Fifty Million in Wealth, Pseudo-Sacred Artifact!

Kael frowned, sucking in a sharp breath as he stared at the countless corpses of abyssal creatures before him, momentarily speechless.

The Abyssal Plane was an even more mysterious realm than the Southern Ghar Continent, and the sinister powers borrowed by the Shadow Wing Mages mostly originated from there. Within the Abyssal Plane existed endless malevolent creatures, the most infamous being the undead. Beyond that, there were demons, corpse fiends, bone dragons… and other terrifying beings.

The explosive ghost insects Kael and the others had encountered earlier were also creatures of the Abyssal Plane, but they were considered low-tier entities there. This alone spoke volumes about the horrors of the Abyssal Plane.

"Damn it all, there are so many abyssal creature corpses here…" Zorath the Silent muttered, stepping forward with a furrowed brow.

Laid out before Kael were highly distinctive creatures—some were ferocious beasts covered entirely in pitch-black scales, the "Demon Dragons," a draconic species unique to the Abyss, though a subspecies at best, with strength roughly at the tenth tier.

Then there were the corpse fiends wreathed in green miasma, their bodies exuding a foul stench laced with potent necrotic toxins. A single scratch from their claws could infect even a powerful mage with deadly poison, potentially leading to death.

"And Golden-Horned Demons…" Kael's gaze shifted to another set of corpses, and he let out a bitter chuckle.

Golden-Horned Demons were a higher-tier demonic species, entirely different from the common demons summoned by the mages of the Phantom Tower in the previous Water Dragon Secret Realm. Those had been mere lesser demons, while Golden-Horned Demons were elite entities—their hides so tough that even tenth-tier spells struggled to kill them, their strength rivaling eleventh-tier powerhouses. More importantly, they possessed considerable intelligence, making them formidable even within the Abyss.

Zorath the Silent and Bloodshadow also noticed the Golden-Horned Demons.

"Bloody hell, this place really has everything—even Golden-Horned Demons…" Zorath the Silent couldn't help but curse.

Kael mused, "Most likely, the Ghostfire Tower Master was studying the corpses and structures of these abyssal creatures. These must have been his research specimens." The Shadow Wing Mages were all madmen, and this Ghostfire Tower Master was clearly even more deranged—collecting so many abyssal corpses in his tower and dissecting them for research.

"Damn it, these guys are absolute lunatics." The mere thought of the Ghostfire Tower Master dissecting these abyssal creatures made Zorath the Silent shudder in disgust. In his eyes, only a madman would willingly spend his days surrounded by corpses.

Bloodshadow also shook his head slightly: "Shadow Wing Mages truly are a bizarre bunch. These abyssal corpses aren't worth much attention—they hold little value. Let's head up."

All these abyssal creatures were long dead. If they had been alive, they might have been valuable, but now they were just lifeless husks. None of the present company had any interest in dissecting corpses, so there was no point lingering.

Kael nodded in agreement. "You're right. Let's move on."

The little cat, still crouched on Kael's shoulder, had also witnessed everything. However, unlike its usual bravado, it now seemed unusually timid in the presence of the abyssal remains. The sight was undeniably unsettling, and the lingering aura of the abyssal creatures made it deeply uncomfortable.

It was as if the cat had an innate aversion to such beings.

The third floor's macabre display had left everyone in low spirits, but as they ascended to the fourth floor, their mood shifted abruptly.

Before they even reached it, a dazzling golden radiance spilled from the fourth floor, instantly catching their attention.

The little cat, previously subdued, suddenly sprang to life, standing upright on Kael's shoulder with wide, gleaming eyes. "Gold! It's gold!" it shrieked.

The feline was an unabashed money-grubber. The moment it saw that golden glow, its greed flared up, much to Kael's amusement. Even ​Zorath the Silent and ​Bloodshadow couldn't suppress their excitement. The three of them hurried up to the fourth floor—only to freeze in stunned silence at the sight before them.

A ​mountain of gold.

The entire floor was bathed in the shimmering brilliance of piled-up treasure. The sheer volume of gold reflected dazzling arcs of light across their faces, and for a moment, all of them could only stare in awe.

Even ​Kael, who considered himself wealthy by any standard, had never seen such an immense fortune. His personal wealth already ran into the millions, and the taxes and revenues from ​Lefay City continued to grow steadily. Yet, compared to this literal ​hill of gold, his riches seemed almost trivial.

The value of this treasure hoard likely ​surpassed Kael's entire net worth...

Zorath the Silent twitched at the corner of his mouth, torn between amusement and disbelief. "This... this is just absurd. For a third-rate Shadow Wing Mage faction to have amassed such wealth—who knows how many gold coins are piled here..." While delighted, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of frustration. As one of the ​Twelve Councilors of the Sacred Assembly, a figure renowned across the continent, his total assets barely amounted to a few million gold coins. Yet here...

Bloodshadow cut in with an estimate: "There are at least ​fifty million gold coinshere."

Fifty million!

The number struck their hearts like a hammerblow. Even split three ways, each would receive over ​sixteen million gold coins!

Kael inhaled sharply. For a mere ​Ghostfire Tower Master to have hoarded such an astronomical sum—it was beyond excessive.

Fifty million in wealth rivaled ​several years' worth of revenue from the entire ​Lefay Territory.

The little cat ​sprang from Kael's shoulder with a whoosh, diving into the golden pile with gleeful abandon. It rolled and tumbled, letting out delighted mewls, its eyes squinting in bliss. "This mistress's draconic life is now complete! To think I'd one day sleep atop a mountain of gold—pure ecstasy!"

Zorath the Silent burst into laughter. "Let's divide this treasure among the three of us!"

The ​Sacred Assembly, vast as its resources were, had no need for these millions. Moreover, as spoils of war, the gold didn't require "confiscation"—the Assembly was pragmatic in such matters.

No one would refuse extra wealth. Kael and Bloodshadow nodded instantly, and the trio began swiftly storing the coins into their ​spatial rings. The heap was so massive it took them ​a considerable while to clear it entirely.

The cat, reluctantly pried from its golden nest, was about to protest when Kael's next words made it beam with joy. "With my share in the ​millions, you can ​sleep on gold every night from now on."

The feline nearly combusted from happiness. "Heheh, Kael, you're too kind! To fulfill this mistress's grandest dream—I hereby declare your dreams shall be mine from now on!"

With fortunes secured, the trio brimmed with satisfaction. Zorath the Silent smirked inwardly, marveling at how ​every collaboration with Kael yielded staggering profits—this time was no exception. The more he observed the young man, the more he felt Kael was his ​lucky charm.

Even the usually reserved Bloodshadow grinned broadly. Their spirits high, the group pressed onward, ascending to the next floor of the magic tower.

However, what awaited them next left them slightly disappointed. The fifth and sixth floors above the fourth were utterly empty—devoid of anything. The magic tower stood silent and barren, a stark contrast to the lower levels.

"Strange. The fifth and sixth floors have nothing at all," Zorath the Silent snorted, though he quickly chuckled at his own greed. This time, they had already gained an ​astounding fortune—no matter what, the trip had been more than worth it.

Kael smiled. ​"The fifth and sixth floors were likely where the Ghostfire Tower Master meditated and practiced magic, hence the lack of furnishings. There's still the seventh floor—the final level."

The ​Ghostfire Tower wasn't particularly tall, consisting of only seven floors. No one knew what awaited them at the very top.

A faint trace of anticipation flickered in Kael's heart. After all, ​by convention, a magic tower's owner would typically place their most valuable treasures on the highest floor.

The moment they stepped into the seventh floor, ​a brilliant radiance erupted from within the chamber, its dazzling glow immediately seizing their attention.

"A Pseudo-Sacred Artifact!" Zorath the Silent exclaimed.