Apocalypse Gachapon Chapter 1857: Deeper hatred

Jie Kui gently set Shi Kangbu down, as the man had started to regain a bit of awareness, and beckoned Helsky and Yang Tuo to join him at the battlefield's core—the enormous dark silhouette formed by Ye Zhongming.

Given their expertise, all of them shared a basic sense of the fight's trajectory. Accuracy wasn't the point; this intuition stemmed from endless encounters with mortal peril.

Such instinct lacked shape or hue, yet it held immense value.

Normally, Jie Kui would never opt for this path, but witnessing the massive dark form hurl Hawkins from view with a single punch and send the haughty, overbearing Aimusi coughing up blood with a kick sparked a theory in his mind—maybe Ye Zhongming's condition wouldn't endure for long, or it harbored glaring flaws. Once spotted, that form could shatter instantly.

To Jie Kui, pinning hopes on Helsky and Yang Tuo to turn the tide seemed unwise; far better to let Ye Zhongming end it decisively with this technique. His role lay in stretching that state just a touch further.

If Jie Kui spotted this, so could Wade and Yaka. This instant marked a do-or-die crossroads. They exchanged glances before charging straight at Jie Kui, Helsky, Yang Tuo, and He as a united front—four foes in total.

A cold sneer twisted Jie Kui's lips, erasing his final doubts about triumph.

In his shoes, the smartest move right now would involve bolstering Hawkins, halting Ye Zhongming's assault, buying Hawkins a moment to recover, and opening a window for Aimusi's counterstrike.

Yet that approach invited a direct clash with Ye Zhongming.

The might of that earlier punch and kick was undeniable to all—immensely powerful, evoking deep respect in everyone. Wade and Yaka's decision favored self-preservation over the group's, dooming them in this standoff.

As though validating Jie Kui's suspicions, the colossal dark silhouette from Ye Zhongming unleashed a follow-up blow, slamming down fiercely at Hawkins.

Unlike the initial strike, this one drew a fierce retaliation from Hawkins.

Channeling every ounce of his vitality, amplified by his bloodline's force and abilities, plus a desperate surge at death's door, Hawkins sensed this as the pinnacle of his combat prowess.

The God of Faith bloodline unleashed Hawkins's full potential. In that instant, a fresh insight dawned on him.

From Jie Kui, Helsky, He, Yang Tuo, and even Wade, Yaka, and Aimusi, wisps of pure, refreshing energy emerged. The instant they surfaced, they streamed toward Hawkins.

It felt utterly strange. All sensed it clearly, yet it carried an air of unreality.

Hawkins surged upward in defiance, seeking an escape, only to realize he'd grasped the core truth of his bloodline. This might well be its authentic power.

His eyes locked on Ye Zhongming's descending fist, assurance swelling within him despite his heavy wounds.

In this clash, defeat seemed unlikely—no, victory could be his.

Hawkins already envisioned Ye Zhongming's dark form crumbling beneath his faith-infused counterpunch.

At last, the two fists—one vast, one compact—met in collision.

Even as Jie Kui, Wade, and the rest resumed their skirmish, they froze briefly, eyes darting to witness the result.

Aimusi, now mere steps from the dark form, tensed so fiercely her pulse nearly halted.

She detected her husband's breakthrough. That pure, refreshing energy from her must stem from his sudden epiphany. Maybe... the outcome wouldn't prove as dire as feared.

Aimusi pondered this yet refused to ease up. Gathering all her might for the assault, she plunged into the dark silhouette the very next instant.

Aimusi's heart leaped with elation; her blow was visibly unraveling the dark form.

Truth be told, she conceded Ye Zhongming's prowess. Even alone, they agreed this Cloud Peak King's solo might edged theirs by a slim margin.

But that edge alone didn't guarantee triumph in battle; it merely tipped odds faintly in his favor. Fights twisted unpredictably; such a narrow gap faded in frantic struggles and could even vanish.

Yet as a united pair, the Hawkins duo could overpower Ye Zhongming. That belief fueled their unyielding chase.

The foe's abrupt summoning of this giant dark form had seemingly boosted his strength to its zenith, blindsiding the couple. Still, Aimusi now held firm conviction in their ultimate success.

After all, wasn't the shadow already disintegrating? Aimusi doubted a technique this grand lacked repercussions. Even bloodline activations brought exhaustion phases.

The dark form materialized abruptly and faded just as swift. Ye Zhongming's true form emerged within. As anticipated, pallor drained his face, perspiration dotted his brow, and his left hand braced the right, clearly damaged from the prior exchange.

Aimusi's onslaught reached its limit. She planted herself on the earth, her mechanical spear reverting to standard length, upright and steady, poised to claim Ye Zhongming's end.

But prior to striking, her eyes flicked toward her husband's position...

Emptiness greeted her. Aimusi's spirit plunged into despair.

"Looking for him?" Ye Zhongming's faintly taunting voice drifted across, his stare shifting to a nearby crater.

Aimusi had no time to judge the truth in Ye Zhongming's claim, nor to strike at her son's killer. She dashed to the pit's rim, first freezing in shock, then twisting into rage, unleashing a shrill, near-maniacal wail!

Dead! Her spouse lay slain!

At the crater's base before her, his body mangled beyond recognition, reduced to a jumbled mass of twisted remains. It appeared... well, indescribable? Like viewing a figure from overhead: skull, torso, and uplifted knuckles aligned flat. Naturally, the body's remnants sprawled around this level, with scattered gore serving as grim accents.

This scene painted a gruesome tableau of carnage.

As Ye Zhongming uttered those words, he swiftly withdrew his frame.

He'd claimed victory in that bout. Yet Hawkins's ultimate defiance, tapping untapped reserves, had badly shattered Ye Zhongming's right arm, rendering it useless for now. He had no desire to confront the impending frenzy of Aimusi in such a vulnerable spot, nor risk his allies facing her wrath.

In this confrontation, satisfaction filled him with his assembled group, and he refused losses, even if they could swap for Aimusi's demise.

"Go!"

With Ye Zhongming's order, the entire force pulled back from the fray and withdrew.