# Chapter 319: The Fundamental Difference in Power

Three streaks of light soon drew near, coming to a halt before the two Heavenly Calamity Apostles. They were three Battle Saint-level powerhouses.

The leader was a handsome man with short golden hair and golden patterns etched across his forehead. His gaze swept over the green robes worn by the two Apostles, and his expression shifted.

"Heavenly Calamity Cult members?! How is this possible!"

The two Battle Saints flanking him were a towering Serpent Demon and a bronze-skinned Northern Wood clansman standing roughly two meters tall.

Both their expressions changed as well, disbelief written across their faces.

"Members of the Heavenly Calamity Cult have been corrupted by Aberration — they shouldn't be able to enter the Land of Origin. How did you get in?!"

The Serpent Demon Battle Saint's voice was laced with shock.

The Northern Wood clansman's gaze shifted to the Spatial Rifts behind the pair, his brow furrowing.

"You came through those Spatial Rifts? I didn't expect you'd found a way in."

This realization weighed heavily on all three Battle Saints.

The Heavenly Calamity Cult's strength was formidable — exceeding that of any single race within the Human Race. If the Cult could enter the Upper Layer of the Land of Origin, it would be catastrophic news for every Gene Warrior there.

The golden-haired Radiant's expression hardened. "Only two Apostles guarding this place? You're underestimating us."

The Serpent Demon Battle Saint let out a cold laugh. "Today, the Heavenly Calamity Cult loses two Apostles."

All three flared their auras and closed in on the two Apostles.

But the Apostles wore thin, cold smiles. The alluring human woman laughed. "You really think it's just the two of us?"

She swept her hand outward. The bizarre Aberration flames twisting around them warped and distorted, and over a dozen Aberration Servants stepped forth — each radiating Saint Grade auras, their forms grotesquely mutated with writhing tentacles or clusters of extra eyes. They encircled the three Battle Saints.

The combined pressure from every Apostle and Aberration Servant locked onto the trio, and the crushing weight of it drained the color from their faces.

"How can there be this many Saint Grade fighters?! Even the Heavenly Calamity Cult shouldn't have this many!"

The Northern Wood Battle Saint's aura surged as he cried out in disbelief.

But the two Apostles clearly had no intention of answering.

The human Apostle sneered and flicked her wrist. Every Aberration Servant let out a guttural growl, flames erupting across their bodies as torrents of Spirit Power surged outward. They launched their assault.

These Aberration Servants had mutated in different directions. Some had undergone physical transformation, their bodies becoming impossibly durable. Others wielded eerie, intensely corrosive Aberration flames. Still others could emit maddening whispers that clouded the mind, corroding the will itself.

Though Aberrated Individuals could not use Transcendent Genes, Combat Techniques, Gene Armaments, or any other powers left behind within the universe, their Aberration abilities alone granted them devastating strength.

In fact, at equivalent levels, Aberrated Individuals were often stronger than ordinary Gene Warriors.

These dozen-plus Aberration Servants had only just reached the Saint level. In a one-on-one fight, none could match any of the three Battle Saints individually — but they had the advantage of numbers.

Add to that two Apostles who were stronger still.

From the very first clash, the three Battle Saints found themselves on the back foot.

The Radiant Battle Saint leading the group wielded the power of light. A radiant flame burned across his body as he fought clad in golden battle armor, a heavy sword gripped in his hand. Flames condensed along the blade, and each strike carried an overwhelming aura of light that left scorch marks on any Aberration Servant it connected with — a testament to its devastating power.

The Serpent Demon Battle Saint possessed water-type Combat Techniques. His Staff danced through the air as he cycled between layering shields on his companions, mending their wounds, and binding enemies with water-based restraints.

The Northern Wood Battle Saint wielded Guardian Type Combat Techniques. Black-gold patterns had spread across his skin, granting his body extraordinary toughness and tremendous physical strength.

Yet even so, under the combined assault of the Aberration Servants and Apostles, his defenses couldn't hold. In a matter of moments, the Northern Wood Battle Saint was the first to sustain heavy damage — blood spraying from multiple wounds, his face draining to a pallid white.

He fell back, and the Serpent Demon Battle Saint bathed him in currents of dark-blue water. His wounds began to close, but the corrosive Aberration energy had burrowed deep into his body. Though the Serpent Demon possessed a purification Combat Technique, it was limited in grade and couldn't neutralize the Aberration energy quickly enough.

Pressed on all sides, the three grew increasingly desperate. Then the Iron Cyclops Apostle let out a roar. Green patterns blazed across his skin and his aura spiked sharply. While the three Battle Saints were occupied fending off the Aberration Servants, he appeared behind the Northern Wood Battle Saint, cocked his right fist, and drove it into the man's back.

**BOOM!**

The thunderous impact shattered the water shield the Serpent Demon had conjured around his ally. The devastating force slammed into the Northern Wood Battle Saint's back, overwhelming even his formidable defenses. His face went white, his bones creaked and groaned under the strain, and his body rocketed forward as a spray of blood erupted from his mouth.

"Muba!"

Alarm twisted the faces of both the Radiant and Serpent Demon Battle Saints as they watched Muba hurtle into the crowd of Aberration Servants. They surged forward to rescue him.

But the Iron Cyclops blocked the Radiant Battle Saint with a savage grin, while several Aberration Servants cut off the Serpent Demon.

The remaining human Apostle and a cluster of Aberration Servants converged on Muba.

Muba's face was ashen, despair flickering in his eyes.

Then — every attack about to strike him froze in place. The green flames, the claws, the blasts of power — all of it simply stopped. They didn't dissipate. They didn't weaken. But their presence could no longer be felt, as though they had ceased to exist within this space entirely.

Everyone froze. Muba, who had been on the brink of death, stared wide-eyed as a surge of relief flooded through him.

*I thought I was finished. I can't believe I'm still alive.*

The alluring human Apostle glanced at the attacks suspended around her, and ice shot down her spine. She had never heard of anything like this.

Her gaze darted warily around the area. "Who?! Show yourself!"

The other Aberration Servants scrambled to search for the hidden enemy.

Then a figure materialized in their midst, appearing from nowhere.

The human Apostle spotted him immediately.

She blinked — the newcomer was human, just like her.

Within human territory, humans were a major race spread across numerous star regions, so it wasn't surprising. She didn't recognize this seemingly young man, but that didn't stop her from sensing the terrifying aura radiating from him.

Without a second thought, she retreated.

But almost immediately, her eyes went wide with horror. No matter how far she pulled back, the distance between her and the young human never changed — as though no matter how desperately she tried, she remained rooted in place.

"How is this possible?!"

The cry of alarm escaped before she could stop it. She whipped her head toward the Aberration Servants beside her.

Every single one — whether poised to attack or trying to move — was frozen in place just as she was.

The eerie spectacle brought even the Iron Cyclops and the other two Battle Saints to a halt, all of them turning to stare.

Lu Yuan glanced at the human Apostle and the Aberration Servants struggling against his Spatial Rift, then dismissed them and looked down at the Northern Wood clansman beside him.

Muba's aura was feeble, his injuries severe.

But as a Guardian Type Gene Battle Saint, his body was extraordinarily resilient, and his recovery capabilities were equally impressive. Even with wounds this grave, his life wasn't in danger.

A flicker of green light passed through Lu Yuan's eyes as he activated Life Spirit's healing power, directing it onto the Battle Saint.

In an instant, Muba — who moments ago had been weak and wracked with agony — realized his body had fully recovered.

The speed of it was staggering. Muba stood there dumbfounded for a full second before it registered.

Then his eyes went wide. He flexed his arm experimentally and looked at Lu Yuan in bewilderment.

"...Sir, was that you who healed me?"

Lu Yuan's expression turned slightly odd. "...Who else would it be?"

Muba let out an awkward laugh, realizing it was a rather pointless question. Then he spoke up: "Your power is incredible, sir. That healing ability is leagues beyond Lintong's. If *he* could heal like that, I could take on all these Aberration Servants by myself."

He'd seen the enemies locked in place and clearly understood that this human was an absolute powerhouse. With his earlier tension and dread replaced by relief, he'd relaxed enough to start needling his companion.

Nearby, the Serpent Demon Battle Saint Lintong: "???"

He nearly choked. *This ungrateful bastard — next time I'm not healing him.*

He couldn't help but snap back: "If I were really as strong as this gentleman, would I bother healing *you*? Think about it, Muba!"

The Radiant Battle Saint beside them cleared his throat, glancing at the terrified Iron Cyclops and the surrounding Aberration Servants. He offered a quiet reminder: "...The Aberrated Individuals are still right here, you know."

The Iron Cyclops's face practically turned green at that. *Oh, thanks so much for the reminder!*

He'd been planning to slip away while their attention was elsewhere. He was no fool — unlike the Aberration Servants, he possessed normal intelligence and could plainly see that anyone capable of instantly subduing an Apostle and an entire squad of Aberration Servants through impossible means was far beyond anything he could handle. Staying meant nothing but a pointless death, and he wasn't that stubborn.

He'd figured that with their attention diverted and other Aberration Servants available to buy him a moment, his chances of escape were decent. But now...

The corner of the Iron Cyclops's mouth twitched violently. He spun and shot into the distance at blinding speed, covering several thousand kilometers in a single breath.

Simultaneously, he silently commanded the Aberration Servants to attack Lu Yuan — anything to buy him time.

But in the next instant, the Iron Cyclops found himself right back where he'd started, still frozen in his fleeing posture, going nowhere.

"What?!"

He gaped, unable to believe he'd been pulled back.

Not only that — the Aberration Servants he'd ordered to intervene were also frozen in place, as if trapped in a separate dimension.

Awe filled the eyes of Muba and his two companions. This human's strength was beyond extraordinary.

He had to be a War God-level powerhouse.

Lu Yuan regarded the struggling human Apostle and the Iron Cyclops Apostle, then turned to the three Battle Saints with a slight smile.

"Do any of you have interrogation techniques? Can you get them to talk — specifically, how the Heavenly Calamity Cult created these Spatial Rifts?"

The three blinked, then excitement dawned on their faces.

"That's right! If we could find that out, we could accomplish so much!" Muba exclaimed.

Then his expression immediately crumbled. He exchanged a glance with his two companions.

"Sir... none of us know any interrogation techniques either."

Lu Yuan: "..."

He was discovering that despite being Battle Saints, these three were actually rather endearing — though perhaps it had something to do with him. His power so thoroughly eclipsed theirs that maintaining any air of dignity was a tall order.

Hearing Lu Yuan's words, both the human Apostle and the Iron Cyclops Apostle stiffened. They exchanged a glance, and a feverish gleam ignited in their eyes.

Spirit Power erupted from their bodies, surging wildly out of control.

Lu Yuan and Muba's group all noticed immediately, their expressions tightening.

The next moment, both Apostles detonated themselves, erupting into spheres of horrifying green flame.

Yet even that devastating force couldn't break free of Spatial Rift. The flames compressed into a tiny area and slowly dissipated.

After the two Apostles self-destructed, every remaining Aberration Servant followed suit.

In the space of a heartbeat, every last Apostle and Aberration Servant was dead.

Lu Yuan frowned slightly. The Apostles wielded Aberration-based power — a force fundamentally different in nature from anything within the universe. Even he couldn't prevent their abilities from functioning. Stopping their self-destruction was simply beyond his reach.

That was going to be a problem.

He sighed inwardly.

Muba and his companions recovered from the shock.

Muba spoke up: "Sir, the power source of Aberrated Individuals is extremely unusual. War God Ruoshui once attempted to capture a Heavenly Calamity Apostle alive to learn the location of their headquarters, but even he couldn't prevent them from self-destructing."

Lu Yuan nodded slowly. "I see."

His own power came from Divine Grade Transcendent Genes, the same tier as a War God's. If he couldn't do it, ordinary War Gods likely couldn't either.

The three Battle Saints exchanged glances, then bowed respectfully to Lu Yuan.

"Thank you for saving us, sir. Without your intervention, the three of us would not have escaped alive."

Lu Yuan smiled. "You all came here to quell the Aberration Source. I wouldn't stand by and watch you die. Let me deal with these Spatial Rifts first."