Lin Fan followed the excited yet remarkably disciplined mass of warriors beneath the Brass God Pillar. Demons were also guarding the arena gates here, but as Lin Fan slowly advanced with the crowd, he sensed something was off.
"Are you strong? How strong are you?"
"How strong am I? How strong am I? I slaughtered an entire pack of Flesh Hounds this morning."
"That's not strong enough."
"I bit them to death."
A wave of astonishment rose from the crowd. Considering that followers of the Blood God disdained lying, the demon, whose role seemed much like a bouncer checking IDs outside a bar, nodded. "You're strong. You may enter."
"And you? How strong are you?"
"How strong am I? Bring out the Blood Reliquary."
The demon took a tightly sealed jar from a brass box. It contained an unknown crimson substance.
The warrior supported the bottom of the reliquary with one hand and gripped its ornate lid with the other, twisting with all his strength. His enormous, bulging muscles looked ready to burst through his armor.
"Ha!!" With a roar, he opened the lid of the Blood Reliquary. The unknown crimson substance floated out and was inhaled through his nose. He looked thoroughly delighted.
"Your strength has been proven. You are strong."
After waiting for a while, the warriors ahead of Lin Fan displayed all manner of extraordinary skills, each proving to the gatekeeping demon that their strength would not disgrace this arena of the gods. Their glorious records made Lin Fan feel that if these warriors gave up endlessly competing among themselves to produce a champion or a Greater Daemon in the arena and simply went out to attack the Imperium, Cadia might truly fall. There would be no need to throw the Blackstone Fortress down afterward.
"How strong