76: In the face of shattered space, wisdom and courage break the deadlock.

Before the void shattering stele, the Killing Intent condensed into a tangible substance. Seven figures fanned out in a semicircle, trapping Lin Fan in the center of the depression, with the cracked, dangerously pulsating void shattering stele at his back. Retreat was impossible.

Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo's face showed undisguised delight and ferocity, as if a hunter had finally cornered his prey. The Young Master of You Pavilion, however, wore a cold, sinister expression; besides murderous intent, his eyes held a trace of greed for the star treasures on Lin Fan's person.

Lin Fan's gaze was as calm as water, swiftly scanning each person present. The two at the Early Stage of the Divine Power Realm posed the greatest threat. The Young Master of You Pavilion was injured, which might have diminished his strength. Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo's aura was full, clearly in Peak condition. The remaining five at the Peak of the Condensing Spirit Realm were elites, but not unbeatable for him.

The key was to prevent these two from truly joining forces and to avoid being simultaneously surrounded and attacked.

"Young Master Huangfu, friends of You Pavilion," Lin Fan suddenly spoke, his voice calm, breaking the oppressive silence. "You've all come for me, which is quite flattering. However, with the Legacy of the void shattering stele right before us, are you sure you want to fight to the death here first, letting others reap the benefits?"

He deliberately enunciated the words "friends of You Pavilion" clearly, his gaze sweeping toward the two unfamiliar men and women behind Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo. Upon hearing this, their eyes indeed flickered slightly, clearly wary of the mysterious organization "You Pavilion."

"Trying to sow discord?" Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo sneered. "At death's door, and still playing such petty tricks! The friends of You Pavilion have no enmity with my Huangfu Family. Let's first kill this common enemy, then discuss other matters!"

The Young Master of You Pavilion also said coldly, "Exactly. Lin Fan, today you have no escape. Hand over the items obediently, and you might suffer less torment."

Despite their words, neither made the first move. The Young Master of You Pavilion was wary of the strength Lin Fan had previously shown, especially the bizarre Spatiotemporal Defense and finger techniques; with his injuries not yet healed, he didn't want to be the first to clash head-on. Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo, however, was calculating, hoping the You Pavilion members would wear Lin Fan down first, allowing him to take advantage later.

Lin Fan keenly seized this subtle gap.

"In that case—" he suddenly moved! But not toward anyone; instead, his figure rapidly retreated, charging toward the direction of the void shattering stele!

"Trying to escape using the stele? Dream on!" The Young Master of You Pavilion reacted swiftly. A dark light flashed in his hand as a pitch-black chain shot out like a venomous snake, entangling toward Lin Fan's legs! Simultaneously, he shouted sharply, "Deploy the 'Ghost Soul Spirit-Trapping Formation'!"

His two attendants immediately responded, each holding a Small Black Banner. As they shook them, streams of gray-black mist surged out, rapidly spreading to seal off the area.

Seeing this, Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo didn't want to fall behind. He said to the three behind him, "Attack together, don't give him a chance to activate a body-protecting star talisman and escape!" With that, he charged forward first, a golden, gleaming long sword appearing in his hand. Sword Qi shot out like a rainbow, stabbing straight toward Lin Fan's back! His younger brother, Huangfu Jue, along with the other two, flanked from the left and right, with blade lights and Sword Qi simultaneously assaulting Lin Fan.

Facing attacks from front, back, left, right, above, and below, a brilliant light flashed in Lin Fan's eyes!

He had been waiting for this moment when all his opponents moved!

The instant the black chain was about to reach him, Lin Fan's footwork suddenly changed, as if treading on stars. His figure twisted at an impossible angle, actually sliding past the chain. At the same time, his left hand pressed backward in a void gesture, a condensed Starlight Palm Imprint shooting toward Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo's Sword Qi!

Boom! The palm imprint and Sword Qi collided, annihilating each other. Using the recoil force, Lin Fan's speed increased again. He didn't crash into the void shattering stele but brushed past it by a hair's breadth. Simultaneously, his right hand formed a finger gesture, and a "Star Vortex Finger" silently pointed toward Huangfu Jue, who was flanking from the right!

Huangfu Jue was greatly alarmed. Having witnessed the power of Lin Fan's finger techniques, he hastily swung his blade to block. However, the Star Vortex Finger force was profound; it spun on the blade surface, refracting several subtle starlight rays that assaulted several major acupoints all over his body! Huangfu Jue flusteredly dodged, looking disheveled.

Seizing this opportunity, Lin Fan broke through the weakest side of the encirclement. His figure slipped out like a swimming fish, instead circling to the side of the two You Pavilion attendants who were setting up the Formation!

"Not good!" The Young Master of You Pavilion's expression changed, urgently recalling the chain to defend.

But Lin Fan was too fast! With both hands striking out, his left hand's "Star Finger" pointed toward the black banner in the left attendant's hand, while his right hand transformed into a palm-blade, carrying a sharp whistle that tore through the air, slashing toward the right attendant's neck!

The two attendants hadn't fully completed the Formation and had to respond hastily. The left attendant turned the banner surface to block the finger force; the right attendant hurriedly lowered his head to dodge.

Sss! The left banner surface was pierced by the finger force, its Spiritual Qi light dimming. Although the right attendant avoided the neck vital point, the edge of the palm-blade swept his shoulder. The sound of bone cracking immediately rang out as he screamed and staggered back.

The Ghost Soul Spirit-Trapping Formation was broken before it could be completed!

All of this happened in the blink of an eye. With precise judgment, ghostly movement, and formidable attacks, Lin Fan instantly shattered the encirclement and even injured one person.

"Bastard!" The Young Master of You Pavilion was furious. The chain transformed into a sky full of black shadows, enveloping Lin Fan from all directions, sealing off all his dodging space. Simultaneously, the illusory Ghost Soul Dharma Manifestation behind him reappeared, its six arms shaking as it emitted a silent shriek. A shockwave targeting the Divine Soul spread out!

Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo also seized the chance to attack. The golden long sword erupted with dazzling sword radiance, transforming into a ten-zhang-long golden giant sword phantom. With majestic imperial aura, it descended like splitting Mount Hua! This was his Huangfu Family's Earth Rank sword technique—Imperial Extreme Slash!

The two Divine Power Realm experts attacked in anger, their might shaking heaven and earth! Within the depression, air currents wildly swirled, debris flew chaotically, and even the space around the void shattering stele violently distorted.

Facing this certain-kill situation, Lin Fan took a deep breath. Golden light and starlight simultaneously blazed in his eyes!

He no longer held back. The star pagoda phantom behind him fully manifested! Though only for an instant, the pagoda had nine levels, starlight dazzling, as an ancient, vast pressure from the starry sky descended, actually neutralizing most of the Ghost Soul Dharma Manifestation's Divine Soul shockwave!

Simultaneously, his hands rapidly formed seals before his chest. Spiritual Qi and the Power of the Stars within him madly surged out, even stirring the surrounding berserk star energy!

"Star Realm Seal, Suppress Space!"

Hum! A Starlight Shield, more solid than before with more complex and clearer patterns, instantly formed before him! On the shield, silver boundary runes flowed, starlight like tides, as if isolating a miniature independent space!

Boom! Boom! The Ghost Soul Chain and Imperial Extreme Slash almost simultaneously struck the Starlight Shield!

Deafening explosion sounds rang out! Violent energy shockwaves exploded spherically, actually lowering the depression's ground by three chi! The two injured You Pavilion attendants, Huangfu Jue, and the others were sent flying by the aftershocks, spitting blood.

The Starlight Shield trembled violently, countless fine cracks appearing on its surface. The silver boundary runes flickered uncertainly, as if on the verge of collapse at any moment. Lin Fan's face paled, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but he gritted his teeth, frantically outputting Spiritual Qi to maintain it.

"Break for me!" Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo sneered, adding force again.

"Ghost Soul, Devour!" The Young Master of You Pavilion also urged the Dharma Manifestation, six ghost claws fiercely grabbing at the shield's cracks.

Crack! The shield finally couldn't withstand the pressure, shattering with a boom! The residual force slammed hard into Lin Fan's body!

Pfft! Lin Fan spat out a mouthful of blood, his figure flying backward like a broken kite, crashing hard into the void shattering stele! The stele shook violently, the space-crack-like patterns on its surface suddenly glowing with blinding silver light!

"Haha! He's done for! Kill him!" Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo was overjoyed.

The Young Master of You Pavilion also revealed a fierce light in his eyes, about to pounce and deliver the fatal blow. However, just as the two were about to move, a sudden change occurred!

The void shattering stele that Lin Fan had crashed into seemed to have triggered some Restriction. The glowing silver light on the stele suddenly erupted! Countless fine, sharp silver rays, containing the true intent of shattering space, burst out like fireworks, radiating indiscriminately in all directions centered on the void shattering stele!

Each silver ray carried a terrifying aura of cutting space! Wherever they passed, the air was silently torn, leaving behind lingering black fine traces!

"Not good! It's the void shattering stele's space-shattering power!" The Young Master of You Pavilion paled in horror. He knew the stele was dangerous but hadn't expected it to be triggered!

"Retreat quickly!" Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo also exclaimed in alarm, hastily sheathing his sword to defend, erecting a Protective Spiritual Qi Light.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Silver rays fell like rain, covering the entire depression! The two already injured You Pavilion attendants bore the brunt. Their Protective Spiritual Qi Lights were like paper, instantly pierced by the silver rays, their bodies cut into several pieces, dying miserably. Huangfu Jue and the other two companions also flusteredly resisted desperately, still struck by several silver rays, blood gushing as they fell heavily injured.

The Young Master of You Pavilion and Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo, with their profound cultivation and numerous protective methods, barely blocked most of the silver rays but were still disheveled, with several deep, bone-visible wounds added to their bodies, their auras chaotic.

As for Lin Fan, at the center of the explosion, the moment he crashed into the void shattering stele and triggered the silver rays, he had already sensed the lethal crisis. At the critical moment, inspiration struck. He didn't choose to resist head-on but channeled his last strength into the star pagoda, simultaneously activating the trace of Spatiotemporal Dao Rhyme within his body!

"star pagoda, Protect! Spatiotemporal Shift!" The star pagoda phantom flashed again, protecting his entire body. Simultaneously, he applied the strongest "shift" effect to the space within about a chi around him!

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Several silver rays aimed at his vital points, upon touching that shifted space, had their trajectories deviate extremely subtly! This hair's breadth difference made the silver rays brush past his body, leaving only several deep bloody gashes, not fatal.

But he was also sent flying again by the silver rays' explosion impact, landing over a dozen zhang away, covered in blood, his aura withered to the extreme, unable to even move a finger.

The void shattering stele's silver light eruption lasted less than three breaths before gradually dimming and subsiding.

The depression was in complete disarray, the smell of blood permeating the air. Two You Pavilion attendants were dead, Huangfu Jue and the other three were heavily injured and unable to rise, and the Young Master of You Pavilion and Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo were also wounded and scarred, shaken but not broken.

The two looked at Lin Fan lying in a pool of blood, seemingly having lost the ability to resist, both shocked and furious, but with even stronger Killing Intent in their eyes.

"This brat actually triggered the void shattering stele's power, almost killing us!" Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo panted, his eyes holding both lingering fear and relief. "But he's finished now!"

The Young Master of You Pavilion wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, staring coldly at Lin Fan. "We must kill him immediately, take the items, and leave here! The commotion is too big; it might attract others!"

The two exchanged a glance, temporarily setting aside their suspicions, and step by step approached Lin Fan.

Lin Fan lay on the ground, his consciousness somewhat blurred, intense pain coming from all over his body. But his mind was exceptionally clear, even holding a trace of icy laughter.

With difficulty, he lifted his eyelids, looking at the approaching two, then glanced at the dimly glowing void shattering stele in the distance.

The moment he crashed into the stele and triggered the silver rays, not only had he used the Spatiotemporal Dao Rhyme to shift the fatal attacks, but a strand of Space-Shattering Dao Rhyme had also invaded his body along the silver rays. This dao rhyme was extremely berserk, damaging his Meridians, but it also gave him a more direct comprehension of "shattering space."

"If you want my life, then let's all taste it together..." With great difficulty, using his last bit of strength, he merged his remaining Spiritual Qi and Divine Soul power with that invading strand of Space-Shattering Dao Rhyme, transforming it into an extremely subtle yet strongly space-fluctuating thought. He fiercely stabbed it toward the deepest crack at the core of the void shattering stele!

This was the stele's weakest point, also where energy converged, which he had vaguely sensed during the life-and-death moment, relying on his Delusion-Breaking Divine Pupils and spatiotemporal comprehension!

Hum!!! The void shattering stele suddenly shook violently! All the cracks on the stele simultaneously glowed with blinding silver light! This time, it wasn't scattered silver rays; instead, all the space-shattering power seemed to be instantly drained, compressed, and then... Boom! Centered on the void shattering stele, a small-scale, complete space shattering erupted!

A Miniature Spatial Black Hole, about a zhang in diameter with irregular edges and pitch-black inside as if capable of devouring everything, suddenly appeared! A terrifying suction force emanated from it, madly pulling in everything around—debris, bloodstains, corpse fragments, even light and Spiritual Qi!

"No!!!" The Young Master of You Pavilion and Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo's terrified screams had just sounded when they were pulled by the terrifying suction force, involuntarily flying toward the miniature black hole! They struggled desperately, using various means, but before the absolute power of space shattering, they seemed so powerless!

The heavily injured Huangfu Jue and the other two didn't even make a sound before being sucked in, instantly disappearing into that pitch-blackness.

Lin Fan was slightly farther away and had prepared in advance. The moment he detonated the black hole, using his last strength, he covered himself with the star pagoda's suppression power and simultaneously activated the Divine Thought Imprint within the profound void ring gifted by his father, Clan Leader!

A layer of soft yet resilient golden light rose from the ring, enveloping him, barely resisting the suction force's pull.

Two breaths later, the miniature black hole seemed to have exhausted its energy. It flickered violently several times, suddenly contracted, and disappeared. Only a smooth, mirror-like hemispherical deep pit remained on the spot, along with violent spatial fluctuations lingering in the air.

Thud. The golden light dissipated. Lin Fan could no longer hold on, completely losing consciousness and collapsing by the pit's edge.

Within the depression, deathly silence prevailed.

Only the disarray on the ground and the residual smell of blood and spatial fluctuations in the air recounted the The fierce and thrilling battle just now.

An unknown amount of time passed before sounds of breaking air came from the distance.

Several figures, attracted by the The huge one just now spatial fluctuations, were rushing toward this area.

The leader, dressed in snow-white clothes with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, was precisely Ye Lingyun.