The Fire of Life

"The person has arrived, saving us the trouble of searching." Li Ge looked at the Daoist, speaking with a hint of joy. He had witnessed Zheng Donglin's strength, so he knew for certain this mission would be completed. According to intelligence, the Daoist's strength was only at the Sixth Rank, but he possessed several strange skills and mystical arts, allowing him to fight on par with the Seventh Rank. Regardless, even a Great Li Heavenly Human General had been easily killed by Zheng Donglin, and now that he was by his side, there was no fear of the mission failing; that Daoist would surely die.

"Hmph, I knew Wang Bi would send someone to assassinate the Daoist, but how could they know the Daoist's true realm is the Heavenly Stairway?" Inside the Great Li military camp, Ren Mo snorted coldly.

"One can only blame him for hiding too deeply. If we weren't in a cooperative relationship, I might not have known his realm either," Song Zuo said, shaking his head.

"He is a man of the Immortal Sects; naturally, you cannot discover the truth," said Bai Ze, one of the Three Great Heavens of Great Li. Thinking of the words 'Immortal Sect,' he also felt a slight sense of trepidation. Immortal Sects were places where seekers of the Dao gathered; they were so dangerous that even the Dynasty ignored them, letting them do as they pleased as long as they didn't touch the Dynasty's interests.

"This time, Wang Bi has suffered a great loss," Ren Mo laughed loudly.

"Indeed," Song Zuo agreed.

"I have a feeling I've missed something?" Wang Bi said, frowning.

"You think too much. What on this battlefield can escape your grasp?" Wang Ben said, while an intelligence soldier nearby listened intently.

"I hope so," Wang Bi sighed.

"Run!" Li Ge was rejoicing when he suddenly heard Zheng Donglin speak. He turned his face back in shock.

"That person is very dangerous," Zheng Donglin said in a heavy voice.

"Are you joking with me?" Li Ge looked at Zheng Donglin in confusion. He saw that the Daoist's realm was only at the Sixth Rank; using the word 'dangerous' seemed entirely inappropriate.

"I don't know. I feel he is very dangerous; I cannot defeat him," Zheng Donglin replied dryly. From the Daoist, True Qi as thick as water coiled and intertwined; that feeling of being unable to breathe shocked Zheng Donglin. This person gave off a feeling of strength so immense it was indescribable, far beyond the scope of what Zheng Donglin could face. A terrifying realization dawned in Zheng Donglin's mind: the Daoist before him was not in the Ranked Realm.

"Not an Immortal Sprout." Suddenly, the Daoist appeared in front of Zheng Donglin, gripping his hand as he spoke. The Daoist's face showed regret, but it suddenly changed, revealing a hint of greed he couldn't hide as he stared at Zheng Donglin.

"You don't have an Immortal Sprout, but you have the aura of one. So, you cultivate an Immortal Law!" the Daoist said greedily.

"Immortal Law!" Zheng Donglin was shaken. He knew the Daoist was referring to the 'Great Mystery Art.' The Daoist decided to capture Zheng Donglin to interrogate him for the Immortal Law. Although he hadn't found an Immortal Sprout, obtaining an Immortal Law was a far greater benefit. Thinking of obtaining the Immortal Law, the Daoist's heart pounded. An Immortal Law was a cultivation method that any seeker of the Dao would yearn for. With an Immortal Law, one had the chance to become an Immortal. The temptation of being an Immortal was something no seeker of the Dao could resist. They would willingly throw away their lives just for a tiny chance.

Seeing the Daoist reach out to grab Zheng Donglin, Li Ge swung his long saber with powerful force.

*Clang!* A sound rang out, the long saber trembled, and the shock transmitted through it made Li Ge's hand go numb. He looked at the Daoist with eyes full of terror.

"You seek death!" The Daoist withdrew his hand and pointed a finger at Li Ge's forehead, a brilliant beam of light flashing through his brow.

"He is not Ranked, he has reached the Heavenly Stairway! Run, Donglin!" Li Ge's pupils dilated, and he used his last bit of strength to speak a single sentence before his Fire of Life was completely extinguished.

Heavenly Human General Li Ge had fallen in battle at Ye City.

"Lord Li Ge!" The West Mountain soldiers cried out with reddened eyes, tears streaming down their faces as they charged at the Daoist with their weapons.

"Pay with your life for Lord Li Ge, you Great Li dog!" the soldiers wept. Among the soldiers under Li Ge, some had previously been slaves whose freedom Li Ge had mercifully bought, giving them the chance to become soldiers. Li Ge was like the sun illuminating their path. Now that Li Ge was dead, that light had been extinguished.

The Daoist snorted coldly. The dignity of a seeker of the Dao was not something a group of mortal soldiers could defile. The fly-whisk in his hand swept once, and powerful True Qi radiated from him, crushing all the soldiers who charged. The soldiers under Li Ge were completely wiped out.

"You!" Zheng Donglin was consumed by a heaven-shattering rage. Although he had only just met Li Ge, the man was upright and devoted to West Mountain. Seeing him die like that before his eyes made Zheng Donglin desperate for revenge.

"Without becoming an Immortal, you are but an ant," the Daoist said plainly, reaching out to grab Zheng Donglin.

"For the heroic spirit of Lord Li Ge, cut off the retreat for Lord Donglin!" another soldier roared. This time, only five hundred soldiers charged toward the Daoist. Each had different cultivation levels, but their morale would not be worn down even in a thousand years; they still resolutely advanced.

"A bunch of ants!" The Daoist swept his fly-whisk, and the five hundred soldiers were killed by his True Qi, not a single one left alive.

"Ah!" Zheng Donglin threw his head back and roared at the sky. A medicinal pill appeared in his hand, and he swallowed it.

It was the Prisoner Tiger Pill.

"What are my chances of defeating the Daoist?" Zheng Donglin had previously asked the system.

— The Daoist's strength has reached the Heavenly Stairway realm; the Host is only at the Fifth Rank and has no way to win. — the system said.

Zheng Donglin fell silent. He couldn't just wait to die, nor could he fail to avenge Li Ge. He suddenly remembered he still had one 'Prisoner Tiger Pill.'

"What will happen if I consume the Prisoner Tiger Pill?" Zheng Donglin asked.

— The Host's realm will be increased by one. — the system said.

"Only one?" Zheng Donglin was disappointed.

— It can continue to increase, but the Host will have to pay an enormous price: your lifespan. — the system reminded him.

Zheng Donglin's face darkened. He looked closely at the 'Prisoner Tiger Pill' in his hand, his will firm. What did a lost lifespan matter if he let Li Ge die like this?

The Daoist looked on in shock as Zheng Donglin's aura continuously rose, reaching the Sixth Rank and growing even more intense: Early stage, Middle stage, Late stage, Peak, then reaching the Seventh Rank, Eighth Rank, and the peak of the Ninth Rank. The Fire of Life within Zheng Donglin burned fiercely. Normally, a person's Fire of Life was only the size of a candle flame, because if it burned too large, the fire would consume the candle and extinguish itself. Now, Zheng Donglin's Fire of Life was being severely consumed.

"Dragon Nest!" Zheng Donglin's palms twisted out ten terrifying golden dragons, roaring as they headed toward the Daoist. Zheng Donglin's combat power was exchanged for his lifespan. He had to kill the Daoist to sacrifice to the spirits of Li Ge and all the other fallen soldiers. Dragon Nest, since its successful fusion, had instantly become the strongest martial skill Zheng Donglin possessed, surpassing even his spear techniques.

The Daoist's fly-whisk, covered in green True Qi, struck the dragons, shattering them. Although the Ninth Rank was only one level away from the Heavenly Stairway, it was not just a simple level; it was a vast chasm that had to be crossed.

Zheng Donglin appeared behind the Daoist with superior speed, his palm striking the Daoist's back. Golden light erupted beneath his palm. A similar layer of pure golden light rose behind the Daoist. The Daoist spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his eyes dark as he looked at Zheng Donglin. He had severely underestimated this boy.

The Daoist was enraged, his fly-whisk swelling by a circle, turning into a massive object larger than Zheng Donglin as it slammed down. Zheng Donglin raised both hands to block. Struck by the fly-whisk, his entire body was driven deep into the ground, the surface around him within three feet turning into a large crater.

*Pfft!* Zheng Donglin bled from his seven orifices, his entire body in excruciating pain. He resolutely and shakily stood up, his bones feeling as if they were about to shatter, looking up at the Daoist with difficulty. The Daoist's fly-whisk attacked him once more. Zheng Donglin raised the Overlord Spear to block. He was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, landing deep within the West Mountain army. He was like a human cannonball, crashing through all obstacles.

The two armies watched him in shock. His entire body was covered in blood as he lay on the ground, his hand never letting go of the Overlord Spear.

"My Lord, run!" the West Mountain soldiers cried and wept, wanting to rush out to protect him and bring him back.

"Get out of the way!" The West Mountain soldiers looked with hatred at the Great Li soldiers blocking their path, not letting them carry Zheng Donglin away.

The Daoist walked over, looking down at Zheng Donglin, reaching out a hand to take him.

"Get lost, you dog!" Zhi Bai saw Zheng Donglin lying there as a bloody figure. Although it didn't recognize Zheng Donglin's appearance, it recognized the fiery red spear.

"Hmph!" The Daoist snorted coldly at Zhi Bai, his fly-whisk growing large as he swung it, wanting to crush Zhi Bai.

"Moo!" At this time, the Green Ox, whose horns were slightly cracked, cried out in rage. It charged in front of the fly-whisk, protecting both Zhi Bai and Zheng Donglin.

"An ox with spirituality!" The Daoist looked at the Green Ox in surprise, feeling that his harvest of treasures this time was quite substantial. His True Qi acted like a pincer, tightly binding the Green Ox and lifting it up.