Max's gaze swept through the geniuses one by one. He saw the golden crowns of divine light flickering above their heads, the proof of their divine ascension. He could feel the ripples of their power spreading through the air.

Each of them was now a being who could easily dominate entire worlds. Even the weaker ones carried a divine presence strong enough to crush armies and destroy mountains with a gesture.

He looked down at his own hands, clenching them lightly. His power, though still technically at the Mythic Rank, was no less than theirs. In fact, it was even stronger. His divine sea was denser or should he say his divine core(everyone in the Divine Rank has their mana core break turning the inner space in their body into a sea but Max hasn't reached the Divine Rank so he still has his mana core albeit now a Divine Core and due to the overwhelming devouring of Divine Essence the area around the Divine Core is filled with a sea. He also has a sea but has yet break his core), his energy purer, and his foundation more stable than any of the geniuses before him.

Every thread of divine energy within his body had been refined countless times over, compressed to a state of perfection that others could not achieve even with divine intervention.

Still, his situation was unusual.

He was the only one left in the Mythic Rank. The others had already crossed into the Divine Rank and completed the cycles of ascension, while he stood just below that threshold.

His energy density, his refined control, and the presence of multiple elemental concepts—space, sword, flame, lightning and ice—all contributed to the enormous amount of power required for him to advance. The Divine Platform could barely keep up with his rate of consumption toward the end.

He had needed more essence than anyone else—perhaps ten times more. It was as though the heavens themselves were demanding something greater from him before he could take that final step.

And yet, despite that, he wasn't discouraged. He smiled faintly. "So, I'm the only one still standing below," he murmured to himself. "That's fine. My foundation is stronger than theirs. When I step into the Divine Rank, I won't need to stop until I reach the peak."

He stood up slowly, his body radiating a calm and terrifying presence. The air around him shimmered, and a faint tremor ran through the platform as though the space itself recognized his growing power.

Half a year had passed in silence. To Max, it felt like only a few long meditations, but the world outside had changed entirely. Every genius within the Divine Platform had been reborn as a divine being, transcending their limits and surpassing everything their worlds could have offered them.

The Divine Platform, once glowing like a golden sun, now pulsed faintly, as though it had fulfilled its purpose. The flow of energy that had once been endless began to weaken, signaling that the end of the trial was near.

Max looked up at the golden mist above him, his gaze firm. "Ninety-nine percent or not," he whispered, "I'll reach one hundred. If not here, then out there."

His words were quiet, but they carried the weight of a promise.

In that stillness, surrounded by thousands of ascended geniuses, Max stood alone—one step short of divinity, but already stronger than all who had attained it.

The golden light that had enveloped the Divine Platform slowly began to fade. The once-radiant mist that filled the air started to dissolve, drifting upward like smoke dispersing into the heavens.

A faint tremor ran through the platform, followed by a low rumble that echoed through the void. The dome that had housed the geniuses trembled for a brief moment before the golden floor beneath their feet began to shimmer and fragment.

Then, without warning, it vanished.

The Divine Platform dissolved into countless motes of golden light that scattered in every direction before fading completely. The ground beneath them was replaced by solid stone, rough and lifeless compared to the divine structure they had been cultivating on for months.

"It's gone," one of the geniuses muttered under his breath, his voice filled with disbelief. He looked down at his feet, where the divine radiance had once flowed, and clenched his fists tightly.

Another genius spoke after a long pause. "The final trial has come to an end," he said solemnly. "The Divine Platform has completed its purpose. Every one of us reached the Divine Rank. Its task is fulfilled."

A murmur rippled through the crowd. The geniuses, who had all been sitting in meditation for half a year, looked around at one another with complex expressions. Some smiled with satisfaction, others wore disbelief, and a few seemed dazed, as if waking from a long dream.

However, a nervous voice suddenly broke through the silence. "Not everyone…" the genius said hesitantly. He was pale and trembling slightly, his eyes darting toward a single figure standing quietly at the center of the group. "Max… he's the only one among us who hasn't reached the Divine Rank. His aura still feels like Mythic Rank—around the eighth level."

The words spread quickly. Several heads turned toward Max, curiosity and unease flashing in their eyes. They could all sense it now—the vast ocean of power surrounding him was immense, but it lacked the divine signature that marked their newly achieved realm.

Before the first man could say anything more, another genius grabbed his arm sharply and hissed, "Quiet. Don't talk about him like that." His tone was urgent, his eyes filled with warning. "Do you have a death wish? Don't you know who that is? He killed a golden-crowned genius with ease. If he hears you talking like that, you won't even have time to scream."

The first genius swallowed hard, lowering his head immediately. "I-I wasn't saying anything bad. I just meant…"

"Then stop talking," the other interrupted sharply. "If you value your life, forget what you just said."

The tension between them faded quickly, replaced by silence. The geniuses avoided Max's direction entirely, pretending to look elsewhere.

Even though all of them had reached the Divine Rank, none of them dared to compare themselves to him. His mere presence exuded something that made their hearts tighten—a calm yet overwhelming aura that could crush them if he so wished.

Max, however, didn't pay them any attention. His focus was elsewhere. His sharp senses, honed through countless battles and the power of the Three Dimensional Body, picked up something far away—an unfamiliar fluctuation in the air, a ripple of energy rapidly approaching. It wasn't the Divine Platform this time. It was something else. Someone was coming.

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