The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order

Chapter 2664: The Red KIng’s inheritance

The Red King glanced at the battle will and killing intent radiating from the Scarlet King, yet he showed no reaction to it. He merely studied the young man for a moment before shaking his head.

"There is no need for concern. I have no intention of taking your body. After all, what stands before you right now is nothing more than an echo of my will."

Cain frowned when he heard those words.

Although they could have been a lie, his instincts told him they were the truth. Still, there was something about the answer that puzzled him.

"An echo of your will? Do you mean a clone?"

The Red King shook his head once more.

"For a life form like me, creating clones is dangerous. If there is even the slightest change in personality, the clone could begin to see itself as an entirely separate entity, and from there, it might eventually come to regard the original as a threat."

The Red King’s eyes focused on Cain for a moment as he uttered those words, and although his voice remained calm, there was an unmistakable weight behind them.

"An echo is different. It is an imprint I left behind in the flow of time. You can think of it as a recorded message capable of interacting with the present in real time."

The Red King made it sound simple, yet Cain’s understanding of the Laws was high enough to comprehend how terrifying such an ability truly was. To imprint one’s will upon time itself and allow that imprint to act with awareness and autonomy was a feat that surpassed ordinary imagination. Even among Fourth Realm existences, such a method should not be common.

However, this was not the time to be lost in amazement.

Cain forced himself to calm his mind and sharpen his focus. Then he stared directly into the Red King’s crimson eyes and spoke in a solemn and respectful tone.

"I have advanced through your realm, and the things I learned here have become incredibly valuable to me. They saved my life more than once, and for that, I must thank you."

Cain clasped his hands and performed a sincere bow toward the masked figure before rising once more. When he lifted his head, determination burned clearly in his eyes.

"Now I ask whether there is a final teaching waiting for me in the Ninth Ring, one that can help me transcend my current mastery over the Flow."

That was the reason Cain had come here.

He understood very well that even if the being before him was only an echo, the power it possessed was so immense that forcing anything from it would be impossible. All he could do was ask and hope that the answer would guide him toward the strength he needed.

The Red King remained silent for several moments, his crimson eyes fixed upon Cain.

Then, to the Scarlet King’s relief, the masked figure nodded.

"Yes. Reaching this ring means you have earned my full inheritance."

Cain’s eyes immediately began to glow.

The inheritance of an entity like the Red King was invaluable. Even a fragment of his knowledge could change the fate of entire civilizations, and Cain knew that if he wanted to move his Apex Hybrid Body through the Flow and eventually unify it with his Primordial Body, this inheritance might be the key.

Still, he did not allow excitement to blind him.

His eyes soon regained their focus, and he asked the most important question.

"I am deeply grateful. However, I must ask what price this inheritance demands."

There was no such thing as free fortune in any universe, especially when it came from an entity with whom Cain had no personal bond. Although he truly needed this inheritance to fulfill his goal, there would be no meaning in success if the price trapped him here for thousands of years or prevented him from returning to the Nine Empyrean Suns Universe.

The Red King answered without hesitation.

"I need nothing from you. At least, not from the current you."

He paused briefly.

"You are simply too weak."

Cain was left speechless.

Technically, that was a very good answer. If the Red King needed nothing from him now, then there was no immediate burden attached to accepting the inheritance. And yet, Cain could not help but feel somewhat wronged by the sheer bluntness of those words.

However, the Red King was not finished.

"Once you reach the Fourth Realm, you may become useful. When that time comes, come to see me at the peak of the tower."

Cain’s eyes narrowed.

"The peak of the tower?"

The phrase triggered something in his mind.

For some reason, he did not think of the Crimson World, despite its structure resembling a colossal tower of nine realms. Instead, his thoughts drifted toward that unimaginable tower where the Ancestor Root had once attempted to invade, only to be shattered into pieces by a single blow.

Cain remained silent for a long time, carefully choosing his next words.

Finally, he spoke.

"Do you mean the tower where the Samsara Lord resides?"

For the first time, a flash of sharpness crossed the Red King’s eyes.

He stared into Cain’s gaze with the intensity of a dagger, and although that pressure lasted only a second, it made the Scarlet King’s soul tremble.

"You have advanced far."

After saying those words, the Red King’s aloof demeanor returned, and he shook his head.

"I meant the end of this realm. If you master my inheritance, reaching Origin Island will be easy."

Cain wanted to ask more questions. He wanted to know about the tower, the Samsara Lord, the Red King’s true body, Paradise, the Emptiness, and the forces that stood beyond the universes. Unfortunately, it was clear that the masked figure had said everything he intended to say.

The Red King did not wait for another question.

He simply waved his hand.

A stream of crimson light shot forward and struck Cain directly in the forehead, piercing all the way into his soul and will.

Cain’s eyes widened as an ocean of knowledge erupted inside his mind.

The information was immense.

It did not merely enter his consciousness; it expanded it by force, stretching the limits of his soul so he could endure the weight of the inheritance. Countless principles, methods, perceptions, and mysteries related to the Flow flooded him at once, each one carrying depth far beyond anything he had previously understood.

Agony assaulted him.

It felt as though his mind was being torn open and reshaped from within.

Yet the Red King showed no concern for Cain’s suffering.

With another casual wave of his hand, the Scarlet King vanished from the emptiness.

Silence returned.

For several moments, nothing moved within that place where nothing existed.

Then, suddenly, the figure of the Red King began to tremble.

At first, it was faint.

Then it grew stronger.

Finally, that trembling transformed into booming laughter that echoed through the emptiness, carrying amusement, expectation, and something far deeper than Cain could have possibly understood.