Chapter 1559: Complete defeat

“BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMM!”

A colossal explosion tore through the sky, so powerful that it caused the very fabric of space to fracture for hundreds of kilometers. Even though a Primary World can endure the onslaught of Third Realm techniques, that endurance does not equate to infinite resilience. An attack designed to annihilate a Peak Divine Transcend Master was not something any world—no matter how sturdy—could simply shrug off without consequence.

Standing at a safe distance, Dominguez and the other cultivators in the battalion watched in utter bewilderment. Moments ago, they had witnessed Cain Laurifer make no apparent attempt to evade or even defend himself from their combined bombardment. They hadn’t seen him erect a protective shield or cloak himself in energy to reinforce his body. Such blatant disregard for self-preservation seemed illogical, if not downright suicidal.

Yet, soon, the group’s initial confusion morphed into cautious elation. That single barrage was potent enough to shatter the space of a Primary World. By all reason, not even the so-called Monster Cain Laurifer should have survived a direct hit on that scale.

But reality dashed their hopes.

As the last embers of rampant power flickered out, there stood Cain—unharmed and unmoved, floating in midair precisely where he had been before. His body remained pristine, lacking so much as a scorch mark, and his demeanor was every bit as calm as it had been at the start.

Dominguez felt a wave of shock crash through him. He opened his mouth, but no sound emerged. Any semblance of logic told him this sight should be impossible. A Soul Realm Master—even a very powerful one—should not be able to withstand such a ferocious onslaught and emerge completely unscathed.

Meanwhile, the rest of the battalion was similarly shaken, their faces contorted by a mixture of incredulity and horror. To them, Cain was more akin to an invincible beast wrapped in a human shell.

Cain responded with a small smile, watching the wave of terror that rippled through the legion. He understood their disbelief. After all, they had used a formidable attack, channeling energy from thousands of cultivators.

Yet what they did not know was that Cain’s body had advanced to the Second Level of the Indestructible Herculean Technique. At this stage, he could casually shrug off most Late Divine Transcend assaults and even stand head-on against Peak Divine Transcend attacks with minimal damage.

“It seems my assumptions were correct,” Cain remarked inwardly, sensing no real harm from the blast. “Quantity no longer matters. If they can’t muster an attack at least on par with Peak Divine Transcend, they could hit me a million times and still fail to bring me down.”

His smile widened, seeing just how effective the Indestructible Herculean Technique had become. He even theorized that once he reached the Third Level, he would be able to shrug off weaker Prima Deity assaults.

Of course, Cain was well aware there was no such thing as absolute invulnerability in the universe. If these tens of thousands of spells had been focused into a single massive strike via a formation, he might have been forced to expend more effort. However, there was no way people of the Gu Sect that saw even their own compare as potential enemies would spend years training in those types of battle formations.

Finished with his analysis, Cain shifted his gaze back toward the battalion, his eyes flickering with a chilling killing intent. Taking a deep breath, he expanded his chest, drawing a torrent of energy into his lungs. The air itself seemed to crackle under the strain as he readied his technique.

“ROOOOOOAAARRRRRRR!”

His draconic roar resounded across land and sky, forming sonic waves amplified by Laws—enough to shred most mundane defenses. The unstoppable sound traveled at incredible speed, far beyond the reaction time of the cultivators present. In the next heartbeat, every Apotheosis Master and Divine Transformation Master in the legion plummeted from the sky as though a giant’s hand had swatted them to the ground.

Cain watched this spectacle, a quiet satisfaction evident in his expression. Notably, all those Apotheosis Masters were still alive, only knocked unconscious. Over the last few months, he had honed the Shooting Star Dragon Roar to a degree where he could choose to kill or incapacitate at will, and he preferred leaving enemies alive—at least initially. If they died outright, their Gu Insects would devour them and leave nothing for his Luminous Phoenix Heart to absorb.

With the lower-level fighters dispatched, only about fifty Divine Transformation Masters and ten Divine Transcend Masters remained airborne. They exchanged uncertain looks, each uncertain whether to stand firm or flee. Their instincts urged them to run, but fear of Cain’s lethal promise kept them frozen in place.

Cain summoned the full power of his Shooting Star Dragon Cultivation Technique. Flames, shadows, and distortions from Space and Time Laws swirled around his figure.

High above, Dominguez felt his heart thunder in his chest. Observing Cain’s display, he realized the man was not using Star Power—only Essence Origin and Laws. This led him to a desperate spark of hope.

“If his Rebirth Heart should be damaged,” Dominguez reasoned, “then he’s forced to rely solely on Essence. That probably means he’ll stick to long-range combat. Maybe…we still have a chance to—”

His thoughts shattered in an instant.

“BOOOOOMMM!”

In a burst of speed, Cain teleported directly in front of him, unleashing a vicious strike against his chest. The blow landed at the perfect angle, maximizing its destructive potential and sending shockwaves of dark energy surging through Dominguez’s body. The man coughed up gouts of blood, shooting downward like a meteor. Shadows—animated by Cain’s Law of Shadows—engulfed Dominguez’s battered form, trapping him in a cocoon-like prison.

A wave of dread rippled through the remaining Divine Transformation Masters and Divine Transcend Masters. They had just witnessed their strongest combatant—a Peak Divine Transcend soldier—being felled with a single strike.

Complete panic set in. Some fought back, others attempted to escape, and there were even those who begged for mercy. But all suffered the same fate. Cain’s figure blurred from one opponent to the next, delivering punishing blows that knocked them out or trapped them in shadowy cocoons.

In the end, each and every one of those fifty Divine Transformation Masters and ten Divine Transcend Masters suffered the same fate. Regardless of whether they attempted to escape or fight, Cain’s superior speed and lethal precision overwhelmed them. Soon, the entire battlefield lay silent, dotted with motionless shadow cocoons.