The first Divine Heart Fruit was obtained by Kael!
As the Divine Heart Fruit fell into his hands, Kael sensed faint waves of heat emanating from it, as if it contained some mysterious power—something even he couldn't fully discern.
"A treasure, an absolute treasure!" The little cat perched on Kael's shoulder blinked its shining eyes and exclaimed repeatedly.
Even the little cat was this excited—proof enough that the Divine Heart Fruit was an extraordinary find.
Kael smiled faintly, stored the fruit safely in his spatial ring, then with a flash of his Wind God Wings, returned to his original spot in the blink of an eye.
His entire sequence of movements was completed in an instant. The crowd was left dumbstruck; before most could even react, Kael had already secured the first Divine Heart Fruit.
"Such incredible speed… Is this Kael's true strength? He's no less formidable than renowned experts like Hawkeye!"
"Exactly. I originally thought Kael might be inferior to Hawkeye, but it seems the outcome isn't so certain. Now, Kael has the upper hand—and he's even taken the first Divine Heart Fruit!"
This was the first time the onlookers had witnessed Kael display his full power, and they realized they had severely underestimated him. No one had expected that his strength could rival that of the older-generation masters.
Even Einar, watching from a distance, narrowed his eyes in surprise. Kael had grown stronger—far more unfathomable than when they last met before the Void Tower. Moreover, his flames had somehow mutated into a deep violet hue, reminiscent of the legendary Astral Violet Flame. Einar frowned. Every time he encountered Kael, the guy seemed to have made staggering progress. He had thought his own recent improvements were significant, yet facing Kael again, he still had no confidence in defeating him…
Back among the crowd, Somire looked at Kael with both admiration and envy, smiling sincerely. "Congratulations, you're the first to obtain a Divine Heart Fruit." Given the close ties between Master Qilin and Ethan, Somire had always been on good terms with Kael.
Kael smiled faintly. "Senior Sister, aren't you going to compete for one?"
Somire hesitated, then shook her head. "Forget it. My strength still falls short—the odds are slim." The Divine Heart Fruit was incomparably precious, and it would be a lie to say Somire wasn't tempted. But reality was clear: only those at least at the 11th-tierpower level stood a chance, and she was still slightly below that threshold.
Moreover, the Rootless Tree bore only a dozen or so Divine Heart Fruits in total, most of which were still unripe. The ones nearing maturity numbered just a handful. For Somire, competing was nearly impossible.
"Brat, you've got a death wish! Hand over the Divine Heart Fruit, and I might spare your life!" Hawkeye, seeing the fruit snatched so effortlessly by Kael, burned with resentment. His eyes gleamed with malice as he glared at Kael, letting out a sinister chuckle.
Even Jason, dubbed the "Paladin", watched Kael intently. Though his gaze was subtler, it was no less predatory—as if he might strike at any moment.
Kael showed no fear of the two. His expression cooled slightly. "Oh? The Divine Heart Fruit goes to whoever has the skill to claim it. Let's see how you plan to 'spare' me." Now that the fruit was his, Kael had no reservations.
Hawkeye's face darkened. He was wary of Kael—their brief clash earlier had proven the young man's strength. But Kael's taunt stoked his fury.
"Fine! I don't give a damn if you're some 'peerless genius'—today, I'll teach you a lesson!" Hawkeye snarled through clenched teeth and abruptly attacked!
True to his reputation, Hawkeye was ruthlessly domineering—violence erupted at the slightest provocation!
Many bystanders shook their heads and retreated to a safe distance, observing from afar.
Hawkeye moved with terrifying speed. His staff lashed toward Kael as dark elemental energy erupted around him, forming rippling waves that surged forward like a crushing tide.
Kael didn't flinch. Instead of retreating, he activated his Wind God Wings and shot straight toward the attack!
Yet, just as the dark magic's energy was about to strike—Kael's wings flickered unpredictably. In a split second, he accelerated past Hawkeye's perception, appearing behind him before the man could react!
Hawkeye broke into a cold sweat, his soul nearly fleeing in terror. How the hell is this kid's speed so absurd?! Among 11th-tier experts, only a rare few could match Kael's monstrous velocity.
Desperate, Hawkeye raised his staff and cast a defensive spell. A magical barrier—Darklight Shroud, an 11th-tier defense—materialized before him, its resilience formidable.
"Storm of Thunderclouds!"
With a single cast, Kael unleashed a compound spell—lightning and cyclones converged simultaneously. Sheets of thunderclouds crackled with ear-splitting roars, their momentum overwhelming as the raging bolts surged forward, crashing violently into Hawkeye!
Hawkeye's defensive shield shattered almost instantly upon contact with the Storm of Thunderclouds. Yet the spell's ferocity didn't diminish in the slightest, sweeping toward him unabated.
BOOM!
The residual magic waves oscillated wildly, saturating the air with raw power. Hawkeye's body was sent flying, a mouthful of blood spraying from his lips as his face turned deathly pale—he was clearly severely injured.
"Damn it!" Hawkeye had been crippled in a single strike. Had he not mustered every ounce of effort to dodge at the last moment, that spell alone might have ended his life!
Even so, terror gripped him. The fact that Kael could inflict such damage with one spell spoke volumes about his horrifying strength. It was possible Kael's power now rivaled even peak 11th-tier experts!
The onlookers, witnessing this, were stunned into silence. Weaker individuals gazed at Kael with undisguised awe, while Jason the Paladin exhaled sharply, silently grateful he hadn't acted rashly earlier. Who could've imagined this young man's combat prowess was so terrifying? His battle instincts were as refined as any seasoned veteran's.
"I'm done with this!" Hawkeye spat blood, wiped his mouth, and fled at breakneck speed.
"Think you can escape?" Kael's laugh was icy. Hawkeye had shown killing intent—letting him leave would only invite future trouble.
As Hawkeye's figure blurred into the distance, Kael raised his staff and cast again.
"Storm of Thunderclouds!"
Once more, the thunderstorm erupted, this time centered on Hawkeye. The surrounding crowd scrambled backward in panic, desperate to avoid the lethal arcs of lightning. Damn it—that was lightning magic, a horrifically mutated variant!
BOOM!
The Storm of Thunderclouds flashed violently, striking Hawkeye head-on!
The thunderclap was deafening. With a final scream, Hawkeye was pierced by the lightning, his body convulsing as his flesh blackened. Then—he plummeted from the sky.
Hawkeye was dead.
The crowd recoiled in shock, their gazes toward Kael shifting subtly. Who was Hawkeye? A renowned expert of Emerald City—not quite top-tier among 11th-tierpowerhouses, but firmly in the second echelon. A ruthless figure who'd evaded even the Crystal Tower's repeated assaults. And yet… he'd fallen to Kael's hands!
Kael stretched out his hand, channeling mana to swipe Hawkeye's spatial ringwithout a glance, tucking it away.
In the distance, Einar's expression flickered. He knew that while he might defeat Hawkeye in a duel, he could never kill him as effortlessly as Kael just had.
The spectators' faces twisted with mingled awe and dread. Only now did they truly grasp Kael's power. Before, rumors of his genius had been met with skepticism—how could a youth rival seasoned masters? Yet here was the undeniable truth: Kael's strength was terrifying.
Hawkeye's death froze the atmosphere. Silence smothered the battlefield, every eye locked onto Kael. In that moment, he was the undisputed focal point.
Einar and Jason the Paladin stood wordless, as if the air itself had been sucked away.
Einar calculated his odds against Kael, while Jason thanked his luck for not attacking earlier.
Hummm—
Then, a faint tremor rippled through the Rootless Tree. Another Divine Heart Fruitpulsed with ripe golden light—its second fruit was about to mature!
"One fruit isn't enough. Two would be safer… and extras could go to Amelia and the others." Kael's eyes gleamed. In a flash, he shot forward.
His Wind God Wings flared as he blitzed toward the tree, outpacing Einar and Jason's simultaneous lunges.
Ting!
A soft chime—a second Divine Heart Fruit was plucked by Kael's hand.
No one on the field could challenge him.
…