77: Destruction precedes construction; supernatural powers are initially formed.

"Fellow Daoist Lin!" Ye Lingyun's clear yet urgent voice awakened a flicker of consciousness in Lin Fan from the deep darkness.

He felt himself being supported by a gentle yet resilient Sword Qi, while a rich and pure medicinal power flowed into his mouth, quickly dissolving to nourish his battered body. Simultaneously, a cool, water-like spiritual energy carefully probed into him, helping to guide and soothe the Meridians that were nearly running wild and his chaotic blood and Qi.

"Such heavy injuries! Multiple Meridians are severed, internal organs are displaced, blood and Qi are depleted, and his Divine Soul has suffered a shock. Furthermore, there's a violent residual spatial power within his body, constantly causing destruction!" This was Blue Tide's soft yet solemn voice.

"Amitabha, Benefactor Lin has truly walked to the gates of hell this time." Monk Bright Wisdom's prayer was filled with compassion, followed by an influx of balanced and peaceful Buddha Power that helped suppress and soothe the violent spatial power and Lin Fan's nearly collapsing Divine Soul.

"Damn it! Which bastard did this?!" Blazing Fierce's irritable voice rang out. "Those scum from the Nether Pavilion! And those whelps from the Huangfu Family! Looking at these residual technique traces and shredded clothing—hiss—was the space at this scene actually shattered?!"

Lin Fan managed to open his eyes a crack, his vision blurry. He saw Ye Lingyun solemnly using his own pure Sword Essence to protect his heart's Meridians; Blue Tide's slender hands moved rapidly, refining rare Medicinal Pills into a medicinal mist that seeped into his pores; Bright Wisdom sat nearby, chanting scriptures as Buddha Light enveloped them; and Blazing Fierce paced around the hollow like an enraged lion, inspecting the battle traces and cursing from time to time.

Besides them, there seemed to be two or three other Prodigies from friendly factions who were alertly guarding the surroundings.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, you're awake? Don't move. Concentrate and calm your breath, and guide the medicinal power!" Ye Lingyun noticed Lin Fan's movement and immediately sent a transmission, his voice carrying a hint of relief.

Lin Fan did as told, closing his eyes again to focus his entire mind on inspecting his body internally.

The situation was even worse than he had imagined. His Eternal Indestructible Body had been squeezed to its limit, the golden light on his surface was dim, and his Origin was damaged. His Meridians were like roads ravaged by a storm—severed, blocked, and withered. His Dantian Qi Sea was nearly dry, and the star pagoda's light was dim, with several fine cracks appearing on its body. More troublesome was a sharp, fragmented, and destructive spatial dao rhyme that was scurrying through his body like a maggot on a bone, constantly tearing at the life force that had just been slightly repaired by the medicine.

This was the price of forcibly channeling and even detonating the core power of the void shattering stele. If his Eternal Indestructible Body hadn't been strong enough, if the star pagoda hadn't protected his Origin at the critical moment, and if the wisp of Divine Thought mark left by his father hadn't offset most of the black hole's suction, he would have been reduced to nothing long ago.

But as the saying goes, blessings and curses are intertwined.

While that violent, fragmented spatial dao rhyme was wreaking havoc, Lin Fan also clearly felt that he had gained an unprecedentedly intuitive understanding of the concept of 'Shattering Space.' Those fragmented trajectories, the condensation points of power, and the moments of annihilation and Rebirth were all deeply imprinted in the depths of his Divine Soul. This was far more profound than any verbal description or diagram!

More importantly, at the line between life and death, some shackle within his body seemed to have been broken.

He no longer tried to forcibly expel or suppress that fragmented dao rhyme—that was nearly impossible, at least for now. Instead, he shifted his thinking, using the relatively gentle Spatiotemporal dao rhyme he had comprehended (from the star mark stele's baptism and the Initial Deciphering of Boundary Runes) as a guide to cautiously touch, wrap, and fuse with that violent power.

This process was excruciatingly painful, like dancing on the edge of a blade or searching for a complete reflection among shattered shards of glass. Every contact brought a violent tremor to his Divine Soul and Physical Body. But he gritted his teeth and persisted, relying on his stubborn will and desire for survival to proceed bit by bit.

Outside, Ye Lingyun and the others were putting forth their full effort. Ye Lingyun did not hesitate to expend his Vital Sword Essence to soothe Lin Fan's core Meridians; Blue Tide had nearly emptied her supply of high-grade healing Medicinal Pills; Bright Wisdom's Buddha Light acted like a stabilizing anchor, steadying Lin Fan's flickering flame of a Divine Soul; and Blazing Fierce set up a simple warning Formation around them while clearing away traces that might expose Lin Fan's heavily injured and weakened state.

Time passed slowly.

The tug-of-war within Lin Fan's body continued. His Spatiotemporal dao rhyme was like resilient threads, gradually weaving into a net that caught the fragments of shattered spatial dao rhyme one by one, soothing them and attempting to understand and absorb them. The star pagoda was also slowly repairing itself during this process and began to absorb those initially tamed fragmented dao rhymes. The cracks on the pagoda's body were actually slowly closing, and it even began to exhibit a faint sense of sharpness and cutting intent.

After an unknown amount of time, the moment the final wisp of violent fragmented dao rhyme was successfully wrapped and initially fused—

Buzz!

A silent roar seemed to echo within Lin Fan's body!

The parched Qi Sea jolted violently, like parched earth receiving sweet rain, as it frantically absorbed external energy—not just the pure spiritual power input by Ye Lingyun and the others, but also the omnipresent, violent Power of the Stars within the Thousand Star Remnant Realm! This energy, transformed by the star pagoda, became gentle and pure, rushing into his severed and withered Meridians like a flood breaking through a dam!

Under the nourishment of the massive energy and the life force of the Eternal Indestructible Body's Origin, the severed parts began to rapidly reconnect, heal, and even widen! The withered Meridians became resilient and elastic once more, like newborn riverbeds capable of containing a more surging flow of spiritual power!

His aura began to climb steadily! The limit barrier of the Condensing Spirit Realm Great Perfection, under the impact of this 'breaking to rebuild' and surging power, melted away like ice and snow under the sun!

Boom!!! A brand new, more powerful, and more mysterious aura erupted from within Lin Fan's body! The golden light around him bloomed again, purer and more restrained than before, with faint star phantoms revolving around him! The star pagoda in his Dantian was completely repaired, its body radiating brilliant light; the first floor's space was incredibly stable, and even the phantom of the second floor solidified slightly!

Divine Power Realm! Initial stage! Not only that, because he had fused the fragmented spatial dao rhyme of the void shattering stele, his newly formed Divine Power Realm aura naturally carried a hint of spatial sharpness and fragmentation. This intertwined with his original vast starlight and Eternal Indestructible nature, forming a unique and powerful pressure.

"He broke through!" A sharp light flashed in Ye Lingyun's eyes as he withdrew his palm, a sincere smile appearing on his face.

Blue Tide, Bright Wisdom, Blazing Fierce, and the others all breathed a sigh of relief, showing expressions of gratification. They could feel that Lin Fan had not only fully recovered from his injuries, but his cultivation had also crossed that critical threshold, and his strength would surely increase significantly.

Lin Fan slowly opened his eyes. A golden light shone brilliantly in his pupils, and deep within them, visions of stars being born and destroyed and space folding seemed to flash by. He stood up and stretched his limbs; the sound of spiritual power surging like a rushing river came from within him, filled with an unprecedented sense of power.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoists, for saving my life and for the virtue of protecting my Breakthrough!" Lin Fan bowed solemnly to the four of them. If they hadn't arrived in time and given their all to save him, he might have survived by luck, but his Foundation would have been heavily damaged, let alone breaking through by turning a disaster into a blessing.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, you are too polite." Ye Lingyun supported him and smiled. "As fellow Prodigies of the Human Realm, helping each other is only natural. Besides, your feat of slaying seven powerful enemies, including the Young Master of You Pavilion and the Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo, and even detonating the void shattering stele—such combat power and courage command our respect."

Blazing Fierce grinned and laughed loudly: "Haha, well said! Brother Lin, you really did a beautiful job this time! Those rats from the Nether Pavilion and those arrogant wastes from the Huangfu Family all fell here! How satisfying!"

Blue Tide said softly, "Heaven helps the worthy; it is a fortunate thing that Fellow Daoist Lin could break through after such destruction. However, this place is not suitable for a long stay. The commotion just now was too great and has likely attracted quite a bit of attention."

Bright Wisdom also pressed his palms together and said, "Benefactor Lin's injuries have just healed and his Realm is not yet stable; you still need to find a place for quiet cultivation to consolidate. Furthermore, since the people from the Nether Pavilion and the Huangfu Family perished here, the powers behind them will likely not let this matter rest."

Lin Fan nodded, as he had naturally thought of these things. He looked at the smooth deep pit left after being swallowed by the spatial black hole and the tragic traces of battle around it, then asked: "Fellow Daoist Ye, when you arrived, did you find any traces of others? Or... were there any survivors?"

Ye Lingyun's expression turned serious: "We were attracted by the intense spatial fluctuations. When we reached this place, only you, Fellow Daoist Lin, were lying here unconscious. The residual auras on the scene, besides yours, were the technique traces of the Nether Pavilion and the Huangfu Family. Judging by the traces, they... should have all perished within that spatial shattering, leaving no remains. As for whether there were any fish that escaped the net or onlookers, it's impossible to be certain for now."

Lin Fan felt slightly more at ease. The chances of the Young Master of You Pavilion and the Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo surviving after being swallowed by the black hole were minuscule. However, the Nether Pavilion and the Huangfu Family would definitely investigate, especially since he had survived, making him the prime suspect.

"This place indeed cannot be stayed in for long," Lin Fan said. "My injuries are no longer an issue, but my Realm needs consolidation. Fellow Daoist Ye, what are your plans next?"

Ye Lingyun said, "We were originally exploring another area and only rushed here after sensing the fluctuations. Since Fellow Daoist Lin is fine now, we plan to continue our original plan and head near 'Starfall Lake' to take a look. If it's inconvenient for you, you can move with us so we can look out for each other."

Lin Fan pondered for a moment and shook his head: "Thank you for your kindness, Fellow Daoist Ye. I've just broken through and my aura is unstable; I need to find a place to consolidate my cultivation alone. Also, I have some private matters to attend to." He was referring to collecting star core fragments and exploring possible Legacies; acting alone was more convenient.

Ye Lingyun did not force him and handed over a sword-shaped transmission Talisman: "In that case, Fellow Daoist Lin, be extra careful. This is a special transmission Talisman of my Heavenly Sword Sect. Within the Remnant Realm, as long as we aren't too far apart or in a special Forbidden Ground, we can contact each other. If you encounter any troublesome matters, you can send a message to me."

"Thank you." Lin Fan took the transmission Talisman and bowed his thanks to Blue Tide, Bright Wisdom, Blazing Fierce, and the others.

After a few mutual warnings, the group went their separate ways. Ye Lingyun's party headed toward Starfall Lake, while Lin Fan chose a direction opposite to a green safety point on the star map and quickly left this site of conflict.

He needed to find an absolutely safe place to not only consolidate his cultivation but also to take stock of his gains and attempt a 'Sign-in'.

Traveling swiftly and avoiding several waves of scattered star beasts and spatial anomalies, Lin Fan finally found a natural cave in a remote mountain hollow half-covered by giant Star Meteorites. The entrance was hidden, the interior was dry, and the Power of the Stars here was relatively stable.

He set up concealment and warning Formations at the entrance, went deep inside, and sat down cross-legged.

First, he attempted to communicate with the System.

["System, detect if the current location is available for Sign-in."]

[Detecting... Current location: Thousand Star Remnant Realm · Hidden Star Meteorite Cave (relatively stable, gathering Power of the Stars)]

[Sign-in Rank: Three-Star]

[Do you wish to Sign-in?]

["Sign-in."]

[Sign-in successful! Congratulations to the Host for obtaining: Starfall Essence * 5, Small Void Stone * 1]

[Starfall Essence: Pure star energy crystals that can be used to quickly recover spiritual power, heal, or assist in cultivation.]

[Small Void Stone: A strange Ore containing weak spatial power, which can be used to refine spatial-type Magical Artifacts or assist in comprehending the Law of space.]

The rewards were average, but better than nothing. A three-star Sign-in was considered normal for this location.

Lin Fan turned his attention back to himself. He first took out two pieces of 'Starfall Essence' to absorb, consolidating his initial Divine Power Realm cultivation and nourishing the star pagoda. Soon, his aura completely stabilized, and his spiritual power became full and surging.

Next, he checked the gains in his profound void ring. From the earlier counter-killing of Yin the Nine Hells and the others, as well as what he had collected from the battlefield at the end, he had obtained many Storage Pouches and scattered items.

Most were conventional resources like Spirit Stones, Medicinal Pills, and Materials, with the Storage Rings of the Young Master of You Pavilion and the Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo being the most bountiful. Between the two, there were nearly a thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, various Medicinal Pills and Talismans, and several high-quality Spiritual Artifacts. Although the Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo's Imperial Sword was destroyed in the black hole, an 'Imperial Dao Gem' embedded in the hilt remained; it contained pure Imperial Dao Qi and might be beneficial for cultivation.

What Lin Fan valued most were a black Jade Slip and a small black bell found in the Young Master of You Pavilion's ring.

The Jade Slip recorded some of the Nether Pavilion's secret techniques, such as 'Ethereal Soul Lure' and 'Breath Concealing Shadow Stealth Technique.' Although they were sinister, some of the methods for manipulating shadows and concealing tracks were quite unique and could be critically learned from. The black bell was named the 'Soul Snatching Bell,' a Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact specifically designed to attack the Divine Soul. When activated, it could emit soul-disturbing demonic sounds, and its power would be even greater when used with the Ghost Soul Dharma Manifestation. However, it wasn't very useful to Lin Fan, though its Materials and refining methods were worth studying.

After finishing the inventory, Lin Fan began to think about his next moves.

There were about four days left until the end of the seven-day trial. He needed to collect as many star core fragments as possible to ensure he placed in the top sixty-four. At the same time, the 'soul suppressing stele' had yet to be explored, and there might be an Opportunity there. He also needed to be wary of the subsequent retaliation from the Nether Pavilion and the Huangfu Family.

"The priority now is to quickly familiarize myself with the power of the Divine Power Realm and integrate the newly fused fragmented spatial dao rhyme into my offensive and defensive System," Lin Fan thought to himself. "The Star Vortex Finger and Star Realm Seal can both be further improved. Also... perhaps I can try to create a true killer move."

He closed his eyes, his mind sinking into the comprehension of the fragmented spatial dao rhyme, and began to deduce, combining it with the Initial Deciphering of Boundary Runes and the star pagoda's Legacy.

Outside the cave, under the eternal dark purple sky of the Remnant Realm, stars flickered in and out of existence.

And in the distance that he could not see, several figures shrouded in shadows were holding special compass Magical Artifacts, following certain traces and quietly approaching the direction of the void shattering stele battlefield.

The compass needles trembled faintly.