Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100 Chapter 1387 Dark Phoenix and Heavenly Kirin Clan!

Previously on Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100...

Max faced intense questioning from the leaders of the seven major families and thirty-six halls, defending his claim to the sword he subdued by emphasizing its choice and his efforts, while warning that forcing it from him would erode his trust in the Black Dragon Palace. He answered probes into his morals, loyalty, and principles with unflinching honesty, earning a mix of unrest and contemplation among the elders. When Matthew Grimes inquired about confronting the Dark Phoenix Clan and Heavenly Kirin Clan, Max bowed respectfully and declared his readiness to fight their candidates, confidently asserting a high chance of victory against those at the eighth level of the Rebirth Realm if limited to that strength. Despite skepticism from some leaders, Max upheld his record from the Divine Colosseum, and Grimes accepted his request, signaling a bold stand against the rival clans.

The Black Dragon Palace's Battle Arena had filled to the brim well ahead of the impending fight. Outer disciples packed the lower tiers in dense rows, as inner disciples claimed the upper levels, their very aura weighing down the atmosphere around them.

A surge of excitement swept over the spectators, with innumerable eyes glued to the central arena, all awaiting the arrival of the figure who had rattled the whole Verdant Sky Realm.

Accompanied by Lady Virelia, Max stepped into the arena, trailed by Carl and Lucia right behind. As soon as his silhouette emerged at the gateway, a quiet stir coursed through the venue. Murmurs ignited rapidly, stares sharpening and expanding alike while focus zeroed in on him.

Max stayed composed, his face unchanging, but when his eyes scanned the arena, a slight frown creased his forehead. Positioned at the arena's heart next to the seven family heads were two separate factions that triggered an instinctive aversion in him.

A subtle wave of repulsion awakened inside him, faint but undeniable. Max squinted, scrutinizing them closer. Around one faction, dim phoenix fires danced softly, graceful yet foreboding, whereas the other projected a controlled yet commanding presence evoking primordial sacred creatures.

'Could it be their lineage?' Max pondered quietly. The Dark Phoenix Bloodline and the Heavenly Kirin Bloodline formed the Dark Trinity alongside the Black Dragon Chaotic Bloodline, but rather than kinship, his own bloodline reacted with opposition, as though outright denying their being.

"So you're the youth who claimed the Sword Sovereign's blade and sent shivers through the entire Divine Realm?" From the Dark Phoenix Clan advanced a seasoned woman. Her deep purple locks cascaded like smoldering dusk down her spine, and her gaze held an timeless, cutting intensity.

Raven Sunborne, leader of the Dark Phoenix Clan, sized up Max thoroughly, her contempt plain to see. "You don't appear impressive at all. A cultivator at the eighth level of the Divine Rank, still bearing the scent of a newcomer to ascension. Explain to me, how on earth did the sword choose you as its wielder?"

"Maybe I'm just the person the sword was destined to await," Max answered with a subtle grin, his voice casual and unperturbed.

"Destined one?" Raven Sunborne's face soured, her mouth twisting into a icy smirk. "Don't toss around terms like that so casually. Real destined figures are those who dominate their era, rulers who shape destinies. From where I stand, you're merely a novice still adjusting to the Divine Realm."

Max just gave a casual shrug, his poise steady as ever. He'd meant it as a light remark, but evidently, she'd interpreted it with far greater weight than he had.

"Matthew," a resonant tone interrupted, laden with command and frustration. Jeremy Jordan, head of the Heavenly Kirin Clan, at last addressed the matter, his stare locked entirely on Max. In contrast to Raven Sunborne, his attention was keen and straightforward, free of scorn. "Has this young one really accepted our duel or not?"

To him, all other details were irrelevant. The Dragonheart Sword posed an intolerable risk. If it stayed awakened, bonded to a Black Dragon Clan member, the equilibrium of the Dark Trinity would shift perilously. He dreaded the prospect of the Black Dragon Clan eventually surpassing both the Dark Phoenix Clan and the Heavenly Kirin Clan, sword in grasp. That threat alone rendered the blade intolerable.

This urgency had prompted both clans to hold urgent assemblies as soon as the reports circulated. Their verdict came quick and unyielding. The sword needed resealing, thrust back into slumber where it endangered nobody. Past clan disputes, a graver issue loomed.

With the Sword Sovereign's weapon stirring in a lowly third-rate star realm such as the Verdant Sky Realm, it would attract scrutiny from second-rate and first-rate star realms. If those powers arrived, no Dark Trinity Clan could stand against them.

Thus, they gathered here, not just to confront Max, but to banish the sword's influence from existence anew, whatever the price.

Matthew inclined his head with a slight grin, his demeanor serene yet determined as he replied in a firm tone. "Yes, he accepted, though he laid down a firm stipulation right away. The fighters from your two clans he faces can't exceed the eighth level of the Rebirth Realm, since surpassing that would strip away any fairness from the bout."

"The eighth level of the Rebirth Realm?" Clan Head Jeremy echoed, a gradual grin forming on his features as if the request struck him as nearly laughable. "You're well aware of our three clans' customs by now. Disciples from our groups only clash after hitting the Rebirth Realm's pinnacle or above, and due to that custom, the fighters we've picked all sit at the Rebirth Realm's peak or further."

Matthew gave a gentle shake of his head, his voice resolute as he countered promptly. "In that scenario, the fight won't happen, and the duel falls through entirely. Those terms render the pact pointless."

Jeremy's grin dimmed a touch as he eyed Matthew, his forehead creasing in annoyance. "Why make this so difficult, Matthew?" he questioned, a edge of blame in his words. "Are you shielding him just because he aligned with your Grimes Family, or is there more to it?"

Matthew issued a chilly scoff, his gaze intensifying as he locked eyes with Jeremy. "Don't attempt to divert the issue, Jeremy. We both understand your game perfectly. Pitting peak Rebirth Realm disciples against someone merely at the eighth level of the Divine Rank is downright disgraceful. Unless your sent fighters are at or under the eighth level of the Rebirth Realm, the challenge is off, and you can head back empty-handed."

Clan Head Jeremy went quiet, his face growing stormy as his mind raced. He'd planned to deploy peak Rebirth Realm experts to crush Max utterly with raw power, denying any chance of fightback or honor, but now it was obvious that tactic wouldn't slide without resistance.

Following a short silence, a new voice joined the exchange.

"Fine, we'll dispatch two at the eighth level of the Rebirth Realm," declared Clan Head Raven of the Dark Phoenix Clan evenly, her words tinged with grudging acceptance. She added with a soft exhale, "For your information, we'd planned to field two at the Law Awakening Realm originally. We figured their power suited this kind of showdown best—not weak enough for outer disciple ranks, nor elite for core status—but given the circumstances, we'll adjust."