Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100

Chapter 1434  Difficulty of the Second Trial!

Behind them stretched the second wave of disciples.

This group had not surged forward as aggressively, yet they were far from weak. Around the five hundred mile mark, the flame pressure had grown significantly more oppressive. The golden path here no longer shimmered softly. It pulsed with heat that pressed down like a physical weight.

Max walked steadily within this second group, with Carl and Laura not far from his sides. Sweat glistened faintly on Laura's forehead, though her steps remained firm. Carl's breathing had grown heavier, yet he gritted his teeth and continued forward.

Max's expression was calm, but inside, he was carefully regulating his Divine Essence. The opened divine vein within him absorbed part of the scorching energy, refining it subtly before dispersing it through his body. Unlike many others, he did not release an outward burst of aura. He conserved his strength, choosing stability over display.

The flames here were probing deeper now, testing the resilience of bloodline and physique. Occasionally, small flame beasts condensed from the surrounding heat, lunging toward disciples whose defenses faltered. Some in the second group had already begun engaging these manifestations, their techniques flashing briefly before dispersing the beasts into sparks.

Max dispatched one such flame beast with a single controlled strike, dispersing its form without breaking his rhythm.

The second group continued advancing, though at a noticeably slower pace than the leaders. The distance between the two groups remained visible on the floating screens above, where elders and observers watched with quiet focus.

Farther behind stretched the third group.

This final cluster consisted of the slowest disciples among the Thirty Six Halls. Many of them were already struggling within the first few hundred miles. The flame pressure here was milder compared to the deeper sections, yet even this initial intensity proved overwhelming for weaker foundations.

Some had already slowed to cautious steps, pausing frequently to regulate their breathing. Others activated partial dragon transformations simply to endure the constant heat. A few stumbled when flame beasts manifested, requiring desperate bursts of strength to defend themselves.

The gap between the three groups grew steadily.

At the front, the first group began stepping into the second pillar, where the flames deepened into a more violent crimson and the air itself seemed to ripple with concentrated draconic will.

At the center, Max and those around him continued pushing toward the boundary of the first pillar, their progress steady though increasingly taxing.

At the rear, the weakest disciples struggled simply to remain upright.

The Path to Eternal Flames had only begun revealing its difficulty, yet already it was carving clear distinctions among the participants.

And this was merely the first of thirty six pillars.

"The Path to Eternal Flames…" Max reflected inwardly as he continued advancing across the golden surface. "This trial is very strange."

The flames here were not uniform. They were layered with intent. As he moved forward, he could clearly sense multiple concepts interwoven within the burning pressure. Some flames surged violently, carrying the concept of raging infernos that sought to overwhelm through sheer ferocity.

Others carried a destructive edge, sharp and concentrated, as though designed to burn through resistance with precision rather than force. There were even strands of calmer flame energy that flowed steadily, like embers sustaining an eternal fire without outward chaos.

The variety unsettled him in an analytical way. This was not a simple elemental test. It was an environment saturated with conceptual fragments of flame.

He narrowed his eyes slightly as he assessed the situation.

This was only the first pillar, the first layer among thirty six. Yet within this opening stretch alone, he could already perceive flame concepts ranging from rudimentary levels to deeper manifestations that approached the fifth level of understanding. That meant the creator of this path had intentionally embedded a spectrum of comprehension into the flames themselves.

If the first layer already contained such complexity, what would await at the fifth pillar, which marked the minimum threshold for outer disciples to pass? And beyond that, what of the tenth, the twentieth, or even the thirty sixth pillar?

The thought alone carried weight.

However, for the moment, Max did not feel overwhelmed. The pressure pressed against him constantly, yet it did not disrupt his breathing or destabilize his Divine Essence. The opened divine vein within his body continued to function smoothly, absorbing and redistributing portions of the scorching force.

He glanced to his sides.

Carl and Laura were advancing steadily as well, though unlike Max, both of them had already released their flame concepts outward. Carl's aura burned with a sharp intensity, using his understanding of destructive flames to counter the invading pressure.

Laura's flames flowed more fluidly, her comprehension leaning toward balanced and sustaining fire, allowing her to endure rather than clash head on.

Compared to them, Max had not released any visible flame concept at all. He relied solely on Divine Essence circulation and the stability of his physique. From an outside perspective, it would seem that he was conserving energy. In truth, he was observing and adapting.

"Should we increase our pace?" Max asked calmly as they neared the latter half of the first pillar.

Carl exhaled slowly before nodding. "Let's go."

Laura's expression was solemn, yet determined. "We cannot fall too far behind the leading group."

At their agreement, the trio adjusted their rhythm. Their steps grew faster, though still controlled. They did not sprint recklessly. Instead, they increased efficiency, shortening hesitation between strides and tightening the flow of energy within their bodies.

The golden path blurred slightly beneath their feet as they advanced several hundred miles in a relatively short span. Flame beasts occasionally manifested, but they dispatched them swiftly without breaking formation.

Before long, the distortion in the air ahead intensified. The boundary of the first pillar came into view, marked by a subtle shift in color. The golden glow deepened, blending into a darker crimson hue that pulsed with heavier intent.

By the time they reached the junction, the pressure surged noticeably.

"The pressure here is much stronger," Carl said, steadying his breathing as heat pressed against his chest.

Laura inhaled deeply, regulating the flow of her flames to stabilize herself. Sweat glistened along her temples, though her posture remained upright.