The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order - Chapter 2134

Chapter 2134: The Fifth Ring and the new power of The Flow

Braldy felt his entire body burning; the old wounds left by the battle against the Neo-Demon and the True Depravita of Original Sin were flaring as if ready to explode, unleashing catastrophic energy that tore through his flesh and spirit. He was moments from collapse, left to the mercy of the True Depravita of Prima Fury. Yet, just as everything seemed lost, he heard a sound.

A gate was opening.

To the Neo-Angel, it was the most beautiful sound in existence, one that filled his heart with bliss and hope. His eyes sharpened instantly, and he gathered every shred of his remaining power into one final surge. His energy burst outward in a blinding explosion that sent Tiamat staggering back.

In the next heartbeat, Braldy twisted aside, releasing two sharp strikes whose shockwaves rippled across the battlefield, forcing Ikmael and the Enlightened One to retreat as well. Without pause, he seized Ana and Amazo, flashing toward the gate just as it widened before them.

“BOOM!”

The explosion behind him shook the sky. He could feel the fury of Tiramisu — the True Depravita of Primal Fury — as she lunged after them like a meteor, faster than thought, thirsting for blood. Her killing intent was overwhelming; she could sense that the Neo-Angel was barely holding together. Yet before her claws could reach them, Braldy, the Crimson Exarch, and the others crossed the threshold.

The gate sealed shut, then vanished into the void.

Tiramisu’s howl of rage tore through the air, her ruby eyes blazing with killing intent and the thirst for destruction. But the storm in them slowly faded beneath layers of discipline and control. Her towering, wrath-filled form shimmered, shrinking until only the small, deceptively innocent figure remained.

She turned toward Ikmael and the Enlightened One. Seeing that both were unharmed, she gave a curt nod.

“Let’s find another gate. The faster we advance, the greater our chance of catching them while they’re still weak.”

The two men nodded in agreement, moving swiftly to the right. The gates were tricky. Once the one who solved it and his ally went through them, they closed and disappeared. Fortunately, others lay scattered throughout the end of the Fourth Ring, and it would not be too hard to find a new one.

Cain’s group was approaching one of these gates at that very moment, their faces bright with relief and hope as the glowing portal shimmered into view. The encounter with Braldy had delayed them, but the rest of their journey had been peaceful — even fruitful. Over the last few months, the Golden Lotus of everybody had flourished.

Cain’s own lotus had already bloomed sixteen leaves, an extraordinary feat for one who had not yet completed the Fourth Ring. It was only possible because he had driven his potential to its absolute limit during the battle with the Neo-Angel, refining his essence to a new height.

As they neared the gate, Cain stepped back and gestured for the others to face the challenge together. He took the role of a mentor — correcting their mistakes, guiding their choices, and helping them navigate the complex runes that guarded the threshold. Under his direction, and through their own growing strength, the group succeeded.

The gate bloomed open like a sunburst.

Beyond it lay the Fifth Ring.

What awaited them was awe-inspiring — and terrifying. There was nothing: no trees, no stars, no mountains, not even air that one could see or taste. The world before them was a sea of molten gold — the surface of a sun. Flares of solar plasma surged and roared without end, radiating heat that bent space itself. It began just meters from the entrance and stretched into infinity.

If they didn’t know better, they would have sworn they stood on the surface of a living star.

“The Solar Crucible,” Cain murmured the name Fifth Ring. Now the title made perfect sense.

The group exchanged solemn looks, then stepped forward together.

As soon as they crossed the threshold, the gate behind them snapped shut — leaving them stranded before the blinding expanse. The heat pressed on them like divine judgment, but no one moved or spoke. All eyes turned to Cain.

Among them, the True Depravita of Original Sin possessed her own mastery of the Flow, yet even she acknowledged Cain’s superiority in understanding its nature. They waited for him to lead them once more, as he had through the previous rings.

But this time, Cain only shook his head.

“I can’t guide you much here,” he said quietly. “My domain over The Flow ended in Redirection. This ring… its essence is different. I suspect the core trial of the Solar Crucible is to let the cosmic current of the Flow enter your body — to become one with it.”

He paused, gazing into the roiling horizon where light and fire blurred into eternity. “The Enlightened One succeeded in this before us, but through the cultivation of the Three Great Virtues.”

He offered everything he understood without holding back, yet their faces darkened at his words. The Three Great Virtues were legendary — ideals that transcended simple discipline, but very few could really train them, as it was not just cultivation but a way of living and thinking.

“I think,” Cain continued, “our best move is to study the principles of the Flow engraved in every particle around us. The entire Crucible is alive with the essence of the new Aspect, just like the previous ring. If we can decipher its pattern, it may reveal the ring’s core essence, allowing us to advance.”

The group nodded, determination replacing doubt. Each took a meditative position on the scorched ground, folding their legs and closing their eyes. The heat no longer mattered; the pain was merely another form of rhythm, another pulse of the Flow.

They expanded their perception outward — reaching beyond sight and sound, feeling the vibration of the golden plasma, the hum of cosmic energy coursing through existence. Time slowed, then vanished altogether.

One by one, their consciousness sank into the luminous torrent of the Solar Crucible.