Lyra put down her utensils and walked worriedly to the room next door. It was a single-story wooden house, with simple furnishings and only two rooms."I'm sorry to inconvenience you by having you stay in the hall before departure," Sion said, putting down his utensils before leaving the house.The daily routine here was the same as where they came from. According to Mudstone’s calendar, they would set off for the secret realm in the mountain in half a month.Adrian put down his utensils. For over two hundred years, though thirty people went in each year, only three people came out alive. How many treasures similar to the Dragon Token could these three people obtain each time? If it was assumed ten pieces each time, they would number a little over two thousand over the years. If it was five, it would be over a thousand. But regardless of the number, when three people come out, they should have brought back several items with them, so where are these items stored?Adrian smiled. If
Lyra was speechless. She knew Adrian's temperament, but how could he still be so arrogant in the presence of so many people? Wasn't he just asking for trouble?Duo looked toward Lyra. “Will you help him if I make a move?"Lyra thought for a moment. Since she still needed Adrian’s help, and he was the only one in the whole village who would do so, she nodded and said, "If you want to hurt Adrian, you'll have to kill me first."Duo's expression instantly turned gloomy. Behind him, the young people sneered. "Duo, we agreed to teach this outsider a lesson! Are you going to change your mind just because Lyra’s in the way?" Duo turned and shouted angrily, "What nonsense are you talking about?!""I’m implying that you like Lyra, so you dare not lay a hand on him," the man continued mockingly.Duo stared angrily at the man, then turned to look at Adrian, apparently ready to vent his anger on him.Adrian smiled and shook his head, drawing the Divine Frost Slayer Blade. There were some t
He just wanted to verify certain things."Damn you, Adrian! I will kill you!" Duo roared angrily.Adrian retrieved the Divine Frost Slayer Blade that had fallen to the side and turned to the unfamiliar middle-aged man, saying casually, "I suggest you arrest him. This person is an unstable factor in the village.""I will consider it, but I also suggest you stop provoking him." "Of course, I won't do it again. I promise," Adrian replied smilingly. He then turned to Lyra and said softly, "Let's go. Accompany me for a stroll, will you?"Lyra nodded, her expression complicated. "I...""Are you out of your mind, Duo?! Do you want to end up in Black Prison?" The companions who had come with Duo grabbed the impulsive young man.‘Black Prison? That must be an interesting place,’ Adrian thought.With a population of a thousand, the scale of Black Prison couldn't be that large. And since the population was so important, it was understandable that whenever Adrian clashed with someone, oth
Hearing Lyra's pleas, Adrian fell silent for a moment. Then, he nodded. "I’ll help if I get the chance."A bright smile appeared on Lyra's face. Her fair and delicate skin contrasted sharply with the crimson Blood River.As night fell, the sounds of monsters around them got louder. The two returned home, and Lyra asked Adrian to keep things a secret. Later in the night, Adrian sat cross-legged on the floor in the living room. He was reflecting on what he had witnessed and heard today as it was a unique experience for him. However, the situation was not entirely chaotic, and within a day, he had discovered some clues. "If this is the situation in Mudstone Village, then it should be the same for Blade's Reach Village and Emberfallen Village. The problem is that I'm not sure if they entered the same secret realm, and if the three factions are in conflict or cooperation.”From the old man, he discovered this place had existed for over two hundred years, possibly even longer. The three
With a nonchalant expression, Adrian got up and walked toward the door. He was genuinely curious about people from the other villages. More importantly, the ones who kidnapped Thalia might not be in Mudstone anymore. They could have headed to the other two villages, and they might have been connected to the two other villages. "You don't understand. We only interact with the other villages once every few years. The last time I saw someone from Blade's Reach was when I was twelve!" Lyra said excitedly, "Also, I heard that there's a young prodigy in Blade's Reach. He's not even twenty, but he's already at level eight."Adrian nodded and followed her outside. On the streets were people of all ages and genders. There were at least a hundred, and the crowd was growing. It seemed like the entire village was curious about people from the other villages.Adrian gazed at the group wearing black robes, similar to those in Mudstone. The robes seemed to be at least two hundred years old in sty
It was just an ordinary cave. In Adrian's lifetime, he had experienced countless mysterious and magical things. Even the most ordinary experiences seemed more interesting than this cave expedition. Lyra held Adrian's hand as they walked into the cave. When they heard the howling wind, Lyra asked, "Listen. Doesn't that sound like the wailing of a monster?" Adrian smiled and replied, "It's just the sound of the wind. There’s no monster here.""Come on! Let's go inside and take a look. This cave is pretty deep. Last time I was here, I didn't dare to walk to the end," Lyra said.The two walked deeper into the cave, and the wind continued to whistle in their ears. The cave was approximately ten meters in length and width. Along their journey, they saw small bats flying through the darkness. After a few minutes, Adrian felt that something was off."I don't know. I walked for over half an hour and still didn't reach the end the last time I came here," Lyra replied.Stopping in his tra
"Where did you run off to, Adrian?" Duo asked upon seeing the pair."Where I go is none of your business," Adrian retorted."Hmph! You don't have to report to me, but the village chief is looking for you," Duo countered."In that case, why are you wasting our time here instead of taking me there?"Teasing this young hothead was one of the few pleasures Adrian had in this boring world.Duo, looking irritated, could only glare at Adrian. Unfortunately for him, he had been ordered not to lay a hand on Adrian."Follow me," Duo growled.As they headed toward the village’s main building, Lyra asked worriedly, "What do you think is going to happen?"Duo was jealous upon hearing Lyra's concern for Adrian. "Hmph! What could possibly happen to him? He's an outsider, and he shouldn't even be in our village!" he said disdainfully. Adrian shook his head, thinking that the matter should be related to Blade's Reach. However, he didn’t know what was about to happen.They passed through the
"Every word I say is true. There's no need for me to lie," Adrian said softly."I don't believe you.” The young man sneered."Do you want to fight me?" Adrian raised an eyebrow, surprised to find another person with a similar temperament to Duo."I heard you're going to the secret realm in the mountains. I want to test your strength," the young man said while grinning. His companions also looked at Adrian contemptuously. The idea of entering the secret realm was a privilege granted only to those who were at least level eight—like the young man and his group. Even though they were not sure how strong Adrian was, they heard from the chief of the Mudstone that Adrian was merely at level eight. "Enough! This is not the place for you to act recklessly, Elio!" the leader of Blade's Reach reprimanded, slamming his hand on the table. "And he's not worth your effort. Know your place.”Adrian chuckled. It seemed to him that these arrogant people were belittling him."I don't care if you
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