The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

Chapter 1721: Blood and Awe

[Paragon Star – Asura’s POV]

Asura already had a fair idea of what to expect on the Paragon Star. After all, he had seen what Rhazor had been through when he underwent his God Ascension Trial.

So, standing before the gateway, he took a deep breath and stepped through.

He appeared on a path leading to a skull tower standing tall and imposing. The entire tower was made from a very large skull. Perhaps the massive skull served as the base, fashioned into a tower.

It was crimson, with droplets of blood falling from the roof.

Asura narrowed his eyes when he saw this, feeling his blood boil just by looking at such a majestic sight. “How beautiful,” he said, feeling like he had seen perhaps the most eye-pleasing thing ever.

Of course, he would say that. His entire existence was basically made of blood, so seeing something both powerful and deeply rooted in his being, he felt pleased, elated even.

But he had to enter the Tower of Ascension.

So he took a step, and soon he was before the large gate, which, the moment he arrived, swung open, allowing him to walk through.

Just like with Rhazor, his gaze landed on the Paragon Path Tablet standing tall and imposing at the center of the Tower of Ascension.

He approached it, and when he was close enough, he took a deep breath. “So this is it, huh?”

The feeling he was experiencing at that moment made him smile, as he expected great things. Then he took a step and finally placed his hand on the Paragon Path Tablet.

That was when he found himself transported to a large arena, where the shouts of spectators instantly filled his ears, making him snap his eyes open and look around.

The arena was vast, filled with millions of people, each exuding potent killing intent and extreme Blood Qi.

For a moment, Asura felt like he had arrived home, where he belonged. But then his eyes narrowed when a figure appeared in the air, holding a mic made of bones…

“Ladies and Gentlemen, it is that time of the year again. Folks, we are about to witness it again: the clash of titans, one where blood is celebrated and death is considered weakness.

“We have witnessed legends rise in this very arena, some going on to become legendary warriors, others perishing in their own pursuit of power.

“But new legends can be built, and records can be broken. Today, we might just witness the start of something big… or not. Regardless, we have a new challenger, and he came with great expectations.

All attention in the arena was placed on Asura, causing him to tense for a moment. But he brushed off the pressure and focused on understanding what he had stepped into.

He had a fair idea, though.

He had appeared in a trial that involved battling deadly warriors and bloodshed, judging from the dry and wet blood already on the ground. If he didn’t know better, he would say this was an execution ground for souls crazy enough to dare step foot inside.

But he knew he had come to become a god, and something told him dying was not an option.

He could feel the power he needed just beyond his reach, and as much as he would love to say he could easily handle the pressure, the thing was, he could tell things were about to get out of hand.

‘Oh, this is going to be crazy.’

He was elated, though, something he probably would need considering the kind of battle he was about to fight.

The man who made the introductory speech spoke again… “Today, we have with us a man who calls himself Asura, the Blood King. He has come to challenge the Blood Smoldering Arena with great expectations, and expectations he shall have.

“Today, the challenge will be presented in nine stages, unlike the usual seven. The first stage will have 10 battles, with the second having 50. The third will have 100 battles, and the fourth will have 500 battles.

“The fifth will have 1,000 battles, and the sixth will go as high as 5,000 battles. The seventh is 10,000, and the eighth is 100,000 battles. Finally, there is the ninth stage, which has the highest number of battles ever recorded, a whopping 1,000,000 battles.

“To be crowned a champion, Asura must win at least all the battles in every stage he wishes to challenge. This means if he wants to conquer the first stage, he must kill all 10 opponents he will be facing.

“I will stress and say this: until your opponent is dead, the battle isn’t over.”

Cheers filled the arena, and Asura felt his blood rising by the second. The more the cheers came, the more he felt like he had finally arrived at the home he never got to live in.

‘Alright, I can make do with something like this.’ A smile formed on his face as he turned around, scanning the faces of the millions of spectators around.

‘This is going to be chaotic for sure, but I want to be at the center of it all.’

The cheers didn’t die down for another ten minutes. By then, the scene started to change. Asura felt a wave of pressure start to envelop the entire atmosphere, a sign that something dangerous would soon be happening.

Suddenly, a message flashed before his eyes…

[You have entered the Blood and Awe Trial. Only through slaughter can you awaken who you are meant to be.]

[Challenge and kill to awaken your Dao. You have challenged the seventh stage.]

[Good luck, Paragon.]

Asura looked at the message, and a smile formed on his face.

‘10,000 kills, huh?’ He smiled, knowing winning or losing depended on the first battle. If he could handle the first battle with ease, then he would handle the rest too.

The problem now was, Asura felt like challenging only the seventh stage was beneath him.

‘Someone of my standing should challenge the ninth stage.’ And so he made up his mind, knowing full well he would soon witness carnage unlike any other.

His first opponent walked into the arena, and the smile on his face vanished.