127: Starlight Breaks Evil

"Then everyone shall stay." As Lin Fan's voice fell, the atmosphere above the entire Star Moon Lake suddenly froze.

The members of the Dark Moon Divine Cult, whether it was the three black figures at the Late Stage Divine Power Realm who had been pushed back or the ordinary cultists on the surrounding warships, all felt an invisible pressure weigh on their hearts. This Lin Family Divine Son, who was supposed to have perished at the bottom of the lake, had not only appeared alive, but his Aura was unfathomable, even stronger than the reports described!

"Faner, your injuries—" Clan Leader was both shocked and delighted. His gaze swept over Lin Fan's perfectly intact right arm, and his heart was shaken. He had long heard of the viciousness of the Soul-Eroding Life-Ending Needle; even if he were hit, it would take a great deal of effort to resolve. How could Faner have recovered in such a short time?

"Father, rest assured, the poison has been neutralized, and my cultivation has also improved." Lin Fan briefly explained via voice transmission, but his gaze remained locked on the three black-clad leaders. "None of the people before us shall leave."

Clan Leader's heroic spirit surged. He shook his long spear and laughed heartily, "Good! Today, we father and son shall kill to our heart's content!"

The father and son stood side-by-side in the air, their Aura as majestic as a rainbow.

Opposite them, the three black-clad leaders—the command layer of this Dark Moon Divine Cult operation, codenamed "Lunar Eclipse," "Shadow Kill," and "Blood Claw"—quickly exchanged glances, each seeing the shock and ruthlessness in the others' eyes.

"The intelligence was wrong. Lin Fan isn't dead. The Blood Moon Twin Fiends lords probably..." Lunar Eclipse transmitted, his voice grim.

"But since he has appeared, we might as well deal with them all at once!" Killing intent flared in Shadow Kill's eyes. "The Cult Leader ordered that the Star Treasure and the Ancient Tomb Legacy on Lin Fan must be obtained! He just came out of the Ancient Tomb, so he must have gained something. If we don't seize it now, then when?"

Blood Claw licked his lips, revealing pale teeth. "Leave that old thing to me and Shadow Kill. Lunar Eclipse, you go capture that kid. Finish it quickly!"

The three instantly reached a consensus.

Lunar Eclipse's figure blurred, turning into nine afterimages that were hard to distinguish between real and fake, pouncing toward Lin Fan from different angles. Each afterimage had a realistic Aura, and in their hands, they condensed the sinister Lunar-Eroding Blade Light, specifically designed to break through Protective Aura.

Shadow Kill and Blood Claw erupted simultaneously, flanking Clan Leader from the left and right. Shadow Kill's figure merged into the shadows, flickering in and out as his daggers targeted vital points. Blood Claw's hands transformed into crimson claws, carrying a stench of blood as they clashed head-on with Clan Leader's spear stance.

"Faner, be careful! That's the 'Nine Shadows Lunar-Eroding Art.' The true body is hidden among the nine shadows and can swap at any time!" Clan Leader warned loudly. At the same time, his spear struck out like a dragon, piercing through three afterimages, only to be shaken away by one of Blood Claw's strikes.

"Mere parlor tricks." Facing the nine incoming afterimages, Lin Fan's expression remained unchanged.

Delusion-Breaking Divine Pupils, open! Golden light swirled within his eyes. Wherever his gaze landed, all illusions were laid bare. In his eyes, the energy flow and the strength of the Auras of the nine afterimages were clearly discernible. Among them, the third afterimage on the bottom left had the most solid energy core and possessed subtle energy links with the other eight. That was the true body and the control hub!

"Found you." Lin Fan took a step forward, his figure like lightning. He completely ignored the attacks of the other eight afterimages, pointing his right index and middle fingers like a sword. At his fingertips, a point of pure white starlight condensed—it was the "Starlight Finger," which fused the Origin of the star pagoda with the purifying power of the star gods tear!

One finger pointed toward the forehead of that third afterimage!

"What?!" Lunar Eclipse was pale with fright. This Nine Shadows Lunar-Eroding Art was his ultimate trump card. Even someone at the Peak Divine Power Realm would find it hard to distinguish truth from falsehood. How could Lin Fan see through it at a glance?!

In his haste, his true body retreated rapidly while simultaneously controlling the other eight afterimages to close in. The Lunar-Eroding Blade Light wove into a net, descending upon Lin Fan.

"Disperse." Lin Fan lightly uttered a single word and pressed his left hand into the void.

After his Eternal Indestructible Body broke through to the Jade Bone Glazed Body, his control over Star Power had reached the microscopic level. Star Power surged from his palm, transforming into eight hair-thin starlight chains that accurately shot into the energy cores of the eight afterimages!

*Puff, puff, puff.* The eight afterimages froze simultaneously before shattering and dissipating like bubbles.

Lunar Eclipse's true body was exposed. His face turned pale, and he turned to flee.

"Think you can escape?"

Lin Fan's figure flashed, already blocking his path of retreat. His right hand's Starlight Finger followed like a shadow, pointing toward the man's back.

Lunar Eclipse gritted his teeth and threw three pitch-black poison awls behind him. At the same time, he burned his essence blood, his speed increasing by thirty percent as he fled frantically.

"Freeze." Lin Fan's gaze turned cold, and the phantom of the star pagoda flashed at his forehead.

Though the tower's shadow was faint, it radiated a vast power that suppressed the void. The space within ten feet of Lunar Eclipse suddenly solidified as if he had fallen into a quagmire, and his speed plummeted.

Starlight Finger, hit!

"Ah!" Lunar Eclipse let out a miserable scream. A bowl-sized bloody hole exploded on his back. No blood flowed from the wound; instead, it was filled and burned by pure white starlight! The star purification power surged along his Meridians straight into his Divine Soul. Everywhere it passed, the Origin cultivated from his sinister evil techniques melted away like snow.

His Aura rapidly withered, and he fell from the sky, crashing into the lake with a massive splash.

His fate was unknown. This all took a while to describe, but in reality, it happened in just three to five breaths.

In the other two battlefields, Shadow Kill and Blood Claw were struggling with Clan Leader. When they suddenly saw Lunar Eclipse's defeat, they were horrified.

"How is this possible?! Lunar Eclipse's Nine Shadows Lunar-Eroding Art was broken in an instant?!" Shadow Kill was terrified, and his offensive couldn't help but slow down.

Clan Leader seized the opportunity. His long spear was like a venomous dragon emerging from its hole, flicking away Shadow Kill's dagger and slicing across his throat in one smooth motion!

"Ugh..." Shadow Kill clutched his throat, his eyes full of resentment. His breath ceased, and he fell into the lake.

Left alone against Clan Leader, Blood Claw's heart and liver were nearly split with fear. He made a feint and turned to flee.

"Where do you think you're going!"

Lin Fan and Clan Leader attacked simultaneously.

Lin Fan made a grasping motion with his right hand, and Star Power transformed into a massive starlight hand that snatched toward Blood Claw from the air.

Clan Leader threw his long spear. The spear transformed into a golden rainbow, arriving first!

"Puchi!" The golden rainbow pierced through his body, pinning Blood Claw in mid-air. The starlight hand arrived immediately after, firmly imprisoning him.

Blood Claw was captured while heavily injured, his eyes filled with despair.

With their leaders either dead or captured, the remaining Dark Moon Divine Cultists were thrown into chaos.

"Run! Run quickly!"

"Lord Lunar Eclipse is defeated! Lord Shadow Kill is dead!"

"Retreat! Retreat to the branch altar!"

More than ten warships turned around and fled frantically.

"Leave none alive!" Cold light flickered in Clan Leader's eyes. With a wave of his hand, the Lin Family elites who had already been lying in ambush around the lake shore swarmed out, piloting flying boats and pursuing through the air. These Lin Family disciples had been suppressing their anger, and now they were like tigers descending from the mountain, their battle cries shaking the heavens.

Lin Fan looked toward the corpses falling onto the lake surface and the stragglers struggling to survive.

He took a deep breath and formed hand seals.

The star pagoda flew out from his forehead and hovered above the center of the lake. The tower's body rotated, shedding thousands of rays of starlight.

"Starlight shines everywhere, purifying evil." Gentle yet vast starlight fell upon the lake surface, enveloping every corpse of the Dark Moon cultists and every patch of blood-stained water.

Wherever the starlight passed, the residual sinister resentment and blood sacrifice Aura on the corpses melted away as quickly as boiling water on snow. Those cultists who were not yet dead and were heavily injured wailed in agony under this pure Star Power before their breath finally ceased. Their Cultivation Techniques were naturally incompatible with Star Power; being invaded by starlight while heavily injured was no different from poison.

In just a moment, all traces of the Dark Moon Divine Cult on the lake were purified. Even the lake water became a bit clearer, and the smell of blood faded.

Having finished all this, Lin Fan recalled the star pagoda. His face was slightly pale. Performing a large-scale starlight purification consecutively was quite draining.

"Faner, are you alright?" Clan Leader flew closer and asked with concern.

"It's fine. I just need to adjust my breathing for a moment." Lin Fan shook his head and looked at the imprisoned Blood Claw. "Father, this person is still useful. He needs to be strictly interrogated."

"Don't worry, I will handle it personally." Clan Leader picked up the dying Blood Claw, a cold light flashing in his eyes. "This time, we will definitely pry the Dark Moon Divine Cult's mouths open!"

Lin Family, subterranean Hall of Punishment.

Blood Claw was bound to a torture pillar with special chains. His major acupoints were sealed, making it impossible for him even to self-detonate. Clan Leader presided personally, with Lin Fan listening in, and two Elders proficient in interrogation and Divine Soul probing were also present.

"Speak. How many more strongholds does the Dark Moon Divine Cult have in the Meteor Star Ancient Domain? When will Cult Leader Blood Moon Demon Venerable end his seclusion? What is the next step of the plan?" Clan Leader's voice was ice-cold.

Blood Claw laughed miserably. "If you want to kill me, then kill me. You want to get information out of me? In your dreams!"

"Stubborn." An Elder stepped forward and took out a black Jade Slip covered in spikes. "This is the 'Soul-Searching Spike.' It can forcibly scour memories, but the process is extremely painful, and nine out of ten people who are soul-searched become idiots. Have you thought it through?"

A hint of fear flashed in Blood Claw's eyes, but he still gritted his teeth. "The Cult Leader will avenge us!"

"It seems you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin." Lin Fan suddenly spoke.

He walked up to Blood Claw and pressed his right hand onto the man's crown, Star Power pulsing from his palm.

"What are you trying to do?!" Blood Claw felt a pure yet domineering force invade his Sea of Consciousness, clashing violently with his own sinister Divine Soul. The pain far exceeded physical torture.

"In your Divine Soul, I feel the brand of blood sacrifice resentment." Lin Fan's voice was calm. "The number of innocent people you've personally killed must be no less than a thousand, right?"

Blood Claw's face twisted, unable to refute.

"In that case, I will use the Power of the Stars to purify your sins. Consider it acting on behalf of heaven." Golden light flashed in Lin Fan's eyes, and the Star Power suddenly intensified!

"No! I'll talk! I'll talk!" Blood Claw finally broke down.

Under the terrifying threat of the star purification power touching the core of his Divine Soul, he spilled everything he knew like beans from a bamboo tube:

The Dark Moon Divine Cult had a total of seven secret branch altars in and around the Meteor Star Ancient Domain, three of which had been destroyed by Lin Fan previously. The remaining four were located in "Black Wind Canyon," "Earth Fire Lava Cave," "White Bone Wasteland," and beneath the "Third Prince's secret manor."

Cult Leader Blood Moon Demon Venerable was indeed in seclusion attempting to reach the Realm Lord Realm. His original date to emerge was in one month. However, the fall of the Blood Moon Twin Fiends would definitely alert the Cult Leader, and he might emerge earlier.

The next step of the plan was divided into two parts: first, to continue collecting blood sacrifice energy, with a backup plan to slaughter several Mortal cities on the edge of the Ancient Domain; second, to ally with the Great Xia Third Prince, The Third Prince, to use the power of the Imperial Dynasty to pressure the Lin Family, and even to incite a rebellion within the Lin Family—besides the deceased Lin Zhen, two guest Elders had actually been bribed!

"Guest Elders?" Clan Leader's face turned ashen. "Who are they?!"

"I only know their codenames, not their real names. One is codenamed 'Grey Sparrow,' and the other is 'Venomous Fang'..." Blood Claw's voice was weak.

The two Elders present exchanged a look, cold light flashing in their eyes. Among the guest Elders, the most suspicious were "Elder Qian," who managed the Family's trade, and "Elder You," who was responsible for intelligence.

"Also, after the Cult Leader emerges, his primary target will be the Starfall Ancient Tomb. If he cannot obtain it, he will detonate the residual energy of the Blood Sacrifice Grand Array, destroying the Ancient Tomb and Star Moon Lake together so that no one can obtain the Legacy." Blood Claw added at the end.

Lin Fan's and Clan Leader's expressions darkened simultaneously.

What a ruthless scheme! If they couldn't have it, they would destroy it!

"Father, we must clear the remaining branch altars as soon as possible to stop them from continuing the blood sacrifice. At the same time, we must root out the traitors and stabilize the Family," Lin Fan said solemnly.

"I understand." Clan Leader nodded and looked at Blood Claw. "Are you hiding anything else?"

"No more... I've said everything I know..." Blood Claw's breath was faint.

Lin Fan withdrew his palm and said to the two Elders, "His Divine Soul has been eroded by Star Power; he's crippled. Throw him into the death cell and await sentencing."

"Yes, Young Lord."

After dealing with Blood Claw, Lin Fan and Clan Leader left the Hall of Punishment and returned to the surface.

The night was deep, but the Lin Family was brightly lit. Post-battle cleanup, treatment of the wounded, and security upgrades kept everyone busy.

"Faner, what exactly did you gain within the Ancient Tomb?" Clan Leader finally had the chance to ask.

Lin Fan briefly recounted what he saw in the outer tomb chamber, as well as the star gods tear and the time-space Restriction, but he glossed over the specific details of the Gate Spirit and the purge mode—some secrets were better known by as few people as possible.

Clan Leader marveled repeatedly. "The star gods tear, time-space Restriction... No wonder you recovered so quickly. This tomb is indeed extraordinary."

"Father, I wish to enter the Ancient Tomb again," Lin Fan suddenly said.

"What? Didn't you say that you must exit within ten days, or else you'd risk being trapped forever? You just came out..." Clan Leader frowned.

"This time is different." Determination flashed in Lin Fan's eyes. "The Dark Moon Divine Cult wants to destroy the Ancient Tomb. We must be the first to obtain the core Legacy and increase our strength to deal with the Blood Moon Demon Venerable when he emerges. Furthermore, the flow of time in the tomb is different. One day outside is ten days in the tomb. It is the perfect place for rapid improvement."

"But the risks—"

"Risks and opportunities coexist." Lin Fan's tone was firm. "Now that I have used the star gods tear for Body Tempering, my control over Star Power is deeper, and with the star god token in hand, entering the outer tomb chamber should be no problem. I only need to Cultivate in the outer tomb chamber and not enter the depths. Once my cultivation reaches the Late Stage Divine Power Realm, I will come out immediately."

Clan Leader was silent for a long time before patting Lin Fan's shoulder. "I know your ambitions, and I trust your judgment. Just be sure to prioritize safety. The Lin Family cannot be without you."

"Father, rest assured, I know what I'm doing," Lin Fan said seriously.

"When do you leave?"

"Now." Lin Fan looked toward Star Moon Lake. "While the Dark Moon Divine Cult has just been defeated and hasn't reacted yet, I will re-enter the Ancient Tomb immediately. I'll leave the Family in your hands, Father. The matter of the traitors should be handled sooner rather than later."

"Good!" Clan Leader was not an indecisive person. "As for the Family, I will clean house myself. You go, and be careful in everything."

Lin Fan nodded and said no more. His figure turned into a streak of light, once again flying toward Star Moon Lake.

At the bottom of the lake, the gap in the tomb door remained.

However, the Star God Clan runes and Dragon totems on the door were much dimmer than before, clearly showing that opening it once consumed a huge amount of energy. The Gate Spirit did not appear again; perhaps it had fallen into a deep sleep.

Lin Fan took out the star god token and inserted it into the groove.

The token's clear light flowed, resonating with the residual Restriction on the tomb door. After a moment, the gap widened again until it was large enough for one person to pass through, and the starry vortex inside slowly rotated.

He glanced back at the lake bottom. Those silver star ores were still emitting a faint glow, but the residual Star Power and purification Aura in the air were gradually fading.

"This time, I must definitely Breakthrough to the Late Stage Divine Power Realm."

Lin Fan took a deep breath and stepped into the vortex.

His figure disappeared.

The gap in the tomb door slowly closed, eventually sealing completely and returning to the appearance of that hundred-zhang black meteorite, as if it had never been opened.

The lake bottom returned to silence.

Only in the distance, a few corpses half-covered by star ores and the faint smell of blood in the water that had not yet fully dissipated told of the tragic slaughter that had occurred not long ago. Above the lake surface, a new round of cleaning and counterattacks by the Lin Family had only just begun.

The undercurrents never cease.

The storm is still gathering.