121: The Secret of the Fallen Star

As the first light of dawn broke, golden rays spilled onto the glazed tiles of the Lin Family main hall. Lin Fan sat alone in his study, the secret scroll obtained from the Dark Moon Divine Cult Elder spread out on the desk, its script shimmering with an eerie dark red hue in the morning light. He had not slept all night, having read the scroll repeatedly from beginning to end three times; with each reading, the chill in his heart deepened.

"The Dark Moon Divine Cult has actually been laying its plans for a hundred years."

The secret scroll was written in special runes. Had he not possessed the Delusion-Breaking Divine Pupils to perceive the true meaning behind the characters, an ordinary person would only see a jumble of disorganized lines even if they obtained it. But now, what this scroll revealed was a massive conspiracy spanning the Human Realm, the Monster Realm, and even faintly involving ancient secrets.

Part One: A Century of Infiltration

The opening of the secret scroll recorded a meteor shower from a hundred years ago.

That night, above the Meteor Star Ancient Domain, thousands of stars fell, and the largest among them crashed directly into the bottom of Star Moon Lake deep within the domain. At that time, the Lin Family ancestors led a team to investigate, but thinking it was merely ordinary meteorite iron, they only took a portion to forge weapons and did not look further into it.

However, the founding Ancestral Master of the Dark Moon Divine Cult, the 'Blood Moon Demon Sovereign,' caught a glimpse of the heavenly secret during that meteor shower.

He secretly infiltrated Star Moon Lake and spent ten years using secret methods to probe the lakebed, finally discovering that the meteorite was not naturally formed. Its interior was hollow, housing a complete tomb. The outer walls of the tomb were carved with long-lost Star God Clan script and Dragon Clan totems; the doors were tightly shut, impervious to all methods of intrusion.

"Starfall Ancient Tomb." Lin Fan's fingertips lightly brushed the tomb illustration on the scroll. Though the drawing was simple, it exuded a desolate and majestic aura.

The secret scroll recorded that the Blood Moon Demon Sovereign deduced this tomb was the final refuge built jointly by powerhouses of the Star God Clan and Dragon Clan during ancient times to escape a certain great catastrophe. The tomb not only contained the remains of top powerhouses from both races but also sealed their Legacy treasures: the Star God Clan's 'Star River Map' and the Dragon Clan's 'Reverse Scale Pearl.'

The Star River Map could harness the Power of the Stars to set up peerless killing Formations, and it could also help one comprehend the Laws of the Stars, pointing directly toward the Great Dao.

The Reverse Scale Pearl was formed from a dragon's reverse scale, containing True Dragon essence blood and Unyielding Battle Intent. After refining it, one could obtain the Dragon Bloodline, making their Physical Body comparable to a True Dragon.

Obtaining these two treasures would be enough to create a regional hegemon or even catch a glimpse of the chance for transcendence.

Part Two: The Three Keys

However, the Ancient Tomb was difficult to open.

The Blood Moon Demon Sovereign spent fifty years trying countless methods before finally decoding the opening conditions from the tomb's door inscriptions:

First, the star god token. This token was a keepsake of the Star God Clan that fell with the meteorite. It was later obtained by the Lin Family ancestors and passed down through generations. Now, it served as the symbol of the Lin Family Divine Son's identity—the very same simple and ancient token hanging from Lin Fan's waist.

Second, the Dragon Bloodline. Pure dragon blood needed to be dripped into the eyes of the dragon totem on the tomb door. True dragons had long since vanished from the world, but the scroll mentioned that in the depths of the 'Ten Thousand Dragon Abyss' in the Monster Realm, there might be a dormant dragon lineage. The Dark Moon Divine Cult had already sent messengers to secretly infiltrate the Monster Realm to find a way to awaken that dragon lineage.

Third, the power of blood sacrifice. It required the blood and souls of a hundred thousand living beings as a catalyst to weaken the tomb door's Restriction. This condition was the most cruel yet also the easiest to achieve—for a hundred years, the Dark Moon Divine Cult had been constantly causing slaughter in the Meteor Star Ancient Domain and its surroundings. What seemed like harassment of the Lin Family and looting of resources was actually the secret collection of blood sacrifice energy. The three cities on the edge of the domain that turned into dead zones overnight three years ago were their 'masterpiece.'

"A hundred thousand lives..." Lin Fan closed his eyes, a surge of fury rising in his chest.

To slaughter the innocent for one's own selfish ends—such actions were intolerable by heaven's Laws.

What chilled him even more was the latter half of the secret scroll regarding the infiltration within the Lin Family.

Part Three: The Shadow within the Shadows

"Lin Hong was actually just an obvious pawn."

The secret scroll contained a list recording all the hidden agents the Dark Moon Divine Cult had infiltrated into the Lin Family over the past hundred years. Within Grand Elder Lin Yuan's lineage, a total of seven people had been turned or controlled. The highest-ranking among them was not the already eliminated Lin Hong, but the Vice Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall, Lin Zhen.

Lin Zhen, at the Mid-stage Divine Power Realm, appeared upright and incorruptible on the surface and was deeply trusted by Clan Leader Lin Zhantian, holding power over the Family's penal Laws and inspections. It was he who had spent years passing information and covering for the Dark Moon Divine Cult's operations, even secretly altering the investigative direction of several major incidents.

"Such a deep-seated nail." A cold light flickered in Lin Fan's eyes.

If not for this chance acquisition of the secret scroll, this person would have continued to lie low, and the Lin Family would never have known peace. The last few lines of the list were even more shocking:

"Third Prince Xia Yuanchen of the Great Xia Dynasty secretly joined the Divine Cult three years ago and was granted the position of 'Dark Star Envoy.' His goal: use the cult's power to eradicate the Lin Family, weaken the external support of First Prince Xia Yuanhao, and seize the throne."

"Beneath the Star Moon Lake altar, ninety percent of the blood sacrifice grand Formation has been completed. Once the Dragon Bloodline is in place, the final ritual can be initiated, using the power of a hundred thousand blood souls mixed with the star god token and dragon blood to forcibly open the Ancient Tomb."

"Cult Leader Blood Moon Demon Sovereign entered seclusion three months ago to break through to the 'World Sovereign Realm.' The day he emerges will be the moment the Ancient Tomb opens."

Lin Fan closed the secret scroll and let out a long breath.

Outside the window, the sky had fully brightened.

"Young Lord." A respectful voice came from outside the study; it was a trusted guard sent by the Clan Chief. "The two lords from the Supervision Department have arrived in the front hall. The Clan Chief requests your presence."

"I understand," Lin Fan responded calmly.

He placed the secret scroll into the System space; this item was too important and must not fall into anyone else's hands. He then straightened his robes and pushed the door open.

Morning light fell upon him, and his Eternal Indestructible Body operated on its own, with golden light faintly flowing beneath his skin. Staying up all night had no effect on him; instead, because he had clarified the situation, his spirit had become even more focused.

Part Four: Countermeasures

Inside the front hall, the atmosphere was heavy.

Sitting in the main seat was Clan Leader Lin Zhantian. To his left were two men dressed in black robes with gold patterns and cold, solemn faces—the special envoys sent by the Great Xia Supervision Department. To the right stood several high-ranking members of the Lin Family, including the Inheritance Elder and the External Affairs Elder.

As Lin Fan stepped into the hall, everyone's gaze instantly focused on him.

"Fan'er, come here." Clan Leader beckoned, his tone steady. "These two are Lord Zhou and Lord Zheng from the Supervision Department. They have come to inquire about yesterday's disturbance in the Ancient Domain."

Lin Fan bowed with his hands clasped: "Junior Lin Fan greets the two lords."

Envoy Zhou was about forty years old, with a thin face and eagle-like eyes. He sized up Lin Fan for a moment before slowly saying, "Divine Son Lin, there is no need for such formality. Yesterday, deep within the Meteor Star Ancient Domain, the Power of the Stars surged into the sky, accompanied by spatial fluctuations. According to our Supervision Department's monitoring, the center of the fluctuations was located within your Lin Family's trial area. May I ask if the Divine Son was on the scene at that time? Do you know what happened?"

His words were calm, yet they carried an invisible pressure.

Lin Fan was well-prepared and said frankly, "To answer the lord, I was indeed training in the Ancient Domain yesterday and accidentally discovered an ancient ruin in its depths. There were remnant Formations within the ruin, and I inadvertently triggered them, which drew forth the Power of the Stars. As for the spatial fluctuations... perhaps they were caused by the collapse of the Formation."

"An ancient ruin?" Envoy Zheng raised an eyebrow. "What kind of ruin? Were there any gains?"

"It was a star altar that has completely crumbled," Lin Fan said, taking an object from his robes. It was a fragment of stone peeled from the surface of the star pagoda that he had prepared in advance, with a faint star aura remaining on it. "This object is a remnant of the altar's core. My cultivation is shallow, so I was unable to perceive its full extent."

Envoy Zhou took the stone fragment and sensed it carefully, nodding after a moment. "It does indeed have an ancient Star dao rhyme. Divine Son Lin truly has good fortune." Despite his words, suspicion remained in his eyes.

Clan Leader timely spoke up: "Lords, what Fan'er says should be true. My Lin Family has controlled the Ancient Domain for a thousand years, and there are indeed several ancient ruins within it that have been fully explored. This time, perhaps a new ruin was revealed, causing the commotion. My Lin Family will record this matter in detail and report it to the Supervision Department for the record."

Envoy Zhou and Envoy Zheng exchanged a glance.

They had come here ostensibly to investigate the disturbance, but in reality, they were acting on The Third Prince's secret instructions to take the Opportunity to pressure the Lin Family. However, Lin Fan's response was appropriate and his evidence plausible; if they pushed further, it would make the Supervision Department seem overly aggressive.

"In that case, we shall proceed as Clan Leader Lin says," Envoy Zhou finally nodded. "However, the surroundings of the Ancient Domain have not been peaceful lately, and the Dark Moon Divine Cult's activities are frequent. The Lin Family still needs to strengthen its vigilance and report any abnormalities in a timely manner."

"Thank you for the reminder, Lord," Clan Leader clasped his hands.

After seeing off the two special envoys, the atmosphere in the hall relaxed slightly.

"Fan'er, follow me." Clan Leader rose and walked toward the inner chamber.

Part Five: A Heart-to-Heart Between Father and Son

Inside the inner chamber, a Formation isolated the interior from the outside.

Clan Leader turned around and looked at Lin Fan with sharp eyes. "Now that there are no outsiders, tell your father what exactly happened yesterday? That Power of the Stars was definitely not ordinary."

Lin Fan was silent for a moment before deciding to be partially honest. He took out the star pagoda—shrunken to the size of a palm and in a state where its aura was restrained. "Father, I indeed obtained a stroke of good fortune."

The tower body emerged, and although its aura was suppressed, that ancient and vast Concept still caused Clan Leader's pupils to shrink.

"Is this a growth-type treasure?" Clan Leader was widely experienced and recognized the clues at a glance.

"Yes," Lin Fan nodded. "This tower is named the 'star pagoda.' It contains a starry world within, capable of both offense and defense, and it can also help me comprehend the Star Laws. Yesterday's disturbance was triggered when it recognized me as its master."

Clan Leader took a deep breath, his eyes flashing with relief and shock. "Good! Such an Opportunity is rare in ten thousand years. However, possessing a treasure brings trouble; this matter must never be known by a third person, even the Family Elders must be kept in the dark."

"I understand." Lin Fan put away the star pagoda and changed the subject. "Father, regarding the Dark Moon Divine Cult, there may still be hidden dangers within the Family that have not been removed."

Clan Leader's expression turned solemn. "What did you discover?"

Lin Fan did not mention the secret scroll, only saying, "Yesterday in the Ancient Domain, besides the ruin, I also encountered an Elder of the Dark Moon Divine Cult. During our exchange, he unintentionally revealed that the cult still has hidden agents within our Lin Family, and their status is not low."

"Are there any clues?"

"Before he died, he only said the word 'Zhen'." Lin Fan looked up at his father.

Clan Leader's face changed abruptly.

"Lin Zhen..." He slowly uttered the name, the aura around him suddenly turning ice-cold. "The Vice Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall, in charge of penal inspections. If it is truly him, then many of the suspicious points over the years would make sense."

He paced with his hands behind his back, then said in a deep voice after a moment, "I will investigate this matter secretly; do not alert the enemy for now. Additionally, The Third Prince seems to be in league with the Dark Moon Divine Cult, and the Supervision Department's visit this time was likely intended as a probe. You must act low-key in the coming days and not give anyone an excuse to act against you."

"Yes," Lin Fan agreed, but then added, "Father, regarding Star Moon Lake, are there any special records about this lake in the Family archives?"

Clan Leader was startled. "Star Moon Lake? That is the core spiritual lake of the Ancient Domain. There were indeed meteorite iron veins discovered by our ancestors at the bottom, but they were mined out long ago. Why do you ask?"

"I just feel that the Dark Moon Divine Cult has repeatedly harassed the area around Star Moon Lake; perhaps there is another secret in that lake." Lin Fan stopped there.

Clan Leader frowned in thought, then said after a while, "Since you mentioned it, I will send people to conduct a more careful survey. However, the water pressure in the depths of Star Moon Lake is immense, and there are natural remnant Formations; exploration will not be easy and will take some time."

"I'll trouble you, Father."

After leaving the main hall, Lin Fan did not return to his residence but instead quietly left the Family and stepped into the Meteor Star Ancient Domain once again.

Part Six: Before the Ancient Tomb

This time, his goal was clear—Star Moon Lake.

Relying on the powerful Physical Body of the Eternal Indestructible Body and the insight of the Delusion-Breaking Divine Pupils, he avoided all Yao Beasts and hidden sentries of the Dark Moon Divine Cult along the way, arriving at the shore of Star Moon Lake at high noon.

The lake was as vast as a sea, its water a deep blue that shimmered under the sunlight like a sapphire embedded in the Ancient Domain. In the center of the lake was a small island with lush trees, where the outlines of old buildings were faintly visible.

Lin Fan hid his aura and dove into the lake.

The underwater world was dark and quiet. The further down he went, the thinner the light became and the water pressure increased sharply. An ordinary Cultivator at the Divine Power Realm would have found their Physical Body unable to withstand it at this depth, but the golden light of the Eternal Indestructible Body flashed slightly, completely neutralizing the pressure.

After diving about a thousand zhang, the scene at the lakebed came into view.

It was not silt and sand here, but an entire expanse of silver Ore. The surface of the Ore had natural star patterns, emitting a faint fluorescence. And in the very center of the lakebed, a black monolith a hundred zhang tall stood majestically. The surface of the giant rock was as smooth as a mirror, with complex rune networks faintly visible.

"Is this that meteorite?" Lin Fan swam closer and pressed his palm against the giant rock.

It felt ice-cold and was incredibly hard; with his current strength, he could not budge it in the slightest. His Delusion-Breaking Divine Pupils operated at full power, his vision piercing through the surface to see the interior—it was indeed hollow, with the outline of a massive palace, though the details were blurred and obscured by layers of Restrictions.

He swam around the giant rock and found two indentations on the back.

One was in the shape of a token, its size matching his star god token perfectly.

The other was a dragon head relief with hollow eyes, seemingly waiting for blood to be dripped in.

And around the base of the giant rock, on the silver Ore of the lakebed, were countless blood-colored runes. These runes formed a massive Formation covering a ten-mile radius. At the Formation's nodes were piles of countless white bones, both from the Human Race and Yao Beasts. Resentment condensed and lingered, dyeing even the lake water a faint blood-red.

"Blood Sacrifice Grand Formation." Lin Fan's heart sank.

The Formation was more than ninety percent complete, with only the last few nodes left before it could be fully activated. At that time, the eruption of a hundred thousand blood soul resentment forces would be enough to temporarily weaken the Ancient Tomb's Restrictions and buy time for its opening.

"I must not let them succeed."

Lin Fan's gaze was firm.

He certainly wanted to obtain the Ancient Tomb's Legacy, but if it required the lives of a hundred thousand beings as the price, he would rather not have it. Moreover, the Dark Moon Divine Cult was in league with The Third Prince; once the Ancient Tomb opened and the treasures fell into their hands, it would surely lead to an even greater catastrophe.

"I must find another way to open it, or... destroy the grand Formation before they can initiate the blood sacrifice."

He carefully memorized the Formation's runes and node distribution, explored the lakebed for another half hour, and after confirming there were no other discoveries, he quietly surfaced.

When he left Star Moon Lake, the setting sun was slanting in the west, dyeing the lake surface a golden red.

Lin Fan stood on a cliff by the lakeshore, looking toward the small island in the center of the lake, his mind already made up.

"I will open the Starfall Ancient Tomb. But not with a blood sacrifice—I will do it my way."

"As for the Dark Moon Divine Cult, The Third Prince, and those insects hiding in the dark..."

"We shall play this out slowly." He turned around, his figure disappearing into the twilight of the Ancient Domain's forests.

In the distance, in the direction of the Lin Family, lights began to flicker on one by one. And at the bottom of Star Moon Lake, the blood-colored Formation shimmered slightly, as if in response to something.