63: The pool is deep, and hidden arrows are first unsheathed.

Deep within the Lin Clan Ancestral Land lay a place designated as the Forbidden Ground within the Forbidden Ground: the Star Cleansing Pool. This location was not naturally formed; rather, it was a Holy Land for Cultivation constructed by the Lin Clan's ancestors over three generations, using immense Divine Ability to draw in the Power of the Stars from the Nine Heavens, mixing it with the Earth Core Spiritual Veins, and supplementing it with countless rare Materials. The pool water was not ordinary water, but liquid Star Essence, so concentrated it was nearly solid, appearing a deep silver-blue. Star Mist, dreamy and illusory, constantly wafted across the surface.

Ordinary disciples only had the Opportunity to enter the outer area and soak for a few hours after achieving great merit or making a Breakthrough in a crucial Realm. However, as the first-place reward for this Ceremony, Lin Fan received the qualification to Cultivate in the Cleansing Pool Core Area for three full days!

Holding the secret order given by his father, Lin Fan passed through layers of guards and Formations, finally arriving at the edge of the Cleansing Pool.

Before him was a natural stone cave, a hundred zhang in circumference. The dome, refined by some unknown method, displayed a transparent starry sky, with twinkling stars reflecting and complementing the pool's surface. The pool water rippled silently, and every fluctuation brought forth scattered starlight. Just standing by the edge, Lin Fan felt the Eternal Indestructible Body inside him accelerate its operation autonomously, and the star pagoda in his Dantian emitted a joyful chime.

"This is indeed a good place." Lin Fan no longer hesitated. He shed his outer robe, remaining only in his close-fitting Inner Armor, and slowly stepped into the pool.

The pool water was slightly cool, but the moment it touched his skin, it transformed into countless fine, warm Power of the Stars, surging madly through his pores! This power was extremely pure, requiring almost no refinement, and quickly merged into his limbs and bones, nourishing his flesh and blood, tempering his tendons and bones, and even penetrating into the deeper organs and bone marrow.

The Eternal Indestructible Body absorbed greedily. The faint golden light on his body became increasingly solid, and subtle specks of starlight could vaguely be seen circulating and embedding themselves within the golden glow. His cultivation, which had already reached Condensing Spirit Realm Great Perfection, began to slowly but surely rise again under the infusion of this massive amount of pure energy, launching an assault against the barrier of the Divine Power Realm.

Lin Fan was not eager for a Breakthrough. He calmed his mind, on one hand guiding the Power of the Stars to temper his entire body more evenly, especially his relatively fragile internal organs and Meridians; on the other hand, his consciousness sank into his Dantian to visualize the star pagoda.

Under the irrigation of the Power of the Stars, the nine levels of the pagoda seemed to make the Starry Sky Illusion on the first level clearer and more stable. The previously blurry star trajectories now seemed to come alive, moving slowly with a profound rhythm. Lin Fan's consciousness wandered within, comprehending the supreme principles contained within the birth and death of stars and the intersection of their paths.

Time flowed silently.

On the first day, Lin Fan focused on solidifying his Foundation, achieving preliminary Fusion of the Eternal Indestructible Body with the Power of the Stars, elevating his Physical Body strength to another level. With every movement, subtle starlight followed, and his power was contained within.

On the second day, he began attempting to comprehend the fragment of Initial Deciphering of Boundary Runes he had obtained from the Star Pavilion.

As his consciousness touched the fragment, the fine, flowing silver patterns reappeared, pulling his consciousness into that strange world composed of countless lines. This time, with the starry sky trajectories comprehended inside the star pagoda as a reference, and the continuous support of the Power of the Stars from the Cleansing Pool, Lin Fan was no longer as clueless as when he first saw it.

He vaguely felt that these patterns were not inanimate objects, but a kind of "description"—an intuitive expression of spatial structure, of "boundaries" and "connections." Unlike the Dao of "bearing and suppressing space" contained within the star pagoda, these patterns leaned more towards "analysis, penetration, and even weaving" space.

"Boundary Wall Teleportation, Spatial Folding"—concepts flashed through Lin Fan's mind. He attempted to use his Divine Sense to mimic the trajectory of the simplest pattern on the outermost edge of the fragment.

Initially, it was incredibly difficult; his Divine Sense felt like it was moving through viscous glue. But with the continuous nourishment from the Power of the Stars and the subtle resonance of the star pagoda's Dao charm, he actually managed to "sketch" a small segment of that simplest pattern in the Void Realm using his Divine Sense!

Buzz! The moment that small segment of the silver pattern formed in the air before him, the space within three chi around Lin Fan subtly trembled! Although it was extremely faint and almost imperceptible, the flow of the pool water and the dispersion of the Star Mist did experience a momentary delay and distortion!

"It worked!" Lin Fan's heart shook. He quickly gathered his focus, and the wisp of silver pattern dissipated. Just sketching a small segment had consumed nearly ten percent of his Divine Sense! This showed that this technique had extremely high demands on Mental Energy.

But instead of being alarmed, he was delighted. This proved that the Initial Deciphering of Boundary Runes fragment was absolutely not scrap; what it contained was a supreme secret method pointing directly to the Origin of space! Even just mastering the basics, its value was incalculable.

For the rest of the time, Lin Fan slowed down the speed of sketching the patterns, focusing more on "comprehending" rather than "copying." He cross-referenced the changes in the patterns with the starry sky trajectories inside the star pagoda, gradually gaining a realization: stars are positioned in the Void Realm, and their paths secretly conform to the spatial structure; Boundary Runes, perhaps, were the "keys" to leverage and alter these structures.

By the evening of the second day, Lin Fan could barely maintain that simple pattern for three breaths of time, causing subtle, nearly invisible effects on the surrounding space. At the same time, his Divine Sense, through repeated consumption and recovery, had actually become slightly more condensed.

On the third day, Lin Fan stopped deliberately Cultivating, instead completely relaxing his body and mind, immersing himself in the vast Power of the Stars of the Cleansing Pool, allowing his Physical Body and Divine Soul to naturally absorb and transform. The Fusion of the Eternal Indestructible Body and the star pagoda became increasingly seamless. Although his cultivation had not Broken Through to the Divine Power Realm, the solidity of his Foundation and the purity of his Spiritual Qi far exceeded the imagination of those at the same level.

The three-day period was about to end.

Lin Fan stood up from the pool, water droplets sliding down his well-proportioned, towering physique, each droplet seemingly containing a faint light. He opened his eyes; the golden light in his pupils was restrained, but deep within, specks of starlight had settled, making them appear even more profound. His surrounding Aura was perfectly harmonious and natural, yet subtly gave people a sense of oppression as vast as mountains and the starry sky.

"The harvest was considerable." Lin Fan clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within his body and the subtle, new perception of space.

He changed into his robes and walked out of the Cleansing Pool Forbidden Ground. Attendants were already waiting outside. One reported: "Divine Son, the Clan Chief has ordered that upon your exit from seclusion, you are to immediately proceed to the Soaring Cloud Hall; travel arrangements have been completed."

The plaza in front of the Soaring Cloud Hall.

Three cloud piercer boats, each ten zhang long, shaped like flying shuttles and covered in flowing blue wind patterns, were ready. These were medium-sized flying Magical Artifacts used by the Lin Clan for long-distance travel, possessing extremely high speed and certain defensive and stealth capabilities.

Clan Leader stood with his hands behind his back in front of the main boat, several people standing beside him.

"Fan'er, come here." Clan Leader beckoned.

Lin Fan quickly stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the people beside his father. Besides two Late Stage Divine Power Realm Clan Elders responsible for piloting the cloud piercer boats, whose Auras were deep and steady, there were also two young disciples.

One was Lin Fan's cousin, Lin Feng, seventeen years old, at the Middle Stage of the Condensing Spirit Realm. He had a lively personality but decent talent and had received awards at the Ceremony. He looked excited now. The other person surprised Lin Fan—it was Lin Xue, the cool-tempered girl who had collected Star Spiritual Plant during the Ancient Domain Trial. She stood quietly to the side, nodding slightly in greeting to Lin Fan.

"Lin Feng and Lin Xue performed excellently in this trial, and their ages meet the requirements. They will accompany you to the Prodigy Assembly to gain experience and provide mutual support," Clan Leader explained, his tone then turning serious. "You will be the principal leader on this trip, assisted by the two Clan Elders. Remember, you represent the face of the Lin Clan. When problems arise, you must work together and present a united front."

"Yes!" the three responded in unison.

Clan Leader then called Lin Fan aside privately and handed him an ancient, black ring.

"This is a profound void ring. It contains three zhang of space, much more convenient than the Storage Pouch you used before. Inside, your father has prepared some Spirit Stones, Medicinal Pills, and a few useful small items for you," Clan Leader whispered. "Furthermore, this ring contains a trace of your father's Divine Thought imprint. If you encounter an irresistible danger, you can activate the imprint, which might save your life. But remember, do not use it unless it is a life-or-death situation."

"Thank you, Father!" Lin Fan solemnly accepted it and put it on. The ring felt warm to the touch, automatically adjusted its size, and fit his finger perfectly.

"Go now." Clan Leader patted Lin Fan's shoulder, his eyes holding expectation and a trace of imperceptible worry. "Be careful on the road. Tianyang City is very deep water."

"Take care, Father."

Lin Fan turned, leading Lin Feng and Lin Xue onto the middle cloud piercer boat. The two Clan Elders each piloted one boat, providing escort front and back.

With a low hum, the three cloud piercer boats simultaneously lit up with blue light, slowly ascended, and then transformed into three streams of light, speeding towards the southeast—the Great Xia Imperial Capital, Tianyang City!

The interior of the cloud piercer boat was spacious, with simple and comfortable furnishings. Lin Feng curiously looked around, while Lin Xue sat quietly by the window, watching the sea of clouds rapidly passing outside.

Lin Fan sat cross-legged in the main seat, resting his eyes, but in reality, his consciousness was submerged in the profound void ring for inspection.

Inside the ring's space, five hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones were neatly stacked, along with over ten bottles of Medicinal Pills for healing, recovery, and detoxification, all of superior quality. Furthermore, there were three Talismans glowing with different colors (one for defense, one for Escape Technique, and one for attack), as well as a silver Inner Armor as thin as a cicada's wing.

"Father's consideration is thorough." Lin Fan felt a warmth in his heart. These supplies were enough to handle most unexpected situations.

He withdrew his consciousness and began planning the subsequent journey. Although the cloud piercer boat was fast, it would still take nearly ten days to reach the Great Xia Imperial Capital, even traveling day and night. This time was perfect for stabilizing the gains from the cleansing and further comprehending the Initial Deciphering of Boundary Runes.

The journey was peaceful. The cloud piercer boats sped above the clouds, the mountains and rivers below looking like a painting rapidly receding.

The first five days passed without incident. Apart from occasionally exchanging a few words with Lin Feng and Lin Xue, Lin Fan spent most of his time in silent Cultivation. Lin Feng was initially excited but gradually settled down to Cultivate as well. Lin Xue remained quiet throughout, but Lin Fan could sense that her cultivation was also steadily improving, especially her keen perception of Plant Spiritual Qi, clearly indicating another Opportunity.

The change occurred on the evening of the sixth day.

The cloud piercer boats were flying over a desolate mountain range. The area was sparsely populated, with tall mountains and dense forests, and the Aura of Yao Beasts was faintly discernible.

Suddenly, the Clan Elder responsible for scouting ahead transmitted a warning via Divine Sense: "Abnormal energy fluctuations a hundred li ahead! There seem to be traces of a Formation! Be careful!"

Lin Fan sharply opened his eyes, activating his Delusion-Breaking Divine Pupils. Golden light pierced through the boat's wall, looking into the distance. Sure enough, under the sunset glow, the Spiritual Qi circulation above a seemingly ordinary valley ahead faintly gave off an unnatural feeling of stagnation, and an extremely subtle killing intent was hidden within.

"Detour!" Lin Fan decided instantly. However, the moment the three cloud piercer boats prepared to turn, boom! Boom! Boom! Three thick pillars of blood-red light shot up from the mountains below, instantly weaving into a massive blood-red net covering an area dozens of li in circumference! Intense blood stench and Evil Qi spread out, subtly suppressing and slowing down the cloud piercer boats' escape light!

At the same time, sharp sounds of tearing air came from all directions! Dozens of black figures shot out from the mountains and forests, standing in the air, completely surrounding the three cloud piercer boats!

These individuals were all dressed in Blood-Red Combat Attire, their faces covered by Evil Spirit Masks. Their Auras were cold and violent, and the lowest cultivation level among them was Condensing Spirit Realm Late Stage, with five or six reaching the Divine Power Realm! The Aura of the three leaders was even more unfathomable—they were clearly experts at the Middle to Late Stage of the Divine Power Realm!

"Blood Fiend Sect!" a Clan Elder exclaimed, his voice filled with gravity and anger. "You Evil Path fiends, how dare you set an ambush here and intercept my Lin Clan's flying boat!"

"Heh heh, the Lin Clan? We are here specifically to kill the Lin Clan!" The Blood Robed Masked Man in the lead gave a strange, grating laugh. "Especially that kid named Lin Fan! Someone paid a huge price for your life! Brothers, form the Formation, kill!"

"Leave none alive!"

The blood-red net suddenly contracted, and countless blood-red Saber Lights, Sword Qi, and Bone Spurs poured down like a torrential rain onto the three cloud piercer boats!

A great battle was imminent!

Inside the boat, Lin Fan slowly stood up, golden light and starlight interwoven in his eyes, his cold gaze sweeping over the blood shadows filling the sky.

"So you finally came." He took a step, and his figure appeared outside the cloud piercer boat, standing in the air. The golden light of the Eternal Indestructible Body circulated, the phantom image of the star pagoda faintly visible behind him, and a mighty Aura burst forth, actually stalling the oncoming bloody Evil Qi!

"You want my life?" Lin Fan's voice was calm, yet carried a biting chill. "Then we'll see if you have the ability!"

As his voice fell, he was the first to transform into a golden star-light shadow and charge toward the enemy Formation!