Chapter 1546: Battle for Apotheosis (VIII)
Back then, when Ye Zhiqiu chose to live in seclusion, no one could convince him to stay. For all these years, he had never returned to the Great Night Empire, but he knew Yang Haoran wanted to become a god, and that Yang Haoran was currently at the most crucial juncture. If he rushed to the Great Night Empire to lend Yang Haoran a hand, it would certainly provide some help. Therefore, after a brief consideration, he still decided to risk his life to help Yang Haoran one last time.
It wasn't that he didn't want to spend time carefully considering the issue and then making the most rational decision, but time simply didn't allow it. By the time he had thoroughly thought it through, Yang Haoran's corpse might already be cold. That's why he gritted his teeth and decisively made his decision in a short amount of time.
To save time, he merely gave Red Lotus a few brief instructions before leaving. He actually had many things he wanted to say to Red Lotus, because he knew this trip was extremely dangerous and he might never return. If he didn't say some things, if he didn't explain some matters clearly, he might never get the chance again.
But to save as much time as possible, he could only give Red Lotus a few simple instructions and depart. Even though he felt immense reluctance in his heart, he still did it.
Red Lotus was shocked by Ye Zhiqiu's sudden departure, but she didn't try to stop him. She simply cautioned Ye Zhiqiu to "be careful and you must come back alive," and said nothing more. With tears in her eyes, she watched Ye Zhiqiu leave, because Red Lotus also knew how dangerous this trip was. To avoid wasting Ye Zhiqiu's time, and to keep him from worrying, she chose to keep many words bottled up in her heart.
Just like that, Ye Zhiqiu, filled with inner urgency, rushed desperately all the way. He finally arrived just in time at this crucial moment, blocking the Demon Hunter Guild Leader who was preparing to launch a fierce attack on Yang Haoran.
"So it's you, you traitor of the Demon Hunter Guild, Ye Zhiqiu!"
The Demon Hunter Guild Leader's eyes narrowed. His gaze towards Ye Zhiqiu was icy cold, and carried undisguised, intense killing intent.
However, as Ye Zhiqiu began to distinguish himself under Yang Haoran's command, growing stronger with the supply of vast resources, and with Yang Haoran's defection from the Underworld Office placing him in opposition to both the Underworld Office and the Demon Hunter Guild, the Demon Hunter Guild Leader subsequently came to know Ye Zhiqiu. Since Ye Zhiqiu was one of the high-ranking members of the Great Night Empire, it was hard for him not to know him.
"I am not a traitor to the Demon Hunter Guild, because I was never a member of the Demon Hunter Guild. Although I was once a member of the Demon Hunter Association, that was a long time ago. It has nothing to do with the current Demon Hunter Guild. Furthermore, I was passively expelled from the Demon Hunter Association; it wasn't that I wanted to betray the Demon Hunter Association."
Ye Zhiqiu said indifferently, his trench coat flapping fiercely in the strong winds.
"I don't want to hear your explanations, you traitor. For the sake of us both being Demon Hunters, get out of my sight immediately. Don't delay my important business. I can spare your dog life. But if you don't know what's good for you, then don't blame me for being impolite!"
The Demon Hunter Guild Leader spoke coldly, his tone and expression as if he was about to devour Ye Zhiqiu at any moment.
"Heh heh, we're all on the same side, no need to be polite with me."
Ye Zhiqiu scoffed with a smile, then spoke. These words successfully enraged the Demon Hunter Guild Leader, and his expression turned savage.
"You dog! Since you're so intent on dying, then I shall grant your wish!"
Before the Demon Hunter Guild Leader's words had even faded, he launched a fierce assault on Ye Zhiqiu. His original intention was to stop Yang Haoran and cause him some trouble. But if he didn't eliminate Ye Zhiqiu, this stumbling block, his plan would be difficult to carry out smoothly. Therefore, he decided to eliminate Ye Zhiqiu first.
As Yang Haoran was now only a few steps away from ascending the Apotheosis Platform, he dared not waste any time on Ye Zhiqiu. He attacked with his full power from the very start.
The Demon Hunter Guild Leader had originally thought that with his full power unleashed, Ye Zhiqiu would surely be unable to resist. Even if he couldn't instantly kill Ye Zhiqiu, Ye Zhiqiu definitely wouldn't last more than a few rounds under his attacks. However, what he never expected was that after dozens of exchanges between the two, Ye Zhiqiu had only sustained some injuries, still a long way from a miserable death.
If this continued, he believed he could certainly slay Ye Zhiqiu. But the problem was, he simply didn't have that much time. At the current pace, before Ye Zhiqiu met a miserable end at his hands, Yang Haoran might have already ascended the Apotheosis Platform.
The Demon Hunter Guild Leader was both shocked and enraged, yet helpless. Even though he had summoned his Star God Spirit Aspect, he still couldn't slay Ye Zhiqiu in a short amount of time. He only managed to worsen Ye Zhiqiu's injuries and increase his Spirit Power consumption.
Seeing that he couldn't achieve a swift kill, the Demon Hunter Guild Leader had no choice but to change his strategy. He prepared to deal with Ye Zhiqiu while simultaneously attacking Yang Haoran. However, Ye Zhiqiu seemed to have seen through his intentions. He chose to actively endure damage again and again, refusing to give him such an opportunity.
Meanwhile, Yang Haoran now had only one final step left before him. During his ascent of these last few steps, the power within his body drained like a breached dam, and his physical body teetered on the brink of collapse. Even with his successful Soul Fusion with Zhong Siyu, he couldn't withstand it. If he hadn't continuously consumed several Dānyào he had prepared beforehand for this operation, he wouldn't have been able to persevere until now.
Only one last step remained. The God Position was within arm's reach. Although Yang Haoran's face still bore a sinister grin, this grin appeared forced and strained. Moreover, he had yet to take this final step.
At this moment, everyone's gaze involuntarily converged on Yang Haoran. Some even halted their attacks because of it. Especially those from the Underworld Office, their expressions were grimmer than the last, and even the Death God was no exception.
The reason for their reactions was simple: Yang Haoran was just one step away from obtaining the God Position. Once Yang Haoran successfully obtained the God Position, he would become a True God, acknowledged by the laws of heaven and earth. Therefore, the Great Night Empire's side was extremely nervous, fearing Yang Haoran would fail at the last moment. The Underworld Office, on the other hand, was the exact opposite; they feared Yang Haoran's success, which was why they reacted so strongly.
However, just as everyone's gaze converged on Yang Haoran's body, a few muffled thuds suddenly emanated from Yang Haoran's body.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
As the muffled thuds spread, cracks suddenly appeared all over Yang Haoran's body. Even his handsome face, transformed after Soul Fusion, also split open with a hideous bloody gash. Large amounts of fresh blood gushed out from the wounds, presenting an utterly terrifying sight.
As this scene unfolded before everyone's eyes, the faces of those from the Great Night Empire changed drastically. Some even showed intense worry and nervousness. Conversely, those from the Underworld Office were overjoyed!
Everyone understood what this scene meant, whether they had stepped onto the Apotheosis Platform or not. Yang Haoran's physical body was about to give out. He hadn't even stepped onto the final step, yet his body had already begun to crack open. If he forcibly stepped onto the last step of the Apotheosis Platform, then his physical body would undoubtedly shatter completely!
Furthermore, currently, Yang Haoran had only one path to survival: to immediately withdraw from the power radius of the Apotheosis Platform. If he continued to stay where he was, it wouldn't be long before Yang Haoran's body would also explode from being constantly under high pressure!
"Hahahahaha, it seems even if we don't have enough manpower, and no one can directly stop him from ascending the Apotheosis Platform, he ultimately still lacks the ability to reach the summit!"
The Death God burst into laughter, his tone filled with schadenfreude. More than that, it was relief. The stone hanging in his heart had finally been lifted. If Yang Haoran truly had the ability to ascend the Apotheosis Platform, then his situation would have become terrible. Therefore, seeing Yang Haoran's body cracking at this moment, he was certain that Yang Haoran could no longer reach the summit of the Apotheosis Platform. The worry in his heart vanished completely, and he naturally felt relieved.
Compared to the Death God's joy and relief, the Talisman Ancestor's expression was exceedingly grim at this moment. Not only was his brow tightly furrowed, but his gaze towards Yang Haoran also turned cold.
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