It seemed that coming here was the right decision. Not only could Adrian temporarily avoid Daemaxim's pursuit, but this place also had an abundance of aura essence.As they traveled, Adrian voiced a question that had been on his mind. "Lady Irene, I heard your faction was destroyed. But now, it seems like you’re an apprentice of Purecastle?"Irene smiled. "I knew you'd ask that. I’m not an apprentice of Purecastle, but my teacher is from there, so I have a connection with them."Simeon, usually a man of few words, added, "Yes, Irene's teacher is our teacher’s brother."Adrian had been impressed by Simeon. During the battle with the daemonic god, Simeon had shown great power, particularly in his seamless teamwork with Orson. Without him, the fight against the daemonic god wouldn’t have gone as smoothly. It seemed Purecastle truly was full of talent.As they continued their journey, the group chatted and laughed, with Orson and the others sharing much about Purecastle with Adrian an
Among the outer apprentices, four or five different groups had been eyeing the Sierra Courtyard for some time. With over 1,600 outer apprentices residing in Caelum Valley, most lived in places like Derrinia Pagoda and Emerald Garden. Yet, Sierra Courtyard had always remained vacant, making it a prime location.These groups had been frustrated by their inability to claim the courtyard, and now, seeing Adrian and his companions take it first, they were naturally displeased. These factions had already clashed several times over the courtyard, so their anger was understandable when someone else claimed it.After helping Adrian and the others settle in, Orson and his companions bid farewell and left. On the way back, Irene asked Orson, "Orson, wasn't your approach a bit too harsh?""Harsh? Hahaha! Are you worried about Donnelly's safety?" Orson laughed heartily.Irene’s face immediately flushed with embarrassment as she lowered her head, remaining silent.At this moment, the usually qu
Voices clashed back and forth as each side passionately defended their position. The older apprentices hadn’t expected the new arrivals to be so bold, go against them so soon after joining. If this continued, the newcomers might even surpass them.One of the leaders, unable to tolerate the situation any longer, shouted, "What’s so excessive? According to the rules of Purecastle, newcomers must yield to the older apprentices!""Oh? Why weren’t we informed of this?" one of the newcomers retorted."Yeah, Orson didn’t mention it before he left," another added.The newcomers were persistent in their objections. Seeing that they were unmoved by both persuasion and threats, the leader's expression darkened with frustration."Don’t think you can avoid punishment just because you refuse to listen," the leader snapped, his anger boiling over. He swung a powerful punch at Tyron, clearly intending to take him down with one blow.But Tyron simply smiled. "I was waiting for you to make a move,
The apprentice looked at Adrian and asked, "Mr. Adrian, what do you think?"Adrian pondered for a moment before answering, "It's quite simple—it's intentional. Before we arrived, the various outer apprentice divisions in Caelum Valley were maintaining a delicate balance. They all coveted the aura essence of Sierra Courtyard but were held back by various factors from breaking that balance. Our arrival, however, disrupted that balance entirely."Tyron nodded in agreement, adding, "By moving in, we've given them a reason to act. No matter how they decide to distribute resources afterward, the one thing they can all agree on now is to eliminate us. It seems someone is deliberately trying to prevent us from settling down."The group considered this explanation plausible. According to Adrian's assessment, it was best not to make any significant moves for now. They agreed to stay put and observe the situation, adapting as necessary to address any challenges.Meanwhile, something was takin
Adrian noticed three to five outer apprentices cornering someone, making it clear that something unpleasant was happening. In high-ranking factions, such bullying and infighting among apprentices were common. Adrian usually preferred to stay out of these matters, but soon realized that the person being bullied looked familiar.Deciding to observe from the shadows, Adrian quickly recognized the victim as Rahu Wright, a new apprentice from his batch. Rahu had always kept a low profile, and his average strength made him less noticeable. Nice people were easy targets, and it was likely Rahu’s gentle personality that had attracted the bullies."Rahu, as a new apprentice, shouldn’t you show some respect to us? Do that, and we'll look out for you in the faction!" One of the bullies sneered.Rahu gulped, shaking his head repeatedly. "No, the elders said we can’t spare even a single pill. I can’t meet your demands!""What are you afraid of? If anything happens, we’ve got your back. Besides,
Bang!A powerful force erupted.The bullies felt their blood surge backwards in their veins, and a sweet, metallic taste filled their throats. Caught off guard, they were immediately sent flying, crashing to the ground.They didn’t even get a chance to face Adrian before being effortlessly defeated. His strength was truly formidable."You..." Even lying on the ground, the bullies struggled to get up. But Adrian, like a specter, suddenly appeared before them, standing with his hands behind his back. His gaze, sharp as a knife, fixed on them.“What are you going to do? Remember this—today is just a warning. Next time, you won’t be so lucky!”“Let’s go...”The bullies scrambled to their feet and fled in disgrace.Adrian walked over to Rahu and asked with concern, “Are you alright?”Rahu nodded repeatedly. “I-I’m fine... Thank you, Mr. Adrian.”Adrian then asked, “What about those people? Do they often bully you?”Rahu gave a bitter smile. “It’s not just me. Almost everyone in
Next, everyone shared their experiences with Adrian in detail. Adrian discovered that Rahu's situation was relatively better compared to others. Some had endured inhumane treatment.Listening to their accounts, Adrian’s anger boiled over. “If that’s the case, I’ll have to see whether they’re stronger or if I am!”“What are you planning to do?” Tyron asked.Adrian replied, “I’m going to seek revenge, of course. I refuse to believe just how strong these people really are.”Feeling that there was no need to waste more time, Adrian resolved to take action. He wasn’t going to let them act like tyrants just because he had stayed silent.Meanwhile, at the Derrinia Pagoda, a few panicked individuals recounted the situation to Haroon. He and Laurie listened carefully, appearing satisfied.Haroon then said, “I didn’t expect them to react so quickly. Since that’s the case, let’s not waste any time. We’ll proceed as planned.”“Yes!” The subordinates acknowledged the orders.But at that mom
“Is that so?”Haroon, enraged and embarrassed, was determined not to let Adrian off the hook. Though momentarily at a disadvantage, Haroon had no intention of backing down. He had been careless earlier and hadn’t used his full strength, believing he might still win in the upcoming fight.“Take this!” Haroon gathered all his strength and charged at Adrian with surprising speed. He concentrated his power into his palms, and suddenly, thunder roared as lightning streaked across the sky.Haroon’s strength was indeed formidable. During their fight, Adrian could feel the pressure of Haroon’s strength. While it wasn’t enough to defeat him, it posed a significant threat.The two battled fiercely, neither able to gain the upper hand.Bang!Haroon feigned a move, realizing he couldn’t win by directly confronting Adrian. He quickly created some distance between them. At the same time, he shouted to his subordinates, “What are you waiting for? Get in there and finish him off!”“Everyone, fo