Kael's suggestion met with immediate agreement from Amelia and Ethan. Guided by the Snowbear Beast, the trio found a secluded spot and began their cultivation.
Having the beast as a guide proved useful—it led them to a serene lakeside, where the air was still and the breeze gentle, creating an ideal environment for training.
"This ancient ruin is treacherous. We nearly fell victim to those Sphinxes earlier. Every second here is precious—we must make the most of it!" Kael exhaled softly, steeling his resolve.
From his spatial ring, he retrieved Emberfire Stones, opting not to use the more potent Sunflare Stones just yet. The fire-attuned energy within Emberfire Stones was comparatively milder, making them better suited for his current needs. He planned to reserve the Sunflare Stones for when he approached the peak of the seventh tier, on the cusp of breaking through to the eighth.
Even so, the energy within the Emberfire Stones was nothing to scoff at.
Kael laid out dozens of the stones, nearly his entire stock. Each was the size of an egg, glowing with a mesmerizing, crystalline radiance akin to flickering flames.
Sensing the dense fire-element energy within them, Kael nodded in satisfaction.
Arranging the stones in a circle, he sat cross-legged and began the tedious yet essential process of magical meditation, absorbing the essence of the flames.
His mental energy unfurled, voraciously drawing in the fire-attuned power. The energy surged through his body, a strange yet exhilarating sensation flooding his veins.
The surrounding fire elements grew thick as liquid, drastically accelerating his cultivation speed.
When Kael briefly opened his eyes, he saw Amelia and Ethan similarly engrossed in their training. The three had positioned themselves roughly ten meters apart, forming a triangular formation that allowed for mutual support if danger arose.
Amelia was refining her frost-imbued combat aura with Frostshard Stones, while Ethan channeled earth energy through Duskglow Stones. The three distinct elemental auras—fire, ice, and earth—swirled around them, each contained within its own domain.
Closing his eyes once more, Kael immersed himself fully. Within him, the elements raced and churned, seeping into his skin and suffusing every fiber of his being.
At the same time, his mental energy surged wildly.
"So fast! The energy from these magic gems is incredibly pure—I've never cultivated at such speed before!" Kael marveled inwardly, astonished by his unprecedented progress.
The Emberfire Stones were rapidly depleted, their luster fading. Some turned dull and lifeless, indistinguishable from ordinary pebbles—proof that their fire-attuned energy had been fully absorbed.
With the aid of these gems, Kael was indulging in unprecedented luxury, burning through resources without restraint. His cultivation soared, and his mental energy expanded exponentially.
Suddenly, his mental energy jolted violently—another barrier shattered.
Another breakthrough!
Mid-seventh tier!
Kael had advanced another minor stage, yet he was far from satisfied. With the Emberfire Stones nearly exhausted, he drained the last remnants of their energy, pushing his cultivation even higher.
Of course, this didn't mean Kael relied solely on the stones for his breakthroughs. They were merely a catalyst. His foundation in magic was exceptionally solid, allowing him to leverage the elemental energy for progression. For others, such gems might only hasten cultivation slightly—but for Kael, they unlocked true leaps forward.
His power skyrocketed once more, halting just shy of the high-seventh tier. The gap was now paper-thin.
The sheer speed of his advancement left even Kael stunned. "I nearly broke through two minor stages in one go! Even with the Emberfire Stones concentrating fire energy, this is absurdly fast..."
"If only I had more gems..." The thought was intoxicating, but he quickly dismissed it. He understood this was a rare opportunity—his rapid progress stemmed from years of accumulated cultivation, now ignited by the elemental surge. He had reached his current limit; further growth would require time and steady refinement.
As Kael opened his eyes, he noticed Ethan and Amelia had also absorbed significant energy from their respective gems.
"They've broken through too!" Kael's eyes narrowed. True enough, both Amelia and Ethan had advanced to the mid-seventh tier, though they lagged slightly behind Kael, who now brushed against the high-seventh tier. Their progress merely touched the mid-tier threshold, whereas Kael stood on the cusp of the next stage.
This difference spoke volumes—Kael's foundation ran deeper.
"Scarlett!"
Kael called out within the contract space, where Scarlett was sealed by the Moonlight Dusk Enchantment. Through his mental energy, he could communicate with her freely.
"Master?" Scarlett had been dormant in the contract space, but at Kael's summons, she stirred awake. Her pale face bore a trace of alluring charm as she blinked in confusion. "Where are we?"She immediately sensed the unusual surroundings.
"This is the ancient ruin I mentioned to you before..." Kael had never hidden the existence of the ruins from her. He then cut straight to the point: "What's your current strength level?" In this perilous place, every trump card mattered—and Scarlett was a significant asset.
Amelia was aware of Scarlett's existence, as she was someone Kael trusted absolutely. During the battle against the Sphinxes, Kael hadn't summoned Scarlett because the creatures were immortal—even her intervention would have been futile.
"Still mid-seventh tier," Scarlett replied.
"Too slow." Kael frowned.
Scarlett froze, suddenly realizing that Kael had already advanced to the mid-seventh tier, and was even nearing the high-seventh tier. Shock flickered across her face.
"H-how did you break through so quickly?" In her astonishment, she even forgot to address him as "Master."
"You're the one who's slow," Kael said bluntly.
Scarlett fell silent, unsure how to respond.
"You need to advance faster if you want to be useful to me." His tone was calm, but the underlying dissatisfaction was clear. In this ancient ruin, every shred of strength could mean the difference between life and death.
"Yes, Master." Scarlett hadn't expected Kael's power to grow so rapidly, and now she felt a sliver of unease. If she failed to meet his expectations, this master of hers had the means to erase her without hesitation...
Under the "gaze" of Kael's spiritual power, Scarlett became obedient: "Master, I'll go cultivate now."
"Mm."
Exiting the mental realm of the contract space, Kael turned his attention back to Amelia and Ethan.
By now, both Amelia and Ethan had also withdrawn from their cultivation. The three exchanged glances and smiled at each other.
None of them had concealed their cultivation levels, allowing each to clearly see the others' progress.
"Kael, you're almost at the late stage of Level 7 already? That speed of cultivation..." Ethan was stunned. During the Magic Martial Tournament, Kael's strength had barely reached Level 7, yet now he had surpassed him!
"We've all broken through and grown stronger, so we can continue exploring the ruins. That underground palace earlier was a real shame—if we were just a bit stronger, we could've gone deeper," Kael said, glancing at the Snow Bear Beast. "Where exactly is the eastern castle where your kind resides?"
The underground palace was relatively dangerous, so it was better to explore it later after further strengthening their power. For now, Kael focused on searching for clues about the Darkwing Mage, Leif.
After all, their primary purpose in coming here was to deal with the Darkwing Mage, Leif.
"I'll take you there..." The Snow Bear Beast hung its head in resignation—these humans were too terrifying, and the one who had captured it was the most ruthless of the three!
Guided by the Snow Bear Beast, Kael and the others made their way toward the eastern castle.
Having the Snow Bear Beast lead the way proved useful. Along the journey, they avoided several areas densely populated by powerful magical beasts as they advanced toward the eastern ruins.
Their current location was still quite a distance from the eastern castle, so it took them several days of travel before they finally drew near.
"Hm?" Just as the trio pressed forward through the forest, Kael suddenly tensed. Amelia and Ethan reacted the same way—they had all detected unusual movement in the woods.
A soft sound of surprise also came from the forest, and three figures emerged from the shadows.
Clad in white robes, their cold eyes locked onto Kael's group like bolts of lightning.
Members of the Holy Temple! Kael recognized them at a glance from their white robes.