Chapter 19：Tianfan's Strength

Deep within the mountain, all eyes were fixed on Tianfan.

"What? You want us to disappear? Who do you think you are!?" The third brother was visibly displeased, his face dark as he glared at Tianfan. But Tianfan paid him no heed, steadily advancing towards the old zombie, leaving the third brother with nothing but his back.

"Kill him!" the second brother shouted harshly, leaping forward, his golden iron sword slashing fiercely at Tianfan.

"Watch out, Xiao Fan!" Li Yunyang and Sun Yueying cried out simultaneously, trying to warn him. Yet Tianfan continued undeterred, his right hand still holding the sword calmly. He merely lifted his left hand slightly, flicking a finger behind him. A beam of golden light shot out.

"Clang... Bang..." The sound of the iron sword snapping and something hitting the ground rang out in quick succession. The second brother's face paled; the sword in his hand was shattered, and blood dripped uncontrollably from the corner of his mouth.

"What...?" The third brother, who had been ready to attack, froze at the sight, a cold chill creeping from his head to his toes. A mid-stage cultivator, injured and sent flying by a mere flick of Tianfan's finger.

"Gods, am I seeing things?" Li Yunyang rubbed his eyes vigorously, unable to believe what had just transpired. Sun Yueying, on the other hand, was left with her mouth agape in an "O" shape, utterly shocked.

"Xiao Fan? Is it really you?" Sun Yueying asked in disbelief as Tianfan finally reached her side.

"Heh, of course it's me, Senior Sister," Tianfan smiled gently, motioning for her to step aside. She uttered a soft "Be careful," before rushing to help Li Yunyang to his feet. Neither the Yin-Yang Prince nor Li Ming made any move as they watched this unfold. Once she was safely by Li Yunyang's side, Tianfan turned his gaze forward.

"So, boy, you want to kill me?" The old zombie sneered, not taking Tianfan seriously in the slightest.

"Do you really think you'll walk out of here alive?" Tianfan's Qingguang sword glimmered in his hand, his left middle finger tapping lightly along the blade's edge. A clear, crisp sound rang out, his eyes glinting as he looked at the old zombie with a half-smile.

"Arrogant brat! You're the first to speak to me like this! I'll show you that not just anyone can challenge the Zombie King at the peak of Spirit Condensation! Die!" The old zombie roared, hurling a punch towards Tianfan, the wind from his fist howling with power. Tianfan, expressionless, raised his sword to meet the strike.

"Clang, clang..." The iron fists of the old zombie clashed repeatedly with Tianfan's Qingguang sword, producing a sharp metallic ring. The zombie king's body was so tough that only a divine blade like the Ziqing Sword could truly harm it.

The zombie king's strength was immense, but Tianfan's swordsmanship was equally profound, expertly deflecting the force of the punches. For a time, man and demon were evenly matched.

"Brother Li, how did your master end up with such a powerful disciple? Didn't you know?" Sun Yueying's eyes sparkled as she watched Tianfan easily fight the old zombie, turning to ask Li Yunyang.

"I don't really know," Li Yunyang replied awkwardly, "We met him on the plains. He fell from the sky, and then Master... well... brought him back. So, I don't know him all that well."

As he finished, Li Yunyang's expression grew uncomfortable. He couldn't bring himself to admit that Tianfan had been tricked into joining by their master—it was too embarrassing. But suddenly, his face darkened as he recalled what Tianfan had said to their master: "An elder opened a space channel and sent me out..." Swallowing hard, he muttered to himself, "Could he have been telling the truth?"

Could there really be a god behind him? That thought was terrifying! A being from ancient legends, something only mentioned in old texts. He shook his head violently, trying to dismiss the idea as he turned his gaze back to the fight.

By now, the battle had reached a fever pitch. Zombie fists clashed with the Qingguang sword, neither side gaining the upper hand!

"Ha! Do you think a broken sword like that can harm my body? What a joke!" the old zombie taunted, sneering as he fought.

"Oh, really?" Tianfan replied with a faint smile, a subtle curve appearing at the corner of his lips. A barely visible silver light flickered along the edge of the Qingguang sword as he slashed towards the old zombie's outstretched arm.

"Argh!" A pained scream erupted from the old zombie as a half-foot deep wound appeared on its right arm. Black blood gushed out, corroding the ground beneath it, forming small pits. If not for the zombie's arm being five or six times thicker than a normal human's, the entire limb would have been severed.

"How's that? Not too bad for a 'broken sword,' right?" Tianfan's voice was calm, but his words felt like a sharp slap across the old zombie's face. Moments ago, it had boasted that his sword couldn't hurt it, and now it was paying the price in blood.

"You little brat, I'll kill you!" the old zombie roared, blood seeping from its right arm. It tried to heal the wound but found the process frustratingly slow.

That single strike had visibly shaken the onlookers. Tianfan's ability to surprise them seemed endless. The Yin-Yang Prince's face twisted with displeasure. He could hurt the old zombie too, but it would require the use of a powerful artifact. Yet Tianfan had done it with ease.

Tianfan's success in wounding the Zombie King with the Qingguang sword came down to the special sword technique he had learned. In the Magic Forest, when the "Five Elements Seal" in his soul shattered, it had transformed into a beam of silver light, merging into his body. That light had contained the secrets of the "Five Elements Sword Technique" as well as the methods for controlling the Five Elements Seal.

The reason his earlier strike had been so effective was that he had channeled the natural elemental energy of the world into his sword, following the basic principles of the Five Elements Sword Technique. This allowed him to easily wound the old zombie.

The enraged Zombie King's iron-hard body now glowed with a demonic light. The air filled with the stench of blood, and a crimson mist danced wildly around him. A massive wave of blood surged from within the zombie, converging into a blood orb before its chest. With a fierce roar, the zombie clasped the blood orb between its claws.

At the sight of the blood orb, both Li Yunyang and Sun Yueying turned pale. The power within that orb was immense, far surpassing even the "Fire Charm of Yin Flame" that Li Yunyang had once used. They could see countless tortured souls writhing and wailing within the orb. The blood pool from which it was drawn was vast and filled with the blood of countless slaughtered beings. It must have taken an unimaginable number of lives to create, and a secret method had been used to trap their souls, ensuring they could never reincarnate.

Such a wicked act! The souls would be forever tormented, their resentment growing until they transformed into vengeful ghosts, increasing the power of the one who wielded them.

"Cackling, the old zombie gloated, "You see this? I refined the souls of nine hundred and ninety-nine pure yin maidens into this orb. Dying under its power will be your greatest honor!"

The blood orb between the zombie's hands grew more terrifying by the second. Li Yunyang and Sun Yueying looked on in horror. They had known the Zombie King was evil, but this exceeded even their worst expectations. It was monstrous! Righteous fury filled them, but also deep concern for Tianfan's safety.

Gazing at the blood orb filled with tormented souls, Tianfan's expression finally shifted to one of fury.

"Old monster, today is your end. Not even the gods can save you now!"