Gareth raised his head and saw Adrian standing before him with a faint smile. Terrified, he took a step back and nearly fell to the ground."S-Stay away from me!" he stammered. In his eyes, Adrian was as terrifying as a devil.Adrian burst into laughter. "I never expected you to be so frightened. You can't even speak properly."After a while, Gareth managed to regain his composure slightly. "I'm warning you, don't make any drastic moves. Orion's in my clutches right now. If you want him to live, release me. Otherwise, he's doomed!" He thought he had crucial leverage.However, Adrian continued to laugh mockingly. "Oh, really?"With an air of confidence, Gareth boasted, "Of course. Are you scared now?"Gareth believed he had a significant advantage. He never expected Adrian to just continue laughing."What are you laughing at? There's nothing funny about this," Gareth said in frustration."I'm laughing at your ignorance for revealing this information to me. I thought of sparing y
Adrian smiled and said, "Since I already know where he is, it's time to make my move."He then left the Ignis Rift. This place was as hot as a melting furnace, and though he did not mind it much, staying here for too long was not ideal.However, just as he walked a short distance, he heard a voice say, "Are you truly the wielder of the Frost Crystal Divine Sword?"Adrian was taken by surprise, and he could not pinpoint where the voice was coming from. Turning toward the source of the sound, he saw several slender figures approaching. They appeared worn-out and weathered, like individuals who had endured much hardship.They approached him cautiously, their faces filled with fear as if they were in awe of him. The leader, the one who had spoken, was an elderly and weathered man.This old man had a hunched figure and wore tattered clothes, resembling a common beggar. The people around him shared the same shabby appearance. However, Adrian knew they were not beggars because the aura t
“You will?" the old man asked.Adrian chuckled bitterly. "If you don't believe me, I can vow on it. If I speak a single false word, I will be struck down by thunder."The old man sprang up to stop him. "Please don't say that, sir. Come on, everyone, get. We should greet our new master.”The group got up and bowed to Adrian, who disliked such ceremonies and said, "You don't have to do that." After a while, they left the rift."Oh, I haven't asked for your names yet," Adrian said.The old man replied, "Everyone calls me Mr. Azure. Since you're our master, you can call me just Azure.""Azure?" Adrian asked. He fell silent for a moment before saying, "Never mind, I'll call you Mr. Azure as well. Also, stop calling me master.""But you are our master," Azure replied, "What should we call you then?"Adrian said, "Even if that's the case, don't call me master. Just call me Mr. Adrian. That's what others call me.""Okay, we’ll address you as Mr. Adrian then.”These people were told
"You don’t think it’s a good plan?" Adrian asked. Azure replied, "I have some concerns.""Oh? Go ahead and share them with me. If it makes sense, I'll consider it," Adrian replied.Azure continued, "Though we have the advantage in numbers, we shouldn't underestimate our enemy. While we have been underground for a long time, we're still people of this world. We are well aware of the situation here. If we push our enemy into a corner, they will go berserk. They will unleash their strongest moves, and even with the Frost Crystal Divine Sword, we might not have a guaranteed victory.”Adrian furrowed his brows slightly. He asked in disbelief, "Is there something here that even the Frost Crystal Divine Sword can't eliminate?" He was skeptical of this.Azure confidently replied, "Yes."Adrian was taken aback. He found this hard to believe, but he knew from Azure's serious expression that he was not lying. He had to find out more about the situation.Azure continued, "It seems you're n
Adrian had eliminated many formidable enemies with the Frost Crystal Divine Sword, so he refused to believe that it was useless against the Variants. Azure sighed. "That's an unknown factor. There are seven kinds of Variants, and their strengths vary greatly. The ones you eliminated earlier were part of the weakest group.”Adrian fell silent.Suddenly, a young man nearby piped up, “I have an idea, Mr. Azure." Adrian looked at the young man and asked, "Do you mind sharing it with us?" "Sure," the young man said, "The elders of my family mentioned that there are four arrays in the four corners of the Shadow Realm. If these four arrays are activated simultaneously, they can suppress the Variants.""That's right. How could I forget about that?" Azure said. Adrian became interested and asked, "What are these arrays? Can you tell me more?""Our ancestors always looked toward the future. They arranged several arrays in various locations underground. If we encounter problems, we ca
"Let's see if Gareth has returned. It's been so long. He should have captured that kid by now." The group turned their gaze toward the distance. To their astonishment, a person stood not far from them. Standing with arms crossed, a composed attitude, and a faint smile, he radiated an aura of indifference.The man was none other than Adrian."How is this possible?"The group was utterly shocked. They could not believe that Adrian had appeared before them. According to their plan, Adrian should have been captured by Gareth. After a moment of disbelief, understanding began to dawn upon them. "Has he killed Gareth?" someone exclaimed."That's impossible! Gareth is the most formidable fighter of the Shadow Realm. He's also the head of the Abyssal Covenant. His strength is unquestionable. How could he lose to this kid?"However, the confident expression on Adrian's face did not seem fake. Even if they did not want to believe it, they had no choice but to believe it. Seeing their r
"It's the Frost Crystal Divine Sword!" they shouted as their faces were filled with despair and fear. They all knew that all of their attacks would be powerless before this weapon. Adrian swung the sword, effortlessly cutting down his opponents one after another. Before long, all of them had perished. After he had finished dealing with them, he swiftly approached Orion who was barely holding on.Orion looked at Adrian and smiled. “I always knew you could do it, Mr. Adrian."Adrian said, "Don't talk. I'll save you."Orion replied faintly, "There’s no need. I know my situation. I'm beyond saving."Adrian shook his head and attempted to transfer his energy into Orion's body, but it proved futile. Regardless of his efforts, the energy dissipated rapidly. However, he was not ready to give up on Orion just yet and continued to channel more energy into Orion's body. It was only after Orion closed his eyes that he stopped.He sighed deeply and said, "Rest in peace, Orion."After buryin
This time, it was the leader's turn to be stunned. Looking at Adrian, he sneered. "Do you really think this is all I'm capable of? Ridiculous..." He retaliated with a punch.Earlier, he was able to catch Adrian off guard because Adrian was mourning Orion's death. However, Adrian had now completely regained his focus. Regardless of how powerful the opponent was, they were no match for him. The speed and precision of his attack caught the opponent off guard. In a single strike, he hit the man squarely in the abdomen, sending him flying backward."Retreat!" Seeing the situation turning unfavorable, the man in black turned and fled."You think you can escape after causing trouble?"Adrian chased after him, and he quickly caught up to the fleeing figure. Soon, they arrived at a cave, and the black-clad person disappeared. Observing the surrounding darkness, Adrian's brows furrowed tightly. He had not expected the man to disappear into thin air. Cursing inwardly, Adrian waved and relea
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