Chapter 811: White and Black
But Max, who had been silently observing the unfolding chaos, allowed himself a small, quiet smile, his eyes softening just a fraction as he looked at Derek, Gayle, and Rose, feeling a warmth of gratitude flicker in his chest because, although he had counted on Gayle and Rose speaking the truth, Derek’s unexpected defense gave him an additional layer of protection and made him feel less alone in the swirling storm.
At that precise moment, Emperor Hermes’ voice exploded through the air like a thunderclap, sharp and powerful, cutting through the rising tension as he barked, "Thunder Lord! Tower Lord Mathew! What is the meaning of this?!"
His gaze was hard as steel as it swept across the Thunder Monarch Hall and Void Soul Tower leaders, his regal presence radiating an overwhelming authority, for he clearly saw the precarious state of the situation, where three witnesses swore that Max had committed murder while the other three equally firmly denied it, leaving the entire matter hanging in a cloud of confusion and suspicion with no solid proof on either side.
Guild Master Orion, ever the one to seize an opportunity, threw his head back and laughed loudly, his voice rich and mocking as he added, "Thunder Lord, Tower Lord Mathew, if your goal was to accuse, embarrass, and humiliate the Great Ruler Empire, you should come up with better methods than this childish farce!"
His laughter rolled over the crowd, drawing a mixture of shocked gasps and stifled chuckles from those watching the spectacle unfold, while the two accused lords found themselves momentarily speechless.
Tower Lord Mathew and Thunder Lord exchanged a glance heavy with silent fury, their faces darkening as they realized that, regardless of what they believed had truly happened, without solid evidence, their accusations were rapidly unraveling before the eyes of every force in the Middle Domain, making them appear either incompetent or vindictive.
Tower Lord Mathew seethed, his teeth grinding as he cursed silently, ’Damn this boy is too clever, damn!’ His fingers twitched as if aching to summon his power and strike Max down on the spot, the urge to crush this infuriating obstacle nearly overwhelming him.
But before he could act, the Third Elder of the Void Soul Tower suddenly erupted in a fresh wave of rage, her eyes wide and almost wild as she pointed a trembling finger at Gayle, Rose, and Derek, her voice high and shrill as she screamed, "You all! How dare you stand here and lie?! How dare you?! You yourselves saw Max burn my June to ashes with black flames—you saw it with your own eyes! How can you stand there and say nothing of the sort happened?!"
And with a surge of her spiritual power, a crushing wave of Divine Rank pressure exploded outward from her body, rolling across the sky like a tidal wave of invisible force, slamming into Gayle, Rose, and Derek so hard that their faces instantly turned deathly pale, their eyes widening with shock and pain as their knees began to bend beneath the weight, trembling violently while sweat beaded across their foreheads and their breaths came in ragged gasps, struggling to remain upright under the merciless weight of her power as the crowd watched, horrified and silent, the air itself seeming to shiver with the threat of violence hanging just a hair’s breadth away from erupting into chaos.