Chapter 385: Hunting Down the Heavenly King

Chapter 385: Hunting Down the Heavenly King

In the previous rounds of battle, the Flying Stingray had hidden itself within the folds of space, never revealing its presence. Ordinarily, it would be invisible to the human eye.

Even when Ji Xinghuo's shadow clone shot the Flying Stingray with a Split Arrow, it didn't realize it had been exposed. Cang Huigui was too far away to see that some of the dozens of splitting arrows were directed at the Flying Stingray.

Both the stingray and Cang Huigui thought they were safely concealed, and without any precaution, they leaped over with their battle pets once more.

The Flying Stingray emerged from the void.

Its form resembled a giant stingray, with a broad, flat front end and a long, slender tail at the back.

Qinghong revealed its massive true form, like a wall of gold, silver, and cyan, blocking the Flying Stingray's entire field of vision. It was momentarily stunned, frozen in place with a blank look in its small, round eyes.

"Clang!"

Qinghong brandished its Rending Claw and slashed viciously.

With its two front limbs, a total of ten sharp blades, each over two meters long, it tore through the void like cloth and cut into the Flying Stingray, hidden within the folds of space. The stingray's body was sliced into pieces.

The Flying Stingray's true body was not particularly strong, and compared to the calamity monsters, it was extremely fragile.

With a single slash, it was almost cut into several pieces.

A strange, piercing cry, like an infant's wail, echoed through the void as the Flying Stingray tumbled out.

A lightning-fast starlight arrow pierced the stingray's head, turning it into a corpse.

Qinghong opened its mouth and devoured the stingray, storing it in its Dimensional Stomach.

From the Flying Stingray's leap to its death, the entire process took less than half a second. Ji Xinghuo and Qinghong worked seamlessly together, leaving the other battle pets no time to react. Cang Huigui, watching from a distance, wore a look of shock and anger. She took to the skies, rushing toward them.

Ji Xinghuo glanced at her and smirked.

Two figures blocked Cang Huigui's path—the two shadow clones that had flown over earlier. One engaged her in close combat, while the other attacked from a distance, disrupting her and preventing her from breaking free.

On Ji Xinghuo's side, the arrow he had shot to kill the Flying Stingray revealed his hidden position, immediately drawing the attention of the Hell Iron War Scorpion, the Giant Tree Demon, and the Three-Headed Dragons.

But he was unfazed.

Ji Xinghuo withdrew and flew backward, creating distance between himself and his enemies.

The six shadow clones surrounding him simultaneously launched their attacks. This time, they used ordinary starlight arrows, focusing their fire on one of the Three-Headed Dragons. With their arrows striking from different angles, they exploded both of the dragon's heads in a single volley.

The Giant Tree Demon and the remaining Two-Headed Dragons frantically attacked the shadow clones, engulfing the area with branches, vines, flames, and ice spikes.

Ji Xinghuo didn't bother to have the shadow clones dodge; instead, he used them to draw their fire.

Seizing the opportunity, he quickly flew out of harm's way.

Then, the slaughter began.

The bowstring of the Spirit String Song vibrated continuously, forming starlight arrows that he shot at his targets. The arrows streaked across the sky like lightning, accompanied by sharp thunderclaps. The first victim was one of the Two-Headed Dragons, its left head exploding under the assault.

The intense pain drove the dragon to roar madly, but a second arrow quickly exploded its remaining head, silencing its roars abruptly as blood splattered through the air.

Boom! Boom!

The last Two-Headed Dragon's heads simultaneously burst into a bloody mess.

These Three-Headed Dragons were among Cang Huigui's battle pets, specifically tasked with long-range damage. Their breath attacks were incredibly destructive, but today, they hadn't been able to display their full potential. Now that they were dead, the remaining Giant Tree Demon and Hell Iron War Scorpion posed no threat to Ji Xinghuo.

Not to mention, the Flying Stingray had teleported them high into the sky, and they were now falling back to the ground.

Qinghong pounced on the Hell Iron War Scorpion, and the two massive beasts grappled with each other in a fierce battle.

Within just a few seconds, the still-recovering Hell Iron War Scorpion was covered in wounds. Qinghong shrunk in size and disengaged, leaving the scorpion to fall toward the ground.

Ji Xinghuo's Spirit String Song turned its attention to the Giant Tree Demon.

The demon had spread its countless branches and leaves like an umbrella to slow its descent.

Explosive arrows were loaded onto the bowstring.

Three explosive arrows detonated on different parts of the Giant Tree Demon, destroying its leafy canopy. It plummeted like a meteor toward the ground.

From a height of nearly a thousand meters, even if the Hell Iron War Scorpion and the Giant Tree Demon hadn't been injured, the fall would have left them badly wounded.

Qinghong could handle the rest.

Ji Xinghuo didn't shoot any more arrows. Instead, he turned and flew toward Cang Huigui.

Over a dozen kilometers away, Cang Huigui had just finished off the two shadow clones. As she looked up, she saw her battle pets suffering heavy casualties. Ji Xinghuo's true body was speeding toward her, and hesitation flashed across her face. She turned and fled.

However, after flying some distance, she realized that Ji Xinghuo was too fast. Despite her best efforts, he was rapidly closing the distance between them.

Now that the Flying Stingray was dead, she found that spatial distance had become her biggest obstacle.

Cang Huigui immediately turned back.

As she faced Ji Xinghuo, pale dragon scales appeared on her body, white flames erupted from her pupils, and a pair of broad dragon wings unfurled from her back. She donned a finely crafted battle armor over her long robe and held a black spear in her hand. The spear was engraved with intricate dragon patterns, shimmering with radiant light, and its tip flickered with a terrifying glow.

As a Dragon Warrior, Cang Huigui never feared close-quarters combat, setting herself apart from ordinary beast tamers.

Ji Xinghuo's eyes lit up.

Cang Huigui's weapons and equipment had appeared out of thin air, indicating that she possessed spatial treasures!

Hoo...

As the two drew closer, white flames ignited around Cang Huigui, and her entire body resembled a flaming meteor streaking across the sky. Her battle intent burned fiercely, and her aura was as majestic as a rainbow.

In the blink of an eye, they were within a five-kilometer radius of each other.

"Who the hell wants to fight you up close?"

Ji Xinghuo mocked.

Buzz!

The bowstring of the Spirit String Song had already been drawn, and his maximum range was now around seven kilometers. However, to be extra cautious, he shortened the distance to within five kilometers before opening fire, and his first attack was a long-prepared volley of rapid-fire arrows.

Although it seemed like he was flying quickly, in Ji Xinghuo's eyes, it was rather slow.

He had already entered the Myriad Manifestations!

The rapid-fire arrow split into five.

Cang Huigui sensed the danger, and the white flames around her surged. Her dragon wings beat rapidly, allowing her to change direction swiftly in mid-flight in an attempt to dodge the arrows. Simultaneously, a large round shield appeared in her left hand, blocking her front.

In an instant, Cang Huigui changed her flight direction three times, each trajectory completely different and unpredictable.

The rapid-fire arrows reached her, and they seemed about to graze past. Suddenly, they changed direction.

Cang Huigui's heart jolted in surprise.

She instinctively tried to dodge again, but she misjudged the direction, making it seem like she was intentionally moving to intercept the arrows. They struck her.

A rapid-fire arrow was equivalent to five arrows combined, and they exploded simultaneously on Cang Huigui's round shield.

High-temperature electric currents slammed into the shield's surface.

Cang Huigui's arm went numb from the impact, and she almost dropped the shield. Fortunately, she wasn't injured, but the electric current that seeped through the shield caused her whole body to go numb, affecting her battle armor and dragon scales and preventing her from exerting her strength for the moment.

Before she could recover, a bolt of lightning pierced through the edge of the round shield.

It was the second arrow fired by Ji Xinghuo.

This was just a starlight arrow. It turned in mid-air, taking advantage of the gap and drilling into Cang Huigui's chest at a tricky angle.

Bang!

The battle armor on her chest cracked open, and it was almost pierced through.

But before Cang Huigui could feel relieved, another arrow struck, precisely hitting the same spot. The arrow embedded itself in the dragon scales and released an electric current, causing the flames around her to stagnate momentarily as her star power erupted. Finally, she managed to raise the round shield to defend herself.

A dull thud sounded, and the round shield was dented.

Cang Huigui's heart pounded. If she had been just a bit slower, the third arrow would have struck her, and she might have suffered severe injuries.

She glanced at Ji Xinghuo and noticed that he was still more than five thousand meters away, continuously shooting arrows.

Arrow after arrow flew toward her.

Cang Huigui hid most of her body behind the round shield, and her dragon wings frantically beat the air to accelerate. She gritted her teeth and charged toward Ji Xinghuo, this being the fastest speed she had ever achieved in her life. However, reality filled her with despair.

Because Ji Xinghuo didn't give her any opportunity to get closer.

As she flew toward him, he also flew backward, always maintaining a distance of about five thousand meters.

When she stopped, he stopped as well.

During this tug-of-war, Ji Xinghuo never ceased his shooting. He fired at least three arrows per second, and no matter how Cang Huigui tried to dodge, the starlight arrows seemed to have eyes, always finding their mark.

Bang! Bang! Bang...

Arrow after arrow struck the round shield, and each explosion felt like a collision with a giant beast.

Cang Huigui didn't even dare to turn around and flee.

She had already witnessed the terrifying marksmanship of Ji Xinghuo, and if she exposed her back to his line of fire, it would be akin to seeking her own death.

"The Apocalypse Bow..."

"How does a lowly subhuman like him possess such a powerful weapon?"

Cang Huigui cursed through gritted teeth.

What shocked her the most was that Ji Xinghuo's strength far exceeded that of the bow he wielded. He was merely a fifth-rank anomaly, yet he suppressed her in battle. Even among True Dragonfolk, it would be hard to find such a genius.

"Just what is his background?"

Cang Huigui realized that she had stumbled upon a formidable opponent, but her regrets were futile.

She was still a few hundred meters from the ground.

Normally, this distance would be a stone's throw away, but at this moment, it felt like an insurmountable chasm. Ji Xinghuo's hands moved swiftly, and the frequency of his shooting increased dramatically.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

The Spirit String Song seemed to play a melody as the bowstring danced like an illusion. Ji Xinghuo spared no expense, channeling a massive amount of starlight force to fire five starlight arrows in quick succession.

And with the last arrow, he shot a chain arrow.

The first five arrows arrived almost simultaneously. The leading arrow aimed for Cang Huigui's head, and she swung her spear to block. The arrow exploded, causing her movement to falter, and two more arrows struck, forcing her to use her left hand to shield her head.

However, these two arrows suddenly dipped slightly, consecutively hitting her chest and piercing through her battle armor and white flame protection.

Her dragon scales were exposed.

The electricity from the arrows erupted, sending Cang Huigui tumbling through the air, her body losing balance. The fourth and fifth arrows, one on the left and one on the right, suddenly curved in a wide arc and struck her dragon wings, exploding upon impact.

The opposing forces of the two explosions locked Cang Huigui in mid-air, causing her limbs and dragon wings to go limp and uncontrollable.

Boom!

At this critical moment, the chain arrow hit its mark, piercing through Cang Huigui's chest. The energy contained within the arrow was fully unleashed.

Her battle armor, white flames, and dragon scales were all penetrated.

A gaping hole appeared in Cang Huigui's chest, going right through, revealing her half-beating heart inside. Blood gushed out uncontrollably as she looked down at the wound in disbelief.

Then, overwhelming pain and weakness washed over her, and she fell to the ground.

The robust vitality of a Sixth-Rank Dragon Warrior kept Cang Huigui from dying instantly. She reached out to try and plug the hole, but she couldn't even stop the bleeding. The high-pressure current on the wound suppressed her self-healing abilities, and her whole body felt numb and painful. Her consciousness gradually blurred.

"Ah..."

Cang Huigui screamed, staring at the sky, her face filled with unwillingness.

She saw Ji Xinghuo in the distance.

However, he didn't approach her at all. Instead, he raised the Spirit String Song once more, pulled the bowstring, and took aim.

The barely alive Cang Huigui immediately had a resurgence of energy. She jumped up and sprinted across the ground, her figure darting left and right, making her hard to capture. She used the surrounding terrain and trees to block Ji Xinghuo's arrows.

This was all within Ji Xinghuo's expectations.

A Sixth-Rank powerhouse would not be so easily killed and would definitely have some tricks up their sleeve.

"A stubborn resistance," Ji Xinghuo calmly smiled.

He flew above Cang Huigui, occasionally shooting a starlight arrow to wear her down while always maintaining a safe distance, never giving her a chance to counter-attack.

His electromagnetic sensing also locked onto Cang Huigui, ensuring she couldn't escape no matter how she tried to run.

Cang Huigui, severely injured, sprinted for several minutes, only to realize that Ji Xinghuo wasn't falling for any of her tricks. Despair truly filled her eyes.

"Coward!"

"You despicable subhuman, do you not even have the courage to face me in battle?"

"Come down here and fight me to the death!"

Cang Huigui shouted curses and insults, spewing a string of derogatory words, completely abandoning the dignified demeanor of a True Dragonfolk.

But no matter how she taunted and insulted him, Ji Xinghuo remained unmoved.

"My grandfather was once a bodyguard to the Cyanfire Dragon King and served as an administrator in Cyanfire City. If you kill me, my grandfather will definitely take revenge for me!"

"There is no deep grudge between us. Why must you be so ruthless?"

"If you spare me, I'm willing to give you one hundred million true dragon coins as compensation. I also have more than two thousand ether crystals that I can give you."

"Just don't kill me..."

"Please!"

"I must have been blind to offend you, a lowly creature, by wanting your battle pet..."

In her despair, Cang Huigui pleaded, threatened, bribed, and even tried to seduce him, offering all kinds of conditions, even her own body. Yet, Ji Xinghuo's expression remained unchanged, as if he couldn't hear her.

He merely hovered above her, keeping his distance, the Spirit String Song never ceasing its assault, arrow after arrow mercilessly raining down.

After more than ten minutes...

Cang Huigui stumbled and fell to the ground, her strength finally exhausted.

"You..."

Her face was filled with terror as she shouted, but before she could finish, a chain arrow loomed large in her vision, expanding from a tiny dot. Crack! Cang Huigui's head exploded like a watermelon, but she couldn't hear it.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end