Battle of Fate

What was going on? Gu Qingshan's expression changed, and he quickly brought up the God of War Interface.

A streak of light flashed across the God War Operating Interface, turning into several lines of blood-red text at its center.

"Shatter the chains of fate and change the history long since ordained. Player Gu Qingshan has entered the Fate Mission."

"Mission Description: Gongsun Zhi and Ning Yuechan are fallen figures buried deep in history. If their fates can be changed, the course of all history will change."

"Mission Objective: Save Gongsun Zhi and Ning Yuechan."

"Upon successful completion, you will receive a special story reward: God of War's Divine Power (unique)."

"Upon mission failure, the player will be erased."

Gu Qingshan read it all in one breath and froze.

"Me? Save them?" He could only laugh bitterly.

"If I fail the mission, I'll be erased? That's amusing. It's not as if the demons would graciously let me go if I failed."

Gu Qingshan looked up at the sky.

With his strength, he couldn't get involved in a battle between beings on the Faceless Giant's level.

But if he tried to escape, there were more and more demons all around them. Getting away alone was almost impossible.

Even if he could escape, the system had already issued the mission. He couldn't abandon them and live on by himself.

If Gongsun Zhi and Ning Yuechan died, he would be erased along with them.

Gu Qingshan looked ahead again.

The Demon Army was charging like mad, and would soon be within range.

The situation had reached its most perilous moment.

Gongsun Zhi's hands fluttered over the array plate like butterflies weaving through flowers as he roared, "Mountain Burial Array!"

The earth rumbled. Five peaks surged up from the ground, trapping dozens of Netherfire Evil Serpents and Blood-Drinking Demons between them and crushing them back and forth like millstones.

The peaks rose higher and higher, and the crushing force between them rapidly increased. Many Netherfire Evil Serpents were squeezed into bloody lumps of flesh.

Suddenly, a Netherfire Evil Serpent fell from between the peaks and crashed to the ground, barely alive.

Gu Qingshan's eyes flickered.

He drew an arrow, nocked it to the longbow named Night Rain, and fired.

It was a specially made arrow. Gu Qingshan had fashioned its head from a serpent demon's venomous fang, making it far more powerful than an ordinary arrow.

There was a swish.

The arrow pierced the Netherfire Evil Serpent's body and burrowed deep into its organs.

The venom on the serpent demon's fang took effect instantly, and the unlucky Netherfire Evil Serpent soon died.

Netherfire Evil Serpents were high-level Demon Beasts, with a keen sense for danger. Yet before the Night Rain Bow, this one hadn't sensed death coming at all.

Gu Qingshan gripped the bow tightly, feeling even more grateful to Ning Yuechan.

Gongsun Zhi glanced back and nodded at him approvingly. "Good. Keep shooting arrows at them. We can't let them get a chance to charge up here."

"Got it!"

Gu Qingshan drew another arrow, then suddenly felt a stir in his mind.

A notification appeared in his Sea of Consciousness.

"High-level monster slain: Netherfire Evil Serpent. Soul Power gained: 20. Current Soul Power: 21/7."

It could work like this?

Gu Qingshan was surprised.

His Soul Power Value had far exceeded his Soul Power Limit.

When hunting low-level Demon Beasts, once his Soul Power Value reached its limit, he could no longer accumulate any more.

That had been a real headache for Gu Qingshan.

Netherfire Evil Serpents were high-level Demon Beasts, equivalent to Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators of the Human Race and far beyond Gu Qingshan's cultivation level.

After he killed one, his accumulated Soul Power had actually reached twenty-one points—enough to comprehend many skills at once.

By the look of it, the God of War Operating Interface strongly encouraged players to challenge opponents stronger than themselves.

Once they defeated an opponent stronger than themselves, they could ignore their Soul Power Limit and accumulate more Soul Power.

Gu Qingshan gradually understood. He put away the Night Rain Bow, switched to his military bow, and learned the Precision skill on it.

"I choose to comprehend Precision."

"Precision comprehended. Soul Power consumed: 4. Current Soul Power: 17/7."

A warm current flowed from the military bow into Gu Qingshan's mind. A few breaths later, he understood what Precision was.

He nocked an ordinary arrow and aimed at another Netherfire Evil Serpent that had fallen from the Five Peaks and lay barely alive.

Swish!

The Netherfire Evil Serpent sensed danger and instinctively tried to dodge. Its injuries were too severe, however, and it couldn't move.

The arrow sank into its eye socket and pierced deep into its skull, taking its life at once.

So that was it. Precision increased accuracy. Gu Qingshan understood immediately.

"High-level monster slain: Netherfire Evil Serpent. Soul Power gained: 20. Current Soul Power: 37/7."

Gu Qingshan lowered the military bow and switched back to the longbow, Night Rain.

He opened the God of War Interface and quickly scanned through the skills carried by the Night Rain Bow.

"Bow: Night Rain. Skills previously used:"

"First: Bombardment. User: Ning Annan. Soul Power required: 10."

"Second: Accuracy. User: Ning Yuechan. Soul Power required: 6."

"Third: Hundred Steps Piercing Willow. User: Ning Annan. Soul Power required: 15."

"Fourth: Wind Riding (passive skill). User: Ning Annan. Soul Power required: 5."

Ning Annan—that was Ning Yuechan's father. Just as Ning Yuechan had said, this longbow was indeed a hereditary battle bow of the Ning family.

As Gu Qingshan thought it over, he silently read through the skills again.

Accuracy further improved the hit rate beyond Precision, while Hundred Steps Piercing Willow was even more accurate than Accuracy.

Wind Riding was a passive skill that increased an arrow's speed without needing to be activated.

Bombardment was a powerful archery technique that greatly increased an arrow's killing power.

This was Ning Yuechan's gift to him, given in thanks for saving her life.

The demons were attacking now. Judging from the course of history, Heavenly Peak Holy Maiden Ning Yuechan would soon fall into dire straits, fight bitterly for a day and a night, and then die.

But this time, history had veered off course. With Gu Qingshan's help, the poison in her body had been cleared, and she was recovering rapidly.

In this life, a sliver of hope had finally appeared amid the desperate circumstances surrounding Ning Yuechan's destined death.

The wheel of cause and effect had turned, and Ning Yuechan had given Gu Qingshan such a powerful hereditary battle bow.

With this bow and the powerful skills it carried, Gu Qingshan would grow stronger, too!

Gu Qingshan gazed at the Night Rain Bow, his heart surging.

In the past, no cultivator would have casually passed down such powerful archery techniques to someone else.

Now, he had a chance to learn these advanced archery skills at once.

Without hesitation, Gu Qingshan made his decision.

"There are thirty-six Soul Power points in all? I choose to comprehend them all!"

As he made his choice, the system's cold voice rang out:

"Comprehension complete. Soul Power consumed: 36. Remaining Soul Power: 1/7."

"Precision has advanced to Accuracy. Accuracy has advanced to Hundred Steps Piercing Willow."

"Player has learned Wind Riding."

"Player has learned Bombardment."

A blazing stream of fire surged out of the Night Rain Bow and poured straight into Gu Qingshan's mind.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths. He suddenly opened his eyes, and a razor-sharp killing intent gathered around him like the edge of a blade.