101: The battle for Star Essence, with swords aimed at Condensing Yuan.

The atmosphere near the Blood Pool was frozen like ice. Lin Feng stood there alone, yet he seemed like a thousand armies. The Aura of the Condensing Origin Third Layer was released without reservation, turning into an invisible pressure that shrouded the entire Valley Basin. Behind Lin Fan, those with weaker cultivation already had pale faces and labored breathing.

Only Lin Fan's expression remained calm.

He slowly took a step forward, and his Star Dragon Indestructible Force quietly circulated, completely resisting that pressure.

"Lin Feng, are you waiting here to hand over the star marrow?" Lin Fan spoke, his voice not loud, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears.

Lin Feng laughed, his smile carrying unconcealed contempt: "Lin Fan, you are still so naive. I am waiting here, naturally, to send you on your way to the Yellow Springs." Before his voice could fade, dozens of figures suddenly emerged on the valley walls on both sides behind him!

These people were all Lin family disciples, but they were not from Lin Feng's branch; instead, they were those who had chosen to stay at the Starlight Lakeside or later joined Lin Yun's team. At this moment, they looked down from above, holding crossbows with arrowheads glinting coldly, aimed at Lin Fan and the others.

"You..." Lin Hao's face changed drastically, "You actually joined Lin Feng?!"

A youth on the mountain wall sneered: "Lin Hao, a wise man submits to circumstances. Brother Lin Feng has promised that each person who helps him seize the star marrow will receive a bottle of 'Condensing Essence Pills'! What can you get by following Lin Fan?"

Condensing Essence Pills! Those were precious Medicinal Pills that helped one Breakthrough to the Condensing Essence Realm, and they were worth a fortune!

Many people's minds wavered. Although Lin Fan's side had slightly more people, Lin Feng was at the Condensing Origin Third Layer and had the geographical advantage; no matter how one looked at it, Lin Feng had a greater chance of victory in this battle.

"Lin Fan, do you see?" Lin Feng said leisurely, "This is the human heart. In the face of absolute strength and profit, loyalty is fragile."

He looked at the crowd behind Lin Fan: "It is still not too late to surrender now. As long as you swear loyalty to me and take a blood oath never to associate with Lin Fan, I can spare your lives."

Silence.

A heavy silence.

After a few breaths, someone moved.

It was a branch disciple from Lin Fan's team. His face struggled, and he finally whispered: "Brother Lin Fan, I'm sorry. I... I want to live."

With his head lowered, he walked quickly toward Lin Feng's side.

Where there was one, there were two. Three more people walked out one after another, choosing betrayal.

Lin Fan did not stop them, only watching quietly.

In the end, only fourteen people remained by his side: Clear Snow, Lin Hao, Lin Waner, the three Lin Shan brothers, and seven other disciples with determined eyes.

"Very good." Lin Feng's smile grew even wider, "The rest of you are those who do not know the meaning of death. Then I shall settle you all together."

He raised his hand and waved: "Fire!"

"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!" Dozens of crossbow arrows poured down like a rainstorm! These arrows were all coated in lethal poison that could seal the throat upon contact with blood!

"Form a defensive formation!" Lin Fan shouted low.

The group immediately stood back-to-back, waving their blades and swords to block the arrows. But the arrows were too dense and were fired from a high vantage point with immense power. Soon, two people were hit and fell to the ground screaming.

Lin Fan's eyes turned cold.

He no longer held back, fully circulating his Eternal Indestructible Body! Golden light flared from his body as dragon scale phantoms emerged, and he actually used his Physical Body to shield everyone in front!

"Ding ding ding ding..." The arrows hit his body, actually producing the sound of clashing metal, and were all bounced away! A few pierced his skin, but the wounds healed instantly, and the poisonous blood was expelled before it could spread.

This scene shocked everyone!

"What kind of Physical Body is this?!" The archers on the mountain walls were stunned.

Lin Feng's pupils shrank slightly. He knew Lin Fan's Physical Body was powerful, but he hadn't expected it to be strong to this extent! Even poisoned crossbow arrows couldn't harm him in the slightest?

"It's my turn."

Lin Fan moved. He stepped down, the ground cracked, and his whole body shot up like a cannonball, charging straight for the left mountain wall!

The unyielding sword was unsheathed, its sword light like a waterfall!

"Stop him!" The people on the mountain wall were thrown into a panic, and they all swung their blades at Lin Fan. But their blades were knocked from their hands the moment they touched Lin Fan's body! And Lin Fan's sword had already swept through like the scythe of a death god.

With one sword strike, three people were killed!

With another strike, five more were decapitated!

Lin Fan was like a tiger among a flock of sheep; wherever he went, blood splattered and screams echoed. The Eternal Indestructible Body granted him terrifying defense and strength, while the unyielding sword was his sharpest fang.

In just ten breaths, the fifteen people on the left mountain wall were all executed!

The people on the right mountain wall were scared out of their wits, turning around to flee.

"Want to leave?" Lin Fan sneered, and the long sword in his hand flew out!

Sword Kinesis? No, it was pure brute force throwing!

The unyielding sword turned into a black stream of light, piercing through the chests of three people; its momentum unabated, it nailed into the mountain wall, the hilt still vibrating.

At this point, Lin Feng's ambushers were completely wiped out.

Lin Fan landed and pulled the unyielding sword from the mountain wall; the blade was not stained by a single drop of blood.

He turned and looked at Lin Feng: "Now, it's your turn."

Lin Feng's face was as dark as water. He hadn't expected Lin Fan's strength to be this great! Although those ambushers' cultivation wasn't high, they had the advantage of height and crossbows; logically, they should have at least exhausted most of Lin Fan's stamina.

But the reality was that Lin Fan was completely unharmed, and his Aura was even stronger!

"I have underestimated you." Lin Feng slowly drew the long sword from his waist. It was a silver-white sword with cloud patterns flowing on the blade, clearly a spiritual weapon; although not as good as the unyielding sword, it was no ordinary item.

"However, Body Tempering is ultimately just Body Tempering." Cold light flashed in Lin Feng's eyes, "Today, I will let you know that the gap between Body Tempering and Condensing Essence is not something a powerful Physical Body can compensate for!"

His figure flickered and instantly disappeared from his spot!

So fast!

Lin Fan's pupils shrank, and his Delusion-Breaking Divine Pupils operated at full power, only then barely capturing a residual shadow.

The left!

He raised his sword to block.

"Clang!" The two swords collided, and sparks exploded! Lin Fan only felt a massive force surge toward him; the ground beneath his feet collapsed with a bang, and his whole body slid back three zhang before he could barely stabilize himself.

What powerful strength! At the Condensing Origin Third Layer, with the addition of spiritual energy, his strength was indeed far beyond Body Tempering!

"Again!" Lin Feng did not let up, his sword light like a tide, continuous and unending.

His sword technique followed a light and swift path; every strike was as fast as lightning and came from tricky angles, specifically targeting Lin Fan's vitals.

Lin Fan responded with the Unyielding Sword Art; the first Move, "Unyielding," was fierce and powerful, while the second Move, "Unbending," was soft and continuous. With hardness and softness combined, he barely managed to resist.

But anyone could see that Lin Fan was at a disadvantage.

His sword technique was no less exquisite than Lin Feng's, perhaps even a level higher. But the cultivation gap was too large; every one of Lin Feng's strikes contained the spiritual energy of the Condensing Essence Realm, shaking his blood and making his arms go numb.

"It won't work like this," Lin Fan thought to himself, "I must end this quickly."

His gaze turned sharp as he no longer held back.

Star Dragon Indestructible Force, full explosion!

Gold, red, and silver light surged from his body, wrapping around the sword. The unyielding sword emitted an excited hum, its blood-colored patterns glowing like lava!

"Hmm?" Lin Feng sensed danger, and his sword momentum slowed.

Now was the time! Lin Fan thrust his sword out; there was no specific Move, only the purest strength and will!

Star Dragon Indestructible Sword! The three-colored Sword Qi tore through the air; wherever it passed, a deep trench was plowed into the ground, and the blood in the pool was splashed a zhang high by the Sword Qi's aftermath!

Lin Feng's face changed drastically! The power of this strike had already exceeded the scope of the Condensing Origin Third Layer! He did not dare to take it head-on and retreated violently, while simultaneously taking out a palm-sized bronze shield from his robe. As spiritual energy was injected, the small shield instantly expanded, blocking his front.

"Boom!" The Sword Qi slashed heavily against the bronze shield! The shield's surface shattered, and Lin Feng was hit as if by a heavy blow, flying backward and crashing into the mountain wall, spitting out a mouthful of blood!

But he had managed to block it after all.

"Cough, cough..." Lin Feng stood up staggeringly, his face pale, but his eyes revealed a sinister look, "Good, very good! You actually forced me to use the 'Black Armor Shield'! Lin Fan, you can be proud of yourself!"

He took out another item from his robe, a three-inch-long pitch-black cone, its tip emitting a heart-palpitating eerie light.

The soul breaking cone!

"It is your honor to die by this cone," Lin Feng sneered, aiming the soul breaking cone at Lin Fan.

Lin Fan's heart tightened. This soul breaking cone specifically attacked the Soul and was hard to guard against. Although his Eternal Indestructible Body was strong, its defense against Soul attacks was limited.

Just then, "Brother Lin Fan, catch!" Clear Snow's voice rang out. A jade talisman flew through the air.

Lin Fan caught it; it was a jade talisman carved with complex runes, feeling warm in his hand.

"This is the 'Soul-Suppressing Talisman' given by my father; it can block one Soul attack!" Clear Snow shouted.

Lin Fan felt a warmth in his heart and crushed the jade talisman without hesitation.

An invisible barrier formed outside his Sea of Consciousness.

Almost simultaneously, Lin Feng activated the soul breaking cone!

"Swoosh!" A nearly invisible black light shot toward Lin Fan's forehead, but when it touched the point three inches before his brow, it was blocked by the invisible barrier and dissipated into nothingness.

"What?!" Lin Feng's face changed drastically.

How could Lin Fan miss this opportunity? He stepped down, his figure like lightning, instantly appearing before Lin Feng, the unyielding sword thrusting straight for his throat!

Lin Feng hurriedly raised his sword to block, but how could he block Lin Fan's strike, which contained all his Star Dragon Indestructible Force, in such haste?

"Clang!" Lin Feng's silver-white sword snapped! The unyielding sword's momentum did not decrease, piercing into Lin Feng's left shoulder and passing through his body!

"Ah!" Lin Feng screamed in pain, and his right hand fiercely struck out a palm, hitting Lin Fan square in the chest.

"Puff!" Lin Fan spat out a mouthful of blood and flew backward, falling heavily to the ground. But he immediately flipped up, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and his gaze remained sharp. Meanwhile, Lin Feng's left shoulder was pierced, blood gushing out; he had already lost most of his combat power.

The victory was decided!

"Lin Fan, you..." Lin Feng's eyes were venomous, and he wanted to say something more. But Lin Fan did not give him the chance.

He slashed out with his sword, Sword Qi crisscrossing, but the target was not Lin Feng; it was the star marrow above the Blood Pool!

The Sword Qi accurately severed the invisible Star Power threads connecting the star marrow, and the star marrow fell.

Lin Fan reached out in mid-air and pulled the star marrow into his hand.

It felt warm and cool in his hand, containing a Power of the Stars as vast as the sea.

"Lin Feng, you have lost." Lin Fan looked at Lin Feng, his voice calm, "For the sake of being from the same clan, I will not kill you. But within the Ancient Domain, if you appear before me again, do not blame my sword for being merciless."

Lin Feng's face turned red with shame and indignation, but he did not dare to speak again. He was heavily injured; if Lin Fan really wanted to kill him, he would have no chance of survival.

"Let's go." Lin Fan put away the star marrow and turned to lead the group out of Blood Wolf Valley.

Clear Snow and the others followed closely behind, their gazes toward Lin Fan filled with awe.

One man and one sword, defeating a Condensing Origin Third Layer, seizing the star marrow, and repelling powerful enemies! After this battle, Lin Fan's name will truly resound throughout the Ancient Domain!

After leaving Blood Wolf Valley for several miles, they found a hidden cave, and Lin Fan ordered them to rest.

"Brother Lin Fan, your injury..." Clear Snow looked worriedly at Lin Fan's chest. His clothes were torn there, revealing a clear palm print that was faintly turning black.

"It's no matter." Lin Fan shook his head. The recovery power of the Eternal Indestructible Body was extremely strong; this injury would take three days at most to heal completely.

He took out the star marrow, feeling the surging Power of the Stars within it.

"I need to enter seclusion to charge toward the Condensing Essence Realm," Lin Fan said in a deep voice, "You all act as my Protector for three to five days. During this period, no matter what happens, do not disturb me."

"Don't you worry!" Lin Hao said solemnly, "Unless we all fall in battle, we will never let anyone disturb you!"

Lin Fan nodded and walked into the depths of the cave.

Sitting cross-legged, he placed the star marrow in his palm and operated the Circulating Heaven Star Formula.

The Power of the Stars in the star marrow surged into his body like a flood from a broken dam, washing through every inch of his Meridians, flesh, and bones.

The Ninth Level of Body Tempering Bottleneck was as fragile as thin paper before this vast power.

The Condensing Essence Realm was close at hand!