Chapter 187 Chain of Eternal life

The middle-aged man's smirk widened as he observed Max's tense posture, sensing the caution in his eyes.

Then—he chuckled, his voice dripping with amusement.

"Boy, tell me—do you even know how to battle with your soul?"

Max's frown deepened.

The man's smile grew.

"Do you even have a soul attack?"

Max's remained calm.

The man continued, his voice laced with a cruel certainty.

"You should know that in this place—your body, your aura, your techniques—none of them matter."

The air around them grew heavier, as if the very realm of his Soul Palace was responding to the truth of those words.

"Here, only soul-based skills and techniques work."

Max remained silent, his eyes dark with contemplation.

Because—

He already knew this.

The last time he was here, he had learned the hard way.

To break into his Soul Palace, he had been forced to use the soul force leaking from it to strike the Tai Chi Diagram Door.

Why?

Because in this place—all of his physical abilities were worthless.

Only the soul mattered.

The only soul-related technique he had learned was Hundred Refined Threads Soul—

But that technique was purely support-based.

It had no offensive capabilities.

All it did was refine his soul, allowing it to transform into thin, fine threads.

Which meant—

He had no way to attack.

And in a battle where only soul-based attacks mattered…

That left him completely defenseless.

His gaze remained locked on the middle-aged man, who stood calmly, confident—completely in control.

Max wasn't just at a disadvantage.

He was outmatched in every possible way.

The enemy had a stronger soul force.

The enemy had soul-based techniques.

Max had neither.

The man sneered, his expression filled with dark amusement as he watched Max's tense face.

"How about it? Drowning in despair?"

His tone was mocking, enjoying the hopelessness of the situation.

But Max didn't respond.

Instead—he simply stared at him, his expression unreadable.

The man's smirk widened.

Then—his expression shifted.

His violet eyes burned with madness, his smile twisting into something manic, unhinged.

"Though you don't need to worry…"

His voice turned silkier, persuasive, like a devil whispering into a desperate soul.

"When I occupy your body, you will become the strongest in the Lower Domain in no time."

Max's eyes narrowed.

The man continued, his voice rising as his excitement grew.

"That blob must have mentioned something about me, right?"

He tilted his head slightly, his expression dripping with arrogance.

"So you must know—I am not a bad person."

A low chuckle escaped his lips.

"I'm simply doing this for survival."

His eyes glowed brighter, his ethereal body pulsing with power.

"And by doing this—I'm doing you a favor too."

Max sneered.

He knew what was coming.

And then—

"With me controlling your body, you shall become even stronger than you are now."

His smile turned maniacal.

His gaze burned with madness.

"At that moment…"

His voice lowered—deadly, certain, dripping with absolute confidence.

"Even the geniuses of the Middle Domain…"

"Even the Five God Nations…"

"Shall tremble beneath your feet!"

His face was completely crazed now, his aura pulsing violently, his desperation fully unleashed.

This wasn't just a man trying to survive.

This was a man obsessed with power.

A man who had once stood at the peak—and refused to accept his fall.

And now—

He wanted Max's body to climb back up.

Max's fingers curled into fists seeing that.

His heartbeat remained steady.

But deep inside—his mind raced.

Because he knew.

This man wouldn't just take his body.

He would erase him completely.

Max closed his eyes for a brief moment, his mind solidifying a single decision.

When he opened them again—

His eyes burned with unshakable resolve.

He had made up his mind.

The middle-aged man's smirk faltered slightly, sensing the shift in Max's presence.

But before he could react—

Max spoke.

"Are you done?"

His voice was calm, almost taunting.

Then—his expression hardened.

"Because I'm about to start."

Without another word, Max immediately activated his class ability—

And called upon the door to the Dimension of Flames.

SWISH!

Before him, a door materialized out of thin air, radiating fiery embers that flickered unnaturally in the void-like space of his Soul Palace.

Without hesitation—he stepped through.

Max exhaled.

It worked.

He had already suspected something from the moment he entered his Soul Palace last time.

The structure of his entrance to the Soul Palace and the structure of his entrance to his Dimensions were eerily similar.

The biggest difference?

The clouds beneath his feet.

That meant something fundamental—

If his Soul Palace entrance existed here, then so could his Dimension Doors.

And ever since he had started stalling the middle-aged man, Max had been testing this theory.

He had slowly reached out to his Dimensions, trying to see if he could connect to them from within his Soul Palace.

The result?

Success.

His connection to his Dimensions remained intact, meaning he could summon them.

Now—

All that was left was to figure out how to use this advantage.

Because one thing was certain—

That man wouldn't just let him go.

"Oh? A door to a world of flames?"

The middle-aged man's expression shifted, visible surprise flashing across his face.

He hadn't expected Max to possess such a method—especially within the Soul Palace.

His violet eyes gleamed, intrigued.

"Is this an ability of your class?"

Max didn't respond.

He had no intention of answering.

His focus was solely on the altar of flames before him in the Dimension of Flames.

Among the various flames flickering wildly, only one held the power he needed.

The Black Flames.

If he could wield them here, he might turn the tide of this battle.

But just as he moved to summon them—

The man grinned.

A cruel, knowing grin.

"Oh, don't think those flames will help you here."

Then—

With a simple flick of his finger—

Something deep inside Max's body stirred violently.

A cold sensation erupted in his chest.

And before he could even react—

CLANG!

A chain shot out of his body, moving at an unnatural speed, twisting through the air like a living serpent.

"What?!"

Max's heart pounded as he watched the chain rip out of his body, flying straight into the man's soul.

He hadn't expected this—

He hadn't even known something like this was possible.

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"What the hell is this?!"

The middle-aged man grinned wider, his violet eyes filled with triumph.

"This, boy… is the Chain of Eternal Life."

His voice was calm, almost mocking, as if he were simply explaining something mundane.

"It exists within every living being."

Max's breath hitched.

"But when all the chains are removed from one's soul…"

The man's expression darkened, filled with an eerie certainty.

"They cease to exist."

Max's eyes widened in horror.

'Cease to exist?!'

That meant—this wasn't just about dying.

This wasn't just soul destruction.

If all the chains were removed—he would be erased completely.

As if he had never been born.

"In short…"

The man grinned cruelly.

"This chain is your lifeline now."

And before Max could even react—

YANK!

The chain attached to him was pulled violently, the force so strong it felt like something was being ripped out of his very essence.

"No!"

Max shouted in panic, his instincts roaring in pure survival mode.

He acted on instinct.

With a single thought, he willed the black flames to fly toward the man, aiming to engulf him completely.

A massive wave of black fire surged forward, roaring like a living beast—

But the man merely smirked.

And then—