Seraphina Vale's laughter rang clearly above the murmurs.
"Haha, I knew Isabella would reach the tenth layer," she said, her eyes shining with unrestrained joy.
Among all the elders present, she appeared the happiest. The pride on her face was unmistakable. Just as Lady Virelia had personally guided Max over the months in the Divine Realm, it was Seraphina who had overseen Isabella's cultivation and growth. She had witnessed every breakthrough, every struggle, every mont of doubt that Isabella had overco.
To see her now standing within the tenth layer of the Path to Eternal Flas was more than a public achievent. It was the result of years of guidance and trust.
Seraphina folded her arms lightly as she watched Isabella endure the fierce pressure of the tenth layer.
"She will not disappoint," she added confidently.
Around her, the elders continued to observe the screens with renewed enthusiasm. With Zain in the eleventh layer and Isabella in the tenth, this trial had already exceeded expectations.
On the other side of the viewing platform, the Seven Family heads observed the developnts with composed expressions. They were satisfied, yet not all of them were completely content.
Henry Lumin let out a quiet sigh as he watched Isabella stabilize herself within the tenth layer. His gaze lingered on her figure, noting the faint tremor in her aura and the strain evident in her posture.
"It seems she has exhausted herself fully just to reach the tenth layer," Henry said slowly. "That ans she has little hope of stepping into the eleventh layer. I had hoped she would reach it."
There was no disappointnt in his tone toward Isabella herself. Rather, it was the frustration of a patriarch who wished to see his family's rising star break even greater boundaries.
Victor Veron turned toward him with a faint smile.
"Do not be so down, Henry," Victor said calmly. "The tenth layer is already an extraordinary accomplishnt within the Path to Eternal Flas. Many talented disciples struggle even to approach it. You should feel nothing but pride."
He gestured lightly toward the projection screen.
"Moreover, she is the Saintess in training. Her future achievents will surely surpass what we see today."
Lilith Carol inclined her head slightly as she added her thoughts.
"Isabella's full potential has not yet awakened," she said thoughtfully. "When her Imperial Bloodline reaches complete maturity, she will no longer resemble the person we see now. At that ti, she will beco a true monster among geniuses. Even the geniuses from the first rate forces will find it difficult to stand against her."
Her words were not exaggerated praise. They were spoken with quiet confidence in the power of the Imperial Bloodline.
Matthew Gris folded his hands behind his back and spoke in a steady tone.
"In the coming years, the Black Dragon Clan will depend greatly on her," he said. "She is the hope of our clan's future. Henry, you should take pride in the fact that your family produced such a descendant."
Henry listened to their reassurances and finally allowed a faint smile to appear on his face. The earlier tension in his expression eased slightly.
"You are right," he said with a nod. "Regardless of whether she reaches the eleventh layer today, her foundation is already extraordinary."
Deep down, he understood the truth of their words. The performance Isabella had displayed was already remarkable. Reaching the tenth layer placed her among the most outstanding disciples of her generation.
More importantly, the re fact that she had awakened the Imperial Bloodline had already transford the status of the Lumin Family within the clan.
Before her awakening, the Lumin Family had remained respectable but not dominant. Now, with Isabella carrying the Saintess title in training, their influence had risen sharply. They stood firmly among the top three families, just below the Gris Family and the Heron Family.
For Henry, that alone was a source of imnse pride.
As he looked once more at Isabella standing resolute within the flas of the tenth layer, his earlier sigh turned into quiet satisfaction.
"Hmm? Look at Max. He has reached the eighth layer."
The sudden remark caused a ripple across the viewing platform as heads turned toward another projection screen.
Until that mont, the attention of nearly everyone had been fixed on Zain in the eleventh layer and Isabella in the tenth. In the midst of that intense focus, Max had quietly advanced without attracting notice.
On the screen, Max was no longer in the seventh layer.
He was seated cross legged at the deepest part of the eighth layer, surrounded by flas that burned far more fiercely than before.
The fire there roared with greater density, and the fla laws were visibly thicker, forming a swirling storm around his unmoving figure. Yet he appeared calm, as though the surrounding inferno were nothing more than a gentle breeze.
A brief silence followed as the elders processed what they were seeing.
They had been so absorbed in the dramatic struggle of the upper layers that they had failed to notice Max crossing an entire layer in the anti.
"He is making steady progress," Matthew Gris said with a faint smile as he studied the screen carefully. "It makes wonder how far he will go if he continues at this pace."
His words carried thoughtful curiosity rather than blind praise.
At that mont, many of the elders who had earlier dismissed Max's chances began to observe him more closely. The fact that he had reached the eighth layer without drawing attention spoke of quiet persistence. There had been no dramatic surge of aura, no desperate burst of force. He had simply advanced.
A subtle stir of curiosity spread among the Seven Family heads.
How far would Max truly go?
"Hehe, I would say the eighth layer is his limit at most," Seraphina said with a faint smile, her eyes sliding toward Lady Virelia. The tone in her voice was light, but the intent behind her gaze was sharp. "He has already spent so much ti ditating in the lower layers. There is no comparison between him and Isabella."
Her words were clearly aid to provoke.
Lady Virelia, however, did not even glance in her direction. Her expression remained serene, her eyes fixed on the projection displaying Max's still figure within the blazing eighth layer. She neither refuted nor acknowledged Seraphina's remark.
Seraphina snorted softly at the lack of reaction.
"I will see how you react when Max fails to surpass Isabella," she muttered under her breath, her smile tightening slightly.
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