NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1352: Craze!
Max smiled calmly at Raymond as the last traces of poison within his body were completely erased by the power of his Heavenly Luminance Royal Bloodline, the radiant energy leaving him refreshed and untainted as if nothing had ever happened.
In the very next instant, blue lightning erupted around his body, and before Raymond could even register the movement, Max had already appeared in front of him, his speed so overwhelming that all Raymond perceived was a brief flash of azure light.
When his vision stabilized, Max's sword was already resting gently against his neck, its cold edge carrying an undeniable threat as Max spoke directly into his mind through essence transmission.
"Who told you to kill me?" Max asked calmly, his tone chilling despite its quiet nature. "I can kill you whenever I want, and the Divine Colosseum will not be able to do anything about it. In fact, they would happily use your death to publicize the rest of my battles, so you should answer me honestly unless you want to find out how true that is."
Cold sweat immediately formed on Raymond's forehead as fear took hold of him, because he knew the rules of the Divine Colosseum far too well. Normally, one could not kill another during these battles, and life and death matches were reserved only for those who lost all three battles in a single day, forcing them to fight others in the same desperate situation.
However, there were always exceptions hidden beneath the surface, and Max was clearly one of them. If Max chose to kill him here, the Divine Colosseum would indeed turn a blind eye, just as he said, because sensational bloodshed would only serve their interests. Faced with that reality, Raymond understood that lying would only hasten his end.
"The Heron Family told me to kill you," Raymond said through clenched teeth, his voice shaking despite his attempt to remain composed. "They promised me my freedom in exchange for your life."
"I see," Max replied quietly, his expression darkening as the truth settled firmly in his mind.
Everything immediately made sense to him, because by rejecting the Heron Family's invitation, he had marked himself as a threat they could not control. If he were allowed to continue fighting, defeat all ten opponents, and eventually face the Grim Gladiator, there was a real possibility that he could win and gain his freedom.
Once that happened, killing him would become far more difficult, and worse still, the other six main families of the Black Dragon Palace might set their sights on him. From the Heron Family's perspective, silencing him early was the safest option.
"Heron Family," Max sneered inwardly, burning their name into his memory as he made a silent promise to himself. Without another word, he withdrew his sword and released a controlled burst of strength, striking Raymond and sending him flying out of the arena and crashing into the stands.
Max chose not to kill him, because Raymond was nothing more than a disposable pawn used by the Heron Family, and ending his life would bring no satisfaction.
The moment Raymond was sent flying out of the arena, the Divine Colosseum fell into stunned silence for a single heartbeat, and then it exploded into chaos as the crowd completely lost control, their voices crashing together in a deafening storm of disbelief and excitement.
"Did you see that, Raymond did not even get a chance to fight back properly, this is insane," a man shouted as he jumped to his feet, his face flushed with excitement.
"Raymond was a legend here, the man who won ten battles and still dared to stand before Max, and yet he was defeated like this," another voice roared, filled with shock that bordered on reverence.
"That speed was terrifying, I did not even see Max move, one moment Raymond was standing there and the next he was already out of the arena," someone yelled, clutching the railing in front of them as if trying to steady themselves.
"This is no longer a battle, this is a massacre, Max is on a completely different level," another spectator shouted, their tone filled with raw excitement.
"Hahaha, starting today with Max's battles was the best decision they ever made, this colosseum is going to explode by the end of the day," someone laughed loudly, barely able to contain themselves.
The cheers grew louder and louder, turning into uncontrollable chants as Max's name echoed through the Divine Colosseum once again, the hype reaching a fever pitch as everyone realized that they were witnessing something that would be remembered for ages.
"I think they are overreacting a little," Max muttered with a sigh as the deafening cheers continued to echo through the Divine Colosseum, because in his own eyes, defeating Raymond was nothing worth such a reaction.
To him, it was just another battle that ended quickly, and yet the crowd was behaving as if he had accomplished something earthshaking.
What Max did not fully understand was the weight carried by names like Raymond and Dean within the Divine Colosseum. They were not ordinary warriors but figures whose appearances alone could draw spectators from distant planets of the Verdant Sky Realm, because they rarely stepped onto the arena floor, and whenever they did, it was treated as a major event.
Over time, they had become celebrities in their own right, symbols of power and prestige within the colosseum, and many people came not just to watch battles, but specifically to witness them fight.
Seeing such legendary figures fall so easily and so effortlessly at Max's hands shattered the expectations of countless spectators, and that shock was precisely what drove the crowd into a frenzy.
To them, it was not just about Max winning another match, but about the collapse of long held beliefs regarding strength and hierarchy within the Divine Colosseum, and that was why their excitement bordered on madness as they realized they were witnessing the rise of a new and overwhelming existence.
The next two battles of the day followed soon after, and just like the first, they ended without any real suspense, because Max defeated his opponents with the same overwhelming ease that had already become expected of him.
Each exchange was brief and decisive, leaving the arena floor once again dominated by his presence as the crowd erupted repeatedly, their excitement refusing to die down even after witnessing similar outcomes again and again.
What Max found strange, however, was that neither of the last two warriors showed any intention of killing him, and their attacks lacked the hidden malice he had sensed from Raymond.
There were no poisoned weapons, no desperate schemes, and no reckless attempts at fatal strikes, which stood in sharp contrast to what he had anticipated after uncovering the Heron Family's involvement.
Because of that, Max became certain of one thing as he calmly walked away from the arena after his final match, and that was the fact that the next three warriors he would face would not come merely to fight him, but would come with the clear intention of ending his life.