Misty Rain of the Old Times

Thousands upon thousands of giants on the city walls unleashed a barrage of arrows and spears at the horde of beasts, the air crackling and howling as the arrows swept across the land.

Their enormous size belies the immense size and power of their weapons. The arrows and spears they wielded were no less destructive than small missiles, only without the explosive effect.

Compared to giants, ferocious beasts like six-legged creatures are clearly small animals. A single blow to them would pierce through them or even pin them to the ground, or even tear their bodies, which are more than ten feet long, into pieces.

These ferocious creatures were difficult to break through even at the entrance camp, requiring the acquired realm to find their weaknesses and work together to eliminate them. Yet here, they were easily killed by the giants from a kilometer away. This shows just how explosive the combat power of these giants is; they are clearly a born fighting race.

If these giants were outside, they wouldn't need many; a dozen or so would be enough to conquer cities and fortresses with unparalleled success. Only by deploying innate masters could their advance be stopped.

In short, the area outside this enormous Sun City was turned into a meat grinder for a time. Thousands of huge beasts were killed and their corpses were piled up, trampled and crushed by more beasts that surged in from behind, and occasionally they would even get a bite of fresh flesh.

The pillar-like arrows and javelins outside the city formed a dense forest.

However, these giants had no understanding of the art of war. Their fighting power was terrifying, perhaps because their intelligence had been transferred to their physique. They didn't even have any decent teamwork and almost all fought their own battles to eliminate the beast tide as much as possible.

The beast tide was too massive, spreading to the horizon like a tidal wave. The few kills made in the initial encounter were just a drop in the ocean, which was utterly despairing.

Besides the most direct methods of attack, such as arrows and spears, the giants also hurled stones and room-sized earthenware pots at the beast horde from afar, causing far more damage than arrows and spears.

Especially those earthenware pots, sealed with corks or animal hides, would break when they fell into the herd of beasts. Some would splatter out a black, viscous liquid that would ignite upon contact with air when it touched the animals, like maggots clinging to bones, impossible to extinguish. It would either burn through the beasts' bodies until they died, or burn out completely and extinguish itself.

Other earthenware pots, after being broken, release green powder that spreads with the air currents. This powder is clearly highly poisonous. Giant beasts covered in the green powder roar and fall in droves, their mouths, noses, eyes, and ears oozing a ghastly green, toxic blood.

It must be said that Chen Xuan was surprised by the pots that the giants threw. Perhaps they did not understand the art of war, but they had long developed their own way of fighting against wild beasts, making the most of all resources to cause damage.

Giants from all over the city were continuously transporting various supplies to the city walls. Apart from the elderly, weak, sick and disabled who had already hidden themselves, it could be said that the entire population was involved in this defense battle. However, the situation was not optimistic.

Despite the giants' valiant efforts, they could not stop the advance of the beast tide. There were simply too many beasts; as soon as one fell, another would fill the gap, and they soon reached the moat.

Taking advantage of their massive size, many terrestrial beasts attempted to leap directly across the kilometer-wide moat, but most of them fell in halfway, splashing up huge waves. As they struggled, they sank into the water and were attacked by aquatic creatures. The river water was quickly stained with blood of various colors, resembling a giant dye vat.

Even with the moat blocking their path, the beast tide continued to surge forward relentlessly, as if determined to fill the moat and pave the way ahead before giving up.

In fact, the beasts in front had no choice but to move forward, because those behind would push them forward. It's unknown what was in this city that attracted different groups of ferocious beasts to attack it together.

Countless enormous beasts fell into the moat, causing the water to surge and spread to both banks, sweeping across the area like a flood. But in the face of these massive creatures, this small amount of water was barely enough to wet their feet.

If this continues, the beast tide will reach the city walls in about ten breaths. At that point, close combat will be inevitable, and it will be a battle of attrition. Once the giants are unable to stop the beast tide and it rushes into the city, who knows how terrible the destruction and casualties will be.

This beast tide consisted mostly of ground creatures, but there were still plenty of raptors attacking from the sky. Each one was enormous, with wingspans that could practically blot out the sun and cast huge shadows on the ground. As the raptors flew in, the giant archers on the city walls focused more on them.

The roars and howls were deafening, the giants screamed and shouted incessantly, and the whole world seemed to be buzzing. Not to mention anything else, Su Roujia, who was next to Chen Xuan, could not hear any sound around her.

Amidst such fierce fighting, the little girl was terrified and at a loss, and could only obediently stay behind Chen Xuan. Du Juan held a short knife, ready to fight at any time, but she dared not go directly into the beast horde when the beasts charged onto the city wall for close combat. Even with her innate cultivation, if she fell into the beast horde, she would probably be overwhelmed in an instant.

Chen Xuan was not idle either; as soon as the battle began, he took up his longbow, Mo Yu, and drew his bow.

This bow, which cost three thousand taels of silver, has never actually been used. Back then, Wu San Niang equipped this bow with thirty arrows for different purposes. If the armor-piercing arrows were used, it was said that they could pierce three layers of iron armor from a distance of a thousand feet. Its power was comparable to the large-caliber sniper rifle in Chen Xuan's memory, and it truly lived up to its name. Although he had never used this bow, he had tested its strength.

As Chen Xuan drew his bow and nocked an arrow, he noticed the giants' battle from the side and felt a bit ridiculous. Mo Yu looked like a toy, and the arrows looked like toothpicks.

'It's no match at all! Even though Mo Yu's bow has a strength of thirty stones, it's far inferior to the giants' exaggeratedly large bows. It's quite astonishing in the outside world, but here, it's probably just a joke.'

With a thought in mind, Chen Xuan easily drew back the black bow, drawing it to its fullest extent. Without hesitation, he shot an arrow at a six-legged creature a thousand or two meters away. The bowstring hummed, and the jet-black armor-piercing arrow shot out with a whoosh. Its speed was astonishing; the little girl couldn't even see its trajectory. Wherever it passed, it was like a black phantom, leaving a small ripple in the air like a fleeting shadow.

Even though Chen Xuan hadn't used bows and arrows much before, well, he hadn't used other weapons much either, but the accuracy of his arrow was undeniable. It hit the target precisely in a parabolic arc, striking the head of the six-legged creature.

Chen Xuan, who was standing on the city wall, holding a bowstring that was still trembling and buzzing, stared intently from afar, and his mouth twitched immediately.

The powerful bow, which could normally pierce three layers of iron armor from a thousand feet away, deflected an arrow fired by the horny exoskeleton on the six-legged creature's head. While not entirely useless, it didn't do much either. The arrow only chipped off a piece the size of a bowl, about the depth of a fist, which was utterly ineffective against the creature's massive size. It didn't even break through its defenses, let alone actually injure it.

Of course, this was just Chen Xuan's most basic use of the Ink Feather, without any skill involved. He just wanted to see how powerful it was, and the arrow wasn't even aimed at a vital point.

Looking at the ink feather in his hand, which resembled a soaring eagle, Chen Xuan was speechless. This thing was utterly useless to him.

It does have some effect, but not much.

Du Juan, who was standing a little behind him, witnessed the arrow and was slightly taken aback. Was this all the master was going to do? Of course, she had no doubt about her master's strength and methods; there must be a special reason for this outcome.

On the other side, Remo, who was engaged in the battle, also noticed Chen Xuan's actions. He couldn't help but grin and shake his head inwardly. He didn't mean to mock him; it was already kind of him to help, since this battle had nothing to do with his guest. However, the result of his help was really not flattering.

Despite his claim that he had no time to care about Chen Xuan and the others, he still valued these visitors from outer heavens very much and kept a close eye on them. If any real danger occurred, he would step forward in time to protect them and even take them away from the dangerous battlefield. With so many clansmen fighting, a few more wouldn't make a difference.

Meanwhile, Loke, who was in the middle of the battle, also noticed this scene. Even though they didn't communicate directly, Remo had greeted her through gestures through their long-term cooperation, and she was focused on protecting Chen Xuan and the others when necessary.

When the giantess saw Chen Xuan shoot a toothpick and it blew off a piece of the 'tree-licking dog's' skin, she almost burst out laughing. She thought to herself, "Are you here to make a joke?" But she was brave enough to take the initiative in the face of the overwhelming beast tide.

The simple-minded girl didn't think that much about it. She didn't consider that Chen Xuan was capable of easily avoiding so many giants chasing and blocking her way before.

Luo Ke, on the other hand, was more concerned about Du Juan. They had fought before and Luo Ke had been defeated by Du Juan. He was looking forward to seeing how many ferocious beasts Du Juan could kill. He already had a competitive spirit in his mind.

In the tense and oppressive environment, Chen Xuan noticed the reactions of the people around him. Without showing any embarrassment, he calmly took out another arrow, drew his bow, and nocked the arrow. This time, his target was still the same six-legged creature, but he aimed at its eye.

Without employing any skill or archery techniques, Chen Xuan released a full-moon shaped black arrow, which shot out like an armor-piercing bolt. In just a few breaths, it traversed nearly two thousand meters, precisely striking the six-legged creature's eye, even as it moved rapidly. No matter how large the six-legged creature's body or how tough its carapace, its eyes remained a vital weakness. Chen Xuan's second arrow pierced its enormous eyeball, leaving only an inch or so protruding. Green blood flowed from the wounded creature's eye, and it let out a painful howl.

Struck by the blow, the six-legged creature lost its balance and rolled on the ground, nearly unable to stand up and being trampled flat by the other massive beasts. However, it quickly regained its balance and continued its charge, becoming part of the beast horde.

Witnessing the result of the second arrow, Chen Xuan nodded to himself, thinking that the power of the ink feather had not disappointed him. Wu San Niang had not boasted back then; her bow-making skills were truly remarkable, and the three thousand taels of silver had not been wasted.

Don't be fooled by the fact that his arrow only blinded one of the six-legged creature's eyes. Consider how enormous the creature was. In the outside world, apart from those with innate or higher cultivation levels, the power of this bow alone would be enough to kill an enemy with a single arrow at a distance of two or three thousand meters. Unless the enemy was armed with a shield and heavy armor, they would have no chance of survival.

In any case, the power of the Ink Feather in his hand far surpasses that of the Jingyun Bow of the Divine Arrow Battalion in the capital. It should be noted that the Jingyun Bow is one of the strategic weapons of the Jing Kingdom, and it is a serious crime for a private individual to possess it.

Of course, while a single Jingyun Bow is not as powerful as the Moyu Bow in Chen Xuan's hands, if they are combined into a large force, the destructive power they unleash is extremely terrifying, capable of killing innate beings.

In short, Mo Yu did not disappoint Chen Xuan; he did not waste money, even though it was of little use to him now.

Ignoring the reactions of others, Chen Xuan took out a third arrow and drew his bow. This time, he used some basic archery skills, twisting his fingers slightly on the bowstring. The arrow, which had been shooting straight out as before, spun rapidly due to its powerful kinetic energy and air resistance, much like a bullet fired from a gun barrel with rifling grooves. Its destructive power was far greater than the previous two arrows.

It was still that six-legged creature with one eye blinded; Chen Xuan's third arrow was aimed at its remaining eye.

With a precise hit from over a thousand meters away, the high-speed spinning arrow pierced its brain with a soft thud, destroying its brain and shattering its brain matter. The next moment, the six-legged creature crashed to the ground, its body convulsing instinctively and unable to stand up again. It didn't even have time to scream before it was overwhelmed and trampled by the beasts behind it in the blink of an eye.

Anyway, they're going to die.

'Mo Yu's power is really impressive. With a little skill, it can snipe huge creatures over ten zhang in size from a distance, provided that it hits the vital points accurately.' Having achieved the desired result, Chen Xuan nodded in satisfaction as his thoughts flickered.

It's a bit of a shame that three armor-piercing arrows were wasted; I guess they can't be recovered. But they're not expensive; I can just buy some more when I get back.

He then thought to himself, since we're already using the ink feathers, let's use a bow and arrow this time. Old Liu has a secret bow and arrow skill that he's mastered, though it's not as advanced as his lightness skill. It should be enough to handle the current situation. If all else fails, Sister Juan even brought her sword.

Thinking about this, Chen Xuan considered whether to try the top-tier rapid-fire arrow technique among basic archery skills, but then dismissed the idea. He knew that the number of arrows that came with the Ink Feather was limited, and he could find a replacement here. There was no need to go to the trouble of making arrows by hand on the spot, since such battles were ever-changing.

"The power of the Ink Feather itself, even when combined with basic archery skills, is limited to this point. It's enough to kill a six-legged creature, but it's unlikely to rival a pre-natal being. Since its power is insufficient, archery martial arts can compensate. The Eight Extinction Arrows technique that Old Liu left me is a top-tier skill no less powerful than the Seven-Turn Flaming Sun Palm and the Nine Absolute Blade. However, its execution with the Ink Feather falls far short. I'll need to try forging a matching bow and arrow in the future. Moreover, my cultivation is limited, and I can't execute the later arrows. Speaking of which, most of the martial arts techniques left by Old Liu have numbers in them. Was the creator really that bad at naming things?"

With his mind racing, Chen Xuan drew his fourth arrow and drew his bow. His expression became slightly more focused, unlike before when he was simply testing whether the black feather was worth three thousand taels of silver.

His previous three arrows didn't take much time, only a dozen or so breaths in total.

At this time, the almost endless beast tide outside the city had filled most of the moat. The massive beasts, like a tidal wave, came to the base of the wall. Some crashed into the barricades and were impaled to death. However, the huge number of beasts began to charge at the city wall and even pile up and climb upwards.

Especially the bull-shaped creature with four pairs of ferocious horns, its shoulder height of over thirty feet was like a small mountain. When it crashed into the city wall, a large area trembled as if it were about to collapse. In reality, the city wall was extremely sturdy, and such a huge creature could not cause great damage in a short time.

Now Chen Xuan and the others understood perfectly where the embedded fragments and repair marks on the city wall came from.

Moreover, among that diverse beast tide, there were many strange beasts with special abilities. There were birds of prey that could flap their wings and stir up violent wind blades, snakes that could spew poisonous mist, wolf-like creatures that could rise up in flames, and even strange beasts that could control electricity and spew out cold currents.

Strange beasts that are rarely seen in the outside world are everywhere here.

As the beast tide arrived at the city, the giants were all tense, but none of them retreated. They were about to engage in close combat, and if they couldn't stop the beast tide, the consequences would be unimaginable. Remo and Loke exchanged glances, both ready to take Chen Xuan and the others away from the battlefield at any time.

Arrows, spears, rolling logs, stones, and jars filled with flammable, viscous liquid and poison rained down from the giants on the city walls, but they still could not stop the overwhelming tide of beasts. In particular, the attack of birds of prey forced some of the giants to be distracted in the fight, making the situation extremely critical.

At this moment, Chen Xuan's fourth arrow was already nocked. He seemed oblivious to the surrounding battle, his gaze fixed on the distance without a clear target.

The next instant, his true essence circulated into the black feather in his hand, and the seemingly ordinary thirty-stone bow emitted a silvery-white hazy light, soft and not dazzling, gorgeous and beautiful, and extraordinary.

The most striking thing was that ordinary armor-piercing arrow. The originally black metal arrow burst out with silver-white light, as dazzling as a meteor, giving people a sense of unparalleled sharpness, making people dare not look directly at it. The giants around who noticed this scene, including Du Juan with innate cultivation, felt their eyes sting at just one glance and subconsciously looked away, not daring to look any longer.

For some reason, those who noticed this scene, centered around Chen Xuan, felt a chill run down their spines and were filled with dread. Even though the arrows in Chen Xuan's hand were not aimed at them, the despairing, deadly threat almost made them breathless.

The mere act of him standing there drawing his bow and nocking an arrow was enough to inspire awe!
Without any intention of showing off or attracting attention, Chen Xuan released his finger in an instant, and the silver arrow shot out and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

The dazzling arrow vanished, creating a stark contrast, as if the world had lost its color and fallen into night. A thought instinctively crossed people's minds, as if a shooting star had streaked across the night sky.

And indeed, that was pretty much the case. The arrow that shot out seemed to swell in the wind after leaving the bowstring. Without making a sound, it disappeared into the distance like a brilliant shooting star.

Looking in the direction the arrow flew, Chen Xuan silently uttered the words "Flying Star" in his mind, and even he felt embarrassed when he said it out loud.

The first of the eight extinction arrows was also the least powerful. The quality of the ink feather was so poor that it couldn't even unleash half of its power.

However, the giants around them fell silent the next moment, almost forgetting that they were still in the midst of a tense battle, staring blankly ahead.

Looking in the direction where the arrow disappeared, the surging tide of beasts along the way vanished, as if the sea had been split open, tearing a rift a hundred feet wide, leaving a terrifying ravine a dozen feet deep in the earth, stretching straight to the end of the line of sight.

On both sides of that terrifying ravine, the air currents created by the arrows swept through the air like autumn leaves, sending countless enormous beasts flying.

At that moment, it was as if the world had lost its color; under that terrifying arrow, everything seemed pale and powerless.

Two breaths later, deep into the beast tide, at the end of the huge ravine, a dazzling silver light burst forth, like the sun falling to earth, making everything else pale in comparison. At the same time, a terrifying, desperate roar echoed.

...(End of chapter)