Chapter 1720: True Primordial

Michael’s stoic and composed expression finally began to crack. Slowly, a smile stretched across his face—one filled with bloodlust, madness, and unfiltered killing intent. He already despised Cain for ambushing him and severing his right arm. Killing him now would bring immense satisfaction.

But it wasn’t just vengeance.

Deep within, even if he never voiced it aloud, the white stag Deus Behemoth knew the truth. Cain Laurifer was possibly the most magnificent talent he had encountered in the more than one million years he had been alive.

A being destined—almost fated—to ascend to the realm of ArchDeity, to stand above entire continents and determine the fate of Empyrean Worlds. To snuff out such brilliance before it could fully ignite… that wasn’t just satisfying.

It was exhilarating!

“Ultimate Radiant Meteor Fist!” Michael roared.

His right fist ignited with unimaginable energy, glowing like a constellation of a hundred exploding suns. Each flare burned with radiant heat capable of searing through space-time itself, warping the surrounding void with every flicker.

The fist, like a meteor crashing down from the heavens, surged toward Cain’s head—an attack so violent, so absolute, that Michael was certain it would obliterate Cain beyond even his regenerative capabilities.

But just as the blazing blow was about to land, Cain smiled.

There was no fear in his eyes. No panic. Just calm, focused certainty.

Without warning, Cain’s body realigned, his control returning in a flash of will. The Shooting Star Dragon Halberd disappeared in a burst of light. Then, with lightning speed, Cain extended his left hand—specifically, the index and middle fingers—and met the full force of the meteor strike.

Michael’s eyes widened. The redirection came with such speed and precision that even his ancient instincts hadn’t predicted it. The massive energy, meant to annihilate, was redirected entirely through Cain’s left arm, into his torso, and out through his right arm—all in under a nanosecond.

“A redirection ability…?!” Michael thought in shock. Normally, such skills required buildup and stability. But Cain had mastered it to such a degree that the transition was seamless.

Still smiling, Cain raised his right hand and placed his fingers gently on Michael’s chest.

He whispered one word.

“Boom.”

“BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!”

A monumental explosion erupted from Cain’s touch, channeling all the redirected energy directly into Michael’s chest.

The blast tore through armor, skin, and bone alike. Michael was hurled backward like a shattered doll, puking mouthfuls of blood and crashing through the heavy miasma with an earth-splitting roar.

Cain stood unmoving amid the destruction. He took a deep breath, calm as the storm raged around him, then looked down at his body, where subtle shifts were taking place.

“The transformation had only just begun… and the energy flow in my body is already ten times faster. Incredible.”

Despite the scale of destruction, Michael was still standing when the dust began to settle. However, a horrific, charred wound marred the center of his chest. The flesh and muscle had been incinerated, seared down to the bone.

Cain spoke openly, not bothering to hide his voice.

Michael’s eyes, still flickering with confusion and disbelief, stared at the young man. He didn’t understand how this could be happening—how Cain was gaining such a massive burst in speed mid-battle.

Cain turned to face his opponent with a sharp smile, and luckily for the Deus Behemoth, he was in a sharing mood.

“One thing I’ve learned about myself,” he said. “My potential is in constant motion—accelerating, evolving. But to reach the next level, I need pressure. I need the threat of death to reach into the depths of my soul and pull out the power sleeping within.”

As Cain spoke, waves of force began to pulse outward from him. It wasn’t just raw energy—it was physical might and spiritual pressure, all three emanating together in harmony.

Michael frowned. He could clearly feel Cain’s essence exposed—the energy, body, and spirit of the young man radiating in perfect sync. Yet what shook him wasn’t just the power, but the way the three forces began to interact with one another.

It was considered a monumental achievement for any cultivator to bring their body, energy, and soul into complete synergy. Even among Prima Deities, that feat was rare.

But Cain was going far beyond synergy.

“What… what is happening?” Michael muttered, witnessing something that defied logic and reality.

Cain responded with calm certainty. “I’ve mastered the Inherence of Spirit. I can commune with every atom and wavelength in the world around me. But now…”

He clenched his fists.

“…I claim the full might of the Inherence of Flesh.”

“BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!”

A second explosion tore through the battlefield. Cain’s energy, physical might, and spiritual essence fused into a single force, igniting a fundamental metamorphosis. In just three seconds, the evolution was complete.

Then came the flood—an overwhelming surge of World Strength pouring into Cain’s body.

“Hahahahaha!” Cain roared, the sound reverberating like a storm tearing through the sky. “Now that I’ve become a true Primordial, I can commune with the world on a deeper level than ever before!”

His power spiked. Strength, speed, vitality, energy pool, and soul force—all of it ascended, multiplying at an exponential rate. A colossal pillar of red flame burst from his form, engulfing his body and rising into the sky like a divine beacon of rebirth and domination.

Michael’s eyes widened in utter horror.

In all his millions of years of life, war, and survival—through calamities and divine trials—he had never seen anything so shocking in the midst of combat. Every instinct he possessed screamed the same thing.

Run.

Then he heard the words.

“Primordial Asura Form: First Gear!”

The name echoed like a divine decree. As it rang out, the world itself seemed to pause. A heartbeat followed—so powerful, so fast, it resembled a war drum signaling the apocalypse.

In the next instant, Cain appeared directly in front of Michael.

His skin glowed crimson, as if oceans of fire roared beneath it. His muscles rippled with boundless power, and his eyes burned with unstoppable determination.