Moonlight quietly cascaded down, blanketing the hill behind the forest in a silver sheen. A gentle breeze rustled through the grass, and a swarm of Spirit Butterflies danced gracefully in the night. The sky was their stage, and the myriad stars their living backdrop.

Aiolos stared blankly at the scene around him, murmuring, "Such a complete display of the Power of Nature... The moon, stars, flowers, grass, trees, animals, rivers, mountains... Just what kind of Natural Power does this kid possess?"

The stars in Mu Chen’s eyes grew brighter, completely eclipsing his purple pupils. A single dewdrop fell from a leaf, kicking up a tiny splash as it landed on a flower petal. At that very moment, the entire scene froze, every image locking in place. The Shattered Star Lock Chain shot toward the sky like a silver bolt of lightning. Upon reaching a certain altitude, it began to sway erratically. With each movement, the chain left an afterimage behind. It swayed faster and faster, until countless illusory chains filled the sky, shrouding it completely. Then, the body of the Shattered Star Lock Chain gradually faded, becoming illusory until it vanished entirely.

Suddenly, Aiolos noticed something strange. Although the body of the Shattered Star Lock Chain had vanished, its Spiral Blades remained suspended in the sky. From Aiolos’s vantage point, each Spiral Blade perfectly overlapped with a real star. Bathed in moonlight, the blades gleamed with a brilliant radiance. Looking up from below, it was as if the Shattered Star Lock Chain had usurped the stars in the night sky. More importantly, the chain now emanated a terrifying Natural Power.

Aiolos stared blankly at those "stars," murmuring, "It’s one of the three highest forms of all Natural Power... Star Power..."

Mu Chen’s consciousness was utterly serene. In his world, nothing existed but Aiolos and the stars conjured by the Shattered Star Lock Chain. In that moment, Mu Chen seemed to forget his pain. Trembling, he raised his powerless arm high and pointed a single finger to the heavens! Mu Chen’s voice was cold. "Meteor... Fall!"

The moment he spoke, Mu Chen’s arm swept downward, aimed squarely at Aiolos on the ground. With a deep HUM, the entire night sky became profoundly dark. A tremendous, crushing pressure surged from the heavens. Aiolos’s mind went blank, and for a fleeting instant, he lost consciousness.

In the instant his mind was blank, the countless stars above ignited with scorching flames. Trailing long, fiery tails, they descended with a violent shriek that tore through the air. As if traversing the eons, the stars radiated a potent Ancient Will, locking onto Aiolos as they plunged downward. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

BOOM!

The first star descended, striking Aiolos dead-on. If Mu Chen was a dwarf before Aiolos, then Aiolos was no more than a rabbit before this massive star. But at the instant the star struck, the mental suppression binding Aiolos shattered. His first reaction was to throw his hands up, struggling to support the immense star crashing down on him.

SZZZZZ...

How could a Martial King Level warrior like Aiolos withstand such immense impact and weight? Pushed by the star, his body shot backward like a cannonball. The moment Mu Chen had cast Meteor Fall, the space on this twelfth floor had changed. The entire scene now resembled the vastness of the cosmos, with no end in sight. Aiolos was relentlessly driven back by the star, the blistering speed causing his feet to grind against the air, sending a shower of sparks from his soles.

"Urgh... Urgh..."

Aiolos’s arms began to bend, and a profound sense of powerlessness washed over him. ’It seems this isn’t going to work.’

As he thought this, Aiolos glanced up at the searing star before him. The sight made his scalp crawl. ’Heavens! What are all those other spheres of the same size following behind it?’

ROAR!

Without a moment’s hesitation, Aiolos roared. Six red shackles of Primordial Power materialized on his ironclad arms. These were somewhat similar to the Power Shackles on Little Tiger, but they appeared far sturdier and thicker.

"Power Seal! First Layer... release!"

CRACK!

One of the shackles shattered. Aiolos’s arms erupted in a dazzling red light. With this burst of power, his arms snapped straight, and his backward momentum slowed dramatically. Still, it wasn’t enough to halt his retreat.

"Power Seal! Second Layer! Release!"

CRACK!

Another shackle shattered. With a great roar, Aiolos’s retreat finally came to a halt. However, this only allowed him to reach a stalemate against the star. Without hesitation, he released the third seal.

"Third Layer! Release!"

After a deep hum, Aiolos’s body erupted in red light. Supporting the falling star with one hand, he clenched the other into a fist and punched it violently. At the moment of impact, he shattered yet another shackle, roaring, "Power Seal! Fourth Layer! Release! Now, break!"

BOOM!!!

The punch landed, and Aiolos’s fist, like a mountain, shattered the star before him. Searing dust peppered his armor with a series of CLANGS. One falling star was obliterated. But behind it, dozens, even hundreds more were descending. Seeing this, Aiolos snorted. His crimson eyes locked onto Mu Chen, who was suspended in mid-air. He spoke coolly, "You forced me to release four of my Six-Layered Seal. You should be proud. Hah!"

With a great shout, Aiolos ignored the falling stars and charged straight for Mu Chen. As a veteran warrior, he knew better than anyone the best way to break a channeled Secret Technique: eliminate the caster—Mu Chen himself!

The falling stars remained locked onto Aiolos; evasion was futile. So, he chose the most aggressive approach: he would smash every star that targeted him on his way to Mu Chen!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

To Aiolos, who had released the Fourth Layer of his Power Seal, the scorching meteors were as fragile as snowballs. Each punch obliterated one. Finally, as the last star fell, Aiolos’s iron fist, glowing with a crimson light, reached Mu Chen. He threw the punch, carrying an aura of terrifying power, aimed directly at Mu Chen. It was easy to imagine what an iron fist that feared no star would do to a body of flesh and blood. But at times like these, the unexpected often occurs. Just as Aiolos’s fist was a mere meter from Mu Chen, an indifferent voice echoed from above...

"Mu Chen. Twelfth floor. Challenge successful. Evaluation: Perfect clear. Clear time: six minutes."

...

Aiolos’s fist remained extended, but his body was frozen in place. At that moment, Mu Chen’s vision went black, and he plummeted from the sky. Aiolos quickly unfurled his fist into a palm, gently catching him. A complex look filled his eyes as he muttered to himself, ’Kid, you did well! In tens of thousands of years, you’re the first person to give me such a thoroughly satisfying battle.’

His voice held not a trace of hatred or regret, but rather a deep sense of satisfaction. As he spoke, Aiolos reached into the void and seized a golden phantom in his palm. With a POP, he crushed it, guiding the resulting energy into Mu Chen’s body. While unconscious, Mu Chen broke through the realm of a Three-Ring Martial Spirit and advanced to become a Four-Ring Martial Spirit.

"Calamity, I wish to exercise my once-a-millennium right to leave the tower for one minute," Aiolos said, looking up as if speaking to the sky.

"Aiolos, are you certain?" an ancient voice spoke from the night sky Mu Chen had created. "If you don’t use this right, you will regain your freedom in another thousand years. But if you use it, you will have to wait another thirty-three thousand years."

Aiolos laughed, his voice a low rumble. "No. Even if I use this right, I’ll be able to get out soon enough. You of all people should know what his appearance signifies. I’ll say no more. Now, let me out. I want to personally escort this boy out of the tower!"

"..." The ancient voice fell silent for a long time before finally letting out a sigh. In a somber tone, it said, "I will open the tower gate for you. Remember, you only have one minute."

...

「A few minutes later」

A pillar of red light suddenly erupted from the top of the Tower of Calamity. From within it, a four-meter-tall shadowy figure shot through the clouds with a WHOOSH, soaring high into the sky.

"Hahaha... The air of the Extreme Martial Continent really is so much better than inside the tower! Huh?"

Aiolos, having just exited the tower, suddenly spotted a white-haired old man suspended among the clouds. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. "It’s you!"

The white-haired old man glanced at Aiolos. A look of shock flashed in his eyes but was gone in an instant. He replied calmly, "It is."

Aiolos studied the old man, then nodded. "I never expected you to have reached this realm. It seems I’ve been in the Tower of Calamity for far too long. The future belongs to your generation."

The white-haired old man shook his head. "The future belongs to the young, that much is true, but it does not belong to my generation. I am already old." Suddenly, his gaze fell upon Mu Chen, who was lying in Aiolos’s arms. He asked in confusion, "What happened to him?"

Aiolos replied, "He’s fine. He just passed out from overexerting his Primordial Power. But speaking of which, this kid is a true monster. I was the one guarding the twelfth floor, and he still managed to pass."

"You were guarding the twelfth floor? Aren’t you the guardian of the twentieth floor?" the white-haired old man exclaimed in shock.

Aiolos sighed. "I am indeed the Puppet that guards the twentieth floor. But because this kid achieved eleven consecutive perfect clears, the Tower of Calamity moved me down to the twelfth floor to block his progress. A pity that I still failed."