Adrian exuded a domineering aura. If Renee were to die because of him, wouldn’t that prove he was utterly useless? He had promised to protect her, yet now she lay gravely injured. He found this difficult to accept. He looked at Renee, and his gaze was filled with guilt.Renee, in turn, felt deeply ashamed as she looked back at Adrian. She knew she had become a burden and caused him to lose face.Amidst the surging waves of power, Adrian could sense the self-blame in Renee’s heart. He smiled gently and said, “Don’t worry. I’ve got this under control.”To him, stepping forward meant he was fully confident in handling the situation.Boom, boom, boom!Terrifying energy spread throughout the heavens and earth. The entire space trembled violently as though the sheer force of the lightning was shaking the world. It was as if an infinite power was trying to shatter everything. The void itself seemed to have cracked open, creating a massive hole in the sky.Streams of powerful energy casc
Boom! Shatter! Crack!In an instant, the void shattered violently. Adrian hovered in mid-air, directing the formation he had just deduced straight at the sky. The explosion was relentless, and the sheer force of the formation was beyond words.Yet, Adrian didn’t seem satisfied. His expression remained icy cold. “It looks like this isn’t shattered enough.”Without hesitation, Adrian summoned the Soul Devouring Sword. Blood-red energy, sinister and ominous, spread out from the sword, enveloping the surroundings. After devouring the Azure Naga, the sword had grown even more malevolent, emitting waves of terrifying power that dispersed to the entire surroundings. At that moment, it felt as if everything was being destroyed.Adrian smirked, saying, “Not dead yet?” He threw a punch filled with explosive force, and the area before him ruptured violently, tearing apart the air.A beam of white light emerged, leaving Renee utterly stunned. As she gazed at the source of the light, her eyes
Hearing Adrian’s words, Renee felt a bit helpless. He was right, but it seemed Adrian didn’t take the dangers seriously.Renee said, “What I’m saying is true. The only reason some people made it out of here alive is because they were lucky. They didn’t run into the worst dangers at the time. After those people left and looked back at Death Valley, they said they could vaguely see countless lurking threats stirring within. They all secretly thanked their luck that they didn’t encounter those dangers during their passage. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have survived.”Adrian chuckled lightly. “When soldiers come, we’ll fight them off. When floods come, we’ll block them. Could it really be worse than that? A warrior’s very mission is to go against the heavens. Even if faced with a life-or-death crisis, so what? Just cut them down.”His confident words left Renee momentarily speechless. It was hard to argue with him. The way he spoke, it was clear Adrian had his plans, and there was no point
This looming danger was not something just anyone could bear, and Adrian’s boldness bordered on madness. "Fine, let’s just proceed cautiously," Renee said with a trace of resignation.She could tell that Adrian’s mind was set. Any hesitation on her part would likely earn her nothing but disdain from him. Besides, Adrian had saved her life and she saw no reason to argue. If he wanted to move forward, then forward she would go. The two continued their journey slowly. There were some faint ripples of energy coming from ahead, but they encountered nothing as they moved through the valley. Time ticked by, and within a matter of minutes, they were nearly out of the valley.Boom! Boom! Boom!Suddenly, the mountain ahead began to tremble. Renee’s gaze locked onto the massive structure and froze in shock. It wasn’t a mountain at all. What looked like a mountain up ahead was actually a giant serpent coiled upon itself. Its scales blended seamlessly with the rocky terrain, camouflaging it
Renee tensed up as she heard Adrian speak. To simply demand that the serpent let them pass was nothing but asking for trouble, After all, this giant serpent was terrifying. Perhaps if they spoke more carefully, things would remain peaceful. Unfortunately, Adrian’s arrogance seemed to border on provocation, and no one could sway him once he had made a decision.“If you’re so eager to die, I’ll gladly send you to the afterlife,” Adrian said.He was determined to teach this creature a lesson. This serpent appeared to be a relic of ancient times, and he noticed its gleaming core. If he could claim it, his strength might surge to an entirely new level. This thought made Adrian’s eyes glint with determination. The power contained within the serpent’s body could be the key to pushing him beyond the Fusion Stage.With this realization, Adrian’s resolve strengthened. But the serpent noticed the greed in his gaze, and its fury erupted. “You wretched human! I’ll make you pay with your life!”
Renee desperately hoped for Adrian’s victory. Only through his triumph could she escape this perilous situation. If he were to fail, her fate would undoubtedly be sealed. The clash of Adrian and the serpent's energies created waves of tremors that caused Renee to stare in astonishment. She hadn’t anticipated such a cataclysmic confrontation.Suddenly, the serpent lunged forward, colliding with Adrian in a brutal clash. The ground trembled violently, and the mountain was seemingly on the brink of collapse.To everyone’s shock, Adrian managed to grab hold of the serpent’s tail amidst its wild thrashing. "What?" Renee was stunned, utterly unable to comprehend what was unfolding.Adrian held onto the serpent’s tail and swung it around as though it weighed nothing. Boom!The earth trembled as the enormous serpent was hurled into a nearby mountain with devastating force. "How is he doing this? How can his physical strength be so terrifying?" Renee muttered.It was commonly under
Adrian shot forward like a raging storm, his arm extended in a punch, tearing through the air with an intensity that caused the surroundings to tremble violently. The sheer force radiating from his strike was terrifying as if the entire world quaked in its wake. Shaken by this overwhelming display of power, the serpent thrashed with all its might. It was consumed by a singular thought, and that was to annihilate Adrian. After all, Adrian had provoked it repeatedly, and it was something that the serpent had never encountered before. It vowed to destroy him at any cost.The serpent’s massive tail clashed relentlessly against Adrian’s powerful fists. Neither side showed any intention of relenting. Both were driven by an unwavering determination to crush the other. Boom! Boom! Boom!The entire area trembled as the clash reached a fever pitch. Renee watched from the sidelines, her heart filled with hope that Adrian would emerge victorious. In Death Valley, survival was reserved for th
The serpent grew even more furious. Rage surged through it as it shouted, "You insolent fool! I’ll make you pay with your life!"With a thunderous roar, the serpent charged forward, lashing out like a weapon aimed straight at Adrian.Adrian met the attack with icy resolve. "Not bad," he remarked coldly, "but it seems you’re still underestimating me." Without hesitation, Adrian countered with a devastating punch. Caught off guard by this overwhelming power, the serpent felt a flicker of fear. It couldn’t comprehend how a mere human could possess such monstrous strength. Adrian’s physical prowess was beyond anything it had encountered, leaving the serpent questioning how this was even possible. Realizing the extent of Adrian’s power, the serpent’s initial desire to fight began to waver. It wanted Adrian to flee. After all, in its many years of existence, it had only encountered one or two beings as terrifying as this human.But Adrian showed no intention of retreating. To him, the
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