Against The True Gods

Caine sat on a floating platform deep within the forest, far removed from the main quarters of the Timeless Alliance.

This was his private cultivation platform, a construct designed to ease his mind as he meditated, while simultaneously providing him with the purest qi to aid his cultivation.

The soft hum of energy surrounding the platform created an atmosphere of perfect stillness.

'Let's start with my bones.'

Though Caine had fully forged and refined his bones during the tribulation, he was determined to complete the process entirely using the wealth of resources Zao had provided.

And so, he began.

Ores, pills, elixirs, elemental treasures, and all manner of rare materials were consumed by Caine in rapid succession. With every passing second, his power not only surged but solidified, becoming an unshakable foundation.

If his body had once been akin to a wide but empty container, now it was a refined and reinforced vessel, filled to the brim with vitality and power.

This was the advantage of wealth. The privilege of a powerful background. The unfairness of it all.

It didn't take more than an hour for Caine to saturate both his flesh and bones with nutrients. His body brimmed with tightly contained energy, the very air around him crackling with the suppressed force radiating from his frame.

But Caine didn't linger on this transformation. The boost in power was impressive, but it was something he had grown accustomed to.

'Now, the runes.'

During his awakening, Caine had used his bones to devour fragments of the universal forces that governed the world, fusing their essence into himself. This process had forged his bones into the root of their own reality, allowing them to resonate with his flesh and grant him access to his affinity.

This affinity had also shaped his body, forging his flesh into the ideal vessel—a perfect childe of any and all affinities.

But the work was far from complete.

With the resources at his disposal, Caine planned to light up every rune etched onto his bones and flesh. This process would unlock the full potential of his body, allowing the might of his forged creations to truly shine.

Activating every rune would trigger a mutation within his body, a transformation with countless effects. But the one Caine desired most was Unity.

Unity would allow the 3,800 affinities fused within his body to exist in perfect harmony, creating a multiplicative effect. This would not only enhance his physical power and refine the purity of his blood qi but also elevate the overall grade of his original affinity.

His affinity to Totality already stood at the peak of the Immeasurable grade. What would happen when it was pushed beyond?

Caine intended to find out.

***

While Caine delved deeper into the intricacies of the heretic foundation he sought to build, the world outside continued to turn, with or without him.

The Southern Continent was a peculiar place.

Like the other continents of the world, it was governed by one of the major powers—the Red Sky Heavenly Temple.

This temple was unlike any other force. It allowed no outsiders to exist on its lands, a stark contrast to the open nature of the Timeless Alliance or even the hierarchical Heavenly Clans beneath Caine's own Velios Royal Clan.

The Red Sky Heavenly Temple was entirely composed of a single lineage—the Sharkhyn Lineage.

This lineage was shrouded in mystery. What little was known of them was enough to place them among the most powerful forces in existence, rivaling even the Velios Clan.

The only widely known fact about the Sharkhyn Lineage in recent years was the existence of its Scion.

It was said that her birth had shaken the earth, overturned the seas, and splintered the skies.

By the age of two, she had reached the peak of the Blood Realm without cultivating. By ten, she had ascended to the middle ranks of the Spark Realm.

Now, no one knew her true power.

***

[Red Sky Heavenly Temple, Main Lineage House]

Above an endless desert of golden dunes, fierce winds swept through the land, carrying waves of sand that obscured the horizon. The chaotic scene was illuminated only faintly by the sun's rays, which struggled to pierce the raging sandstorms.

In the eye of this storm, a floating platform hovered serenely amidst the chaos.

Seated upon it was a young woman. Her robes, a pristine blend of white and gold, shimmered in the dim light. Her face seemed sculpted by the gods themselves, devoid of any blemish, with rosy pink lips and a delicately arched nose.

Her skin was a healthy beige, contrasting beautifully with her swirling amethyst and rose-colored eyes. Long, silky silver hair draped over her slender yet powerful shoulders, framing her otherworldly visage.

This was Lilith Sharkhyn, the sole heir of the Red Sky Heavenly Temple.

She sat in meditation, her eyes closed as if in deep thought. Her serene expression hid the waves of power coursing through her being.

"Your Highness."

Lilith's eyes opened slowly at the sound of the voice. As she did, the storm around her stilled. The chaotic winds ceased, leaving an eerie silence in their wake.

A wave of suffocating power erupted from Lilith's form as she exhaled, her aura settling only after a moment.

"Yes?" she asked, her voice calm yet commanding.

A veiled woman clad in black robes appeared beside Lilith, bowing deeply. "The young master of the Velios Lineage has returned. It seems he has passed his coming-of-age ceremony."

"Oh?"

"Yes, Your Highness. However, something unusual occurred upon his return. A sudden force blocked all surveillance systems we had in place. When our systems came back online, the young master was found severely injured, on the brink of death."

Lilith's aura erupted once more, her eyes widening in shock. The previously serene and regal demeanor she maintained was momentarily shattered.

The veiled woman shivered under the weight of the pressure and quickly added, "B-but… the young master's uncle, Sir Zao, came to his rescue. According to our sources, he is now safe and recovering."

Lilith's aura receded, her expression returning to one of calm elegance as though the sudden burst of emotion had never happened.

"Good. You did well to inform me." She closed her eyes again, her voice softer now. "When he departs for the Elemental Fields, inform me immediately."

The veiled woman nodded and vanished as silently as she had appeared.

Lilith exhaled slowly, suppressing the bubbling rage within her.

'If this wasn't the work of a tribulation, then the Renala must be involved… if only I could…'

She pushed the thoughts aside before they consumed her, forcing herself back into meditation.

The world around her erupted once more into a chaotic storm, the winds howling as though reflecting the turmoil within her heart.