The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order

Chapter 2013: The Embodiment of Lightning—Zeus

The power of Nihility dissolved the woman’s mask like frost melting before the sun, revealing a face that was shockingly, almost painfully beautiful. She was beyond gorgeous—features carved as though by divine hands, eyes gleaming with a haunting allure. Yet her beauty meant nothing to Cain. It was irrelevant to his purpose, to the task before him. He had unleashed the full might of his cultivation, and he would not falter.

Her name was Soul Witch, an Early ArchDeity whose talent lay in soul-weaving. She could fuse souls together, twisting them into horrors—living constructs of agony and obedience. Some whispered that she had created entire legions out of nothing but the remnants of fallen cities.

In a fair duel Cain would have easily crushed her. But fairness was not his concern tonight. He had chosen silence, infiltration. He could not allow her to break free, to trigger Liberación Total and explode into the skies, alerting Azazel’s network. He had to keep her contained within these walls, unseen by the wider world.

The Soul Witch fought desperately. Her scythe blazed with spiritual fire, her voice whispered curses that could fracture minds, and her cube of bound souls writhed as though it might shatter and flood the house with spectral madness. But the powers of Nihility and Entropy devoured everything she tried to summon. Her blades disintegrated. Her curses unraveled into silence. The cube cracked, its foundation erased.

Minute by minute, the struggle stretched on. To Cain, it felt like an hour of suffocating combat compressed into sixty heartbeats. By the time her will finally cracked—when her mind faltered and her body collapsed into unconsciousness—his breath was ragged, his spirit worn.

Cain exhaled slowly, sweat beading on his brow. Exhaustion pressed against him like a tide. Even for him, subduing her in silence was costly. He pressed a hand over her chest, flooding her body with waves of psychic force, weaving bindings through her soul and ensuring she would not awaken. Then, without pause, he collected her possessions, her artifacts, her cube of souls, and departed the city in silence.

The wind carried him back toward the Everlife Continent, and during that long flight, a wide smile crept across his lips. His army thrived. His people were growing stronger every day.

As soon as Cain returned to the Scarlet Crown, he seated himself upon his throne and closed his eyes, connecting his mind with the Six Chief Councilors. The telepathic communion was faster and more efficient than a summons.

Minxet, Razutin, and the others reported immediately. They described their progress in detail, each word making Cain’s smile grow. The Scarlet Path had spread like wildfire. Across the ShadowCradle and Endlesslight Continents, his ideology had taken root. His philosophy and vision were gradually shaping the minds of millions, allowing the expansion of Ao into those lands.

In the domains of Divine Sea, Amon, Bael, and Leonidas, progress advanced with breathtaking speed. The evil and the wicked had been captured, and peace now reigned across vast territories. Prosperity followed. The Scarlet Path was not merely a doctrine of freedom and revolution—it was proving itself as a path toward stability and growth. Roadblocks were vanishing one by one.

The discussion turned to resources and military strength, and the news was even better. Hundreds of thousands of wicked cultivators had been captured, awaiting Cain’s judgment. Most were Divine-level cultivators, but among them were dozens of Prima Deities, each carrying twisted treasures that would burn brilliantly within the Samsara Flame.

Then came the report that made Cain’s heart clench with pride.

The Stars of Doomsday—the warriors who had once stood at his side against Dark Sky, who had helped him save the world—had finally broken through. Every one of them had ascended to Prima Deity within the Ego Eternal Path of Power. They had stood on the precipice of evolution for some time, sharpened by countless battles, and the radiant influence of the Scarlet Crown had been the final push.

Now, their Scarlet Stars blazed. Their Alter-Egos had evolved. They had reached the unity of Mind and Body as One.

They were not alone. Many other warriors had advanced as well. Prima Deities like the Sky Sovereign had achieved breakthroughs, raising their power to new heights. Normally, in a battlefield where beings with Late ArchDeity battle strength clashed, such ascensions would mean little. Ten Prima Deities could not stop a wounded ArchDeity from running away.

But the age of "normal" had passed. With Ars Goetia amplifying numbers into true power, every advancement mattered. Cain’s army was no longer just a collection of strong individuals; it was a symphony of ascending might.

Finally, the Councilors shifted to the progress of the Scarlet Intercontinental Formation. Thanks to the Scarlet Path’s runic masters and the support of Divine Sea, Leonidas, Amon, and Bael, its spread had grown exponentially.

The network already covered every inch of Everlife, ShadowCradle, and Endlesslight, and now it was threading into the lands of Divine Sea. The formation lines were also spreading through the continents under the trio’s control.

Yet there remained two critical gaps: the lands of Lightning Soul Heaven and DeathSong Heaven. The runic lines needed to advance through those lands in order for the Scarlet Intercontinental Formation to work properly.

Cain listened calmly and then came the words he had hoped for: diplomacy had succeeded. Representatives of both Heavens had come to negotiate.

Cain’s smile sharpened. If they had agreed to talks, it meant they were willing to bend or at least negotiate. He gave the order, and the gates of his throne room opened.

Two figures stepped inside.

The first was a storm made flesh. His golden hair crackled like strands of lightning, wild and untamed, alive with the tempest of a world. His eyes blazed with piercing light, each glance carrying the threat of a thunderclap. His muscular frame radiated power, arcs of electricity leaping across his skin and lighting the chamber in searing flashes.

The Embodiment of Lightning—Zeus.

Cain smiled faintly, analyzing the pressure rolling off the ArchDeity. Here was a being of storms incarnate, a potential ally of immense weight.

But as his gaze turned to the representative of DeathSong Heaven, the smile faded. A deep frown etched across his face.