3rd POV:
Samael and Augustus sat in their room. Eleutherios was resting in Samael's lap as the three cultivated. The Essence of the World, also known as True Qi, was drawn in and converted to their respective energies, Void Essence and Creation Qi. Augustus had managed to partially awaken his bloodline during one of their spars in the month since the trials for spots in the Aurora Pocket Dimension. His bloodline had been called the High Human Bloodline and it had made his body 15 times stronger. Though not quite as strong as Samael's bloodline enhancements it had allowed Augustus to form his own unique form of energy; Creation Qi. Because of Augustus' new Creation Qi he was able to somewhat use Earth Laws, similar to how Samael could use water laws despite not being Tier 1 or stronger. Augustus got up and looked at Samael. "There's only 1 more month until we're leaving for the Aurora. It's about time we ascend, don't you think?" Samael pet Eleutherios, giving him a good scratch behind the ears before lifting him off his lap and getting up as well. "Indeed we should. We need to be as strong as possible to face the dangers within the Aurora." The two walked to the center courtyard and entered one of the shimmering portals. As they went through they felt their stomachs drop like they were falling. In the next instant that feeling was gone and they were in an unfamiliar location. They looked around the large mountain cradle, and in the center they saw about 200 pedestals in a large circle. The pedestals were covered from top to bottom in complex rune networks that glowed with a blue hue. The structures themselves were made of a silvery blue stone like material that drew in True Qi to power the runes. By using these pedestals it would protect the surrounding area from the Heavenly Lightning that would strike during the ascension to the next Tier. It also channeled True Qi into the cultivators to aid in their ascension and strengthen their foundations even further.
The two looked at the pedestals in awe, their majesty could not be understated. Three of them were in use and Heavenly Lightning rained down like the very Dimension itself was trying to kill them. A bright light exploded out from one of the pedestals as the cultivator fully resonated with reality. Waves of energy blasted out as the young man floated up into the air. Rays of silver and gold radiated from him as his soul accepted the enlightenment of Heaven. His soul manifested like a deep shadow, menacing and vile. Its darkness blotting out the sky. Its size grew; 6 feet, 20 feet, 400 feet, 1 mile, 100 miles. Its growth accelerated as the very sky seemed to be covered by the manifested soul. Suddenly, a voice as regal as that of a king, rang out across the area. It seemed to come from nowhere, yet everywhere at the same time. Deep, masculine and overflowing with confidence, almost as though the cultivators in the courtyard were inferior to it in every way, lesser beings that it could squash with less than a thought.
"CHILD OF SHADOWS, RECEIVE THY BLESSING."
The young cultivators' thoughts raced, the boy's talent had been evident from the start. This however, was far beyond what was expected. This boy was among the greatest geniuses the Voidstar Clan had ever borne witness to. The cultivator had been granted a True Name; Child of Shadows, its weight branded on to his very soul. Not many were granted a True Name during their first ascension. It was a sign of the latent talent resting within him. Just as suddenly as the phenomenon had appeared, it was gone. The sky was back to its clear blue color, the wind returned to being stagnant and the tension melted away. The phenomenon repeated again for the second cultivator, though far less dramatic as she was not granted a True Name, and finally once more for the third one. The three jumped down from their individual pedestals, proceeded to stand back and watch as the next batch went up. A few hours passed and it was finally Samael and Augustus' turn to use the platforms. They jumped up and sat down at their individual platforms. Samael closed his eyes and began to meditate, circulating his Void Essence around his body following the predetermined path of his Body Refinement Technique. Soon, a rumble echoed out. Powerful shockwaves blasting out all around Samael as he released the full extent of his cultivation. It's weight bore down on everyone within a mile radius, forcing many to kneel from the pressure. The people that weren't pinned down completely from the weight of Samael's cultivation were flung away, as though they weighed nothing. There was a clear suppression emanating from Samael. He opened his eyes and the first bolt of Heavenly Lightning struck. The Elders, who were looking over the youths to protect them, held shocked looks on their faces. Rather than the normal yellow-ish white of normal Heavenly Lightning, Samael's had a deep crimson.
The force of the impact made the runic formations covering the pedestal irrelevant. It crumpled under the power of the strike. Again. Another bolt struck Samael as he floated in the air. He was floating were the pedestal had once been, now it was just a deep crater. Char marks ran all across Samael's upper body as the robe was torn apart. Even so, Samael remained still, his breathing calm and not so much as a movement on his face. Despite the destruction raining upon him, the pain of the crimson Heavenly Lightning striking him tens of times, he was calm. He continued to endure the strikes for over 30 hours before the Heavens relented. He had been struck hundreds of thousands of times in that period. His skin, once a pale blue, was now black and charred. His hair was gone, reduced to ashes along with his robes. The Elders had long evacuated all the weaker cultivators far away as they viewed the destruction from afar. Light rained down from the sky, slowly healing all of Samael's injuries. As he was healing, he began manifesting his soul. Within seconds it's size had grown hundreds of times over, reaching half a mile in width. It continued to grow larger and larger, its beautiful blue color reminiscent of a massive open ocean.
…
In the 9th Dimension, a war beyond scale was taking place. Its battles stretching through time, space and even memories. The Heaven Keepers, a race tasked with keeping the order of the Planes of Heaven, were defending against a partícularily vicious attack. The attackers were the supreme rulers of all the infinite realities, the overlords of the Geraldverse itself, The Absolute Geraldians. "Pesky bugs, daring to manipulate the Heavens rules to attack one of us? Removal from the cycle of reincarnation would be far too kind of a punishment for ones such as yourself." One of the Absolute Geraldians spat disdainfully.