Unexpected

Most Defiers never bothered to absorb and kill other Defiers, as it was seen as a low and crass action.

They mostly came from divine and majestic backgrounds, so such things were unnecessary. In fact, though Caine didn't know this, it was a known fact that most Defiers died knowing they would become Defiers and get the chance to reincarnate.

Some of them even prepared for it by bringing strange artifacts that could follow them through death, and some were even repeaters, having already been granted the wishes in a past life yet still dying during their next.

All in all, this system of growth and cultivation was mostly reserved for the Irregulars, but even then, none had ever done it like Caine.

The white mist was not supposed to be absorbed in such quantities. Even a tenth of the mist heading toward Caine would have been enough to bring most to the twelfth stage and grade.

But now, not only had he absorbed more than ten times what was needed to reach the theoretical peak of the Soul Form's cultivation system, but he had done so by killing every other Defier on his island, something that had never been done, which granted him even more mist.

BANG!

Caine's body glowed like a beautiful burning star as tendrils of silver energy manifested around him, wildly whipping about as the air shook and the skies darkened.

Though the Soul Form took the shape of what seemed to be a physical body, it was still fundamentally rooted in one's true soul and mind, so as his power soared and his strength ascended, his mind was seemingly freed of endless shackles.

Caine could already be considered an absolute genius, but now...

PAH! PAH! PAH! PAH! PAH!

One after the other, he shattered the barriers between each stage and grade. In one moment, he was nothing but a mortal, and in the next, he became a mighty entity standing at the peak of the thirteenth stage of the thirteenth grade.

And yet, barely half of the mist had been consumed.

It continued to flow into his body and thicken it, seemingly surpassing the limitations of his Soul Form as his power continued to grow. Suddenly, a crown manifested atop his head.

It was the same Samsara Crown he had used to get here, but right then, before his eyes, he saw it morph and change.

From its magnificent golden hue, it turned to silver, and its nine amethyst jewels rapidly became thirteen jewels of black and white swirling currents.

BANG!

All the mist was absorbed into Caine as he stood in the skies, his eyes closed, basking in the euphoric feeling of pure and unbridled ascension.

WHOOSH!

The dome of light faded as he floated down, and his crown blinked out of existence.

Slowly, he pulled himself away from the endless bliss and opened his eyes, seeing the world through a completely different lens.

'I see why those cultivators were always so obsessed and arrogant. Gaining such power routinely must truly be something…'

His feet touched the earth below.

'I've now leveled the field in terms of raw power with most of these beings, but that doesn't mean my struggle is over. If these entities truly are worthy of being called Gods, their knowledge must be expansive and deep.'

'So would their skill, senses, and expertise. Some may even have billions of years of experience. I need to stay on my toes at all times.'

'I cannot fail, not now.'

With the new strength of his Soul Form, it took Caine barely a dozen seconds to reach the center of the island.

It was a cleared plain of white grass, with a swirling portal of golden and blue currents at its center, emitting terrifying waves of power.

Suddenly, a screen appeared before Caine.

<Dear Defier, you have reached the Pool of Fate first and proven your worth. Step into portal to enter festival begin trials.>

Caine didn't waste any more time and jumped directly in, readying his mind for any challenge as he dropped into its depths.

***

Upon a grand and expansive patch of purple soil in a landscape of golden and white clouds, multiple entities stood.

They numbered in the hundreds of millions, each radiating an aura of absolute power and authority.

They came in all shapes and sizes, from almost every race imaginable, the diversity of the crowd seemingly endless.

Despite all this, they stood patiently and silently, all staring at a throne floating above them.

Days passed, and they remained quiet, until eventually, an entity began to materialize.

It was a Reaper, not unlike the one Caine had seen after killing himself. The only difference was that this Reaper was adorned with a majestic black crown fitted with three hundred glowing purple jewels.

The empty eye sockets of the Reaper's skull suddenly exploded into swirling infernos of white flame as a terrifying aura descended from the skies and slammed into the Defiers, forcing most of them to their knees.

The Reaper's gaze panned over the crowd, the pressure increasing severalfold before it suddenly vanished. It nodded to itself.

"Good batch," the Reaper whispered as it lazily sat back on its throne and waved a hand before speaking again. "There are too many of you, sadly. Before you even think of passing our Samsara trials…"

Suddenly, from the massive singular crowd of Defiers, three thousand and eight hundred smaller crowds formed, as energy barriers sprung from the ground and encaged each group.

Despite this separation, each cage still held millions of Defiers.

"…you must be culled. By cage, I only want ten of you. You have an hour. Any less than ten, you die. Any more than ten, you die."

"Go."