The Ninth Floor’s Final Battle – Strength Beyond Understanding 

The battlefield was a shattered ruin. Dust swirled through the air, illuminated by the eerie glow of ancient formations carved into the stone. Blood dripped from Jiang Chen's lip, his breathing ragged but steady. His golden-amber eyes burned with determination, locked onto the monstrous figure before him.

Erathion, the Immortal Titan of War, stood tall and unmoved, his crimson armor gleaming under the ethereal light. His presence was suffocating, not just from sheer strength, but from the weight of his experience—countless years of battle, endless cycles of war, and a presence that spoke of knowledge beyond mortality.

Jiang Chen's body ached, his Starshadow Body pulsing from the damage it had endured. His Chaos Qi swirled around him erratically, responding to something in Erathion's presence—something ancient and unknowable.

Bai Muchen and Xiao Dong stood beside him, both barely standing, their bodies trembling from the brutal exchange they had just endured. Bai Muchen's Titanblood Physique was cracked, deep fissures running across his skin like he was one step away from shattering. Xiao Dong's battle armor was in tatters, his Madstorm Qi flickering unsteadily.

But none of them backed down.

Erathion chuckled, his deep voice reverberating through the battlefield like rolling thunder.

"You have endured far more than I expected," he mused, his eyes flickering with something… almost akin to amusement. "But endurance alone does not grant victory. Strength without wisdom is the path to death."

Jiang Chen spat blood and smirked. "I'll take my chances."

Erathion's grin widened. "Foolish… but admirable."

He raised his greatsword, its jagged edge humming with power. "Come, show me if you truly have the right to reach the Tenth Floor."

The battle was not over.

Erathion moved first.

His massive frame became a blur, his speed betraying his size. The sheer force of his charge cracked the ground beneath him. His sword descended like a celestial decree, aiming to cleave through all three of them in one stroke.

BOOOOOOM!

Jiang Chen disappeared.

In a flash of Starshadow Burst, he reappeared behind Erathion, his Chaos-infused Heaven Sundering Palm already launching forward.

BANG!

Erathion tilted his body at the last second, letting the attack graze his side—but the moment Chaos Qi touched him, his expression changed. His body shuddered unnaturally, his form distorting for a fraction of a second.

Jiang Chen's eyes flickered. He actually reacted to Chaos Qi…

Before he could process it further, a sudden force slammed into his ribs.

CRACK!

Jiang Chen's body was flung backward like a comet, smashing through three layers of stone pillars before finally stopping. A burning pain tore through his chest—his ribs had fractured.

Erathion stood firm, his red eyes locking onto Jiang Chen.

"…That energy inside you… I have seen something similar before."

Jiang Chen wiped blood from his mouth, his mind whirling.

He's seen Chaos Qi before? Where? How?

Bai Muchen didn't wait for a response. His Titanblood Physique surged, his muscles bulging as he unleashed a world-breaking punch straight at Erathion's face.

BOOOOOOM!

The air exploded outward.

Erathion blocked the strike, but his feet actually slid back for the first time.

Xiao Dong appeared instantly, twisting through the air, his Madstorm Qi weaving into a cyclone of pure destruction. He crashed into Erathion from the other side.

BANG!

A massive shockwave tore through the ruins, splitting stone, sending debris flying into the air.

Jiang Chen forced himself up. His Starshadow Body pulsed as he flickered forward, reappearing right above Erathion, spear in hand.

This was their moment.

"NOW!"

Bai Muchen, Xiao Dong, and Jiang Chen attacked at the same time.

 Titanblood Quaking Strike!

Madstorm Eruption!

Chaotic Sundering Spear!

Three devastating attacks merged into a single storm of annihilation.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The entire battlefield shattered apart. The sky above them cracked, the power of their combined strike rippling through the very fabric of the Temple's existence.

For a split second—

They thought they had done it.

But then—

Through the dust and devastation, Erathion's form remained.

His armor was cracked. His body had deep gashes. Blood dripped from his mouth.

And yet—

He was still standing.

His red eyes shone like dying embers, but his grin remained.

"…You three… are worthy."

Then—

His body began to dissolve.

The battle was over.

Jiang Chen, panting heavily, staggered forward. His hands clenched. "You… you knew you were going to disappear, didn't you?"

Erathion chuckled. "I was never meant to exist beyond this place."

Jiang Chen's eyes darkened. "Then tell me—what do you know about my Chaos Qi?"

The air grew silent.

Erathion's expression shifted.

A slow, knowing smirk crossed his lips.

"…Telling you would only make your situation worse."

Jiang Chen's fists tightened.

Erathion's body continued fading, the spectral remnants of his form being absorbed into the Temple itself.

"There is no point in knowing the truth unless you have the strength to affect the outcome."

Jiang Chen's golden-amber eyes burned.

More riddles. More cryptic warnings.

But he already knew—this was something he had to unravel.

No matter what.

Erathion let out a final chuckle. "If you wish to know… survive long enough to force the answers out of the ones who do."

And then—

He was gone.

The battlefield fell silent.

Jiang Chen, Bai Muchen, and Xiao Dong stood amidst the ruins, heavily injured, yet victorious.

They had survived the Ninth Floor.

And now—

The air shimmered around them.

A golden portal appeared at the end of the battlefield.

Beyond it lay the Tenth Floor.

Xiao Dong grinned, despite the blood dripping down his chin. "We actually did it."

Bai Muchen exhaled, shaking his head. "Barely."

Jiang Chen remained silent.

His mind still echoed with Erathion's final words.

The truth… was something he wasn't ready for.

Not yet.

But he would be.

One day, he would reach the level where no one could withhold answers from him.

For now—

He took a step forward.

Toward the Tenth Floor.

BOOOOOM!

The portal engulfed them.