Against The True Gods

Caine and Lilith entered the wide entry hall of the pagoda, their steps steady and deliberate.

The marble-white floors gleamed under the dim light, stretching out toward a ceiling that seemed to pierce into the very heavens. The grand architecture conveyed an ancient majesty, whispering of secrets and power cultivated over countless eons.

Delicate butterflies fluttered around the empty space, their wings shimmering with an iridescent glow that illuminated the hall's darkness. Their soft, ethereal light lent the scene an otherworldly tranquility, masking the intensity of what lay ahead.

Priest Conan turned to the two Scions, a warm smile softening his aged features. With a wave of his hand, two ethereal screens appeared before them, each glowing with ancient runes.

[Endless Samsara Mode / Void Meditation Mode / Auxiliary]

Caine's finger moved with the same calm confidence as Lilith's. She selected the Endless Samsara Mode at the exact moment Caine chose the Void Meditation Mode.

Their eyes met briefly, each reflecting the same unspoken understanding. There was no surprise in their choices—they had long accepted each other's paths.

"Good luck," they said in unison.

Two portals materialized before them, shimmering with swirling energy. Without hesitation, they stepped forward, vanishing into the unknown. Their unwavering resolve left Priest Conan momentarily stunned. He shook his head, a quiet chuckle escaping his lips.

"Good luck, Your Highness," he whispered.

**

Caine stepped into a realm that mirrored the Blood Sea where he had once formed his Progenitor bloodlines. But this was different.

Instead of a crimson sea, he now stood on an expanse of thick, black goo that stretched endlessly in all directions. The viscous surface held his weight, refusing to let him sink.

Above him, the sky was an abyss—pitch black and starless. No qi stirred. No breeze whispered. This was a void in the truest sense: a place where all things ceased to exist.

For most, this emptiness would be suffocating. But for Caine, it was perfect. Over the last year spent in relentless training and introspection, the path forward had become crystalline in its clarity.

This was the setting he needed. Time to focus. Time to forge.

He exhaled slowly, lowering himself into a cross-legged position. The instant his breath left his lips, the waters below stirred violently.

Thick tendrils of goo surged upward, writhing and coiling until they coalesced into a humanoid figure. It sat before him, mirroring his posture.

Caine chuckled, a wry smile touching his lips.

"So soon?"

The figure trembled, its form solidifying further. Crimson eyes flickered open, and a cruel mouth twisted into a smirk. "Why act surprised if you expected me? I don't even know why you came here."

The entity's voice was cold, yet it dripped with disdain and mockery.

Heart Demons—the embodiment of one's deepest fears, hatred, jealousy, and pain—manifested through the metaphysical pressures of cultivation. They were the shadows of the heart, brought to life by unresolved darkness.

Hate that festered until it became sentient.

Jealousy that twisted into a venomous presence.

Fear that coiled like a serpent in the mind.

Without overcoming these demons, the path of cultivation was closed. They were barriers, merciless and unyielding.

Most cultivators faced their Heart Demons only in the later stages of their journey. For Caine to confront his now—as a mere Blood Realm cultivator—was a testament to the shadows that lurked within his soul.

The Heart Demon sneered. "You're like a child afraid of the dark. So terrified you mistake your madness for bravery as you charge head first into the abyss."

Caine's eyes remained calm, steady. He had always carried this burden. He had been born with a Heart Demon nestled within his soul, nurtured by the hatred and sin that fueled his very existence.

Even as a fetus, trapped in the lifeless womb of his mother, it was that demon's presence that gave him the strength to claw his way into the world.

That voice had been his constant companion, whispering venom into his thoughts since his first breath. It had vanished only after his reincarnation as a Velios. Even then, it took the birth of his True Will to suppress and control it.

This demon was why he avoided the Trial of False Limerence during the Samsara Festival.

He knew he'd lose himself to it. He knew the demon would win.

But that was the past. The Caine of today was no longer the frightened child of yesterday.

"Yes," Caine admitted, his voice a soft murmur. "Yes, I'm afraid. Why wouldn't I be?"

A smile curled his lips, a fragile yet defiant expression.

"I have everything I ever wanted. All the dreams I clung to as a child are now within my grasp. Why wouldn't I fear losing it all?"

His gaze met the Heart Demon's, unflinching.

For the first time in his life, he looked into those crimson eyes without trembling.

"I'm scared. Terrified, even. But that doesn't mean I'll stop."

The Heart Demon's sneer widened. "So now you move in fear? You're just prey under a predator's gaze. The old you would be disgusted."

"You were once something to admire. Now you're just a boy with too much power. A boy too afraid to live. A boy who can't let go of the past."

The demon's gooey face twisted into a cruel mirror of Caine's smile. "Even I pity you."

But Caine didn't falter. He sighed, the weight of his words grounding him.

"That's what cultivation is, isn't it? Surpassing limits. Evolving. Facing fears. All that nonsense, you know?"

He leaned forward slightly, eyes glimmering with traces of insanity. "I'm scared today, but I won't be tomorrow. And that's enough."

The void trembled. A crushing pressure descended from the black sky, suffocating in its intensity. The Heart Demon's eyes flickered with uncertainty.

A spark of madness danced in Caine's eyes as he began to close them. Laughter bubbled up from his chest, a sound so raw and unhinged that even the Heart Demon recoiled.

He laughed louder, the sound reverberating through the void, shaking its very foundation. Find your next read at My Virtual Library Empire

"Today is a great day!"

Today, he would forge his Dao Heart.