Against The True Gods

Caine was born a cripple.

While he was still in his mother's womb, someone tore her qi roots and crippled her, nearly killing him and destroying all his potential.

By the time he was born, she had already died, and by the time he was old enough to do any research, it was too late to learn who his mother was or what had happened to her and his people.

This was how his life began.

Despite this, and all the suffering he endured, he persevered.

Even as a cripple, he forged his own path of cultivation and mastered all four arts, reaching a level where he could match any member of the High races.

Nova found him, enslaved him, and trained him, but in the end, Caine freed himself and turned Nova into a pawn in his escape.

He spent years under the First Sinner's tutelage, and centuries fighting his way to the top, killing abominations, celestials, immortals, rulers, and demons alike.

He was a man who defied and betrayed his entire world just for a chance at freedom.

He was a mortal, but not just any mortal. Soon, the world would know why even the mightiest of titans had fallen to him.

The First Blight.

***

Caine stood calm and collected on a floating platform above the dome of golden light, coldly watching as the entities fell one by one.

What he'd done was combine three art forms—The Arcane Arts, The Formation Arts, and The Sacred Arts of Feng Shui.

Using Feng Shui, he turned the entire island into an energy source he could control. Then, using formations, he rewired the island's natural structure, making it the perfect foundation for any area-of-effect arcane spell he wanted to cast.

This had been endlessly easy for him. The only challenge was how weak his body was.

Because his body was slow and weak, he wasted a lot of time running from one end of the island to the other. In fact, he nearly missed the deadline he'd set.

It had been close, but despite his success, nothing could be perfect.

Among the thousands of entities he'd trapped and sealed, one had somehow bypassed the restrictions of his spell.

BANG! CRACK!

A loud boom echoed as a small fissure appeared in the dome of golden light.

Out of it soared a man, furious beyond belief, his mere presence shaking the sky.

With long white hair, an imposing frame, and deep bloody red eyes, this man radiated power, despite the chains' weakening effect.

"LITTLE BASTARD!"

Caine raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the man.

'How did he break the dome despite being so weakened?'

He didn't dwell on the thought. With a wave of his hand, the dome of light fully solidified. He dropped down from his platform and onto the dome.

If they fought in the air, he'd be at a massive disadvantage.

"Come down."

The man saw red at Caine's blatant disregard for his presence, taking it as an insult.

Energy gathered at the soles of his feet, but as soon as it did, the chains tightened, and he coughed up blood, dropping from the sky as the pain became too much.

Though the pain was severe, the humiliation was even worse. He stood back up, and a massive greatsword, resembling diamond, manifested in his hand.

Once again, he gathered energy at his feet and ignited it, boosting his speed as he shot toward Caine, violently swinging the sword.

Caine shook his head at the sight.

'It seems they can't tell how much weaker I am.'

Challenging Caine in anything not rooted in cultivation was foolish. The man's best bet would've been to endure the pain and fire as many energy beams at Caine as possible, hoping one of them would kill him.

But now that he'd engaged in direct combat, he'd already lost.

"[Flutter.]"

Caine took a step forward, and for a brief moment, a ring flashed at his back. By the time it vanished, so had Caine, reappearing miles behind the white-haired man.

The man came to a sudden stop, pure shock on his face as he slowly looked down at his chest.

Disbelief wasn't enough to describe what he felt as he stared at the gaping hole in his chest, dripping with warm golden blood.

"You… who…"

He fell to a knee, his mind spiraling, the world around him growing cold as the chains tightened and more of his strength drained away.

"Fascinating."

Caine studied the man's still-beating heart for a few seconds before crushing it, killing him.

BOOM! WHOOSH!

The man's body exploded into white mist that rapidly flowed toward Caine, fusing with him.

A cool surge of energy rushed through Caine, his strength soaring.

'I wonder… is this what cultivation feels like?'

The path of cultivation Caine had created didn't enhance his body or soul. So, despite his years of experience, the feeling of ascension was foreign to him.

All his path did was extend his lifespan. That was it.

'Anyway…'

Shaking off the idle thoughts, he refocused.

He brought his blood-covered hands together, and suddenly, horrified screams echoed from across the island.

"[Shatter.]"

RUMBLE!

An ocean of white mist rose from the island as every Defier died in a single stroke, and Caine absorbed them all at once.

BANG!