Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100 Chapter 1469 Rewards!

"You did good."

Warmth filled Lady Virelia's voice as she advanced, her graceful silhouette coming into view before Max, adorned with a beaming smile she made no effort to hide. Those eyes, typically embodying serene and detached command, now gleamed with evident delight.

Max bowed his head in respect. "Thanks for the praise, Master."

His voice stayed even, but true appreciation shone through. Though he'd earned the breakthrough via his hard work and the Chaos Tree's strength, he knew Lady Virelia's teachings and safeguards had been essential for him to reach this assured position.

Once their short conversation wrapped up, Max sensed an odd shift.

An eerie stillness had settled over the area beyond the second trial's barrier. The lively chatter from earlier had vanished into a thick quiet. He raised his eyes a bit and paused briefly, noticing that all those gathered were fixedly staring at him.

It wasn't just some students. Nor only the seniors from his group.

The whole crowd.

Students clustered together, their faces no longer showing idle interest. Their gazes sparkled with thrill verging on awe. A number seemed to have beheld a mythic event right in front of them.

Certain newer students even stood taller on reflex as his look swept over them, like being near a superior far beyond their rank.

The seniors displayed their own subdued reactions. Their countenances showed clear endorsement. A handful directed nods his way with rare, radiant grins on features used to control and poise. No hint of apathy appeared in their stares. Rather, there was acknowledgment.

'What's going on?' Max pondered inwardly what feat had sparked this intense focus.

To him, he'd merely finished the second trial and earned two levels from a chance in the Twenty First Layer. It felt like grabbing the opportunity and leveraging the Chaos Tree's special edge. He hadn't viewed it as something deserving such awe.

Max failed to grasp the full impact of his accomplishment.

In the Path to Eternal Flames, outer students faced immense pressure that usually capped them. The farthest any outer student had gone was the Eleventh Layer, noted as a rare highlight in the sect's annals. Most pulled back way sooner, overwhelmed by the mounting fiery intensity and spiritual weight.

Max had gone beyond that barrier.

He'd more than doubled it.

He'd entered the Twenty First Layer.

Had he fully known this, he'd see why students eyed him with glowing looks and why seniors nodded so freely with joy. To them, he transcended a mere hopeful outer student. He'd broken a longstanding barrier untouched for ages.

Lady Virelia noted his mild bewilderment and let her grin widen gently. She chose not to reveal the cause of the stares around him. She believed understanding would dawn on him eventually.

For the moment, Max remained under the group's united scrutiny, oblivious that his name had etched into the Path to Eternal Flames' legacy.

Yet, while Max still puzzled over the heavy stares upon him, a fresh stir swept the square, making the air even more grave.

A potent but controlled presence dropped from the sky, exuding the dominance of a clan leader at the top. The assembly naturally divided as a lofty form strode ahead steadily, his garments marked by the clear Grimes Family emblem.

"Max Morgan."

The tone was steady, but it echoed sharply over the whole square without effort.

Max snapped to attention and offered a deep bow. Mathew Grimes, the Grimes Family leader, stood there. His influence outranked even most seniors.

Mathew's look fixed on Max, openly showing his commendation. "Your showing in the second trial topped any outer hall student's achievement."

Soft whispers rippled among the onlookers at that declaration.

Mathew pressed on smoothly. "For this reason, you earn two distinctions."

The hush intensified.

"First, you receive true disciple status. When the grand trial wraps, you'll join as an official true disciple in our Black Dragon Clan."

The announcement hit like lightning.

For an instant, the crowd seemed stunned, needing time to absorb it. Then, the quiet shattered.

Students gaped at Max, faces flashing from surprise to doubt to open envy. True disciple rank was the goal many outer hall students pursued for years.

Some labored decades to rise, battling in tests and tasks to gain notice. True disciple wasn't just a name. It meant better supplies, personal mentoring from top seniors, and a rank well above regular students.

And here, midway through the grand trial, prior to the last phase, Max had claimed it.

Only three true disciple spots existed this round, and one went straight to Max.

Mathew's delivery stayed even as he stated the next honor. "Second, access to the Black Dragon Clan's ancestral chamber is yours, allowing you to select any inheritance arts for practice."

This sparked a fiercer uproar.

A few students couldn't hide their clenched teeth. The ancestral chamber held the vital arts and legacies built by the Black Dragon Clan across eras. Entry went only to those with major contributions or close blood ties. Not even all core hall students had entered.

A youthful student muttered softly, "The ancestral chamber… he gets to pick any legacy he desires."

Another gripped his hands hard but managed a nod. "He earned it. No one's hit the Twenty First Layer ever."

A senior among the watchers murmured to his neighbor. "Awarding true disciple rank mid-trial reveals how much the leaders prize him."

The neighbor replied reflectively. "Not bias. Necessity. A prodigy shattering records at this stage demands exceptional handling."

True enough, though envy burned in numerous gazes, grudging approval existed too. Max's breaks in the Path to Eternal Flames records stood firm. His wonders from the grand trial's start weren't flukes. They built a streak of superiority calling for acclaim.

The clan leaders saw clearly.

They knew such gifts emerged rarely. When they did, delay risked failing to secure that brilliance to the clan's heart.

Max waited silently as the words rang in his mind. He'd never expected such swift honors. True disciple post-trial was expected. Proclaiming it publicly before the end was different.

He inclined deeply to Mathew Grimes. "I won't let the clan down."

His words held steady resolve, not pride.

Nearby, students watched with varied feelings, but no one questioned it. At core, they knew only one who'd exceeded outer hall bounds, venturing where no outer student had gone, warranted this historic acclaim.

Right then, the point hit all attendees.

Max Morgan surpassed a mere emerging outer talent.

He'd been formally designated a coming mainstay of the Black Dragon Clan.