Chapter 1950: Divine Archer

"Show me the footage recorded by the Divine Hall of Comprehension!" Elder Lu Yun said, knowing that his disciples, coming together, wouldn't lie.

Originally, he wouldn't bother with the Divine Hall in such a small place. But now, three of his four disciples had been consecutively headshot, and what's more, they had all used his most favored techniques. He had to see it, no matter what. If it was truly a sword genius, recalling them to the sect would be a great achievement for him as a recruitment elder.

Taking out the Divine Jade Talisman they had bought earlier, the five of them re-entered the Divine Hall and quickly purchased the footage of the previous battles. The Divine Hall recorded every match in public competitions for easy sale and review.

After a short while, having watched the footage of the three disciples fighting their opponent, Elder Lu Yun quickly understood. He looked at the four individuals before him, a hint of disappointment in his voice: "The opponent discovered the flaws in your techniques and used them to succeed..."

Yun Feiyang and the others lowered their heads. They knew this was true, but when they tried to dodge or block... they simply couldn't when facing that sword! The sword technique looked simple—just a casual throw, a jab to the head... But the true impact, when personally experienced, was something else entirely.

"Yun Feiyang's Flowing Water Sword Art is exquisitely performed, but there are significant issues with the continuity of the moves. Anyone with a basic understanding of swordsmanship could find the loopholes! Hu Bin's Meteor Steps and Bamboo-Splitting Sword Art appear skilled, but by suppressing his cultivation to Saint Realm One, he couldn't unleash even a tenth of their power. Being killed, then, is nobody's fault but his own!"

With a cold snort, Elder Lu Yun said, "Go back tonight and don't rest. Practice both these sword arts and footwork one hundred times each! If you miss even one repetition, don't come see me!"

"Yes!" The four simultaneously bowed their heads, their faces burning with shame.

"Furthermore, keep a close eye on the Divine Hall of Comprehension. The moment this 'Tianya' appears, notify me immediately!"

With his hands clasped behind his back, an invincible aura emanated from Elder Lu Yun: "Injure a disciple of my Lingyun Sword Pavilion and then just walk away? It's not that simple! Even if they're a promising talent, I'll first curb their arrogance and let them know that the Sword Pavilion's techniques are profound and far-reaching, not just empty boasts!"

"Yes..." Hearing him say this, Yun Feiyang and the others breathed a sigh of relief, their eyes simultaneously lighting up. They knew without a doubt that the Elder intended to take action personally. Although Elder Lu Yun was merely a recruitment elder, usually responsible for the training of outer disciples, his understanding of swordsmanship was not to be underestimated. Apart from anything else, three of them at the same level might not even be his match. With him personally making a move, this 'Tianya' was surely in for trouble.

Not only Elder Lu Yun and his group guarding the Divine Hall, waiting for 'Tianya' to appear, but experts throughout Xingyao City and its numerous subordinate third-level towns had also heard the news, each filled with excitement.

"Defeated Junior Brother Yun Feiyang in one move? Interesting..."

In the Xuanjiang City Lord's Manor, before a rosewood desk, a gray-robed young man looked at the newly received information, his eyes flickering with light. This was precisely the person Zhang Xuan had seen earlier at the Hongyan Commerce—the senior-most disciple among Lingyun Sword Pavilion's outer disciples, Huo Jianghe!

"Help me keep an eye out. The moment this 'Tianya' appears, no matter what I'm doing, come and inform me immediately... Just a bumpkin who hasn't seen the world. Can throwing a sword, with all its uncertainties, even be called swordsmanship? Hmph, watch me break it with sheer force!"

With his hands behind his back, he stood up, and sword qi flickered in his shimmering eyes. Suddenly, a streak of sword qi uncontrollably shot out, landing on the desk and instantly splitting it in half!

"Get a new one..." Huo Jianghe instructed, then turned and walked out.

"Ah! Gently?" A crisp slap rang out. Xue Qin looked at the maid, who had been knocked over by a single strike, her eyes full of fury. How dare this servant hurt her while applying medicine? It was an unforgivable offense.

"Miss..." The maid trembled all over and quickly knelt on the ground.

"Get out!" Kicking the girl in the chest and sending her sprawling out of the room, Xue Qin turned to look at her delicate face in the mirror, now swollen beyond recognition. She trembled uncontrollably with anger, and intense hatred flowed like a tide: "Shan Xiaotian..."

Because of her engagement to such a good-for-nothing, she had endured awkward gazes from others her entire life. Just when she had finally managed to become an outer disciple of the Lingyun Sword Pavilion and gained the admiration of Senior Brother Huo Jianghe, now... she was in this state again! Did this useless man really begrudge her happiness? If it weren't for the marriage alliance, he would have died long ago; how could he still be alive! He received the kindness of being saved, yet not only did he fail to repay it, but he also colluded with some mummy who appeared out of nowhere, causing Senior Brother Huo to slap her face... Her dignity was utterly lost; it was simply unforgivable!

"He must die! And that person wrapped like a zongzi in bandages must die too! Also, that servant, Shan Yi, must die..." Xue Qin's teeth ground together audibly as she looked to one side.

"Don't worry, Second Miss, it's already arranged! We'll make sure they don't see tomorrow's sun..." Xue Chen walked in.

"That's good!" Xue Qin breathed a sigh of relief and looked at herself in the mirror again: "Teacher, you said my face won't scar, right? So badly injured, Senior Brother Huo wouldn't dislike me, would he? Or lose interest in me..."

"Miss, you don't need to worry. This is medicine for injuries sent by Senior Brother Huo. Apply it to your face, and it will heal quickly..." Xue Chen smiled and handed her a jade bottle.

"Given by Senior Brother?" Xue Qin's eyes lit up: "It seems he doesn't dislike me after all..." Listening to her tone, whether Senior Brother Huo disliked her, or whether her appearance was beautiful, seemed far more important to her than Shan Xiaotian's life.

Clip-clop! The carriage sped rapidly down the street.

After leaving the Hongyan Commerce, Elder Yi felt an inexplicable sense of oppression, as if profound danger could appear at any moment. Because of this feeling, he dared not pause, urging the horses faster, rushing quickly towards the manor.

Swish, swish, swish! Just then, a series of urgent piercing sounds filled the air as countless arrows shot out from both sides of the street. Ordinary arrows were useless against Saint Realm experts, but these were special feathered arrows. Each one, when fired, was comparable to an attack from a Saint Realm Ninth Layer expert. With so many flying at once, even a Great Saint expert couldn't withstand them.

"Teacher..." Sensing the arrows whistling through the air, Shan Xiaotian knew the attackers had made their move. He clenched his fists and looked at the young man before him.

"Don't get distracted. What you need to do now is comprehend the sword art and techniques I'm teaching you!" Zhang Xuan said indifferently.

"Yes!" Seeing his teacher say this, Shan Xiaotian knew there must be a way. He said no more, continuously recalling the lessons his teacher had taught, and his understanding of swordsmanship rapidly improved.

"If you want to harm Young Master, I'll fight you to the death!" Elder Yi hadn't heard their conversation. Seeing the sky full of arrows, he could no longer hold back. With a loud shout, he lifted his horsewhip and swung his arms, trying to block them all to prevent his Young Master from being harmed. He knew his own strength. Although he was at Saint Realm Ninth Layer, his body had been depleted over the years from caring for the Young Master, and he had also suffered severe injuries back then. Being able to exert the power of Saint Realm Eighth Layer was already good. Against these feathered arrows, he might not even be able to hold on for a few breaths. But so what? Perhaps that much time would be enough for the Young Master to escape.

Whoosh! Whoosh! He became like a madman, standing up and thinking that if the horsewhip couldn't block them, he would use his body. Just then, he saw the rapidly approaching arrows whiz past the carriage, narrowly missing it. It was the same from all directions—front, back, left, and right. A large volley of arrows, yet not a single one landed on the carriage. Even the horses in front hadn't a single hair harmed.

"Are these... assassins?" Elder Yi blinked, dumbfounded. He had thought escape was impossible and death was certain, but to his surprise, so many arrows were fired, yet not one came near them. It was as if the arrows intentionally avoided the carriage... How could assassins be so incompetent?

Not only was he bewildered, but the leader responsible for intercepting Shan Xiaotian also began to question his life choices.

"Aim better!" He couldn't help but roar.

"Yes!" Over a dozen subordinates around him re-nocked their bows, and feathered arrows rapidly shot out.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! The next moment, something strange happened again. It was as if everyone was blindfolded; the arrows again curved, arcing around the carriage.

Thud! Thud! Thud! This time, they weren't so lucky. All the arrows landed on the ambushing party themselves, each with an arrow stuck in their head, like incense sticks planted upright.

"I don't believe we can't hit them! Keep firing!" Another order was given. Another group of people fell to the ground.

"Continue..."

"Boss, we can't continue! If we do, we'll all be shot dead..." One subordinate's voice was tinged with a sob.

The leader quickly turned his head and only then realized that most of his subordinates were already dead, each with an arrow precisely lodged in their head. The ambush laid around them was also silent; clearly, they had almost wiped out the opposing side by shooting themselves. And on his own side, only a few remained.

I was supposed to shoot the carriage, to shoot Shan Xiaotian... What the hell is going on, shooting my own people?

Trembling with rage, the leader was on the verge of madness. Unable to bear it any longer, he grabbed a subordinate's bow and arrow, aimed at Elder Yi's heart, and fired. He was a Great Saint Second Layer expert, and the long arrow he shot, imbued with true qi, whistled like a meteor.

Elder Yi's pupils contracted, his body stiffened, and then he realized again... it had grazed past him.

"Ah..." A miserable scream. Someone who hadn't died completely moments ago was now gone.

"What's going on here..." He nocked another arrow, this time not aiming at Elder Yi, but at the sky.

"Ah..." Two breaths later, a miserable cry came from the side. It seemed another survivor had been hit again.

The leader grabbed his hair and then shot two more arrows behind him... Then, two more miserable cries.

"What the f..." The leader was going insane. He wasn't skilled in archery, which was why no archers had come over this time. Since when had he become a divine archer, able to hit his own people just by shooting randomly? Crucially, there wasn't a single shadow behind him, yet the arrows could curve on their own, accurately hitting his subordinates in the head...

This was truly insane... No, even "insane" requires distinguishing between head and tail, and aiming. It couldn't be this precise!