"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
It was laughter of victory and survival. Although the last monts had spiraled into chaos, despite suffering terrible wounds, the outco was undeniable. Their cultivation foundations remained intact, their progress imnse, and most of all, they had survived a clash with an Alpha–Oga Overgod lifeform. Not only survived, but scarred it so deeply that its cultivation base was bound to plumt drastically.
Of course, Legion was still alive. Its existence remained a serious threat. But by the ti it managed to claw its way free of the Sacred Realm of the Ouroborus Cult, Cain and his allies would be ready to clash with it once more.
The echoes of their laughter faded into heavy silence. At last, the brothers folded their legs beneath them, assuming ditative postures. They had burned soul force, life force, and even will itself in order to wound Legion, and the price on their bodies was steep. Yet soon they managed to channel vast streams of energy from the Finger of Life and the Finger of Death, the two divine powers flooding into the chamber. Like twin rivers converging, they coiled together into a yin–yang pattern, strengthening one another, knitting wounds, and stabilizing their spirits.
They did not hoard this power for themselves. Instead, they guided part of it to Cain’s battered form, allowing the nurturing tide to seep into his body.
A faint smile tugged at Cain’s lips as he lay on the ground. Resurrección was still far too much for his body and soul to endure without backlash, and the damage he had sustained was serious. Yet he was fortunate—this ti it was different from the end of the Everlife War. Then, he had needed months of isolation and recovery. Now, his recent breakthroughs have made him far sturdier.
The evolution of his Inner Universe and his Astral Rebirth Path of Power to the Middle Prima Deity rank nourished his spirit and soul. The Eclipse Monolith Inheritance reinforced his blood and flesh until they were like divine steel. He was badly wounded, yes, but not crippled.
As Cain sank into rest, letting his perception flow inward, he examined his body and Soul Dinsion. Suddenly, his eyes widened.
Within his Soul Dinsion, resting near the exhausted Primarch of Conquest Leviathan, was a vast golden orb the size of a world. And within that radiant sphere pulsed a grotesque mass of flesh and blood, claws and psychic energy—the remnants of Legion.
Cain’s mind raced, even as confusion flickered across his face. Before he could speak, Apex’s calm voice echoed inside him.
"After the main consciousness escaped my grasp, what remained was no true threat. I subdued it easily without the need to destroy it. You may use it as you see fit."
Cain’s eyes widened further, a rush of thrill surging through his chest. Even reduced to a chaotic, mindless cluster of flesh and psychic energy, this was still two-thirds of an Alpha–Oga Overgod entity. That was more vitality and psychic power than Cain could get from devouring half a dozen ArchDeities.
The possibilities were staggering. Countless uses flooded his mind, but two stood out as especially vital—particularly in his weakened condition, that could not only help with his recovery, reducing it from years to re days, but also greatly enhance his strength and cultivation.
"Apex, can you split that sphere into two equal portions?"
A second after Cain made the request, the golden orb trembled. A mont later, it divided, halving the ocean of flesh and psychic force. The fragnts shrank rapidly into two portable spheres of energy and matter that Cain could easily control and take out of the Soul Dinsion.
Yet before Cain could celebrate, Apex’s voice returned, sharper this ti, resonating with gravitas.
"Boy, you must not grow complacent. Learn to defend your Soul Dinsion with your own thods. This invasion was perilous beyond asure. Legion only failed because its titanic body was ill-suited for fighting, making it slow and sluggish. Had it found a proper host, or been even slightly stronger, your Soul Dinsion would have collapsed before I could have defeated it."
Cain’s expression sobered instantly. The weight of Apex’s warning pressed heavily upon him.
He knew the truth: without Apex’s intervention, he would have perished. Legion would have destroyed his soul, seized his body, and turned him into nothing more than a vessel for slaughter. The Scarlet King would have beco a hollow puppet of carnage.
Cain’s eyes narrowed with resolve. "I understand. I’ll find a way to correct this weakness."
The words were not hollow. They burned with conviction. He could not keep leaning on Apex to protect the sanctity of his soul. The Soul Dinsion was his fortress. It had to be fortified by his own strength.
"Good."
With that single word, Apex’s presence faded back into the depths of the system. Yet Cain remained silent, his thoughts unsettled.
The question that haunted him was simple, yet profound.
"Just how strong is Apex?"
He had ignored the matter for so long, content to use Apex without probing the depths of its power. Once, his understanding of the world had been too shallow to even attempt comprehension. But now—now that he stood upon the peak of the Everstreif Empyrean World—he still could not fathom Apex’s true strength.
After all, Legion was an Alpha–Oga Overgod, a nightmare entity forged from countless negative spirits, and yet Apex had crushed it in less than three seconds. Even though Legion had managed to escape from Apex’s grasp, Cain had no doubt that if they had battled on open ground, the System Spirit still would have annihilated it utterly.
Cain exhaled slowly. He longed for answers, but he knew he would not receive them—not yet. Not until he had ascended far higher.
For now, there were other matters to attend to. His gaze returned to the two golden spheres. Each pulsed faintly with the remnants of Legion’s essence. They were dangerous, volatile, but also priceless beyond asure. It was ti to give them a good use.
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