I have no idea where this black-gray road beneath my feet leads. All I can do is run forward as fast as I can. I tried to fly, but the moment I left the surface of the road, I felt a violent force pulling me down, almost dragging me away from it.
It took all my effort to get back onto this gray-black road. I sprinted, and the path behind me kept vanishing. That strange voice from earlier was gone, and on both sides, dense forests closed in. I saw wandering souls gathering toward me.
These wandering souls are peculiar, completely different from those I saw in the Underworld. After probing with my Specter Web, I discovered their biggest difference: they possess yang fire—a life force that should belong only to the living, yet it burns within these souls.
In other words, these souls might not be dead yet in the world of the living—they’re just clinging to a thread of life. Their state reminds me of how Yi Xuehan was when she was critically ill. I’ve been here before, but this time, the feeling is far more intense.
The road ahead twists and turns endlessly. I have no idea how long I’ll have to walk before reaching the Asura Realm.
Then, something changed. The forest vanished, replaced by barren mountains on both sides. The road straightened, and in the distance, I saw a massive round platform.
I’d seen this before—Mr. Brown once fought the Asura King here.
At last, I stepped onto the giant round platform. Everything here was black and white, a world shrouded in gray.
"Asura King, was that you speaking just now?"
I shouted loudly, but no one answered.
"I’m here to find Mr. Brown—there’s something I need from him. Tan Tian should be in the Asura Realm, right?"
I asked again, but there was still no response. I floated up and went straight to the center, scanning the surroundings—there was nothing unusual to be seen.
I sat quietly, released my Specter Web, and sensed everything around me. There was no trace of any presence here. It felt much more comfortable than that dark place before. I retracted my Specter Web and lay down on the ground.
Then I closed my eyes, thinking about what to do next. Suddenly, I heard a series of thumps—like war drums. I opened my eyes and scrambled to my feet.
A long horn sounded, echoing through the air. In a daze, I saw gray-white shadows—figures nearly two meters tall, each with three faces and six arms, stepping out. Their faces differed, but all were the same: twisted in anger.
"Kid, where are you from? Get over here! This is the sacred battle arena."
A thick hand grabbed my collar and, with a whoosh, dragged me to the edge of the platform. The one who grabbed me had a pointed face, three faces and six arms, his eyes burning with fury.
"Is he a newcomer?"
I stared at him in surprise and asked, confused.
"Excuse me, who are you?"
"The name’s Lee the Asura, the strongest candidate here."
I blinked and stared quietly at Lee the Asura. The guy next to him also seemed to be an Asura. Suddenly, with two booms, two Asuras flew out from the crowd and landed in the center. Instantly, I felt an overwhelming surge of rage and a tidal wave of cheers.
"Mr. Lee the Asura, could you tell me what kind of world this is? I just arrived."
Lee the Asura turned his head and glanced at me.
"Hmph, you’re just a clueless rookie. Looks like you haven’t passed the Asura King’s test yet, so you’re not an Asura. Basically, this is a world where only strength matters."
As Lee the Asura spoke, I widened my eyes. On the field, a short Asura and a tall Asura crashed into each other. For a moment, all I saw were flashes of fists, the sound of pounding blows, and waves of shock rushing toward me.
I raised my hands as the Asuras around me pointed and commented. There was no finesse to the fight—just raw brawling, fists slamming into flesh, the pounding sounds relentless. The two Asuras kept throwing punches at each other.
I swallowed hard. The Fist Extreme from the Immortality Society looked powerful, but these Asuras’ punches were even more imposing. They fought with the intent to take each other out with a single blow.
Suddenly, the short Asura stretched all six arms to his left rear and slammed into the huge Asura with a bang.
The giant Asura’s six fists were shattered by the impact. After the violent collision, he was sent flying. The short Asura flashed to the giant’s front, unleashing a wild barrage with all six arms.
The pounding blows kicked up clouds of stones from the ground, cracks appeared, and the cheers grew even louder.
"Heh, looks like Mark the Asura is going to win."
With a bang, I saw the short Asura’s six fists strike the giant’s abdomen at once, caving the ground in.
But the ground quickly repaired itself. The short one—apparently Mark the Asura—raised all six arms in triumph. Two Asuras flew over and carried the giant away.
"How boring—it ended so quickly. Only one match a day, and I won’t get my turn until the day after tomorrow."
In a daze, I watched Asuras vanish one by one. I quickly stepped in front of Lee the Asura.
"I’d better call you Mr. Lee—your name sounds strange."
"What’s so strange about it? 'Asura' is our current state, and 'Lee' is our former surname. Anyway, just call me Li Li. What about you?"
"Ethan Zhang."
As I spoke, Li Li sneered at me.
"You’re new here. Go join the newcomers—I’m leaving."
"Mr. Lee, could you tell me something about Zane Zhuang? Where is he?"
Li Li looked at me in confusion, then shook his head.
"I don’t know who this Zane Zhuang you’re talking about is. Whatever, I’m too nice for my own good—come with me."
As he spoke, Li Li placed a hand on my shoulder. I stared in disbelief, and in an instant, I vanished along with him.
Everything changed before my eyes. I stared at thick pillars—each over a meter wide—standing before me. Behind was a crude stone hut, just a pile of rocks, like a courtyard. Sheer cliffs surrounded us, and in the distant sky, a circular floating island hovered.
"Mr. Lee, this place..."
Just as I was about to ask, Li Li charged out in a flash. The pounding sounds echoed as he struck, and I saw fist marks appearing on a pillar before me.
"So frustrating. Damn it, today was supposed to be my turn, but they switched me out at the last minute."
"Mr. Lee, could you at least tell me about this place..."
Li Li smiled, twisting his three heads. The left one grinned wickedly.
"You idiot, you lost to Wu the Asura ten days ago."
"I didn’t lose! Are you blind?"
Li Li roared in anger, while the right head burst out laughing.
"Of course you didn’t lose—you just passed out, that’s all."
Li Li raised his six arms in fury, pounding the pillar relentlessly. After a while, the pillar was covered in fist marks, too many to count. What puzzled me even more was that, despite the force, the pillar didn’t collapse.
After venting, Li Li finally calmed down. He walked over and grabbed my head with one hand.
"Mr. Li Li, I..."
"Idiot, I told you before—this is a world ruled by strength. Ethan Zhang, if you want to survive here, you have to speak with your fists. Keep fighting until you win in the end."
I gave a stiff smile.
"Mr. Li Li, I’m just here to find someone."
"I’ll go ask around for you. Was it Zane Zhuang you’re looking for?"
Li Li vanished as he spoke. I floated up, but something strange happened—I couldn’t leave. No matter how high I flew, the walls around me kept rising.
In the end, I returned to the courtyard. The fist marks on the pillar had disappeared. I walked over and touched the pillar, unsure what it was made of.
Finally, Li Li returned and sighed helplessly.
"No one’s heard of him. When did that guy enter the Asura Realm?"
I thought carefully.
"Maybe two thousand years ago—as a ghost."
Li Li blinked.
"Then he must be a real powerhouse. Probably entrusted with something important by the Asura King. Sorry, I’ve only been in the Asura Realm for less than three hundred years."
I swallowed. Li Li might not be as strong as Mr. Brown, but he’s far stronger than me—his fists are probably at the ninth level of the Immortality Society’s Extreme.
"If you’ve got nothing to do, go punch the pillar."
Li Li grabbed me and dragged me right up to the pillar. He’s the type who never lets anyone finish talking—I couldn’t help but feel exasperated.
"You’d better start practicing. You just arrived in the Asura Realm—your turn will probably come tomorrow."
"What do you mean?"
"Whenever someone new enters the Asura Realm, the lowest-ranked Asuras send someone to fight you. It’s a test."
I swallowed. Yin Chou had warned me not to fight anyone.
"Is there any way not to fight?"
I asked, and instantly, all three of Li Li’s heads turned to look at me.
"Are you even a man?"
"What are you thinking, kid?"
"Fists are power."
I swallowed and gave an awkward smile.
"I’m here to find someone and get things done. How long until tomorrow?"
"Not long now."
As Li Li spoke, I suddenly heard the sound of war drums.
"That fast?"
In a daze, I was pulled by a force. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the arena platform, with Li Li behind me.
"In the Asura Realm, half an hour counts as a day. Enjoy the thrill of battle!"