89: Star Source Baptism, Tower Stabilizes Heaven and Earth

Deep within Meteorite Mountain. The concepts of time and space became blurred here. A massive dark golden star source core hovered in the void. It was not a regular sphere; its surface was covered with shocking cracks and dents, like the heart of a giant that had suffered fatal wounds, still beating tenaciously and slowly. Each barely perceptible beat tugged at the shattered Laws and energy flows of the entire Thousand Star Remnant Realm. Countless broken, illusory chains formed from star dao rhyme coiled around it, and deeper within, faintly visible were even more complex and obscure ancient sealing runes flickering.

Lin Fan sat cross-legged on a relatively stable meteorite platform, still a thousand zhang away from that dark golden core, but this was the limit distance King Xia allowed. Any further forward, the spatial structure was as fragile as paper, and the violent chaotic flows of star Origin energy were enough to instantly shred the Physical Body and Divine Soul of a Divine Power Realm Cultivator.

He closed his eyes, calming his mind, discarding all distracting thoughts. The Delusion-Breaking Divine Pupils were not activated; instead, using the purest Divine Sense, in harmony with the resonance of the star pagoda within his Dantian, like a gentle spider's thread, he cautiously extended toward that dark golden core.

At first, his Divine Sense felt like a stone sinking into the sea, sensing only a vast, cold, dead, and boundless void. That was the state of the star source core after shattering, having fallen into a long slumber and self-seclusion.

Lin Fan remained neither impatient nor anxious. He operated the rudimentary methods of 'communication' and 'sensing' from the Initial Deciphering of Boundary Runes, while simultaneously transmitting his own comprehension of time and space fused with the dao rhyme of shattering and sealing, along with the tenacious and Unyielding life aura of the Eternal Indestructible Body, along the thread of Divine Sense. He did not demand, did not force, but like a lost child, gently knocked on the door of an ancient home, conveying a sense of understanding, soothing, and coexistence.

Time passed bit by bit.

After an unknown period, within that cold, dead, and vast void, there seemed to be an extremely faint ripple. A strand of star source power, carrying a desolate ancient intent, finer than a hair by millions of times, slowly flowed along Lin Fan's Divine Sense thread.

This strand of power was extremely pure and incredibly heavy! The moment it touched Lin Fan's Divine Sense, his entire body shook violently, as if countless miniature stars had instantly pressed down on his Soul! Moreover, a shattered, chaotic, incomplete will filled with sorrow and unwillingness was mixed within, assailing his mind!

This was not a gentle gift, but an immensely heavy 'legacy,' a shattered memory bearing the sorrow of a fallen star civilization!

Lin Fan grunted, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but he gritted his teeth and persisted, not severing the connection. The Eternal Indestructible Body shone with golden light, and the star pagoda within his Dantian emitted a low rumble, fully receiving and bearing this strand of star source power. He guided this strand of power, not directly integrating it into himself, but first injecting it into the fine cracks on the star pagoda's body.

Sizzle. The star source power touched the cracks on the pagoda's body, acting like the best adhesive and nutrient; the cracks began to mend at a visible rate! Not only that, the natural star dao patterns on the pagoda's body, nourished by the star source power, became clearer and more profound, with faint new, more complex patterns emerging. The starry sky illusion within the pagoda's first layer underwent an earth-shaking change! Originally just illusory star projections, they now seemed infused with real 'spirituality' and 'weight,' beginning to slowly operate according to a more mysterious, more Universe-Origin-approaching trajectory. The spatial stability greatly improved, even beginning to evolve the rudiments of sun-moon alternation and star tides!

Repair and evolution were proceeding simultaneously!

At the same time, the shattered will and sorrowful memory contained within that strand of star source power were forcibly endured and digested by Lin Fan with his tenacious Divine Soul. He seemed to 'see' the brilliance and prosperity of the ancient starry sky, 'hear' the dao sounds and immortal music of the star civilization at its peak, and 'feel' the aftermath of the indescribable terrifying catastrophe that led to its destruction. These fragmented pieces of information were chaotic, yet they elevated his understanding of 'stars' and 'time-space' as if clouds had parted to reveal the sun, instantly reaching a whole new level!

Breaking and then establishing anew was not just an increase in power, but a leap in cognition and Realm! However, just as Lin Fan immersed himself in these slow yet solid gains, a sudden anomaly occurred!

Deep within the star source core, a completely different undercurrent, filled with violence, greed, and destruction, fiercely surged back along the fragile connection just established! This undercurrent was pitch-black like ink, within which ghostly shadows could faintly be seen—it was actually the remnant Origin ghost energy of Ghost Star Elder's 'myriad ghost banner' and a trace of malicious Divine Thought! This old ghost was indeed unrelenting; before fleeing, he had left a backup plan around the periphery of the star source core. Now, sensing Lin Fan drawing on the star source power, he immediately activated it, intending to erode Lin Fan's Divine Soul along the connection, seize control, and even detonate part of the star source core's chaotic energy to perish together!

"Hehehe, kid! You came after all! Descend into the Nine Nether with me!" Ghost Star Elder's malicious Divine Thought shrieked, exploding in Lin Fan's Sea of Consciousness!

The pitch-black ghost energy, like maggots clinging to bone, frantically eroded Lin Fan's Divine Sense thread and surged toward his main body! The death, decay, and filth contained within were a hundred times more concentrated and venomous than the previous Nether Finger! Even more terrifying, this undercurrent stirred part of the already extremely unstable shattered energy in the outer layer of the star source core, triggering a small-scale chain reaction of turmoil!

Boom!

The meteorite platform where Lin Fan was located shook violently, and the surrounding spatial cracks suddenly increased and expanded! Violent starry chaotic flows pressed in from all directions! Attacked from both inside and out, the danger was imminent!

"Not good!" Outside Meteorite Mountain, King Xia and Xia Qingyue, who had been closely monitoring the core area with Divine Sense, both changed expressions simultaneously. They could clearly sense the sudden eruption of evil ghost energy and star source turmoil.

"Ghost Star Old Ghost indeed left a backup plan! Qingyue, you stabilize the periphery, receive and assist the other prodigies in preparing to evacuate! This king will go help Lin Fan!" King Xia decisively made a decision, his figure transforming into a golden stream of light, about to forcefully charge into the core area.

"Imperial Uncle, be careful!" Xia Qingyue deeply understood the current danger of the core area but also knew the urgency. She immediately ordered all Imperial Dynasty and Yaochi personnel to prepare for a possible large-scale collapse of the Remnant Realm.

Within the core area, Lin Fan faced an unprecedented life-and-death crisis!

Externally, there was spatial collapse and starry chaotic flows crushing him; internally, the myriad ghost evil energy eroded his Sea of Consciousness and detonated the star source! His Divine Sense thread was in peril, and his Physical Body creaked under the impact of violent energy, with newly healed wounds splitting open again!

But in his eyes, there was no fear; instead, a towering fury and Unyielding Battle Intent ignited!

"Old ghost! Lingering like a vengeful spirit! Want to drag me down with you? You're not worthy!"

At this critical moment of life and death, Lin Fan made an extremely bold decision!

He did not sever the connection with the star source core, nor did he fully defend against the ghost energy erosion. Instead, he poured all his mind, all his power, even burning a trace of the Origin qi and blood of the Eternal Indestructible Body, entirely into the star pagoda within his Dantian!

"star pagoda! Stabilize! Stabilize it for me!" He frantically urged the star pagoda, not to suppress the external turmoil or defend against the ghost energy in his Sea of Consciousness, but using the star pagoda as a hub and himself as a bridge, forcibly guiding the strand of pure star source power he had just absorbed and not yet fully refined, mixed with all his own dao rhyme and will, transforming it into an intangible yet immense intent containing the true meanings of 'suppression,' 'stabilization,' and 'soothing.' He sent it along the channel eroded by ghost energy, Reverse rush into the core of the star source, rushing toward the turmoil area stirred by the ghost energy!

He intended to use himself as a guide, the newly obtained star source power and his own dao rhyme as medicine, to soothe and suppress the local turmoil of the star source core! Moreover, he would take this opportunity to completely expel and refine the remnant ghost energy and Divine Thought of Ghost Star Elder!

This was a gamble! Betting on the faint initial resonance and understanding he had established with the star source core, betting on the mystery of his newly fused shattering and sealing dao rhyme, betting on the same-Origin affinity between the star pagoda and star source power, betting on the tenacity of his own will!

Boom!!! The moment Lin Fan's intent mixed with soothing and suppression, carrying a trace of true star source power and all his own dao rhyme, fiercely rushed into the turmoil area of the star source core.

It was like a drop of ice water falling into boiling oil, or like a frenzied beast suddenly injected with a sedative!

The locally turbulent, pitch-black chaotic energy suddenly stalled! The vast will of the star source core itself seemed to sense this strand of 'same-Origin' yet 'soothing' and 'order'-imbued power, instinctively producing a trace of acceptance and resonance!

Seizing this opportunity, Lin Fan's intent, like the most skillful craftsman, cooperating with the stable Law fragments remaining in the star source core itself, began rapidly 'smoothing' the folds of turmoil, 'reinforcing' fragile nodes, 'dispelling' the pollution of external ghost energy!

Sizzle! The remnant ghost energy and Divine Thought of Ghost Star Elder, under this combined internal and external force, the awakening-like rejection and purification of the star source's own will, like snow exposed to the scorching sun, emitted shrill shrieks, rapidly melting and evaporating!

"No! How is this possible?! How can you stir the star source will?! This is impossi—" Ghost Star Elder's remnant Divine Thought let out a final roar filled with unwillingness and disbelief, then completely vanished.

At the same time, the local turmoil of the star source core, like smoothed ripples, quickly subsided. Although the entire core remained shattered and slumbering, the sense of instability and restlessness stirred by it had significantly weakened.

The external spatial chaotic flows and collapse also subsequently slowed.

Pfft! Lin Fan spat out a large mouthful of blood mixed with internal organ fragments and pitch-black ghost energy. His aura instantly withered to the extreme, his vision darkening in waves, almost fainting. That moment just now had consumed all his mental strength, spiritual power, and qi-blood, and he had endured dual damage from ghost energy erosion and star source backlash.

But he gritted his teeth tightly, relying on tenacious will, maintaining the last trace of clarity, controlling the star pagoda to slowly guide a strand of even purer, gentler star source power, carrying a trace of 'acknowledgment' and 'gratitude' intent 'fed back' by the star source core, into his body.

This strand of power was no longer violent, like warm amniotic fluid, quickly flowing through his ravaged Meridians and internal organs, repairing all damage, nourishing his dried-up Qi Sea. A small portion even integrated into the Origin of the Eternal Indestructible Body, making the pale golden light deeper and more restrained, as if countless miniature stars were being born and floating within his flesh, blood, and bones.

Most of the power was absorbed by the star pagoda. All cracks on the pagoda's body completely healed, and its radiance greatly flourished! The pagoda's body grew slightly taller; the second-layer spatial illusion fully solidified, and the outline of the third layer began to faintly appear! The starry sky illusion within the pagoda even evolved a simple starry ecology, like a miniature, growing star world!

Boom! Lin Fan's cultivation, under the dual effects of breaking and establishing anew and the star source baptism, suddenly broke through the Bottleneck, advancing from the initial entry into the Divine Power Realm to the Mid-stage Divine Power Realm in one leap! Moreover, the solidity of his Foundation, the purity of his spiritual power, and the depth of his understanding of star and time-space dao rhyme far exceeded the imagination of peers at the same level!

"Succeeded..." Endless exhaustion and joy surged in Lin Fan's heart. He could no longer hold on, his body going limp as he fell backward.

A pair of strong arms timely caught him; it was King Xia, who had arrived just in time.

King Xia looked at the youth in his arms, whose aura, though weak, now carried an indescribable vastness and steadiness, and sensed the noticeably stabilized fluctuations of the distant star source core. Even his majestic face couldn't help but show a trace of shock and admiration.

"Good kid... you really did it." He said softly, then picked up Lin Fan, transformed into golden light, and quickly retreated from the core area.

When he brought Lin Fan back to the periphery, Xia Qingyue, Meng Liuli, and others immediately gathered around.

Seeing that Lin Fan, though unconscious, had a stable aura with hints of Breakthrough, and that the turmoil in the star source core area had subsided, the Remnant Realm space stabilizing again, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Their gazes toward Lin Fan were filled with amazement and admiration.

"Imperial Uncle, he..." Xia Qingyue hesitated to speak.

"He's fine, just exhausted and unconscious, with significant gains." King Xia handed Lin Fan over to the Yaochi Female Disciples for care, then said loudly, "The Nether Pavilion's conspiracy has been thwarted, the star source core has returned to stability, the Remnant Realm trial is hereby complete! Everyone, immediately tally your gains and prepare to evacuate! In one day, the spatial passage will open again to send you all back to Tianyang City!"

Hearing this, everyone's spirits lifted. This trial full of twists and turns, narrowly escaping death, was finally about to end.

Countless gazes turned again toward the unconscious Lin Fan. Everyone knew that this youth named Lin Fan had already shone the most dazzling light in this Prodigy Assembly. His name would surely spread throughout the various regions of the Human Realm with the legendary experiences of this trial. And the path belonging to him was still very, very long.

The Remnant Realm trial, conclusion. New storms would soon gather again on the Tianjiao Platform in Tianyang City.