The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order

Chapter 1564: Laughter across the battlefield

A colossal shockwave tore through the air as the energy surrounding their weapons reached a critical mass, hurtling Cain and the Inferno Daemon in opposite directions. Cain was blasted backward and spun high into the sky, but he regained control over his body in less than three seconds. Still, a solemn light flickered across his eyes—he realized that, in terms of raw strength, the faction leader was his equal.

“He was already beyond the limits of a typical Peak Divine Transcendence Master,” Cain muttered, steadying himself in midair as he locked eyes with Karun. “Now, with the enhancements of that Gu Insect, even my full power can only match him.”

A grim expression crossed Cain’s features. Karun’s attacks could actually harm him, which was no small feat. Yet the Inferno Daemon wasn’t his only concern. From every angle, thousands of explosive spells and ranged attacks rained down. Fireballs, whips of electricity, swirling torrents of wind, and gleaming hands of condensed Star Power flooded the air.

It was obvious that the Divine Transformation Masters wanted to keep their distance. They were wise enough to sense that facing Cain in close-quarters combat would be suicidal, so they unleashed their might from afar.

A slight frown creased Cain’s brow as the spells descended like a meteor shower. He didn’t fear for his life—those attacks lacked the force to injure him—but they were a disruptive nuisance. They obscured his line of sight and assaulted his senses, making it more difficult to pinpoint threats on the battlefield. Fortunately, the Absolute Life Form System relayed a real-time scan of the battlefield to his mind, allowing him to react with preternatural precision.

He swung his halberd in a broad arc, channeling a surge of destructive energy that sliced into two Divine Transcendence Masters before either could defend. They careened through the sky, coughing up mouthfuls of blood as the shockwave sent them reeling. Not even a second later, Cain executed a deft sidestep. Another assailant lunged at him—a man brandishing a spear—but Cain seized the attacker by the head, lifted him effortlessly, and used him as a makeshift shield against a lightning hammer that crackled into view.

“BOOOOM!”

A deafening lightning blast shattered the human shield in a shower of scorched flesh and plasma, but Cain remained largely unscathed. Even so, his senses told him there was no respite. Glancing downward, he saw a group of Peak Divine Transcendence Masters charging potent spells beneath him. Their hands glowed with runic sigils, and their eyes burned with determination. They unleashed their attacks in tandem, launching upward with enough power to set ablaze a small continent.

Cain felt another twinge of irritation; fighting these Astral Rebirth Masters and fending off a flurry of spells at the same time was no small feat. His eyes glowed with the power of The Flow. With a dazzling flourish of footwork, he managed to alter the course of two of the oncoming projectiles, sending them spiraling harmlessly into the open sky. The remaining three, however, struck him head-on, blasting him higher with an intense explosion of light.

He felt a tremor rattle through his organs. Although the spells could not pierce his nearly indestructible body, their cumulative impact was enough to leave him winded. Worse yet, Karun suddenly appeared in front of him, the Inferno Daemon’s massive bastard sword radiating what seemed like an ocean of necrotic energy. There was no hesitation in his movement; the sword descended with lethal finality.

“Death Nova Eruption!” Karun’s voice thundered across the battlefield.

Cain’s eyes narrowed. It was a flawless setup: the spells had distracted him, creating the perfect opening for Karun’s finishing blow. Clearly, while the Divine Transcendence Masters from the Gu Sect lacked the synergy of a unified army, each had survived countless life-or-death battles. They knew how to capitalize on even the smallest gaps in an enemy’s defense. Karun’s sword fell like a collapsing star, every ounce of its necrotic power compressed into a singular, horrifying point of impact.

No matter how much Cain willed his body to move or his halberd to parry, he simply couldn’t position himself in time to block. The bastard sword landed squarely on him, unleashing a supernova-like burst of Death-type Star Power upon contact. A cataclysmic tide of black energy flooded Cain’s figure, and the force sent him hurtling toward the ground with staggering velocity.

“BOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!”

A seismic explosion of necrotic power erupted on impact, flinging massive rocks in all directions. The battlefield quaked, and the shockwave rushed outward in a bone-chilling gust. Nearly twenty thousand Divine Masters hanging in the sky gazed upon the plume of deathly smoke, anticipation and disbelief warring on their faces.

Had they done it? Did Karun’s strike bring down this monstrous foe so fast?

For a brief moment, a hush fell over the battlefield. Smoke and ash billowed from the epicenter. Then, the cloying darkness began to dissipate, revealing Cain’s silhouette within. A single, shallow cut ran across his chest. Blood trickled from the wound, staining his tattered robe, but otherwise, he appeared virtually unscathed.

A chorus of clenched teeth and muffled curses arose from the onlookers. No one felt the shock and frustration more keenly than Karun himself. Death Nova Eruption was one of his most devastating attacks, honed through centuries of brutal combat and training. He had held back, waiting for the perfect opportunity—when Cain was off-balance, newly flung into the air. The bastard sword had connected with direct, point-blank force. Yet all Karun had inflicted was a single laceration.

The truth was that Cain also found himself awed and intrigued. After reaching the second level of the Indestructible Herculean Technique, theoretically, no one below the Third Realm could truly harm his body. But the proof was now etched into his flesh: this Inferno Daemon, with his deadly Gu Insect, was no ordinary foe. Where Cain was a phenomenon in his own right, it seemed others of this world could match him, at least in certain respects.

Pressing a hand to his chest, Cain felt the potent necrotic energy that lingered in the wound—a slow, creeping force that attempted to devour his cells from the inside out. The overwhelming vitality coursing through his body halted the spread, preventing the necrosis from advancing any deeper. Still, the lingering rot did not vanish, and continued exposure to more of such attacks might compromise his body’s delicate equilibrium. Even with all his power, he could be pushed beyond his limits if enough of these strikes accumulated.

Yet, instead of fear, an exhilarating thrill coursed through Cain’s veins. A wild grin began to form on his lips.

“Hahahahahaha!” His laughter rang out across the chaotic battlefield, jarring the ears of every living combatant. His aura grew brighter and denser, fueled by the twin fires of pain and excitement.