A Grandmaster-tier herb!
Heartbond Grass.
By the riverbank grew a faint green herb, so inconspicuous it could easily be mistaken for ordinary weeds. Yet upon closer inspection, a single emerald-green bead glistened at its core—the essence of the plant.
"It really is Heartbond Grass!" Kael's heart pounded wildly.
Logically, after breaking another seal of The Book of Immortality upon reaching the seventh-tier, Kael's alchemy skills now rivaled a Grandmaster Apothecary's. He shouldn't be so visibly shaken by a mere herb.
But this was no ordinary find.
Heartbond Grass—an exceedingly rare Grandmaster-tier herb—was one of the two primary ingredients for brewing Fusion Water Elixir, a potion Kael could now craft.
This elixir was a legendary concoction capable of harmonizing and refining energy within the body. For Kael, who still hadn't fully absorbed the power of the Millennium Ice Soul, obtaining it would mean a quantum leap in strength!
No wonder he was electrified.
The two core herbs for Fusion Water were Heartbond Grass and Seven-Petal Blossom, both Grandmaster-tier and notoriously elusive. While Kael already possessed the auxiliary ingredients in his spatial ring, Heartbond Grass had remained untraceable—even after scouring major auction houses like Myriad Exchange.
This herb thrived only in areas saturated with elemental energy. To find it here was sheer serendipity.
Kael approached cautiously, plucking the herb with precision. Though Ethan and Amelia didn't recognize it, his meticulous handling betrayed its value.
After verifying its authenticity, Kael finally allowed himself a smile.
With Heartbond Grass secured, even the precious Seven-Petal Blossom paled in comparison.
"Snow Bear Beast," Kael waved the herb, greed flickering in his eyes, "are there more of these nearby?"
"I... I don't know..." The beast, still dangling from Kael's grip, blinked dumbly. "Aren't these just... weeds?"
Kael sighed. Of course. While the creature knew the terrain, it was no herb master.
"Let's cross the river," Kael said.
"Wait, mighty ones! You must shield yourselves with combat aura or magic! Beware the fish in these waters!" The Snow Bear Beast squirmed in Kael's grip, its warning urgent.
Kael's hand shot out, catching Amelia's arm just as she stepped forward. "Hold on—activate your combat aura!"
The sudden pull brought Amelia flush against him, her cheeks tingeing pink. "What's wrong?"
"Those river fish are dangerous—don't let them touch you!" the beast repeated, trembling.
Nodding, Kael summoned a shimmering water-type magic barrier around the trio. Simultaneously, Amelia and Ethan's auras flared, encasing them in protective domes of energy.
"I'll take point," Ethan declared. With no bridge spanning the wide river, their only option was to channel energy to traverse its surface.
"Move out!"
Ethan led the formation, Kael positioned centrally, and Amelia guarded the rear. The water's resistance proved negligible against their enhanced movements—their magic and aura let them skim across the surface like stones.
As Kael trailed his fingers through the current, his senses prickled. "This water..."
Unlike ordinary rivers, these currents thrummed with denser magical elements. Though not overwhelmingly potent, the concentration dwarfed that of mundane waterways.
"A river of magic..." Kael realized.
No wonder Heartbond Grass had taken root here—this was precisely the elemental-rich environment it required.
They were mere meters from the opposite bank when—
SPLASH!
The river erupted. Countless black, stone-like shapes the size of palms burst from the depths, their silver-fanged maws gaping. Armored in obsidian scales, the fish launched themselves airborne!
ZING!
One projectile-fish spat a glacial dart—a needle of ice streaking toward them.
Forewarned, Kael's staff flicked. A fireball bloomed, swallowing the attacker mid-air and reducing it to charred scraps.
But the lone charred fish was just the beginning—dozens more erupted from the water, their obsidian bodies launching coordinated assaults.
Ethan snorted, his combat aura erupting like a raging dragon, pulverizing the attackers mid-air. Amelia moved with lethal grace, her Frost Aura flash-freezing every fish within reach. The river itself crystallized around her, jagged ice floes bobbing downstream.
"These fish actually possess fourth-tier combat power?!" Kael marveled. The ancient ruins never ceased to amaze—even the river's denizens were formidable.
The Snow Bear Beast whimpered, its voice trembling: "T-these are Blackstone Piranhas! Their ice darts carry petrification curses! One hit and you'll turn to stone, sinking into the abyss..."
A cold sweat broke across the trio. Kael's staff flared, ghostly icefire engulfing the remaining fish as they scrambled ashore.
No sane person would linger near these waters. While a single fish posed little threat, their sheer numbers made evasion impossible—and petrification magic was no joke.
Petrification Curse—a rare and dreaded spell. Victims could only be revived with specialized Antipetrification Elixirs, making it one of the most feared arcane afflictions.
Once ashore, Ethan's killing intent flared as he glared at the Snow Bear Beast. "Why didn't you warn us about this death trap earlier?!"
"D-don't kill me! Please!" The beast burst into tears, its voice trembling. "Great ones, I only suggested this shortcut because you were in such a hurry to reach the Underground Palace! We Snow Bear Beasts always detour around the River of Oblivion! I'd heard the Blackstone Piranhas were dangerous, but I never knew there'd be so many—!"
Ethan scoffed. Of course he wouldn't actually kill their only guide—this was just intimidation.
"Next time, disclose everything," Kael said coldly, his pulse still racing from the near-miss with the petrification curse.
The incident reaffirmed the ruins' lethality. If even a river teemed with such horrors, what other nightmares lurked ahead?
For a moment, the trio shared a silent, relieved glance—survivors of a brush with death.
"The Underground Palace is just ahead..." the Snow Bear Beast muttered meekly.
Guided by their chastened captive, they trekked east along the riverbank until the ominous waters faded behind them.
Then—
BZZZT!
Kael's mind jolted. A phantom hum filled his ears as the landscape warped, space itself twisting like taffy.
"Magic array!" he declared. They'd stumbled into an enchanted trap.
Amelia and Ethan instantly raised their guards, but Kael shook his head. "Stay calm—it's just an illusion. Likely left by the ruins' creators. I think... we've arrived."
As if on cue, the void ripped apart, peeling away layers of mist to reveal an expanse of primal jungle. And there, nestled within the foliage—a long, pitch-black passageway, its maw yawning open.
The entrance to the Underground Palace.