Chapter 24：Beating the Underworld, Annihilating the Zombie King

"Such an exquisite sword!" 

Gazing at the Yin-Yang sword in his hand and gently caressing its ornate blade, Tianfan couldn't help but exclaim. Li Yunyang and Sun Yueying were momentarily taken aback, puzzled by Yin Shitian's reaction. But in a brief moment, they understood: it had been Tianfan executing covert attacks all along. 

"Ah, the sword? Where is my sword, you bastard? Give it back!" 

Yin Shitian scrambled to his feet, suddenly realizing that the Yin-Yang sword had been seized by Tianfan, who was now playing with it. He erupted in a fit of rage. 

"Return it to you? Very well!" 

Tianfan held the sword in his right hand and gently swung it forward, unleashing a streak of black light. Upon witnessing this, Yin Shitian felt a chill run down his spine; no one understood the sword's terrifying power better than he did. In that instant, he summoned every ounce of his true energy, causing the golden net on the ground to vibrate and rise, merging into a brilliant barrier of golden light that stood before him. 

The black sword light struck, tearing through the golden net in an instant. Though it dimmed after rending the barrier, it did not vanish; it continued to slice directly towards Yin Shitian. 

"Pu…" 

Despite Yin Shitian frantically boosting his energy and erecting layers of defense, he was still sent flying, spitting blood from the force of the sword light unleashed by the Yin-Yang sword. 

"Haha, splendid! Well done, Xiaofan!" 

Li Yunyang shouted from the back, relishing the moment as Yin Shitian, who had once cornered them with the Yin-Yang sword, now tasted his own medicine. 

"Truly a remarkable sword! With just a swing, it unleashes such power; it rightfully deserves its place among the top twenty divine weapons on the arsenal list." 

Tianfan admired the sword, growing increasingly enamored with it, unable to put it down. 

"Damn it! Give me back my sword!" 

Blood trickled from the corner of Yin Shitian's mouth as he shouted furiously. 

"Yin Shitian, I happen to be in need of a reliable weapon. I sincerely thank you for generously bestowing this treasure upon me. I shall graciously accept it." 

These words fell on Yin Shitian's ears like daggers, and he spat another mouthful of blood, infuriated by Tianfan's taunts. 

"Return my sword, or my Yin-Yang Sect will not let you go. You will face the relentless pursuit of all our members, and even the master of the Taifu Sect will be unable to protect you. Hand it back, and we can pretend today never happened." 

At this moment, Yin Shitian regained his composure and spoke to Tianfan in a low voice. 

"Do you think that's possible?" 

Tianfan smiled faintly, his tone dismissive. 

"You'd better think this through. If you do not return the Yin-Yang sword, you will face the wrath of the entire Yin-Yang Sect. My father, the master of the sect, will not spare you either. A powerful being from the Hunyuan Secret Realm can crush you as easily as stepping on an ant!" 

"Is that so? It seems that like father, like son; I suspect the master of the Yin-Yang Sect is no virtuous man himself." 

Unfazed by his threats, Tianfan insulted his father without hesitation. 

"You! You are doomed! How dare you insult the master of the sect!" 

Yin Shitian was almost spitting blood in his fury, but he lacked the courage to confront Tianfan directly. 

"Humph, and what if I did?" 

Tianfan replied with a cold smirk. 

"Very well! Let's see how this plays out!" 

With that, Yin Shitian turned to leave, heading toward the cave entrance. However, Tianfan stepped forward to block his path. 

"Planning to escape?" 

Seeing Tianfan standing in his way, Yin Shitian felt a flicker of fear and shouted angrily, "What do you want? I am the son of the Yin-Yang Sect's master; do you dare to lay a hand on me?" 

"I care not whose son you are. Even if you are the son of Shangguan Yuntian, you shall not leave easily today!" 

Tianfan laughed coldly. From the very beginning, Yin Shitian had treated them with disdain, insulting and attacking them. Now, stripped of his sword and relying solely on threats, he thought he could simply walk away? Tianfan was not so easily intimidated. 

"Shangguan Yuntian? I do not know him; do not throw around trashy names. Compared to my father, he is nothing!" 

Yin Shitian remained defiant, bolstered by the presence of a formidable master from the Hunyuan Secret Realm backing him. 

"Humph! You ignorant fool! If you dare utter those words in the heart of the Divine Martial Continent, I assure you, you'll be left with nothing but ash!" 

Tianfan's expression turned icy, and he chose not to waste more words. He stepped forward and unleashed a punch towards Yin Shitian. 

"Bang!" 

The punch landed solidly on Yin Shitian's nose, shattering the bone and sending blood streaming from his nostrils. 

"Ah! You dare to strike me!" 

Yin Shitian howled, his entire body surging with energy. 

"I struck you for precisely that reason!" 

Tianfan shot forward, delivering a swift kick to Yin Shitian. 

"Bang!" 

Yin Shitian was sent flying, crashing against the wall. 

"Bang!" 

"Ah!" 

Just as he managed to stand, another punch struck his left eye, leaving a dark bruise in its wake. 

"I warned you, without the Yin-Yang sword, you won't be recognizable even to your own mother!" 

Tianfan shouted coldly, launching another punch that connected with Yin Shitian's jaw, delivering an uppercut that sent him soaring into the air. Tianfan then leaped, delivering a series of kicks to his abdomen. 

"Bang… Ah… Bang… Ah…" 

In the cavern, the sounds of fists and feet striking flesh echoed with anguished cries. 

"Ah, stop!" 

Yin Shitian cried out, but just as his plea escaped his lips, a powerful kick sent him hurtling away, blood spewing from his mouth. 

"Haha, splendid! Well done, Xiaofan! Keep hitting him!" 

Li Yunyang cheered Tianfan on, relishing the chance to see Yin Shitian suffer. He wished he could personally join in and deliver a few kicks himself. Sun Yueying, however, wore a grave expression, knowing that this incident would not end well; the master of the Yin-Yang Sect would undoubtedly seek revenge against Tianfan. 

Li Ming and the others gradually regained consciousness and rubbed their eyes in disbelief at the scene before them. 

"Heavens! Am I seeing things? Is our young master being used as a punching bag?" 

"This is madness! The world has gone mad!" 

They struggled to accept such an unbelievable sight. 

"Old fool, attempting to flee? Let me be clear, today you shall die!" 

The old zombie, seeing Tianfan engaged in battle with Yin Shitian, tried to sneak away toward the cave exit. But how could Tianfan allow it? With a swing of the Yin-Yang sword, he intercepted the old zombie's escape. 

"Roar!" 

The Zombie King howled, his entire body engulfed in swirling black energy. Dark mist gathered toward the old zombie's mouth, forming a corrosive black energy ball aimed at Tianfan. Observing the approaching attack, Tianfan swiftly raised his sword and struck down, cleaving the black energy ball in two, causing the mist to swirl chaotically. 

"Ah!" 

Suddenly, a scream pierced the air, and Tianfan felt a wave of unease wash over him. 

"Ha ha…" 

The old zombie cackled sinisterly, a spectral claw gripping Sun Yueying's carotid artery as he kicked Li Yunyang away. 

"Kid, don't move! Or I'll kill her!" 

"Alright, I won't move; just don't do anything rash." 

Tianfan sheathed the Yin-Yang sword and stood motionless, fixated on Sun Yueying in the old zombie's grasp. 

The old zombie slowly advanced toward the cave entrance. Just as he reached it, he struck Sun Yueying in the back. 

"Ha ha, here you go!" 

Sun Yueying screamed, blood spraying from her mouth, staining her garments as she was shoved toward Tianfan by the old zombie. The old zombie then turned and dashed for the exit. 

"Junior sister! Cough cough…" 

Li Yunyang shouted, exacerbating his injuries as he coughed up another mouthful of blood, stumbling toward them. 

Tianfan caught Sun Yueying in his arms, pressing his left hand against her back, channeling his true energy into her to alleviate her injuries. Meanwhile, his gaze remained fixed on the retreating figure of the old zombie, devoid of emotion. A golden radiance flickered intensely at his brow, and a golden sun appeared, radiating dazzling light. 

"Die!" 

A sound like steel clashing erupted from Tianfan's mouth as the golden sun at his brow rotated, and his eyes shone with electric brilliance. The immense mental force, imbued with his killing intent, silently pierced through the Zombie King's flesh, directly striking at the depths of its brain and soul.

"Ah! No, you're using that—"

A scream escaped the Zombie King's lips as it seemed to realize something terrifying. However, it did not have the time to finish its sentence before it was obliterated by Tianfan's lethal technique, its body shattering and its primordial spirit extinguished.