That's right—the magical notes left behind by the Water Dragon!
The ancient bronze book was clearly of great antiquity, its cover rusted and mottled, its pages yellowed with age, and the handwriting somewhat faded. Yet none of this hindered Kael from extracting valuable information from it.
This was indeed the Water Dragon's personal handwritten magical notes!
The worth of this item was immeasurable—these were the Water Dragon's own magical notes!
Although Kael had seen the magical notes left behind by the legendary star mage Orlando in the Eternal Tower, unfortunately, Orlando's notes mainly recorded his insights and experiences from his early, lower-level days, with little detail on specific breakthroughs.
However, the notes Kael now held in his hands, left behind by the Water Dragon, were entirely different. They contained meticulous records of the Water Dragon's cultivation details, magical array diagrams, and a wealth of personal insights!
"These magical notes are absolutely priceless!" Kael marveled inwardly. The notes were all-encompassing, truly a guide for mages. They even documented many methods for breaking through bottlenecks.
For example, Kael was currently stuck at the peak of the eighth level, and the notes provided some breakthrough methods. Of course, most of these methods required rare and precious materials, but they were also the fastest paths to advancement.
"This is indeed a treasure," Kael mused. Since he was already on the verge of breaking through to the ninth level, he didn't need these methods for now. However, the many techniques recorded in the book would be useful when he encountered future bottlenecks.
Kael stored the magical notes away and resumed his search.
To his puzzlement, apart from these magical notes, the entire magic tower seemed devoid of anything else. Every floor was empty.
Logically, this shouldn't be the case. How could such a massive magic tower contain nothing but a single set of the Water Dragon's magical notes? It made no sense.
Though the Water Dragon wasn't as powerful as Orlando, he was still one of the supreme experts. How could his legacy consist solely of these notes?
While the notes were invaluable, they hardly represented the full extent of the Water Dragon's inheritance.
After all, both that old lecher Vesper and the Mystic Tortoise had claimed that the Water Dragon's legacy lay within this place!
"Idris, what do we do? We've found nothing!" Arjun sighed in frustration, his brows furrowed as he rejoined Kael.
Kael also furrowed his brows. The place was eerily empty—aside from the magic tower, there was virtually nothing else, which only deepened his confusion.
Where exactly was the Water Dragon's legacy?
"I did find a set of the Water Dragon's notes. I can make a copy for you later using a replication crystal," Kael said to Arjun. Arjun was a decent sort, and this was an easy favor to grant. It cost Kael nothing, yet it would earn him a significant debt from Arjun.
"Thank you!" Arjun's lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say more but couldn't find the words. His expression was one of barely suppressed excitement. A thousand thoughts swirled in his mind, yet all he managed to voice were those two simple words. But he knew—from this moment on, his bond with Kael would undoubtedly grow stronger. At the very least, if Kael ever faced danger, he would never stand idly by!
"Idris, look—" Arjun suddenly tensed, his expression turning grave, a trace of unease flickering in his eyes.
Puzzled, Kael followed his gaze outside—and his own expression shifted slightly.
The reason was simple: the cultivators who should have been held back by the puppet army had broken through!
That's right!
Within Kael's line of sight, figures were pouring in one after another. Somehow, these cultivators had shaken off the puppet forces far faster than expected.
"They broke through the puppet army already?" Kael found it hard to believe. After all, he and Arjun hadn't been inside for long. How had so many cultivators made it in so quickly?
"Idris, look there!" Arjun's eyes gleamed as he spoke.
Kael turned and let out a quiet sigh, exhaling deeply. "So that's why… Two tenth-level powerers… They've arrived as well."
Kael quickly pieced it together. Those two tenth-level experts must have shattered the puppet army's defenses—or at the very least, taken down the puppet general—otherwise, the others wouldn't have had a chance to break through.
As for why the two tenth-level powerers had allowed the other cultivators to enter, it was likely to avoid wasting time. Otherwise, they could have easily slaughtered the rest.
A chill ran down Kael's spine. It was clear—everyone's goal was the same: the Water Dragon's legacy!
Among the crowd, Kael spotted many familiar faces, including Lucian. Clad in his mage robes and wielding that exquisitely crafted short magic crystal staff, Lucian stood out even among the gathered cultivators—a formidable presence.
Lucian's expression was calm as his gaze swept across the surroundings, clearly assessing the magic tower.
Then there were the black-armored figures—standing out conspicuously among the crowd. They had already formed an irreconcilable grudge with Kael, and now all four of them were scanning the area, searching for traces of Kael and Arjun.
"Damn it, they caught up so quickly!" Kael's mind raced as he strategized.
"If we stay in the magic tower, they'll find us sooner or later. Let's get out of here first!" Grabbing Arjun, the two of them flickered away, leaving the tower and concealing themselves in the shadows.
"It's those two brats—that guy called Idris!"
Black-Armored No. 3 had been vigilantly observing their surroundings when he suddenly spotted Kael. His eyes gleamed with murderous intent as he sneered.
The moment No. 3 identified Kael, he alerted the others. No. 4 and No. 5 immediately sharpened their gazes.
No. 1, meanwhile, let out a cold laugh. "Kill that troublesome kid Idris first, then we'll search the Water Dragon's secret realm!"
"Yes!" The black-armored figures all deferred to No. 1's command. No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5 responded in unison, charging toward Kael at full speed.
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly. He could clearly sense the killing intent radiating from the black-armored warriors. Though his brow furrowed, his movements remained steady. In one swift motion, he drew his magic crystal cannon, ready to fight.
Arjun was no different. The moment No. 3 spotted them, he had already raised his staff, chanting incantations in preparation to unleash a spell.
In an instant, the two sides were on the verge of clashing!
Many onlookers in the area observed the scene with keen interest, some even waiting for the right moment to act, harboring their own schemes.
But then—a sudden disturbance erupted.
BOOM…
A deafening roar resounded across the plains of the secret realm, like the tolling of a colossal bell. The shockwaves of sound reverberated violently, forcing many cultivators to immediately cover their ears and seal their hearing.
A few weaker cultivators were instantly overwhelmed—blood spurted from their mouths, their faces turned deathly pale, and their bodies swayed unsteadily on the verge of collapse!
"Look at the sky…"
"What is that…?"
"A massive golden coffin…!"
The cultivators collectively gasped in shock, their voices trembling with awe.
Hovering in the sky was an enormous golden coffin!
The colossal sarcophagus hung suspended in the air, its entire surface gleaming with a subdued golden radiance. Yet, despite its majestic appearance, it exuded an overwhelming, oppressive aura.
The coffin was so massive that it would likely take at least four people linking arms to encircle its width.
The moment the golden coffin appeared, both the black-armored warriors and Kael's group froze mid-action, their attention instantly seized by the spectacle above.
But it wasn't just them—every single person present had their gaze locked onto the golden coffin!
An ancient, unfathomable energy emanated from it, deep and profound, captivating all who beheld it.
No one could discern what lay within.
"The puppet general's coffin was merely bronze, and compared to this golden sarcophagus, it was nothing more than a child's toy. The owner of this golden coffin… could it be…?" Kael's thoughts raced.
The master of this golden coffin was undoubtedly of a far higher status than the puppet general—and the puppet general had been at least a twelfth-level powerhouse in life.
That could only mean one thing…
"This must be the coffin holding the Water Dragon's remains!" Kael blurted out.
"Exactly. The only thing that could be placed here is the Water Dragon's coffin!"Arjun's eyes remained fixed on the golden sarcophagus, his voice tense.
Just as the crowd stood frozen in shock—
Creak…
A slow, grating sound echoed through the air as the golden coffin began to open…