066 : The Tower’s True Purpose.

The moment Lin Tian stepped onto the 12th Floor, he knew something was different.

The world around him wasn't like the previous floors.

No battleground. No ruins. No sky filled with storms.

Instead—he was standing inside an ancient hall.

Massive pillars stretched toward the ceiling, engraved with inscriptions that pulsed faintly with golden light. The air was heavy, thick with something beyond Qi—something older, something deeper.

And at the center of it all—a single door.

Unlike the trial gates before, this door was chained shut. Massive, celestial chains wrapped around it, glowing with runes Lin Tian had never seen before.

Su Yun's voice whispered. "Lin Tian… this place feels different."

Lin Tian nodded. "Because it is."

The Tower wasn't testing him anymore.

It was hiding something.

And Lin Tian?

He was going to open that door.

As Lin Tian took a step toward the chained door, the System—for the first time—spoke with urgency.

[WARNING.]

[DO NOT APPROACH.]

[THIS FLOOR IS RESTRICTED.]

Lin Tian smirked. "Now I'm interested."

He reached out, placing his hand on the celestial chains. The moment his fingers touched them—the entire Tower trembled.

Su Yun gasped. "Lin Tian—!"

But Lin Tian didn't stop.

He clenched his fist.

And with a single pull—he ripped the chains apart.

The golden runes shattered. The ancient lock crumbled.

And the door—slowly opened.

Behind it—was a throne.

And on that throne—sat a man.

Or rather…

Something that had once been a man.

The figure on the throne stirred.

His body was covered in cracks of golden light, like he was barely holding himself together. His eyes—empty voids filled with swirling stars—slowly opened.

And then—he spoke.

"You should not have come here."

Lin Tian's golden eyes narrowed. "And who are you supposed to be?"

The figure exhaled, his voice heavy with something Lin Tian couldn't quite place.

"Once… I was like you."

Su Yun whispered. "Lin Tian… this is him. The first climber."

Lin Tian's smirk widened. "Then I guess you've got a lot to explain."

The first climber slowly stood from the throne.

And the moment he did—the entire Tower screamed.

The first climber watched Lin Tian carefully.

"Do you know why the Tower exists?" he asked.

Lin Tian crossed his arms. "To test us? To make us stronger?"

The first climber chuckled, but it was a cold, hollow sound.

"No," he said. "The Tower is not a path to ascension. It is a prison."

Lin Tian's smirk faded slightly. "Go on."

The first climber gestured to the hall around them. "This place. This structure. It was never meant to create the strongest. It was never meant to be climbed."

His eyes darkened.

"The Tower was built to contain something."

Lin Tian exhaled. "And let me guess… that 'something' is waking up."

The first climber nodded. "And you… have already broken too many chains."

Lin Tian chuckled. "Then I guess I better be ready."

And for the first time—the first climber smiled.

"Yes," he said. "You should be."

The Tower trembled again. The floor beneath them cracked.

And then—a new presence appeared.

Something ancient. Something monstrous.

Something that should never have been freed.

The System—completely unstable—tried to respond.

[ERROR.]

[FORBIDDEN ENTITY DETECTED.]

[EMERGENCY PROTOCOL ENGAGED.]

The first climber turned to Lin Tian.

"You wanted to know the truth?"

Lin Tian smirked. "Always."

The first climber exhaled. "Then fight."

And from the shadows—it emerged.

The thing the Tower had been built to contain.

The thing Lin Tian had accidentally freed.

A being of pure chaos, its body shifting between forms, its presence warping reality itself.

It had no name.

Because names could not contain it.

But as it opened its endless, black eyes, Lin Tian knew one thing.

This was what the Tower had feared all along.

And now—he was going to destroy it.

The moment the Forbidden Entity emerged, the entire 12th Floor began to twist and distort.

Reality itself bent unnaturally, shifting like liquid. The walls of the ancient hall crumbled into dust, revealing a void that stretched into infinity.

And at the center of it all—stood the Entity.

Or rather, it did not stand.

It moved constantly, shifting between forms—sometimes humanoid, sometimes beast, sometimes something incomprehensible. It had no true shape, no fixed appearance.

But its presence alone was suffocating.

Su Yun's voice trembled. "Lin Tian… this thing isn't just strong. It doesn't even follow the rules of existence."

Lin Tian smirked. "Then I'll just have to teach it some new rules."

The Entity's countless black eyes locked onto him.

And then—it attacked.

The Forbidden Entity moved faster than thought.

One moment, it was standing still—the next, it was everywhere.

Its limbs extended, black tendrils of chaotic energy crashing toward Lin Tian from every direction.

Lin Tian dodged, twisting midair as the tendrils ripped through space itself, creating tears in reality.

Then, in a flash—he countered.

His fist crashed into the Entity's form, a strike powerful enough to destroy mountains.

But instead of impact—

His fist passed through it.

Lin Tian's golden eyes flickered. "Oh?"

Su Yun's voice was urgent. "Lin Tian! It's not solid! It's not even a real being!"

The Entity's voice whispered from all directions.

"You cannot harm me."

Then—Lin Tian's own arm began to dissolve.

The space around his body warped, his existence itself starting to unravel.

But Lin Tian?

He only smirked.

"Nice trick."

Then—he activated the Heart of Devouring.

The black tendrils wrapped around Lin Tian, pulling him deeper into the void.

Any normal being—even a god—would have been erased instantly.

But Lin Tian?

He wasn't normal.

A pulse of black energy erupted from his body, the Heart of Devouring activating at full force.

The tendrils that had latched onto him—

Began to disintegrate.

The Forbidden Entity let out a sound—one that had never been heard before.

Pain.

Lin Tian's golden eyes burned. "You said I can't harm you?"

He clenched his fist—and devoured part of the Entity's essence.

The Tower trembled violently.

Su Yun gasped. "Lin Tian! The System—look!"

A new notification appeared.

[ERROR.]

[FORBIDDEN ENTITY IS BEING ERASED.]

[TOWER STRUCTURE UNSTABLE.]

Lin Tian smirked. "Looks like I just broke another rule."

The Entity howled.

And for the first time—it felt fear.

The Entity tried to retreat.

Its shifting form twisted violently, attempting to escape Lin Tian's grasp.

But Lin Tian wasn't letting go.

He lunged forward, grabbing hold of the Entity's core—a swirling mass of infinite energy.

"You tried to erase me," Lin Tian said coldly. "But now, I'm erasing you."

The Heart of Devouring pulsed.

The Entity screamed.

And then—it began to disappear.

Piece by piece.

Bit by bit.

The being that had once defied existence itself—was being devoured whole.

Su Yun whispered, "Lin Tian… you're consuming something that was never meant to be destroyed."

Lin Tian exhaled. "Then I guess I'm doing the impossible."

With one final surge—

The Forbidden Entity was gone.

The void collapsed.

The 12th Floor shattered.

And Lin Tian?

He remained standing.

The Tower did not react immediately.

For the first time—it did not try to fight back.

The System, once loud and controlling, was now silent.

Then, after a long pause—a single message appeared.

[TOWER RESETTING…]

Lin Tian chuckled. "I broke it, didn't I?"

Su Yun's voice was stunned. "You didn't just break it, Lin Tian. You changed everything."

The world around them shifted.

The Tower—now damaged beyond repair—was beginning to change.

And Lin Tian?

He wasn't done yet.

He looked toward the next gate.

And with a smirk, he stepped forward.

Because now—the Tower no longer controlled him.

He controlled it.

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