CHAPTER 952: END OF THE GATHERING

[Congratulations to Max Voidwalker for leveling to level 1 of Champion Rank.]

The notification flashed before Max’s eyes, and a faint, satisfied smile tugged at his lips. His advancement had been expected, but he knew—this wasn’t the end. His instincts told him there was more, and sure enough, only a heartbeat later, a relentless flood of notifications began to fill his vision in rapid succession.

[Congratulations to Max Voidwalker for leveling to level 2 of Champion Rank.]

[Congratulations to Max Voidwalker for leveling to level 3 of Champion Rank.]

[Congratulations to Max Voidwalker for leveling to level 4 of Champion Rank.]

[Congratulations to Max Voidwalker for leveling to level 5 of Champion Rank.]

[Congratulations to Max Voidwalker for leveling to level 6 of Champion Rank.]

[Congratulations to Max Voidwalker for leveling to level 7 of Champion Rank.]

[Congratulations to Max Voidwalker for leveling to level 8 of Champion Rank.]

[Congratulations to Max Voidwalker for leveling to level 9 of Champion Rank.]

[Congratulations to Max Voidwalker for leveling to level 10 of Champion Rank.]

The final notification lingered for a moment, its golden glow reflecting faintly in Max’s eyes. "Directly leveling to peak of Champion Rank? Good." He chuckled, his voice low but brimming with satisfaction. It wasn’t surprising—when he had left the secret domain, the vast amount of mana he’d absorbed should have been enough to push him up three or four levels. But now, after devouring the essence of the four Wraiths of the World, the result was inevitable.

Around him, the crowd erupted in disbelief, their voices overlapping in a chaotic mixture of awe and shock.

"He leveled up all the way to the peak of Champion Rank... what a monster!" someone muttered, their tone carrying both fear and admiration.

"This is insane! Nobody levels up this fast," another exclaimed, as if trying to convince themselves it was real.

"Well... he is now the genius with the most potential in the entire world," one person added, their voice half in resignation, half in reverence. "If anyone could do something like this, I suppose it would be him."

Gasps, murmurs, and stunned silence rippled through the gathered crowd. To witness a jump from the first step of Champion Rank to its peak in the span of mere breaths was beyond anything they had ever imagined possible—and yet, standing before them, Max made it look almost natural.

"Kid, you’ve already attracted the attention of almost all the old monsters in the Middle Domain. Don’t do anything reckless for now." Blob’s deep, caution-laden voice rang inside Max’s mind, and immediately, his senses sharpened, the weight of the words making him more vigilant.

"I know," Max replied silently, acknowledging the warning. With a steady breath, he descended from the sky, his figure gliding down with quiet control before he turned and flew toward the spot where the gathered geniuses of the Great Ruler Empire stood waiting.

"Haha, you did it, Max!" Emperor Hermes greeted him with open admiration, his eyes gleaming with pride. Yet, even as he praised him, there was a hint of helplessness in his tone, as though no matter what words he chose, they would never be enough to match what Max had achieved.

"Thanks, Emperor," Max said respectfully, bowing deeply.

But before the bow could be completed, Emperor Hermes stepped forward and caught him by the shoulders, lifting him back upright.

"Don’t bow to me," he said firmly, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "You are now the genius with the greatest potential in the entire world of Acaris. Even the so-called prodigies of the Four God Nations pale in comparison. In such a situation... who am I to accept a bow from you?"

Max offered a faint smile, saying nothing further, though inside, he couldn’t deny the truth in the Emperor’s words. Blob had already explained everything about the Divine Path Lotus—how blooming the ninth petal in one’s first Divine Path Lotus phenomenon was something that had never happened in the entire recorded history of Acaris. No being, no matter how legendary, had ever achieved it.

The thought alone was enough to crown him as perhaps the most extraordinary genius the world had ever seen. Yet, to Max, it felt excessive, almost too much. More than the glory, it brought an overwhelming level of attention—attention he hadn’t sought but now couldn’t avoid.

Still, there was nothing he could do about it.

The grand gathering at the front of the secret domain’s opening, which had long since lost its original purpose, began to fade to an end. The real event—the return of the geniuses—had already concluded when the secret domain closed. But because of the shockwaves caused by Max’s Wraith of the World tribulations and the historic blooming of the ninth lotus petal, no one had been willing to leave.

Now, however, with the last of the spectacle concluded, people began to drift away, their eyes still lingering on Max as though they were leaving behind the memory of a living legend in the making.

"President William, Brother Orion, Palace Master Howard, I will take my leave," Emperor Hermes said with a calm smile, his tone carrying both formality and satisfaction. His gaze swept over them with polite acknowledgment before shifting briefly to the tiger-masked figure of the Obsidian Order.

Hermes offered him a small nod—he would have called him by name if he’d known how to address him, but the mysterious leader’s identity was something even he dared not guess aloud.

With that, Hermes gestured for his people, and the gathered geniuses of the Great Ruler Empire, along with their elders, boarded a sleek void shuttle. In the next moment, the vessel shimmered, its outline blurring into nothingness as it tore through space, vanishing into the skies.

The other major forces, seeing the departure, began to follow suit. One after another, ships, flying beasts, and teleportation arrays flared into life, carrying away the representatives of their respective powers. The hum of departing energy filled the air until the once-crowded gathering ground began to empty.

Eventually, the grand assembly was reduced to just three forces still standing—Thunder Monarch Hall, Void Soul Tower, and Mountain Gods Valley.