Step by Step Ascend to Immortality

Chapter 56: Chapter 46 Life and Death

Faced with Pang Tianshan's threats, Du Yunlong, though still trembling from exhaustion, let out a chuckle. "Then I insist you kill me first. I refuse to die before Miss Wang."

The meaning was clear—"If you want to harm Miss Wang, you'll have to walk over my dead body first." The defiance in his words made Pang Tianshan's face twist with fury. "Then die you shall!"

With a swift motion, Pang Tianshan retrieved a small emerald-green bottle from his belt. As soon as he removed the cap, a strong fragrance filled the air. Inside were a few drops of a vibrant green liquid, glistening like jade. Without hesitation, he downed the liquid in one gulp.

This was a sacred elixir Pang Tianshan had been hoarding for years, far too precious to waste on ordinary occasions. As soon as the liquid touched his tongue, his face turned a sickly green, but his body surged with a strange vitality. The chaotic energy coursing through his veins from his earlier clash with Wang Zihan began to cool, his strength slowly returning.

But the wounds from his battle with Wang Zihan had been too severe, leaving him with only a fraction of his full power. Otherwise, that Dust Wind Net wouldn't have been so easily kicked back by Du Yunlong. Now, with the elixir taking effect, his confidence swelled. A thought crossed his mind. "Jiaolong! Jiaolong, finish these two off!"

He remembered that when Wang Zihan retracted her colorful butterflies, his cousin Pang Jiaolong and several other family disciples had still been capable of fighting. This next battle wouldn't require him to lift a finger.

But after shouting for some time, there was no sign of Jiaolong or the others. When he glanced back, Pang Tianshan realized his men had been utterly terrified by the intensity of the fight between him and Wang Zihan. They had fled, abandoning him entirely.

Du Yunlong laughed. "Old Pang, your men are useless. Not like me—I get paid a thousand copper coins every day by Miss Wang herself!"

Pang Tianshan's expression darkened further. He had poured countless resources into training his family disciples, even the most basic one costing him thousands a day. And yet, when the moment came, none of them were worth a damn.

Meanwhile, the insolent fool in front of him kept prattling on about his meager daily wage. "Old Pang, if you want things done right, you've got to feed your men well! A thousand coins a day, I tell you. A thousand!"

Pang Tianshan was seething with rage, his fury boiling over. With a scream, he summoned the Dust Wind Net, sending it whistling through the air, aimed straight for Du Yunlong.

The Dust Wind Net, originally just a foot wide, expanded under Pang Tianshan's command, swelling to over two feet in diameter. Once as thin as paper, the yellow dust now hummed with deadly energy. Pang Tianshan poured every last ounce of his strength into driving the net toward his foe.

Du Yunlong's face grew grim. He didn't know exactly what this Dust Wind Net was, but seeing how fiercely Wang Zihan had fought against it, he knew he couldn't afford to take it lightly. With a roar, he gathered his remaining strength and hurled a powerful straight punch.

An unimaginable force hit him like a tidal wave, flipping Du Yunlong's body through the air. The flesh of his hands was torn to shreds, blood dripping from his mangled fingers.

It felt as if his fist had been swallowed by an endless abyss. The yellow dust, seemingly harmless, crushed down on him with the weight of a mountain, grinding away at his flesh. The next moment, his entire body was flung backward by a strange force.

Even as he sailed through the air, Du Yunlong's right leg lashed out with terrifying speed, his ferocious kick aimed at the Dust Wind Net. Though the net pressed down on him with relentless force, Du Yunlong's resolve remained unbroken.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

When Du Yunlong finally staggered back to his feet, he was barely standing, leaning heavily against an incense table. His pants had been torn to shreds, and his legs were a mass of bloody wounds. He could barely feel them anymore.

But his furious kicks had taken their toll. The Dust Wind Net, now tinged with blood, recoiled from the blows, yellow dust swirling in chaotic spirals. The net had been pushed back toward Pang Tianshan, who coughed up blood again and again, his face pale. His once-mighty weapon had been reduced to a mere fraction of its former size, now only half a foot wide.

Pang Tianshan was both shocked and enraged. With his cultivation level, defeating Du Yunlong should have been a trivial task. But his earlier battle with Wang Zihan had left him severely weakened, allowing this upstart to take advantage.

His mind raced, and while repairing the Dust Wind Net, he sneered, "You've got some skill, but do you really think your pathetic tricks can defeat me?"

"I know I'm not your match," Du Yunlong said, trembling as he leaned against the table. But his eyes were unwavering, filled with unshakable determination.

Pang Tianshan's tone shifted, a hint of admiration in his voice. "You've got guts. How about this? I'll spare your life and let you walk away. I promise I won't send anyone after you. As for Miss Wang, I'll do my best to protect her."

But Du Yunlong wasn't swayed. He had a reason to fight, a reason that drove him to the edge of madness. "For the woman I love... For my beloved Wang Zihan, I'll fight you to the death!"

As they exchanged words, Pang Tianshan suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood. It splattered across the remnants of the Dust Wind Net, turning its deep yellow surface a fiery red. With a desperate scream, Pang Tianshan thrust his hand into the net. There was a terrible ripping sound, and his entire arm was devoured by the swirling dust, leaving only a bloodied stump behind.

The Dust Wind Net, now burning with a deadly energy, shot toward Du Yunlong and Wang Zihan like a missile, the air around it screaming as it tore through the atmosphere. The deadly yellow wind bore down on them, its power unknown. Could Du Yunlong's body withstand such a force?

But Du Yunlong had been preparing for this moment. Leaning on the incense table, he flicked his left leg lightly against the ground. A short sword, no more than two feet long, flew into his hand. With a roar, Du Yunlong leaped forward, plunging the sword straight into the heart of the Dust Wind Net.

"Do you really think some ordinary weapon can stand against my Dust Wind Net?" Pang Tianshan sneered, his thoughts racing. "Those two are as good as dead!"

But the moment the sword collided with the Dust Wind Net, there was a series of metallic clangs. The sword broke apart, piece by piece, but then, something unthinkable happened. The Dust Wind Net itself began to disintegrate, the yellow dust falling silently to the ground like ash.

More and more Dust Wind Net particles fell slowly to the ground, the entire net disintegrating into nothing, not even leaving a trace behind.

Pang Tianshan felt as though dozens of his bones had been shattered by the kicks. His body involuntarily stumbled back ten or so steps, blood spurting from his mouth in wave after wave. He had lost track of how many times he had coughed up blood, not to mention the numerous internal injuries ravaging his body.

Meanwhile, Du Yunlong, gripping the Heavenly Tears Starfall Sword, trudged forward step by step. Though his movements were labored, Pang Tianshan—who had already lost an arm—couldn't find a way to defend himself. How could he die at the hands of this insignificant ant?

Desperately, he shouted, "Brother Du! Brother Du, we fought well. How about we put aside our differences and become friends? I'll let you off the hook, and you let me go. How about that?"

Du Yunlong shook his head, his reason simple and resolute: "For the woman I love—for my beloved Wang Zihan—I have to kill you."

Du Yunlong pressed forward relentlessly. For the first time in his life, Pang Tianshan felt true fear. He never imagined things would come to this—being cornered by a mere Yuanlong realm warrior wielding nothing more than a broken sword.

Panicking, he cried out, "She's the eldest daughter of the Gu family! She's the disciple of the great Wugou Shinni, a true Foundation Establishment cultivator. She's engaged! There's no way she'd be interested in you! She's only paying you a thousand copper coins a day to do her bidding. Don't delude yourself!"

But Du Yunlong kept advancing, his steps unwavering. The sword in his hand seemed to glow with an even deadlier aura. Memories of Wang Zihan protecting him flashed in his mind. They filled him with both tenderness and determination.

"I'd drink Miss Wang's foot-washing water if it were sweet!" Du Yunlong declared, his voice filled with cold resolve. "Pang Tianshan, prepare to die!"

Pang Tianshan watched in horror as Du Yunlong drew closer, his voice growing desperate. "Don't kill me! Don't kill me! I'll give you anything!"

Du Yunlong didn't waver, his voice carrying the same grim conviction: "For the woman I love, I'll send you to hell."

Pang Tianshan collapsed onto the ground, words pouring out of him like rapid-fire. "No, no! I can give you rare treasures. You're a martial artist and a cultivator, right? You know about Foundation Establishment pills? The Pang family has two of them in reserve! They're priceless—money can't buy them! And if you want to break through to the Mountain-Crossing realm, we have a foolproof method to help you ascend!"

"Divine blades, spirit pearls, rare elixirs, ancient cultivation techniques—the Pang family has it all! Just spare my life..."

Du Yunlong's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Is that all?"

Pang Tianshan saw a glimmer of hope and clung to it. "Brother Du, you don't know, do you? That Gu family daughter of yours is a disgrace! She's had a fiancé since she was a child, and now she's pregnant with some wild man's bastard. Even her fiancé despises her. She's not worthy of your love! She's been paying you a paltry sum just to use you for her own ends!"

Du Yunlong tightened his grip on the Heavenly Tears Starfall Sword as Pang Tianshan continued his frenzied tirade. "She's carrying a child that isn't even her fiancé's! She doesn't deserve your love! Join the Pang family, and I'll give you twin sisters—both virgins, beautiful as flowers! Or if you prefer a little variety, I'll arrange it. Whether it's a mother and daughter, sisters, or even a wife and her sister-in-law, I can make it happen!"

Pang Tianshan's words flowed more smoothly than ever before. "Or do you really believe that woman's lies? That day on Huiyan Peak, how many warriors and cultivators were there? Not a single one saw that so-called giant bird. Do you think that's possible? She's just been knocked up by some wild man. She doesn't deserve your love! Come to the Pang family, and I'll give you ten young and beautiful virgins. Whether they're noble ladies or sweet, gentle girls from small families, you won't be disappointed!"

Du Yunlong's smile turned sinister, his voice trembling with excitement. "Are you done talking?"

Pang Tianshan made one last plea. "Gu Yinghua isn't worthy of your love, Brother Du. I'll find you someone better! And don't forget—you want those Foundation Establishment pills, don't you?"

Du Yunlong's voice was cold and final. "I said..."

"She's not the one."

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