Chapter 44: with translation of chapter title

The rainwater falling from tens of thousands of feet high became torrential; though it was winter, it poured down with the mighty momentum of a midsummer thunderstorm!

The night grew ever darker.

Rain struck the bamboo hat, sending up a hazy spray; the vigorous qi and blood of the several martial artists locked in confrontation seemed to grow somewhat chilled.

Li Che's eyes gleamed ferociously, as if the brutality accumulated over two lifetimes were fully unleashed at this moment.

He lifted his head, gazing at the dark sky; transparent raindrops fell, striking the calf-ox mask and instantly veiling it in mist, blurring his vision.

The environment was harsh, yet…… for Li Che, it was actually superb timing and terrain.

Icy rain most easily saps one's qi and blood.

Pitch‑black night most easily conceals one's form.

Combined, they make the perfect moment to restrain one's breath and strike from the shadows.

"Attack!"

In the rainy night, three masked Soul Infant Sect Blood Exchange masters roared and struck instantly!

Their exploding qi and blood roared, shaking the air!

They turned into three blood‑red silhouettes, kicking up stark white mist in the rain curtain, each stomping heavily to form an encirclement, swift as three bolts of lightning, they charged toward the burly ox demon.

The ox demon's nine great tendons on its back snapped, releasing mountain‑moving force; it took a heavy backward step, and its mighty power blasted the pooled water on the ground up into a transparent wall of water several zhang high!

And his bulging back slammed hard against the brick wall behind him in the alley!

The brick wall instantly collapsed, sending up a torrent of dust and sand, stones flying, mixed with rain, a murky haze.

The three arrived in an instant, yet they had lost their target.

The three Soul Infant Sect masters' eyes narrowed behind their masks, they glanced at each other…… in their perception, they could no longer detect the ox demon's qi and blood!

"Not seen?"

"Impossible…… a Blood Exchange martial artist, whose qi and blood blaze like a fierce night‑fire, how could they possibly vanish and hide?"

"Find him!"

All were Blood Exchange martial artists, rich in combat experience; in the first moment the three simultaneously made a decision.

The three, originally gathered together, shot apart, leapt over the high wall, hoping to use a wide field of view to locate that ox demon.

Such a stalwart build could not possibly be concealed, even in a rainy night!

Yet, having leapt onto the wall and scanned with focused gazes, they still had not found the ox demon's position……

The ox demon's massive, mountain‑like silhouette seemed to merge with the rain, vanishing into the world!

"Damn, truly a pain to deal with!"

"None?!"

Their overbearing qi and blood surged outward, parting the rain and suppressing the dust, yet there was still no trace—only the ground littered with shattered bricks.

"Where on earth…… did he go?"

……

……

Guo Zhan's eyesight was exceptional; even though the torrential rain of the night impaired vision, he still caught the moment the high wall was smashed, countless bricks falling and dust rising.

A shadowy figure, like a ghost, slipped out soundlessly.

In an instant, the flamboyantly displayed Blood Exchange‑level qi and blood were fully drawn back into the body!

From explosive flamboyance to restrained subtlety, it took only a single breath!

What an uncanny method!

A martial artist could not possibly possess such a technique; even the finest breath‑restraining art could not achieve such effortless control!

Guo Zhan's scalp tingled slightly, shocked and uncertain; his heart pounded loudly, roaring in his ears, even drowning out the sound of the violent rain lashing the world.

"He's come to find me!"

"His target…… is me!"

Guo Zhan narrowed his eyes, yet he felt no fear.

Understandable……

A divine archer lurking in the shadows poses a tremendous threat to any martial artist, making it impossible to fight with peace of mind.

Thus, killing the archer first in battle is common sense!

"But…… how dare you do that?"

Guo Zhan couldn't help but sneer; qi and blood surged into his eyes as he deployed a pupil technique, his sight becoming like an eagle's—even amidst a torrential downpour he could see everything as clearly as broad daylight, taking it all in!

He saw the ox demon, in the rainy night, pressing against the wall and darting swiftly, restraining its force, barely kicking up splashes of water.

"Here!"

Guo Zhan let out a fierce whistle!

Instantly tearing the rainy night's silence, far off, the three Soul Infant Sect Blood Exchange masters reacted in an instant, turning their heads to look.

Guo Zhan's eyes overflowed with killing intent; since Si Mu Bai had ordered him to slay the ox demon, he naturally would exert his utmost!

His five fingers hooked, the fine‑iron feathered arrow he held instantly shifted direction; the great fine‑iron bow creased as it was drawn to a full moon, the bowstring trembled, and in a flash the arrow shot forth like molten fire!

Bang——

The twang of the bowstring releasing was like a thunderclap bursting from flat ground!

Yet the arrow's flight made no sound!

The air rippled faintly, silently slicing through the countless icy raindrops falling from the heights!

Even the arrow's trajectory showed not the slightest deviation due to the rain's obstruction!

The archery displayed by this arrow was exquisitely superb, both in timing and angle, it could be called perfect!

Li Che lifted his head indifferently; the pupils beneath his bamboo hat were cold and devoid of emotion.

This arrow could be called perfect……

But, it is not perfect.

As Li Che ran, his sleeves billowed, both arms flung out simultaneously, and instantly wooden spike crossbow bolts accompanied by a "buzz buzz buzz" tearing-through-air sound shot out in succession!

Sleeve crossbow!

Flinging snipe!

The sleeve crossbow wooden bolts fired while running continuously bounced off the Blood Exchange Perfected martial artist's surging force, and the exquisitely shot arrow exploded forth!

This caused the arrow's path to deviate!

The wooden bolt exploded with a boom, shattering into flying wood shavings!

But Li Che lowered his head and charged forward, not caring at all about the incoming arrows, letting them strike the high wall like artillery bombardment, blasting out a huge pit!

【Xian Gong】 Dao Fruit reached level 3, and Li Che's grasp and control of the sleeve crossbow also reached an extremely profound level.

If measured by martial skill proficiency, it belongs to the master level, just one step away from the Transformation Realm……

"Crossbow bolt?"

In the distance, Guo Zhan stood firm on the roof, his eyes locked onto the Niu Mo's position, his gaze narrowing.

"Crossbow bolt…… a thing devoid of the soul of archery!"

As a Divine Archer, Guo Zhan had painstakingly trained archery for nearly thirty years, obsessed with arrows; compared to a crossbow bolt lacking the soul of archery, he naturally felt utter contempt.

His fingers hooked, he reached into his waist quiver, pulled out three feathered arrows, raised his chin, and rainwater dripped down his chin.

He drew the bow to a full moon, loosing three arrows simultaneously!

This time, no longer silent, the three arrows tore through the air, shattering raindrops, drawing out a long, resonant hum!

Yet beneath the dark high wall, the Niu Mo merely kept a blank face, continuing to fling snipe, one wooden spike crossbow bolt after another whistling out in succession!

Bang bang bang!

The three arrows missed again!

How is this possible?

His pride in his archery was actually suppressed by crossbow bolts!

Guo Zhan's pupils suddenly contracted; unnoticed, in the exchange of fire between the two, the Niu Mo had already closed in on his body, leaving less than ten zhang of distance.

Ten zhang…… not far, not near; for a Blood Exchange martial artist, a single full-force burst can quickly close that gap, but for a frail archer, having the enemy close to within ten zhang is extremely dangerous!

Bang!

He stomped down heavily, the qi and blood of Blood Exchange Perfection rippling outward; he began leaping laterally across the roofs, continuously shooting arrows as he leapt.

However, soon……

His heart jolted; he reached for his waist quiver, only to find it empty!

On his bow…… there were no arrows left!

The Niu Mo obviously also noticed this, his speed suddenly surging, his mighty qi and blood unleashed without restraint, exploding forth!

And at the peak of his eruption, he flung his sleeve upward, wooden spike crossbow bolts firing off in a continuous barrage!

Blasting up puffs of raindrops!

Guo Zhan gritted his teeth, cold light flashing in his eyes; not retreating, he realized that although he had no arrows, he was still a Blood Exchange Perfected martial artist!

Although his close-quarters combat was inferior to other Blood Exchange Perfected martial artists.

He drew a gleaming long saber from his waist, his qi and blood clinging to it, and instead of retreating, he charged forward toward the Niu Mo!

But as long as he could restrain the Niu Mo, three Blood Exchange Perfected fighters from the Spirit Infant Sect would come to kill!

The four would join forces!

The Niu Mo…… must die!

Li Che watched Guo Zhan rush back in reverse……

It seemed hardly unexpected.

He did not activate the 【Dragon Elephant Golden Strength】 Dao Fruit; instead, the 【Xian Gong】 Dao Fruit in his chest throbbed with a hum, as if an invisible five fingers had suddenly clenched!

He stomped down heavily, the blue bricks of the ground shattering, countless accumulated water splashing forward in an umbrella-shaped curtain!

Li Che's left and right hands each revealed a mechanism!

Left hand, Guanyin Blood Lotus!

Right hand…… Wooden Ferry Crow!

Li Che fiercely pinched the mechanism at the eye of the 【Wooden Ferry Crow】; internal flint struck hard, sparking, then igniting the internal fuse!

The Wooden Ferry Crow seemed to instantly light up its eyes, golden flowing fire flickering within the carved eyeballs!

In an instant, a powerful propulsive force burst forth!

A heaven‑rending sonic boom, like the roar of a sky‑soaring rocket cannon……

"Beep——"

"【Wooden Ferry Crow】 was like a stubborn bird recklessly charging, at extreme impact speed, slamming into the onrushing Guo Zhan."

Guo Zhan's heart was on high alert, yet he had never seen this wooden bird before.

The speed was too fast to dodge!

The Blood Exchange martial artist's reaction had him draw a blade with a backhand!

The moment the wooden bird was blown apart……

A sense of extreme danger surged instantly into his heart!

But see, at the instant the wooden bird shattered into pieces, the terrifying explosive and impact force, as if stored up for long, erupted like a hidden art suddenly unleashed!

It instantly enveloped him!

"Boom——!!!"

Flames blazed, gunpowder smoke billowed, presenting rippling shockwaves that tore through the rain, rampaging in all directions……

In the distance, the three blood-exchange masters of the Spirit Infant Sect who had been sprinting wildly came to an abrupt halt.

Li Che stood still, left hand holding the Mechanism Guanyin Blood Lotus, calmly watching the unsurprising scene……

Beneath the cute ox mask covering his face, his pupils gleamed.

"Playing with arrows……"

"What's fun about playing with explosions?"

But……

Not enough yet.

His body swayed.

In an instant he shattered the wind and rain, charging toward the blood‑and‑flesh‑blurred Guo Zhan, who had lost half his life in the blast and was howling in rage.

He flung the Guanyin Blood Lotus from his left hand.

The Guanyin Blood Lotus burst in the air, spinning at high speed; countless poison‑coated wood needles, as fine as cow hair, flooded the torrential rain, sweeping toward Guo Zhan, whose flesh was split and whose membrane defense had plummeted.

Guo Zhan bled profusely, his qi and blood in turmoil from the blast; he swung his long blade, and the countless wood needles were swept away and exploded!

But despite his caution, a few needles still pierced his blood‑blurred flesh.

In an instant……

A numbing sensation surged through his blood, spreading throughout his body!

"Restrain your breath, hidden weapons… and they're poisoned!"

"What a vicious ox demon!"

"Just this… you dare call yourself a hero?!"

Guo Zhan felt icy cold all over.

Between heaven and earth, a silver thread pulled apart, winding and embedding into Guo Zhan's neck; the hulking ox demon stood already behind the poisoned Guo Zhan.

"I am only a demon who seeks wanton freedom; I was never a hero."

Li Che spoke lightly.

The next moment, he tore both hands apart!

The thousand spider threads suddenly tightened!

Behind him……

A huge head shot up into the sky, dragging a spray of blood several zhang high!

Today's PK third round recommendation; I don't know if it will succeed. I ask everyone to keep reading, and when you reach the last page you can see your reading ranking. Continue to ask for monthly tickets to push onto the new book list! Lao Li thanks you!

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(End of chapter)