Mage vs. Archer

Master Wuguo said with a complicated expression, "I didn't expect there wouldn't be such a flaw. Although it may seem like rhetoric, rules are rules. Before the duel, it was said that 'the first to land on both feet loses,' so..."

Liang Zhenhuan stood up and said coldly, "If you don't accept this result, we can have another match."

Chen Feiyan glared at Liang Zhenhuan, her face turning red and then pale. Suddenly, she snorted, flicked her sleeve, turned around, and disappeared into the woods like a wisp of smoke.

Master Wuguo sighed as he watched the retreating figure, but was also relieved that it had ended peacefully without any casualties. He then said, "The second martial arts match is next. Please follow me."

Chapter 354 Mage vs. Archer

Liang Zhenhuan approached Si Ming, bowed, and clasped his hands in greeting. "Senior, I have not failed you!"

"Well done. Compared to brute force, wisdom is the key to distinguishing humans from beasts. Many times, intelligence is more important than talent or aptitude." Si Ming praised, then promised a material reward, "After we return, I will bestow upon you the book 'True Yang Vermilion Blaze Saber.' With your current cultivation level, you should be able to barely wield this True Yang Blade Qi."

Liang Zhenhuan's current situation is somewhat similar to Duan Yu, who absorbed a large amount of internal energy using the Northern Darkness Divine Art. It is not easy for him to control the force when using ordinary martial arts, so it is better to directly use high-powered airborne sword energy.

Master Wuguo led the group to a small river. The water was clear and shallow, only up to an adult's knees. There were large stones in the river, their surfaces smoothed by the water's flow.

"The second fight will take place here, with the same rules as the first: no poison allowed, and the first one to fall into the water loses."

This time he didn't mention "both feet in the water" again. After all, having learned from the previous match, if the two sides got really pressed, they might end up fighting upside down. Although this fighting style was also very interesting, doing it in front of so many fellow martial artists would be a real loss of face.

The Heavenly Martial Alliance sent Feng Liancheng, while the Aristocratic Clan sent a man carrying a large bow. Clearly, they intended to win by distance, as the terrain was more treacherous this time. The stones were as smooth as mirrors, making it difficult for ordinary people to even stand still. Even the most skilled martial artists could not maintain their balance amidst the opponent's harassment; a slip and fall into the water would mean defeat. Therefore, it was better to stand firmly in place and snipe from a distance with their bows and arrows.

"Hey, isn't that Zhang Gen, the 'Surprising Dragon Bow' of the Eastern Martial World? How come he's also from a family of the Western Martial World? I always thought he was a lone wolf. Could he be some shameless outsider hired by a family?"

"That's not it. Zhang Gen was a member of a separate Lineage, not valued by the Lineage. He was often bullied as a child, and even his childhood sweetheart, to whom he was betrothed, ran off with someone else. In a fit of anger, he rebelled against the Lineage, but instead had Daoist Wuxian encounters in the Eastern Martial World. He learned the ultimate technique of the Daoist Wuxian from a hundred years ago, the 'Big Dipper Seven Kills Arrows,' and earned the name 'Startled Flood Dragon Bow.' So the Zhang Lineage family turned around and asked him to return to the Lineage. They severely punished the clansmen who had bullied him in the past, and used personal connections to get relatives and friends who had been kind to him to intercede on his behalf. Even his childhood sweetheart took the initiative to return to his embrace. In the end, Zhang Gen agreed, but he rarely stayed in the clan."

"No wonder. After all, these people betrayed me back then. I would feel uncomfortable too. And that childhood sweetheart, she's such a snob. She couldn't share the hardships when we were poor, but now that we're rich, she wants to share the good times. What use is a woman like that?"

"You're wrong about that. They're truly in love. They don't mind their childhood sweetheart's choice back then, considering it only natural, and generously chose to forgive. Now they're a perfect couple, the envy of everyone."

"Truly a master of archery, with a broad mind, able to take on challenges and let go of burdens, and a perfect balance of tension and relaxation. No wonder you've achieved what you have today. It seems the aristocratic Aristocratic Clan is destined to win this match. I'm betting five hundred taels on the Aristocratic Clan to win!"

"Zhang Gen of the Zhang Lineage, please enlighten me."

Zhang Gen took the large bow from his back, but did not nock an arrow, to show his demeanor. He was a man with a ponytail and a face with a resolute, chiseled look. He exuded a tough guy aura, and judging from the way he walked, in addition to his archery skills, he was also proficient in close combat. He was not the kind of pure archer who was helpless without a weapon.

In his left hand he held an old-fashioned iron bow, the bow arm inlaid with an ivory carving of a fluttering thrush, while the bowstring was woven from some unknown white silk. His right hand did not wear the iron thumb ring used by archers; on the web of his hand, his thumb, and his index finger, there were high, smoky yellow calluses—you know, if an archer doesn't wear a thumb ring, the recoil of the bowstring might tear off his fingers, so anyone who dares to go without a thumb ring must be exceptional.

"I have long admired Feng Liancheng of the Six Paths Temple."

When Feng Liancheng revealed his name, it immediately caused an uproar. Although the Six Paths Temple ranked last among the three great martial arts holy lands and its whereabouts were mysterious, it was still a martial arts holy land after all, especially in the Western Martial World where it held a very high status. Many people hoped that one day they could be valued by the Six Paths Temple and taken in as disciples, so that they could soar to great heights.

Upon hearing the name of the Six Paths Temple, a glint flashed in Zhang Gen's eyes. Almost the instant the martial arts competition began, he shot out a sword in the blink of an eye, his speed surpassing even the so-called Blade Drawing Technique.

True archery masters shoot arrows at lightning in the sky during thunderstorms, meaning that the speed of the arrow must be faster than the speed at which the lightning disappears.

If it were Feng Liancheng before he joined the Heavenly Martial Alliance, he would most likely lose to this arrow. After all, the archer class is, in a sense, a counter to the mage. Both are ranged classes, but mages need to chant to prepare spells, while archers can shoot directly. Even instant-cast spells cannot match the speed of an archer's rapid-fire arrows.

However, Feng Liancheng is not a Western mage, but an Eastern mage. In the East, regardless of profession, everyone must practice martial arts. Someone as skilled in Divine Arts as Si Huaruo would be a priest in the West, but she still possesses superb martial arts skills.

Feng Liancheng swayed, his feet, which were firmly planted on the rocks, remained still, but his body Peacock Spreads Its Tail, creating layers of afterimages that made it impossible to distinguish which was his true form. The fast arrows shot by his opponent passed through the afterimages he created.

"Subduing Heavenly King, descend and settle Heavenly One!"

Seizing this slight opening, Feng Liancheng immediately Hand Seals and activated his Technique Method. A golden talisman flew out and condensed into a golden-armored celestial being in front of him, blocking his body like a wall, leaving no gaps.

Feng Liancheng's move was clearly an attempt to create a shield for himself, making it easier to cast Technique Method later, much like a Western magician would create a protective shield for himself.

But Zhang Gen didn't care. He held his longbow and shot an arrow to the side. This time his archery was not fast. Anyone with excellent eyesight could see the cold star flashing through the air. This cold star bypassed the golden-armored god and shot towards Feng Liancheng's back in an exaggerated arc.

When Feng Liancheng saw that Zhang Gen was not aiming at him but at an empty space, he became wary. He immediately struck the river below with his palm, causing a wave to surge up and deflect the arrow, which was not very powerful. Zhang Gen had sacrificed power and speed for the sake of the arc of the arrow.

However, in that short time, Zhang Gen made another move. A sharp arrow with feathers as white as snow streaked through the air and struck the golden-armored god, spinning into a bright silver ball before exploding and scattering into countless stardust butterflies. Many of these even bypassed the golden-armored god and struck Feng Liancheng, who was hiding behind him.

Meteor Butterfly Arrow!

However, this time Feng Liancheng had time to react because this was a two-stage arrow. First, the arrow struck the golden-armored god, and then it unleashed its true killing move. This delay wasted a little time.

"The sword of wisdom is drawn, to slay demons and vanquish evil!"

As soon as the sword technique was activated, the spirit sword hanging on Feng Liancheng's back flew out, spun around in front of him, and annihilated all the butterfly arrows that shot towards him. Then, as Feng Liancheng pointed his finger, the spirit sword launched a counterattack, leaving a trail of silver light as it headed straight for his opponent's face.

Zhang Gen remained calm and swiftly unleashed an arrow. His True Qi energy swirled around the air, making it even faster than the flying sword. After striking the sword, it burst forth with starlight and sparks, knocking the flying sword back.

Feng Liancheng quickly made another sword incantation, commanding the spirit sword to launch an attack. His right hand made a grasping motion, as if plucking invisible strings. With each flick of his fingers, the spirit sword moved like a fish swimming in water or a bird flying in the sky, gracefully circling around Zhang Gen, attacking his One Sword with increasingly One Sword and cunning attacks, forcing him to repeatedly deflect the sword with swift arrows.

Zhang Gen was now in a predicament. With the flying sword at close range, he had too little time to react. Although he could launch a sneak attack on Feng Liancheng with his speed, he could only shoot straight arrows in such a short time. Boomerang arrows required some preparation time, and straight arrows alone would not pose a threat to Feng Liancheng hiding behind the golden-armored god.

If they were on flat ground, Zhang Gen might have been able to dodge the flying swords with his Movement Method and then counterattack, but now that the terrain was restrictive, rashly moving around would only expose his weaknesses.

Seeing that he was being driven into a desperate situation, Zhang Gen's right hand suddenly stopped taking the arrow, and his five fingers spread out, bursting with light. It was the Zhang Lineage family's secret technique, "Six Jade Finger Rays".

With each finger of his right hand, a crescent-shaped emerald blade shot out. In the small space, green shadows shot out like lightning, each strike hitting the spirit sword and producing a loud clang of heavy swords clashing. The force was so great that Feng Liancheng lost control and was thrown far away.

However, this sudden burst of power also took a heavy toll on Zhang Gen. He immediately decided not to prolong the battle any longer. He patted his quiver, and seven arrows flew out. He circulated his inner energy, gripped the bow with one hand, and drew the string with the other. The arrows were all controlled by his True Qi, as if they were being held by a pair of invisible hands. They were all lined up on the bowstring. Even before the arrows were released, one could hear the howling of ghosts and wolves, which had a soul-stirring effect.

"Ha, the Daoist School Big Dipper Soul-Hooking Technique. Such methods are fine for dealing with others, but against the Six Paths Temple, isn't it just showing off one's limited skills before an expert?"

Seeing this, Feng Liancheng showed no sign of tension. His Technique Method was based on Spirit Essence, so his soul was exceptionally strong and he was completely unaffected by the soul-capturing sound. He simply gave up control of the spirit sword, spread his palms out, and gathered spiritual power.

"Heaven and earth are boundless, wind and thunder obey their mandate!"

The power of wind and thunder gathered between his palms. This move was a unique skill that Feng Liancheng had mastered with the help of the Soul Intent Diagram. Knowing that his cultivation was inferior to that of his master Duan Jinsu, he dared not accumulate his power to the extreme. Moreover, his opponent would not give him such time. When his spiritual power was more than half accumulated, he immediately pushed it forward. Instantly, the wind howled and the thunder surged, and the river below was blasted into waves.

"The Big Dipper seals death, seven arrows seal fate!"