Around him, the others let out soft sighs of relief. Elias subtly exhaled. Aria's brows relaxed ever so slightly. A score of 8789 was still jaw-dropping, but it wasn't 9999—the impossible ceiling-breaking number Max had hit twice before.
Had he scored a perfect in all three categories, it would've shattered what little balance they clung to. Even so, their expressions showed it clearly—they were all still shaken. Because even if it wasn't perfect, 8789 was still monstrously high.
It was the kind of soul force one expected from a top-tier genius trained by a high-ranking sect for decades—not a Expert Rank youth from the Lower Domain.
The cube pulsed gently before suddenly releasing a glowing lotus that floated toward Max, its petals shimmering with soft, ethereal light. But before he could even reach out or react, the lotus vanished into thin air.
