The Pontiff and the Grand Speaker locked eyes, their voices resonating across the battlefield with an overwhelming pressure that forced all onlookers to tense.
Kael's heart pounded. The Grand Speaker and the Pontiff themselves were stepping into the final duel! This… this was a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle—the ultimate clash between the two mightiest figures across the three continents!
Both stood at the pinnacle of power, and this battle would undoubtedly become legendary.
"The Grand Speaker and the Pontiff must both be at the peak of the fourteenth tier, just one step away from attaining the realm of a Divine Mage. Who will emerge victorious…?" Kael mused silently. Of course, he hoped the Grand Speaker would win—after all, his fate was now tied to the Sacred Council's.
Representatives from other major factions—the Crystal Tower, the Emerald Spire, Crimson Moon City—all fell into a hushed silence. They understood: this final duel would decide the leadership of the human alliance.
The Pontiff narrowed his eyes slightly. "Good. I'll be waiting."
With a flick of his sleeve, he signaled the Holy Temple's forces to withdraw, leaving only neutral observers behind.
The Grand Speaker smiled faintly. "All of you, stand down as well." His gaze swept over the crowd, calm yet commanding.
Everyone complied without hesitation.
Kael walked side by side with Zorath the Silent, their relationship now closer than ever. As the Lord of the Shadow Hall and its newly appointed Vice-Lord, their bond had naturally deepened.
Zorath clapped Kael's shoulder—this kid was his lucky star. Ever since Kael joined the Sacred Council, Zorath's influence had soared, earning him even greater trust from the Grand Speaker.
"Damn that old fox Merlin," Zorath grumbled. "Using an illusionary array to trap Blazing Hand and even the score… But tomorrow's final duel—our boss should have no trouble, right…?"
Even Zorath couldn't fathom the true extent of the Grand Speaker's power. At their level, such strength defied comprehension.
The Grand Speaker's last known battle had been years ago—back then, he'd annihilated an entire city of the Shadow Wing Mage Order with a single spell.
As for the Pontiff, he had rarely shown his hand in recent years, shrouded in mystery. How he compared to the Grand Speaker remained anyone's guess.
"Enough speculation," Zorath the Silent waved it off, then turned to Kael with a rare solemnity. "Listen, kid. You've fully fused with the First Element, but you're still only at the peak of the tenth tier. That's formidable, sure—but with the three continents growing more unstable by the day, you've got to push harder."
Kael nodded. The political landscape was growing increasingly volatile. Strength was the only true currency.
And he was no lone wolf anymore—he had the Laifei Territory and its people depending on him.
Still, his rapid progress had earned the Grand Speaker's favor, and that confidence burned bright within him.
"I'll head back first, Zorath. Need to practice some spells," Kael grinned. His duel with Einar had left him with fresh insights. The Holy Temple's prodigy had been terrifyingly strong—had Kael not broken through at the critical moment days prior, victory might've slipped through his fingers.
After bidding Zorath farewell, Kael retreated to his tent.
He retrieved the fire-attuned gemstones looted from the Reynolds family, their cores pulsing with dense elemental energy. These would fuel his training.
Since fully merging with fire, his understanding of its essence had deepened. Casting fire spells now felt as natural as breathing.
"The power boost from elemental fusion is insane. If I faced Orc now, I'd crush him effortlessly," Kael mused.
Channeling the flames around him—now extensions of his very being—he began his drills.
"Starburn Annihilation!"
Frostfire coalesced, ravenous as a wild beast. The flames snarled and writhed, devouring the air with a roar.
Like a primordial titan, the inferno howled as it condensed, its fury radiating palpable force.
This was a tenth-tier fire spell from The Book of Immortality—devastating in power, yet its incantation demanded precision.
"The incantation is still too long..." Kael shook his head. Truthfully, most tenth-tier spells had complex chants—while devastating in power, they were often impractical in actual combat.
Frowning slightly, he muttered, "Let's see if I can shorten the casting time..."
He began reciting the Starburn Annihilation incantation again, but compressing a spell's chant was no easy feat.
Sweat dripped from Kael's brow as he relentlessly practiced. To streamline a spell's casting, three things were essential: flawless familiarity with the chant, formidable mental strength, and a dash of luck.
"Once more—Starburn Annihilation!"
The Silver Star Divine Rune glowed at the tip of his staff. In his mind, the familiar syllables surged forth—then, abruptly, several notes fused into a single, condensed tone.
The incantation had shortened!
A grin split Kael's face. "Yes! I've trimmed the chant! This seems to be the Silver Star Rune's limit, but I need to push further—how much more can I compress it?"
Unsatisfied, he sought to challenge his own boundaries.
Again and again, Kael drilled the incantation. Yet he soon hit a wall—the Silver Star chant for Starburn Annihilation appeared to have reached its minimum length.
"Damn, breaking through this is tougher than I thought." His mental energy strained, beads of sweat peppering his forehead. Wiping them away, he exhaled sharply.
"Still early. One more try!"
He continued casting, each attempt draining him further. Even Kael's monstrous mana reserves couldn't sustain such relentless expenditure. Gradually, his magic neared depletion, his spirit fraying at the edges.
"Just… a little… longer!"
Gritting his teeth, he unleashed Starburn Annihilation again—
Suddenly, a cascade of notes flashed through his mind.
Multiple syllables merged seamlessly. Complex phonetics crystallized into clarity.
Then—
A crimson brilliance erupted from his staff.
A mysterious red crescent moon flickered into existence above it.
"This is..."
Kael's mind trembled with momentary shock, but realization quickly dawned.
"The Crimson Moon Divine Rune!"
His heart surged with awe. The incantation accelerated abruptly, the spell completing in a flash before detonating—though Kael restrained its power just in time to prevent an outburst.
"I actually comprehended the Crimson Moon Rune?" A mix of astonishment and exhilaration flooded him.
A mage's chanting speed was a critical measure of their strength, and incantations were divided into three tiers: Silver Star, Crimson Moon, and Eclipse Sun!
The Silver Star Divine Rune was something Kael had mastered long ago. It had been his trump card during the Magic-Martial Tournament, securing his victories time and again. Without it, claiming the championship would have been far harder.
But the Crimson Moon Divine Rune had always eluded him—until now.
As for the third tier, the Eclipse Sun Divine Rune, Kael had never even heard of a mage who could wield it. Not even Ethan had progressed beyond Crimson Moon.
"Only a Divine Mage could possibly grasp the Eclipse Sun Rune," Kael speculated.
Recalling Merlin's battle against Blazing Hand, he mused, "That old fox manipulated the waters of Thousand Moon Lake with Crimson Moon-level speed. Even a legendary archmage like him hasn't surpassed it!"
"The Crimson Moon Rune will undoubtedly become my ultimate weapon!" Just imagine—facing opponents of equal strength, yet casting spells at a speed they could never match.
The thought alone was terrifying.
Of course, Kael had only just touched the threshold of the Crimson Moon Rune. For now, only Starburn Annihilation could be cast at this level. Fully mastering it would take time.
But now that he had glimpsed its power, he was certain—complete mastery wasn't far away.