In the Etherium Realm, while the guests in the Elfalhn Realm were talking about their mysterious identity, Lux and the others were getting ready.
"Come on, hurry up! They should already be waiting!" Lux urged, seeing their slow movements.
"Relax, brother. You managed to wait over a thousand years—what's a few more hours?" Max teased, noticing the nervous look on his brother's face.
"Besides, father isn't here yet. How can we leave?" Liam added.
"Hmph! Father must be with that woman!" Asha muttered, thinking of their father.
For decades now, their father had been acting strange.
He was often away from the Etherium Realm for months to end.
Asha initially thought he was in seclusion, but after asking their mothers, she discovered their father had been visiting his mistress behind their backs!
"Don't be too mischievous; that's our sect master you're talking about~" Lily reminded, seeing her sister pouting.
"That's right! Having the sect master as one of Father's wives means we'll be on top of the sect!" Lyla imagined excitedly.
"But it seems Father hasn't succeeded yet..." Lydia reminded.
"The sect master is hard to deal with. All we can do is wish our father good luck," Serene quietly cheered.
"I think it's only a matter of time. With our father's charm, whether a fairy or an immortal, he can win anyone over!" Cyra said confidently.
"Hmph! Still, I think Father is spending too much time with our sect master!" Asha continued to pout.
It wasn't that she was against her father finding another woman, but leaving their mothers for one? Asha couldn't help but feel indignant on their behalf.
"Asha, you kid, your father has his reasons. You can't rush him," Emma comforted.
"Why? Aren't you angry, Mother?"
"No, we already knew your father's nature. Besides, what's a few months a year? The rest of the time, we get to have him to ourselves~" Emma said with a smile.
The others also smiled, comforting their children.
They knew Maximus didn't neglect them and favor the other.
He simply owed Iris too much.
Obtaining over a trillion strands of causality at one time had placed a huge burden on Iris.
To fill in the gaps, she had to work tirelessly to ensure the sect didn't fall apart.
Such a tedious and repetitive task—Maximus had to be there to cheer her on.
After their intimate encounter thirty years ago, Maximus felt responsible.
Though Iris hadn't said anything, Maximus had already considered her as his partner.
Unfortunately, due to their difference in strength, they could only continue their vague relationship.
Staying by her side to cultivate their relationship and support his work, Maximus regularly had to go to the Immortal Palace Realm.
Explaining their father's reason, Asha also calmed down.
...
Soon, after a while, Maximus returned to the Etherium Realm, accompanied by the Dimensional Flagship of the Immortal Palace Sect.
"Huh? Did Father borrow the Dimensional Flagship of the Sect? How awesome!" Lyla muttered excitedly.
This dimensional ship symbolized the strength and pride of the Immortal Palace Sect.
Flying on such a ship, even a mortal would have an unprecedented status.
"Come on, let's go to the wedding," Maximus said with a smile.
...
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As preparatory saints, Max and the others were famous.
With their top-notch combat abilities, many wished to spar with them.
Even Geir, the Primordial Candidate of the Ashura Sect, nodded, praising his juniors.
Seeing them filled him with excitement at the thought of meeting their father.
If they were already this strong, then what about their father?
Clenching his fist, he couldn't wait to ask for a sparring match.
Soon, it was Luke and Sam's turn to come out.
Hearing the Ashura Sect brag about their members, the guests from the Mechanical Alliance also began to brag about theirs.
Luke and Sam were quite famous prodigies of the Mechanical Alliance.
One pursued a mechanical swarm, while the other pursued mechanical domination.
Soon after, Neo, Aria, and Ethan walk out, coupled with the admiration and boasting of the guests from the Eternal Sect.
At this point, the guests were already numb.
One after another, saint-level prodigies kept appearing.
Just how deep was the Shadowcrest family's foundation?
If they didn't know any better, they might even think that the Shadowcrest family was one of the top families in the Dimensional Alliance.
Unfortunately, three components were needed to become one of the top families: influence, wealth, and the strength to back it up.
Influence meant having a significant position in the Dimensional Alliance, the authority to make decisions that could change the course of the Aeon Plane.
As for wealth, a family needed hundreds of quadrillions in wealth, whether in origin coins, treasures, or various resources.
Finally, power. To be considered a top family, there needed to be at least one master of the Ocean of Law in charge.
Knowing the general details of the Shadowcrest family, they knew they were still far from reaching these qualifications.
As for influence, their connection with the top sects already put them halfway there.
Just when they were about to speculate whether the Shadowcrest family could become one of the top families, the nine Valkyries—Lily and the others—walked out.
Seeing their dazzling beauty, most noble young lords from various families couldn't help but be mesmerized.
Although Amara, Elysienne, and Zoe were also beautiful, they already had men by their side.
"This is the nine Valkyries of the Immortal Palace Sect! Back off!" A group of women surrounded Lily and the others, shielding them from the guests' gazes.
However, faced with such pressure, the young aristocrats didn't back down and continued gazing at them.
They were like hungry wolves, eager to take a bite of meat.
Seeing this, the older guests frowned.
Initially, they were worried about the rise of the 13th top family.
Now, seeing Lily and the others, they knew it was only a matter of time.
Nine beautiful bargaining chips—if used wisely, the Shadowcrest family could secure everything from wealth to power.
Just as they were deep in thought about the future, an overwhelming pressure suddenly descended upon them.
Coupled with it was a light forming an insignia of the dimensional alliance, which covered the sky.
Recognizing the insignia, the twelve primordial candidates on the scene tensed up, looking ahead.
"The Supreme Primordial Candidate is here..."