Against The True Gods

Caine lay on his back atop a grand eagle mount that soared effortlessly through the skies.

He wasn't cultivating, nor was he planning or scheming. For once, he simply let himself relax, something he'd rarely had the chance to do in his past lives.

The world around him seemed to hum with serenity. He admired the sights of the lands below, the beautiful shapes of the clouds above, the soft caress of the wind against his skin, and the warm embrace of the sun's rays.

The silence of existence itself felt like a balm to his bruised, chaotic mind.

His heart beat slowly, its steady rhythm echoing in his consciousness and calming his ever-busy thoughts. The peace he allowed himself in this rare moment seemed to push his Embryonic Will Star just a step closer to blooming.

But for now, he didn't care about cultivation. He simply lived in the moment. Yet even while relaxing, a few thoughts couldn't help but slip through.

'Now that I think about it,' Caine mused, 'from the very beginning, the Five Aspects have been deeply active in the cultivation path. To sense your Blood Qi through your blood…'

For him, it had been an easy process. With his rings and incredibly sharp senses, most steps in cultivation seemed intuitive. But realistically, how did others manage it?

'You have to use your soul to harmonize with your body and sense the essence of your blood. When I think about it, that's an incredibly complicated process.'

His mind wandered further.

'And beyond that, when I shattered my bones in the Bone Forging stage, how did my flesh hold up? I personally used Qi threads to stabilize myself, but how do others manage it?'

Turning Qi into threads was an advanced technique, nearly impossible for most people.

'So, they must have done it subconsciously. That's where the Qi Aspect comes in. A portion of the Blood Qi used to forge bones must be diverted to maintain the body's structure.'

He yawned, shifting slightly on the eagle's back.

'Then there's the Flesh Destruction stage,' he continued. 'The Mind Aspect must take over here. Your flesh is destroyed, leaving only your bones. If I had to guess, the soul is somewhere in the brain, so during that stage, the soul either goes dormant or is temporarily destroyed.'

This thought lingered as he considered it further.

'If the soul goes dormant, then only the mind keeps you alive during that stage. There's probably some involvement from the Qi Aspect too.'

He thought about the Organ Vessel stage.

'Here, it's obvious. The World Aspect intervenes, forcefully bridging your organs to elements. Elements are…conceptual in nature. Yet they interact with the tangible through the World Aspect.'

Taking a step back, he reflected on all the stages of cultivation.

'Each stage uses the Bodily Aspect as a foundation to be refined and expanded upon. You forge Qi bones and flesh to gain control over your Qi Aspect. If you're talented, you touch upon Will and Intent to gain control over your Soul and Mind Aspects. With high enough affinity, you can even begin to manipulate the World Aspect.'

He yawned again, his body feeling weightless atop the eagle's back. 'I'm still not entirely sure of the exact specifics of each aspect, but just understanding this much is endlessly fascinating.'

A sigh escaped his lips. 'To think I've been missing out on such fun.'

Caine rolled over onto his belly, gazing at the clouds trailing behind them. 'I wonder where they are now…'

His eyelids grew heavy, and his body felt even lighter. 'Let me close my eyes for a bit.'

He drifted into sleep.

The eagle mount, sensing its master's exhaustion, slowed its flight, ascending above the clouds where the air was silent and still. Hours passed as Caine's soft snores echoed gently in the vast expanse of sky.

When Caine's eyes fluttered open, the moon hung high above him, its soft glow casting silver light across the eagle's outstretched wings. The night sky, dotted with countless stars, resembled flowing rivers of silk that stretched endlessly in every direction.

He smiled as the fog of sleep cleared from his mind. "I like you," he murmured, reaching out to stroke the eagle's feathers.

The bird screeched softly in appreciation, its keen eyes fixed on the horizon. Suddenly, Zao appeared beside him, sitting cross-legged as if the wind and motion of the eagle didn't exist.

"How have you been?" Zao asked casually, pulling a bottle of wine and a glass from thin air. He poured himself a drink with practiced ease.

"Good," Caine replied, his voice warm yet tinged with a quiet longing. "A bit lonely, but that's like any other day. I'm mainly excited for… I don't know. I'm just excited."

Zao took a slow sip of his wine, nodding thoughtfully. "If you're happy, that's what matters. We can all die at any moment—it's important to enjoy every second like it's the last."

Caine nodded in agreement, appreciating the sentiment.

"That's how my father raised me and your father," Zao continued. "He taught us to live with a smile, to chase after what our hearts desired, and to use our brains to navigate through the chaos."

He chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound. "A roundabout way of telling us to be troublemakers."

Caine chuckled softly as well, though he didn't ask about this mysterious grandfather. The history of the Velios family was shrouded in shadow, and some things were better left unspoken.

"Hey, Zao," Caine began after a moment of silence, "I had a few questions."

"Go ahead."

"I've noticed some strange mutations and occurrences within my body lately. They seem to center around my Bond Space and the adaptability of my frame. Any idea what's going on?"

Zao nodded knowingly. "It's most likely your mother's bloodline. Her family is… strange, to say the least. When your father married her, even his bloodline began to mutate just by being close to hers. So I can only imagine what's happening inside your body."

He took another sip of his wine before continuing. "But it shouldn't be anything to worry about. All the mutations we've seen so far have been beneficial. In fact, one of them saved your life during your birth tribulation."

Caine tilted his head, intrigued. "What happened?"

"It was one of the most violent birth tribulations I've ever witnessed," Zao said, his gaze distant as if recalling a long-buried memory. "And then… poof. It was gone, just like that."

He sighed. "My memories of that event are blurry, though. Something… interfered. But yeah, don't worry. If anything concerning comes up, let me know."

Caine nodded, closing his eyes briefly as he let out a deep breath. "That's good to know. Thanks."

The two fell silent after that, comfortable in each other's presence. High above the world, carried by their loyal eagle mount, uncle and nephew shared a rare moment of peace under the starry sky.

The eagle let out a soft screech, as if basking in the shared serenity of its passengers. In this moment, with the wind and stars surrounding them, the chaos of their lives seemed far away.