The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order

Chapter 2141: Crimson Bloodline (I)

Although his heart had stopped beating, his blood had literally frozen within his veins, and his mind was about to follow, Cain refused to give up. The Neo-Demon clenched his teeth and fists with such force that his palms split open, blood dripping between his fingers. That pain, sharp and real, was the only thing anchoring him as he stood beneath the gaze of the world-sized entity looming above.

The being stared down at him for a few silent seconds before dissolving into a stream of smoke. The vapor coalesced again, reshaping itself into a towering humanoid form cloaked in darkness, lit only by a crimson glow. Sharp, angular wings unfolded from its back, each feather marked by a glowing, unblinking eye that watched from every direction. A burning red halo shimmered behind its horned head like a crown.

In the next instant, the sky returned to its violet hue, and the trembling earth stilled. The Neo-Demon inhaled sharply as his heart began to beat again, as the nightmare pressure that caged his very existence was finally gone. Though the horror had passed, the tension did not. A solemn light flickered in his eyes as he stared at the figure before him.

"Congratulations," the entity’s voice thundered, reverberating across the air with immense power. "You have reached the Sixth Ring, the Heart of Fortune, with a Flawless Golden Lotus. Four petals bloom for every ring."

Cain remained cautious, his every muscle taut, but the entity ignored his unease and continued.

"You have completed the Trial of Horror. Your willpower is strong enough to endure even when your body ceases to function, signifying that your ego and mental capability surpass your cultivation base by an entire rank."

"Trial of Horror..." Cain muttered, brows furrowed. His mind was spinning with questions, yet the being spoke on without pause.

"The Flow is one of the ultimate forces infused into the universe," the entity intoned. "Forged by an ancient genius and perfected by the Red King. Among all lineages, humanity proved most compatible with the Flow, for humans embody civilization and unity, the very essence of the Flow itself."

Cain’s eyes widened. He hadn’t imagined that such a high-level ephemeral and intangible power like The Flow could resonate and be connected with such a fundamental concept like bloodlines. Yet when he considered the four basic needs that bind mankind, connection, understanding, creation, and progress, it made sense.

He glanced down at his hands. "Going back to human?"

The blood that coursed through him now was draconic, enhancing his strength and resilience. But if the Flow’s expression could grow stronger through a different heritage, he would accept the change. What he might lose was nothing compared with what he could gain.

However, that might not be necessary as the next words of the impressive figure revealed something amazing. "The Red King used this knowledge to forge a unique bloodline, one that distilled the essence of humanity and raised it to its highest aspect. A heritage capable of interacting with the Flow as no human ever could. As a homage to his origin, he called it the Crimson Bloodline."

At that, the being finally turned its burning gaze upon Cain.

"You, who have forged a Flawless Golden Lotus, shall receive the honor of bearing it. Assimilate it and be reborn. Fail... and die."

The words barely faded before the entity lifted its hand. A single droplet of crimson light formed in the air and shot toward Cain before he could even blink. It struck his chest, vanishing into his heart.

For one terrible moment, nothing happened.

Then came the agony.

It hit him like fire from within, searing, consuming, absolute. Cain screamed as every nerve ignited, his body arching backward. His vision blurred into red and white as his veins bulged and twisted beneath his skin. The drop of Crimson Blood was not content to mix with his own; it was replacing it. Every heartbeat forced the alien blood deeper, burning away his old bloodline.

It was as if his veins had turned into rivers of molten metal. His bones groaned, cracking and reforming; his muscles writhed as if alive. Each drop of blood was a tiny sun, remaking him from the inside out. The sensation wasn’t merely physical; it tore through his mind, his soul. He felt his genome shatter and rearrange, rewriting the fundamental code of his being.

Cain clawed at the ground, his nails breaking against stone, as this was pain unlike anything he had endured. His throat tore from screaming, yet no sound could fully capture the torment. Every moment stretched into eternity.

Then the pain deepened. The Crimson Blood reached beyond flesh, its tendrils snaking through his Soul Dimension. He could see it in his mind, reaching into the Black Hole at his soul’s core. The new bloodline invaded it, and for a heartbeat, the dimension screamed. The Black Hole pulsed violently, its darkness blooming into crimson radiance that illuminated the fragments of Cain’s True Name concealed within.

The tendrils touched it. And the True Name, his essence, changed.

The agony transcended pain; it became something greater, like his very existence was being rewritten note by note in a song of cosmic suffering. Every particle of his soul burned with red light.

Time lost all meaning.

When the torment finally began to fade, Cain collapsed, drenched in blood and sweat, trembling uncontrollably. He could feel it, the Crimson Bloodline now pulsing through his veins, alien and divine. The agony still echoed inside him, making it impossible to perceive anything.

And before he could draw a full breath, his body convulsed violently. His heart beat once, twice, then a third time like a thunderclap, and everything unraveled.

A sharp crack echoed from within him. His veins glowed crimson; his skin split along faint lines of light. The world seemed to hold its breath as his body began to vibrate uncontrollably.

Then, the Neo-Demon exploded.

Blood and flesh burst outward in a shower of red mist.