97: Undercurrents are brewing, the secrets of the Star Essence are about to be revealed.

After breaking through to the Ninth Level of Body Tempering, Lin Fan did not slack off; instead, he Cultivated even more diligently. He knew that an insurmountable chasm still lay between the Ninth Level of Body Tempering and the Condensing Origin Third Layer. An ordinary Ninth Level of Body Tempering would struggle against the First Level of Condensing Essence, let alone a Genius like Lin Feng, who was at the Condensing Origin Third Layer and possessed a damaged piece of Spiritual Armor.

But Lin Fan was no ordinary Ninth Level of Body Tempering.

The Eternal Indestructible Body, True Dragon Body Refining Art, Circulating Heaven Star Formula, Unyielding Sword Art, and the Sword Heart Illumination talent... any one of these Opportunities would be enough to create a Prodigy in a normal person. Yet Lin Fan possessed them all.

The only thing he lacked was time.

There were only twenty-five days left until the Meteor Star Ancient Domain trial. In these twenty-five days, he had to raise his strength to a level sufficient to contend with Lin Feng.

In the courtyard, Lin Fan held the unyielding sword, practicing the Unyielding Sword Art over and over again.

The first form, "Unyielding," had already reached Minor Achievement; the sword struck like a Dragon, charging forward without hesitation. The second form, "Indomitable," had also reached the entry level, focusing on hiding a needle within cotton—overcoming hardness with softness. These two forms, one hard and one soft, complemented each other perfectly.

However, Lin Fan felt that he had not yet fully unleashed the power of the unyielding sword.

The Sword Heart Illumination talent allowed him to sense the spirituality within the sword, but it felt as if more than half of the blade was still slumbering. Only when his Sword Dao Realm improved or his cultivation broke through would the power within the sword gradually unlock.

“Perhaps a true battle of life and death is needed to fully awaken this sword,” Lin Fan muttered to himself as he sheathed the sword and stood still.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard.

“Brother Lin Fan!” Clear Snow's voice carried a hint of anxiety.

Lin Fan opened the door to see Clear Snow's pretty face pale, her eyes full of worry. “I just heard news from my father—Lin Feng, he’s going to enter the Ancient Domain early!”

“Early?” Lin Fan frowned.

“Yes.” Clear Snow nodded. “The Grand Elder used the excuse of ‘familiarizing with the environment and setting up a secure base’ to petition the Clan Chief to let Lin Feng lead a small team into the Ancient Domain ten days early. Although the Clan Chief rejected it at first, the Grand Elder joined forces with the Fourth Elder and Seventh Elder to apply pressure, and he finally compromised.”

Lin Fan’s gaze turned cold.

Entering the Ancient Domain ten days early meant Lin Feng would have enough time to set traps, familiarize himself with the terrain, and perhaps even take some Opportunities in advance. This was extremely disadvantageous for him.

“Moreover,” Clear Snow lowered her voice, “Father also found out that what Lin Feng brought back from outside wasn't just the damaged Spiritual Armor. He also has an offensive Spiritual Artifact called the ‘Soul-Piercing Awl.’ It specializes in attacking the Soul and is incredibly hard to defend against.”

A Spiritual Artifact! Lin Fan’s heart sank. Spiritual Artifacts were different from ordinary weapons; they contained internal spirit inscriptions and possessed terrifying power. Even the lowest-tier Low Grade Spiritual Artifact could cause a holder's strength to skyrocket.

“Father told me to warn you that the Ancient Domain trial might be even more perilous than you imagine.” Clear Snow’s eyes shimmered with tears. “Brother Lin Fan, how about you find an excuse and don't go?”

Looking at the girl's worried expression, Lin Fan felt a warmth in his heart, but he immediately shook his head. “Qing Xue, there are some things I cannot retreat from.”

“But—”

“There are no buts.” Lin Fan’s tone was firm. “If I retreat this time, there will be a second and a third. The path of martial arts is like rowing upstream; if you do not advance, you fall back. Besides, my parents' vengeance is unavenged and the mystery of my birth is unsolved. How can I shrink back?”

Clear Snow bit her lip, and only after a long while did she whisper, “Then you must be careful.”

“I will.”

After seeing Clear Snow off, Lin Fan returned to the courtyard, his mood somewhat heavy.

Lin Feng was already powerful, and now with the addition of a Spiritual Artifact like the Soul-Piercing Awl, the situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable for him.

“I must break through to the Condensing Essence Realm as soon as possible.” Lin Fan clenched his fists.

Moving from Body Tempering to Condensing Essence was a leap across a major Realm. Once he broke through and his Spiritual Qi transformed into Essence, his strength would undergo a qualitative change. At that time, even if Lin Feng had a Spiritual Artifact in hand, he would have the power to fight.

But how easy was it to break through to Condensing Essence? Moving from the Ninth Level of Body Tempering to the First Level of Condensing Essence required refining the body's blood and Qi to the extreme, then drawing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi into the body to open the Dantian Qi Sea. This process was fraught with danger; the slightest mistake could cause the blood and Qi to flow backward, destroying one's cultivation.

An ordinary Martial Artist would need at least several months of preparation and a large number of Medicinal Pills to have a thirty to forty percent chance of success. Although Lin Fan had the System and many secret methods, the time was too short, and the risk remained high.

“Perhaps I can try that.”

Lin Fan suddenly remembered that in the map of the Meteor Star Ancient Domain given to him by the Second Elder, a treasure called “star marrow” was mentioned. star marrow was formed from the condensed essence of stars and contained pure Power of the Stars, which had miraculous effects on breaking through Realms.

If he could obtain star marrow, his chances of breaking through to Condensing Essence would increase greatly.

However, the places where star marrow was found were all dangerous areas within the Ancient Domain, guarded by powerful Yao Beasts. With his current strength, going alone would be more ill-fated than auspicious.

As he was pondering, the System's notification sounded in his mind:

【Detected that the host is facing a major crisis】

【Triggered Time-Limited Quest: Ancient Domain Survival】

【Quest Requirement: Survive the Meteor Star Ancient Domain trial and obtain at least one portion of ‘star marrow’】

【Quest Reward: Issued based on completion status (including but not limited to Cultivation Techniques, treasures, and special talents)】

【Failure Penalty: Randomly strip one acquired ability】

【Time Limit: Thirty days】

A time-limited quest!

Lin Fan’s spirit was bolstered. The System had finally issued a quest directly related to the Ancient Domain trial. Although the failure penalty was severe, the rewards were worth the anticipation.

“It seems I must get my hands on that star marrow no matter what.”

In the following days, Lin Fan entered an even more frenzied state of cultivation.

During the day, he still went to the Dragon Transformation Pool, but this time he was no longer satisfied with the third level and instead tried to enter the depths of the fourth level. Under the dual tempering of terrifying pressure and dragon blood essence, his Physical Body strength improved at an incredible speed.

At night, he would draw in Power of the Stars at the Star Observation Platform to Cultivate the Circulating Heaven Star Formula. Although progress with this technique was slow, its nourishing effect on the Soul was excellent. Lin Fan could feel his Divine Sense range expanding from the initial three zhang to ten zhang, making his perception of his surroundings increasingly sharp.

And his cultivation of the Unyielding Sword Art did not fall behind. With the support of the Sword Heart Illumination talent, the second form, “Indomitable,” finally reached Minor Achievement. At this point, he had mastered two Minor Achievement sword moves, further increasing his combat power.

It was worth mentioning that Lin Fan discovered a strange resonance seemed to have been generated between the Eternal Indestructible Body, the True Dragon Body Refining Art, and the Circulating Heaven Star Formula.

When he operated these three Cultivation Techniques simultaneously, the blood-Qi, dragon power, and Star Power merged within his body to form a brand-new, even more powerful energy. This energy possessed the overbearing nature of dragon blood, the purity of the stars, and the resilience of the Indestructible body.

Although it was currently only a faint prototype, Lin Fan believed that if he could completely master this energy, his strength would undergo a world-shaking transformation.

One day, while Lin Fan was practicing his sword in the courtyard, his heart suddenly stirred.

He felt a slight tremor from the unyielding sword in his hand, and the blood-colored vein on the blade glowed faintly.

At the same time, the Fusion energy of the three Systems within his body actually surged toward the unyielding sword of its own accord!

“Is this resonance?”

Lin Fan followed his intuition and thrust the sword forward.

This strike did not use any form from the Unyielding Sword Art; it was just a basic straight thrust.

But the moment the sword was thrust, the tip actually erupted with gold, red, and silver light! The lights intertwined, transforming into a three-colored Sword Qi that shot through the air!

“Boom!” The courtyard wall shattered upon impact, and the Sword Qi continued unabated, plowing a three-zhang-long furrow in the ground in the distance, half a foot deep!

Lin Fan was stunned.

The power of this single strike had already far surpassed the first form of the Unyielding Sword Art, “Unyielding”! Moreover, he felt that this strike was not yet perfect and still had immense room for improvement.

“Could this be the prototype of my own Sword Dao?”

A sense of enlightenment welled up in Lin Fan’s heart.

In the early stages of martial cultivation, one can learn the techniques of predecessors, but to truly become a powerhouse, one must forge their own path. Only by creating the Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills that best suit oneself can one's potential be pushed to the limit.

This sword strike was the mark of his beginning to explore his own path.

“This strike merges the Indestructible will of the Eternal Indestructible Body, the dragon prestige of the True Dragon Body Refining Art, the Star Power of the Circulating Heaven Star Formula, and the Sword Intent of the unyielding sword...” Lin Fan murmured, “I’ll call it the ‘Star Dragon Indestructible Sword.’”

Although it was currently just the prototype of a prototype, it was a good start.

Just as Lin Fan was immersed in his realization, uninvited guests arrived at the courtyard again.

This time, three young men in black arrived, each with a sharp aura and cold eyes. The leader was someone Lin Fan recognized as Lin Yun!

However, the current Lin Yun was vastly different from when he was at the Listening Rain Pavilion. His aura was steady, and the light in his eyes was restrained; he had actually broken through to the Peak of the Ninth Level of Body Tempering, only one step away from Condensing Essence.

Clearly, over the past half-month, he had also been cultivating desperately.

“Lin Fan, Big Brother asked me to bring a message to you.” Lin Yun sneered. “Within the Ancient Domain, he will personally cripple your cultivation and leave you alive like a dog, just so you can watch with your own eyes as the position of Godchild changes hands.”

Lin Fan’s expression remained calm. “Are you finished?”

“You—” Lin Yun’s face darkened. “Still acting arrogant when death is at your doorstep!”

“Whether death is at my doorstep will be known after the trial,” Lin Fan said indifferently. “If there’s nothing else, please leave. I still need to Cultivate.”

Resentment flashed in Lin Yun’s eyes, but in the end, he didn't dare to strike. He had personally seen Lin Fan's might when he took down Ninth Level of Body Tempering experts with a single punch. Now that Lin Fan had reached the Ninth Level of Body Tempering, his strength would only be greater.

“Let’s go!” Lin Yun led the two others away in anger.

Watching their departing backs, Lin Fan’s gaze gradually turned cold.

“It seems that in the Ancient Domain, I’ll not only have to deal with Lin Feng but also clean up these small fry.”

He thought no more of it and continued his cultivation.

There were only ten days left until the trial.

In these ten days, he wanted to adjust his state to its best, perfect the prototype of the ‘Star Dragon Indestructible Sword,’ and increase his cultivation as much as possible.

Time was running out.

As night fell, Lin Fan sat cross-legged and looked up at the starry sky.

The stars twinkled, as if telling ancient secrets.

In the Meteor Star Ancient Domain, there was star marrow, there were Opportunities, and there were also death traps.

But he was fearless.

“Lin Feng, we will meet very soon.”

In the youth's eyes, Battle Intent rose like a spark, ready to set the prairie ablaze.