Chapter 1542: Battle for Apotheosis (Part Four)
Before the Great Night’s combatants made their appearance, Yang Haoran’s side was clearly at a disadvantage overall. Too many experts from the Yin Division were arriving in continuous waves, while the Great Night’s formidable combat strength had yet to materialize, rendering them naturally unable to contend with the Yin Division’s forces.
However, the moment the Great Night’s forces joined the fray, the tide of battle instantly turned. This was, after all, the Great Night’s home turf, allowing them to rapidly deploy all their main combat power into the fight – a luxury the Yin Division could not afford.
Nevertheless, with the Great Night’s full might now committed to the battle, the brutal intensity of the conflict escalated further. Due to their overwhelming superiority in both power and sheer numbers, the Yin Division’s casualties far surpassed those of Yang Haoran’s forces.
Screams echoed without end as experts from the Yin Division fell one after another. Their demise severely impacted the morale of the Yin Division’s forces. Conversely, Yang Haoran’s side was invigorated, their fighting spirit soaring as they grew braver with every clash.
At this pace, everyone on the Yin Division’s side, save for a handful of their absolute top-tier powerhouses, would soon be completely annihilated. This grim reality was evident to both the Great Night and the Yin Division alike.
The battle between the Death God and the Talisman Ancestor raged with even greater ferocity than before. Their struggle was no longer confined merely to their Dharma Bodies; beyond that, the Death God unleashed a barrage of Ghost Arts, while the Talisman Ancestor likewise utilized an array of talismans. For a time, neither could truly gain an advantage over the other.
Although both combatants were evenly matched in strength, their expressions revealed a stark contrast. The Talisman Ancestor wore a smile, making it clear at a glance that he was in an excellent mood. The Death God, however, sported a grim, darkened face, his expression thoroughly displeased.
The reason for the Death God’s grim countenance was simple: the current situation was incredibly unfavorable for his side. He knew it wasn't due to a lack of power on their part, but rather that many of their experts simply couldn't reach the battle in time. This meant his forces were currently being utterly suppressed by Yang Haoran’s, with experts falling tragically every single moment. Naturally, his expression was anything but pleasant.
“Heh heh,” the Talisman Ancestor chuckled, “at this rate, your reinforcements won’t even have arrived before most of your people here are wiped out. By then, the others arriving in dribs and drabs won’t make much difference. There will only be one outcome: they’ll be picked off one by one. ”
The Death God’s expression was already foul, but upon hearing the Talisman Ancestor’s words, his face instantly darkened further. He knew the Talisman Ancestor spoke the truth, yet he had no intention of admitting defeat simply because of it.
“Hmph,” the Death God scoffed, “until the very end, no one can say for sure how the situation will unfold. Besides, do you truly believe I would pin my hopes on mere mortals? ”
The Death God let out a cold snort, then spoke with chilling disdain. His words caused the smile on the Talisman Ancestor’s face to falter, freezing slightly.
The Death God’s eyes missed not a single flicker of change in the Talisman Ancestor’s expression. Seeing him momentarily stunned, the Death God inwardly gloated, the vexation caused by the situation immediately dissipating by more than half. But then, just as quickly, the Talisman Ancestor snapped out of his stupor. Far from frowning, he burst into boisterous laughter.
The Death God, whose secret satisfaction had just begun to swell, frowned deeply. The Talisman Ancestor’s reaction had completely defied his expectations. His inner delight evaporated, replaced instead by a mixture of confusion and caution. Before he could even voice a question, the Talisman Ancestor spoke, still smiling.
“Whether you pin your hopes on ordinary people, I don’t know,” the Talisman Ancestor said, “but I do know you contacted other True Gods, and I also know your purpose in reaching out to them. However, it’s quite a pity for you. The True Gods you secretly contacted? I also reached out to them, and offered even more generous terms than you did. Although they didn’t agree to side with me and attack you, they also won’t help you. If you wish to achieve your goals by borrowing their strength, I’d advise you to give up on that notion. They won’t be appearing this time. They won’t confront you, nor will they confront me. This is a private feud between you and me. ”
The Talisman Ancestor’s words made the Death God understand the reason for his mirth. While understanding dawned, it only twisted the Death God’s features into an even fouler expression, for this news was, for him, nothing short of disastrous.
The New Beginning Realm has existed for an untold number of millennia. No one knows precisely how many times the Apotheosis Platform has appeared, for it manifests each time the world descends into great chaos. To this day, no one knows how many times the New Beginning Realm has been thrown into disarray — not even the True Gods themselves.
In this long river of time, innumerable factions and sects have emerged, yet very few of them have endured to this day; nearly all have been submerged in the currents of history. Among these vanished powers, there were also individuals of astonishing brilliance. With the exception of a mere handful who harbored no ambitions of godhood, the vast majority yearned fiercely to ascend, and indeed, quite a few powerful experts successfully climbed the Apotheosis Platform amidst the chaos of their eras.
As long as one’s physical body is bolstered by the Power of Faith, they are qualified to ascend the Apotheosis Platform. However, to reach the summit and claim a God Position, one requires more than merely a powerful blessing of faith. Their own strength, formidable techniques, and even luck are all indispensable factors. Thus, since the dawn of the New Beginning Realm, the number of powerful individuals who have stepped onto the Apotheosis Platform has been countless, yet those who successfully obtained a God Position and became True Gods are exceedingly rare.
Rare, however, does not mean non-existent. From the New Beginning Realm’s inception until the present, a handful of True Gods have indeed emerged. Some have fallen for various reasons, while others still endure in this world. It’s simply that the vast majority no longer command their own factions or possess devoted followers within the New Beginning Realm.
The True Gods the Talisman Ancestor spoke of were precisely these scattered deities. Having suffered a setback last time, the Talisman Ancestor had anticipated that the Death God would likely resort to the same stratagem. Thus, he had taken the initiative to contact other True Gods. And just as he suspected, the Death God had indeed reached out to some, even promising them conditions in exchange for their assistance. To thwart the Death God’s objective, the Talisman Ancestor had offered even more lavish pledges, successfully severing the Death God’s last resort.
The Talisman Ancestor’s actions were, of course, not for Yang Haoran’s sake. As long as Yang Haoran had not yet obtained a God Position and become a True God, he was, in the Talisman Ancestor’s eyes, nothing more than an ordinary person, like an ant. As a True God himself, how could he possibly invest so much for Yang Haoran? The primary reason for his actions remained his personal feud with the Death God.
Of course, if he could conveniently lend Yang Haoran a hand and enable him to successfully obtain a God Position, he would still be quite willing to do so. After all, the Great Night and the Talisman Order were allies with significant intertwined interests. Once Yang Haoran achieved godhood, it would not only bring substantial benefits to the Talisman Order but also prove considerably helpful to the Talisman Ancestor himself.
With his fallback plan obliterated, the depths of the Death God’s despair were easy to imagine. In a fit of rage, he unleashed his full power against the Talisman Ancestor, all while his gaze involuntarily swept towards the Apotheosis Platform. Though he was currently a great distance from it, with his True God abilities, he could not only discern Yang Haoran upon the platform but even perceive the precise expression on his face.
He saw Yang Haoran, drenched in sweat and trembling from head to toe. From this, it was clear that Yang Haoran was enduring immense pressure. Yet, he did not cease his efforts, nor did he pause to catch his breath. He continued to push forward with all his might, each simple movement of lifting and setting down his foot proving excruciatingly long and painful. Fortunately, he was now not far from the summit of the Apotheosis Platform—the God Position capable of transforming a mere mortal into a True God lay just within reach.
Watching Yang Haoran close in on the God Position, the Death God’s face twisted in a paroxysm of inner fury. He knew with chilling certainty that once Yang Haoran claimed the God Position, his own situation would become gravely perilous.
If no other True Gods intervened, he was confident the Talisman Ancestor couldn’t truly defeat him. Even if the Talisman Ancestor had prepared some special stratagem that momentarily overwhelmed him, he still believed he possessed the means to escape. After all, they had clashed more than once or twice, and he prided himself on understanding the Talisman Ancestor’s methods intimately.
But if Yang Haoran successfully claimed the God Position, the situation would be entirely different. Two True Gods allied together—even if Yang Haoran had only just attained his divine status, his strength would still be considerable and not to be underestimated. The Death God’s own injuries, sustained from his last great battle with the Talisman Ancestor, had not yet healed. In such a wounded state, he knew he stood no chance against the combined might of the Talisman Ancestor and Yang Haoran.
The Death God understood this with perfect clarity. And so, at this very moment, he was racking his brain, desperately devising a countermeasure. Under no circumstances could Yang Haoran be allowed to obtain the God Position!
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