It should be about done.
Lin Fan gazed around the spring, now looking bald and barren after his ruthless harvesting.
Satisfied, he let out a deep breath.
Of course, taking away these immortal herbs wouldn't affect the surrounding poisonous mists. After all, the core source of the toxic fog was none other than the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well itself. The spring was the deadliest part of this place.
All the herbs had thrived here precisely because they depended on the spring's unique aura to survive.
What's more, Lin Fan hadn't touched some of the toxic plants growing within the poison mist, such as the Jade Phosphor Seven Ultimate Flower.
Right now, his greatest resource was these immortal herbs. If he encountered something he had to acquire, he could always trade it.
"The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well has been fully harvested. For now, it no longer holds much value to me. Letting Dugu Bo continue guarding this place isn't a bad idea either," Lin Fan muttered to himself, preparing to leave the valley.
However, as he turned, his gaze suddenly caught a faint twinkle of light flashing near the roots of a small tree clinging to the cliff wall.
"Hmm?" Lin Fan paused, narrowing his eyes as he stared at the tree roots—yet nothing appeared to be there.
"Was it just my imagination? I thought I saw a flicker, like starlight in the night sky."
He furrowed his brow, standing still for quite a while, pondering deeply.
Suddenly, he activated his Wisdom Soul Bone's special skill.
"Soul Bone Skill—True Sight!"
Golden light flashed across Lin Fan's eyes as he focused on the cliffside tree.
"…This is…!" Lin Fan froze, his face lighting up with joy.
Beneath the tree roots, hidden from ordinary sight, he saw a peculiar plant.
This grass thrived in hidden, shaded places, absorbing the essence of starlight and bathing in moonlight for centuries to mature.
Its leaves were shaped like stars, their color shifting subtly with the moon's phases. A soft, radiant glow resembling faint starlight surrounded it—it was a rare and peerless immortal herb known as the Phantom Star Grass.
"Phantom Star Grass! It's Phantom Star Grass!" Lin Fan couldn't hide his delight.
He'd once read about this rare herb in the system's Compendium of Rare Treasures, so he recognized it immediately.
As its name implied, the Phantom Star Grass had an extraordinary ability to change and conceal itself, perfectly blending with its surroundings.
Only during nighttime would its leaves shimmer like the stars in the sky, revealing its presence.
What thrilled Lin Fan even more was that consuming the essence of Phantom Star Grass would grant one the ability to freely transform their appearance, changing their facial features, body shape, even their aura and energy signature—essentially cloaking themselves in a starry veil.
Moreover, it could mask the user's energy and soul fluctuations, making their soul skills harder to detect. Even during stealth operations or combat, they'd merge seamlessly with their surroundings, becoming nearly impossible to track.
This kind of shapeshifting was far superior to Qian Renxue's Angel Soul Bone disguise ability—it was far more realistic and flawless.
As long as the user didn't willingly remove the disguise, even a 99th-rank Peerless Douluo's spiritual sense would likely fail to see through it.
Seeing this, Lin Fan instantly realized this herb was the perfect solution to the system's troublesome tournament mission.
Without hesitation, he carefully picked the Phantom Star Grass and sat down on a nearby rock.
The six star-shaped leaves of the Phantom Star Grass glimmered with a mesmerizing violet hue, scattered with sparkling starlight patterns—an utterly stunning sight.
Knowing that the essence resided within the leaves, Lin Fan immediately consumed them, absorbing the medicinal energy.
In an instant, his body was enveloped in a soft, starry glow, as though draped in a veil of starlight.
Once the power fully fused with his body, Lin Fan retrieved a mirror and tested his newfound ability.
His long black hair gradually shifted to an ash-gray tone.
Next, his facial features began to change; his entire aura became icy and aloof, his appearance transforming dramatically.
Finally, he summoned his Slaughter Sword Martial Soul, altering its soul rings into five rings: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black—imitating the typical pattern of a Soul King.
Lin Fan had purposely avoided using his Azure Shadow Sword Martial Soul, fearing it might be recognized by old acquaintances—after all, he'd revealed that martial soul too many times before.
But with the Slaughter Sword Martial Soul, there was no such concern. No one had ever witnessed him use it publicly.
Standing by the edge of the spring, Lin Fan looked at his reflection in the water and chuckled.
"Truly like a different person. The Phantom Star Grass's transformation is incredible—not just in appearance, but even my aura, temperament, and soul rings have changed perfectly."
"For the All-Continent Elite Tournament, I'll compete under this new identity."
"Since I need a new identity… let's go with 'Lin Xuan.'"
With Phantom Star Grass's ability, Lin Fan had finally solved the problem of the system's seemingly impossible tournament mission.
"Lin Xuan… Hah, not a bad name."
Grinning, he canceled the disguise, reverting to his true self.
Now, Lin Fan was truly satisfied as he finally left the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
He hadn't expected such a hidden gem like the Phantom Star Grass to exist here—a herb capable of perfect concealment.
Had he come during the day, he might've missed it entirely.
—
The Next Day — Heaven Dou City
Back at his courtyard, Lin Fan slept soundly until noon.
After waking, he set off toward the eastern district, heading straight for a high-level soul master academy known as Blue Tyrant Academy.
On the way, he activated his transformation again, once more taking on the identity of the cold and distant "Lin Xuan."
Arriving at the academy gates, Lin Fan's icy presence startled the gatekeeper.
"Um… student, you don't look familiar. You're not from our academy—you can't enter," the gatekeeper said nervously, intimidated by Lin Fan's imposing aura.
"I will be there soon enough. Where's the admissions office?" Lin Fan replied coldly, maintaining his aloof persona.
"Uh… You're here to enroll? Just head inside to the largest building—that's the admissions hall," the gatekeeper said hastily, unwilling to offend him.
Without another word, Lin Fan strode through the gate.
Most students were still in class, so the campus was quiet.
Soon, he arrived at the academy's grand main building.
"Student, who are you looking for?" A middle-aged man with a brush mustache stepped out from the doorway, eyeing Lin Fan suspiciously.
"Teacher, my name is Lin Xuan. I've come to enroll," Lin Fan said coldly.
"Enrollment? Apologies, we're not accepting new students right now—it's not admissions season," the man replied with a polite smile.
"Really? I'm here because I need to qualify for the All-Continent Elite Tournament," Lin Fan stated directly, revealing his true purpose.
"You want to join the academy's battle team? If you've reached the Soul Ancestor level and are under twenty-four years old, I can authorize a special enrollment," the man responded, raising an eyebrow.
Lin Fan remained silent.
Instead, he summoned the Slaughter Sword Martial Soul, projecting the five soul rings of a Soul King.
The sudden surge of killing intent from his martial soul forced the teacher back several steps in shock.
"S-Soul King?! And that killing intent… Why is it so terrifying?"
At that moment, a cold female voice rang out from a nearby hallway.
"Teacher Yinshu, you know that students aren't allowed to release killing intent on campus, right?"
A tall woman in a plain blue robe appeared, her presence equally icy.
"Dean Liu! It wasn't me—it was this student!" the flustered man quickly explained, pointing at Lin Fan.
Oh? Liu Erlong turned her gaze toward the cold-faced Lin Xuan, her eyes narrowing slightly in surprise.