Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100 Chapter 1474 Joe's Curiosity!

A true smile emerged then, unlike the previous ones that had lacked authenticity, revealing the open vulnerability of a person still reeling from their own astonishment. "I myself was shocked when this was announced," he confessed.

"If you want to thank anyone, I suppose you start with the kid who took away the sword of the Sword Sovereign," he stated, his voice shifting to a more intentional and serious timbre compared to the offhand rejection he'd used upon entering. "Even though the Sword God Palace has yet to make their position on this publicly known, I am very sure they have their eyes on this Max just like the entire Divine Realm does."

The meaning woven into those statements carried heavy importance, and he offered no attempt to ease it or cloak it in kinder terms.

Without breaking stride, he went on, "From what I have heard, even though your Black Dragon Clan is considered too weak to qualify for this conference under ordinary circumstances, the simple fact that there exists among you a young man capable of wielding the sword of the Sword Sovereign, a sword that has sat in your clan's possession for thousands of years without anyone being able to use it, was enough on its own to earn your force a place in this conference."

He allowed those words to linger before continuing with the remainder, his smile reappearing. "You should already understand what this conference is truly about. At its core it is nothing less than a preparatory stage for the Grand Ascension Conference, and a force with your standing would not under any normal circumstances receive an invitation to something of this magnitude. You would do well to treat this as a matter of the highest possible priority, because there are very few occasions in the life of a force like yours where fortune presents itself in this form, and those who are wise enough to recognize such occasions for what they are tend to be the ones who benefit most from them."

Mathew and the other family heads glanced at each other during the short quiet that ensued, and in that silent exchange flowed a full discussion without uttering a sound, a collective recognition of the seriousness in the information just shared and a joint resolve on their planned reaction to it.

United, they faced Joe once more.

"We thank Elder Joe for delivering this letter of invitation," Mathew expressed, the steadiness in his tone now authentic rather than the forced calm he'd upheld amid Joe's earlier barbs.

Everything fell into place at last. They grasped the reason an elder from the Violet Star Palace had shown up unexpectedly at their trial ground and stepped into the event without any alert or advance word, and with that insight came the fading of any remaining bitterness they held against him for his abrupt entrance or cutting remarks.

Beyond that, a subtle and personal appreciation bloomed among the gathered family heads upon realizing that the elder tasked with bringing such vital news to their clan was none other than Joe.

A figure with whom they already held known ties and rapport, instead of an unfamiliar envoy from the Violet Star Palace whose motives and disposition they'd need to decipher from scratch.

"Hmm." Joe murmured as his eyes wandered to the Combat Legion Tower, examining it with the evaluative gaze of one who had journeyed far and aimed to gain every bit of worth from the trip.

Then he regarded the family heads with the relaxed assurance of someone used to his interests being met without challenge. "Now that I am here, I want to see the disciples of your clan in action," he declared, his words phrased as an offhand ask that truly demanded compliance. "Tell me, is the Max kid here right now, and if so will he be ascending the combat tower?"

The family heads shared a quick glance before Mathew addressed Joe with unflinching poise. "He is participating in the trial to ascend the combat tower," Mathew replied evenly.

That response elicited a faint smile from Joe, distinct from the mocking and superior looks he'd sported since arriving, as a spark of real curiosity broke through his veil of cool detachment.

"This is good then," he remarked, relaxing into the contentment of someone whose arrival had aligned perfectly with events. "I have come this far, and so I must see for myself what sort of strength the genius possesses who could take away the sword of the Sword Sovereign."

Though straightforward on the surface, those phrases held substantial depth, for the sword of the Sword Sovereign was no trivial artifact casually referenced across the Divine Realm.

And the circumstance of a Violet Star Palace elder venturing to this planet expressly to witness the youth linked to it spoke volumes about Max's importance beyond any official pronouncement.

As his final statements faded into the atmosphere, a seat formed purely from solidified divine essence appeared behind Joe with the leisurely certainty of creation summoned by a command that bent reality to its desire. Joe eased into it with the majestic poise of claiming a rightful seat of power, positioning himself in total ease as if this location, on a world not his own, would remain his perch for however long he wished.

The youth with the haughty expression positioned himself at Joe's left side, while the elderly man with white hair took his spot on the right, the trio forming a striking image that exuded dominance, drawing the unavoidable attention of the Black Dragon Clan's disciples and elders assembled there.