Chapter 504: Asura Realm (Combined Two-in-One)

Chapter 511: The Asura Path (Two in One)

The idea, actually, was very simple.

The player, half-bitten and bleeding profusely, was still struggling in their death throes, desperately making a V-sign. They knew they were doomed and would soon exit the game – it was a huge loss! If they didn't seize the opportunity to take a screenshot, strike a heroic pose of defiance and struggle, and post it on their social media, it would be a complete waste!

Boom!

In the sky, clouds churned. Fiery red clouds, like immense wings spread by a deity, swirled amidst pure white light. Within them, a mysterious, colossal Celestial Being cast a watchful gaze down below.

Hahahaha!

At this moment, the Celestial Being, holding the creature in its hand, threw its head back and laughed wildly. The creature, bloody and with half its bones exposed, roared a magnificent, tragic cry of defiance, speaking words of righteousness: "I am not a born king; it is simply the blood flowing within me that forbids me to bow down!!"

"This... he's still laughing wildly?" The Celestial Being's expression turned incredulous; it was utterly dumbfounded. "His gaze... it flashed with resolve and determination?"

The Celestial Being didn't fully comprehend the creature's words, but it seemed to vaguely grasp the heroic tone. To speak with only half a mouth of teeth remaining – how intense must that pain be? Even the Celestial Being felt immense pain just witnessing it. What kind of indomitable will did it take to speak like that?

Throughout its existence, the Celestial Being had always been supremely high. Now, for the second time, it felt a shiver of dread. Fear stemmed from the unknown, and this cluster of strange creatures before it, utterly defying all existing biological logic, instilled fear within it.

Years ago, the first time it felt fear was when it was massacring a village. A young girl had stepped forward, standing before everyone, using her water ray ability. Even when she was reduced to a half-bloody, mutilated body, her heart exposed, and barely recognizable as human, she remained stubbornly standing, blocking the way. The girl had laughed heartily, then turned to the crowd behind her and said, "It's nothing!" Then, the girl turned back to face the Celestial Being. She had a pair of sparkling eyes it would never forget, eyes that blazed with stubbornness, a raging fire, and an unimaginable intensity of anger and hatred. And she gritted out a single sentence: "You, a Celestial Being, high above, born with inherent nobility, feeding on all creation, will never understand us!"

At the sight of this creature laughing wildly, the Celestial Being couldn't help but recall that scene, and an unnamed fury ignited within its heart.

"The same scene, the same expression, the same rage!" Its cloud-like body glowed with an intense heat, turning entirely red as if burned. Its palm inexplicably clenched tightly.

It was a stubborn being. It had even deliberately inflicted similar near-fatal injuries upon itself, trying to understand the girl's situation and what she meant by 'understanding.' Yet, it couldn't speak at all! It couldn't even stand straight! It was too painful... It was simply excruciatingly painful... Even speaking was a form of torture. The stronger one was, the more acute their physical senses, and the more unbearable the pain they endured compared to mortals. That one time, it had almost died and was harshly scolded by the surrounding Celestial Beings. As a supreme race born into nobility and enjoying all creation, how could it so easily cast aside its young life? It gave up. But from that moment on, it understood that the girl's instantaneous resilience was perhaps something it could never achieve!

"A hero?" "This creature... it endures the exact same pain as that girl. Even as its body crumbles and its life is destroyed, instead of fear, it can laugh heartily? And comfort others who are uneasy?"

"Heheheheheh..." It let out a soft chuckle uncontrollably. "What pathetic thinking... To use their own blood, to brandish even powerless weapons, to stand with straight backs and swarm forward, knowingly attempting the impossible, like moths to a flame... What a truly ridiculous will."

Screenshot,Screenshot,

Below, the creatures were still yelling and shouting up at the sky.

"Bro up there, I've got the screenshots! I'll send them to you via private message later, they're super cool!"

"I've got screenshots too, a whole series! Based on your mouth shape, I can definitely stitch them into a GIF that spells out a sentence. The scene is epic: a mysterious cloud-giant deity holding a bloody, half-destroyed animal like an unyielding hero defying a mighty god!"

"Thanks!" the creature, half its body torn apart and still held in the sky, shouted. But it vaguely sensed something, turning its head to look at the immensely mysterious giant, seemingly perceiving the turmoil and unease within its being.

The player was still very kind, even a bit shy, and couldn't help but ask gently, like a tourist, "Brother, why does your expression seem off? Did our screenshots do something to offend you? Did they bring back bad memories?"

The Celestial Being: "..."

Its face completely stiffened at that moment. Sympathy? Heh... What awaited it was sympathy... A Celestial Being, born noble, needing sympathy? This gentle, pitying look of sympathy was, instead, an invisible mockery and disdain, just like the words of that girl years ago. It felt like an incredibly sharp thorn piercing deep into its very core!

"Die!" In an instant, it violently crushed the shouting, bloody creature, turning it into a pulp. "A dying creature, yet laughing, mocking, and pitying its killer?"

"Holy crap! Crushed? Good, he died well!"

"He died super cool! I got another screenshot!"

Below, the cheers grew louder, as they pointed and shouted at it, almost like endless taunts and ridicule. So incredibly weak, yet laughing in the face of pain and hardship? Such willpower — yes, even it had to admire it. But more than that, it felt an increasingly intense, unnamed fury.

At this point, an even more astonishing and baffling scene unfolded before its eyes. The creatures below, despite mocking and laughing at their companion above, did not flee. They whispered among themselves, then each picked up ridiculous barbecue sticks and crude weapons found on the ground — wooden bows, wooden spears. Laughing, they struck battle poses.

"No choice now, it's a disaster from the heavens. We're probably not getting away. Let's strike a pose later, a group of us waving weapons, charging at this cloud giant, and then secretly take a screenshot!"

"Make sure the photos look cool, create that heroic, valiant feeling of daring to draw a sword against a god! It'll be great for social media later!"

"Holy crap! Don't know why this boss is just standing there spacing out, but it's perfect for our photo op!"

"Anyway, no one outside will know we're faking it. Later, we'll coordinate our stories. Once we're wiped out, we'll use the screenshots as proof that we were all heroes who resisted the boss and died valiantly!"

The group began picking up their weapons, frantically striking crude poses.

Boom!

Charge!

Their expressions were resolute, their demeanor heroic, as if embracing death. They fiercely brandished their weapons and began to charge forward, rushing towards the sky-obscuring cloud giant. Their faces were firm, their eyes sharp as eagles, emanating a powerful aura of no return!

"This is... provocation?" "Audacious creatures, wielding mere wooden sticks and bows—weapons for slaughtering beasts—daring to provoke a Celestial Being?"

Finally, a flicker of pure rage crossed its mind. It had stood here to observe the progenitor of these new life forms, to witness its pride. But the pride of a Celestial Being did not permit provocation. Especially repeated... provocations.

Immediately after, a colossal hand of mist descended from the sky. Like a magnificent mountain, it slammed down onto the ground. In an instant, the entire group of strange creatures holding crude tools was swiftly crushed to death. The hand slowly rose. The entire ground was now devoid of intact creatures, drenched in crimson.

"I... I actually got angry?" The Celestial Being suddenly realized, taking a deep breath. But this scene was too bizarre; it felt utterly bewildered and out of control.

"Were they truly heartless, cold, lowly, and selfish, unintelligent beings? Watching their companion being captured, yet mocking?" "But if selfish, why did they raise those ridiculous weapons and brandish them at me?" "Are they heroes?" "Other races mostly flee, in terror and despair, with only one or two heroes who, knowing death awaits, step forward, roaring defiance, blocking the way for others. But these creatures... they were all like that." "This is a terrifying race: not one of them showed cowardice, fear, or fled. They stood with straight backs, and when faced with pain and torment, they still laughed, displaying a frenzy, raising their killing blades, striking at a Celestial Being." "This race is truly extraordinary!"

It was not a brute. It didn't simply crush them all in a fit of angered mockery because there was still one creature curled up in a corner nearby! It had not charged at it.

"This race is formidable, brave and skilled in combat; perhaps even worthy of being praised as a warrior god race... But even if most beings are heroes, there will always be one or two who fear death, who are timid, cowardly, and despairing..." It had seen such situations many times; indeed, this was the norm.

At this moment, it suddenly smiled, seeing a player curled up in the corner, as if finding a small measure of solace for its pride.

Yuan Qinghua was hiding in the corner, taking screenshots, watching the charging crowd.

"Good! That expression is great! Especially the one biting their tongue and lip, looking so resolute—what a tough guy!" "That one over there, their expression is too exaggerated, their face contorted into a mess of anger!"

Screenshot,Screenshot,Screenshot,

Yuan Qinghua, not participating in the charge, naturally took staged screenshots from another, more distant angle. Which of these players, or rather, modern online gamers, isn't a master of screenshots and selfies? Otherwise, how would they post on social media? Especially in this game, the screenshot feature was a major delight. Now, all veteran players were expert screenshotters, practically amateur photographers, having studied angles, lighting, and effects, right? Now, besides first-person screenshots, they needed a side-angle view, so he stepped up to film this charge from the side.

"These guys showing off, and they didn't even include me..." Yuan Qinghua took a deep breath, watching the crushed bodies. Suddenly, he looked up and saw the cloud giant looking at him with what seemed like a benevolent, satisfied expression.

Yuan Qinghua: "???"

He was startled, but looking up, the cloud giant seemed to be completely motionless, continuing to gaze down at him?

"The boss is really weird; it has advanced AI. I don't get what it means... but I'm prepared!" Yuan Qinghua took a deep breath and slowly released the hot air balloon tied to a nearby tree.

Whoosh!

He ascended into the sky in the hot air balloon.

Seeing this, the Celestial Being revealed a faint smile. "Finally, fear has broken their spirit; they want to fly away through the air, do they?" It watched quietly as the strange balloon ascended. Yun Zhongjun, for that was its name, most loved giving desperate creatures hope, watching them flee, and then, at the last moment, delivering a blow of despair. It relished that expression of double collapse after hope was lost.

What kind of expression would it be this time? Wailing with snot and tears streaming uncontrollably? Incontinence? But wait, a walking tree? That seems a bit odd. Can it really shed tears?

It smiled, eager to find someone who dared not resist it, someone who would flee, to reaffirm something within itself. It needed to restore its confidence.

Only... Its smile slowly froze.

As the hot air balloon ascended to eye level with it, a figure, wielding a wooden stick, leaped fiercely. Yuan Qinghua was laughing wildly and unrestrainedly. A storm raged behind him, sweeping blood-red flames in all directions. "I'm a combat-type player! You killed my teammates! As a guild leader, wiped out by the boss, how can I be the only one to survive?!"

The wooden stick jabbed into the Celestial Being's eye socket, instinctively blocked by its cloud-like form, sustaining no damage.

Screenshot,Screenshot,

"You!" Yun Zhongjun's heart jolted. Its Dao heart began to subtly fracture, and it bit its lip, drawing a trace of blood. I was actually injured? Countless top existences from the Mortal Path and Beast Path had challenged it before, and it had never been so discomfited. Yet now, it actually... It was Yun Zhongjun! If word got out, the other two Paths would surely be greatly shaken!

The Celestial Path was also divided into three regions. Celestial Beings were not unified, thus forming three factions. Yun Zhongjun belonged to the Cloud Crane lineage of Celestial Beings.

The earth was lush and green, surrounded by streets of a highly advanced civilization. Yun Zhongjun's face was utterly pale as it slowly carried a cage containing a treant, preparing to enter the sacred and magnificent Celestial Divine Hall to pay respects to their great Celestial Lord.

"Didn't kill me? But why does he look like he's been broken?" Yuan Qinghua was also momentarily confused by the other party's expression. "The boss was clearly wiping us out, but he looks like *he's* the one being bullied."

Such a strange game setting? Intriguing. The game development team is too good at this, aren't they?

As Yun Zhongjun entered the divine hall, the terrifying imperial prestige transformed into a tangible spiritual pressure, causing it to instinctively kneel and advance on its knees through the grand hall.

Yuan Qinghua was slightly bewildered: "???"

What's happening now? This not-so-powerful being was actually moving on its knees, as if going to meet some terrifyingly powerful entity? So subservient?

Screenshot,

He found it a bit frightening, but still held his head high and chest out, resolutely refusing to kneel, demonstrating his player's resilience and pride. Besides, he was a tree, a straight tree! He simply couldn't bend. Kneel? Your humble servant cannot do it!

However, for some unknown reason, his knees inexplicably went weak, and he naturally, slowly knelt to the ground within the cage.

Gradually, they entered the main hall, entirely constructed from large, pristine white stones, simple yet exquisite.

"Greetings to the great Celestial Lord, my King."

"Any findings? Yun Zhongjun, your characteristic is mist; you can condense fog into a colossal giant, capable of both combat and escape, adapting to various variables, which is why you were entrusted with this important task." A mysterious entity, enveloped in pure white divine light, spoke calmly from its divine throne. On either side, two exceptionally beautiful Celestial maidens were also kneeling, slowly fanning large, dark green circular fans.

"Indeed, there are findings." Yun Zhongjun knelt on the ground, pointing at the kneeling treant in the cage, who looked utterly bewildered. "I have discovered the progenitors of all creation. If the constantly proliferating new species in the world are likened to an endlessly flowing stream... then these beings can be called the source of that river... the spring! It is precisely they who have become the progenitors of all things..."

"Oh?" The entity showed slight curiosity.

Yun Zhongjun continued, "Not only is this progenitor race rare in number, but it is also exceptionally formidable, brave and skilled in combat. Every individual is a hero, unafraid of death, and capable of facing any pain with a smile. They can truly be called the Fourth Path in the heavens and earth—a warlike, unyielding, never-bending race!"

It gave them the highest praise! Every single one is a hero! Warlike yet unyielding, passionate and valiant?

Even the Celestial Lord couldn't help but be moved and astonished. How could there be such a fierce and upright race in this world?

"What do you think we should call them?" The entity couldn't help but ask.

Yun Zhongjun prostrated itself on the ground. "This Path is the Fourth Path: warlike, passionate, unyielding, stubborn. Perhaps it can be called... the A! Shu! Ra! Path!"