Chapter 2688: Eye of the Flow

The Scarlet King and the Incarnation of the Samsara Lord continued moving closer and closer to one another. Arcs of cosmic lightning erupted around their figures, born from the overwhelming pressure radiating from their bodies. Every step they took caused the void to distort, while the laws of reality trembled beneath their presence.

Finally, they stood only five steps apart.

Neither spoke.

Neither hesitated.

Then, in the same instant, both vanished.

They reappeared the next moment, their weapons already colliding.

"BOOOOOOM!"

A massive explosion erupted between them as the energy within the halberd and the sword collided, each force attempting to overwhelm the other.

The power contained within the Myriad Sword was terrifying. It seemed capable of devouring all forms of life, twisting and absorbing the energy around it and transforming even the power contained within an enemy’s attack into its own destructive force. The stronger the opponent, the stronger the sword could become.

Yet Tyranus Gungnir possessed an opposing principle.

The essence contained within the halberd represented the end of all things.

It was a power that brought everything toward its conclusion, an authority capable of reducing existence itself to nothingness. Even the mysterious power of Samsara could not transform or assimilate it.

The Scarlet King’s eyes narrowed, but a wide smile soon appeared on his face.

Tyranus Gungnir allowed Cain to unleash the full might of his Fourth Realm force, enabling it to stand equal against the overwhelming Samsara Force contained within the Myriad Sword. The Incarnation could no longer overwhelm him through sheer energy alone.

And that was not all.

When it came to physical strength, Cain did not merely match the Incarnation.

He surpassed it!

His grip tightened around the halberd as every ounce of strength within his body was transferred into the weapon. His hands, arms, shoulders, waist, and legs moved as one, allowing his entire body to contribute its power to the attack.

The halberd suddenly thrust forward.

"BOOM!"

The Myriad Sword was pushed backward.

The pupils of the Scarlet King narrowed as he immediately locked onto the exposed chest of the Incarnation. Without wasting even a fraction of a second, Cain twisted Tyranus Gungnir, transforming the piercing thrust into a sweeping slash aimed directly at the Incarnation’s torso.

The halberd’s edge carried terrifying might.

It could pierce through almost any defense, while the dark scarlet flames surrounding its blade would ensure that any wound it created became deadly.

However—

Before the blade could reach its target, the shield appeared.

"CLANG!"

Tyranus Gungnir slammed into the shield with overwhelming force.

The impact was powerful enough to pierce through an entire Empyrean World, yet the instant the halberd touched the shield, Cain felt something completely unexpected.

Nearly half of the physical power contained within his attack simply disappeared.

Not deflected.

Not blocked.

Gone!

A thunderous explosion followed as the Incarnation was blasted backward through the void. Despite the tremendous force, however, it managed to retain its battle stance.

Cain’s eyes widened slightly.

There was no damage.

Not even a crack.

’What kind of shield is that?’

That thought flashed through Cain’s mind as he finally understood something crucial.

The true core of the mystic beast’s power was not the sword.

It was the shield.

The Myriad Sword was terrifying, but the shield possessed an ability that could directly neutralize a portion of an attack’s physical force, making it extraordinarily difficult to overwhelm through brute strength alone.

Yet there was no time to dwell on the discovery.

The Incarnation immediately surged forward once again.

The Myriad Sword flashed toward Cain’s eyes.

It was a flawless counterattack, perfectly timed to exploit the opening created by his failed assault. The sword’s trajectory was precise, its power concentrated into a single lethal point.

For an instant, it seemed impossible to avoid.

But then—

The golden eye of the Scarlet King glowed.

Cain moved on instinct.

At the very last moment, Tyranus Gungnir rotated sideways, its shaft striking the Myriad Sword and diverting it from its original path.

The power of the Flow contained within Cain’s golden eye allowed him to express its principles subconsciously. He did not need to consciously calculate the trajectory or formulate a countermeasure.

His body simply understood.

He redirected the killing blow while attacking at the same time.

Tyranus Gungnir did not stop its momentum.

Instead, Cain allowed the halberd to continue rotating, taking advantage of the redirected force and bringing the enormous blade crashing down toward the Incarnation’s extended arm.

The Incarnation reacted instantly.

Its body shifted with incredible speed, barely saving its arm from being severed.

Even so—

"SHRRRK!"

The halberd carved deeply into its shoulder.

Cain smiled when he saw dark scarlet flames begin flowing from the wound, eating away at the flesh and threatening to spread throughout the Incarnation’s body.

But his smile did not last.

The Incarnation countered immediately.

Its leg flashed forward.

"BOOM!"

The kick struck Cain directly in the ribs.

Several bones cracked under the impact, and the Scarlet King was blasted backward through the void like a meteor.

Cain stabilized his body in the endless void, his wing spreading wide as he brought Tyranus Gungnir back into his hands. Blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, and several of his ribs were fractured, yet the smile on his face only grew wider.

Across from him, the Incarnation of the Samsara Lord stood motionless.

The wound on its shoulder was still burning with dark scarlet flames.

Neither side had escaped unharmed.

Neither was willing to retreat.

Then they moved again.

"BOOM!"

Cain crossed the distance in an instant, the halberd descending from above with enough force to crush an Empyrean World. The Incarnation raised its shield, meeting the attack head-on.

"CLANG!"

The impact caused space-time to collapse around them.

The Incarnation immediately thrust the Myriad Sword toward Cain’s abdomen, forcing him to twist his body sideways. The blade passed through his flesh, carving a deep wound across his side, but Cain refused to retreat.

Instead, he allowed the sword to remain embedded for a fraction of a second and swung Tyranus Gungnir horizontally.

The Incarnation’s eyes sharpened.

It released the sword and raised its shield.

"BOOM!"

The halberd struck the shield, blasting the Incarnation backward while Cain’s blood sprayed through the void.

But the Incarnation used the recoil to its advantage.

Its body twisted through the air before it suddenly disappeared.

Cain’s golden eye flashed.

’Behind me.’

He spun around.

The Myriad Sword descended toward his neck.

Cain raised the shaft of Tyranus Gungnir just in time.

"CLANG!"

The sword slid along the halberd, missing Cain’s throat by less than an inch. At the same time, the Scarlet King’s knee slammed into the Incarnation’s abdomen.

"BOOM!"

The impact shattered the surrounding void.

The Incarnation was forced backward, but Cain followed immediately, refusing to give it even a moment to recover.

One slash.

Two.

Three.

The halberd moved like a scarlet storm, each strike carrying the power of the Fourth Realm and the destructive essence of the Scarlet King’s black eye.

The Incarnation blocked every attack with its shield.

"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!*"

Each collision sent waves of energy through the battlefield.

Yet the Incarnation was not merely defending.

The Myriad Sword constantly searched for openings, twisting around Cain’s halberd and striking from impossible angles. One slash pierced Cain’s shoulder. Another carved through his thigh. A third cut across his chest, spilling golden-scarlet blood into the void.

Each cut not only harmed the Scarlet King’s body, but also reached all the way to his soul. Yet, Cain’s mind remained sharp, the Eye of the Flow glowing brighter and brighter as he went through every future, searching for the one that would grant him what he needed.

"There!" Cain’s shotued in his mind as he saw it. He twisted his body at the last second, managing to move past the sword.

The Incarnation saw the halberd moving toward its chest and immediately moved the shield, but it was not fast enough.

"ARRGGHHH!" Cain roared as he pushed Tyranus Gungnir into the chest of the Incarnation of the Smasara Lord!

"SHRRRK!"

A jet of purple blood stained the void as the blade emerged from its back.

The wound was terrifying, and it was only the beginning.

Dark scarlet flames erupted from the halberd, consuming the flesh and blood of the Incarnation.

Even for an entity born out of the essence of the all-mighty Samsara Lord, that was a horrifying wound, one that would cripple any other Fourth Realm life form.

Yet instead of retreating, the Incarnation grabbed the shaft of Tyranus Gungnir with one hand.

Cain’s expression changed as his instincts screamed.

The Myriad Sword flashed.

"BOOM!"

Cain barely raised his arm, but was not fast enough.

The sword pierced through his collarbone, embedding itself all the way to his ribs, scorching his lung!

The Scarlet King gritted his teeth and headbutted the Incarnation.

"CRACK!"

The bones on its face cracked under the impact, but it did nothing to delay its response.

The Incarnation answered with a punch that struck Cain directly in the face.

"BOOM!"

Cain’s body flew backward, blood spraying from his mouth.

Before he could stabilize himself, the Incarnation was already there. There was still a massive burning hole in its chest, but it did not seem to matter, as it attacked with pure killing intent.