After Zar, Paragon stepped forward before Maximus.
"It's time we formally met. I'm Paragon Donmarch."
"Hmm? Are you related to the Overlord Ascelon Donmarch?"
"Not exactly." Paragon shook his head, unwilling to elaborate further.
"I see. So, what do you need from me?"
"Just curious about your strength."
Although Paragon had lost earlier, to him, the battle had been a mere performance—a show to satisfy the crowd.
He acknowledged Zar's strength but was confident that in a life-and-death battle, he would still emerge victorious.
His interest wasn't in Zar. The man standing before him—Maximus—was far more intriguing.
In their earlier battle, he had seen Maximus holding back significantly.
"Curious about my strength, huh?"
Meeting Paragon's inquisitive gaze, Maximus could tell the man was already analyzing countless ways to defeat him.
Having fought Paragon using the Knowledge Simulation, Maximus was well aware of how dangerous this monster was.
Given sufficient time, information, and simulations, Paragon could defeat any enemy.
Once, Maximus had simulated a battle with Paragon, providing him with all possible information and unlimited time.
To Maximus' shock, he lost miserably.
Moreover, the defeat was indescribable.
He hadn't even seen Paragon during the simulation—he had simply died without knowing how or why.
"I'll see you in the Dimensional Competition. I hope you grow stronger. Don't disappoint me."
Having seen enough, Paragon left as suddenly as he had appeared.
Shaking his head at the inexplicable arrogance of these supremely talented individuals, Maximus turned back to his family.
As they chattered about the trial, they quickly made their way back to the Etherium Realm.
After enduring thousands of years of trials, returning to the Etherium Realm was a relief. Their bodies instantly relaxed.
"Being in the Etherium Realm is still the best."
Breathing in the fresh, mana-rich air, they felt its nourishing energy course through them.
The familiar noise of the outside world made them feel grounded.
No matter where they went, the Etherium Realm would always be their home.
That evening, they held a banquet to celebrate their success in the trial.
As they reminisced, they reviewed their harvests.
Showcasing their ultimate treasures, demonstrating the abilities they gained from Supreme Laws they had bound to, and sharing the abilities they had derived during the trial.
The Shadowcrest family spent several years in intense discussion, summarizing their gains from the Virtual Trial.
With their current strength—the peak of the Tier 10 Realm, paths extending to the River of Law, ultimate treasures in hand, and binding of Supreme Laws—they had reached the pinnacle of what Tier 10 individuals could achieve in a lifetime.
"The only tasks left are to deepen your study of the Path of Law and enhance your physiques to Origin Grade," Maximus concluded.
A million years was too short to achieve anything drastic.
Initially, Maximus had planned for each of them to advance their paths to the Ocean of Law, have a complete set of ultimate treasures, and expand their power magnitude to hundreds of trillions.
Unfortunately, the Dimensional Competition had been shortened from thousands of epochs to a mere million years.
Fortunately, the selection trial had appeared, allowing them to bind with the entities of the Origins of Law.
As for Maximus, he had once envisioned even grander plans for himself.
He intended to reach the Absolute of Law, upgrade his physique to Rank 13, condense the Path of Omniscience by comprehending all paths, enhance his system, and merge it with at least ten ultimate treasures.
Then, after acquiring the Seed of Law, he would advance to the Tier 12 Realm in one fell swoop, dominating the Aeon Plane.
Unfortunately, the plan couldn't keep up with the changes.
With only a million years left before the competition, Maximus could only focus on upgrading the Path of Knowledge to the Ocean level, condensing a few Seeds of Path, and merging the Truth Seal and Eternal Book with his system.
There was also the Amalgamation of Will.
Maximus intended to see if he could comprehend it fully, even up to the Tier 12 Realm.
It might have miraculous applications in the Primordial Realm.
After sorting through their plans and discussing their goals for the coming million years, they divided, each with their pursuit.
Most of his children and grandchildren returned to their respective sects to report.
Although the Shadowcrest family had abundant resources, they were reluctant to leave their sects.
For thousands of years, they had lived and grown within those sects, forming countless friendships and alliances and even managing factions of their own.
Furthermore, cooperating with the sects would benefit the family, especially the Order of Maxim, established by their father.
Lux returned to managing his business in the Virtual Realm, with plans to expand it into the real world.
Although the wealth he generated was a fraction of what his father could create, he found joy in conducting business—it was his calling.
Moreover, procuring the materials needed by his father, the Etherium Realm, and the Order of Maxim would become far more manageable with a flourishing business.
Liam, on the other hand, resumed his role in managing the Etherium Realm.
Due to the merging of various dimensions, the Etherium Realm had descended into chaos.
Although order still existed, processes had become slow and disorganized.
Determined to restore efficiency, Liam dove into his work alongside his sons and nieces.
Meanwhile, Maximus and his wives teleported to the Source of Knowledge.
Accompanying them were several masters of the River of Law from the Order of Maxim.
"Do we really need to move the Source of Knowledge now?" Vratos, the acting leader of the Order of Maxim, asked hesitantly.
Moving the Source of Knowledge was no trivial matter—it was a massive endeavor.
Typically, one would only move their Source of Path once it reached the Ocean level when their control and power were sufficient to handle such an undertaking.
"It has to be done. The coming million years will be a race. Who knows if someone tried to sabotage us?"
"Furthermore, having the Source of Knowledge near the Etherium Realm is better. That way, the Order of Maxim will become more concentrated and efficient."
Hearing his explanation, the others nodded in agreement.
Indeed, keeping the Source of their Path far away would not only be inconvenient but potentially dangerous.