Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100

Chapter 1444  The Struggle at the Higher Layers!

After meditating for several hours at the deepest point of the sixth layer, Max slowly opened his eyes. The sea of flames still raged around him with the same ferocity as before, yet something inside him had changed.

The golden radiance within the flame branch of the Chaos Tree had stabilized. The leaves no longer absorbed the surrounding energy with the same hunger.

"Chaos Tree has stopped absorbing the energy here," Max muttered quietly, sensing the shift with clarity.

He extended his perception inward once more to confirm his observation. The golden strands of flame energy that had previously poured endlessly into the glowing leaves were now thinning. The tree was no longer drawing them in actively. It was not rejection, but rather a sign that the energy density at this depth had reached its limit in terms of nourishment.

"The energy here is no longer strong enough to sustain further growth," he concluded calmly.

There was no disappointment in his expression. Instead, his eyes shone with steady determination.

"Time to head deeper."

He rose from his seated position and dusted off his robes lightly, though the flames had already burned away any impurities. Without hesitation, Max stepped forward and began advancing once again.

The oppressive heat surged around him as if sensing his renewed intent. The pressure increased sharply the moment he crossed into the seventh layer.

Unlike before, he did not slow down to test his limits gradually. His movements were controlled and purposeful. He passed through the outer region of the seventh layer without pause, enduring the intensified flame laws that pressed down on him from every direction.

The air here felt denser, almost viscous, as though the flames themselves possessed substance.

He continued walking until he reached the deepest part of the seventh layer.

The pressure there was vastly different from that of the sixth layer. The flame laws were more concentrated, their structure clearer and far more domineering. The fire no longer merely burned. It asserted authority.

Max stood upright amidst the blazing inferno and gently closed his eyes. He did not immediately sit down. Instead, he remained standing, allowing his senses to fully absorb the environment. His consciousness spread outward, tracing the rhythm of the flame laws, examining their intricate patterns and subtle fluctuations.

"The energy here is good, and so are the flame laws," he murmured softly after several breaths.

A faint satisfaction appeared in his gaze.

Without wasting another moment, Max lowered himself into a cross legged position once more. His back remained straight as his breathing gradually slowed into a steady rhythm. Once again, he divided his focus into two distinct paths.

One part of his mind immersed itself in comprehending the flame laws of the seventh layer, carefully refining his understanding for the Cosmic Path. The other part guided the Chaos Tree to draw in the surrounding flame based energy.

This time, the golden strands were denser and far more vibrant. As they flowed into the inner world, the flame leaves upon the Chaos Tree glowed brighter than before. The branch trembled faintly as though awakening to a deeper resonance.

The process, however, was not rapid. The energy was stronger, but refining it into true nourishment required time. The flame laws here were more complex, demanding careful comprehension. Every thread of understanding had to be grasped, stabilized, and integrated.

While Max remained seated in silent meditation within the seventh layer, the situation in the upper layers grew increasingly tense.

Isabella stood within the ninth layer, her Imperial Bloodline radiating fiercely as she struggled against the crushing weight of the flame laws. Sweat beaded along her temples as she forced herself forward step by step. The flames around her flared white and gold, colliding violently with her aura.

Zain, meanwhile, was in the tenth layer. His expression was grave as he endured the overwhelming pressure that bore down on him like a collapsing sky. Each movement required immense effort. The fire there was no longer something that could be resisted casually. It tested willpower as much as strength.

Compared to their intense struggle, Max's figure in the seventh layer appeared calm and unmoving

Isabella had advanced swiftly through the first half of the ninth layer, her Imperial Bloodline radiating with steady brilliance as she pushed through the surging sea of flames. Her movements were smooth at first, her aura stabilizing the violent fire laws that tried to suppress her.

Each step she took seemed to carve a path through the inferno, leaving behind a faint ripple in the burning air.

However, as she reached the latter half of the ninth layer, the true difficulty of the Path to Eternal Flames revealed itself before her.

The pressure intensified abruptly, no longer a steady burden but a crushing force that pressed down from every direction. It felt as though the space itself had solidified, compressing her body and soul simultaneously. Isabella slowed, her brows knitting together as the invisible weight forced her steps to become heavier.

Yet it was not only the pressure that halted her advance.

Before her, countless strands of flaming laws intertwined in midair, forming a dense and intricate blockade. The fire here no longer behaved like a chaotic storm. It had structure. It had pattern. The flame laws gathered ahead of her like a woven barrier, each thread pulsating with authority. They obstructed her path deliberately, as though testing her qualification to proceed.

Isabella attempted to step forward, but the moment her aura touched that dense convergence of laws, it was repelled. Her Imperial Bloodline flared instinctively, golden light erupting from her body as she resisted the suppression. Even so, she found herself unable to advance further.

She quickly understood the nature of the trial before her.

If she wished to move forward, she had two choices. She could patiently comprehend the flaming laws that blocked her path, refining them and merging them into her own Flame Concept until resonance allowed her passage. Or she could attempt to force her way through using raw strength and bloodline authority, much like Zain had done in the earlier layers.

Her eyes flickered with determination as she weighed the cost of each option.