Taking the credit, the Fritz Family had no choice but to sign the gambling slave contract.
To this, Maximus showed little leniency.
Even with the alliance of marriage tying them together, he couldn't afford to show favoritism.
After the Fritz Family, the rest of the sects and families began arriving one after another.
Taking the precious ultimate treasure that accompanied them for countless epochs for a chance to advance to the Absolute realm, they couldn't help but look at Maximus hatefully.
Unfortunately for them, Maximus was undeterred.
Accepting the ultimate treasures with a composed smile, he courteously guided them to their rooms.
Counting the powerhouses gathered in the Tower of Knowledge, Maximus was slightly disappointed.
"The number of ocean-level powerhouses is less than I expected,"
Together with the three Overlords and the top sects and families, there are only 206 Ocean-level powers in total
As for the lone powerhouses of the Dimensional Alliance, only a few dozen were known.
When it came to numbers, the Devourer Faction clearly had the upper hand over the Dimensional Alliance.
Like the Dimensional Alliance, the Devourer Faction was also a divided entity.
Above were the three Overlord forces, while below them were various groups and communities of devourers scattered throughout the Aeon Plane.
In terms of ocean-level powerhouses, their faction boasted a staggering thousand.
Fortunately, the Devourer Faction lacked unity.
Most were lone wolves, uninterested in external conflicts or the schemes of the outside world.
If the Devourers were truly united, the Dimensional Alliance would be the one struggling to survive.
After settling the gathered powerhouses within the Library, Maximus turned his attention to the ultimate treasures he had collected.
"These sects are truly generous,"
Unlike the treasures offered by the Overlord forces, most of the ultimate treasures from the sects and families were specialized for attack, defense, or auxiliary purposes.
Calling his family, he presented the ultimate treasures for them to choose.
"Can we pick any treasure?" Lyla asked in excitement.
Taking out the Seal of Truth, Maximus immediately got to work.
Manipulating the Dimensional Barrier to cloud others' perceptions, he began the intricate process of merging the Seal of Truth with the Source of Knowledge.
Following the sequence he had painstakingly deduced, the hours turned into days and the days into centuries.
Hundreds of years later, Maximus wore a tired expression.
"This is too hard!"
Merging the Seal of Truth with the Source of Knowledge was akin to perfectly uniting two intricate bodies.
Every particle, law, and ability needed to be aligned piece by piece, a task as meticulous as it was exhausting.
Despite his tireless efforts over centuries, Maximus had barely managed to merge 1% of the Seal of Truth with the Source of Knowledge.
Looking over at his family, who had already integrated with their new treasures and mastered using them in seamless combination, Maximus had a sudden idea.
"Hmph! How can you all have fun while I'm the only one working?"
Without hesitation, he gathered his family and assigned each of them a blueprint and a sequence to follow.
Although their progress was slower individually, the combined effort of dozens of them multiplied his overall speed several times over.
Pleased with the increase in efficiency, Maximus considered enlisting the help of the Order of Maxim as well.
Unfortunately, they were already preoccupied.
Between guiding new members, expanding the organization's influence, reinforcing the Etherium Realm, and developing Ether Devices, their manpower was stretched thin.
The need for Ether Devices was particularly urgent due to the presence of 206 Ocean-level powerhouses, who were continuously siphoning the Origin Energy He produced.
Ultimately, Maximus decided against involving the Order of Maxim.
The merger of an Ultimate Treasure with a path of law was uncharted territory.
If word of this venture reached the outside world, it would undoubtedly trigger another chaos.
Even with the Tier-12 Dimensional Barrier protecting them, Maximus didn't want to risk another upheaval sweeping through the Aeon Plane.
As five thousand years passed, the progress of merging the Seal of Truth reached 30%.
However, Maximus was abruptly interrupted by the arrival of an unexpected visitor.
"Iris?!"