"Come on then," Max said with a faint smile as he slowly drew his sword from its sheath, allowing the cold metallic blade to catch the surrounding light while strands of seven-colored lightning began crackling around his body like restless currents of divine destruction.

Violent energy surged silently through the platform, but Max’s expression remained calm as he raised his sword and pointed its tip straight toward Ray without the slightest hesitation.

"Show me what you’ve got."

Ray’s lips curled into a cold sneer after hearing those words, and his gaze became filled with unconcealed contempt.

"As you wish."

The next moment, a long crimson spear appeared in his hand.

The spear was dark red, almost like flowing blood that had been forged into solid metal, while sharp scarlet runes spread across its surface like burning veins. The instant the weapon appeared, an oppressive aura swept outward from it, making the surrounding air grow heavier.

Several nearby participants immediately frowned after sensing the pressure coming from the spear.

Ray slowly circled Max while dragging the spear tip across the stone platform beneath his feet.

A piercing screech echoed through the battlefield as the sharp spearhead tore through the stone floor with frightening ease, leaving long cracks behind while sparks scattered into the air.

A mocking smile appeared on Ray’s face as he continued moving around Max like a predator calmly studying prey that had already fallen into its trap.

"You do realize something, don’t you?" Ray said calmly while keeping his eyes fixed on Max. "Among everyone currently standing on this platform, your cultivation is the weakest."

The surrounding participants fell silent as Ray’s voice echoed clearly throughout the battlefield.

"You performed well during the first and second trials because those trials tested talent, comprehension, and skill," Ray continued, slowly lifting the crimson spear in his hand. "But this is different."

A dangerous smile gradually surfaced on his face.

"This is an actual battlefield."

The atmosphere around Ray began to change, and the pressure surrounding his spear grew heavier with every passing breath.

"And on a battlefield," he said coldly, "your weakness will finally be exposed for everyone here to see."

The instant those words fell, a terrifying pressure erupted violently from Ray’s spear.

It was sharpness.

Pure sharpness.

An overwhelming concept of sharpness spread outward from the crimson spear like an invisible storm sweeping across the entire eighth layer. The pressure became so intense that even the surrounding participants instinctively stepped backward in shock.

The stone platform beneath Ray’s feet cracked apart continuously while violent energy fluctuations spread rapidly through the battlefield.

Even the enormous ancient tower itself trembled faintly.

The expressions of many participants changed instantly.

"What terrifying sharpness!"

"This pressure..."

"It is only the fifth-level concept of sharpness, so why does it feel this overwhelming?"

The atmosphere around the platform became heavier as the concept emanating from Ray’s spear intensified rapidly.

Max narrowed his eyes slightly.

He could immediately sense that something about Ray’s concept of sharpness was fundamentally different from ordinary concepts. It felt deeper, more complete, and almost as if it had already begun transforming into something far beyond the level of a mere concept.

At that exact moment, Jonathan Myres’ expression changed drastically.

His pupils contracted as he stared toward Ray in disbelief.

"This..."

A deeply shocked look appeared on his face.

"This is a Pseudo Cosmic Path!"

The moment those words were spoken, the expressions of the surrounding participants changed immediately.

Even Julie’s previously calm face finally lost composure.

"Pseudo Cosmic Path?" she repeated in visible shock before quickly turning back toward Ray.

Her beautiful eyes widened.

"No way..."

The surrounding geniuses instantly erupted into commotion.

"A Pseudo Cosmic Path?"

"How is that even possible?"

Meanwhile, Ray stood there calmly while the terrifying aura surrounding him continued becoming sharper with every passing second.

At that moment, the pressure emanating from his spear no longer resembled the aura of a mere fifth-level concept. It already carried traces of something much higher, something that was slowly approaching the level of a true Cosmic Path.

Jonathan stared at Ray solemnly before speaking in a low voice.

"A Pseudo Cosmic Path is the stage where someone has already stepped onto the road toward comprehending a true Cosmic Path," he explained, his expression extremely serious. "It means that person has already achieved significant mastery over the foundation of that path, even if they have not fully completed it yet."

Julie’s eyes trembled faintly as she listened.

In simple terms, a Pseudo Cosmic Path represented someone who had already walked halfway toward the realm of true Cosmic Path comprehension.

And that was absolutely terrifying.

One had to understand that comprehending a true Cosmic Path was something cultivators normally pursued only after reaching the Divine Lord Realm. Only after arriving at that level would cultivators begin transforming their concepts into complete Cosmic Paths in order to continue advancing further along the cultivation road.

Yet now, Ray Willer had already touched the threshold of that power while still only standing at the peak of the Law Manifestation Realm.

This level of comprehension was absurd.

It completely surpassed the standards of ordinary geniuses from third-rate forces.

"How did he even accomplish this?" Julie muttered softly while staring at Ray in deep shock.

Her gaze gradually became more serious.

She understood very clearly that even among first-rate forces, only the absolute top geniuses occasionally managed to touch the threshold of a Pseudo Cosmic Path while still within the Law Awakening Realm. That fact alone was enough to classify them as monsters among monsters.

Yet Ray, a genius originating from a third-rate force, had somehow accomplished it as well.

The more Julie thought about it, the more unbelievable the situation became.

Jonathan slowly narrowed his eyes.

"I have heard rumors before," he said solemnly. "Ray Willer has connections with the Sword God Palace."

Julie immediately turned toward him.

Jonathan continued quietly, "If I had to guess, then some elder from the Sword God Palace probably guided him personally. Otherwise, there is no possible way a genius from a third-rate force could comprehend a Pseudo Cosmic Path this early."

At that moment, the atmosphere throughout the entire eighth layer had completely changed.

The surrounding participants no longer looked at Ray with ordinary caution or wariness.

Now, they looked at him with genuine fear.