Preparing for the hidden realm was no trivial matter, and Kael took every precaution. Fortunately, Vesper and Toms had arrived just in time, allowing him to make thorough preparations. From Toms—a master thief—Kael had acquired two lifelike masks, one of which now adorned his face.
Unless one was a Level 10 powerhouse, seeing through Kael's disguise would be impossible, granting him an invaluable layer of security.
The Kingdom of Maider, one of humanity's four great kingdoms, lay on the eastern continent's fringe. Though counted among the four, its strength paled in comparison to the ancient Empire of Gui.
Maider comprised forty provinces, and according to Vesper's divinations, the hidden realm had manifested in Xindelan Province—thousands of miles from Laffey Territory.
Though Kael now possessed Sky Soar, he dared not use it recklessly, wary of drawing attention. Instead, he relied on wind magic to enhance his speed, reserving Sky Soarfor nighttime travel.
After four days and nights of relentless travel, Kael finally arrived in Xindelan Province.
Xindelan, though nominally a province, was a desolate frontier—unmanaged, uninhabited, and bordering no other nation. Yet when Kael stepped into its heart, what greeted him left him stunned.
Stretching kilometers ahead was a sea of chaos: murky, swirling darkness, crisscrossed by eerie currents that howled like tormented spirits. A barrier of mist, thick as a primordial beast's maw, barred all entry.
Before this ominous divide loitered hundreds of cultivators—mostly mages—hesitant and uncertain. Beyond them, even more figures lurked in the distance, watching, waiting.
Kael's eyes narrowed. The realm's emergence has drawn crowds. With such a spectacle, it's no wonder the entire province is stirring.
"Judging by the scene, the hidden realm must have just opened." Kael smiled faintly, relieved he had arrived in time.
"The realm is indeed newly opened—ha! The treasures await!" Just as Kael mused, a voice rang out nearby. Turning, he spotted a man standing a dozen meters away, slightly older than himself, gripping a staff with keen eyes fixed on the chaotic mist barrier ahead.
Kael's interest piqued. The man's aura was dense, his mana perfectly restrained—a sign of formidable control. His strength seemed on par with Kael's own.
When Kael studied him, the man sensed the gaze and met his eyes, brightening in recognition of a fellow expert.
"I am Arjun of the Bhujar family, visiting Xindelan for the first time. May I ask your name, friend?" The man greeted Kael warmly, exuding an easy familiarity.
A magic lineage descendant! Kael noted inwardly. The continent housed many such families and organizations, and this man clearly belonged to one.
"Idris, from the Gui Empire," Kael fabricated casually. His current disguise—a nondescript man in his thirties—perfectly masked his true identity.
Arjun chuckled and stepped closer. **"Brother Idris, your prowess at such a young age is admirable! Would you consider joining forces to explore this Tomb of the Water Dragon? Though perilous, it's said to hold treasures even Level 10 experts covet..."**
Kael's pulse quickened.
"Tomb of the Water Dragon?" he echoed, surprised. This was the first he'd heard of the realm's name.
"Indeed! Ah, it seems news hasn't reached you yet," Arjun said, smugly launching into an explanation. **"This is the burial site of the Water Dragon, a peerless powerhouse from 3,000 years ago who stood one step from Archmagehood. His legacy is bound to be extraordinary..."**
Arjun was quite the talkative fellow, his words flowing like a torrent, finally giving Kael a general understanding of the place.
This secret realm turned out to be the Tomb of the Water Dragon, and the Water Dragon was a heroic figure from three thousand years ago—one of the most legendary mages of that era.
After any profession reached level fourteen, they would receive a title, and the Water Dragon's title was, of course, "Water Dragon," a name by which the world revered him.
That old lecher Vesper's divination was spot-on—the Tomb of the Water Dragon indeed likely held hidden treasures, perhaps even the legacy left behind by the Water Dragon.
Arjun's explanation piqued Kael's interest, and he went on to extend an invitation: "Brother, though the Tomb of the Water Dragon holds many treasures, it's also extremely perilous. How about we team up and watch each other's backs?"
Kael couldn't help but feel a stir of excitement and immediately nodded in agreement, putting on a show of deference: "Since Big Brother is so kind as to invite me, Idris will follow your lead!"
"Good, good! We'll look out for each other!" Arjun laughed heartily, appearing very jovial. Kael's humble attitude also stroked Arjun's vanity quite a bit, and he nodded eagerly, quickly warming up to Kael.
Arjun was clearly far more familiar with the Tomb of the Water Dragon than Kael. Gazing at the barrier formed by the chaotic mist in the distance, he said, "To enter the Tomb of the Water Dragon, we must pass through this mist barrier. But with your strength, little brother, it should be no problem at all..."
As Arjun spoke, Kael's eyes flickered—he had already spotted a mage striding boldly toward the mist barrier. The mage seemed reasonably strong, having just reached level seven, his face alight with eagerness and excitement.
The mage activated a defensive shield and charged straight into the mist barrier. But who could have expected that as he reached the deepest part of the mist, black smoke would suddenly rise from his body? With a blood-curdling scream, he collapsed into the mist. His robes—even his flesh—were swiftly corroded, and in moments, he had completely vanished, leaving behind only a pile of bleached bones!
The onlookers gasped at the gruesome sight, their faces instantly darkening with dread.
"Brother Idris, as you've seen, this mist barrier blocks everyone from entering. The fog is highly corrosive—only those at least at the mid-stage of level seven can pass through," Arjun explained, his expression also shifting slightly. No one would feel at ease after witnessing someone reduced to bones in an instant. He forced a smile.
Kael nodded. The mage from earlier had only been at the early-stage of level seven, lacking the necessary strength, which led to his fatal failure at the last moment.
"Let's go!"
The strange phenomena of the Tomb of the Water Dragon only fueled Kael's interest further, though it also made him more cautious. He had already decided that if there was no worthwhile "profit" to be gained in the tomb, he would leave immediately to avoid unnecessary danger.
Both Kael and Arjun were far stronger than that ill-fated mage. With his mana circulating through his body and his domain unfurled, Kael strode through the mist barrier as if taking a leisurely stroll. Arjun did the same.
Their movements drew the crowd's attention, followed by a series of astonished exclamations.
The moment the two charged through the mist barrier, the scene abruptly opened up before them. The black fog dissipated like a fleeting illusion. Kael's gaze swept across the landscape, and what he saw left him utterly stunned.
In the distance, the phantom silhouette of a city suddenly loomed into view. Faint outlines of its structures could be made out—crumbling palaces, toppled giant pillars—spanning tens of thousands of meters in a breathtaking display of grandeur.
Beside the city rushed a turbulent river, its waters saturated with an ancient, dense elemental aura. The concentration of elemental energy here was at least several times stronger than the outside world.
Of course, no matter how rich the elemental energy was, it remained a drop in the bucket for Kael, now at the mid-stage of level eight. His cultivation progress would still be painstakingly slow.
Kael stared in awe at the secret realm before him. It seemed to form an entire world of its own, even more astonishing than the ruins of antiquity.
"They say eighth-level experts can create domains, tenth-level experts can expand them dozens of times, and fourteenth-level powerhouses can forge entire worlds. Could it be… we're now inside a world created by the Water Dragon himself?" Arjun murmured, equally awestruck.