"Strange, where is that noise coming from…" Kael frowned, his body moving cautiously toward the source of the sound. Slowly descending with his Levitation spell, he peered into the direction of the disturbance.
What puzzled Kael even more was that this area, which should have been nothing more than a cluster of bushes, was now shrouded in a thick white mist, obscuring his vision entirely.
Moreover, within the thicket, the sounds of combat could be heard.
"That's the sound of magical beasts." Kael's frown deepened as curiosity drove him forward into the mist. The sounds of the beasts fighting stirred something within him.
Once inside the mist, Kael could finally see the scene before him clearly.
Two Eighth-tier magical beasts were locked in battle. One was a Triple-Flame Lion, an exceptionally ferocious beast among its rank, with three massive heads and a towering body nearly five to six meters long. Its entire form was wreathed in flames, and its deep roars sent chills down the spine.
The other beast was a giant serpent, coiled around a cluster of boulders, its forked tongue flicking in and out as its cold reptilian eyes locked onto the Triple-Flame Lion. The serpent stretched nearly six to seven meters in length, its body a deep shade of purple. Both of these creatures were among the strongest of Eighth-tier magical beasts.
Had this been in the past, Kael would have found dealing with either of these beasts quite troublesome. But now, eliminating both would take no more than an instant.
What truly baffled Kael, however, was that magical beasts typically maintained strict territorial boundaries, rarely engaging in life-or-death battles with others of the same tier. Yet these two were fighting as if only one could survive.
Could there be some hidden reason behind this?
Kael's brows knitted together in thought.
"Such pure mana…" He took two more steps forward, only to immediately sense something unusual.
Within this mist, the mana was incredibly refined—its density dozens, if not hundreds, of times greater than the outside world!
At Kael's current level, even the purest mana would normally do little to aid his cultivation. The sheer amount of mana he required now was unimaginable—only top-tier mana gems could provide any meaningful boost to his progress.
Yet, the mana within this mist was unbelievably dense!
It was so concentrated that even Kael had never encountered anything like it. What astonished him even more was that not a single trace of this mana leaked out—it was all contained within this confined space.
"To think such pure mana exists here, and it hasn't dissipated… No wonder these two Eighth-tier beasts are fighting over it." Kael's eyes gleamed as he realized the truth.
These two beasts must have stumbled upon this anomaly by chance, triggering their battle for dominance. Both sought to monopolize this incredibly refined mana for their own cultivation.
While magical beasts could cultivate, their progress was far slower than that of humans. However, mana of this purity would undoubtedly be a tremendous boon to them as well.
But now…
Kael had every intention of seizing this mana for himself! With such an immense concentration, it was more than enough to fuel his own advancement.
In an instant, his figure blurred as he dashed forward, raising his Magic Crystal Staff—
"Thunder Dominion!"
This was one of the new spells Kael had mastered after reaching the Ninth-tier. Thunder Dominion was an immensely powerful lightning-based magic, far surpassing ordinary spells of the same rank.
The technique enveloped both the Triple-Flame Lion and the Purple Serpent. The two Eighth-tier beasts immediately recoiled, sensing the overwhelming force bearing down on them. The thunder carried the vast, indomitable energy of the heavens—enough to strike fear into even these formidable creatures.
"Damn human, attacking from ambush!"
"Cowardly human!"
Driven by instinct, they instantly recognized the terrifying might behind Kael's spell. Without hesitation, both beasts turned to flee.
But they were too slow.
The speed of lightning was beyond anything they could evade. In the blink of an eye, the thunderous force reduced them to charred husks. With pitiful final cries, the two beasts collapsed, lifeless.
"Now that my power has surged, so too has the might of my magic." Kael was thoroughly satisfied. Eliminating two Eighth-tier beasts in a single strike proved that even among Ninth-tier experts, he stood at the pinnacle.
Especially after effortlessly defeating Lucian—ranked 49th on the Continent's Rising Star List—Kael was confident his current strength could now challenge the top ten of that prestigious ranking.
He extracted two magic cores from the fallen beasts. The cores shimmered with a crystalline brilliance, unmistakably high-grade even among Eighth-tier specimens.
With a pleased nod, Kael stored them away in his spatial ring.
"The mana here is unbelievably dense…" he murmured again. Everywhere he turned, the air thrummed with energy—so thick it dwarfed the ambient mana of the outside world.
Yet something felt amiss. How could such pure mana exist here?
"A Mana Gathering Array!" Kael's eyes sharpened as he studied the space. The flow of mana beneath his feet followed an intricate, deliberate pattern—one that matched the legendary Mana Gathering Array, a long-lost formation designed to concentrate magical energy. This had to be a surviving relic.
If it's truly the array, then…
Without hesitation, Kael channeled his full power, greedily absorbing the torrent of mana contained within the formation.
Now that he'd slain the beasts, the array's energy belonged to him alone. The sheer volume of refined mana was staggering—and Kael reaped the benefits.
Like a leviathan swallowing oceans, he drew in vast currents of energy. Yet despite his relentless absorption, the surrounding mana showed no signs of depletion. Just how much has accumulated here over the centuries?
Ecstasy surged through him with every passing second. Each wisp of assimilated mana amplified his strength, his body thrumming with escalating power.
As the energy flooded his veins, his magic robes billowed violently despite the absence of wind. Even his exposed skin gleamed with an otherworldly luminescence—a visible testament to the transformation underway.
Kael's brow furrowed, beads of sweat forming on his skin—absorbing such dense mana was far from effortless.
Though the energy was exquisitely pure, it clashed violently with his own internal reserves, requiring meticulous guidance. The foreign mana surged through every magical pathway in his body, like turbulent rivers carving through narrow channels, colliding and merging in a relentless flow.
Gradually, the tension in Kael's expression eased. The invading mana harmonized with his own, and his power began rising in palpable waves.
One barrier after another shattered.
With a sharp inhalation, his eyes snapped open—just as the last remnants of the Mana Gathering Array's energy drained into him.
A thunderous sensation erupted within his core, as if an invisible dam had burst. His strength vaulted into an entirely new realm.
Ninth-tier Mid Stage!
Barely after leaving the Water Dragon's Secret Realm, he'd broken through yet again. The foundation laid by the Water Dragon's legacy—coupled with this array's concentrated power—had propelled him forward.
The difference was immediate. His body felt weightless; mana coursed through him with unprecedented vigor. Even a minor advancement at this level represented a monumental leap. His reserves now dwarfed Lucian's entirely.
Kael clenched his fist, savoring the raw authority thrumming in his veins. This… this is true power.
"Without this array, breaking through would've taken months," he mused, rising to his feet. With the formation's energy exhausted, lingering served no purpose.
But just as he turned to leave—
"Who dares steal the mana from my array?!"
An enraged voice shattered the silence.