070 : The Day the Stars Fell.

The city was quiet.

The neon lights flickered softly, the streets filled with the usual late-night buzz—cars humming, distant conversations, the occasional laugh of strangers passing by.

Lin Tian stood on the balcony of his apartment, a warm cup of tea in his hand, staring at the sky above.

It had been a full year since he left the Tower behind. A full year of normalcy.

No battles. No gods. No trials.

Just peace.

Behind him, Su Yun sat on the couch, flipping through a book. "Lin Tian, come inside. It's late."

Lin Tian smirked. "I'll be in soon."

But just as he took another sip of tea—

The sky cracked open.

A deep, shattering sound rang across the heavens, like glass breaking across the universe. The stars above flickered and warped, their light bending unnaturally.

Lin Tian's golden eyes narrowed.

Su Yun immediately stood up. "Lin Tian… what's happening?"

Lin Tian didn't answer.

Because he already knew.

Something was coming.

And it wasn't from this world.

A rift in space split the sky apart, massive, endless, stretching beyond sight. From within—a shadow stepped forward.

Not a mortal.

Not a cultivator.

Not a god.

But something else.

A figure wrapped in golden-white robes, its face hidden behind a crown of shifting stars. Its presence froze the entire world. Time itself shuddered, bending around its mere existence.

And then—it spoke.

"Lin Tian."

Lin Tian exhaled slowly, setting his tea down.

"Let me guess." He looked up, golden eyes unreadable. "You're not here to welcome me back, are you?"

The figure tilted its head slightly. "You should not exist."

Lin Tian smirked. "People keep telling me that."

The being's presence intensified, and for the first time, Lin Tian felt it.

A power far beyond the Tower.

Far beyond anything he had ever fought.

And yet—he wasn't afraid.

If this was his next challenge—then so be it.

Su Yun stepped beside Lin Tian, her face tense. "Lin Tian… who is that?"

Lin Tian didn't answer immediately.

Instead—he studied the figure.

Its aura. Its presence.

And then—he understood.

"You're one of them, aren't you?" Lin Tian smirked. "The ones who created the Tower."

The being's eyes gleamed.

"You are perceptive," it said. "But understanding changes nothing."

It raised a hand—and space trembled.

"Lin Tian," the being continued, "you have stolen power that was never meant for you. You have broken balance. Devoured what should never have been touched."

Lin Tian exhaled. "And?"

The being's voice darkened.

"Now, you will be erased."

And in an instant—it attacked.

Lin Tian barely had time to react before the attack arrived.

A wave of pure cosmic force, collapsing reality itself, surged toward him with unstoppable force. The sheer pressure flattened buildings, shattered windows, sent cars flipping through the air.

Su Yun's breath hitched. "Lin Tian—!"

But Lin Tian was already moving.

In a single instant, he raised his hand—

And caught the attack.

The sky exploded, a shockwave ripping through the city. But Lin Tian stood firm, holding the cosmic energy in his grasp.

His golden eyes burned.

And then—he crushed it.

The attack collapsed in his palm, fading into nothing.

Lin Tian sighed. "That all?"

The being stared.

For the first time—it hesitated.

"You…" It whispered. "You should not be capable of that."

Lin Tian smirked. "Guess what? I am."

And then—he attacked back.

Lin Tian vanished.

A blur of speed, breaking through space itself. He appeared in front of the figure in an instant—his fist already moving.

The being barely had time to react before—

BOOM.

Lin Tian's punch connected, sending a shockwave so powerful that the sky itself split further. The very fabric of the universe trembled, entire dimensions shaking from the sheer force.

The figure was sent hurtling backward, crashing through multiple layers of reality.

Lin Tian didn't stop.

He followed, closing the distance instantly. His attacks were relentless, a barrage of blows that broke laws of physics, distorted time, shattered cosmic barriers.

The being struggled to counter.

It was strong.

But Lin Tian?

Lin Tian was stronger.

The sky continued to shatter.

Lin Tian's blows rained down like meteors, each strike shaking the very foundation of reality. Every impact sent shockwaves ripping through dimensions, distorting the very laws of space and time.

The **being in golden robes—one of the creators of the Tower—**was no longer untouchable.

It had been forced onto the defensive.

Lin Tian did not stop.

His fists moved faster than thought, each attack bypassing barriers of existence itself. The being tried to counter, its cosmic energy surging—but Lin Tian devoured it before it could even reach him.

The golden-robed entity staggered back, its glowing form flickering. For the first time in countless ages—it was wounded.

"You…!" The being's voice trembled, filled with disbelief. "You should not be able to do this! We created the Tower! We created—"

Lin Tian smirked. "And I destroyed it."

The being's eyes widened.

And then—Lin Tian struck again.

A single punch—but this time, it wasn't just strength.

It was absolute dominance.

The impact ripped through the being's core, shattering its form into fragments of divine energy.

It let out a sound—not a scream, but something deeper. A sound of a god falling.

Its body collapsed into golden light, the remnants of its form scattering across the void.

And then—silence.

Lin Tian stood amidst the wreckage of a being that once ruled over the Tower itself.

And for the first time—the cosmos took notice.

The moment the golden-robed being fell, the very air changed.

A weight—vast, immeasurable, beyond even gods—descended upon the world.

Lin Tian felt them.

Others.

Watching. Waiting.

Not mortals. Not cultivators.

Not even gods.

Something higher.

And then—a voice spoke.

"So… you are the one who devoured our creation."

Lin Tian looked up.

And from the darkness of the shattered sky—figures emerged.

Not one.

Not two.

Twelve.

Each one radiating a presence that dwarfed even the Tower's greatest trials.

They did not speak as individuals.

They spoke as one.

"We are the Council of Eternals," the voices echoed. "We are the architects of the Towers across all realities."

Lin Tian exhaled. "Oh? So you're the ones I should be thanking."

The figures did not react.

"You have broken what should never have been broken," they continued. "You have undone what was never meant to be touched."

Lin Tian tilted his head. "And?"

The voices darkened.

"Now, you must face judgment."

And in an instant—they attacked.