Methods of Using Heart Power

Ju Hua waved his hand to recall the two arrows he had fired, then drew his bow once more, nocking an arrow to aim at the gods and demons ahead.

As expected, his shot struck true again.

In truth, although Ju Hua had been exposed to archery in his youth, he had never touched a bow again throughout his subsequent cultivation.

However, archery, when stripped to its core, is merely the application of the "Wind" and "Heaven and Earth." Ju Hua had fully comprehended the Way of Gale, and his understanding of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth had also progressed by leaps and bounds over the past half-year, leaving him not far from the domain of the Great Dao. Archery was not a difficult task for him.

True to form, Ju Hua lived up to expectations, hitting his mark every single time!

Of course, Ju Hua would not admit to the claim made by the loose immortal in green robes that he was a master archer.

If he were ignorant, it would be one thing, but through Desolate Era, Ju Hua knew that those who could be called master archers in the ancient times were beings who had mastered the method of applying heartforce to their arrows.

The most famous among them, like Hou Yi or the ancient human master archer Qi, were the true masters of the bow.

Their arrows were not only terrifying in power but also possessed incredible accuracy; even at a distance of ten thousand or a hundred thousand miles, they could strike with a single shot!

Compared to them, Ju Hua's archery was simply not worth mentioning!

Heartforce?

The thought flickered through Ju Hua's mind, and he shook his head. He lacked the corresponding techniques; trying to comprehend the method of manipulating heartforce out of thin air was nearly as difficult as ascending to heaven.

In Desolate Era, the protagonist Ji Ning had also fought in the Quiet World for a long time before, through a stroke of luck, he realized how to apply heartforce to his sword!

Casting aside distracting thoughts, Ju Hua continued to draw his bow. He stared intently at the gods and demons ahead, his heart, eyes, and arrow merging into one. This was the fundamental skill of archery, which Ju Hua had understood in his youth; using it now did not feel unfamiliar.

The arrow left the string, and Ju Hua's "heart" followed it toward the god and demon.

Boom!

The body of the god and demon was suddenly blasted open by the terrifying power of the arrow, and Ju Hua's "heart" dissipated along with it.

This feeling...

Ju Hua was slightly startled, but he immediately understood: that was heartforce.

He had already entered the threshold of heartforce, but because he lacked the method to utilize it, this entry had been like a mere illusion. Just moments ago, although he understood that comprehending the technique out of thin air was nearly impossible, he had done so subconsciously.

As a result, he had not been entirely without a clue; he had brushed against the very edge of the method for imbuing heartforce into his bow and arrows!

Fearing that the familiar sensation would vanish, Ju Hua did not dare to dwell on it. He quickly drew his bow and fired another arrow. The familiar feeling returned, and although the arrow had only just left the string, Ju Hua knew it would hit!

Sure enough, the next instant, that terrifying arrow struck another god and demon.

Ju Hua fired arrow after arrow, and the sensation in his heart grew clearer and clearer.

In fact, to allow himself more shots, Ju Hua intentionally reduced the power of his arrows later on, letting the gods and demons endure for a little longer.

After about two quarters of an hour, only one god and demon remained of those who had fled. At this moment, Ju Hua's heart was filled with joy; regardless of anything else, his archery could be considered to have reached its initial success.

If someone were to praise him as a master archer now, he would gladly accept the title!

"Time to finish you off!"

Ju Hua looked at the last fleeing god and demon ahead and fired another arrow. Under the infusion of his heartforce, even though this shot was casual, it was nonetheless...

"Hmm?"

Ju Hua frowned. He suddenly sent a voice transmission to the loose immortals operating the Shuixuan Warship: "Stop!"

Ju Hua's sudden command caught the loose immortals off guard, but they did not hesitate and brought the Shuixuan Warship to a halt.

"Fellow Daoist Ju Hua, did your hand slip just now?" the loose immortal in green robes asked with a smile.

"No!" Ju Hua shook his head. He watched the god and demon still fleeing in a panic, his brow furrowing slightly.

Theoretically, that last arrow should have been a guaranteed hit, but halfway through its flight, the heartforce he had imbued into it had suddenly vanished, causing the shot to miss.

According to the description in Desolate Era, heartforce is a very ethereal power. For something to be able to sever my heartforce, the area ahead is definitely not simple! As this thought crossed his mind, Ju Hua suddenly froze.

He had been so absorbed in the application of heartforce that he hadn't even noticed such a simple fact!

Those gods and demons had been pursued and shot down one by one, yet they had consistently fled in only one direction. If these gods and demons had scattered, they would have had to rely on the Shuixuan Warship to chase them down; the enemy would likely have been able to escape with at least two or three survivors!

There must be an ambush! With this thought, Ju Hua turned and asked, "Who has spirit beast puppets? Send a few ahead to scout!"

As soon as Ju Hua spoke, a group of loose immortals stepped forward, each using their own methods. Soon, a swarm of spirit beast puppets headed toward the front.

Spirit beast puppets were something almost every cultivator had encountered, and those present were a group of loose immortals—the absolute elite among mortal cultivators!

Therefore, unlike when Ju Hua had asked about archery, an unusually large number of people stepped forward this time.

Under the watchful eyes of the loose immortals, a large number of spirit beast puppets surged forward. However, it wasn't long before the expressions of several loose immortals changed.

"Fellow Daoist Ju Hua, my connection to my puppet has been severed!" one loose immortal said.

"Mine too!"

"And mine!"

"..."

Many loose immortals spoke up one after another. Hearing this, Ju Hua said nothing, merely nodding with a grim expression.

Sure enough, there was something abnormal ahead! They had been only a hair's breadth away from entering it just now.

"Our connection to our spirit beasts hasn't been severed yet!" other loose immortals noted.

"What is going on ahead?" Ju Hua asked directly.

"It appears to be an independent small space!" a Loose Immortal said with some uncertainty.

"But we can see that god-demon from here, and we can also see your spirit beasts clearly!" another Loose Immortal remarked.

"I don't know; perhaps this is a peculiar dangerous zone birthed by the Autumn Mountain Great Marsh!" The Loose Immortal shook his head and continued, "My spirit beast is an Empty Green Snake; I cannot be mistaken!"

"Regardless, that place ahead is no sanctuary. We must not enter lightly!"

"Correct, we cannot enter lightly!"

"Let us ascertain the situation first."

"..."

The other Loose Immortals spoke up one after another. After pondering for a moment, Ju Hua asked, "Are there any fellow Daoists willing to let their spirit beasts venture deeper to investigate?"

"I will!" one Loose Immortal spoke up instantly.

"My spirit beast can go as well!" another Loose Immortal added.

"..."

Soon, dozens of Loose Immortals agreed. As for those who remained silent, Ju Hua did not force them.

After all, spirit beasts are not expendable items like puppets. Some people capture them casually to serve as mounts or tools for exploration, and such individuals naturally have no emotional attachment to their beasts and care little for their survival.

However, for others, their spirit beasts are raised from infancy and are life-and-death companions. Ju Hua, judging others by himself, was naturally unwilling to force them.