A Hundred and Seventy Thousand Years Later…
Just as Maximus was about to merge the third seed of the Ocean of Law, he felt a slight disturbance from the Etherium Realm.
Feeling the Etherium Realm about to break through its cocoon and become a Tier 12 Dimension, Maximus's expression became solemn.
Mobilizing the Tier 12 dimensional array and the Source of Knowledge, Maximus began to seal the advancement of the Etherium Realm.
"It's not yet the time..."
Entering the Omniscient mode, countless runes and arrays surrounded the Etherium Realm, turning the quaking dimension to a standstill.
Advancing this early wasn't good for the Etherium Realm, especially for Etheria.
First of all, the Etherium Realm simply lacked the solid foundation.
Even if Maximus had plugged it with many high-tier treasures and invested countless resources, the Etherium Realm simply hadn't had enough time to stabilize and digest.
The Scholarly Dimensions was also still in the process of merging with the Etherium Realm.
Most of the dimension was still in the void, waiting for its turn to integrate with the Etherium Realm.
Integrating a dimension from another wasn't as simple as gluing a picture on paper.
It had a lot of processes and complications, from recalibrating the dimensional rules to changing the origin of the dimension, managing the population, etc.
Although it was easier than integrating a seed of path to the Ocean of Knowledge, there were too many Dimensions to integrate.
Finally, there was the lack of peak powerhouses.
The strongest individuals born from Etherium Realm were only at the Tier 10 realm.
As for the powerful members of the Order of Maxim at the Tier 11 realm, they didn't count.
If the Etherium Realm advanced now with such a lack of foundation, it would be senseless.
It would just become another Tier 12 dimension, unworthy of being the residential territory of a top force.
Even with Shadowcrest Castle and the Tier 12 dimensional array elevating the Etherium Realm's rank, it would be a mere wooden shell containing a great treasure.
Finally, there was Etheria.
As a Dimensional Will, Etheria's advancement wasn't simple.
Even with the Origin Manual and Maximus's help, it wouldn't be easy for Etheria to break through the bottleneck and the rules of the Aeon Plane.
If Maximus wasn't careful and didn't plan well, Etheria might end up lingering at the Tier 11 realm for a long time.
To resolve this—the Etherium Realm's lack of foundation and the invisible barrier Etheria would face—Maximus needed a seed of plane.
Like the seed of origin one needed to become an overlord, Etheria required a seed of plane.
Initially, Maximus didn't know where to find such a seed that could elevate a dimension's potential to plane level.
However, with the advancement of the path of Knowledge, Maximus was able to locate the only seed of plane present in the Aeon Plane.
To his surprise, this seed of plane was also in the Primordial Origin Continent, along with the seeds of origin they needed.
According to his deduction, it was only a defective seed of plane—the byproduct of the Aeon Plane—but it was more than enough for Etheria to lay a solid foundation.
With enough time, resources, and ability, Maximus could even leverage it to turn the Etherium Realm into a veritable plane!
With only thirty thousand years before the Dimensional Competition, how could Maximus rush the Etherium Realm's advancement?
Noticing his family's puzzled expressions as to why he stopped the Etherium Realm advancement, Maximus quickly explained his reasoning.
Understanding the rationale, they also began to look forward to the Etherium Realm's eventual advancement into a plane.
Although it was a distant future, just imagining their home dimension transforming into a grand plane comparable to the Aeon Plane filled them with reverie.
"There are only thirty thousand years left. You better hone your skills to perfection…" Maximus advised, continuing his work.
He had a feeling that after integrating this third seed of the Ocean of Law, the Ocean of Knowledge would break through another bottleneck.
Sure enough, twenty-five thousand years later, after another relentless effort, the Ocean of Knowledge successfully broke through the 29% bottleneck.
"It's stable!" Maximus muttered in excitement, watching the Ocean of Knowledge advance.
With only five thousand years left and the process of competition, the Ocean of Knowledge should be able to advance until it hits the next bottleneck, which is 59%.
With over half the progress before reaching the Absolute of Law, Maximus was confident he could secure the top spot with his progress alone.
Feeling his body tire and fatigue set in, Maximus began to recount all the preparations he had made over the past millions of years:
Building the Tier 12 Dimensional Array…
Merging hundreds of Rivers of Law and three Oceans of Law into the Path of Knowledge…
Integrating two ultimate treasures and five ultimate materials into the Source of Knowledge…
Rebuilding the Shadowcrest Castle…
Helping his family to become Masters of the River of Law…
Perfecting their special physiques and helping them assemble a complete set of ultimate treasures…
"I've already done my best. I hope it's enough…"
The Dimensional Competition was practically in their pocket.
Maximus didn't believe they wouldn't secure a place in such a competition.
What worried him, however, was their trip to the Primordial Origin Realm.
Although it was said to be a peaceful place and that, they only needed to worry about other candidates snatching the same seed of origin.
Maximus had a gut feeling they were about to face great danger.
"The Overlords? Another plane civilization? The Dark Disasters?"
Unfortunately, his plane-level ability, the True Path, could only provide an instinctive warning.
Perhaps due to his lack of strength and ability, it could only passively activate.
Hoping to gain clarity, Maximus used his Ocean of Knowledge to deduce any relevant information.
Unfortunately, he came up with nothing.
All he deduced was that their journey would be smooth and perfect, resulting in them returning as Tier 11 individuals—at least as Masters of the Ocean of Law.
Maximus even deduced that he would become a Master of the Absolute of Law upon his return.
As for the process or potential dangers, there was no information whatsoever.
To prevent any mishaps, Maximus could only prepare to the utmost of his ability, ensuring they were in their strongest form when the time came.
With everything prepared, Maximus could only leave the rest to fate.
"I hope everything will be alright…"