Seeing every weapon aimed directly at him while more than a dozen killing intents locked onto his body at the same time, Max remained completely calm as though the situation before him carried no threat whatsoever, and not even the slightest trace of nervousness appeared on his face despite the overwhelming hostility surrounding him from every direction.

Instead, a smile slowly appeared across his face.

However, this was not the calm and composed smile that people usually associated with him. This smile carried an unmistakable sense of excitement, almost as though he had finally found something worthy of entertaining him after a long period of boredom.

There was anticipation within his eyes, a dangerous eagerness that only intensified the more greed and confidence he sensed from the disciples standing below him.

Those participants genuinely believed that because Max’s cultivation realm was lower than theirs, they could suppress him through sheer numbers alone, and the certainty within their expressions made the battle spirit inside Max rise even further.

In their eyes, this trial favored them completely.

They believed Max was weak.

They believed his previous performances had merely been luck or temporary brilliance that could never overcome the advantage of superior cultivation.

And Max found that line of thinking amusing beyond words.

The seven-colored lightning surrounding his body crackled violently as he slowly descended from the sky with complete composure, stopping only a few meters above the ground while his gaze calmly swept across every participant gathered around him.

The faint smile on his face gradually widened as though he had already seen the outcome of the battle long before it even began.

"So all of you decided to target me first?" Max asked lightly, his tone carrying neither anger nor fear, but instead sounding almost entertained by the situation.

The disciple wielding the massive battle axe immediately let out a cold sneer as he stepped forward slightly and pointed the heavy weapon toward Max.

"You should feel honored," he mocked arrogantly. "Not everyone gets treated like such a valuable target during the trial."

Another participant standing nearby laughed harshly while gripping his weapon tighter.

"You only have yourself to blame for standing out too much during the previous trials," he said coldly. "Now everyone wants your points."

The disciple holding the black saber slowly raised his weapon as a sharp glint flashed through his eyes.

"You should surrender your points and eliminate yourself peacefully," he said in a calm but threatening voice. "Otherwise, what happens next is going to become extremely painful for you."

Hearing those words, Max merely chuckled softly under his breath as though he had just heard something genuinely funny.

Then he spoke a single word.

"Come."

The instant that word left his mouth, the entire atmosphere changed completely.

Boom!

A terrifying pressure erupted violently from Max’s body like a sleeping monster finally awakening. The ground beneath him exploded apart instantly as massive cracks spread across the clearing at an astonishing speed, tearing through the earth while nearby trees trembled fiercely under the force of the pressure wave.

Countless leaves were blown away into the sky as the sheer power radiating from Max distorted the surrounding air itself.

The expressions of the disciples surrounding him changed immediately.

"What is this pressure?!" one participant shouted in shock as his face paled.

"This aura..." another disciple muttered while instinctively stepping backward.

Before anyone could react any further, Max slowly clenched his fist.

At that exact moment, the Third Divine Vein within the Seven Divine Veins opened completely inside his body.

Vein of Strength.

Boom!!!

An overwhelming surge of power exploded from within Max like a volcanic eruption that had been suppressed for far too long. The blood flowing through his body roared violently as unimaginable physical strength flooded every muscle, every bone, and every cell with terrifying force.

Veins glowing faintly beneath his skin pulsed with immense energy while the surrounding space distorted under the pressure radiating from him.

This was the first time since opening the Third Divine Vein that Max had fully unleashed the Vein of Strength during an actual battle.

And the effect was horrifying.

The surrounding disciples felt as though an invisible mountain had descended directly onto their shoulders, causing several participants to stagger backward instinctively as fear began to appear within their eyes.

"This..." the black saber disciple muttered in disbelief while staring at Max with widened eyes.

"How can a ninth level Law Awakening cultivator release this kind of power?!"

Max slowly raised his head, and at that moment, even without using concepts, laws, or combat techniques, the raw physical might erupting from his body alone already felt overwhelmingly oppressive to everyone present.

It was pure strength.

Absolute strength.

The Vein of Strength amplified Max’s physical power to such an absurd level that even the slightest movement of his body caused the surrounding air to tremble faintly, as though space itself struggled to endure the monstrous force flowing within him.

The woman wielding twin daggers felt her heartbeat accelerate uncontrollably as danger instincts screamed within her mind.

"This pressure... it’s dangerous!" she said with visible fear in her voice.

The battle axe wielder gritted his teeth as sweat slowly formed across his forehead.

"No," he said forcefully while trying to steady himself. "He’s bluffing. There’s no way his real strength can match this aura."

Yet even as he spoke those words, uncertainty had already appeared deep within his eyes.

Max lowered his gaze toward his own hand slowly while feeling the immense power coursing throughout his body, and the sensation almost felt intoxicating. Endless strength overflowed from deep within him with such overwhelming intensity that it genuinely felt as though he could shatter mountains apart with his bare fists alone.

Then suddenly—

Max disappeared.

Boom!

The ground where he had been standing exploded apart instantly from the force of his movement alone.

Several disciples’ pupils contracted violently.

"So fast!"

Before anyone could properly react, Max had already appeared directly in front of the battle axe wielder.

The disciple’s expression changed drastically as instinctive fear exploded within his mind. He roared loudly while raising his battle axe and pouring every ounce of his power into defense.

However, Max simply threw a punch forward.

He did not use sword intent.

He did not use lightning.

He did not use concepts, laws, or martial techniques.

It was merely a single punch empowered by the Vein of Strength.

The moment that punch collided against the massive axe—

Boom!!!

A deafening explosion erupted across the clearing as the enormous battle axe shattered apart instantly under the terrifying force of Max’s strike. The disciple behind it spat blood violently while his defenses were crushed completely, and his body flew backward like a broken ragdoll before smashing through dozens of giant trees one after another.

The entire clearing fell silent.

Everyone stared at the scene in horror.

One punch.

Only one punch.

And a peak Law Refinement Realm participant had been completely overwhelmed without any ability to resist.

Before the others could even recover from their shock, Max moved again.

His figure flashed across the battlefield like a phantom moving faster than their eyes could follow.

Boom!

A spear shattered into countless fragments.

Boom!

A massive hammer exploded apart instantly.

Boom!

Another participant was blasted high into the air while coughing blood uncontrollably.

Everywhere Max passed, destruction followed behind him.

The truly terrifying part was that he still had not used a single concept or combat technique throughout the battle.

He relied purely on the raw physical strength granted by the Vein of Strength.

And that strength alone was already enough to completely dominate peak Law Refinement Realm geniuses as though they were powerless before him.