Lord Arckin let out a slow sigh before answering. "Among all the geniuses cultivated on our Ascension Planet, Adam is the most outstanding. Yet he was never chosen by the top forces, including the Black Dragon Academy. Although we are technically affiliated with the Black Dragon Palace, that does not mean our Warrior Academy can be compared to the Black Dragon Academy, which stands as the highest institution directly under the control of the seven main families."

He continued, his expression turning thoughtful. "I once believed Adam possessed enough talent to enter the Black Dragon Academy, but he was rejected. Now, a mortal who only recently ascended has been chosen to become Lady Virelia's true disciple. I cannot help but find this situation rather absurd."

Lord Arckin leaned back slightly before concluding, "That is why I want Adam to test Max's strength. Arrange a friendly battle between them. I want to personally see the full potential of someone whom Lady Virelia herself selected."

"As you command, my lord," Shuko replied with a respectful nod before turning and leaving the hall immediately to carry out the order.

----

Ron led Max away from the grand hall and toward his living quarters, guiding him through long corridors until they arrived at a private residence that left Max genuinely stunned.

The living chamber was far larger than anything he had ever lived in before, spacious enough to feel like a small estate rather than a personal residence.

Beyond the main structure lay a wide garden designed specifically for cultivation and training, its ground reinforced and saturated with gentle streams of Divine Essence that flowed naturally through the air.

Max chose to sit cross legged in the center of the garden, closing his eyes as he turned his focus inward. "My mana has fully stabilized with the Divine Essence of the Divine Realm," he muttered quietly, sensing the smooth and steady circulation within his body. "And I am already close to breaking through to the seventh level of Divine Rank."

Despite feeling the threshold of advancement within reach, Max did not rush to force a breakthrough by devouring peak Divine Rank beast cores. He understood that recklessly increasing his cultivation without understanding the laws of this realm could lead to wasted potential.

Instead, Max chose patience. He wanted to understand how cultivation truly worked in the Divine Realm before advancing further, because he was certain that there were methods far superior to using beast cores from the mortal realms.

In a place where Divine Essence was abundant and refined, it was only natural that cultivators relied on different resources and techniques to grow stronger.

Max believed that once he found and used those methods, his strength would rise far more efficiently than if he continued relying on remnants of mortal realm cultivation.

For the rest of the day, Max focused on refining control over all of his concepts at the fifth level, carefully stabilizing their fluctuations as they interacted with the dense Divine Essence surrounding him.

He allowed each concept to resonate gently with the environment, observing how they behaved under these new conditions and ensuring that none of them erupted uncontrollably. Time passed quietly in this manner, and before he realized it, the day had already come to an end.

The next day, Max decided to visit the Warrior Academy that Lord Arckin had mentioned. Beyond following the recommendation, Max was also curious to see the level of geniuses gathered there.

From what he could infer, the academy's disciples were likely all ascended mortals, just like himself, since the planet they were on was an Ascension Planet.

In his eyes, the Warrior Academy felt similar in purpose to the Divine Colosseum, though far more refined and humane, because both existed to nurture and evaluate talents before recruiting them into the seven main families and other high level forces under the Black Dragon Palace.

The Warrior Academy stood not far from Lord Arckin's mansion, and Max reached it without difficulty, his pace unhurried as he approached the expansive grounds. The academy itself was lively, filled with movement and voices, and the moment Max stepped closer, he could see countless young ascendants walking around, training, or gathering in groups.

"There are too many young people here," Max muttered quietly as he observed them. "It seems the academy only admits young ascendants who still possess potential, instead of older ones who have already exhausted everything they could achieve within the Divine Rank."

From the atmosphere alone, it was clear that this place was designed to nurture growth rather than simply house veterans who had long stagnated.

Max passed through the entrance of the Warrior Academy without encountering any obstruction and soon arrived at the central grounds, where the density of Divine Essence felt slightly more refined.

Before he could take more than a few steps, a sudden shout rang out behind him.

"Hey, are not you the one who defeated the Grim Gladiator?" one of the academy's disciples exclaimed loudly, pointing straight at Max with a look of shock on his face.

That single outburst was enough to draw attention, and soon many others turned their heads toward Max, recognition flashing across their faces one after another.

"It really is him, his name is Max if I remember correctly," someone whispered, their tone filled with disbelief.

"Why is he here in the Warrior Academy when this place is owned by the Grims Family?" Another disciple frowned and added, "I thought he would end up joining the Heron Family, considering the Divine Colosseum belongs to them."

Quiet murmurs spread rapidly as curiosity and speculation took over, with many wondering why such a figure had appeared in the Warrior Academy instead of one of the more obvious destinations.

"You are Max, right?" a voice suddenly said from the front, cutting through the murmurs. A young man stepped forward arrogantly, his posture confident and his gaze filled with undisguised disdain.

His aura was strong and oppressive, belonging to someone who had already stepped into the 4th level of Rebirth Realm, though Max himself could not directly perceive the exact depth of his cultivation.

Max turned toward him calmly and nodded. "I am."

"So you are the one who defeated the Grim Gladiator and became the talk of countless Ascension Planets," the young man sneered, looking Max up and down with clear contempt. "But I do not believe in your strength at all. A mere sixth level Divine Rank cultivator achieving such a feat makes no sense. I wonder what kind of mistake the Divine Colosseum made this time."

His lips curled into a mocking smile as he continued, "My name is Raj. I am one of the senior disciples of the Warrior Academy, and I will expose your true strength for everyone to see."

The moment those words left his mouth, Raj moved. He lunged forward suddenly, his speed sharp and aggressive, as his fist ignited with blazing red flames that surged violently around his arm. Without hesitation, he drove the flaming punch straight toward Max, intent on proving his superiority in front of the gathered disciples.

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