Chapter 679: Against the Bright Buddha Palace

Travis crouched beside Kai, carefully checking his breathing and condition. After a tense moment, he looked up and gave a small nod to Elder Bras. "He’s fine," he confirmed, though his voice carried the bitter sting of defeat. Kai was unconscious, drained of every bit of energy, but alive—just as Max had said.

Max, watching calmly from above, descended in a flash of blue lightning and landed quietly beside Elder Drew and Lyra. The atmosphere around him was charged yet composed, like a storm that had passed but still left the sky rumbling.

"Haha, good." Elder Drew’s voice rang out, his lips curling into a rare smile as he looked at Max with open satisfaction. "The winner of the first battle is Max." His words echoed clearly, and a sense of pride laced his tone—not just because of the win, but because of what it meant for the Great Ruler Empire.

Lyra stood beside him, nodding in agreement. Her eyes didn’t leave Max. Admiration flickered in them—not the admiration of a noble toward a subordinate, but that of someone who saw potential matching her own.

To cross not just a level, but a rank and several small levels in strength to defeat a 3rd level Champion Rank genius... that was something not even the greatest talents of the seven overlord forces could accomplish. For Max, it seemed effortless. Casual. Routine. And that was what made it terrifying.

Meanwhile, Elder Bras’ face darkened like thunderclouds. His mouth curled in displeasure, arms folding behind his back as he turned away in silence. The Thunder Monarch Hall had lost. With this defeat, their right to claim the mana pool had vanished.

But Elder Bras didn’t look angry for the loss—he looked curious. Quietly fuming, yes, but mostly interested... in seeing just how far Max could go. Especially against the next opponent—the genius from Bright Buddha Palace.

Just then, the small floating sphere buzzed softly, and new names appeared on the glowing holographic screen above—"Thunder Monarch Hall vs Bright Buddha Palace."

A moment of silence followed, but all eyes turned toward Elder Bras. His expression was already stormy, and now it darkened even further. He looked down at Kai, still unconscious and badly drained, clearly in no condition to fight again.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, Elder Bras stepped forward, his voice cold and clipped. "We forfeit from this competition for the ownership of the mana pool."

A low murmur spread through the air, but Elder Drew’s response cut through it sharply. He didn’t hide the smirk tugging at his lips. "I recall someone scoffing about bringing an 8th level Expert Rank to a Champion Rank competition," he said smugly, the arrogance in his voice impossible to miss.

Elder Bras shot him a venomous glare, his pride clearly bruised. "Don’t get too cocky, Drew," he growled, voice dripping with resentment. "A year from now, the gates to Treasure Lord Island will open again. When that time comes, Thunder Monarch Hall will make sure no genius from the Great Ruler Empire walks out of that island alive."

The air tensed instantly. Even Elder Drew’s smile faded slightly at those words. Threats made in such a tone weren’t thrown around lightly—not between first-class powers.

"You are free to do so," he sneered coldly, but even as he said that, a flicker of contemplation passed through his eyes. He turned slightly, gaze distant, already thinking ahead.

The Treasure Lord Island... It wasn’t just any ordinary resource site. It was a place drenched in history and mystery—one of the rare territories in the Middle Domain not under the control of the Four God Nation. Instead, it lay in the hands of the seven overlord forces, and because of that, its significance was immeasurable.

Every five years, it opened its doors, but only a year before the Divine Mandate Grand Tournament, giving just enough time for young geniuses to temper themselves and gain breakthroughs before the grandest stage in the world.

For that very reason, it was treated as sacred ground for geniuses—both a battlefield and a crucible. Many rose there. Many also fell. But the opportunity it offered was undeniable.

A treasure trove of ancient relics, secret inheritances, divine beast remnants, and scattered realms hidden within... it was the kind of place that could change a genius’s fate overnight.

Elder Drew narrowed his eyes. If Thunder Monarch Hall was already thinking that far ahead, then he too needed to prepare the strongest lineup. Because on Treasure Lord Island, there were no rules. Only survival. And supremacy.

"Amitabha..." The serene chant echoed softly through the hills, causing even the rustling leaves to quieten for a moment. It was the silent elder of the Bright Buddha Palace who finally spoke, his eyes still closed as if meditating on some profound truth. "Friends from the Great Ruler Empire, it seems the final battle to determine the ownership of the mana pool lies between our two forces." He was Elder Heng.

Elder Drew’s expression turned grave at those words. Bright Buddha Palace... even among the seven overlord forces, they stood out. Perhaps not always the loudest or most aggressive, but undeniably among the strongest—if not the strongest.

Especially now, when the Great Ruler Empire’s glory was flickering like an old flame. Few would dare challenge the Bright Buddha Palace’s might in this era. Their strength didn’t stem from numbers or raw power alone, but from the unwavering spiritual resolve of those who followed the Way of Buddha—an arduous path that demanded both physical and mental purity.

And it was precisely that discipline which made their geniuses terrifying opponents.

Buzz!

The sphere in the air lit up again, its glowing letters flashing with the final matchup: "Great Ruler Empire vs Bright Buddha Palace." The air grew still, the atmosphere heavy.

"Go," Elder Heng spoke at last, voice calm like still water. His eyes remained closed, yet his words held a weight that made the young man beside him nod instantly with silent reverence.

The young man stepped forward with grace, as if the battle ahead wasn’t a fight but a spiritual duty he had long prepared for.

Max stepped forward calmly, but before he could reach the center of the battlefield, Lyra’s voice echoed softly in his mind through sound transmission.

"Be careful of this guy," she warned, her tone grave. "Bright Buddha Palace has always been the most mysterious of the seven overlord forces—and one of the strongest. Back when our Great Ruler Empire was in its prime, only they could truly match us step for step. Their geniuses are not like others. They train in silence, but their strength is unquestionable. Don’t take him lightly."

Max’s eyes narrowed slightly as he replied in his mind, "I will keep that in mind."

He stood across from his opponent, taking in the sight of the calm, composed young man before him. Unlike the previous battle, Max didn’t attack immediately.

Something about this one felt... different. The man’s aura wasn’t violent or fierce like Kai’s—it was serene. But beneath that serenity, Max could sense something deeper. An overwhelming sense of balance. Of unshakable peace. It was like facing a mountain that could not be moved or eroded. That quiet confidence alone made Max alert.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay