The Dragon Subduing Bow was enveloped in a faint mist, resembling flickering flames from a distance.
Chu Dingjiang’s face suddenly paled as he felt his Snow Mountain Qi Sea rapidly draining.
The power contained within this arrow was astonishing. Even those engaged in battle could clearly sense the impending threat—as if they would be reduced to ashes if they didn’t flee immediately!
This overwhelming aura fiercely blanketed over half of the imperial palace. Naturally, Elder Zhi and Feng Shi, both Transformation Realm Masters, detected it as well.
Feng Shi’s gaze flickered toward the two figures in the distance. Seeing their arrows were not aimed at the Crown Prince, he calmly withdrew his attention. His duty was to protect the emperor—including the future emperor—so as long as the Crown Prince faced no mortal threat, his only task was to stand guard without straying a step. Everything else was irrelevant to him.
Elder Zhi’s focus wavered for only a moment before swiftly returning to the bow in his hands. The faintly scattered blue light coalesced once more.
The standoff was brief, yet it felt agonizingly long for both sides.
A piercing Crane Cry echoed across the sky.
The blue light flared brilliantly, dispelling the predawn haze and casting an eerie azure glow on every face.
Immediately after, a clear Phoenix Cry rang out. An Jiu released her fingers, and a crimson streak—a Fire Phoenix—shot forth from her fingertips, streaking toward the blue light with lightning speed.
Under the oppressive weight of these two formidable Inner Forces, the movements of all combatants slowed.
The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes, watching the arrow hidden within the blue radiance hurtle toward the Second Prince—three hundred paces, two hundred, one hundred, ninety… With each closing distance, his heart pounded. Just a little more, and victory would be within reach!
“Your Highness!” A guard beside the Second Prince cried out, leaping into action.
In that fleeting moment, all held their breath. Time seemed to freeze before erupting in an instant.
The arrow imbued with Chu Dingjiang’s full cultivation—the Startling String—collided precisely with the arrow concealed within the blue light midair. The impact erupted into a sea of flames vast enough to swallow a lake whole, like a monstrous maw devouring and vaporizing the frigid waters in an instant.
It felt like a decade, yet also a blink.
The earth-shaking force reverberated as if the entire imperial city, the whole of Bianjing, and the lands of the Great Song trembled in unison.
Hundreds of screams were drowned in the deafening roar. Even the Crown Prince, standing hundreds of zhang away, felt his organs quaking as if they might shatter from the immense force.
Within the Dragon Riding Hall, the space brightened as if at high noon. White banners fluttered wildly as all ministers stared in shock at the crimson sky outside.
The battlefield was ravaged by the two opposing forces, flesh and blood flung into the air. As the light gradually dimmed, they rained down like a macabre shower.
The Crown Prince’s face was pale, but his gaze remained fixed on the battlefield’s center. “Did we succeed?”
Feng Shi slowly shook his head.
He had seen clearly—Elder Zhi’s arrow had been intercepted thirty paces away. At the same time, a ninth-order expert had tackled the Second Prince off his horse, dispersing his cultivation outward to form an invisible shield that protected the prince.
In fact, the Second Prince might now be in better condition than the Crown Prince.
Feng Shi was both astonished and intrigued. Dispersing one’s cultivation was an act of self-destruction—at best, it reduced one to an ordinary person. Yet the Second Prince had somehow compelled a ninth-order expert on the verge of the Transformation Realm to sacrifice himself! But what intrigued him more was the identity of the archer who had unleashed this earth-shattering arrow.
The aura clinging to the arrow was familiar—it belonged to the Transformation Realm Master who had once infiltrated the palace and clashed with him. But the wielder of the bow was a petite woman.Everyone seemed stunned by this sudden turn of events, staring blankly at the scattered limbs amidst the bloody rain.
The ninth-order martial master who had shielded the Second Prince exhausted his lifelong cultivation and slowly rose. Blood soaked through his face covering as he rasped, "Is Your Highness unharmed?"
Though drenched in blood, the Second Prince was uninjured. As a sixth-order martial master, he fully grasped what had just transpired. "Retreat and rest. If we succeed today, your deed shall not be forgotten!"
Great favors need no thanks—the Second Prince's promise was undeniably substantial.
Without another word, the man clasped his hands and staggered away.
"Kill!" The Second Prince's command shattered the stillness.
The Crown Prince glared furiously at that blood-streaked face, itching to personally confront him.
Elder Zhi remained lost in thought, unable to recover from what had just occurred.
Back in Plum Blossom Village, he had knowingly forced Inner Force into that child's body, fully aware it would cripple her meridians. If Mei Yanran wished her daughter to live as an ordinary person, he would oblige.
Yet only he knew this was merely an excuse. Ruining Mei Shi's promising martial seedling just to witness Startling String! In the two years since comprehending it, his mental state had steadily declined, but he deemed it worthwhile. Only now did he realize how laughable he'd been.
"This... this is the true Startling String..." Elder Zhi murmured, his aged eyes gleaming brighter.
How does one unleash a weapon's ultimate potential? The wielder's strength matters, but how does one surpass an equally matched opponent?
—Battle intent!
The pinnacle of any weapon lies in battle intent!
From that earlier Startling String arrow, Elder Zhi barely noticed the formidable Inner Force coiling around it—instead, he was overwhelmed by an utterly terrifying killing intent! It felt like Death God's gaze locking onto him, its murderous aura rushing forth like Death God's outstretched hand. Even someone near the martial peak like him shuddered uncontrollably.
Chu Dingjiang caught his breath, sensing his Inner Force rapidly replenishing.
Currently no match for Feng Shi, he recognized this rare chance with Elder Zhi lost in enlightenment. "I'll draw Feng Shi away. If Elder Zhi nocks another arrow, just evade."
"Mm." An Jiu acknowledged.
Chu Dingjiang flashed across the battlefield like thunder, his Three-Foot Green Edge Sword aiming straight for the Crown Prince's vitals without flourish.
Feng Shi's brow arched as he stepped forward, shielding the Crown Prince.
Enlightenment sometimes strikes like lightning. Seizing this fleeting insight, Elder Zhi immediately drew his bow again, targeting the Second Prince.
He sought no life-or-death duel now—only to comprehend more through this contest.
An Jiu's focus remained mostly on Chu Dingjiang. Having just lost considerable Inner Force, this battle would be perilous. A quiet worry gnawed at her.
The Second Prince and his guards saw the blue light flicker, but as attackers, retreat wasn't an option—momentum once lost is hard to regain. Withdrawal meant near-certain defeat.
"This subordinate will carve a bloody path for Your Highness!" cried the Second Prince's personal guard.
If they couldn't dodge, only another ninth-order martial master sacrificing his cultivation could protect him.An Jiu saw the Second Prince's predicament, but she knew Elder Zhi's Inner Force couldn't have fully recovered in such a short time. The power of the arrows was unlikely to surpass the previous shot. With so many experts desperately protecting the Second Prince and his ability to move freely, he probably wouldn't be harmed. Instead, Chu Dingjiang's situation was more concerning.
An Jiu paused briefly before drawing the Dragon Subduing Bow again.
This time, her target wasn't to counter Elder Zhi—she aimed directly at the Crown Prince.
Feng Shi followed the Crown Prince closely, clearly to protect him. The simplest and most brutal way to distract him was to attack the Crown Prince.
The Dragon Subduing Bow was loaded with a specially crafted arrow. Its hexagonal arrowhead would spin rapidly upon release, capable of piercing clean through a human body, leaving a bloody hole. Inspired by the Liao Kingdom's Blue Light Crossbow, this arrow was designed by Lou Xiaowu. Though not as powerful as the crossbow, it was far more practical.
An Jiu channeled all her Mental Strength into the arrow. Once it came within ten zhang of its target, her Mental Strength would immobilize the victim, turning them into a stationary target while preventing others from intervening—thus ensuring accuracy.
An Jiu was confident that apart from those three in the Transformation Realm whose attention was entirely elsewhere, no one here could resist her Mental Strength.
"Archers! Protect His Highness!" a guard shouted.
Dozens of archers crouched on rooftops and walls, all with one target—the bow-wielding girl across from them.
Chu Dingjiang had successfully diverted Feng Shi's attention. Assassins hidden among the Crown Prince's ranks tensed, ready to strike at the opportune moment.
They were Dragon Martial Guards, while the closest to the Crown Prince were the East Palace Shadow Guards. They had to ensure a single, lethal strike. They also knew that the earlier Startling String technique had drained much of Chu Dingjiang's Inner Force, leaving little time to delay. Exchanging glances, they silently confirmed their strategy.
Amid the chaos, no one noticed their subtle movements.
Being targeted by over a hundred archers brought An Jiu back to the final mission of her past life. Should she continue to attack her target or retreat to avoid the onslaught?
Life and death hung on a single thought. In her previous life, she wouldn't have hesitated. Now, she wavered.
Once a person found hope in living, they became reluctant to die. An Jiu had only just discovered meaning in her life—she wasn't ready to let go so soon.
After a brief internal struggle, she chose to retreat.
Just as she lowered her bow, she caught sight of Feng Shi and Chu Dingjiang locked in a fierce battle at a critical juncture.
Their movements were so swift they blurred—shooting Feng Shi now would be far from simple.
The Crown Prince remained the better target.
An Jiu frowned as she scanned the area. If all those archers fired at once, the Rain of Arrows would be nearly impossible to evade without Body Shielding Qi.
Countless thoughts raced through her mind, but her body moved before her consciousness could decide.
Drawing the Dragon Subduing Bow once more, An Jiu's mind became utterly serene. Her senses had never been clearer—she could distinctly feel every hostile presence, almost hearing the taut bowstrings. Her target stood out vividly in her vision, as if right before her eyes.Feng Shi had been holding the upper hand since the beginning of his fight with Chu Dingjiang. However, as he resided in the palace, most assassins were dealt with by other Shadow Guards, and he hadn’t personally engaged in combat for a long time. As a result, his killing intent paled in comparison to Chu Dingjiang’s. Despite firmly controlling the battle, he couldn’t immediately deliver a fatal blow to Chu Dingjiang.
Now, upon realizing An Jiu was aiming at the Crown Prince, Feng Shi became even more eager to end the fight, his attacks growing increasingly ruthless.
An Jiu knew that if she remained locked in a stalemate, it would only worsen Chu Dingjiang’s situation. Her goal was to divert Feng Shi’s attention, not necessarily to ensure the Crown Prince’s death. So after roughly aiming, she immediately released her arrow.
Yet, before she could loosen her grip, hundreds of archers had already fired their bolts.
A rain of arrows surged forth like a swarm of hornets. (To be continued…)
PS: Just realized it’s a new month, and being late on the first day doesn’t bode well for someone aiming for a perfect attendance record.
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