Chapter 1547: Battle of Apotheosis (Part 9)
The Talisman Ancestor's gaze towards Yang Haoran had grown cold because, like the Death God, he believed that in Yang Haoran's current state, it was utterly impossible for him to ascend the Apotheosis Platform. If he couldn't reach the summit, it meant Yang Haoran wouldn't achieve godhood this time, and if he couldn't achieve godhood this time, then the goal he sought would never be realized.
To put it bluntly, a Yang Haoran who couldn't achieve godhood held little value in the Talisman Ancestor's eyes; he didn't belong to the same tier of existence. This, coupled with his disappointment at Yang Haoran's inability to ascend the Apotheosis Platform, caused his gaze to turn frigid.
The Death God's voice, amplified by his power, spread in all directions, echoing far and wide like rolling thunder. Everyone heard it clearly. His words, coupled with the Talisman Ancestor's silence, made it clear to all that Yang Haoran was at his limit—whether they were near the Apotheosis Platform or on the outermost reaches of the battle, no one was an exception.
The Great Night Empire had initially held an absolute advantage, even to the point of completely overwhelming the Underworld Office's side, as their numbers and overall combat strength had always surpassed those of the Underworld Office. However, Yang Haoran's current predicament, along with the Death God's gleeful laughter, immediately dealt a fatal blow to the Great Night Empire, causing their morale to plummet instantly to rock bottom.
Just as everyone's attention was fixed on Yang Haoran, Xu Meijing, clad in her Earth Soul Armor, suddenly produced a Death God Pendant out of thin air. The moment it appeared, she crushed it to smithereens.
No one noticed Xu Meijing's subtle action, not even the two powerful experts assaulting her. Everyone's attention was currently on Yang Haoran, and her movements were so careful and discreet that even if someone had been watching her, they might not have spotted her slight gesture. Thus, from the moment she took out the Death God Pendant to crushing it, this brief process went entirely undetected.
On the Apotheosis Platform, Yang Haoran spurted out mouthfuls of fresh blood. Another crack appeared on his handsome face, and blood streamed out ceaselessly, much of it even flowing into his mouth, staining his white teeth a bloody red. Yet, his face still bore that grim smile.
"I've come this far; I don't want to give up just like this!"
As these words fell, Yang Haoran slowly lifted his right foot. This action, simple for a child, became exceedingly arduous for him now. His riddled body trembled violently with the effort of raising his leg, and as his foot ascended, the trembling grew even more severe.
Had this been Yang Haoran before his Soul Fusion with Zhong Siyu, he certainly wouldn't have made such a decision in his current predicament. He knew that forcing himself to ascend the Apotheosis Platform in this state would undoubtedly lead to certain death. So, he wouldn't have done it. No matter how unwilling he felt, he would have chosen to escape the Apotheosis Platform's sphere of power and preserve his life first. After all, he was now at the end of his rope, a completely different situation from before; he wouldn't have let his unwillingness swallow his rationality.
The problem now, however, was that his personality had undergone a drastic change after his Soul Fusion with Zhong Siyu. He didn't make every decision based on rationality, which was why this scene was unfolding. Despite knowing that forcing an ascent to the Apotheosis Platform would result in his body being shattered to pieces, the intense unwillingness in his heart still compelled him to make this decision.
Seeing Yang Haoran dare to lift his leg, some were shocked by his decision, some admired his courage, some mocked his ignorance, and still others worried about his safety.
"Brother Underworld Official! Please don't act rashly! ! !"
Bai Xue cried out, her face full of anxiety, her eyes even brimming with tears. Although she had long grown accustomed to addressing Yang Haoran as Emperor in public, so as not to damage his prestige, in her current state of inner turmoil, she could no longer care about such formalities.
"Emperor! As long as the green mountains remain, one need not worry about firewood! Don't do anything foolish! ! !"
"Yang Haoran! Stop right now! You'll die! ! !"
Bai Xue wasn't the only one anxiously warning Yang Haoran. Old Master Wu and Ye Zhiqiu also spoke up at this moment. Following them, many more high-ranking officials from the Great Night Empire almost simultaneously voiced their warnings. They all saw that Yang Haoran's current actions were courting death, and thus wanted to stop him from continuing his ascent through their urgent pleas.
Although they all wished for Yang Haoran to successfully ascend the Apotheosis Platform, obtain a God Position, and become a True God acknowledged by Heaven and Earth, it was clear now that Yang Haoran couldn't succeed. Forcing his way to the top would be certain death, and of course, they didn't want to see Yang Haoran throw his life away.
Yet, their heartbreaking warnings had no effect whatsoever. Yang Haoran acted as if he hadn't heard their pleas, resolutely stepping his right foot onto the final tier of the Apotheosis Platform!
This scene caused many on the Great Night Empire's side to display expressions of despair and sorrow. Conversely, on the Underworld Office's side, many faces bloomed with smiles like flowers. Both sides believed that in Yang Haoran's current physical state, even if he placed one foot on the Apotheosis Platform, his body would absolutely shatter under the unbearable force of the platform. The stark contrast in their expressions simply stemmed from their opposing factions and differing hopes!
However, reality diverged wildly from their expectations. After Yang Haoran stepped one foot onto the Apotheosis Platform, not only did his body not explode, but the trembling throughout his frame even diminished considerably!
Such an abnormal sight astonished everyone on both sides, their expressions instantly stiffening. Even the Talisman Ancestor and the Death God, two True Gods, were no exception. Only one person remained different: Xu Meijing.
At this moment, Xu Meijing, like everyone else, had her gaze fixed on Yang Haoran. However, she wasn't surprised by Yang Haoran stepping one foot onto the final tier of the Apotheosis Platform, as if she had long anticipated this outcome. It was only because her entire body was currently covered by her Earth Soul Armor that no one could see her expression. If she hadn't been wearing the Earth Soul Armor, and someone had happened to look at Xu Meijing at that moment, they would have found her expression utterly calm.
Not to mention everyone else's shock, even Yang Haoran himself wore a look of disbelief. He had forcefully stepped his foot onto the last tier of the Apotheosis Platform with a heart full of unwillingness and a resolve to die, because he clearly knew his physical body definitely wouldn't be able to bear it. Yet, the reality was not only did he not die, but the immense pressure on him had even lessened. How could he not be shocked? How could he not find this strange?
In just an instant, Yang Haoran realized what was happening. It wasn't that the pressure released by the Apotheosis Platform had weakened, nor that there was no pressure at the summit. Rather, it was because the Power of Faith imbued within him had suddenly intensified, and by a significant margin, granting him the means to resist the immense pressure of the Apotheosis Platform!
The pressure at the summit of the Apotheosis Platform was far greater than that of the second-to-last tier. If not for the sudden, significant increase in the Power of Faith within Yang Haoran, this scene would have been absolutely impossible.
The very instant Yang Haoran discovered the significant boost in his Power of Faith, the Talisman Ancestor and the Death God, the Spirit Master False God and the Demon Hunter Guild Leader, all noticed it as well. The Talisman Ancestor and the Spirit Master False God looked overjoyed, while the Death God and the Demon Hunter Guild Leader's expressions turned grim. The emotions on their faces had once again reversed.
"Hahaha! Hahahahahahaha! ! !"
The crowd was still reeling in shock when Yang Haoran's hearty laughter pulled them back to reality. As his laughter resounded, under the disbelieving gazes of all present, Yang Haoran, with a burst of momentum, placed his other foot onto the Apotheosis Platform.
With both feet now on the Apotheosis Platform, the full pressure from its summit forcefully bore down upon Yang Haoran. Several muffled thuds once again echoed from Yang Haoran's body, and grim cracks multiplied across his skin. Large amounts of fresh blood seeped from these fissures. Although the damage to his body was now greater than before, Yang Haoran's body did not shatter beneath the strain!
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