Chapter 929: A month of constant treasure hunting

Sophia’s smile widened slightly, a glint of satisfaction flashing in her eyes.

“When are we leaving for the Four God Nation?” Max asked suddenly, already planning ahead in his mind.

“Half a year from now,” Sophia replied without pause. “The conference won’t begin until then. But be prepared, Max. There will be geniuses participating who are already in the Mythic Rank. This isn’t an ordinary gathering of youths—it’s one of the grandest events of our world.”

She paused for a moment before continuing, her tone carrying weight. “And a year after that will be the Divine Mandate Grand Tournament. People in the Middle Domain treat the Divine Mandate as if it’s the pinnacle of competition, but compared to the Four God Nation Genius Conference, it’s nothing. If you can stand out in the conference, if you can defeat some of the Mythic Rank geniuses there… then winning the Divine Mandate Grand Tournament next year would be all but guaranteed.”

She concluded, “The basic requirements for the Divine Mandate Grand Tournament are simple: participants must be under fifty years of age, and their cultivation cannot exceed the peak of the Legend Rank. But don’t let that fool you—many of the top participants fight on par with Mythic Rank experts. That is the true level you’ll be facing.”

Max remained silent for a long moment, mulling over her words. ‘Half a year to prepare… Mythic Rank geniuses… and then the Divine Mandate Grand Tournament.’ His eyes sharpened slightly as he thought about his current combat ability.

He was already fighting on equal ground with peak Legend Rank experts, and when he advanced to Champion Rank, his strength would only grow more terrifying. Defeating Mythic Rank geniuses wouldn’t be impossible—difficult, yes, but far from out of reach.

‘With this… the promise I made to Lyra is already halfway fulfilled,’ Max thought, a faint smile appearing on his face. He had promised Lyra he would stand above all in the Divine Mandate Grand Tournament, and now, thanks to Sophia’s offer, his path toward that goal seemed clearer than ever. With his strength growing at the pace it was, victory didn’t just feel possible—it felt inevitable.

“Let’s go out. I already have the Ten Thousand Years Frozen Lotus,” Sophia said, her tone calm but carrying an undertone of satisfaction.

Max nodded silently, his expression unreadable, and together they walked out of the frozen cave. The air outside felt warmer in comparison, though still biting cold from the lingering icy aura of the now-dead serpent. The faint traces of their battle still lingered in the area, cracked ice and frozen debris scattered around like silent reminders of their struggle.

“Half a year later, I will come for you to attend the conference,” Sophia said, stopping midair and turning to look at him one last time. Her eyes were serious, focused, as if she wanted to engrave this moment in her mind.

Max nodded. “I’ll wait for you then. Oh, and by the way, I’m from the Great Ruler Empire. If you can’t find me, I’ll probably be there.”

A faint smile tugged at Sophia’s lips. “Nobody in this world can hide from the eyes of the Four God Nation,” she said, her voice laced with subtle pride. With that, she rose higher into the sky, white energy rippling beneath her feet as she turned into a streak of light and flew away, her voice trailing behind her. “See you in half a year.”

Max watched her figure disappear into the clouds before shaking his head slightly. “Half a year…” he muttered, then turned back toward the cave. There was still one more thing left to do.

Inside, the corpse of the serpent still lay on the icy ground. Max raised his hand, and black flames erupted once again, swallowing the massive body in an instant. “Devour,” he commanded, his voice low but steady.

The flames hissed and roared hungrily, stripping flesh and bone until all that remained was a scattering of ash.

“There’s still about a month before the secret domain closes,” Max murmured, calculating the remaining time in his mind. “I should use it to explore the rest of the core region and see what else this place is hiding.”

Without wasting another moment, he stepped out of the cave and shot into the sky, heading deeper into the heart of the secret domain.

—

A month passed swiftly.

Now, Max stood on the peak of a mountain at the very center of the secret domain, his figure steady and commanding as he gazed down at the scene unfolding below him. The wind howled around him, whipping his clothes and hair, but his expression was calm, almost cold.

During this month, he had unleashed his full power without restraint, devouring countless beasts and monsters and even eliminating numerous geniuses from Thunder Monarch Hall, Mountain Gods Valley, and Void Soul Tower who came for killing him.

He had not stopped at that; his hunt for treasures had been just as ruthless, and now his spatial storage brimmed with hundreds of spiritual treasures, each taken from the deepest and most dangerous parts of the secret domain.

Below the mountain peak, thousands of figures filled the sky, hovering in tense formation. Almost all the geniuses who had explored the secret domain over the past month had gathered here at the central mountain, a traditional meeting place before the secret domain closed. But this time, it was far from peaceful.

Their eyes were all on Max, filled with hostility, anger, and fear.

“Max, you’ve killed so many geniuses from Thunder Monarch Hall, Void Soul Tower, and Mountain Gods Valley… just surrender yourself, and maybe you’ll be spared!” one shouted, his voice shaking but loud enough to echo through the valley.

“You killed so many of our friends! Do you think you can walk out of here alive? You’re destined to die once we leave the secret domain!” another yelled, his face twisted with fury.

“How can you be so cruel? You slaughtered nearly all the geniuses of our three forces. You’re worse than those demons we came here to fight!” a third voice added, spitting venom with every word.

“Dead! You’re already dead!” someone screamed from the back. “The moment we leave this place, you won’t even have time to run. When our elders hear about this, even your Great Ruler Empire will pay the price!”

“Surrender yourself now! That way, maybe your empire might be spared. Otherwise, even the force behind you will suffer because of your actions!”

Dozens shouted at once, their voices mixing into a wave of anger and killing intent that shook the air. Their eyes burned with hatred as they stared at Max, some clutching their weapons tighter, others summoning their energy as if ready to attack.

Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!