Although An Jiu felt that Elder Zhi's retirement had nothing to do with her, she had no choice but to draw the Dragon Subduing Bow.
Facing the formidable Startling String infused with Inner Force, even someone as profoundly powerful as Chu Dingjiang or Feng Shi might not be able to withstand it, let alone An Jiu. But she had one strength—no matter how dire the situation, she could always keep a clear mind.
In that brief moment, countless thoughts flashed through her mind—Wei Yuzhi’s terrifyingly bizarre Mental strength, Sheng Changying’s remark that her own Mental strength excelled in concentrated aggression.
If that was the case, then her Mental strength’s lethality shouldn’t be weaker than Wei Yuzhi’s. If so, this wasn’t necessarily a dead end.
An Jiu pressed her lips together slightly, her gaze dark as the night before dawn. The Dragon Subduing Bow curved like a full moon, its murderous aura surging and churning, as if it could blot out the newly risen sun on the horizon.
Had An Jiu noticed the bow’s current state, she would have been shocked. Originally pitch-black and only able to be drawn a third of the way, it now neared full draw, its surface shimmering with a faint gold-red hue!
A tearing pain spread through her entire arm.
Between the bowstring and the grip, the murderous aura condensed into a faintly visible arrow shape, its tiny arrowhead seemingly imprisoning countless roaring dragons. Yet, to an outside observer, there was nothing unusual—An Jiu appeared to be merely drawing an empty bow.
Knowing An Jiu lacked Inner Force, Elder Zhi quietly dissipated two-thirds of the power from his own arrow. However, his attitude toward this shot was deadly serious. He knew this was both a beginning and an end. At this critical moment, he had grasped the essence of Startling String, but his mental state had already cracked. From here on, his skills would only decline, his pursuit of Archery reduced to hollow form without substance, unlikely to ever reach its peak again.
A clear, piercing Phoenix Cry, as if descending from beyond the heavens, split through all obstacles of darkness.
At the same time, An Jiu released her fingers. A cacophony of roars and snarls tangled together as if multiple dragons, trapped for millennia, burst free from the Dragon Subduing Bow with gnashing teeth and claws. They surged forth with boundless fury, bloodlust, and exhilaration, charging straight toward their target.
Everyone on the opposing side felt the terrifying force bearing down on them.
Elder Zhi froze.
It wasn’t the power itself that stunned him—it was the realization that this was the Mental strength-infused Startling String he had once conceived! In his hands, such a purely Mental strength-based technique had always been useless. Never in his life had he imagined witnessing such a devastating arrow.
The two arrows collided midair.
The dragons roared, splitting the Phoenix Cry in half, their momentum unstoppable.
In the brief moment Elder Zhi stood dazed, the Dragon Subduing Arrow was already upon him.
He beheld the greatest terror of his life.
Multiple dragons bared their fangs, snarling ferociously, and in the next instant, they swallowed him whole.
His mind went blank, save for the dragons’ tails churning violently through his consciousness with terrifying force, as if determined to shred his awareness to pieces.
Not far away, the Crown Prince stared in shock before experiencing the same overwhelming horror Elder Zhi had witnessed.
The arrow’s condensed Mental strength dispersed after passing through Elder Zhi, the entangled dragons finally breaking free and scattering in all directions.
Though this scattered Mental strength lacked lethal force, it was enough to strike the minds of Martial arts masters below the seventh rank like a thunderbolt.The Crown Prince swayed unsteadily.
He Cai swiftly stepped forward to support him, but in the next instant, a cold glint flashed as the sword in his hand swept across the prince's neck. (To be continued...)
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