"Elder Heng, asking about personal abilities of soone isn’t nice. You should stop that," Elder Drew said in a commanding tone, his voice slicing through the air with a rare sharpness. He stood firmly in front of Max, his eyes locked on the serene yet unsettling figure of the Bright Buddha Palace elder.
There was no trace of his earlier relaxed deanor. His stance, his expression, even the subtle pressure in his voice made it clear—he was no longer speaking as a bystander, but as a protector.
After all, the people of the Bright Buddha Palace were not just respected for their strength across the Middle Domain, but revered for their reputation—gentle, kind, and magnanimous. That was their image, the one they had cultivated for countless generations.
But now, one of their very elders stood interrogating a junior—his eyes intense, his tone pressing, his presence overbearing. Elder Drew couldn’t help but be suspicious. Why such fixation? Why now?
"Elder Drew... I said I want to know what ability Max used to defeat Noah." Elder Heng’s voice ca again, calm but rigid, his gaze now locked directly with Drew’s like two ancient swords crossing in stillness before the inevitable clash.
There was no smile, no serenity—just raw focus, as if the answer to that question mattered more than the entire battle itself.
"Heng Preacher!" Elder Drew’s expression finally cracked with fury. His voice thundered, startling even the air. "You are an elder of the Bright Buddha Palace—then act like one! This behavior, this tone, this pressure upon a junior... it is beneath soone of your stature. I am warning you, not as an equal, but as the representative of the Great Ruler Empire—if you dare cross that line again, I will not be this polite next ti."
The ground beneath them seed to still. Even Lyra, Max and Noah who had remained silent found themselves holding their breath. Tension sparked in the air like flint ready to ignite.
One word from either side... and things would spiral out of control.
"Alright, before this matter escalates any further, I’ll just answer Elder Heng’s question," Max’s calm and steady voice rang out, cutting through the heavy atmosphere like a breeze slicing through smoke.
His tone held no fear, no arrogance—just clarity. Everyone turned to look at him, surprised by the composure in his voice despite standing between two titans on the verge of clashing.
"You don’t have to," Elder Drew said imdiately, his eyes still fixed on Elder Heng. His voice held a quiet but firm assurance, the kind that left no room for doubt.
He wasn’t just saying it to protect Max—he ant it. Completely. There wasn’t a single thread of hesitation in his words. As the First Elder of the Great Ruler Empire, he didn’t fear Elder Heng, or any other elder from the so-called seven overlord forces. Not even for a mont.
He stood tall, like an unshakeable mountain between Max and the pressing gaze of the Buddha Palace’s elder. The weight of decades of experience, battles, and authority settled on his shoulders like a mantle of pride and power. His aura didn’t surge outward, it didn’t need to.
He had been forged in the era when the Great Ruler Empire was undisputed in the Middle Domain. An era when the empire’s na alone could cause entire forces to lower their heads.
He wasn’t the First Elder of the empire for nothing. Nor did he need to prove anything to anyone here. He simply believed—firmly, unshakably—that Max didn’t owe anyone an answer, especially not to soone who used force to demand it.
Max shook his head slowly, the tension in the air making it hard to breathe. "I don’t want this matter to escalate any further because of ," he said softly, his voice carrying both exhaustion and resolve.
He let out a quiet sigh before turning his gaze to Elder Heng, whose expression hadn’t shifted in the slightest. "The ability I used just now... it’s from my class, Blood Berserker. It’s called Rumbling. It boosts my strength drastically, but only for a few seconds. I can’t maintain it for long. It’s a last resort kind of thing."
Elder Heng didn’t blink. He didn’t flinch. He just stared straight into Max’s eyes like he was staring through every lie Max had ever told. "You can’t fool , kid," the old man said, his voice like still water hiding a current of thunder underneath.
Max’s heart skipped a beat. Sothing in that gaze, in those words, made his body tighten on instinct. He didn’t even notice the faint tremble in his fingers.
"The way of Buddha is benevolent, calm, and pure," Elder Heng continued, voice steady as stone. "But the ability you used just now... that was malevolent. Pure evil. A darkness that stands in direct opposition to everything we believe in. In that mont, the aura you released reminded of the Nulls. Those corrupted, forgotten beings. It reminded of the Ascendants... and even worse, it was darker than theirs. More twisted. More vile. I’ve lived a long life, and I’ve fought those things in the deepest voids this world dares not speak of... and what I felt from you—" he paused, his voice low and weighty, "—was worse."
A silence settled over the clearing, heavy and suffocating.
"And you know," Elder Heng continued, narrowing his eyes slightly, "our path, the path of the Buddha, exists to erase such evil from this world. We exist to cleanse it with purity and silence it with light."
He stepped closer, each word growing colder. "So rember this. I don’t have the proof yet. I don’t know exactly what dwells inside you... but if I ever confirm that you truly carry that evil within—" he raised his hand, not to strike, but to point, "—then the Buddha himself shall pass judgnt through my hands."
His words echoed through the clearing like a divine verdict. And for a mont, Max felt like the weight of the sky had settled on his shoulders.
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