Against The True Gods

Caine's rings were what allowed him to break all limits—his bones, his flesh, his stars, his organs, his bloodlines—and today, they'd allow him to break yet another limit.

But it wasn't going to be just any limit.

RUMBLE!

The world shook, and suddenly, Caine stood still. His summons gathered around him, forming a protective wall of flesh to shield him from the Avatars rushing toward him.

The world shook once more.

RUMBLE!

Caine knew he would never truly harness the full potential of his gifts. Not unless he ascended to a realm so high that he became immortal.

That was unacceptable.

He also knew his Will would take thousands of years to fully bloom and solidify.

That was unacceptable.

And he knew that, with time, his rings would gradually lose their purpose, becoming useless relics.

That was unacceptable.

RUMBLE!

The solution was simple, really.

His bond space trembled as his rings began to spin violently, drawing in all the neutral qi within his bond space. The air crackled with energy, thick with impending transformation.

"[Manifest]…" Caine whispered, his voice barely audible.

WHOOOSH!

He collapsed to one knee, blood gushing from his mouth as his body cracked and shattered under the strain. His veins ruptured and exploded into a mess of blood and gore. But his expression remained serene, eyes burning with a manic light.

Around his rings, five bundles of runes, qi, and flesh materialized, his gifts made manifest. He had pulled them from the very core of his existence, wrenching them into the physical world. It was a move that spelled certain death, and his body was already disintegrating, but Caine didn't care. His determination eclipsed all reason.

<I either take it all, or die trying. I either take it all or die trying.>

The rings spun faster, an unstoppable force, and then his Silver Embryonic Will Star shattered.

BANG!

Every bone in his body broke simultaneously. His flesh turned a deathly shade of purple, shriveling as his body withered. He was a husk of himself, but still, his rings spun.

And then they shattered.

BOOOOOM!

A violent explosion erupted within him. His body convulsed uncontrollably, black blood bubbling up and seeping from his pores. His muscles tore, his organs liquefied, his nerves screamed. Yet through it all, his silver eyes remained unfazed, as though he were blind to the destruction of his very being.

His life force ebbed, fading like a dying ember. His lips parted, cracked and bloodied, his hoarse voice clawing its way out.

"…[Con…den…se…]…"

This time, time itself stopped. The world froze, locked in place. Nothing moved—nothing except Caine.

The shattered remnants of his gifts, his rings, and his star gathered together. His Blood Dragon, usually coiled around his silver star, was the only thing left unbroken. It stirred, its golden eyes blazing with ancient fury.

It swooped down, devouring the fragments of his power. The instant it did, it roared—a primal, world-shaking sound that sent new waves of agony through Caine's already broken form.

The dragon's scales turned golden, white patterns of runes etching themselves into its flesh. Each scale shimmered, reflecting endless possibilities.

A new star formed—massive, brilliant, a solid core of pure silver that dwarfed anything Caine had ever imagined.

The golden dragon split into five: a crimson dragon dripping with bloodlust, a dragon armored in radiant gold, a swirling wraith of black and white mist, a sleek, ivory-scaled beast, and finally, a dragon woven from a kaleidoscope of elemental energy.

They rose together, roaring in unison, their cries shaking the very foundation of his bond space. They spiraled upward, binding themselves to the new silver star, coiling around it like living chains.

Slowly, nine black rings, each etched with vibrant multicolored runes, materialized around the star. They locked into place, orbiting with a serene finality.

For a moment, all was still.

"I… said… [CONDENSE]!"

Caine's scream was no longer human, a guttural roar that tore his throat and lungs apart. Blood sprayed from his mouth, but he didn't falter.

The world trembled and the new star construct solidified. Dark silver runes burst across its surface, the dragons and rings woven into an intricate, terrifying design.

"[CONDENSE]! [CONDENSE]! [CONDENSE]!"

His screams rang out like commands from the heavens. From his Elemental Stars, bridges of neutral qi formed, linking to his new star and reshaping his constellation. His gifts, his rings, and his Will were now one. A unified force, inseparable, indomitable.

This was no longer potential sealed away. This was his essence, unbound and unleashed.

"…[Bloom]."

His voice, though soft, resonated like the final strike of a hammer on an anvil.

In that instant, his Will bloomed completely. Everything clicked into place.

A tidal wave of neutral and elemental qi surged through his broken body, reforging him. His form lifted off the ground, suspended by sheer force of Will.

His muscle fibers knitted together, intertwining, compressing, striating under the tremendous pressure of his Blood Qi.

His jade-white skin gleamed, transmuted from pure neutral qi, wrapping tightly around his muscles.

Darkness draped his shoulders like a cloak. Runes seared into his skin, branding his frame with symbols of power, only to dissolve and reform as his cultivation ascended.

His bones hardened, his flesh strengthened, his organs purified. His blood flowed, vibrant and untainted. He had returned to the absolute peak of the Blood and Marrow Purification Stage, but now he was something far greater.

He had forged a True Will.

Throughout the agony, his eyes had never closed. He felt every shred of pain, every moment of transformation, yet his gaze remained unwavering.

RUMBLE!

His heart thundered, and his blood surged with renewed vitality.

White robes materialized around him, and a low chuckle escaped his lips. The laughter grew, echoing through the frozen Ancestral Trial grounds. Above him, a new World Will Eye formed, colossal and watching. It didn't press down on him; it simply observed, acknowledging his transformation.

He laughed again, a sound both victorious and defiant.

"Do you know what you've done?"