The white space remained quiet for a long time.
Feng Lingtian stood still, neither looking away nor urging him. He had asked the questions he wanted to ask, and now he just needed to wait for an answer.
The Asura King's figure stopped a few steps away, his face still blurry, but his presence was not diminished by the silence; on the contrary, it was as if he had confirmed something in the silence.
Then he spoke, "I know you're not from this world." The Asura King's tone remained calm, "But what does it matter?"
I am God Realm Enforcer, in charge of the order of the vast world. As long as the conditions are met, it doesn't matter where the successor was born.
"Just like Tang San, he wasn't a native of the Douluo Continent. I brought him from another martial arts world and put him into the body of Tang Hao's son Tang San, replacing the original Tang San."
In his original world, there were Hidden Weapon and martial arts techniques passed down through generations. I initially valued his talent and learning ability, believing he could inherit my mantle, so I brought him to the Douluo Continent.
But since he came into this world, his behavior has gradually made me give up that idea.
The Asura God King paused for a moment, as if organizing the order of his explanation, "First, after he arrived in the Douluo Continent, he still retained the behavioral habits of the martial arts world—he liked to launch sneak attacks and was used to doing things in the dark."
It's understandable to act this way when you're weak, but to continue doing so after gaining a certain level of strength isn't a fighting style; it's a matter of mentality. The Asura God doesn't need someone accustomed to hiding in the shadows to uphold order.
"Secondly, his standards are twofold. He is willing to protect those who are useful to him, but indifferent to those who are irrelevant to him."
He chooses to protect those he approves of, but he doesn't care about others, and sometimes, even when it's clearly his own people's fault, he still applies double standards. The Asura God requires fairness, not favoritism.
"Third, you've appeared. Your character, your way of judging, and the decisions you make when faced with choices are all closer to the standards required for the position of the Asura God than Tang San."
"Fourth—" Asura King's voice deepened slightly, "And this is the most important point. Tang San wants to destroy the Slaughter City, my place of inheritance."
The power and faith of the Asura God both need to rely on the land of inheritance to maintain. If he succeeds, it will be tantamount to severing my lineage.
No matter how talented he is, I could never hand over my position to someone who wants to destroy my ancestral home.
Feng Lingtian listened quietly without interrupting.
The Asura King continued, "It was Tang San's actions that made me realize that finding a successor cannot be based solely on talent. So even though I have high hopes for you, I must first put you to the test, which is why there were the three tests mentioned earlier."
These three tests—the first being facing abandonment, you choose to wait, without hatred or revenge; the second being facing shortcuts, you choose the right path, without taking shortcuts or leaving any debts;
The third time you faced life and death, you chose respect and did not abuse your power for personal reasons—every choice you made told me that you were more suitable than Tang San.
As for Tang San, although I have given up on him as my successor, I was the one who brought him here, and the cause and effect must eventually be resolved. I will arrange another path for him, and I will not let him come here in vain."
Feng Lingtian didn't reply immediately, as if he was processing the information. After a moment, he raised his head and said, "I already have family in this world—my brother, father, mother, and lover."
I know that after becoming a god, one can ascend to heaven with their relatives, but what I want to ask is—since you govern the vast world, can the scope of this 'relatives' include my grandfather from my previous life? When I ascend, can I take him with me?"
The Asura King paused, as if considering his words: "It's possible. But you need to think two things through."
"First, if you bring your grandfather from your previous life into the picture, how do you plan to explain his origins to your relatives in the Douluo Continent —your parents, brothers, and lovers?"
He doesn't belong to this world; forcibly bringing him along will only cause unnecessary trouble.
"Secondly, your grandfather has been reincarnated. He is no longer the old man who adopted you in his previous life; he has a new family and a new life in this life."
If you find him now and forcibly take him away, it won't be a favor to him; it will be interrupting his life.
Feng Lingtian was silent for a moment, then asked, "What can I do for him?"
"After you inherit the divine position, every fair judgment and every choice to maintain order will accumulate merit. You can use this merit to bless him in his next reincarnation, so that he can be reborn into a better family and no longer have to live a life of hardship."
You can't change his past, but you can change his future. When he truly achieves enlightenment, you will meet again.
Feng Lingtian listened quietly with his head down, then said, "Okay."
He raised his head. "I am willing to inherit the Asura God."
The Asura King's figure moved slightly, as if nodding. Then, a dark red light surged from where he stood, not dazzling, but carrying a heavy weight, covering Feng Lingtian's body.
The dark red light did not disappear; it simply remained on the surface of Feng Lingtian's body, like a thin film of light flowing and circulating along with his Soul Power.
At the same time, a message immediately surfaced in the depths of Feng Lingtian's mind—
The First Trial the Asura God Nine Trials: Leave the Slaughter City and complete the condensation of the Divine Slaughter's Domain.
Time limit: No limit.
Rewards: Increase affinity with the Asura God by 5%, and fully activate the Divine Slaughter's Domain.
Feng Lingtian stood still and read the message aloud, making sure he hadn't missed any details.
He glanced down at his palm. The dark red light hadn't completely dissipated; instead, it clung to his skin like a thin mist, slightly contracting as he clenched his fist, as if it were breathing.
He could feel some kind of change happening inside his body; the dark red light was seeping in and merging into the path of his Soul Power flow.
Feng Lingtian tried to mobilize his Soul Power, and it was smoother than before. The resistance to the circulation of Soul Power had decreased, as if an invisible layer was helping him to smooth out the places that were originally easy to get stuck.
Feng Lingtian withdrew his hand, ceasing his exploration. He had plenty of time to slowly figure out what the light meant, but now he needed to complete the First Trial.
Feng Lingtian sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to condense the Divine Slaughter's Domain. The dark red light from the white space slowly flowed into his body, spreading along his meridians, as if some kind of power was being gradually tamed, absorbed, and transformed into something that belonged to him.
He could feel the killing intent settling down, transforming from an external impact into a part of his Soul Power, settling layer by layer, like silt slowly sinking to the bottom of water.
He didn't know how long this process lasted. There was no reference point for the passage of time in the white space. He only knew that when he closed his eyes, the dark red light was still flowing. When he opened his eyes again, it had completely sunk into the path of his Soul Power circulation, and there was no longer any sense of it coming from outside.
Feng Lingtian looked down at his hand. A very faint dark red halo was dissipating from his palm, as if it had completed its task and no longer needed to remain on his surface.
He sensed the presence of the Divine Slaughter's Domain —like having an extra thread that he could draw upon at any time, which he could pull out whenever he wanted.
He stood up. The white space was receding, shrinking inward from the edges, like a painting being rolled up from all sides.
Feng Lingtian stood still, watching the white area gradually shrink until it disappeared completely from sight. He stood once again on the stone platform of Hell Road, surrounded by a dark red sky and the abyss beneath his feet.
He glanced back—the white portal had vanished. Then he took a few steps forward, and a figure appeared at the edge of the stone platform, seemingly out of nowhere.
A figure in black robes, gaunt and with skin that looked as if it had been eroded by something over a long period of time, its surface an unnatural bluish-gray hue. The King of Slaughter.
He didn't approach, nor did he show any hostility. He simply stood at the edge of the stone platform, scrutinizing Feng Lingtian with an emotionless gaze. After a long while, he spoke, "You've passed the Hell Road, and you've also passed that person's test."
Feng Lingtian didn't speak, he just looked at him.
"You are now the successor to the Asura God King," the King of Slaughter's voice was flat, revealing no emotion. " The First Trial is complete. You may leave now, and return at any time for the Second Trial when you are ready."
Feng Lingtian was silent for a moment. "Why did you come back?"
"Once you reach the outskirts of the Slaughter City, use the mark on your forehead to sense your location." The King of Slaughter finished speaking and, without lingering, turned and walked towards the shadows on the other side of the stone platform, his steps light, almost weightless. After a few steps, he paused, without turning back. "Your elders are waiting for you outside."
Feng Lingtian watched his figure disappear into the shadows without asking any further questions.
He walked along the path at the edge of the stone platform. As he passed through the narrow passageway, the rock walls on both sides were just as rough as when he came, and the air was still filled with the smell of blood and sulfur.
He neither quickened his pace nor slowed it down. After walking for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he saw the entrance he had come from—the upward-extending crevice, from which dark red light seeped in.
Feng Lingtian climbed up along the crack, and the stone slab above his head was pushed aside, revealing the grayish-white light of the sky. He stepped over the edge and climbed out of the ground, standing once again on the dry, rubble-covered ground. The tavern was not far behind him, its door half-closed, as if it had never been opened before.
Bai Yuanqi sat on Shitou at the edge of the riverbed. Seeing Feng Lingtian emerge, he didn't stand up, but merely glanced at him before asking, "Is it over?"
"It's over," Feng Lingtian said.
Bai Yuanqi didn't ask anything more, stood up, and dusted off his clothes. "Let's go then."
Feng Lingtian followed Bai Yuanqi away from the gravel area and headed towards the edge of the town. He didn't look back; the tavern, the gravel area, and the stones along the riverbed gradually shrank as he walked away, eventually disappearing behind the horizon.
(This chapter concludes the story of Feng Lingtian. Tomorrow, I will begin writing about the other teams, their journeys as they search for the path to godhood.)