As Sage restricted the emperor's movements, Remy grabbed the emperor’s other hand and held it tight.Another streak of light approached.Strider appeared at the emperor's neck, grabbing ahold of the latter’s helmet."You say you want to rule the world and have killed so many using those meteorites. If that all ended here, I dare say you’re tough out of luck. You really shouldn't underestimate the power of those from the present," Strider said calmly as he relieved the emperor of his helmet while the latter was restricted.The emperor shouted, "Vermin! How dare you stand on my head! I'm going to put you in your place! Hrrraaaaagghh!” He fought back, slowly but surely freeing himself from his captors.Sage and Remy were almost out of energy and were losing their grip on him. Sage yelled, "I can't hold on much longer, Strider!" Thud! The emperor broke free and slammed Sage and Remy into each other. The pair fell to the ground. He then lifted his foot and stomped on Sage's head.
The effects of the explosion lasted for a full minute before it calmed down, and the kicked-up sand buried the trio.After a few coughs, Strider emerged from the sand. He then dug his teammates out.Remy's right leg was broken and he could no longer stand.With Strider and Sage's support, the trio got up and gazed at the explosion site. They could not detect the emperor."Is he dead?" Sage whispered.Strider shook his head.Remy replied, "His aura is still in the air, but he is heavily injured. We've definitely angered him now."A few minutes later, after the sand settled, they saw the Gost emperor standing in the middle of the crater. His helmet had been shattered, and there were gruesome wounds on his face. The wounds were oozing with black-colored blood. His armor had been damaged too.As blood oozed out of his wounds, the emperor unleashed a deadly aura. It was clear he was enraged. A boundless murderous intent filled the air as he lost control of his emotions. His aura swe
Strider and the emperor underwent the same mutation through the worms from Isle 416 meteorites. The two of them were akin to two peas in a pod.Looking at Remy, Strider calmly said, "Feel free to kill me if I ever turn into that."Strider closed the distance between him and the emperor. They could not afford to drag out the fight any longer, not when the emperor was growing stronger with each passing minute. Transforming into a blur, he launched a barrage of attacks at the emperor's head.The emperor's head was his only weak point, an opportunity that was created at the cost of Remy's leg. "Let's go help him!" Remy said."Okay!"Sage and Remy followed after Strider. Although this was the first time these three were teaming up, their coordination was incredibly smooth.Boom! Boom! Boom!!! Explosions went off, and the desert trembled as the ground bore the brunt of one assault after another. Meanwhile, there was something else happening within Enigma City.The tower's structur
Adrian shot through the godkings' legs, causing black blood to splatter everywhere. Shortly after that, the godkings collapsed onto all fours. Though they no longer had their legs, they were still crawling toward Adrian and Mya.Now that the enemy had been subdued, Mya heaved a sigh of relief. "Let's go,” she said as she helped Adrian to his feet.Adrian interrupted, "Hang on. We still have unfinished business here. I noticed a few images inside the main hall. The Partingian princess must have left them behind. It might contain a way to defeat the Gost emperor.""But it's too dangerous here. Those zombies will be here soon," Mya urged. "I'll make it quick. Take me there, and hurry."Choosing not to argue, Mya struggled to place Adrian on her back before heading into the main hall. With several stone pillars dotted around the place, the hall had an eerie and cold atmosphere. The walls were covered with images as though narrating something. Mya gently placed Adrian on the groun
"This weapon's our best shot at killing the emperor, but where is it?" Adrian stared at the image of the weapon. It suggested that it was a formidable weapon belonging to Dragonking. The one who obtained this weapon would be worthy of fighting the Dragonking himself."Where's the weapon? Does the image say anything about it?" Mya askedAdrian continued to examine the image. It depicted a scene of zombie guards watching over a sword. The sword was submerged in a lake, and aside from this, there were no other hints of the sword’s whereabouts.Where was this lake?"The emperor tossed the sword into a lake and stationed zombies to watch over it. Could this lake be somewhere in Enigma City?" Mya pondered for a moment before saying, "If it's a lake from over a thousand years ago, wouldn’t it be dried up by now?"Adrian was struck with sudden inspiration. “Mya! Who knew you'd be the one to solve such an important mystery when you’ve always seemed so slow? I've misjudged you!" Mya r
"But we saw a lake at that house in the desert, didn't we?" Adrian asked. Mya suddenly realized what Adrian meant and became excited. "You're right! I remember now. We were all mesmerized by the lake on our first visit here, yet we could not reach it no matter how hard we tried. It was only after we closed our eyes did we get there."Adrian nodded. "The illusion seems to have changed the moment I entered Enigma City. We should be able to reach it now without having to close our eyes. Also, have you noticed that the desert has changed too?""Are you saying the illusion is slowly disappearing? Is it growing weaker?" Mya asked."Precisely. I saw the outlanders moving large quantities of meteorites when I was scouting the tower’s lower levels. They've probably destroyed something in the process, causing the illusion to lose power. The Uduma Desert may vanish very soon. And when it does, the lake will disappear with it.”Mya started to panic. She grabbed Adrian’s hand and said, "So wh
The emperor swung his huge ax from above, capable of severing Adrian's head in a split second."Adrian!" Remy and Sage exclaimed in despair.But just as the giant ax was about to strike, a strong light flashed. Strider appeared before Adrian out of nowhere. He radiated with light, attempting to stop the falling ax with both hands. Although he managed to withstand the attack, the ax still managed to cut deep into his shoulder."Agh!"Strider trembled all over, and blood flowed from the wound. More than half his body had sunk beneath the sand, but it did not stop him from making sure that the emperor did not cleave him in half.As he bled profusely from his mouth, the ax came very close to cutting off his shoulder."Strider!" Mya shouted as she drew a sharp dagger to attack the emperor. "Go… You're no match for him,” Strider calmly urged her despite the blood he was losing."Strider!" Mya stared at the young man tearfully."Take him and go…" Strider sounded weak. "I can't hold
The trio surrounded the emperor, using whatever means possible to hinder his path forward.The emperor lost all ability to make sound judgments thanks to the persistent vermin before him. At that moment, all he wanted to do was to cut them down, but things were not going his way. Faced with their constant provocations, the emperor unleashed a murderous howl."I'm going to kill you! All of you!" A powerful aura crashed down, crushing everything in its path. The entire desert trembled, seeming to have suffered a heavy blow. A sandstorm blew up. Adrian and Mya, having gotten away from the emperor's attacks, were making their way toward the lake.***"Do you think they’ll make it? They looked like they’re at their wit’s end.”Sylvia had seen everything through the radars. She frowned, worried for the trio's welfare if they did not receive help soon. Jerome sat by calmly, seemingly unaffected by the flow of events. But deep down, he was in turmoil. He too wanted to head over to the
The Daemon Emperor was startled."What is happening? This power..."Formless energy was surging forward, pressuring his nerves and senses.Below, Andy and the others trembled uncontrollably."Who is it?" Finnian stared into the crimson mist.Even Andy was horrified, his gaze locked on the unfolding scene in disbelief, and asked, "What is this? What exactly is happening?" At this moment, Adrian abruptly opened his eyes.Apparently, the Daemon Emperor had once conspired with Adrian's subordinates to ambush him.However, Adrian had managed to annihilate the traitors and sealed this Daemon Emperor. Now, fate had brought them together again."If I killed you once, I can kill you again." Adrian stood tall, his white robes fluttering in the air.The Daemon Emperor was stunned into silence."This is impossible! You're not that mortal boy!""Is that so? In this life, your end has come, and so has the era of the daemons." Adrian's voice was calm yet resolute. He stretched out his han
Adrian's face hardened at the words. He despised threats above all else. While he understood what the mysterious entity desired, he couldn't yet fully comprehend its implications or find a way to counter it. His only choice was to focus on growing stronger.Within the hot spring, waves of raw, terrifying power surged and crashed violently against Adrian's body.The force, though beneficial, was brutal and overwhelming. Adrian's body struggled to endure, cracking as though it were disintegrating."Arghhh!"A heart-wrenching scream echoed as Adrian's flesh was torn apart and his aura gradually dimmed."Ahhh!"His agonized cries echoed once more. He could no longer withstand the pain.In the distance, a towering figure appeared and sneered. "What's this? Can't take it anymore? Pathetic. Humans are truly the epitome of stupidity."Suddenly, Adrian erupted with an explosive surge of energy, and in that instant, he broke through to the pinnacle of the Void Stage."Hmm? He actually b
At that moment, the crowd was speechless.Adrian had ascended as if it were the easiest thing in the world.Faced with such a sight, no one could say much beyond admiration. Even if the Holy Son claimed Adrian had cheated, many secretly wished they could cheat the same way.Lacking Adrian's means, all they could do was envy him.Finnian chuckled. "Haha! You really caught us all by surprise, kid. Still, I'll count this as you repaying me a favor."For Finnian, the outcome couldn't have been better. With a broad smile, he seemed to have achieved his desired result. Adrian's successful climb was all that mattered to him.Once Adrian had vanished, the focus shifted to the rest of the group and their trials.When Adrian opened his eyes again, his entire body ached, but an oddly comforting sensation flowed through him. Surveying his surroundings, he realized he was now in a pond."Where am I?" he asked.Though uncertain about the place, Adrian knew he had cleared the trial and arriv
The onlookers stared in bewilderment, their faces etched with confusion as they struggled to grasp the unfolding events.Meanwhile, Adrian seethed with barely contained rage. This wasn't his first encounter with such torment. Every few steps he ascended, another trial awaited.To Adrian, the relentless punishments felt suffocating. Yet he pressed on—this was the final stretch of the climb. "Adrian, hang in there!" Andy shouted, urging him to conquer the last step. To Andy, reaching that final step symbolized Adrian's growth. He had witnessed Adrian's remarkable resilience countless times and held unwavering faith in his potential. In Andy's eyes, Adrian was destined for greatness. Adrian's expression turned cold as he locked his gaze on the steps ahead. Determination flickered in his eyes. "If reaching the top guarantees a reward, it doesn't have to be me up there. As long as someone makes it, that's enough." With that, he shifted his focus to the void above and formed
Adrian felt as if every nerve in his body was beyond his control. A deep sense of grievance filled his heart as the divine thunder from the void relentlessly crashed down.Rage surged within him, but under the onslaught of endless forces, he felt weak and constrained.Still, he had no choice but to press forward. He knew victory was within reach if he could endure a little longer—giving up now would mean death.If he fell, the shame and humiliation would crush him.Below, the Holy Son and others waited, eager to see him fail and mock him. This left Adrian no option but to push forward, striving toward the void above and his ultimate goal.The violent forces continued to bombard him from the sky.With every step, the thunder's impact intensified tenfold. His soul, already battered from a fierce battle with a horde of beasts, now felt as though it was dragging his exhausted body forward.Anyone else would likely have succumbed to despair. After all, under such immense pressure, ev
The oppressive forces descending from the void seemed determined to halt Adrian’s ascent up the staircase.Yet he refused to yield. To him, these overwhelming challenges were merely obstacles to conquer.He pressed forward with relentless determination.Thunderbolts continued to rain down, but the ominous red light from before did not return—a relief, as he never wished to endure its crushing weight again.The memory of that light still haunted him, leaving a lingering sense of helplessness. Its suffocating pressure had drained his strength, reducing him to a gasping, powerless state.Despite the toll on his body and mind, Adrian remained singularly focused on reaching the final step. His burning desire for greater power drove him forward, unwavering and resolute.Step by step, he ascended, reaching the 95th step in what felt like an instant.Only five steps remained. His gaze locked onto the summit, and a wild glint lit his eyes. A daring idea sparked within him, consuming his
Adrian pondered his situation, his cold gaze reflecting simmering frustration. Yet deep down, he recognized that whoever had designed the staircase was far from ordinary.Creating such a formidable trial required unimaginable power.Even a pinnacle Void Stage expert—or perhaps someone of the Multiply Stage—might bow in reverence before the ladder's creator."He won't last much longer. The divine lightning in this void is utterly destructive. In moments, he'll be reduced to ashes," sneered the Holy Son, his sharp eyes gleaming with malice.To the Holy Son, Adrian's demise was inevitable. Adrian had dared to offend him, and he was certain such audacity could only lead to death.Adrian caught the Holy Son's words and cast him a frosty glare. His intent to kill was unmistakable, though now wasn't the time.The staircase was no place for personal vendettas—eliminating him here would require careful planning.He also knew the Holy Son carried seals of immense power. A reckless move co
Finnian's sharp gaze reflected a hint of admiration. "Kid, you owe me a big favor this time. You'd better treasure this opportunity."Adrian remained silent, unsure how to respond. His cold eyes revealed no emotion, though he fully grasped the challenges ahead.Fear was a luxury he couldn't afford—he'd come too far to back down now.Suddenly, a streak of red light surged from the void, hurtling toward Adrian with terrifying speed. His eyes widened in shock as the crimson beam struck him, slamming him against the staircase.Caught off guard, Adrian collapsed, sprawled helplessly on the steps.The crowd below watched in astonishment. No one had expected his seemingly indestructible body to be overwhelmed so easily.The Holy Son sneered. "Haha! It seems he's triggered some kind of taboo. Let's see how arrogant he is now!"His voice dripped with schadenfreude, his eyes gleaming with malicious satisfaction as he relished Adrian's struggle.Despite the crushing force, Adrian refused
"What exactly is up there pulling me so strongly?" Adrian's expression hardened as he pondered the mysterious force drawing him upward.A surge of violent energy erupted across the sky, crashing down like a raging storm.Adrian advanced cautiously, each step deliberate and precise.Gone were the reckless strides of before—now he moved with steely determination, fully aware of the lurking dangers.He'd learned that the void's formidable forces seemed to target him directly, compelling him to proceed step by step. Any attempt to bypass its unseen barriers would provoke a devastating strike."Ridiculous," Adrian muttered. "If I've chosen to climb, nothing will stop me."The void's relentless power intensified.Bolts of thunder hammered down mercilessly, battering Adrian's body. Yet fear never crossed his mind.What was there to be afraid of?To him, the divine thunder wasn't an obstacle—it was a crucible, a tool to temper his body and strengthen his resolve.Despite the storm, A