The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order

Chapter 2708: Lord of Emptiness’s framework

The golden matrix advanced rapidly through Cain's existence, spreading through every layer of his flesh, soul, and will. Yet despite its incredible speed, the sheer complexity of what was being engraved into him made the process extraordinarily time-consuming.

Every law, principle, and conceptual force within the Nine Empyrean Suns Universe had to be perfectly integrated into the others, forming a harmonious structure without creating even the slightest instability.

Forty-six days passed before the process was finally completed.

The enormous golden cocoon, the size of an Empyrean World, suddenly stopped spinning. For a brief moment, absolute silence descended upon the surrounding void.

Then—

"BOOM!"

The golden cocoon shattered.

Its immense energy did not explode outward. Instead, it gently dispersed, flowing back into the Nine Empyrean Suns Universe from which it had originated.

What remained behind was the flawless figure of the Scarlet King.

Cain stood silently within the void, his body radiating an indescribable majesty. Beneath his flesh, one could faintly see a magnificent golden matrix composed of countless interconnected convergences. Every line flowed into another, forming an incomprehensibly complex structure in which every law existed in perfect harmony.

It was beautiful.

Yet its beauty was not merely aesthetic.

Anyone capable of truly comprehending that matrix could glimpse the mysteries of the Nine Empyrean Suns Universe itself, from its ancient origin to its eventual death and rebirth. It represented the accumulated principles that governed an entire universe throughout its complete existence.

Cain slowly opened his eyes.

An expression of almost indescribable bliss appeared on his face as he gazed inward and examined the transformation that had taken place within him.

"I still need to heal," Cain muttered, "but once I do, I feel capable of achieving a massive breakthrough."

As those words left his mouth, his expression became thoughtful.

"What should my next step be?"

For the past several weeks, Cain had been completely focused on recovering from his injuries and returning to his peak condition. He had barely considered what came afterward.

Now a fundamental question emerged.

What came after reaching the Fourth Realm?

Cain naturally assumed that, just like the previous realms, the Fourth Realm would also be divided into different ranks or stages.

Unfortunately, there was no one he could ask.

He was the first Fourth Realm Life Form to ever appear within the Nine Empyrean Suns Universe and, as far as he knew, possibly even the Crimson World.

His gaze slowly shifted downward.

Far beneath the Nine Empyrean Suns Universe was the inverted pyramid-shaped universe.

Paradise.

If any place possessed the answer he needed, it would be Paradise.

But Cain immediately discarded that idea.

Paradise was the one place he was certain he could not enter right now.

A sudden flash of inspiration crossed his mind.

"It has been a long time since I last used it," Cain muttered, a trace of nostalgia appearing on his face. "But after its last evolution, perhaps it has finally reached the level required to perform a thorough analysis."

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

He remembered the countless times he had relied on those numbers at the beginning of his journey, when every new scan could reveal information that changed his understanding of the world.

Cain spoke the words he had uttered countless times in the past.

"System, scan me."

The familiar mechanical voice immediately responded.

[Scanning Vessel...]

[...]

[...]

[Vessel's current attributes have advanced beyond the limits of the existing analytical framework.]

[Accurate analysis cannot be performed using the current framework.]

Cain raised an eyebrow.

Then another message appeared.

[Would the Vessel like to change the analytical framework to that of a Lord of Emptiness?]

"Lord of Emptiness?"

Cain's interest immediately spiked.

Clearly, the System was referring to some kind of race or life form. But what sort of existence could possess a title like that?

Even after becoming a Fourth Realm Life Form, Cain would never casually call himself a lord in a place as vast and dangerous as the Emptiness.

"What are Lords of Emptiness?"

Since the System already possessed the framework necessary to analyze them, Cain expected it to provide at least a basic description.

Fortunately, it did.

[Lord of Emptiness: Unique life forms naturally born at the Fourth Realm.]

Cain nearly suffered a stroke.

He stared at the message in disbelief.

He had always considered himself an unparalleled monster. His talent surpassed every life form he had encountered, and his body was the result of the flawless fusion of the bloodlines of three Supreme Races.

Even after surpassing the limitations of an Apex Race, it had taken him hundreds of years, countless battles, and an absurd number of fortuitous encounters to finally reach the Fourth Realm.

Yet now he had discovered that there was actually a race whose members were born at the Fourth Realm.

Just how unfair was that?

The System continued.

[Lords of Emptiness are born directly from the Emptiness itself, blessed with extraordinarily powerful physical bodies and possessing unparalleled dominion over Prima Chaos Energy, the energy that permeates the deepest essence of the Emptiness.]

Cain's expression became solemn.

That alone was enough to explain why such beings could be born at the Fourth Realm.

But the next part was even more interesting.

[However, due to their intrinsic nature, sooner or later, Lords of Emptiness are destined to sacrifice their lives in order to forge a new universe.]

Cain slowly nodded.

"I see…"

His eyes narrowed as he considered those words.

"Granted immense power that most life forms could only dream of, yet ultimately forced to obey a destiny that leads to their death."

The realization left a bitter taste in Cain's mouth.

He had always valued freedom above almost everything else. The idea of possessing unimaginable power while being bound by an unavoidable destiny was something he found deeply unpleasant.

Still, Cain merely shook his head and moved on.

There was no point dwelling on the fate of a race that was not his own.

He instructed the System to continue.

A new status window appeared.

[Name: Cain Laurifer

Race: ??? — Absolute Race

Path of Power: ???

Lineage: ??? — Flawless Fusion of Crimson Bloodline, Primordial Bloodline, Neo-Demon Bloodline, and Neo-Angel Bloodline

Talent: No Longer Quantifiable

Stats:

Strength: 2.1

Agility: 1.0

Vitality: 2.6

Soul: 4.9

Willpower: 5.1

Prima Chaos Force: 2.1

Fourth Realm Forces:

Omega Horizon

Power of Chaos

Flow]

[Please determine a name for the new race.]

[Please determine a name for your Path of Power. As a Fourth Realm Life Form, your previous Paths of Power have become obsolete.]

[Please determine a name for your new bloodline.]

[Energies previously held within the host have transformed into Prima Chaos Energy.]

Cain stared at the numbers for several seconds.

In terms of physical strength and energy reserves, he was above every other life form within the Nine Empyrean Suns Universe and even the nine realms of the Crimson World.

Yet compared to a Lord of Emptiness, the difference was surprisingly small.

His soul and willpower, however, were vastly superior.

It highlighted the fundamental difference between those who were born into the Fourth Realm and those who had struggled their way toward it.

Cain smiled faintly.

"Hmm…"

He considered the first question.

"What should I name my new race?"

He thought about it for several minutes.

Then he simply shrugged.

Why overcomplicate something so simple?

He chose the first name that came to mind.

"Omega Chaos Sovereign."

The System immediately recorded the designation.

"And my bloodline…"

Cain's smile widened.

"Omega Chaos Bloodline."

Just like that, a race and bloodline capable of making entire universes tremble in fear and greed had been named.

Cain then turned his attention toward the final question.

"As for my Path…"

His eyes gleamed with scarlet and golden light.

"The Omega Horizon Path."

The expression on Cain's face was one of clear satisfaction as he felt genuinely content with the names he had chosen.

He had no idea how people would react to them in the future, but he refused to waste time worrying about matters he could not control. Taking a deep breath, Cain considered his next move, and his gaze shifted toward the Empyrean Worlds.

Once, there had been nine of those massive worlds, each capable of sustaining trillions of life forms and possessing enough resources to give birth to Overgods. Now, only seven remained, and several of them bore deep scars left behind by decades of war.

With a wave of his hand, two spheres of golden energy appeared, each carrying the primordial essence of an Empyrean World that had once been corrupted by the Root. With his current power, reforging the two worlds would not be difficult, but it would require an immense amount of energy, far more than Cain could afford in his current condition.

"Even if I repair them, what would prevent them from falling again?"

A deep frown appeared on the Scarlet King's face. Empyrean Worlds had once been hegemons, structures of unimaginable power that seemed destined to endure forever. Yet now, they appeared surprisingly fragile. After all, a battle between Fourth Realm Life Forms was simply more than they could endure.