Chapter 229 A Shocking News
'I should master this skill to a high level before learning the Point Break Sword,' Max mused, carefully studying the skill.
He closed his eyes, letting the skill's essence settle deeply into his mind.
Dark, mist-like energy rose around him as he began practicing Void Cloak repeatedly.
Each repetition refined his understanding, making the skill smoother, stronger, and more natural.
Time flowed differently here, slow and deliberate.
Minutes became hours.
Hours turned into days.
Days stretched into years.
Max's mastery over Void Cloak grew steadily, relentlessly.
He trained without pause, pushing himself further, deeper, and closer to perfection taking its level higher and higher.
It wasn't until eight years had passed that Max finally stopped.
At this point, his Void Cloak skill had reached Level 90.
A nearly impossible feat, yet he'd done it with surprising ease.
'It's amazing how quickly I increased the level of Void Cloak,' Max mused, recalling what the Black Lotus guild leader had said—
That his black flames would allow him to master it to an extraordinary level.
And he wasn't wrong.
Not even slightly.
A faint smile crossed Max's lips. Confidence surged through him.
'Hehe, good. Now it's time to train the Point Break Sword.'
He drew his sword, its blade gleaming sharply in the white expanse around him.
Without hesitation, he began to train.
Time flowed on.
Slowly, steadily—
Almost 23 years passed in the Dimension of Time.
Finally, Max opened his eyes.
They held a calm, profound depth.
Power emanated subtly from his every breath.
He stepped out of the dimension, returning to the world he'd left behind.
Now, he was ready.
"Knock! Knock!"
Just at that moment, a knock sounded on his door.
Max knew—
It was time for the battle.
"Coming," he called out calmly.
He walked over and opened the door, revealing Raymond standing outside.
"Elder Lucas is calling you," Raymond said.
But his expression quickly turned into a frown as he sensed no increase in Max's strength.
He had expected Max to use some treasures, at least pushing himself to the peak of Apprentice Rank.
Yet here he stood, still a mere level 7 Apprentice Rank.
Max caught the hint of disappointment in Raymond's eyes.
He understood the older man's concern, but he had his reasons.
It wasn't as if he didn't think about increasing his level to 10.
In fact, he could've done so effortlessly using the treasures he'd stolen from the temple.
But he had chosen not to.
Truth was, Max had leveled up far too quickly in the Apprentice Rank, rocketing from level 1 straight to level 7.
And the rapid jump from level 4 to 7 using treasures left him uneasy.
He felt wary of pushing it further—
Of growing too reliant on external resources.
Max wanted to reach levels 8 and 9 naturally.
Then, and only then, would he use treasures to leap straight into level 10 and break through into Adept Rank.
But—
For now, he'd take things slow.
He'd stabilize his foundation first.
No rush.
He trusted his own pace more than anything.
"Follow me. I'll take you outside. Everyone is waiting," Raymond said calmly, turning around and leading Max through the winding corridors of the villa.
Max nodded and followed quietly, thoughts heavy on his mind.
Soon, they stepped outside.
Max froze for a moment, eyes widening slightly.
Hundreds of thousands of people had gathered at the villa's boundary.
The crowd was like a dense ocean, stretching as far as he could see.
Cheers, murmurs, and whispers mixed into a deafening buzz.
Above, countless camera drones buzzed around like insects, filling the sky with tiny black dots, capturing every angle, every moment.
"Damn," Max muttered under his breath. "Seems like the entire East Region decided to show up."
He'd almost forgotten his newfound popularity while training quietly in that timeless white world.
Now reality hit him full force.
All eyes were on him.
But Max soon noticed something strange.
Despite the overwhelming crowd and countless drones, none of them could get close.
They hovered just beyond an invisible barrier, restrained by some unseen force.
"Max, you're here."
Envoy Lucas approached with a warm smile on his face.
Max nodded, keeping his composure. "How much time do I have left?"
"Around six hours," Envoy Lucas answered calmly.
Max nodded again, mind already preparing.
"Are you confident?" Aurelia asked abruptly, stepping forward.
Her golden eyes pierced into him, searching for something deeper.
Max shrugged slightly, honest. "I don't know."
It was the truth.
He had no idea how strong Evan would be in his Null transformation.
The memory of Veylin's overwhelming power still haunted him.
That brutal beating was etched deeply in his mind.
He wasn't sure how this battle would unfold.
Not at all.
But one thing he knew for certain—
He would fight with everything he had.
No holding back.
No regrets.
"Hehe, don't think too much."
Ralph suddenly appeared, his deep voice warm and reassuring.
"Just do your best. If you lose, I'll do everything in my power to get you out of here—to someplace safe."
Max nodded gratefully. "Uncle Ralph, thank you. I really appreciate it."
He had no doubts.
The Thorne family were true allies, just as his sister had mentioned.
Their friendship was a real bond—unbreakable, genuine.
"I have news," came a sharp voice.
Kate flew down from the sky, landing gracefully before them.
Her face was grave, eyes serious.
"I just received word," she said, her tone solemn. "The Ascendants once approached Monarch for an Ascension Ceremony—just like Max's—for Veylin. However, the Young Monarch didn't let things escalate and instead forced Veylin to be a part of Ascendants."
Max's eyes widened in shock. "You mean Veylin's Null transformation was given to him by the Ascendants? They can actually do that? Give humans the power of Nulls—the power to transform into Nulls?"
Disbelief surged through him.
And he wasn't alone.
Shock rippled across the faces of all the leaders present.
No one had believed this possible.
Granting humans the power of Nulls was like bargaining with the devil himself.
The implications were terrifying.
"This is bad—very bad," Envoy Lucas muttered, his expression darkening. "The Ascendants are targeting top geniuses, forcing them to join their ranks. Their choice of Max wasn't because of fame, but simply because he's strong enough to enter their radar."
He paused, frowning deeper.
"But what puzzles me is why they're acting now. They've been silent all these years. Why they suddenly started recruiting geniuses? What's changed?"
His voice was heavy with concern.
As if to answer his question, the sky slowly began to rip apart.
A thin, jagged line stretched across the heavens, glowing with an eerie light.
The world seemed to hold its breath.
Then, with a shudder that rattled the air itself, the crack widened.
A rift in reality.
Beyond the breach lay a darkness that defied comprehension—a void deeper than night, more suffocating than the deepest ocean.
"They are here." Aurelia looked at the sky her expression dark.
Soon, from within the dark abyss, figures began to emerge.
One, two, three… their forms slithered out of the void like shadows given life.
Then, all at once, they surged forth.
Dozens. Hundreds.
They were here once again.
The Ascendants had come.
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