The Growth of a God

Chapter 858 - 16: God of a Thousand Faces

As the highest authority in this city, the entire city operated frantically following an order from Qin Ershi.

The "Xuanhuang Trial" was originally the selection ceremony for the most elite troops of the Empire.

At the Empire’s peak, the Xuanhuang Legion formed through the "Xuanhuang Trial" numbered only tens of thousands.

It was an all-encompassing trial of physique, spirit, and belief.

Participants were required to undergo dozens of inhuman surgeries and modifications to qualify as true Xuanhuang Soldiers.

Only in this way could the participants master the battle armor forged by the Xuanhuang Qi and use their mortal bodies to intimidate the Gods.

Such was the case during the Empire’s heyday, let alone in today’s Merak Island.

The activation of the "Xuanhuang Trial" effectively proclaimed that the city was about to enter a significant and harsh non-combat attrition state.

For those participating in the trial today, death might already be the best outcome besides success.

Mental collapse, physical aberration, or even complete transformation into a monster...

Without the medical conditions of the Empire’s peak period, everyone knew what participating in the "Xuanhuang Trial" entailed.

The resultant public discontent and grumbling were naturally unavoidable.

However, there were still people in this city, like Qin Ershi, who upheld faith and hope, willing to risk everything for the continuation of the city.

Thus, with this grand "Xuanhuang Trial," the entire city entered an emergency mobilization state.

Every day, nearly a hundred young men and women who failed the trial were sent to the hospital...

Every day, even more aberrant monsters were sent to the cremation grounds...

Under the propaganda and guidance of city broadcasts, the names of those sacrificed young men and women were deeply imprinted in everyone’s mind.

Even those protestors who originally opposed Qin Ershi’s actions dared not show up or challenge them at this time.

Whenever a young person passed the trial, they would be sent to the Emperor Statue, where the city’s most professional engineers would tailor a Xuanhuang Battle Armor for them.

Those Xuanhuang Battle Armors were made by extracting the Xuanhuang Qi from the Emperor Statue, naturally possessing the Vajra Indestructible attribute.

Especially in this decayed world, only warriors clad in Xuanhuang Battle Armor could venture beyond Merak Island without becoming alienated.

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"This place... is crazier than I imagined."

Standing on the city’s outermost edge, Li Hao, with Master Xuanji who had reverted to human form, gazed at the bustling city.

This place, though within the scope of Merak Island, did not belong to the city’s domain.

Encircling the city, various mechanical fortresses and defensive warning nets were everywhere, even ten thousand times more secure than the military workshops in the Fengkuang Mountain Range.

Every moment cannons were firing, and drones flew overhead.

The animated land summoned puppet behemoths, and surging waves turned into the Banshee’s screams...

As far as the eye could see, countless monsters and aberrations born from the Gods’ corruption were attempting to invade this only haven.

The colossal Emperor Statue was naturally the strongest Guardian of this sanctuary.

Even standing silently at the city center, its majestic figure wielding a sharp sword was enough to deter those powerful monsters and aberrations.

Since the city’s inception, those corrupted Gods had attempted to invade here.

Then, Qin Ershi had piloted the Emperor Statue to slaughter demons, expel the Evil God, and forcibly claimed ownership of this island.

It can be said that what truly maintained the existence of this Peach Blossom Spring was never the cannons and fortresses surrounding the city.

The immobile Emperor Statue was this city’s real nuclear weapon.

"Another Inheritor has arrived?"

A pitch-black shadow rapidly surged, and an invisible monster materialized.

Under Master Xuanji’s astonished gaze, a high-dimensional presence descended upon this broken world.

It was neither those corrupted Gods nor those alienated monsters and phenomena.

Its essence was an unconventional being of endless transformations, a God above all beings.

"I knew it; not all the Gods could have left this world."

As if he expected this, a slight smile appeared on Li Hao’s lips.

"Are you a native God?"

"Or one of those Exotic Gods always watching over this world’s course?"

Facing Li Hao’s inquiry, the ever-changing Evil God also smiled.

The next second, the Evil God transformed into Li Hao’s likeness, and Xuanhuang Qi likewise rose around him.

Seeing this, before Li Hao could react, Master Xuanji’s mind went blank.

Because from its perspective, the Evil God had not merely turned into Li Hao’s form.

From biological structure to Primordial Qi attributes, the opponent perfectly simulated Li Hao’s existence.

Even the intricate Xuanhuang Qi was identical to Li Hao’s.

"I can be you, it, His Majesty the Emperor, or any creature and God in this world..."

The Evil God said so with a smile, shifting through different forms, including Master Xuanji, the Great Qin Emperor, Qin Ershi, and others.

Men and women, old and young, tall and short, beautiful and ugly...

Its Transformation Technique was lifelike and flawless.

Even Master Xuanji could not discern any difference when it transformed into the Mechanical Taoist.

"Faceless?"

At this moment, Li Hao thoughtfully uttered the opponent’s name.

The ability displayed by the opponent was exactly like that of the ever-changing Faceless.

"Faceless?"

The Evil God opposite was evidently taken aback, then genuinely transformed into Faceless’s most typical form.

It was a humanoid monster.

The positions of its original facial features reflected an endless starry sky, exuding an aura of profound mystery.

"Unexpectedly, this inheritor has met that rebellious ’me.’"

This time, it was Li Hao’s turn to raise his brow in surprise, never expecting the opponent was not Faceless.

Or more precisely, it was Li Hao’s first realization that there was more than one Faceless.

"You are not Faceless?"

Evidently seeing Li Hao’s surprise, the Evil God opposite laughed again.

"Of course, I am not Faceless; Faceless is merely one of my thousand faces."

"I am the God of a Thousand Faces, an advocate of Chaotic Order."

"Every world capable of nurturing Chaos will nurture my Incarnation."

"My birth signifies a world heading towards Chaos, so you may call me ’Crawling Chaos.’"

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