Step by Step Ascend to Immortality

Chapter 45: Chapter 010 Burning Cuiyun Mountain

The crane tilted its head in confusion, looking at the girl.

"Ha ha, Little Crane, don't you think it would be fun to see him and Mr. Wenruo together?" The girl said with a mischievous smile.

The crane flapped its wings and nodded.

"Then let's go down and meet that boy!" The girl chuckled.

"Caw!" The crane nodded in agreement.

Just as the girl was about to mount the crane and descend, a sudden burst of purple light shot up from the west.

"Whoosh!"

The purple light soared into the sky like fireworks, exploding into a massive purple orchid.

"Caw!" The crane squawked in alarm.

The girl's face twisted into a scowl. "These idiots! I told them not to rashly enter the Feng Shui array, but they did anyway? Now they're asking for help? Hmph, ignore them!"

"Caw, caw!" The crane shook its head.

"Sigh, fine. For your sake, Little Crane, I'll help them out. They're really a bunch of fools!" The girl said angrily.

She looked down at Yan Chuan with a look of regret. "It's such a shame. Just when I found someone so interesting, but oh well, I'll come back for him in a few days. I'll be back soon!"

"Let's go!" The girl ordered.

"Caw!" The crane let out a long cry and spread its wings, flying towards the distress signal.

The purple orchid in the western sky drew countless gazes. Yan Chuan, who was teaching Liu Jin how to use the spatial scroll at the Dragon Vein entrance, suddenly saw the huge distress signal in the west.

A sudden realization hit Yan Chuan, and he looked up sharply.

High above in the clouds, a gigantic crane flapped its wings toward the Feng Shui array.

"Hm?" Yan Chuan narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.

"Your Highness, what's that purple orchid in the sky?" Huo Guang asked, puzzled.

"Don't worry about it. We need to deal with the offerings from the Great Zheng Nation and their ten thousand troops first! We're in the land of Great Yan, and they've entered without permission. They must be punished!" Yan Chuan said sternly.

"Understood!" Huo Guang replied promptly.

The group hurriedly gathered their things and continued towards Cuiyun Mountain.

Halfway there, they stopped at the entrance of a valley.

"Your Highness, the scouts have returned!" Huo Guang said respectfully.

"What's the situation at Cuiyun Mountain?" Yan Chuan inquired.

"At Cuiyun Mountain, the four major offerings and the Grand General of the Great Zheng Nation are stationed there with three thousand soldiers. Another seven thousand soldiers have been dispatched in several groups towards the Feng Shui array!" Huo Guang explained.

"What about the Demon Snake?" Yan Chuan asked.

"The Demon Snake is also at Cuiyun Mountain!" Huo Guang replied.

"Good!" Yan Chuan nodded in satisfaction.

"However, we've lost five scouts. They might have been captured!" Huo Guang's face darkened.

"If so, our plan to attack Cuiyun Mountain might be compromised?" Yan Chuan said in a deep voice.

"Possibly!" Huo Guang nodded.

"Bring me the map!" Yan Chuan commanded.

"Yes!" Huo Guang quickly handed over the map.

After examining the map, Yan Chuan's lips curled into a faint smile. "In that case, let's use their plans against them!"

"Uh? Your Highness? What should we do?" Huo Guang asked, confused.

"Those five hundred scouts are mostly still near Cuiyun Mountain, correct?" Yan Chuan asked.

"Yes!"

"Have them set fire to the mountain!" Yan Chuan said firmly.

"What? Your Highness, the enemy is likely aware of our presence and might have already retreated! Setting fire might be useless!" Huo Guang expressed concern.

"Don't worry, just burn the mountain!" Yan Chuan replied confidently.

...

At the summit of Cuiyun Mountain, an abandoned temple had become the base for the Great Zheng Nation's offerings.

In the temple's backyard, roars echoed.

Three golden leopards, their eyes wide with fear, continued to roar loudly.

"Roar!"

"Roar!"

"Roar!"

The leopards seemed to roar away their fear while also warning the massive creature in front of them.

Before the leopards was a five-zhang-long black-eyed cobra, about the height of a five-story building, coiled around the courtyard, occupying most of it.

The cobra's body was as thick as a barrel, its black scales shimmering with an eerie glow. Its neck had some backward-facing spines, and it hissed out black and purple venom from its mouth, its eyes cold and sinister.

"Hiss!"

The hissing sound terrified the three leopards.

"Roar!"

One leopard, unable to bear the fear any longer, leaped at the giant snake.

The snake opened its mouth.

"Crunch!"

Thick black smoke poured from the snake's mouth, engulfing the attacking leopard.

The leopard fell instantly, emitting a whimper before falling silent.

"Roar!"

"Roar!"

The remaining two leopards, horrified, slowly backed away to the walls, agitated and restless.

"Crunch!"

Another puff of black smoke enveloped the two remaining leopards, who fell dead immediately.

After the leopards died, the snake finally opened its mouth and swallowed them.

In an instant, the three leopards were devoured, and the snake's body swelled.

"Gurgle!"

The snake coiled and twisted, quickly crushing the leopards' corpses in its stomach. The bloated body returned to its normal size.

"Hiss!"

The snake turned its head towards the entrance of the courtyard.

At the entrance stood a bald middle-aged man.

"How were the three leopards?" The bald man asked with a forced smile.

"Hiss!" The snake shook its head, looking uninterested.

"Don't worry, I've sent someone to find the bear. I'll have it for you within three days!" The bald man said with a forced smile.

"Hiss!" The snake nodded.

The snake then ignored the bald man and coiled up with its eyes closed.

The bald man's face stiffened.

"Fine, I'll take my leave then!" The bald man said.

The snake remained unresponsive.

The bald man forced a smile and slowly exited.

Once outside, the bald man's face darkened. He rubbed his bald head, glancing at the wall separating him from the snake. He muttered darkly, "With the Feng Shui array in ruins, I must find the secret to the breakthrough! Hmph, I'll tame you thoroughly sooner or later."

"Grand Offering! The Grand General has captured several spies. Please come to discuss!" A soldier ran up respectfully.

"Spies?" The bald Grand Offering raised an eyebrow.

"Lead the way!"

"Yes!"

The two quickly arrived at a grand hall.

Inside the hall was a broken Buddha statue, and four people were already standing there.

One man in armor, with a stern face, and three others in Daoist robes, each looking arrogant.

Upon seeing the bald man enter, all four greeted him respectfully, "Grand Offering!"

"Hmm, Grand General, what's the matter?" The bald Grand Offering asked the armored man.

"Those useless fools we sent to assassinate Yan Chuan were completely wiped out!" The Grand General said angrily.

"Oh? What about Ma?" The bald Grand Offering inquired.

"Ma Offering? During the assassination attempt on Yan Chuan, he suddenly fell ill, causing the array to collapse and all our efforts to be in vain. Everyone perished!" The Grand General said with awry smile.

"Falling ill? Hmph, we shouldn't have agreed to Zhao's request. We came here with a mission, not to disrupt their country!" A Daoist-robed man beside him said coldly.

"The Offering is right!" The Grand General said with awry smile.

Had they not agreed to Zhao's request, the ten thousand troops would never have been allowed into Yan's territory. The offerings, living in luxury, didn't understand these matters. But the Grand General didn't want to argue and went along with it.

"Yan Chuan?" The bald Grand Offering narrowed his eyes.

"We just captured some spies, and they were also sent by him. These spies were tough; they refused to speak even after four were dead. It was only under torture that the last one revealed their plan to attack Cuiyun Mountain!" The Grand General said disdainfully.

"Oh? Attack us?" The Grand Offering rubbed his bald head, puzzled.

"Their guard camp only has three thousand silver-armored soldiers. Huo Guang is capable, but they wouldn't dare confront us. It's only that inexperienced Yan Chuan who gave such an order. He must be trying to get the silver-armored troops to their deaths!" The Grand General said coldly.

"Death for them? If Ma is dead, then let them be buried with him!" The Grand Offering said coldly.

"Indeed. I worry they might set the mountain on fire, so I've prepared to station three thousand soldiers at the base of the mountain. Four Offerings, will you descend?" The Grand General inquired.

"Set the mountain on fire? Ha, the flames will only harm your ordinary soldiers, not us. We will not descend. You handle it. Also, find the bear within two days; Big Black can't wait!" The Grand Offering said firmly.

"Rest assured, Grand Offering! We are already making progress on the bear, and once captured, it will be sent immediately. Meanwhile, our

Here's the translated scene adapted for an American audience:

---

**At the base of Cuiyun Mountain.**

In front of the black-armored army's camp, the Grand General furrowed his brow as he watched the thick smoke billowing in every direction.

"The Grand General is brilliant! Just a few spies, and you've already figured out the Yan army's plan to burn the mountain!"

"Of course! The Grand General's wisdom is unmatched. Such tricks are easily seen through!"

"Long live the Grand General!"

"A mere kid, how could he possibly outwit the Grand General?"

...

The generals flattered the Grand General, who, pleased by their praise, nodded and said, "Since that young man has started burning the mountain, he must be nearby. Increase the manpower and search for their hiding place!"

"Yes, sir!" the generals responded.

...

**Above the valley where Yan Chuan was.**

"Fire!" Huo Guang commanded.

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

Arrows rained down into the valley.

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

...

Screams echoed through the valley as the black-armored troops were slaughtered.

Yan Chuan stood with his hands clasped behind his back, observing the scene from above.

From his vantage point, it was like shooting fish in a barrel. The valley was a death trap for the black-armored soldiers!

"Not a single one escapes!" Yan Chuan ordered coldly.

"Your Highness, don't worry. I've deployed men all around!" Huo Guang assured respectfully.

"Good!" Yan Chuan nodded.

Below, the black-armored troops were quickly wiped out.

A thousand silver-armored soldiers emerged from the valley, swiftly removing the bodies and using branches and leaves to clean up the blood-soaked ground.

Soon, the valley returned to its original state, with only a faint smell of blood lingering in the air. However, a gentle breeze quickly dispersed the odor.

"Prepare for the next wave!" Yan Chuan said calmly.

"Yes, sir!" Huo Guang responded respectfully.

...

**At Cuiyun Mountain.**

The fire had been burning for a full day and night, but Cuiyun Mountain was so large that even after that time, the flames had only reached halfway up the slope.

At the base of the mountain, the black-armored army was camped.

"Grand General, we still haven't found them. The Yan army seems to have hidden well!" one general said with a worried expression.

"Keep searching, damn it! Where could three thousand silver-armored soldiers possibly hide?" the Grand General barked.

"Yes, sir!" the generals replied.

...

**At Yan Chuan's location.**

"Fire!" Huo Guang commanded.

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

...

The terrain was ideal for picking off the black-armored soldiers coming to their aid.

"Your Highness, it's been two days, but we've only taken out five thousand enemy troops. There are still two thousand left, and we don't know when they'll arrive!" Huo Guang said, frowning.

"That's enough. There shouldn't be more," Yan Chuan said, shaking his head.

"What?"

"We're close to the Feng Shui array. If they haven't come to their aid in two days, it means those two thousand soldiers aren't coming back!" Yan Chuan explained.

"Yes, sir."

"Once we've eliminated this batch of enemy troops, let the soldiers rest for an hour, then prepare to face the Grand General of the Great Zheng Nation!" Yan Chuan said solemnly.

"Yes, sir!"

...

**At the base of Cuiyun Mountain.**

"Grand General, it's been two days, and we still haven't heard anything!" a general said anxiously.

"Yes, Grand General, the fire has already reached halfway up the mountain. Are the offerings up there really okay?"

"I wonder if General Zhang has any news!"

"Yes, General Zhang and his team would surely come to the rescue once they see Cuiyun Mountain on fire. It's just..."

"Come to the rescue?" The Grand General looked up irritably.

Thick smoke billowed into the sky.

"Oh no!" The Grand General's face changed dramatically.