Suddenly, something in the air did not feel right.Adrian heard the sounds of heavy breathing coming from behind him. It sounded like someone was following them.He stopped, but before he could turn around, he heard a sinister voice say, "We meet again.""Yes." Adrian did not even need to turn around to know who it was. A trace of disdain could be seen on his face as he ascertained this person’s skills. "What do you want?""I want to keep you here." The man who had spoken was dressed in black and his face was hidden by a hat.Adrian was puzzled. "I’m just here as a bystander. Not to mention that I’m not the person who started all this. It’s best if the Ivory Cloud can solve their internal issues on their own."The man in black clapped his hands and took off his hat, revealing a sweet smile. He looked satisfied with Adrian’s response. "Mr. Adrian, if you had said so earlier, I wouldn’t have had to follow you. I’m so exhausted."Adrian stared at the man and thought, ‘He must be Sy
Swish!The assailant moved swiftly, thrusting his sword at Adrian's back. However, Adrian executed a backward somersault and evaded the attack from behind. He positioned himself behind the assailant and pressed his scimitar against the man's neck."Don't kill me!" the assailant pleaded. "Who sent you?" Adrian asked."It was Sylvas!" the assailant replied readily, "If you let me go, I'll tell you a secret!" "Okay," Adrian replied. He knew that the assailant wanted to live, so he would not lie to him. "I won't give you a second chance.""Sylvas has already left," the assailant said anxiously, "He's not on Ivory Cloud Mountain anymore. You should hurry up and leave too.” Adrian frowned. "Why do we need to leave too?""There are explosives placed all over Ivory Cloud. They're going to blow the place sky-high!" Adrian was stunned. He never expected such a move from Sylvas. Destroying Ivory Cloud would not benefit him in any way, and he should not be doing such a vicious thing.
At this moment, Adrian realized something. Since leaving Medicis Manor, every step he took had been carefully orchestrated by someone. Sylvas could not have done this alone, so it must be Shaquille.Johnny lifted his head and said, "I don't know! I've searched the mountaintop thoroughly and found no sign of Sir Dieter.""Useless!" Adrian kicked Johnny away and turned to look at Winston. "Why are you still standing here? Hurry up and go look for him!"Winston trembled. Then, he bit his lip and said, "When I slipped off the mountaintop earlier, I noticed some movement behind the Ivory Cloud Atrium, but there’s no vegetable garden there.""I'll check it out," Adrian said. He felt relieved, but at the same time, he was worried about the possibility of success. "Go inform your father and the others to find a way to leave Ivory Cloud Mountain." Winston looked at Adrian gratefully, but he knew that time was of the essence. He could not waste any time. "Okay!"Adrian flew toward Ivory C
Rozi momentarily fell silent, then said, "I smell it too. It seems to be coming from the right.""What are you doing here?!" Adrian shouted as he turned around. "It's dangerous here. You have to go!”"No, I want to stay with you!" Rozi said. "Fine. Stick close to me," Adrian said as he grabbed Rozi's hand.The two hurried toward the right side where they found a cliff. They saw flickering flames there, indicating that someone had ignited a fuse. As the wind blew, the fuse burned quicker and reached Adrian's feet within seconds. He tried to stamp it out but to no avail. The fuse continued to burn, heading straight toward the kitchen. If the fire broke out, the entire Ivory Cloud Atrium would be destroyed.Adrian raised his scimitar and desperately slashed at the fuse line, trying to cut it off to prevent it from spreading any further.Rozi was trembling in fear. She did not want to stay here and be turned into ashes. "Adrian! We have to go!" she said."We can't leave!" Adrian ar
"Rozi, this place is still very dangerous," Adrian said solemnly, "Go down the mountain and wait for me there. I need to find the explosives."When Rozi shook her head, Adrian sighed and said sternly, "Listen, I know you're worried about me, but leaving now is the right choice. Don't be stubborn.""Fine…" Rozi replied.Adrian summoned Marissa with a whistle. However, everyone on her back refused to leave. Even Johnny wanted to stay to search for Dieter.Johnny said, "I'm very familiar with this place, and I don't want to see it destroyed. If you want to punish me, I'm willing to accept it after everything is over.""All right then.” Adrian needed someone familiar with the area after all. "Everyone else, leave. Not a single person is allowed to stay."Arlo and Morton were touched and grateful for Adrian's help. They did not want to give up either. Even if Dieter was not here, they still wanted to live and die with Ivory Cloud.After Rozi left, Adrian looked at Johnny and asked co
"You're right," Adrian replied, "But now’s not the time for sentimentality. We have to locate the explosives. It should be in the main hall."Johnny shook his head. He had searched the main hall extensively and had not found anything. Besides, the ground was fully granite. "But there's nothing there," he said. "Stand aside," Adrian said, knowing he could not rely on Johnny.Adrian lit the oil lamps in the main hall and looked upon a huge statue and some smaller ones. He found that the gold powder on them had been scraped off. They had reverted to their original muddy color and bore an aged appearance.Gritting his teeth, Johnny said, "How could that old geezer do this? It's outrageous!" "Find the explosives," Adrian growled in a displeased tone, "We're not out of danger yet. If you sense something wrong, run to me immediately. I'll get you out of here."Johnny was stunned. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected Adrian to be willing to take him away at such a time. He dropp
And he had thought of lighting the wick earlier. They were standing in the corner of the main hall, away from the reach of the light. A quick glance would not have revealed the details of the statue. To see anything clearly, one would have needed to light the wick."Quick! Help me!" Adrian said."Okay!"Johnny walked over and lifted the pedestal while Adrian removed the ropes from the top.Suddenly, a roar echoed, "You’re a fool, Johnny. You've passed me countless times, yet you didn't notice anything!" Johnny held the explosives tightly as he hung his head low. He was too familiar with these statues, so he had not examined them closely. "Why didn't you call out then?" he argued."I have explosives in my hands!" Dieter said angrily, "It might’ve exploded at any time!"Adrian stared at Johnny, then noticed the explosives he held seemed to be releasing a crackling sound. He had a bad feeling about it and snatched it away. He then rushed toward the edge of the cliff and threw it
Noticing he had not felt any pain, Dieter slowly opened his eyes. When he felt the solid ground beneath him, he could not believe he was still alive."Are we not in hell right now?" he murmured.Adrian snapped a twig of an elm tree and held it to Dieter’s nose. "Can you smell this?"Dieter took a big whiff and a fragrant scent filled his nostrils. He instantly realized he was not dead. "How did you do that?" he asked in amazement."It's all thanks to this." Adrian removed the Shadow Clay from his feet and handed it to Dieter. "It can take me anywhere, up in the sky or down below."Dieter quickly stored it in his pocket and said, "This treasure now belongs to me. You wouldn’t mind, right?""I'd love to give it to you," Adrian playfully said, "But the Shadow Clay only recognizes me as its owner. It won't answer to anyone else." With a slight gesture, the Shadow Clay returned to his hand.Dieter touched his empty pocket, feeling a bit dejected. "Why don't good things happen to me?"
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