Chapter 354: Treasure Bow, Spirit Arrow, and the Technique of Heavenly Descent

"Lu Xiao Langjun... Is it really you?"

Lu Qing’s voice suddenly rang out, and Wei Xinghe could barely believe his ears. He even wondered if he was hallucinating—caught between life and death.

"Yes, it’s me, Wei Family Head. How are you holding up?"

Lu Qing’s soul resonance continued to echo.

Only then did Wei Xinghe realize the voice was coming from the Qing Ling Fu embedded within his body. With that confirmation, doubt vanished. He quickly scanned the area behind him, then leapt forward with a few agile bounds, landing atop a nearby rooftop. Spotting an open window on a pavilion, he slipped inside.

As soon as he entered, his body froze.

On the bed lay a frail, emaciated figure—lifeless, utterly still.

Wei Xinghe understood instantly. This was one of the city’s citizens drained of spirit, soul, and life force by the earlier activation of the array.

He clenched his fists, suppressing the surge of fury within. Then, curling into a tight ball, he concealed himself, suppressing his presence completely. Time was of the essence. There was no room for anger now.

The most urgent matter was to relay the situation in Zhou Fu to Lu Qing. If he and Old Doctor could arrive in time, perhaps the lives of the city’s hundreds of thousands could still be saved.

Without hesitation, Wei Xinghe pressed his palm to the jade talisman and spoke urgently:

"Lu Xiao Langjun, disaster has struck! Zhou Fu has been sealed off by a powerful evil cultivator from unknown origins—some kind of array. It’s horrifying. The array drains the very essence of living beings. Already, many citizens have died from it."

"Did you see the cultivator?" Lu Qing asked.

"I caught only a glimpse. He was immensely powerful—so fast, I didn’t even get a clear look at him before he sensed the Lian Xi Fu on me. If not for the Jian Fu you gave me, I wouldn’t have escaped. Lu Xiao Langjun, the entire city is in peril. Only you and Chen Lao Qian Bei stand a chance of breaking this siege and saving them!"

Wei Xinghe whispered, voice low and strained.

He didn’t know if Lu Qing and Old Doctor could still make it in time from Jiu Li Village.

"Wei Family Head, do not worry. I am already outside Zhou Fu. I just need a little more time to break the array. I can’t enter yet."

"Outside the city?" Wei Xinghe’s heart leapt with hope.

"Yes. I just arrived. I’m working on dismantling the array. For now, hide and stay safe. Leave the rest to me."

With that, Lu Qing severed the soul connection.

Feeling Lu Qing’s spiritual presence fade, Wei Xinghe didn’t panic. Instead, a renewed sense of hope welled up inside him.

He’d feared that even if Lu Qing learned of the crisis, he might not arrive in time. But now, the truth was clear—Lu Qing was already here.

He had full faith in Lu Qing’s abilities. If he was present, the crisis in Zhou Fu would be resolved.

All that remained was to preserve his own life and wait for Lu Qing to break the array.

It was a pity his Lian Xi Fu had been shattered by that terrifying cultivator. Otherwise, with its unique concealment ability, he could have hidden anywhere until Lu Qing completed his task.

Just as he thought this, a sudden chill shot through his heart.

Without hesitation, he lunged through the window and out into the night.

Boom!

The moment he cleared the window, the entire pavilion exploded in a burst of force. The lifeless body inside was vaporized instantly.

"Father, I finally found you. You gave me quite the chase," Wei Zihao’s voice echoed from below.

Wei Xinghe glanced at his eldest son—his body radiating dark qi, his aura twisted and unnatural. He knew at once: his son had been possessed by the evil cultivator.

There was no point in fighting him. Without a word, Wei Xinghe activated the Qing Ling Fu on his body. A flash of blue light enveloped him, and with a burst of speed, he vanished into the darkness—leaving Wei Zihao powerless to stop him.

Wei Zihao’s face darkened. His eyes hardened with cold fury.

The Demon Lord had ordered him to bring back his father. Yet, he’d failed twice. If he returned empty-handed, punishment would be certain.

With a snarl, black markings writhed across his body, his aura growing even more sinister. Then, with a single step, he blurred forward—his form leaving behind a long, ghostly afterimage. His speed had doubled.

Wei Xinghe felt the surge of power behind him—shock and rage warring within him.

Shock at how a mere Hou Tian Jing cultivator like Zihao could unleash power rivaling his own—thanks to the evil cultivation method.

Rage at the fact that, as a martial cultivator, he knew strength came only through cultivation. To forcibly wield power beyond one’s realm was a death sentence in the long run. The body would collapse under the strain.

And yet, this demon had turned his own son into a half-human, half-monster.

The thought made Wei Xinghe’s blood boil. But he knew—there was nothing he could do.

His only hope now rested on Lu Qing breaking the array and defeating the demon, restoring Zihao’s mind.

He refused to fight his son. With no other choice, he pushed himself harder, fleeing into the night.

Suddenly, he sensed several powerful Xian Tian Jing auras approaching from ahead.

---

Having finished his conversation with Wei Xinghe, Lu Qing severed the soul link with the Qing Ling Fu.

His gaze turned toward the black barrier—a luminous array screen blocking the city. He began analyzing the pattern, seeking a way to dismantle it.

This type of array, designed to drain the life force of people, had crossed his path once before.

During his journey to Zhong Zhou, the Silver Moon Sect had erected a similar array—meant to consume the essence of martial cultivators in Yun Zhou.

But that earlier array had only covered a small town. Its power was nothing compared to this vast, city-sized formation.

"Shi Fang Rong Xue Lian Hun Zhen... Heritage from the Tian Yuan Da Shi Jie, passed down from the Hei Tian Mo Zun..."

Lu Qing recalled the text that had flashed before his eyes. His expression grew thoughtful.

The implications were staggering. Both the Tian Yuan Da Shi Jie and the Hei Tian Mo Zun were legendary entities—far beyond ordinary realms.

And this demon in the city—what connection did he have to such a mythic origin?

Lu Qing pondered for a moment, but found no answers. He set the mystery aside for now.

The immediate priority was breaking the array.

If not, the next activation would claim more lives.

He extended his spiritual senses, probing the flow of energy within the array’s light barrier. Though the array blocked full perception of the city, he could still sense the patterns of power circulating within the barrier itself.

The Shi Fang Rong Xue Lian Hun Zhen was vastly more powerful than the one from the Silver Moon Sect.

But all arrays had weak points. Destroy enough nodes, and the entire structure would collapse.

Lu Qing, heir of the Divine Seal Sect and already at the Yang Fu realm, was a master of array techniques.

Though the current array was complex, it had been simplified countless times—its essence reduced over generations.

It didn’t take long for Lu Qing to identify the outermost nodes.

Without hesitation, he focused his will. From the Qiankun Yiqi Dai, he drew forth his Bow and Arrow.

The Treasure Bow now bore a new appearance. Ancient inscriptions shimmered faintly across its frame, radiating a dazzling aura. It was no longer just a weapon—it was a true Treasure Artifact.

Lu Qing had grown obsessed with refining weapons in the Lihuo Ding. In his latest session, he’d re-forged the bow, adding rare materials and layering it with multiple seals. The result? A weapon of legendary quality.

"Let’s see if your array can withstand my Bow and Arrow."

Cold eyes fixed on the barrier, Lu Qing drew a Spirit Arrow—its shaft etched with intricate inscriptions. This was no ordinary arrow. It was a Spirit Arrow, a rare and powerful artifact in its own right.

Even one such arrow was worth as much as a high-grade spiritual artifact.

This was precisely why Lu Qing had insisted on retrieving the Lihuo Ding—because with that sect’s supreme artifact, he could forge spiritual and treasure artifacts at will.

So long as materials were available, he could keep producing them endlessly.

And his skill in crafting had advanced dramatically.

He nocked the arrow.

Then, drawing back the bow.

The Treasure Bow, now refined to artifact status, was so strong that even a Xian Tian Jing warrior couldn’t draw it.

But for Lu Qing—whose body now glowed with a divine aura—this was effortless.

He didn’t even need to plant his feet. With a slight shift of stance and a firm pull of his arms, the bow arched into a perfect crescent moon.

Then, with a mental command, the seals on the bow flared to life.

Qi from the surrounding air surged toward the arrow, gathering in its core.

The power built—until it reached a level that would make even the strongest Xian Tian Jing cultivator tremble.

Lu Qing released the string.

Twang!

The explosion of sound shattered the air around him. The Spirit Arrow shot forward like a beam of light, piercing through the atmosphere at a steep angle—aiming directly at the city.

This time, he used the arc shot technique.

And woven into the arrow’s flight was a thread of his soul.

The arrow soared high, climbing to the peak above the city. Then, with a sharp turn, it pointed downward—accelerating rapidly under Lu Qing’s mental command.

Arrow Art Secret Technique: Heavenly Descent!

As the seal on the arrow flared, the arrow’s speed skyrocketed. By the time it reached the black array barrier, it was moving at its absolute peak.

The power it carried was overwhelming.

The barrier—no matter how strong—was like paper before a blade.

Crack!

The arrow pierced through.

An explosion echoed from within the city.

Lu Qing sensed it immediately—the barrier flickered, its power weakening by a fraction.

"I may have overestimated this array," Lu Qing mused, rubbing his chin, surprised.

He’d expected it to take effort to breach. But it had fallen so easily—just one node destroyed.

"Small wonder. The array’s power is spread too thin across the entire city. Even a Zhu Ji Qi cultivator wouldn’t dare face that arrow head-on. But you, Lu Xiao Langjun, have just shattered a core node with a single shot."

Yan chuckled, still amazed.

It wasn’t just the raw power—it was the precision.

To destroy a node through a massive array, from outside, with such accuracy…

That level of skill was on par with a master of the bow.

How many other secrets did this young man still hide?

"Good. That’s exactly what we wanted," Lu Qing smiled.

With a thought, three more Spirit Arrows appeared in his hand—three in total, all nocked at once.

Now that he knew the barrier’s limits, there was no need for further testing.

He channeled his will. The three arrows began drawing in Qi once more.

Just as Lu Qing prepared his second volley—

Inside Zhou Fu, a grand mansion erupted with a thunderous roar.

"Who dares destroy my array node?!"

A furious voice boomed. The room exploded outward, revealing a disheveled figure—his hair wild, his eyes burning with malice—standing before a floating black bone sword.

Even more unnerving: blood-colored mist constantly swirled around the sword, sucked into its blade, deepening its aura.

"Master Demon, what has happened?"

Four figures appeared at the threshold, bowing in fear.

Each bore the same black markings as Wei Zihao—creepy, unnatural.

"Someone is attacking the array from outside. Kill them!"

The figure snarled.

Then, three more distant explosions echoed through the city.

The disheveled figure staggered. The flow of blood mist around his sword slowed noticeably.

"Damn it! Go now! If you fail to kill the intruder, bring me your heads!"

"Yes, Master Demon!"

The four figures vanished in an instant, vanishing into the night.

Left alone, the figure stared into the sky, eyes flickering with doubt.

"Who… could possibly dismantle four nodes so easily? Even after simplifying the array a hundredfold, this should be beyond the comprehension of any mortal in this world!"

Just then—three more explosions.

The figure trembled. The blood mist around his sword vanished by a third.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end