Violet assumed an expression as if Samantha owed her.The Cowells burst out laughing upon hearing Violet’s orders.“The Cowells have taken care of you for such a long time so it’s time for you to repay the family’s favor, Samantha.“Grandmother’s not asking for too much with fifty percent, right?” said Clara with a sneer.“That’s right. It’s already respectful to you that she’s allowing you to keep twenty-nine percent when you’re just a piece of sh*t. Don’t be ungrateful as you were with Bailar,” said Francis.It was clear that they were demanding a share of New Paraiso, and they made it sound like it was serious business.Francis was shameless beyond comparison. He demanded someone else’s belongings yet called Samantha such a foul word. Only the Cowells would produce someone like him.Samantha had not expected Violet to come here asking for company shares.Anyone would be well aware that a shareholder with fifty-one percent was considered the biggest shareholder with the autho
The rest of the Cowells were astonished.Francis lay on the ground, trembling uncontrollably. He whimpered continuously because of the pain in his mouth.Then, he started shedding tears. He wanted to cry out loud, yet he discovered that he could not move his lips. He had not expected something like this to happen and he regretted his actions at this very moment.He wanted to speak, yet was utterly incapable of even moving his mouth.“Francis, Francis? How do you feel?” Hugo asked as he helped Francis into a sitting position.Francis could not speak but his eyes were filled with fear as he looked at Adrian.Samantha had not expected Adrian to punch Francis so strongly and her beautiful face turned pale with fear.Violet was shaking at the sight of Francis’ badly battered state.“What did you do, Adrian?!” she roared at him.Adrian clapped his hands together. He did not even glance at Violet as he said, “Haven’t you heard of the saying ‘the one who scolds people has a foul mouth
Nathan left with the other Cowells upon saying that.***Samantha wiped her tears after her family departed.She felt extremely disappointed. She never expected her family to be so shameless that they would seek trouble with her in an even more aggressive manner than before.Violet disowned her, sought payment of seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars from her, and went back on her own word to seize Bailar.And Violet now had the nerve to ask for New Paraiso’s shares?Even though Violet was her grandmother, Samantha could not make peace with Violet’s unreasonable actions.“Forget it, Sam. Your grandmother and my grandfather cut from the same cloth. Let’s not lower ourselves to their level.” Riley patted Samantha on the shoulder.Samantha inhaled a deep breath and said, “I didn’t expect my grandmother would be so insensible that she’d have the nerve to come to me and ask for New Paraiso’s shares. And she did it as if it was reasonable and logical for me to do so too.“If she
Samantha had never been so happy.It was a big win in her books that she was capable of getting people from the Battle Warrior Department to attend her company’s opening ceremony.Adrian smiled upon seeing Samantha’s joy. “Sam, successfully inviting people from the Battle Warrior Department means that they think highly of your company.“You have to work hard and steer the company well.”Adrian caressed Samantha’s hair.Samantha nodded in a hopeful manner. “Do you know how happy I am, Adrian? And it’s all thanks to you. If you hadn't encouraged me, I wouldn’t have had the courage to give it a try.”Samantha knew that Adrian’s encouragement to her had facilitated her success.Adrian said, “In truth, at times, the reason behind one’s failure is due to the lack of courage to try.“Sam, it’s New Paraiso’s opening ceremony tomorrow. You should prepare and don’t forget to get yourself a nice outfit. Make sure you look stunning tomorrow!”“Mm-hm, sure!” Samantha said with a smile, “Mo
“Understood, sir.”Adrian hung up the phone after saying a few more words to Magnus.“Mother, I’m going to take a trip down to Ada’s campus. Stay here and wait for me,” Adrian said to Rue.Adaline was Rue’s daughter, so it was only natural for her to feel panicked.“I’m going too,” she said.Adrian did not wish for Rue to be present since he would have to suppress his temper if she did.“It isn’t convenient for you to come with me, Mother. Don’t worry, Ada will be fine. I’ll head over there, resolve a few issues, and come home as soon as possible.”Rue wanted to continue insisting on going when Samantha said, “You shouldn’t get too worked up because of your weak heart, Mother. Plus, Adrian’s right. You shouldn’t go with him. I’ll go with him instead, so you stay here and stay calm.”In truth, Adrian was not planning on letting Samantha go with him, but he had no choice but to let her after she said all that.Rue still felt anxious. “But—”“Don’t worry, Mother. I doubt it’s an
‘Mr. Adrian?’Samantha was lost for words when she saw how friendly Magnus was being. She shot a glance at the chancellor and thought that he was rather strange.But before she could say anything, Magnus extended his hand toward his office. “Please come in. You must be Mr. Adrian’s wife, right?”Samantha was slightly stunned when Magnus looked at her, not expecting the friendliness he was showing Adrian.She pursed her lips and said, “Hello, Mr. Magnus. My name is Samantha Cowell. I’m Ada’s sister-in-law.”Magnus nodded and gestured for the couple to enter his office.Samantha behaved courteously, but Adrian had already plopped himself on the sofa while Magnus poured them some coffee.“Who’s the guy?” Adrian went straight to the point.Things were going completely differently from what Samantha had imagined. In her mind, she thought that the chancellor would be on the other party’s side and lash out in anger, while she would have to apologize profusely to try and quell the situ
“You must be hungry, Sam. Come and eat,” Adrian said.“Adrian, I—”But Samantha decided to swallow her words. Everything was proceeding very differently from what she had imagined.She did not know what she should say at that moment, so she shot a glance at Magnus before starting on her food as well.Meanwhile, Magnus sat by the side without uttering a single word.After they were done with lunch, Adrian said, “Why don’t you go take a look at how Ada’s doing, Sam? I’ll handle this.”“But Adrian…” Samantha was briefly stunned, still confused about what Adrian’s thought process was.Adrian merely smiled at her and said, “Relax, I’ve got this covered. I’ll pass up the chance to visit the girl’s dorm. You go ahead and take a look instead.”Samantha heaved a long sigh, imagining just how terrified Adaline must be at that moment.‘He’s right, I should go check up on her.’She then stood up and asked, “Are you sure you’ll be able to handle this?”“Have I ever lied to you? I’ve got
Of course, Adaline knew who she had offended.However, she could no longer tolerate the amount of humiliation Dylan hurled at her, which caused her to retaliate.Adaline started to cry when Samantha reprimanded her. “I’m sorry, Sam. I’m sorry for causing you trouble again.”Samantha shot her an annoyed look.“What do you mean by that? You just stay here and be good. Your brother’s with the chancellor right now. I have no idea how this will be resolved, but he said he’ll handle it. So, there’s nothing for you to worry about,” Samantha consoled.Adaline nodded.Samantha pulled Adaline to a nearby bench where they sat together before continuing their conversation.***Soon, it was four in the afternoon.Adrian was taking a nap in Magnus’ office but was jolted awake by a sudden disturbance before he could wake up naturally.Magnus rushed into his office following the noise.“Bucky brought a few dozen men with him, Mr. Adrian,” he said anxiously.Adrian then stood up and pulled
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