honor points.

## Array Master Grade

After the Boundless Advanced Lockbreaker realm, only after one who had comprehended at least five sourcebox arrays and designing their own, unique sourcebox array could carry title of Array Master. They further divide into more titles of the Array Master, Senior Array Master, Realm Array Master, and Array Grandmaster.

### Array Master

Although sourcebox arrays were not quite as valuable as secret techniques, in some ways, sourcebox arrays could be even more versatile than secret techniques. There were arrays that were capable of changing the sky and even creating something out of nothing. Any Lockbreaker who was an Array Master was not someone to be underestimated and all Array Masters were considered treasures of humanity.

### Array Grandmaster

The minimum requirement for becoming an Array Grandmaster was to be at the peak of Envoy realm, master at least five sourcebox arrays, as well as create an original sourcebox array. Array Grandmasters are well respected and the pinnacle of becoming a Lockbreaker. Even when Grandmaster Gu Yan had antagonistic views towards the four ruling powers, they did not target Gu Yan and even tried to please him as Array Grandmasters are very rare. Progenitor Hui was an Array Grandmaster who created the Ceaseless Impetus which allowed humanity to defend against the Aeternals on the Mother Tree, speaks to the brilliance and importance of an Array Grandmaster. In the Perennial World, there only exist four Array Grandmasters, while the Fifth Mainland had only three.

## Stable Zone

A lockbreaker game played by Array Masters using overlapping sourcebox arrays to form white and black pieces of a board. Whoever destroys their all of their opponent's pieces first by utilizing the sourceboxes’ danger fields wins. Stable Zone requires the Array Masters to understand the sourceboxes' danger fields, while protecting your own pieces and utilizing the chaotic danger field to destroy the opponent's star pieces. No two sourceboxes in the entire universe are the same, which similarly means that no two games of Stable Zone are the same. Whether there are two sourceboxes, three, or even more, the superimposed danger fields from the sourceboxes will produce different danger zones. Every game is like watching the birth of a new sourcebox array.

Stable Zone is a game for Array Masters, but it is impossible for ordinary Array Masters to play it. Only Senior Array Masters can actually play a game, and the difficulty of a game is determined by the level and quantity of the sourceboxes used to create the game board. Typically, Senior Array Masters will only use one or two Discerning Elementary sourceboxes, and three or four at the very most. Using Boundless Advanced sourceboxes is something that only Realm Array Masters will do. At the Realm Array Master level the average amount of sourcebox array used to play Stable Zone was three to four, with five being the maximum.

At the Array Grandmaster level, Boundless Advanced sourceboxes could be used for the game. Depending on the Array Grandmaster's skill level, eight Boundless Advanced sourcebox arrays might cause some struggle between both Grandmasters. Each additional sourcebox made the game exponentially more difficult, and it was even possible for people to lose their lives during such a game.

## Realm of Control

When it comes to utilizing star energy and manipulating it, it was completely different from combat usage. While combat star energy manipulation for combat, which goes from dispelling impurities, to forming something substantial, to the realm of infinite change, to changing colors, and then finally to comprehending a domain; Star Energy control for lockbreaking measures the meticulous control of their star energy. The more meticulous their control was, the faster their lockbreaking. The are six realms of control are the Intricacy Realm, the Cloudwalk Realm, the Skywise Realm, the Divine Gaze Realm, the Worldliness Realm and the Creation Realm.

### Intricacy Realm

The Intricacy realm is the first step of the Realms of which to manipulate star energy. To be at the Intricacy realm would be similar to a Discerning Elementary Lockbreaker using a lockbreaking tool without using it. Although the Intricacy realm of star energy control could be used to neutralize an opponent's star energy, those in the Intricacy realm aren't as proficient and quick enough to apply this into combat as it could be easily countered with sheer volume.

One training method to reach Intricacy realm was to just use star energy more, such as using it to control minuscule items. Hai Qiqi was trained by using star energy to control seawater to write an essay, and then she had to ensure that it would not dissipate for ten days. After that, she had to make the words smaller—the tinier the better—and ensure that the writing still won’t dissipate. Gradually, by repeating that, one would enter the Intricacy Realm.

### Divine Gaze Realm

At the Divine Gaze it allows the Lockbreaker to see an area magnified countless times over, and be able to observe the ambient star energy.

### Worldiness Realm

Once one’s star energy control reached the Worldliness realm, their sensitivity would qualitatively change compared to that of ordinary people. Those that have reached Worldliness realm of star energy control have a high chance of becoming an Advanced Boundless Lockbreaker. While the Divine Gaze Realm allowed one to see the microscopic level, the Worldiness Realm allowed one to have more control over the macroscopic level and use their control of star energy in combat. Although at the Worldiness Realm of star energy control doesn't equal to complete control over attacks of star energy by enemies, it gives an advantage over other cultivators with the same cultivation realm.

### Creation Realm

A flower was a world in and of itself. The limit of the microscopic was the macroscopic. No one knew just how vast the universe truly was. It was possible that the infinite universe that everyone knew was nothing more than a grain of sand. The Creation realm of star energy control was based on this concept. Star energy was a world in and of itself, and thus, it was able to create something on the macroscopic level. This was the Creation realm of star energy control.

## References

1. ↑ Chapter 2248
2. ↑ Chapter 1198
3. ↑ Chapter 1195
4. ↑ Chapter 2248
5. ↑ Chapter 1543
6. ↑ Chapter 2365
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Chapter 2364
8. ↑ Chater 672
9. ↑ Chapter 1525