Step by Step Ascend to Immortality

Chapter 25: Chapter 26 On the road again

"I love Gu Shanhe, the man who could capture the hearts of cities with just one glance!"

Gu Shanhe. The name was one that Du Yunlong was more than familiar with. Who didn't know of this renowned Yulin Guard from the Han Dynasty? But in Du Yunlong's memories, Gu Shanhe was always a figure shrouded in mystery—cunning, elusive, and unpredictable. Moreover, he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Just a few days ago, Du Yunlong had discovered another layer to this enigmatic man—he was Wang Zihan's cousin, not by blood, but still close.

Yet all this had been nothing more than abstract concepts to Du Yunlong until now. It wasn't until Fire Qianshu's nearly tranquil confession that this name became more vivid, more real. Wang Zihan's quiet sobs filled the air.

Fire Qianshu had become one with the white flames that engulfed him, writhing on the ground in agony. The pain was so intense that even this iron-willed man could not withstand it. But as he revealed his innermost feelings, his expression softened, becoming gentle and full of affection.

This was the real Fire Qianshu. His gaze was clearer than water, reflecting a love that was destined to go unfulfilled and memories long buried. Du Yunlong couldn't fully comprehend this kind of emotion, but he understood one thing—Fire Qianshu's love for Gu Shanhe was the reason he had been so kind to Wang Zihan.

"My unrequited love may be unacknowledged, but it will live on in your memories—that's enough for me." Fire Qianshu's voice was calm and serene, even as the white flames devoured him. His refined demeanor remained undiminished. "I don't want your brother to know."

The heat from Fire Qianshu's body intensified, forcing Du Yunlong to step back, unable to bear it any longer. But Wang Zihan, still sobbing, replied, "Uncle Huo, Uncle Huo, I understand your feelings. I'll make sure my brother knows that someone loved him in secret."

"Thank you."

In the next instant, the white flames around Fire Qianshu surged outward, incinerating everything within a ten-foot radius—trees, stones, everything turned to ash. Luckily, Du Yunlong reacted swiftly, grabbing Wang Zihan by the waist and leaping out of harm's way.

"Uncle Huo! Uncle Huo!" Wang Zihan's voice was broken by her sobs as she collapsed to the ground. "Even though I know now that your kindness to me was because of my brother, I'll never forget it... it was real. I'll make sure he understands your feelings, no matter what stands in the way."

Du Yunlong, deeply moved, knew he had to make a decision. "Miss Wang, we need to leave."

"Don't you have anything to say? Any thoughts?" Wang Zihan's voice quivered as she stared at the burning flames, watching them grow, then fade.

"What's there to say?" Du Yunlong sighed with a slight smile. "Well, for one, your waist is thicker than I imagined. And, Fire Qianshu bought us half a day with his sacrifice. We can't let his effort go to waste!"

"Who are you calling thick-waisted!" Wang Zihan shot back, nearly jumping to her feet. "Watch your mouth, servant! Watch it!"

Gradually, Wang Zihan regained her composure. "Servant, we should go. But shouldn't we take something with us? I don't want Uncle Huo to just be a fragment of our memories."

"He was a living person! He deserves more than to be just a memory!"

Her voice was intense with emotion. "Let's wait a little longer. He had his love, his feelings, his pride. I will remember him, cherish him, honor him. Let's carry his memory with us! Servant, I need your help!"

"Alright." Du Yunlong rarely agreed with Wang Zihan so wholeheartedly. "We'll wait a bit longer, but we don't have much time. We need to bring Fire Qianshu's memory to Yuanzhou."

He pointed to the sky. "The eagle is coming!"

Not far from them, a black hawk silently swept across the sky, its sharp eyes fixed on the ground below, ready to strike.

It was time to move again.

"What's going on here?! What's going on?!" Pang Jiaolong couldn't believe that his carefully selected teams had been utterly defeated by Du Yunlong and Fire Qianshu, suffering such tremendous losses. "Fire Qianshu was just a Bone Refinement warrior! He only had Bone Refinement level cultivation!"

Across from him, Ma Qianjun, a man who valued profit above all else, didn't care much about the casualties among his men. To him, they were just numbers. "That only means your men were incompetent. I'm losing faith in our partnership. Either you deliver on your promises now, or we part ways. This time, it's not our fault."

Pang Jiaolong was taken aback by Ma Qianjun's sudden attack. "You want out? It's not that easy! We've lost so many men, and now you want to back out?!"

Ma Qianjun didn't mince words. "We've lost men too, haven't we? Unless you fulfill your promises, I'm out. And what can you do about it? They say Fire Qianshu fought like a demon. Even I might not be able to take him on!"

At the mention of Fire Qianshu's battle, Pang Jiaolong fell silent. The scene had been horrifying. According to the surviving witnesses, Fire Qianshu had momentarily exhibited strength akin to the Peak Mountain Stage, unstoppable and terrifying. Who knew what dark arts he had used to become so fearsome?

"Fire Qianshu is nothing!" It was Pang Tianshan, the Foundation Establishment Patriarch of the Pang family, who spoke up, silencing Ma Qianjun. "I once fought four of the Gu family's top warriors, and Xing Ruyu was a true Peak Mountain Stage fighter. But so what? I took him down in ten moves!"

"The real threat is the dual cultivator, Yan Ruojiang, who fought me to a standstill with both martial arts and Daoist techniques!" Pang Tianshan reflected on the past with a sigh. "From what our returning men reported, this Du Yunlong is also a dual cultivator. Though his Daoist skills are weak—likely only at the middle Qi Refinement stage—he's not to be underestimated."

Facing someone as formidable as Pang Tianshan, Ma Qianjun could only respond with a fawning smile. "Patriarch Pang, I'm just concerned about losing too many men! With your divine abilities, neither Du Yunlong nor Fire Qianshu will be anything more than dust!"

Pang Tianshan, however, remained serious. "Do you really think Fire Qianshu is still alive? We only have to deal with Du Yunlong now."

As the head of the Pang family, Pang Tianshan's judgment was sharp. He pointed to a charred mark on the ground. "It's clear that Fire Qianshu initially used the Po Jun Ru Yang technique, a fiercely powerful method, but one with a heavy cost. Without a year of rest, it's impossible to recover from it. And since he didn't gain much from fighting our elite forces, he must have resorted to a demonic technique afterward."

Tracing his hand over Fire Qianshu's palm print, Pang Tianshan commented, "I don't know the origin of Fire Qianshu's technique, but it's definitely a demonic skill like the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique. It burns a person's life force, blood, and soul as fuel, drastically increasing their power for a short time. But once the fire starts, it can't be stopped."

Ma Qianjun, a warrior of the Yuan Dragon level, had heard of similar techniques. "As long as there's fuel, the fire burns on."

"Exactly. Once the fuel is gone, the fire dies out. Fire Qianshu is probably already dead. All we need to deal with is Du Yunlong!" Pang Tianshan said firmly. "Though he's tricky, he's only at the Yuan Dragon level in martial arts, with early Qi Refinement in Daoist techniques. And he's traveling with Wang Zihan, who has no combat abilities. If we put in the effort, we can

defeat him. With the two of them together, they'll be much easier to track. We should focus all our efforts on capturing or killing Du Yunlong, and the girl will be easy to handle afterward."

Pang Jiaolong, filled with rage and shame, gritted his teeth. "I'll personally lead the hunt. This time, we won't let him escape!"

Ma Qianjun, still wary, added, "Let's not underestimate him. Du Yunlong has proven to be resourceful and dangerous. We should approach this carefully, with a well-planned strategy."

Pang Tianshan nodded. "Indeed. We will set up an ambush along the path they're likely to take. I'll personally oversee the preparations. Du Yunlong may be skilled, but he's not invincible. We'll use his strengths against him and ensure there's no escape this time."

The three men exchanged determined glances, united in their resolve to bring down Du Yunlong. As they departed to prepare for the hunt, the tension in the air was palpable, signaling the approaching storm that would soon engulf the mountains.