The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse Chapter 1422: Soul Ignition Pill

While his main body enjoyed himself, the Criminal Body found himself entangled in a scheme designed to end his existence. The day's combat schedule proceeded as usual, with over eight matches erupting in quick succession. Forced to wait for ten hours due to his position at the end of the lineup, he finally stepped into the fray.

His opponent was Kael Ignivar, renowned as the Crimson Inferno, a fighter who had conquered the 13th Blood Tournament wielding only his halberd and scorching flames. Klaus was left puzzled as to why the Executioner from the Warrior Tower had specifically requested this match-up. Despite spending hours analyzing the decision with Icon, they couldn't uncover a motive beyond the obvious danger posed by Crimson Inferno. As someone without any ties to the Warrior Tower, Klaus found the Immortal Emperor's underlying agenda completely baffling.

Nevertheless, the moment of battle had arrived. Klaus steeled himself, preparing to navigate the confrontation with extreme vigilance, certain that whatever conspiracy lay beneath the surface would reveal itself soon enough. As both fighters stepped onto the arena floor, a roar of excitement surged from the crowd; every Blood Sword match was a spectacle celebrated by the masses. Klaus fixed his eyes on the towering, muscular criminal before him and asked, "Are you not going to demand my surrender to avoid a messy death, claiming I am no match for you?"

Having witnessed his previous victims fall for that tactic, he was caught off guard when his opponent remained silent. Instead, Crimson Inferno’s response sent a chill through his soul. "I must concede that you are a formidable contender for this tournament. I observed your first Blood Tournament victory and have been planning for our eventual clash ever since. Some might wonder why I would prepare for an Early Immortal when I have previously slaughtered a dozen Immortal Kings. The truth is, I have a burning motive to see you eradicated. Regardless of whether I survive this day, you are going down with me."

A sinister smirk spread across his face, causing Klaus to knit his brows. "You have cultivated so many enemies that your demise will surely be a cause for celebration. As a fellow criminal, I can sympathize, but in our world, backstabbing is the status quo. That is why I have no choice but to ensure you meet your end today," he muttered, waving a hand to reveal a crimson pill resting in his palm. Klaus’s eyes widened, his heart hammering against his chest. "Don’t even think about it," he exhaled.

Crimson Inferno merely grinned as he retorted, "But I must. By choosing to play the martyr and reminding the criminal underworld why they must cease being pawns for the righteous faction, you have already sealed your fate." He tossed the pill into his mouth and swallowed. BOOOM. A violent surge of aura erupted, forcing both Klaus and the arena host backward. Crimson Inferno had consumed the Soul Ignition Pill, a substance that burns one's very soul to grant immense, temporary power. His strength surged past the Immortal Emperor stage, approaching the Monarch level. With his three Immortal Rings shattered in the process, his aura swelled to that of a late-stage Immortal Monarch.

"Prepare for your annihilation!" Crimson Inferno lunged with blinding speed, his halberd striking toward Klaus's heart. Klaus grabbed the blade with his left hand, sustaining a deep gash while attempting to parry, but the extra force behind the polearm drove the weapon straight through his chest. "Corrosive Fire!" Green flames coiled around the shaft, dancing across the metal to infect the wound. As Klaus retreated, his foot landed in something viscous. Before he could react, a phantom hand emerged from a patch of green fire to drag him entirely into the inferno. The transition was so sudden that within seconds, Klaus had been whisked away, leaving Crimson Inferno alone in the arena.

The pressure of his buff amplified, pushing his aura to the Immortal Lord stage and his raw power to the Immortal Monarch level. He spun his halberd and slammed it into the earth, causing the ground to shatter and form a massive crater as a powerful explosion rocked the stadium. Crimson Inferno himself was forced back by the sheer force of the blast. "Keekkeekkekeeekekekeke." A harrowing laugh drifted up from the crater, leaving spectators shivering in fear, some feeling as though their very souls were being tugged from their shells. "This is the end of the road, Blood Sword," Crimson Inferno hissed, driving his halberd into the ground once more. From the depths of the hole, a skeleton with glowing green eyes ascended, its own spear impaling a wounded Klaus. He was hoisted into the air, a display meant to prove that even a legendary Blood Sword was mortal.

Stepping forward to within a meter of him, Crimson Inferno prepared to deliver a killing blow to Klaus's neck. The crowd collectively held their breath as the blade arced through the air. Many turned away, while those rooting for his death wore triumphant grins. Yet, just as the edge of the halberd was inches from his skin, a black sword emerged to intercept the attack. Klaus finally retaliated, unleashing his Primordial Desolation Flame. He didn't stop there. Two white chains erupted from the nearby ground, spearing into Crimson Inferno’s shoulders and slamming him back against the earth. Coupled with the Soul Fury Flame, this attack assaulted his very soul.

A third strike arrived in the form of orange flames; the green-eyed skeleton was suddenly pierced through the chest as Nirvana revealed herself, adorned in black-and-orange armor with her fingers morphed into dragon claws. Finally, the Void Incineration Flame incinerated the spear in Klaus’s chest, allowing him to be swept into the sky by Void, who had emerged from beneath the dirt. Klaus vomited a mouthful of blood, slumped limply on Void’s back. The onslaught had been near-lethal, and only his last-second decision to sacrifice five Immortal Rings granted by his wives to bolster his recovery kept him alive. However, he had no intention of letting his attacker get away. Crimson Inferno, still under the effects of the Soul Ignition Pill, dashed upward to finish the job, knowing his strength would vanish once the buff faded. But Klaus and his flame spirits were far from defeated. Two thunderous roars echoed through the arena as colossal orange and white dragons manifested, unleashing a synchronized, devastating breath attack.