Single-Target Blood Qi Bow: Black Flood Dragon

Single-Target Blood Qi Bow [Black Flood Dragon]

Crack—

[Name: Wu Shan]

[Position: Person in Charge of Field No. 8, Elite Training Hall]

The armory doors opened. Jiang Qiu followed Wu Shan briskly inside, passing rows of spear shafts and various spearheads displayed on black foam.

Beep.

[Authorization Granted]

Wu Shan flipped a black ID card into his hand. With a swift swipe, ripples of light spread across the second steel door at the very back.

The gap slowly widened. A cool sensation brushed against the skin beneath Jiang Qiu's black shirt, and dozens of rectangular glass display cases arranged in rows came into view.

There were fewer than a hundred weapon cases, most of them empty.

As he walked inside, his gaze passed through the glass reflecting faint light and shadows. A crimson greatbow hung silently in the center. Beyond more than a dozen empty cases, another black greatbow floated in the distance.

"Some were used up during the last demon siege. They were too expensive to replace, so only twenty-seven single-target Blood Qi Bows suitable for beginners remain," Wu Shan said, spreading his right hand over a broad area. "Every bow costs the same and performs about the same. Pick whichever one catches your eye, then pay the school one million."

"One million?"

Jiang Qiu's pupils contracted as he instinctively looked at the nearest greatbow.

Its jet-black body curved in reverse, like two Black Flood Dragons whipping their tails and biting down upon the grip. Crimson patterns traced across the bow's surface, adding a murderous aura.

He tilted his head slightly to look at its tips. At the string hooks were what seemed to be tiny blood-red beads, echoing the ones at the opposite ends. A thick, dragon-tendon-like bowstring pulled them together, preventing the two tips from snapping apart.

Its main structure resembled an ancient greatbow. Its finishing touch was the blood-red patterns running through its body by means of a special technique, along with the two blood-red beads.

A greatbow capable of killing demons was expensive because of that craftsmanship.

Yet a single one cost a million.

At that thought, Jiang Qiu sighed inwardly.

"You don't need to worry about the money. Director Zhao has authorized me to let you take it first and pay later. Once the proceeds from the Practical Training Hunt are recovered, you'll be fully capable of paying for it."

Wu Shan's single eye swept across the empty glass cases. "And don't worry about the quality of these greatbows. They've all seen battle. Compared to the standard-issue goods distributed by the Military Department, as long as your Blood Qi is strong enough, these bows can even kill top-tier demons."

"..."

After pursing his lips for a moment, Jiang Qiu extended the index finger of his right hand. "Then I'll choose that one."

"Mm." Wu Shan turned to look. A jet-black greatbow resembling a flood dragon hung within the glass case. "Its name is [Black Flood Dragon]. It once killed several top-tier demons during the defense of Plateau City. Not bad."

Beep.

With a casual swipe of the ID card, the glass panel retracted into the metal base below. A rough, large hand grasped the bow grip and held it level as it passed it over. "These are all Blood Qi Bows. I'll teach you how to use one shortly. Take it first."

"Mm."

The bow grip dropped into his palm with a thud. Jiang Qiu's chest trembled faintly as his burning gaze stroked the curves of [Black Flood Dragon]. It seemed to possess a magical pull, stirring the hot blood hidden deep within him like a spoon churning hot soup.

Though progress in the bow required astonishing strength, prolonged training, and an innate feel for shooting, it made up for the spear's inability to kill enemies at long range.

The barrier to entry was simply too high. Few high schools could afford to offer specialized martial arts courses related to it, and he had never had the opportunity or conditions to come into contact with it before.

He had only learned through news reports and forums that middle schools in the Inner City offered many classes teaching the way of the bow. But after high school, such classes became scarce, with schools focusing solely on spear training.

After all, for high schools with tight resources, using the cost of training Dual Cultivation of Spear and Bow to train pure spear cultivators would earn more points in the college entrance examination.

"Jiang Qiu, learning the bow requires a long period of accumulation. For you, coming into contact with bowsmanship now is too rushed. It'll be difficult to make any obvious progress in a short time," Wu Shan said after a pause, his right brow lowering. "If you can truly join the Heavenly Prodigy Project, you'll have a higher starting point than others when you enter Northwest Martial Arts University in the future. But that only changes the allocation of resources. What truly needs to improve is your own martial arts potential—for instance, Advanced Su Fragrance, which can bring about an ultimate transformation."

Jiang Qiu clenched the bow grip, his bright eyes meeting Wu Shan's deep, abyssal gaze. "Teacher, please help me find a fragrance-refining expert. Once the school receives the money from the demons, I'll transfer the rest to you."

The moment he had heard of Advanced Su Fragrance, he had been tempted. He had only been worried about the five million he had not even caught a glimpse of.

Now that he had heard Director Zhao had applied for the Heavenly Prodigy Project on his behalf, and that he needed to prepare for high-standard tests ahead, his heart inexplicably grew hot.

A single Blood Qi Bow cost a million. How could Advanced Su Fragrance, priceless to begin with and costing only five million, be considered expensive?

I'll always travel farther down the path of martial arts. Five million is a towering mountain to me now, but in a few years, it may be nothing more than a ball of mud rolling around in my hand. Why should I care so much?

As long as I have enough savings to keep from starving, that's enough. I've survived all these years anyway. Buying a house and enjoying life aren't things I should be thinking about right now.

If I raise my potential as much as possible before the college entrance examination, and walk farther and faster on the path of martial arts, I won't lack money!

"Alright."

Wu Shan nodded. In his right eye, the youth holding the bow seemed to overlap with a scene from deep within his soul, and the heavy corner of his mouth quietly lifted a fraction.

With determination and perseverance, the lower limit of his bowsmanship would never be low.

Leaving the armory, crossing out of the outer-ring building of the Elite Training Hall and through the transition zone, Jiang Qiu carried the greatbow on his back as he followed Wu Shan into the hall of the cylindrical building at the center.

After several turns, a steel door opened with a beep. A smooth field unfolded before his eyes. It was like standing at a stadium entrance and looking toward the far end of a football field, except a ten-meter-high black curtain wall blocked the view beyond.

This was wider than three Central Plazas in Qingmu Town combined. The field was a rectangular space at least two hundred meters long.

"This is the school's archery range. When the school was founded, it was built in case we needed to train students following the way of the bow. Unfortunately, it has remained unused ever since. Now, only a few teachers come here occasionally to practice, along with the Principal's grandson whenever he returns to shoot."

Following the voice, Jiang Qiu saw Wu Shan walking over with a basket of wooden arrows. "These are for training. They're called Dunjian—wooden arrowheads. A traditional bow can't even pierce the armor of a Black-Armored Lizard, but a Blood Qi Bow can break through the armor of a Red-Armored Great Lizard.

Hand me the bow. I'll demonstrate."

With a clatter, he set down the basket of arrows and took the [Black Flood Dragon] bow Jiang Qiu handed over.

Wu Shan drew out a Dunjian with his right hand and slowly set it against the thumb gripping the vertical bow handle. "Everyone has their own habits for drawing the string. Since it's your first time, use the traditional method as I do.

Hook the string with your thumb. Press the second joint of your index finger against the first joint of your thumb. Curl your remaining three fingers into a fist, and use the web between your thumb and index finger to lightly hold the arrow's tail so it doesn't fall."

He casually set the fletching against the string, his right elbow level with his chest and shoulder.

Standing behind the two-hundred-meter line, Wu Shan narrowed his left eye shut, his right brow bone pressing down over his eye socket. His black eye stared like an eagle at a grain-sized white dot on the black curtain at the edge of his vision. "Blood Qi Bows are made through special processes. Every draw mobilizes the Blood Qi of your entire body and consumes a great deal of stamina.

Once the arrow leaves the string, it pierces the wind and breaks armor!"

Buzzz—

In an instant, the thick string was drawn back, and its trembling hum stirred the two locks of hair before Jiang Qiu's forehead.

His eyes widened. The scarlet patterns on [Black Flood Dragon] surged toward both tips like channels of blood. In the next instant, the blood-red beads bloomed like fire, and soaring killing intent gathered upon the string, as though a Fierce Tiger preparing to hunt had suddenly crouched down!

The arrow had not yet been drawn to a full moon, yet its tip seemed like an azure dragon opening its eyes, with a faint blood-red aura coiling around it!