The Water Dragon Vault trembled violently, the tremors so intense they could topple mountains.
Of course, such shaking was nothing to Kael and Arjun. Their feet remained firmly planted, unshaken.
But Kael's brows furrowed, his expression shifting.
"This tremor… could it be…?" Arjun's eyes flickered as a grim possibility dawned on him.
"Something's happening outside—that colossal beast…" Kael's gaze sharpened as he voiced the dire thought. Let's not forget—while they'd been busy looting the vault, a primordial monstrosity still lurked beyond its walls.
That ancient Black Tortoise, having lived for millennia, wielded power capable of annihilating heaven and earth. Compared to such a behemoth, they were less than ants—utterly insignificant!
There was no resisting it.
That was Kael's assessment. He was certain—not even a tenth-tier expert could withstand a single strike from that creature. Only a legendary twelfth-tier archmagemight stand a chance against it.
Kael's eyes gleamed as he swiftly executed his final move.
Earlier, he'd blasted Cain to ashes with the Arcane Crystal Cannon, but with Lucian and the black-armored man present, he hadn't been able to loot Cain's spatial ring. Now, amid the chaos, he seized the opportunity.
"Brother Idris is this skilled at looting? It's like second nature to him! I thought he lacked experience—how is he so damn proficient?!" Arjun cursed inwardly, equal parts impressed and frustrated.
As Kael claimed Cain's ring and peered inside, his eyes lit up with satisfaction.
The ninth-tier mage's hoard was substantial—far beyond what any eighth-tier cultivator could amass.
At the very least, Cain was the strongest opponent Kael had killed since entering the Water Dragon Secret Realm. His spatial ring contained a trove of treasures—some so valuable they made even Kael's eyes gleam.
What delighted Kael most was the sheer number of monster cores inside Cain's ring.
Of course. As a ninth-tier expert, Cain would only bother collecting eighth-tier cores at minimum, with even a small stash of ninth-tier cores among them.
"A Darkfang Tiger core… a Three-Eyed Spirit Monkey core… and…!" Kael's heart raced. These cores were like a blizzard delivering coal in winter—he could almost thank Cain posthumously!
With this haul, his Arcane Crystal Cannon would finally have ample ammunition!
No longer constrained by core shortages, a weight lifted from Kael's mind. He allowed himself a moment of quiet triumph.
"No wonder they say 'war feeds war.' Now I've got the resources to compete with those ninth-tier monsters…" Still, he resolved to conserve them strictly, using them only in dire emergencies.
After securing both the cannon and Cain's spoils, Kael gave Arjun a sharp nod—time to go.
The vault's tremors could only mean one thing: that apocalyptic beast outside was stirring.
A glance at the chaos within confirmed it—this was no place to linger. Arjun, though greedy, knew when to fold. Matching Kael's urgency, the two blinked away with flawless teleportation spells, leaving the brawling mob behind.
They weren't the only ones. Lucian and the black-armored man had vanished simultaneously.
The Black Tortoise, a creature of legend, had a lower body resembling a tortoise and an upper body akin to a serpent, granting it an elongated neck that now loomed high above the city. Its amber eyes swept across the streets, sending chills down the spines of every cultivator who hadn't entered the Water Dragon Vault.
Even from a distance, the mere sight of it made their skin crawl—a testament to its overwhelming power!
Then, the tortoise moved.
A bestial roar erupted from its maw, unlike anything Kael had ever heard—piercing, shrill, and ear-splitting, forcing him and Arjun to seal their hearing instinctively.
The soundwaves alone carried crushing pressure, bearing down on them like an invisible tide.
"Damn it, this thing is insane," Arjun muttered, gritting his teeth against the assault. Fortunately, the tortoise's attack was dispersed, sparing them from its full force.
Then—silence.
"Pitiful humans…"
A voice, deep and resonant as a temple bell, rolled across the city.
The Black Tortoise was speaking!
Kael's brows furrowed, though he wasn't surprised. A creature of this age and powerwould naturally possess speech.
By now, every cultivator in the Water Dragon Secret Realm had been roused by its roar. Even those still looting the vault staggered out, stunned by the sight.
The tortoise's gaze swept over them once more before it spoke again, slow and deliberate:
"You feeble ants dare covet the tomb of the Water Dragon? How laughable…"
As the Water Dragon's contracted beast, it clearly knew far more than they did. Kael's eyes narrowed—was this monstrous tortoise about to slaughter them all?
Given its strength, the answer was terrifyingly obvious…
"However…" The Black Tortoise's tone shifted unexpectedly, "by the Water Dragon's final decree, his legacy does lie within this tomb. Whether you wretched creatures can claim it… depends on your luck."
This revelation sent shockwaves through the crowd.
The Water Dragon's legacy—a inheritance nearing the level of a Divine Mage—was real!
Its power was unimaginable, its allure irresistible.
But there was only one inheritance, meaning only one person could obtain it. Every soul in the Water Dragon Secret Realm was now an enemy.
Kael's mind raced as he dissected the tortoise's words.
Yet something felt off. Most of the secret realm had already been explored—where could such a legacy possibly remain hidden?
The Black Tortoise's gaze swept over them again, its eyes suddenly gleaming with menace. Without warning, it opened its maw and unleashed another devastating sonic blast!
This time, the metallic shockwaves were far more violent, far more terrifying than before.
"Is it trying to kill us all?!" Kael's suspicion flared but quickly faded. Though the attack was fierce, it wasn't lethal—at least, not to those who could withstand it. His Lightning Shield would suffice.
BOOM!
The shockwaves around Kael dissipated harmlessly. He stood unscathed, but a quick survey revealed dozens collapsed—mostly those below eighth-tier, too weak to endure the assault.
Arjun, too, emerged unharmed, though bewildered by the tortoise's actions.
"Trash has been cleared." The tortoise's piercing eyes seemed to peer into their very souls as it coldly assessed the fallen. Most were merely knocked unconscious, with only a few sustaining minor injuries.
Then, it spoke again:
"Those who withstand my strike may enter the true Water Dragon Secret Realm… and seek the Water Dragon's legacy."
With that, the beast parted its jaws once more—but this time, not to attack.