Volume 12 Chapter 54: World's Most Powerful Bow
In Jadefall City.
Carriages covered in wax covered rain tarps slowly moved along the muddy path.
All of the horses that pulled the carriage were extremely weary, the military equipment they carried heavier than the rice crops, seeds and tools from before. Moreover, the amount of rest they received along the way was also less.
Nan Qike who sat in the very last carriage slowly raised his head.
He wore a sun blocking bamboo cap, his forehead under the bamboo cap completely shaved, not a single strand of hair to be seen.
From the top of his head to the nape of his neck, there were profound lotus flower tattoos digging into his skin like streaks of runes.
In fact, there were similarly many characters and flower-like tattoos on his back.
Bald, tattoos, a body that wasn't all that big and tall but exceptionally sturdy, these were the most obvious traits of the Divine Elephant Army. Only, these traits were normally all hidden underneath golden heavy armor, so this was something few people knew even within Tangcang.
Nan Qike was one of the high ranking officers of the Divine Elephant Army.
It was hard for most people in this world to understand why this army that could be described as the world's most mysterious and most powerful army would still uphold their loyalty to the already defeated ambitious and ruthless Xiao Xiang[1], unwilling to bow down to Tangcang Imperial Palace. However, reality was instead extremely simple; it was because even though the Divine Elephant Army was called an army, it was also at the same time like a sect.
The ones who established the Divine Elephant Army originally came out from Sanskrit Temple, a group of ascetic monks whose beliefs and ideals differed from Sanskrit Temple.
No one knew which of Sanskrit Temple's principles those past ascetic monks questioned, what kind of grudges they had with the other monks. However, even after all these years, the Divine Elephant Army still always stood on the faction opposing Sanskrit Temple.
That was why it was extremely simple: ever since Sanskrit Temple's holy lady took control over Tangcang's Imperial Palace, the Divine Elephant Army naturally chose to stand against Tangcang Imperial Palace with the Imperial Uncle Xiao Xiang.
As a commander of the Divine Elephant Army, Nan Qike understood extremely well that the one they chose to work with was Wen Xuanshu.
Yunqin Emperor's ambitions were too great, the amount of strength he grasped also a bit too dangerous for them. If they cooperated with Yunqin Emperor, when things got difficult, it would be easy to get rid of them once they served their purpose. Meanwhile, Wen Xuanshu's power, in their eyes, wasn't great or weak, the perfect amount. Moreover, the key laid in that Wen Xuanshu cooperating with the Divine Elephant Army was the biggest leverage in itself. That was why this type of cooperation would result in both sides taking what they needed, both content with the results.
In the black and white chess game Wen Xuanshu played, once those Jiang Family people in Heavenfall Province obtained this batch of military equipment and fought against the Yunqin army in Jadewater province until both sides suffered, the Divine Elephant Army could then make an appearance to clean up the mess, occupy all of Jadefall City, and then continue east. This would then inflict tremendous pressure on all of Yunqin Empire.
They had Wenren Cangyue to deal with in the south, Divine Elephant Army to the west, while there was Wen Xuanshu in Central Continent City.
The massive Yunqin Empire might very well directly collapse. What followed would just be many powers coming in to divide up this huge territory.
That was why Nan Qike naturally understood extremely clearly that his mission was only to deliver this fleet into the administrative region of that Jiang Family Provincial Supervisor's trusted aide, bring it into the control of the troops under Jiang Family's control.
However, according to extremely precise information, among those who possessed the Wooden Divine Flying Crane, apart from Green Luan Academy, it could only be Yunqin Emperor.
Right now, the people inside this fleet still couldn't see it clearly, but he could already make out that streak of yellow radiance between the white clouds. It was precisely a Wooden Divine Flying Crane.
That was why he coldly produced a golden staff from the rain tarp behind him.
...
"That's enough."
In the sky, on the Wooden Divine Flying Crane that was flickering with yellow radiance, entirely carved full of runes, its appearance could be described with the word vicious, Li Wu turned around, nodding towards Lin Xi and saying this.
"Enough?" Lin Xi stared blankly. He looked at the people below whose attire could only be vaguely made out, but whose faces couldn't be seen at all yet, momentarily unable to react to the meaning behind Li Wu's words.
Li Wu laughed and explained, "This is precisely the reason why Vice Principal Xia specially had me come control this Wooden Divine Flying Crane for you."
Lin XI and Gao Yanan exchanged a look, both of them understanding at the same time.
The Wooden Divine Flying Crane's appearance would definitely bring great changes to the world of cultivation, producing many alterations in the way cultivators fought.
The battles in the future might be fought in the sky. After cultivators infiltrated enemy territory, in the dark night, there might be this type of Wooden Divine Flying Crane that would suddenly appear to receive them, and then carry out an unimaginable night pursuit.
That was why the reason Li Wu appeared here, it was so that Lin Xi could do his best to adjust to this type of battle as early as possible, to adapt to these changes.
"The academy's losses during this period have been extremely severe."
Even though Li Wu couldn't see Lin Xi or Gao Yanan, in his perception, he could sense Lin Xi and Gao Yanan's movements and the slight changes in their expression. His expression became a bit more serious. "The academy lecturers, professors, and even some students that have left that are opposed to Vice Principal Xia occupied at least half of the opposition. Even though ever since Principal Zhang left the academy, Vice Principal Xia long knew that this would happen one day, even though he was victorious in this battle, even those opponents that were killed were previously part of the academy's strength, especially all those students who left... this type of loss, the damage to the academy is unimaginable. Just like what Vice Principal Xia predicted, our manpower has become extremely scarce, everything we did before cannot be done with as much certainty as before. That is why it isn't just you all, all of us need to adapt to this type of change."
Lin Xi understood this type of unimaginable damage well.
He nodded, removing the dark red longbow from his back.
When he removed an arrow from the quiver on his back, he instead paused for a moment, unable to help but ask, "Just what kind of soul weapon longbow is Big Black exactly?"
Li Wu didn't show half a trace of an impatient expression, seriously nodding and saying, "It's power is extremely great... When a Sacred Expert uses it, other Sacred Expert level cultivators, in a situation where they are not using powerful soul weapons or powerful armor, completely cannot resist it through their own strength. However, the most crucial part is that it is the bow with the furthest firing range, the fastest arrow travel speed. It is the whole package."
Lin Xi recalled the darkness that descended and thought about the silence when the dark radiance descended. His brows furrowed slightly, saying, "It doesn't need any arrows?"
"Correct." Li Wu 'looked' at Lin Xi and said, "It is activated purely through soul force. Moreover, the arrow condensed through soul force and the bow's power is a special type of substance, a type of power that material substance cannot stop at all."
Lin Xi's brows jumped. "That is why when the arrow radiance flies through the air, not only is there no sound, it can fly even further, the power won't be affected by much either. This is especially the case at night or in a dark place, cultivators might not even be able to react to an attack from this Big Black."
A bit of an indescribable feeling appeared on Li Wu's face. "That's not all." After a slight pause, he said, "Big Black has three strings... the last part of the Windstalker's Three Fingered Control Method is precisely focused on Big Black. Only, Tong Wei has never come into contact with Big Black either, so he cannot directly teach you... However, what is for certain is that through this three fingers bowstring control method, Big Black's arrow radiance can possess many different arrow paths."
"Possess many different arrow paths?" Lin Xi's brows furrowed deeply, his eyes filled with a shocked expression. "This arrow radiance... it can choose to not directly fly in one direction?"
Li Wu nodded. "It can even make a circle, shoot towards a different direction... in some situations where one needs to ensure the archer's location is not found, this type of arrow radiance can make it extremely hard for an enemy to know the archer's true location, which is why this is the bow most suitable for a Windstalker."
Lin Xi took a deep breath. "That is why this is the most powerful bow in the world."
Li Wu said, "Correct... which is why Professor Ming came to take it back."
Lin Xi gave that dignified mandarin duck a look. He didn't say anything else. He took a deep breath, and then placed an arrow on his bow. He began to sense the movements of the wind under the crazy high altitude gales, starting to control the bowstring.
...
Nan Qike was waiting for this Wooden Divine Flying Crane to descend, waiting to kill the one on this Wooden Divine Flying Crane.
However, what made him feel strange was that this Wooden Divine Flying Crane remained at an extremely great height, seemingly having no plans to immediately descend.
Under that type of height, a flying sword couldn't reach the ground. Even if it was a powerful archery master, they might not be able to maintain precision within the powerful winds.
The instant the two words powerful winds flashed past his head, this Divine Elephant Army high ranking officer's brows fiercely furrowed into a 川 shape.
There were suddenly shrill wind noises in the skies.
A white comet-like streak of radiance blasted a hole in the invisible wind streams, carrying a vortex as it descended.
In that instant, in his perception, he had already been locked onto by this arrow.
He understood extremely clearly that he didn't have time to evade at all.
That was why his entire spinal column became perfectly straight, as if there was a pilar that suddenly towered on the ground.
The golden staff in his hands was raised up like a torch held up towards the heavens.
The powerful wind noises suddenly turned into a terrifying metal clashing noise.
The bamboo hat on Nan Qike's head shattered. Then, all of the clothes covering the upper half of his body was completely smashed apart by the arrow and the countless streams produced by his staff's impact.
The tattoos on his forehead were exposed, the tattoo patterns on his back also revealed. His entire body and every single strand of muscle was cold and hard like stone, trembling at this time.
His entire body caved downwards, all the way to his knees.
The golden staff in his hands was still raised, but the second white comet-like arrow radiance already descended.
An explosive dang noise sounded. His body caved in again, now all the way down to his upper thighs. The staff in his hands was forcibly blasted away from his hands. The shattered metal arrow fragments blasted into his body, instantly leaving behind countless fine scars. These wounds were concentrated and fine, but they cut into his internal organs, immediately causing countless waves of fine blood to rush out from Nan Qike's body at the same time.
His consciousness and power were quickly disappearing.
"So this is a Divine General?" However, at this time, Nan Qike who raised his head slightly instead realized the identity of the one who released these two arrows.
1. Tangcang Imperial Uncle, previous commander of the Divine Elephant Army