The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order Chapter 2698: The Scarlet King and the Tenth Empyrean World King (I)

The roars of hunger and brutality soon transformed into cries of pain and fear.

The enormous chains of the Scarlet Throne pierced the abominations’ bodies with a force that surpassed even Peak Alpha Omega Overgod weapons, tearing through their defenses as if they were nothing more than fragile flesh. Yet, that was far from the worst part.

As entities born in the Emptiness, these creatures were accustomed to pain and battle. They had survived in an environment where countless horrors fought endlessly for resources and territory, so physical injuries were something they could endure. Even with the chains piercing their bodies, many of them should have possessed enough strength to fight back.

Unfortunately for them, the Scarlet Throne did not merely attack their bodies.

The chains carried within them a terrifying power that reached directly into the minds and souls of the creatures they captured. The moment a chain pierced an abomination, it forced its consciousness to experience the endless agony contained within the Scarlet Throne.

Countless wills resided within that realm.

Countless lives.

Countless beings had endured unimaginable suffering as they became part of the Scarlet Throne itself.

The beasts of the Emptiness were forced to share in that agony.

Their minds trembled as unfamiliar emotions flooded their consciousness, experiences that did not belong to them yet felt as real as their own memories. They experienced fear, despair, hatred, loneliness, and the agony of beings that would never experience the release of death.

And if that was not terrible enough, they soon discovered another terrifying effect.

Their life force was being sealed.

The Scarlet Chains continuously drained the vitality from their bodies, stripping away the tremendous power that had allowed them to survive within the Emptiness. Their muscles weakened, their movements became sluggish, and their enormous bodies lost their ability to properly resist.

With both their minds and bodies crippled, the creatures could only rely on their souls to fight back.

Their soul forces were certainly powerful. Any creature capable of surviving in the Emptiness possessed a soul that had been tempered with oceans of chaotic energy. However, they were still wild beasts. They had no true understanding of their own soul force, much less enough mastery over it to oppose something as mystical and terrifying as the Scarlet Throne.

The truth gradually became apparent to them.

They had not been wolves marching toward a flock of helpless sheep.

They were small pups that had wandered into a cave without realizing that a true monster lived within it.

They were the food!

Even though they lacked wisdom, their survival instincts were deeply ingrained within their very existence. It did not take long for the beasts at the rear of the swarm to realize the situation and turn around.

They fled.

Thousands of creatures abandoned the horde, desperately attempting to escape through the hole they had entered through.

"Hmph. You are not going anywhere!"

Cain’s powerful voice echoed across the void.

The Scarlet King raised his hand, and the next instant, a massive web of dark scarlet chains spread across the hole in the Universal Wall.

The fleeing beasts immediately crashed into the barrier.

They roared in panic before using their claws and fangs to tear at the chains, desperately trying to break through. Their attacks were powerful enough to shake the enormous web, and some of the chains even began to crack under the combined assault.

Unfortunately for them, they were not fast enough.

More and more chains emerged from the Scarlet Throne, piercing through their bodies and dragging them backward.

One after another, the beasts disappeared into the crimson gate.

Cain kept his hand raised, using what little strength remained within his body to prevent the horde from escaping. His expression remained calm as he watched thousands upon thousands of Emptiness beasts being dragged into the Scarlet Realm.

Their bodies and wills were gradually transformed into nourishment for the realm itself, while the countless heavenly bodies floating within its firmament greedily absorbed their vitality.

A warm stream of energy soon began flowing back toward Cain.

He could not help but smile.

After the tremendous battle against the Incarnation of the Samsara Lord, his body had been pushed to its absolute limits. Every part of his existence was exhausted, and his Fourth Realm body required an enormous amount of energy to recover.

The nourishment provided by the Scarlet Throne was exactly what he needed.

However, Cain’s smile soon faded.

Thousands upon thousands of creatures were being assimilated every moment, yet he could not help but frown.

"This is... too slow."

Not every creature within the horde possessed the strength of a Peak Alpha Omega Overgod, but their vitality was still immense. Yet, even after the Scarlet Throne had consumed more than ten thousand of them, Cain barely felt that five percent of his reserves had recovered.

Apex’s voice soon echoed through his mind.

"Boy, do not underestimate the life force of a Fourth Realm life form. Right now, your vitality burns with enough power to keep an entire super-universe functioning for an entire epoch. It is not that these creatures are providing too little nourishment. Yours is simply too large."

Cain paused as he analyzed those words.

Apex continued.

"Actually, the fact that you are recovering this quickly is impressive. It must be due to the extreme training you subjected the vitality and the strength of the cores that forged your new body."

Cain listened silently before nodding, and soon a smile returned to his face.

He had been so focused on the battle that he had only experienced the raw strength of his new body. He had not yet taken the time to properly analyze the deeper aspects of his new Fourth Realm existence.

But now he could feel it.

His vitality was monstrous.

He had already become immortal when he evolved into a True Primordial, but this was something completely different.

His existence had reached a level where even the destruction of the universe might not be enough to extinguish his life.

"Even if the universe came to an end..."

Cain looked toward the vast Nine Empyrean Suns Universe.

"I would still be alive."

The realization caused a strange feeling to rise within his heart.

He no longer needed the Nine Empyrean Suns Universe to survive.

As a Fourth Realm life form, the universe could no longer provide him with the resources necessary for his continued growth. Remaining here might even become detrimental to his path. It would be far easier for him to enter the Emptiness, seek its countless treasures, encounter unknown opportunities, and continue his journey toward greater heights.

For a moment, the thought seemed incredibly reasonable.

But soon those thoughts dispersed like smoke.

He clenched his fists.

"This is my home..."

His eyes became sharp.

"And I will protect it."

The moment those words left his mouth, Cain raised both hands.

His eyes began to glow.

The Scarlet Throne reacted immediately.

The number of chains emerging from the massive crimson gate multiplied exponentially, flooding through the void like an endless scarlet storm. The remaining creatures of the Emptiness barely had time to react before countless chains pierced through their bodies.

Their desperate roars echoed across the battlefield.

One after another, they were dragged into the Scarlet Realm.

The horde that had entered the Nine Empyrean Suns Universe as an overwhelming tide of monsters was completely swallowed by the Scarlet Throne.

Soon, not a single creature remained.

The enormous gates slowly closed.

The crimson light faded, and the massive structure gradually shrank until it returned to its original form before disappearing into Cain’s soul.

Silence returned to the void.

Cain took a deep breath, allowing the new influx of energy to settle throughout his battered body.

"It is not much..."

His eyes sharpened as he looked into the distance.

"But it is enough for the next part."

The moment those words were spoken, Cain’s figure vanished from the void.

Before anyone could even wonder where the Scarlet King had gone, an overwhelming pressure descended upon the Curse Eaters that were still in the Fallen Empyrean World.

All those beings of incredible might, members of an Apex Race capable of holding several souls in a single vessel, who had survived countless battles, could not help but tremble as their bodies were forced toward the ground. Even the strongest among them were compelled to kneel beneath the tremendous pressure assaulting both their bodies and souls.

Using what little strength they possessed, they raised their heads and gazed toward the sky, where the figure of the Scarlet King silently floated above them.

Many had participated in the Great War that had shattered the Tenth Empyrean Suns Universe, and they had believed themselves to possess the heart and will necessary to face anything.

Yet, as they looked upon the young man in the heavens and saw the terrifying Omega Horizon Eye upon his forehead, their souls shuddered.

For the first time, they stood before something that existed beyond death itself.