Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100 Chapter 1383 Forces of the Verdant Sky Realm

After traversing the palace's inner passageways, Max and Lucia reached the entrance to Lady Virelia's quarters. The route to her chamber felt hushed and dignified, bordered by ebony rock barriers inscribed with dragon designs that appeared to pulse gently with suppressed might.

Just Max and Lucia had permission to go further, leaving Carl behind to keep watch as the enormous gates gradually sealed shut in their wake.

The interior proved vast but stark, ruled by obsidian crystal columns and a subtle shimmer from shadowy fires that floated steadily through the space. Lady Virelia sat there already, her mere aura weighing down the area with commanding presence. As soon as Max spotted her, he advanced and offered a deep bow of respect.

"Master," Max greeted.

"I approve of your actions from three months back," Lady Virelia stated right away, skipping any small talk. Her eyes pierced steadily yet composedly upon him. "I pay no heed to whatever gossip others spread. You claimed that sword not through fortune or chance, but through your own worthy skill."

Without a break, she went on. "That blade has lingered in the Treasure Hall for over a thousand years. No disciple could so much as lay a finger on it, much less seize it. Your success proves it belongs to you by right. Do you grasp that?"

"Yes, Master," Max answered resolutely. He had never entertained the thought of relinquishing the sword. It had selected him, and since he first held it, the weapon had fused into his journey.

Lady Virelia gave an affirming nod. "Pay no mind to the Seven Main Families of the Black Dragon Palace. Though they dominate this domain and wield vast influence, they lack the audacity to snatch away what a disciple has rightfully drawn from the Treasure Hall."

With composure, she appended, "When dealing with them, simply respond to a handful of inquiries. That's all."

"I'll remember that," Max replied, sensing a portion of his strain lift away.

Lady Virelia's face grew more grave then. "The true problem isn't with our Black Dragon clan. It rests with the remaining two clans in the Verdant Sky Realm."

"The other two clans?" Max inquired, truly puzzled. "Which ones?"

At that instant, Lucia interjected. "Didn't you go through the volume on the Verdant Sky Realm? It details every key power governing our star realm."

Max chuckled dryly. "I got too wrapped up in practice and overlooked reading it," he confessed. He dimly remembered Carl handing him that tome, yet back then, cultivation and readiness had occupied his every moment.

Lady Virelia observed Max quietly for a short while, seemingly assessing not just his power but his readiness to bear the fallout it brought. When she addressed him once more, her tone stayed even and measured, though each phrase bore undeniable weight. "Then you must know now. The sword at your side has drawn the attention of powers stretching far past the Black Dragon Palace. Starting here, staying uninformed will merely court peril."

She stood up gradually from her position and started to elaborate, her stare wandering as though summoning ancient tales forged in bloodshed and inferno. "The Verdant Sky Realm falls under two mighty groups. The first goes by the Divine Four Clans, made up of the Azure Dragon Clan, the White Tiger Clan, the Black Tortoise Clan, and the Golden Phoenix Clan. These lineages preserve time-honored righteous teachings and pose as the protectors of harmony across the star realm."

Her gaze intensified a touch. "Standing against them stand the Dark Trinity Clans. Among them are our Black Dragon Clan, the Dark Phoenix Clan, and the Heavenly Kirin Clan. Though branded as shadowy by the Divine Four, that label stems from beliefs, not ethics. Our approaches vary, our routes split apart, and thus clashes between the factions have proven unavoidable."

Lady Virelia halted briefly, letting Max take in the burden of her words. "Across the ages, the Divine Four Clans and the Dark Trinity Clans have battled endlessly. Vast stellar zones bear the marks of their conflicts, and whole eras have unfolded under the gloom of these struggles. Even so, a tenuous harmony holds back full-scale warfare from breaking out constantly."

She pressed on at a measured pace, her voice shifting to reflective. "Inside the Dark Trinity Clans, though, a firm accord has always prevailed. The Black Dragon Clan, the Dark Phoenix Clan, and the Heavenly Kirin Clan don't just share space. They operate as partners tied by common goals and endurance. This bond has maintained our faction's solidarity amid the Divine Four's assaults."

A quiet breath slipped from her as she arrived at the core issue. "What you've done has shaken that harmony. Claiming the Sword Sovereign's blade has rattled the other two clans in the Dark Trinity. Their discomfort arises not from the sword's loss, but from it falling to a Black Dragon Clan disciple."

Her eyes fixed back on Max, keen and searching. "To them, it signals a change. The Sword Sovereign commanded respect and dread throughout the Divine Realm, and his weapon holds sway beyond simple might. Now, the Dark Phoenix Clan and the Heavenly Kirin Clan worry that the Black Dragon Clan could seize a decisive edge, and that dread threatens to shatter the shaky alliance."

In a subdued, unwavering tone, she wrapped up. "Intended or otherwise, your ascent has already started to alter the power flows of the Verdant Sky Realm. From now on, each move you make will face scrutiny, evaluation, and verdict from entities that abhor instability."

Max's brow furrowed sharply as Lady Virelia's account sank into his thoughts. This had never been his aim. He hadn't chased sway, nor aimed to upset the shaky equilibrium of the Verdant Sky Realm.

He'd only desired a sword that harmonized with his way, a weapon that wouldn't break under his force or fail him in combat. But that one decision had already dragged him into a tangle of rivalries dwarfing his own scale. He exhaled deliberately, calming his mind, before at last expressing the uncertainty brewing within him.

"So that's the reason for my summons," Max stated, his voice steady yet tinged with discomfort. "Not just to face trial for claiming the sword, but because the palace plans to position me against the other two Dark Trinity powers. Right?"