Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100 Chapter 1641 A replica of Cosmic Ascension Conference!

"You are Ray Willer." Max stated with a smile. "I noticed your commendable performance in the second trial."

A smile touched Max's lips as he moved to Ray's right side and whispered, "My purpose here isn't conversation. I've come to issue a warning. The upcoming trial is a survival challenge, and in it, you shall be my prey while I become the hunter. Haha, it will be a true delight to hunt down the most lauded genius in the Divine Realm."

Just as Max prepared to respond to Ray's declaration, he watched Ray vanish effortlessly into the throng of disciples, disappearing from view.

Max's gaze remained fixed on the spot where Ray Willer had just dematerialized, yet no sign of apprehension flickered across his face. The subtle smile at the edge of his lips did not waver; instead, it grew, tinged with a quiet self-assurance that seemed remarkably out of place following such a brazen threat.

"You intend to hunt me?" he mused softly to himself, his eyes contracting infinitesimally. "Then you had best be ready for the kind of prey I am."

His tone carried no anger, no irritation, only a placid, almost unnerving certainty.

Within his mind, Ray Willer's words replayed with stark clarity. A survival trial. Hunter and prey. The unspoken intent behind those words was abundantly clear.

Max let out a slow breath.

"Would the Celestial Forge Pavilion truly concern themselves if someone of his stature were to vanish during the trial?" he pondered internally, his expression reverting to its former composure as if the encounter had never occurred.

His contemplation was interrupted as two familiar figures made their way towards him through the dispersing crowd.

Lucia arrived first, her steps brisk, her eyes alight with an evident, barely contained excitement. Isabella followed close behind, her usual calm demeanor seemingly intact, though even she couldn't entirely conceal the spark of curiosity in her gaze.

Lucia wasted no time in voicing her questions.

"What was that sword technique?" she demanded, her voice laced with a mixture of astonishment and exhilaration. Her eyes were fixed on Max, as if trying to deconstruct his very being. "You vanquished your reflection with a single strike!"

She moved nearer, her tone growing more animated.

"After witnessing that, I thought I could achieve the same," she confessed, a trace of frustration creeping into her voice. "But the instant I confronted my reflection, I realized the sheer absurdity of that notion. It took me nearly twenty minutes to overcome mine."

Isabella offered a nod from her position, her gaze steady yet mirroring Lucia's curiosity.

"Lucia speaks the truth," she stated calmly. "Such a sword art… it is not within the capabilities of ordinary disciples. Where did you acquire it, Max?"

For a brief moment, both women regarded him expectantly, awaiting his response.

Max looked at the pair before him and then, quite unexpectedly, emitted a soft chuckle.

"You are making too much of it," he replied lightly, a playful smirk gracing his features. "My talent is simply that exceptional."

Lucia's eyes widened slightly in response.

Isabella narrowed her gaze, a subtle shift in her expression.

"And as for the sword art…" Max continued, his tone deepening slightly as his smile took on a mysterious quality. "That remains a secret."

Isabella's expression immediately transformed into a charming pout, her brows drawing together in clear displeasure.

"A secret?" she echoed, the dissatisfaction with his answer evident.

Lucia folded her arms, though the hint of a smile still played on her lips. "You always say that."

Observing their reactions, Max chuckled again before raising his hand slightly.

"Very well, very well," he conceded. "There's no need for those looks."

His expression softened discerniblely.

"I do possess some inheritance arts," he added. "Once the Smelting Trial concludes, I shall impart something suitable to both of you."

Isabella's expression instantly brightened, and she gave a small, affirmative nod.

"Good," she said simply, as if that was all the assurance she required.

Lucia, too, smiled, her earlier frustration evaporating as quickly as it had surfaced.

Before any further conversation could unfold, a powerful voice boomed, resonating across the entirety of the square.

"Very well. It is time for the commencement of the next and final trial."

Elder Cael's voice, clear and commanding like a struck bell, instantly quelled the surrounding clamor. Every disciple, every elder, every spectator turned their collective gaze towards his figure suspended in the sky.

"The rewards for the second trial will be distributed shortly," he announced, his tone steady and authoritative.

A brief pause ensued, as if allowing his words to fully register.

"As all of you are aware, this Smelting Trial serves a singular objective," Elder Cael declared, his gaze sweeping over the vast assembly of participants. "To suitably prepare you for the forthcoming Cosmic Ascension Conference."

The instant these words were uttered, the prevailing atmosphere underwent a palpable shift.

Even those who had maintained a relaxed posture instinctively straightened their bodies.

"The third and final trial," he continued slowly, "will be a small replication of the environment and conditions of the Cosmic Ascension Conference itself."

For a brief moment, silence blanketed the entire square.

Then—

"What?"

"A replication of the Conference?"

"How is that even possible?"

Whispers erupted from every direction as shock spread like wildfire among the disciples.

Even the elders from the various third rate forces could not maintain their composure. Their expressions changed one after another, disbelief clearly written across their faces.

"They never mentioned this before…"

"To simulate the Cosmic Ascension Conference… the Celestial Forge Pavilion is going this far?"

"Celestial Forge Pavilion has prepare well this time."

High above, Elder Cael remained unmoved as he watched their reactions.

Meanwhile, Max stood quietly among the crowd, his expression calm, yet his eyes had sharpened.

"A survival trial… and a replica of the Conference."

His lips curved slightly.

"Now this is getting interesting."

Max only knew a single concrete detail about the Cosmic Ascension Conference, and that was the suppression of cultivation to the peak of the Law Refinement Realm for every participant who entered it.

Beyond that one fact, everything else remained unknown to him, like a vast territory covered in fog. He did not know how the Conference was structured, he did not know what rules governed it, and he had no understanding of how one was expected to survive or rise within such an event.

Entering something like that without knowledge or preparation was no different from stepping onto a battlefield where every opponent knew the terrain except you. Even for Max, who had always relied on his strength and adaptability, that kind of uncertainty carried risk.

But now, as he listened to Elder Cael reveal that the final trial had been designed as a replica of the Cosmic Ascension Conference, a subtle shift occurred within him.

The uncertainty did not disappear, but it transformed into something else. His eyes sharpened, and a faint excitement began to stir deep within him. This was not just another trial. This was an opportunity to understand the battlefield that awaited him in the future.