And judging by the density of the boundary surrounding his consciousness, he stood only a single step away from Grand Mage.
Julian opened his eyes briefly, glancing down at the man seated before him.
Kraven's expression remained blank.
The realization drew a faint smile from Julian.
So the nobleman had been cultivating seriously all this time.
Quietly.
Hiding the truth of his strength behind wealth, desire, and reputation.
Interesting.
Julian closed his eyes again and allowed his awareness to sink deeper. The inner landscape of Kraven's sea of consciousness gradually took shape through the fog.
Julian had expected something vast.
Cultivators at the level of Archmage typically possessed massive inner worlds, vast landscapes forged through decades of disciplined cultivation.
What he found instead was... smaller than anticipated.
But what it lacked in size, it more than compensated for in intensity.
The entire realm was surrounded by fire.
