"Pop!"
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
No one knew how much time had passed before Yan Ruyu finally pulled away, her face flushed.
"Jiu Lang, this is my heartfelt intention! Even though you're carrying the shackles of your family right now, I'll keep waiting for you..."
With that, Yan Ruyu left the room and disappeared into the night, leaving behind only a lingering fragrance.
"Ah, a beauty's favor is the hardest thing to bear!"
Xiao Yang shook his head helplessly.
Just then, another system notification sounded beside his ear.
[Ding! The host gifted the Spirit Grade High Rank Cloud Piercing Bow, triggering a reward!]
Xiao Yang's eyes lit up.
Ning Hongye must have finished bathing and accepted the Cloud Piercing Bow.
[Hundredfold Return: Emperor Grade High Rank Divine Weapon, Sun-Shooting Bow, Star-Falling Arrows!]
[The Sun-Shooting Bow's string is made from the tail feathers of an ancient Golden Crow. When fired, it can draw upon heavenly thunder and fire, shaking heaven and earth with boundless might!]
[The Star-Falling Arrows can charge automatically. Their quantity is determined by the host's strength!]
[Extract immediately?]
"Yes!"
Xiao Yang immediately felt incomparably excited.
In the next moment, light flashed, and a great bow appeared before him!
The bow was seven feet long, far exceeding the usual size of bows and arrows. Fusang Divine Wood formed the limbs, its surface covered in patterns scorched by True Sun Fire.
"So heavy!"
Xiao Yang tried to pick up the Sun-Shooting Bow. His arm sank, and he nearly failed to lift it.
One had to know that the strength of his single arm had already reached a thousand jin. This showed just how extraordinary the divine weapon was.
He carried the Sun-Shooting Bow to the rear courtyard, wanting to test its power. But when he tried to draw the string, he found that he could not move it at all.
"Damn it! I refuse to believe I can't do this today!"
"Great Desolation Prison Heaven Finger!"
"Open--for--me!!!"
Xiao Yang let out a furious roar, clenched his teeth, and exerted himself with all his might. Every muscle in his body trembled.
After using the Great Desolation Prison Heaven Finger, his strength surged past ten thousand jin. Only then did he barely manage to draw the bowstring open inch by inch.
"Buzz, buzz, buzz..."
At the same time, a pale golden arrow gradually condensed at his fingertips.
The Star-Falling Arrow!
It was not a physical arrow, but one formed from true energy.
"I'll draw the carved bow like a full moon, look northwest, and shoot the Heavenly Wolf!"
"Go!"
At that moment, Xiao Yang was filled with soaring heroism, as though the ancient hero Hou Yi had possessed him. He shot an arrow toward the northwest, beyond Xuelong Pass.
"Whoosh!"
The Star-Falling Arrow shot out, carrying a blinding white radiance. It tore through the clouds and split the night sky.
The entire night sky was illuminated. For a moment, it was as bright as day, dazzling beyond measure!
Countless commoners looked up and exclaimed in amazement.
"Look! It's a meteor from beyond the heavens!"
"Such an unusual phenomenon is truly rare!"
"..."
Deep within the royal residence, in the study.
King Zhenbei suddenly opened his eyes and looked toward the northwestern sky, his gaze sharp as lightning.
"This kind of power... It belongs to a Seventh-grade Grandmaster. But who could it be?!"
At the same time.
In a hidden warehouse a hundred li northwest of Xuelong Pass.
Two figures gathered furtively together.
If Xiao Yang had been there, he would have discovered that these two were Eldest Prince Xiao Junlin and Fourth Prince Xiao Chusheng.
"Eldest Brother, Father King is far too partial to Ninth Brother!"
Xiao Chusheng could not help complaining. "Ninth Brother is lawless. He crippled Third Brother, and next he'll probably climb over our heads and run wild!"
Xiao Junlin frowned. "Father King is considering the bigger picture. The engagement ceremony is about to take place, and the imperial family will send an envoy to attend. It wouldn't be convenient to touch Xiao Yang, the groom. But once the wedding is over, he'll have no more value."
"Xiao Yang is nothing but a Bird in a Cage. He can't cause any trouble. And by crippling Third Brother, he has, in a way, eliminated one of my competitors!"
"Besides, once our supplies arrive tonight, our troops will be strong and well-equipped. We'll leave everyone else far behind. Why should I worry about failing to ascend the throne? Hahaha..."
Xiao Junlin burst into laughter.
Before long, two well-trained groups arrived at the warehouse, each numbering around a hundred people.
"Medicine King Valley Guardian pays respects to Eldest Prince! This time, we've brought a hundred Spirit Grade pills and five hundred rare treasures."
An old man in a blue-green robe knelt on one knee.
"East Pole Island Warrior pays respects to Fourth Prince! This time, we've brought a hundred ninjas, all of them Fourth Grade martial artists!"
Another mustached warrior also knelt and saluted.
"Hahaha... Good!"
Both princes revealed satisfied expressions.
These spirit pills and warriors represented years of savings from their maternal clans. They had finally managed to transport them here to help Xiao Junlin ascend the throne.
"Eldest Brother, once you become the new King Zhenbei, don't forget about me!" Fourth Prince said.
"Rest assured. I won't mistreat you!" Xiao Junlin promised, patting his chest.
"And... when the time comes, I want to take revenge on Ninth Brother! Killing him outright would be letting him off too easily. I'll sever all four of his limbs and lock him in Black Prison, making him endure the agony of having his heart gouged and bones scraped day and night, unable to live or die!"
"Fine! And bring Ning Hongye along as well, so she can keep him company!"
Xiao Junlin's eyes were savage.
Ning Hongye's War Saber had slashed his throat twice, nearly killing him both times. Naturally, he held a grudge and dreamed of taking revenge.
Just as the two were indulging in their fantasies.
"Buzz, buzz, buzz..."
Suddenly, an incomparably terrifying pressure descended from the sky, tearing open the clouds.
An arrow shot over, like the wrath of a god. Heaven and earth seemed to collapse before it, and nothing could stop it!
"This is bad!"
"What terrifying power! This is definitely the might of a Seventh-grade Grandmaster!"
"Fourth Brother, run!"
Xiao Junlin's expression changed dramatically. Feeling the threat of death close at hand, he immediately darted into the distance.
Fourth Prince did not dare remain either. Like a stray dog, he fled in panic.
If you find this book worthwhile, remember to add it to your bookshelf so you won't lose it next time.
The next second!
"Boom!"
The arrow fell, and the entire warehouse exploded in an instant. Raging flames roared as terrifying waves of air swept outward.
The two princes possessed protective spirit treasures, allowing them to survive, but they still suffered serious injuries.
As for the East Pole Island warriors, they were not so lucky. Every last one of them died, leaving no survivors.
The precious pills from Medicine King Valley and the rare treasures were also destroyed completely.
"Ahhh! They're dead... They're all dead..."
Fourth Prince stared at the charred corpses of the warriors, his heart bleeding.
"Who did this? The news of our secret meeting was absolutely confidential! Could it have been the sinister Fifth Brother, or Sixth Brother?"
Xiao Junlin's face darkened as countless possibilities flashed through his mind.
But he never would have imagined that this arrow, which had descended like a flying immortal from beyond the heavens, had merely been Xiao Yang testing the might of the Sun-Shooting Bow.
The power of a single arrow was terrifying indeed!
At the same time, inside the royal residence.
"Whew..."
Xiao Yang had only shot one arrow, yet he felt as if every drop of strength had been wrung from his body.
With his current cultivation, firing a single Star-Falling Arrow was already his limit.
But its power was tremendous!
"Good heavens! This arrow's range must be a hundred li—that's fifty thousand meters!"
"The Cloud Piercing Bow only has a range of a thousand zhang, or three thousand meters!"
"Compared to the Sun-Shooting Bow, Blue Star's sniper rifles are laughably weak. This is practically a long-range missile!"
Xiao Yang marveled inwardly, excitement surging through him.
The arrow's power had far exceeded his expectations. It was probably equivalent to a strike from a martial Grandmaster!
No wonder it was an Emperor Grade Divine Weapon!
Previously, he had also obtained the Mysterious Scale Ten Thousand Dragon Armor, but it was defensive and could only passively protect him.
The Sun-Shooting Bow, on the other hand, was an offensive divine weapon with boundless might.
However, because the distance was too great, he could not estimate the exact position accurately and could only fire in its general direction. But that was enough.
The next time someone dared provoke him, he would simply shoot them to pieces!
Afterward, Xiao Yang put away the Sun-Shooting Bow and returned indoors, where he began meditating to recover.
Over the next few days.
Xiao Yang stayed in the residence and devoted himself to cultivation.
Although he now possessed many treasures, his cultivation was still only at the Third Grade Qi Sea Realm. He needed to raise it.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door.
"Master, are you awake? Today is the day of the Autumn Hunt. The king has summoned all the princes to hunt at the West Mountain Hunting Ground!" Huangli said respectfully.
The Autumn Hunt?
Xiao Yang raised his brows, finally remembering.
It was a tradition of the imperial family. Every autumn, they brought their descendants into the mountains to hunt.
The person who captured the most prey would receive Father King's praise.
If a Guard performed outstandingly, they could also be promoted and entrusted with important duties, or even rise three ranks at once.
"Alright, I'll be there!"
Xiao Yang washed up, then put on the Mysterious Scale Ten Thousand Dragon Armor and hung his War Saber at his waist.
After thinking it over, he decided not to bring the Sun-Shooting Bow.
The divine weapon was too powerful, and it would not be convenient to display it outside for now.
"Let's visit the stables first!" Xiao Yang said to Huangli after leaving.
Since it was an Autumn Hunt, he naturally needed a horse.
Through the system, he had previously obtained the Emperor Grade spirit beast Cloud-Treading Black Dragon Colt.
But that Big Black Horse was far too willful and refused to obey him. It had even butted White Deer, Yan Ruyu's mount, at the Lanting Poetry Gathering.
After that, Xiao Yang had ignored the Big Black Horse. Today, it could finally be put to use.
However, when he arrived at the stables, a servant in a gray robe approached him with a deeply troubled expression.
"Ninth Young Master, you've finally come!"
"The black horse you keep is simply impossible to care for! It only eats the tenderest grass, and after biting each bundle once, it refuses to eat any more and spits out the rest! It only drinks dew, too. Otherwise, it goes on hunger strike!"
"That alone would be tolerable; it would just mean a bit more work! But it also sows its seed everywhere. Every mare in our stable has been ravaged by it. They can barely stand!"
"Please take this mighty god away! This humble servant really can't care for it..."
The servant poured out his complaints like beans spilling from a bamboo tube.
Xiao Yang was speechless after hearing this. He had not expected that even while confined, the Big Black Horse would still behave so badly.
"Brother Black, show me some respect today. Let's go out for a stroll!"
Xiao Yang entered the stable, directly took hold of the Big Black Horse's reins, and led it away.
The West Mountain Hunting Ground was bustling with people.
Apart from Third Prince Xiao Li, who had been punished with confinement, all the other princes had arrived, each bringing their respective subordinates.
Ning Hongye had also brought Azure Luan.
She rode a pure-white horse called the Night Shining Jade Lion, which Xiao Yang had obtained from Fourth Prince.
However, among the crowd, the one attracting the most attention was Fourth Prince Xiao Chusheng.
He rode a Blood-Sweating Horse with a slender head, a high neck, long limbs, and an exceptionally majestic appearance.
"Fourth Brother, what a fine horse!"
Xiao Yang could not help exclaiming.
"Of course!"
Fourth Prince sat atop the horse with his head held high and his chest puffed out, his face full of pride. "Ninth Brother, when I gave you the Night Shining Jade Lion before, I actually held something back!"
"This Blood-Sweating Horse is my most precious collection. It runs like the wind and can travel a thousand li in a day!"
"At today's Autumn Hunt, you're destined not to even see my back!"
Fourth Prince spoke smugly, his tone clearly meant to show off.
"Oh? Is that so..."
Xiao Yang merely gave a teasing laugh, patted Big Black Horse on the rump, and shouted, "Big Black, go!"
The moment his voice fell!
Big Black Horse spotted the Blood-Sweating Horse, instantly perking up as it galloped over and began humping it without a care...
"Ow!"
The Fourth Prince, who was sitting on the horse's back, felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He instantly lost his balance and fell flat on his face!
Before you continue