Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100-Chapter 868: Max takes action

Max had left, convinced beyond doubt that Kevin was dead, consumed by that strange entity. And yet... here he was, standing tall and alive, his expression calm, his power seemingly more refined than before.

Max’s face darkened slightly as his wariness spiked. "Did something happen afterward? Did that gray shadow somehow keep him alive or... is this even the same Kevin?" The thought sent a chill down his spine. He clenched his fists unconsciously, because whatever the reason, Kevin’s presence here could not be a coincidence.

Forcing his focus away from the unsettling figure, Max shifted his attention to the right side of the cave, where the yin energy surged like a living tide. There, a striking woman in a crimson dress stood, her body tall and sculpted, curves as pronounced as her presence.

It was Senior Sister Nell, unmistakably elegant yet lethally dangerous. Her long crimson whip lashed through the air like a living serpent, bursting with fiery sparks each time it struck.

She was surrounded by several smaller human-faced spiders, each one terrifying in its own right and possessing the strength of the 2nd or 3rd level of Legend Rank. They lunged at her from every angle, their spindly legs slicing through the air, their venomous fangs glinting in the mana light.

Yet Nell’s expression remained calm, almost cold, as she twisted her whip with flawless control, forcing the spiders back with every strike. Each crack of the whip split the air and smashed into the spiders’ limbs, leaving black ichor splattering against the rocks.

Max’s gaze followed her movement toward the back of the cave. There, nestled in a hollow stone pit, lay a dozen black, fist-sized eggs. They pulsed faintly, glowing with an ominous sheen, exuding a chilling aura that only pure yin energy could produce. A faint thread of spiritual power emanated from them, whispering of life yet to be born.

*"The eggs of the Human-Faced Spider King..." *Max thought, eyes narrowing slightly. These were treasures in their own right, each potentially worth fortunes on the black market or a great advantage to anyone daring enough to nurture one.

Between Kevin, who should have been dead, Nell, who was formidable in her own right, and the Spider King restrained by that monstrous python, the entire cavern had become a battlefield of terrifying stakes. Max’s grip on the Blue Dragon Sword tightened unconsciously as his mind raced. "This just got a lot more complicated." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Swish."

Senior Sister Nell’s delicate hand swept gracefully through the air, her crimson whip coiling back to her side as she reached out toward the stone pit. With a flick of her fingers, she stored away the dozen human-faced spider eggs into her storage ring, their black sheen vanishing in an instant. Her movements were calm and elegant, yet every shift of her body exuded deadly confidence, the type only those accustomed to life-and-death battles carried.

Then her eyes fell upon the rock wall beside the pit, and there her lips curved faintly. Growing from a crack in the dark, moist stone were two small spiritual herbs—black and glossy like obsidian, faintly shimmering with an unnatural luster. A subtle aura of pure Yin energy emanated from them, so dense that it caused the surrounding air to frost faintly.

"Soul-Nourishing Grass..."

Even from the shadows, Max’s eyes widened as a surge of joy erupted in his chest. His pulse quickened, and an almost primal heat flashed in his eyes. He had come to the Hidden Sound Valley for this exact herb, and now it lay only a few feet away. He could already feel his soul tremble at the thought of refining it, his progress toward the Blue Soul realm becoming all but certain.

But then, his joy abruptly twisted into alarm. Senior Sister Nell, the woman from the Void Soul Tower, had stepped closer, her hand lifting toward the precious herbs as if they were already hers. Max’s jaw clenched, and his grip on the Blue Dragon Sword tightened until his knuckles whitened. ’No... those herbs are mine.’

Without hesitation, Max acted.

"Buzz—!"

A sharp, high-pitched sword whistle reverberated through the cave, vibrating against the rocky walls like the roar of an ancient beast.

The Blue Dragon Sword in Max’s hands erupted with power, flames and sword intent interweaving as it transformed into a massive sword shadow as thick as a water bucket. In the next breath, it surged forward like a violent dragon descending from the heavens, its edge aimed directly at Senior Sister Nell’s exposed back.

"Who?!"

The strike’s suddenness drew an instant reaction. Senior Sister Nell’s body twisted gracefully, her chest heaving from the abrupt movement, the whip at her side twitching like a coiled viper about to strike. Her eyes—bright, watery, and carrying a dangerous allure—swept toward the source of the attack, her brow furrowing in irritation.

Yet when her gaze landed fully on Max, her pupils narrowed slightly in shock. She had expected a powerhouse—perhaps a 3rd or even 4th level Legend Rank expert—someone fitting of the boldness it took to attack her. But instead, what stood before her was a young man at only the peak of Master Rank.

For a split second, disbelief flashed across her beautiful features, quickly replaced by a disdainful, almost mocking expression. ’A peak Master Rank ant... dares to sneak attack me?’

However, as she focused on Max’s face, her expression froze again. Recognition dawned, and a cold, killing intent flashed in her eyes.

"Max...?"

That name carried weight, even among the Void Soul Tower’s elites. The elders and even the Tower Lord himself had personally ordered the geniuses participating in the secret domain to kill him on sight, no matter the cost. He wasn’t merely a target—he was an opportunity to earn supreme merit.

Her expression shifted from mild annoyance to pure hostility in an instant, her soft red lips curling upward in a dangerous smile. "So, you’re the one they warned us about."

Max’s eyes, however, were locked solely on the two Soul-Nourishing Grass herbs behind her, his expression cold and resolute.