Grey Fozard sat cross-legged in the heart of the cultivation chamber. The room throbbed with a symphony of divine essence. Thick air hung heavy and viscous around him. It tasted sweet like floral lotus on his tongue. Sharp bitterness from thunderous qi mingled in each breath. Ancient smoky incense curled through his nostrils in dense waves. The scents spun his head with euphoric immersion. Walls lined with glowing spirit crystals hummed like ethereal bees. Shadows writhed across the smooth jade floor. They whispered visions of cosmic wars and balanced eternities. Apocalyptic voids appeared where stars screamed before fading. Light burst from crystals in azure and crimson flashes. It seared his retinas with lingering afterimages. Boundaries blurred between reality and hallucination. Humidity clung to his skin like sweat-soaked qi. Warm and sticky layers pressed against him. Distant chimes tolled like heavenly bells. They echoed fates through the space. The jade floor felt cool and unyielding under his crossed legs. It pulsed faintly with absorbed qi vibrations that tingled up his spine.
At fifteen years old, Grey's frame had transformed. Once childlike, it now held lean muscles honed by endless trials. Black hair cascaded like a dark mantle over broad shoulders. Faint scars from qi deviations and beast hunts marked his skin. They burned with phantom pains in quiet moments. His eyes gleamed as mesmerizing galaxy orbs. White strings encircled a central gold dot. The gaze pierced illusions like a black hole's pull. His presence radiated an aura of controlled power. It bent the air slightly around him. Nearby spirit crystals flickered brighter in response. Their hum grew louder as if drawn to his balanced essence.
Ten years had passed since Earth's dead ruins. Grey clawed through bottlenecks and inner demons. Whispers of failure haunted him. He survived alone on that forsaken planet from age three to five. Forests hid death in every shadow. Parents murdered in wars. The world left barren. Now his dantian fused Majesty Qi and Primal Chaos Qi. Power surged within him. Yet doubt lingered. The void hungered for balance. He must feed it or become its prey.
Cultivation proved a grueling odyssey. Each day battled the self. Majesty Qi gathered from heavenly storms. Bolts lashed his skin with electric fury. Crackling energy tasted of ozone and salt on his lips. Flesh seared in agonizing bursts. Scorched earth scents choked his nostrils. Primal Chaos Qi drawn from void rifts roared with deafening winds. Howls shattered ears like raging beasts. Air thick with sulfur and decay burned his throat. Balancing them felt like containing a supernova. Yin chaos swirled in indigo mists. It chilled bones to brittleness. Yang majesty blazed in golden flames. Blood boiled in veins. Clashes exploded in bursts. Meridians quaked with bone-jarring vibrations. Echoes left him gasping. Sweat poured in salty rivers down his back. Metallic exhaustion lingered on his tongue. The chamber's humidity amplified every drop. It made his robes cling like a second skin heavy with absorbed essence.
Meditations brought self-reflection amid the storm. Earth's wars seemed child's play next to this internal hell. Grey hid in caves and hunted with stones. Hunger gnawed his guts like a beast. Alone at three after murders. He survived to five. Now at fifteen, he surpassed Supreme God. His master chose him for a reason. Power attracted enemies. Arrogance could unbalance him like fallen sects. Awareness kept him vigilant.
The Ruler of Balance entered the room. His presence crushed the air. Divine lotus scents intensified to a heady perfume. Grey's head swam. Lights exploded in red-gold flashes. They blinded him momentarily. The floor vibrated under heavy steps like a drum of fate. The Ruler's ancient face etched with eons broke into a rare smile. Eyes widened in surprise and pride. Grey's aura interacted with his master's. It caused the chamber's crystals to resonate in harmonious chimes. The air grew warmer around them.
"My successor, you have reached Supreme God and surpassed it. Majesty Qi and Primal Chaos Qi fuse in flawless harmony. This testifies to your will. Your bloodline from dead Earth forged something extraordinary." The Ruler's voice resonated like rolling thunder. Crystals chimed in harmony.
Grey rose and bowed deeply. Pride from his master fueled him. Ego must not swell. Earth's lessons taught humility for survival.
"Master, the fusion came from endless trials. Qi deviations nearly shattered me. Inner demons roared doubts. I balanced through sheer force. Like surviving Earth's forests alone." Grey's tone held steady discipline.
The Ruler chuckled. Thunder rolled through the room. "Indeed. Your level is Supreme Heaven Venerable. One step from Great Sovereign. The lowest in Top Heaven. You earn more than praise." He gestured forward.
Grey approached with hands behind his back. Earnest eyes met his master's. The Ruler extended a hand. Qi burst filled the room. Immersive chaos crackled like a storm's heart. Scents of forged metal and primal earth overwhelmed nostrils. Lights seared retinas in red-gold flashes. The surge rippled through the air. It made nearby shadows twist faster on the jade walls.
The Top Supreme Divine Sword materialized. Its sleek black blade edged in red gleamed like fresh blood under crystal light. Chaotic majesty hummed. It vibrated bones like a living heartbeat. Metallic sharpness tasted on Grey's tongue as he grasped it. The hilt thrummed cool against slick palms. The sword's presence amplified Grey's aura. It caused faint cracks in the chamber floor from raw power resonance.
"This sword cleaves imbalances. Wield it to eliminate Evil." The Ruler's words carried solemn weight.
Next, the extreme special robe unfurled. Black fabric trimmed in red flowed smooth. A gold dragon coiled vividly on the chest. It seemed to roar silently. Scents of ancient silk and draconic essence filled the air like a battlefield's aftermath.
Black suited Earth's void. Red marked spilled blood. Gold symbolized sought balance. The robe fit his path. Grey donned it. Fabric cooled yet warmed his skin. It tingled like qi armor. The robe enhanced his appearance. It made his figure seem taller and more imposing. Shadows in the room deepened around him.
"Thank you, Master." Grey's voice showed deep gratitude.
The Ruler nodded and poked Grey's head. The Book of Balance surged into his mind. Knowledge crashed like a qi tsunami through his soul sea. The ancient tome floated there. Jade pages glowed with eternal scripts. Visions flashed of multiverse balances. Heavenly decrees appeared. Evil devourers disrupted galaxies with chaotic hunger. Aged parchment and divine ink scented his inner senses. The influx made Grey's eyes glow brighter. It illuminated the chamber with subtle golden hues.
"I send you to Middle Heaven. Show me restoration of harmony. Grow stronger. Surpass even me." The Ruler chuckled with pride.
Grey frowned slightly. Middle Heaven held unknown dangers. He needed to hide and sense threats. Awareness guided him.
"Master, may I use void to cover my body? Hide my identity? How do I sense imbalances?" Grey's question showed foresight.
The Ruler paused in surprise. Such thinking marked a true Ruler.
"Try it. For sensing, open the Book in your mind. It reveals disruptions. Points to those disturbing balances. Even Evil. Follow its guidance." The Ruler's approval shone.
Grey nodded. Void, cloak me. His body shimmered. It turned blue-purple then dark pitch. Void Qi swirled in chaotic mists. Nothingness tasted on his tongue. Cold vacuum scents filled nostrils. Lights dimmed in blinding darkness. Eyes shifted to light red. Black lightning sparked with ear-shattering pops. Air vibrated. The cloak made Grey's form ethereal. It caused the chamber's humidity to condense into misty droplets around him. Crystals dimmed slightly in his presence.
The Ruler's eyes widened in shock. The right choice.
"Are you ready for Middle Heaven?" The Ruler asked.
"Yes, Master. I am ready." Grey bowed.
Travel begins. Earth's survivor becomes balancer.
The Ruler raised hands. Qi exploded in a golden storm. Surroundings shattered with seismic roars. Sky ripped blood-red. Ash-sulfur scents overwhelmed. They traversed stars and infinities. Colors of gold-azure immersed senses in awe. Crisp divine incense filled air. Sweet tastes lingered on tongues. Heavenly halls chimed. The journey's energies buffeted Grey. They made his robe flutter with crackling sparks.
They arrived. The Ruler smiled. "My time ends. I leave the Three Universes to you, successor." His body depleted. Eyes closed in gratitude.
Grey felt the shift. Alone again, but stronger.
Powerful beings sensed his arrival. A white ray terrified them.
"Who is that? Too powerful Evil?" Thoughts exchanged secretly.
"No, white ray lights repel Evil." Replies came mentally.
Middle Heaven's sky cracked into a black hole. Grey plummeted in chaotic fall. Winds howled like beasts. They tore at his void cloak with icy claws. Cosmic dust and ozone choked nostrils in gusts. The maw swirled in blinding darkness. Vacuum nothingness tasted on his tongue. The fall's velocity pressed against his skin like crushing pressure.
Below loomed an arena stage. Colossal jade and spirit stone platform packed with cultivators. Qi auras clashed in rainbow colors. They exploded like fireworks. Roars of excitement shattered ears. Sweat and elixir scents mingled thick. The platform's surface felt warm from gathered qi. It vibrated under thousands of feet.
Grey crashed with bone-jarring impact. Ground quaked. Dust erupted in suffocating waves. Crowd gasped in shock. Arrogant young masters sneered.
"Who dares interrupt the tournament?" One barked.
Elders whispered. "His qi is supreme."
Grey rose. Void cloak flickered. Trials start now. His appearance stunned the crowd. Galaxy eyes pierced through them. Void mists swirled around his dark form. It made nearby cultivators shiver. Air cooled noticeably. Some stepped back instinctively. His ruthless aura pressed like invisible weight.
The Middle Heaven Tournament stood as a legendary event. Held every century in the Grand Colosseum of Eternal Peaks. Vast architecture carved from spirit-infused jade spanned miles. Tiered seats rose like layered mountains. They gleamed under dual suns that cast golden and silver lights. Intricate runes etched into every surface pulsed with protective qi. They hummed low vibrations through the air. Scents of aged stone mixed with blooming spirit flowers along the edges. Petals released faint herbal aromas that sharpened senses. Competitors from countless sects gathered here. They vied for rare spirit treasures. Artifacts like the Essence Crystal Orb or the Void Sealing Ring. These prizes amplified cultivation realms. Winners ascended hierarchies. Losers faced humiliation or death in brutal matches. Rules demanded single combat or group clashes. But hidden imbalances often corrupted the games. Evil infiltrators sought to devour qi sources. The tournament's lore spoke of past heroes who restored order. Their statues lined the outer walls. Marble figures depicted muscular forms in dynamic poses. Eyes carved from glowing gems seemed to watch the arena with eternal vigilance. Legends told of ancient battles where champions shattered evil incursions. They left craters in the jade floors that still shimmered with residual qi. The colosseum's foundations held buried relics from fallen realms. They whispered forgotten histories through faint echoes in the wind. The colosseum's vast dome arched high overhead. It was inlaid with shimmering spirit gems that twinkled like distant stars. Gentle breezes carried hints of distant mountain pines mixed with the metallic tang of forged weapons from nearby forges.
The tournament drew sect alliances from across Middle Heaven. The Azure Flame Sect allied with the Crimson Lotus Clan. Their banners fluttered in fiery reds and blues. Embroidered with roaring dragons and blooming flowers. Aristocrats from the Jade Imperial Family occupied ornate boxes. Their silk robes shimmered in emerald and gold. Crowns adorned with spirit jewels gleamed under the suns. Royals from the Eternal Sky Dynasty sat in elevated thrones. Their crowns spiked like mountain peaks. Robes woven from heavenly silk flowed like liquid light. These groups formed uneasy pacts to dominate the event. They traded treasures in shadowed alcoves. Scents of rare elixirs wafted from their gatherings. Whispers of political schemes echoed softly. The alliances aimed to control spirit flows. Yet hidden imbalances threatened their power.
The Evil Brood traced origins to the Primordial Void. Born from the first imbalances in the multiverse. When harmony fractured eons ago. Chaotic essences coalesced into monstrous forms. They emerged as devourers of light. Twisted bodies formed from swirling shadows and corrupted qi. Scales like jagged obsidian covered hides that oozed foul ichor. Eyes burned red with endless hunger. Claws dripped venom that corroded stone and flesh alike. They spread like a plague across realms. Devouring essence to multiply. Their presence warped landscapes. Fertile valleys turned to barren wastes. Rivers poisoned with sulfurous decay. Skies darkened with perpetual storms. Thunder rumbled constant threats. The Brood obeyed no rules. They shattered equilibria for raw power. Grey knew their lore from the Book. These abominations demanded extinction. No mercy for such breakers. Yet the Evil Brood held key weaknesses. Their chaotic nature made them vulnerable to pure balanced qi. Harmonious energies disrupted their forms like acid on metal. They recoiled from light-infused attacks that pierced their shadows. Overexposure to yang essence boiled their ichor from within. Yin forces could freeze their movements in brittle stasis. Their hunger drove them to overextend. It left them open to swift strikes. Disrupting their core essence nodes shattered their regeneration. Grey noted these flaws. He would exploit them ruthlessly.
Grey opened the Book in his mind. Disruptions flared like crimson alerts. Evil brood hid among the crowd. Monstrous forms disguised as cultivators. Their auras reeked of decay and twisted essence. Grey's hatred ignited. These vile creatures broke the Rules. They devoured harmony. He demanded their deaths. Now. Ruthlessly. No hesitation. He would crush them. Erase their filth from existence. Protect the balance at any cost. Self-discipline channeled his fury. Awareness scanned every foul presence. He vowed to defend the innocent here. Show no pity to these disrupters. They deserved annihilation.
His fists ignited with fused qi. Majesty blazed golden. Chaos swirled indigo. The air around his hands crackled with electric heat that singed nearby dust into smoky wisps. Grey charged without hesitation. Ruthless strikes targeted the nearest Evil. He drove his fist forward like a comet through the void. The impact shattered its chest with a wet crunch of breaking obsidian scales. Hot ichor sprayed in foul arcs that splattered the jade floor in sticky black puddles. The stench of rot and sulfur choked the air like a festering wound. The creature's scream pierced ears like shredding metal, echoing off the colosseum's high dome. Its limbs exploded in gore that flew in ragged chunks, landing with heavy thuds amid the crowd's gasps. Bones cracked with wet snaps that vibrated through Grey's arm. He felt the give of corrupted flesh under his knuckles, warm and yielding like overripe fruit bursting open.
Another Evil lunged with claws dripping venom that sizzled on the ground like acid rain. The droplets burned tiny craters into the jade, releasing acrid vapors that stung Grey's eyes and throat. He sidestepped with precise grace, his void cloak swirling in cold mists that chilled the air around him. His sword cleaved through its neck in a swift arc. The blade hummed with victorious energy, vibrating in his grip like a living pulse. The head rolled across the jade floor with a dull thump, black blood pooling sticky and warm beneath it. The body slumped forward, twitching as ichor gushed in rhythmic spurts that soaked Grey's boots in foul warmth. The crowd roared in terror and awe. Arrogant young masters retreated, their faces paling under the dual suns. Elders activated barriers. Qi shields shimmered translucent and crackled with electric sparks that popped like distant fireworks.
Some cultivators from sect alliances tried to participate. Members of the Azure Flame Sect leaped forward. Their blue robes billowed like waves in a stormy sea. Flames erupted from palms in scorching bursts that distorted the air with rippling heat waves. The scent of charred wood and spice filled the arena, mixing with the Brood's decay. Royals from the Eternal Sky Dynasty unleashed aerial strikes. Their qi formed ethereal blades that whistled sharp through the wind, whipping dust into stinging clouds that gritty against skin. Aristocrats from the Jade Imperial Family channeled defensive barriers. Green energy walls rose with earthy rumbles that shook the platform, carrying smells of fresh soil and minerals. Yet their efforts faltered against the Brood's chaos. One Azure cultivator clashed with an Evil. Claws raked his arm with a tearing sound like fabric ripping. Blood sprayed hot and coppery, mingling with the venom that burned his flesh like liquid fire. He screamed as the pain spread, his skin bubbling and blackening. A royal's blade glanced off obsidian scales with a metallic clang. Sparks flew bright and hot, the recoil numbing his hands with vibrating shock that traveled up his arms.
Grey exploited weaknesses amid the fray. He froze a Brood with yin qi that spread like frost across its form. The creature's scales cracked brittle like ice underfoot, shattering with sharp pops that echoed in the humid air. Steam rose from the fractures as cold met the arena's warmth. Then he boiled another with yang qi. Its ichor bubbled and steamed foul, releasing vapors that twisted Grey's stomach with their rancid heat. The beast writhed, its skin blistering and splitting open in wet bursts. Grey's strikes shattered cores with precise force. Each punch landed with a deep thud that resonated through his bones, sending shards of obsidian flying like deadly hail. No mercy allowed interference. He demanded sole eradication, his movements a blur of disciplined fury that left trails of indigo and golden light in the air.
Grey pursued relentlessly. An Evil brood leader emerged from the shadows. Its towering form loomed like a jagged mountain of obsidian scales that gleamed ominously under the suns. Eyes glowed red with malice, casting a bloody hue on nearby faces. It unleashed chaotic blasts that exploded in blinding bursts, shaking the ground with seismic rumbles. The scents of burned air and scorched jade overwhelmed nostrils, thick and choking like a forge gone mad. Grey countered with explosive force. His robe fluttered like a banner of judgment, fabric whispering against his skin amid the chaos. Fists hammered the leader's core with unyielding precision. Ribs shattered under impact with crunching snaps that vibrated the air. Ichor gushed hot and viscous, coating Grey's hands in slippery warmth that smelled of decay. The beast howled in agony, a guttural roar that rattled teeth and sent shivers through the crowd. Grey ended it with a final strike. His sword plunged deep, twisting with a grinding sound of metal on bone. The body crumpled lifeless to the jade floor, collapsing in a heap that sent tremors through the platform.
The fight's impact rippled wide. Shockwaves from qi clashes cracked the jade platform. Fissures spread like spiderwebs across the smooth surface. They glowed with residual energy that hummed faintly. Dust clouds choked the air thick. They stung eyes and throats of nearby cultivators with gritty particles. Spectators stumbled back. Their robes whipped in gusting winds from the blasts, fabric snapping like flags in a gale. Faces paled with fear under the dual suns' glare. Some coughed from the acrid smoke of scorched stone that lingered bitter on tongues. Arena' side landscapes trembled. Blooming spirit flowers wilted under chaotic essence. Petals browned and fell in wilted heaps that crunched underfoot. Herbal scents turned bitter with decay, twisting the once-fresh air. Tiered seats vibrated. Loose stones tumbled down slopes. They clattered loud against lower levels like falling rain. Elders reinforced barriers. Their qi hummed louder to contain the chaos, pulsing with protective warmth. Young masters shielded themselves. Auras flared in protective colors that shimmered like rainbows. The colosseum's runes pulsed brighter. They absorbed excess energy to prevent total collapse, drawing in the turmoil with a low, steady drone.
Cultivators whispered in awe. This defender's power reshaped the arena. Craters formed where Evils fell. They steamed with foul vapors that rose in twisting columns. The landscape bore scars of restored order, with jagged edges that caught the light in eerie gleams. Grey's ruthless actions saved them. Harmony returned stronger. His galaxy eyes and void-cloaked form left spectators in hushed reverence. Some felt chills down their spines from the lingering cold of his qi. Others sensed their own qi stabilize in his presence, flowing smoother like a calmed river. Environments around him shifted subtly. Air cleared of lingering decay, becoming crisp and invigorating. Flowers perked up with renewed essence, petals unfurling in vibrant colors. The dual suns seemed to shine brighter on the restored platform, casting warm golden rays that healed minor cracks.
Spectators whispered of the mysterious defender. His void cloak concealed identity. But his ruthless actions etched into memories. No alliances formed. Grey bore the burden alone. He vanished into shadows. Harmony prevailed in the tournament. The event continued under watchful eyes. Treasures awarded to victors. Grey moved onward. More imbalances awaited eradication. The colosseum stood resilient. Its jade walls gleamed anew under the suns.