The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order

Chapter 1579: Dream Forest

In one of the vast continents of the Gu World, there existed a place known as the Dream Forest—a sprawling woodland of such enormous scale that entire cities could fit within its bounds.

Yet the true wonder of this forest lay not merely in its size but in the strange beauty of its trees: each towering hundreds of thousands of meters high, their trunks so wide they resembled small mountains. More astounding, these giant trees appeared to be forged from crystal, their surfaces reflecting a kaleidoscope of colors beneath the faint light that filtered through the canopy.

A mysterious aurora hung over the Dream Forest, swaying and shimmering in the air. For those with weak soul force, even a casual glance at this aurora could induce a trance, while stronger cultivators faced a persistent mental assault that made lingering in this domain a constant danger.

Despite these hazards, the heart of the Dream Forest housed millions of people, all residing within a single massive stronghold. This fortress boasted colossal walls etched with intricate runic formations, and at its center stood three monumental towers, each soaring hundreds of meters into the sky. Immense waves of energy pulsed through these towers, lighting up the fortress with a powerful glow reminiscent of arcane beacons.

Usually, all those people inside would face the spirit power of the Dream Forest. Nevertheless, the leader of the stronghold came from an ancient power and was extremely well-versed in things such as dreams and nightmares, so not only did the power of the forest not affect them, but it worked with them, making it nearly impossible to be sieged.

High atop the largest of these three towers stood a young man. He wore short black hair, his eyes swirling with shadows that seemed alive, and a majestic dark armor covering his body. Two formidable weapons—a massive sword and a slender staff—were strapped across his back, their hilts humming with barely contained energy. On his right forearm coiled a winged salamander-like Gu Insect, its scaled body pulsing with dim, eerie light.

This man was no other than the Night Prince—the youngest of the faction leaders in the Gu World, yet he was widely acknowledged as a frontrunner.

Gazing downward, the Night Prince observed thousands of cultivators crisscrossing the fortress streets. These ranged from Apotheosis Masters to Divine Transcendence Masters, all serving under his banner, and more than happy to do so as they saw the man as a great leader.

What none of those people could see was a cold light flickered in the Night Prince’s shadowy eyes. He shared a cruel streak similar to Lady Azure, but fortunately for the Apotheosis and Divine Ascension Masters, he also took great care to maintain his reputation—refusing to be seen publicly sacrificing his own subordinates despite regard many of them as mere pawns.

Suddenly, the Night Prince shifted his gaze away from the soldiers. He sensed movement by his side. An Anima woman, her expression grave, stepped forward and bowed. Something in her somber demeanor stirred a frown across the Prince’s features.

“What news do you have for me, Zafira?” the Night Prince asked, his tone sharp.

In recent weeks, he had dispatched squads across the Gu World to hunt down other factions, yet the number of encounters had dwindled dramatically. This could only mean two things: either his adversaries were hiding in their strongholds, or they had moved far away to evade his search. Though there was also the possibility that some factions might have been destroyed, he had never really believed such a scenario plausible, as the Gu Contest had barely begun.

Zafira’s voice trembled as she delivered her intelligence.

“My Prince, I have… alarming news from our spies. The reason our search parties have found so few enemies is because Lady Azure’s faction and Core Elder Karun’s faction were both decimated. While Lady Azure and Karun themselves survived, nearly all of their top soldiers are gone.”

A bolt of shock tore through the Night Prince’s being, as if lightning had struck him. He stood frozen for a heartbeat, breath catching in his throat.

“Who did it?” he demanded, dreading the answer even as he asked.

Zafira lowered her gaze.

“The culprit is Cain Laurifer. Somehow, he entered the Gu World… and his power is said to be beyond measure. Even Peak Divine Transcendence powerhouses can barely wound him…”

Dread sank into the Night Prince’s gut. He already knew rumors of Cain’s might—how he had survived and maimed a Third Realm lifeform in open battle. Yet hearing direct confirmation from his spies sent a chill through him like nothing else.

He understood all too well that he was one of Cain’s primary targets, and no fortress, no matter how well defended, was guaranteed to keep the Monster at bay.

Disregarding his usual obsession with appearances, the Night Prince’s focus shifted toward survival. If that meant massacring every cultivator under his command to empower his Gu Insects, then so be it—reputation could wait.

Just as he was about to issue the first vicious order, the Night Prince felt a ripple in the forest’s ambient soul force. He glanced up, horror creeping into his expression.

Through the veils of swirling auroras and the towering crystal trees, he glimpsed the rapid approach of a young man. Even at this considerable distance, the figure’s nebula-like eyes blazed with killing intent—an intent that seemed to lock onto him.

The Night Prince’s heart lurched. At that moment, he felt an icy, supernatural stare aiming straight at him as if Cain could see his very soul.

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”

Each word dripped with rage as he recognized the reality of his predicament. Cain was already here.

Acting on pure reflex, the Night Prince activated the towers’ power, commanding them to generate a massive force field that enveloped the entire stronghold in a protective dome.

He hoped this barrier might buy him time to power up his Gu Insects or even flee if necessary.