The legendary warrior

Everyone's attention gravitated towards two more geniuses from the Helian Clan aside from Kamari. One of them was Tommy
Helian, who had reached the 440th step, and the other was Melissa Helian, who had gotten to the 438th step.
Once again, the surrounding warriors broke out into indistinct discussions. "Tommy and Melissa are among the most talented
casting masters in the Helian Clan, and supposedly, they are only second to Kamari. Some people even claim that the two of
them have the potential to become Demi-divine Level casting masters," one disciple murmured.
"The Demi-divine Level is the peak level that any casting master hopes to reach. It's unbelievable that the Helian Clan has three
geniuses that have the potential to reach that level. They are truly superior to the Casting Guild," another warrior chittered
excitedly.
Many creatures hated that the Short Human tribe reigned supreme over the whole casting field, but they couldn't do anything
about it.
The Short Human tribe seemed to have good fortune on their side, so no casting force could measure up to them despite the
countless eras that had passed.
"Tommy Helian... Melissa Helian..." Ricky's gaze swept over the two, and he murmured their names in recognition.
He took note of them because, allegedly, only castings masters that had reached the peak of Demi-sage Level could make it to
the 400th step of the Casting Ladder.
"The Short Human tribe is filled with exceptional casting masters. No one could match them in terms of casting," sighed Ricky in
awe once again.
Among the participants that had reached four hundred steps or higher, over ten of them came from the Helian Clan, and only
four were representatives of other forces.
Two of those four outsiders were members of the Casting Guild.
One of them was a young man named Brent, and he had managed to reach the 420th step of the Casting Ladder. The other one
was a green-clad woman that gave off an unworldly aura, which only underlined how gorgeous she was. She was ranked first
among the disciples of the Casting Guild—Veronica.
She was an exceptional casting master, and it showed in her performance in this competition. In an incredible show of talent, she
got as far as the 445th step, which was only second to Kamari.

When the other warriors saw this, the buzzing of their voices rose again. "I heard from the grapevine that Veronica is an
extraordinary casting master and that she can go toe-to-toe with Kamari in terms of casting. Seeing this, it looks like the rumors
are accurate."
"I think only Veronica has the chance to surpass the members of the Helian Clan in casting. No one else in the Misty South can
do that."
"That's true. And you know what else? Veronica can also fight well!"
"I heard that many talented martial artists want to pursue her, but her standards are too high for mediocre warriors. Only the
cream of the crop can turn her head."
"Well, very few people in the Misty South could match Veronica, anyway. She's too good for us, ordinary people."
Ricky followed their adoring gazes and saw a woman standing on the 445th step. Her green dress emphasized her feminine
body, and the inky black hair that framed her perfect cheekbones cascaded down her body, reaching up to her calves.
The serene expression on her face was contagious, as it seemed to calm every warrior that laid eyes on her.
It was easy to see why many young warriors fall for Veronica. She was exceptionally talented and charming to boot.
'It is her composure that gives her the edge over others, ' Ricky mused.
He couldn't help the way his heart skipped the moment he set his eyes on her.
Most men couldn't say no to women, especially if they were as beautiful as Veronica. There was a reason that most famous
stories always showed beautiful women as the hero's weakness.
"Oh, what's this? Did you fall in love with her?" The Dragon Intent Grass couldn't let the moment go without mocking him. It could
feel his emotions, so it knew how affected he was.
"Ha-ha! Dragon Intent Grass, you are quite sensitive to these things, huh?" responded Ricky, casually brushing the topic off.
After they observed the other talented casting masters, most of the surrounding warriors had their eyes on Ricky.
They were all curious about how well he would do in this scenario.
At this point, Ricky was still on the first step of the Casting Ladder, so many waited for his next move with bated breaths.

Ricky knew well that most of the attention had turned to him, so he thought to himself, 'Since you are all so curious, let me show
you what I can do! Kamari is not the only one that can make it to the 450th stair!'
The next moment, his feet became awash with the runic power.
And the instant the runic power surrounded his feet, he sailed towards the 400th stair at lightning speed.
The surrounding warriors looked up in awe as he breezed through the steps in a flash.
Ricky slowed down a little from that point forward but continued to climb.
He was still fast, though. In the blink of an eye, he had caught up with Kamari.
Just like Kamari, Ricky didn't even break a sweat.
Upon seeing this, the members of the Helian Clan were dumbfounded. "This—this can't be happening!" they uttered in sheer
disbelief. Their eyes bulged out in disbelief, and some of them couldn't even speak from shock.
The participants from other forces were also struck dumb by the sight.
It was easy to accept that Ricky could be proficient in casting, but to think that he could be on par with Kamari was beyond belief.
After all, it was a fact that Kamari ranked first among the casting geniuses in the Misty South. It wasn't surprising for him to reach
the 450th stair on Casting Ladder when he was just a casting master of Demi-sage Level.
But to their astonishment, Ricky made it too! That meant that he was as talented as Kamari in casting.
The warriors present couldn't believe that another casting genius of Kamari's caliber had appeared in the Misty South.
"So, the rumors must be true. Ricky also has an exceptional talent for casting. No wonder Wayne took him as his master," one of
the participants exclaimed once he came back to his senses.
Elder Graysen and other saints, who were sitting on the clouds earlier, stood up abruptly in astonishment. Their eyebrows shot
up to their foreheads as they exchanged disbelieving glances with one another.
No casting master of Demi-sage Level had ever stepped foot on the 450th step apart from the casting geniuses belonging to the
Short Human tribe.

As Elder Graysen recovered from his shock, a dark look settled over his face. In contrast, Kolton looked thrilled at the
development. He never expected that Ricky was at Kamari's level in casting.
'This young man is really awesome! It's no wonder he has the First Deputy Chief's favor, ' Kolton mused silently.
The saints from other forces looked elated too.
It was because the Helian Clan had always taken the lead in terms of casting, and their own forces often lost to the said clan. But
now, a casting genius as talented as the Helian Clan's most brilliant casting genius finally came around.
"Maybe we should invite Ricky to join us," a saint from the Casting Guild chittered excitedly.
On the other hand, Tommy Helian and Melissa Helian had a blank look on their faces as they stared at Ricky.
A hint of admiration appeared on Veronica's calm facade.
In sharp contrast, Kamari looked terribly agitated.
He remembered all the times he had failed before he managed to reach the 450th step of the Casting Ladder. All the sweat,
blood, and tears he sacrificed came back to his mind.
It was Ricky's first time on the Casting Ladder, but he had made it to the 450th step already. Perhaps, to some extent, Ricky was
more talented than him in casting.
'No way! That's impossible. Only the geniuses of the Short Human tribe can be as talented as I am in casting!' Kamari seethed.
Jealousy clouded his mind, and if he could, he would have killed Ricky on the spot.
"I'm jealous of him... Do I see him as a threat to me?" he wondered to himself.
'This can't be happening! I have to defeat him.' He decided firmly in his heart.
"Ricky, it looks like I was right. You do have something up your sleeve. Why don't we compete? I feel like you will be a thrilling
challenge for me." Kamari confronted Ricky coldly in the next moment.