109: Star God Tempering Body, Mo Yuan First Appears

Deep within the Meteor Star Ancient Domain, seven days had passed.

Inside the secret room of the Star Palace's back garden, Lin Fan was enveloped in a layer of pale golden halo. The halo was not static but pulsated rhythmically like breathing, with each movement driving the tide of Spiritual Qi within the secret room.

The remaining energy of the dragon heart marrow had been completely refined.

At this moment, the Essence Sea inside Lin Fan's body was churning, and three Essence Cores floated within it, arranged in a triangular formation, connected to each other by golden threads. Each Essence Core condensed extremely pure Power of the Stars and Indestructible body Origin, emitting heart-palpitating fluctuations.

“Condensing Origin Third Layer, success!” Lin Fan's eyes snapped open, and two solid golden beams shot out, leaving deep scorch marks on the walls of the secret room. He slowly rose, his bones making crisp cracking sounds, and every inch of his skin flowed with a jade-like luster.

Under the nourishment of the dragon heart marrow, the Eternal Indestructible Body had advanced from the "Initial Success" realm to the Minor Achievement realm.

Now, even without circulating essence power, his Physical Body alone could withstand attacks below the Condensing Origin Fifth Layer without a scratch. If he fully operated his Indestructible body, even a powerhouse at the Condensing Origin Seventh Layer would find it difficult to break through his defense.

[“System, detect current status.”]

[Ding! Host status detection in progress]

[Name: Lin Fan]

[Cultivation: Condensing Origin Third Layer]

[Physique: Eternal Indestructible Body (Minor Achievement) — Current Traits: Indestructible Physical Body, Immunity to All Poisons, Limb Regeneration (requires significant essence power), Elementary Spacetime Resistance (can resist interference from low-level spacetime secret arts)]

[Cultivation Technique: Circulating Heaven Star Formula (Second Layer Perfection), Indestructible Divine King Fist (Initial Mastery), Delusion-Breaking Divine Pupils (Proficient)]

[Treasures: star pagoda (Elementary), star god token, Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Cauldron (Not fully refined)]

[Sign-in Opportunity: 1 (Current Location: Meteor Star Ancient Domain · Starfall Ruins)]

“Starfall Ruins?” Lin Fan’s heart stirred.

During these seven days of seclusion, he not only broke through his cultivation but also sensed an aura originating from the same source as the token deep within the Ancient Domain via the star god token. It now seemed that the "Starfall Ruins" was the sign-in location.

Pushing the door open and stepping out, it was already dusk.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled over the glazed tiles of the Star Palace, reflecting magnificent colors. In the square in front of the palace, dozens of Lin Family disciples were practicing Martial Skills, their shouts shaking the sky. Seeing Lin Fan walk out, everyone stopped their movements and bowed in greeting: “Greetings, Young Clan Leader!”

The voices were uniform, filled with heartfelt awe.

After the clan affairs meeting seven days ago, Lin Fan's prestige had been completely established. The resource redistribution plan had greatly benefited the younger generation, and the announcement of the first list for the "Genius Cultivation Fund" had further won over people's hearts.

“No need for such formalities.” Lin Fan waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. “The path of Cultivate lies in perseverance. The Family's resources are being tilted toward you in the hope that you will become talents soon and support the Family in the future.”

“We will remember the Young Clan Leader's teachings!” everyone responded in unison.

Lin Fan nodded and was about to leave when he saw Lin Xue walking over quickly. She was wearing a light blue martial outfit with her ponytail tied high, looking heroic and spirited. Her cultivation had surprisingly broken through to the First Level of Condensing Essence.

“Brother!” Lin Xue's face was full of excitement. “You've come out of seclusion? I've broken through!”

“Not bad.” Lin Fan smiled and reached out to rub her head. “Your Foundation is solid, and you didn't rush for success. Has there been any abnormality within the Ancient Domain during this time?”

Lin Xue's expression turned slightly serious: “The Guardian Hall has increased patrols, and no traces of the Shadow Clan have been found for the time being. However... yesterday, someone found a new ruin entrance in the northeast of the Ancient Domain. The fluctuations are very strong, and it's suspected that an ancient treasure is about to emerge. The Second Elder has already taken people there to investigate.”

“Northeast direction?” Lin Fan’s heart stirred.

That was exactly the direction sensed by the star god token.

“I see.” Lin Fan took out two bottles of Medicinal Pills and handed them to Lin Xue. “These are 'Condensing Origin Pills' and 'Body Tempering Powder'. You've just broken through and need to consolidate. Cultivate well; I'll take you somewhere in a while.”

Lin Xue's eyes lit up: "Really? Where?"

“You'll know when the time comes.” Lin Fan kept her in suspense. With a flash of his figure, he transformed into a stream of light and sped toward the northeast of the Ancient Domain.

The northeastern region of the Meteor Star Ancient Domain was steep and treacherous.

It was filled with jagged black rocks, and dark red crystal Ores could occasionally be seen in the crevices. Those were "Blood Evil Crystals," a type of Ore containing violent energy that was very beneficial to Martial Artists who Cultivate Evil Qi-type techniques, but it was highly toxic to ordinary people.

Lin Fan stood in mid-air, Delusion-Breaking Divine Pupils activated, his vision piercing through layers of stone forests.

Thirty miles away, in a collapsed mountain fissure, he saw something unusual. Faint starlight was leaking out, completely out of place with the surrounding dark red environment. More importantly, the star god token in his pocket was becoming slightly hot.

“That's the place.” Lin Fan descended, and just as he was about to head over, he suddenly frowned and looked to his left.

A hundred feet away, a figure stepped out from behind a massive rock.

It was a young man in black robes, about twenty-three or twenty-four years old, with a cold face, narrow eyes, and dark purple pupils, giving off a sinister feeling. He was playing with a blood-colored jade pendant in his hand, his gaze landing on Lin Fan as a half-smile curled on his lips.

“The Young Clan Leader of the Lin Family? You certainly live up to your reputation. I had only hidden my aura for less than three breaths before you discovered me.”

Lin Fan's eyes narrowed slightly.

This young man gave him a dangerous feeling—not because of how high his cultivation was, but because his aura was strange. The opponent clearly only had the fluctuations of the Nascent Core Fourth Layer, but he was surrounded by a layer of faint black mist that wriggled as if it were alive, actually managing to block part of the Delusion-Breaking Divine Pupils' investigation.

“Someone from the Dark Moon Divine Cult?” Lin Fan said coldly.

The youth shook his head: "Dark Moon Divine Cult? Those trash who hide their heads and show their tails are worthy of being compared to me? My name is Mo Yuan, from the 'Netherworld Valley'."

Netherworld Valley!

Lin Fan's pupils constricted. This was an extremely mysterious power within the Great Xia Dynasty. It was said to be inherited from the ancient Ghost Path, and its actions were both righteous and evil. They lived in deep mountain valleys all year round and rarely stepped into the secular world. But every time they emerged, they would inevitably stir up a bloodbath.

“What are people from the Netherworld Valley doing in my Lin Family's Ancient Domain?” Lin Fan's essence power quietly circulated.

Mo Yuan chuckled: "Since when did the Meteor Star Ancient Domain belong to the Lin Family? You just took the initiative and enclosed the land. As for what I'm here for..."

He paused and turned his gaze toward the direction where the starlight was leaking: "Same as you, for that 'Star God Clan Branch Hall'."

Lin Fan was shocked.

Star God Clan Branch Hall! The opponent actually knew this secret!

“No need for surprise.” Mo Yuan seemed to see through his thoughts. “The Netherworld Valley has a long heritage, and its records contain many ancient secrets. Although the Star God Clan has been annihilated for ten thousand years, their ruins are scattered everywhere. This branch hall in the Meteor Star Ancient Domain was mentioned in my valley's records long ago, but I just couldn't find the exact location before.”

He looked at Lin Fan, a hint of greed flashing in his dark purple pupils: "But now it seems you have a guiding object on you. Hand it over, and I can spare your life."

“Spare my life?” Lin Fan laughed, “Based on your Nascent Core Fourth Layer cultivation?”

“Cultivation doesn't represent everything.” Mo Yuan also laughed, his smile bone-chillingly cold. “You will soon witness the methods of the Netherworld Valley.” Before his voice finished, the blood-colored jade pendant in his hand suddenly exploded!

Blood mist filled the sky, instantly enveloping a hundred-foot radius. Shrill wails came from the blood mist, as if countless wronged souls were crying out. The mist rolled and condensed into dozens of blood-colored ghost hands, grabbing at Lin Fan from all directions.

“Ghost Path evil arts!” Lin Fan snorted coldly, and the Indestructible Divine King Fist erupted.

The golden fist Seal rose like a blazing sun, and the hot, masculine Fist Intent swept out. The blood mist dispersed upon contact, and the ghost hands collapsed one after another within the fist Seal. The Eternal Indestructible Body was extremely masculine and firm, making it the nemesis of such sinister arts.

“Interesting,” Mo Yuan's voice came from deep within the blood mist, “but this is just the beginning.”

“Netherworld Ghost Domain, open!” Boom! The ground of the entire area suddenly cracked, and countless black air currents surged from underground, merging with the blood mist to transform into a gloomy Ghost Domain. Within the Ghost Domain, countless distorted figures could be vaguely seen wandering, and the air was filled with the scent of decay and despair.

A Domain-type secret art!

Lin Fan's expression grew solemn. Being able to perform a Domain, even if it was just a prototype, showed that this person's attainment in the Ghost Path was extremely deep. In this Ghost Domain, Mo Yuan's combat power would increase by at least thirty percent, while his enemies would be suppressed.

“In my Ghost Domain, I am the Dominator.” Mo Yuan's figure flickered in the mist. “Hand over the star god token, or become a new soul in this Ghost Domain.”

“In your dreams!” Lin Fan took a deep breath, and golden light flared around him. The Eternal Indestructible Body operated at full power, and a jade-like luster covered his entire body, isolating the encroaching sinister Qi. At the same time, his hands formed Seals, and the three Essence Cores in his body spun wildly.

“Circulating Heaven Stars, heed my command!” Buzz! The star god token flew out on its own, hovering above Lin Fan's head and emitting brilliant starlight. The night sky above the Ancient Domain seemed to be triggered, as countless star phantoms appeared, descending beams of starlight to contend with the Ghost Domain.

Wherever the starlight passed, the black mist receded and ghost shadows wailed.

“The star god token is indeed in your hands!” Mo Yuan's voice carried wild joy. “Great! As long as I get it, I can open the branch hall and obtain the Legacy of the Star God Clan!”

“That depends on whether you have the ability!”

Lin Fan's figure shot out like a golden meteor, heading straight for Mo Yuan's true body. Ghostly shadows pounced along the way, but they were crushed by the starlight and the golden light of the Indestructible Body surrounding him.

"Ghost Fiend Manifestation!" Mo Yuan shouted sharply.

Black mist gathered frantically in the Ghost Domain, condensing into a ten-foot-tall Ghost General in front of him. The Ghost General wore tattered battle armor and held a giant axe; green ghost fire burned in its hollow eye sockets, and its aura had surprisingly reached the Condensing Essence Sixth Layer!

"Kill!" Mo Yuan pointed a finger.

The Ghost General's giant axe slashed down, bringing with it a shrill whistle of wind.

"Break!" Lin Fan neither dodged nor avoided it, throwing a punch. The fist Seal collided with the giant axe, erupting in a loud bang like the clashing of gold and iron. A wave of air exploded, and the strange rocks within ten feet were all shattered.

The Ghost General retreated three steps, and cracks appeared on the giant axe. Meanwhile, Lin Fan only swayed slightly, without even a white mark on his fist.

"How is this possible!" Mo Yuan's pupils shrank suddenly.

This Ghost General of his was refined from the living souls of ninety-nine Condensing Essence Realm Martial Artists; with the support of the Ghost Domain, its combat power was comparable to the Peak of the Condensing Essence Sixth Layer. Yet it was forced back by a single punch from Lin Fan, who was only at the Condensing Origin Third Layer!

"That Physical Body of yours..." Mo Yuan stared fixedly at the jade-like luster on Lin Fan's surface, "It's some kind of special Physique!"

"You've only realized it now? Too late!" Lin Fan pressed his advantage, throwing out Indestructible Divine King Fists in succession. Each punch carried the power to collapse mountains and crack stones, and golden fist Seals rained down on the Ghost General.

The Ghost General swung its axe to block, but more and more cracks appeared on the axe. Finally, when the seventh punch landed, the giant axe shattered with a bang, and the remaining force of the fist Seal struck the Ghost General's chest heavily.

Crack! The Ghost General's chest plate caved in, and its entire body flew backward, dissipating into black mist before it even hit the ground.

"Puff!" Mo Yuan spat out a mouthful of blood, his face pale.

With the Ghost General destroyed, his mind was injured.

"Damn it... the Young Clan Leader of the Lin Family is indeed no ordinary person." Mo Yuan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes sinister, "But do you think it ends here?"

His hands rapidly formed Seals, and his mouth chanted obscure incantations.

The Ghost Domain began to vibrate violently, and all the black mist contracted toward the center, condensing into a fist-sized black bead. The surface of the bead was covered with blood-colored patterns, emitting heart-palpitating waves of destruction.

"Netherworld Blood Blast!" Mo Yuan grinned hideously, "Go to Hell with me!"

He actually intended to self-detonate the core of the Ghost Domain to perish together!

"Madman!" Lin Fan's expression changed.

If this Ghost Domain Bead exploded, its power would be enough to heavily injure a Condensing Origin Seventh Layer expert. Even with the Indestructible Body for protection, damage would be unavoidable.

In the spark of a moment, Lin Fan made a decision.

"star pagoda, appear!"

Buzz! A three-inch small pagoda flew out from between his eyebrows, expanding rapidly against the wind into a thirty-foot giant pagoda hovering above his head. Starlight flowed over the pagoda's body, and curtains of starlight descended to protect Lin Fan within.

At the same time, Lin Fan activated the star god token, drawing the starlight from the sky to form a starlight chain that shot toward the black bead like lightning.

"Want to stop me? Too late!" Mo Yuan laughed wildly, about to trigger the explosion.

But at that moment—

["System, Sign-in!"]

[Ding! Sign-in successful! Current location: Meteor Star Ancient Domain · Starfall Ruins. Congratulations to the host for obtaining rewards: Star God Body Tempering Art(Incomplete Manual), Map of the Star God Clan Branch Hall (Partial), Fallen Star Crystals ×10]

The moment the sign-in was completed, an invisible wave spread out with Lin Fan as the center.

When that wave passed over the black bead, the blood-colored patterns on the bead's surface suddenly dimmed, as if suppressed by some higher-level power. The wild laugh on Mo Yuan's face froze; he found that his connection with the Ghost Domain Bead... was broken!

"This is impossible!" he cried out in loss.

Lin Fan had already seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; the starlight chain wrapped around it, binding the black bead layer by layer and pulling it back to him. The starlight descending from the star pagoda fell, completely sealing the bead.

"What did you do!" Mo Yuan retreated in terror.

Lin Fan did not answer. He reached out and grabbed; the star pagoda shrank and fell into his palm, its base aimed at Mo Yuan: "Suppress!"

A beam of starlight shot out, fast as lightning.

Mo Yuan wanted to dodge, but his speed was greatly reduced under his heavy injuries, and he was struck in the chest by the starlight. He groaned, and his whole body flew backward like a broken kite, crashing heavily into the stone wall a hundred feet away and becoming embedded in it.

Lin Fan's figure flashed, and he arrived in front of him.

At this moment, Mo Yuan's chest was caved in, his ribs were all broken, and his aura was withered to the extreme. He stared fixedly at Lin Fan, his eyes full of resentment and unwillingness: "Young Clan Leader of the Lin Family, I will remember you."

"You won't have the chance." Lin Fan raised his hand, golden light condensing at his fingertips.

But at the moment he was about to make the kill, a black jade talisman in Mo Yuan's bosom suddenly exploded, turning into a cloud of black mist that enveloped him. The black mist distorted, and spatial fluctuations rippled.

"Teleportation Talisman?" Lin Fan's eyes turned cold, and he threw a punch.

The golden fist Seal penetrated the black mist, striking Mo Yuan's left shoulder. Amidst a scream, the black mist completely dissipated, and Mo Yuan's figure also disappeared, leaving only a pool of blood and half a shattered arm on the spot.

"Did he escape..." Lin Fan frowned.

The Netherworld Valley indeed had a deep Foundation, possessing even this kind of life-saving teleportation talisman. However, Mo Yuan was heavily injured and had lost an arm; it was impossible for him to pose a threat again in the short term.

He withdrew his killing intent and turned to look at the crack where the starlight was overflowing.

"The 'Map of the Star God Clan Branch Hall' rewarded by the System is just what I need." Lin Fan took out the incomplete map manual he had just obtained and compared it with the sensation from the star god token, "It seems the true entrance is not at the crack, but at..."

He moved his gaze to an unremarkable giant black rock three hundred paces to the right of the crack.

Walking to the giant rock, Lin Fan pressed the star god token against the stone surface.

The moment the token touched the giant rock, starlight flourished. Complex star patterns appeared on the surface of the giant rock, spreading and finally forming a light gate.

Behind the light gate was a staircase extending downward, leading to an unknown place.

Lin Fan took a deep breath and stepped inside.

Luminous crystals were embedded in the walls on both sides of the staircase, illuminating the path ahead. After walking for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the front suddenly opened up—this was a huge underground palace.

Countless night-luminescent pearls were embedded in the palace dome, arranged in the pattern of the Circulating Heaven Stars. In the center of the hall stood a hundred-foot-tall statue of a Star God, holding a scepter and looking into the distance, majestic and sacred.

Below the statue, there was a stone platform.

On the stone platform were three items: a Jade Slip, a jade bottle, and a broken star chart.

Lin Fan stepped forward and first picked up the Jade Slip.

His Divine Sense probed in, and information flooded into his mind—the third layer of the Circulating Heaven Star Formula! It was exactly the subsequent part he urgently needed.

Inside the jade bottle were three drops of 'Star God Marrow', a higher-grade Body Tempering treasure than dragon heart marrow, which would be of great benefit to the improvement of the Eternal Indestructible Body.

The last broken star chart seemed to be a Magical Artifact, but it was incomplete, and its use could not be seen for the time being.

"Quite a harvest." Lin Fan put the three items away.

He looked at the Star God statue and bowed: "Senior of the Star God Clan, I, Lin Fan, have received the star god token Legacy. Today I take these relics and will surely not fail the reputation of the Star God Clan."

The statue seemed to brighten slightly, but quickly returned to normal.

Lin Fan searched the hall again and found several hidden compartments containing some ancient books and unique Star God Clan Artifact Refining Materials, all of which he took.

After the looting was complete, he returned to the entrance but suddenly had a feeling and looked at a corner of the hall.

There, a star map was carved on the wall.

The star map was very ancient, and most of the star markings were blurred, but the central area was clearly marked with a location—that position was surprisingly outside the territory of the Great Xia Dynasty, in a Forbidden Ground known as the 'Endless Star Sea'.

Beside the star map was a line of small characters: 'Star God Ancestral Land, hides the secret of transcendence. If later generations reach the Heaven-Reaching Realm, they can take the complete star chart and follow the map there.'

Lin Fan's heart was shaken.

Star God Ancestral Land! Secret of transcendence! This was the true core Legacy of the Star God Clan. And the broken star chart in his hand was probably part of the key.

"It seems the road ahead is still very long." Lin Fan memorized the star map in his heart and turned to leave.

Walking out of the light gate, the giant rock returned to its original state.

It was now late at night, and the sky was filled with starlight.

Lin Fan looked up at the sky, a look of determination flashing in his eyes.

The Legacy of the Star God Clan, the cause of his parents' death, the path of transcendence... he would solve these mysteries one by one. And what he needed to do now was to continue becoming stronger.

He took out the Incomplete Manual of the Star God Body Tempering Art and began to comprehend it. This Body Tempering technique had many similarities with the Eternal Indestructible Body; both used the Power of the Stars to temper the Physical Body in pursuit of immortality. Combining the two might allow the Indestructible Body to break through faster.

Just as he was immersed in cultivation, the transmission jade talisman at his waist suddenly vibrated.

His Divine Sense probed in; it was the voice of the Second Elder Lin Canghai, carrying a hint of anxiety:

"Young Clan Leader, return to the Star Palace immediately! Someone has come from Tianyang City; it's a special envoy from the Great Xia Dynasty's Third Prince, Xia Yuanhao, and he specifically asked to see you!"

Lin Fan's eyes turned cold. What was meant to come had finally arrived. He put away the jade talisman, and his figure turned into a stream of light, galloping toward the Star Palace.

In the night, his back was stretched long under the starlight.

Waiting ahead was a new storm.