84: Before Meteor Mountain, countless shadows appeared.

The Starfall Core lives up to its name. Stepping into this region, the scenery is drastically different from other parts of the Remnant Realm. The sky is no longer the perpetually dim purple, but rather displays an interweaving of chaotic, fragmented light and shadow. Countless star fragments, large and small, of various shapes, are suspended motionless or drift slowly along bizarre trajectories, seemingly pulled by an invisible force, emitting vastly different energy fluctuations—scorching, icy, violent, or deathly still. The stability of space here has dropped to its lowest point; wherever the eye can see, there are distorted light rays, flickering spatial rifts, and even occasional phantoms of miniature black holes that devour all light.

The Power of the Stars permeating the air is so dense it has almost materialized, yet it is incredibly violent, like a bone-scraping steel knife. A normal Cultivator in the Condensing Spirit Realm would likely struggle to even maintain their protective spiritual light here. Even those at the Divine Power Realm must constantly circulate their Cultivation Technique to resist the omnipresent energy erosion and spatial tearing.

Lin Fan and the Yaochi group deployed their respective protective spiritual lights, cautiously traversing the shattered star fragments and spatial turbulence. Meng Liuli was enveloped by flowing, multicolored rosy clouds, resembling misty rain, which gently repelled and transformed the violent energy. The Yaochi Female Disciples formed an array, their rosy lights connecting to jointly resist the assault. Lin Fan, however, had it much easier; his Eternal Indestructible Body provided golden light protection, and the star pagoda autonomously absorbed and transformed the surrounding violent Power of the Stars, allowing him to thrive with minimal expenditure.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, ahead is the 'Silent Annihilation Star Gorge.'" Meng Liuli lightly pointed forward with a jade finger. A terrifying gorge, hundreds of feet wide and bottomless, stretched across the land. The cliff faces on both sides were steep, covered in traces of star impacts and ancient Restriction remnants. Within the gorge, fierce winds howled, and silvery-white Starfall Turbulence could vaguely be seen cascading down like a waterfall. Moreover, chaotic spatial rifts appeared and disappeared intermittently, slicing and devouring any matter or energy attempting to pass through. The suspected location of the 'soul cleansing spiritual spring' was somewhere on the cliff face opposite the Star Gorge.

"Space within the Star Gorge is extremely unstable, and the Starfall Fierce Winds are enough to tear apart the protective barriers of ordinary Divine Power Realm experts. Furthermore, ancient residual Restrictions might be triggered," Meng Liuli said in a cool voice. "My Yaochi possesses the 'seven-colored tribulation crossing boat' which can temporarily resist the fierce winds, but traversing through still requires careful evasion of spatial rifts, and we might trigger Restrictions, attracting guardian Star Beasts or even more troublesome entities."

Lin Fan gazed at the perilous Star Gorge, pushing his Delusion-Breaking Divine Pupils to their limit, trying to see the opposite bank. Simultaneously, he was keeping an eye on the location of 'Meteorite Mountain' mentioned in the Green Robe Emissary's Jade Slip. According to the map, 'Meteorite Mountain' was not far behind the Silent Annihilation Star Gorge, a mountain range formed by accumulated massive star wreckage, which was the planned site for the Nether Pavilion to deploy the 'Star Guiding Grand Array'.

"Saintess, after crossing the Star Gorge, could we detour to 'Meteorite Mountain' for a moment?" Lin Fan asked. "This Daoist Lin has some private matters that need settling there."

Meng Liuli's gaze shifted slightly, and she glanced at Lin Fan: "Meteorite Mountain? That is one of the areas where the Starfall Core's energy is most violent and space most chaotic. It is rumored that a 'Starfall Beast King' lurks there, making it several times more dangerous than the Star Gorge. Fellow Daoist Lin's 'private matter'... is it perhaps related to the Nether Pavilion?"

Lin Fan did not hide anything and nodded: "That is correct. The Nether Pavilion intends to deploy the 'Star Guiding Grand Array' on Meteorite Mountain to draw the power of the 'Star Ruins Secret Realm,' plotting something significant. This Daoist Lin has deep grievances with them and must guard against them. Moreover, I want to see what mischief they are truly up to."

"Star Ruins Secret Realm? Star Guiding Grand Array?" For the first time, a clear look of surprise appeared in Meng Liuli's eyes; she clearly knew some inside information. "The Nether Pavilion dares to set its sights on the 'Star Ruins'? That is a forbidden land left behind after the ancient Star Civilization perished. Legend says it Seals great terror and great Opportunity. Them trying to draw its power is tantamount to playing with fire and courting death!"

She pondered for a moment, then decisively stated: "Since that is the case, we must investigate thoroughly. If the Nether Pavilion truly succeeds, it might trigger drastic changes across the entire Remnant Realm, affecting all trial participants. My Yaochi is willing to accompany Fellow Daoist Lin to Meteorite Mountain. However, we must first retrieve the 'soul cleansing spiritual spring.' Firstly, to heal your Junior Sister, and secondly, the water from the spiritual spring has the effect of stabilizing the Divine Soul and purifying external evils, which may help resist the 'Starfall Soul-Bewitching' Qi possibly present on Meteorite Mountain."

Lin Fan cupped his hands: "Thank you, Saintess, for your magnanimity."

With the plan settled, the group hesitated no longer. Meng Liuli waved her delicate hand, and a streak of rosy light flew out from her sleeve. It grew rapidly in the wind, transforming into a Magical Artifact about ten feet long, iridescent all over, shaped like a lotus boat—the seven-colored tribulation crossing boat. The boat's body was inscribed with complex defensive and purification Formation patterns, emitting a peaceful yet tenacious aura.

The eight people boarded the lotus boat. Meng Liuli controlled it personally. The surface of the boat flared with intense seven-colored light, forming an oval shield that protected everyone within. The boat slowly sailed into the Silent Annihilation Star Gorge.

As soon as they entered, the outside world instantly blurred. The violent Starfall Fierce Winds lashed at the seven-colored light shield like billions of invisible blades, creating a grating friction sound. The shield fluctuated violently but remained stubbornly intact. More dangerous were the spatial rifts that appeared randomly without pattern, like venomous snakes lurking in the darkness; a slight misstep could cause the boat to be ripped open.

Meng Liuli was fully focused, steering the boat between the turbulence and rifts, like a small skiff in monstrous waves, facing imminent danger at every moment. The Yaochi Female Disciples held their respective positions, pouring their Spiritual Qi into the boat to stabilize the light shield. Lin Fan was not idle either; he operated his Delusion-Breaking Divine Pupils at full power, providing advance warnings for the most hidden and dangerous spatial rifts, guiding Meng Liuli's direction.

"Thirty feet to the front left, a rift is about to form!"

"To the lower right, the fierce wind current is converging abnormally, be careful!"

"Formation fluctuation residue directly ahead, bypass it!"

With Lin Fan's precise warnings, the efficiency and safety of the boat's passage greatly increased. Meng Liuli couldn't help but look at Lin Fan a few more times, her expression of admiration deepening.

However, the danger in the Star Gorge far exceeded expectations. Just as the boat reached the middle section of the gorge, a star fragment as massive as a mountain, influenced by chaotic gravity, suddenly tumbled towards them from the side! The fragment's surface burned with a strange, deep blue flame, and wherever it passed, the space was scorched with distorted marks!

"Not good! That's 'Netherworld Starfire Stone'! Don't touch it!" exclaimed one of the Yaochi Female Disciples.

Meng Liuli's expression changed slightly, and she maneuvered the boat to turn sharply, attempting to evade. But the Starfire Stone was too large, and its tumbling trajectory was unpredictable; it was about to crash into them!

At this critical juncture, Lin Fan stepped out of the boat's light shield! Golden light surged around him as his Eternal Indestructible Body was pushed to its limit. Simultaneously, he rapidly formed hand Seals before his chest and shouted in a low voice:

"Shattering Void Shockwave!"

Boom! He pressed both palms forward, and the space within a ten-foot radius in front of him suddenly underwent high-frequency, violent oscillation! This was not an attack, but the Formation of a temporary, unstable 'Oscillating Barrier'!

The tumbling Netherworld Starfire Stone slammed into the oscillating barrier! The deep blue flames on the stone's surface clashed fiercely with the spatial oscillation force, resulting in a piercing explosion! The stone itself was jolted off its original trajectory and scraped past the edge of the lotus boat as it tumbled by. The resulting scorching windstorm caused the seven-colored light shield to shake violently, but it ultimately avoided a direct collision.

The lotus boat seized the Opportunity to accelerate and rushed past this dangerous area.

Lin Fan quickly retreated into the boat, his face pale and his breathing slightly unstable. Forcibly inducing a large-scale spatial tremor just now had consumed considerable energy.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, are you alright?" Meng Liuli asked with concern, a trace of sincerity in her voice.

"It's nothing, I just need a moment to regulate my breath." Lin Fan took out a Starfall Essence to absorb, rapidly recovering.

After this close call, everyone became more cautious. About half an hour later, the lotus boat finally passed through the Silent Annihilation Star Gorge without incident and reached the opposite shore.

Following the map's guidance, the group soon found the "soul cleansing spiritual spring" in a crevice of a cliff face shrouded by star mist.

It was a natural stone cave barely wide enough for one person, yet it opened up into a different world inside. A pool of water, only about a Zhang wide, clear to the bottom, bubbled forth. The surface steamed with milky-white, pure Spiritual Qi, emitting a fresh aura that calmed the Divine Soul and instantly dispelled distracting thoughts. Beside the spring eye grew several crystal-clear spiritual plants shaped like orchid grass, which were the accompanying "Soul Cleansing Grass."

"It really is the soul cleansing spiritual spring!" Joy appeared in Meng Liuli's eyes. This item would also be greatly beneficial for the Yaochi Female Disciples cultivating the "Nine Heavens Immortal Spirit Technique."

Lin Fan took out several specially made Jade Slips and carefully collected enough spring water and several sprigs of Soul Cleansing Grass. The water felt ice-cold, the Spiritual Qi overwhelming; just taking a sniff made his Divine Soul feel refreshed.

Everyone took a small amount for themselves. Lin Fan even drank a mouthful on the spot, instantly feeling the Divine Soul fatigue from the previous continuous battles and use of spatial power vanish completely. His spirit was fuller and clearer than ever before, and his perception of his surroundings grew sharper.

"With this spiritual spring, Junior Sister Lin Xue should be fine," Blue Tide said happily.

After resting for a moment and replenishing their consumption, the group left the stone cave and looked back towards Meteorite Mountain, the shadowy peak shrouded in dense star mist and chaotic energy behind the Star Gorge.

Even before getting close, they could feel the terrifying fluctuations emanating from there. Countless massive celestial debris piled up like mountains; some were still burning, while others exuded a cold, dead stillness. Above the mountain range, a huge, slowly rotating energy vortex loomed faintly, continuously sucking in surrounding star fragments and violent energy. Space was distorted even more severely there; one could even see large expanses of unstable spatial wrinkles.

What made Lin Fan's and Meng Liuli's expressions grave was that in a relatively flat area at the foot of Meteorite Mountain, obscure yet powerful Formation fluctuations could be faintly sensed! Streams of dark red light pillars shot up into the sky from specific locations on the mountainside, intersecting high above to slowly outline a vast and malevolent Formation silhouette! Countless figures clad in black and green robes were busy at the Formation nodes, and a terrifying aura far surpassing the Divine Power Realm hovered at the Formation's center!

"The Star Guiding Grand Array has begun deployment!" Lin Fan's eyes turned cold. The aura emitted by the Formation was of the same origin as the Nether Pavilion's Cultivation Technique, yet it was older and more sinister, carrying a sense of beckoning the unknown and blaspheming the starry sky.

"Moreover, the one presiding over the Formation is likely an 'Elder' level figure from the Nether Pavilion, with a cultivation base at least at the Peak Divine Power Realm, perhaps even touching the threshold of the Saint Realm!" Meng Liuli said grimly, "It seems the Nether Pavilion is determined to succeed in this operation."

"Saintess, should we notify the Imperial Dynasty's Consecrated Experts or the outside world?" Lin Fan asked. Facing such an array, the few of them would be like striking a stone with an egg.

Meng Liuli pondered briefly and shook her head: "The rules of the Remnant Realm are special; powerful experts from the outside world cannot directly intervene, and the Imperial Dynasty's Consecrated Experts probably cannot reach the core in a short time either. Furthermore, the Nether Pavilion chose this moment to activate the Grand Array, likely having calculated the timing, intending to complete the summoning before the trial ends. If we want to stop them, we can only rely on ourselves, or unite with the other Prodigies in this area."

She looked at Lin Fan: "Fellow Daoist Lin, you were on good terms with Ye Lingyun of the Heavenly Sword Sect before; they might also be near the core area. My Yaochi also contacted a few other teams within the Remnant Realm; perhaps we can try to gather strength."

Lin Fan nodded, took out the sword-shaped communication talisman gifted by Ye Lingyun, and attempted to make contact. However, the talisman was severely interfered with in this location; the signal kept cutting in and out, only allowing him to send brief positional information and warnings.

"We'll do our best." Lin Fan put away the communication talisman, his gaze fixed on the malevolent Formation. "Before that, we need to get closer to scout, to figure out the true strength of the Grand Array and their specific plan. Saintess, please lead the Yaochi Female Disciples to hide here and set up an Concealment Formation. I will go alone to investigate; my control over spatial power makes me more suited for stealth."

Meng Liuli knew Lin Fan's strength well and did not stand on ceremony: "Alright, Fellow Daoist Lin, be careful! If there is any unusual movement, retreat immediately, and we will provide support here."

Lin Fan nodded, his figure flickering as he completely restrained his aura, seeming to merge with the surrounding chaotic energy and light, silently creeping towards the dark red Formation area at the foot of Meteorite Mountain.

The closer he got, the heavier the evil, oppressive aura became. Under the illumination of the dark red Formation light, even the rocks seemed stained with a layer of blood. Lin Fan hid behind a massive, burning piece of stellar debris, using his Delusion-Breaking Divine Pupils to pierce through layers of light screens and mist to look at the center of the Formation.

There, he saw an altar constructed entirely of pitch-black crystal stones. Atop the altar floated a fist-sized, pulsating dark red crystal emitting destructive stellar fluctuations—a star source core? And beneath the altar sat three old men whose auras were as deep as an abyss!

The one in the center wore a black robe embroidered with stars and ghost masks; his face was withered like a skeleton, his eyes tightly shut, yet he radiated the most terrifying aura—he was actually a Half-step Saint Realm expert! On his left and right were two green-robed old men, whose auras had also reached the Peak Divine Power Realm; they were the "Left Emissary" and "Right Emissary" mentioned by the Green Robe Emissary! He was the Ghost Star Elder, the Elder presiding over the Nether Pavilion's operation!

Around the altar, dozens of Nether Pavilion elites were busy embedding various rare stellar Materials into the Formation nodes. What made Lin Fan's pupils contract further was that he saw several familiar faces in the crowd—Huangfu Jue was actually here too! Although his aura was weak, clearly having suffered greatly, he was indeed alive, assisting the Nether Pavilion Disciples with a face full of malice! Several Disciples of the Huangfu Family who were previously suspected of being swallowed by the black hole were also alive, having become Nether Pavilion captives or collaborators?

"So that's how it is—the Huangfu Family members didn't die, but instead fell into the hands of the Nether Pavilion, perhaps even striking some kind of deal?" Thoughts raced through Lin Fan's mind. "Ghost Star Elder, Half-step Saint Realm—this lineup truly is a massive undertaking."

Just as he was about to observe the Formation details more closely, suddenly, the Ghost Star Elder on the altar violently opened his eyes! Two streams of ghastly green light, as if tangible, swept across the entire area in an instant, finally locking onto the direction of the stellar debris where Lin Fan was hiding!

"Which lowly vermin dares to spy on my Nether Pavilion's Grand Array? Get out here!" A cold, hoarse voice swept over like the chilling wind of the Nine Hells! A terrifying pressure, accompanied by a sharp impact targeting the Divine Soul, slammed violently towards Lin Fan!