On the thirtieth step of the Ancestral Flame stairs, twenty young asuras with early heaven-grade bloodlines sat in deep meditation.
The dark gold infernal flames washed over each one of them as their pores greedily absorbed the minuscule abyssal qi in the ancestral flames to improve their bloodline, which climbed from the foot of the early heaven grade, all the way to the peak of the early heaven grade.
Eight exceptional young Asuras strived to reach step 50 with great difficulty. Five bore the bloodline of the main bloodline faction, and three hailed from the opposing faction. Their bodies trembled under the pressure, and their meridians howled under strain, yet the fire of improvement burned within their blood.
Finally, their bodies gave up, and they sat on the thirtieth step, breathing in the abyssal qi from the ancestral flames to heal their injuries and improve the bloodlines, one by one, each broke through their bloodline shackles, reaching early mystic grade from the peak of heaven grade.
A gasp of astonishment sounded within the crowd," this generation is different from the previous ones, 8 new mystic grade bloodlines and they are not even the top of the cream", one inner core elder murmured to another, the expectation for the rest of the young Asuras rising through the roof, especially Renna, the granddaughter of demon lord Aamon Doom, who was born with a mystic grade bloodline, Anzu, son of demon lord Abbadon Doom and Demoness Tabitha, who was born with an early celestial bloodline, and finally Malikai, son of the current head of the doom clan, demon lord Astaroth Doom and Demoness Lillith, who was also born with an early celestial grade bloodline. Bloodlines have six tiers across every plane, be it mortal, prime, or supreme planes.
Starts with mortal grade, mortal grade, heaven grade, mystic grade, Celestial grade, and finally transcendent grade. The worst bloodlines young Asuras are born with within the main doom clan for every generation are always Earth-grade bloodlines, dozens of Heaven-grade bloodlines, and at least three dozen mystic-grade bloodlines with more than a dozen young asuras born with mid-mystic grade bloodlines, and only one person who was born at the peak of mystic grade in the history of the doom clan in the 8 primes world, there has never been anyone born with a celestial grade bloodline for countless eons since the doom clan relocated to the 8 primes world till Malikai and Anzu were born.
And then, Renna took a step, her silver-blue hair catching the glow of the infernal embers. The moment her foot touched the first step, the ancestral flames erupted, flickering wildly as the dark gold infernal flames became white. A cold infernal frost flame erupted, spilling across the stairway with an eerie stillness. The once wrathful heat stilled into a deadly chill.
Gasps spread through the crowd.
The Flames had become cold.
Renna pressed on, her steps light as a feather, though she wasn't nonchalant to the pressure; it couldn't stop her steps either.
30th step.
50th step
65th step.
70th step.
At this point, her breath became shallow, her knees buckled under the weight of the pressure, but she kept pressing on.
71st
75th
79th
Her limbs quivered, bones on the verge of shattering, and her legs refused to move another inch—yet her qi shrieked in defiance. With unwavering perseverance, she forced herself onto the eightieth step.
Knowing she could go no further, she sat cross-legged in meditation. Cold, abyssal qi surged into her meridians, healing her injuries and nourishing her bloodline. Then, in a sudden surge, her bloodline shattered its shackles, rising from the threshold of early Mystic Grade to the peak of mid-Mystic Grade Asura bloodline.
But it didn't stop there. Her cultivation surged as well, breaking through from the 8th stage of Body Refining to the peak of early Qi Condensation.
The moment her breakthrough stabilized, she was teleported back to the foot of the Ancestral Flame Stairs. A stream of turbid qi escaped her nostrils as she exhaled, the weight of her trial finally lifting.
But before anyone could fully absorb her achievement, Anzu stepped forward.
Impatient and eager to prove his superiority, he placed his foot on the first step. Instantly, the white flames were snuffed out by an overwhelming force. In their place, deep golden infernal flames erupted—burning with tyrannical pressure and surging outward like the wrath of a monarch descending upon his vassals. This was Anzu's flame: dominant, merciless, and utterly unyielding.
Seated among the Empyreans of the Doom Clan, Tabitha's lips curled into a wide grin, satisfaction gleaming in her eyes.