Step by Step Ascend to Immortality

Chapter 41: Chapter 42 Treasure Water

"No!"

Du Yunlong's shout rang out, his voice raw with desperation. "Miss Wang—Zihan, don't!"

But his words were powerless. His body lay limp beneath the ceremonial altar, drained of all strength. Helpless, he could only watch as Pang Tianshan's men, like wolves and tigers, advanced on Wang Zihan.

"Strike now!" Pang Tianshan's voice dripped with cold menace as he barked the order. His earlier patience had worn thin, and the failure of his disciples stoked his bloodlust. "Kill her if you must!"

What Pang hadn't anticipated was that Wang Zihan still had fight left in her. But then, his eyes widened with shock. "Retreat! Fall back!" he shouted, as his men stumbled back, bloodied and broken.

His expression darkened, and the atmosphere grew heavy with tension. "Bring out the secret weapon!" he ordered.

Despite his initial caution, Pang had believed Wang Zihan was completely powerless. He had thoroughly assessed her, finding no trace of spiritual energy. She seemed no different from a mortal. It was why he had dared to act so boldly against someone with such powerful backing. But here, within the ancient temple, Wang Zihan's strength had inexplicably returned.

Now, a shimmering pool of water hovered above her, crystal clear and impossible to explain. Pang's instincts screamed at him to be cautious. He knew that even among cultivators of the same rank, the unpredictability of their methods could tip the balance of power.

Two of Pang's top disciples moved in to test the waters. One threw a massive fireball, its crimson glow roaring toward Wang Zihan, while the other launched a golden halberd, streaked with purple energy, aimed directly at her chest. Pang, watching with a cold eye, approved of their approach.

The fireball seemed ordinary enough but held a concealed destructive force. Even a cultivator as powerful as Wang Zihan, who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, might not withstand its explosive might. And the golden halberd—razor-sharp, capable of piercing even the strongest defenses—was a force to be reckoned with.

As the attacks converged, Pang's disciples breathed a sigh of relief. These two were among the strongest in the family, skilled and fearsome in battle. There was no way Wang Zihan, a woman, could survive such a devastating combination. Some even pitied her, a peerless beauty destined to perish in such a brutal fashion.

But Wang Zihan only smiled.

The fireball, now inches from her chest, met the pool of water above her. It poured down, dousing the flames like a downpour on a smoldering ember. In an instant, the fire, which had flared to the size of a lantern, shrank to nothing, leaving only a faint wisp of smoke. Pang Tianshan's confidence wavered. His eyes widened as he muttered, "This... this is a Buddhist visualization technique."

He had always believed that Wang Zihan, despite being a disciple of the famous Master Wugou, had little favor with her master. Wugou was known for her Buddhist cultivation, while Wang had followed the path of the Dao. He never imagined Wang had mastered such an advanced Buddhist technique.

The shimmering pool of water, though summoned from Wang's imagination, was more real, more potent, than any water found in the natural world. Its mystical properties astounded even Pang, and he had no idea just how deep her understanding of this sacred Buddhist water went.

At that moment, the golden halberd arrived, its purple glow burning brightly as it cut through the air. Despite the deluge of water cascading from above, it pressed on, undeterred. But the rain grew heavier, like a monsoon, and the halberd began to shudder under the relentless downpour. It slowed, each step forward dissolving a bit of its formidable energy. Finally, with a metallic clang, it fell harmlessly to the ground.

The pool of water above Wang Zihan vanished, but now a radiant basin lay at her feet. It spanned the width of several feet, glowing with an ethereal light, the water within shimmering as if from another realm. Though it was a manifestation of her mind, the water had soaked the hem of her red dress, making it cling to her legs as if it were real.

"Watch out!"

Du Yunlong could do nothing but lie there, paralyzed under the altar, watching Wang Zihan unleash her power. He knew, in that moment, why she spoke of sweetness as the ultimate path to transcendence. It was intrinsic to her cultivation, linked deeply with her essence.

Even with his eyes closed, Du Yunlong could sense the sweet, intoxicating aroma wafting from the pool of water at her feet, sweeter than the finest honey. The allure was overwhelming, and he finally understood why Wang Zihan valued sweetness above all else. The sweeter the water, the more her cultivation seemed to grow.

The pool glittered with treasures—gold, silver, jewels, and pearls of unimaginable beauty. It was more than just a defense; it was a manifestation of Wang Zihan's power. Du Yunlong fought the maddening urge to rush to the pool and drink deeply of its nectar. But he steadied himself. "There's only one thing I can do for her now," he thought.

Pang Tianshan's men stood frozen, mesmerized by the sight of the glowing basin at Wang Zihan's feet. The pool, filled with radiant treasures, was enough to tempt even the most disciplined warrior. If not for Pang's imposing presence, some might have already rushed forward to claim their share of the priceless riches.

"No!" Du Yunlong shouted, his voice hoarse with desperation. "Miss Gu, Zihan, no!"

But he was helpless, lying limp beneath the altar, his body drained of strength. He could only watch as the ferocious warriors of the Pang family charged toward Wang Zihan.

"Attack!" Pang Tianshan barked, fury evident in his voice as he saw several of his family's disciples retreat empty-handed. "If she resists, kill her!"

He hadn't expected Wang Zihan to still have the strength to fight back. Yet, the very next moment, his voice rose again, this time tinged with alarm, "Retreat! Quickly!"

Several of the Pang disciples, now bloodied and battered, staggered back. Pang Tianshan's face grew grave, his eyes narrowing as he made his decision. "Bring out everything we've got!"

Despite engaging Wang Zihan multiple times, Pang Tianshan had already gauged her strength. By all accounts, Wang Zihan should have been utterly drained of any spiritual energy, her powers as a cultivator reduced to that of a mere mortal. That was the only reason he dared to attack someone with such a powerful background. But here, in this temple, something had changed—Wang Zihan's strength had miraculously returned.

Above her, a pool of crystal-clear water shimmered, its source a mystery to all. Yet, Pang Tianshan didn't dare underestimate it. As a cultivator, even at the foundational level, Wang Zihan would have access to countless techniques that differentiated her from a regular person. Even the weakest cultivator at her level could outlive mortals by centuries.

Moreover, her master, Wugou Shinni, was a Nascent Soul cultivator, perhaps on the verge of advancing to the Primordial Spirit stage. Who knew what kind of lethal techniques Wang Zihan might have hidden? Pang Tianshan had no intention of engaging her directly, especially now.

However, being the head of the Pang family, he wasn't without his own powerful support. Upon seeing the pool of water form above Wang Zihan, two of his cultivators leapt into action, probing her defenses.

One of them raised his hand, and a blazing fireball, prepped and ready, shot toward Wang Zihan. At the same time, another cultivator roared, and a golden halberd, wrapped in violet light, hurtled in her direction. Though Pang Tianshan remained still, he inwardly commended the precision of their attacks.

The fireball may have seemed insignificant, but the power it held was immense. Even though Wang Zihan was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, as a woman, she might struggle to deflect such a concentrated attack. The violet halberd, on the other hand, was even deadlier, its energy capable of piercing shields and cutting through metal like butter. How would Wang Zihan respond?

The sight of these two experts moving in unison eased the tension among the Pang disciples. These were two of the family's strongest fighters, and while they hadn't yet reached the Foundation Establishment stage themselves, their techniques were formidable. Surely, Wang Zihan couldn't survive this.

As the red fireball and violet halberd streaked toward her, Wang Zihan merely smiled, a calm confidence radiating from her. The fireball neared, but before it could reach her, the pool of water above her head tipped over, cascading down like a waterfall.

The fireball, now doused, flared up as if it had been thrown onto a bonfire, growing rapidly in size. What was once the size of a head now expanded in an instant, drawing a brief sigh of relief from Pang Tianshan. But that relief was short-lived.

Just as quickly as it had ignited, the fireball began to shrink, extinguished by the pristine water from above. Before Pang Tianshan could blink, the fireball, once as large as a lantern, was reduced to a mere spark and then disappeared entirely.

"What... this is a Buddhist technique!" Pang Tianshan gasped.

He had always heard rumors that Wang Zihan wasn't particularly favored by her master, Wugou Shinni. While Wugou Shinni followed the holy path of Buddhism, Wang Zihan had been rumored to pursue the path of Daoist cultivation instead. But here, it seemed Wang Zihan had mastered some hidden Buddhist arts after all.

The pristine, life-giving water she had summoned was certainly conjured by her own will, a Buddhist visualization technique made real. And it wasn't just any ordinary technique—the power of that water surpassed even real water in the mortal world. Though Pang Tianshan couldn't identify the exact Buddhist treasure it represented, its potency was undeniable.

Just as the violet halberd reached Wang Zihan, the water droplets began to fall like scattered pearls from the heavens, each one radiating with a quiet, powerful energy. The halberd, though formidable, trembled under the assault of the relentless rain, its violet glow dimming with each droplet it touched.

With a metallic clang, the halberd fell to the ground, its power extinguished.

The pool above Wang Zihan's head vanished, but in its place, a shining pool now surrounded her feet, its radiant light illuminating the space around her. The water appeared both real and ethereal, filling a basin that was about a meter wide and a foot deep. The pool was adorned with shimmering jewels, pearls, and gems that seemed to amplify its sweet, refreshing aura. The hem of Wang Zihan's red dress dipped into the water, soaking up the liquid.

"Such a magnificent pool of water," Pang Tianshan muttered, though his voice was now laced with uncertainty. "Miss Wang, with your cultivation level, maintaining such a powerful technique must be no small feat. Surely, you didn't bring forth this wondrous display just to waste it today. And with my family's full strength arrayed against you, how long can you possibly keep it up?"

"I was just hoping to share a sweet drink with a few guests," Wang Zihan said with a smile that only grew sweeter. "Pang Tianshan, make your move."

Pang Tianshan no longer hesitated. Although this mysterious pool of water was impressive, it wasn't beyond his control.

Despite Wang Zihan's earlier display, Pang Tianshan remained confident that such techniques were beneath him. Foundation Establishment cultivators like him possessed powers far beyond those of the Qi Refining stage, and he was certain he could overpower such tricks with ease. However, the technique itself intrigued him deeply. Though the Pang family had been cultivators for generations, with deep roots and even ties to a mighty figure, they were still, in many ways, mere rogue cultivators compared to the true sects.

Wang Zihan's technique, though rooted in Buddhist teachings, came from her renowned master, Wugou Shinni. Pang Tianshan's interest in acquiring such a method only grew stronger.