Path To Godhood Begins With Marrying Wife And Gaining SSS Rank Skill Chapter 745:Trying To Escape

Emperor Ezekiel struggled with all the strength he had left.

The muscles across his body bulged as he desperately tried to tear the black mass out of his back, but it was useless. The thing had already rooted itself deep inside him, and no matter how much strength he used, it refused to move. Every breath became heavier than the last, and he could feel his heartbeat growing weaker with each passing second.

The strength in his arms and legs slowly drained away while his vision blurred. He knew what was happening. His body no longer belonged entirely to him.

Gathering the last of his remaining strength, Ezekiel slowly raised his head and looked at everyone around him. His bloodshot eyes were filled with fear, but it was not fear for himself. It was a fear for everyone standing before him.

He forced every bit of strength into his lungs and roared with everything he had.

"RUNNNNN!"

His desperate cry echoed across the shattered battlefield.

"Ezekiel!"

Emperor Caelus’ expression changed instantly. Without a second thought, he rushed forward, intending to drag Ezekiel away from the strange black mass. Before he could reach him, Emperor Aldric suddenly grabbed his shoulder and forcefully stopped him.

"It’s not time for that."

Caelus immediately turned around, fury filling his face.

"Even if we are opposing one another, we can’t do this!"

"Shut up, you idiot!"

Aldric roared back. Although his face had turned pale, his eyes remained calm.

"You can’t save him."

"No one can."

Those few words silenced the battlefield. Caelus stood frozen for a moment while his fists slowly clenched. He knew Aldric was right, yet accepting that truth was another matter entirely.

Ezekiel quietly looked at the people who had fought beside him for decades. Countless memories flashed through his mind. A faint smile slowly appeared on his blood-covered face before he suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha!"

The laughter sounded strangely peaceful.

"Don’t be sad."

"I have already selected my successor."

His eyes slowly swept across everyone standing there.

"And all of you..."

"It’s better if you escape now and return to the Empire."

As soon as those words left his mouth, an overwhelming aura burst from his body. His life force ignited without hesitation, and the violent power gathering inside him caused the surrounding space to tremble. He had already made his decision. If he could not survive, then he would at least create a chance for everyone else to escape.

Emperor Caelus clenched his fists so tightly that blood dripped from between his fingers. His chest rose and fell violently before he slowly looked toward Emperor Aldric and Queen Ophelia. Neither of them said anything. They simply nodded.

Caelus lowered his head for a brief moment before taking a deep breath.

When he looked up again, his expression had become firm.

"Leave!"

At almost the same moment, the black-robed man suddenly took a step forward. His calm expression finally changed, and it was obvious that he intended to stop them before they could escape.

Queen Ophelia reacted instantly.

Without showing the slightest panic, she reached into her storage artifact and took out an ancient bronze clock. Time had left countless marks upon its surface, and tiny runes covered every inch of the artifact. Holding it firmly, she gently tossed it toward the black-robed man.

CRUNG!

A soft sound echoed through the battlefield.

The bronze clock stopped in midair as invisible ripples spread outward like waves across a calm lake. The moment those ripples touched the black-robed man, his movements became unbelievably slow. Even the fluttering of his robe nearly came to a complete stop.

His pupils suddenly shrank.

’An XX Rank artifact.’

For the first time since his arrival, genuine horror flashed through his mind.

At the same time, the four Emperors each took out an ancient silver token. Soft spatial fluctuations spread from the tokens, making Ethan stare at them in confusion.

"Are they going to leave?"

"What about me?"

Before that thought could fully form, a familiar voice suddenly echoed inside his mind.

"Ethan."

"Let me enter."

Without the slightest hesitation, Ethan opened a small passage through the protective barrier surrounding him. A delicate white hand immediately reached through the opening.

"Your Majesty..."

He looked toward Queen Ophelia in surprise.

"Come with me now."

She firmly grabbed his arm while crushing one of the ancient silver tokens with her other hand.

Crack!

The token shattered into countless glowing fragments, and a brilliant wave of spatial light instantly spread around them. The surrounding space twisted and folded as if preparing to transport everyone away from the battlefield.

Just as the light was about to envelop them, everything suddenly stopped.

The flowing spatial energy froze in place.

The distorted space became completely motionless.

Even the surrounding air seemed to lose the ability to move.

A calm and emotionless voice slowly echoed through the silent battlefield.

"Where are you going?"

Queen Ophelia’s face instantly turned deathly pale.

Her eyes widened in absolute horror.

"No!"

She screamed.

Ethan also felt his heart sink. The strange change spreading through the surroundings was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Every breath became heavier, and even moving his fingers suddenly felt difficult. It was as though the entire world had become one solid piece.

He slowly looked around before speaking in disbelief.

"Did..."

"Did someone lock the entire space?"

The words had barely left his mouth when an overwhelming fluctuation erupted from the distance.

Everyone instinctively turned toward it.

Emperor Ezekiel’s body, which had been moments away from self-destruction, suddenly stopped glowing. The terrifying energy raging inside him disappeared as though someone had erased it with a single thought. His body slowly collapsed onto the shattered ground.

No explosion came.

No final burst of power.

Only an eerie silence remained.

The strange black mass attached to his back suddenly began to churn violently. It twisted like boiling tar while thick black mist continuously rose into the sky. The pressure spreading from it became heavier with every passing second. The ground beneath it slowly sank while countless cracks spread across the battlefield, and even the air itself seemed unable to bear its weight.

The black mass continued growing larger as its surface rippled over and over again. At last, it slowly split apart from the middle.

A figure calmly stepped out from within the darkness.

The moment both of its feet touched the ground...

Boom!

An unfathomable pressure descended upon the entire battlefield.