An Jiu took out the Subduing Dragon Bow but didn’t reach for an arrow. Instead, she glanced at Chu Dingjiang.

Chu Dingjiang immediately understood her intention and placed his palm on her back.

As the bowstring was drawn and a red glow appeared at An Jiu’s fingertips, the Subduing Dragon Bow seemed to emit a satisfied low hum. Simultaneously, Chu Dingjiang felt his true qi gushing out like floodgates opening.

An arrow of true qi, tinged with red light, took form. An Jiu aimed at the bolt hole of one of the explosive crossbows a hundred zhang away.

The dust and sand made visibility poor.

As she aimed, the Subduing Dragon Bow seemed unsatisfied, continually drawing out Chu Dingjiang’s true qi. This qi circulated through An Jiu’s body, finally gathering at her fingertips. The initially ethereal arrow deepened in color, changing from light red to deep red, then to dark red, and finally forming a shaped black feathered arrow, as if it had solidified!

Gao Dazhuang watched this scene in amazement.

If An Jiu had noticed the arrow’s appearance at this moment, she would have been even more surprised than Gao Dazhuang, for the solidified arrow was in the shape of the Killing Feather Arrow!

After the Killing Feather Arrow appeared, the Subduing Dragon Bow continued to absorb internal energy. Soon, strands of red light, like burning flames, enveloped the black arrow.

As the true qi circulated twice through her body, An Jiu felt her vision becoming clearer. At this moment, her mind was filled with the low hum of the Subduing Dragon Bow. Everything in heaven and earth became illusory, except for the hole of one of the distant explosive crossbows, which appeared incredibly clear as if magnified infinitely before her eyes.

The dazzling red light that shot up from their position caught the attention of the Liao army’s rear.

Xiao Zhenning’s eyes darkened, and he suddenly turned his horse around.

Just then, a crane’s clear cry pierced the sky and a streak of red light like a hurricane swept across. The sand and stones on the ground were stirred up, and the dust was blown apart by the true qi-like waves split by a sword, clearing a patch of sky in the middle.

The two armies locked in battle suddenly felt an intense heat. For a moment, they thought the sun had fallen. Where the light passed, countless celestial cranes seemed to cry out, these usually elegant creatures suddenly filled with world-shaking killing intent.

In the blink of an eye, the arrow approached the explosive crossbow. Before the soldier holding it could react, he saw the crossbow in his hands silently shatter as it touched the red light.

It seemed like an eternity, but it was only an instant.

Boom!

A thunderous explosion split the chaos a hundred zhang away as the light suddenly burst. For half a breath, there was a pause. Then this force, mixed with the power of transcendent martial arts and over a dozen explosive crossbows, seemed to carry a world-destroying power as it violently expanded outward.

No one will ever forget this scene.

Where the light touched, flesh and blood scattered, but in the blink of an eye, not even a drop of blood remained. Everything directly vaporized into black smoke, emitting an unpleasant burnt smell.

Ling Ziyue’s voice, infused with internal energy, roared, “Retreat!”

However, his voice was drowned out by the massive explosion. For a moment, both the Liao and Song armies could only flee instinctively in no particular direction.

An Jiu’s eyes widened as she watched the scene before her. The light reflected in her eyes was startlingly bright, and her blood seemed to burn!

This destructive power was no less than that of advanced thermal weapons!

Chu Dingjiang coughed up blood and fell from the tree.

An Jiu was stunned for a moment. Her mind was in a haze, but the destructive urge that had been stirred up gradually dissipated with Chu Dingjiang’s fall. In a moment of clarity, she instinctively lunged to grab him. “Chu Dingjiang!”

Her voice held a hint of fear.

A faint smile appeared on Chu Dingjiang’s pale face.

An Jiu watched helplessly as his tall figure crashed heavily into the dust, kicking up clouds of dirt. She seemed to hear something shattering in the depths of her heart. In an instant, her whole body felt as if it had plunged into an ice cellar. The agitation stirred up by the killing was instantly forced back, her mind became incredibly clear, and a sense of panic she hadn’t felt in a long time arose in her heart.

“Chu Dingjiang!” An Jiu rushed down to support him, quickly placing her hand on his neck to check his pulse. Feeling it still beating, she breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Chu Dingjiang looked at her startled face, turned his head to spit out a mouthful of blood, and said hoarsely, “I won’t die.”

“Mm.” An Jiu crouched down, grabbing his arm. “I’ll carry you out of here.”

Chu Dingjiang silently rested on her small back, his eyes burning slightly.

Once upon a time, when he was doubted by everyone, he had fantasized about having someone to stand by his side in times of danger. Even if they couldn’t help much, at least he wouldn’t feel lonely. Now, his dream had finally come true. The petite figure before him could carry as much as he could.

An Jiu wasn’t tall, and her body didn’t look particularly strong, but her explosive power and endurance were astonishing. Carrying a big man like Chu Dingjiang, she ran straight into the main camp without showing any signs of being out of breath.

“Chu Dingjiang, how are you?” An Jiu placed Chu Dingjiang on Ling Ziyue’s couch. Seeing him about to fall asleep, she anxiously slapped his face hard. “Should we find a doctor?”

“A Xiaojiu, count how many times you’ve slapped me today,” Chu Dingjiang said through gritted teeth.

An Jiu thought to herself, if he could still hold a grudge, the situation couldn’t be too bad.

After enjoying her rare display of panic, Chu Dingjiang comforted her, “I’m fine. It’s just that my true qi was drawn out too quickly and forcefully. I’m a bit weak now and need to adjust quietly. Don’t disturb me.”

“Alright, I’ll keep watch for you.” An Jiu picked up the Subduing Dragon Bow and stood at the door.

Chu Dingjiang looked at her, covered in dust but holding the Subduing Dragon Bow with a serious expression, his gaze softening.

Chu Dingjiang wasn’t inherently a gentle person. He was very good at disguising himself, capable of being forthright and open-minded at times, considerate and attentive at others, and sometimes cold and taciturn… He was a strategist, presenting different faces to different people, while his heart was cold and ruthless. He had always been unclear about what An Jiu meant to him. At first, she was just a pet he planned to keep for amusement and to dispel loneliness, but his feelings seemed to gradually spin out of control. Just now, looking up, he saw An Jiu throwing herself down without hesitation, touching the softest part deep in his heart.

For him, it didn’t matter whether he fell from a tree or a cliff. What mattered was that someone accompanied him without hesitation.

Chu Dingjiang closed his eyes to adjust his breathing.

About half an hour later, the army returned to camp.

The explosion of the crossbows caused thousands of casualties in both the Liao and Song armies.

Those closest to the blast were mostly Liao soldiers. Since not even bodies could be found, it could only be roughly estimated that about five or six hundred people had died, with thousands more from both sides suffering injuries of varying degrees. Xiao Zhenning, believing that the Song had used a weapon similar to the explosive crossbow and not knowing how many they had, didn’t dare to press the attack and hastily retreated with his troops.

When Ling Ziyue returned and saw An Jiu standing like a statue at the door, he was stunned for a moment before solemnly bowing with clasped hands.

An Jiu didn’t exchange pleasantries, saying directly, “I’ve borrowed your place for healing.”

How could Ling Ziyue refuse? “How severe are the injuries? Should we call for a military doctor?”

An Jiu shook her head.

“General, the people sent by the Weapons Bureau have arrived!” someone came to report.