Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100 Chapter 1423 Many Top Disciples!

"This… this is just a corpse!" a voice cried out in a rough rasp. "Why does it feel so horrifying still?"

One more disciple barely lifted his head. His spine curved beneath the unseen burden, his frame quivering like it bore the load of a whole mountain chain. "Stand… I have to stand…"

The force wasn't solely bodily. It dug into their lineages, awakening the subtle dragon heritage in plenty of them. Individuals with thinner bloodlines experienced a fierce restraint, as if their own abilities were submitting to their genuine source. Certain ones spat blood when their energy flow stuttered from the oppression.

Moments dragged on like endless agony.

Even the robust disciples battled to stay on their feet. Their complexions drained of color while they unleashed their complete cultivation to push back. Blazes burst forth near a few. Bolts of lightning snapped around the rest. They called upon all their might just to prevent dropping to the ground.

Dale, who had posed so boldly before, now gripped his fists hard by his hips. His limbs shook while a golden glow swirled about his form. His face contorted in effort, jaws clenching with clear sounds as he compelled his back to stay rigid.

"This is nothing," he growled under his breath, even as perspiration poured from his forehead.

Jane positioned herself nearby. Her lengthy dark locks whipped in the fierce force as a gentle light enveloped her. She had shut her eyes, her breaths even yet labored. Although her limbs quivered a bit, she wouldn't yield to kneeling. Strain showed in her stance, but her poise held firm.

Aden positioned himself right at the forefront.

In contrast to the crowd, his bearing stayed notably steady. His garment billowed in the smothering presence, but his stance rooted solidly. His look was serene, though his gaze had grown keener. The force evidently impacted him, yet he kept his head high. He confronted the dragon skull head-on, as though wordlessly defying its intent.

Max watched the scene in quiet.

Nearby, more disciples kept tumbling down.

A number held out for a single minute prior to crumpling. Some pushed through three or four minutes until blackout hit. Several tough ones stayed on their knees but aware, their forms shuddering wildly as they battled drowsiness.

At the five-minute mark, the floor dotted with passed-out bodies.

By minute seven, quite a few disciples who started off sure-footed dropped to a single knee. Their dignity shattered under the unyielding crush.

Just a handful kept fully erect.

The highest-ranked pupils from different halls maintained their upright positions, even if none appeared at ease. Their energies blazed vividly as they countered the old dragon's intent. Foreheads throbbed with raised vessels. Their inhales deepened every instant.

Still, they endured on their feet.

The difference stood out sharply.

As scores collapsed senseless or bowed in surrender, merely the genuine peak prodigies stayed vertical, their silhouettes resembling lone supports under a crumbling heaven.

Far up top, the elders observed without a word.

The dragon skull towered above, its empty stare uncaring.

Ten minutes under the intent of a deceased true dragon went beyond a mere trial of power.

It gauged whose spirit could bear the burden of a bygone age.

"Plenty of disciples handle this force without much trouble," Max pondered while his eyes roamed the spacious dome's inside.

Because the dragon's domineering intent hardly touched him, he could afford to watch closely. Where fellow students fought merely to keep aware, Max lingered quietly, his thoughts clear and probing. He eyed the top-ranked disciples from the halls with sharp curiosity.

The thirty-third hall wasn't the sole spot hiding beasts. Past Aden, Jane, and Dale, he spotted forms from other halls holding firm under the overpowering dragon force, their energies steady and faces resolute.

Certain ones gave off searing fires that mingled with the skull's heavy presence. Others projected frosty serenity, their auras steadfast like timeless icebergs defying a gale. A couple even appeared to gain from the strain, their heritages softly bellowing in resistance.

The Divine Realm was indeed immense.

A subtle thrill built in Max. These weren't minor talents or worldly prospects from a mortal plane. These were prime pupils raised in one of the Divine Realm's mighty families. Every one present had outlasted endless rivalries, endless investments in their progress. This marked the true arena for prodigies.

His vision kept sweeping the assembly.

Abruptly, his stare halted.

"Huh?"

In the ocean of straining disciples and the knot of solid elites, a specific woman grabbed his notice. She had extended dark tresses flowing along her spine. She positioned herself serenely under the smashing presence, her form upright and graceful.

Her look showed no stress or superiority. It stayed even, nearly detached. The force warped the atmosphere fiercely around her, but she appeared fixed in spot, like the dragon's intent recognized her being.

Yet, her calm wasn't what pulled Max's attention.

The instant his sight fixed on her, a shift happened inside him.

A faint throb.

Followed by one more.

Buried in his core, the Black Dragon Chaotic Bloodline coursing in his vessels responded.

It wasn't dread.

It wasn't restraint.

It was craving.

Max's eyebrows knit a touch as the feeling grew stronger. His lineage, usually calm and commanding, now stirred uneasily. It resembled an dormant creature within him suddenly detecting an alluring aroma.

'I sense my bloodline yearning to consume the bloodline in that woman.'

The idea jolted him.

This differed from the usual harmony among like bloodlines. Past dragon heritages had brought either supremacy or quiet acknowledgment. Now, it felt raw. It felt ravenous. It felt innate.

His pulse quickened a notch.

He turned his focus inside, seeking to soothe the rising dragon force in him. The wild dark strength resting in his vessels twisted subtly, akin to a dragon lifting its neck in curiosity. It ignored the skull's force. It zeroed in on her alone.