The Monarch

The process of ascending to divinity was not something that should affect the space around it; it was a process primarily based on laws without any other interference. However, against tenth-realm mages, this rule ceased to exist simply because the lightning was capable of affecting fundamental laws.

Fundamental laws were the foundation of any universe; they defined how things should be done and how they would behave in any situation exposed by the universe. The fundamental laws regulated everything, from the smallest event like the flap of a butterfly's wings to the birth of a child through the river of souls.

This lightning simply defied all of that. The universe was thrown into chaos, unlike anything even during the time when the Ice Emperor attacked with his dragon. All laws had turned into a meaningless mess, struggling to grasp onto any remnant of order.

Han smiled and…

"Truly a genius." Kayden smiled as he saw Han's soul fuse completely with the divine soul. There was no longer any difference between the two souls. There was probably some escape point somewhere, but that was something only Han could see.

The boy's aura reached its peak. He was the personification of a god in all his glory and capability. His mortal soul was no longer able to contain his power, and not even the universe could prevent his actions. Han had fully become a god at this moment.

Even so, that lightning was not something ordinary; it was far beyond a mere test to become a god. It was the trial for a ten-lightning mage to ascend to godhood. This was a unique event even across all universes. Ten-lightning mages were rare—extremely rare—and those capable of becoming gods were an absolute minority among them.

Han swung his spear and…

A fundamental law was released from his attack against the lightning. It was simply two laws facing each other. While the first was something artificial, created by the heavens, Han's law was one of soul and fear, honed through an infinite number of cycles. The clash between the two attacks shook the universe.

The arena was completely devoid of matter across its entire span of ten universes. There were simply no more laws or anything of the sort. Everything had been wiped from existence as if it were absolutely nothing. The remnants of the battle still managed to leak outside the arena through holes in the barrier. If not for the gods' protection, the outer universe would have been erased from existence.

The impact was instantaneous. The divine lightning collided with Han's law as if two absolute truths were trying to cancel each other out. The space around them twisted into impossible folds, and the vacuums previously created became mere remnants of the impending destruction. Light and darkness became indistinguishable for a moment, giving way to a brute force that could not be measured by any known system.

Han's law roared in its existence, fear and soul intertwined into an unbreakable concept forged through countless eras. The divine lightning, on the other hand, existed without limitation, created by the universe itself as a force of final judgment.

All timelines converged at this moment. If Han failed, his soul would be erased in an instant. Either he ascended to the divine level, or he would be completely eradicated from the battle. There was no middle ground—it was an all-in gamble. He began executing millions of cuts at high speed.

Each cut built upon the previous one. It was a pure law attack capable of matching the force of the lightning. The battle was a clash of two irreconcilable forces, but… in the end, Han's strength slowly started to overcome the lightning. With each passing second, he pushed the lightning back toward the heavens.

The problem was his body. Han was using a power far beyond what he should have been capable of. His soul was already showing clear signs of failure, and his body was completely shattered, with dozens of missing pieces. To make matters worse, his spear was breaking apart entirely. Han was being defeated not by his opponent but by his own overwhelming strength. Yet, he continued.

"This is it." Han smiled as he launched the last attack he was capable of and watched as his soul completely separated from the divine soul. In the end, he had only been able to reach his peak for a few seconds, but it was an insane display.

If Han had used this level of power against Atlas… there wouldn't even have been a way for Atlas to defend against the first cut. In the end, the result of this tournament became obvious to everyone. Han was the champion of mortals; his strength was simply countless times beyond Atlas's. There was no competition between them.

"Congratulations, Han Heart, for becoming the first and only ten-lightning god of this universe," the voice of the heavens resounded in the minds of all living beings. "Once this event is over, you will be placed in another universe—one befitting your glory."

With one of the most insane events this universe had ever witnessed, Han was elevated to divine rank. Atlas would have to face something similar once he opened himself to the gaze of the heavens. His confidence did not waver; he knew he was ready for whatever came next. Whether he liked it or not, he was also a ten-lightning mage.

"Truly impressive," Matheus said. But there was no fear in his tone. In the end, he was also at this level, a true anomaly among all others.

"Now we can finally fight on the same level." Han smiled and looked at Atlas. The two did not respond when another presence began to grow. It seemed that the surprises in this group were far from over.

Matheus appeared clapping his hands as his aura continued to grow, the universe seemed to resonate around him in a strange way, the laws bowed to his presence without him taking any action, this was the same as what happened with the gods.