CHAPTER 1005: LEVELING CHAMBER

Max sat cross-legged within the Dimension of Time, a pocket realm where seconds stretched into days, and days could be bent into weeks if he willed it. The air shimmered faintly with the distortion of slowed time, every breath echoing louder, every strike of his sword trailing long arcs of intent.

Sweat rolled down his temples as he practiced the new techniques he had recently acquired from the Great Ruler Empire—intricate sword forms that merged with his concepts, new lightning technique and a flame technique.

Between each motion, his mind wandered. His lips moved slightly, muttering to himself.

"Sovereign Conference..." The words slipped out in a low tone, heavy with thought.

He paused, wiping sweat from his brow as his gaze drifted across the dim horizon of his private dimension. ’The Sovereign Conference will be held in four months’ time. And yet, isn’t that the same period as the Four God Nation Genius Conference?’ His brows furrowed. ’Will they cancel it? Or merge the two?’

He exhaled slowly. ’With the situation as dire as it is, gathering the younger generation might be deemed pointless... unless... unless they want to test us against what’s coming.’

The thought lingered, weighing on him even as he resumed training.

---

Outside his dimension, the second month slipped by completely. Max kept to his routine, splitting his time between training, absorbing infernal energy from Lenavira under Lady Divine’s guidance, and occasionally speaking with Emperor Hermes and Lyra about the chaos unfolding across the Middle Domain.

The world was unraveling, but in his chamber, the only war was the silent battle to save Lenavira.

By the dawn of the third month, Max noticed a change. Lenavira’s aura, once unstable and drowning in corruption, had begun to steady. There was a faint purity returning to her mana. Each day she seemed less fragile, less like a candle about to burn out.

Lady Divine smiled faintly after one of their purification sessions, the runes around Lenavira fading as the infernal energy dissipated into Max’s hand. "With this month’s work, her system should finally be cleansed. The infernal energy is almost gone."

Max’s shoulders relaxed a fraction, relief flickering in his chest. Still, his gaze lingered on Lenavira’s figure—her grey hair, her blackened skin, the lingering aura of darkness that clung to her like a curse. "Will that... help her completely?" His voice betrayed his worry. "Will she return to normal? Back to her elf form?"

Lady Divine sighed softly, shaking her head. Her tone was honest, not cruel. "We will have to wait and see. Cleansing her body of infernal energy is only the first battle. What remains is her spirit—and her bloodline. Sometimes, the scars left by corruption do not fade so easily."

Max’s jaw tightened, but he nodded slowly. ’Even if it takes longer... even if I have to do this for years, I’ll see her through.’

And so the cycle continued. Day by day, rune by rune, Lady Divine separated the corruption, and Max devoured it into his strange physique. Each morning at the tenth bell, the ritual repeated without fail.

The days bled into weeks, the weeks into months.

Outside, the Middle Domain descended further into chaos.

With plenty of free time on his hands—Lady Divine visiting only once a day at the tenth bell—Max spent the rest of his hours cultivating and training relentlessly.

He devoured cores one after another, the mana burning through his meridians like rivers of molten fire before being refined into pure strength by his black flames.

At the same time, he drilled the new techniques he had acquired in the Great Ruler Empire, weaving them into his swordsmanship, body refinement, and movement arts. The more he trained, the more he felt the barrier of his rank thinning.

It wasn’t long before he knew the truth. He was on the verge of breaking through to Legend Rank.

But instead of excitement, a headache settled in his chest.

’If breaking through to Champion Rank caused that much chaos... then what about stepping into Legend Rank?’ Max remembered vividly how heaven and earth themselves had stirred during his last ascension.

The phenomena, the pressure, the fluctuations—it had drawn countless eyes. And now, in the Middle Domain, where every force was on edge, where demons lurked in shadows, and where his name was already too bright... another public breakthrough would be as good as painting a giant target on his back.

He scowled in frustration, tossing aside the empty core. ’But I can’t stop here. Not now. The world is burning. Demons are moving. I need strength, no matter what.’

In the end, Max went to Princess Lyra for counsel. If anyone within the Great Ruler Empire could advise him, it was her.

Her response, however, was so simple it almost stunned him.

"Why are you so troubled by this?" Lyra tilted her head, her emerald eyes glimmering with amusement. "Most experts in the Middle Domain prepare for months before they advance beyond Master Rank. It’s not just about stockpiling resources—it’s also about where they choose to ascend."

Max frowned. "Where?"

Lyra smiled faintly, as if humored by his ignorance. "A Leveling Chamber, of course. Haven’t you heard of them?"

Max shook his head slowly, and she sighed softly, as though explaining to a child. "Leveling Chambers are specially prepared sanctums. They’re like miniature worlds, sealed and reinforced with formations that mirror the laws of the outside world. Unlike secret domains, which have different rules and environments, Leveling Chambers are exact replicas of the real world. Which means when you break through there, heaven and earth won’t broadcast your ascension to the entire realm. Everything stays contained."

Max’s eyes widened slightly. ’So that’s the trick...’

"Every major force has them," Lyra continued. "And naturally, the Great Ruler Empire, being one of the Seven Overlord Forces, possesses many. They are reserved for geniuses and high officials who cannot afford their ascensions to be exposed." She looked at him pointedly. "Like you."

Max exhaled in relief, a small smile tugging at his lips. ’So there really is a way to hide it.’