Just as Max established the perfect balance between his Devouring Flame Essence and the White Lotus Essence Ice, the world around him began to tremble faintly. The stillness he had created within himself spread outward, merging with the frozen air that surrounded him.

The ice beneath him reflected his faint glow, showing both his red and blue aura swirling in harmony. For a brief moment, everything felt suspended in time, as if the entire realm had acknowledged the equilibrium he had achieved.

Then, the trembling intensified. A strange force began to gather around him, faint at first but rapidly growing stronger. The air vibrated softly, carrying an energy that was neither hot nor cold. It felt ancient—like the will of the trial itself had awakened to recognize what he had accomplished.

Max looked around cautiously, his expression calm but focused. "What now…?" he muttered, his eyes scanning the horizon of the ice world.

The faint hum in the air deepened into a low resonance that echoed through the vast expanse. Cracks of light appeared in the icy sky, spreading like veins across glass. The ground beneath him also began to shift, rippling like the surface of water.

He could feel it—a powerful pull coming from above, a distortion of space that felt familiar. It was the same type of spatial ripple that had appeared when he was transported into the second part of the trial. But this one felt gentler, as if it wasn't forcing him, but guiding him away.

The trial was ending.

Max straightened his posture, his hands relaxed at his sides. The red and blue aura that surrounded him stabilized completely, flowing naturally around his body. His energy no longer felt divided. It was whole—unified. The balance of flame and ice had become part of his essence, and even the space around him responded to that unity.

The ripples of light grew brighter. The cracks in the frozen sky spread further until they covered the entire world. The icy landscape began to dissolve into motes of light, each shard of frost evaporating into the air.

Max didn't resist the pull. He had experienced this countless times before in different trials, and he knew what it meant. The trial acknowledged his success and was now sending him back.

The moment the last shard of ice vanished, the world collapsed entirely. His vision blurred, his surroundings folded into streaks of white and blue, and his body was engulfed in light.

When the brilliance faded, Max opened his eyes—and the scenery had changed completely.

He was standing at the entrance of the Valley of Frozen Ash once more. The familiar valley stretched before him, divided sharply between two extremes—one half blazing with crimson flames, the other half covered in thick frost. The air here was heavy with elemental energy, but after what he had just endured, it felt almost peaceful to him.

He looked down at his hands and exhaled slowly. A faint trail of white mist escaped his breath, instantly followed by a thin flicker of black flame dancing on his fingertips. They coexisted perfectly, flowing from his palm in harmony.

"So I've been sent back…" Max whispered quietly, his gaze turning toward the horizon.

The valley was still full of activity. Far away, he could see faint silhouettes of other geniuses, some walking out from their respective trial gates, some meditating at the edge of the valley to consolidate their comprehension.

Judging by the faint ripples of energy in the air, most of them were still stuck somewhere between the first and second trial stages.

He took a step forward, the frozen ground crunching beneath his feet before melting under the faint warmth of his presence. The moment his aura touched the surroundings, the air rippled faintly, as if recognizing the power that now resided within him.

'The balance between flame and ice… the Yin Yang Physique,' he thought to himself. 'It's stable now. Completely.'

He could feel it clearly. The White Lotus Essence Ice within him no longer struggled against the Devouring Flame Essence. Both powers circulated through his meridians freely, complementing one another perfectly. His body had become a vessel of balance, capable of channeling opposing forces without conflict.

"So, this trial finally ended?" Max muttered as he slowly looked around. The faint shimmer of the Valley of Frozen Ash surrounded him, the sharp contrast of flame and frost still vivid in the air. On one side, the ground glowed faintly with molten red, radiating waves of heat.

On the other, a thin mist of cold drifted lazily across the frozen land. Yet, there was no portal or gate to another trial, no shift in the space indicating a continuation. It was still. Silent.

Max frowned. He was certain he had only completed the second part of the trial. The last thing he remembered was the void of ice collapsing after he attained balance between his flames and frost. He had never seen the third stage, the inheritance chamber that was supposed to follow. It felt incomplete—like he had been pulled away before finishing.

"Did I fail?" he murmured softly, his voice barely above a whisper. He knew how these trials worked; one had to pass every stage to reach the end. But in his case, he wasn't defeated. He had simply… been removed.

Just then, familiar voices broke his thoughts.

"Max, you are out too," Victor called from a short distance away.

Max turned his head to see Victor and Seraphina approaching through the faint mist. Both of them looked exhausted but unharmed. Their clothes bore traces of burns and frost, marks of the intense energies within the trial. Yet, Victor's grin was casual, easy, as though he had just come back from a simple spar.

"It seems even you couldn't comprehend the ice concept," Victor said as he came closer, shaking his head lightly. "For a moment, I thought you might be the only one who could push through all three parts."

Max nodded, his expression unreadable. "Looks like that's the case."

But even as he spoke, his mind was piecing together the pattern.

He studied Victor, then turned his gaze to Seraphina, who stood quietly beside him. Her aura, while strong, carried no trace of ice energy. She had clearly stopped before reaching even the first level of comprehension. Her flame affinity was strong, but the opposite element had rejected her completely.

Max's eyes narrowed slightly. The realization came naturally after that.

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