The faintly visible city in the distance appeared far larger than any existing city on the continent, its grandeur still bearing traces of its glory from three thousand years ago—carved beams, jade pillars, pavilions, and towers—leaving both Kael and Arjun utterly awestruck.
Arjun and Kael even speculated that this Tomb of the Water Dragon was, in fact, an entire world created by the Water Dragon himself, concealing countless treasures left behind by the legendary figure.
After all, the Water Dragon of that era had been just half a step away from the realm of a Divine Mage, a peerless powerhouse whose strength once dominated the continent.
At this thought, Kael and Arjun grew even more excited and began surveying their surroundings.
Kael noticed that it wasn't just the two of them—many others had also passed through the mist barrier and entered the Water Dragon's secret realm.
Without exception, all of them were at least mid-stage level seven or higher, formidable figures in their own right. Though they meant little in Kael's eyes, they were still noteworthy talents in the outside world.
"As the Water Dragon's secret realm opens, more and more experts will pour in—even those at level nine or ten, perhaps even those listed on the Continental Ranking of Legends!" Kael's heart tightened, and he silently thanked his lucky stars for Tom's Mask, which allowed him to conceal his identity.
"Brother, there are quite a few level seven and eight cultivators here. Why don't we team up and make a little fortune?" Arjun's eyes gleamed as he scanned the crowd entering the secret realm, a sly grin spreading across his face as he made his proposal.
"What do you mean, brother?" Kael already had an inkling of Arjun's intentions but feigned ignorance with a faint smile.
Arjun smacked his forehead. "You're not catching on, brother! Look—the deeper we go into the Water Dragon's secret realm, the more dangerous it gets. These low-level cultivators will only dare to linger on the outskirts. We can just rob these rookies blind, kill them, take their loot, and make a tidy profit! With the two of us working together, we'll be invincible!" Arjun chuckled smugly, clearly no stranger to this kind of business.
Kael immediately put on a solemn, reverent expression. "Brother speaks wisely. I'll gladly follow your lead!"
"See that? There's a lone target right there!" Sharp-eyed as ever, Arjun pointed ahead the moment Kael agreed. In the distance stood a short, scrawny mage, likely at the peak of level seven, hunched under a magical cloak, looking timid and nervous.
"Brother Idris, I'll go distract that guy while you strike from behind!" Arjun swiftly assigned roles before striding toward the frail mage with purposeful steps.
"Hold on there, friend!" he called out cheerfully, his voice booming. **"I'm Arjun of the Thunderstorm Mage Clan, and this is my brother Idris. The Water Dragon's secret realm is fraught with danger—how about we team up? Fate must have brought us together—"**
The scrawny mage's eyes lit up, and he hastily clasped his hands in greeting. **"Brother Arjun, greetings! I am Draven, a mage from the Frostspire Tower—"**
But before he could finish, Kael's gaze sharpened. His domain unfurled in an instant, ensnaring the mage in an invisible grip. Of course, Kael held back his lightning powers to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.
Arjun's expression twisted into righteous fury. **"You treacherous snake, Draven! We offered you kindness, and you repay us with betrayal?"**
With a flourish, Arjun unleashed his own domain—a tempest of razor-sharp wind blades surged forth, each imbued with devastating force. The air itself howled as the gales condensed into a storm, slicing through space with a bone-chilling edge.
Draven's face paled in shock and confusion. **"Brother Arjun, you've got it all wrong—I only wanted to explore the secret realm with you—"**
His plea was cut short.
Crushed under the combined weight of dual domains, Draven couldn't even gasp before Arjun's wind blades tore through him. A crimson mist erupted where he once stood—his body obliterated before he could so much as raise a defensive shield.
Just like that, a peak-level seven mage was instantly annihilated, without even a chance to resist.
"Tsk, we offered you kindness, and instead of gratitude, you tried to ambush us! This is what you get!" Arjun declared with righteous indignation. After a quick glance around to confirm no witnesses, he immediately dropped the act, winking at Kael and whispering, **"So, Brother Idris, how was my performance?"**
Kael was speechless. This guy was truly something—a seasoned bandit who could lie without batting an eye, utterly shameless.
"Big Brother is truly impressive. I'm in awe," Kael finally managed to say after a long pause.
Arjun grinned, puffing up with pride. **"Of course! I, Arjun, have roamed the continent for decades—hundreds have fallen to my schemes! Huh? Why are you standing so far away, Brother Idris? Don't worry, I'd never turn on my own allies!"**
After boasting for a bit, he added, **"But you were pretty smooth yourself back there, Brother Idris! You've got talent! With the two of us working together, we could shake the world!"**
Kael feigned humility. **"I still have much to learn from you, Big Brother."** While Kael hadn't done much highway robbery, he felt no moral qualms—this was a world where the strong preyed on the weak, and profit was king.
Still chuckling, Arjun picked up the scrawny mage's spatial ring and inspected it. His eyes lit up. **"Brother, we've hit the jackpot! There are over a dozen magic gems and some arcane materials in here…"**
Kael checked the ring as well. The haul was decent—after all, anyone who made it into the Water Dragon's secret realm had to be at least somewhat capable, so a fat purse was expected. The ring contained about a dozen gems and various materials, totaling roughly 100,000 gold coins—the entire fortune of a peak-level seven expert.
Arjun divided the loot into two perfectly equal shares and handed one to Kael. **"Brother, we make an unbeatable team!"**
Kael examined his "dividend." Surprisingly, Arjun had been fair—the split was exact. For all his sleaziness, the man had some honor when it came to profit-sharing.
"Come on, Brother! Let's find our next mark!" Arjun clapped Kael on the shoulder, clearly intent on mentoring him. **"Same plan—I'll pose as a noble mage, and you back me up. Learn from my improvisation skills, and once you're ready, you can take the lead!"**
Suddenly, Arjun's eyes gleamed. He nudged Kael and grinned. **"Brother, see that cultivator up ahead? That's a big fish!"**
Kael followed Arjun's gaze and spotted the cultivator—a man in an earth-yellow mage robe, dignified in appearance, with deeply restrained yet formidable mana. Even Kael couldn't fully gauge his strength, which meant this man was undoubtedly level eight.
The gap between level seven and eight was like heaven and earth. Naturally, an eighth-level expert's wealth would be far more substantial.
Arjun strode toward the robed mage, recycling his earlier spiel with a grin: **"Hold there, friend! I'm Arjun of the Thunderstorm Mage Clan, here to brave the perils of the Water Dragon's secret realm. How about we team up—?"**
Before he could finish, the mage's face twisted in fury. **"You claim to be from the Thunderstorm Clan? I am Pompey of the Thunderstorm Clan—and I've never seen you before!"**
Arjun froze. The mage's staff lashed out as he intoned a spell, his domain erupting to lock onto Arjun. Mana surged like a tidal wave, and the surrounding magic elementscoalesced in an instant.
"You damned imposter! Daring to sully my clan's name—I'll grind your bones to dust today!"