Chapter 174: Ji You’s Arrow and Sword
The Barbarian Race is a mixed race of various Alien Tribe , lacking much common culture and spiritual heritage.
From the perspective of the Human Race, who are outsiders, even their own internal factions are numerous and clearly opposed. How could such a mixed race as the Barbarian Race unite and become strong? It was simply wishful thinking.
But in fact, the Barbarian Race's high-level only used the goal of “attacking back into Kyushu and seeing the blue sky again” to quickly accelerate the integration and unification of their race.
A single Realm apart, but only a hundred miles.
The south was an endless fertile plain, yet beneath his feet, not a blade of grass grew, and venomous creatures roamed rampant.
The various Barbarian Race tribes in the Ten Thousand Mountains truly longed to return and see the blue sky again.
Thus, counterattacks were constant, Hantie Pass was repeatedly ambushed, and the confrontation lasted for a thousand years.
Many people didn't understand why the Barbarian Race kept fighting even though they couldn't break through, but in reality, they used continuous warfare to bind their race into a solid block, impenetrable by needle or water.
Therefore, the Barbarian Race, from top to bottom, continuously consolidated under the constraints of the military system.
This development process, intertwined with blood and tears, war and fire, was diametrically opposed to that of the Human Race.
From the Human Race's perspective, accurate upward and downward communication was a task no less difficult than Immortal Ascension.
Just like the annual collection of taxes, the amount received into the Great Xia national treasury, after layers of embezzlement, was always far less than the figures from various State Prefectures.
So at first, the Immortal Supervisory Office did not expect such efficient communication among the Barbarian Race.
Even the disappearance of a single soldier would alarm the high-level. The Human Race couldn't understand this, but the Barbarian Race managed to achieve it.
This was no longer the timid and war-fearing race of the ancient times, only concerned with escaping.
From this, it can be seen that extreme poverty can indeed change a person's life, regardless of their personality or character.
On the bumpy carriage, Ji You lifted the curtain, constantly looking out at the night as the carriage sped along.
Suddenly, he found a commonality between himself and the Barbarian Race.
He, too, had eaten wild vegetables for three years in Yuyang County, seen countless people starving in the fields and living tombs on the mountains, and only then did a constant urge to kill everything arise within him, feeling that death was inconsequential.
It was like this when he saved Qiu Ru, like this when he went to Qi Ridge, and like this when he raised his sword to kill towards Feng Province.
Ji You narrowed his eyes, feeling countless Auras begin to approach, followed by an incessant sound of hooves, growing from distant to near.
Before long, countless Barbarian Race riders had appeared on the left, right, and rear sides of the convoy's path.
In the howling cold wind, their coarse hair fluttered, and their eerie green eyes gleamed with Killing Intent.
Bows were drawn, arrows nocked.
Buzz!
A sharp whooshing sound echoed through the silent night sky, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly making the originally tranquil night boil.
Overwhelming rain of arrows surged from all directions like a black tide. Every arrow released from the bowstring carried an indomitable Aura, and their sharp arrowheads glinted with chilling light in the night.
The Barbarian Race possessed innate Divine Power, and their strong bows were specially made according to their own strength.
In an instant, Magical Artifacts beneath the convoy roared with violent Spiritual Qi, suddenly rising to meet the incoming arrows.
With a clanging sound, violent collisions rang out one after another.
Amidst the dazzling Spiritual Light, arrows were bounced off one after another, yet the heavy impact still caused the carriage to shake violently, swaying from side to side like a lone boat in a raging storm.
Countless envoys looked solemn, clinging to the carriage, uneasy.
Indeed, what the Deputy Supervisor of the Immortal Supervisory Office had predicted was not wrong; they had indeed been exposed.
In just half a night, the Barbarian Race began to investigate based on the areas where soldiers disappeared. The cavalry from the four directions—east, west, south, and north—after sensing a vague direction, had converged on this location without prior agreement, and then met!
The moment the arrows were deflected, a whooshing sound suddenly rang out.
At this moment, Jiang Yan and Yan Qiubai, who had gone ahead to scout, returned gracefully, descending amidst a dazzling Spiritual Qi onto the foremost carriage, their light gauze skirts swaying in the wind.
“Only nearby cavalry are pursuing us; they were already lurking in the surroundings. When we set off, they happened to be converging here. It seems the leak was due to the missing soldiers. Our previous judgment should be correct.”
“We scouted along the route. The highest Realm should only be Upper Soldier Realm, estimated to be over twenty. The rest are Middle Soldier Realm and Lower Soldier Realm.”
“The southwest direction has the most people, while the due west is close to the Barbarian Race's main camp. Both risks are extremely high.”
Locating the envoy group based on missing soldiers, as mentioned before, was imprecise and not timely.
Therefore, stronger Barbarian Race forces could not arrive in time before their exact location was exposed.
Currently, they were only encountering Soldier Realm Barbarian Race, so they still had a chance. If they could shake off these pursuing soldiers, they might be able to re-enter a state of stealth.
Peng Dongyang and several Elders exchanged glances, then said, “First, head east to try and shake off the pursuers, then move northwest and continue towards the Snow Region.”
The other Elders at this time released their Divine Thought, looking back at the speeding carriage: “To shake them off, we must first deal with those pursuers. We cannot give them a chance to gather, lest we be encircled.”
“Well said.”
“Then, kill without mercy.”
Boom!
A loud bang, accompanied by sounds of shattering, exploded like thunder.
Several figures suddenly leaped out of the carriages on the left and right flanks, and Spiritual Qi immediately surged like a roaring tide towards them.
Gongshu Chou was the first to rise, his Dao Sword shining brightly. He saw a Barbarian Race warrior, covered in thick iron armor, suddenly leap into the air from horseback, his long spear, like a Dragon emerging from the sea, piercing straight towards him with a whistling wind.
With a sharp 'xiu ran' sound, spear and sword clashed fiercely, and violent Qi waves surged outwards like a raging tide.
At the same time, Jiang Chenfeng, Huo Hong, Chu Butian, Tu Xu, Jiang Yuerou, Xiao Hanyan, Shi Junhao, and others,
Their bodies shimmering with Spiritual Light, like banished immortals descending to the world, all turned around to face the furiously galloping, menacing Barbarian Race warriors.
Under the cover of night, clashing metal sparked dazzling flames.
Gongshu Chou swung his sword and fought valiantly, using a fierce Sword Intent to parry the long spear, and with a raise of his hand, a Sword Qi aimed at the sky was about to descend with a roar.
However, at this critical moment, a dull hum suddenly sounded from his right side, causing his pupils to contract. He immediately retracted his sword, shifted his body, and flew back.
More than ten arrows, imbued with potent Qi, now swiftly attacked, hidden by the night.
All the Middle Soldier Realm warriors following behind this Upper Soldier Realm Barbarian Race were armed with bows and arrows, channeling their innate Divine Power into the arrows, their Auras terrifyingly strong.
The Human Race comprehended the Heavenly Dao, their techniques were exquisite, and their demeanor was like that of immortals.
But if strength was pushed to its extreme, it could ultimately break through any technique.
There was even a Barbarian Race warrior here with two extra arms on his back. He held a black bow with two hands, while his other two hands drew the bowstring taut like a full moon, so fierce that it made one want to curse!
More importantly, years of warfare had forged an impeccable cooperation among these Barbarian Race warriors, making their coordinated combat ability even more terrifying.
Gongshu Chou's Sword Intent surged, and with powerful Sword Qi, he shattered the incoming arrows. But before he could catch his breath, the iron spear, carrying a biting wind, suddenly pierced towards him like a ghost.
But at this moment, an arrow, imbued with rich Spiritual Qi, flew out three inches above his left shoulder, unswervingly.
With a 'boom', the Barbarian Race warrior holding the iron spear felt his tiger's mouth go numb from the shock, and he grimaced, his thrusting rhythm instantly broken.
At this moment, Ji You stood on the roof of the carriage, holding a strong bow, its string drawn taut like a full moon. The bulging muscles of his arm seemed to contain power capable of tearing anything apart.
The next moment, another arrow suddenly flew from his hand, fiercely piercing through the skull of the Barbarian Race warrior's warhorse.
Without even a dying whinny, the galloping horse crashed to the ground, swallowed by the retreating night.
He always had a bow in his storage gourd, the most expensive bow from Qionghua Pavilion.
This bow was given to him by Yan Shu for self-defense when he went to Qi Ridge.
He had used this bow to shoot many Evil Seeds back then, but since then, he hadn't encountered any large-scale chaotic battles.
So, he had never taken it out to use again until now.
He didn't know why Gongshu Chou had always been kind to him, but using Lingjian Mountain's bow to help Lingjian Mountain's people was considered reasonable and legitimate.
At this moment, Ji You drew another arrow, his eyes blazing with golden light, but his gaze also held a hint of reluctance and heartache.
An arrow shot while speeding should not be retrievable. “As expected of you, who almost killed me!”
“Good arrow!”
Gongshu Chou shouted excitedly, then charged forward with his sword, directly sending the spear-wielding Barbarian Race warrior flying, then brutally attacked.
His shout instantly attracted the attention of other Rongdao Realm cultivators who were fighting.
Their encounters were similar to Gongshu Chou's; even if the opposing Upper Soldier Realm warriors only had the strength of the Profound Connection Realm, their sturdy Physical Bodies made it extremely difficult for them to be breached in a short time.
Thus, with every exchange, countless terrifying arrows would fly through the wind, greatly distracting them.
And as Gongshu Chou's shout of “Good arrow” echoed, everyone instinctively glanced over and saw Ji You on the carriage, drawing his bow and nocking an arrow.
Whoosh!
The arrow left the bow, and the bowstring vibrated violently.
The warhorse on the opposite side fell to the ground, and the Middle Soldier Realm Barbarian Race warrior, who had been drawing his bow, instantly fell, disappearing into the retreating night.
Because of Ji You's assistance with his bow and arrow, even though the spear-wielding Barbarian Race warrior had a strong Physical Body, his chest was now bloody and scarred from the killing. He was sent flying by a sword before he could even raise his spear to thrust again.
At this moment, Ji You had already drawn his bow again, and once more, he fiercely shot through the warhorse beneath a pursuer.
The Barbarian Race warrior, covered in sand and dust from falling off his horse, immediately roared to the sky. Watching the speeding carriage and his continuously pursuing comrades, he bared his sharp fangs with a ferocious grimace.
Then he gripped the arrow in his horse's head and angrily pulled it out, intending to use it to stab those Human Race members after catching up, but his face changed drastically with the effort.
The arrow had not only pierced through his horse but also pinned the horse's head directly to the ground.
During the pursuit, Jiang Chenfeng, Huo Hong, Jiang Yuerou, Xiao Hanyan, Shi Junhao, and others observed his continuous arrow shots, helping Gongshu Chou repel the Barbarian Race, their expressions varied.
“I originally thought that after our whereabouts were exposed, this Tong Xuan Realm would be useless, but I didn't expect him to still have a bow…”
“A good bow…”
“It seems he did his homework before coming, preparing many tricks, both sword and bow. This somewhat makes up for his low Realm. If he isn't engaged in close combat, he might even survive the journey.”
Amidst the clanging of metal, Shi Junhao repelled an Upper Soldier Barbarian Race warrior, only to see dozens of powerful arrows rushing towards him. He could only temporarily give up the chance to break through its Physical Body and float in the air to dodge.
And during the dodging process, he looked at Ji You, whose bow was drawn like a full moon, and felt a surge of displeasure in his heart.
In their opinion, as fellow Disciples of Tianshu Academy, Ji You, with his strong bow, should have cooperated with them. He never expected him to be helping that Lingjian Mountain Disciple instead.
Xiao Hanyan had the same thought. She sharply called out Ji You's name several times, but the other party did not react, and anger swelled between her eyebrows.
Ji You, in the midst of the chaotic battle, remained expressionless and focused. The Spiritual Qi accumulated in his hand continuously swayed on the bowstring, and the rhythm of drawing the string became faster and faster, with the twang of the bow never ceasing.
He was only one person. No matter how fast he was, once dispersed, he would be completely ineffective.
The priority now was to shake off the pursuit of these barbarians, making them lose their direction so that their main force wouldn't converge here.
Therefore, he didn't try to shoot the barbarians, but prioritized shooting the warhorses, which were easier to kill.
Barbarians had a chance to block arrows, which was far less efficient than shooting horses.
Ji You frowned and drew his bow again. An arrow shot out directly tore through the strong wind in front of him, piercing through fiercely.
But at this moment, under the silent night, two ferocious figures suddenly soared into the air, pouncing from his sides.
They had temporarily changed direction, but not all of the barbarian pursuers came from behind.
There were also some barbarian cavalry who were originally searching on the sides. They chased over and saw a figure constantly drawing his bow on the carriage, with people and horses falling wherever his arrows pointed. Their Killing Intent surged, and they leaped from their horses into the air.
However, the first to see this scene was not Ji You.
Because he was drawing his bow, constantly firing arrows outwards, killing horses while supporting Gongshu Chou, who was continuously swinging his sword.
So, the first to see this scene were Jiang Chenfeng, Jiang Yuerou, Huo Hong, and Xiao Hanyan and Shi Junhao from Tianshu Academy, who were beside him.
If he wasn't approached, a Tong Xuan Realm cultivator might survive the journey—this was everyone's judgment.
After all, every time Ji You went out to kill enemies before, he appeared very disheveled.
This indicated that he could indeed win against a Shangbing Realm cultivator, but his victory was precarious. And now, two Shangbing Realm cultivators were pouncing on him.
But Jiang Chenfeng and the others did not help. Instead, they continued to fully break through the defenses of the barbarian soldiers in front of them, even Xiao Hanyan and Shi Junhao from Tianshu Academy did the same.
“Shaking off the barbarian pursuit is the main task.”
“I don’t understand why a Tong Xuan Realm cultivator is joining in on this excitement.”
“I’ve long seen that he’s barely holding on, and this journey will become increasingly dangerous from now on. We can’t always help him; such a burden would be better off gone.”
“Standing on the roof of the carriage was already too conspicuous—
The night was deep, and the surrounding chaotic thoughts were like thick ink, surging wantonly.
The Prodigy couldn't help but look sideways, as if he had already seen a fall with blood spilling into the sky.
But what was unexpected was that just as the two barbarians arrived, a bright and sharp Sword Qi suddenly soared into the sky, instantly tearing through the endless darkness, and then fiercely crashed down towards the two barbarians who had taken the opportunity to attack, with powerful Sword Qi whistling through the air.
【Dao Sword · Xiao Chong Shan】
With a muffled thud, the two barbarians who came with their knives were directly pressed down. Their floating figures instantly shrunk by three inches, and their iron knives vibrated.
In a flash, the stunned crowd saw the figure who had been standing tall on the carriage roof suddenly erupt with Sword Intent, and in an instant, he floated into the air, his Dao Sword in hand surging forward like overlapping waves.
The heavy Qi like a mountain made the nearby carriage groan under the unbearable weight, emitting painful 'creak, creak' sounds,
As if it could fall apart at any moment.
Clang!
The two barbarian soldiers held their knives firmly, a hint of horror flashing in their eyes.
So, after exchanging a glance, they suddenly withdrew their knives and dodged to the sides. The unobstructed Sword Qi directly carved a wide and deep gully in the ground, sending soil flying.
At this moment, the two barbarians had already stamped a deep pit in the barren land, and using that leverage, they leaped up again, whistling towards the carriage roof.
And Ji You had also taken this opportunity to draw his bow again. As his arm exerted force, the bowstring was rapidly drawn to its fullest, emitting a taut 'aiya' sound, and then his finger suddenly released, sending the arrow flying out.
The arrow, imbued with immense power, was like a black lightning bolt, directly striking one of the iron knives.
To be precise, he was aiming for the opponent's heart.
Because the barbarian's heart was the weakest part, while the arms and skull were the hardest, verified by personal experience.
Although he aimed for the heart, he couldn't prevent the opponent from swinging his knife in defense, so the arrow directly embedded itself in the barbarian's blade, sending sparks flying.
What startled the barbarian was that the heavy Qi carried by the arrow directly stopped his leaping motion,
And even sent him flying fiercely backwards.
At this moment, Spiritual Qi surged beneath Ji You's feet. He floated back, creating distance from the remaining barbarian. Amidst the clanging of metal, seven swords floated in the air, slashing fiercely.
A shattering sound instantly rang out. The iron knife snapped, and the Shangbing Realm barbarian was directly struck in the heart, flying horizontally with blood spilling from his mouth and nose.
This was 【Willow Color New】, the sharpest of the four swords of the Spiritual Sword Mountain Sword Dao's first seat.
Then Ji You took a Spiritual Sword and placed it on the bowstring, tightening the string and infusing furious Sword Qi into the arrow,
He suddenly released the string towards the Shangbing Realm cultivator who had been shot flying earlier.
From the two swords whistling into the air to the two barbarians spilling blood in the sky, everything happened so suddenly, beyond comprehension.
At this moment, Jiang Chenfeng couldn't help but be stunned, an unbelievable glint flashed in Jiang Yuerou's eyes, and more shocked gazes converged.
No one would have expected that two Shangbing Realm barbarians working together would be defeated so decisively.
“Didn’t he barely win against one Shangbing Realm cultivator before, looking so disheveled? Now two, how could he—”
“Because using a sword is always stronger than fighting bare-handed.”
Jiang Yan and Yan Qiubai spoke softly in the night, their voices scattering into the whistling wind.
A long inch is a strong inch, especially since the Human Race's physique is much weaker than the barbarians'. The importance of weapons is self-evident.
But no one knew why such an irrelevant answer appeared, but before they could ponder, they heard another whisper in the wind.
“One day, we inspected the bodies you brought back—the one killed by Ji You was very strange,
He had no sword wounds, his chest was completely caved in, and there was only a complete fist print inside—”
“In that fist-pit, the marks of finger bones were exceptionally clear. It seemed his heart was crushed, causing blood to backflow and spill from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.”
“?”
“So his previous disheveled state was because he never drew his sword, but instead beat them to death with his fists.
And now, he has drawn his sword.”
The light whispers scattered in the wind, and Jiang Chenfeng and the others' expressions slightly changed.
Only Physical Body.
What seemed like a narrow victory before was only his Physical Body.
And now, he has begun to draw his sword.
Jiang Yan and Yan Qiubai were still staring intently at that figure. Although they were somewhat prepared, they couldn't hide their astonishment at this moment.
There are many factors that contribute to a strong Physical Body—
For example, certain Medicinal Pills, or certain Magical Artifacts.
Without seeing the actual scene, merely seeing the fist print on the body, it was difficult for anyone to make a judgment.
In fact, after first noticing the body Ji You brought back, Jiang Yan and Yan Qiubai discussed for a long time, constantly analyzing why Ji You had been engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the barbarians.
The most reasonable reason, which no one knew, was that Ji You's sword was actually not as strong as his fist, and during the battle, he might have accidentally had his long sword knocked away by the barbarians, forcing him into close combat.
This speculation also had its flaws; he couldn't always have his long sword knocked away, but overall, it was indeed the most reasonable one.
But it wasn't until they saw the Sword Qi soaring to the sky that they realized Ji You's sword was even stronger, stronger than his Physical Body.
Cultivators have astonishing hearing, and Ji You also heard the whispers in the wind at this moment, and couldn't help but turn to look.
These people didn't need to rummage through their money bags like him; he truly hadn't expected anyone to inspect the corpses of the barbarians he had killed.
As he pondered, two more figures attacked from the air. Ji You turned and summoned another sword. The Sword Qi shot straight into the sky, illuminating the ten directions, and then crashed down with a roar.
“That’s Qi Elder’s sword from my Lingjian Mountain. Senior Brother Gongshu said that when I was in seclusion, Ji You once broke through the Sword Forest of my Tianjian Peak, and then learned the sword.”
“But, I didn’t know it would be so strong—”
“Qi Elder is the kind who sits in the deep mountains and never leaves, similar to us who go into seclusion for several years. Except for his youth, no one has seen him use his sword with full power, and the Sword Qi in the Sword Forest is also weakened, but—it’s really strong.”
Under the night, Yan Qiubai couldn't help but murmur.
And on the carriage in front, Elder Ge from Tianshu Academy also couldn't help but look up, gazing at that figure for a long time.
Although he wasn't someone who liked to meddle in affairs, he had actually heard many rumors about Ji You.
He knew that there were countless Disciples and many Elders in the academy, but few people liked him.
Before their departure, people from Chang Sheng Dian and Dustless Hall had sent gifts, asking him to pay attention to the safety of Shi Junhao and Xiao Hanyan.
Only Ji You, no one had ever cared about him.
In fact, Elder Ge had even received implicit wishes from several major Worldly Sect connected to him, hoping that he would die outside the borders.
Killing, beheading, disregarding rules.
He acted too ruthlessly in the Feng Province incident.
But putting all that aside, such a person, no matter which Immortal Sect he was in, would seem to be an admirable Disciple.
If he had been born into a millennium-old Worldly Family, he would probably have already had his future bet on by important figures.
“Good sword!”
“Truly worthy of you!”
At this moment, Ji You continued to stand at the front of the carriage, countless cheers of “Truly worthy of you” echoing in his ears.
It must be said that Gongshu Chou had a knack for providing emotional value. He slashed back the barbarians attacking the carriage roof, and at this moment, he re-drew his bow and nocked an arrow, but before he could fully draw it, he felt a strong sense of danger, and his Divine Thought instantly expanded outwards.
Terrifyingly, he couldn't even pinpoint what it was at this moment.
In that instant, with a soft “poof,” Tu Xu, the Shangbing Realm barbarian who had been struck by the sword, suddenly froze. An incredibly fast arrow pierced directly through his left shoulder, sending him flying horizontally.
The first to react was the Asked the Dao Sect Elder, who stood up in shock at this moment, rushing into the night. He caught the injured Tu Xu in the wild wind and then turned to look towards the southeast.
At this moment, eight figures stepped through the distant sky, all appearing as strong and burly warriors, their entire bodies radiating scorching, flickering Qi.
And the one in the very center had already nocked another arrow, indifferently drawing the bowstring taut, raising his hand, and suddenly firing towards the figure on the carriage roof.
This was an arrow that even a Rongdao Realm Divine Thought couldn't capture. Only the six Elders could see that fierce Killing Intent flying towards Ji You with an unstoppable Aura.
Silent! Extremely fast!
Elder Ge’s eyes opened wide in horror, yet he made no move to help. Instead, he fully unleashed his Aura, preparing to face the enemy.
Just as he had said before, the biggest difference between Ji You and other Prodigies was not that his Realm was slightly lower, but that he had no one to protect him on this journey.
But in that instant, a fierce wind arose on the carriage, and an even more powerful Sword Qi swayed and ascended into the sky.
With a sudden sound, Sword Intent vibrated, and Lingjian Mountain Elder Yan Chuan instantly appeared on the roof of the carriage. With lightning speed, he snatched the arrow that had already flown before him, bare-handed.
Yan Chuan’s figure was very tall. Although his hair was white, his spirit was sharp, and his posture was straight, showing no signs of decline.
But for some reason, at this moment, holding the arrow and standing to Ji You’s left, he seemed to be slightly bowed.
At this moment, the surroundings were silent.
(Seeking monthly votes)
