Upon hearing Kael's words, Arjun leaned forward to look and was instantly stunned by the sight before him.
Compared to the weapons and equipment outside, the treasures within the Water Dragon Vault were the real deal! Even in the eyes of an amateur like Arjun, it was clear that the items outside paled in comparison—they might as well have been piles of junk.
This was where the true essence of the Water Dragon Vault lay—the finest of the finest!
"Damn it, those guys have already started fighting over them!" Arjun forcibly tore his gaze away from the treasures in the Water Dragon Vault and focused on the three figures engaged in combat.
Their figures flickered and clashed, the sounds of their battle resounding loudly. All three were masters among masters, and among them was someone both Kael and Arjun recognized well—
Lucian!
Ranked forty-ninth on the Continent's Wind and Cloud List's Human Ranking, Lucian was unmistakably one of the three!
Lucian's expression was cold and composed, his movements steady as his figure weaved through the air. Even with Arjun's keen eyesight, he could only barely make out the afterimages of their high-speed exchanges, unable to fully grasp the details of their battle.
Arjun's heart skipped a beat as he came to a realization—these three were all ninth-tier experts!
Ninth-tier experts were considered formidable even in a place as densely populated with strong individuals as the Water Dragon Secret Realm. After all, tenth-tier powerhouses were rarely seen on the continent, and their every move could shake the heavens and earth.
Lucian fought fiercely in the midst of the battle, his body swirling with surges of energy that formed shockwaves of air currents. Truly, he lived up to his reputation as a ninth-tier powerhouse—his strength was astounding.
His two opponents, however, were no pushovers either. One of them appeared to be a middle-aged man in his forties, with a square-jawed face and an air of authority. Clad in gray robes, his piercing eyes radiated profound magical power—clearly, he was a seasoned veteran among mages.
Kael, who had an encyclopedic knowledge of the Continent's Wind and Cloud List, immediately recognized the man upon seeing him—he was another name on the list!
Ranked fifty-sixth on the Continent's Wind and Cloud List—Cain!
Another master from the Continent's Wind and Cloud List. Kael's heart stirred. It seemed Vesper's words held true—many experts from the list had indeed come.
After all, every individual ranked on the Continent's Wind and Cloud List was a standout among their peers, a powerhouse with deep foundations and overwhelming strength—just like Lucian.
Kael frowned, his gaze shifting to the last of the three figures.
This final combatant was the most peculiar—clearly a mage, yet clad in a suit of armor as dark as ink, complete with a helmet that concealed his entire face. The armor bore intricate, patterned engravings that seemed deliberate, almost as if they held some hidden significance, yet Kael couldn't decipher their meaning.
The man was entirely encased in the obsidian-like armor, revealing only glimpses of his form. From what little could be seen, he appeared to be male, but his age was impossible to discern.
Kael scrutinized him carefully but found no mention of him on the Continent's Wind and Cloud List. This didn't surprise him, however. The list was only revised once every three years, compiled jointly by the Sacred Council and the Holy Temple. It was impossible to account for every formidable expert across the land—oversights were inevitable.
Just as Kael was lost in thought, Lucian's eyes suddenly flashed. He whipped his head around and barked, "Who's there? Show yourselves!"
In an instant, both Cain and the black-armored figure halted their movements. All three now fixed their gazes squarely on Kael and Arjun.
Lucian's expression flickered with surprise upon recognizing them. He had seen Kael and Arjun before—at the Water Dragon Mirror—and though their encounter had been brief, he remembered them well. Despite being only eighth-tier in cultivation, their combat prowess far surpassed others of the same rank.
"So, someone thinks they can play the fisherman reaping rewards? How laughable." Cain sneered, his figure blurring as he lunged forward. With a mere flick of his wrist, he unleashed a water-element spell.
The air itself seemed to solidify as moisture coalesced, twisting and writhing until it took the form of a massive, roaring water dragon. The elemental beast bared its fangs, its draconic visage so lifelike that it seemed to possess a will of its own as it surged toward Kael and Arjun.
A deafening dragon's roar shook the surroundings, the sheer pressure of the water dragon's presence draining the ambient water essence from the air. Kael's eyes widened—this was no ordinary spell.
The mana within the water dragon was violently compressed, a clear sign that Cain had mastered fifth-tier mana oscillation. Fortunately, they were confined within the narrow space of the Water Dragon Vault. Had this battle taken place outside, the sheer scale of the spell could have engulfed the landscape for kilometers.
Damn it!
Kael's heart tightened, and Arjun reacted instantly—both of them swiftly cast defensive spells in unison.
"Lightning Shield!" Kael barked, thrusting his staff forward. A silver-star divine rune flared to life on its surface, elevating the casting speed of his Lightning Shield to the Silver Star tier.
"Windshadow Barrier!" Arjun, too, unleashed his strongest defensive magic. Their spells intertwined, forming a layered shield.
With a thunderous boom, the water dragon collided with their combined defenses. Yet, despite their efforts, Kael and Arjun were no match for the sheer force of Cain's spell. The impact sent both of them flying over a dozen meters, slamming hard against the vault's walls.
"Damn it!" Kael grimaced, pain flaring across his back. Though their shields had mitigated some of the damage, Cain's strike as a ninth-tier mage had still breached their defenses.
"So, just two eighth-tier brats at the peak of their rank," the black-armored man chuckled, his tone dismissive. The gap between eighth-tier peak and ninth-tier was vast—hardly worth his concern.
"Mere minnows," Cain sneered, amused by how easily his attack had overwhelmed them. His initial wariness faded; he'd suspected another ninth-tier expert might be lurking, but these two posed no threat.
Kael's frown deepened. His injuries were minor, but his focus had shifted—he'd finally realized why Lucian, Cain, and the armored man had been fighting.
At the very center of the vault, suspended in midair, was a staff.
Its body gleamed a translucent amber, smooth as jade. From this distance, Kael couldn't discern its material, but one detail was unmistakable: embedded at its tip was a magic crystal—easily the size of two clenched fists.
A magic crystal!
This was the stuff of a mage's dreams. Unlike mana crystals or equilibrium gems, magic crystals were sacred relics among spellcasters. Not only did they amplify a mage's power, but they also stabilized their mana flow. Owning one was the ultimate aspiration for any practitioner of the arcane.
Old Ethan's staff, "Azure Tide," had once housed a magic crystal too—though far smaller than this one. Yet even that had cost him nearly his entire fortune, treasured like a priceless heirloom.
And here before them was a crystal twice the size of a fist!
No wonder Lucian and the others had been willing to fight so fiercely over it.
Kael's eyes flickered as he observed the momentary stalemate between Lucian and the other two. None of them seemed inclined to attack him or Arjun just yet.
Perhaps they considered Kael and Arjun too insignificant to pose any real threat—only a ninth-tier expert could truly challenge them. Or perhaps the three were too preoccupied with restraining each other, intending to deal with the two eighth-tier mages only after securing the staff. In their eyes, Kael and Arjun were hardly worth worrying about.
Kael steadied his breathing, but as his hand brushed against the ground, a sudden, biting cold seeped into his skin—metallic and piercing, sending an involuntary shiver down his spine.
"Huh? What is this beneath me?" His senses sharpened instantly. Whatever lay under him felt... unusual.
It was a suit of armor.
Gleaming silver with a faint luminescence, its surface was intricately engraved with arcane patterns that flowed like wisps of cloud. Despite its imposing appearance, the armor was surprisingly lightweight—so much so that Kael could lift it effortlessly with just a flick of his wrist.
The material was extraordinary, unlike anything Kael had encountered before.
But what truly captivated him were the ancient, esoteric inscriptions and enchantments etched into its surface. His pulse quickened with excitement.
And there, inscribed in delicate script along the breastplate, were three small characters:
"Darkmoon Divine Armor."
Darkmoon Divine Armor?
What was this?
Kael's brow furrowed briefly before smoothing out. Regardless of its origins, one thing was certain—anything stored deep within the Water Dragon Vault had to be a treasure beyond measure.