Step by Step Ascend to Immortality

Chapter 9: Dying

As soon as the Bone Refinement master Liu Suiyun made his move, it was clear he was no ordinary opponent. Du Yunlong, who had previously defeated his enemies with a single strike, was now forced to spin his blade, forming three protective rings around himself. Although these rings concealed lethal attacks, they were undeniably defensive.This change did not go unnoticed by Pang Qingsong, who immediately saw through Liu Suiyun's intentions. "Damn it," Pang cursed internally. "That bastard challenged my family on purpose, just to buy himself some breathing room!"Realizing that he had been paralyzed by Liu Suiyun's feint, Pang Qingsong, a rising star of the Pang family, flew into a rage. His sword danced through the air, forming a storm of strikes with no intention of holding back. He unleashed his full strength, his sword energy cutting through the air like a cold wind, forcing the spectators to retreat several steps. Du Yunlong stood firm, his expression resolute. Although he appeared like a firefly in the vast night, struggling to survive the onslaught, his spinning blade rings grew in number, each one hiding a deadly counterattack.Pang Qingsong couldn't help but be impressed. Despite being just a Tiger Conquering stage warrior, Du Yunlong's blade work was truly remarkable. The hidden traps within each ring forced Pang to constantly retreat and defend himself. So far, their swords hadn't even clashed directly."This won't do," Pang Qingsong thought, aware that his strength far exceeded Du Yunlong's, and knowing that Liu Suiyun was still recovering from an injury. If they could engage in a direct clash, Du Yunlong's old wound would surely reopen. With this in mind, Pang Qingsong launched a powerful strike, aiming straight for the center of one of the spinning rings, forcing Du Yunlong to engage head-on.Du Yunlong, with no room left to retreat, shifted his stance from deflecting to slicing, meeting Pang Qingsong's strike head-on, shouting, "Die!"Seeing Du Yunlong's unsteady steps as he stumbled back two or three paces, Pang Qingsong felt a surge of confidence. His sword strikes intensified, aiming to end Du Yunlong then and there. But as they clashed, a familiar feeling began to nag at him—something about Du Yunlong's fighting style seemed strangely familiar. Despite this, he couldn't place where he had seen it before. All he knew was that he had never encountered such a challenging opponent.Wang Zihan gasped as she realized the danger Du Yunlong was in. Just as Huo Qianshu prepared to rush into the fray, he was blocked by the remaining Bone Refinement warrior from the Pang family, along with six or seven other fighters. Meanwhile, Pang Qingsong had taken control of the battlefield, forcing Du Yunlong to retreat step by step, preparing for another clash.Du Yunlong was on the brink of desperation as Pang Qingsong swung his heavy sword with unstoppable force, aiming to end the fight with a single, decisive blow. At the moment of impact, Du Yunlong was forced back three or four steps, his face pale as gold leaf. Pang Qingsong was brimming with confidence, but then he saw Du Yunlong suddenly spit out a mouthful of blood. The timing was perfect—Pang's old strength had just waned, and his new strength had not yet surged. Even worse, his vision was completely obscured by the blood.Caught off guard, Pang Qingsong instinctively wiped at the blood covering his eyes with one hand, while the other frantically swung his sword, trying to protect himself. In that moment of clarity, he finally recognized Du Yunlong's true identity. "So it's..."But before he could finish, a chorus of gasps erupted from the onlookers. Pain shot through his body, and everything went black. Pang Qingsong never saw the world again."Qingsong!""Pang Qingsong!""Qingsong!"The remaining fighters from the Pang family and the Tianyi gang exchanged stunned glances. Just moments ago, Pang Qingsong's attacks had been relentless, forcing Du Yunlong into retreat. No one expected that a single spray of blood would leave Pang Qingsong completely defenseless, allowing Du Yunlong, moving like a ghostly cat, to slip through the web of sword strikes and deliver the fatal blow.Now, Du Yunlong stood over Pang Qingsong's lifeless body, his foot planted firmly on the corpse. He shouted, "Who else from the Pang family dares to challenge me?"How many was this? The fighters quickly calculated—it was the sixth one. Liu Suiyun had already taken down two Rabbit Stealth stage fighters, a Tiger Conquering stage fighter, and a Qi Refinement stage beginner. Now, even Pang Qingsong, a Bone Refinement master, had fallen to his blade. No one knew how much more strength Du Yunlong had left.Though Du Yunlong's face was as pale as death, his impressive victories gave him an overwhelming aura. "Who else from the Pang family dares to challenge me?"No one stepped forward. The coalition forces were now down to one Bone Refinement warrior from the Pang family, but Liu Suiyun still had Huo Qianshu, a true Bone Refinement master, who hadn't even fought yet. The tide had turned, and Liu Suiyun's fierce display had struck fear into the hearts of the enemy. The Tianyi gang warriors retreated step by step.Although the coalition still outnumbered them by several times, no one dared to move. Du Yunlong stomped on Pang Qingsong's head and raised his blade, challenging them again. "Who else from the Pang family dares to challenge me?"The remaining Bone Refinement warrior from the Pang family hesitated. His martial arts skills were inferior to Pang Qingsong's, and if Pang had fallen, what hope did he have? He stopped in his tracks, muttering, "Why don't we all rush him together? We can surround and overwhelm him."But as soon as he hesitated, the Tianyi gang fighters had had enough. They were only there to assist because of the Pang family's reputation, and now that the Pang family seemed ready to give up, they saw no reason to risk their lives. "This Liu Suiyun is too dangerous. Let's retreat!""Pang family, hold them off! We'll go get reinforcements!""Hurry, retreat now! We won't make it out if we don't move!"And just like that, they fled, disappearing without a trace. The mountain was now left with only three or five Pang family warriors, leaving Wang Zihan's group slightly outnumbered. Huo Qianshu quickly led his men to surround the remaining enemies.The Pang family had only brought a small force, and now with one Bone Refinement master dead and another group of lower-level fighters gone, they were severely weakened. Du Yunlong kept his foot on Pang Qingsong's back, the ground echoing with the sound. "Who else from the Pang family dares to challenge me?""Retreat!"Facing such unfavorable odds, the Pang family had no choice but to flee. They knew reinforcements would come from Yunzhong County soon, and once their leader arrived with a larger force, they would return and wipe out Wang Zihan's group completely.The weakest among them were still at the Tiger Conquering stage, and they fled like rabbits cornered by a predator, scrambling down the mountain. Huo Qianshu could only shout after them as they escaped, "Cowards! Face me like real men if you dare!"The Pang family left with threats on their lips. "Huo Qianshu, just wait! We'll make you pay for this!"As Wang Zihan watched them disappear into the distant mountains, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. The feeling of being at the mercy of fate was unbearable. She knew she couldn't let herself be so easily controlled by circumstances. But when she saw Du Yunlong standing over Pang Qingsong's body, a sense of satisfaction washed over her. She wasn't usually one for bloodshed, but seeing Du Yunlong in such a commanding position, she couldn't help but feel vindicated. She walked toward him, ready to speak. "Du Yunlong, you..."Before she could finish her sentence, Du Yunlong suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed, his face drained of all color."Du Yunlong!" Wang Zihan rushed to his side, ignoring the blood covering him as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Du Yunlong! Du Yunlong! You're not allowed to die on me!"Huo Qianshu and the others quickly gathered around. Du Yunlong was the pillar of their group—without him, they would be lost. "How is he?""Is he going to be okay?""Who has healing medicine?"As the group voiced their concerns, Wang Zihan carefully laid Du Yunlong down on the flat ground at the mountain's peak, her voice filled with worry. "Du Yunlong, don't scare me like this! You're not allowed to die!"She didn't care that his entire body was soaked in blood and sweat, staining her favorite clothes. All she could think about was how, in her heart, Du Yunlong had grown into a towering figure. Not just because he had taken down six formidable opponents, but because even in the face of overwhelming odds, he had challenged a dozen more with nothing but his courage and wit, turning the tide of battle and sending the Pang family's forces fleeing