Chapter 1538: Ascending the Apotheosis Platform
Yang Haoran merely smiled at Zhong Siyu's words, offering no reply. His gaze immediately shifted towards the Apotheosis Platform.
Earlier, when he was above the Night God Palace, the Apotheosis Platform had filled him with a sense of grandeur, solemnity, and inviolable divinity. Its immense size exuded an overwhelming pressure.
Now, standing beneath the Apotheosis Platform, these sensations intensified exponentially. The oppressive feeling emanating from it grew stronger with every step he took closer, and even before he had set foot upon the platform, the intense pressure made him feel as if he couldn't breathe.
He had participated in that earth-shattering God-Conferring War amidst the Underworld Turmoil all those years ago, but he was not the protagonist. Back then, he didn't even possess the qualifications to step onto the Apotheosis Platform; he could only watch from afar, filled with deep envy.
Now, he not only had the right to ascend the Apotheosis Platform, but it was right before his eyes. An uncontrollable excitement surged within him, an excitement that remained undiminished even in the face of the overwhelming pressure constantly emanating from the platform. He simply chose not to show it.
"Are you going to ascend the Apotheosis Platform now, or will you wait for others to arrive and then seek a suitable opportunity?"
Zhong Siyu observed Yang Haoran's hesitation to step forward, then asked with a sinister grin.
The reason Yang Haoran wasn't immediately stepping onto the Apotheosis Platform was precisely this dilemma. Ascending now had both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage was gaining a temporal lead—the first move.
"I think, since the Apotheosis Platform has appeared in the Great Night Empire, this is an excellent opportunity for you—a chance given by the heavens. If you hesitate and can't make up your mind, you'll miss this chance. To achieve your goal, you'll have to step onto this Apotheosis Platform sooner or later. If it were me, I wouldn't hesitate to step on it right now. If you can withstand the pressure of the Apotheosis Platform, then climb with all your might. If you can't, then retreat early to avoid becoming the target of a mob attack later."
Seeing Yang Haoran remain silent, Zhong Siyu seemed to guess his concerns and continued speaking.
Upon hearing this, Yang Haoran glanced at Zhong Siyu, then nodded, giving her only three words in response.
"You have a point!"
With those words, Yang Haoran made his decision. He no longer hesitated, stepping onto the Apotheosis Platform.
The moment he set foot on the Apotheosis Platform, Yang Haoran felt as if an invisible mountain had been pressed onto him. The intense pressure far surpassed what he had felt when standing beneath it.
Though the pressure was immense, it did not exceed Yang Haoran's limits. In other words, the Power of Faith empowering him could withstand the pressure emanating from the Apotheosis Platform—at least for now, it could fully bear it.
Having decided to ascend the Apotheosis Platform immediately, Yang Haoran naturally wouldn't waste even a speck of time. So, after stepping on, and confirming that the Power of Faith enhancing him could resist the invisible pressure, he quickened his pace, swiftly moving towards the summit of the Apotheosis Platform.
The reason Yang Haoran didn't fly, but rather took one step at a time, was because the pressure released by each step of the Apotheosis Platform was different; the higher one went, the greater the pressure. Leaping multiple steps at once could easily exceed one's tolerable limit, leading to instant death. Conversely, taking one step at a time was the safest approach. If he found himself unable to withstand the pressure of a current step, he could immediately retreat from the Apotheosis Platform, rather than throw his life away by going higher.
Though he ascended one step at a time, Yang Haoran's speed was by no means slow. In just a short while, he had already ascended a dozen steps.
Below, Zhong Siyu watched Yang Haoran quickly climb upwards, the smile on her face deepening. However, her smile was too sinister, truly terrifying to behold.
"Too slow! If you can withstand the pressure, speed up! I'll cover your back!"
Zhong Siyu spoke with a gruesome grin. As her voice faded, Yang Haoran's speed increased by a few more points.
Time passed little by little. Yang Haoran drew ever closer to the peak of the Apotheosis Platform, though his speed consequently slowed. This was because the closer he got to the summit, the greater the pressure became. When he had watched the Spirit Master False God ascend the Apotheosis Platform all those years ago, he could only roughly guess how strong the pressure it emitted was. Now, personally ascending the platform and getting closer to its peak, he truly felt how terrifying the pressure was.
At this point, Yang Haoran had traversed more than half of the Apotheosis Platform. Not only had his speed slowed, but sweat beaded on his forehead, and he was breathing slightly heavily, clearly indicating the immense pressure he was enduring.
Yang Haoran had opened all three of his Heaven, Earth, and Life Souls not long after beginning his ascent. While the Apotheosis Platform primarily tested the sufficiency of his Power of Faith, it also had certain requirements for his own strength. If his power was insufficient, he would likewise find it difficult to reach the summit. Opening all three souls not only provided the power needed for the ascent but also allowed him to handle unexpected situations, making it very necessary to do so.
Enveloped in black mist, powerful energy fluctuations emanated from Yang Haoran's body. Although his speed had diminished, his aura remained unaffected, still incredibly astonishing. With every step he took, the nearby space subtly vibrated—a phenomenon not seen before.
Just as Yang Haoran pushed forward with all his might towards the summit of the Apotheosis Platform, intense fluctuations suddenly appeared in the distant space. A spatial rift opened, and six figures emerged. Leading them was none other than the Death God of the Underworld Office, followed by the five Underworld Emperors.
Not much time had passed since the Apotheosis Platform's appearance, and given its location in the center of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean, even powerful experts who could tear space to reach this place would require some time, unless they were already in or near the Eastern Sunrise Ocean. The duration depended on the distance. Only True Gods like the Death God could instantly descend to any corner of the New Beginning Realm through spatial teleportation.
Evidently, the recent spatial rift was created by the Death God himself. He must have sensed the Apotheosis Platform's manifestation and immediately summoned the five Underworld Emperors to rush to this location. If the five Underworld Emperors had to teleport through spatial rifts on their own, it would have taken considerably more time, preventing them from arriving so quickly. Thus, the Death God took action personally.
As the six figures stepped out of the spatial rift, their gazes were immediately drawn to the Apotheosis Platform. And as they looked, they naturally spotted Yang Haoran, pushing with all his might towards the summit of the platform.
The expressions on their faces varied: the Death God was expressionless, while among the five Underworld Emperors, some wore looks of surprise, others were grim, and still others showed pure rage.
Yang Haoran, on the Apotheosis Platform, sensed the arrival of the Death God and the five Underworld Emperors. Zhong Siyu, below the platform, sensed them too. Yang Haoran did not halt his steps; instead, he exerted all his strength to quicken his pace as much as possible. He understood clearly that what he needed to do now was to reach the summit of the Apotheosis Platform and secure the God Position in the shortest time possible. Only by achieving True God status would he have the ability to contend with True Gods. Otherwise, facing True Gods as a mere mortal would be like hitting a rock with an egg, with only one outcome: certain death.
Below, Zhong Siyu watched the Death God and the five Underworld Emperors with a sinister grin. She showed no surprise at their appearance, as if she had long anticipated this moment and was mentally prepared. From her expression, she even seemed excited. Even facing enemies as formidable as the Death God and the five Underworld Emperors, she showed no hint of fear!
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