---
title: "Chapter 1435: A Different League!"
slug: "ch-1442"
novel: "Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100"
number: 1442
views: 0
likes: 0
wordCount: 1213
createdAt: "2026-04-15"
---

Max stood still for a brief moment at the boundary.

The difference between the latter half of the first pillar and this threshold was distinct. The flame concepts here were no longer loosely interwoven. They felt denser, more unified. The raging aspect intensified, and the destructive intent sharpened.

Ahead of them, the floating screens displayed that the leading disciples had already crossed into the second pillar. Their figures were faint silhouettes moving within a deeper crimson glow.

Max’s attention was no longer on the oppressive heat pressing against his body, nor on the steady breathing of Carl and Laura beside him. His gaze had shifted upward toward the floating screens suspended high within the dome.

One particular screen captured his full focus.𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

On it, a figure moved like a streak of burning light across the golden path. Flame beasts surged forward in waves, yet they disintegrated before even making contact. The surrounding fire that slowed countless disciples seemed to part instinctively around him.

He did not hesitate. He did not slow. He advanced as though the Path to Eternal Flames were merely a road laid out for his convenience.

That figure was Zain Heron.

While Max and the others stood at the threshold of the first pillar, and while the leading group of top disciples had only just begun making their way through the second layer, Zain Heron had already crossed the entirety of the third pillar.

The screen showed him approaching the entrance of the fourth, where the flames had deepened into a dense crimson blaze that pulsed with destructive will.

The difference was staggering.

Max’s eyes narrowed slightly as he analyzed the display. Zain’s movements were fluid yet explosive, every step synchronized with a surge of flame that appeared to originate not merely from his bloodline, but from his very physique. The fire around him did not clash with his aura. It seemed to harmonize with it.

"Is this the effect of the Blazing Dragon Sovereign Body?" Max thought quietly.

The resonance between his divine physique and the Source Bloodline was visible even from a distance. Zain did not waste energy resisting the flames. Instead, he absorbed and redirected them, amplifying his own momentum.

His Dragon Scales Transformation flickered briefly on the screen, not as a desperate defense but as a natural extension of his body. It was as if the Path to Eternal Flames recognized him as one of its own.

Carl and Laura followed Max’s gaze upward.

The moment they saw the screen displaying Zain Heron, their expressions changed drastically.

Carl’s breathing faltered for an instant. Laura’s eyes widened unconsciously.

They had heard the stories. Everyone within the Black Dragon Palace had heard of Zain Heron. The strongest outer disciple among all Thirty Six Halls. The bearer of the Blazing Dragon Sovereign Body. The individual who had repeatedly dominated internal competitions.

However, hearing legends and witnessing reality were two different experiences.

Seeing him already nearing the fourth pillar while they were still preparing to step into the second forced a cold realization upon them.

The gap was not small.

It was enormous.

Zain Heron was operating on a level that placed him far beyond the majority of outer disciples. His pace was not merely faster. It was overwhelming. There was no hesitation in his advance, no visible strain in his posture. The flames that oppressed others seemed to fuel him instead.

Carl swallowed quietly, the earlier determination in his eyes dimming slightly as reality settled in.

Laura clenched her fists subtly, her gaze tightening as she tried to maintain composure.

If there was a single disciple within the Thirty Six Halls capable of standing on equal ground with him, it would only be one person.

The Saintess in training, Isabella Lumin.

Only she possessed the potential to rival his dominance. Only she carried the Imperial Bloodline that could one day eclipse even the perfected resonance of the Blazing Dragon Sovereign Body.

"Where is Isabella Lumin?" Max muttered quietly as his eyes moved from one floating screen to another. The dome was filled with projections from various sections of the Path to Eternal Flames, each screen displaying the progress of different disciples across the layers.

Zain Heron’s image dominated several of them, his blazing figure cutting through the third pillar with overwhelming momentum.

"She should be somewhere near Zain Heron," Max continued, his voice low but thoughtful. "Yet I cannot find her figure anywhere."

Carl and Laura followed his gaze, their eyes scanning the illuminated projections above them. They shifted from one screen to another, searching for even a glimpse of the Saintess in training. Flames roared across the displays. Disciples struggled, some advancing, others faltering. But Isabella Lumin was nowhere to be seen.

"Strange," Carl said with a slight frown, his brows knitting together as he pondered the situation. "Did she somehow surpass Zain Heron already?"

"That should be impossible," Laura replied immediately, her tone firm. "Isabella Lumin has not fully awakened her Imperial Bloodline yet. Without the complete manifestation of that bloodline, there is no way she could outpace someone like Zain Heron. His Blazing Dragon Sovereign Body is already in full resonance with his Source Bloodline."

Her reasoning was sound. Zain’s dominance was built upon perfected synergy. Isabella’s potential was greater in theory, but it remained partially dormant.

Max did not respond immediately. Instead, his gaze sharpened as he examined the screens more carefully. He noticed a subtle pattern.

He observed the space around them and the screens above once more before speaking slowly.

"The figures displayed on these screens are not entirely random," he said. "I can see the figures of almost all the disciples taking part in the trial aside from us and some disciples within our 100 mile radius."

Carl blinked as he processed Max’s words. Laura’s eyes widened slightly.

"That means..." Carl began.

"If Isabella Lumin is not appearing near Zain Heron, and she is not shown among the leading clusters in the second pillar," Max concluded quietly, "then she must be somewhere within our current range."

"Are you talking about me?"

The voice was calm, clear, and unexpectedly close.

Max turned his head.

A slender figure walked toward them along the golden path, her movements unhurried yet steady. The flames around her did not flare violently. Instead, they seemed to recede slightly, as though acknowledging her presence. The golden surface beneath her feet shimmered softly with each step she took.

It was Isabella Lumin.

Her expression was serene, her breathing controlled, and there was no visible strain in her posture. The faint glow of draconic energy lingered around her like a subtle halo, though she was not actively releasing her aura in dominance.

Carl and Laura instinctively straightened at her approach.

The Saintess in training stood before them, not at the front with Zain Heron, not struggling behind, but walking calmly within their vicinity.

Max’s eyes met hers.

Up close, he could sense it clearly.

The Imperial Bloodline within her stirred quietly, not aggressive yet profoundly deep. It was like an ancient river flowing beneath a calm surface, restrained but vast.

And for a fleeting moment, the dormant hunger within his own bloodline flickered once more.

But this time, Max’s expression did not change. He didn’t allow the hunger to control him.