“The master of Dragonscale Bank has already left. So, what is your plan for the future of Dragonscale Bank?” Daniel asked, looking at the group.
The people exchanged glances.
The Grand Steward spoke first.
“Lord Daniel, we at Dragonscale Bank are willing to follow you, just like Karea Academy.”
Naturally, no one else had any objections.
They all echoed the Grand Steward’s words. After all, their chief had fled. What did that mean? Even their incredibly powerful chief was afraid of Lord Daniel.
As for what to do next, it was obvious. There was no need to think about it.
Soon enough, everyone agreed, expressing that Dragonscale Bank would follow Daniel, just like Karea Academy.
Daniel didn’t care. The title of chief at Dragonscale Bank didn’t make much of a difference to him.
“Alright, take some time to handle the affairs within Dragonscale Bank, and then take me to the Element Temple,” Daniel said.
“Yes, my lord!”
…
Daniel had been in the secret realm for the past few days.
By taking the tokens from the senior members, he was able to examine them and quickly deduce the location of the magic array that served as the entrance to the secret realm.
This meant that unlocking the entrance was no longer a problem.
For the last few days, he had been exploring the secret realm, searching for traces left by the chief of Dragonscale Bank.
This place was where the chief had long resided.
Even though the chief had cleaned up every trace before leaving, it didn’t mean Daniel couldn’t find any remnants.
No matter how thoroughly someone tried to erase their presence, there were always oversights.
Fortunately, Daniel was able to detect a faint trace of the chief’s energy, and it was familiar. Daniel immediately recognized it.
He had encountered this energy before.
Previously, in Voidland, when he was collecting the tier-sages that appeared in the Sacred Time River for Reed to train with, Daniel had visited a certain area.
There, he had seen a massive ouroboros—an ouroboros that was not entirely dead, still harboring a faint life force.
At that time, Daniel also encountered five soul forms that entered Voidland.
Now, the energy here matched one of those five soul forms.
This meant… the five major powers, five soul forms… could they be connected in some way?
A glimmer of amusement appeared in Daniel’s eyes.
He had sensed the immense power of these divine artifacts, and it all seemed to align perfectly.
If he had known back then, he should have captured all five of those soul forms. It would have saved him so much trouble, and he wouldn’t have to search for them one by one now.
Daniel stepped out of the secret realm.
As soon as he emerged, he saw the figure of the Grand Steward waiting for him.
“You’ve been waiting here for me?” Daniel asked.
“Lord Daniel, the matters of Dragonscale Bank have been settled. I’m ready to accompany you to the Element Temple at any time.”
“Alright, let’s go.”
With that, the two set off.
…
The Element Temple was located in the 1st Realm of Middle Earth, in a vast, continuous range of dark, greenish-black mountains. The towering peaks seemed to pierce the heavens, making one’s head spin.
Locals called this place Divine Mountain. They believed that every few years, one could witness miraculous signs from the gods. This was a belief held by ordinary people.
From the perspective of mages, this was the domain of the Element Temple, the supreme power in the 1st Realm.
The Element Temple did not allow common folk to enter.
There were many magic arrays at the foot of the mountain to block the path of ordinary people.
Any ordinary person who tried to venture deeper would end up lost in the mountains for days, only to return later.
But for mages, entering was fraught with danger.
Around the mountain were numerous naturally-formed magic arrays, with no possibility of being solved.
These magic arrays were tied to the very essence of Divine Mountain itself.
To destroy them, one would first have to destroy the entire mountain… But those with the power to do so would have no need to deal with the arrays.
Thus, the magic arrays were practically unsolvable, and anyone who tried to challenge them was destined to fail, ultimately acknowledging their brilliance and power.
To enter the Element Temple, one had to pass a test.
There was a specific path, known as the Celestial Ladder, that led up to the temple.
Even outsiders must follow this path when visiting.
This was the rule of the Element Temple.
It was the very symbol of their dominance in Middle Earth, as the foremost power of the region.
As Daniel and the Grand Steward flew through the skies, they looked toward the distant Divine Mountain.
“Lord Daniel, we can’t go any further. If we continue, we will be suppressed by the magic arrays surrounding Divine Mountain, and we won’t be able to fly any longer,” the Grand Steward said.
Upon hearing the Grand Steward’s words, Daniel looked at the magic arrays on the mountain. He quickly realized that these were not ordinary arrays.
These magic arrays were formed around a divine artifact of the Element Temple.
In essence, they were vastly different from the usual magic arrays found in this world.
No magic array master from this world could understand or break them.
But as for the level of these arrays… Daniel shrugged.
They weren’t all that impressive.
“I can contact a friend inside Element Temple and find out the location of the Lord of Element Temple,” the Grand Steward offered.
Daniel shook his head.
“No need,” he replied.
“Why?” the Grand Steward asked.
“Perhaps… that lord has already fled, just like your chief,” Daniel said calmly.
“What?” The Grand Steward’s mana fluctuated slightly, almost causing him to lose balance and fall from the sky.
The shock of Daniel’s words had clearly shaken him.
The Grand Steward had never imagined that the Lord of Element Temple, a figure known throughout Middle Earth, would have fled as well.
Suddenly, the Grand Steward felt as though a barrier in his mind had been shattered. It seemed that everyone was the same—afraid of Lord Daniel.
Although he thought this, the Grand Steward still had to ask:
“Lord Daniel, do you really think the Lord of Element Temple has escaped?”
Daniel nodded.
“From the moment I observed the magic arrays on this mountain, I could sense the residual energy of a divine artifact from the God Realm,” Daniel explained.
“Yes. The Element Temple, like Dragonscale Bank, is infused with residual God Realm energy. And this isn’t the kind of residual energy left over from the battles between gods and devils. This is far more advanced, and it poses a greater threat to the world.”
The Grand Steward listened in awe.
Furthermore, these magic arrays were infused with the Rule of Metal, which further confirmed that the Lord of Element Temple had fled.
“The Rule of Water… Rule of Metal… Five soul forms, five powers… It all fits together perfectly,” Daniel continued, his thoughts piecing together the puzzle.
“So, the remaining three divine artifacts must be related to Wood, Fire, and Earth?” the Grand Steward asked.
“Most likely. But I need to go in and confirm it for myself,” Daniel said.
He needed to be absolutely certain that the Lord of Element Temple was indeed one of the five soul forms he had encountered in Voidland. If it was true, then all his previous guesses would be confirmed.
“Well then, let’s ascend the Celestial Ladder from below. The rules of the Element Temple are strict—whether you’re joining or visiting, you must ascend the Celestial Ladder,” the Grand Steward said.
He then noticed the look of interest on Daniel’s face.
“Does the Celestial Ladder test one’s talent or something?” Daniel asked.
The Grand Steward nodded.
Then, he remembered how Daniel had once tested his talent with a magic array at Karea Academy. The result had been… quite unexpected.
But now?