Just as every pair of eyes remained fixed upon the projection screens above, Max's figure surged toward the deepest region of the ninth layer. The flas around him twisted violently, yet they could not slow his advance.
The chaotic fla laws that had once ford dense barriers now appeared unstable wherever he passed, their structure thinning as though sothing unseen was unraveling their foundation.
Eight thousand nine hundred miles.
The number glowed faintly upon the projection display.
Beyond that point, only a little more than one hundred miles separated him from the boundary of the tenth layer.
A heavy silence descended over the viewing platform.
"He will soon reach the sa level as ," Isabella muttered under her breath, her expression frozen in disbelief.
Her eyes did not blink as she watched his figure move with relentless montum. The mory of her earlier bet with Max resurfaced with painful clarity. She had spoken with confidence at that ti, believing there was no possibility of him surpassing her in this trial. If he did, she would have to serve as his maid for ten years.
At the ti, it had seed like nothing more than a humiliating condition for him, a display of her superiority.
Now the situation felt entirely different.
The thought of losing that bet sent a cold chill through her heart. She was the Saintess in training. She carried the Imperial Bloodline. Her pride had been nurtured since childhood. To imagine herself standing behind soone else, serving them for ten years, was a humiliation she could scarcely bear in thought.
Her fingers clenched tightly at her sides.
Deep regret began to seep into her mind.
Why had she made such a reckless wager?
Why had she spoken with such certainty?
Her gaze remained locked on Max's sprinting figure as he approached the final stretch of the ninth layer. The flas roared around him like a storm, yet he did not hesitate. He did not pause. He did not ditate.
He simply advanced.
Inside her heart, an anxious voice cried out.
No.
No.
No.
Stop.
Please stop.
She did not speak the words aloud, yet her entire being wished for him to halt, to falter, to slow down even slightly before reaching the boundary.
But Max did not slow.
His figure crossed the final one hundred miles in what felt like re monts.
The boundary of the tenth layer shimred faintly before him, a thin yet formidable threshold that marked the sa realm she had struggled so fiercely to attain.
And then, without hesitation, he stepped across it.
Max entered the tenth layer.
A collective gasp rose from the crowd.
Isabella's breath caught in her throat as she stared at the projection in stunned silence.
"Max has entered the tenth layer. Amazing."
An elder's voice rang out in open shock as he stared at the projection screen. His reaction was echoed by murmurs spreading rapidly across the viewing platform. The disbelief was visible on nearly every face. No one had expected Max to advance so far in the Path to Eternal Flas, let alone step into the tenth layer.
The entire Black Dragon Palace seed montarily stunned.
Many had assud he would struggle in the lower layers and eventually be eliminated quietly. Even those who acknowledged his talent did not predict that he would stand on equal footing with Isabella in this trial. Yet the projection before them displayed the undeniable truth. Max had crossed the boundary.
A wave of astonishnt swept through the disciples gathered around the do. Whispers turned into open exclamations as they tried to comprehend what they had just witnessed.
"Damn this kid," Seraphina Vale muttered under her breath, her eyes narrowing as she fixed her gaze on Max's figure within the tenth layer.
Her earlier confidence had begun to crack.
The possibility that she might lose the bet she had made with Lady Virelia gnawed at her pride. The thought alone irritated her deeply. She had been certain that Isabella would remain ahead of Max. She had spoken boldly. Now, the situation was no longer within her control.
"It is all because of this kid," she murmured again, a faint shadow of resentnt appearing in her eyes as she watched the projection.
anwhile, not far from her, an elder approached Lady Virelia with a light chuckle.
"Hehe, congratulations, Virelia," he said with a smile. "The disciple you selected continues to create wonders."
Another elder nodded in agreent.
"That is true. First he claid the Sword of the Sword Sovereign, sothing no one expected. Then he defeated the geniuses from the Dark Phoenix Clan and the Heavenly Kirin Clan. And now he has reached the tenth layer in the Path to Eternal Flas. Each ti we think we have seen his limit, he proves otherwise."
A third elder folded his hands behind his back as he added thoughtfully, "No matter what trial he faces, miracles seem to follow him. This is no coincidence. He is undoubtedly a true genius."
"Virelia, you truly did a great job recruiting Max into the Black Dragon Palace."
Matthew Gris stepped forward with a faint smile as he spoke, his tone carrying clear approval. His gaze remained fixed on the projection above, yet his words were directed toward Lady Virelia. "Regarding the request you submitted a few months ago, I will approve it."
A subtle smile appeared on Lady Virelia's face upon hearing his words. She inclined her head slightly in acknowledgnt.
"Thank you," she replied calmly.
Although her voice remained composed, the approval carried significant weight. Matthew Gris did not grant such concessions lightly. The fact that he was willing to support her request was a direct recognition of Max's value to the Black Dragon Clan.
Above them, the projection continued to display Max's figure standing at the entrance of the tenth layer. The flas there burned fiercely, darker and more oppressive than those below. Yet Max stood still, his posture relaxed, as though he were rely observing a calm landscape.
"Hm. Now the real question is how far Max can go within the tenth layer," Victor Veron said thoughtfully, drawing everyone's attention back to the screen.
The family heads and elders followed his gaze.
They were familiar with Max's pattern by now. He did not charge recklessly into unfamiliar territory. He would first stand still, assess the pressure and laws surrounding him, and only then make his move. His calm at the entrance of the tenth layer did not indicate hesitation. It signaled calculation.
User Comments
0 comments from readers