Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100

Chapter 1199  A Challenge to Max

Max narrowed his eyes slightly, his calm expression turning serious. The ground beneath his feet trembled faintly as he prepared himself, but before anything could happen, a confident and arrogant voice echoed through the air.

"Well, well. We meet again."

A young man stepped forward from the edge of the group, his stride confident and his face carrying an air of superiority. He looked barely older than Max, with sharp blue eyes that gleamed with conceit and a smirk that revealed how highly he regarded himself. His aura flared with divine light—the unmistakable power of a newly ascended Divine Rank genius.

It was Mike.

The golden-crowned genius whom Nero had mentioned to Max. The same one who had once ambushed him in the forest of the inner region and fled in humiliation after failing to land a single decisive blow.

Mike's gaze locked on Max immediately, his expression smug. "You remember me, don't you?" he asked, his voice echoing through the open air. "Last time, I didn't get the chance to finish what I started. Seems the heavens have given me another opportunity."

The geniuses nearby froze. None of them dared to move or speak. They all remembered the rumors about how Max had killed a golden-crowned genius with a single strike. To them, Mike's arrogance was as good as suicide.

Max didn't answer. His golden eyes remained calm, his face expressionless. He neither acknowledged nor dismissed Mike's presence.

The silence was suffocating.

For a moment, even Mike hesitated, feeling the weight of that unspoken stillness pressing down on him. Then, his smirk returned, sharper than before. "Still silent?" he sneered. "Maybe you're too scared to fight me this time. Or maybe you've realized your limits."

The wind around them grew still. The air trembled faintly as if holding its breath.

Max slowly lifted his gaze, his voice low but steady. "You should have stayed hidden, Mike."

"Hidden? Hmph! Don't make me laugh," Mike said with a smirk. His voice was loud and filled with arrogance as he pointed directly at Max. "I want to challenge you to a duel."

The words echoed across the clearing like a thunderclap. For a brief moment, silence followed—then faint murmurs began to ripple among the gathered geniuses.

Mike stood tall and proud, his divine aura blazing with confidence. The golden crown above his head glowed brighter than ever, marking his ascension to the peak of the Divine Rank.

Power radiated from his body in waves, causing the air around him to shimmer faintly. His expression was one of pure pride, his eyes filled with the assurance of superiority that came from absolute strength.

Half a year on the Divine Platform had changed him completely. The once cautious genius who had fled from Max's terrifying power during the trial of the space concept was gone. In his place stood someone who believed himself invincible.

After all, he had reached the very peak of the Divine Rank, a realm that few in the mortal world could even dream of attaining. In his mind, there was no one among his generation who could stand above him now.

He clenched his fist, and gray aura flared from his body, swirling into a magnificent aura. "I've heard too much about you, Max," he said loudly. "The strongest genius in the secret domain, the man with two golden crowns, the one who supposedly broke every trial. But tell me, can you still be called the strongest now that everyone has ascended to Divine Rank? Or are you just a shadow of your former self?"

His voice dripped with provocation. It was clear he wanted everyone present to hear it.

He had heard countless stories about Max's strength—the rumors that he could fight across ranks, that he had defeated the strongest geniuses of multiple worlds, that even Nero, another golden-crowned genius, couldn't stand before him.

And yet, in Mike's mind, all of those stories belonged to the past. He now stood at the peak of the Divine Rank, while Max remained at the eighth level of Mythic Rank. To him, the difference between them was absolute.

He remembered that fateful encounter vividly. He had ambushed Max months ago, back before the trial of space. Back then, he thought his sneak attack would earn him glory. Instead, he was utterly crushed, forced to retreat in humiliation.

That shame had burned in his chest ever since, fueling his resolve during every trial and every meditation session. And now, half a year later, he was convinced that things would end differently.

This was his chance to erase that humiliation.

He looked at Max with burning determination. "I will defeat you in front of everyone," he declared boldly. "And prove that I, Mike of the Crimson Void World, am the true number one genius of this generation in the mortal realm."

The geniuses surrounding them immediately began whispering to each other in excitement. The tension in the air shifted, turning from solemnity into eager anticipation.

"Did he just challenge Max?" one of the silver-crowned geniuses whispered, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"He's crazy," another murmured. "Even if Max hasn't reached the Divine Rank, that man's power is monstrous. You think half a year of cultivation can make Mike his equal?"

"But Mike is at the peak of the Divine Rank now," a third interrupted. "He must have gained something special from the Divine Platform. Maybe he really can match him this time."

Their voices overlapped, growing louder with each passing moment. The golden-crowned geniuses who had once viewed Max as untouchable now watched in silence, their expressions unreadable. Some were curious, some doubtful, and a few looked genuinely thrilled at the possibility of seeing the two strongest figures of the secret domain clash.

Even Seraphina and Victor turned their attention toward Max. Seraphina frowned slightly. "This is trouble," she whispered. "Mike doesn't realize the difference between arrogance and strength."

Victor crossed his arms, his expression thoughtful. "Let him try. He's going to learn that numbers on a cultivation chart mean nothing when standing before that monster."

Their words went unheard amid the growing excitement.