Against The True Gods

The first realm of cultivation was the Blood realm, followed by the Spark realm, and concluded by the Ascendant realm, each realm divided into sub-stages that required one to follow complex and elaborate steps.

After reaching the peak of the Ascendant stage, a large chasm would separate one from the next realm of power. To bridge it, they'd need to undergo a terrifying tribulation and also shatter part of their mortal coil.

After that, the Sage Realm came.

Soran Celestis, a young master of the Celestis lineage, was merely a step away from that. Having already passed his tribulation, he only needed to gather enough momentum to shatter his mortal coil. Then, he'd ascend.

This was all to say that Soran would be a terrifying opponent. Of course, unlike most, Soran was guaranteed to have an innate circle of an extremely high grade. Perhaps not as high as Caine's, but that didn't matter. Anything above the Mortal grade was lethal.

"I see."

Caine wasn't worried. He merely nodded and closed his eyes, sitting back as he rested his elbow on the carriage's window, his chin on his closed fist.

***

The moon's rays slipped through a tall window, illuminating a young man sitting on the edge of a large bed, covered in sheets of white satin.

Caine's gaze was calm and apathetic, focused on the tattoos that had begun to form upon his wrist.

One was black, made out of ancient runes that seemed to be a blend of ancient cursive and jagged lines, as if made with rough stone tips. Within its gaps, a second set of tattoos took shape—white runes of geometrical shapes that encased one another to form a beautiful mandala.

Around it all, the last tattoo could be seen, made from simple silver runes that lined all the others.

This beautiful runic work ran from his wrist all the way up to his shoulder. A searing pain invaded his senses as the etching process became more and more intense.

Most wouldn't know what these tattoos were, but Caine did. They were Curses.

After choosing his wishes and being thrown into reincarnation, Caine hadn't immediately appeared within the Velios lineage, in his mother's womb.

No, something had gone wrong. Someone had intercepted his soul in the process. He was brought to a place where...

'It should be done.'

The tattoos finished forming and immediately sank into his flesh, vanishing from sight as they integrated into his very soul. His porcelain skin returned to normal.

A flood of knowledge entered his mind.

"[Mark of Heaven], [Mark of the Sinner], [Mark of Samsara], [Mark of Madness]."

These were the names of his curses. Rather than showing concern, as most would when cursed, Caine smiled, his eyes brimming with ambition.

A curse was only bad when inflicted by another. These curses, he had chosen for himself, and they would help him build something grand.

'I need to reach godhood fast.'

He needed power.

***

In the middle of a forest, an elevated stone platform, as wide as an arena, floated among the trees.

At the center of it stood Zao, smiling as he looked at the young man before him.

This young man had short, curly blonde hair, healthy rosy skin, and pupils that swirled with golden and scarlet currents. He wore armor in black and gold, and half of his face was covered in intricate, beautiful runes.

The pressure radiating from him was overwhelming, as refined Qi swirled around him in complex patterns, mirroring the runes on his face.

Despite his expressionless face, anyone familiar with Soran knew he was more than annoyed at this moment.

He had already been enraged when his elders forced him to participate in this battle. He was a royal of his clan, after all. Even if his clan was subordinated to Caine's, couldn't they have hired a mercenary for this task?

He had complained and protested for days, but after a rather "rough" discussion with his elders, he had been convinced.

Now, after all that, Caine dared to make him wait?

Just as his lips parted, ready to speak, a portal opened behind Zao.

Caine walked out, his long dark hair still messy, and his eyes puffy. From the simple tunic he wore, anyone could tell he had just woken up.

Caine yawned and stretched, his palm reaching out and closing as a spear of Qi formed within it, solidifying until it was indistinguishable from a real spear.

Zao glanced back at Caine, then nodded. He turned to Soran and offered an apologetic smile before vanishing.

"Begin!"

Soran's muscles barely twitched, yet in the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Caine, his golden eyes blazing with fury as he formed a weapon of his own from Qi—a great sword.

With wrath bubbling beneath his calm exterior, he swung the sword downward, leaving a trail of chaotic golden Qi in its wake.

The platform cracked under the immense pressure as the gravity around Caine multiplied several times over due to the sheer weight of Soran's Qi.

BANG!

Soran's sword collided with the stone ground, his strike having missed. His vision blurred for a brief moment before...

"Argh!"

...a deep gash tore across his chest.

Soran stumbled back, his Qi instinctively forming thousands of barriers around him, but it was futile. With a soft whisper from Caine...

"[Break]."

...all the barriers shattered, and another gash, crossing the previous one, appeared on Soran's chest.

He fell to one knee, his vision blurring once more. In the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a rushing shadow. He reacted quickly, gathering volatile Qi into a concentrated beam before hurling it at the figure.

BOOOOOM!

WHOOOSH!

The chaotic Qi from the explosion was instantly dispersed by powerful gusts of wind. The shadow, however, reappeared—not on his right, but his left.

Soran roared in frustration, gripping his sword tightly as his blood surged through his veins, imbuing him with untamed power. He twisted his body, his Qi imploding at once, amplifying his speed as he swung his sword, executing a martial art.

"[Celestis Series: Division.]"