The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order

Chapter 1949: Grade: Ouroboros

Although the dimension was beyond glorious, Cain was not one to let his focus slip. He gave a short, firm nod to the brothers, signaling for them to continue forward.

The trio flew for roughly twenty minutes through the boundless realm before reaching walls so colossal that they seemed to touch the highest sky—towering thousands of meters high, stretching beyond sight in either direction. Of course, they could have simply flown over them, but that would trigger the protective formations woven into the very fabric of the fortress. In a place once ruled by Alpha-Omega Overgods, such defenses would undoubtedly hold the power to kill an Arch Deity.

Amon and Bael both glanced at Cain, signaling him to stay close as they approached one of the many gates spaced along the outer wall. The gate itself did not look particularly imposing, yet the moment they stood before it, an oppressive aura crashed down upon Cain, pressing against his body and soul with ancient authority.

"This," Amon said, his voice steady, "is the First Gate of the Petitioners’ Path. Every time we leave, the gate closes, and we must pass through it all over again."

Cain’s eyes narrowed and nodded to the duo.

"You should go ahead," Amon continued. "My brother and I can handle this gate easily, but it would be good for you to familiarize yourself with the trials. Besides, first-time petitioners are rewarded with credits upon success — credits that will be useful deeper inside."

Cain nodded in agreement and took a deep breath. He stepped forward until he stood directly before the gate — a rib-arched portal flanked by two enormous living trees. The fact that living flora still thrived in this sealed dimension startled him for a moment. Yet it made sense, considering the constant streams of life and death energy poured into this place by the Pillar of Life and the Pillar of Death.

Shaking his head to clear stray thoughts, Cain placed a portion of his consciousness into the gateway. Immediately, the gate’s surface glowed faintly, and a deep, resonant voice echoed in his mind.

"Welcome to the Ouroboros Cult. As part of the Ancient Pact, the Petitioners’ Path is open to any Third Realm lifeform who seeks the gifts of our order. State your name and the names of your companions."

The voice carried power and age, yet Cain could tell it was nothing more than an ancient recording — devoid of will or awareness.

"My name is Cain Laurifer," he replied aloud. "My companions are Amon and Bael."

The gate pulsed with light, sending threads of energy into Cain and his companions before the voice returned.

"Choose the field in which you wish to face the trial for the Gate of Germination. The higher your score, the greater the amount of credits you will recive."

A list unfolded before Cain’s mind’s eye — exactly as Amon had described. He could select trials of raw combat strength, but also a host of others: crafting, magical theory, strategic design, and more. Though Cain was confident in his battle prowess, he had no intention of blazing through the Petitioners’ Path by brute force, as he needed to avoid injury. His goal was to leverage his skill as a Tribulation Enhancer.

"Trial of Tribulation Enhancement," he said without hesitation.

The gate flared again. "Trial accepted. Forge a Thirty-Seven Revolution Flame in less than thirty minutes. The faster the forge, the higher the score. The timer begins when you touch the provided energy."

Cain’s lips twitched into a small, confident smile. For him, forging a Thirty-Six Revolution Flame in that time frame was trivial — he could already produce Thirty-Nine Revolution Flames under normal conditions. Still, he would not allow arrogance to dull his precision. The faster he worked, the better the rewards, so every fraction of a second mattered.

He lowered himself into a meditative position on the ground, closing his eyes and entering a state of perfect stillness. His breathing slowed, his mind sharpening until all stray thoughts vanished.

Amon and Bael exchanged a look but said nothing, offering him silence. They knew enough of the craft to respect the preparation.

Finally, Cain’s eyes snapped open. With flawless precision, he extended his hand beneath the swirling sphere of trial energy. Power surged into him, and the forging began.

At once, Amon and Bael’s eyes narrowed, their attention fixed on his work. Awe gradually filled their faces. They were not Tribulation Enhancers themselves, but both had interacted with countless masters of the craft — even those at the rank of Prime Deity. What they were witnessing now, however, belonged to an entirely different league.

The first twenty colors of the flame bloomed within the first ten seconds — a pace so fast it bordered on the unbelievable. Though the process naturally slowed after that, Cain’s movements remained fluid, deliberate, without a hint of hesitation as more and more colors appeared.

Before the timer reached two and a half minutes, the Thirty-Sixth color flared into existence.

Even Cain was momentarily stunned. He had never doubted his success, but even at his peak, forging such a flame had never taken him less than seven minutes.

"It’s as if every path ahead is laid out perfectly before me," he thought, astonished. "Every step ordered, every flaw erased. My energy control advanced without thought — instinctively improved — as if all hindrance had been swept aside."

His gaze flickered briefly upward, toward the Crown of Ascendance resting upon his head. Without question, the relic was the source of his sudden leap in refinement.

He pressed onward, guiding the final revolutions of the flame until the Thirty-Seventh color snapped into place, pure and vibrant.

"Success!"

The gate’s voice cut through his thoughts, now carrying an unmistakable note of recognition.

"Grade: Ouroboros. Credits granted — 5,000. Credits to companions — 500 each."

Cain allowed himself a faint smile. Given the sect’s name, the Ouroboros grade was almost certainly among the highest possible, if not the highest. And this was just the beginning.