Ciaran took advantage of Adrian's brief distraction and swiftly vanished from sight. Adrian, ever adaptable, decided to find an alternative route, adhering to the principle "A rolling stone gathers no moss."He put aside thoughts of the blood sacrifice and focused on capturing Ciaran, his immediate priority. Ciaran’s trap had nearly caused a major setback for Adrian. If not for the sudden effectiveness of Pain, which had taken Ciaran by surprise, Adrian might have been the one fleeing.Using his divine consciousness, Adrian pinpointed Ciaran’s location and gave chase. Ciaran, aware that Adrian was still pursuing him, stayed on high alert. He changed paths several times and even created false trails to mislead Adrian, but the latter was not easily deceived.Given the extreme dangers of the Purple Forest Marsh, especially in its unexplored depths, there were legends of something formidable that deterred humans from venturing further. Adrian reasoned that if Ciaran had any sense, he w
Adrian turned over the formation disc and started positioning the formation flags, while Lexie took care of placing them. Setting up the entire formation took the whole morning, and once they finished, they sat together in silence.Adrian, always cautious, had another reason for the formation. The Purple Forest Marsh's depths were crucial, and if dark beasts were inside, the trap formation would buy him some time. He also saw it as a strategic move in case Ciaran decided to retreat to the outer layer of the swamp. The formation at this chokepoint was a way to wait for Ciaran, who Adrian was confident would eventually come out.However, Ciaran didn’t appear that day. Bored, Adrian and Lexie began to engage in intimate activities. They were enjoying their time together when Ciaran finally showed up.Adrian smacked Lexie’s rump in frustration and said, “He shows up now of all times. Why not earlier or later?”Adrian tried to get up, but Lexie wasn’t ready to let him go. She wanted to
Adrian, deep in thought, asked, "What could make an intermediate level-eight immortal like you so panicked?""You'll find out if you go ahead," Ciaran replied bluntly.Adrian, with a lazy tone and a smile that sent a chill down Ciaran's spine, said, "If I go in myself, you might not have a chance to escape. I'm giving you an opportunity to redeem yourself.""What do you plan to do with me?" Ciaran replied coldly, his eyes flickering as he closely watched Adrian. "Even if I'm trapped in this formation, if you come in, the outcome is still uncertain.""Still being stubborn? I've seen plenty like you, and they all ended up dead," Adrian retorted, his expression darkening as he sat down cross-legged and slowly closed his eyes."Don't try to scare me!" Ciaran shot back, his face expressionless. "Do you think I'm so easily frightened? You're just a rudimentary level-eight immortal. What kind of trouble can you cause? I was only caught off guard by your tricks earlier when you were chasi
Sighing, Adrian tossed a pain-relief pill to Ciaran. With a casual smile, he said, "Take this. It won’t do much for mental injuries, but seeing you so distressed, it's the best I can offer. Just make do with it.""Why you…!" Ciaran started to protest, but quickly realized he was at Adrian’s mercy, as vulnerable as a fish on a chopping block. Whatever Adrian said was the rule, so despite his doubts about the pill, he swallowed it.Adrian nodded in satisfaction. "You're finally showing some sense. If you had known better, why act tough before? Now, tell me, what’s ahead that got you so alarmed?"Hearing Adrian’s persistent questioning, Ciaran didn’t dare to joke around anymore. He answered respectfully, "Honestly, I don't know what's ahead. I just heard someone say ‘leave,' and out of fear, I turned back and ran..."He hesitated, then added, "The beast that told me to leave probably isn’t very high-level. Given the nature of dark beasts, if it had been stronger, it would have just sl
"You’re holding the knife, and I’m just the fish on the chopping block. It seems whether I agree or refuse isn’t really up to me," Ciaran began, but Adrian cut him off."That’s not entirely true," Adrian said, his tone sincere. "We had our dispute earlier, but now, with humanity facing such a great peril, we’re more helpless than ever before. If we can survive, we should. Follow your heart—if you want to go, we’ll go together."Adrian looked at Ciaran with genuine expectation. He knew that having someone as meticulous as Ciaran by his side would increase their chances of survival in the Purple Forest Marsh.In truth, Adrian had been testing Ciaran earlier. Before coming here, Adrian had spoken with local hunters about the deeper parts of the Purple Forest Marsh. These hunters, who had spent their lives navigating the marsh, had inevitably ventured into its depths and shared rumors about what lay within.A careful person like Adrian wouldn’t overlook such details. The hunters mentio
“It must be the effect of this fog barrier,” Adrian murmured to himself.But what were those green air currents ahead? They seemed to be writhing, and after a moment’s hesitation, Adrian decided to investigate. He chose to see it as a blessing rather than a curse; if it were a curse, avoiding it might be impossible.Upon closer inspection, Adrian’s surprise turned into an incredulous smile. He had merely frightened himself; the green air currents were simply a special type of phosphorescent fire that had ignited on its own, creating the eerie scene.Though Adrian’s heart eased a bit, his expression remained serious. Visibility continued to decrease, and his divine consciousness was completely blocked. He shook his head in resignation, adjusted his mindset, and pressed on.After walking another hundred meters or so, Adrian noticed that the word “leave” was becoming clearer. What had once seemed like a whisper was now striking directly at his soul. He could sense the outrage and ling
Each step Adrian took required him to endure an increasingly intense transformation of his divine consciousness. It felt as though he was undergoing a profound enhancement of his abilities.Gritting his teeth, Adrian took another step. Though he wavered, with blood staining the corners of his mouth, his determination remained unshaken. This step was remarkable.His clothes began to bulge as if inflated, and he slowly lifted off the ground, floating into the air. He crossed his legs and sat down, causing the white mist around him to swirl more rapidly.Suddenly, Adrian opened his eyes, and two golden rays of light appeared. His expression began to distort as he twitched uncontrollably, though his cross-legged posture remained steady.The golden light moved swiftly through Adrian’s body, causing blood to surface as if his blood vessels had burst. It was a terrifying sight, but Adrian did not falter.The golden light seemed almost sentient, drawing Adrian’s essence from his body and
Soulnascent retrieved five more Soulnascent Fruits and, with less caution this time, tossed them directly toward Adrian. The fruits burst in mid-air, transforming into a dark golden liquid that blended into the mist ahead."Watch closely; a surprise is coming," Soulnascent said, her voice slightly trembling.Lexie turned to where Soulnascent pointed, and witnessed an astonishing sight—the mist contracted and solidified into a massive cocoon. "What is this?" she asked in a whisper.Though Lexie's voice was soft, Soulnascent heard her and responded promptly, as if expecting the question. "It’s a Nascent Formation."Lexie’s eyes widened as she stared at the cocoon, then back at Soulnascent, confused. Shaking her head, she said, "I was at the Integration Stage before. How could I have missed entering the Nascent Stage?"Lexie was clearly skeptical. Having reached the Nascent Stage herself, she knew this wasn't an ordinary formation. "And when we entered the Exile Realm, Adrian was onl