Against The True Gods

The duo rapidly reached the end of the tunnel, arriving before a grand, oscillating wall of white, almost translucent qi.

Immediately, a screen materialized before them.

[You have been deemed worthy to enter the Legacy Realm of the Five Elemental Lords.]

Caine raised a brow, surprised by the message. 'There was a test leading up to here? Could the tunnel have been the test? But…I didn't feel anything…'

He decided to shelve the thought for now and waited. Moments later, something unexpected happened.

From the grand wall of qi, a figure emerged. It was a tiny humanoid entity with butterfly-like wings, a body wrapped in flowing emerald robes, and long hair made of intertwining black vines.

The entity resembled a fairy, its presence radiating an aura of peace and harmony.

The fairy's striking blue eyes scanned the pair before focusing entirely on Caine.

"Hello," he greeted suddenly, breaking the silence. Lilith followed shortly, offering her own polite, "Hello."

The tiny fairy smiled, her dainty hands folding over one another. "Greetings, little mortals."

Her voice was an extraordinary contrast to her size—deep, regal, and velvety, with a richness that seemed to resonate through the qi and the world around her.

"I am Elura, the Grand Faery of Harmony, tasked by the Five Elementals with guarding their realm and legacy," she declared. "As you progressed through the tunnel, your affinities to the elements were tested, and you both passed with flying colors. Thus, you have been deemed worthy to enter this realm."

Her eyes sparkled as she added, "Even better, you are two individuals of opposing genders. This will make it significantly easier for you to obtain the final legacy here."

Caine frowned at her words, disliking their implication. But, as if sensing his thoughts, Elura quickly clarified.

"No vulgar acts are required," she reassured him with a light chuckle. "The necessity for opposing genders lies in the Yin and Yang phenomenon of harmony that must occur to reap the maximum benefits. Physical contact is not necessary."

As soon as she finished speaking, Elura waved her hands. Without warning, Caine and Lilith vanished. Alone now, the fairy's serene smile morphed into a wild grin, one filled with…ambition.

'Let's see if this works.'

***

Caine fell from the sky, landing gently onto what appeared to be a river. Yet, instead of sinking, he stood upon its surface, the liquid barely rippling beneath his feet. A thin layer of qi coated his soles, allowing the seamless transition.

He looked around, taking in his surroundings. The place he had entered was strange, to say the least.

Above him stretched a black sky peppered with red stars, while the horizon extended infinitely. The air was thick with the unmistakable stench of blood. The "river" he stood upon was no river at all—it was a boundless sea of blood. The liquid was so viscous that he doubted he would sink even if he withdrew his qi coating.

Looking down, Caine narrowed his eyes. This wasn't ordinary blood. It was purified beast blood.

'Straightforward at first glance,' he thought. 'No enemies, no apparent trials, and the reward is right here.'

'But the insidiousness of it all lies in the details. How does one obtain a bloodline from this? If Zao was correct, this isn't a single, unified bloodline. It's a chaotic mixture of countless others.'

'So while it's technically pure, it's paradoxically impure. A contradiction—but not really.'

Caine sat cross-legged atop the sea of blood, closing his eyes. Though he already had a solution in mind, he recognized this as a rare opportunity to deepen his understanding of blood qi and bloodlines.

A low hum echoed as he began harmonizing the intent of his own blood with the blood around him, delving into its endless mysteries.

The world suddenly rippled, and Caine found himself pulled into the depths of his own mind—a realm of infinite darkness.

From this void, countless colossal figures emerged, each more majestic than the last.

True Phoenixes, Red Dragons, Golden Crows, Azure Whales, Purple Qilins, White Tigers, Emerald Turtles, Storm Gryphons, Chaos Serpents—legendary beasts thought to be long extinct materialized around him.

Each entity was so vast and magnificent that Caine appeared like a grain of sand before a cosmos of immortal stars.

They surged endlessly until the figures numbered precisely 3,800.

Three thousand eight hundred legendary entities loomed in the void, their beady, primal eyes filled with hatred and hunger as they bore down on him.

Despite the overwhelming pressure, Caine remained calm, his eyes closed as he meditated, using his intent to unravel the mysteries of the bloodlines before him.

'I see. I see. I see.'

He nodded to himself, piecing together the intricate truths.

'There are two paths to forming a bloodline: the natural and the artificial. This is where the divide between humanoid and beast bloodlines lies.'

'Humanoid bloodlines must be forged—they cannot arise spontaneously. We, humanoids, must labor over countless generations, continuously refining our bloodlines, strengthening them, and passing them down to the next. Each generation adds to the foundation laid by the last, perfecting their inheritance.'

'Beasts, however, are entirely different.'

He slowly opened his eyes, a flicker of understanding flashing through them.

'Beasts don't forge their bloodlines—they embody them. Their bloodlines are crafted by the world itself, vessels of essence and intent that reflect the natural order. It is the world that grants beasts their strength, creating a direct link to the primordial forces they represent.'

'This is why the gap between humanoid and beast bloodlines is so vast—our starting points are fundamentally unfair. Yet, beasts can also refine their bloodlines, enhancing them further, passing even greater strength to their descendants.'

'In other words, Beast Progenitors…are terrifying.'

A grin spread across Caine's face as his gaze lifted to the countless towering figures surrounding him. A wild, ambitious idea began to take shape in his mind.

He had already survived the tribulations of the world for performing heretical acts once.

Surely, he could do so a second time.

'Let's find out.'

The void trembled as an earth-shaking rumble echoed across the expanse.