Chapter 403: Female Archer Cultivator

When challenged, powerful cultivators on the Spirit Creek Ranking always chose terrain that favored them and suited their strengths. For instance, when Lu Ye was previously challenged, he chose a compact fighting arena. As a weapon master specializing in close-quarters combat, he naturally preferred a smaller battlefield. Consequently, as Lu Ye climbed the rankings, he encountered a variety of terrains.

Inside the wooden hut, Lu Ye connected his consciousness to the Spirit Creek Ranking and issued a challenge to the female cultivator ranked third. The opponent accepted, but the battle didn't start immediately. After a full hour, Heavenly Secret suddenly descended, transporting him into the arena.

As his vision slowly recovered, Lu Ye immediately surveyed his surroundings, noting that the terrain matched some of the intelligence he had gathered. It was a sizable terrain. Within the small space were two barren, towering mountains, both appearing several hundred zhang high. The mountains were devoid of vegetation, covered in jagged rocks, and their slopes were relatively gentle rather than steep.

Lu Ye took out his flying spiritual artifact and attempted to ascend. As expected, and consistent with the information he had received, this area had restricted flight! Upon realizing this, Lu Ye knew that his opponent for this match had once again chosen terrain that greatly favored her. A no-fly zone undeniably made it harder to locate the enemy. Facing the two mountains, one to his left and one to his right, Lu Ye didn't know which his opponent would choose as a vantage point, so he simply stood his ground and waited.

Yiyi had already gone ahead to scout for the enemy's whereabouts. A short while later, Yiyi sent a message: she had found traces of the enemy. Lu Ye immediately sprinted towards the mountain on the right. With the Swift Wind enchantment boosting him, he left behind a trail of afterimages.

However, before he had even climbed a hundred zhang, a piercing sound of something cutting through the air assailed him. He dodged, feeling a strong gust of wind brush past his face, leaving his cheek stinging. Looking up, he saw a tall figure standing on the mountain peak. The female cultivator wore a tight-fitting, long gown with a white base and purple trim, accentuating her graceful figure. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, and she held a powerful bow in her hand. Her face was indifferent as she looked down upon him from above.

This was Lu Ye's opponent for this match: an arrow cultivator! This was a very niche school of cultivation, but often, the more niche a school was, the harder it was to deal with. Because they were uncommon, cultivators inevitably lacked experience in countering such minor schools. In this no-fly zone terrain, and with his opponent having seized the high ground, Lu Ye's start was undoubtedly extremely disadvantageous. To defeat his opponent, he would at least need to get within range where he could use his own spiritual artifacts. However, throughout this process, he would undoubtedly be continuously barraged by arrows from his opponent.

The current height difference between them was likely over two hundred zhang, which might not seem like much. However, this was merely the height difference; the actual distance was at least five hundred zhang. The arrows shot by cultivators were incomparable to those of mortals; these were arrows imbued with various incredible powers. The female cultivator shooting an arrow five hundred zhang away, while certainly benefiting from her elevated position, also demonstrated her exceptional archery skills. That arrow was likely just a warning shot.

It was a similar situation to the previous match. Facing these long-range attackers, to defeat them, he first had to find a way to get within his own attack range! Lu Ye took a deep breath, exchanged glances with his opponent across hundreds of zhang, then slightly lowered his body. With the Swift Wind enchantment applied to his legs, two distinct indentations appeared on the ground as dust flew up, and he dashed forward at high speed!

Almost the instant Lu Ye made his move, the female cultivator raised her hand and shot three arrows. These three arrows formed a triangular pattern, locking down a wide area of space. Even before the arrows reached him, Lu Ye felt a stinging sensation on his body. It was clear that her arrows were specially crafted. Coupled with her unique techniques and natural talent in archery, they possessed extremely strong penetration and lethality.

Lu Ye leaped high, avoiding the three arrows. Before he even landed, another arrow suddenly appeared before him. Before this moment, he hadn't even detected any sign of her shooting this arrow! He suddenly realized: his opponent had shot four arrows just now, three in front and one behind. The last one was the true killing blow, perfectly concealed by the preceding three. Mid-air, with no way to dodge, his Immovable Mountain Blade unsheathed, he swung it at the incoming sharp arrow.

With a loud boom, spiritual power surged. Lu Ye's body was sent drifting backward by the immense impact. Just as he regained his footing, several more arrows closed in before him. His opponent's attacks were relentless, without a single pause, and she seemed to anticipate his next move. Even if Lu Ye evaded one attack, he would be hindered by the next. On the high mountain, one sprinted forward with the Swift Wind enchantment, while the other displayed unparalleled archery, firing arrows in rapid succession.

Lu Ye truly experienced the formidable skill of this female arrow cultivator. Such a sharpshooter would be terrifyingly effective in a large-scale chaotic battle. If targeted by this woman in a chaotic battle, virtually no Spirit Creek Realm cultivator would survive. What was even more frightening was her incredibly long attack range, far exceeding that of even spell cultivators!

Lu Ye's figure moved continuously on the high mountain, sometimes retreating, sometimes darting left and right, appearing utterly disheveled. In reality, however, he was steadily closing the distance between them. In just about half a cup of tea's time, the distance had already been halved. By this point, the female arrow cultivator's archery became even more terrifying. When the distance was too great, her archery was somewhat rigid. But as they continued to close the gap, her archery grew increasingly agile, to the point where she could even control the trajectory of her arrows to some extent, making them even harder to guard against.

Yiyi remained hidden in the shadows, not making a move. This was because Lu Ye was still far from the woman; if she were to act now, she would easily alert the enemy. Only when Lu Ye got sufficiently close would she launch a sudden attack, ensuring she could cooperate with Lu Ye to eliminate the powerful foe.