Chapter 183

Get lost!

Nie Jin Feng glared; he almost thought he had misheard, this brat actually dared to set his sights on his Thunder-Struck Ironwood Bow.

This bow, aside from the Valley's Treasure Wind Thunder Subduing Flood Bow, is the highest-ranked bow in the valley, already listed among divine weapons, and is the companion bow of the successive masters of Divine Arrow Peak and even Wind Thunder Valley.

To say it is the token of the Wind Thunder Valley's sect master is not an exaggeration.

This brat is truly thick-skinned to the point of having no limits, even daring to open his mouth like this.

"Borrow... I mean borrow, not borrow and not return..."

Qin Shuo naturally didn't know the significance of the Thunder-Struck Ironwood Bow to Wind Thunder Valley; he merely wanted to take it back and slowly refine the remaining thunder-arrow intent within it.

The Thunder Arrow Technique is ultimately a supreme secret art; the intent of a single thunderbolt arrow would exhaust all the energy accumulated in his Taotie Cauldron.

If he wanted to continue refining the thunder-arrow intent within the Thunder-Struck Ironwood Bow, he would have to wait until he returned to Yunzhou City to purchase new exotic beast meat for recharging.

Although Yunzhou City and Wind Thunder Valley are only separated by a river, as a Demon Suppression Office lieutenant, it wouldn't be proper for him to constantly come and go from someone else's sect, would it?

No lending!

Nie Jin Feng flicked his sleeve, about to stride away, but then he stopped and turned back, saying:

"Don't you yourself have a fine iron great bow? Why do you still want to set your sights on my ironwood bow?"

"Who would complain about having too many good bows?"

Qin Shuo cursed inwardly, but said aloud:

"That fine iron great bow, while it counts as a strong bow, is far insufficient to unleash my strength advantage."

"I see that Sect Master Nie's bow, whether in draw strength or flexibility of the bow stave, far surpasses my fine iron great bow."

"Moreover, its grain is extremely suitable for infusing true essence and intertwining gang qi, which is why I wanted to borrow it for practice."

"If this divine bow assists me, allowing me to fully exert my strength advantage, I think my archery should improve quickly."

"I think Sect Master Nie also wouldn't want me to be slowed in my quest for divine weapons by an awkward bow, right?"

"Come to think of it, I forgot that besides excelling in archery, you also possess Buddhist divine abilities."

Nie Jin Feng's expression eased slightly, then he shifted the topic, saying:

"But this bow has been passed down through generations in my Wind Thunder Valley, wielded by successive valley masters; as you are not a disciple of our valley, it would be improper to lend it out!"

"How about this: starting tomorrow, I will have someone deliver the ironwood bow to your residence each day."

"After you finish your practice, they will bring it back the same day."

"That way, it wouldn't really break the rules."

Upon thinking of the figure standing atop the ten-thousand-fathom high peak inside the Divine Weapons Secret Realm, Nie Jin Feng inexplicably felt a sense of urgency, and thus chose to agree to Qin Shuo's request.

The Divine Weapons Secret Realm concerns the thousand-year foundation of Wind Thunder Valley; as long as we can ultimately obtain it, making a few exceptions is of little consequence.

"Thank you, Valley Master Nie!" Qin Shuo exclaimed delightedly.

With the Thunder-Struck Ironwood Bow in hand, it won't be long before he can completely master the full Thunder Arrow Technique.

By then, his archery proficiency should be able to rise to the fifth rank!

Because according to Nie Jin Feng's speculation, if he himself is taken as reference, his current archery proficiency is seventh rank, so comprehending the Thunder Four Symbols Arrow should be sixth rank.

And mastering the full Thunder Arrow Technique is fifth rank.

Initially, it was only after he comprehended the Thunder Four Symbols Arrow that he gained the qualification for the Divine Weapons Trial.

Therefore he surmised that as long as Qin Shuo comprehends the Thunder Four Symbols Arrow, he should receive the summons and guidance of the Sun-Shooting Divine Bow, allowing him to enter the secret realm to participate in the Divine Weapons Trial.

And the Divine Weapons Trial itself is also a process for improving archery proficiency.

Leaving Divine Arrow Peak, it was already approaching evening.

Qin Shuo didn't delay, heading straight toward the mountain gate outside, to the unit of the Demon Suppression Office.

Because a ground tremor occurred in the rear mountains, the vast majority of spirit birds and exotic beasts rushed out of the mountains, which actually greatly saved the Demon Suppression Office's search time.

After registering the multitude of spirit birds and exotic beasts, the Mountain-Moving General in charge of the rear mountains, Chen Ao, also organized the Demon Suppression lieutenants to conduct a carpet-like sweep.

Those who can join the Demon Suppression Office are all accomplished internal energy practitioners.

In just half a day, Wind Thunder Valley was turned upside down.

During this period, there were several clashes between the Demon Suppression lieutenants and Wind Thunder Valley disciples, even to the point where elders and three Demon Suppression generals came to blows.

However, under the lascivious might of Fu Lingyun, coupled with the Wind Thunder Valley's senior leadership avoiding confrontation, those hot-tempered elders ultimately could only silently accept the search.

Over a thousand Demon Suppression lieutenants were dispatched simultaneously; such a deployment has been rare in the past several decades.

However, the final search results disappointed many.

The Demon Suppression Office found no traces related to mountain spirits within Wind Thunder Valley, but instead uncovered a large number of ferocious birds and beasts.

"Register all the ferocious birds and exotic beasts, place them in the case files; thereafter, if any demons cause trouble in Yunzhou, we can start from these registers."

Fu Lingyun seemed to have expected to gain nothing from this expedition, so his face showed little disappointment.

On the contrary, the three great Demon Suppression generals looked somewhat fatigued.

Especially the Mountain-Moving General Chen Ao and the Sea-Stepping General Qi Shengzhao, who had traveled a thousand miles to rush here, unexpectedly got this result, leaving both feeling somewhat uneasy.

"Chief, even Wind Thunder Valley, the most likely hiding place for the innate demon mother, yielded no trace—could it be that this demon thing truly isn't in Yunzhou City?"

The Flying Star General Pang Tong, his face full of dejection, said:

"What's the rush? Wind Thunder Valley is merely a beginning!"

Fu Lingyun rose from the pavilion, glanced back at the Wind Thunder Valley gate, his phoenix eyes filled with killing intent, and said:

"If we can't find anything in Wind Thunder Valley, then this old lady will turn over the entire Yunzhou City!"

"This old lady doesn't believe that the demon mother cult could hide the innate demon mother in desolate mountains and wild ridges!"

"Without sufficient 'popularity' to feed it, that innate demon mother could hardly produce so many mountain spirits!"

"The few major prefectural capitals capable of sustaining an innate demon mother have all been searched by us; therefore, that innate demon mother must be in this Yunzhou City."

"Issue the order: starting tomorrow, launch a city-wide search; we must definitely find that innate demon mother for this old lady!"

Yes!

……

That brat's gone? Why not give him a little more instruction; it's not easy to make the trip here!

On Divine Arrow Peak.

Hardly had Qin Shuo left when Zhang Youlong was puff‑puffing on his dry tobacco, walking up the mountain path.

Let him practice on his own first; that way he'll know my Wind-Thunder Valley's Wind-Thunder Arrow Technique isn't so easy to learn.

Oh? What did you teach him this time?

Violent Wind Thunder Dragon!

What? Why not teach Wind-Thunder Kill first?

Back then you only started cultivating the Violent Wind Thunder Dragon after achieving mastery in refining your viscera, and you were tormented by the extremely intricate intertwining of vigorous qi, to the point of almost doubting your existence.

He's only just completed Condensed Truth, yet you want him to start learning the Violent Wind Thunder Dragon now?

Nie Jinfeng stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze falling on the orderly retreating Demon-Suppression Bureau squad at the mountain gate, and said calmly:

What else could it be? Naturally it's to give this kid a show of force!

With his talent, mastering Wind-Thunder Kill won't be much slower than learning the Thunderbolt Arrow.

But Violent Wind Thunder Dragon is different; this arrow technique tests one's control over one's true essence, spiritual intent, and the flow of heaven and earth.

Even if he were a genius, with his strength at the completion of the Condensed Truth stage, it's absolutely impossible to cultivate the Violent Wind Thunder Dragon in less than three months.

Zhang Youlong gave his fellow disciple beside him a strange look and said softly:

You told him how long it originally took you to cultivate the Violent Wind Thunder Dragon?

Three months!

Zhang Youlong: "……"

What a guy!

My junior disciple is doing this just to beat that kid once, even throwing away his face!

He can claim six months as three months!

Then how long do you want him to train to master it? Zhang Youlong asked again.

One month!

Nie Jinfeng showed no blush or racing heart, completely serious.

Hiss!

Zhang Youlong sucked in a breath of cold air.

This gives that kid no chance at all!