Against The True Gods

Caine sat cross-legged on his usual cultivation platform, nestled deep within a snow-covered forest. The air was crisp, the world blanketed in a serene hush.

His eyes were closed, his breathing rhythmic and steady as he allowed his mind to settle into perfect stillness. Snowflakes drifted lazily around him, some landing on his broad shoulders, only to melt instantly from the heat of his focused qi.

Normally, after one ascended to Scionhood, they were required to undergo the Scion Training Regime within specialized underground facilities. These facilities contained everything a Scion needed to advance swiftly and securely.

But Caine wasn't interested in the formalities just yet. He preferred the quiet solitude of his platform, surrounded by the ancient trees and the whisper of falling snow. Here, his thoughts flowed freely, and his connection to the world felt unbreakable.

'Let's begin.'

Caine centered himself, preparing to enter the Perfected Folds stage. This stage followed the foundational processes of Blood and Marrow Washing stage and was designed to take a cultivator's physical refinement to its utmost limits.

After constructing the foundational structures of his body and purifying his blood qi, the next step was to empower and refine his body to the pinnacle using that purified blood qi.

The stages of refinement were sequential: Bone Fortification, Flesh Empowerment, Five Elements Union, Blood Purification, Vein Channel Widening, and finally, Marrow Washing. Each step mirrored the earlier stages of the Blood Realm, and together, they formed what was known as a refined fold.

But there was a secret to this stage.

Once the first refined fold was completed with blood qi, a cultivator could continue refining their body with different types of qi. Most cultivators could handle only thirteen folds due to the conflicting nature of various qis.

But Caine had no intention of stopping there.

After his initial refinement with blood qi, he planned to refine his body thirteen times for each of his stars and their corresponding qis.

Given that he had 106,402 stars, this meant a total of 1,383,226 refined folds.

One million, three hundred and eighty-three thousand, two hundred and twenty-six folds.

It was an absurd, seemingly impossible number. Yet, Caine's resolve didn't waver. He was determined to draw out the full potential of his Bone, Flesh, and Organ structures.

And even that wasn't enough.

He planned to refine his body not only with the true qis of his stars but to push further still.

Beyond qi refinement, he intended to incorporate Intent, then Essence, and finally Quintessence into the process.

In essence, he was pioneering a new path of refinement: Qi Fold Refinement, Intent Fold Refinement, Essence Fold Refinement, and Quintessence Fold Refinement.

Only when he had completed all these steps would he be satisfied.

'It's definitely doable. Definitely.'

Caine's aura surged, his usually calm presence transforming into something sharp and unyielding. A terrifying edge lurked beneath the surface—a sharpness capable of sundering even the strongest Wills.

He exhaled slowly. Nature seemed to respond to his intent, wrapping around him like a comforting blanket and pulling him into a state of profound focus.

The refinement began. His robes fluttered under the immense pressure of his raging qi.

Yet, his mind was split in two—one half dedicated to the refinement process, the other occupied by a lingering thought. Experience exclusive tales on empire

Thanks to his rings, Caine had always been able to split his mind into multiple streams.

Now, it was as natural as breathing.

'I need a deeper understanding of the gaps between each Will stage to complete my foundation.'

'It's complicated, especially when factoring in qi.'

Caine reflected on his grasp of Intent and its later stages. He had only truly used it a couple of times—once during the Clan Gathering when he fused Earth Intent with his neutral qi to imprison the Heavenly Heirs. The second time was in his battle with Toseh, when he used [Star Ring Circle], though he dismissed that example.

The truth was, he hadn't yet taken the time to fully analyze and internalize his understanding of Intent and Will. To wield it effectively, he needed to peel back its layers, dissecting it to its core.

'Qi comprehension is straightforward for me. My affinity with qi is uncanny, even without my talents. As a mere Blood Realm cultivator, I can use True Qi and manipulate it effortlessly.'

But Intent was more nuanced.

'Grasping Intent offers the ability to read and create intent. More importantly, I can tap into the intent behind qi to unlock its true potential.'

By reading the intent of an object or energy, Caine could understand it perfectly. This gave him an undeniable advantage, one he had yet to fully exploit.

'I need to use this more. I can even do what Lilith does—read others' intentions and build predictive models based on their actions.'

The ability to create intent was another area where he was falling short. His mind automatically associated intent with qi, which limited his creativity.

'What's stopping me from creating Fist Intent when I throw a punch? Or Spear Intent when I wield a weapon? I could even use Mental Intent to sharpen my thoughts.'

He considered the reverse application: using neutral qi as a vessel for intent.

'I could mold neutral qi into anything I desire through intent.'

This realization extended to the True Will Forging stage as well.

'What's stopping me from channeling my Will into neutral qi—or even into my own body?'

His True Will was the core of everything. From True Will to True Essence Will and, ultimately, to True Quintessential Will, everything branched from that core.

'Instead of viewing this as an evolution, I should see it as branches of the same tree. Intent isn't above qi, just as Essence isn't above Quintessence.'

'They all originate from Will itself. If I wanted, I could've forged a Quintessential True Will first and worked my way back.'

As enlightenment blossomed within him, his stars trembled. Around each star, four smaller stars manifested—Qi Star, Intent Star, Essence Star, and Quintessence Star.

A spark ignited within Caine, illuminating his path forward.

'I see. I see. I see.'

His eyes slowly opened, their depths shimmering with newfound clarity.

'I almost stepped onto the wrong path.'