The five Archdeities of the Path of Freedom felt the aura of the Enlightened One rise exponentially the moment he gripped his staff. It was like watching a calm ocean suddenly erupt into a tidal wave. Every instinct screamed at them to retreat, yet there was no going back. They had marched under the banner of the Ancient One, and retreat meant death or worse.
Roaring in unison, they pressed forward, but they were still a heartbeat too late.
The Enlightened One moved first.
With a single effortless motion, he swung his staff to the side. In that instant, the weapon stretched—growing endlessly, its length spanning countless kilometers. It became less a weapon and more a celestial pillar, as though he wielded the axis of heaven itself.
