Adrian stood there quietly, looking like an insurmountable monument. That sense of majesty was not something that someone like the king could compare to. Looking at him, the king broke down."You… You..." The king gasped, clearly infuriated by Adrian.But he couldn’t do anything. Adrian had thoroughly defeated him. There was simply no possibility of fighting back.Adrian aimed the Divine Frost Slayer Blade at the king’s face. "What?"The king smiled bitterly, feeling an indescribable sense of misery. He just kept smiling, while Adrian stared at him. Both sides confronted each other silently as the seconds ticked by.The king’s expression suddenly became fierce. "Do you really think you’ve won? That's too naive. Silver Peak Island is a country based on bloodline. The purer the blood, the better the effect of the sacrifice. You should be aware of this, right?" he said solemnly.Hearing these words, Adrian felt chilled to the bone. Then, a sense of foreboding surged up within him. H
Adrian felt this ironic and said, "He wanted you all dead, yet you’re still worried over him?"Uriel shook his head. "I just find it hard to accept that our king could commit such deeds.""It's understandable. He was blinded by hatred," Adrian said.Suddenly, Uriel realized something. He looked up at Adrian and said, "You need to go, now!"Adrian frowned. "Why?""Because the king sacrificed himself. That explosion symbolizes the awakening of the ancestor. Silver Peak is about to face an unprecedented catastrophe."Adrian found this odd and asked, "Who is this ancestor you guys keep mentioning?""He’s the legendary ancestor of Silver Peak, as well as the most powerful being on the island. Legend has it that he sleeps beneath the sacred mountain, watching over the island. Since the conflict with Silverboa, the situation on Silver Peak has worsened. Therefore, the king believed the rumors and tried to awaken the ancestor to strengthen his power," Uriel said in a weak voice.Althou
Adrian opened Uriel's hand and noticed that the item was an emblem. It bore an exquisite pattern, and Adrian knew it was the totem of Silver Peak Island. 'Why was he holding onto this? Did he intend to give it to me? And what does this emblem symbolize? Is it related to his final words?' Numerous questions swirled in Adrian's mind.The people of Silver Peak Island were immersed in the grief of Uriel's passing and had not noticed the emblem. 'I should keep it first and check later,' Adrian thought as he discreetly stowed away the emblem. After Uriel had been laid to rest, Adrian said, "Follow me, everyone."The people looked up, looking at Adrian with complex emotions. After a moment, they followed him and left the place.Strangely, after the explosion, the surrounding malevolent aura slowly disappeared. Adrian thought it had dissipated completely, but upon careful observation, he realized it had converged beneath the deep pit. Even though the rolling black mist was no longer p
Noticing that Adrian had noticed her, Lyra smiled. She held two cans of beer. Holding out one, she asked, "Care for some?""Sure." Adrian accepted the can and downed its contents.Lyra also took a big gulp. The night breeze tousled her hair as she looked up at the full moon, and her gaze in her eyes made her appear lost. "I heard that you have a special fondness for full moon nights. Is that true?" she asked, turning to look at Adrian with a faint smile.Adrian nodded. "I lost my parents at a young age, so I have nothing but fragments of memories of them. I've tried my best to recall what happened, but there are only scattered clues. I remember someone was chasing us, and I was surrounded by a fire. The last thing I remember is my father's scream." Lyra chuckled and took another sip of her beer.As she continued sharing her past, Adrian's attention was completely focused on the tattoo on her arm, and his heart skipped a beat. It was a totem worshiped by the people of Silver Pea
Rupert rushed over. "What happened?!" he asked worriedly. However, Lyra had lost the ability to speak. She lay on the ground, writhing in pain and screaming.Rupert looked at Adrian and asked, “Did you do this?" His impulsiveness overshadowed any attempt to discern right from wrong. Seeing Adrian nearby, he immediately assumed it was Adrian who had hurt Lyra.Adrian shook his head and replied calmly, "It wasn't me—"However, Rupert did not believe him. "Stop defending yourself! You're the only one here. Who else other than you could have hurt her?"He swung his fist, intending to strike Adrian. Although Rupert was no match for Adrian, he had no intention of letting Adrian off. Seeing the attack coming, Adrian raised a brow. He knew Rupert was no match for him and understood that the latter’s current state was a result of impulse. Sidestepping, he easily avoided Rupert's attack.Lyra got up, shakily supporting herself, and she said, "It has nothing to do with him, Rupert…"After
Rupert's voice echoed in everyone's ears. However, someone stood up to voice opposition. "What if there are too many of them and they’re too powerful? Wouldn't staying here be a dead end? In my opinion, we should evacuate!"Rupert countered, "Evacuate? Do you think we can find a safe place to go? It's dark right now, and there are countless enemies and monsters outside. If we go out now, what's the difference between that and walking into death?""Well, does staying here guarantee survival?""At least here, we have Mr. Adrian to protect us..." Standing by the window, Rupert's gaze followed the firelight into the distance. Meanwhile, Adrian arrived at the site of the explosion. Looking around, he found that besides the area becoming a ruin, there was nothing abnormal. In other words, the earlier explosion seemed like a common occurrence, not the appearance of enemies. He found this strange and silently criticized himself. After carefully observing for a while, he sensed something
Boom! Boom! Boom!Suddenly, the enemies before him exploded. Countless crimson lights swept through, corroding the ground wherever they passed and forming a new barrier that enveloped Adrian."Oh? This is interesting," Adrian said. A terrifying figure then emerged and arrived beside him. Adrian observed that the enemies he had defeated earlier had come together to create a larger entity, and all the power from those individuals had gathered into this new monstrous form. This creature’s strength was ten times greater than his previous enemies. "Rrraaagh!" The creature let out a monstrous roar. In response, the distant jungle echoed with strange howls as multiple unknown entities answered it."Since there are so many of you, why hide in the bushes?! You should all come straight at me!" Adrian shouted. The monsters seemed to understand him, and countless figures slowly emerged from the distant jungle. They appeared in vast, overwhelming numbers. Adrian estimated that there were a
Adrian noticed that the monsters' corpses transformed into solid shields and were capable of withstanding his attacks under the influence of the crimson light. As his sword energies wreaked havoc, more and more monsters fell to his blade. Simultaneously, the number of monsters being used as shields increased.In less than a moment, a massive and sturdy protective wall formed around the monsters. Although their advance was slow, their steps were firm. They steadily approached Adrian, quickly forcing him to the edge of the barrier. Another step back and he would be where Lyra and the others were. Adrian knew that he could not back down now.Filled with fierce battle intent, the monsters escalated their attacks and unleashed blood-red beams. Adrian could hold his ground against the attacks. However, he quickly realized that the enemies were not only attacking him but also targeting the barrier behind him.While the barrier was well-constructed, its power was limited due to the quantity
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