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
Soulnascent raised an eyebrow and smirked before continuing, "The Middle Ages was the peak period for divine consciousness techniques, whether in the Spirit Domain or your lower domains. But over time, that boom gradually declined. Do you know why?""Just say it if you’re going to or don’t say anything at all. Really, you’re asking questions you already know the answer to. Hmph!" Lexie shot a sideways glance at Soulnascent, clearly annoyed."Hehe, well, I did say you were ignorant. I forgot to mention that. But never mind, this isn’t something immortals from your lower domains could answer." Soulnascent laughed lightly."Still keeping secrets? Are you going to tell me or not?" Lexie’s short temper flared up, unable to tolerate Soulnascent’s repeated teasing. She grabbed Soulnascent’s ear and even considered giving her a swat if she didn’t comply."Ow, ow! Okay, okay! I'll tell you!" Soulnascent, highly perceptive due to her divine consciousness training, winced in pain from the ear
This explained why Soulnascent had been so eager for Lexie to speak well of her in front of Adrian in the future. The Exile Realm alone had made Adrian a figure of great interest to Soulnascent, prompting her to seriously consider their relationship.In the Spirit Domain, small worlds that managed to survive were incredibly rare. For a small world to come into existence, it first needed to separate from a larger world for various reasons. This often required specific opportunities, such as collisions between planes that caused these worlds to break off and be discovered.However, discovery alone wasn’t enough. The discoverer had to be powerful enough to utilize the world and successfully seal it within a vessel. This vessel was a general term for various special spiritual artifacts. Meeting both of these conditions had already been quite rare.But there was also a final, crucial condition—whether the world could sustain life.Some small worlds were barren, with extremely harsh envi
Although Adrian was in the early stages of his breakthrough, he was fully aware of the profound changes that came with achieving the Nascent Stage. From now on, he would no longer train his spiritual energy but instead follow a path reminiscent of the Middle Ages.If Adrian had another chance, he wouldn’t have any regrets. The path he chose now aligned with the Draco Veinergy, making spiritual energy more of a hindrance than a benefit to his destiny. Having already broken through to the Nascent Stage, his power had undergone a tremendous transformation. However, he had not yet fully mastered this new power, and anything within a three-meter radius of him was affected by his divine consciousness. Even the mist was not exempt. Viewed from above, the pure white world around him looked like a black spot, almost as if it were a vacuum where the mist couldn’t approach.To Lexie, Adrian’s gaze seemed deeper than before. Every brief glance he gave her left her feeling dizzy as if caught in a