The battle descended into utter chaos. In just ten minutes, the ground was littered with hundreds of corpses. Adrian and Thalia had not managed to escape to safety. They were now surrounded and cornered, making any attempt to flee seemingly impossible.The chaos had forced the three village chiefs to remain on the sidelines. Their eyes were bloodshot when they noticed nearly half of their elite warriors had fallen in the conflict. "Why don't we stop the battle, sit down, and talk this through?" Hansen suggested.His villagers had been holding off the other two villages, and the toll on his men was significant. At least three hundred of them were dead, and most of them were elite warriors. Most of the forces from the other two villages did not join the fray as they only sent their elites. Although the casualties among the elite forces in all three villages were similar, Blade's Reach’s situation was the most dire."Hmph! Now you want to negotiate?" Fynn scoffed, mocking the proposa
Everyone in this world fought to protect their own interest. Rarely was a war waged with the intention to annihilate another country or race. Such actions brought the stigma of executioner upon oneself and did not yield any benefits.Therefore, despite years of conflict and deep-seated animosities, the three villages seldom entertained the thought of eradicating each other. It simply did not align with their overall interests. Besides, none of them knew their respective trump cards. If they acted recklessly, it might bring destruction upon themselves.Yet, the three villages had been engaged in intermittent warfare for centuries."Stop struggling, Hansen. Blade’s Reach has lost. Besides, Emberfallen found the dial first, so we have more claim over it," Alistair stated."Hah, if we can't get the dial, no one will. Also, we obtained the dial first," Hansen countered. "Nonsense. Emberfallen found it a year ago and simply hadn’t studied it thoroughly. We didn't want to take any hasty
“I didn't expect you to be so worried about me," Adrian said coldly. After all, Thalia had tried to kill him just less than a month ago.Thalia helplessly said, "It's not like I have a choice right now. They want my dragon soul, and I have no one else to trust but you. Rest assured, if you can get me out, I'm willing to cooperate with you."Adrian shook his head. This was not the first time the dark dragon had proposed cooperation since they first met. He had not agreed back then, and he was not about to change his stance now. However, he might consider it if the dark dragon decided to leave Thalia's body. But for the dark dragon, Thalia's body was its final refuge. If it came out, it would mean the end of its existence."Adrian! We have an idea up and we'd like you to hear it," Hansen said.Seeing Hansen’s expression, Adrian frowned. It seemed to him that things were getting more and more complicated. "Have you reached an agreement?" Adrian smiled.Besides Hansen, the leaders o
Adrian stared at Alistair and Fynn darkly.Hansen then said, "To be frank, Adrian holds a certain position in the outside world. If he can leave, all three villages will need to cooperate with him. Alistair, Fynn, I'd allow myself some leeway if I were you two."Hansen was helpless right now. Due to Alistair's intervention, his eyes could no longer see the future. To him, this was a massive blow. While he had experienced similar incidents before, it rarely happened over the past two hundred years. Based on past experiences, it would take several months for his eye to fully recover. Therefore, they were in a somewhat passive situation right now. In other words, he had relatively little say compared to Alistair and Fynn.Fynn and Alistair looked at each other after hearing Hansen's words. Fynn then turned to Adrian and said, "We know you hold a certain position in the outside world. Otherwise, you wouldn't be this powerful. However…""However, the decision has been made. Whether you
The three chiefs began to discuss how many people each village would send to research the Dragon Dial.When Adrian came out, Thalia was waiting for him. The thousands of people from the other three villages who were outside were also watching him, but he ignored them."How did it go? What did they decide?” Thalia asked.The dark dragon did not have much time left. Even if it did not use its power, it only had six days left before its soul would be stripped from Thalia's body. If it used its power, it would speed up the process even more. Right now, its only hope was to follow Adrian and find an opportunity to slip away from this place. Then, it could figure things out once they returned to the outside world.Thalia had never entertained the idea of negotiating with the three chiefs. This was because it had been living beside them for over two hundred years, and it knew those three old men very well. The current situation was under their control. The dragon had no bargaining chips,
"Are you the indigenous people of this place?" Adrian asked Thalia, who was pretending to be dead with its eyes closed and tongue out.Thalia became alert upon hearing this question. "Why are you asking this?" it asked. "What is this place?" Adrian asked back.Thalia hesitated for a moment. However, since it could only rely on Adrian, it muttered, "This is the Dragon Realm.""The Dragon Realm?""You can think of the world you were in before as a big bubble, and the Dragon Realm is like a smaller bubble attached to the big one," Thalia explained."Was it created by the true dragons?" Adrian asked curiously."That's right, but that's ancient history. I can't remember things from so long ago!" Thalia replied nervously.Adrian shook his head. "I think you do. True dragons have long lifespans. and their memories are exceptional. Your kind wouldn't forget even the most ancient event. Besides, you're probably not an ancient true dragon, right? You should have a lifespan of a few hund
“So you're just occupying someone else's territory? Then what about the crimson dragon?""How do you know about her?!" Thalia shouted. However, it realized that it had revealed too much, so it closed its mouth.Adrian smiled and said, "I have a way to prematurely remove your dragon soul.""Impossible! This Great Net can only control me slowly!" Thalia exclaimed in disbelief.Adrian replied, "Have you forgotten how I defeated you last time? This time, with the constraints of the Great Net, you won't even have a chance to resist. With one stroke of my sword, I can separate you from Thalia's body."Thalia trembled with fear. Upon careful consideration, it found that this might indeed be possible."That's right. This place is the world created by the crimson dragon’s ancestors. I'm just a homeless dragon who doesn't have any background and took advantage of her youth to occupy her territory. But I did it to survive! What else was I supposed to do?!" Thalia confessed, laying bare her
"Other than the ancient true dragons that survived tens of thousands of years ago, other true dragons can roughly be classified into three types," Thalia explained proudly, "Among them, the bloodline of the Primordial Dragons is the purest. When they grow to a certain extent, even the ancient dragons that have survived until now might not be their opponents.""And you...""If I had the bloodline of the Primordial Dragon, would I need to seize someone else's territory? According to your world's standards, dragons with such bloodlines are the top-tier wealthy ones. Both in terms of bloodline and assets, they are beyond what an orphan like me can compare to.""Then why are you so smug?" Adrian scoffed."Hehe! Even though my ancestors had some trouble and the world they resided in collapsed, I'm from the lineage of the Starflame Dragons. That makes me far superior to ordinary dragons.""Starflame Dragons?" "You wouldn't understand even if I told you. The ones sitting at the last ran
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