Kael shifted his gaze to the side, where a stone statue of a mage stood. Among the ten statues here, five were of warrior-class figures, and the other five were of mage-class figures.
Kael examined the mage statue beside him. It depicted a young man clad in a silver star-embroidered robe, holding a short staff. His expression was calm, his gaze neither sharp nor imposing, yet his aura was no less formidable than the others. Instead, it exuded an indescribable depth—profound and unfathomable.
Kael shook his head slightly, surprised that the figure carved in stone appeared so youthful. But he quickly dismissed the thought. Legendary-tier powerhouses could live for millennia, and maintaining a youthful appearance was hardly unusual for them.
Beneath the statue of the young man were three large characters: "The Radiant King!"
"The Radiant King"—this was the young man's title. In ancient times, nearly all supreme experts bore such epithets, like the Water Dragon or the previously mentioned Dark King.
"The Radiant King… a legendary powerhouse said to be near the level of an Archmage, comparable to the Water Dragon himself," Kael immediately assessed.
Mia and Zorath the Silent were also admiring the statues. Mia smiled faintly and said, "I understand now. Each of these statues contains a mark left behind by an ancient legendary powerhouse. All we need to do is shatter the statues to undergo their trials. If we succeed, we'll gain tremendous benefits from inheriting their marks."
Hearing this, Kael couldn't help but admire her extensive knowledge.
"Generally, one can only inherit a single legendary mark at a time. Only those with exceptional fortune can receive two or more. And these trials are far from easy—they come with great danger," Mia added.
Kael chuckled and shook his head. He had already prepared himself for this. Fortune favored the bold.
"Tch, as if a single legendary mark would be too much for me at my current strength!" Zorath the Silent snorted. Without hesitation, he was the first to act. His battle aura erupted like a meteor, crashing directly into the statue of the Dark King!
The explosive force shattered the stone figure, and in that instant, Zorath the Silent froze in place. Yet his entire body radiated an overwhelming fighting spirit.
Mia clearly had some understanding of this situation. She said, "The legendary mark will enter our spiritual world. Zorath the Silent is already undergoing his trial now."
With a faint smile, Mia added, "I suppose I'll choose a statue as well!" As she spoke, she moved lightly toward a mage-class statue—a middle-aged man with an arrogant expression, draped in a flowing, water-like robe that exuded immense water-elemental pressure. Clearly, this was a legendary water-elemental powerhouse.
Mia shattered the statue and immediately froze in place, as if her spirit had wandered off.
Just as Kael was about to act, the little cat perched on his shoulder suddenly spoke up, "Kael, wait! There's something good up ahead!"
"Hmm?" Kael was puzzled. Had the little cat sensed something again?
The little cat explained, "I didn't mention it earlier because those two were still here, but I can feel something buried underground just ahead!"
Trusting the little cat's perception, Kael quickly walked to the spot it indicated. "Right here," the little cat urged. "Dig it up, Kael!"
Beside them stood a statue labeled "The Storm King." The spot the little cat pointed to was right next to it. Kael tapped the ground—sure enough, it was hollow! With some effort, he pried open the stone slab, which creaked loudly as it shifted. Beneath it, a crystal ball the size of a football came into view.
The crystal ball emitted a faint cyan glow, immediately capturing Kael's attention. It radiated an incredibly pure and dense concentration of wind-elemental energy—some of the most refined he had ever encountered. The power it contained was vast, embodying lightness, freedom, and agility… The swirling green wind elements gathered around it, condensing the ambient energy in the air, leaving Kael utterly amazed.
The crystal ball also exuded an air of mystery, wrapped in layers of wind-elemental energy that made it impossible for Kael to discern its origins. Still, anything hidden within the Sacred King's Palace was undoubtedly a treasure.
"A crystal ball infused with wind-elemental energy... I'm not entirely sure what its purpose is, but it's definitely a rare treasure. It might prove useful when I attempt to comprehend and fuse wind elements later," Kael remarked calmly. He then patted the little cat's head in approval. "Good job!"
"Of course! This young lady is a one-of-a-kind dragon, unparalleled in all the heavens and earth! My draconic majesty alone is enough to make all magical beasts across the three continents flee in terror, enough to dim the radiance of the sun and moon..." The little cat, basking in Kael's praise, immediately beamed with pride and launched into her usual grandiose self-praise.
Kael chuckled and shook his head. This little narcissist never changed.
After storing the crystal ball safely, Kael turned his attention to the remaining four mage-class statues: the Radiant King, the Storm King, the Earthlord, and the Flame King. Each was carved with lifelike precision. Kael frowned slightly—now he had to choose one to undergo the legendary mark's trial.
"My fire element has already reached the peak of fusion, and I'm ready to begin integrating a second element. Why not try the Storm King? Maybe I can gain some insight into wind elements!" The powerful wind energy within the crystal ball had piqued his interest, making the Storm King an appealing choice.
With that thought, Kael focused on the Storm King's statue. The figure depicted a man around fifty years old, his eyes brimming with wisdom and the weight of time, as deep and boundless as the ocean. This Storm King was undoubtedly among the elite even among legendary powerhouses.
"Break!" Once his decision was made, Kael didn't hesitate. In a flash, his staff gleamed with magical light, effortlessly shattering the Storm King's statue.
BOOM!
A deafening roar echoed in Kael's mind, plunging his thoughts into momentary blankness. His entire mental energy relaxed as if he had been transported into another world—his own spiritual sea.
"What vast spiritual power... Quite an unusual mind you have, young one." A voice tinged with surprise resonated through the void. Then, standing before Kael within his spiritual sea—was the Storm King himself!
The Storm King!
Now fully animated, the Storm King appeared as if truly alive within Kael's consciousness. He smiled faintly, staff in hand, but when his gaze settled on Kael, a flicker of astonishment crossed his face. "So young... To possess near-tier-eleven strength at such an age—terrifying. Your talent might even rival that Orlando brat!"
With just a glance, the Storm King had effortlessly discerned Kael's strength, leaving him genuinely impressed.
Hearing the Storm King mention Orlando, Kael's heart tightened. The Storm King had even referred to Orlando as "that brat"—his seniority was clearly extraordinary, at least on par with Orlando's predecessors.
"Boy, tell me—what is your goal?" The Storm King's expression turned solemn, his profound eyes fixed on Kael as he posed the question in a deep voice.
Kael's face hardened with resolve, his answer unwavering: "I will become an Archmage!"
The Storm King froze for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Such arrogance! An Archmage? Do you even know what that means? Countless powerhouses throughout history have pursued the path of the Archmage, yet only a handful have ever attained it—each one a legend in their own right. And here you are, declaring it so casually?"
His laughter carried a mocking edge, infused with magical pressure. Had Kael's will wavered even slightly, the Storm King's overwhelming power might have devoured him whole. This was Kael's spiritual sea—if consumed here, even if he survived, he'd likely be reduced to a mindless husk.
Yet Kael remained utterly unshaken, as if the Storm King's ridicule meant nothing to him. His gaze only grew steadier, his voice calm but ironclad: "What you failed to achieve, I may yet accomplish. I walk the path of the Archmage with every step, growing stronger bit by bit. One day, I will stand at its peak—looking down upon all who once called themselves legends."
Every word was spoken with absolute conviction, each syllable ringing with unyielding determination. As the last word left his lips, Kael felt his mental state ascend to new heights—unbreakable, immovable, forged like tempered steel.