Chapter 583: 536 Drawing the Bow

Xinglao moved at an incredibly fast speed, for he was advancing at nearly full pace and had no intention of entangling himself with the person behind him. Even if he were confident that he could turn back and get serious, he could resolve the woman following him.

Because the reason he was hired by Sunset Manor was very clear: he was here to seize victory, not to kill people.

As it happened, he was not the type of person who enjoyed killing either.

Regardless of what "great achievements" he once had in terms of killing, or how deep an impression he had left on outsiders like the Tiger-Subduing Master, at Anxing Manor, he was someone who was extremely averse to killing. If it were not necessary, he had no interest in pulling his Gan'ganjing Sword out of flesh and blood—though some said that human blood nourishes a sword.

As soon as he entered, he rushed forward rapidly and paid no mind to the woman who was about to catch up. If that woman was sensible or capable, and couldn't catch up at all, then he would just act as if she didn't exist.

Halfway through, the woman caught up. Xinglao thought to himself: You are seeking your own death, and he swung his sword back.

This strike used eighty percent of his strength; an ordinary Sword Guest would not be able to block it.

Unexpectedly, the woman behind him actually had some skill. The two exchanged a strike; the woman's movement technique and reaction were both very fast. After gracefully dodging, she still had the energy to counterattack. In the end, after two or three exchanges, both had a measure of the other's strength. The woman skillfully scraped away a lock of his hair with her sword, while he slashed a bloodstain onto her shoulder with his.

That strike, had the woman not used a special method to swap positions, could have even dismembered one of her arms. It could only be said that she had a knack for saving her own life, but Xinglao was even more at ease, not even having brought out his true strength.

Then, the woman became well-behaved.

Don't look at how she was stumbling along behind him, as if she were using all her strength to catch up; in reality, both of them knew what was going on. She was just putting on a show of pursuit; she wasn't actually using any effort, just hanging back and pretending to be diligent.

That was just how it was—both were hired by people, why risk their lives?

It was only because he currently held the upper hand and his opponent was vulnerable that he was so attentive. If the other side truly had a super expert who could crush him, he would also choose to protect himself. After all, this was not his own grand cause; it was enough to be worthy of the mission's meager reward.

However, there would be no Sword Guest in the world who could crush him. Because he was peerless among his own tier.

He stepped onto the fork in the road where the first stage ended, and he took a step forward.

Suddenly, the sound of wind rose abruptly!

Sword Qi came attacking.

Xinglao had long since sensed this sneak attack, but he did not dodge or evade, continuing to step forward.

Sss—

The nearly unavoidable Sword Qi brushed past his side, barely splashing up a patch of black mist.

Clearly, he had only taken a step and hadn't been seen moving or shifting, yet he had caused this Sword Qi, with its calculated trajectory, to miss!

Beneath his feet, he trod upon black shadows, yet within his steps seemed to be hidden mysterious starlight, making it appear as if he were walking upon a galaxy.

This was the Qisu Step, a secret technique passed down within their faction. It was a secret skill between martial arts and Sword Art; everyone could master it, yet its marvelous uses were endless. Relying on this footwork, he stood in an invincible position.

Having avoided a streak of Sword Qi, Xinglao had already locked onto the enemy. Without even drawing his sword, he pointed backward, and a giant Golden Bull appeared out of thin air, as if mad or insane, charging away.

The speed of an ordinary mad bull charging was already very fast, but the speed of this Golden Bull was even more incredibly fast. The person opposite him clumsily released a giant wall, then retreated backward.

However, before they had retreated even a few feet, the bull had arrived. One horn pressed against the wall, instantly piercing through it. The massive body crashed in, and with one step, it pressed against that person.

That person let out a miserable shriek and was sent flying, soaring into the sky like a broken kite. Only then could one clearly see the wall that had been smashed through; it was actually a thick book. It had been pierced with a hole, the pages inside flipping outward with a rustling sound, and then it disappeared.

"Stupid, a mantis trying to stop a chariot."

Xinglao commented with indifference, then turned his head to look in another direction.

There also stood a White-haired Swordsman, wearing the insignia of Changfa Manor, who had been at the fork in the road and had not dared to enter the battlefield. Seeing Xinglao look over, he was clearly stunned for a moment, then turned and ran.

Xinglao sneered, and the Golden Bull chased after him, but this person ran very fast, actually keeping pace with the Golden Bull. Not until he had run very far, and Xinglao was certain he was truly running and not just making a feint, did he stop the pursuit.

With the enemies cleared, he continued forward. After walking for a while, Xinglao finally saw another external aid from the same camp, Xingzi. She was also a person from Anxing Manor; this time, Anxing Manor had sent two external aids, and the two were very familiar with each other. They finally reunited.

In the darkness, that beautiful face was very moving. Xinglao felt a smile appear on his face unconsciously when he saw her, and he asked, "How is it?"

Xingzi smiled slightly and said, "Not bad."

Xinglao laughed and said, "What does 'not bad' mean? I see you arrived slower than expected; was the target tricky?"

Xingzi sighed and said, "The one on my side was indeed a bit difficult to deal with. She hid in the shadows, and I couldn't attack her. Then she could also sneak attack from time to time."

Xinglao frowned and said, "Shadows? Wangliang Mountain plays with shadows?"

Although a 'Wangliang' is a shadow of a shadow, there were truly few Sword Guests from Wangliang Mountain who played with shadows, because any shadow could easily be absorbed by the Yingze, causing the Sword Image to dissipate and the Sword Essence to have nothing to attach to, making it impossible to move an inch.

Shadows mastered by individuals, on the contrary, became a taboo of Wangliang Mountain.

Xingzi tucked her hair and smiled, "Just a feint. As soon as she started fighting, she tried every way to splash water, and only then did she employ shadow tactics, pretending to be a shadow, but actually, it was a reflection. The essence is similar, but vastly different."

Xinglao nodded and said, "That naturally couldn't fool you. Where is the person? Killed?"

Xingzi said, "Couldn't kill her. She attached her entire self to the Sword Image; I couldn't find the main body. How can you kill a Sword Image? Fortunately, that little girl is very timid and her strength isn't strong, so she poses no threat. It's just that she's very slippery. I tricked her into a trap and used a move called 'Magpie Bridge' to imprison her. If I don't save her, it will take her a year to break free."

Xinglao smiled slightly, "When it comes to trapping people, who can compare to you?"

Xingzi smiled slightly and suddenly said, "The person on your path has followed you. Why didn't you kill her?"

Xinglao tilted his head slightly and saw the female Sword Guest who had been following him the whole way with a fake demeanor also exit the passage. Seeing him turn his head, she immediately ran in another direction like a startled rabbit, almost running in the opposite direction to head back.

Xinglao smiled and said, "A woman who knows the current situation. Her courage is gone; she won't make a move. Let her go."

Sure enough, the woman ran away and had no intention of taking a detour from another direction to touch the sun; instead, she plunged into another path she had come from, clearly intending to go somewhere cool and stay there.

Xingzi shifted her gaze and said, "She actually has a bit of beauty, and she isn't a person from Wangliang Mountain. Her body is tall, and her temperament is not bad either. Did you spare her because you cherish the fair and pity the frail?"

Xinglao asked curiously, "She looks good? I can't tell. I'm face-blind; except for you, I can't tell who looks good." After saying this, he walked a few steps toward Xingzi and said, "Let's go together. We're about to arrive."

Xingzi smiled, "If we go together, wouldn't that be very strange?"

Xinglao kept a straight face and said, "What's strange about it? Those who say it's strange are just superstitious."

Xingzi turned and smiled, "Then what about those who say we are a match made in heaven?"

Xinglao said, "Those are the sensible ones, the cultured ones. July, a good day."

Here in the Yingze, they actually still had the mood to tease each other, not at all like they were still facing sneak attacks from at least four or five Sword Guests. It was just that the sounds in the Yingze could not be transmitted out; if those noble slave owners and distinguished guests outside heard them being so leisurely, I fear they would even throw rotten eggs down.

The two walked swaggeringly along the passage straight toward the sun as if they had already grasped the overall situation.

Of the eight surrounding passages, two were still fighting, two winners had been forced back by Xinglao, and the other two were silent, as if no one remained.

There were still two fish that might remain.

The two deliberately chatted and laughed as they walked forward, just to lure out any interested small fry to settle it once and for all. However, there was no harvest in the end. Before long, they saw the high platform from afar. On the platform was a bow.

That bow was the final item to be contested this time, the She Ri Bow. Obtaining that bow would allow one to condense a She Ri Arrow; hitting the sun would mean victory. There was no need for the person themselves to approach the sun, which was still wrapped by the Nether Sea.

At this time, the area in front of the platform was empty, and that incomparably exquisite bow was truly within reach.

The two looked at each other, both remaining vigilant, until finally Xinglao said, "I will go, you provide protection for me."

He walked forward with a swagger, waved his hand, and finally pressed it onto that bow.

Without surprise, he picked it up.

Even in this world that only had black and white colors, this bow could be considered magnificent; Xinglao held it in his hand, clicking his tongue in praise, and said, "I heard this bow can shoot through that legendary... is it true?"

Xingzi said, "Who knows? Since Sunset Manor has taken pride in it for so many years and even placed it at the entrance for people to admire, there must be some truth to it, right?"

Xinglao said, "If it can really harm that person, shouldn't we requisition it? It might be useful in the future."

Xingzi said, "That is for those above to discuss... I say, stop dawdling, there is likely no one left, and we are destined not to catch any fish. Shoot the arrow."

As she spoke, she spread her arms, and several black and white birds flew out from her dress.

Those were magpies.

The magpies circled the two; clearly a flock of birds that could scatter at any moment, they acted like a wall of bronze and iron, erecting a magpie bridge around the two.

With the magpie bridge set up, Xinglao no longer delayed; he drew the bow, and an arrow that looked like gray-white ash automatically condensed on the bowstring.

"Go!"

The gray-white arrow flew like a meteor toward the sun not far away.

The distance was not far, and the arrow's speed was incredibly fast, arriving in the blink of an eye.

At this moment—

"Sword Art—Peach Picking!"

That arrow light disappeared halfway there.

At this time, from another direction, the woman who had just slipped away from behind Xinglao was pulling back a bow, with a strand of hair cut from Xinglao's head tied to the bow.

The instant the She Ri Arrow disappeared, that gray-white arrow appeared on her bowstring.

She released her hand, and the She Ri Arrow flew off the string!

Hit!

After a hundred years, the sun in the Nether Sea was struck by another arrow!

The competition is over!