Against The True Gods-Chapter 60: Elements

Caine reappeared in the middle of a vast, colorful hall supported by thick pillars of white stone.

At the room’s dead center, countless tiny cores swirled around a blob of liquid energy, fluorescent and reflecting all imaginable colors. From this central mass, tendrils extended outward, latching onto the swirling cores like insects ensnared in a spider’s web.

WHOOSH!

A portal opened beside Caine, and Lilith stepped through. The moment he laid eyes on her, his gaze narrowed. She’d grown stronger—much stronger.

Elura floated off Caine’s shoulder and drifted to a position between the two of them. Her voice carried an almost ethereal weight as she began to explain.

"The final piece of this legacy revolves around Elemental God Cores and Heavenly Elements."

"These concepts are simple to grasp. Elemental God Cores are crystallizations of elemental power containing an infinite essence—true infinity. They’re treasures used in constructing advanced machines and refining the bodies of high-level cultivators. Their value is beyond measure."

"As for Heavenly Elements," Elura continued, "they’re mutated forms of the original elements. These elements play fundamental roles in the fabric of existence itself. For example, you’ve heard of the Twelve Divine Flames, yes?"

Both Caine and Lilith nodded.

"These flames are Heavenly Elements, each incredibly powerful. Beyond being mere sources of elemental energy, they grant unique abilities. For instance, the Chaos Flame can emulate all elements, enabling the wielder to do something as extraordinary as creating a ’water flame.’ And even that is just the beginning."

She gestured to the pulsating blob behind her.

"This is how it relates to you. Surrounding the room are countless neutral Elemental God Cores—cores you can define with your intent. At the center is the Source Sphere, a wellspring capable of forming as many Heavenly Elements as you can comprehend."

She paused to let the gravity of her words settle. "Given that both of you are at the peak of the Flesh Destruction Stage, preparing to advance, this is your perfect opportunity."

Elura’s gaze sharpened. "The Heavenly Elements and Cores function in tandem. First, you comprehend a Heavenly Element using the Source Sphere. Then, you manifest it through a neutral Elemental God Core."

The cultivation system flowed naturally toward this moment.

The Bone Forging Stage reshaped the bones, reshaping them with Blood Qi to provide an unshakable foundation.

The Flesh Destruction Stage, as its name suggested, destroyed and rebuilt one’s flesh entirely from fine threads of silky Blood Qi.

This not only heightened one’s affinity to Blood Qi but also mutated their cells to produce it autonomously.

Next came the Organ Vessel Stage. This stage addressed the body’s internal systems, focusing on the organs. Each of the six major organs required an elemental core and refinement by the corresponding origin element: Fire for the heart, Wind for the lungs, Earth for the spleen, Water for the kidneys, Wood for the liver, and Lightning for the brain.

But there was a secret—one known to only a few.

The power of the Organ Vessel Stage wasn’t limited to these base elements. If a cultivator refined their organs using Heavenly Elements instead, the resulting power was incomparable. For instance, a Chaos Flame Core forged in the heart and refined by Chaos Fire was vastly superior to a simple fire element refinement.

The challenge, however, lay in the almost insurmountable requirements.

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Comprehending even a Mortal-grade Heavenly Element was incredibly difficult. Elemental God Cores were rare beyond imagining, and containing them within a Blood Cultivator’s body was nearly impossible.

Most cultivators settled for less, using mortal-level elements and solidified elemental qi to form cores.

But neither Caine nor Lilith would settle.

Without hesitation, the two walked toward the Source Sphere and sat beneath it. They performed entirely different tasks—Lilith dove into the mysteries of the blob, while Caine focused on the Elemental God Cores.

Caine sat motionless, his senses focused entirely on the swirling cores. His mind sought to unravel their structures, to understand their inner workings.

"Hm. My understanding was flawed. No, incomplete."

"Qi is a vessel, and intent defines its contents. That much is true. But I overlooked something. What drives intent into existence? To call it the ’mind’ feels insufficient—it’s more than that. The mind is the body but not the hand."

The answer came to him like a revelation.

"Will births intent. Intent shapes Qi. And Qi resonates with the world. That’s why my intent grew stronger when I severed the false connections between my mind and heart. In affirming my will, I made it more potent."

His thoughts turned inward, to the dragon-coiled silver star in his Bond Space.

"This star is the seed of my will…"

Then his gaze shifted to the countless smaller stars surrounding it.

"…and these are seeds of Elemental Wills. Will seeds."

He didn’t know how to make these seeds bloom, but he understood the process now.

Neutral Elemental God Cores began disappearing from the blob’s web, reappearing within Caine’s Bond Space. They fused with his stars, stabilizing and compressing them to the brink of explosion.

A surge of power coursed through him, though he barely noticed.

"They won’t bloom until my will matures."

Will was the product of a sublimated mind. Intent emerged from a mature will, and Qi took form from potent intent.

The cycle became clear.

His silver star trembled, and the dragon coiled around it let out a low growl, the sound reverberating through his Bond Space. The stars above shuddered, resisting the oppressive force of Caine’s embryonic will.

But resistance was futile.

One by one, the stars succumbed, branded by silver runes that seared into their cores.

The marks reflected upon their eggs, embedding themselves deeply.

Caine’s eyes opened slowly, and within their silver depths, countless stars formed, converging into a single white cross that burned across his pupils.

The essence of the elements infused itself into his blood, merging with the essence of the Beast Progenitors. Two halves, always meant to be one, finally joined.

His will solidified, and for the first time, Caine felt utterly… in control.