What had initially appeared to be a dense swarm of beasts now seemed far less daunting.Adrian smiled slightly, satisfied. This was the result he had hoped for.At that moment, the Soul Devouring Sword glowed even more intensely.Adrian smiled faintly again. The sword was growing stronger, and that worked in his favor.He let out a cold chuckle. "Now, let's see what can stop me."As his words fell, a powerful, terrifying roar reverberated in the distance.A violent sound, full of rage, tore through the air. It seemed an even more fearsome beast was approaching.Adrian's eyes gleamed coldly as he sensed the change.From the distant horizon, a massive creature emerged from the void.It was an ancient beast—a bird, to be precise.Adrian's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected it to be an ancient beast, let alone one as powerful as the Red Feather Divine Bird.The bird's greatest strength lay in its wings, forged from mystic iron. A single blow from those wings could infl

Adrian appeared almost insane, with each of his reckless attacks sending shockwaves of terrifying power through the air.The Soul Devouring Sword in his hand resembled a blood-red instrument of slaughter, painting the world with its violent energy.Each strike seemed to amplify Adrian's emotions. Though the beasts at the peak of the Void Stage were formidable, they would never force Adrian to submit.Even if he had to die lying down, he would never kneel to survive. The blood-red power he wielded radiated outward, illuminating everything in its path.Violent surges of power rampaged across the area, each one seemingly capable of shattering the very fabric of existence.Adrian exuded a terrifying, unyielding aura. The coldness and killing intent in his gaze revealed that he had no choice but to slay these two beasts. If he didn't, he would never escape this place.Adrian understood that the celestial ladder was testing him, and only by overcoming it could he gain the strength to b

The beast vanished from the sky without a final scream, its demise sudden and gruesome. The sight left everyone stunned and bewildered.The remaining beast roared in fury, its blood-red eyes blazing with rage and emitting a palpable aura of terror.Crimson light pulsed from its massive claws, spreading an ominous glow.The beast's deafening cries filled the air.Alarmed, Adrian muttered, "Damn it! It's going for mutual destruction!"The beast was preparing to self-destruct—unleashing its full power would annihilate the entire small world.Realizing the impending disaster, Adrian turned and fled, reinforcing his protective barrier as he raced away. He had no other choice. The beast's self-destruction was inevitable, beyond anything he could stop.As he sped into the distance, Adrian felt the beast's furious intent pursuing him. Amid its wrath, faint echoes of despair and unwillingness seemed to resonate.A blinding red light erupted from the beast, shooting skyward and staining

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

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