At first, Max barely noticed it. It was faint, hidden within the flow of divine energy like a ripple in calm water. Yet as more energy entered his body, he began to sense its presence more clearly. It wasn't divine essence, nor was it anything he recognized from any of his previous cultivations. It wasn't harmful, at least not immediately.

Still, it was foreign. It merged with the divine essence effortlessly, flowing into his veins and circulating alongside it.

"What is this?" he thought, his brows knitting slightly. He could feel it moving through him, weaving into his meridians like a faint shadow among rays of light. But no matter how hard he tried to analyze it, he couldn't discern its nature. It wasn't destructive, nor was it disruptive. It simply existed, intertwining with the divine energy that was pouring into him.

Max frowned but chose not to dwell on it. For now, his priority was clear. The Divine Platform was an opportunity beyond comprehension. He couldn't afford to be distracted by something he didn't yet understand. So, he steadied his breathing, quieted his thoughts, and focused entirely on the process of absorption.

He guided the divine essence through every vein, refining it as it entered his core. His body was like a furnace, and the divine essence was the sacred fuel. Every pulse of energy made his soul stronger, his body denser, and his divine vein more refined. His cultivation began to surge forward, climbing steadily from the early stages of the Mythic Rank toward its peak.

That was the purpose of the Divine Platform—to allow geniuses to reach heights that would normally take them thousands of years. The platform wasn't a simple treasure or cultivation ground. It was a divine construct designed to rewrite the natural rules of ascension.

Under normal circumstances, to reach the Divine Rank, a cultivator had to undergo ten life-and-death cycles, each one pushing the limits of body and soul to their breaking point. Every cycle came with a fifty percent chance of death. Even among the most gifted, many would stop after surviving three or four, fearing the inevitable end that awaited the reckless.

But here, inside the Divine Platform, that rule no longer applied.

The divine essence within this place could replace the natural trials of ascension. It could directly strengthen the foundation of one's existence, pushing the cultivator beyond their limits without the need for dangerous breakthroughs.

The thousands of years of preparation, the meditation, the comprehension of life and death—all of it could be condensed into moments of enlightenment under the radiance of the platform.

Even more astonishingly, it completely bypassed the Wraith of the World—the divine backlash that appeared whenever someone tried to advance major ranks.

In the outside world, advancing from Mythic Rank to Divine Rank would immediately attract the wrath of heaven and earth, resulting in inevitable destruction. Yet within the Divine Platform, that punishment did not exist. The structure itself shielded its occupants from the world's interference, allowing them to rise freely.

It was this property that made the Divine Platform the most sacred and most sought-after creation in the entire Heavenly Lord's Secret Domain.

Max could feel his cultivation rising faster than ever before. The divine energy coursing through him was pure, and his Vein of Origin refined it effortlessly. Each breath he took drew in more essence, and each heartbeat pushed it deeper into his body. His soul power grew denser, and his divine energy expanded, filling every corner of his being.

Still, that strange presence continued to flow alongside the divine essence. It neither weakened nor faded. It simply remained—a quiet, mysterious current hidden beneath the overwhelming brilliance of divine light.

Max ignored it again. Whatever it was, he would deal with it later. For now, all that mattered was harnessing this once-in-a-lifetime chance.

He steadied his breathing once more, and his expression turned calm. His aura began to expand rapidly, radiating a golden glow that illuminated the entire dome. The ground beneath him pulsed faintly as divine energy gathered in waves around him. The air trembled under his presence.

Within moments, the energy swirling around him reached a new level of intensity. It was the unmistakable sign of someone approaching the peak of the Legend Rank. His strength was already at the 9th level of Legend Rank and now his strength had risen to the peak of Legend Rank in just a few minutes.

Max's focus deepened. The world outside his body ceased to exist. There was only the endless flood of divine essence, the rhythm of his pulse, and the soft hum of power echoing from his divine vein.

Unbeknownst to him, the Divine Platform was reacting too. The runes across its surface began to shift, glowing brighter as if recognizing the rising energy within him. The mysterious current that accompanied the divine essence pulsed faintly in response, fusing deeper into his being.

Max didn't notice it. All he knew was that he was getting stronger—faster than ever before.

In truth, Max was not the only one who sensed something strange within the divine essence. Across every dome of the Divine Platform, countless geniuses who had just begun absorbing the energy felt an inexplicable presence coursing through them.

It was subtle at first, easily mistaken for the normal flow of divine power. But as the divine essence continued to enter their bodies, the foreign energy became more distinct, like a shadow hidden within light.

Inside each dome, the geniuses sat cross-legged, surrounded by golden brilliance. Divine essence poured into them from every direction, nourishing their bodies and souls. Yet beneath that warmth and purity, there was something else—a thread of energy that moved differently from the divine essence.

It had no fixed form, no identifiable origin, and no discernible nature. It flowed quietly, merging with the divine energy that each genius absorbed, blending so perfectly that even the most perceptive among them found it difficult to separate the two.

Some noticed the presence immediately. Others realized it only after minutes of deep absorption when their bodies began to react strangely to the mix of energies.

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