"...Anyway, let's first take a look inside that temple."

Ivan suppressed the urge to complain about Andrew, took a deep breath, and said.

"Well, alright then..."

Andrew scratched his head, thinking perhaps this was the only option.

Thus, they continued forward, crossed the long land bridge, and finally set foot on the island where the temple stood.

The island wasn't large.

Looking up, they saw the temple calmly situated no more than fifty meters ahead.

It was a semi-open temple.

Andrew and Ivan slowed their steps, walked up the stairs, and entered through the temple's main entrance.

There were no threats or traps along the way.

Just as Ivan had felt earlier, Andrew's journey into this underground space, across the land bridge, through the waters, onto the island, and into the temple—felt strangely like coming home.

Andrew himself also felt this increasingly strong sensation.

As he stepped into the temple, the Water God Mark on his forehead fluttered slightly.

Andrew stood still inside the temple.

Before him was a statue of a goddess, and in front of the statue was a stone table.

Andrew stepped forward, respectfully bowed to the statue. Ivan hesitated for a moment, then followed suit and bowed.

Then Andrew turned his attention to the three objects on the stone table:

A palm-sized mini stone gate, seemingly a magic artifact.

A seemingly gray, dusty seed.

And a semi-transparent gem with something resembling liquid flowing inside it.

Without an agreement, Andrew and Ivan both directed their attention first to the seed.

"This seems to be a seed of a Water Tower Tree, but I've never seen one this large."

Ivan whispered, somewhat regretfully, "It's a pity this seed is already dead."

No matter how you looked at it, the seed was devoid of any vitality.

Andrew stepped forward, tentatively injecting a thread of "Deep Blue Starlight" into the seed.

Yet all the injected magic power and magic seemed to disappear like stones sinking into the sea.

The "Water Priestess Series" healing water magic, after all, couldn't bring the dead back to life.

Ivan murmured softly from the side, "See, I told you it was already dead, devoid of any vitality."

Andrew murmured an acknowledgment, but still put the seed away.

The "Water Priestess Series" contains a range of healing water magic spells, which, as one's tier increases, can unlock and utilize stronger and more extensive healing magic.

Being at Tier One, utilizing "Deep Blue Starlight," indeed couldn't revive the Water Tower Tree seed.

But, that didn't mean it would be impossible in the future.

Ivan, however, urged from the side, "Quickly, take a look at what this mini stone gate-like magic artifact could be?"

Aside from his brief lapse during the entry to this space, Ivan was mostly calm and reliable. Especially after his lung injury healed, his mindset returned to normal, reverting more to his former quiet and steady demeanor. He was a very stable person.

However, his tone urging Andrew to look at the "mini stone gate" exuded a trace of urgency.

His voice involuntarily trembled slightly!

Ivan didn't know what the mini stone gate was.

But for some reason, he felt that thing seemed connected to him... no, should be related to all Desert Hunters!

In this Flame Realm, in fact, all hunters carry a sense of doubt and confusion: "Why can other professionals like Earth Fire Mages, Warm Fire Mages, Flame Warriors, Crimson Knights, even Frost Guards, break through beyond Tier Nine, yet we, the Desert Hunters, cannot?"

This question lurked deep within Ivan's mind as well.

It's a question that nearly every hunter has pondered at times.

Now, inexplicably, Ivan felt that the answer of utmost importance to himself and all hunters was contained within this "mini stone gate"!

This was Ivan's feeling.

Andrew, however, had another sensation.

Upon seeing the mini stone gate, Andrew felt the only Water Magic in the "Enlightenment Series," "Enlightenment," pulse slightly!

The magic effect of "Enlightenment" is to subtly arouse a person's potential, releasing the capabilities already hidden within their mind and body.

The actual manifestation is a substantial increase in the probability of a normal person's "professional awakening."

Why did young Sophie show clear signs of awakening into an apprentice hunter? On one hand, she herself possesses that potential, and on the other, it was awakened by Andrew's "Enlightenment" spell!

Currently, An Ya is conducting a personnel survey for those "showing signs of professional awakening" in Wildfire Town, and it's necessary only because of that "Rain of Enlightenment."

"Is this 'mini stone gate' related to the 'Enlightenment Series' in some way?"

Andrew couldn't help but speculate.

Hence, he quietly channeled Water Magic, gently activating the "Enlightenment" spell, and reached out to touch the "mini stone gate."

With a swoosh—

As soon as Andrew's fingertips touched the mini stone gate, it leapt up on its own, transforming into a stream of light that swiftly merged into Andrew's body!

Andrew was startled.

Instinctively resisted.

However, the Water Magic he called upon to resist seemed to completely activate the stone gate upon contact.

Andrew felt the stone gate, after merging into his body, eventually settled in the region of his lower abdomen's dantian.

Simultaneously, the Water Magic within him surged more powerfully, seemingly centered around the mini stone gate!

For any mage—not just a Water Mage—the most crucial elements are "magic power" and "magic."

If the Water God Mark is the source of all "magic" for Andrew as a Water Mage, acting as a vast warehouse of stored magic,

then this "mini stone gate" seemed to have become the operational hub of "magic power" within Andrew's body.

"This..."

Andrew was momentarily stunned. "Alright, so this doesn't seem like a bad thing, but rather a good one?

The question is, if this 'mini stone gate' is truly related to my magic power, then why is its name—'Gate of Enlightenment'?"

In the instant the mini stone gate merged by itself, Andrew naturally knew the name of this gate or this particular magic artifact.

Gate of Enlightenment.

Undoubtedly connected to the "Enlightenment Series."

Earlier, I had indeed used the "Enlightenment" spell to, in a sense, "activate" this "Gate of Enlightenment," integrating it with myself.

But is there a relationship between "Enlightenment" and "magic power"? Andrew felt quite puzzled.

Then, he heard a female voice suddenly emanate from the Water God Mark, saying, "Try to infuse all your magic power into this Gate of Enlightenment, see what happens."

Andrew, though, retorted, "So this Gate of Enlightenment and the Tear of the Water God are actually a set? Surely, this temple, this underground water region, like the Tear of the Water God I already obtained, are all Water God's Inheritance, remnants of Water Mages from this Flame Realm's history? Isn't that right, this world once had many Water Mages like me, right?"

After saying one sentence, the female voice fell silent.

Andrew took a deep breath to steady his mind, and attempted as instructed by the voice, to infuse all his internal Water Magic into the "Gate of Enlightenment" in his dantian.

Soon, Andrew's body trembled fiercely, amazement showing on his face: "This is—?!"

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