Step by Step Ascend to Immortality

Chapter 24: Chapter 25 Bitter Love

"In hell, remember me!"

Fire Qianshu's roar echoed through the battlefield as he hurled aside his meteor hammers, his colossal hands—glowing red like burning embers—thrusting forward with devastating force. Lei Bingtian, his heart and mind shattered, tried to block the attack, but the power behind the strike sent him flying over ten feet. He landed in a heap, pale and trembling. "This... this can't be happening..."

But Fire Qianshu's battle cry tore through the air again. His clothes, shredded, his body, a mass of bleeding wounds, seemed to defy logic. The towering, blood-soaked figure stormed into the ranks of the Tianyi Gang and the Pang family like a wolf among sheep. Each punch and kick resulted in death or grievous injury; in some instances, he felled three or four men with a single move.

In that moment, he was nothing less than a god of war descending from the heavens. In the blink of an eye, his form was drenched anew in his enemies' blood. He turned briefly and shouted to Du Yunlong, "The Extreme Primordial Thunder Body!"

Du Yunlong, regaining his composure, seized the moment. The Extreme Primordial Thunder Body technique he had been cultivating absorbed the life essence of his enemies to fuel his own power—a perfect opportunity presented itself. He bit his index finger and took a deep breath before pointing at the pile of corpses behind Fire Qianshu. "Cut them down!" he commanded.

The bodies—beasts like the Fiery Bear and the Blue-striped Water Tiger, powerful cultivators, and martial artists alike—were enveloped in a dark purple mist. The thick fog obscured all sight, but the sizzling of flesh and the agonized screams of the dying filled the air, turning the mist blood-red.

The experts of the Pang family gasped in horror. "It's the Extreme Primordial Thunder Body technique! The very technique of Master Yunpeng!"

Those who had already begun to lose their nerve now abandoned all thoughts of battle, fleeing in terror. Fire Qianshu, however, waded deeper into the fray, his onslaught unstoppable. Lei Bingtian, feeling the tides turning against him, made a desperate attempt to escape, but Fire Qianshu was faster. With an iron grip, he seized Lei Bingtian's arm, lifting him as if he were weightless. The next moment, Lei was hurled into the purple mist with a force that made him spin like a windmill.

Lei Bingtian was one of the strongest among the martial artists, but as soon as his body touched the mist, it was consumed by a violent surge of blood and fire. Du Yunlong's cheeks flushed with color, almost eerily vibrant as he watched his sword, the Heavenly Tear Starfall, draw in a yellow light from the mist. He swung the sword, and the purple fog exploded outward, revealing nothing but a pile of blackened, deformed corpses.

Du Yunlong took a deep breath, then sheathed his sword. This battle had been a tremendous gain for him, but he knew it was Fire Qianshu's unbelievable last stand that had saved his life from the enemy's encirclement.

Ahead, the path was clear—Fire Qianshu had carved a way through the enemy ranks. Without hesitation, Du Yunlong slung Wang Zihan onto his back and bolted forward like a spirit monkey. "Let's go!" he shouted.

He knew of a hidden path, one he had scouted himself, that would put a good half-day's distance between them and their pursuers. But as they ran, he noticed Wang Zihan's grip tightening around his neck, almost to the point of choking him.

He could feel her tears falling on his back. What had happened?

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But there was no time to ask. The path that Fire Qianshu had fought to create wouldn't stay open for long. He kept running, Wang Zihan clinging to him, her soft sobs muffled against his shoulder, her hold on him growing even tighter.

Just as they reached the planned escape point, Du Yunlong glanced back at Fire Qianshu and was shocked.

The once towering and robust man, now a blood-soaked giant, stood barely taller than Du Yunlong, his entire body emitting a faint white glow.

One look was enough for Du Yunlong to understand: this was the sign of internal fire consuming him from the inside out. Fire Qianshu had reached the end of his life. His body was burning from within, the flames almost tangible now. Even a golden core cultivator or a martial artist with three blooming flowers would struggle to save him at this point.

Wang Zihan's tears flowed even more freely. "Uncle Huo... Uncle Huo, you shouldn't have fought so hard! I would rather be captured by the Pang family than see you like this!"

Fire Qianshu smiled faintly but didn't respond to her. He reached out and grasped Du Yunlong's hand, a rare moment of warmth passing between them.

His smile was gentle, his expression calm. "Young Master Du," he said softly, "forgive me, but as I am at my end, I must entrust my lady to you. Please, take care of her... She's just a girl who has suffered too much."

Du Yunlong felt the strength in Fire Qianshu's grip and nodded. "Don't worry! Even if it costs me my life, I'll protect her."

He paused, searching for the right words. "First... Miss Wang promised me a thousand coins a day as payment."

"Second, Miss Wang and you have saved my life more than once."

"And third..." His voice softened, becoming more earnest. "For the woman I love most..."

"I swear, I will protect Miss Wang and get her to Yuanzhou safely, even if it means I have to die to do so!"

Wang Zihan clung tighter to Du Yunlong, crying out for Fire Qianshu, but her calls could not halt the fading of his life. The white flames consuming him grew brighter, his broad hands pulled back to his side. Du Yunlong could feel the searing heat emanating from him, the fire that had driven his final, incredible burst of strength.

Fire Qianshu, seemingly impervious to the agony of his burning flesh, channeled his pain into sheer willpower. He quickened his pace beside Du Yunlong, his voice calm and filled with quiet warmth. "You're a good man, Du Yunlong... a true hero."

In that moment, Du Yunlong saw beyond Fire Qianshu's hardened exterior, sensing the tenderness hidden within. Wang Zihan had stopped crying, her voice trembling as she asked the man now engulfed in white light, "Uncle Huo, thank you... Is there anything else you need to tell us? I swear... I'll see it done, no matter what."

She slipped from Du Yunlong's back, standing just a step away from Fire Qianshu. Her hand reached out, though the burning flames kept her from touching him. Fire Qianshu took a step back, careful not to harm her.

Nearly engulfed by the flames, Fire Qianshu smiled gently. "Miss, your safety is my greatest wish. Follow Yunlong and make it out of here."

Du Yunlong saw the extraordinary pain hidden behind Fire Qianshu's smile. The technique he had used was more extreme than the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method, and now his body was being consumed by internal fire. The thought alone brought tears to Du Yunlong's eyes.

Wang Zihan's tears continued to fall, but Fire Qianshu looked at her with tenderness, finally speaking again. "It's fine... I've kept this secret long enough. Miss Wang, I love someone... I never wanted her to know, but at least you can remember this part of my life."

Wang Zihan wiped her tears, biting her lip. "Uncle Huo, I knew... I've always known. You loved my mother. That's why you cared for me so much. I'll tell her at her grave, I promise. She'll know your heart."

Fire Qianshu shook his head. "No, it wasn't her. I always saw her as a sister. The person I love... isn't her."

Wang Zihan froze. "Then... Is it Auntie? I'll remember!"

Fire Qianshu shook his head again, his voice steady. "I've never loved your aunt... not even once."

Wang Zihan couldn't comprehend it. "Uncle Huo... Do you mean me? I... I've never thought of you that way..."

Her thoughts were in turmoil, her emotions a storm of confusion, yet she reached out fearlessly, despite the searing flames.

But Fire Qianshu smiled, shaking his head. "Miss Wang, you're overthinking it. I cared for you because of her, but I never loved you."

Wang Zihan was completely at a loss. "Then... Is it Chunmei? Or Sister Shuang?"

Fire Qianshu chuckled at her confusion. "No, not them... That's why I said, at least this part of my life will be remembered by you and Yunlong."

"Please, just tell us," Wang Zihan urged, utterly bewildered. "It's not Aunt An, is it? I can't imagine who else it could be..."

"The person I love is... your brother."

Du Yunlong, who had sensed the tenderness and complexity in Fire Qianshu's character, was still stunned

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