Chapter 1200: The World of Fengshendai (Part 2)
The individuals arriving at Snow Fox Mountain one after another mostly belonged to either the Underworld Office or the Spirit Masters, with only a very small minority remaining neutral. This situation was hardly surprising; after all, nearly all major and minor factions throughout the New Beginning Realm had already taken their stance. Only a handful of powerful individuals and small forces still managed to maintain their neutrality, refusing to offend either the Underworld Office or the Spirit Masters. Consequently, very few of those who gathered here were unaligned.
As more and more people continued to arrive at Snow Fox Mountain, the presence of Yang Haoran and Bai Yuanhua successively entered the view of various onlookers. Without exception, everyone brave enough to come and witness the spectacle was an influential, well-regarded, and powerful individual from Jun Prefecture. Naturally, they all recognized Bai Yuanhua, the Demon Saint patriarch of the White Fox Clan.
Under normal circumstances, upon seeing the venerable Demon Saint Bai Yuanhua, there would be no shortage of individuals eager to approach and engage him in conversation. Yet, at this moment, no one dared to draw near Bai Yuanhua, the reason being self-evident.
As for Yang Haoran, few present actually recognized him. Although his renown in Jingling Continent was now considerable, this was not Jingling Continent. Therefore, while some might have known his name, genuinely recognizing him was rare. Nevertheless, his Death God uniform, denoting a Guardian, was instantly identifiable to everyone present. They knew him to be one of the Underworld Office's forty-five Guardians.
When the Underworld Office personnel realized a Guardian from their own ranks was present, their faces lit up with pleasant surprise. A Guardian, after all, represented not only high status but also formidable strength. With a Guardian holding the fort, they were confident they could overpower the Spirit Masters.
Moreover, while they might not understand the nature of the black hole, that didn't mean the Guardian would be equally clueless. This matter could certainly be clarified by consulting Yang Haoran, their Guardian.
The Spirit Masters' reaction, in stark contrast, was one of grimness. The presence of Yang Haoran, the Guardian, soured their mood. Initially, upon seeing the black hole, they had all worn expressions of joy, but the moment they discovered an Underworld Office Guardian was also present, their happiness immediately evaporated. Some had even begun secretly mobilizing the power within their bodies, poised to launch an attack on Yang Haoran at any given moment.
A series of rushing sounds echoed through the air, and the Underworld Office personnel appeared one after another before Yang Haoran, bowing respectfully to him.
Seeing this, Yang Haoran showed no inclination for pleasantries with them. His face was stern as he opened his mouth and issued a command.
“Immediately report to your superior Guardian,” he commanded, “and tell them that the Apotheosis Platform is about to manifest here! ”
Yang Haoran paid no mind to whether these individuals recognized the black hole's origin, nor did he concern himself with whom their previously activated talismans had contacted, or what reports they had made. He simply had no time to dwell on such trivialities. What he needed to do now was to immediately disseminate this news as swiftly as possible, ensuring that more individuals within the Underworld Office were made aware of the situation.
Although he had just used a Communication Talisman to report this matter to Luo Yao, the Great Emperor, and believed the news would swiftly spread throughout the entire Underworld Office, it was obvious that the Underworld Office personnel before him were from Jun Prefecture. As locals, their immediate awareness of the situation would enable them to dispatch experts to this location much faster.
As an Underworld Office Guardian, Yang Haoran naturally had no desire to see the Spirit Master False God successfully ascend the Apotheosis Platform. Once the Spirit Master False God became a True God, it would spell disaster for their entire Underworld Office, and he, as a Guardian, would likewise face grim days ahead.
The Underworld Office personnel who had approached to bow were initially brimming with pleasant surprise, but disappointment welled up in their hearts the moment they realized that the Yang Haoran before them was merely a Division Charm projection, not his true self. They all knew that a Division Charm projection possessed no offensive power whatsoever. Thus, even as an Underworld Office Guardian, Yang Haoran would be unable to use his strength to aid them in the current predicament.
Their disappointment was but a fleeting moment. Yang Haoran's next words instantly caused their faces to drain of color, and their earlier disappointment vanished, utterly eclipsed by intense shock. Meanwhile, Bai Yuanhua, standing nearby, heard Yang Haoran's declaration, and his expression naturally turned even grimmer.
“Hmph, I thought it was truly an Underworld Office Guardian present,” a voice sneered. “Turns out it’s just a Division Charm projection. Since it’s merely a powerless projection, then don’t bother trying to join the fun here! ”
Just then, a cold voice echoed across the area. Immediately afterward, a sudden black light descended from the sky, crashing down heavily towards Yang Haoran below.
These Underworld Office agents who had saluted Yang Haoran were no mere "embroidered pillows. " The moment they sensed the power fluctuation from above, some swiftly released protective barriers to shield Yang Haoran's Division Charm projection, others moved to block the incoming black light, while still others roared in anger and launched counter-attacks against the offending Spirit Master.
Although they all knew that Yang Haoran at this moment was merely a Division Charm projection, he was, after all, a revered Underworld Office Guardian. To allow a Spirit Master to casually disperse his projection would be an incredibly humiliating affair, reflecting poorly on all of them as Underworld Office agents. Thus, even with the knowledge that damaging the projection wouldn't harm his true self, they still moved to shield Yang Haoran from the sudden assault.
The engagement between the two factions signified the prelude to the grand battle about to erupt on Snow Fox Mountain, triggered by the Apotheosis Platform. From the arrival of these individuals until this very moment, barely over a minute had elapsed. Yet, in that incredibly short time, both sides had already lunged into conflict!
Amidst a series of thunderous roars, Yang Haoran's gaze fixed upon his attacker. Then, he calmly spoke.
“I hope you’re still alive by the time my true self arrives. ”
As these words left his lips, Yang Haoran's Division Charm projection immediately dissolved into specks of spiritual light and vanished. The Spirit Master's assault had not, in fact, harmed the projection; its dissipation was entirely Yang Haoran's own deliberate action.
In truth, even if the Spirit Master hadn't attacked him, he would have dispersed the Division Charm projection after issuing his orders to the Underworld Office agents present. He absolutely had to ensure his true self arrived at Snow Fox Mountain as swiftly as possible, and he couldn't afford to waste any more time here simply because of the projection's presence.
As Yang Haoran departed, Bai Yuanhua, whose heart was already seething with rage, saw that the Underworld Office and the Spirit Masters had already begun fighting on the summit of his Snow Fox Mountain. No longer able to suppress the fury within him, he let out a roar and likewise plunged into the fray. His first targets were, unequivocally, the Spirit Masters.
Bai Yuanhua had originally not taken a side between the Spirit Masters or the Underworld Office; the White Fox Clan itself was a neutral faction. The reason he chose to attack the Spirit Masters at this moment was that the impending manifestation of the Apotheosis Platform had delighted the Spirit Masters, and their joy, ironically, was built directly upon his pain.
What's more, the distance between him and Yang Haoran had been so close that the attack unleashed by the Spirit Master targeting Yang Haoran also happened to encompass him within its strike range. Although the assault was ultimately blocked by an Underworld Office agent, the anger in his heart hadn't dissipated in the slightest. Therefore, the Spirit Masters naturally became the immediate target for him to vent his profound fury.
When a Demon Saint made a move, the resulting force was naturally far superior to anyone else present. With just a single strike, he severely wounded one of the Spirit Masters.
The severely wounded Spirit Master was a Grand Spirit Master, seemingly in the early stages of that realm based on his power fluctuations. Such a cultivation level was certainly considered that of an expert throughout the entire New Beginning Realm. It was just unfortunate that he had encountered a Demon Saint far more powerful than himself. Consequently, he ended up gravely wounded without even managing to parry a single strike.
Given Bai Yuanhua's formidable strength, he could have effortlessly insta-killed this Grand Spirit Master with a single blow. He refrained from doing so because he hadn't used his full power, and the reason he hadn't was simply that he dared not.
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Bai Yuanhua was indeed consumed by rage at this moment, yet he hadn't lost his reason. He dared to vent his inner fury upon the Spirit Masters, but he dared not actually kill them, for once he did, the very nature of the conflict would irrevocably change.
Soon, more Spirit Masters would arrive, and even the Spirit Master False God would surely appear. If he were to openly slaughter Spirit Masters here, their high-ranking figures might well demand his life in retribution. But by merely gravely wounding them, he believed he could entirely justify his actions, and the Spirit Masters' higher-ups would certainly not dare to overly trouble him. After all, he was, by any measure, a Demon Saint-level expert.
Bai Yuanhua's subtle calculations remained unknown to the others present. At that moment, they were only aware of the Demon Saint Bai Yuanhua's overwhelming might; experts like Grand Spirit Masters appeared as helpless as infants before him. However, immediately after, a Spiritualist King descended upon the summit of Snow Fox Mountain, and the situation instantly shifted.
Below Snow Fox Mountain, a flurry of snowflakes suddenly danced in a pocket of space. These snowflakes coalesced into four rapidly spinning clusters, which then transformed into four individuals. These four were none other than Bai Xue and her three companions, who had vanished from the summit of Snow Fox Mountain.
The moment the four appeared, Bai Xue received a Communication Talisman from Yang Haoran.
“Big Brother Underworld Agent wants us to retreat immediately,” came Yang Haoran’s voice. “The Apotheosis Platform is about to manifest here, and a cataclysmic battle will soon erupt. Top experts from both the Underworld Office and the Spirit Masters will converge on this spot. It will be incredibly dangerous if we remain, so we absolutely must. . . ”
After Bai Xue finished receiving Yang Haoran's message via the Communication Talisman, she immediately began speaking to Luo Xue and the other two. However, before she could finish her sentence, Luo Xue interrupted her from the side.
“President, quick, look! ” Luo Xue exclaimed, cutting her off. “What is that? Is that the legendary Apotheosis Platform? ! ”
Hearing her words, the three of them all turned their gaze towards the direction Luo Xue was pointing. They saw that the black hole above the summit of Snow Fox Mountain had already vanished, replaced instead by a massive divine platform emanating a brilliant golden light!
The divine platform was entirely golden-yellow in color, suspended quietly high in the air. Its entire form not only emitted an intense golden light, but within that radiance, countless runes flickered, making it appear incredibly mysterious and profound.
The space in the area where the divine platform now rested was no longer shattered and unstable, as it had been when the black hole previously appeared. That region of space had now completely stabilized, as if it had never fractured at all, and the towering divine platform itself seemed to have materialized out of thin air.
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