Chapter 27：Robber Dragon Egg

This woman should only exist in the heavens; how rarely can one hear of her in the mortal realm! 

This phrase is nothing short of perfect for describing Zi Ying. After her bath, she emanated an ethereal aura, her unparalleled beauty leaving Tian Fan and Li Yun Yang utterly spellbound, their eyes unblinking. 

Noticing their expressions, Zi Ying timidly hid behind Sun Yue Ying, peeking out with her little head. 

"Ahem." 

Sun Yue Ying cleared her throat, subtly reminding the two wolves in sheep's clothing. 

"Um, the moon in the sky is quite beautiful, isn't it?" 

Li Yun Yang was the first to snap back to reality, glancing out the window and bursting into hearty laughter. Tian Fan nudged him with his elbow, indicating the hourglass on the inn's wall, which clearly displayed that it was just past noon. 

"Zi Ying, stay away from those two; they are not good people," Sun Yue Ying advised, casting a sideways glance at the foolishness of Li Yun Yang. 

"Mm-hmm!" 

Zi Ying nodded earnestly. 

Tian Fan and Li Yun Yang exchanged glances of exasperation. Originally, Li Yun Yang had considered taking a leisurely detour, but under Sun Yue Ying's "gentle" gaze, he swallowed his words and obediently followed her back. After all, while they could risk offending the sect leader, they certainly couldn't provoke her! 

The presence of an additional person made their journey lively, especially with Zi Ying, who was not only beautiful but also incredibly adorable, often leaving Tian Fan and Li Yun Yang in fits of laughter and despair. 

Upon their return to Tai Fu Gate, they were summoned by the sect leader. 

"Grandfather!" 

Sun Yue Ying exclaimed as she rushed toward the Tai Fu Gate leader. 

"Ha ha, everything is well, I trust?" the middle-aged leader said, affectionately ruffling Sun Yue Ying's hair, his fondness for her evident. 

"Of course there was trouble! We nearly faced a catastrophe! If it weren't for Tian Fan, I might not have returned!" 

Li Yun Yang and Tian Fan exchanged frustrated glances; while Sun Yue Ying was fierce outside, she reverted to a little girl in front of the middle-aged man. 

"We encountered an ancient zombie from five hundred years ago—extremely powerful!" 

Sun Yue Ying spoke mysteriously. 

"What? The very one I suppressed all those years ago? I only suspected…" 

The Tai Fu Gate leader looked surprised, but as he noticed everyone staring at him, he quickly covered his mouth, realizing he had let something slip. 

"Wait, Grandfather, it was you who suppressed him! Why didn't you inform us?" 

Sun Yue Ying exclaimed in anger, while the others shot him curious glances. Clearly, this man was full of secrets! Five hundred years? That meant this old fellow was already five centuries old! 

"Uh, it's been many years; I hardly remember, ha ha…" 

The middle-aged leader smiled sheepishly. Sun Yue Ying then recounted the tale of the Yin-Yang Young Master and his associates. 

"Hmph! That denizen of the underworld has grown too bold! How dare he bully my granddaughter, Sun Yue Ying!" 

After listening to Sun Yue Ying's words, Sun Shen Nan's eyes widened in anger, though soon after, he looked at Tian Fan with sparkling eyes, rubbing his palms together: 

"You managed to seize the Yin-Yang Sword from that old monster? That's quite a treasure, not inferior to my Reverse Dragon Blade. That old man will surely go mad!" 

Tian Fan felt a shiver down his spine; he couldn't fathom how this old man, who had to have lived at least five hundred years, still appeared so youthful. 

Finally, Sun Shen Nan turned his gaze to Zi Ying, furrowing his brow slightly. 

"Hey, old man, what are you staring at?!" 

Zi Ying pouted, clearly displeased with Sun Shen Nan's scrutiny. 

"Ahem…" 

Sun Shen Nan coughed, realizing that he hardly resembled an old man at all; this girl had no regard for his esteemed position as the sect leader. Tian Fan felt a wave of joy at witnessing Sun Shen Nan's embarrassment. After Sun Shen Nan had sought him out that one time, Li Yun Yang had informed him that Sun Shen Nan was cut from the same cloth as his old trickster of a master. 

"Alright, the reason I called you here is to discuss the upcoming Four Sect Martial Arts Tournament. It will be held soon at the Fist King Sect. You all should train diligently in preparation for the competition." 

After delivering this news, Sun Shen Nan dismissed them. Tian Fan and Li Yun Yang returned to their quarters while Zi Ying followed Sun Yue Ying. 

In the bamboo grove of Tai Fu Gate, Tian Fan sat cross-legged, alternating between gold and silver light. The Divine Heart Technique and the Five Element Method operated in tandem, exuding an aura of authority and sanctity. 

Then, five blood pills appeared in Tian Fan's hand, acquired from the vanquished old zombie. Initially, he intended to divide three among Li Yun Yang and Sun Yue Ying, but both adamantly refused. Ultimately, he managed to force one pill upon each of them, and along with the two used for healing, he found himself with five remaining. Now, he planned to harness the immense life force within these five zombie blood pills to achieve the Cloud Heaven realm. 

As he crushed the five pills simultaneously, they transformed into a crimson radiance enveloping him. The Divine Heart Technique accelerated, refining the essence of the blood pills. His aura steadily grew, mere moments away from the Cloud Heaven realm, on the verge of becoming a true powerhouse. 

For cultivators, the foundation and concentration were merely basic skills; only upon reaching the Cloud Heaven realm could one truly step into the path of cultivation. The primary distinction between the Cloud Heaven realm and the concentration stage was not just in strength, but also in the ability to fly using one's own power, thus earning the name "Cloud Heaven." 

Everything was progressing as Tian Fan had anticipated, and he was about to enter the Cloud Heaven realm. He could hardly contain the urge to let out a long howl. Suddenly, within his body, a divine egg adorned with purple-gold runes emerged. A powerful suction drew forth the vast life force from the five blood pills, which flowed into the mysterious purple-gold egg like rivers to the sea. 

"Heavens! Even dragons turn into thieves! No!" 

Tian Fan lamented, his heart sinking. He was so close to entering the Cloud Heaven realm, yet unexpectedly, at this crucial moment, the dragon egg he had brought back from the enchanted forest had chosen to leap forth and absorb all the life energy. 

After consuming all the vital energy, the purple-gold dragon egg's runes glimmered more brightly, emanating a formidable presence. At the same time, a consciousness radiated from the egg, swirling around Tian Fan like a playful child, displaying warmth and dependence. Then, this consciousness returned to the dragon egg, slipping back into slumber. 

Tian Fan cradled the dragon egg in his hands, a morose expression on his face, when he suddenly realized something terrifying: 

"Gods! Does this little one require boundless life energy to be born? Woe is me! Where will I find such immense life force?" 

He muttered at the dragon egg, then once again stored it within himself. 

Finally, Tian Fan retrieved the Yin-Yang Sword from within, wielding it alongside the Five Element Sword Technique, executing the sword art in the bamboo grove. One could not deny the might of the Yin-Yang Sword; under the Five Element Sword Technique, it unleashed waves of Yin-Yang energy, far surpassing its strength in the hands of the denizen of the underworld. Tian Fan caressed the Yin-Yang Sword, immensely satisfied. It was indeed a divine weapon and now his strongest support. With this sword in hand, he need not fear even the mightiest in the Cloud Heaven realm. 

As the sun rose once more, Tian Fan rose to his feet. Although he had not yet reached the Cloud Heaven realm, he was undeniably stronger than before. Stretching languidly, he headed toward the Tai Fu Gate martial arts arena.