The echoes of the celestial clash still lingered across the cosmos, the aftermath of the battle painting the void with fractured light and whispered power. Even the far reaches of the metaphysical plane hummed with residual energy as the clone of Lucien hovered, surveying the remnants of the confrontation. His gaze flicked briefly to Buddha and Calystria as they retreated, their final forms slowly fading as they regained composure.
"Hmm… they went back already?" Guru's voice rang through the vacuum, cutting the silence like a blade. The Monkey King had unfolded himself lazily on a fragment of a shattered asteroid, tail curled, eyes glinting with amusement.
Lucien's clone exhaled, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Yes… but the universe hasn't had its fun yet." He tilted his head, abyssal eyes glinting. "And you… are you really going to tease me now?"
Guru chuckled, his tone light yet sharp. "Come on… really? You had to drag it out that long? The mortals below were probably peeking up wondering what the heavens were doing. And me?" He waved a hand dismissively. "I could have jumped in for a little fun."
Lucien's clone narrowed his eyes, irritation creeping into the smirk. "You want a taste of Tian Quan?" His voice was calm, almost casual, but the subtle menace was undeniable.
The Monkey King froze for a heartbeat. Then, with a playful grin, he leapt to his feet. "Hah! Now you're talking! I'm ready whenever."
But the clone only chuckled, shaking his head. "Not yet. There's work to do first. I need to consolidate my power."
Lucien's clone extended his hands, energy flowing outward like liquid starlight. The Tian Quan, still resonating from the final form of Isogi Dispatch, began to hum along with his consciousness. Every strike, every blow, every micro-fracture of the prior battle became part of a living matrix, a feedback loop refining his martial arts style, his metaphysical control, and his understanding of void and heaven.
He paused for a moment, eyes narrowing as he muttered to himself. "Tian Quan isn't just martial arts. It's the very language of existence… the synthesis of all forces. Every strike… every motion… every step… is a command over the laws themselves."
Guru tilted his head, curiosity glinting. "You mean… all that smashing and breaking? That's the real Tian Quan?"
Lucien's clone's smile deepened. "Exactly. It's not just strength or speed. Tian Quan is the embodiment of causality and void in motion. Every form, every technique, is a way to restructure reality itself while still dancing within it. Isogi Dispatch was the first ultimate form… but the fundamentals are far deeper. Control, precision, adaptation, and intent—the motion isn't destructive because it's violent; it's destructive because it follows the laws of everything and manipulates them simultaneously."
He closed his eyes briefly, feeling the ripples of space-time and the metaphysical laws around Azure Blue and the neighboring realms. "Now… let's make sure no cracks were left behind."
The clone raised his hands, and the void rippled outward. He traced fingers through the fractured space, weaving strands of reality back together like an artist stitching a canvas. Tiny fissures healed, stars returned to orbit, and even the faint tremor of planets corrected itself. The faraway constellations blinked in harmony as the metaphysical balance reasserted itself.
Guru watched, eyes wide. "I didn't think anyone could actually do that… and so casually, too."
Lucien's clone opened one abyssal eye, a glint of mischief in his gaze. "Casual? Everything is casual if you've already learned the rules. Tian Quan doesn't just let you fight—it lets you reshape the battlefield, reshape space, reshape law itself. You're seeing the basics now, but the deeper the understanding, the more seamless the reality you manipulate becomes."
Guru chuckled. "Sounds like you're trying to make every mortal feel like ants."
"Exactly," the clone replied with a grin, one hand brushing lightly through space as if swiping dust off an invisible table. "And yet, even ants can dance to the rhythm of the universe if you guide them correctly."
Satisfied that the fabric of reality was flawless, Lucien's clone turned his gaze to Azure Blue. The planet glimmered softly, unaware of the cosmic struggle that had just occurred above it. Aelira, standing on the sect's observation deck, sensed a gentle ripple of power wash over her, like a whisper of the heavens themselves.
The clone looked down and extended a hand. "Come on, Guru. Time to go back. The mortals have had enough of our games for now."
Guru flexed his claws, stretching. "Finally. I was beginning to wonder if I'd have to fight the cosmos myself."
With a subtle snap of his fingers, the clone warped space, and the two of them vanished from the higher void, appearing comfortably above the Azure Blue's atmosphere. The world below seemed to exhale, the pressure and energy from the previous battle dissipating completely.
Once they had landed on a calm, high plateau near Dreamveil Estate, the clone began walking, hands behind his back. Guru followed, tail swishing lazily.
"Tian Quan is…" the clone started, voice carrying the weight of centuries of distilled knowledge, "the articulation of intent through motion. It's not just fighting. It's the language of reality. Every strike must obey and manipulate the laws simultaneously. Every defense anticipates causality itself. You can destroy stars with a kick, shift planets with a palm, but the true essence is control. Without control, power is meaningless."
Guru tilted his head. "So the way you were fighting… every move, every kick, every hit…"
"Was a statement of law," the clone said simply, eyes reflecting the azure sky. "A conversation with creation. The fundamental forms, the upper forms, the ultimate forms—they are just expressions. The mastery lies in the understanding: how force, void, causality, and motion intertwine to manifest your will."
The Monkey King whistled softly. "I might actually fear you now. And that's saying something."
Lucien's clone only smirked. "Good. Fear keeps the world orderly. And yes, I am teaching Aelira something even more dangerous. She'll grow to understand Tian Quan not just as a martial art… but as the language of reality itself."
The two walked along the cliffs near Dreamveil Estate, the twin suns of Azure Blue setting in the distance. Even with all that had happened, the atmosphere was calm, serene. The clone allowed himself a rare moment to feel pride—not for himself, but for the world he was shaping, the legacy he was beginning to build, and for the daughter he would someday guide.
Guru, ever the playful one, nudged him. "So… you really did drag the fight out just for fun, didn't you?"
The clone grinned, eyes glowing faintly. "Perhaps… but only enough to make a point. Remember this, monkey king: power is meaningless without a lesson. And I've taught mine well."
Guru laughed, shaking his head. "A lesson indeed… now, let's see what the mortals will do next."
Lucien's clone didn't reply. His abyssal eyes scanned the horizon, over Azure Blue, over Dreamveil Estate, over the countless stars beyond. The Tian Quan hummed in resonance with the merged realities, and the Heaven-Void Paradox was stronger than ever.
Aelira would awaken soon. The universe would change. And the clone—an extension of Lucien Dreamveil—was ready to lead the charge.
The heavens exhaled. The lesson of Tian Quan had been set. The cosmos would remember.