Chapter 1545: Battle for Apotheosis (VII)
Strengthening one's physical body with power was an absolute last resort. This was because to ascend the Apotheosis Platform, what was most needed was Faith Power. Only with sufficient Faith Power would ascending the Apotheosis Platform be relatively easy. If Faith Power was insufficient, using internal power to strengthen the physical body would not only be largely ineffective, but it would also consume a vast amount of internal power.
If he had a choice, Yang Haoran would naturally never opt for such an extreme measure. However, his current situation left him no alternative. Choosing this method offered at least a possibility of reaching the summit; not choosing it meant no possibility at all. Therefore, even knowing it was an absolute last resort, he decided to proceed with it.
Dense Yin Qi surged, and the power within his body rapidly formed a shield across Yang Haoran's surface.
Crack!
The instant his front foot touched the step, the shield emitted a crisp crack, and fissures immediately spread across its entire surface.
Yang Haoran didn't lift his other foot. Instead, he formed hand seals, casting a Ghost Art to reform an even stronger shield, and mobilized greater power to reinforce his physical body. Had he not already been blessed with abundant Faith Power, this action would have already cost him his life. For anyone without Faith Power bolstering them, such an attempt would have surely resulted in their physical body exploding.
With a stronger shield and the mobilization of even more power to reinforce his physical body, Yang Haoran finally dared to place his other foot onto the Apotheosis Platform.
As his other foot landed on the Apotheosis Platform, the Ghost Art-formed shield around him hummed, a sound indicating it was buckling under immense strain. Besides that, he distinctly felt a dull ache throughout his body; not just in one spot, but his entire being throbbed.
His urgency stemmed from the fact that every second he lingered, the pressure on his body and shield would intensify. Thus, he dared not waste even a moment.
Though he didn't dare to delay, he also didn't act recklessly. When ascending each new step, he was exceptionally cautious and vigilant. Should his physical body prove unable to bear the strain, he would retreat immediately.
Indeed, the moment Yang Haoran's front foot stepped onto the new tier of stairs, the trembling shield around him once again developed cracks, and the pain in his body intensified in kind.
In response, Yang Haoran could only increase the infusion of power once more, using it to stabilize his physical body and the shield on its surface. Then, enduring the pain radiating from his body, he successfully ascended that step.
In a short span of time, although Yang Haoran had successfully climbed two steps, the power within him had been greatly depleted. However, this was merely secondary; the primary concern was the damage his physical body had sustained, which far exceeded the impact of his internal power consumption.
Next, Yang Haoran used the same method, gritting his teeth and ascending yet another step in one breath. However, after successfully stepping onto this tier, the shield around Yang Haoran was once again riddled with cracks. No matter how much power he infused, he couldn't repair the shield successfully; in fact, the rate of repair couldn't even keep up with the rate of its shattering. Even more critical was the damage to his physical body. After successfully stepping onto this tier, his physical body was clearly on the verge of collapsing. He continuously spat out several mouthfuls of blood, and his face instantly turned pale, his entire being wilting in an instant.
Yang Haoran knew that in this situation, if he insisted on taking another step upward, not only would his shield shatter, but his physical body would explode as well. From the first step he took to now, he had long understood how much the pressure increased with each ascending tier. Therefore, he was certain that in his current state, just one more step would undoubtedly result in his complete obliteration!
Knowing full well that taking this step would lead to his utter destruction, Yang Haoran was naturally not foolish enough to court death. However, Yang Haoran was not prepared to give up just yet, for he hadn't reached the end of his rope.
“Zhong Siyu! Soul Fusion! ! ! ”
Yang Haoran's eyes were bloodshot, and consumed by unwillingness, he unleashed a furious roar. This roar, of course, wasn't directed at Zhong Siyu, but at the Apotheosis Platform.
At this moment, Zhong Siyu was locked in an intense, inseparable battle with the Demon Hunter Association Head. However, she had consistently maintained her distance from Yang Haoran. Hearing Yang Haoran's roar, Zhong Siyu formed hand seals and vanished from her spot, causing the Demon Hunter Association Head's attack to miss.
The instant Zhong Siyu disappeared, a pitch-black, inky Yin Qi materialized above Yang Haoran's head. It then poured down from above, and in the blink of an eye, Yang Haoran was entirely enveloped in dense black Yin Qi.
The Yin Qi rapidly spun, and Yang Haoran's figure vanished completely. However, in just a few breaths, the black smoke dissipated, and Yang Haoran reappeared. Only, his physique and appearance had drastically changed, as he had successfully undergone Soul Fusion with Zhong Siyu, and his current form was that of the post-fusion state.
After successfully completing Soul Fusion, the power fluctuations emanating from Yang Haoran surged dramatically. A ferocious grin spread across his face, a stark contrast to his previous grave and furious expression. Influenced by Zhong Siyu, his personality had undergone a drastic, earth-shattering change.
Seeing Yang Haoran and Zhong Siyu successfully complete Soul Fusion, the Demon Hunter Association Head attacked Yang Haoran without hesitation. He had long wanted to attack Yang Haoran, but lacked the opportunity, as his assaults had always been successfully intercepted by Zhong Siyu. Now that Yang Haoran had fused with Zhong Siyu, with no Zhong Siyu to block him, he believed his attacks would undoubtedly affect Yang Haoran.
As Yang Haoran stood on the Apotheosis Platform, every extra second he remained, the immense pressure from the platform would inflict an additional degree of harm upon him. As long as each of his attacks could affect Yang Haoran, then it would surely be fatal to him.
However, before the Demon Hunter Association Head's attack could even approach Yang Haoran, Yang Haoran roared with a vicious grin.
“Night God Dharma Body! ! ! ”
A colossal Dharma Body materialized above Yang Haoran's head. The Dharma Body merely waved its massive hand at the incoming attack, and the Demon Hunter Association Head's assault vanished into thin air, without causing Yang Haoran the slightest harm.
His strike having failed, the Demon Hunter Association Head did not lose heart. He prepared to launch another powerful assault on Yang Haoran. His reasoning was simple: even if his attacks couldn't wound Yang Haoran, as long as they could cause some disruption and slow Yang Haoran's ascent to the summit, it would inflict considerable damage upon him!
“Don't bother him. If you want a fight, let me be your opponent. ”
Just as the Demon Hunter Association Head was preparing to unleash another fierce attack on Yang Haoran, a spatial rift suddenly appeared before him. Following that, a figure clad in a trench coat, with a longsword strapped to their back, slowly stepped out of the spatial rift.
This person was none other than Ye Zhiqiu, who had left the Great Night Empire years ago to live in seclusion!
Ye Zhiqiu's appearance at this critical juncture was, of course, no mere coincidence.
When the Apotheosis Platform manifested, only True Gods could sense it from vast distances; others were unable to perceive it remotely. It could only be sensed when one was within a certain proximity of its manifestation, and even then, it depended on one's own sensing ability.
Ye Zhiqiu's secluded dwelling was extremely far from this location, well beyond his range of perception. Therefore, when the Apotheosis Platform appeared, Ye Zhiqiu did not sense it. The only reason he knew of its manifestation was a Communication Talisman, sent by Xiao Kang.
The Communication Talisman Xiao Kang sent to Ye Zhiqiu contained only two points: one, that the Apotheosis Platform had manifested, and two, its precise location. Beyond these two points, Xiao Kang said nothing more.
It was not surprising that Ye Zhiqiu didn't know why Xiao Kang was privy to the news of the Apotheosis Platform's manifestation so quickly. However, he did understand the meaning behind Xiao Kang sending him the Communication Talisman, even if Xiao Kang hadn't explicitly stated it.
After a brief deliberation, Ye Zhiqiu made his decision. He simply gave Red Lotus a quick instruction, then tore through space and rushed at full speed towards Half-Moon Island. More accurately, he headed towards where Half-Moon Island once was, because the Apotheosis Platform had manifested directly above Half-Moon Island, though Half-Moon Island itself had since shifted its position.
And his haste, of course, stemmed from the fear that time would run out!
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