Against The True Gods

"I'd heard you long surpassed the realm of Blood. I'm surprised to find it untrue," Caine said suddenly, breaking the silence that had settled over the last hour.

Lilith, perched on her massive crow flying alongside their eagle, tilted her head. With a flicker of movement, she teleported to their side, landing lightly on the eagle's back. She regarded Caine for a long moment before he smiled and patted the fur beside him.

"Sit," he invited.

To Zao's surprise, she returned the smile and did as told, settling gracefully beside Caine. Watching this unfold, Zao's frown deepened.

Unlike Caine, Zao knew a great deal about Lilith Styxia Sharkhyn. Known as the Blood Expanse Heiress, her title was a testament to her violent dominance in securing her position as a Scion within the Red Sky Heavenly Temple. Yet here she was, casual and composed, acting far more human than her reputation suggested.

Zao's unease only grew. He sent a mental transmission to Caine: <Stay Careful, kiddo.>

"Well," Lilith began, her tone calm yet confident, "I did surpass the realm of Blood long ago, but I decided to forcefully suppress my cultivation so I could forge a foundation I was truly satisfied with."

Caine's eyebrows rose slightly. "Suppress your cultivation? Isn't that risky? From what I understand, it's not exactly a safe method."

Lilith shrugged, a small smile playing on her lips. "It is dangerous, but what isn't? If I want to break limits, I must take risks, don't you think? What about you? Why are you still in the Blood Realm?"

Caine leaned back, his expression unbothered. "I only just turned sixteen. Since I'm following the conventional path of progression, it means I've only been cultivating for about a month." He yawned, slicking back his hair. "I'm not in a rush to break through, so I'm taking my time, carefully laying each step. But I am interested in your method of suppression."

Lilith chuckled softly, covering her mouth with the sleeve of her robe. "Oh my, what would you offer in exchange? It's quite a valuable technique."

Caine considered this for a moment. "What are your main affinities?"

"Fire and poison," she answered immediately, her curiosity evident.

Caine nodded and closed his eyes. Deep within his Bond Space, the glow of his nine rings intensified as they harmonized with his mind. His perfect understanding of all elements and affinities swirled and coalesced into runes, combining seamlessly with his intent.

When Caine opened his eyes again, he extended his palm. Slowly, a thick tome began to materialize, golden runes dancing across its surface.

The title etched itself into the cover:

[Scarlet Arts of Rot]

WHOOOSH!

The tome solidified, and Caine exhaled, his hand steady as he handed it to the stunned Lilith.

She accepted the tome absentmindedly, her fingers trembling slightly as she began flipping through its pages. But as she delved deeper, her shock only grew.

The tome contained a treasure trove of arts and techniques that perfectly fused fire and poison, each one intricate yet shockingly intuitive. Even with her years of expertise, Lilith found her understanding deepening with every page.

Caine remained composed, though inwardly he noted her reaction. 'Spontaneously creating arts could be a viable path for expanding my arsenal, but mastering them all immediately might prove difficult,' he thought.

His gaze flickered as a new idea surfaced. 'Perhaps my Gifts can aid in this. I'll be focusing on them soon enough…'

He pushed the thought aside, returning his attention to Lilith, who now stared at him with an intensity that felt almost tangible. Her piercing gaze seemed to bore holes into his very being.

Even Zao, observing from behind, couldn't mask his surprise. With a sweep of his senses, he had gleaned the tome's contents—and they were astonishing.

Lilith finally broke the silence. "Do you have any idea how valuable this is?"

Caine smiled, his expression radiant yet unreadable. "Hopefully valuable enough to trade for your suppression method."

Lilith exhaled deeply, shaking her head in exasperation. With a flick of her palm, she summoned her own tome. The crimson-bound book radiated a potent, oppressive aura, its cover etched with runes dripping in symbolic blood.

She handed it to Caine without hesitation.

Caine nodded in acknowledgment and opened it immediately, diving into its contents with quiet focus. Seeing this, Lilith mirrored his actions, returning to the tome he had given her.

Zao and the other temple members could only watch in silence, utterly baffled by the scene unfolding before them.

Inside the tome, Caine's mind quickly unraveled the intricacies of Lilith's method.

'I see. This technique uses runes to partially absorb foreign qi and concentrate it within the blood. It temporarily regresses one's life state, allowing for adjustments to the foundation before releasing the accumulated pressure, facilitating evolution.'

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. 'The forced pressure enhances the quality of one's qi, and there doesn't seem to be a limit to its use…'

His silver eyes flicked toward Lilith. 'How many times has she used this? Just how powerful has she become?'

Though the method was incredibly interesting, Caine wasn't planning to use it on himself, even in the future. After all, with the foundation he was forging, what need would he have for such a method?

Though this was the case, he did have a certain idea on how to use this technique to his advantage.

***

The group continued their journey north, venturing deeper into the chaotic, untamed regions of the continent. Elemental phenomena grew increasingly violent, painting the landscapes with raw power that could annihilate even peak Blood Realm cultivators.

Fields of crackling lightning stretched as far as the eye could see. Storms of emerald flames raged without end. Rivers of caustic poison coiled through valleys, while mountainous ranges were swallowed by swirling tempests.

Each step forward was a gamble with death.

But eventually, they emerged from the chaos, reaching a wide clearing of vibrant green grass. The contrast was stark, almost unnerving.

The clearing was crowded with people, all gathered before a massive red portal that swirled ominously at its center.

As Caine's eagle came into view, every head turned toward him. The weight of countless gazes fell upon the group.

Caine smirked, his confidence unshaken.

'As expected.'