Kael rose to his feet within the cavern, his sudden movement catching the little cat's attention.
The little cat gazed at Kael, its feline eyes gleaming slightly. "Kael, it seems your strength has improved again..."
The little cat's perception was extraordinarily sharp. Though the changes in Kael were subtle, they couldn't escape its notice. It immediately detected Kael's astonishing transformation. What surprised the little cat was how quickly Kael had absorbed the energy of the Divine Heart Fruit in such a short time.
"Yes, although my level hasn't increased—I'm still at the mid-stage of the eleventh rank—my power has grown." Kael smiled, clearly in high spirits.
The Divine Heart Fruit had been immensely beneficial, purging the magical impurities within his body. Kael felt lighter, as though the surrounding elements had become one with him, indistinguishable from his own being. With this refinement from the Divine Heart Fruit, he was confident that breaking through to the twelfth rank would become much easier.
Kael still had two Divine Heart Fruits left. He only needed one to advance to the twelfth rank, and the remaining one could be given to Amelia. The effects of the Divine Heart Fruit diminished with repeated use, so two were more than enough for him.
The little cat circled around Kael, envious of his increased strength. Thinking of its own meager power, barely at the eighth rank, it licked its paws and said, "Kael, once we leave this underground world, you must brew that Moonview Leaf into a potion!" Seeing Kael's rapid progress, the little cat couldn't help but voice its eagerness.
Kael chuckled and patted the little cat's head. "Don't worry, I will!"
The little cat grinned happily, leaping onto Kael's shoulder before asking, "What should we do now?"
Kael narrowed his eyes. "Of course, we're going to teach that ugly freak a lesson!"
The little cat's eyes sparkled with excitement as it nodded vigorously.
The little cat had always loathed the White Ghost, primarily because of its keen sensitivity to auras. The Black and White Ghosts were Darkwing Mages, their bodies perpetually exuding a faint trace of malevolent energy, which the little cat instinctively found repulsive.
"Let's go!" Kael said, carrying the little cat as they left the cave and stepped into the open expanse outside.
"We're hunting the White Ghost. Keep an eye out for his aura!" Kael instructed the little cat with a smile.
The little cat nodded eagerly, immediately beginning its excited search.
Kael also expanded his spiritual power, scanning the surroundings.
After the refinement from the Divine Heart Fruit, Kael's strength had naturally reached new heights. Even before this, he had been confident in facing the White Ghost in battle—though he hadn't been certain of killing him. Now, however, his confidence was even greater.
Kael and the little cat searched for traces of the White Ghost...
Meanwhile, on the White Ghost's side.
Fuming with rage, the White Ghost dashed through the forest, indiscriminately unleashing spells as he went. Trees toppled in his wake, but he paid them no heed.
"Damn it, where is that brat hiding?!" The Divine Heart Fruit was also immensely valuable to Darkwing Mages, and the White Ghost was consumed by greed. Yet despite scouring the mountains and forests for hours, he still hadn't found any sign of Kael.
As time passed, the White Ghost's mood grew increasingly volatile, his murderous intent swelling with every moment.
"Hmph, Kael… You'd better hope I don't catch you. Otherwise, I'll drag you into the abyss of ghosts—make you beg for death but find no escape!" the White Ghost muttered viciously to himself.
Suddenly, he soared into the air, scanning his surroundings—only to tense as a surge of overwhelming force tore toward him, whipping up violent storms in its wake!
"An ambush?!" The White Ghost reacted instantly, his body flickering as he raised his staff, casting a spell at his absolute limit: **"Blackwater Barrier!"**
Dark, eerie light shimmered in the air as moisture condensed around him, forming a shell-like shield that encased his entire body!
BOOM!
The tremendous impact slammed into the White Ghost, forcing him back as blood sprayed from his mouth. Fortunately, the Blackwater Barrier had absorbed most of the blow, leaving him only slightly pale rather than grievously wounded.
"You damned brat!" The White Ghost retreated rapidly, his expression twisting with fury. Once he steadied himself, he glared ahead—and nearly exploded with rage.
The one who had ambushed him was none other than Kael!
Clad in his Stardown Robes, Kael hovered mid-air, a faint smirk on his lips. Around him, pure elemental energy swirled—particularly fire and wind, which coiled around him like extensions of his own limbs.
"Just a little more…" Kael sighed regretfully. He had assumed the White Ghost would let his guard down after searching the underground world for so long, but he'd underestimated the man's caution. Just a bit closer, and he could have ended this in one strike!
The White Ghost seethed. This audacious brat actually had the nerve to come to him!
Yet at the same time, a chill ran down his spine. This reckless youth might not know his place, but his power seemed sharper than before—had he already consumed the Divine Heart Fruit?!
"Damn it!"
At this thought, the White Ghost's fury surged anew. He had long regarded the Divine Heart Fruit as his rightful prize, and seeing Kael's improved strength only stoked his rage further.
"Brat, die!" Though the White Ghost felt a sliver of wariness toward Kael, he refused to believe this upstart could truly rival him. After all, he was a peak eleventh-rank expert!
"Netherwind Blackwater!" The White Ghost snarled, unleashing a powerful compound spell. A frigid, ghostly gale howled into existence, merging with the deathly magic-infused waters akin to the River of the Dead—a terrifying spell he had used before. The two forces intertwined, forming a colossal surge of energy. The sheer destructive power of this magic was extraordinary.
Kael's figure blurred as he retreated, the Wings of the Wind God flaring behind him. In an instant, he evaded the spell's range, using the wings' unparalleled speed to dart away!
BOOM!
The Netherwind Blackwater detonated violently, flattening a vast swath of the forest. The shockwaves rippled for kilometers, and the residual magical turbulence extended even farther.
"Damn it, he dodged it?!" The White Ghost's heart clenched. This brat truly had tricks up his sleeve—to evade his spell so effortlessly!
In truth, Kael himself felt a cold sweat forming. Had the Wings of the Wind God not been so swift, that attack would have cost him half his life.
"Emberflare Stars!"
Kael's Stardown Robes billowed as he cast, the quasi-sacred artifact's power manifesting fully. The robes drastically accelerated his spellcasting, elevating his already blistering speed to new heights. The Emberflare Stars spell now approached the near-instantaneous activation of Crimson Moon Sigil.
Emberflare Stars was also an eleventh-rank spell! Though Kael hadn't mastered it as thoroughly as Crimson Moon Sigil, his proficiency was close.
But unlike before, the Iceflame had been replaced by Violet Starfire—rendering the spell's power nothing short of terrifying…
BOOM!
The mutated Violet Starfire erupted violently, transforming into a flaming dragon that roared toward the White Ghost with its maw wide open!
"Impossible! How is his casting speed this fast?!" The White Ghost was stunned. Though the difference in incantation time was minuscule, in battle, even a split second could be fatal.
The Emberflare Stars, fueled by Violet Starfire, exploded outward before the White Ghost could react. The flames engulfed him before he could evade.
BOOM!
Purple fire wreathed the White Ghost's entire body. He let out a bloodcurdling scream as the Violet Starfire relentlessly burned him alive, turning him into a writhing pyre.
"Damn you—ARGH! I'll kill you!" The White Ghost's furious roar twisted into a distorted shriek of agony. Though he spat threats, he knew the truth—he was no match for Kael now!
Engulfed in the Violet Starfire, the White Ghost writhed in unbearable pain, yet he still struggled to flee…
"Skyfire Annihilation!"
Kael's goal was to kill the White Ghost—he wouldn't let him escape!
If the White Ghost got away and reunited with the Black Ghost, the two would become an even greater nightmare for Kael.
The Skyfire Annihilation spell erupted from the ground, a towering pillar of flames that shot upward, precisely locking onto the White Ghost. Though he had defensive barriers active, they couldn't withstand the full force of the spell.
BOOM!
A final, piercing scream echoed—then silence.
The White Ghost was dead.
Kael had annihilated one of the infamous Twin Ghosts of the Abyss, a top-tier eleventh-rank expert who had terrorized the world for years.
Not even a corpse remained—his robes and staff were reduced to ashes. Only his spatial ring, forged from indestructible materials, survived the inferno…