Against The True Gods

There, standing in the skies above the crowd of countless humans, stood Soran, his aura imposing and unyielding.

His hair was still just as blonde and curly, his eyes just as golden, and his face just as arrogant as ever. His gaze, however, burned with unrelenting hatred as he stared at Caine.

Though he remained a Half-Step Sage, Caine could easily discern that Soran had grown far stronger since their last encounter.

But that didn't concern him. In fact, if Soran was about to do what Caine suspected, it would serve as the perfect opportunity for him to test something he'd been working on.

"Unseen Prince of the North," Soran's voice carried as his gaze shifted to Lilith. "Blood Expanse Heiress."

Hearing these titles, the gathered crowd erupted into an uproar, countless whispers filling the air. Caine watched the chaos unfold with a faint, amused smile.

Soran, ignoring the commotion, fixed his eyes on Lilith. "I hold no grievances against your people, Heiress. Please step aside from the prince. I have no wish to harm you."

Lilith blinked in surprise at his words. She glanced at Caine's profile, observing his expression carefully before letting out a soft chuckle. She stayed rooted in place, making no move to comply.

Soran took note of her refusal but said nothing. Nodding to himself, he extended a palm. In an instant, a sword of light materialized in his grasp. His blonde hair ignited into a golden, flame-like mane, and his pupils deepened into swirling abysses of magenta.

His aura surged, casting a suffocating net of power over the crowd below as glowing runes flickered and bloomed around him.

He pointed his sword at Caine. "Fight for your—"

Soran's words abruptly cut off, a wet, choking sound replacing them as blood filled his throat. His face paled, and his eyes widened in horror as he looked up at Caine, whose expression remained utterly devoid of emotion.

With a flick of Caine's hand, Soran's blood qi began to writhe and churn violently. His skin reddened, and his muscles spasmed uncontrollably as his body betrayed him.

Caine slowly clenched his extended hand into a fist. At that moment, under the stunned gaze of everyone present, Soran's cultivation plummeted, falling from the Half-Step Sage realm to the Bone Forging Stage in mere seconds.

But Caine wasn't finished. Another wave of his hand, and runes crawled across Soran's skin, pulsing with potent blood qi. They began refining his body, tearing and remolding it on a fundamental level.

Soran roared in agony as his very essence was split and reshaped. The pain was unlike anything he had ever experienced.

Watching the scene unfold, Lilith tilted her head and murmured, "Puppetry?"

"Mhm," Caine replied, his tone casual. "I've always been curious about the arts of necromancy and puppetry."

"A matter of trust?" Lilith probed.

"Perhaps," Caine admitted with a faint nod. "It's still rudimentary, but I see potential in the technique."

Lilith's lips curved slightly. "Necromantic arts are among my specialties. If you wish, I can assist you in refining this."

"That would be ideal," Caine said, his expression softening as he accepted her offer.

Soran's screams gradually faded until they ceased altogether. His body vanished, sealed away within the depths of Caine's Bond Space for further experimentation. There were still things Caine wanted to test.

Zao's eyes widened in shock as he witnessed this. Had Caine just… placed a living being into his Bond Space? Even he, with all his power, couldn't accomplish such a feat.

He cast a deep, searching look at Caine, knowing full well the younger man could sense it. But neither spoke.

Caine shifted his gaze to the crowd of rogue cultivators and fanatics below. They stared back, equal parts horrified and reverent.

"Return to where you came from," Caine said calmly. "I have no desire for a massacre. Killing my people will yield you nothing but despair. Do not force my hand."

Before anyone could respond, Caine's massive eagle flared its wings and soared into the portal, which had turned a vivid green.

WHOOOSH!

The portal closed behind them, leaving the crowd stunned and speechless.

Zao, now among the temple members, could only shake his head at the turn of events. He knew Caine better than most and understood that everything he did was deliberate and served a purpose.

But this time, even he was left baffled. Beyond the odd dynamic forming between Caine and Lilith, Zao couldn't fathom why Caine had abducted Soran so publicly. Not only had he done so in front of countless witnesses, but he had also left them alive to ensure the news would spread far and wide. And then there was his overt distrust of the alliance—why make that so clear?

It didn't make sense, but Zao trusted his nephew more than anyone. If there was anyone worth believing in, it was him.

'Let's see how this plays out,' he thought.

***

The portal carried Caine and Lilith into a vast, ethereal tunnel. The walls shimmered with a kaleidoscope of colors, made from an otherworldly matter neither could identify.

At the tunnel's end, a radiant light beckoned, likely the entrance to the Legacy Realm.

The air was calm and serene as they drifted toward the light. Caine's gaze wandered, his mind awash with countless threads of intent he instinctively absorbed and analyzed.

These were fragments of comprehension he'd already grasped, yet they now deepened, pushing toward—

'Perfection.'

Caine's eyes glazed over for a moment before clarity returned. He blinked as his thoughts refocused.

"You know," Lilith remarked, "it's dangerous to leave yourself so vulnerable in the presence of a stranger."

"I'm alive, aren't I?" Caine replied without missing a beat. "I'm a decent judge of character."

Lilith shook her head, amused but resigned.

From the little time she'd spent with him, she'd learned much about the enigmatic prince—and one thing was clear: Caine was as unyielding in his trust of himself as he was in his power.

Sighing, she rested her head lightly on his shoulder as they continued forward. Meanwhile, Caine's thoughts swirled, fixated on a single concept.

'Intent… Intent… Intent…'