Yes, this was a short bow, one that usually seemed to possess more artistic merit than practical use. Yet, as soon as Hu Diǎn Mèng saw it—and even Hu Diǎn Qí, standing nearby—their eyes simultaneously ignited. They both sensed the potent power contained within this short bow; it was no ordinary weapon. This was a Spirit Bow…
A Spirit Bow that required no physical arrows, capable of directly condensing elemental energy…
“This is the Ice Soul Profound Bow I acquired. That idiot claimed it could automatically condense ice arrows with astonishing destructive power. Despite being a short bow, its range extends over a hundred zhang. I hope you like it…” Ye Jingyu said with a smile. Meanwhile, Bing Míng, who was lurking in a corner, trembled in fury upon hearing the word ‘idiot.’ You scoundrel! To give away my possessions as gifts and then slander me like that…
“Thank you, Master…” Upon seeing the bow, Hu Diǎn Mèng was utterly captivated. No archer, especially a woman, could resist the allure of such a Spirit Bow. Moreover, this exquisitely styled Spirit Bow held an unimaginable draw. When she heard Ye Jingyu was gifting it to her, all her previous anger and frustration vanished without a trace, replaced only by profound gratitude and a faint flicker of stirring emotion…
Seeing such open joy surface on Hu Diǎn Mèng’s usually icy countenance brought Ye Jingyu a surge of pleasure. He had intended to tease her a bit, but noticing others in the military tent, he simply waved his hand and beckoned Hu Diǎn Qí closer…
He placed the longbow, which resembled nothing more than deadwood, along with its nine feathered arrows, into Hu Diǎn Qí’s hands…
When his hands cradled the deadwood-like longbow and he felt the immense power sealed within, Hu Diǎn Qí’s expression shifted. His body trembled ceaselessly, as if struggling to contain the terrifying might emanating from it…
“This bow is called the Sunset Bow. These nine arrows can autonomously absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to enhance their own power. I’ve also included an Arrow Incantation manual for your reference…” Ignoring Hu Diǎn Qí’s visible agitation, Ye Jingyu produced a slightly yellowed secret manual and handed it over…
Hu Diǎn Qí’s spirit was completely absorbed by the longbow in his grasp; he scarcely noticed the manual, accepting the tome instinctively as Ye Jingyu offered it…
However, Ye Lóng Yì and Yǐng Xiāo Xiāo, standing nearby, saw their complexions change dramatically upon hearing the name ‘Sunset Bow’…
“General, isn't this Sunset Bow the weapon used by Yan Fēijīng, the foremost Divine Archer under Xuānyuán Jué three hundred years ago?” Ye Lóng Yì and Yǐng Xiāo Xiāo asked almost simultaneously…
“I suppose so…” Ye Jingyu was somewhat uncertain. Bing Míng had only told him the bow belonged to a formidable figure from three centuries past, but for reasons unknown, it had ended up in Xiào Cāng Tiān’s possession…
“Hoo…” Hearing this, Yǐng Xiāo Xiāo and Ye Lóng Yì both gasped sharply. Yan Fēijīng, a leading General under Xuānyuán Jué, had conquered the realm relying solely on this longbow and its nine arrows. Countless Grandmasters and Martial Saints had perished beneath its strikes. To think that this longbow, sought by so many for years, had fallen into Ye Jingyu’s hands! As for the arrow incantation, it must surely be Yan Fēijīng’s own internal cultivation method…
“Thank you, Master…” From the looks in Yǐng Xiāo Xiāo’s and Ye Lóng Yì’s eyes, Hu Diǎn Qí seemed to grasp the prestige of the longbow. He immediately knelt in deference before Ye Jingyu…
“Rise, rise! I’ve told you before not to kneel so often; it irritates me. Yǐng Xiāo Xiāo, Ye Lóng Yì, I have also prepared some items for you. I think you will find them pleasing…” Ye Jingyu dismissed the gesture carelessly, urging Hu Diǎn Qí to stand quickly…
Upon hearing the mention of their own gifts, Yǐng Xiāo Xiāo broke into a radiant smile and walked straight toward Ye Jingyu. Ye Lóng Yì was more reserved, but the temptation was too strong to resist, and he too moved forward…
Ye Jingyu then produced a dagger and a staff carved from wood, utterly black, handing one to each of them, along with two secret manuals…
The dagger was also entirely black, chillingly cold to the touch, clearly no ordinary artifact. As for the wooden staff, it was incredibly heavy and unnaturally hard—even profound iron might not possess such density. After just a moment’s inspection, Ye Lóng Yì realized it must be Peach Heart Wood, tempered by millennia and baptized by heavenly lightning tribulations, possessing formidable power even against spirits…
But what shocked them even more were the secret manuals Ye Jingyu offered. One was the legendary Soul Chasing and Spirit Plundering from the Shadow Fall Sect, masters of movement techniques. This cultivation method had not been perfected by anyone in centuries, and the manual was stolen over two hundred years ago, leading to the decline of the Shadow Fall Sect…
The one in Ye Lóng Yì’s hand was the Coiling Dragon Staff Technique. While this was not a martial art from the Dragon Tiger Sect, nor even from the Central Plains, Ye Lóng Yì knew that three centuries ago, during the era of warlords scrambling for supremacy, a group of monks had arrived from the Western Lands seeking advantage in the chaos. One monk named Kōng achieved fame as one of the Ten Great Experts of the Nán Fēng family using this very staff technique, only to be ultimately cut down by a single sword stroke from Xuānyuán Jué…
But how could anyone possibly withstand a figure who forced Xuānyuán Jué to act personally? Ye Lóng Yì was deeply grateful, yet slightly perplexed, that Ye Jingyu would bestow such a lineage upon him…
“Lóng Yì, I know your Dragon Tiger Sect excels in fist arts, but eventually, on the battlefield, you will require weaponry. Practice this staff technique for now,” Ye Jingyu said with a faint smile, seemingly sensing Ye Lóng Yì’s slight confusion…
“Thank you, General…” At this moment, Ye Lóng Yì and Yǐng Xiāo Xiāo cemented their decision to follow Ye Jingyu wholeheartedly…
“Heh, we are all family now. Why the formality? Xiū, you can discard that battle-axe of yours. Take a look at this…” Ye Jingyu smiled lightly and pulled out a massive, black great-axe, easily over ten zhang long, tossing it directly toward Chì Yí Xiū…
The colossal axe head, intricately carved with various runes, bore testament to the weapon’s terror. A savage aura radiated from the axe, forcing the others to step back repeatedly…
Chì Yí Xiū’s eyes instantly blazed. Grasping the gigantic battle-axe, he saw two large characters inscribed on the blade in the savage script of the Southern Wilderness: “Sky Rend.”