"A mere swarm of ants, daring to defy the Heavenly Dao!" the Heavenly Dao laughed. "Do you know who you face?"
"Man can conquer heaven!" I said slowly.
"Hahaha, man can conquer heaven? A joke. If humanity could conquer heaven, why would those ants have died at my hands back then?" the Heavenly Dao retorted.
"So what? Though your physical body perished, your will endures. I, representing them, challenge you!" I said slowly.
"Hahaha, thousands of years ago, those ants thought they could defeat me. Thousands of years later, one ant speaks the same words," the Heavenly Dao said. "Ants are ants, after all!"
As it spoke, the Heavenly Dao's face began to contort, gradually forming features.
When the contortion stopped, the face had taken on my appearance, though my clothes remained unchanged.
"You will eventually realize how incredibly wrong you are!" I declared, wielding my short sword, a terrifying power condensing in my palm.
"Hahaha! Then let me show you what your confidence can achieve!" the Heavenly Dao declared, spreading its hands and slowly raising them.
The ground we stood on was enveloped by an invisible force and slowly ascended.
I remained where I was. After a few breaths, the Heavenly Dao and I had reached the cloud layer.
From my vantage point, I could clearly see the battle unfolding below.
The monsters charged incessantly, and our side resisted with all their might.
Lin Chun led the charge, terrifying lightning power surging around his body. Any monster he touched was assailed by the electrical currents.
The arcs of electricity then spread outwards, engulfing other monsters.
Chen Zhi, meanwhile, fully utilized his speed advantage, flitting through the monster horde like a beautiful butterfly.
His dagger flashed, landing precise strikes on the monsters' weak points.
As the flashes dissipated, wounds appeared on the monsters, their movements restricted.
Behind them, more companions surged forward, several focusing on a single monster, their various energies and weapons raining down.
"It seems the situation is not optimistic..." I murmured.
"Indeed... those ants will die a miserable death..." the Heavenly Dao chuckled. "However, before that, I shall take your life!"
As it spoke, it raised a hand, and a massive halberd materialized in its palm.
"Mere ants..." the Heavenly Dao declared, swinging the halberd. A golden light erupted from its hand, hurtling towards me.
My short sword vibrated as I charged forward, four-colored energy swirling around my body.
"Boom!" A terrifying power exploded instantaneously, an indescribable wave of terror rippling from the point of impact.
The four-colored energy forcefully pierced through the golden beam, and I, reaching the Heavenly Dao, swung my short sword.
The Heavenly Dao's halberd danced, parrying my attack. Simultaneously, a colossal surge of energy erupted from its hand.
Without hesitation, I thrust my short sword towards the Heavenly Dao's chest.
The Heavenly Dao's brow furrowed, and it retreated.
"You... accepted the inheritance?" the Heavenly Dao asked.
"Something like that..." I replied. My attack missed, but I felt no disappointment.
If this being could be so easily dispatched, so many predecessors would not have perished.
"Hahaha!" the Heavenly Dao roared with laughter. "What if you accepted the inheritance? An ant's inheritance is still an ant's!"
I remained silent, my short sword once again dancing. Terrifying power surged.
The Heavenly Dao clenched its hand, and countless light spears materialized around my body, showering down upon me.
At that moment, my body's instincts operated at their peak.
What I had learned was applied perfectly.
My body dodged incessantly, without even needing to consciously think.
At the same time, I was able to counterattack with my short sword.
As the final beam struck, I remained completely unscathed.
"The Heavenly Dao doesn't seem so strong..." I commented.
The next instant, I found the Heavenly Dao already before me.
Seeing its face, I was momentarily disoriented, feeling as if I were fighting myself.
A punch, seemingly light, swung towards me, yet I found myself utterly unable to dodge.
Even with my instincts at their peak, even with all my might to evade, it was all in vain.
"Boom!"
A terrifying force erupted, and I felt as if a mountain had slammed into my body.
The power of the Shepherd God surged, forcefully weakening the impact layer by layer. Yet even so, I could not control my body, sent flying backward and crashing down.
But we were still above the clouds, and it felt as if we had been sealed off in another dimension.
"Have you seen the difference?" the Heavenly Dao asked. "How can an ant's strength compare to a great tree?"
"Who is the great tree and who is the ant is yet to be determined..." I said, the Shepherd God's power surging, smoothing away the discomfort I felt.
"The Goddess's power..." the Heavenly Dao scoffed. "The power bestowed by the Heavenly Dao, and you wish to use it to rebel against the Heavenly Dao?"
"So what?" I asked sternly. "You will ultimately die by my hand!"
"Hahaha, ant, battle is not fought with words, but with strength!" the Heavenly Dao declared, its halberd swinging.
A terrifying power erupted instantaneously.
The oppressive force made my breathing heavy.
Then, four-colored energy surged, forcefully resisting it.
At the same time, I unleashed an attack with my short sword.
The two forces collided, and I still found myself unable to bear the brunt of it, retreating several steps before I could stabilize myself.
"After sleeping for so many years, I thought humanity would have made some progress, but it seems... you are all just the same. Even with more time, more opportunities, you wouldn't seize them!" the Heavenly Dao sneered. "You are ultimately an ant, and you will ultimately die!"
"My fate is mine to decide, not Heaven's!" I roared, the four-colored energy on my short sword surging madly, and then, I slashed downwards towards the Heavenly Dao.
A terrifying force erupted instantaneously, countless energies transforming into specks of starlight, hurtling towards the Heavenly Dao!