Consuming Earths, Devouring Skies

While the situation outside kept developing, Yan Zaizen had finished his preliminary studies of formations. It may be a stretch to call him a Formation Master, but his own knowledge towards them was far broader than before.

"Will I be unable to watch Damian and Amy grow…" Yan Zaizen softly muttered, a tinge of unwillingness in his voice. A sudden feeling had just emerged, one that entered his heart like a seed and grew with each passing second. This seed, if interpreted openly, left him with a feeling that he would be departing soon and for an indefinite amount of time.

A softly sighed, but he had come to trust his instincts since he started on the path of a true cultivator, and thus didn't doubt it. Even Eloah, this man of vast mystery, had said his instincts were unimaginably accurate and profound.

"Then, I'll use my time efficiently." Declaring, Yan Zaizen kept all the formation books that lingered in chaotic space. Calmly standing upright, he inspected his physique. "The Immortal Herculean Method's third level is divided into eight celestial gates: Gate of Sky Opening, Gate of Sky Skin, Gate of Sky Flesh, Gate of Sky Yin & Yang, Gate of Sky Bone, Gate of Sky Mind, Gate of Sky Source, and Gate of Celestial Ascension."

"The first gate, the Gate of Sky Opening, required one to die as a mortal and be reborn as an existence no longer tethered or restricted by heavenly limitations. At the time, he didn't think it was possible nor did I understand the profoundness of 'existence,' but now...I understand it a little. After opening the first gate, my physical body had been adjusting to its new physique, disallowing me from undergoing any massive changes such as opening the other gates…"

As he pondered more over his circumstances, he felt psyched for the future. After his existential slumber for three thousand years, he had eliminated a massive amount of time required. At this very moment, he could feel six points on his body highlighting a deeply entrenched law. This law was something he was deeply familiar with.

It was the Law of a Herculean!

It was the Law of Physicality!

He recalled the mnemonic inscriptions of the third level. "To die as a mortal beneath Heavenly Law. Then, to ascend as an existence no longer tethered, no longer be subjected, no longer forced to abide by its restrictions. Open the sky, exceed the heavens!" This was the first section written for the Gate of Sky Opening, but the next part detailed the second through fifth: The Gate of Sky Skin, Flesh, Yin & Yang, and Bone.

"Shred the residual, shed the mortal." The sectional text only contained these words, but each letter inscribed detailed a process of a method that seemed to be as vivid as real life.

A projection emerged in his mind. This projection displayed a gigantic humanoid figure without a face, without a skin color, without a defined gender, but it was unimaginably immense. Yan Zaizen pupils shrank!

"This! This is the figure I saw when I ascended to the Qi Unification Realm!" As he remembered this event, he felt astonished. When he made his breakthrough into the Qi Unification Realm, he saw the heavens and glimpsed at all that it was. At the time, it was far too profound for him to understand, but now he knew!

The heavens were below, but this figure was capable of shrouding the entirety of the heavens with its palms! While it was immense, the most defining and memorable aspect of that vision was the black hole that made the heavens look like an ant! Even the Herculean was insignificant before it.

While his mind was reeling, the herculean faced the sky and roared! This roar was powerful to the limits, shattering all above! However, as it roared, not only did the sky above shatter, but its skin started to fracture like glass visibly. These fractures began to expand until they virtually covered the entirety of the herculean's form!

Then…

THE SKY SHATTERED!!!

So did the Herculean!!!

However, it was a process. This process

Firstly, the skin shattered leaving muscles and flesh. Then, the flesh started to thrum like a heartbeat, this thrumming continued until it was visibly pounding, and then BOOM! The muscles, veins, and every ounce of flesh imaginable started to collapse visibly turning into dust, leaving only bones!

It didn't cease there. Just above the private areas of both genders, a light of black and white emerged. This black and white was odd, as it didn't feel as if it was 'black and white' but just two extreme opposites. They co-existed in perfect harmony.

"Yin and Yang?!" Yan Zaizen discovered the origin of these lights; they were the essence of a man and woman - primal yin and yang. When conceived, these two determine the gender and direction of an individual. Oftentimes, it could even define one's personality.

"Is the reason why it doesn't have a gender is that the Yin and Yang is in perfect harmony?" As he gazed at the figure during this time, he felt that this was certain...however, his eyes narrowed. The essence of yin and yang didn't shatter or collapse, instead...they became brighter, so bright that even though this was nothing more than a projection within his mind, he felt blinded!

When he reclaimed his sight, the bones of the herculean had turned into dust as well.

Returning to the present, he felt his mind become muddled and unsure. The method wasn't too complicated, and he had confidence in achieving the aspect of shattering his body and shedding his mortal flesh, but the Gate of Yin & Yang had baffled him.

"It didn't shatter, collapse, or dissipate the essence of yin and gang, but they brightened to the point that the sun seemed dim in comparison." He spent several hours trying to conceive a connection between 'shred the residual, shed the mortal' and brightening, but nothing made sense. There was something else. As a male, he had a ratio of 9:1 in terms of Yang vs Yin.

It would be fundamentally impossible for him to equalize this without changing his very gender, or at least...removing it. When he recalled the Herculean that had an indeterminate gender, he felt a shiver down his spine.

"I may be willing to accept becoming a woman, but I'm not willing to accept being neither." As he said this, he felt odd in his heart. "Whatever! I'll open the second and third gate for now." Deciding this, he removed his clothes and remained naked.

According to the method, he had to conjure up the law of physicality embedded within two of the six points of his body to shatter his skin and collapse his flesh. Thankfully, he didn't need to die a second time.

"Shred the residual, shed the mortal!" As he repeated the mnemonic instruction filled with profound and hidden meaning, he felt a point within his body vibrate slightly. This point correlated to the Gate of Sky Skin, located between his stomach and ribs. This point was as small as the first, but unlike the Gate of Sky Opening, it didn't contain a heavenly gate that restricted physicality but contained the essence of physicality itself.

"Gate of Sky Skin, OPEN!!!" As he shouted, he turned his eyes to the sky above chaotic space. Before, Yan Zaizen wasn't able to see a sky, but the moment he yelled, it was as if a sky of gold manifested into existence. Shocked, he saw the golden sky with pure white clouds! There was no sun, but it was illuminated and its light shined onto Yan Zaizen's body.

These rays of light were not sunlight, but the light from the herculean law! Behind this sky, behind this gate, was the power he needed to shatter his skin!

ROAR!!!

He bellowed violently, seemingly wishing to sunder this newly produced sky to absolute nothingness! The sky trembled, but nothing more.

"What?!" Yan Zaizen was taken aback, his gaze uncertain as he looked towards this sky.

"Do not roar as a Mortal. Roar as a Herculean!" Pinaka's voice sounded at the depths of his soul.

"!" As if struck by lightning, he realized his error and smiled. This smile was filled with arrogance, confidence, warmth, ferocity, and persistence, "Thanks!"

No longer did he hold back. His pupils were like lava of amber-gold, and his aura rose to the limits. At this moment, he stood upright like a sovereign gazing at the heavens, his eyes suffused with disdain and mockery! This may not be the heavens, but it was a distinctive limitation that restricted his path, and thus, it was no different.

His murky white blood started to roil, his bright white heart thumped with an endless amount of lifeforce, his black quad-lungs expanded and contracted with an intent to siphon all existence into death, and his brain emanated a sky-blue light that embodied the essence of souls.

He took a single step upwards!

At this moment, his regalias had been urged to their utmost, and his dao was like an unstoppable tempest!

"Shatter for ME!"

ROAR!!!!!!!!!!