Divine Power, Communing with the Stele Spirit

The ultimate pressure crashed down, utterly unlike the layers of weight that had piled upon him before.

Chu Han raised his eyes and finally saw the end of the endless steps clearly.

It was within arm's reach. One step would take him there.

Yet that final step was like a chasm spanning the ages. It lay before every powerful contender, seemingly close enough to touch, yet impossibly far away.

Chu Han willed himself to step forward.

But his feet might as well have been locked in place by the void itself. An invisible restraint enveloped him, and no matter what power he drew upon or how much physical strength he unleashed, he could not lift a foot even an inch.

This was no mere crushing gravity, nor was it the cultivation bottleneck that had shackled him before. It was not even simple pressure from the rules.

It was a restriction on eligibility at a higher level, almost a selection imposed by the rules themselves.

Without the required qualification, no one could cross this line and touch the stele's core, no matter how great their combat strength or how deep their reserves.

At the same time, the many top contenders above the eightieth tier of the Star Domain Realm who had led the way all came to a halt here.

These prodigies and overlords stood at the pinnacle of the late Star Domain Realm, each with heaven-defying means and vast reserves. Yet without exception, they were trapped before the finish, unable to advance an inch.

Some unleashed all their power against the restriction. Some drove lifelong secret arts into the barrier. Others hurled their bodies against the rules through brute force. Every attempt proved futile.

This ultimate restriction cared nothing for brute strength. It judged qualification, not power.

Chu Han watched