Realgar powder sealed the hall, keeping the snake swarm outside the walls.
Wangchuan led the Yulong Gang’s inner disciples in a relentless barrage of arrows, killing seven official martial artists and forcing Lei Zhiyin and the others back onto the cargo ships beyond the docks.
Seeing no imdiate opportunity, Wangchuan decisively switched to ordinary arrows. At the sa ti, he pinched two arrows between his fingers and drew his bow.
Five-Finger Rapid Shot.
This was a Second-Rank archery technique Su Wan had asked Captain Bai to obtain for him.
He had only managed to reach the introductory level and had never had the chance to train it further.
Now, with snakes writhing in dense clusters below, the opportunity was perfect.
Unlike Hundred-Step Piercing Yang, Five-Finger Rapid Shot required him to release multiple arrows in a single breath and strike multiple targets simultaneously.
Only by hitting several targets at once could he gain experience.
Because of its difficulty, Wangchuan had been unable to improve it.
But now…
There was no need to aim carefully.
He nocked the arrows and fired the mont the bow was drawn.
With 33 points of Strength, the arrows shot forth with trendous force and speed. Two arrows pierced two venomous snakes at once. The snakes hissed and writhed in pain, yet their deaths barely disturbed the mass below.
Five-Finger Rapid Shot gained 1 experience point.
Wangchuan’s eyes lit up.
“All of you, hurry!”
“Kill snakes! Improve your archery!”
Many of the n had learned Hundred-Step Piercing Yang from Zhao Heiniu. Today was an excellent chance to advance their archery realm. With luck, so might gain 3 Strength and break through into official martial artists—especially the three veteran quasi-martial artists from Qingfeng Escort Agency.
Killing small prey at close range would not grant experience for Hundred-Step Piercing Yang, but killing venomous snakes with quasi-martial artist strength did.
Wangchuan continued firing.
Arrows plunged into the swarm, experience rising steadily.
But before he could train for long, turmoil erupted by the river.
Four massive pythons caused panic among the n.
“Big snake!”
“A python!”
“Hall Master! The Snake Elder’s pythons!” Chen Ergou and Bai Yuhui hurriedly warned him. They had seen these beasts before at Blackwind Stronghold and along the official road. Blades and arrows had barely hard them. Their strength rivaled First-Rank martial artists.
Sure enough, when inner disciples loosed arrows, the shafts struck thick scales and bounced away harmlessly.
The beasts’ defensive power was astonishing.
Wangchuan quickly locked onto a cargo ship near the shore.
A hunched figure drifted ghostlike onto it, joining Lei Zhiyin.
Wangchuan switched to Armor-Piercing Arrows. His Iron-Reinforced Bow curved into a full moon as his Hundred-Step Piercing Yang—now at the Integration realm—instantly locked onto one of the pythons.
The python sensed danger and turned toward him instinctively.
That instant—
TWANG!
The Armor-Piercing Arrow shot forth.
The bowstring’s crack rang sharply in the night.
The Snake Elder watched in horror as one of his python guardians was pierced clean through the eye and skull. Its massive body collapsed limply among the writhing swarm.
A single arrow, through the head.
Almost simultaneously, Zhao Heiniu struck true as well. His Armor-Piercing Arrow shot through another python’s open mouth, tearing through its body. The beast thrashed in agony before bleeding out within monts.
“You court death!”
“How dare you kill my treasures!”
“I will have every last one of you from the Yulong Gang pay with your lives!”
The Snake Elder’s anguished roar tore through the night like a shrieking owl.
Wangchuan said nothing.
Standing in the shadow of the eaves, he drew again. His Armor-Piercing Arrow locked onto the enraged Snake Elder.
TWANG!
This arrow carried all his strength and focus. It slipped through a gap between figures and streaked toward the cargo ship.
THUD!
The Snake Elder, a Third-Rank martial artist, did not dodge in ti.
The arrow punched through his skull.
His hunched body jerked backward from the trendous force and fell into the river with a splash.
Splash!
“Elder!”
Lei Zhiyin froze.
The Five Poison Sect disciples, already suppressed by arrow fire, stared in disbelief as the Snake Elder sank lifeless into the water.
No one had imagined that the Snake Elder—recognized as possessing Third-Rank strength—would et such a careless end here in Huishui County.
Lei Zhiyin wanted to retrieve the body, but the mont he exposed himself, two Armor-Piercing Arrows forced him back.
Recalling the terrifying accuracy of the Yulong Gang’s archer, a chill ran down his spine.
The corpse could not be recovered.
If they did not retreat now, they would all perish here.
“Withdraw!”
“Everyone, retreat!”
Under the cover of the snake swarm and cargo ships, they slowly pulled back and vanished into the night.
The Yulong Gang erupted in cheers.
“They have retreated!”
“Hall Master is mighty!”
Before the cries could continue, Wangchuan cut them off.
“The snakes have not retreated. Why are you shouting? Quickly! While they are still here, kill more. Doctor Liao can use them as dicine. We can keep so at for soup as well.”
He continued training Five-Finger Rapid Shot tirelessly.
The bow rose and fell. Experience steadily increased.
“Listen to the Hall Master!”
“Kill the snakes!”
Everyone joined in.
Strangely, whether to cover the sect’s retreat or because of the Snake Elder’s death, the swarm did not withdraw. They continued coiling outside the hall, seeking entry.
Including the remaining two pythons.
In the end, Zhao Heiniu precisely shot them both down.
Seizing the chance, Wangchuan pushed Five-Finger Rapid Shot to Minor Accomplishnt.
Ding!
“Five-Finger Rapid Shot has advanced to ‘Minor Accomplishnt.’ Reward:
1 Strength.”
He felt his fingers grow more nimble. His understanding deepened. The two arrows between his fingers carried balanced force. When he drew and released, his mind seed connected to the arrows.
Where he pointed, they struck.
Five-Finger Rapid Shot: Minor Accomplishnt.
Current realm: Can release multiple arrows simultaneously. Each arrow gains
10 attack. First arrow has 80% accuracy; second 60%; third 40%; fourth 20%. Each arrow inflicts a bleeding effect. Striking a vital point deals double damage, for a total of
20 attack.
Next realm: Proficient.
In the next realm: Each arrow gains
15 attack. First arrow 85% accuracy; second 65%; third 45%; fourth 25%. Bleeding effect remains. Vital strikes deal double damage, for a total of
30 attack.
At first glance, the attributes did not seem impressive.
But if all four arrows hit…
The damage would be explosive.
Combined with Armor-Piercing Arrows…
The result would be too beautiful to behold.
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