Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100 Chapter 1384 Objective of the other two clans

Lady Virelia fixed her steady gaze on Max as she spoke, her words laced with a gravity that hinted at layers far beyond basic political strain. "You've only caught the basics of it, yet the full picture extends much further," she declared. "The Dark Phoenix Clan and the Heavenly Kirin Clan have already taken action. From their younger ranks, each has dispatched a challenger to confront you outright. The terms couldn't be clearer. Should you fall in defeat, the Dragonheart Sword faces resealing and a return to its dormant spot, untouched across millennia."

A faint sneer curled Max's lips at her revelation, while a chill sparked in his eyes. "Even should I suffer a loss," he murmured deliberately, "do they really imagine that the Black Dragon Clan would abandon that sword forever? Do they suppose the weapon would lose all purpose after finally tasting combat anew?"

"The matter isn't so straightforward," Lady Virelia countered, her head shaking gently. "I'm certain you've felt it already. That blade isn't some inert tool. It holds its own spirit and awareness. Without recognizing a wielder as genuinely deserving, it stays as mere ornate steel in others' grasp. Raw strength falls short of rousing it."

After a short pause, she pressed on with a soft exhale. "Why do you suppose the Black Dragon Clan held back from claiming that sword until now? Why was it left in the Treasure Hall for countless ages? Do you think we ever ran short of mighty experts to test it?"

Max's eyes flared open a touch as the realization hit. "Don't say that everyone among you..."

"Indeed," Lady Virelia affirmed, voicing his silent deduction. "None prevailed. Through the eras, elder upon elder sought to command the Dragonheart Sword. Some aimed to crush it by sheer might, while others pursued harmony via blood ties and cultivation paths, yet the sword rejected them all. Ultimately, we bowed to the decree of the Dragonheart Sword Sovereign himself. We housed the sword in the Treasure Hall, restricting it to the grasp of a Black Dragon Palace disciple alone, in faith that a fitting heir would one day emerge."

Once again, her eyes settled on Max, serene but burdened with anticipation, as the veiled reality lingered starkly in the air between them.

"I understand now—their real aim is to ensure the Dragonheart Sword stays unused eternally," Max remarked with a subtle grin, his voice even but tinged with subtle rebellion.

Lady Virelia inclined her head gradually, her face serene. "Exactly their objective. If seizing it by power proves impossible, they'd prefer eternal lockdown over letting it emblemize the Black Dragon Clan's supremacy."

Max's gaze sharpened a fraction as he pondered her statement, then he queried in a firm tone, "But what happens if they stumble? If I overcome all the challengers they dispatch?"

A faint curve touched Lady Virelia's mouth. "Then they'd be forced to accept you, and through you, the Black Dragon Clan's command. The equilibrium among the Dark Trinity Clans would tilt, and their tentative pact would firm up anew, placing our clan at the helm as its guiding force."

Her grin dissolved into graver lines as she went on. "Never downplay the trials to come. For three whole months, they've watched you closely, collected every bit of intel at hand, and tailored their contenders to match. They won't approach casually, nor will they echo old errors."

"We'll see about that," Max responded, his grin intensifying instead of waning. No trace of haughtiness marked his bearing, just serene assurance. The prowess he'd unveiled three months prior in the Divine Colosseum offered only a shallow peek at his might, a mere echo of his full arsenal, and the notion that foes thought they'd gauged his limits entirely only heightened the thrill of the impending clash in his view.

For an instant, Max's mind shadowed before he shared the notion, his stare unwavering. "And the Heron Family? They harbor intense resentment toward me. Won't they attempt to cause chaos here?"

Lady Virelia replied promptly, her tone even and confident. "Give them no worry. The Heron Family ranks as just one of the seven primary houses. They don't dominate the Black Dragon Palace in isolation, nor can they move without repercussions. Any foul play from them would draw the ire of the entire Black Dragon Palace, and our Grimes Family would never stand by passively."

Her assurance eased Max's doubts. He dipped his head thoughtfully, his look resolute. "In that case, let's bring this to a close."

"Should you feel prepared," Lady Virelia noted while rising from her chair, "we'll head to the grand chamber now."

Max got to his feet too, and alongside Lucia, they trailed Lady Virelia along the palace's inner passages. With each stride, the way broadened and took on greater gravity, the atmosphere thickening with an unseen weight that intensified as they drew nearer.

Towering portals etched with timeless dragon designs creaked open ahead, and upon passing through, Max sensed he'd entered the core of the whole Verdant Sky Realm.

The grand hall sprawled immensely, its roof soaring into obscurity amid vast black dragon carvings twisting through swirling dark fire clouds. Up front, enthroned on lofty seats of jet and gold, presided the seven patriarchs of the Black Dragon Palace's chief families.

From each emanated a crushing aura that weighed on the spirit, not via overt aggression but via the vast authority forged across endless years. Their stares stayed placid, keen, and unavoidable, as if one look could slice right into one's mind.

Trailing the seven patriarchs were lines of elder presences, each a figure hailed as an unmatched titan elsewhere in the Divine Realm. Their faces differed—some intrigued, some detached, some subtly frosty—yet all exuded the essence of prolonged cultivation and myriad conflicts endured.

Deeper in, in neat formation, stood the commanders of the Black Dragon Palace's thirty-six halls, the keystones managing its routine affairs and steering its myriad pupils. Their vibe added yet another stratum of intensity, milder than the patriarchs' but equally commanding.

While advancing at Lady Virelia and Lucia's side, Max detected myriad stares converging from all sides. Some sparked curiosity, others probing, and several hid open animosity.

Still, Max held his stance upright and his face tranquil, knowing full well this chamber served not just as a court of reckoning but as the arena where his position in the Black Dragon Palace—and maybe the broader Verdant Sky Realm—would start to forge itself.