13: A desperate counterattack, shattering Lin Kui's fist.

The icy Killing Intent, like a tangible cold blade, instantly pierced the silence at the bottom of the canyon, completely locking onto Lin Fan, who was healing! That Killing Intent was fierce and sinister, carrying a greedy, determined certainty, far purer and more terrifying than that of Lin Sha and his ilk!

"Oh no! There's an ambush!" Lin Xuan and the two others paled in shock. They had no time to react, only seeing a residual image that was almost one with the darkness, moving faster than their eyes could track. It charged toward Lin Fan, who was sitting cross-legged, with the force of a thunderbolt! Its target was clearly the Baihui Acupoint on Lin Fan's defenseless head! This was meant to be a fatal strike, allowing for no recovery!

The attacker was none other than Lin Kui! He seized the perfect moment when Lin Fan was at his weakest and fully immersed in healing after slaying the Beast King, launching this killing blow! In his hand, he held a short, jet-black, lusterless thorn. Strange runes capable of annihilating the Divine Soul coiled around the short thorn—the soul devouring thorn. This was a sinister Spiritual Artifact bestowed upon him by the Grand Elder, specifically for dealing with enemies possessing special Physiques or powerful Divine Souls!

Fast! Vicious! Precise! A cruel and excited smile already appeared on Lin Kui's face. He seemed to see the beautiful scene of Lin Fan's head being pierced, his Divine Soul devoured, and all his Opportunities plundered by himself! However, at the critical moment when the tip of the soul devouring thorn was about to touch Lin Fan's hair, Lin Fan, who had been healing with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them! In those eyes, there was no weakness or panic from severe injury, only an eternal, icy chill and a hint of mockery at a successful plan.

The moment he opened his eyes, his aura erupted like a sleeping volcano! Although not at his Peak, how could that majestic Qi and Blood and fierce Fist Intent belong to someone whose life force was spent?

"I've been waiting for you for a long time!" Lin Fan's voice was bone-chillingly cold. He had long since faintly sensed the pair of prying eyes in the dark through the supernatural spiritual sense of his Delusion-Breaking Divine Pupils! At least fifty percent of his previous severe injury and listlessness was a disguise! The goal was to lure out this deepest hidden viper!

The powerful recovery ability of the Eternal Indestructible Body, coupled with the initial stabilization of his Divine Soul by the Star God Soul Condensation Art, allowed him to recover some fighting strength in this extremely short period!

Facing the swiftly incoming soul devouring thorn, Lin Fan did not choose to meet its sharpness head-on. He sharply tilted his head, narrowly avoiding the vital point. At the same time, his right hand, which had been hanging at his side, shot out like a Dragon emerging from hibernation. Arriving later but striking first, his five fingers opened, wrapped in pale golden Qi and Blood, and grabbed Lin Kui's wrist with incredible precision!

"What?!" The sinister smile on Lin Kui's face instantly froze, turning into extreme horror! He felt as if his wrist was locked by a divine iron shackle. That majestic power prevented his arm, which was halfway into the Divine Power Realm, from moving even an inch!

Lin Fan's palm was like a red-hot branding iron. The pale golden Qi and Blood, carrying the Concept of eternal indestructibility, fiercely assaulted Lin Kui's arm Meridians. The dark runes on the soul devouring thorn emitted a "sizzle" of lamentation upon contact with this Supremely Yang and Rigid Qi and Blood, and their light rapidly dimmed!

"Let go!" Lin Fan roared coldly, his five fingers suddenly exerting force!

"Crack!" The sickening sound of bone breaking rang out!

Lin Kui let out a shrill scream; his wrist bones were forcibly crushed by Lin Fan! The soul devouring thorn dropped from his grasp. But Lin Kui was Lin Kui after all; the intense pain completely ignited his ferocity. On his left fist, a dark red Spiritual Power, carrying a bloody, corrosive aura, furiously condensed. Like a poisonous Dragon emerging from its lair, it shot straight toward Lin Fan's chest! This was the Profound Rank High Grade Cultivation Technique he diligently Cultivated: the Blood Fiend Bone Corroding Fist!

"A dying struggle!" Lin Fan's gaze was indifferent, his other hand having been clenched into a fist and waiting for a long time!

The Fist Intent of the Indestructible Divine King Fist condensed once more! Although not at its Peak state, the divine essence of purifying evil and destroying all laws remained!

"Indestructible Divine King Fist—Evil Breaker!" The pale golden fist, like the first ray of dawn, dispelled the darkness. Carrying an unparalleled, majestic righteous Qi, it fearlessly met the sinister Blood Fiend Fist!

"Bang!!" The two fists collided! There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a sound of melting, like boiling soup poured onto snow!

The dark red Blood Fiend spiritual power, facing the Indestructible Fist Intent and the Supremely Yang Qi and Blood, was like meeting its nemesis, rapidly melting away! Lin Kui's fist bones emitted a shattering sound under the overwhelming force, and his entire left arm instantly twisted into a bizarre arc!

"Waa!" Lin Kui spat out another mouthful of blood, his eyes filled with disbelief and despair. He couldn't understand why a severely injured person could still erupt with such terrifying power and a Fist Intent that specifically countered his Cultivation Technique!

Lin Fan, having gained the advantage, showed no mercy. The five fingers that crushed Lin Kui's right wrist did not loosen; instead, they pulled him sharply toward himself like iron pincers! At the same time, his knee, like a massive battering ram, slammed fiercely into Lin Kui's abdominal Qi Sea!

"No!!" Lin Kui screamed in terror, desperately mobilizing his remaining Spiritual Power to protect his Qi Sea.

"Boom!" The knee strike landed solidly!

Lin Kui's Protective Spiritual Power shattered like paper. His Qi Sea violently shook, as if about to explode. His entire body arched like a cooked shrimp, his eyeballs bulged, and blood mixed with fragments of internal organs sprayed wildly from his mouth! However, this was not the end!

Lin Fan grabbed his right arm, swung him up like a broken sack, and smashed him fiercely against the incredibly hard rock wall nearby!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Once! Twice! Thrice!

Deep pits were smashed into the rock wall, and broken stones flew everywhere. Lin Kui's entire body was soft like mud, with countless broken bones. He was barely breathing, his eyes unfocused, filled with endless remorse and fear. He never dreamed that his carefully planned killing blow would lead to such a miserable end.

Lin Fan released his grip, allowing Lin Kui to slide to the ground like a dead dog. He panted slightly, his face turning a few shades paler. Forcing the activation of his power had aggravated his already unstable injuries, but his gaze remained sharp as a knife.

He looked down at the dying Lin Kui, his voice as cold as the Nine Nether Cold Wind: "What other arrangements did the Grand Elder make? Speak!"

A hint of malice flashed in Lin Kui's unfocused eyes. He opened his mouth, seeming to want to utter some curse, but only more bloody froth spilled out.

Lin Fan didn't bother with further nonsense. He immediately joined his fingers like a sword and tapped Lin Kui's glabella, attempting a Soul Search. However, a vicious Restriction instantly erupted within Lin Kui's Divine Soul, completely annihilating it.

"Hmph, cautious indeed." Lin Fan snorted and withdrew his finger. The Grand Elder had clearly planted Restrictions in the Divine Souls of these Core Disciples to prevent leaks.

He bent down, picked up the soul devouring thorn that had fallen to the ground, and took Lin Kui's Storage Pouch. Lin Kui's wealth was far greater than Lin Sha's, containing many rare Medicinal Pills and Spirit Stones, and even a few decent Cultivation Techniques and Spiritual Skills. But now, all of it benefited Lin Fan.

"Divine Son, are you alright?" Only then did Lin Xuan and the two others dare to approach, asking worriedly as they looked at Lin Fan's pale face. The rapid reversal and battle that occurred in a flash of lightning had made their hearts pound.

"I'm fine, I just need a moment to regulate my breathing." Lin Fan waved his hand and sat down cross-legged again. This time, he truly needed to seize the time to heal. Successive battles, especially the final confrontation with the Star Core Beast King's eruption and the struggle with Lin Kui, had worsened his injuries.

He first took a few Healing Medicinal Pills, then fully circulated the Eternal Indestructible Body, while using the newly acquired Star God Soul Condensation Art to nourish his damaged Divine Soul. Although the star pagoda was damaged and dormant, it was still slowly absorbing the Power of the Stars to feed back into his body.

Lin Xuan and the two others did not dare to disturb him. They consciously spread out in three directions to act as his Protectors, their eyes vigilantly scanning the surroundings. After this battle, they were even more on high alert.

Time slowly flowed by in the silence.

Several hours later, Lin Fan slowly opened his eyes. Although his face was still somewhat pale, his aura had stabilized considerably, and the Divine Light in his eyes had re-condensed. Most of the injuries to his Physical Body had healed due to the powerful recovery ability of the Eternal Indestructible Body, and the damage to his Divine Soul had also stabilized under the nourishment of the Star God Soul Condensation Art. The rest required slow, meticulous effort.

He stood up, his gaze first falling upon the massive Star Core Beast King corpse. This creature was a treasure trove. He walked forward, scanning it with his Delusion-Breaking Divine Pupils, finally locking onto the Core Crystal in its chest. Although covered in cracks, it still emitted pure Star Origin.

He carefully dug out this Star Core Crystal, which was the size of a millstone. It was incredibly heavy in his hand, and the energy contained within was like a vast ocean. This was definitely a core Material for refining top-tier Spiritual Artifacts or even Magic Treasures, and one could even directly absorb the Star Origin within it for Cultivation.

Afterward, he collected some of the Beast King's hardest Crystal Bones and sharp claws.

Having done all this, he finally turned his gaze toward the deeper parts of the canyon. The Killing Moves arranged by the Grand Elder should have all been eliminated, but something seemed to be hidden at the end of the Shattered Star Canyon. The subtle attraction became clearer after his injuries had somewhat healed.

"Let's go, let's see what's at the end of this canyon." Lin Fan put away all his Spoils of War and said to Lin Xuan and the two others.

He had a premonition that the greatest secret of the Meteor Star Ancient Domain might lie ahead.