Fourteen young men and women approached the boat and jumped in. They had already been informed about the meeting point, so upon receiving the signal, they arrived quickly.
Once everyone was on board, they noticed a breathtaking beauty standing there, looking at them with a cold expression.
Most of the boys were mesmerized by her, but a single glare from Jev brought them back to their senses.
Among them were eight boys of different ages, ranging from twenty to twenty-four, with cultivations varying from the seventh-grade Spirit Profound Stage to the eighth-grade Origin Profound Stage.
Clearly, they had come prepared. These boys and girls represented the cream of the crop of the Kela Kingdom. Stepping forward as if he were their leader, a twenty-four-year-old man greeted Aurora. "Hello, my name is Shihab, and I'm going to lead our team in the tomb because entry is not allowed for anyone of Earth Profound Stage and above."
He knew nothing about Aurora, but he had been ordered not to offend her. This directive came straight from the king himself, so he guessed she was from some significant clan in the Empire, given her cultivation.
Aurora nodded and replied with just one word, "Aurora."
Shihab nodded, having expected such an attitude. Most individuals from prominent clans tended to be arrogant and cold, but he could see that although Aurora was cold, she wasn't arrogant at all. That put him at ease because he didn't want any problems in the tomb. After all, he was the leader, and if anything happened, all the blame would fall on him.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Jev inserted a Mid-tier Profound stone into the boat. Previously, he had used his Profound energy to power the boat since there were only two passengers, but now even his energy wouldn't suffice with so many people aboard, so he resorted to the stone.
Soon, the boat ascended into the air and flew deep into the forest, as the tomb was located deep within it.
Everyone settled in the corners of the boat, enjoying the breathtaking view of the dense forest.
Among the fourteen people was Rey, who was hiding in fear as soon as he saw Aurora, so nobody noticed him. He quietly approached Jev and tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.
Jev turned and saw his disciple's face filled with fear. He furrowed his brow and asked, "What happened, Rey? Why are you acting like that?"
Rey ignored his master's question and instead asked, "Master, where did you bring that girl from?"
Jev frowned and said, "Speak clearly."
Rey, still trembling, said in a low voice, "Master, she's Aurora Ashborn from the Ashborn clan that was annihilated in the Coralhelm Kingdom. She's the adopted daughter of the clan's Patriarch."
Jev's eyes widened in shock as he looked at Aurora and then turned to Rey with a solemn expression. "Are you sure?"
Rey nodded vigorously and said, "Master, for once, I can forget myself, but not this devil."
His face was filled with terror, as if he had recalled something horrifying.
Jev began to contemplate, and a sudden realization dawned on him. He thought, 'I see, perhaps Aurora managed to escape from the annihilation, and that Heaven Profound Stage Artist went after her. Maybe the expert saw her potential and decided to take her as a disciple, eliminating that Heaven Profound Stage Artist in the process.'
'But if the Ashborn clan had such a prodigy, then why didn't anyone know about it?' Jev focused intently and thought further, 'I see, maybe she wasn't a genius before. Only after meeting the expert did she become a prodigy. That also explains her rapid growth in such a short time.'
Basically, Jev believed everything was Aadi's doing. He then looked at Rey and asked in confusion, "If nobody recognized her, how do you know her?"
Rey explained, "It's because she's more beautiful now. She wasn't this stunning or powerful before. I met her during my travels when I went to the Coralhelm two years ago. I found a Green Lotus Flower, and she took it like a bandit."
Jev was somewhat speechless at this revelation and believed there was more to the story, as Rey wouldn't fear her over just a Green Lotus Flower. Although it was a valuable treasure, he could easily afford it. He shook his head and refrained from asking any further questions.
Despite maintaining a calm demeanor externally, he was secretly gloating. Since Aurora's clan had been massacred in the Coralhelm Kingdom, he speculated that it was most likely the royal family who had done that, as only they possessed the power to annihilate such a well-known clan in such a short time. This made the Coralhelm Kingdom their common enemy.
Soon, the boat began to slow down and finally stopped when they arrived at the base of a large mountain. There was a fifteen-meter rectangular hole at the base of the mountain, with many runes inscribed on its sides, covered by a thin membrane. Profound Artists were stationed at various distances to ensure that no one else could approach the hole.
Seeing the boat, they bowed and allowed it to enter. The boat landed a short distance from the hole, and everyone disembarked.
Aurora gracefully touched down and observed her surroundings, never letting her guard down, as she sensed something in the forest.
Aurora noticed many people who were also observing her team. She sensed numerous Origin Profound Stage Artists and even Heaven Profound Stage Artists among them.
A bald middle-aged man stepped forward and said with a loud laugh, "So, you finally arrived, Jev. If you had been any later, we would have gone in without you."
Jev chuckled and replied, "Haha, what are you saying, Mark? We took some time because we had to choose from among many geniuses. You must have it nice since there are only a few geniuses in your kingdom. I truly envy you."
Mark's eye twitched upon hearing that. 'If you have so many geniuses, then give us some. We'll manage.'