Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100 Chapter 1650 Climbing the Tower!

As Max drew near the structure itself—

His expression shifted subtly.

Boom!!!

An immense pressure descended from above without any prior warning.

The atmosphere surrounding the tower immediately grew incredibly dense.

Max felt as if an unseen mountain had abruptly crushed down upon him.

The rainbow lightning that encircled him flickered erratically, causing his advance to halt abruptly.

"What is this?"

Max's gaze sharpened instantly.

The oppressive force around the tower was formidable.

This was no ordinary suppression.

The closer he got to the tower, the more intense the invisible force became, as if the tower itself repelled aerial approaches.

Boom!

Max tried to push forward with all his might, combining his physical strength with his lightning-based movement technique.

However, the pressure only intensified further.

The surrounding space warped significantly, and the downward force pressing on him multiplied exponentially.

Even with Max's phenomenally powerful physique, his movements became drastically slower.

Then, suddenly—

Bang!

Max's body was forcefully slammed against the tower's exterior wall.

The stone fractured under the impact as the overwhelming pressure drove him downward.

The seven-colored lightning around him dispersed chaotically, and his body slid several meters along the dark stone surface before ceasing its movement.

Below, several onlookers who witnessed the spectacle immediately reacted.

"Hah! Another one got slammed down!"

"I told you flying is impossible near the tower!"

Even some participants engaged in nearby battles glanced upward in surprise upon recognizing Max.

"That's Max Morgan!"

"He got forced down too?"

Max paid no mind to the surrounding chatter as he slowly steadied himself against the tower wall.

His eyes then gradually sharpened with understanding.

"So that's how it works…"

He could now clearly discern the peculiar force that permeated the entire tower.

The closer one ventured towards it, the stronger the suppression grew.

It was specifically designed to prohibit flight.

Regardless of how potent a participant's movement technique or aerial abilities were, they would inevitably be compelled down onto the tower itself.

In other words—

Everyone was required to ascend by climbing.

No shortcuts were available here.

Max slowly raised his gaze towards the numerous openings dotting the tower's structure.

He now finally comprehended why all the participants were climbing manually instead of simply flying towards the higher openings.

The force enveloping the tower rendered aerial travel almost impossible.

To claim the treasures concealed within these openings, one had to ascend incrementally, enduring the tower's inherent pressure while simultaneously contending with countless other participants.

The farther one ascended—

The more potent the pressure would likely become.

A faint smile gradually emerged on Max's face.

"This tower…" he uttered softly.

"It truly was designed to incite competition among everyone."

At that precise moment, another fierce confrontation erupted slightly above him, as several participants battled intensely for control of an opening on a middle level.

Shockwaves rippled across the tower, and disciples continuously scaled its surface like ants striving to conquer a mountain.

Max observed the scene above with a calm demeanor.

Then—

Without a trace of hesitation—

He placed his hand on the tower wall and commenced his own ascent.

Max climbed with steady determination along the vast tower's surface, faint seven-colored lightning flickering around his form.

The surrounding pressure emanating from the tower was indeed extraordinary.

With each meter he climbed higher, the invisible force bearing down on him intensified, making it feel as though the entire structure was actively trying to pull every participant back down, compelling them to rely solely on their personal strength for the ascent.

Along his path, Max passed an abundance of openings scattered across the lower sections of the tower.

Some of these openings were already occupied by participants, who were either within them absorbing treasures or recuperating their energy. Other openings had transformed into fierce battlegrounds where disciples fought ferociously to expel one another.

Utter chaos reigned throughout the tower.

Explosions echoed relentlessly, and fluctuations of spiritual energy erupted from every direction. Occasionally, participants who lost their battles would fall screaming from higher levels of the tower, only to crash far below.

Nevertheless, Max maintained his upward trajectory without pause.

The treasures found in the lower regions held no allure for him.

He continued his calm ascent, enduring the progressively more daunting pressure that enveloped the tower.

Eventually—

He reached the Fifth Layer.

The instant Max pulled himself onto the platform connected to the fifth layer, his eyes narrowed slightly as he surveyed the scene before him.

In stark contrast to the lower levels, the number of participants present had drastically dwindled.

The existing pressure in this zone was already formidable, making it difficult for less powerful disciples to maintain their footing. Each movement demanded significantly more exertion, and even the circulation of spiritual Qi felt noticeably sluggish.

It was evident that reaching this stratum posed a considerable challenge for the average contestant.

Before Max, a colossal cave stretched into the obsidian stone face of the tower. Faint, ancient runes pulsed with light around the opening, and dense waves of spiritual fluctuations emanated from its depths.

Even from a distance, it was clear that any treasures found within this cavern far surpassed those of the lower levels.

However, the cave was presently occupied.

Or more accurately—

It was fiercely contested.

Numerous participants were locked in a brutal confrontation on a broad stone platform directly before the cave's maw.

Boom!

A ferocious shockwave exploded outwards as two disciples collided forcefully, sending fissures snaking across the platform underfoot. Nearby, another contestant attempted to slip towards the cave entrance, only to be repelled by a torrent of sword energy from an opposing contingent.

The battle raged with unmatched intensity.

None were prepared to yield their ground.

After all, every individual understood the immense value likely held within the caves of the fifth layer.

At that precise moment—

Max set foot upon the platform.

Crack.

The subtle resonance of his steps echoed faintly across the chaotic arena.

It was not a commanding sound.

Yet, strangely—

Nearly everyone present instinctively registered his arrival.

The frenzied combat momentarily subsided as participants, one by one, turned their attention towards the newcomer.

Their expressions then shifted dramatically.

"Could it be…"

"Max Morgan?!"

"The number one prodigy from the preceding trials?"

A wave of astonishment swept across the platform instantaneously.

Even the disciples engaged in combat paused momentarily, their focus entirely captured by Max.

The faint, seven-colored lightning crackling around his form made him exceptionally conspicuous, particularly following the widespread rumors that had already permeated the Survival Trial.

A disciple wielding a spear immediately adopted a solemn mien.

"What is he doing here already?"

Another participant scowled deeply.

"To have reached the fifth layer so swiftly…"

"He is truly a monster."

A young man positioned closest to the cave entrance narrowed his eyes intensely, tightening his grip on his sword.

The atmosphere on the platform became immediately charged with tension.

Unlike the disciples on lower levels who had dismissed Max due to his cultivation, these geniuses who had reached the fifth layer were considerably more wary. They were keenly aware that an individual who could achieve a top ranking in two successive trials could never be ordinary.

Furthermore, having observed Max securing 3rd place in this current trial, their caution escalated even further.

Even if Max's current cultivation appeared less advanced—

No one present dared to genuinely underestimate him without consequence.

Max, meanwhile, calmly surveyed the platform, seemingly unfazed by the numerous gazes fixed upon him.

His sight briefly grazed the cave entrance before slowly sweeping over the assembled participants.

There were approximately ten individuals present.

And each and every one of them possessed considerable strength.

Significantly more potent than the contestants he had previously vanquished below.

At that juncture, one of the disciples spoke aloud, fixing his gaze directly on Max.

"Are you also after this cave?"

The platform plunged into immediate silence.

Every eye remained locked onto Max, anticipating his response.