Chapter 137

Under the night curtain, deep in the mountains.

A figure hurried along the wilderness path up the mountain.

His steps were light and agile, his lightness skill superb; he tapped his toes on the grass by the roadside and instantly darted out over ten zhang away, like a phantom drifting in the dark night.

Not long after, he arrived at a ruined temple.

The temple was overgrown with weeds, spiderwebs thickly spread, half its walls collapsed, and even the clay idols in the main hall had long since rotted beyond repair.

In the main hall's center, dozens of people sat around a campfire on the ground.

"Chief, that Pang-surnamed one has already arrived, camping at the mountain base."

As soon as he entered the ruined temple, the person in charge of patrol and surveillance lowered his voice and shouted.

"Finally here!"

Beneath the idol, a rough-looking man laughed wickedly as he rose to his feet.

At his feet, a black-haired creature, half-human half-ape, with a demonic visage like a mountain ghost, also stood up, baring its teeth, grinning eerily, making one's blood run cold at the sight.

"Look how eager my little monkey is, already itching to feast on the flesh and blood of a Refining Organs realm expert."

The rough man stroked the mountain ghost's head, whereupon it instantly became obedient like a puppy, its face showing an expression of enjoyment.

Seeing the terrifying mountain ghost behave thus, the rough man said satisfiedly: "The Ghost Mother Sect's old thing didn't lie to me; after consuming the Ghost Mother's blood, this thing is more obedient than a dog, hahaha."

"Brothers, the Demon Suppression Division's court lackeys are down the mountain; kill them, and we'll have endless elixirs and silver."

"By then, we won't have to hole up in these wild mountains anymore; we can revel every night."

The burly man's voice was low but highly incendiary; in just a few words, he stirred the blood of the mountain bandits in the temple, who unconsciously gripped their weapons tighter.

"Boss, I saw that divine-gifted youth from Heishui City also in the ranks; should we think long-term..."

The speaker was precisely the lanky youth who had gone down the mountain on patrol and watch.

"What's there to fear? Big Brother's externally cultivated physique is no inferior to that of the Dragon Elephant Monk; that youth may have divine powers but lacks realm, not worth fearing." A bald burly man shouted.

"Old Four, what do you say?"

The rough man turned his head to look at the bearded burly man sitting by the fire, constantly wiping his Nine-Ring Broadsword.

"Big Brother, you decide."

The bearded burly man was straightforward, speaking bluntly: "As long as Big Brother you give the order, I'll cleave him to bits whether he bears divine powers or is a Buddha reborn."

"Good!"

The rough man's heroic spirit arose, saying: "Just a fluke-endowed brat with divine powers; could he possibly intimidate me, the Ghost-Faced Rakshasa?"

"Besides, that lad also possesses a Demon King Inner Core on his person."

"If we feed him together to the mountain ghost, we might even greatly enhance the quality of the Thousand-Person Pill within its belly."

The mountain ghost consumes people to form elixirs; the more vigorous the blood and qi of those eaten, the stronger it becomes, and the higher the quality of the ghost elixirs it forms.

This was what that old thing who initially gifted him the mountain ghost told him.

The other party also promised that if they consigned Pang Tong and others to death here, the Ghost Mother Sect would bestow large quantities of Hundred-Person Pills and silver.

Adding the soon-to-mature Thousand-Person Great Pill within the mountain ghost's body...

This venture to ambush and annihilate the Demon Suppression Division will not be a loss!

Bang!

Suddenly, a muffled thunder exploded outside the temple, and simultaneously several cries of alarm and pain rang out inside.

"Enemy attack!"

Shrill screams flashed and vanished!

In the ruined temple, the mountain bandits' hearts all turned cold; they scattered in panic, and then saw a stream of light pierce the night curtain, like a howling gale-borne silver dragon.

Boom!

The ruined temple collapsed with a roar.

Amid the rolling smoke and dust, Situ Long saw clearly,

that arrow had pierced through several mountain bandits and the temple's earthen wall, and without stopping, continued flying to an unknown distance.

"Ah!"

Just as he was distracted, in the night curtain another burst of blood flowers exploded.

"Get down!"

The bearded burly man roared, gripping his Nine-Ring Broadsword, he shot out at extreme speed, his form shifting as he charged toward where the arrows came from.

He gazed into the distance.

Only then did he see, a hundred zhang away, a black-clad youth bearing Moonlight Silver Wings, holding an exaggeratedly large fine-iron longbow, his body suspended in midair, like a god descending to earth.

Crunch!

The bow drawn to a full moon, arrows flew in succession.

Possessing the Heavenly Wolf Divine Sense, Qin Shuo saw night as day.

Under his superhuman perception, the mountain bandits in the ruined temple had nowhere to hide, like so many sitting targets awaiting death.

He didn't even need to use his eyes; relying solely on the throbbing heartbeat like a drum, he could lock onto those either prone on the ground or hiding behind walls.

The Heavenly Wolf Divine Sense enhanced his vision, hearing, and smell in all directions.

His perception was sharper than that of poisonous insects and fierce beasts in the mountains and forests.

Boom boom boom~

The sound of arrows piercing the air connected into a continuous stream.

Almost every arrow that fell elicited a chorus of screams.

Those mountain bandits, whether hiding behind shrubs or beneath mountain stones, could almost not withstand those arrows shooting like meteors.

Fast! Accurate! Ruthless!

Nearly boundless moonlight bolstered, plus the perception of the Heavenly Wolf Divine Sense.

Qin Shuo, with just one man and one bow, suppressed this group of mountain bandits who had roamed Mulin Prefecture for years, leaving them unable to raise their heads.

Among the bandits, there were many skilled archers.

But with ordinary bows and arrows, how could they possibly harm Qin Shuo, who was over a hundred zhang away?

Many mountain bandits hadn't even had time to draw their bows before being pierced through by the whistling Mysterious Iron Heavy Arrows.

"Ah!"

The arrow, swift as flowing light, exploded the head of one bandit, brains splattering, and terrified another into a frozen stupor, his body trembling like chaff in a sieve, his expression collapsing.

"Old Four, chop him!"

In the distance, Situ Long roared furiously, charging toward Qin Shuo's location like a madman.

"You little bastard, you dare hurt my brothers."

Situ Long's qi and blood surged, and from within his body came a roar like a tiger's growl and a dragon's chant.

In an instant, his True Essence was pushed to the extreme, gusts of gang wind surged around him like tides, as if he were an enraged mad lion, his beard and hair bristling, his eyes nearly bursting from their sockets.

Boom!

As he stomped down heavily, the entire hilltop shuddered violently, the ground beneath his feet cracking open, soil and stones flying.

He bent his knees and lowered his body, lunging forward like a starving tiger pouncing on prey; mid-air, he raised his arm and swung, the surrounding air seeming to flip over as he violently bore down on Qin Shuo.

Whoosh!

Qin Shuo's silver wings fluttered, shifting him sideways by several dozen zhang in midair, easily dodging Situ Long's mountain-splitting, stone-shattering strike.

Immediately, the bow opened like a full moon, the string trembling like thunder.

Like a storm-borne silver dragon, the Mysterious Iron Heavy Arrow howled forth, straight for his vital heart.

"Ah!"

Situ Long, having missed his strike, let out an angry, prolonged howl.

The True Essence from the three hundred and sixty-five major apertures within his body surged outward, forming an outward shield of gang qi.

He curled his fingers into claws and fiercely seized the incoming arrow, locking it down so it could not advance even a fraction.

A tremendous force, like surging waves and raging tides, transmitted up the arrow shaft; Situ Long felt as if he were not gripping an iron arrow, but a flood dragon overturning rivers and seas.

Boom!

The iron arrow drove Situ Long crashing into the forest, behind him bushes exploded in patches, shattered by the gang qi on his body, clearing a large open space.

Pfft!

As if struck by a city-smashing, armor-piercing Divine Arm Crossbow, the immense force on the arrow shook his viscera, a mouthful of fishy sweetness rose to his throat, which he could not suppress and spat out.

"The might of divine powers is indeed not inferior!"

Situ Long's gaze was sharp and bright, the ferocity in his eyes greatly intensified.

Like a wounded evil flood dragon, his face was written with ferocity.

Clang!

The nine rings struck the blade's back in unison.

The bearded, burly man had not yet arrived, but his blade's gang qi arrived first, sharp gang qi like a hanging silver river, cleaving heaven and earth.

It must be said, Situ Long and the bearded, burly man are no less than seasoned comrades-in-arms with years of默契 cooperation; the timing and angle of this strike were chosen with exquisite perfection.

Exactly when Qin Shuo shifted sideways, drew his bow, and had no leisure to attend to himself.

"Die for me!"

The bearded, burly man bellowed violently, veins bulging on his neck.

Unable to dodge, Qin Shuo spread his five fingers, his palm's Longxiang merging, forming a great golden sun, which he fiercely slammed toward that dazzling blade gang.

Boom!

The blade gang, like an iron mountain struck by a palm, shattered, fierce wind sweeping across, ravaging the wilds, even grinding-mill-sized mountain stones were cut to powder.

Qin Shuo was blown away by the immense force atop the blade gang, his body falling into the forest.

"Good!"

The bald bandit in the distance cheered, about to rush forward to deliver a finishing blow.

Boom!

Gang wind exploded, the sound like thunder.

A Mysterious Iron Heavy Arrow wrapped in a moon-blade storm burst from the forest, like a silver dragon howling, shooting horizontally through the air.

"Not good!"

The bald man's forward charge came to an abrupt halt; just as he tried to dodge, the meteor-like arrow had already reached him.

In that instant, the bald bandit's body hair stood on end.

He even felt a stinging pain at his brow, as if a sharp sword were about to pierce his skull and run him through.

"Ah!"

The bald man roared in anger, his True Essence surging out like mountains shouting and seas roaring, trying to block this killing arrow.

Pfft!

However, it was all in vain.

On the black arrowhead, a golden flash flickered and vanished, easily piercing his protective gang qi.

Bang!

The shiny bald head exploded, blood flying.

His strength ultimately could not match that of his elder brother, Situ Long.

His gang qi control had not yet reached the point of effortless release and retention; struck by Qin Shuo's arrow imbued with Vajra Divine Intent, he was mercilessly shot dead.