Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100 Chapter 1384 Objective of the other two clans

"You've only touched the basics, yet the full story goes much further," Lady Virelia declared, her eyes fixed firmly on Max. The depth in her tone revealed that the issue plunged beyond mere political strains. "The Dark Phoenix Clan and the Heavenly Kirin Clan have taken action already. From their younger ranks, each has dispatched a challenger to face you outright. The terms they set are direct: should you fall in defeat, the Dragonheart Sword faces resealing and a return to its ancient, undisturbed resting place after thousands of years."

A subtle sneer crossed Max's lips as he heard her, ice flickering in his stare. "Even should I suffer defeat," he replied deliberately, "do they honestly expect the Black Dragon Clan to abandon that sword forever? Do they imagine the weapon would lose all value after finally tasting combat anew?"

"Things aren't so straightforward," Lady Virelia responded, her head shaking gently. "I suspect you've felt it too. This isn't just any inert tool. The sword holds its own spirit and mind. Without recognizing a bearer as genuinely deserving, it stays as mere ornate steel in others' grasp. Raw strength won't rouse it."

After a short pause, she went on with a soft exhale. "Why do you suppose the Black Dragon Clan held back from claiming that sword until now? What reason kept it stored in the Treasure Hall across millennia? Do you think we ever ran short of mighty experts willing to attempt it?"

Understanding dawned, widening Max's eyes a touch. "You don't mean that every one of you…"

"Indeed," Lady Virelia affirmed, voicing his silent realization. "Failure marked every try. Through the ages, elder followed elder in efforts to claim the Dragonheart Sword. Brute suppression claimed some attempts, while others sought harmony via blood ties and cultivation paths, yet the blade rejected them all. Ultimately, we bowed to the Dragonheart Sword Sovereign's final wish. Into the Treasure Hall went the sword, restricted to Black Dragon Palace disciples alone, in hope that a fitting heir would one day emerge."

Once again, her gaze settled on Max, serene but laden with anticipation, the silent reality bridging them plainly.

"I get it now; their real aim is to ensure the Dragonheart Sword stays unused forever," Max remarked with a slight grin, his voice even but laced with subtle rebellion.

Lady Virelia inclined her head gradually, her face serene. "Exactly their purpose. Unable to seize it through might, they prefer eternal sealing over letting it mark the Black Dragon Clan's supremacy."

Max's gaze sharpened as he pondered her statement, then he inquired evenly, "But what happens if they don't succeed? If I overcome all their challengers?"

A faint grin touched Lady Virelia's mouth. "Then recognition becomes inevitable for you, and thus for the Black Dragon Clan's power. Shifts will ripple through the Dark Trinity Clans' equilibrium, their uneasy pact reforming with our clan leading at the helm."

Her grin dissolved into gravity as she pressed on. "Never downplay the challenges coming. Three months they've spent watching you, collecting every bit of data, tailoring their fighters to match. They won't approach casually, nor echo old errors."

"We'll find out," Max answered, his grin intensifying instead of waning. Arrogance played no part in his bearing, just steady assurance. The display from three months back in the Divine Colosseum had shown only a hint of his might, a mere outline of his true capabilities, and the notion that foes thought they knew his limits only heightened the thrill of the clashes to come in his view.

For an instant, shadows crossed Max's mind before he shared them, his look unwavering. "And the Heron Family? Their grudge against me runs deep. Won't they attempt to cause chaos here?"

Lady Virelia replied promptly, her tone steady and certain. "Give them no worry. Among the seven primary families, the Heron Family holds just one seat. They don't command the Black Dragon Palace solo, nor move without repercussions. Any foul play from them draws the palace's full rebuke, and our Grimes Family stands ready to counter."

Her assurance eased Max's doubts. With a gradual nod, his face set resolute. "Let's bring this to an end then."

"Whenever you're set," Lady Virelia stated while rising, "we head to the central chamber."

Max got to his feet too, and with Lucia, they trailed Lady Virelia along the palace's inner passages. Each stride broadened the way and deepened the gravity, the atmosphere thickening with unseen weight as they neared.

Grand entrances etched with timeless dragon designs eased open ahead, and upon entering, Max sensed he'd entered the core of the Verdant Sky Realm itself.

Immense in scale, the central hall stretched endlessly, its roof lost in gloom where huge black dragon carvings twisted amid swirling dark fire clouds. Up front, on lofty seats of polished obsidian and gold, perched the heads of the seven key families from the Black Dragon Palace.

Overpowering auras emanated from each, weighing on the spirit not with aggression but via ages of built command. Their looks stayed poised, keen, and unavoidable, as if one stare could unravel hidden minds.

Arrayed behind the family leaders were lines of elder presences, figures hailed as supreme forces across the Divine Realm elsewhere. Faces showed curiosity in some, detachment in others, chill in a few, but all bore the mark of enduring cultivation and battles endured.

Farther in, neatly positioned, stood the chiefs of the Black Dragon Palace's thirty-six halls, the backbone managing its routines and mentoring its vast disciple body. Their vibe added further strain, milder than the leaders' but equally commanding.

With Lady Virelia and Lucia at his side, Max advanced, sensing stares converge from all sides. Interest lit some, examination others, outright enmity a handful.

Still, Max held his stance tall and his face unruffled, knowing this chamber served not just as a court but as the arena where his role in the Black Dragon Palace—and maybe the whole Verdant Sky Realm—would start solidifying.