The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order

Chapter 2223: Devouring an army

Duncan and the rest of the higher order of the Light Army could not help but frown as they watched the nine droplets of psychic power hover in the air.

Each drop shimmered with an unfamiliar scarlet glow, pulsing faintly like distilled fragments of a foreign soul. The idea of allowing an outside force—one so overwhelmingly powerful—to enter their minds was absurd. Under any other circumstance, they would have fought to the last breath before permitting such an intrusion.

But this was not a situation where pride or principle could prevail. They all knew it.

If they refused, there was no doubt in their minds that the man standing before them would simply force his way in. And none among them believed they could stop him. The gap in power was simply too vast, an abyss no will alone could cross.

In the end, it was Duncan who exhaled softly, the breath carrying both resignation and resolve. He gave a slow nod to the others, stepped forward, and reached for one of the scarlet drops. It sank into his forehead like liquid light, slipping into the depths of his Soul Dimension.

The moment the droplets entered the minds of all nine elders, Cain’s eyes sharpened. His psychic sense surged as wave after wave of memories, impressions, and knowledge streamed toward him.

In the span of heartbeats, he absorbed years of accumulated understanding—details of the world’s social hierarchy, its hidden tensions, and the intricate networks of authority that ruled over the Abyssalcrown Empyrean World.

There were many royal lineages scattered across the world, more than he had expected, each hoarding resources with a greed refined across eons. Together, they consumed more than ninety-nine percent of all wealth and cultivation materials. Their children—weak, dull, or lazy—still rose effortlessly in power simply because endless resources were funneled into their hands. Privilege alone had made them mighty.

At the peak of those lineages stood the Cerberus Royal Clan, the oldest and most dominant among the Abyssalcrown. They boasted multiple ArchDeities, and their influence spread across continents.

Cain felt no concern about ArchDeities—he could allow one to strike him directly in the eye and it still might not harm him. But the memories held something else, something far more noteworthy.

There were ancient tales claiming that the ancestor of the Cerberus Royal Clan wielded the very Origin Power of the Abyssalcrown Empyrean World.

Cain’s eyes narrowed.

"An Empyrean World King?" The possibility flickered across his mind like a blade of cold light. "If that is true... then things may become considerably more complicated."

Even so, there was not a single trace of hesitation in Cain’s heart. Difficulty changed nothing. The path forward remained the same.

He had just finished extracting the last strands of memory when his eyes suddenly turned toward the distance. A shift in spiritual pressure brushed against his senses.

The elders noticed the change immediately, and a few seconds later their eyes widened as well. The warning alarms of the hidden city blared to life, and through their surveillance formations they saw a massive force plunging through the ocean depths.

Cultivators of the Dark Races—an army.

"What did you do!?" one of the elders shouted, turning toward Cain with fury and accusation. Soon, all their gazes were fixed on him, cold and hostile.

From their perspective, the timing was too precise to be a coincidence. Cain appeared in their stronghold, and moments later, a legion of their enemies descended upon them.

Cain did not bother to correct them. Their anger was reasonable, but irrelevant.

Instead, he simply stared at the approaching army—and a slow, sharp smile spread across his face. "This is excellent timing."

Without another word, he teleported from the stronghold and appeared directly in front of the oncoming forces.

Nearly a hundred Prima Deities advanced through the water, led by three ArchDeities. Their killing intent churned the sea around them.

It was clear they had mobilized significant strength to wipe out the Light Army once and for all. Cain realized immediately that this movement must have begun long before he entered the Abyssalcrown Empyrean World. He had simply arrived earlier than them.

The Dark Races halted at his sudden appearance. Although they sensed something unusual about him—an aura they could not decipher—their expressions quickly shifted to disdain.

"Slave of the Godslayer Humankind," one of the ArchDeities called out with cold arrogance, "have you come to beg for mercy on behalf of the rats hiding in that wretched resistance?"

Their voices dripped with superiority, the belief in their own dominance etched deep into their very bones.

They did not maintain that confidence for long.

In the next instant, Cain appeared before the strongest of the three ArchDeities and seized him by the skull. Scarlet flames erupted from Cain’s palm, flooding the man’s body.

"AAAAHHHHH!"

The ArchDeity screamed as the flames devoured his flesh, vitality, and every thread of energy within him. The fire was not merely a burning force—it was the Path of Conquest, consuming him down to the last grain of existence. Horror overtook the eyes of the Dark Races as they watched their leader wither.

Attacks erupted instantly, hundreds of spells and divine techniques crashing down upon Cain. He ignored them entirely. None left even the faintest scratch upon his body.

He continued feeding on the ArchDeity’s energy, refining everything, stripping the man down until all that remained was a bare soul and ego. Cain flicked his hand, sending the soul into the Scarlet Throne.

Then the massacre truly began.

Cain tore through the army like a scarlet storm. Prima Deities and ArchDeities alike fell one after another. He consumed every drop of their vitality, every spark of their cultivation, folding their strength into his own. Souls were harvested and thrown into the Scarlet Throne, transformed into endless batteries of psychic and spiritual power. Not a single attack slowed him, not a single defense mattered. He advanced, unstoppable, a force of absolute dominion.

Moments later, Duncan and the rest of the elders arrived in the ocean depths. Their eyes were wide with awe and disbelief as they witnessed Cain slaughter an entire army with terrifying ease.

But Cain had no time to acknowledge their astonishment. Every breath he took carried the sensation of rapid growth, the advancement of his Paths of Power.

"Yes... It is working!" He could feel it clearly. His foundations held steady, refined, and the energy and vitality of the army became fuel for his Rebirth Heart and Inner Universe.