Golden divine runes suddenly lit up between Yu Tianheng's brows, and a strong spatial fluctuation instantly engulfed him. When his vision cleared again, he found himself in a mysterious space filled with blood-red mist—his feet were on a cold obsidian floor, and on a high platform in front of him, a throne inlaid with white bones was radiating a suffocating pressure.
On the throne, the figure clad in dark gold Asura armor slowly raised his eyes. It was the First Asura God, his scarlet eyes devoid of any warmth, yet a half-smile played on his lips. His gaze swept over Yu Tianheng as if it were a tangible thing, as if trying to see right through his soul.
"I am the First Asura God." His deep voice echoed through the space, carrying the unique majesty of a deity. " The Ninth Trial the Asura God will be presided over by me personally."
Yu Tianheng gripped his spear tightly, about to speak, when the First Asura God continued, " The Ninth Trial: Confront your true self. The Asura God is the god of slaughter, wielding the power of killing in the world. If the successor's heart is impure and entangled in desires, the day they ascend to the divine throne will be a time of catastrophe for the world. Today, I demand that you lay bare your true self, so that all your obsessions and selfish desires will have nowhere to hide."
As soon as he finished speaking, the crimson mist surged and began to gather in the direction of Yu Tianheng, as if trying to pull him into the illusion deep within his heart.
The crimson mist churned and coalesced, revealing a series of ferocious or venomous faces before Yu Tianheng's eyes—enemy generals he had slain on the battlefield, Soul Master clashing over family feuds, and even remnants of the rebel army who had perished under his Thunder in the chaos of battle.
" Yu Tianheng! For the sake of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's power, you personally slaughtered my entire clan! Your heart is utterly wicked!"
"Back then, you feigned an alliance and then betrayed me to seize the Soul Bone. Do you even deserve to be called a god, resorting to such unscrupulous means?"
"If you hadn't instigated the conflict with the Spirit Hall, how could the continent have been engulfed in war? Countless civilians have been displaced. You are the real sinner!"
"Go to hell! You are not worthy to inherit the Asura Godhood!"
The barrage of questions pierced through the air like sharp thorns, and countless groaning civilian phantoms even appeared in the blood-red mist, creating a suffocating sense of guilt.
Yu Tianheng merely curled his lips into a cold sneer. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul within him suddenly awakened, and the crackling Thunder around him instantly intertwined into a golden light shield. He stomped forward heavily, causing cracks to spread across the obsidian ground.
"Noisy."
He raised his hand and unleashed a torrent of golden Thunder bolts, each as thick as a bucket, crashing down from the void like divine punishment upon the illusory figures. Amidst screams of agony, all the vengeful spirits and their questions were reduced to ashes by the Thunder, and a gap was torn open in the crimson mist.
"Killing is so that one day there will be no more killing!" Yu Tianheng's voice, crackling with Thunder power, echoed through the space. "For a century, the nations of the continent have been locked in war, and the Spirit Hall has attempted to establish a dictatorship. If no one steps forward to end this, the flames of war will only devour more lives! What I have done is without shame before heaven and earth, without shame before my own conscience. What is there to regret!"
"I crave power to protect those I cherish, not to unleash my killing spree." Yu Tianheng raised his sword, pointing it at the illusory figure, his voice resolute. "I confront slaughter to end it, not to wallow in it!"
Upon hearing this, the First Asura God on the throne smiled and murmured, "Ending the carnage without becoming addicted to it, that's rather interesting."
"Very well, since we've finally found a suitable successor to the divine deity, let's not make things any more difficult. Let's leave it at that!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the First Asura God waved his hand, and suddenly Yu Tianheng's divine halo lit up, with nine rings of light intertwining to form the Asura God Seal.
He no longer resisted the murderous urge within him, but instead actively embraced it—transforming the murderous urge into a protective blade, and solidifying his true self into an indestructible will.
The Asura God Sword hummed, and the vengeful ghost phantoms on its blade stopped howling and instead transformed into golden rays of light, merging into his divine halo.
The bloodthirsty Asura phantom was the first to dissipate. The gray mist began to recede, and a huge Asura God figure appeared above the trial platform—it was the First Asura God. The god figure slowly raised the Sword of Divine Punishment in its hand and brought it down towards Yu Tianheng.
There was no attack, only inheritance. The light of the Sword of Divine Punishment fell upon Yu Tianheng, and the Asura Divine Power within his body instantly surged. The nine divine rings completely transformed into dark gold, and enormous Asura God Wings emerged behind him, their divine patterns flowing, indistinguishable from the wings of the First Asura God. The voice of the deity echoed in his mind once more, but it was even more majestic than before:
" The Ninth Trial of the Asura God: Confront your true self and unravel the true meaning of slaughter."
Assessment rating: Satisfactory.
"The inheritance of the Asura Godhood has begun. From this day forward, you are the new Asura God!"
As the divine voice faded, the First Asura God's image transformed into a sky full of golden light, merging into Yu Tianheng's body. His divine power surged, dispelling all the chaotic energy of the trial space, replacing it with dazzling divine radiance. Yu Tianheng slowly opened his eyes, his pupils shimmering with the light of divine punishment. The Asura God Sword in his hand had evolved into a true divine weapon, its blade inscribed with the supreme laws of the Asura God.
He raised his hand, and divine wings unfurled, causing the entire Asura God Temple to tremble slightly under his divine power.
From this day forward, the first Supreme God appeared on the Douluo Continent. This new Asura God carried not only the laws of slaughter in his heart, but also the original intention of protection.
The mist in the crimson space completely dissipated, and the Asura Divine Power surrounding Yu Tianheng gradually receded. Dark golden divine patterns condensed into an eternal mark between his brows—at this moment, Yu Tianheng was a new generation of Asura God.
On the high throne, the figure of the First Asura God became increasingly ethereal, yet still carried the majesty of a deity.
He looked down at Yu Tianheng, whose aura had undergone a transformation, and slowly spoke, his voice less oppressive than during the assessment, and more solemn than that of a successor. "Congratulations, newly promoted Asura God."
Yu Tianheng nodded slightly, his gaze falling on the illusory figure of the first generation. "Thank you for guiding me, senior, so that I could pass the Ninth Trial."
"This is due to your unwavering resolve and sufficient strength, and has nothing to do with me." The First Asura God waved his hand, then changed the subject, his tone becoming serious, "Now that you have ascended to godhood, you must understand the limitations of the laws of heaven and earth—after becoming a god, you can only remain in the Douluo Continent for a maximum of one hundred years."
Yu Tianheng's pupils contracted slightly. Although he had heard about it before, he never expected to get a definite answer from the first generation.
"A hundred years from now, the spatial passage will open automatically. You must go to the Divine Realm to assume the position of the Asura Godhood. After that, you will no longer be able to arbitrarily descend to the mortal realm to interfere in the affairs of the Douluo Continent." The phantom of the First Asura God emitted a faint halo, as if reminding you, " The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, your relatives and friends... these hundred years are the last time you will spend with them. You need to prepare in advance."
Yu Tianheng remained silent for a moment, then gripped the Asura God Sword, which was imbued with the Asura Divine Power of the Asura God, and said in a deep voice, "This junior understands. I will certainly live up to the expectations of this past century, and I will not fail in my duty as the Asura God."