Chapter 655: Myriad Conceptual Cave

Max’s eyes narrowed slightly, glinting with determination as an idea began to form in his mind. "If I can’t walk the path of the Invincible Sword..." he whispered, fingers tightening around the sword’s hilt, "...then I’ll make the Invincible Sword walk my path."

His sword concept was different. It wasn’t about being unbeatable. It wasn’t about supremacy or standing above others.

The Concept of Severing Sword was brutal, sharp, and absolute in its own right. It cut through everything—past, present, future—severing all that stood in its path. It had its own kind of invincibility. Not by being undefeated... but by cutting down whatever opposed it.

If the original art was made to crush enemies with unmatched might, then he would twist that intention. He would reconstruct the techniques—not replace them entirely, but slowly alter their core structure to align with his Severing Sword Concept.

It would be hard. Extremely hard. It was like carving an ancient monument anew without letting it crumble. But Max believed it was possible. With the perfect soul, comprehension talent, and Dimension of Time, he would take the Sky Shattering Invincible Sword Art and remake it into something else.

A blade that severed the sky. A slash that defied fate. A domain that cut down all truths. And a final move that severed everything.

Max smiled slightly, his gaze lingering on the broken sword that now hummed faintly with the echoes of the legacy sealed within it. "The Citadel was truly a great place to earn fortune," he muttered to himself, unable to deny the sheer value of what he had gained there.

Three powerful techniques—each enough to cause storms across the continent if word got out. The legendary Sky Shattering Invincible Sword Art, the weight-defying Star Flame Art, and the soul-bending Soul Sword Art—any one of these would’ve been a lifetime’s treasure for most experts. But now they were all his. He couldn’t ask for anything more.

He glanced at the sky beyond the window and took a deep breath. "There are still three days left before the assessment starts," he said, calculating the time calmly. "I’ll use that time to train in controlling the flying sword from the Soul Sword Art and refine my thoughts on how to reshape the Sky Shattering Invincible Sword Art to suit my Severing Sword path."

He knew he couldn’t rush either. The Soul Sword Art demanded perfect balance between soul power and control—one slip and his own blade could cut through him.

As for the Invincible Sword legacy, it was like touching the heavens with mortal hands. He had to tread slowly and carve a new path that didn’t shatter the foundation of the art but transformed it into something uniquely his.

With those thoughts, Max sat cross-legged in the center of his training chamber, his breath steady, his presence calm. Then, with just a silent thought, his consciousness entered the Dimension of Time.

In that world where time bent to his will, his training began. Sword light flashed. Soul power surged. Ideas flickered in and out like distant stars being molded into form. Days passed like seconds, and seconds stretched into hours as he focused solely on mastery.

And just like that, the three days vanished like mist in sunlight. When Max finally opened his eyes, the air around him was different—tighter, charged with anticipation.

It was time. The day of the recruitment assessment of the Great Ruler Empire had arrived.

***

At the heart of Whisker City, the grand arena stood like a colossus carved into the heavens—its towering arches gleaming beneath the morning sun, its vast stands filled with waves of excited spectators, their voices buzzing like thunderclouds ready to burst.

The city had never felt so alive. Every street within a five-kilometer radius around the arena was packed. Eateries were overflowing, merchants shouted offers from every corner, and experts from all across the Middle Domain gathered with one intent: to witness the recruitment assessment of the Great Ruler Empire. Giant screens, dozens of them, hovered above plazas and buildings, broadcasting the event for those who couldn’t get a seat inside.

Their glow bathed the surroundings with flickering light, and people stood still in the streets, their eyes glued to the screen, faces taut with anticipation.

Inside the arena, 443 geniuses stood tall in formation, their presence alone enough to distort the air around them. Some radiated sword intent, others elemental force, some were stoic, some trembling—but all had the same ambition burning in their eyes.

Only fifty of them would make it through. The top 50 would officially become members of the Great Ruler Empire. That number had been expanded from 30 to 50 this time, but the competition had only become fiercer. Out of the 443, many were the finest from various guilds, clans, academies, and forces across the Middle Domain.

The top 10 would receive special privileges, including resources, private tutors, and the right to train with elite imperial commanders. But it was the top three that made hearts pound across the city.

They would be granted entry to the Empire Library—one of the greatest legacies of the Great Ruler Empire—and could choose any one technique, skill, or treasure. No restrictions. No second chances. And that alone could change someone’s destiny.

But the real jewel lay with the winner.

The one who ranked first would be granted something legendary. A chance—just one—to enter the Myriad Conceptual Cave. A mysterious place said to contain echoes of the laws themselves, where comprehension flowed like rivers and the bottlenecks of cultivation shattered beneath inspiration.

A single visit could allow a genius to grasp a new concept, reach an entirely new level, or find their personal path to breakthrough.

Three days ago, this reward announcement had sent shockwaves across the Middle Domain. What was once a regional empire recruitment had transformed into the greatest assessment in recent memory. The crowd, the participants, the tension—it was unlike anything that had come before.

But what truly stirred the blood of the most ambitious geniuses wasn’t the promise of prestige, wealth, or even the chance to select treasures from the Empire Library—it was the unparalleled opportunity at the very top: entry into the legendary Myriad Conceptual Cave.

Among all the rewards, this was the one that made hearts race and eyes burn with obsession. Everyone across the Middle Domain had heard of it. Tales of this mysterious cave had been passed down through generations—etched into the oral traditions of guilds, carved into clan records, and whispered like sacred chants among those who pursued the path of concepts.

It was said that deep within the Myriad Conceptual Cave lay stones from the Primal Chaos Era—remnants of the universe’s earliest breath, where all laws, concepts, and truths of the world had once converged in purest form.

These primal stones resonated with every concept imaginable—fire, wind, sword, time, lightning, gravity, and countless more—and would guide anyone with potential in their comprehension journey.

For this reason alone, the Myriad Conceptual Cave was believed to be the very foundation of the Great Ruler Empire’s rise to power. It was the core legacy that helped transform them from a fledgling force to the undisputed number one first-class power in the Middle Domain.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay