Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100 Chapter 1454 Pushing Forward at the 11th Layer!

One elder advanced toward Lady Virelia, his admiration bursting forth uncontrollably.

"Virelia, your foresight is indeed remarkable," he declared with a courteous bow of his head. "Accepting a disciple like this into the Black Dragon Palace... it counts as a tremendous achievement."

Right behind him, another elder came forward.

"Everyone figured only Zain would make it to the eleventh layer this round. Nobody anticipated a second prodigy emerging. But the one under your guidance has now equaled that accomplishment."

A third elder placed his hands behind his back, a subtle smile crossing his face.

"First came the Sword of the Sword Sovereign, then victories over the geniuses from the Dark Phoenix Clan and Heavenly Kirin Clan, and now this. It looks like history shifts whenever Max appears."

"He's more than just gifted," someone else chimed in. "He has an unyielding determination. Reaching the eleventh layer isn't a matter of chance."

Lady Virelia remained composed amid the accolades. A gentle smile played on her lips, yet her gaze stayed locked on the projection. She offered no boasts. She uttered no lofty words. She merely gave a slight nod in recognition.

In the meantime, the heads of the Seven Families gathered, their responses far more complex.

Victor Veron spoke up first, his tone hushed but brimming with wonder. "I really didn't think anyone besides Zain could push this deep into the trial."

Henry Lumin let out a gradual breath. "Nor did I. Once Zain stepped into the eleventh layer, I assumed it was over. I never dreamed another disciple would trail after him."

Lilith Carol crossed her arms gently while gazing at the projection. "Two disciples from the same generation breaching the eleventh layer at the Rebirth Realm. This marks a first in our recent annals."

Matthew Grimes' face showed subdued contentment. "This proves what we've observed consistently. Max isn't your average genius. He ranks at the pinnacle of this era."

He shifted a bit toward Lady Virelia. "You've delivered immense luck to the Black Dragon Palace and our Black Dragon Clan."

He knew Virelia had selected Max as her disciple based on his showing in one of the numerous branches of the Black Dragon Palace down in the mortal world. Spotting Max amid countless other talents in the mortal realm highlighted her exceptional talent for identifying prodigies. Henry Lumin shot a quick look at Isabella before fixing his eyes back on the display.

"The purpose of this trial was to spotlight the Saintess in training and Zain. But it has unveiled a third cornerstone."

Victor Veron gave a nod.

"It seems this generation won't revolve around a single name."

Only Garry Heron stayed quiet.

His jaw clenched firmly as he observed Max positioned in the eleventh layer. The pride surging when Zain had claimed that space had felt absolute and unrivaled. Now it was divided.

He had always thought Zain would reign supreme there alone.

That certainty had vanished now.

Nearby, the elders kept whispering in astonishment and respect.

"Nobody thought anyone but Zain would get this far."

"But look at us now."

The projection overhead glowed more intensely as Max's form steadied in the eleventh layer.

Two names now occupied a domain that history's few had ever claimed.

And the equilibrium among the Seven Families had quietly tilted yet again.

For ages, the Grimes Family had towered at the summit of the Seven Major Families. Their base was the firmest, their assets the richest, and their sway the broadest.

Zain's entry into the eleventh layer had let the Heron Family savor a momentary equality with the elite. But with Max ascending to match that level and carrying the Black Dragon Palace's flag under the broader Grimes heritage, that supremacy appeared set to persist for decades, maybe even centuries ahead.

No one in attendance overlooked the ramifications.

As elders kept extending their felicitations to Lady Virelia and whispers of incredulity echoed around, the projection shifted anew.

Max began to move.

For an instant, reactions were absent. It required a beat for awareness to ripple out.

"He's moving once more."

The statement escaped almost without breath.

On the display, Max positioned himself in the eleventh layer, the spot where Zain had ultimately yielded. The flames differed greatly from those in lower sections. They transcended mere disorder. They pressed down with an unyielding totality, their thickness so profound that the projection wavered in their ferocity.

Still, Max refused to remain motionless.

He advanced one step.

A shocked hush descended, then exploded into chaos.

"Has he lost his senses?"

"This is insanity. Pure insanity."

"He barely stepped into the eleventh layer. Most would secure their stance first. Yet he's pressing on right away."

The disciples nearest the dome bent closer, a few instinctively clutching the stone barriers.

"Reaching the eleventh layer isn't enough for him," an elder murmured in shock. "He aims to delve further."

"By the heavens... is he going for the twelfth layer?"

The query lingered like a taboo notion.

The twelfth layer.

It existed in tales alone. No Rebirth Realm cultivator had breached it in the Black Dragon Palace's documented past. Even the greatest Saintess of old had stopped short of its entrance.

"Could he actually claim the fabled twelfth layer?" a disciple inquired, his tone quivering with dread and thrill blended. "The domain untouched by any at the Rebirth Realm?"

"With Max, it feels within reach," another shot back instantly. "Wherever he treads, he shatters the barriers of impossibility."

"This guy is truly a wonder. Each stride he makes reshapes the annals."

The air crackled with tension.

The elders, poised and stately just before, now struggled to mask their strain. Even the Seven Family heads observed with intense scrutiny. The eleventh layer surpassed the tenth entirely. It formed a separate world of strain and principles.

In the projection, Max progressed deliberately.

The eleventh layer's flames roared around him like a voracious blaze intent on erasing him. Every motion seemed weightier than the previous. But he persisted.

Isabella gazed above, her prior shame erased, supplanted by pure reverence.

Awe.

Zain's face turned grave as he viewed the figure who had pursued him into the eleventh layer now striving to surpass his own limit.

Garry Heron's features shadowed further, his quietude more burdensome than earlier.

Matthew Grimes' eyes sparkled subtly.

The disciples' murmurs swelled, their thrill uncontainable.

"He's really going for it."

"He's testing the limit."

The idea that a 1st level Rebirth Realm individual might near the twelfth layer rippled shock through every soul there.

High above, amid the turbulent blaze of the eleventh layer, Max kept striding onward.

And the whole Black Dragon Palace waited in suspense.