"Surely you're joking, old man. Don't scare me like that." Kael grimaced, torn between laughter and dread at the prospect of being dissected by Shadowwing Mages.
"Relax, it's easily remedied." Ethan suppressed a smirk, secretly enjoying Kael's unease. He retrieved a translucent vial from his cabin and tossed it to the youth. "Apply this Concealment Draught during your baths. Coat every inch, and none will detect your condition." His tone shifted to genuine wonder. "Still, your luck astounds me. To obtain Ice Marrow - even Archmages covet such primordial essence..."
Kael shrugged ruefully. The Millennium Ice Marrow had nearly cost him his life, yet its transformative power now threatened to make him a target. Only Ethan's intervention prevented disaster.
The Ice Marrow's refinement had elevated Kael's physique to jade-like perfection in mystical terms - unmistakable to seasoned practitioners and dangerously alluring to those studying anatomical magic.
"I've become the Tang Sanzang of this world," Kael muttered darkly, referencing the legendary monk whose flesh granted immortality. His enhanced body now resembled mythical "Tang Sanzang meat" - a prize for predators.
Ethan redirected the conversation. "The leap from fifth to sixth-tier mage is profound, particularly in incantation efficiency and elemental orchestration. Didn't Zorath the Silent set you that challenge? Securing top three at the Grand Tournament won't be child's play."
"You know about that?" Kael arched an eyebrow.
"Old Austin insists I attend every year." Ethan's gaze turned serious. "The victors... especially the champion... are never ordinary. Even at your enhanced level, underestimate them at your peril."
The warning jolted Kael. He'd presumed his progress guaranteed success, but the continent's premier academy undoubtedly harbored prodigies rivaling his own.
"Now then," Ethan hefted three tomb-like grimoires that obscured his torso, "these contain sixth-tier spell matrices and elemental fusion principles previously beyond your capacity."
Kael gaped at the towering stacks. "All this...?"
"Every page matters if you want that podium finish." Ethan's eyes gleamed with challenge.
Silence stretched as Kael contemplated the mountainous study ahead.
In the following days, Ethan meticulously expounded on the contents of the magical grimoires to Kael.
Initially, Kael remained nonchalant - after all, The Book of Immortality contained numerous spells, leaving him no shortage of incantations. Yet gradually, he realized the old mage truly possessed remarkable expertise. Many of these spells proved unexpectedly practical.
Disruptive magics like Mana Disruption and Spell Silence became crucial additions to Kael's arsenal. His battle against Yuri had demonstrated their devastating effectiveness - had Yuri not employed Spell Silence, the Ice Marrow would have been his from the start.
More significant was elemental matrix manipulation. When mages communed with natural elements, these energies naturally coalesced into spell formations. Mastering their combinatorial principles meant deeply understanding incantation structures, dramatically shortening chant durations.
Ethan's mastery in this field proved peerless. His explanations illuminated complex concepts with crystalline clarity - particularly vital for Kael, who was receiving his first proper guidance since advancing to sixth-tier.
The entire afternoon dissolved into intense magical study.
"Oh, brat," Ethan suddenly interjected, rubbing his hands together with uncharacteristic glee as Kael emerged from an elemental calculation trance. "I've taken on a new apprentice recently."
"Another personal disciple? Do I have a junior brother now?" Kael blinked, momentarily disoriented.
Ethan's eyes crinkled with amusement. "Not a brother. A junior sister."
"A... sister?" Kael's brow furrowed. Ethan's stringent standards for apprentices were legendary - his own admission had required surpassing seven brutal trials. What exceptional girl could possibly meet Ethan's exacting criteria?
Noting Kael's perplexed expression, the old mage smiled with satisfaction. "You'll see for yourself shortly. She arrives precisely at this hour daily."
Genuine curiosity sparked in Kael. What manner of prodigy had earned entry into the reclusive archmage's inner circle?
"Master!" A crisp voice called from beyond the door.
"Enter."
The door swung open gently at Ethan's permission, revealing a young beauty.
She appeared around fifteen years old - significantly younger than Kael, her figure not fully matured but already hinting at blossoming curves. A snowy oval face framed gemstone eyes that widened in surprise upon noticing Kael.
"Master? Do we have a guest?" Her gaze swept over Kael curiously.
"Not a guest. This is your senior brother, Kael. Kael, meet Grace - my new disciple." Ethan's eyes crinkled with amusement.
An actual loli?! Kael rubbed his nose, astonished that his junior sister resembled a middle schooler. The girl couldn't be even sixteen yet - high school freshman age at most.
"You're the Kael senior brother Master always mentions?" Grace appraised him with skeptical eyes. "He claims you have the finest talent he's ever seen. Why are you only Level Six?"
The blunt question nearly choked Kael. He discreetly assessed her magic fluctuations - Level Five Mage, unstable but recently broken through. Her aptitude rivaled Amelia's at that age. A fifteen-year-old Level Five Mage would humble most continental practitioners.
Ahem." Ethan coughed pointedly. "Your senior brother encountered magic late due to... circumstances. He began formal training merely years ago." The old mage discreetly adjusted Kael's timeline to avoid revealing his meteoric rise.
"Ah, that explains it." Grace nodded, dimples appearing with her saccharine smile. "I've heard rumors about you, Senior Brother. Quite the celebrity in our Magic Academy."
"Magic Academy?" Kael frowned. "You attend Yanhua Academy?"
"Naturally." She puffed out her chest proudly. "I'm from Azure Cloud Tower."
Kael mused inwardly. What an oddity - sharing the same academy yet never encountering such a prodigy.
"Grace's circumstances are unique. She recently transferred here," Ethan clarified, noting Kael's puzzlement.
A transfer student?
Kael's eyebrows rose. Yanhua Academy wasn't accessible to commoners - even his own admission had required Zorath the Silent's personal recommendation. This junior sister clearly wielded substantial influence.
His scrutinizing gaze lingered on Grace.
"I didn't use connections!" The girl bristled, cheeks puffing like bellows as she sprang up like a scalded cat.
Feisty. Kael blinked, surprised by her acute sensitivity.
"Kael, meet Grace - Crown Princess of the Guyi Empire and its primary heir," Ethan announced with deliberate nonchalance.
Crown Princess of the Guyi Empire!
The revelation struck like thunder. The Guyi Empire dominated the Eastern Continent's political landscape, one of humanity's four paramount kingdoms across the tripartite Nanga Continent divided by oceanic chasms. Their previous destination, Blaze City, belonged to the southern Kya Kingdom.
More crucially, Guyi's monarchy followed matrilineal succession - its rulers were historically queens. This meant Grace would eventually command the Eastern Continent's most formidable military and arcane forces.
Observing the petite princess puffing her chest in defiant pride, Kael recalibrated his understanding of Ethan's latest protégé.