Chapter 63: Phoenix Egg

Deep within the Wutong forest, Ye Fan pulled Chen Qingshuang along as they continuously drew closer to the source of light.

The closer they got, the more intense the aura they could perceive became.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the very center of the Wutong forest.

The scene that greeted their eyes left them utterly astonished.

There, in a clearing at the heart of the Wutong forest, was a deep crater spanning about a dozen meters.

Right in the middle of the crater, an egg radiating a seven-colored glow floated quietly.

Not far from this egg stood a Seven-Colored Immortal Spirit Flower. Judging by its rich hue, it had already reached the age of a supreme celestial treasure!

Ye Fan carefully sensed the surrounding environment but found no trace of any spiritual beasts.

Driven by his desire for the treasures, a thought crossed his mind and he stepped forward to claim them, only to be stopped by Chen Qingshuang.

"Brother Ye Fan, be careful."

"It's better to observe a little longer. After all, there's no telling what might happen in this secret realm."

Ye Fan nodded. Chen Qingshuang was right; he had been a bit too hasty just now.

Standing to the side, Fang Tianyao seized the opportunity to sneer and mock, "Impulsive and reckless, you'll never amount to anything."

"I truly have no idea what Junior Sister sees in you."

"To put it bluntly, for someone like you to have lived until now is nothing short of a miracle."

Though Ye Fan was reluctant to bicker with him endlessly, he could hardly endure the other man's repeated derision.

Just as he was about to open his mouth to retort, a faint sound suddenly echoed in his ears.

"Crack..."

It wasn't just him; Chen Qingshuang and Fang Tianyao heard it as well.

As they searched for the origin of the noise, Chen Qingshuang pointed at the floating egg and let out a gasp of surprise!

"Look, Brother Ye Fan!"

Ye Fan followed the direction of her finger and saw that a delicate fissure had actually appeared on the colorful, radiant eggshell.

Furthermore, this crack was slowly spreading in all directions.

The sound from a moment ago had clearly emanated from here.

In less than ten minutes, the previously smooth eggshell was now covered in fractures.

An incomparably formidable aura leaked through the cracks, and the three of them could feel the surrounding temperature rising sharply.

"A phoenix!"

"This is a phoenix egg!"

Chen Qingshuang seemed to recall something and exclaimed once more.

When she was young, she had read a description of a phoenix egg in an ancient secret manual.

It was almost identical to the scene before her eyes. Combined with the rapidly rising temperature, it made her even more certain that this was indeed a phoenix egg.

"Brother Ye Fan! Take advantage of the fact that the phoenix has yet to be born and quickly bind it with your blood!"

"If you perform the blood binding right now, once it hatches from its shell, it will recognize you as its master!"

These words were also overheard by Fang Tianyao, fueling his jealousy toward Ye Fan even further.

Seeing that Ye Fan had no intention of performing the blood binding, Fang Tianyao rudely lunged forward.

Upon seeing this, Ye Fan moved in a flash, instantly blocking his path.

"I'm not even in a rush, what are you panicking about?"

"Shuang'er, the phoenix is an extremely rare and peerless divine beast between heaven and earth. It is better for you to perform the blood binding."

Ye Fan took the initiative to yield this opportunity to Chen Qingshuang.

The sight of the two of them courteously ceding the chance to one another pushed Fang Tianyao past his breaking point.

"Enough!"

"You little trash, stop putting on a hypocritical act here!"

"Don't say I didn't give you a chance. As long as you defeat me, this phoenix egg is yours to do with as you please."

"But if you lose, get lost, and never show your face to Junior Sister again!"

"Well? Do you dare?"

Chen Qingshuang immediately became displeased and rebuked Fang Tianyao angrily, "Fang Tianyao, have you no shame?"

"Ye Fan is only at the Soul Formation Realm, while you are in the mid-stage of Semi-Deity."

"This duel is unfair, I don't agree!"

Fang Tianyao let out a cold snort. "Soul Formation Realm? Did I force him to stay at the Soul Formation Realm?"

"It's his own lack of cultivation talent, he has no one else to blame."

"Surname Ye, if you're too cowardly, then obediently crawl out of here!"

Ye Fan took a deep breath, lowered his head, and his shoulders trembled slightly.

Seeing him in this state, Fang Tianyao assumed he was terrified, and the expression on his face grew even more smug.

Yet, the very next second...

"Haha..."

"Interesting! Truly fascinating!"

Ye Fan raised his head once more, a playful curve playing at the corners of his lips.

"You don't actually think I was scared of you, do you?"

"If it weren't for Shuang'er's sake, a person like you would have died a hundred times over in front of me."

"Is the mid-stage of Semi-Deity supposed to be impressive?"

"I remember the last mid-stage Semi-Deity fellow knelt down obediently before me and barked three times, proclaiming himself a dog."

"It seems you want to taste that experience for yourself today, don't you?"

"Then this young master will grant your wish!"

As his voice fell, the spiritual power within Ye Fan's body erupted instantly.

His aura climbed steadily upward. Clearly at the Great Perfection of the Soul Formation Realm, he unleashed a presence far exceeding that realm.

Fang Tianyao had not expected Ye Fan to truly dare fight him. No longer holding back, he decided to beat Ye Fan thoroughly.

The two auras clashed instantly, and they charged toward one another at the same time.

In the void, their fists collided.

"Bang!"

Following a deafening crash, Fang Tianyao was actually sent flying by a single punch from Ye Fan!

The terrifying impact instantly injured him, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

Fang Tianyao's pupils contracted violently; he found it hard to believe that this was power Ye Fan could unleash.

Chen Qingshuang was also dumbfounded. Ever since the Qishan secret realm, this was the first time she had seen Ye Fan make a move.

And the strength Ye Fan was displaying now left her deeply shocked once again.

Although Fang Tianyao was not the strongest disciple of the Cold Moon Sect, he could definitely rank in the top five.

Yet such a proud prodigy was sent retreating with a single punch by Ye Fan, whose cultivation was only at the Great Perfection of Soul Formation!

"You lost."

Ye Fan's voice rang out.

Fang Tianyao trembled all over, unable to accept this outcome.

Refusing to admit defeat, he charged toward Ye Fan once more.

Ye Fan shook his head, then slowly raised a hand and gently swiped it through the void: "A prison drawn upon the ground."

An invisible cage instantly trapped Fang Tianyao. No matter how wildly he crashed against it within, he could never break free.

At this moment, if Ye Fan wanted to kill him, it would be as easy as turning over his hand; but after all, he was still Chen Qingshuang's senior brother.

"Bastard, let me out!"

"Once I get out, I'll hack you into a thousand pieces!"

"..."

No matter how furiously he cursed, Ye Fan ignored him entirely.

Ye Fan turned around, smiled faintly at Chen Qingshuang, and said, "Shuang'er, go ahead and perform the blood binding. Do it while it hasn't hatched yet, or it will be too late!"

Chen Qingshuang nodded and stopped holding back. "Then I won't stand on ceremony! But you must come with me, to witness this moment together!"

With that, she took the initiative to pull Ye Fan along, flying toward the phoenix egg right before Fang Tianyao's eyes.