Chapter 267: The Power of Archery, A Daoist in Hiding!

Chapter 267: The Power of Archery, A Daoist in Hiding!



On the vast expanse of ice, Jiang Ning soared upwards, his toes lightly tapping the ground as he landed atop a smooth and steep cliff.

He turned around, and the howling cold wind carrying heavy snow rushed towards him from behind.

His long hair danced wildly in the wind like a raging demon, flailing against his cheeks on both sides.

Soon, his gaze locked onto two figures merged with the snow and ice.

Jiang Ning narrowed his eyes, his gaze meeting theirs.

His eyes met the Wind Divine Messenger's in the air.

At this moment, the Wind Divine Messenger was certain he had been discovered.

Then, he turned to look at the Star Guardian beside him, and their gazes intersected, revealing the same expression.

The next moment, they no longer tried to conceal themselves.

The Star Guardian moved, stirring up countless layers of accumulated snow.

His powerful physical body directly tore through the oncoming wind and snow.

With each step, he sank deep into the snow, stomping heavily on the ice.

The thick ice cracked rapidly as his feet landed, the fissures spreading like a spider web.

But the Wind Divine Messenger was different.

He swiftly glided across the snowy ground, like a fleeting shadow, only stirring up swirling snowflakes behind him.

The Wind Divine Messenger's speed was a full three times faster than the Star Guardian behind him.

"Four breaths!" Jiang Ning's figure moved, and he had already judged the time it would take for them to approach him.

A distance of over a kilometer.

The leader only needed four breaths to reach the deserted island and close in on him.

In other words, he only had four breaths to act without restraint.

At this thought, a longbow instantly appeared in Jiang Ning's hand.

The bow was the standard longbow he had used for archery practice before.

Although not particularly precious, it was very practical and a good value, so he wouldn't feel bad if it broke.

As he drew the bowstring, he effortlessly pulled it to its limit.

"Indeed, it's not good enough! It's already at full draw with only three-tenths of my strength!"

Feeling the force transmitted by the bowstring, Jiang Ning couldn't help but shake his head.

As his strength increased, this standard longbow was becoming more and more restrictive for his archery skills.

Archery was different from other weapons.

Once the quality of the bow couldn't keep up, it couldn't unleash his full strength.

The displayed power of archery would also be greatly diminished.

Archery emphasized force.

The stronger the force, the greater the kinetic energy of the fired arrow, and the more terrifying its power.

The ordinary longbow in his hand was already far from capable of unleashing his full strength.

Now, with only three-tenths of his strength, the longbow in his hand was already at full draw.

This greatly limited his archery skills.

The thought flashed through his mind in an instant.

Then, the arrow burst forth, breaking through the air and leaving a white trail in the sky, heading straight for the Wind Divine Messenger.

On the other side, the Wind Divine Messenger saw this and couldn't help but smile.

The silent arrow was also a supersonic arrow.

If it had been in his blind spot, and his auditory system couldn't capture it, it might have posed some threat.

But it appeared clearly in his line of sight.

How could such an arrow harm him? They were a kilometer apart.

Even if it was a silent arrow, it would normally take a breath's time to land on his body.

Although Jiang Ning's arrow was fast enough to reach him in less than a full breath, it was still not enough.

But for Jiang Ning, who had entered the fifth rank, even a tenth of a breath was enough for him to move a position away."

The one who destroyed the divine embryo must be stopped."

But the next moment, the Wind Divine Messenger's pupils constricted.

When the arrow was less than a hundred meters away from him, he suddenly realized that the arrow's target was still locked onto his body.

This was a demonstration of Jiang Ning's heart-arrow technique.

Even after leaving the bow, the arrow could still slightly change direction.

Such an arrow was equivalent to having guided capabilities, greatly increasing the threat to any strong opponent.

In just a short distance of a hundred meters, it arrived in an instant in front of the supersonic arrow.

In an instant, the Wind Divine Messenger no longer hesitated.

"Cloud Dispelling!"

He shouted, and a palm struck out.

An immense inner breath burst forth.

A loud rumble echoed as a vacuum formed in front of him.

When the arrow landed in his palm, his advancing body suddenly halted, and he trembled, his speed instantly reduced.

The next moment, the fine iron arrow shattered into pieces, blown away by his palm.

"What a powerful arrow!" He stopped, shaking his right hand.

A drop of blood fell from his palm.

This arrow, even with his inner breath's defense, still managed to injure him.

The Star Guardian behind him also stopped.

"Divine Messenger, are you alright?"

"It's nothing!" The Wind Divine Messenger raised his eyes to look at Jiang Ning and saw him drawing the bow again, the bowstring already at full draw.

He continued, "The power of the arrow isn't particularly strong, but the force contained within it is terrifyingly powerful! Don't try to block it directly."

He left those words hanging.

Suddenly, his body transformed from stillness to motion, and on the snow-covered ground, he seemed to glide forward like an enchanting shadow.

At the same time, Jiang Ning once again drew the arrow in his hand to its full draw.

The first arrow was just a test of his arrow technique, not invoking the power of wind and thunder.

Indeed, it lacked sufficient power.

That arrow could only cause a negligible external injury to the Wind Divine Messenger standing in the distance.

A drop of blood on his palm, a superficial wound.

Such an injury on an ordinary person would be considered a mere scratch, let alone on a Fifth Rank Proficient Wind Divine Messenger.

But this arrow was different.

It was his strongest shot.

Suddenly, the wind around the man standing on the cliff surged, and the falling snowflakes danced around him.

At this moment, he seemed enveloped by an invisible storm, and the position he occupied was the very eye of this unseen tempest.

His robe fluttered violently.

The headband that bound his hair suddenly loosened, and his black hair danced wildly in the storm, making him resemble a demon god emerging from the maelstrom.

The storm surged into the arrow, and lightning began to flash on its surface.

On the other side, although Jiang Ning's arrow had not yet been released, the Wind Divine Messenger abruptly halted his forward stride, his expression turning extremely grave.

Being locked onto by Jiang Ning's arrow, he instantly felt an intense threat, especially when he saw the strange phenomenon surrounding Jiang Ning, which made his expression even more somber.

Enveloped by the storm, Jiang Ning appeared like a demon god at this moment.

The arrow pointed at the demon god.

The Star Guardian behind the Wind Divine Messenger also immediately stopped and silently took two steps back.

Killing Jiang Ning was the divine command given to the Wind Divine Messenger.

He didn't want to risk his life for this.

Just then, the arrow left the bowstring, invoking the storm and flashing with lightning.

The arrow easily broke through the sonic barrier and continued to accelerate.

With every inch forward, its speed increased, and the lightning on the arrow grew brighter.

This arrow truly lived up to its reputation, rousing the wind and thunder.

A kilometer away, it arrived in an instant.

Seeing this, the Wind Divine Messenger's expression darkened.

He slowly pushed his palms forward.

"Tsunami!"

Facing Jiang Ning's arrow, he dared not hold back.

He unleashed one of his strongest techniques.

As he clapped his palms, his vast inner breath transformed into a vast, surging wave.

The next moment, the arrow, carrying the power of wind and thunder, reached his front.

Then, as the arrowhead touched three inches in front of him, its speed abruptly decreased.

The Wind Divine Messenger's body continued to slide backward.

"Is this the way of harnessing inner breath?" Jiang Ning muttered as he watched the scene unfold in the distance.

The techniques demonstrated by the Wind Divine Messenger were something he had never witnessed before.

The Wind Divine Messenger was the first Fifth Rank Inner Fortification Realm expert Jiang Ning had encountered in his life.

In the distance, the Wind Divine Messenger retreated more than ten zhang.

The arrow's power had significantly diminished.

The next moment, he swung his hands, and the arrow grazed past him, piercing straight into the ice layer beneath his feet.

Crack!

As the arrow struck the ice layer, it cracked, and the fissure spread.

In the next breath, a terrifying blast echoed from beneath the ice.

The lake water surged skyward, flinging several thousand-jin ice blocks into the air.

Beneath the ice, a blue electric light flashed.

"What a terrifying arrow!" The Wind Divine Messenger muttered as he glanced at his feet.

Then, he gently exhaled a mouthful of turbid breath.

Witnessing the power of this arrow, he instantly understood.

He now realized why Jiang Ning, upon discovering them, dared to lead them into Luoshui Lake.

The current Luoshui Lake was icebound for a thousand li, offering a clear view.

This was the domain of an arrow master.

Such a terrifying arrow technique, if he weren't a Fifth Rank Proficient Inner Fortification expert, would have been deadly, even to a Sixth Rank Warrior with a Jade Bone.

Unless they escaped into the water.

"Right, escape into the water!"

He glanced slightly at his feet.

Under the thick snow was an ice layer several centimeters thick.

Although the lake water in the cold winter was bone-chilling, it was nothing to a martial artist, let alone one as powerful as him.

Inner Fortification Proficiency.

He could easily stay underwater for one to two hours.

As long as he entered the water, he wouldn't fear the threat of arrow techniques.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smile.

If he were a Sixth Rank Martial Dao expert, he might need to rely on the advantage of terrain.

But he was a Fifth Rank Proficient Inner Fortification expert, his inner breath vast as a river.

There was no need for the convenience of terrain.

Just then, Jiang Ning, without hesitation, shot another arrow.

As the arrow left the bow, it invoked the wind and thunder.

Carrying the power of wind and thunder, this arrow targeted the Star Guardian beside him.

"Be careful!" The Wind Divine Messenger immediately warned, "Don't try to block it!"

Faced with the arrow's speed of a thousand li in an instant, the Star Guardian's body shape changed repeatedly within a very short time.

Then he realized that no matter how he moved, he couldn't escape.

There was no way to dodge the locked-on arrow.

Seeing this, he no longer tried to evade.

Facing the oncoming arrow, carrying the mighty gale and thunderous force, Star Guardian raised his hand and clenched it into a fist.

In an instant, his fist transformed into a color resembling sheep's fat white jade.

Unlike the Wind Divine Messenger, he chose to meet force with force.

But the next moment, he regretted his decision.

The arrow struck his fist, and he instantly felt an immense force, akin to the might of the heavens, descend upon his clenched fist.

The powerful gale and thunderous energy surged into his fist, and the wind and thunder within the arrow immediately began to tear apart his arm.

His flesh and blood, as white as sheep's fat jade, began to shatter, revealing the bones beneath the skin.

At this moment, his bones were entirely different from those of ordinary people.

Ordinary people's bones were a dark white color.

But his bones were like crystal-clear, flawless jade.

This jade was perfect without any flaws, and there was no obvious color.

Through the translucent jade bones, one could vaguely see the marrow within the bones, as well as the red vessels and nerves.

The next moment.

He felt an intense pain coming from his bones.

The bones at the tip of his fist began to shatter.

The powerful impact sent him flying into the ice layer below, dropping into the freezing cold lake water.

Below the cliff.

Under Jiang Ning's powerful gaze.

The collision between the arrow and Star Guardian's fist was clearly visible.

The arrow's power was indeed formidable, directly flinging his fist and the flesh on his wrist away.

But against the jade bones, the arrow, imbued with the power of wind and thunder, lost its indomitable aura.

That was why the Star Guardian was shot into the lake.

If the arrow had been stronger, the outcome would have been different.

Instead, it would have directly pierced through his right arm, turning his flesh and blood into a pulverized mess.

Just like what he had done to the Sixth Rank Martial Dao cultivator with the golden box in the night.

With the power of wind and thunder, the arrow had pierced through his chest, front to back, and his heart had instantly turned to ashes.

That was the true display of indestructibility.

On the other side.

The Wind Divine Messenger's figure, like a white ghost, approached Jiang Ning.

He, too, had witnessed the collision between the arrow and Star Guardian.

He saw the blue electric glow spreading in the lake water beneath his feet, and a flash of anger appeared in his eyes.

"Foolish!!"

At this moment, he wanted to point at Star Guardian and say these two words.

With him present, Star Guardian dared to use his fist to block such a terrifying arrow.

This was simply foolishness.

At the same time.

In the cold lake water.

Cough, cough—

Star Guardian coughed lightly.

Then, looking at his right arm, he couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

He had intended to take a minor injury by blocking the arrow, thinking it would be a light wound that would heal quickly.

That way, he could legitimately stay in the rear, and all the tasks of the sect could be left to the Wind Divine Messenger.

But he hadn't expected that by merely blocking the arrow.

His right hand would be covered in blood, and the flesh on his wrist and palm seemed to have been scraped away.

Only the jade bones beneath the skin remained.

He clenched his fist, and under the guidance of the nerves within the bones, his right hand, now bone-like, tightened like a fist.

Hiss—

He couldn't help but gasp in surprise again.

Without flesh, the mere act of clenching his fist caused him excruciating pain.

Moreover, he saw that the bones in his fist were shattered by the power of the arrow.

Several cracks also appeared on his entire palm.

This was enough to prove how severe his injury was.

Although the jade bones were tough and robust.

But precisely because they were tough and robust, once injured, recovery became even more challenging.

Healing them was also extremely difficult.

Even if he transformed into his Divine Descendant form, possessing an undying regenerative ability, he couldn't make the bones heal and recover quickly.

"That Jiang Ning is truly terrifying!" Star Guardian sighed softly.

Over the past few days, he had stayed in Luo Shui County and learned a lot.

Because he had learned so much, his heart grew increasingly wary of Jiang Ning.

So, even though he was with the Wind Divine Messenger today, he chose to take a half-step back.

That was why he chose to deliberately get injured.

But he hadn't expected that his intention to suffer a minor injury would turn into such a troublesome wound.

Although this injury wouldn't force him into his Divine Descendant form.

But to heal it, it would take at least a month or two.

And this was because of his unique nature as a Divine Descendant of the Flesh-and-Blood Deity.

Having become a Divine Descendant, even without transforming into his Divine Descendant form.

His physical recovery was far more potent than that of a cultivator of the same level.

Especially at his core level, the more blessings he received from the divine beings.

Ordinary flesh wounds would, at most, only require a moment's work to heal.

So, although this injury seemed severe, he wasn't in a hurry to transform into his Divine Descendant form to heal quickly.

After all, with each transformation, even he couldn't help but lose a bit of his rationality.

If this continued, one day, he would completely lose his sanity and become a divine puppet.

But as long as he didn't transform, didn't change his form, he wouldn't slide into that abyss.

Moreover, his injury allowed him to avoid participating in the mission to assassinate Jiang Ning with the Wind Divine Messenger.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end