"Good boy." Adrian patted Adrian's face. "I’d say you won’t dare to try and come after me for this, right?"Johnny remained silent. He thought he would be able to vent his frustrations out on Adrian, but the latter never gave him the chance to do so. However, there was nothing he could do about his resentment toward Adrian. The man in black waved his hand, and Rozi was brought out. She had been tied up and thrown into the coffin where the roc was laid to rest. She was pretty badly shaken. "Adrian!" Rozi cried as she threw herself into Adrian's arms. "The roc’s body was all cut up!" "What?!" Johnny looked at the man in black angrily and in disbelief. "Did you do that?"The man in black did not dare meet Johnny's gaze. He was supposed to carry out the dissection discreetly. Nobody would have known what happened if Rozi had not been placed in the coffin. "No, I didn’t," the man immediately denied, “The roc is our leader's precious pet. All of us revered it as a divine being. Why
Everyone turned toward the elder, whose name was Sylvas Armstrong. Yet, the direction he was looking at contained nothing aside from a single light.This was the best chance for Adrian’s group to escape, so Marissa tried grabbing his hand and leaving. Yet, Adrian stood steady as a rock, not wanting to leave.Rozi urged, "We need to leave. They will surely examine the roc, so there's no need for us to stay."Adrian solemnly said, "We’d be turning ourselves into the culprits if we leave now. We’d then become targets of all four major factions and have to run for the rest of our lives."Rozi remained silent, while Marissa sighed helplessly. Marissa understood they had no choice but to resign to their fates since they did not have any allies in this world. "We've done nothing wrong, so there's no need for us to be afraid of their leader." Johnny, realizing that there was nobody in the house, was sure that Sylvas was trying to create a diversion. He quickly turned back, and when he
"It was me," Adrian confessed.Caroline was in disbelief. Gazing at his skin tone which was completely different from theirs and assuming he was much weaker than them, she wondered how Adrian could have possibly killed her bird."Are you serious?" "Absolutely." Adrian had no plans of cowering away from his actions.Caroline was devastated. Their leader forbade his apprentices to leave the mountains. When the roc was gone for a day, Caroline thought that it was just playing hide-and-seek and had been looking for it in the mountains. Yet, she was now met with such tragic news."I'm going to kill you!" she screamed.Adrian was displeased. He had been forced into killing the roc out of self-defense, after all. "Aren't you going to ask me why I killed it? Don't you think you're being too hasty?" he questioned.Caroline did not want to waste time. She thought that the trio were their guests, but after realizing that Adrian was the murderer, her mentor would surely not let him liv
Claude pondered deeply. Rozi's illness was challenging to cure and required detailed examination, and to do this, Claude needed to take her to his treatment center."You've consumed the heart of a precious beast, which has temporarily stopped your aging. However, this is only temporary. I'll take a look at your case after this is over,” Claude said smilingly.Adrian was thrilled when he heard there was hope for Rozi. He took Claude's hand and said, "Thank you, sir." "I’m only doing my duty as a doctor. Also, I'm rather intrigued by Rozi's condition. I'd be known as a miracle worker if I can cure her."‘He plans to use Rozi as an experiment?' Adrian became anxious. He thought Claude would be able to help Rozi, but he realized now it was more like a gamble. He wondered if he should seek out another doctor."You’re not confident in curing her?" Adrian asked. "No worries," Rozi interjected, "Claude, I'm willing to cooperate with your treatment. I won't hold it against you even if i
Johnny sensed that something was off and that Sylvas was trying to drive Adrian away. He refused to let Sylvas go after Adrian and chose to do it himself instead. "Stay here with Caroline. I'll go after him. He's not getting out of my sight,” Johnny said.Sylvas gulped, knowing he could not let Johnny go after Adrian. He grabbed Johnny by the collar and said, "I heard you being all chummy with him earlier. It's clear you two are in cahoots."The men in black believed in Sylvas and looked at Johnny doubtfully as they surrounded him. Furious, Johnny said, "You're clearly guilty about something, Sylvas. I know you stole the roc's core. Our leader will kill you for that."Everyone was standing halfway up the mountain at that point, which was still some distance from the peak. Although the ruckus they were causing could not be clearly heard by those above, it was enough to alert them.Sylvas panicked. He had taken Johnny for a fool, but it turned out he was sharper and more formidab
Caroline was bewildered. Her hand that held her whip trembled slightly. She could easily kill Johnny with a flick of her wrist. "Who among you is telling the truth?" she asked weakly.Johnny, terrified and shaking uncontrollably, was unable to utter a word. He was struggling against the whip around his neck. A foul stench filled the air as those nearby him recoiled in disgust.Adrian stepped forward. With a simple twist of his fingers, he snapped the whip into two. Caroline stumbled backward. One of the men in black quickly held her up.Johnny gasped for air, grateful for his newfound freedom. He looked up at Adrian and said, "Thanks."However, Adrian ignored Johnny. He could feel a cold glare aimed at his back. It felt like a threat of being sliced in half, and it undoubtedly came from Sylas, who did not dare make a move. Adrian was simply too intimidating."Stop spreading lies!" Sylas tried to salvage his dignity. "Why would I ever do something so despicable?"Adrian chuck
Despite having lived on Ivory Cloud Mountain for twelve years, Johnny had never strived to truly hone his skills. Instead, he relied on his cunning and bribery to win over others. "F*ck!" Caroline despised Johnny. She watched helplessly as Sylvas and his cronies prepared to leave. Turning to Adrian, she bit her lip and pleaded, "Please. Please help me.""No,” Adrian responded coldly. Though Sylvas was undoubtedly a bad person, he only took a roc's core. Moreover, he was well-respected among the men in black. This was proof of his abilities. There was no need for him to offend Sylvas.Caroline felt aggrieved. "You have no sense of justice. You know very well he's a bad person, but yet, you're letting him go."Adrian, deep in thought, wished he could just walk away. This whole situation seemed pointless since they were arguing over a mere beast.Sylvas, mistaking Adrian's silence for fear, taunted, "He's nothing more than a coward!"Adrian suddenly rushed forward. Before Sylvas
Adrian remained silent and detached. He started up the mountain again, ignoring the chaos behind him. He knew he had nothing to worry about if everyone at Ivory Cloud was only as capable as these people were. Caroline shouted, "Wait for me, Adrian!" Johnny immediately tried to persuade her, "Caroline, that guy's an idiot. You should ignore him and take your time going up the mountain."Caroline said something in return, but Adrian was no longer listening. He only wanted to reach the peak as soon as possible so that he could meet Dieter and explain everything."Ow!" A groan came from a nearby path. "You big meanie!"Adrian did not want to meddle, but another voice said, "You idiot. I'm going to kill you! Why did you block the road?" His curiosity piqued, Adrian walked toward the voices and saw an old man with a white beard lying on the ground, talking to a small rock. "Did you hurt yourself, sir?" The old man looked up. His face turned dark when he saw the wrinkles on Adrian'
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