Chapter 267: The Power of Archery, A Master of the Dao

Chapter 267: The Power of Archery, A Master of the Dao



On the vast expanse of ice.

Jiang Ning soared upwards, his toes lightly tapping on the smooth and steep cliff top.

He turned back, and the howling cold wind mixed with snowstorm rushed towards him from behind.

His long hair behind him danced wildly in the wind, flailing against his cheeks on both sides.

Soon.

His gaze locked onto the two figures who had merged with the snow.

Jiang Ning narrowed his eyes, their eyes meeting.

His gaze intersected with the Wind God Messenger in the air.

At this moment.

The Wind God Messenger was certain that he had been spotted.

Then, he turned to face the Star Guardian beside him, their gazes meeting, and both revealed the same expression.

The next moment.

The two no longer tried to conceal themselves.

The Star Guardian moved, stirring up the accumulated snow.

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

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

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

However, the Wind God Messenger was different.

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

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

"Four breaths!" Jiang Ning spoke.

The two moved, and he had already judged the time it would take for them to approach him.

A distance of one kilometer away.

The leader would only need four breaths to reach the deserted island and approach him.

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

At this thought.

A bow instantly appeared in Jiang Ning's hand.

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

Although not precious, it was very practical, and a good value for the price, 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 working well! I've only used three-tenths of my strength and the bowstring is already taut."

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 its full force.

The displayed archery power would also be greatly discounted.

Archery, the most important aspect was strength.

The stronger the force, the more powerful the fired arrows would be, and the more terrifying their might.

The ordinary longbow in his hand was now far from being able to unleash his strength at will.

Now, with only three-tenths of his strength, the longbow in his hand was already pulled to its limit.

This greatly limited his archery performance.

A thought flashed through his mind in an instant.

Then.

Boom—

The arrow broke through the air, leaving a white trail in the air, rushing towards the Wind God Messenger.

On the other side.

Seeing this, the Wind God Messenger couldn't help but smile.

A silent arrow, also a supersonic arrow.

If it were in his blind spot, and his auditory system couldn't capture this kind of arrow, it might still pose a 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 were a silent arrow, it would normally take one breath for it to land on his body.

Although Jiang Ning's arrow was fast enough to catch his eye, it would still take most of a breath to land on his body.

But for Jiang Ning, who had stepped into the Fifth Stage, not to mention most of a breath, even a tenth of a breath was enough for him to move.

A distance of one movement was enough to make the mountain-splitting arrow harmless to him.

Then, the Wind God Messenger, like a white shadow, instantly dodged the arrow's locked-on target.

However, the next moment.

His pupils constricted involuntarily.

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

This was the manifestation of Jiang Ning's heart-arrow.

The arrow, after leaving the body, could still slightly change direction.

This arrow was equivalent to having guidance capabilities, greatly increasing the threat to any strong opponent.

A short hundred meters, in front of the arrow flying at multiple times the speed of sound, was reached in an instant.

In a flash.

The Wind God Messenger no longer hesitated.

"Cloud Displacement!"

He shouted.

He slapped out with one palm.

His inner breath erupted with immense power.

Boom—

A vacuum suddenly appeared in front of him.

A visible air wave spread out from his front.

When the arrow landed in his palm, his advancing body suddenly stopped, and his whole body shook, his speed instantly dropping.

The next moment.

The fine iron arrow shattered into pieces, flying away from his palm.

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

It could be clearly seen that blood beads were dripping from his right palm.

This arrow, even with his inner breath defense, still injured him.

Seeing this, the Star Guardian beside him also stopped.

"Messenger, are you okay?"

"No problem!" The Wind God Messenger looked up, and instantly saw Jiang Ning drawing the bow again, the bowstring already taut.

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

He left these words hanging.

Suddenly, his body went from stillness to movement, and on the snow, he moved forward like a mesmerizing shadow.

At the same time...

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

The first arrow was just a test of his archery skills, without invoking the Wind and Thunder Energy.

Indeed, the power was insufficient.

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

A skin injury that made blood drip from his palm.

Even on an ordinary person, such an injury would be considered a mere scratch, let alone on a Fifth Stage Apex Wind Divine Messenger.

But this arrow was different.

It was his strongest arrow.

Suddenly...

Standing on the cliff, his body was surrounded by raging winds, and the falling snowflakes danced around him.

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

The robes on his body suddenly rustled loudly.

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 storm.

The storm surged into the arrow, and then lightning began to flash on it.

On the other side...

Although Jiang Ning's arrow hadn't been shot yet...

The Wind Divine Messenger abruptly halted his steps forward, his expression turning extremely solemn.

Locked onto by Jiang Ning's arrow, he instantly felt an intense threat.

Especially when he saw the strange phenomenon surrounding Jiang Ning, his expression became even more grave.

At this moment, enveloped by the storm, Jiang Ning seemed like a demon god.

The arrow pointed at the demon god.

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

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

He didn't want to fight to the death for this.

Just then...

The arrow left the bowstring, invoking the Wind and Thunder Energy, and lightning flashed by.

In this instant, the arrow became the eye of the storm, constantly absorbing the power of the wind.

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

With every inch of forward movement, the speed increased, and the lightning flashing on the arrow became brighter.

This arrow truly achieved the effect of 'Arrow Invokes Wind and Thunder.'

A distance of one kilometer was covered in an instant.

Seeing this...

The Wind Divine Messenger's expression darkened.

He slowly pushed his palms forward.

"Thunder Wave!"

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

His palm strike was one of his strongest techniques.

As the palm struck out, his vast inner breath transformed into a vast, surging wave.

The next moment...

The arrow carried the power of the Wind and Thunder Energy and arrived before him.

Then, when the arrowhead touched three inches in front of him, its speed abruptly slowed.

The Wind Divine Messenger's body also continuously slid backward.

"Is this the way to utilize inner breath?"

Watching the scene in the distance, Jiang Ning muttered to himself.

At this moment, the Wind Divine Messenger revealed a technique Jiang Ning had never seen before.

The Wind Divine Messenger was the first Fifth Stage Inner Strength Apex cultivator Jiang Ning had ever encountered.

In the distance...

The Wind Divine Messenger retreated more than ten zhang.

The arrow's energy significantly diminished.

The next moment...

He swung his hands, and the arrow brushed past him, piercing the ice layer beneath his feet.

—End of Chapter—

Crack!

As the arrow pierced the ice layer, cracks spread.

The next breath...

Boom!

Terrifying blasts came from beneath the ice layer.

Lake water surged into the sky, flinging several thousand-jin ice blocks.

Beneath the ice layer, blue lightning flashed.

"How terrifying!" The Wind Divine Messenger muttered, glancing at his feet.

Then, he gently spat out a mouthful of turbid energy from his stomach.

Having witnessed the power of this arrow...

He suddenly understood.

This was why Jiang Ning, upon discovering them, dared to lead them into the frozen Luoshui Lake.

The entire Luoshui Lake was now frozen, offering an unobstructed view.

This was the domain of a powerful archer.

Such terrifying archery skills would surely kill a Fifth Stage Inner Strength Apex cultivator, even one who had forged a Jade Bone, if they were not prepared.

Unless they escaped into the water.

"That's right, escape into the water!"

He glanced at the thick layer of snow beneath his feet.

Beneath the thick snow was a layer of ice several centimeters thick.

Even in the coldest winter months, this was nothing to a cultivator, let alone a powerful one like him.

Reaching the Fifth Stage Inner Strength Apex, he could easily hold his breath for two hours underwater.

Knowing this, he smiled to himself.

If he were a Fifth Stage Martial Path cultivator, he might need to rely on the environment.

But he had reached the Fifth Stage Inner Strength Apex, his inner breath was as vast as the ocean.

There was no need to rely on environmental advantages.

Just then...

Jiang Ning, without hesitation, shot another arrow.

As the arrow left the bow, it invoked the Wind and Thunder Energy, carrying its power.

This arrow was aimed at the Star Guardian.

"This arrow can't be blocked directly!" the Wind Divine Messenger immediately warned.

The next breath...

Facing the thousand-meter Wind and Thunder arrow, the Star Guardian repeatedly shifted and changed his position in a short time.

Then he realized that no matter how he moved...

No one could evade the lock-on of the arrow.

Seeing this, he no longer dodged.

Facing the incoming arrow, imbued with the power of the wind and thunder, the Star Guardian raised his hand and punched.

His fist instantly transformed into the color of white mutton-fat jade.

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

But the next moment, he regretted his decision.

The arrow landed on his fist, and he instantly felt a vast, heaven-defying force on his fist.

The mighty wind and thunder energy surged into his fist, and the wind and thunder power within the arrow began to tear apart his arm.

The flesh on his arm, like white mutton-fat jade, shattered bit by bit, revealing the bones beneath the skin.

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

Ordinary people's bones were a dark white color.

His bones, however, were like flawless, translucent jade.

This jade was perfect, without a hint of flaws or noticeable color.

Through the translucent jade bones, one could vaguely see the marrow beneath the bones, the red blood vessels, and the nerves.

The next moment, he felt excruciating pain in his bones.

The bones in his fist began to shatter under the powerful impact, and he was shot into the ice layer below, falling into the freezing cold lake.

Below the cliff.

Under Jiang Ning's powerful gaze, the collision between the arrow and the Star Guardian was clearly visible.

Although the arrow's power was formidable, directly blowing away the flesh on his fist and wrist, it lost its invincible momentum when faced with the jade bones, which contained the wind and thunder power.

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

If the arrow had been strong enough, it wouldn't have ended like this.

Instead, it would have pierced his right arm, turning his flesh into mincemeat.

It was similar to when he had used the power of wind and thunder in the night, against that person holding the golden box.

With a single arrow, he had pierced the person's chest, front to back, and their heart had instantly turned to ashes.

That was the true display of invincibility.

On the other side.

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

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

He saw the blue electric light spreading in the lake beneath his feet, and a hint of anger flashed in his eyes.

"Foolish!!"

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

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

This was sheer stupidity.

At the same time, in the cold lake.

Cough, cough—

The Star Guardian coughed lightly.

He looked at his right arm and couldn't help but gasp in shock.

He had intended to take this arrow head-on, thinking he would only suffer minor injuries that could heal quickly.

That way, he could legitimately stay in the rear, and all the sect's tasks could be handled by the Wind Divine Messenger.

But he hadn't expected that by merely blocking the arrow, his right hand would become bloodied and bruised.

The flesh on his wrist and palm seemed to have been scraped away, leaving only the skin and the jade bones beneath.

He clenched his fist, and the nerves within the bones caused the skeletal right hand to tighten like a fist.

Hiss—

He couldn't help but gasp again.

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

Moreover, he saw that the bones in his fist were shattering under the arrow's power, and cracks appeared on the entire skeletal palm.

This was enough to prove how severe his injury was.

Although the jade bones were tough and resilient, once injured, they became even more challenging to heal.

The recovery process was incredibly difficult.

Even if he transformed into his Divine Descendant state, possessing regenerative abilities akin to immortality, he couldn't quickly heal his bones.

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

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

Because he had learned so much, his wariness of Jiang Ning had grown.

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

That's why he chose to take this hit.

He had intended to suffer a minor injury, but it turned into a more troublesome situation.

This injury wouldn't force him into his Divine Descendant state to recover, but healing it would take at least a month or two.

And this was because he was a Divine Descendant, a Flesh Deity, with exceptional regenerative abilities.

Even without transforming, his physical recovery abilities were far superior to ordinary warriors of the same level.

Especially at his core, the more divine blessings he received, the stronger his recovery became.

Ordinary flesh wounds would heal within the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.

So, although this injury seemed severe, he wasn't in a hurry to transform and quickly recover.

After all, each transformation, even for him, would result in a slight loss of rationality.

If this continued, one day, he might 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, with his current injuries, he had an excuse not to participate in the mission to assassinate Jiang Ning with the Wind Divine Messenger.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end