Chapter 71: Facing High Tier Eighth Grade

Chapter 71: Chapter 71: Facing High Tier Eighth Grade

It was common knowledge that an Archer was in grave danger once an enemy closed the distance. Furthermore, the opponent’s Cultivation aura was completely seen through at a glance—he had just undergone Bone Marrow Cleansing and was only in the initial stages of Blood Exchange. His Cultivation couldn’t even be considered Middle Tier Eighth Grade yet. With Luo Rui’s own strength at the High Tier Eighth Grade, cutting him down would be a piece of cake.

Lu Yuan had actually noticed Luo Rui long ago. However, given the speed and agility of a High Tier Eighth Grade martial artist weaving through the forest, locking on and landing a shot was no easy task. Therefore, he didn’t rush to aim. He waited until the man drew close and faced him head-on.

SWISH!

Lu Yuan pulled out five arrows, pinching them between the fingers of his bow hand, and suddenly spun around.

WHOOSH!

An arrow tore through the air.

Startled, Luo Rui hastily swung his sword, immediately slashing the arrow aside.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

The second arrow! The third arrow! The fourth arrow! One after another, they arrived with inconceivable speed.

CLANG! CLANG!

With his focus pushed to the absolute limit, Luo Rui chopped frantically, his heart trembling in fear. After all, these arrows were fired from an Eight-Ton Bow. Both their power and speed were practically the strongest possible below the Seventh Grade.

He realized in shock, "Four-Star Linked Beads!"

No, there was a fifth arrow!

WHOOSH!

The fifth arrow shot forth. Unlike the previous four, the bowstring for this shot had been drawn to its very limits, unleashing the weapon’s full power. The first four arrows had only been fired at half-draw. Furthermore, intercepting those four consecutive arrows had already pushed Luo Rui’s focus and reflexes to their absolute breaking points. The continuous sword slashes had left his wrist and arm numb and uncomfortable.

This fifth arrow followed tightly on the heels of the fourth. Luo Rui was already incredibly tense and misjudged the interception, basing his swing on the power of the previous four shots. Because of this...

SQUELCH!

The arrow deviated ever so slightly, grazing past his temple and plowing a deep gash across his skin.

"You..." Luo Rui roared in fury. "Damn you!"

Lu Yuan just wanted to laugh, wondering why the man was so angry when he was the one trying to kill him.

"Die!" Luo Rui lunged fiercely at Lu Yuan with his sword. Leaping forward, he easily crossed dozens of feet with the grace of a swallow. Transitioning from a lower position to a higher vantage point, he swung his blade down to cleave Lu Yuan in two.

Lu Yuan’s eyes widened, his face filled with terror as if he had been completely paralyzed by fear.

Luo Rui sneered inwardly, "Hehe, die!" He poured even more strength into his strike, determined to hack Lu Yuan in half with a single swing.

However, just as the distance between them closed to less than ten feet...

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

One of Lu Yuan’s hands whipped out violently. Three Golden Needles shot forward from different angles, targeting three vital points on Luo Rui’s body: his neck, chest, and abdomen.

This was the first time Lu Yuan had unleashed Hidden Weapons with his full strength since bringing his Cloud-Brushing Hand to perfection. Both his technique and the circulation of his power had reached a realm of unparalleled mastery. Coupled with the significant increase in his power, the lethality of the attack had surged drastically. The needles flew so fast they were practically invisible!

Luo Rui almost cursed out loud in that split second. Not only did this kid possess incredible Archery Skill, but he also trained in Hidden Weapons! He thought furiously, "Son of a bitch, what kind of freak is this?"

But he was given no time to dwell on it.

CLANG!

SQUELCH! SQUELCH!

Despite gathering his Gang Qi and doing everything in his power to save himself, two Golden Needles pierced into his body and lodged in his internal organs. Fortunately, they had narrowly missed his vitals!

CLANG! CLANG!

Right at that moment, Lu Yuan drew his twin sabers and closed the distance in a flash.

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Lu Yuan was ambidextrous, and his mastery of twin sabers was tantamount to two martial artists attacking in unison. Moreover, these "two" attackers shared the exact same mind, cooperating with unparalleled synergy and fighting flawlessly without any openings. The might of the Wind-Breaking Nine Slashes was once again elevated in Lu Yuan’s hands. This was a higher realm that he hadn’t even conceptualized back during his days as a peerless prodigy.

Luo Rui was beaten back continuously. He could only parry; he had absolutely no opportunity to counterattack.

He cursed internally, wanting to swear at everything in existence. In the past, Luo Rui would never have believed that a martial artist at the Great Success of the Low Tier Eighth Grade would dare to launch a proactive assault against him. But now, as he desperately tried to use his Gang Qi to stabilize the Golden Needles and keep them from shifting deeper inside him, he was forced to block with his sword single-handedly. Astoundingly, he was being driven back step by step, his life hanging by a thread.

"Die!"

"No, you die!"

Inside Fuyuan Manor.

Sensing the commotion, Chen Qiang couldn’t help but furrow his brow. Had that kid failed to dodge and still gotten intercepted by a High Tier Eighth Grade martial artist? This was dangerous! No matter how one looked at it, a Low Tier Eighth Grade could not possibly be a match for a High Tier Eighth Grade. Could Lu Yuan escape? Would he become the first casualty among his subordinates?

Mu Lingche and Yu Qiuyang noticed it as well.

Mu Lingche felt a twinge of pity. Truthfully, he really didn’t want Lu Yuan to die just yet, as it would deprive him of a lot of amusement. It would be hard for the Demon Suppression Bureau to find another person this interesting.

Yu Qiuyang’s eyes flashed with a hint of schadenfreude. If Lu Yuan were killed, it would undoubtedly be a fantastic outcome, finally venting the frustration he had been holding in all this time. However, it would be best if Lu Yuan could delay that expert for a bit longer. Their current situation was already incredibly perilous. The combat strength of these Ancestral Demon Slaves was truly formidable...

THUD!

Because of that momentary lapse in concentration, Yu Qiuyang was sent flying by a palm strike from a Leopard Person.

"ROAR... Die!" The Leopard Person lunged forward, swiping its sharp claws at Yu Qiuyang’s neck.

Right at that moment, Yu Qiuyang violently pulled a packet from his clothes and hurled it.

SWISH!

Instantly, a cloud of white powder enveloped the Leopard Person’s entire head, particularly its eyes.

"Ah! Quicklime!" the Leopard Person roared in agony. "Despicable Qian People!"

SLASH!

Yu Qiuyang swung his saber at the Leopard Person.

SQUELCH!

The Leopard Person instinctively dodged, but one of its arms was still chopped off.

"Ah! Die! Die!" the Leopard Person flew into a rage, flailing the sharp claws of its remaining arm wildly.

SLASH!

SQUELCH!

The other arm was severed as well.

Compared to normal human martial artists, these demon slaves didn’t have True Gang protecting their bodies. They could only rely on their tough hides and fur, along with a portion of the Power of Demon Blood. Thus, they had both advantages and disadvantages.

"Kill!"

Just as Yu Qiuyang was about to finish off the Leopard Person, the nearby Ninth Grade martial artists rushed forward. The chaotic siege began once more.

On the other side.

SLASH!

BANG! BANG!

Wielding his long spear, Mu Lingche fought the Bear Person to a bitter standstill. The Bear Person boasted immense strength and extremely resilient fur. Furthermore, its arms were especially thick and massive, equipped with exceptionally long claws that provided extensive reach. Its only weakness was perhaps its lower body. Naturally, Mu Lingche’s goal was to attack its lower half. However, the Bear Person wasn’t stupid; it protected its legs desperately, leaving the two locked in a stalemate.

Liu Zhi’s opponent was a Cat Person. The most defining characteristics of Cat People were their agility and blistering speed; their combat prowess grew even stronger after learning Swordsmanship. Wielding a Soft Sword, Liu Zhi constantly darted and bounded through the manor. He utilized the terrain, surrounding objects, other people, and even the ongoing battles to defend himself, playing hide-and-seek with the sword-wielding Cat Person. He was doing this because he truly couldn’t beat it in a direct fight.

However, the most miserable of them all was Jianng Hongfei, because his opponent was a Werewolf.

The Werewolf didn’t have the brute strength of the Bear People, the speed of the Leopard People, or the agility of the Cat People. Yet, its attributes were extremely balanced. None of its stats were weak, and all of them surpassed those of an ordinary Middle Tier Eighth Grade martial artist. In terms of actual combat prowess, it could even hold its ground against a High Tier Eighth Grade martial artist.

Jianng Hongfei was merely at the Low Tier Eighth Grade. Even if he pulled out all the savings and trump cards bestowed upon him by the Jianng Family, he could only fight a Middle Tier Eighth Grade martial artist at best.

Because of this...

He scanned his surroundings, crying out in his mind, "Fuck! Can anyone come and give me a hand?"

The sight before him only filled him with deeper despair.