Mental energy was crucial for channeling internal power. Though An Jiu had never controlled such a strong internal force before, she encountered no major obstacles. However, as the energy continuously expanded her meridians, her body felt as if countless ants were biting her.
As time passed, the Crane-Controlling Army guarding them grew increasingly anxious.
Suddenly, the Commander noticed a faint red glow emanating from An Jiu’s fingertips. In an instant, this red light coiled around the arrow like a nimble snake.
Having just reached the Transformation State, the Commander couldn’t yet materialize his internal power due to his mental energy limitations. He never imagined that his first glimpse of tangible internal power would come through someone else’s transformation.
Unaware of the arrow’s power and speed, An Jiu used the opposite Transformation State archer’s arrow speed as a benchmark for her calculations.
Whoosh!
The red-glowing arrow, reminiscent of a soaring dragon, flew towards the opposite side with a soft hum.
This shot lacked the overwhelming force of the opponent’s arrows. It seemed gentle, almost like an initial test.
The trajectory was slightly off, and as the arrow grazed the opposite cliff’s rocks, the red glow instantly vanished.
“What happened?” the Commander asked in a low voice.
Both were at the Transformation State, surely the power difference couldn’t be this great! The Commander felt slightly dissatisfied.
“Your internal power is inferior to theirs,” An Jiu retorted bluntly, deliberately challenging his thick skin.
“Nonsense! Be serious!” the Commander snapped angrily.
An Jiu was equally puzzled. The arrows she’d seen from Elder Zhi and the opposing Transformation State archer had tremendous power, yet hers had been eerily silent!
She silently considered two possibilities: either she had failed in her first attempt to use internal power for archery, or she could concentrate her power more intensely.
An Jiu drew her bow again. After a brief calculation, she adjusted her previous position and released another arrow.
To understand what had happened with her first shot, An Jiu deliberately concentrated her internal power on her entire fist rather than just the arrowhead.
Seeing the red lightning approach, the black-clad figure standing on an ancient pine on the opposite side immediately drew his bow and shot an arrow straight at it.
The two arrowheads collided midair between the cliffs. With a thunderous boom, they exploded into a dazzling white light that illuminated the entire ravine in a pale glow.
Everyone froze, their gazes drawn to the burst of light.
A red radiance, like a rainbow piercing the sun, shot out from the light cluster, whistling as it cut through the air.
The black-clad figure on the pine tree hastily leaped to the cliff top. The incoming arrow struck the cliff wall to the left of the pine with a loud bang, sending shattered rocks cascading down the rock face.
An Jiu felt a glimmer of joy, as she confirmed that her previous arrow’s silence was due to its extremely concentrated force. This proved that all she lacked for achieving “Bowstring Shock” was raw internal power!
“There’s an ambush on the cliff!” someone called out softly.
An Jiu looked up to see eight figures with bows and arrows appearing atop the opposite cliff.
Almost simultaneously, eight arrows infused with internal power were released, piercing through the lingering light.
An Jiu once again used her method of dispersed internal power to shoot an arrow in response.
One against eight put her at a disadvantage. When the arrows collided and burst, the force pushed several off course. The guards protecting her and the Commander could deflect the rest with their swords.
As soon as the first volley passed, a second wave of arrows came from the opposite side.
An Jiu found it not too difficult to counter. However, she remained vigilant, knowing the Transformation State expert had yet to join the fray. Once he did, the situation would quickly turn against them.
“That Transformation State archer has already shot over a hundred arrows. He likely needs a moment’s rest,” the Commander observed.
When people approach their peak in certain areas, they often fall into a near-manic pursuit. The Transformation State archer, provoked by An Jiu’s earlier powerless shot, continuously experimented, seeking more precise secrets in these harsh conditions, sparing no internal power.
After ten consecutive exchanges, An Jiu even resorted to using a powerful crossbow taken from the enemy.
Seeing An Jiu’s quiver empty, the Commander immediately ordered, “Bring more arrows!”
A nearby guard immediately transferred all the arrows from his quiver to An Jiu’s, but warned, “Commander, my arrows may not be suitable.”
Archery requires mastery of many minute details. In such intense combat, even small discrepancies could lead to unpredictable consequences.
The Commander knew this but felt that any arrows were better than none in their current situation.
An Jiu drew one of the Crane-Controlling Army’s arrows, immediately noticing it was heavier than Elder Zhi’s. But with another wave of arrows approaching, she had no time to dwell on it. She merely adjusted the arrowhead’s direction slightly before infusing it with internal power and releasing it.
The winds at the cliff were complex, blowing up from below and sweeping in from the north. The strong gusts, upon hitting the massive rock face, could potentially create slight eddies. An Jiu lacked sufficient time to adapt and estimate the new arrow’s behavior. Once released, it immediately dipped and veered off course by about three feet due to the wind’s influence.
The eight enemy arrows continued their approach unhindered.
Those arrows were infused with ninth-rank power! With no way to dodge, An Jiu gritted her teeth and drew the bowstring with her bare hand.
Everyone around was fully focused on countering the incoming arrows. Only the Commander noticed her action.
Her hand position differed from her usual arrow-nocking stance. All five fingers gripped the string as if simultaneously holding four arrows!
At full draw, between her fingers, an almost imperceptible black gas condensed. The moment she released, a sound like an eagle’s cry, a crane’s call, or a phoenix’s song echoed throughout the gorge. Four of the incoming arrows exploded midair, while the other four veered off course.
No one saw An Jiu’s arrows, yet suddenly a person on the opposite cliff fell.
The Transformation State expert on the cliff was greatly alarmed. He quickly crouched to examine the body, finding a thumb-sized hole in the chest and abdomen. Turning the body over, he found a corresponding hole in the lower back, with blood and shattered internal organs oozing out.
“It’s ‘Bowstring Shock’! It’s ‘Bowstring Shock’!” he exclaimed, his voice trembling with excitement.
The others were equally shocked, but far more composed than him. After all, those at the foot of the mountain couldn’t comprehend the urgency of being one step away from the peak.
“Madman, let’s go!” one of them urged.
Seeing no response, he pressed, “Madman, the enemy has a peak archery master. There’s no point in staying. Let’s go!”
Several people dragged the Transformation State archer away, who offered no resistance, continuously muttering “Bowstring Shock.”
On this side, the Crane-Controlling Army Commander suffered the worst. He had been continuously pouring internal power into An Jiu, and her final condensation of four pure internal power arrows instantly drained the energy from his meridians.
Fortunately, the enemy didn’t attack again. The Commander knelt on the ground, his dantian’s internal power slowly replenishing his depleted meridians. Only then did he begin to feel somewhat better.
“It was Bowstring Shock,” An Jiu murmured.
A quadruple Bowstring Shock!
An Jiu couldn’t understand why Elder Zhi, despite being obsessed with archery for so many years, couldn’t achieve Bowstring Shock, while she could! Moreover, she found it remarkably easy, facing almost no obstacles.
Yet, ironically, her internal power was nearly zero! It seemed heaven was fair after all; few are born with everything.
The enemies in front swiftly retreated.
The Commander quickly regulated his breathing and led everyone down the mountain to count their numbers.
The Crane-Controlling Army members previously ambushed in the temple were almost entirely wiped out. The trial participants suffered even heavier losses. They had begun killing each other for the scripture fragments and map then were ruthlessly slaughtered by the mysterious organization. In the end, fewer than twenty remained, including the Mei and Lou clan members.
The Mei and Lou families, who had been immersed in profound grief earlier, suddenly felt incredibly lucky.
Mei Tingzhu remained silent. On the plank road, had it not been for Mei Fourteen’s arrow driving away the Transformation State expert, and in the tower, had Mei Fourteen not rushed to seize the powerful crossbow, they would have long since become minced meat.
Only now did she realize that Mei Fourteen, who had almost no presence, was the key to their fortune! How could someone who appeared to be a delicate, pampered woman possess such formidable skills?
“Don’t collect the bodies for now,” the Commander ordered. “Retreat.”
“Commander!” the Crane-Controlling Army members called out in unison.
One of them said, “The Crane-Controlling Army’s rules require us to handle the bodies properly. Our losses are already massive, and the Commander will surely face criticism. If we fail in the aftermath as well, I’m afraid…”
Most of these men were loyal to the Commander and didn’t want their leader to be ousted upon their return.
“Listen to me!” the Commander’s tone was cold and brooked no argument. “As your Commander, it’s my responsibility to ensure your lives aren’t sacrificed in vain. Obey my orders, retreat immediately, and we’ll return to handle the bodies at daybreak!”
“Yes, sir!” everyone responded in unison.
An Jiu glanced at him, surprised he was still mindful of winning hearts at a time like this.
The group swiftly retreated, with the trial participants following them to the Crane-Controlling Army’s nearby outpost.
From the outside, it appeared to be an utterly ordinary civilian residence—a small courtyard with two entrances and about seven or eight rooms.
The courtyard’s owners were a couple disguised by the Crane-Controlling Army. Their daily comings and goings seemed normal, giving no indication of anything unusual about the place.
Seeing the white crane on their clothes, the male owner said nothing and simply allocated three rooms to them, bringing some hot water and medicine for injuries.
Within two-quarters of an hour, the “female owner” brought two middle-aged women with food.
Two large basins contained slowly cooked noodles with some egg flower soup, appearing light and simple.
The shadow guards pulled off their masks, each taking a bowl and chopsticks. They squatted in the room, wolfing down the noodles.
In another room, the trial participants stared at the basins of noodles without appetite.
It wasn’t just that they were used to delicacies; after experiencing such a major upheaval, even though their mental fortitude was stronger than ordinary people’s, they couldn’t bring themselves to eat carelessly.
“Please, eat something,” an old woman said gently. “Everyone has days like this. Life is short, don’t mistreat yourselves.”