Somore stood outside Kael's door, a faint smile on her lips as she extended her invitation.
Kael was tempted. After all, Somore was a native of Jade City and far more familiar with its surroundings than he was. Partnering with her would undoubtedly increase his chances of uncovering the Flame Monarch's Palace compared to venturing alone.
Yet, he couldn't help but tease, **"Senior Sister Somore, do you truly believe in these rumors about the Flame Monarch's Palace?"**
His gaze lingered on her with amusement. The uproar over the palace was just that—rumors. Despite the citywide frenzy, Kael remained skeptical.
Somore, however, shook her head, her eyes flashing with conviction. **"Junior Brother Kael, there's a ninety percent chance the legends are true. What you might not know is that during ancient times, the Flame Monarch resided near Jade City for years, constructing her palace here. But as time passed and she fell, the palace was buried deep underground, its exact location lost to history."** Her words carried a startling revelation.
As a local, Somore was well-versed in the palace's lore—far more than Kael.
Kael fell silent. If Somore spoke with such certainty, then perhaps the palace's emergence was real after all…
"So, are you interested?" Somore smiled.
"Naturally." Kael had no reason to refuse.
Somore's smile deepened. **"Our teachers—Grandmaster Qilin and Lord Ethan—seem unwilling to pursue the palace themselves. This time, we're on our own."** As Legendary powerhouses, they wouldn't act unless the palace truly revealed itself or housed something irresistible.
Kael nodded, but his gaze suddenly sharpened as he studied Somore, surprise flickering across his face. **"Senior Sister, your strength has improved again in just a few days…"** He hadn't noticed earlier, but upon closer inspection, her aura had undeniably grown.
Previously a peak Rank 10 expert, Somore now teetered on the brink of breaking through—though it was merely a hint, it signaled significant progress. She must be in the midst of elemental fusion, though Kael couldn't discern which element she was merging with.
Under his scrutiny, Somore chuckled, a trace of pride gleaming in her eyes. **"I am, after all, Grandmaster Qilin's foremost disciple. As formidable as you are, I can't afford to lag too far behind, can I?"** Her talent was undeniable—ranked 76th on the Void Rankings, a testament to her prowess.
Kael shrugged with a smile and said, "In that case, Senior Sister Suomo'er, where should we go to search for the Blazing Palace?"
Suomo'er chuckled softly. "Just follow me!" As she spoke, she moved swiftly and retrieved a peculiar treasure from her spatial ring—a pair of white wings, roughly two meters in length. Crafted from rare magical materials, the wings radiated a light, wind-infused energy, marking them as a valuable artifact.
With a flick of her wrist, Suomo'er attached the wings to her back. With just a slight motion, she shot forward hundreds of meters in an instant, her speed astonishingly fast.
Kael's eyes gleamed with interest. Suomo'er actually possessed such a treasure—a flight artifact that enhanced speed, a rare and coveted item.
Had this been the old Kael, he would have been filled with envy. But now…
Kael's body shifted slightly, and a pair of cyan energy wings unfurled behind him. The Wind God's Wings propelled him to his maximum speed, allowing him to catch up to Suomo'er in just a single breath.
"So fast!" This was the first time Suomo'er had witnessed Kael's true strength, and she couldn't help but show astonishment. His speed was beyond anything she had expected.
With her white wings equipped, Suomo'er could already rival the speed of an ordinary eleventh-tier powerhouse. Yet Kael's velocity far surpassed hers, proving just how terrifying his agility was.
The two of them flew out of Emerald City, soaring high above the ground where people appeared as tiny as ants. Most of them were ninth-tier warriors, still incapable of flight, forced to search on foot. Meanwhile, the skies were also filled with mages and warriors scouting the area. At this point, no one knew the exact location of the Blazing Palace, leaving them to wander aimlessly.
With a hint of pride, Suomo'er smiled and said, "I've lived in Emerald City for nearly thirty years since my master took me in as an infant. I've always been fascinated by the city's legends, and now that knowledge finally comes in handy. I believe the ruins of the Blazing Palace should be in the desert west of the city…"
She lowered her voice and pointed toward the western horizon.
"No time to waste—let's go!"
Their figures streaked across the sky as they sped toward the desert in the west.
Kael and Suomo'er flew for a long time before finally reaching the desert. Stretching endlessly before them, the barren wasteland held almost no vegetation—only sand and dust. Howling winds swept through the air, whipping up storms of swirling grit and sending sand and stones flying in every direction. The relentless gales filled the sky with a haze of yellow dust, while the ceaseless storm raged on. The sand and pebbles clattered through the void, their rustling sounds echoing ominously.
"This is the place. Unfortunately, this desert spans at least tens of thousands of miles. And given the passage of time since ancient eras, the Blazing Palace may have shifted locations over the ages. Pinpointing its exact whereabouts won't be easy," Suomo'er said.
"The Blazing Palace is buried deep underground. If it truly emerges, the event will shake the heavens and earth. Even from here, we should be able to sense it," Kael replied.
His gaze swept across the landscape, and he suddenly realized that even in this desolate expanse, countless cultivators had already gathered. It made sense—Suomo'er wasn't the only one familiar with Emerald City's history. Many others possessed knowledge just as extensive, if not more so.
"Huh? That's Einar! He's here too!" Suomo'er's eyes flickered with surprise as she caught sight of a distant figure.
Less than a kilometer away from Kael and Suomo'er, a lone figure hovered proudly in the air, his expression cold and unyielding—none other than Einar himself!
The moment Suomo'er noticed him, Einar's sharp eyes also locked onto Kael and Suomo'er. A faint glint flashed in his gaze before he gave them a slight, distant nod.
"Einar… that guy's well-informed, as always," Kael murmured with a quiet sigh.
Suddenly, Kael's eyes sharpened again as two more figures streaked across the sky, their auras pulsing with formidable magic. Coincidentally, Kael recognized both of them—they were among the Five Half-Step Legendary powerhouses!
One was a middle-aged man with a grim, shadowed expression—Karl, the same man who had once observed Kael from afar in the Void Tower.
The other was the white-haired elder Ross, the most senior of the five Half-Step Legendary experts.
Kael was familiar with both. Since arriving in Emerald City, he had meticulously studied its top-tier fighters, and the Five Half-Step Legendaries were naturally a key focus.
"Ross and Karl… even they've come. The rumors about the Blazing Palace have truly drawn in some formidable figures," Suomo'er said, her voice tinged with wariness toward the Half-Step Legendary experts.
Kael narrowed his eyes. With so many forces converging, the situation was growing increasingly complex.
BOOM!
Suddenly, a deafening roar split the heavens.
The sound carried for miles, a thunderous explosion that pierced the sky and jolted everyone to attention.
"What was that?!" Kael's head snapped up as he whipped his gaze toward the source of the noise.
There, in the heart of the desert, the earth itself seemed to scream. With that world-shaking explosion, vast stretches of the barren wasteland collapsed inward. Mages and warriors still scouring the ground below had no time to react—they were instantly swallowed by the cascading sand!
CRASH!
Dust and debris erupted into the air as an unfathomably deep chasm yawned open, stretching over a thousand meters wide. Its depths were pitch-black, an abyss that seemed to lead straight into the underworld.
"What the hell is happening?!"
"Damn it, what's going on?!"
"Could it be…?"
Every eye locked onto the source of the upheaval—that gaping black maw in the earth.
Then, an overwhelming surge of elemental energy erupted from the chasm, rippling outward in all directions like a shockwave. Pale blue water, crimson fire, azure wind, golden earth—even the opposing forces of light and darkness—all flared to life in the air, intertwining and expanding in a dazzling display.
For hundreds of kilometers, the very earth trembled. Gales howled across the land, and the elements themselves ran wild, saturating the world with raw, untamed power.
Even Kael couldn't suppress a flicker of awe as he stared into that bottomless void.
The Blazing Palace… has it finally revealed itself?!