Chapter 108 Divine Archery Skill, White Serpent in the Mist
The arrow flew through the air with tremendous force.
Zheng Xuezhang was drenched in cold sweat, his fear beyond words. He raised his hand to grab, but felt no confidence. He turned to dodge, but felt his body become sticky.
This was a "deliberate shot".
As Li Xian drew the bowstring, his spirit and energy flowed into the arrow. The sheer power and grace displayed in that single shot were truly indescribable.
"Let's give it our all!"
Zheng Xuezhang clamped his legs together, bent his waist and leaned back, flipping backward in mid-air. At the same time, he grabbed the horse's tail with his back hand and threw his beloved horse towards the arrow.
Using his beloved horse's flesh and blood as a shield to slow the arrow's trajectory, the arrow's force was too fierce to withstand. In an instant, the horse was pierced by the flying arrow, fell to the ground, and died with a whimper.
In his haste, Zheng Xuezhang had no time to think. He stood firmly on his feet and unleashed a series of palm strikes, so fast that they were difficult to see with the naked eye. He intended to use the palm strikes to alleviate the arrow's momentum and dispel the "spirit" within it.
Zheng Xue's palm pounded like thunder, his heart pounded, and veins bulged on his forehead. Seeing the arrow approaching, he had an urge to turn and flee. But if he did, he would lose his composure, and if Li Xian fired a second arrow, he would be in even greater disarray.
In an instant, many thoughts flashed through his mind. In the end, disregarding everything else, he gathered his Qi, roared, and fiercely grabbed at the flying arrow with both hands.
With a thud, Zheng Xuezhang staggered back more than ten steps, crashing into a large tree. The flying arrow still managed to break through the encirclement and strike him in the heart.
but……
"Pooh!"
Zheng Xuezhang spat out a mouthful of blood, took out the breastplate, and laughed wildly, "Good archery skills, good archery skills, but it's a pity the arrows are just so-so!"
This arrow could have pierced the breastplate and taken his life. However, the wooden arrow was of ordinary quality, and when the arrowhead struck the breastplate, it shattered into dust.
"You little thief, your life is mine!"
Zheng Xue broke the arrow in half and rushed towards Li Xian. Li Xian thought to himself, "It's still not enough." He drew the bowstring and fired a second arrow.
"Father, the knife!" one of the surviving sons called out to remind him.
Zheng Xuezhang was taken aback. He had been so caught up in his own bravado that he had completely forgotten about the broadsword he was carrying. Reminded of this, he immediately drew his sword and held it protectively in front of him.
Li Xian reversed the arrow and coldly shot it at the offspring who had just spoken. After a scream, another person died from the arrow.
"My son!" Zheng Xuezhang's eyes were bloodshot. "Father will capture this boy and make him wish he were dead, to avenge you!"
With heavy casualties and no way to retreat, he saw his beloved sons dying one after another, and his violent anger surged. He then drew his knife and charged towards the mountain.
The mountain path meandered, and Li Xian stood atop the mountain, looking down from above.
The road leading up the mountain was like an invisible barrier. He alone, holding a bow, possessed the spirit of a man who could hold off ten thousand men.
A whooshing sound filled the air as Zheng Xuezhang, a master of martial arts, sprinted forward with all his might, displaying his lightness skill. His movements were as swift as a monkey's and as powerful as a golden leopard's. His speed was astonishing.
Li Xian remained calm under pressure and fired another precise shot.
Zheng parried with his ring-shaped sword. However, since he held the sword in his hand, his fingers would inevitably be exposed. Given Li Xian's exceptional archery skills, those fingers would surely be lost!
"This boy's archery skills are exceptional. If I keep dodging, how can I kill him?" Zheng Xue's palm flashed rapidly, his blocking stance changed, and he suddenly slammed his broadsword into the ground.
Pebbles flew everywhere. With a horizontal slap of the blade, countless tiny pebbles, along with yellow dust, swept in, creating a massive, overwhelming cloud.
It was aimed at Li Xian.
That's quite a powerful move.
Each of these pebbles possessed terrifying power. Li Xian had no choice but to retract his bow and dodge, but with pebbles raining down from the sky, how could he possibly avoid them all?
His left shoulder was still hit by a pebble, which became embedded in his flesh. Li Xian shook himself slightly, forcing the pebble out of his flesh.
Continue drawing the bow and shooting.
Zheng Xuezhang tried to use the same trick again. But the arrow had already left the bowstring and shot off one of his fingers.
At Yihezhuang, he had already lost one palm and several fingers. He was able to continue wielding the knife not because of the strength of his fingers, but because of the internal energy in his palm that attracted him.
However, without his fingers, he could not unleash his exquisite swordsmanship. Thus, his strength was greatly limited. Losing another finger now would be tantamount to losing a child.
Zheng Xuezhang screamed in agony, no longer daring to charge forward. Looking around, he suddenly spotted a huge rock. He immediately used his lightness skill to quickly hide behind the rock, panting heavily.
Calm down.
He couldn't help but think, "I really made a mistake. This kid is just a guard. How could he have such terrifying archery skills? No matter how high my martial arts are, I can't withstand his archery skills and can't get close to him. How can I possibly capture him?"
There was nothing they could do.
Li Xian said coldly, "You old thief, Blood Palm, do you think I can't shoot you just because you're hiding behind a rock?" The arrow left the bowstring again.
His archery skills had reached their peak, and he was well-versed in the myriad variations of arrows and bows. When an arrow leaves the bow, because the arrow has length, the arrowhead, shaft, and fletching will sway like waves.
With the right force and angle, the arrow can deflect laterally after leaving the bowstring, thus avoiding obstacles and hitting the enemy.
The arrow was fired.
Zheng Xue's scalp tingled; by the time he realized what was happening, there was nowhere to dodge. The arrow flew in a horizontal arc, heading straight for him. He raised his hand to block, but the arrow pierced his palm and struck his right eyeball.
However, this kind of curved arrow has a drawback: it is not powerful enough.
Zheng Xuezhang screamed in agony, not daring to stay behind the stone any longer. He immediately fled, tumbling into the woods in a disheveled state, where he found a larger shelter and finally hid himself.
"Boss, we'll clear the way for you and fight him to the death!" the elite members of the Blackwater Gang shouted in unison.
He and his men rushed up the mountain like a swarm of bees, using human lives as bait for their arrows. Li Xian frowned slightly, surprised that they were so loyal to Zheng Xuezhang.
They are not comparable to bandits.
He immediately showed no mercy, killing anyone who stepped onto the mountain path with a single arrow. Dozens were shot dead in succession, leaving the mountain path littered with corpses and rivers of blood—a truly horrific scene.
Li Xian checked his quiver again and found it empty. The Blackwater Gang's attack was sudden, and their arrow reserves were low. A gang member shouted excitedly, "Boss, he's out of arrows!"
Upon hearing this, Zheng Xuezhang cautiously peeked out. Seeing Li Xian's longbow aimed at him, he shuddered and retreated deeper into his cover.
It has been shot out of the shadows.
After calming down, he remembered that Li Xian's bow was indeed empty of arrows, which did not seem like a fake, so he mustered up his courage and peeked out again.
Seeing that Li Xian had put away his bow, he took out a long sword instead.
"Hahahaha, Li Xian brat, without your bow and arrows, let's see how I kill you!" Zheng Xuezhang laughed loudly, used his lightness skill, and quickly ran towards the mountain path.
His rage had been building for a long time, and his killing intent was almost tangible. His blood and qi circulated too rapidly, his chest pounded like thunder, creating a series of astonishing booms.
Li Xian drew his sword and unleashed the Great Luo Sword Technique, slashing horizontally and vertically several times, forcing the Blackwater Gang members to stay away.
Zheng Xuezhang charged forward and saw that Li Xian had nowhere to retreat. He laughed loudly and reached out to grab Li Xian's arms, intending to dislocate them.
Suddenly, Li Xian leaned back and fell straight down the mountain. Zheng Xuezhang was stunned and looked down... Li Xian's feet were hooked on a vine, and he was swinging away into the distance.
He had already prepared a way out!
"Damn it!" Zheng Xuezhang stomped on the vine, snapping it in two. Li Xian, with nothing to suspend him, was about to fall to the ground. At that moment, he extended both legs simultaneously, using the "Gentle Breeze Leg Technique," and further utilizing the secret of "lightness." His falling momentum was greatly reduced.
[Qingfeng Leg]
[Proficiency: 21/50000, the pinnacle!]
Suddenly a gust of wind blew by.
Li Xian also had to use his "riding the wind" ability, and even floated upwards, traveling on the wind! Finally, he landed on a big tree and fled into the distance.
Zheng Xuezhang was filled with fear and trepidation. He thought to himself that this boy's archery skills were terrifying, and he had finally exhausted his arrows. If he didn't kill him now, there would be endless trouble in the future. He immediately leaped down from the mountain.
He had practiced light-body skills, but only the most rudimentary "water-skimming skill," which was only for river surfaces and not enough to allow him to leap through the air.
However, his fundamental transformation was still there. He used his lightness skill to mitigate some of the fall, then used his physical body to withstand the impact. When he landed on the ground, his internal organs were throbbing with pain, his lungs were bleeding, and he coughed up blood.
His feet were also deeply embedded in the ground, his kneecaps were dislocated, as if he had been struck by a heavy blow.
Zheng Xuezhang shuddered, and after a series of crackling sounds, all his dislocated bones returned to their original positions.
"You brat, still running!"
Li Xian dashed ahead, with Zheng Xuezhang hot on his heels. Zheng Xuezhang, having mastered lightness skills, was far faster. Although Li Xian's [Qingfeng Leg] had been honed for months and reached its peak, it was still a leg technique, not lightness skill.
In the Great Wu Dynasty, martial arts are highly valued. "Lightness Skill" is even more precious and extremely difficult to acquire.
But Li Xian was not without his advantages. Whenever he encountered a steep hill, he would easily climb over it. Then, with a leap, he would use the secret of "lightness" to shake off Zheng Xuezhang.
Taking advantage of the complex terrain, with its undulating hillsides…
In this way, a cycle is formed.
Zheng Xuezhang was clearly extremely powerful, yet he couldn't harm Li Xian at all. Li Xian fought him for a long time without suffering a single loss.
Li Xian provoked, "Old man Blood Palm, how does it feel to lose your son?" Zheng Blood Palm replied, "Hmph, losing a son is nothing. Once I turn you into a human sail, I'll have three or four sons and daughters, and my descendants will be numerous!"
Li Xian said, "Is that so? It's still uncertain who will emerge victorious."
Zheng Xuezhang roared, "Arrogant!" and gave chase. The two had been locked in a tense night, but then the first rays of dawn broke, and the sky began to lighten with a pale white.
“Those who are good at swimming die in the forest, you old thief, you’ve gone this far, I’m afraid you won’t be able to come back,” Li Xian laughed.
"A load of nonsense!" Zheng Xuezhang was furious, but then he was taken aback. With the help of the dim morning light, he saw that the mountain was shrouded in miasma, which was extremely poisonous and obscured his vision.
So focused on chasing the killer, he unknowingly lost his way and became trapped in the miasma.
Zheng Xue thought to himself, "This is bad! This kid is cunning; he deliberately lured me here. I was blinded by anger and unfamiliar with the terrain, so I didn't realize it at all!"
Regret had already taken hold of him, and he wanted to return, but he didn't know where he was. Every time he inhaled the miasma, his lungs felt like they were on fire, and his condition was very bad.
"Damn it, even if I die, I'll take you with me!" Knowing he was unlikely to survive, Zheng Xuezhang's killing intent became even more intense. His body trembled with blood mist, and his speed increased even further.
Li Xian recognized the move. It seemed to be called "Blood Mist Technique," which enhanced one's strength by consuming blood and qi. He was already on guard, using the thick fog as cover to dodge and weave, avoiding a direct confrontation.
Zheng Xuezhang was furious and helpless, a sense of despair rising within him. His immense skills had nowhere to be used, and he would soon perish in the forest. Li Xian stole fruit along the way to counteract the poison of the miasma.
But it's not good to stay too long.
"not good!"
The thick fog in the forest obstructed Li Xian's vision. As he ran through the forest, he suddenly saw a large snake blocking his way.
The giant snake was pure white, its forked tongue flicking out, perfectly concealed in the miasma. If one wasn't careful, one would be devoured by it.
Li Xian never ventured deep into the miasma-ridden areas. If it weren't for Zheng Xuezhang's relentless pursuit and exceptionally strong vitality, requiring the miasma to trap and kill him, he would never have entered this place.
He immediately forced a change of direction. But this slowed him down for a moment, and Zheng Xuezhang seized the opportunity to rush over, unleashing both palms at once.
(End of this chapter)
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