Chapter 170: Eye of the Deity

Half an hour passed, and people arrived one after another.

When the last group stood still, the time for the assessment finally arrived.

Above the high platform.

Gu Changkong looked to the side and smiled, "Cousin Tianci, the time has come. Why don't you announce the start of the assessment?"

"You guys arrange it is fine."

Sima Tianci waved his hand lazily, "I cast a divination this morning. It said 'Snake Heaven Foot,' which means it's a day for rest. Yet the old fogies at home insisted on dragging me here."

As his voice trailed off, he yawned and closed his eyes, entering a state of dozing. It was as if everything here had nothing to do with him.

Seeing this, the other four all wore expressions of forced smiles.

The name Sima Tianci was known to almost everyone present. He was the most monstrous Prodigy of this generation in the Sima Family, possessing an SS-rank "Dao Child" talent. He was truly a person favored by the heavens, and his Believers would Cultivate at an incredible speed.

What was even more absurd was that as the future of the Sima Family, his routine was extremely regular: eating, sleeping, and meditating. He never put in an extra ounce of effort.

Yet even so, he still easily achieved a Breakthrough to the Deity Realm during his junior year.

It truly was a case of comparing people only to anger oneself.

"Brother Gu, then you do it," Qin Lie said.

Gu Changkong nodded without declining.

He stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the crowd below, and his voice was crisp, "Since everyone has arrived, the annual Heavenly Pride Apotheosis Battle is now officially starting. Everyone, get on the platform and take your positions. As long as you can hold on for one hour, you will receive a reward."

As his voice fell, the entire space trembled slightly.

In the center of this independent space known as the Heaven-Pressing Realm, a huge platform slowly rose.

"Follow me, grab a position near the center!" Sima Bang shouted in a low voice.

The next instant, his figure shot out like a cannonball, the ground beneath his feet instantly collapsing and blasting out a deep pit.

Yang Fan and the other two did not hesitate and followed closely behind.

Almost at the same time, everyone moved!

Figures rushed frantically toward the center of the platform.

Someone had just occupied a spot and, before they could even stand firm, was swiped away and thrown out directly.

Someone roared and struck out, and a conflict erupted on the spot.

Although the first round had not yet begun, the fighting had already broken out in advance!

In the chaos, the four of them, including Yang Fan, steadily occupied a position near the center.

Yang Fan swept his gaze across the area, his heart sinking slightly.

The auras of the people around them were very strong. Although not as strong as his own, they were much stronger than those of Sima Bang and Ye Jianfeng.

Clearly, everyone here was a Senior student.

However, these people only glanced at them and did not attack.

Yang Fan quickly understood the reason.

The Sima Family was one of the Five Great Giants, and Sima Bang had lived in Taichu City since he was a child; most of these juniors and Seniors likely knew him.

It was precisely because of this that these few freshmen, including them, were able to stand here securely.

The Heaven-Pressing Realm was not large to begin with, and now that everyone was crowded onto the platform, it felt even more cramped.

The distance between people was not even a meter. Between breaths, they could feel each other's aura.

Just at this moment, a huge eye slowly appeared in the sky.

Its gaze was indifferent and vast, as if a deity were looking down upon all living beings.

"I'm taking the Martial Cultivation route, my endurance is the strongest, so I'll take the lead," Sima Bang said decisively. "Behind me is Wen Yushui, and then Yang Fan."

"Old Ye, you anchor the back."

"You are the first among us to achieve a Breakthrough to the Demigod level and have the greatest strength. Hold on for two hours, and then we will retreat directly."

While speaking, he had already stepped forward, standing at the very front of the four, directly facing that huge eye in the sky.

Wen Yushui followed closely, Yang Fan was in the third position, and Ye Jianfeng stood quietly at the very back, his aura restrained.

The four of them stood tightly together.

The next moment, that eye in the sky slowly opened.

Boom!!!

An indescribable, terrifying pressure descended instantly!

It felt as if the heavens and earth were collapsing, the air was solidifying, and an invisible force was crushing down from all directions.

Their Physical Body was suppressed by a force of ten thousand jun, and every inch of their muscles was trembling.

All around, the sound of bones creaking could be heard, as if they would be crushed at any moment.

And even more terrifying was the impact on the mental level; that eye seemed to stare directly into the Soul, making one's mind tense.

Yang Fan's pupils constricted. He could even clearly feel that the Believers within his Divine Kingdom were all looking up at this moment, their expressions filled with confusion and unease.

That pressure actually penetrated through his Deity body and went directly into his Divine Kingdom!

Solemn, austere, and suffocatingly oppressive.

In just one breath of time, some could not bear it.

"Ah—!"

Someone roared in a low voice and jumped off the platform directly.

More people had pale faces, cold sweat pouring from their foreheads, gritting their teeth to endure.

But soon, figure after figure tumbled off the platform.

The losers stood on the periphery, gasping for breath, their clothes soaked through with cold sweat, looking as if they had been fished out of water.

And all of this had only just begun.

The loophole Sima Bang mentioned really existed. With the four standing tightly together, in the perception of that eye, they were actually regarded as "a single entity."

At this moment, at least eighty percent of the pressure was on Sima Bang alone! Although Wen Yushui and Ye Jianfeng did not feel too much pressure, they were equally solemn at this moment.

Both of them had breaths that became slow and long, constantly adjusting their own states.

It was only the beginning, yet the sense of oppression was already this strong.

In their view, even if they utilized the loophole in the rules, wanting to hold on for two hours was by no means an easy task.

Yang Fan, on the other hand, was in an incredibly relaxed state. Although he could feel the pressure, to him, this bit of pressure was like a feather landing on his body; if he didn't deliberately focus on it, he wouldn't even notice it.

His expression remained normal, but his gaze quietly swept around.

Soon, he discovered that those Seniors standing closer to the central area were also indifferent, handling it with ease.

And beside them, many people had also adopted a similar "huddling" method.

Four or five people stood close together in a line, their auras significantly weaker; one look and it was obvious they were freshmen.

Yang Fan understood in his heart that most of these people, like Sima Bang, probably came from extraordinary backgrounds and were standing in this area by leveraging their connections.

Above the high platform.

Lu Chengyuan stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping faintly over the crowd below, "The quality of this year's freshmen… seems average."

Han Wuji chuckled, "Indeed, not even a quarter of an hour has passed, and so many people have already been eliminated."

Qin Lie raised an eyebrow slightly and looked at the huge eye in the sky, "Did the Eye of the Deity created by Senior Sima have its power turned up?"

Gu Changkong shook his head, his tone calm.

"The Eye of the Deity is in automatic mode; it will adjust the pressure on its own according to the comprehensive strength of all participants."

"Now it seems that among this year's juniors and Seniors, there are some good seedlings worth paying attention to."

As they spoke, their expressions were composed. Obviously, they were long accustomed to such scenes.

Suddenly, Qin Lie seemed to see something interesting, and the corners of his mouth curled up, "Brother Gu, that girl is from your Gu Family, right?"