The old man and Zorath the Silent exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock and disbelief in each other's eyes.
"Damn it, Zorath the Silent, what kind of little monster have you brought here? The so-called 'unbreakable' Veilstone—actually struck!" The old man was utterly stunned, clapping Zorath the Silent on the shoulder. "You must report this. This young man will undoubtedly become a powerhouse who dominates the continent. If we nurture him into a Legendary Mage—or even an Archmage… the Sacred Council would have nothing to fear from that damned Holy Temple!"
His gaze fixed on Kael, the old man's eyes gleamed with intensity, and an indescribable aura radiated from him. Gone was the drowsy, decrepit demeanor—now, it was clear that this old man was a superior powerhouse, at least Saint Mage-tier or higher!
The headquarters of the Sacred Council truly lived up to its reputation as a den of hidden talents—even a mere guardian of the Eternal Spire possessed strength at the Saint Mage level!
"Indeed. If we cultivate Kael properly, even the Holy Temple's so-called 'young prodigies' won't stand a chance—not even that damned 'Chosen One' of theirs!" Zorath the Silent nodded in agreement.
The old man had told Zorath the Silent to "report this matter upward," but Zorath the Silent was already one of the Twelve Councilors. The only one above him was the Grand Speaker—the highest authority in the Sacred Council.
Kael's feat was significant enough to warrant the Grand Speaker's attention!
"A young man like this… we absolutely cannot let him slip away…" The old man smiled faintly.
Zorath the Silent strode forward, approaching Kael, who was now subtly surrounded by the awestruck crowd.
"Kael, you've done well!" he praised.
"Zorath the Silent, weren't you supposed to be handling business?" Kael asked, puzzled.
Zorath the Silent chuckled. "I lied. I've been following you the whole time, observing your performance. And kid—you were outstanding!"
"Thank you for the praise, Zorath the Silent." Kael smiled faintly, showing no trace of arrogance—which only deepened Zorath the Silent's approval.
But Zorath the Silent shook his head. "You might not realize the significance of the Veilstone to the Sacred Council. As one of the continent's most powerful factions, the Sacred Council safeguards the Eternal Spire, left behind by the Star Legend Orlando. And these three stones—the Golden Stone, Mist Stone, and Veilstone—were specially crafted by Orlando himself."
"The Sacred Council placed these three stones on the first floor of the Eternal Spire as a test for all newcomers visiting the headquarters for the first time—to identify true geniuses. Of course, the Veilstone is the rarest exception among exceptions. For thousands of years, no one has ever struck it!"
"Because the Veilstone was designed from the start to stump all newcomers! It was meant to show them that there is always someone greater, that the world is vast beyond imagination! Even ninth-tier experts might not have full confidence in striking it—yet you, kid, actually did it." Zorath the Silent sighed repeatedly, forcing a wry smile. "I'm almost jealous of your talent."
Hearing Zorath the Silent's explanation, Kael felt a bit embarrassed. So there was such a backstory behind it.
"Zorath the Silent, I just got lucky," Kael replied humbly.
"Cut the crap, kid. Excessive modesty is just pride in disguise! Since you've struck the Veilstone, you've earned the right to explore the Eternal Spire's third floor and above for five days. As for your rewards, Ethan, they'll be distributed within the next few days!" Zorath the Silent declared.
Kael nodded in understanding.
After this spectacle, the others completely abandoned any thought of challenging the three stones. With Kael's unparalleled performance as the standard, any attempt they made would only highlight their inadequacy.
"I'll arrange accommodations for you. Stay at the Sacred Council headquarters these next few days. I'll report your achievements—both here and in the ancient ruins—to the other councilors and the Grand Speaker." Zorath the Silent grinned, patting Kael's shoulder.
Report to the other councilors… and the Grand Speaker?!
Ethan froze, then smiled bitterly. This time, Kael was truly about to send shockwaves through the Sacred Council's highest echelons.
Soon after, Zorath the Silent arranged lodging for Kael and his two companions. Having traveled far, Kael took the opportunity to freshen up and restore himself to peak condition.
He was ready to explore the Eternal Spire's upper floors.
After all, this was the Eternal Spire—Orlando's legacy.
Exchanging a brief farewell with Amelia, Kael eagerly made his way back to the tower.
The same old guardian stood watch at the entrance. Kael greeted him respectfully before stepping inside—ascending toward the mysteries above.
The first floor of the Eternal Spire was vast and empty, save for those three small stones. The second floor, too, held little—only a single, intricate, and arcane magic circle.
"This magic circle…" Kael was astonished. Even with his keen perception, the formation seemed boundless—like an ocean of magic, containing countless truths of the arcane.
"Is this Orlando's power? Just this formation alone could inspire countless mages. The God of Mages, the Star Legend… truly worthy of being one of humanity's strongest millennia ago."Kael mused silently.
However, he wasn't particularly interested in the magic circle at the moment. Moreover, since it was only on the second floor, access wasn't as restricted. He could always return to study it later.
Kael pressed on, ascending to the third floor and beyond.
Starting from the fourth floor, rows upon rows of towering bookshelves came into view, each laden with thick tomes.
"So many books—and not just on magic. There are even warrior manuals. As expected of the Star Legend. It seems he dabbled in martial arts as well." Kael marveled. But this wasn't surprising. When a mage reached the pinnacle of power, their physical body would also strengthen, rivaling that of an average warrior.
For a God of Mages like Orlando, his physique was likely even superior to that of an eighth-tier warrior.
The notion that mages were physically weak was only relative to warriors of the same tier.
"There are quite a few warrior manuals here. Since I have fifteen days to explore, I might as well memorize some for Amelia." Kael thought. The rules within the Eternal Spire were strict—no copying, no removal. All knowledge had to be absorbed within the tower itself.
He located several books on Frost Aura cultivation and committed them to memory. With his extraordinary mental fortitude, his recall was near-flawless, allowing him to retain the contents effortlessly.
With Amelia's needs addressed, Kael turned his attention to finding books that suited his own interests.
The fourth floor primarily housed warrior manuals and lower-tier spellbooks.
The fifth floor contained sixth and seventh-tier magic tomes, which offered little to Kael at his current level. What he needed now were eighth-tier spellbooks.
It wasn't until he reached the sixth floor that Kael finally found what he was looking for.
The sixth floor housed magic tomes ranging from the eighth to the tenth tier.
Kael selected a few books and began immersing himself in their contents. The deeper he delved, the clearer the arcane knowledge within became, as if a grand gate had swung open before him. He was like a parched traveler suddenly granted the gift of cool, refreshing water.
And then—he felt it.
A barrier within him seemed to shatter once more! After comprehending the Lightning Domain, his progress had stagnated—yet now, his strength advanced yet again, if only by a sliver!
"Incredible… I truly thought I'd reached the absolute limit of the seventh tier. But I was wrong—I can still grow stronger!" Kael murmured to himself.
The revelation thrilled him. To prepare for his return to the Ancient Ruins, he had deliberately suppressed his power at the peak of the seventh tier, refusing to break through to the eighth. The benefits of this restraint were immense—it had solidified his foundation to an unparalleled degree, granting him limitless potential.
There had been a time when Kael believed he had truly peaked, that no further refinement was possible at his current tier. Yet after studying Orlando's legacy of spellbooks, he had gained new insights—pushing his cultivation another step forward!
"If this continues, the moment I break through to the eighth tier and become an Archmage, my power will undergo a qualitative leap! I might even advance straight to the mid-eighth tier upon breaking through!" Kael declared.
This wasn't baseless speculation—such a feat was genuinely possible.
The deeper one's foundation, the greater the accumulation—and when it finally erupted, the resulting surge of power would be nothing short of terrifying.