Chapter 22：The Power of Yin Yang Sword

The single word "brother" stirred up an immense surge of passion in Tianfan's heart. Who says men are only driven mad by love? There is another kind of bond, one that makes heroes fearless in the face of death.

"Xiaofan, don't be rash. He wields the Yin-Yang Sword; you're no match for him."

Sun Yueying, seeing Tianfan about to charge forward, swiftly pulled him back.

"Hmph, Sun Yueying, it's useless for you to step forward. Anyone I, Yin Shitian, want to kill has never had the chance to survive," sneered the Yin-Yang Prince coldly, revealing his true name.

Tianfan gently brushed off Sun Yueying's hand from his shoulder, stepped forward, and with his Azure Sword shimmering in a blaze of silver, he said icily:

"Come, Yin Shitian, let's see how much your Yin-Yang Sword can really do against me!"

"Hah! You dare challenge the moon with the light of a mere firefly? Ignorant fool!"

Yin Shitian scoffed, not even bothering to gather his true energy, simply raising his sword and swinging it.

From the Yin-Yang Sword, a black arc of light shot towards Tianfan like a crackling whip. Tianfan brandished his Azure Sword, releasing a flash of silver sword energy to meet the oncoming attack. The moment they collided, his sword light was shattered. Yet, the sword's force from Yin Shitian continued unabated, driving relentlessly towards Tianfan.

A grave expression crossed Tianfan's face as he summoned his true energy, unleashing nine consecutive sword strikes. Nine beams of silver, half a foot wide, collided with the black chain of light, sparking a cascade of explosions. Even after the ninth strike, the black whip remained intact, though visibly dimmed.

Tianfan was pushed back a full ten steps. With a final forceful slash of his Azure Sword, he managed to break the lingering black sword light in front of him.

"Not bad, kid. You actually survived my sword strike, even though it took you eleven strikes. I expected you'd be wounded by now."

Yin Shitian showed no surprise that Tianfan had blocked his attack, clearly having anticipated it, but his words still dripped with derision.

"If you want to wound me, you're far from capable. Without that sword, I'd beat you so bad even your mother wouldn't recognize you!"

Tianfan sneered at Yin Shitian with a sidelong glance, laughing loudly.

"Ha! Well said, Xiaofan! Guys like him deserve to be mocked!"

Li Yunyang laughed heartily, not far behind Tianfan. Even Sun Yueying, who had been tense, allowed a faint smile to escape.

The men standing behind Yin Shitian were dumbfounded. Who are these people? Don't they know the Yin-Yang Prince is notorious for his brutal strength among the younger generation? With the Yin-Yang Sword in hand, most of his peers quiver in fear at the mere sight of him, lest they provoke his deadly wrath. Yet today, these people dared to speak to him with such insolence, as if he were nothing!

"You all... fine, very fine! I take back what I said earlier. Not a single one of you will leave here alive. You're all going to die!"

Yin Shitian's face darkened like an impending storm, matching the ominous weight of his name. The Yin-Yang Sword in his hand began to exude a terrifying aura, chilling the very soul. Li Yunyang's laughter froze in his throat, his body trembling uncontrollably under the sword's murderous energy. Sun Yueying, drenched in sweat and pale-faced, fared no better. This was the oppressive force of a weapon that had slaughtered those in the Ascension Realm.

A divine weapon that had once slain Ascension Realm experts was not something ordinary people could withstand. If it weren't for Yin Shitian's limited cultivation, had a Cloud Sky Realm master been wielding the Yin-Yang Sword, the sheer force it emitted would have shredded both of them to pieces, without question.

"Hmph, you're just relying on that sword. Without it, you're nothing!"

Tianfan, despite the immense pressure weighing on him, stood firm, his body gleaming silver as he positioned himself in front of Li Yunyang and Sun Yueying. A Five Elements Barrier appeared before him, slowly spinning as it resisted the lethal aura from the Yin-Yang Sword.

"Break!"

Yin Shitian roared, swinging his sword once more. This time, a beam of white light materialized into an unparalleled sword strike aimed directly at the Five Elements Diagram.

"Bang…"

The Five Elements Diagram shattered instantly under the assault, sending Tianfan reeling backward, coughing up blood.

"Xiaofan! Are you alright!?"

Li Yunyang and Sun Yueying rushed to Tianfan's side, their voices filled with concern as they helped him up. Tianfan had borne the brunt of the force to protect them, and now he was gravely injured by that single sword strike.

"I'm fine."

Tianfan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and fixed his gaze once more on Yin Shitian.

"Among my generation, anyone who can take two of my sword strikes is a rare talent. So here's an offer: swear allegiance to me, let me plant the 'Yin-Yang Death Curse' in your soul, and I'll spare your life. How about it?"

Yin Shitian, realizing Tianfan's strength was nearly equal to his own, knew that without the Yin-Yang Sword, it was hard to say who would emerge victorious. Thus, a new plan took root—he intended to make Tianfan his servant.

"Heh, sure. But I have a condition: you crawl over to me, hand over your Yin-Yang Sword, slap yourself twice, and shout 'Yin Shitian is shameless' three times. How's that?"

Tianfan sneered, mocking the so-called "offer."

"You… you're courting death!"

At first, Yin Shitian smiled, thinking Tianfan had surrendered, but as his words sank in, his fury ignited. A murderous aura surged from him like a tidal wave, so intense even the men behind him recoiled in fear.

Yin Shitian raised his sword once more, the black and white energies swirling along the blade. Now truly enraged, he prepared to unleash a devastating blow to finish them off.

The Yin-Yang Sword shimmered, alternating between black and white, as it began absorbing moonlight from the sky, drawing in both the celestial energy and Yin Shitian's own true essence. The sword trembled slightly, the two colors of light dazzling in their brilliance.

Raising the Yin-Yang Sword high, Yin Shitian slashed down with a cold shout:

"Absolute Yin-Yang Annihilation!"

Two beams, one black, one white, separated from the Yin-Yang Sword and merged into a massive Yin-Yang diagram in the sky, cutting towards Tianfan and his companions.

As the Yin-Yang diagram hurtled toward them, Tianfan's face paled. Though it carried no visible killing intent, he could feel the looming threat of death.

At this moment, nothing else mattered. Only power could decide their fate. Tianfan poured out every last bit of his true energy, summoning fifteen layers of the Five Elements Barrier. But even then, he didn't stop. With swift hand seals, he added another ten layers.

He knew the Five Elements Barrier was a powerful secret technique, but his comprehension of it was shallow, and under the might of the Yin-Yang Sword, the forces he had mastered were far from enough.

Twenty-five silver diagrams shielded Tianfan, and though drenched in sweat, nearly collapsing from exhaustion, he held his ground. The Yin-Yang diagram descended slowly, and the moment it touched the first barrier, it dissolved it with barely a tremor.

One by one, the barriers shattered—sixteen in an instant. The remaining nine trembled, and it seemed inevitable that the Yin-Yang diagram would reach him.

"Hmph, die! Remember, in your next life, don't cross paths with me again!"

The Yin-Yang Prince sheathed his sword, knowing the outcome was sealed, and spoke with chilling indifference.

Behind Tianfan, Sun Yueying's face twisted in despair as the Yin-Yang diagram neared. She hesitated for a moment, then finally reached into her sleeve.