Step by Step Ascend to Immortality

Chapter 22: Chapter 23: Fighting

**Breaking the Army, As Fierce as the Sun!**

As soon as Fire Qianshu roared, his body surged, growing over a foot taller. Already an imposing figure, he now appeared like a war god descended to earth. He swung his twin meteor hammers with deadly precision, the weapons becoming blurs of lethal force. Anyone who came close was either struck down or grievously injured.

The dozen or so enemies facing him were like chickens before a butcher. In moments, six or seven were either dead or dying, blood spraying through the air as their bodies were sent flying. The leader, a mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator, was horrified. Yet, with a steely resolve, he bit down on his lip and severed his own right hand, using his blood to fuel the dark power of the demonic blade he wielded. The blade, now infused with his own essence, glowed a deep crimson as he swung it toward Fire Qianshu, summoning a cloud of ominous dark mist.

Fire Qianshu let out another roar and hurled his meteor hammers into the mist. But as they penetrated the fog, the sound of sizzling metal could be heard—the hammers, forged from the finest steel, were beginning to corrode.

"Ha!" Fire Qianshu had faced countless battles and remained unfazed. With a mighty shout, he infused his meteor hammers with even more energy from his technique, Breaking the Army, As Fierce as the Sun. The hammers, now glowing with immense power, smashed through the dark mist.

The demonic cultivator staggered back, his face pale as he coughed up blood. But he was determined, continuing to channel the dark mist in a desperate attempt to fend off Fire Qianshu's relentless assault.

Watching from a distance, Du Yunlong flicked his fingers against his Heavenly Tears Falling Sword, sending a spark of violet flame streaking toward the demonic cultivator. Seeing the incoming attack, the cultivator was forced to sever his other arm to fuel his magic once more, sacrificing his own flesh to strengthen the mist. The cloud grew darker and expanded, but the violet flame continued to burn through it.

The violet flame tore through the dark mist, followed by a thunderous roar from Fire Qianshu. His meteor hammers smashed into the demonic cultivator with a force that could shatter mountains. The black fog rolled and roared as a bolt of purple lightning erupted from within, splitting the mist apart. The demonic cultivator, engulfed in the violet flames, fell to the ground, writhing in agony as the fire consumed him.

Even from dozens of yards away, the sound of burning flesh could be heard. The man screamed, "Save me! Help! I let you have my daughter, Old Lei, you can't abandon me now!"

With a swift motion, Du Yunlong pointed his sword downward, and a stream of blood sprayed from his mouth onto the blade. The violet flames surrounding the demonic cultivator exploded outward, silencing his cries forever.

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Du Yunlong swung his Heavenly Tears Falling Sword, unleashing a web of purple lightning that tore through the ranks of the Pang family's forces. Alongside Fire Qianshu's unstoppable meteor hammers, the enemy troops were annihilated.

"Old Lei!" shouted the leader of a new group of enemies arriving on the scene. "I slept with your daughter, and I, Lei Bingtian, swear to protect you!"

But his words barely left his mouth before he witnessed the complete destruction of his comrades. Anger and desperation surged within him as he roared, "Old Jin, I'll avenge you! Bring out the Flame Bear!"

The Flame Bear was the cornerstone of their fighting force, though it had lagged behind the rest of the group due to its slow pace. Upon hearing the order, a beast-taming disciple carefully pulled out a searing-hot firestone from his robes. The Flame Bear, a massive creature with a coat of intermingled red and black fur, initially moved sluggishly. But as soon as it caught sight of the firestone, it let out a deafening roar and charged forward with renewed vigor. The beast-taming disciple fed the firestone to the Flame Bear, which swallowed it whole, immediately spitting out a blast of fire. Now fully enraged, the Flame Bear charged toward Fire Qianshu with the speed of a galloping horse.

Meanwhile, Lei Bingtian led his men in engaging Du Yunlong and Fire Qianshu, shouting, "Hold them off! Just hold them for half a minute, and Jiao Long and the boss will be here!"

Lei Bingtian himself was a formidable Qi Refinement cultivator. He raised a massive blue-colored banner, summoning a roaring azure tiger that rushed at Fire Qianshu. Fire Qianshu let out a furious roar and hurled his meteor hammers at the spectral beast.

*Boom!*

The azure tiger, conjured from the banner's power, was incredibly strong. It met Fire Qianshu's meteor hammers head-on, producing a shower of sparks as metal clashed against the spectral force. The tiger's body bore the marks of the hammer blows, with patches of its azure fur now scorched black.

"Yes!" The cultivators and warriors of the Pang family and Tianyi Gang cheered, knowing that reinforcements were on the way. They redoubled their efforts, firing arrows, throwing concealed weapons, and casting spells while others formed a protective line in front of Lei Bingtian.

Du Yunlong and Fire Qianshu had planned to break through the enemy lines and retreat, but they hadn't expected the thirty-man coalition to be so tenacious. What's more, the enemy had noticed Gu Yinghua on Du Yunlong's back and began targeting her with their attacks.

Du Yunlong, unable to use his Daoist techniques, had to fend off the onslaught with a blade in one hand and a sword in the other, moving like a nimble monkey amidst a rain of arrows. Fire Qianshu, too, found himself surrounded and under heavy attack.

The azure tiger, though battered, pounced again, but Fire Qianshu, with a roar of defiance, met it head-on, hurling his meteor hammers once more. The tiger, however, was resilient, its spectral form still holding strong despite the relentless assault.

"Don't rush it!" Lei Bingtian ordered, watching his tiger do its work. "Wear him down!"

The azure tiger was Lei Bingtian's prized weapon, a creature he had captured from the remnants of an ancient bloodline with the help of several powerful cultivators. Although strong, the tiger was not invincible. With each passing moment, its power waned, and Lei Bingtian knew that prolonged use would drain its strength. But he was confident that Fire Qianshu's Breaking the Army technique, similar to the demonic sect's "Heavenly Demon Body Dissolution Technique," would soon exhaust him. All they had to do was outlast him.

As the battle raged on, Fire Qianshu's defenses began to weaken. Though his meteor hammers were swift and powerful, he had taken several hits from arrows, enchanted bolts, and even fireballs. His body was bleeding in several places, but his internal energy continued to shield him, preventing the wounds from being fatal.

Fire Qianshu knew he was surrounded by elite fighters, yet he remained fearless. He pulled back his meteor hammers, gathering his strength, and then charged forward with the force of a mountain. The hammers flew from his hands like shooting stars, crashing into the azure tiger's back.

"Argh!"

The impact sent a shockwave through the battlefield, causing the attackers to hesitate. The azure tiger, though a descendant of an ancient beast, was not invulnerable. The force of the dual hammer strike was too much, and the tiger was sent tumbling across the ground, howling in pain.

Lei Bingtian, seeing his prized beast in such a state, stomped the ground in frustration. Although he had techniques to restore the tiger's strength with his own blood, he knew that doing so would cost him years of cultivation.

Fire Qianshu let out another thunderous roar as he charged into the enemy ranks, his strength seemingly increased by some unknown technique. His meteor hammers were now a blur of motion, and two of the bravest warriors were sent flying by his assault. This gave Du Yunlong a brief respite amidst the storm of arrows and flying stones, though the burden of Gu Yinghua on his back was still a heavy one.

But just as Fire Qianshu gained ground, the heavy thud of footsteps made him tense. He gripped his meteor hammers tightly as Lei Bingtian's face lit up with glee.

"The Flame Bear is here! The Flame Bear is here!" Lei Bingtian shouted.

"Roar!!!"

A towering Flame Bear, standing over twelve feet tall, charged at Fire Qianshu with terrifying speed. It was like a moving mountain, its massive body weighing several hundred pounds and radiating intense heat. The sight of it made everyone on the battlefield gasp in fear.

Compared to the bear, Fire Qianshu's meteor hammers seemed like mere toothpicks. Lei Bingtian's joy was palpable as he saw his azure tiger slowly rising again. With a determined heart, he poured his spiritual energy into the banner, reviving the tiger. The azure tiger and the Flame Bear now prepared to attack Fire Qianshu from both sides.

The battle had reached a fever pitch, with Du Yunlong and Fire Qianshu's survival hanging in the balance.