After being nourished by Kael's magic, the seed finally sprouted into a sapling. However, once it became a young plant, its growth slowed to an extreme degree. Its two delicate, emerald-green leaves shimmered with faint specks of light. Though the magic within it was terrifyingly pure, there was no sign of further expansion.
"This sapling grows so slowly… Who knows how long it'll take to become a towering tree? By the time I'm capable of creating worlds, this thing might still just be a small tree…" Kael frowned. Despite the immense power contained within the sapling, its sluggish growth made it difficult to keep up with Kael's own strength.
After a moment of thought, Kael channeled his magic once more. A torrent of energy surged from his body, flooding into the sapling. Yet, even this second infusion had only a minimal effect—the young plant's growth remained frustratingly slow.
"Damn it." Kael couldn't help but feel exasperated.
To possess such a treasure yet be unable to fully utilize it—this feeling was beyond frustrating!
As his frustration grew, so did a sense of helplessness. Even with the vast reserves of magic he had attained after reaching the ninth rank, he still couldn't accelerate the sapling's growth.
If this sapling matured, Kael could tap into the sealed power of the Water Dragon within it. Moreover, its magic could sustain his domain, providing him with an endless supply of energy.
But as things stood now…
Kael shook his head and sighed in disappointment.
"Forget it. No point obsessing over this little sapling for now. I should check the Moonlit Tree leaves in my spatial ring instead—brewing a vial of Elixir of Life would be far more practical…" Kael muttered to himself.
The Elixir of Life could even revive the dead. Having a vial of it would be like gaining an extra life—something Kael certainly needed.
As Kael opened his spatial ring and prepared to retrieve the materials for the elixir, he noticed the tiny sapling tremble faintly.
The two tender green buds suddenly shimmered with faint specks of light, as if yearning for something.
"Hmm? This little sprout seems to have almost human-like emotions. What is it sensing?" Kael glanced curiously into his spatial ring.
Inside, there were only some magical materials and a few magic crystals.
Could it be the magic crystals?
A thought struck Kael. Magic crystals also contained extremely refined energy—perhaps this little sapling needed to feed on their power?
He picked up a magic crystal—a ninth-tier earth-attribute one, glowing with a faint yellow light—and placed it directly beside the sapling.
In an instant, the crystal's radiance flickered before rapidly dimming. All of its energy had been completely absorbed by the tiny plant!
Kael was stunned. Turning his gaze back to the sapling, he saw that the luster on its two emerald leaves had grown even more vibrant. The little sprout had actually begun to grow vigorously again!
"So magic crystals are the key!" Kael's mind raced. No wonder it grew so slowly under pure magic infusion—this sapling primarily thrives on the energy of magic crystals!
If magic was like water for the sapling, then these crystals were undoubtedly its fertilizer!
Without hesitation, Kael retrieved several dozen magic crystals from his spatial ring—all at least eighth-tier or higher, incredibly rare and precious, looted from the Water Dragon's secret realm.
The moment they appeared, the sapling trembled faintly. Kael could even sense its excitement. Smiling slightly, he placed the crystals near it.
The young leaves swayed gently as the sapling began voraciously devouring the crystals' energy. One by one, their glow faded, drained completely dry.
Now worthless, the depleted crystals made Kael wince. These dozens of magic crystals were worth at least hundreds of thousands of gold coins—gone in an instant. The loss stung.
Still, it was worth it.
With the crystals as its nutrients, the sapling grew at an astonishing rate. In mere moments, it had already reached a full meter in height—no longer a sprout, but a proper young tree!
"With these magic crystals fueling it, this little sapling is growing at an incredible rate!" Kael felt both exhilarated and troubled—exhilarated because the sprout (no, it was now a proper sapling) was advancing rapidly, yet troubled by the staggering consumption of magic crystals.
As the sapling grew, its demand for crystals would only increase. To nurture it into a towering tree would require an unimaginable fortune.
Kael sighed. Despite the wealth he'd plundered from the Water Dragon's secret realm, he was still far from rich. The sapling had already devoured crystals worth hundreds of thousands of gold coins in mere moments. Even his spoils from the secret realm seemed like a drop in the ocean compared to this bottomless appetite.
Yet, in return, the sapling's growth brought an astonishing revelation: it now brimmed with boundless life force, so potent that it infused Kael's domain with vibrant vitality.
"This… it's almost like the legendary Ancient Tree of Life possessed by the elves—no, even that might not compare to such overwhelming vitality!" Kael was awestruck. With this sapling, his domain would become unshakably stable. He might even leverage its power to prematurely create a miniature world—a feat typically achievable only by tenth-tier experts when expanding their domains.
Moreover, the sapling continuously channeled energy into Kael, suffusing his body with rejuvenating life force. It tempered his very marrow, and he could feel his physical strength surging—
"Incredible. My body's power now rivals that of a sixth-tier warrior…" The sapling's gifts left him euphoric.
Simultaneously, fragments of the Water Dragon's memories surfaced within the sapling, flooding Kael's mind. These contained the dragon's cultivation insights, further enriching his understanding.
Kael felt his magic circulating through every fiber of his being, teetering on the brink of a breakthrough—
Then, BOOM!
Every energy gate in his body burst open. Magic erupted like a geyser, and in an instant, his prowess solidified firmly at the ninth tier!
Kael felt as refreshed as if he had eaten a divine fruit. He exhaled deeply—his breakthrough to the ninth tier had originally been unstable, achieved in the heat of battle. But now, under the sapling's influence, his foundation as a ninth-tier mage was firmly solidified, his magic flowing smoothly and with unparalleled purity.
"Truly an immense harvest." Kael was thoroughly satisfied. This sapling was extraordinary, worthy of being the Water Dragon's lifelong crystallization. By the time it grew into a towering tree, it might very well herald his ascension to Archmage!
"But it's a bottomless money pit. The crystals I looted are already gone in the blink of an eye. This thing might as well be a 'gold-devouring tree'… Guess I'll have to resort to highway robbery again. Ah, the struggles of life—what choice do I have?" Kael muttered to himself.
"Right, with this breakthrough, The Book of Immortality must have updated. I should check it." It suddenly occurred to him that advancing to the ninth tier would have unlocked new magical knowledge and skills within the tome, all worth exploring.
This was indeed a bountiful haul.
Just as Kael was about to mentally reach for The Book of Immortality in his spiritual sea, his brow furrowed. He halted abruptly, springing to his feet, his gaze fixed ahead as his psychic senses flared.
An intruder!
When he'd first entered the cave, Kael had laid down magical wards. Anyone trespassing would immediately alert him.
And now, clearly, someone had breached them.
Without a word, Kael gripped his Earthflame Staff, retreating several steps as he tightened his hold, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
A faint, almost imperceptible sound drifted from the cave entrance—followed by the arrival of a familiar figure. The man wore ornate robes, and the wand in his hand gleamed conspicuously, radiating a subtle glow. He stepped inside, narrowing his eyes as they locked onto Kael.
Unmistakable killing intent flickered in his gaze, laid bare without pretense.
"We meet again, Idris…" the mage said coldly.
Lucian!
Indeed, it was Lucian. He had somehow tracked Kael down to this hidden cave. And from the look of him, his intentions were far from benign.
The air in the cavern instantly thickened with tension, sharp as a drawn blade.