Lucia crossed her arms.

"You two became close rather quickly."

Neither of them answered directly.

What Lucia did not know was that Rose had not chosen to befriend Max simply because of what she had witnessed so far.

Her true reason lay elsewhere.

Rose possessed a rare and unusual class ability, one that very few people knew about. That ability allowed her to perceive the future potential of geniuses. It did not reveal exact destinies, nor did it grant complete foresight, but it gave her a sense of how far a person might one day rise.

However, the ability had strict limitations.

It only worked if the target remained near her long enough for the connection to form. Brief encounters meant nothing. Passing meetings gave no result.

Because of that, it had remained dormant during their earlier interactions.

Only after Max returned from Dragon Death Valley and spent enough time near her did the ability finally activate.

And the moment it did, Rose had nearly lost control of her composure.

What she saw had shaken her to the core.

Around Max, she did not perceive the outline of an ordinary genius.

She saw a towering presence that seemed to rise beyond stars, beyond realms, beyond even the boundaries of the universe itself.

It was vast.

Terrifying.

Unclear in shape, yet overwhelming in scale.

Even more shocking, every other figure standing near that vision appeared dim and insignificant by comparison, as though they were destined to become background shadows in the wake of his ascent.

Rose had seen many talented people before.

She had judged heirs of great clans, disciples of supreme forces, and monstrous prodigies praised across star realms.

None of them came remotely close to what she saw around Max.

That was why she refused the divine crystals.

That was why she chose friendship instead of profit.

To her, one thousand divine crystals was valuable.

But the favor of someone like Max could one day become priceless.

"I will see you again at the Cosmic Ascension Conference," Max said to Rose as the three of them began leaving the area outside Dragon Death Valley.

Rose looked at him with a faint frown.

"You are participating in that tournament as well?"

Her gaze swept over him once, measuring his current cultivation.

"Are you not still a little too weak for something of that level?"

Max only shrugged casually.

"I am joining mainly to gain experience," he replied. "And if by some miracle I end up winning the whole thing, that would make it even better, would it not?"

Rose stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Keep dreaming."

Though her tone was mocking, there was a trace of curiosity hidden beneath it.

"Come on," she said as she turned ahead. "I will guide you both back to the camp."

The three of them soon departed from the cliffs surrounding Dragon Death Valley and traveled back through the harsh lands of Orion. Along the way, the oppressive atmosphere of the forbidden zone gradually faded behind them, replaced once more by the rough but comparatively safer terrain of the outer regions.

Hours later, the distant lights of the temporary camp came into view.

Various star shuttles rested on open ground, their metallic hulls reflecting the dim sky of Orion. Members of different forces moved in and out of the area, preparing supplies, tending injuries, or making arrangements to leave the planet after the chaos surrounding the secret domain and Dragon Death Valley.

When Max and Lucia arrived, several gazes immediately turned toward them.

Many recognized Max by now, and whispers spread quietly among the gathered cultivators. Between the matters involving Sword God Palace and War God Palace, his reputation had grown considerably.

Max paid little attention to it.

He turned toward Rose.

Lucia also stepped forward and gave her a sincere nod.

"Thank you again," Lucia said. "Without you, reaching Dragon Death Valley and returning safely would have been much harder."

Rose waved a hand dismissively.

"You paid me enough through entertainment alone."

Lucia rolled her eyes while Max laughed.

Then Rose looked at Max one last time.

"Do not die before the Cosmic Ascension Conference," she said. "I am now curious how far you can actually go."

Max smiled.

"I was about to say the same to you."

Rose snorted softly.

"You should worry about yourself first."

Despite the teasing words, there was clear respect between them now. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

After a final exchange, Max and Lucia boarded their star shuttle together. The sleek vessel hummed to life as formations across its body awakened and streams of energy flowed through its frame.

Rose remained outside, standing with her arms crossed as she watched them.

Through the transparent side panel, Lucia waved once.

Max gave Rose a nod.

Then the shuttle rose from the ground, gathering speed before shooting into the heavens like a streak of light.

Its destination was the Verdant Sky Realm.

As the vessel disappeared into the upper atmosphere, Rose continued watching for several moments before turning away.

A faint smile rested on her lips.

"The Cosmic Ascension Conference..." she murmured softly. "That gathering may become far more interesting than I thought."

As the star shuttle cut through the sea of stars, streams of light passed beyond the viewing panels like flowing rivers of silver. The steady hum of the vessel’s formations filled the cabin, creating a calm contrast to everything they had recently experienced on Orion.

Lucia sat across from Max, appearing far more relaxed now that they had finally left that dangerous planet behind.

Max, however, had fallen into thought.

After a while, he looked toward her and asked, "Lucia, do you know anything about the combat tower I entered during that trial before?"

Lucia turned her head slightly, curious at the sudden question.

"What about it?"

Max leaned back in his seat, his tone sounding casual, though his eyes carried interest.

"I was wondering whether there might be another tower like it somewhere else."

Lucia blinked once, then nodded without much hesitation.

"There is."

Max’s posture straightened immediately.

"There is another one?" he asked.

His voice remained controlled, but inwardly he was genuinely surprised.

He had not expected a direct answer.

Truthfully, he had only been probing her. He wanted to observe her reaction and see whether she knew anything related to the mysterious combat tower. He had assumed she might dismiss the topic or know nothing at all.

Instead, she had confirmed the existence of a second tower so casually.

Lucia noticed the sudden intensity in his expression and gave him an amused look.

"Yes, there is another tower of that kind somewhere within the Divine Realm."

Max’s eyes sharpened.

"Where?"

This time he did not bother hiding his eagerness. The second tower contained the second part of the Overlord Body Codex which contained the methods to open the last three divine veins of the Seven Divine Veins.

The Overlord Body Codex Max possessed only explained how to open the first four divine veins, and so Max desperately needed the other part.