Max soon stepped out of the Dinsion of Genesis and returned once more to Acaris.
The familiar aura of the mortal world surrounded him again. Compared to the rich and overwhelming energy of higher realms, Acaris felt gentler, calr, and strangely nostalgic. For a brief mont, Max simply stood there in silence, taking in the presence of the world where so much of his journey had begun.
Then his figure vanished.
Space folded around him, and in the next instant he appeared within a quiet forest far from any city or settlent. Towering trees surrounded the area, their branches swaying softly in the wind while shafts of sunlight pierced through the leaves above.
Max looked ahead and spoke in an even tone.
"Allen, you can co out now."
The mont his words fell, the empty air before him rippled. A figure stepped out from the void itself as though erging from another layer of space.
It was Allen Spencer.
He stood tall and composed, and above his head floated a radiant golden crown that shone with a noble brilliance. Its light was steady and powerful, carrying an authority that seed tied to the very fate of the planet.
Allen looked at Max with a faint smile, though surprise could be seen in his eyes.
"I did not think you would notice ," he said honestly.
During the ti Max had been gone, Allen had spent himself in silent cultivation, learning to control the divine authority granted to him through the crown. With every passing day, his strength had increased, and he had grown far beyond the version of himself that had last t Max. Yet despite that progress, Max had still sensed him instantly.
Max smiled lightly. "How could I not?"
Then his expression beca more serious.
"Tell . Is everything going well?"
Allen gave a firm nod. "Everything is stable. There has been no foreign disturbance strong enough to threaten Acaris. The world remains at peace."
"Good." Max nodded in satisfaction.
After a short pause, he asked another question.
"Tell sothing. Will you remain the Crownbearer of this planet forever?"
Allen glanced upward at the floating crown above him before shaking his head.
"That depends on the crown itself," he said. "If it ever judges that I am no longer worthy of wielding this authority, it will leave and seek another candidate. The title of Crownbearer belongs to duty, not to the person."
Max listened quietly before giving a small nod.
"I see."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"You are doing well, Allen."
Those simple words caused Allen's expression to soften slightly. Praise from Max held a different aning now, especially after witnessing how far he had risen.
At that mont, the space around Max began to distort. Gentle ripples spread through the air, and strands of light gathered around him as the laws of the higher realm began to pull him back.
Allen imdiately understood what was happening.
"You are leaving?"
Max let out a quiet sigh. "My ti in the mortal realm was limited from the beginning. It seems that ti has now co to an end."
He then looked directly at Allen, his gaze calm but aningful.
"If you ever lose the crown," Max said, "ascend to the Divine Realm and co find ."
Allen's eyes narrowed slightly, as though engraving those words into mory.
Then Max's body began to shine with an intense radiance. Light engulfed him completely before shooting upward like a pillar piercing the heavens.
In the next instant, he was gone.
The forest fell silent once more.
Allen remained standing there for several monts, staring at the empty space where Max had disappeared. Then, without saying a word, his own figure faded into the void and vanished just as quietly as he had arrived.
Soon, the pull of spatial laws ca to an end, and Max found himself standing within a familiar world once more.
The atmosphere, the energy in the air, and the strange yet grand environnt around him all confird it imdiately.
He had returned to Orion.
Max's gaze swept across the area with quiet caution. The land around him was vast and barren, marked by ancient stone plains and distant jagged formations beneath a dim sky. Yet despite the scale of the place, there was not a single living presence nearby.
He expanded the senses of his Dinsional Sovereign Body across a massive range.
Nothing.
No hidden experts. No ambush. No wandering cultivators.
Not even one soul could be detected.
Seeing this, Max did not waste ti. With a thought, space beside him rippled repeatedly as large groups of people began appearing one after another.
These were the cultivators he had stored within his private dinsion back in the secret domain.
The mont they erged, confusion spread instantly.
"Huh? What happened?"
"Where are we?"
"Did we survive?"
The disciples and elders from the War God Palace, Sword God Palace, and the other great forces quickly looked around in alarm. The last thing most of them rembered was the terrifying pressure released by Kazreth inside the secret domain. They had believed death was monts away.
Yet now they stood beneath an open sky in a completely different place.
As realization dawned, shock turned into overwhelming relief.
"We are back!"
"We escaped the secret domain!"
"Thank heavens…"
"I thought I was finished there."
"That cursed place was a nightmare."
"Our cultivation was suppressed, our treasures were unstable, and death was around every corner."
"I never want to step into such a world again."
Voices rose everywhere as people exhaled deeply, so laughing from relief while others nearly collapsed from exhaustion. For many of them, the secret domain had been a true land of terror where even powerful experts were reduced to prey.
Max blended naturally into the crowd, wearing the sa expression of relief as everyone else. He had no intention of drawing unnecessary attention to himself now.
However, his presence could not remain unnoticed for long.
The mbers of the War God Palace quickly moved toward him and ford a loose protective circle around him. Their actions were swift and deliberate, making their stance clear to everyone present.
At the sa ti, the remaining mbers of the Sword God Palace turned their eyes toward Max with open hostility.
Their killing intent was cold and sharp.
Mira stepped forward, her face pale from recent injuries yet still filled with pride and resentnt. Her eyes locked onto Max with burning hatred.
"Max," she said in a low voice, "I swear I will not rest until I take revenge for what happened."
Her gaze then shifted briefly toward him with deeper bitterness.
"And that sword of yours… guard it carefully. One day, I will return to reclaim it."
Max looked at her and gave a cold sneer.
"You are welco to try whenever you like."
His tone only deepened her anger.
Then Edwin stepped forward, his face grim and his aura heavy with nace.
"Do not think that protection from the War God Palace ans you are untouchable," he said in a chilling voice. "There will be many chances ahead for us to settle this matter and avenge our Young Miss."
His eyes narrowed dangerously.
"I only hope you survive long enough for that day to co."
After saying those words, Edwin turned toward the elderly servant who had always remained beside Mira.
"Let us leave," he said coldly. "We are done with this cursed planet."
The old man did not respond imdiately.
Instead, he looked at Max for several long monts, his aged eyes carrying a depth that was difficult to read. There was scrutiny there, perhaps even caution, as though he now understood Max was far more dangerous than he had first appeared.
Then, without another word, he turned away.
Edwin, Mira, the old servant, and the remaining mbers of the Sword God Palace soon departed together, disappearing into the distance.
The tension in the air eased slightly after their departure, but everyone present knew one thing clearly.
This matter was far from over.
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