Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100 Chapter 1387 Dark Phoenix and Heavenly Kirin Clan!

Previously on Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100...

Lilith Carol, head of the Carol Family, questioned Max about surrendering his sword to another disciple, prompting his firm response that he would resent such a decision unless the sword truly chose another, potentially eroding his trust in the Black Dragon Palace. As other leaders from the seven major families and thirty-six halls probed his morals, loyalty, and principles, Max answered with unflinching honesty, revealing a depth that unsettled the assembly. Matthew Grimes then asked how he would confront the Dark Phoenix and Heavenly Kirin Clans, to which Max declared his readiness to fight their candidates at the eighth level of the Rebirth Realm, confidently asserting a high chance of victory based on his proven record. Dismissing accusations of arrogance, Max requested opponents no stronger than that level, and Grimes accepted, vowing to reassert the Black Dragon Clan's dominance over the Dark Trinity.

Long before the fight kicked off, the Battle Arena in the Black Dragon Palace brimmed with spectators. Endless lines of outer disciples crammed into the lower tiers, as inner disciples claimed the elevated spots, their mere aura weighing down the air around them like an invisible burden.

A surge of excitement swept over the audience, with innumerable eyes locked onto the arena's center, all awaiting the arrival of the individual whose reputation had rattled the full extent of the Verdant Sky Realm.

Accompanied by Lady Virelia, Max stepped into the arena, trailed right after by Carl and Lucia. The instant his silhouette emerged at the gateway, a quiet stir coursed through the venue. Murmurs ignited rapidly, stares sharpening and expanding alike while focus zeroed in on his form.

Max stayed composed, his face unflinching, but as his eyes scanned the arena, a slight crease formed on his forehead. Positioned at the arena's heart next to the seven family heads were two separate factions that triggered an instinctive pullback in him.

A subtle wave of aversion bubbled up inside Max's frame, faint but impossible to ignore. He squinted, scrutinizing them closer. Around one faction, dim phoenix fires danced softly, graceful yet foreboding, whereas the other projected a controlled yet overpowering vibe echoing long-forgotten sacred creatures.

'Could it be their lineage?' Max pondered to himself. The Dark Phoenix Bloodline and the Heavenly Kirin Bloodline formed parts of the Dark Trinity, much like the Black Dragon Chaotic Bloodline, but rather than kinship, his own lineage pushed back with defiance, as though denying them completely.

"So this is the kid who seized the Sword Sovereign's blade and sent shivers through the whole Divine Realm?" From the Dark Phoenix Clan emerged a seasoned female figure. Her deep purple locks cascaded behind her like smoldering dusk, and her gaze held an timeless, cutting edge.

Raven Sunborne, leader of the Dark Phoenix Clan, sized up Max from top to bottom, her contempt plain to see. "You don't seem all that impressive. An eighth level Divine Rank cultivator still bearing the scent of a newcomer to ascension. Explain to me, how on earth did the sword choose you as its owner?"

"Maybe I'm just the person the sword was holding out for," Max answered with a subtle grin, his voice casual and unperturbed.

"Destined one?" Raven Sunborne's face grew stormy, her mouth twisting into a frosty smirk. "Don't toss terms like that carelessly. Real destined figures are titans dominating their era, rulers who shape destinies. What I see in you is merely a novice still adjusting to the Divine Realm."

Max just gave a casual shrug, his poise steady as ever. He'd meant it as a light remark, but evidently, she'd latched onto it with far more gravity than he'd planned.

"Matthew," a resonant tone broke through, laden with command and frustration. Jeremy Jordan, head of the Heavenly Kirin Clan, at last addressed the matter, his stare pinned entirely on Max. In contrast to Raven Sunborne, his attention cut straight and true, free of scorn. "Has this young one really accepted our duel or not?"

To him, all other details paled. The Dragonheart Sword posed an undeniable danger. Should it stay awakened and bound to a Black Dragon Clan follower, the equilibrium of the Dark Trinity risked severe disruption. He dreaded the prospect of the Black Dragon Clan eventually surpassing both the Dark Phoenix Clan and the Heavenly Kirin Clan, armed with that blade. Such a threat alone rendered the sword intolerable.

This urgency prompted both clans to hold urgent gatherings right after the rumors surfaced. Their verdict came quick and unyielding. The sword needed resealing, pushed back into slumber where it endangered nobody. Apart from clan feuds, a graver worry loomed.

With the Sword Sovereign's weapon stirring in a lowly third-rate star realm such as the Verdant Sky Realm, it would inevitably attract scrutiny from second-rate and first-rate star realms. If those powers arrived, no Dark Trinity Clan could stand against them.

Thus, they gathered here today, not just to confront Max, but to wipe the sword's influence from existence anew, whatever the price.

Matthew inclined his head with a soft smile, his look serene but determined as he replied in a firm tone. "Yes, he accepted, though he laid down a firm stipulation right away. The fighters from your two clans can't exceed the eighth level of the Rebirth Realm, since going higher would strip away any fairness from the match."

"Eighth level of the Rebirth Realm?" Jeremy, the clan head, echoed, a gradual grin creeping over his features as if the request struck him as nearly laughable. "You're well aware of our three clans' customs. Disciples from our groups only clash after hitting the Rebirth Realm's summit or above, and due to that custom, the picks we chose are all at the Rebirth Realm's pinnacle and past it."

Matthew gave a slight shake of his head, his voice resolute as he shot back without pause. "In that scenario, the duel won't happen, and the challenge falls through. Those terms render the pact pointless."

Jeremy's grin dimmed a touch as he eyed Matthew, his forehead creasing in annoyance. "Why make this so difficult, Matthew?" he pressed, a note of blame threading his words. "Are you shielding him just because he's part of your Grimes Family now, or is there more to it?"

A icy scoff escaped Matthew, his gaze turning keen as he locked eyes with Jeremy directly. "Don't attempt to shift focus, Jeremy. We both understand your game perfectly. Pitting peak Rebirth Realm disciples against an eighth level Divine Rank fighter is outright disgraceful. Unless your sent fighters are at or under the Rebirth Realm's eighth level, the challenge is off, and you can head back empty-handed."

Jeremy, the clan head, went quiet, his face clouding over as ideas swirled in his mind. He'd planned to deploy peak Rebirth Realm experts to crush Max utterly with raw power, denying any chance for fight or honor, but now it was obvious that tactic wouldn't slide by without pushback.

Following a short lull, a new voice joined the exchange.

"Fine, we'll dispatch two fighters at the Rebirth Realm's eighth level," declared Raven, head of the Dark Phoenix Clan, in a composed manner, her words tinged with unwilling acceptance. She went on with a light exhale, "For your information, we initially meant to field two at the Law Awakening Realm. We figured that power suited this kind of showdown best— not so weak as to mix with outer disciples, nor so strong as to rank with core ones—but given the circumstances, we'll go along."