Chapter 1550: No Regrets (The End)
Snow falling in June was already abnormal. For the entire New Beginning Realm to be simultaneously blanketed by such heavy snow at this time, it was even more eerie.
Most people didn't understand the meaning of such a phenomenon. Only a select few knew: it signified the fall of a True God.
Indeed, a True God had fallen. It was none other than the Death God, and the reason for the Death God's demise was, naturally, the joint effort between Yang Haoran and the Talisman Ancestor.
In this Apotheosis War, Yang Haoran, as expected, emerged as the greatest victor. Although the Talisman Ancestor and the Spirit Master False God were not as powerful as Yang Haoran, they too obtained what they desired.
The Great Night Empire, the Talisman Order, and the Spirit Masters all suffered considerable losses in this grand war, with many experts perishing. However, as the victors of this conflict, the benefits they reaped were absolutely astounding, far outweighing their losses. The distribution of spoils brought immense wealth to all three major factions.
The leader of the Demon Hunter Association died tragically at Yang Haoran's hands, leaving the Demon Hunter Association leaderless and plunging it into utter chaos. Its high-ranking members resorted to every conceivable means to seize power for their own interests, each vying to become the new Demon Hunter Association leader.
The Underworld Office likewise descended into great chaos, even more so than the Demon Hunter Association. The reason for this lay in the fall of the Death God.
Though the Death God had fallen, ordinary Ghost Officials did not immediately discover it. However, the Underworld Office Five Emperors uncovered this secret, and someone deliberately leaked it.
Initially, some Ghost Officials did not believe it, dismissing it as a mere rumor. The Death God was a True God; how could he fall so easily? Yet, when they found themselves unable to summon the Death God's Law Aspect, their convictions wavered. Soon, the news of the Death God's demise spread throughout the entire Underworld Office, and the Underworld Office thus fell into unprecedented chaos.
Beyond the Death God's fatal blow to the Underworld Office, another incident delivered a significant impact: Xu Meijing, one of the Underworld Office Five Emperors, actually withdrew from the Underworld Office, taking with her trusted subordinates and a large number of followers.
Under normal circumstances, such an act from Xu Meijing would have been a death wish, even for one of the Five Emperors. But now, it was entirely different. With the Death God fallen and the Underworld Office in chaos, the other four Emperors were each contemplating their own escape routes. How could they pay attention to Xu Meijing? Thus, Xu Meijing's departure from the Underworld Office was not only successful but met with hardly any obstruction.
Shortly after Xu Meijing led her people out of the Underworld Office, the other four Underworld Office Emperors also successively withdrew. The Underworld Office, which had existed for countless years, consequently disintegrated and ceased to be.
The four Emperors made this decision entirely out of desperation. With the Death God fallen and the Underworld Office's strongest combat power gone, hostile forces would certainly not let the Underworld Office off lightly. If they did not withdraw from the Underworld Office and go into hiding, their only fate would be a dead end. After all, two True Gods were among the hostile forces, and they had no ability whatsoever to resist them. To clash head-on would be like an egg striking a rock; what else could that be but courting death?
The Apotheosis War had severely crippled the Underworld Office. Even if the two True Gods had not participated, the Underworld Office would still have been unable to withstand the hostile forces' assault. Only by withdrawing from the Underworld Office and going into hiding could they possibly preserve their lives.
In a short period, all five Underworld Office Emperors chose to lead their people away from the Underworld Office. The Underworld Office thus disintegrated. This once incredibly overbearing and immensely powerful super-faction ultimately reached its end, becoming a part of the New Beginning Realm's history, just like other fallen powers.
The Underworld was a crucial location for the Underworld Office, and the Reincarnation Platform, in particular, was an object of envy for countless factions. However, when the three-way allied army of the Great Night Empire, the Talisman Order, and the Spirit Masters broke into the Underworld, they found it long deserted, though the Reincarnation Platform had not suffered any damage.
It wasn't due to the Underworld Office's kindness that the Reincarnation Platform was left perfectly intact. Rather, the Reincarnation Platform was a rare and exotic treasure of heaven and earth, impossible to destroy or move. Otherwise, how could the Underworld Office possibly leave such a treasure for its enemies? Even if they couldn't take it, they should have destroyed it.
Having easily taken the Underworld, the next step for the three major factions was, naturally, the issue of distribution. After some deliberation, the Underworld was temporarily handed over to the Spirit Masters for administration, with the Reincarnation Platform included. Although the Talisman Order and the Great Night Empire did not obtain the Underworld or the Reincarnation Platform, they did receive other benefits.
Furthermore, the Underworld and the Reincarnation Platform were not gifted to the Spirit Masters permanently, but merely entrusted to their temporary management.
For countless years, the Spirit Masters had sought to replace the Underworld Office, but had never succeeded. Now, they had finally overthrown the Underworld Office and gained control over the Underworld. From the Spirit Master False God down to the ordinary Spirit Masters, every single one was overjoyed. The Spirit Master False God even renamed the Underworld the "Netherworld". The Spirit Masters, who had previously lived without fixed abode, hiding and concealing themselves, now had a new title: Netherworld Spirit Masters. The Netherworld was the Spirit Masters' great base, their sole sacred land.
After occupying the Underworld, the three major factions did not halt their advance. Instead, they pressed on in one fell swoop towards the Demon Hunter Association headquarters. With the Demon Hunter Association leader dead by Yang Haoran's hand and the Demon Hunter Association in disarray, this was, of course, a prime opportunity to eliminate them. How could the three major factions possibly miss it?
Compared to the Underworld Office, the Demon Hunter Association's strength was not just a little inferior. Although the Demon Hunter Association did not disintegrate like the Underworld Office, its internal chaos severely weakened its power, and it was quickly subdued by the three major factions.
Even if the Demon Hunter Association had not suffered internal chaos and remained a unified entity, it still would have been impossible for it to withstand the assault of the three major factions. After all, the disparity in strength between them was simply too vast.
The Demon Hunter Association was obliterated, its fate no different from the Underworld Office's. Its wealth was completely divided, and the Demon Hunter Association became a part of the New Beginning Realm's history. The organization known as the Demon Hunter Association ceased to exist in the world.
Whether it was occupying the Underworld, eradicating the Demon Hunter Association, or the multitude of trivial matters that followed, Yang Haoran did not participate. These matters simply did not require his personal involvement.
The reason Yang Haoran was able to successfully ascend to godhood in this Apotheosis War was that, at the very last moment, he suddenly gained a massive amount of Power of Faith. If not for this, he would not only have failed to become a god but would have died on the spot, just like the Spirit Master False God did back then, perishing on the Apotheosis Platform.
However, he had no idea where this sudden surge of Power of Faith, now infused into him, originated. After joining forces with the Talisman Ancestor to slay the Death God, the very first thing he did was not to celebrate, nor to turn his attention to the Underworld Office or the Demon Hunter Association. Instead, he immediately ordered Tang Shi to investigate the matter thoroughly and in the shortest possible time.
After a period of investigation, Tang Shi gradually unraveled the entire sequence of events. Once he had repeatedly confirmed his findings, he relayed all of his investigative results to Yang Haoran.
Upon learning the truth of the matter, Yang Haoran was initially somewhat surprised, but then felt it was entirely reasonable. Ultimately, only joy remained. And so, he left the Great Night Empire alone, journeying to the Heavenly Expanse Ocean, and only after much effort did he finally manage to meet one person.
This person was none other than Xu Meijing.
"Thank you. If not for you, I might be dead right now."
On a reef, Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing stood side by side, waves crashing against the rocks, one after another. Yang Haoran gazed into the distance, a faint smile on his face, as he softly voiced his thanks.
"You certainly should thank me. If not for me, you wouldn't just 'might' be dead; you'd definitely be dead."
Xu Meijing replied with a cool, arrogant expression, completely unreserved. Even though Yang Haoran was now a True God and she was not, she faced him with the same directness as always, let alone any hint of respect.
Yang Haoran not only didn't get angry, but his smile deepened slightly. One could even see an undisguised sense of happiness radiating from that smile.
"Heh heh, it's been a long time since we've had such quiet solitude, a long time since I've heard you speak to me. I'm very happy, because you're still the same as before, not changed at all. You're still the person I'm familiar with, and I haven't changed either."
Yang Haoran retracted his gaze from the sea and turned to Xu Meijing beside him, speaking with a smile. Xu Meijing, however, showed little reaction, her expression entirely unchanged.
"I've received your thanks. If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving. I've only just settled in the Heavenly Expanse Ocean, and I have many matters to attend to. I don't have time to waste on you."
With these words, Xu Meijing waved a single hand, tearing space to create a spatial rift capable of teleportation. Seeing this, Yang Haoran quickly spoke up.
"Wait!"
Xu Meijing paused, not immediately stepping into the spatial rift, but instead looked at Yang Haoran with a cold, haughty expression.
"Does the Night God have any other commands? Don't misunderstand, I'm not your subordinate, much less your believer."
Yang Haoran gave a wry smile. He knew Xu Meijing was mocking him, but he didn't take it to heart.
"The Heavenly Expanse Ocean is as dangerous as the Eastern Sunrise Ocean. Establishing yourself and developing your forces in such a place is no simple task. Therefore, to express my gratitude, I hope you will accept my help."
Yang Haoran's tone was very gentle, his posture humble, hoping that this approach would make Xu Meijing accept. But Xu Meijing shook her head and refused without even a moment's thought.
"I appreciate the sentiment, but you don't need to concern yourself with my affairs. Go back to where you came from. You're not welcome here, nor are any members of the Great Night Empire. So, don't come here if there's nothing important in the future. If you don't heed my warning, don't blame me for being impolite."
Having spoken, Xu Meijing prepared to step into the spatial rift and depart. Fearing Xu Meijing would just leave, Yang Haoran quickly spoke again, gazing at her retreating back.
"Our wedding was forcibly interrupted back then. That has always been a regret in my heart. I don't want that regret to continue. I hope you can give me a chance."
Xu Meijing's body trembled slightly. She did not reply to Yang Haoran, but stepped into the spatial rift without looking back.
Yang Haoran watched the spatial rift heal. He didn't speak to stop her, nor did he say anything further. Yet, not only was he not disheartened, but the smile on his face grew even richer, even more filled with happiness, for Xu Meijing had not unequivocally rejected him.
"Heh heh, I said there would be no regrets about this, and I will make sure of it. Xiao Jing, thank you for giving me this chance. This time, I won't disappoint you again!"
Facing the sea breeze, Yang Haoran spoke with a face full of happiness, his eyes exceptionally resolute. These words were for Xu Meijing, and at the same time, for himself. RA, yet nobes
(The End of the Book. To those with whom fate aligns, we shall meet again. Many thanks to the few reader friends who accompanied me throughout. Thank you very much, goodbye! )
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