Max looked at the three figures standing before him, and his expression slowly turned extremely solemn. The moment they appeared, an invisible pressure descended upon him, pressing down on both his mind and body at the same time.

It was not something tangible that could be blocked or dodged, but a suffocating presence that made even breathing feel heavier than before. The pressure was overwhelming to say the least, and for a brief moment, Max had to stabilize his stance just to remain standing calmly.

'Are they doing this intentionally, or is this simply the natural pressure of someone who stands far higher in the Divine Realm facing someone who is still considered a mortal,' Max wondered silently as his eyes swept over them.

"You did well," Malissa said at last, her voice smooth yet venomous, each word carrying an underlying hostility that was impossible to miss. "You will make a good soldier for the Heron Family."

Max raised an eyebrow slowly, his gaze sharp as it settled on her. "Did I ever say that I am joining the Heron Family?" he asked flatly.

Malissa sneered faintly, as if the answer was obvious. "Everyone who defeats the Grim Gladiator joins the Heron Family. You are no exception."

"Are you serious?" Max frowned as anger flickered in his eyes. "As far as I know, defeating the Grim Gladiator grants freedom. That freedom includes the right to join any force of my choosing."

Malissa shrugged casually, her expression filled with arrogance. "And you are joining a force, are you not? You are simply joining the Heron Family."

At that moment, anger truly began to boil within Max. He had expected manipulation, perhaps even pressure, but he had not expected such blatant shamelessness. His jaw tightened as he looked straight at her.

"Are all members of the Heron Family as shameless as you?" Max blurted out, his sneer clear and unrestrained.

"You," Malissa exclaimed, genuine shock flashing across her face. She had never imagined that a mere mortal would dare speak to her like this, let alone openly insult her to her face. Her disbelief quickly turned into fury.

"Do not think that just because you defeated the Grim Gladiator, you stand above him," she said coldly, her sneer deepening as her aura surged outward without restraint.

In an instant, the pressure around Max multiplied violently. It felt as if an invisible mountain had been dropped onto his shoulders, crushing down on him from all directions. His bones creaked faintly, his muscles screamed in protest, and even his thoughts slowed under the overwhelming force.

Max clenched his fists as he endured it, fully aware that if he allowed this pressure to continue for even a few more seconds, his body might truly be crushed under the sheer might she was unleashing.

Looking at Max's condition, Malissa sneered with cold satisfaction, her gaze filled with contempt as she watched him struggle under the crushing pressure.

"How about it?" she asked slowly, her voice dripping with mockery. "Have you finally changed your mind and decided to join the Heron Family?"

Max's eyes had turned bloodshot from the immense pressure bearing down on him. It felt as though his body was being torn apart from the inside while his bones were being crushed from the outside at the same time. His breathing grew heavy, his vision blurred, and every instinct in his body screamed at him to submit, yet the rage burning in his heart refused to extinguish.

"Fuck you, bitch," Max spat hoarsely, his voice filled with defiance. Even in this state, he knew one thing with absolute certainty, which was that he would rather die than bow his head to the Heron Family after what she had done.

"You," Malissa shouted, her fury finally exploding as her composure shattered completely. Her eyes burned with killing intent as she raised her hand, power gathering rapidly as she prepared to strike Max down where he stood.

At that very moment, space itself seemed to ripple, and a figure appeared in the air between them. Lord Arckin moved faster than sight, reaching Max and pulling him away in a single motion before Malissa's attack could land.

The crushing pressure vanished instantly, and Max felt his body relax as if a mountain had been lifted off his shoulders. Air rushed back into his lungs, strength slowly returning to his limbs as he steadied himself. He looked up at the man who had intervened, recognition flashing through his eyes as relief washed over him.

"Malissa, I will be taking Max away," Lord Arckin said calmly, a faint smile on his face as he stood protectively beside Max.

"You dare?" Malissa screamed, her voice trembling with both rage and shock. She had never imagined that the Grims Family had already set their sights on Max, and seeing Lord Arckin here confirmed her worst fears.

"Max has already been recruited by Lady Virelia," Lord Arckin replied evenly. "It is only a matter of time before he becomes her true disciple."

"What?" Malissa exclaimed, her face contorting in disbelief. "No, you cannot take him away. He became a member of the Heron Family the moment he defeated the Grim Gladiator."

"Fuck you, bitch," Max cursed again, raising his hand and showing her his middle finger without the slightest hesitation. "Even if I once had the slightest thought of joining the Heron Family, after what you just did to me, I will never join your family."

Malissa stood frozen, her expression twisted with rage and disbelief, while Max's gaze burned with hatred. In that moment, she became the first person in the Divine Realm whom Max truly despised.

The memory of her using overwhelming pressure to force him into submission carved itself deeply into his heart, and he knew that no matter how much time passed, he would never forget what she had done to him inside the Divine Colosseum.

"You brat, how dare you speak to me like that!" Malissa screamed as her rage finally erupted without restraint, her palm thrusting forward as a violent surge of energy tore through the air toward Max with murderous intent.

The blast distorted the space it passed through, carrying enough power to annihilate a Rebirth Realm cultivator instantly, yet before it could even reach him, Lord Arckin calmly raised his hand. With a simple motion, the incoming force shattered and dispersed like smoke struck by a strong wind, dissolving into nothingness without leaving the slightest trace behind.

"Arckin, you dare protect him from me," Malissa shouted, her voice shaking with fury as disbelief twisted her features. "He dared to insult me. I will punish him myself. Hand this brat over to me right now."

Her eyes burned with hatred as she continued, her tone turning cold and domineering. "Max is the property of the Heron Family. You have no right to take him away."

"Oh, I do," Lord Arckin replied with a faint smile, his demeanor unhurried as he placed a reassuring hand on Max's shoulder. In the next moment, the two of them began to rise into the air, their figures lifting slowly yet decisively above the arena floor.

"Arckin, do you dare," Malissa roared as she watched them ascend, her composure crumbling completely. "This is the direct order of my father. Max must be brought to the Heron Family. If you take him away, you will be openly defying my father, one of the seven leaders of the Black Dragon Palace."

Lord Arckin paused midair and turned his head slightly, looking back at her with calm indifference. "Did you forget, Malissa," he said evenly, his voice carrying clearly through the arena. "I belong to the Grims Family, not the Heron Family. Your father holds no authority over me."

With those words, he turned away, and his figure rose higher, carrying Max with him toward the open sky above the Divine Colosseum.

As they were about to disappear from view, Max twisted his head back, his voice suddenly echoing across the entire Divine Colosseum, filled with cold resolve and unrestrained hatred. "You bitch, remember what you did to me today. I will return this to you a hundredfold in the future."

With that final declaration, both Max and Lord Arckin vanished from sight, leaving behind a shaken Divine Colosseum, a furious Malissa standing below, and the lingering certainty that this conflict was far from over.

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