Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100

Chapter 1958: Max’s First Challenge!

From the lower Evercrest challenger platform, Max moved toward the central battlefield with calm steps. His white hair shifted gently in the wind stirred up by the arena formation, and his black robe carried no sacred clan insignia.

Next to the clan heirs wearing robes marked by Valerius, Ashbourne, Ravenhart, and Evercrest, he looked like a total outsider.

Yet the moment he entered the arena, every eye turned toward him. The noise started to fade. It didn’t vanish all at once. It rolled down slowly, section by section, platform by platform, until the whole massive arena grew quieter than before.

Max Morgan. The champion of the Cosmic Ascension Conference. The man who’d defeated Revona, Damian Voss, Ervin, Orion Starfall, Kaiden Voidmere, Rakan Thorne, Aurelian Lareth, and every other opponent placed before him.

The strongest genius of the Divine Realm’s younger generation. Even inside the Four Sacred Clans, his name had already spread everywhere.

Some looked curious. Some looked excited. Some looked displeased. Some looked hostile. The younger descendants of the Four Sacred Clans had pride carved into their bones. They didn’t easily accept an outsider being called the strongest genius of the Divine Realm, especially not on their own sacred stage.

But none of them could deny what Max had actually accomplished. The Cosmic Ascension Conference had been watched by countless forces, and his perfect record had already become impossible to ignore.

Angelina watched him approach with a smile that carried both familiarity and interest. When Max stopped at the center of the battlefield, she looked at him and asked, "Max Morgan. You’re the first to enter the arena. Who do you wish to challenge?"

The arena grew even quieter. Plenty of people leaned forward.

Rose stood beneath the Evercrest end, her chest tightening despite herself. She knew Max wouldn’t shy away from strong opponents, but she hadn’t expected him to step forward before anyone else. In this kind of battle, the first challenger naturally drew the most attention. It was bold, arrogant, and dangerous.

Max looked across the four sacred clan platforms. His gaze didn’t stop on Valerius. It didn’t stop on Ashbourne. It didn’t stop on Ravenhart. It moved straight to Evercrest.

Above the Evercrest platform, several expressions shifted. Aelric Evercrest sat calmly among the main heirs, his posture relaxed and his expression faintly amused. When Max’s gaze landed on him, his smile deepened slightly, as if he’d already guessed what might happen but still found it entertaining.

Then Max raised his hand and pointed directly at Aelric Evercrest.

"I challenge him."

The arena fell silent. For one breath, no one reacted. Then the entire Evercrest platform stirred violently.

"What?"

"He challenged Aelric directly?"

"Is he insane?"

"He’s Rose’s representative, and the first person he challenges is the strongest heir of Evercrest?"

"He didn’t pick a weaker opponent to build up merit first?"

"He went straight for Aelric?"

The shock spread beyond Evercrest. Valerius descendants looked surprised. Ashbourne descendants grinned with interest. Ravenhart descendants narrowed their eyes, sensing the battle had turned interesting far sooner than they’d expected. Even some elders traded glances.

Rose stared at Max from below, her eyes widening slightly. She’d expected him to target Aelric eventually, since beating him would bring huge legacy merit. She’d even hoped it would happen after Max won a few smaller battles and built up some momentum.

But Max hadn’t waited. He’d chosen Aelric as his very first challenge.

On the Evercrest platform, the elder who’d warned Rose earlier frowned deeply. "Audacious."

Another Evercrest elder’s expression turned cold. "An outsider steps onto our sacred stage and challenges Aelric directly?"

Some younger Evercrest descendants looked furious, but others looked uneasy. After all, the challenger wasn’t some unknown fool. It was Max Morgan.

Aelric himself didn’t stand up right away. He looked down at Max from the higher platform with that same refined smile.

"Max Morgan," he said, his voice carrying smoothly across the arena, "I didn’t expect you to pick me so quickly."

Max looked at him calmly. "Rose needs merit."

Aelric’s eyes drifted toward Rose for a moment. His smile turned slightly colder. "So this is for her."

"Yes."

The simplicity of Max’s answer made the mood even heavier.

Aelric slowly stood. The moment he rose, the Evercrest platform quieted down. The green-gold light around him stirred, and faint spatial ripples appeared beneath his feet. His aura didn’t burst out violently, but the space around him folded gently, as if the world itself were clearing a path for him.

Rose’s expression turned tense. "Aelric," she whispered.

Max had already heard everything she’d told him about him. The strongest genius of the Evercrest Clan’s current generation.

A direct heir who’d awakened the Evercrest forbidden bloodline at high purity. A master of space, life-sealing techniques, hidden domains, and battlefield control. A peak Law Manifestation Realm cultivator.

Aelric stepped down from the Evercrest platform. He didn’t fly in the normal sense. He walked through folded space, appearing closer with each step until he stood inside the central battlefield across from Max. His robes moved softly, and his refined face carried calm pride.

Angelina looked between them. "Aelric Evercrest," she said. "You’ve been challenged by Max Morgan, representative of Rose Evercrest. Do you accept?"

Aelric smiled. "How could I refuse?"

The formation beneath the battlefield brightened instantly. A circular boundary rose around the arena, cutting Max and Aelric off from the outside world.

The runes on the floor began rotating slowly, and the statue of the First Progenitor at the far end seemed to grow more solemn under the shifting light.

Angelina stepped back. "Then the first battle of the Bloodline Legacy Battle shall begin."

Aelric looked at Max with calm eyes.

"Champion of the Cosmic Ascension Conference," he said softly. "You may have dominated the conference, but this isn’t the Eternal Hourglass. This is the sacred stage of the Four Sacred Clans."

Max held out his hand. Dragonheart appeared. The black sword let out a low hum, and the moment it settled into his grip, Max’s aura changed.

He looked at Aelric and smiled faintly. "Then show me what makes this stage different."