"This—this really is the Blazing Palace! The Blazing Palace has appeared!" Mages and warriors hovering in the air trembled with excitement. The legendary palace, whispered about in recent rumors, seemed to have truly emerged!
"Such overwhelming elemental power! The convergence of all six elements—only the most supreme legendary powerhouses could achieve this. It must be the Blazing Palace without a doubt!" Those with keen senses paled slightly as they detected the six primal elements surging from the depths.
"If we can find treasures within the Blazing Palace… heh…"
Greed flickered in every pair of eyes. Faced with such an irresistible temptation, no one could remain indifferent.
As tremors continued to ripple through the wasteland, torrents of mana erupted skyward. The six purest elemental forces radiated outward, unmistakably signaling the significance of this event to all nearby factions.
Suomo'er sighed helplessly. "I never expected the Blazing Palace's emergence to cause such a commotion. With so many forces gathering now, we'll need to tread carefully…"
Kael nodded. Though his current strength was considerable, the appearance of the Blazing Palace might even draw legendary powerhouses. Caution was paramount.
This situation was entirely different from the Water Dragon incident. The Water Dragon's secret realm had been in the distant Maed Kingdom, emerging abruptly with little notice. But the Blazing Palace had surfaced near Emerald City—the continent's holy capital of magic.
Moreover, compared to the Water Dragon, the Blazing King's reputation and power were far more renowned, making his legacy all the more coveted.
As the two spoke, a gaunt mage suddenly shot forward like a phantom, his face flushed with excitement. The moment his eyes locked onto the abyssal chasm—the entrance to the Blazing Palace—a frenzied light flashed in his gaze. Without hesitation, he plunged headlong into the darkness…
Upon seeing someone take the lead, more and more people surged forward, venturing into the unknown depths below.
"Get out of my way!" Among the crowd, those at the Half-Step Legendary level were naturally among the top powerhouses. Karl, one of the five Half-Step Legendary experts, smirked darkly as his mana erupted, forming waves of oppressive force that ruthlessly shoved aside everyone around him. He then entered the black abyss alone.
Kael frowned slightly, only to hear Somere remark, "This Karl is the most domineering of the five Half-Step Legendary experts—sinister in nature and ruthless in action."
Kael nodded. His current strength likely still paled slightly in comparison to a Half-Step Legendary powerhouse. Though he harbored no fear of such figures, when it came to competing for treasures in the Blazing King's Palace, avoidance was the wiser choice.
"Einar has entered too!"
A cry of astonishment rose from the crowd as Einar transformed into a gust of wind, whooshing straight from the distance into the pitch-black cavern.
At that moment, many eyes turned to Kael. Whether he liked it or not, Kael and Einar were now the two most prominent figures among the younger generation, and people couldn't help but instinctively compare them.
"Let's go too." Kael took in the gazes of the onlookers and smiled faintly, utterly unbothered.
With that, Kael and Somere turned into two streaks of light and vanished into the dark cavern.
Not long after Kael and Somere entered, two more figures drifted in from afar.
One was tall and gaunt, clad in white robes, his face as pale as a sheet of paper—an eerie sight. The other was short and stout, his skin pitch-black, his entire body dark as charcoal, resembling a living thunder demon, his eyes sinister and flickering with malice.
The stark contrast between their appearances—one tall, one short; one lean, one rotund—made them appear almost comical.
Yet, the moment some recognized them, their expressions shifted dramatically.
"Dammit, it's the Black-White Twin Ghosts!"
"The Black-White Twin Ghosts—those fiends from the Tower of the Cursed! Hell, even the Darkwing Mages dare to show their faces in Emerald City?!" someone exclaimed in shock.
The Black-White Twin Ghosts were notorious experts long associated with the Tower of the Cursed. Their status within the tower was considerable, and they were among the most formidable eleventh-tier powerhouses, even verging on the Half-Step Legendary realm. These two were brothers bound by an unbreakable bond, their grotesque appearances the result of a forbidden art they practiced. Yet, no one dared underestimate them—countless renowned experts had fallen to their hands.
Who would have thought that the emergence of the Blazing King's Palace this time would even draw the Black-White Twin Ghosts? It must be said, these two truly have nerve—after all, they are Darkwing Mages from the Tower of the Cursed, yet they dared to come to the territory of Emerald City.
One after another, several more figures flashed into the cavern, all renowned experts. It seemed the appearance of the Blazing King's Palace had indeed drawn forces from all sides.
…
At this moment, Kael and Somere were unaware of the events unfolding outside. They had long since entered the pitch-black, bottomless abyss.
Within the cavern, an endless surge of mana radiated outward, forming ripples of magical energy. Various elemental forces diffused through the air, the undulating waves of mana causing Kael and Somere's blood and qi to churn violently. Fortunately, both were skilled enough to summon mana barriers, shielding themselves from the turbulent, overflowing energy.
Ahead, a faint glimmer of light appeared.
As Kael and Somere sped forward, the light rapidly expanded before them. Kael's eyes brightened slightly as, in the blink of an eye, they found themselves standing in a vast, open world.
"So this underground realm is so expansive!" Kael remarked with some amazement.
According to Somere, the Blazing King's Palace had been buried deep underground for over a thousand years. Seeing such a vast subterranean expanse, one could still faintly discern the grandeur of the palace in its prime.
Their landing point was atop a spirit mountain, its slopes brimming with dense mana, all six elements abundant and unceasing.
The sheer concentration of mana had turned this mountain into a treasure trove of rare herbs and exotic plants, their luminous glow dotting the landscape like scattered stars—emanations from the spiritual flora.
"So many rare herbs! Every single plant here must be at least a century old. If we could transplant these to Master's garden, he'd be overjoyed!" Somere exclaimed, her face alight with excitement.
Indeed, the spiritual herbs here were astonishingly plentiful. Kael had never seen such a vast, thriving field of mystical flora before. It was likely that the lingering mana from the Blazing King's Palace had nurtured their growth.
After all, the Blazing King had once been a peerless master who unified the six elements. Over centuries buried underground, those elemental forces had undoubtedly accelerated the growth of these herbs.
However, with the emergence of the Blazing King's Palace this time, the underground mana reserves had begun leaking out, dissipating at a rapid pace. It wouldn't be long before the growth rate of these rare herbs slowed drastically—some might even wither away entirely.
Kael smiled faintly, agreeing with Somere. "But we'd better gather these herbs quickly. Once others arrive, we won't have the chance."
The two immediately sprang into action, splitting up to scour the spirit mountain for valuable flora.
At this point, Kael also released the little kitten from the Moonlit Dusk Space.
The kitten had been staying in the Moonlit Dusk Space all this time, which was filled to the brim with gold coins—allowing the little creature to indulge in bliss, napping atop piles of treasure day after day.
But now, it was time to put the kitten to work.
"Kael? Huh? Where is this place? The mana here is so dense… though it seems to be fading fast…" The moment it emerged, the kitten immediately sensed the surroundings and couldn't help but speak up.
Kael nodded. "I'll explain later. For now, let's gather as many of these herbs as we can!"
The kitten, ever the greedy little hoarder, stared wide-eyed at the abundance of rare plants before nodding eagerly.
"Jadeblood Lotuses to enhance physical constitution… Daybreak Grass to accelerate mana absorption…" Kael's eyes gleamed as he spotted one precious herb after another, swiftly uprooting them with care.
These herbs were all centuries old, so Kael made sure to extract them roots and all, preserving them for potential replanting—perhaps even cultivating them within his own pocket dimension.
"Kael! Look over there—a Moongaze Leaf!" The kitten suddenly perked up, pointing a paw excitedly ahead.
Kael followed its direction and spotted a small lakeside where a silvery plant shimmered faintly under an ethereal glow—unmistakably a Moongaze Leaf!
The kitten remembered this herb well—it was a legendary plant capable of advancing a magical beast's evolution!
If the little furball could consume it, its strength would undoubtedly surge once more!
Without hesitation, Kael shot toward the lakeshore in a flash!