Infinity, The Arcade Age

The good news was, although Qin Ming had never tempered his willpower, his mental attribute was very high—so his resistance wasn't bad.

Most importantly, he was immortal, so he wasn't afraid of being killed by the overwhelming killing intent.

But there was also bad news—the residual killing intent around him was simply too much. Worse still, rather than weakening with time, it had only grown stronger over the years due to the nature of the Killing Intent Wave.

As a result, Qin Ming's mental resistance was overwhelmed after just a short struggle. Endless murderous thoughts poured into his mind, relentlessly bombarding his nerves.

Sure, his physical body couldn't die—but that didn't mean his mind couldn't! There was no guarantee his spirit could withstand this kind of torment!

If this continued, he might really end up turning into some deranged, bloodthirsty lunatic—an insane Akuma 2.0—with an immortal body and a vast store of killing intent sealed within.

Sensing something was going wrong, Qin Ming clutched his forehead tightly and suddenly let out a low roar.

"Lamp Spirit! Grant my wish—help me fuse with the killing intent!"

Unable to hold on any longer, Qin Ming finally chose to play his ultimate trump card.

The moment the words left his mouth, the magic lamp hanging from his waist flashed—and in the next instant, a golden light surged from his body.

The power of the Wish Lamp's phantasmic force activated, entering Qin Ming's body. It began helping him resist the killing intent in the most stable and safe way possible—within the limits of its power.

And that method was...

Buzz!

His bloodline suddenly activated! Qin Ming's skin rapidly turned golden!

But not just golden—gold tinged with red, and red infused with gold—the manifestation of his Blood Buddha Golden Body!

The Blood Buddha bloodline within Qin Ming, agitated by the fantasy force, had been fully awakened!

Now radiating blood-colored golden light, Qin Ming took a deep breath and sat cross-legged on the ground.

Countless streams of killing intent poured into him, but were met and dissolved by the Buddha light blooming from within.

One side frantically whispered in his mind: Kill! Kill them all! Slaughter the world! Become a god through slaughter! Achieve enlightenment through blood!

The other side calmly urged: Put down your blade. Seek redemption. Become a Buddha here and now.

The most savage force and the most serene force intertwined inside Qin Ming, merging together in a constant clash. His expression alternated between cold madness and tranquil compassion.

One moment, he looked like a bloodthirsty warlord.

The next, a merciful monk chanting sutras.

With no formal training, and a will no stronger than an ordinary man's, his mind began to grow—in the strangest way imaginable…

…..

Meanwhile, outside the cave, Gouken, who had been meditating at the entrance for an entire day, suddenly lifted his head.

Staring into the distance, his brows furrowed, and his expression grew solemn.

Under his watchful gaze, birds erupted from the trees in a flurry.

Then, the branches began to sway wildly, and the grass on the ground bent in unison, all pointing toward a single direction.

Heavy footsteps echoed as a towering, burly middle-aged man stepped out from the woods. His hair was wild and unkempt, his clothes ragged and red, and a massive string of Buddhist prayer beads hung around his neck.

His face was stern, like carved stone—and before he even got close, a suffocating wave of killing intent surged forward, forcing Gouken to stand up on reflex.

Beside him, Ryu and Ken both tensed immediately, raising their fists and falling into battle stances, their nerves stretched tight.

The three of them channeled their Wave of Chi, forcefully pushing back the overwhelming killing aura.

Staring at the red-haired brute who had stopped a short distance away, Gouken's eye twitched instinctively.

"Junior brother Gouki… It's been a long time. I hope you've been well."

Upon hearing this, the red-haired man slowly lifted his head with an expressionless face.

He was none other than the terrifying legend of the martial world—The Fist of the Ultimate Path, the Demon-Slaying God-Fist, the myth known as Akuma!

A phantom who appeared without warning, who sought out the world's strongest just to engage in duels to the death. For him, fighting always meant wagering his life—every battle was kill or be killed. A martial arts maniac.

A monster who greedily devoured killing intent, growing stronger with every drop.

His gaze flickered slightly as he looked past the three standing in front of him—no, more precisely, he looked past Gouken, his former senior brother, and stepped forward toward the cave behind them.

Gouken had indeed been one of his stepping stones—someone Akuma intended to surpass and crush—but today, he wasn't here for him.

The reason Akuma had suddenly rushed over was because he had sensed an overwhelming wave of killing intent brewing in this place.

Inside the cave—within the holy ground of the Assassination School—something was brewing… something that even moved Akuma.

He had been to this cave once before, and stayed here for three whole days.

It was back then that Akuma first tasted the addictive power of Killing Intent Wave… and completely fell under its spell.

After absorbing a massive amount of ancient martial artists' killing intent and growing rapidly, he had eventually reached a point where his own killing aura stopped evolving—it plateaued.

That was why he had no choice but to walk out and challenge his master to a duel to the death… and to challenge other powerhouses, all for the sake of devouring their killing intent, breaking his limits, and evolving further.

But now… there was someone inside the cave who was madly absorbing all killing intent, regardless of strength or origin.

This completely piqued Akuma's interest. He couldn't wait to fight that person.

On the path of the Asura… there could only be one who moved forward!

Let them duel to the death. Let one be the victor—and the other become nourishment.

With thunderous footsteps, Akuma ignored the three standing in front of the cave and strode forward.

But after just a few steps, Gouken stepped sideways and blocked his path.

Staring at his junior brother, Gouken's face was solemn as he shook his head.

"Gouki… You can't disturb him. He's in the middle of breaking through the shackles of killing intent—reclaiming his true self. I can't let you interrupt that. You'll kill him."

Hearing this, and seeing Gouken assume the opening stance of the Assassination School, Akuma froze for a moment.

Then, for the first time in a long while, a strange expression spread across his stiff face.

A smile.

A bizarre, chilling smile.

"You're saying… he's breaking through the shackles of killing intent?"

"That's right!"

"No. You don't understand. You have no idea what he's doing. He's not conquering the killing intent… he's becoming it! He's turning into its vessel, just like me—but even more perfect!"

That twisted smile widened as Akuma's face contorted with ecstasy.

"Senior brother… You don't understand the kind of monster you're creating. You're birthing a true demon—a killer demon!"

Gouken was stunned. Before he could fully comprehend what Akuma meant, the latter had already begun to shift into stance.

"If you want to stop me, then stop me properly! I don't plan to disturb him—not yet. I want to see how far he can go first. So let me devour you, Martial Grandmaster Gouken… and then devour that demon of killing intent as well!"

"I… will consume him—and become the true Asura!"

(End of Chapter)