Chapter 12: The Void Between Worlds

The space between worlds was a realm of absolute nothingness. No light, no sound, no time, no space. Only the pure void that existed before creation began. Here, Wei Liang could hide from even the Creator Gods' perception while consolidating his tremendous power gains.

The absorption of the Infinite Empress had triggered the Iron Blood Manual's sixth stage completion. Wei Liang's consciousness now existed simultaneously across multiple layers of reality. He could perceive the mathematical equations that held universes together, the conceptual frameworks that defined existence itself.

But Origin was hunting him. The Creator God's presence rippled through dimensional barriers like shockwaves through water. His power was so vast that the mere act of searching for Wei Liang was causing stability problems across all realms.

Wei Liang studied the Iron Blood Manual's seventh stage requirements. The technique demanded something unprecedented - the death of a Creator God. Not just any Creator God, but one of the original seven who had established the fundamental laws of existence.

Such beings were essentially immortal. They existed as living embodiments of cosmic principles. Killing them would be like destroying the concept of mathematics or erasing the law of causality. The very universe might collapse without their stabilizing influence.

Perfect.

Wei Liang began developing his strategy. Direct confrontation with Origin would be suicide. Even with his enhanced abilities, the Creator God's power exceeded his by orders of magnitude. He needed a more subtle approach.

The key lay in understanding what Creator Gods truly were. They were not beings in the traditional sense but living aspects of universal law. Origin embodied the principle of Beginning - the force that started all existence. His power stemmed from his fundamental role in reality's structure.

But every beginning implied an ending. And endings were Wei Liang's specialty.

He began weaving techniques from the Iron Blood Manual's advanced stages. The seventh stage - Conceptual Consumption - would allow him to devour not just a being's life force but their essential nature. If he could consume Origin's concept of Beginning, he could steal the Creator God's fundamental power.

The preparation took months of careful planning. Wei Liang crafted ritual circles from crystallized nothingness. He gathered materials that existed in quantum superposition - neither real nor unreal until observed. Everything had to be perfect for the technique to work.

Meanwhile, Origin's search grew more intense. The Creator God's presence was destabilizing entire dimensional clusters. Lesser gods fled to distant realms as reality became increasingly unstable around Origin's hunting grounds.

Wei Liang finally judged the moment right. He sent a message through dimensional communication networks, broadcasting on frequencies that only Creator Gods could perceive:

"Origin. I challenge you to single combat in the Void Between Worlds. Face me directly, or admit that Creator Gods are cowards who hide behind their cosmic authority."

The response was immediate. Origin's presence focused on the void like a searchlight piercing absolute darkness. The Creator God's attention alone caused fragments of reality to spontaneously generate in the nothingness.

"You dare challenge the First Creator?" Origin's voice resonated through dimensions that had no names. "I who established the Law of Beginning? I who set the first universal constants?"

"I dare," Wei Liang replied from his hidden position. "Unless you fear losing to something you created."

"I created nothing. I AM creation. I am the principle that allows existence to emerge from nothingness."

Origin manifested in the void, his form too vast to fully comprehend. He appeared as a constantly shifting mandala of creative force. Galaxies formed and dissolved in his presence. New universes sparked to life with each gesture.

"You have impressed me," Origin admitted. "Your ascension from mortal to god-killer shows remarkable determination. But this ends now. I will not allow you to threaten the cosmic order further."

"The cosmic order serves those strong enough to shape it," Wei Liang replied. "I intend to reshape everything."

The battle began with forces that transcended normal concepts of combat. Origin attacked with the principle of Beginning itself - waves of creative energy that could spontaneously generate new realities. Each assault birthed temporary universes that existed only to serve as weapons.

Wei Liang countered with techniques that embodied Ending - the opposite principle that Origin represented. His spear became a weapon of absolute termination, capable of permanently destroying anything it touched. The two opposing forces clashed in displays that defied description.

But the true battle was more subtle. While Origin focused on their cosmic clash, Wei Liang was secretly activating the ritual circles he had prepared. The Conceptual Consumption technique began drawing power from the Creator God's essential nature.

"What are you doing?" Origin demanded as he felt his fundamental essence being pulled away. "This is impossible! Creator Gods cannot be drained!"

"Creator Gods are just concepts given form," Wei Liang replied. "And concepts can be consumed by those who understand their true nature."

The absorption process was incredibly dangerous. Wei Liang was attempting to devour the principle of Beginning itself - the cosmic force that allowed anything to exist. If he failed, the backlash could erase him from all timelines simultaneously.

But the Iron Blood Manual had prepared him for this ultimate technique. The accumulated deaths of hundreds of thousands had forged his soul into something capable of containing contradictory concepts. He could embody both Beginning and Ending within the same consciousness.

Origin's form began losing coherence as his essential nature was consumed. The Creator God's attacks grew weaker while Wei Liang's power expanded to encompass fundamental forces of existence.

"You don't understand what you're doing!" Origin gasped as his consciousness fragmented. "Without Beginning, existence itself will collapse! All universes will return to primordial void!"

"Then I'll create new ones," Wei Liang replied coldly. "Better ones. Universes that serve my will alone."

The final absorption was cataclysmic. Origin's death sent shockwaves through every dimension of reality. The principle of Beginning was consumed and integrated into Wei Liang's expanding consciousness. He became the living embodiment of cosmic initiation.

But Origin's warning proved prophetic. Without the stabilizing influence of the Beginning principle, reality began experiencing cascade failures. Universes collapsed into nothingness. Dimensional barriers dissolved. The fundamental constants that held existence together started unraveling.

Wei Liang felt the weight of infinite responsibility settling on his consciousness. He had become the new principle of Beginning, responsible for maintaining the stability of all existence. The power was intoxicating beyond measure.

The Iron Blood Manual's seventh stage reached completion as Origin's essence fully integrated with his cultivation base. Wei Liang's understanding of universal laws expanded to encompass the deepest mysteries of creation. He could now generate new realities with a thought, establish fundamental forces through willpower alone.

But the technique had also attracted the attention of the remaining Creator Gods. They could sense the cosmic disturbance caused by Origin's death. Six beings of unimaginable power were converging on the void, their combined presence threatening to tear holes in the fabric of nothingness itself.

Wei Liang smiled as he felt their approach. The Iron Blood Manual's eighth stage required the deaths of all seven original Creator Gods. Origin was merely the first sacrifice. Six more cosmic principles awaited consumption.

The hunt for universal dominion had truly begun.