The moment he did, both sides of the valley reacted violently. Waves of fire roared higher, and blizzards swept outward like furious storms. The heat scorched his left side, the cold bit deep into his right, and the opposing energies clashed in the center of his body, testing his strength and balance.

Max didn't move. His expression remained calm, his aura steady. The red lightning around his body flickered faintly as he used the Storm King's Inheritance to stabilize the two conflicting forces. Slowly, he began walking deeper into the valley, step by step.

The deeper he went, the more intense the balance became. It was like walking on the edge between two worlds—one of eternal fire and one of endless ice. Yet Max could feel something in that tension, something he had never sensed before.

"Flame and frost… destruction and stillness," he whispered softly, his eyes gleaming faintly. "Perhaps the key to this trial isn't in resisting them, but in understanding how they coexist."

As Max advanced along the blackened path that cut through the clash of flame and frost, the air around him began to stir with faint tremors of spiritual energy. The deeper he went, the more the atmosphere shifted—what had first felt like wild elemental chaos now pulsed with the steady rhythm of countless cultivators' auras.

He slowed his pace, his gaze sharpening. Ahead, through the thick haze of steam and drifting embers, faint silhouettes began to appear. At first, there were only a few—figures standing on different edges of the valley, observing the violent balance of heat and cold. But as he walked closer, dozens of them came into view.

The Valley of Frozen Ash was not empty.

All across the rocky terrain, platforms of stone and ice had formed naturally, acting as resting points between the waves of flame and frost. Upon each platform stood one or more figures, each cloaked in a unique aura that rippled faintly with elemental energy.

These were the geniuses from the countless worlds who had entered the Heavenly Lord Secret Domain—the chosen ones of their realms, all drawn to this trial by the same desire to master the extremes of flame and ice.

Some meditated cross-legged on floating ice, surrounded by thin veils of frost energy that formed protective shells around them. Others trained fiercely in the air, weaving techniques that emitted streams of scarlet fire or azure snow. The valley pulsed with movement, tension, and fierce intent.

"This many geniuses…" Max murmured under his breath, scanning the crowd with calm curiosity. His Three Dimensional Body expanded quietly, mapping every aura, every fluctuation of power around him.

Most were at the peak of the Mythic Rank, though several among them stood out—each surrounded by an aura that trembled faintly with divine resonance. These few were either touching the threshold of Divine Rank.

"They're strong," Max noted silently. "Far stronger than the ones I faced in the inner region."

As his gaze swept further, he noticed a few familiar auras among them—ones he recognized instantly. There were geniuses from his own world here, faces he had seen before during the gathering of the Four God Nations. They stood together on one of the higher ridges, watching the elemental storm at the valley's core.

He recognized one of them immediately—Seraphina from the Phoenix God Nation, her crimson hair glowing faintly under the reflection of the valley's flames. She looked composed, her aura radiating a refined fire energy that harmonized naturally with the burning side of the valley.

A few meters away from her stood Victor of the Azure Dragon God Nation, his body surrounded by faint blue scales as he cultivated within the chill of the frost.

"So they made it here too," Max said quietly, his expression unreadable.

But his attention was soon drawn elsewhere. Near the center of the valley stood another group—figures he didn't recognize but whose presence was far more oppressive. Their crowns glimmered faintly above their heads, golden in color. At least five of them bore golden crowns, each one representing a genius acknowledged by the Heavenly Lord Secret Domain itself.

A faint smirk tugged at Max's lips. "So this trial attracted the crowned ones as well."

He stepped forward, descending from the ridge and landing lightly on a cracked stone platform at the valley's entrance. His arrival didn't go unnoticed. Several geniuses turned their heads at once, their expressions shifting when they saw the faint golden light hovering above his head—not one, but two golden crowns gleaming faintly in the dim light.

Murmurs spread almost instantly.

"Two crowns?" someone whispered in disbelief.

"That's him," another voice said, tone low but sharp. "The one from the Mirror Lake. The one who destroyed the entire trial field."

"I thought that was just a rumor…"

Max ignored their stares entirely, his gaze fixed on the central region of the valley. The path ahead led toward a colossal formation etched into the ground—a spiral of fire and frost intertwined, glowing with crimson and azure light. That, without question, was the heart of the trial.

The geniuses already standing before it were gathering in clusters, each one assessing their opponents while waiting for the trial to activate. Some were clearly rivals, glaring at one another with cold hostility. Others exchanged quiet words, forming temporary alliances.

Max walked through them silently, the pressure of his aura spreading faintly across the air. Conversations died as he passed. Some cultivators stepped back instinctively, unwilling to provoke him, while others looked on with curiosity, gauging the man who carried two golden crowns.

Reaching the foot of the formation, Max stopped and crossed his arms, his expression calm as he looked at the geniuses from his own world. Aside from Seraphina, there were three other geniuses present here.

"Max, you are here too." Victor came smiling to him wrapping his hand around Max's shoulder. "I have been hearing about a certain genius so feared that he had two golden crown atop his head. I can't believe that someone is you."

At this moment, two other figures along with Seraphina came to him too. They were Chris and Christine, the twins stars of the Four God Nation.

"It's nice to see some familiar faces here." Max said to them with a smile.

The others nodded.

"Are you here for the trial as well Max?" Seraphina asked curiously.

Max nodded. "I want my flame concept to reach 4th level and I guess the same is with you."

Seraphina also nodded. She was from the Phoenix God Nation and they specialized in flames. So, it wasn't surprising to see her here.

As for the twin stars, well, they were the twin stars of the Four God Nation, a star of flames and a star of ice... a perfect place for them to be.

What did surprise Max, though, was the presence of Victor here...

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