Chapter 844 - 10th level of Master Rank
"Huh? Using a forbidden technique just to save your own life? Pathetic." Glen’s voice was laced with disdain as he slowly walked toward Max, each step echoing with confidence. His face was twisted into a sneer, the kind only the truly arrogant could wear so naturally.
Max sat slumped on the ground, his breathing ragged, body trembling, and blood still dripping from his lips. The black flame crown had vanished, and the surrounding heat had finally begun to settle, yet Glen’s presence radiated pressure like a thunderstorm waiting to strike again.
As he closed the distance, Glen tilted his head and stared down at Max with pure contempt. "I really thought you were different. Someone who could comprehend a level 2 sword concept... I assumed you’d die with some dignity, like a true swordsman. But you’re just another coward begging for life at the edge of a blade."
Max’s eyes widened in fear, and he weakly crawled backward across the charred earth, his fingers digging into the cracked, scorched soil. "Please... don’t kill me," he whispered, his voice filled with panic. His limbs trembled as if even the thought of resisting had been drained out of him.
Glen scoffed. "Heh, I will—" But the words caught in his throat. His smile froze, and a sharp jolt of pain flashed through his chest. His eyes dropped in disbelief. Right where his heart should be... was a gaping hole, smoldering with a faint black edge. Blood bubbled up in his throat. He looked at Max, stunned, unable to understand what had just happened.
"You—" he managed to spit out, but that was as far as he got. The next moment, an unbearable pain erupted in his head, as if countless hammers were crashing down on his skull all at once. His mind became a chaotic storm of agony, and his knees buckled slightly.
Before he could even gather his thoughts, five enormous black flaming spheres appeared around him, each one double his size, swirling with deadly power. The black flames pulsed like they had a will of their own, screaming silently as they surged toward Glen. He had no time to react—no time to heal, defend, or even scream.
Watching from just outside the danger zone, Max slowly stood up, patting the dust from his robes, a faint smile playing on his lips. "It’s so easy to fool someone who thinks they’re above everyone else," he said softly to himself, shaking his head in amusement.
He had never planned to fight Glen head-on. Despite his own strength and multiple concepts, he knew the risks. Glen was a true genius of the Absolute Sword Palace, a 7th-level Legend Rank cultivator, and once cornered, there was always the chance he might escape. And if that happened? Max knew the consequences.
He recalled Princess Lyra’s words again—"Don’t ever let your enemies escape. If you strike, kill. Or they’ll return stronger, and you’ll be the one running."