The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order

Chapter 1588: Black cocoon

“AAAARRGGGHHHH!”

Cain roared with all his might, veins bulging across his arms and neck as he pushed the Shooting Star Dragon Halberd down. The weapon tore through the tidal wave of nightmarish energy that Reverend Madness had unleashed, scattering tendrils of black destruction into fragments. For an instant, it appeared as though time itself paused—if only to highlight the utter disbelief clouding the ancient fiend’s face.

The force behind Cain’s blow was so overwhelming that Reverend Madness could do nothing but watch, eyes wide. A heartbeat later, the halberd’s blade slammed into him, carving so deeply across his torso that it nearly bisected him from shoulder to hip.

“BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!”

The halberd’s momentum did not halt with the initial impact. As the weapon reached the ground, all the built-up power erupted in a fierce explosion that detonated right against Reverend Madness’s already-critical wounds. His body flailed through the air like a shattered rag doll, crashing through jagged terrain and leaving a trail of blood in his wake. Only then did the roiling waves of destruction recede, granting a glimpse of the condition of both warriors.

Cain, panting heavily, remained standing amid the debris. He had pushed his body far beyond safe limits—blood vessels had burst in his arms and legs, and ragged tears of muscle still leaked fresh blood.

The reckless usage of the Concept of Gluttony and the Concept of Rage had exacted a terrible toll on his flesh, but he was not incapacitated. Instead, faint pulses of vitality coursed through him, fueled by his Concept of Life. These threads of life energy knitted at least some of his wounds, preventing his condition from spiraling into dangerous territory.

Reverend Madness lay thousands of meters away, sprawled in a crater of rubble. The slash across his chest had torn into both lungs, leaving no doubt that he should be dead—blood flooded from the gaping wound, and patches of charred skin testified to the scorching star flames that had lanced through him. His heart did not seem to beat, his lungs did not inflate, and the light had vanished from his eyes.

Yet Cain refused to assume victory. He knew his foe was no ordinary opponent. “This is an Archdeity,” he reminded himself, “one who has survived for half a billion years.”

Moreover, the body Reverend Madness inhabited wasn’t even truly his own. It belonged to the Night Prince, whose spine had been severed and restored. How could Cain be certain the possession would end with mere physical destruction?

Cain’s eyes glowed red as he tightened his grip on the halberd. “The winged salamander,” he said under his breath.

He recalled how that Gu Insect had originally taken the Night Prince’s heart. If Reverend Madness’s spirit resided in that creature, then the only surefire way to end this threat was to reduce the Night Prince’s body to dust and seal the salamander before searching for a way to erase it.

Spurred by resolve, Cain lunged toward the fallen figure, halberd blazing with residual star power. This time, he intended to land a finishing strike before Reverend Madness could regenerate or unleash any hidden cards. But as he descended, a jolt of psychic energy burst from the Night Prince’s chest.

The bones in the battered corpse suddenly quivered, tearing free of their constraints. They writhed into the air, turning an obsidian hue before beginning to coil around the torn flesh. Within seconds, a swirling shell of dark, twisted cartilage enveloped the Night Prince’s ruined body.

Cain’s eyes went wide. “What in the world is that?”

Despite his surprise, he did not waver. He slammed the halberd downward, aiming to penetrate this bizarre cocoon and obliterate Reverend Madness once and for all.

“BOOOOOOOOMMMMM!”

A fiery explosion of star-infused flames erupted upon impact. The force could have pulverized any Divine Transcendence Master on the spot. Yet the new cocoon was barely dented. Cain watched in equal parts alarm and frustration as he realized his blow had barely cracked the surface.

“What has he become now?” he muttered.

Before Cain could strike again, the cocoon shot into the air, ascending hundreds of thousands of meters in seconds. Dark, ominous light pulsed beneath its chitinous surface.

“CHIIIRRRRRRRR!”

An insect-like screech reverberated across the battlefield. It was so loud that it spread over thousands of kilometers, though it did not affect Cain directly. Still, a deep unease gnawed at him. Instinct told him something dreadful was about to happen.

A moment later, he shifted his attention to the Star Sealing Runic Formation, where his A.I. Gu Insect was held for protection. Alarm flashed through Cain’s mind as he sensed a violent tremor ripple through his A.I. Gu Insect—like an invisible hand was trying to seize control of it from afar.

Thankfully, the alterations that the Absolute Life Form System implanted in the creature proved strong enough to resist psychic manipulation. The A.I. Gu Insect shuddered but remained obedient to Cain. However, the same could not be said for other Gu Insects.

“Aaaaah!”

A series of tortured screams erupted in the distance, far beyond the immediate site of Cain’s battle. With the help of his Ego Wave, Cain scanned the area, only to discover a horrifying scene: Divine Ascension and Divine Transformation survivors from the Night Prince’s faction writhed on the ground, convulsing in agony. Their Gu Insects, presumably subjugated to Reverend Madness’s will, were turning on them.

Hosts screamed as internal organs were torn apart from within, devoured by their own Gu Insects. The creatures then liquefied into dark streaks of light, streaking up through the sky at terrifying speed, fusing themselves into the ebony cocoon.

All of this happened in moments, too quick for him to intervene. The black cocoon shimmered ominously as if gorging itself on the newly arrived swarm.

“I have to stop it,” Cain said aloud, not bothering to hide the urgency in his voice. He had no idea what Reverend Madness intended to become, but every cell in his body told him that if he waited, the result would be catastrophic.

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