"Alright. Lay it on me, old man."
Mark nodded.
"There are four major stages."
The Four Great Stages of Cultivation Foundation Building (Initial Foundation / Open Yuan)
"The very beginning," Mark explained. "This is where one builds the foundation of their Qi. Without a solid base, all future cultivation will collapse."
Satoshi yawned. "Sounds like tutorial mode."
Mark ignored him.
Qi Transformation (Flowing Qi / Qi Change)
"The stage where one learns to manipulate and refine their Qi," Mark continued. "This is where true techniques are developed."
Athena's eyes lit up with curiosity.
Qi Fusion (Separation and Reunion)
"The merging of different types of Qi," Mark said. "A point where cultivators become something greater than mortals."
Liam listened carefully. "And beyond that?"
Mark's face darkened.
Beyond Qi Fusion
Mark's voice grew low.
"There are no true names for what lies beyond. Some call it the Realm of the Gods. Others call it the Willful Master Stage. There are those who claim that at the highest level, cultivators can shape the universe itself."
He looked at them.
"But understand this—few ever reach it."
His eyes locked onto Satoshi.
"And those who do—become legends or nightmares."
Satoshi chuckled.
"Sounds fun."
Mark sighed.
"You don't understand."
His voice was grim.
"The path of cultivation is not just about gaining strength. It is about choosing what you will become."
Satoshi grinned.
"Then I guess it's time to start choosing."
And with that—their journey into the depths of cultivation truly began.
Becoming Chaos Itself
The night was heavy with silence.
The cultivation world had yet to recover from the storm they had unleashed. The land still trembled in places, and the echoes of their power still lingered in the air. But for now, the world was holding its breath.
Satoshi, Liam, Athena, Amelia, and Camila sat together in an empty temple hall, its walls carved with ancient symbols of wisdom and restraint—symbols that meant nothing to beings like them.
They had shattered the balance of this world just by existing.
And they were far from finished.
The Search for the Moon Clan
Liam leaned against one of the temple pillars, arms crossed, golden eyes flickering in the dim light. "Finding Amelia and me was easy." His voice was calm but firm. "But the Moon Clan will not be."
Amelia, sitting with one leg draped over the other, tapped her fingers against her knee. "Yeah. They don't want to be found."
Athena nodded. "Even in our world, they were legends. Espionage experts, masters of concealment. If they don't want us to find them, we won't."
Satoshi sighed dramatically. "So we're gonna have to look all over this planet, huh? Sounds exhausting."
Camila, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
"No."
The others turned to her.
"We don't have time to scour an entire realm blindly," she continued, her Eyes of Time glowing softly. "There must be another way."
She closed her eyes for a moment, golden gears spinning in her irises. The threads of time twisted in her mind, revealing fragments of futures, possibilities stretching outward.
But the Moon Clan remained hidden.
Even time itself refused to reveal them.
Camila exhaled. "They're shielding themselves. We need an alternative."
Satoshi scratched the back of his head. "Guess that means we'll have to make them come to us."
Liam raised an eyebrow. "And how do you plan to do that?"
Satoshi grinned.
"Oh, you know. Cause some chaos."
The Gifts of Sin
Before they could discuss further, Camila turned her gaze to Amelia and Satoshi.
"Before I forget," she said. "You both reached the third stage. What new abilities did you gain?"
The air shifted.
Even among gods, even among sins—power had a presence.
Amelia smirked, lifting a hand.
Her Eyes of Lust burned, and with a flick of her wrist, a translucent screen of information manifested in the air.
Her voice was smooth as silk, but there was an edge of madness beneath it.
"Let's see," she murmured. "I got quite a few toys to play with."
The Queen of Nightmares
Absolute Illusion
"The ability to make illusions so vivid, so overwhelming, that they become indistinguishable from reality. They don't just trick the mind—they override it. If I want someone to feel pain, they feel it. If I want them to believe they've lived an entire lifetime in suffering, they have."
She smiled, a slow, deliberate expression.
"I can make someone drown in their own fears… forever."
Liam stiffened slightly.
Amelia continued.
Inner World Creation
"I can make worlds within myself… or inside others. Entire realities, shaped by my will. Time, space, physics—none of it matters in there. Once someone falls inside, I own them."
She stretched lazily.
"Nothing personal, of course."
All of Creation
"I can control any dominion—any concept, any force, as long as I exert enough power over it."
Satoshi whistled. "Damn. That's a flex."
Amelia smirked. "Oh, I'm not done."
Nightmare Embodiment
"I am the physical form of nightmares now." Her voice was almost a whisper. "In the real world, my power is strong. But in the dream world?"
Her smile widened.
"I am limitless."
A shiver ran through the room.
Even Satoshi, who reveled in madness, felt something unnatural about that statement.
Amelia leaned forward.
"If someone falls asleep near me, I can take them. Play with them. Break them."
She turned to Liam, golden eyes gleaming with mischief.
"And the best part? If I die, I can just live inside someone's dream."
The room fell silent.
Athena looked genuinely disturbed.
Liam exhaled sharply. "That… is horrifying."
Amelia laughed softly. "Isn't it?"
Satoshi chuckled. "Alright, alright. That's some freaky stuff. But now it's my turn."
He stood.
And fire erupted around him.
The God of Fire and Chaos
Satoshi lifted his hand, and golden-red flames danced across his fingertips.
The heat was alive, responding to his emotions, his will.
"Let's see," he mused. "What do I have now?"
Absolute Combat Mastery
"I can fight with anything. Or with nothing. Doesn't matter. Weapons, martial arts, battlefield awareness—I'm at the peak."
He rolled his shoulders.
"If I fight, I win."
Fire Aura
He clenched his fist, and the flames expanded around his body, forming a burning cloak of energy.
"No one touches me unless I want them to."
Nova Flame
The fire intensified, turning blindingly white.
"A miniature supernova, hot enough to incinerate anything."
The air around him wavered violently, the walls of the temple glowing from the sheer heat.
Fire Absorption
The flames vanished in an instant, sucked into Satoshi's body.
"I don't just make fire. I eat it. I can steal flames from anything—turn it into power for myself."
Liam narrowed his eyes. "That includes divine fire?"
Satoshi grinned.
"Wanna find out?"
Liam's lips pressed into a thin line. "Pass."
Satoshi continued.
Fire-Earth Manipulation
The ground shook, molten cracks forming beneath him.
"I control both fire and earth now. Lava, magma, the whole volcano package."
The cracks sealed instantly.
Fire Soul
"My soul is made of fire now." His voice was almost amused. "So, you know. No big deal."
And finally—
Holy Fire Manipulation
His flames shifted, turning a radiant white.
"This isn't just fire," he murmured. "It burns away the unworthy. It's a judgment unto itself."
He snapped his fingers.
And the flames vanished.
The Weight of Power
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Satoshi looked at his hands, flexing his fingers, feeling the immense power coursing through his veins.
It wasn't just fire.
It wasn't just combat.
It was chaos.
Camila watched him, something cold in her expression.
"The more power you gain," she murmured, "the more you feel like you're becoming chaos itself."
Satoshi's grin faltered.
Because deep down—
He could feel it too.
Something in him was shifting.
Something uncontrollable.
Something beyond sin itself.
And in the distance—
The world was beginning to notice.
The Path to the Higher Realms
The morning air was crisp, yet heavy with an unseen weight. The vast cultivation sect was quiet, its disciples fully immersed in their training, their ambitions stretching beyond mortal limits.
But amidst this stillness, Camila sought answers.
She found Mark standing at the edge of a secluded courtyard, watching the mist roll over the jade mountains below. His aged eyes carried the wisdom of generations, and yet—when he turned to her, there was something else.
Something unspoken.
Something hesitant.
"You wish to know about the Moon Clan," Mark murmured, his hands clasped behind his back.
Camila nodded. "Yes."
Mark exhaled. "Then you must understand something first."
He turned his gaze toward the horizon.
"They are not here."
A flicker of golden light spun within Camila's Eyes of Time.
"Then where are they?"
Mark's fingers tightened. "In the Higher Realms."
What Lies Beyond This World
Silence.
A gust of wind swept through the courtyard, ruffling Camila's robes as she absorbed Mark's words.
"The Higher Realms?" she echoed.
Mark nodded. "A place beyond what mortals can reach. A world above this one, where cultivation has surpassed its limits."
Camila's gaze darkened. "Then how do we get there?"
Mark chuckled, but there was no humor in it.
"You don't."
Camila narrowed her eyes.
Mark continued, his voice quiet yet firm.
"The Higher Realms are not like this world. They are gated. Those who dwell above do not allow just anyone to ascend. The very laws of this realm hold people down, keeping them shackled here."
He turned to fully face her.
"To enter the Higher Realms, one must be beyond the laws of this world."
Camila frowned. "Meaning?"
Mark sighed. "Meaning that this world cannot contain you. That you have outgrown its limits. That its laws can no longer hold you back. Until then, you are trapped here, no matter how powerful you may be."
Camila processed his words carefully.
"So you're saying… that unless we reach a level where we surpass this world's limitations, there's no way for us to ascend?"
"Exactly."
For the first time in a long while, Camila felt a tinge of frustration.
They didn't have time to wait.
The war against the Dark Clans would not slow down simply because the heavens did not wish for them to ascend.
"Then," she asked, voice steady, "is there any other way?"
Mark's eyes flickered with something unreadable.
"…Perhaps."
Camila's gaze sharpened.
Mark turned toward the courtyard's entrance. His voice was lower now, more cautious.
"Every hundred years, envoys from the Higher Realms descend to the Lower Realms, seeking talent to bring back with them."
Camila's breath hitched. "And when is the next descent?"
Mark's expression hardened.
"Next week."
The Gathering of Sects
Camila stilled.
"Next week?"
Mark nodded.
"Every sect, every great power of this world, will gather here to present their most promising disciples. The envoys will judge them, and if they are deemed worthy, they will be taken to the Higher Realms."
Camila's mind was already working through the implications.
That meant that every major sect in this world would be coming here.
Which meant—
"Then the Moon Clan might appear," she murmured.
Mark glanced at her. "It is possible."
Camila's golden eyes burned.
They had been prepared to scour this world for clues.
But now?
The pieces were falling into place far sooner than expected.
Satoshi, Amelia, Liam, and Athena would not be pleased to hear that they had to wait another week.
But if it meant an audience with the envoys of the Higher Realms…
It was worth it.
But something still nagged at Camila.
She turned back to Mark. "One more thing. Where is your sect leader? I haven't seen him since we arrived."
Mark's face darkened.
"He is in seclusion."
Camila's eyes narrowed.
"Trying to break through?"
Mark sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Yes. He hopes that if he can ascend to a new realm of cultivation before the envoys arrive, they will take him with them."
Camila was silent for a moment.
She had seen this before. The desperation of a mortal seeking to forcefully rise above their limits.
It was dangerous.
And more often than not—it ended in disaster.
"Has he succeeded?" she asked.
Mark hesitated.
"…Not yet."
A single moment of pause, but it was enough.
Camila didn't need her Eyes of Time to predict what would happen next.
If the sect leader failed…
If his body collapsed under the weight of his own ambition…
It would only add more chaos to the storm that was already brewing.
Camila sighed, closing her eyes for a moment.
Then, without another word, she turned and began walking away.
Mark watched her go.
And as she disappeared into the mist, he could not shake the feeling that the coming week—
Would be unlike anything this world had ever seen.
When Gods Refuse to Kneel
The days drifted by like falling petals in the wind, but the world beneath them had already begun to shift.
Satoshi and Athena wandered the vast expanse of this new world, marveling at its endless wonders.
Athena had never been allowed to explore in her own world, and so each new sight—a floating mountain, an ancient city carved into the side of a waterfall, a temple where the monks could walk on air—brought an almost childlike joy to her golden eyes.
Satoshi, ever the chaotic observer, found himself fascinated by the sheer difference in logic.
People flew without wings.
Swords obeyed the will of their masters.
Reality bent to those who had the will to dominate it.
And yet—compared to them, it was still too slow.
The Others Prepare
While they explored, Amelia and Liam took a different path.
They trained.
They immersed themselves in the techniques of this world, learning to weave Qi into their already terrifying abilities.
Liam, with his Eyes of Pride and divine swordsmanship, was seen as a natural prodigy. His ability to command elements, his godly aura, his mastery of the blade—all of it made him untouchable.
Amelia was different.
She was not a warrior.
She was a manipulator.
She learned the secrets of mental cultivation, how the mind shaped the energy within. And when her Eyes of Lust glowed, those around her found themselves lost in false realities, entire days passing in the span of moments.
She turned illusions into truth—and no one could tell the difference.
And then—there was Camila.
While the others trained their bodies and minds, she sat in the deepest halls of the Supreme Sect's archives.
She read.
She consumed knowledge older than this world itself.
To the disciples of the sect, she was just a scholar, an enigma who sought wisdom over strength.
But they did not know the truth.
She was the Goddess of Time.
And with every book she read, she was rewriting history itself.
And then—on the seventh day, everything changed.
The sect leader emerged.
A King Descends From Seclusion
The Supreme Sect had awaited this moment for decades.
The sect leader, their master, had finally stepped out of his seclusion.
He was a being who stood at the very peak of cultivation.
A man who had spent centuries refining his body and soul, who had lived long enough to witness the fall of kingdoms and the rise of new empires.
And he wanted to see them.
The ones who had shaken the world.
The ones who had defied fate itself.
And so, in the grandest hall of the Supreme Sect, they gathered.
Golden lanterns floated in the air, casting soft halos of light upon the stone floor. The presence of hundreds of cultivators filled the vast space, waiting to witness the moment when their leader met these unknown beings.
And then—
A sect elder stepped forward.
And ruined everything.
The Demand
"You stand before the Supreme Sect's Leader," the elder declared, his voice laced with arrogance. "Kneel."
Silence fell over the hall.
Satoshi blinked.
Camila looked up from her book.
Athena frowned.
Amelia smirked.
Liam simply sighed.
Satoshi stretched his arms lazily. "Come again?"
The elder's face hardened. "You heard me, outsider. You are in the presence of a being far beyond you. Kneel."
Satoshi let out a slow breath.
He turned to the others. "Should we tell him?"
Liam crossed his arms. "It's a waste of time."
Athena looked worried. "They don't understand."
Camila finally closed her book.
The elder's patience thinned. "You mock our ways?"
Satoshi sighed.
"If we kneel," he said, his voice unusually serious, "this world will be destroyed."
The elder's face twisted in disgust. "Arrogant child. You—"
Satoshi cut him off.
"I'm not joking."
The air shifted.
Something unseen coiled around them, a pressure that had not been there before.
But the elder refused to listen.
"You will kneel," he snapped. "Now."
Satoshi tilted his head.
"Fine."
The World Apologizes
They began to kneel.
And then—
The world screamed.
The sky cracked.
Mountains crumbled into dust.
The ocean froze mid-wave, the waters no longer obeying the rules of nature.
And then—
The hands appeared.
White, colossal hands that descended from the heavens themselves, reaching down to cradle the land.
They were not the hands of a god.
They were the hands of the world itself.
The hands of fate.
And they begged.
Begged them not to kneel.
A Realm That Knows Fear
Satoshi's smirk faded.
The white hands trembled, their presence stretching across the heavens, as if they could barely hold the weight of what was happening.
Camila's Eyes of Time spun wildly, showing fragments of futures that should not exist.
Athena clutched Satoshi's arm, her face pale.
"…The world is apologizing," she whispered.
Satoshi exhaled. "Yeah."
Liam watched carefully, his divine gaze flickering between the heavens and the trembling cultivators.
"What kind of world," he murmured, "begs its own people not to kneel?"
The elder was speechless.
The Supreme Sect's disciples collapsed in terror.
The sect leader—**who had lived for thousands of years, who had seen the rise and fall of countless generations—**was frozen.
Because this should not have been possible.
The world should not be afraid.
And yet—it was.
Satoshi and the others stood back up.
And with that single motion—the world healed itself.
The white hands vanished.
The sky repaired.
The oceans flowed once more.
And the land—once on the verge of annihilation—was restored.
Satoshi let out a breath.
He turned to the elder.
"See?" he said, stretching lazily. "Told you."
The elder collapsed onto his knees, shaking.
The sect leader was silent.