Dancing on the golden ashes

I called upon the chaos energy deep inside me, pulling it from the very core of my being. The laws of chaos had been notoriously difficult to control, but something about this moment felt different. The system seemed to be amplifying my power, guiding me through the motions as if I were one with the energy itself.

I summoned my scythe, feeling its presence at my side, its dark edge a perfect extension of my will. The chaos energy flowed through me, and with a swift motion, I slashed through the chariot in the sky. A massive burst of force followed, the chariot splitting in two, the lightning dissipating.

I stood there, my heart racing from the exertion, a victorious grin forming on my face. "Too easy," I muttered under my breath.@@novelbin@@

But as the smoke cleared, I saw something I hadn't expected—the chariot was regenerating. Its form reassembled with terrifying speed, burning brighter, hotter, more intense than before. It was infused with even more raw energy, and the anger radiating from it felt almost sentient.

"Well, I'm fucked…" I muttered under my breath, realizing too late that the battle had only just begun.

The chariot was nearly upon the city as it plummeted from the heavens, but I shot into the sky to meet it. I can't let it reach the city. The damage it could cause would be catastrophic. I'll take this trial in the sky—no matter how hard it is, I will not let anything stop me. Not even the heavens!

I collided with it head-on, the lightning spear crashing into my scythe. The two energies collided with a deafening roar. I wrapped my scythe in the searing red lightning, and I could feel the force of it. The figure controlling the chariot trembled, forced to divert its path and retreat into the thunderclouds, likely to recharge its energy.

"Don't you even dare!" I shouted, my resolve hardening.

Soul Shackle!

The black chains shot toward the lightning figure, but they couldn't bind it.

"Genius," the eerie voice taunted, ruining my moment of triumph. "Of course, you can't shackle it. This is heavenly energy. You can't bind anything with that skill unless it has a soul. Do you have a brain or not?"

Seriously? Couldn't you have told me that earlier, you useless thing?

"I can't help you, Gaon. If I interfere, the moment it senses my energy, you'll witness something you've never seen before—and you'll die instantly. All I can do is speak to you in secret," the eerie voice said, the usual bitterness replaced by a tinge of fear. "Listen, if you want to beat this thing, you have to use that red lightning. It's the key to making the heavenly lightning submit. It's even stronger than the heavenly energy, and if I'm not mistaken, it might even fear your lightning."

Overthrow the heavens? I couldn't help but scoff. Yeah, right. That'll never happen. But one thing was certain: I would survive this, and I would grow stronger than ever before. Nobody in this world would be able to match me.

"You say that now, but just you wait, Gaon. One day, you will reach a level where you can traverse the cosmos itself without fear. The heavens will be nothing to you then," the eerie voice spoke, its tone carrying a strange certainty that made me uneasy. It was almost as if it knew something I didn't. Or was it that it trusted me that much?

But I couldn't dwell on that now. The chariot was recharging and barreling toward me again, its energy surging with even more power this time.

The lightning from its spear shot out, chasing me like a relentless beast. I could feel the air crackling as I sped away, my wings flapping furiously, each beat sending me hurtling faster. The crimson lightning enveloped me, wrapping around my wings, but the lightning chasing me refused to let up. For the first time, I had to create an ability on the go, using lightning in ways I had only ever utilized for small enhancements. Lightning had never been my main power, but now I had no choice.

Let's see how you like this! I thought, pushing the limits of my power. I manipulated the laws of lightning in the air, feeling the runes float inside the storm, invisible to the naked eye, but there. I could sense them. The runes danced together, coiling and twisting, and I connected them in my mind.

Suddenly, I stopped mid-flight and shot a wave of crimson lightning directly at the one chasing me. The moment our powers collided, the world around me turned dark. Two forces, so powerful, crashing into each other. And to my surprise, I came out on top. The crimson lightning began devouring the heavenly lightning, much like it had with Nam Ji-ho.

The laws of lightning rushed into me, and I instinctively began absorbing them as my own. This heavenly punishment... it was actually beneficial. Not only would I grow stronger in my cultivation base, but I was also gaining an immense amount of law knowledge. My mind began to unravel the mysteries within the storm.

And then... something strange happened. Along with the lightning laws, I felt another, more ancient power surge through me. They were holy laws, and they emanated with total authority...

Don't tell me... I thought, my heart pounding. Is that... heavenly laws? Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire

I could barely contain my excitement, but I pushed it down, knowing I couldn't afford to draw more attention to myself.

"You truly are amazing, Gaon. This will make you unrivaled!" The eerie voice spoke, its tone now infused with awe. At that moment, I felt my soul energy surge, growing at a pace I had never experienced before. It was as if I were devouring the heavens themselves. The power coursing through me was unlike anything I had ever felt. This wasn't just strength; it was divine. I could feel the very fabric of the universe bending to my will.