Chapter 85: The Archer, Chen Mu!

"Attack!"

"Bad! The Zhenwu Bureau has come to kill us!"

"Counterattack! Kill~!"

"…"

The battle erupted immediately.

There was no time for the people in the valley to react—hundreds surged forward before them.

Although the Dead Man's Valley was常年 shrouded in mist, the Zhenwu Bureau and Nan Yun Prefecture Army struck at precisely the moment when the mist was thinnest.

Once night fell, the temperature dropped and the mist grew thickest.

When the sun blazed hot, the mist was not thick, but it rolled incessantly, drifting back and forth, hindering movement.

The period just before dark was when the mist was just thin enough.

Nan Yun Prefecture Army had an archery unit that, taking advantage of the thin mist, fired volleys and direct shots from afar, loosing over a hundred arrows to kill those moving outside the buildings.

According to Zhao Fuzhou's investigation, one-third of the assassins and related personnel within the "Black Dragon Society's" outpost in Nan Yun Prefecture had been drawn—willingly or unwillingly—into the Longsheng Sect by Tang Bi.

Especially among internal personnel, nearly all had joined; assassins were few, as most professional killers came to the valley only briefly, took their cultivation resources, and left immediately.

Even Tang Bi had no authority over these assassins, for some among them were stronger than he was.

Thus, no one left in the Dead Man's Valley was innocent.

Killing them all was no problem.

"Shiiii~ Shiiii~ Shiiii~!"

After the arrow rain, close combat erupted.

The "Black Dragon Society" members and hidden Longsheng Sect disciples all charged out.

The two sides clashed instantly.

Shhh!

Huuhhong~!

Zhao Fuzhou and Ouyang Kuo faced off first against the hidden Longsheng Sect experts.

Several beams of light tangled together on the eastern side of the valley.

Others paired off and fought.

The Zhenwu Bureau forces scattered, offering little mutual support.

Nan Yun Prefecture Army formed squads of ten to fifty men each, arranging battle arrays to crush their opponents.

Chen Mu gripped the Divine Arm Bow, leapt to the treetop, activated his "Eagle Eye" skill, and locked onto the strongest Longsheng Sect disciples.

Such as the Annihilation Death Soldiers—those without pain, without fear, and without fatigue.

"Shiiii~!"

The Divine Arm Bow drew taut; one arrow pierced the air, striking with blinding speed to pierce through an Annihilation Death Soldier's body.

The terrifying force tore the entire body into dozens of bloody chunks, splattering gore across the ground.

Below the Innate Realm, shot—dead!

One reason the Divine Arm Bow was so deadly was its incredible speed.

Once drawn, the arrow shot out so fast that those below the Innate Realm had no time to dodge.

Even those in the First Three Stages of the Innate Realm would die if they tried to block it head-on—they could only evade.

Chen Mu felt it himself: even he would be injured if he took the shot head-on.

With high speed and immense force, how could even the First Three Stages of the Innate Realm gain any advantage?

Shii! Shii! Shii!

The piercing sound of arrows cutting through air rang out intermittently.

Each time he fired, Chen Mu changed position.

The Annihilation Death Soldiers varied in strength; though all were below the Innate Realm, even Yan Qingyuan had to dodge when he encountered them.

Pure killing machines—if they couldn't be swiftly eliminated, instinct drove one to evade.

Even those of the Innate Realm reacted this way—how much more so for others?

A dozen Annihilation Death Soldiers appeared and killed over thirty men.

But that was as far as they would go.

Chen Mu unleashed a volley—under the Divine Arm Bow and its arrows, all the Annihilation Death Soldiers were slain.

【Corpse detected. Collect?】

"Yes!"

【Corpse detected. Collect?】

"Yes!"

"…"

As he moved swiftly, Chen Mu did not forget to collect the cards.

Due to the surprise attack and the combined strike by the Zhenwu Bureau and Nan Yun Prefecture Army, they held the upper hand.

Individually, Longsheng Sect disciples were stronger, but under numerical disadvantage, their chances were slim.

Like assassins, their true strength lay in ambush and covert kills.

In open battlefield combat, their power dropped drastically.

The Innate Realm experts were tied up by Zhao Fuzhou and Ouyang Kuo, and within moments, two were dead.

Among the rest, Chen Mu picked off every single one of the Postnatal Ninth Stage and Postnatal Full Stage disciples from afar; the Zhenwu Bureau and Nan Yun Prefecture Army's morale surged, soaring with excitement.

Victory seemed within reach…

"Roar~~!"

A bright, clear elephant cry suddenly rang out.

Thump thump thump~

The ground trembled, then began to shake.

The fighters in the midst of battle couldn't help but panic, retreating one after another.

The next moment, under everyone's gaze, a massive black-striped elephant—five meters tall, its muscles gnarled like chunks of rock fitted together—charged out step by step at great speed from deep within the valley.

"Roar~!!"

The bright elephant cry rang out once more.

This time, it spread out in tangible form, releasing a sonic attack that swept over everyone.

"Ah~!"

"Scatter, quick!"

"What kind of strange beast is this!?"

"……"

The Zhenwu Division and Nanyun Prefecture Army's ranks screamed and cried out in shock.

The giant elephant that had charged out was simply too enormous.

That kind of visual impact, that terrifying pressure—unless you were there in person, you couldn't possibly imagine it.

Those in the Innate Realm were fine, but every single one in the Postnatal Realm felt their heart pound.

The elephant's cry was even more devastating—even Chen Mu's ears rang.

This giant elephant must not be allowed to live!

Chen Mu steadied his breath and focused his spirit, drawing back his Divine Arm Bow.

Whoosh!

A piercing sound of tearing air carried a black streak across dozens of meters and struck the giant elephant.

The result……

"Screeeech—" A strange sound rang out as the powerful Divine Arm Arrow actually grazed the elephant's tough hide and slid off!

One arrow like that, even an Innate Realm cultivator couldn't withstand.

Yet this giant elephant was completely unharmed!

Swish swish~

Chen Mu shifted his position, raising the Divine Arm Bow and nocking another arrow.

Whoosh!

The piercing sound of tearing air echoed across the battlefield. A black streak cut through the air, heading straight for the elephant's eye!

Its hide was too tough—he couldn't pierce it for the moment.

But the eye, as long as it was a mortal flesh-and-blood body, was always a weak point!

And so it proved.

Under this arrow, the elephant had just raised its trunk, preparing to cry out. Then came a "thwack"—the Divine Arm Arrow shot into its eye, most of the shaft burying itself into the elephant's head.

"Roar~~!!!"

The giant elephant let out a deafening, agonized bellow, its massive body swaying as it paced back and forth.

"Seeking death!"

A figure suddenly burst out from the thin mist, charging toward Chen Mu with lightning speed.

"Whoosh~!"

Before the person even drew close, a foul-smelling, violent gust of wind arrived first, slamming into him.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Chen Mu's hands never stopped—he fired off three Divine Arm Arrows in rapid succession.

So fast that only afterimages could be seen, the Divine Arm Arrows' impact force erupted with strange sounds, blasting open waves of air to meet the charging Innate Realm martial artist of the Longevity Cult.

This man wore a long braid, his long horse-like face bearing sharp, bright eyes that gleamed with viciousness as he glared furiously at Chen Mu.

The three Divine Arm Arrows were fired so fast that, although he sensed them and tried to dodge, his body couldn't keep up. He could only, in shock and fury, raise his guard.

Boom!

True Qi condensed into a shield in front of him, and the first Divine Arm Arrow exploded against it.

Crash!

The second Divine Arm Arrow followed right behind, slamming into the True Qi shield and blowing it away along with the shield itself.

"Squelch~"

Blood sprayed out as the third Divine Arm Arrow tore through skin and flesh, burying itself deep into the body and piercing clean through from chest to back.

By coincidence, the spot it hit was the heart!