A Gap You Couldn't Catch Up to

"Here's the Blood Boil Liquid you wanted."

Click. Two vials of Blood Boil Liquid landed in Jiang Qiu's trembling, clenched palm. Wu Shan frowned, his voice hard as cold stone. "There's no need to push yourself so hard. Shooting a few more arrows in such a short time won't make you reach the entry level directly; it'll only damage your arm.

Drink a vial of Blood Boil Liquid to replenish your blood qi. Rest for a while before Liu Yong and the Military Department inspector arrive. Losing the archery match is no big deal—just don't make any mistakes with your spear technique."

"Mm."

Jiang Qiu nodded. With a snap, his thumb flicked open the cap, and he downed the liquid in one gulp. The blood in his chest seemed to erupt like a spring in the desert, surging like an ocean current through his parched limbs and bones. In an instant, color returned to his face, while the bloodshot veins in his eyes flashed like red lightning.

Thump, thump, thump!

His heart hammered against his chest, rapid as raindrops.

Just then, students from the various venues poured in through the corridor.

"Brother Jiang! Brother Jiang! Damn, it looks like Brother Jiang just finished practicing archery!"

"That's the Blood Qi Bow, right? It looks so cool!"

"Wow, it's been ages since we saw Brother Jiang sweat this much. I heard practicing archery is especially exhausting, like having your blood drained, but it also tempers the body really well."

Students from nearly a hundred training grounds surrounded Jiang Qiu, crowding around him as he slowly walked toward a bench. They stared in amazement at the [Black Flood Dragon] Bow. "Brother Jiang, you went straight into learning the Blood Qi Bow? Is it hard? What does it feel like? Is it accurate?"

"Li Si, what kind of dumbass question is that? Brother Jiang only started practicing the bow the day before yesterday, so this has to be his weak point. He needs to reach the entry level before he can even think about accuracy!"

Zhang Shan shouted twice at Li Si, then raised his thick brows toward Jiang Qiu. "Brother Jiang, when you compete with Liu Yong in spear techniques later, crush him hard. Let those No.1 Middle School students see how their proud number-one genius returns in defeat!

If we lose at archery, they've got the advantage. But if we lose at spearmanship, that just means they're too shortsighted, hahaha!"

"Exactly! Brother Jiang, hit harder later. Let the inspector from the Military Department see that there are prodigies outside the Heavenly Prodigy Project too!"

Amid the clamor, Jiang Qiu smiled faintly and casually wiped the sweat from the corner of his mouth. "All right."

The surging blood in his body nourished his tendons and bones. His slightly trembling right arm gradually steadied, while his fingertips built up the momentum to nock and draw an arrow.

Very soon.

Clack—

The steel doors opened, and everyone turned toward them at once. Wu Shan lifted his chin. "Go watch from the open area over there. Watch carefully and learn carefully. Sparring between spear techniques at the proficient level isn't easy to come by."

Tap, tap, tap. As the students hurried over in small steps, their gazes turned toward the entrance once more.

Step, step, step.

Director Zhao walked in front with his hands behind his back. Behind him strode a middle-aged man with a cross-shaped scar cutting across his knife-lined face. Walking beside him was a youth holding a black spear, its black tassel drifting like thick smoke from the spearhead. A large purple-backed bow hung over his back, its red beads gleaming.

"Captain Yang Qi, this is No.8 Middle School's archery range. The grounds have already been prepared." Director Zhao gestured toward the distance, his voice calm and unhurried. "Would you like to begin after inspecting it, or make further preparations first?"

"Director Zhao, time waits for no one. The sooner this challenge ends, the sooner I can answer to No.1 Middle School and the Military Department. Since your school is ready, I'll just check whether anything has been overlooked."

Yang Qi, the specially appointed inspector, smiled imposingly before turning to Liu Yong. "Since this is your first time at No.8 Middle School, go test the feel of their arrows."

"Fine."

With a crisp clang, Liu Yong casually tossed out the Black Tasseled Spear. Its shaft swept through the air before landing with a clack on an empty wooden rack.

He strode toward the two-hundred-meter line. In his narrow eyes, a black-clad youth whose clothes were soaked through stopped beside a basket of Dunjian arrows. The youth held a pitch-black Blood Qi Bow in his left hand, and when his gaze swept over, it was like a deep pool reflecting a soaring eagle.

No.8 Middle School's Practical Training Hunt had also been schemed against by the demon race. Most of its Outstanding Students had been trapped in the secret realm. He had heard that a student named Jiang Qiu had comprehended the way to proficiency in the Ancient Martial Spear at death's door, turning the tide and slaying a Demon Plant at the level of an advanced demon beast.

This person had always been obscure and had never appeared at interschool martial exchange events before. He seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

And he had barely practiced archery, yet Zhao Gongzheng had personally fought to secure him a place in the Heavenly Prodigy Project!

At that thought, Liu Yong gave a cold snort and glanced toward the black screen wall in the distance. "Excuse me, could you set the aiming point on the arrow wall to rotating mode? I'm not used to it staying still."

The moment those words came out, the expressions of the students in the viewing area darkened unevenly. Faint creaks came from clenched fists as someone said through gritted teeth, "Fuck, I heard Liu Yong was arrogant. When he sparred with Li Juefeng before, he could hold his head high even after ending in a draw. Now he comes to No.8 Middle School alone and still puts on this act?"

"So, what exactly is an arrow wall? And what's an aiming point?"

"We're not Dual Cultivation of Spear and Bow practitioners. Who cares?"

Amid the low murmurs, Wu Shan walked expressionlessly behind the black screen wall. With a hum, large white ripples spread outward from the center of the wall. The small white point at the center spiraled along with the ripples, like a star circling through a black sky.

A moment later, the white point spun counterclockwise into a ring, tracing a path like a second hand, with a diameter about the length of an arm.

"..."

Jiang Qiu frowned and glanced toward Liu Yong, who stood five steps away beside a basket of Dunjian arrows. With a clack, the large bow leaped from Liu Yong's back into his hands. In the blink of an eye, he had nocked an arrow and drawn the string.

Draw—

In an instant, his profile resembled an ancient Buddha lifting a cauldron. His jacket was stretched taut by his broad back muscles, his arms like iron clamps locking onto the bowstring as he listened to the crimson patterns on the bow tremble and hum, its bead-light flowing!

At that moment, the watching students widened their eyes. Every sound seemed like a candle snuffed out by a storm. Their hearts thudded, faintly pressed beneath a certain rhythm.

Even those who had never practiced with a Blood Qi Bow knew how difficult it was to reach the entry level in archery. For those with mediocre talent, even ten years might not be enough.

But once one entered the field, the Blood Qi Bow became as natural as a spoon or chopsticks in hand. Ordinary shots would be steady as an iron tower!

That Liu Yong had actually brought his bow technique to the entry level without even joining the Heavenly Prodigy Project. His talent for archery truly wasn't just talk!

Tw-Whoosh—

A violent whistling sound tore through the air. Liu Zili's bangs drifted back an inch, a black streak flashing through her eyes as her gaze slowly turned over.

Bang!

She saw ripples spreading outward from within the rotating ring traced by the small white point. The impact point was likely less than a decimeter away from it.

"So impressive..."

Liu Zili clenched her fists and pressed her lips together as she looked at the youth silently bending down to pick up a Dunjian arrow by its fletching.

Keep it up.

"Director Zhao, Liu Yong entered the field of Ancient Martial Arts Archery a month ago. By past standards, his fundamentals in wielding the Blood Qi Bow are enough to directly enter Military Department testing." Liu Qi's eyes gleamed, his voice heavy as stone. "I heard Jiang Qiu has only practiced the bow for a few days. Why not forget the contest? I can treat this as a martial exchange I'm hosting, and let them test their spear skills instead."

"..."

Zhao Gongzheng stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze as deep as a pool, his breathing low and heavy.

Just then, a whistling sound slightly lifted the corners of his eyes. Liu Qi also turned toward it, only to see an arrowhead strike the black screen wall, sending fine ripples outward.

"Oh?" Liu Qi's brows twitched. "His handling of the Blood Qi Bow is pretty good. He's probably not too far from reaching the entry level. So Director Zhao didn't make certain things clear to General Mo?"

"No, Jiang Qiu only began practicing archery the day before yesterday."

Director Zhao raised his brows, starlight flashing over his lenses.

"I thought you hadn't practiced at all," Liu Yong said, shaking out his right arm with a curl of his lips. "So you know how to use a Blood Qi Bow."

But that was all. He could not even shoot into the circle traced by the aiming point. He was at least half a meter off—still far behind me.

If your talent isn't enough, you won't catch up to this gap in a year or two.

Tw-Whoosh—

The following whistling sound cut off his thoughts.