Kaelan's Storm Law continues to rise.
As the seven paths finish merging, he draws upon one path from each of the seven elements, all originating from the first realm of the Meteor Stage. The fusion stabilises—and then ascends.
First realm.
Second.
Third.
The momentum does not slow.
Fourth.
Fifth.
Sixth.
Only then does the tribulation truly end.
Silence spreads across the transformed forest.
Then the reward of the world descends.
Golden heaven-and-earth origin pours down upon Kaelan, far denser and purer than before. As he absorbs it, the Storm Law stirs again, surging upward from the initial Sixth Realm.
Mid Sixth Realm.
Late Sixth Realm.
The reward continues, washing through his holy spirit, his merged body, and the storm core within him.
When the flow finally ceases, his Storm Law reaches the Peak of the Sixth Realm.
Kaelan exhales slowly.
And then—
He feels it.
The gaze.
The world is looking at him.
Around the seven-element lakes, the gathered cultivators instinctively lift their heads. Their expressions freeze. Their pupils contract.
High above the sky, space fractures.
A vast crack opens, and from within it, an eye emerges.
Cold.
Indifferent.
Absolute.
The World Will.
The pressure descends like an endless sea. Without instruction, without command, everyone kneels. Divine Mind cultivators, Heavenly Officials, demon beasts—none resist. Their souls tremble under the weight of existence itself.
The World Will gazes at Kaelan.
At the same moment, four other auras rise.
The gods respond.
Using their innate authority, they ascend into the sky. Alongside them rise ancient innate demon beasts—among them Ariel—each bearing a trace of primordial divinity. They gather beneath the World Will's gaze and bow deeply.
When they straighten, the crowd's attention shifts instinctively.
All eyes turn toward Jin Yinji—Isla, the Goddess of Day.
Nyxarin sneers inwardly as he looks at her.
"I was right," he thinks coldly. "The bitch reincarnated."
Isla does not respond.
Her gaze, like the others, rests on Kaelan.
Among the assembled beings, Ariel's expression is the strangest—uneasy, unsettled.
Kaelan feels the final barrier before him.
To advance his Storm Law to the Seventh Realm, comprehension alone is no longer enough.
He burns divine energy within his consciousness.
Not recklessly.
Decisively.
His perception explodes outward. The structure of the world's laws unfolds before him with unprecedented clarity. The seven elements, their interactions, their conflicts, their harmonies—all are reflected within the storm at his core.
The Storm Law breaks through.
Seventh Realm.
At that instant, divine energy begins to flow directly from the eye of the World Will itself.
It descends upon Kaelan like a river.
He does not absorb it.
Caution holds him back. Divine energy is not neutral. Its consequences are unknown.
Instead, Kaelan gathers it within his spirit space.
There, he refines it.
Slowly.
Carefully.
As the divine energy circulates, it condenses. A seven-sided cube takes shape—each face representing one element, all bound together by the authority of storm. The law itself flows into the cube, stabilising, crystallising, becoming sovereign.
Then—
An aura spreads outward.
Not pressure.
Not oppression.
But acknowledgement.
The aura of a God.
It rolls across the sky and land alike, gentle yet irresistible, announcing the birth of something new.
Across the world, divine energy rains down like a blessing.
Beasts roar in joy. Cultivators feel their bottlenecks loosen. Forests flourish. Seas are calm, then surge with renewed vitality. Even wars pause, if only for a breath.
The world celebrates.
A fifth God has been born.
Kaelan stands beneath the eye of the World Will, storm-light swirling quietly around him.
God of Storm.
And then the changes spread.
Those who carry Kaelan's blood collapse one after another as divine energy descends upon them. Humans marked by his blood are wrapped in cocoons of radiant power, their bodies suspended as transformation begins. The same happens to his crows, dark feathers dissolving into light before reforming with sharper vitality.
His daughter is no exception.
Divine energy pours into her small body, elevating her talent and strengthening her physique. The mortal-stage transcendence she possessed at birth is no longer enough to contain the surge. Her body advances smoothly, stepping into the First Stage of Transcendence as naturally as breathing.
Kaelan feels it all.
The resonance is unmistakable.
For a brief moment, his perception stretches far to the frozen north, where one of his blood dependents undergoes a similar transformation. He notes it without emotion, then lets the sensation pass.
He opens his eyes.
His gaze lingers on Jin Yinji, and realisation dawns. He surveys the others next, pausing a fraction longer on the Night God before moving on.
Around him, beings bow.
All except the four gods.
"Congratulations," they say together, their voices steady, "God of Storm."
"Thank you," Kaelan replies calmly. "Later, I will hold a celebratory banquet. All of you will be invited, and I will share my understanding."
They nod.
One by one, they depart. The divine mind cultivators below follow soon after, retreating quietly, awe still etched into their expressions.
Only three remain.
Veena.
Xueyao.
Yuelan.
They fly toward him.
"Stop," Kaelan says.
They halt instantly.
"I cannot yet control my power," he continues. "Xueyao, Yuelan—leave for now. I will come to meet you later."
The two exchange a glance, understanding without argument. They mount their flying weapons and depart, disappearing into the distance.
Veena approaches more cautiously and stops at a measured distance. Even with her spiritual field expanded, she can feel the storm of laws around Kaelan, rewriting the rules of the world in his immediate vicinity.
She cannot remain here for long.
"Veena," Kaelan says, "you are in charge while I am in retreat."
"My weapon refinement has reached its final stage," Veena replies.
Kaelan frowns slightly. "You may proceed. With my current strength, no one will dare act against the Wizard Way."
Veena nods.
As she turns to leave, Kaelan speaks again. "Before you attempt to break through to the Third Stage, come to me."
Veena bows her head once more and departs.
Kaelan lowers his gaze to the seven-element lake below him.
At its centre, the liquid begins to churn, now infused with divine energy. The surface bulges, and a small island rises slowly from the depths. The liquid flows outward, condensing into crystal blocks—eight by eight—forming a flawless floor beneath the island.
From the centre, a tower rises.
Five storeys.
Eight faces.
Its internal layout mirrors the wizard tower of the Tang capital, yet its presence is heavier, more absolute.
Kaelan descends and steps inside.
No arrays are engraved within the tower. The cultivation room is no different from any other chamber.
Yet the moment he sits cross-legged inside, he feels completely at ease.
He closes his eyes.
Kaelan closes his eyes.
And begins to sense himself.
—
Far to the north, cold winds tear across the frozen sky as Ariel leads the members of the Demon Palace back toward their territory. Their flight is swift, but the mood among them is restless, stirred by what they have witnessed.
One of the elders finally breaks the silence.
"When will you break through the Third Stage?"
Ariel does not slow. Her gaze remains forward, steady and calm.
"In a couple of months," she answers. "I will begin then."
There is no doubt in her voice.
As the frozen north comes into view, the group naturally begins to disperse. One by one, the demon lords peel away, returning to their respective domains across the endless icefields. Ariel continues alone, descending toward a vast palace carved directly into black glacial stone.
Her palace.
As she enters the deeper corridors, the oppressive cold fades, replaced by a warm, steady aura that pulses through the structure.
Then she hears it.
"Mother!"
A small figure streaks through the air.
Before she can react, a little boy with crow-black wings slams into her neck, arms wrapping around her tightly. Ariel bursts into laughter, staggering back half a step before catching him securely.
"Declan!" she laughs, lifting him up effortlessly.
The boy giggles, wings fluttering wildly as he clings to her, his joy unrestrained. Ariel presses her forehead lightly against his, their laughter echoing through the hall.
"You didn't even wait," she says, amused. "How long were you watching?"
Declan grins, eyes shining. "Since you crossed the ice line!"
She sets him down gently, smoothing his hair as his wings fold neatly behind him.
"Mother," Declan says seriously, puffing out his chest, "I learned a magic power."
Ariel blinks. "Oh?"
Before she can stop him, Declan steps forward, excitement bubbling over.
"I'll show you!"
He raises both hands.
Seven colours flare at once.
A compact sphere of swirling energy forms between his palms—a miniature storm composed of seven elements locked in perfect circulation. The moment he releases it, the sphere surges forward, tearing through the air. Frost shatters. Stone cracks. Defensive arrays along the corridor flare instinctively as the storm rips past, carving a destructive path before dispersing harmlessly into motes of light.
Silence follows.
Ariel stares.
Then she slowly turns back to Declan, her expression unreadable.
"…Who taught you that?" she asks.
Declan tilts his head, confused. "No one. I just… felt it."
Her heart skips a beat.
—
Deep within the storm tower, Kaelan opens his eyes.
His self-examination is complete.
His cultivation remains at the Initial Third Stage of Transcendence. That much is clear. The realm itself is stable, newly formed, and far from its peak.
The demigod status he currently holds is not rooted in cultivation.
It comes from elsewhere.
From the divine crystal within him.
From the Storm Law, which has already reached the Demigod Realm.
That distinction matters.
His body is Third Stage.
His law reached the Demigod realm.
Which means one thing.
Once he creates a cultivation method that can support growth all the way to the Demigod Realm, his advancement will no longer be slow. Without bottlenecks imposed by incomplete systems, his cultivation will surge forward at terrifying speed.
Kaelan exhales slowly.
The path ahead is clear.
Now, he only needs to build it.