Misty Rain of the Old Times

Again!
Remo and his men, who were ready to fight to the death, noticed Chen Xuan's movements and their hearts skipped a beat. What kind of earth-shattering power would this arrow display?
Chen Xuan's demeanor and posture were different from before when he drew his bow and nocked an arrow again. He was focused, took a step back with his left leg, and drew his bow to the fullest, as if he were shooting down the sun. The ink-black longbow was surrounded by a fiery red halo, like fireflies, and seemed to have the power to burn the sky, but you could not feel the heat at all when you were close to it.

In an instant, the fiery red aura rising from the longbow flowed rapidly along the bowstring and into the golden arrow. The arrow turned fiery red and white in the blink of an eye, but that seemed to be an illusion, because the arrow quickly returned to its original form, with only a few red lights flashing at the tip of the arrowhead.

His seemingly ordinary movements were terrifying.

All of this happened very quickly, and many people around did not react in time. By the time they wanted to watch carefully, Chen Xuan had already released his fingers, the bowstring hummed, and the arrow shot out.

When Chen Xuan fired the arrow, the bowstring vibrated with powerful kinetic energy, and a shock wave that could be seen with the naked eye spread rapidly in a ripple pattern. Within a hundred meters, even the giants' bodies were unsteady and almost fell over. Chen Xuan had tried his best to control it, otherwise, it wouldn't have been the shock wave that made them unsteady, but the giants' bodies would probably have shattered within a certain range.

It wasn't that he couldn't control his strength; it's really not his fault. The quality of the ink feather was too poor, and it couldn't completely contain the power of this arrow. Otherwise, the ink feather would have been destroyed, and only a portion of it would have leaked out.

Furthermore, his arrow was like a cannonball being fired, so it's normal for there to be recoil at the point of impact.

The arrow disappeared in the blink of an eye, its speed so fast that only Chen Xuan could track its trajectory. As it passed through the air, visible ripples spread across it, leaving a trail of white air waves in the void. Under the powerful resistance, the arrow glowed red and burned, like a line of fire stretching across the sky.

This arrow is the third of the Eight Arrows of Extinction, named Flowing Fire. It is one of the purest and most powerful single-target killing arrow techniques. Its power is restrained, unlike the dazzling flying stars or the magnificent rainstorm. It only bursts forth the moment it hits the target.

The giant ice butterfly, which was originally flying straight toward Chen Xuan, instinctively sensed the threat of death. It emitted a rapid hiss from its ugly mouthparts and spread its wings to try to dodge. Its speed was incredibly fast, but it was all in vain.

The fiery arrow was even faster than its evasive maneuver, and it moved in an arc through the void, its trajectory following it relentlessly, making it impossible to avoid.

However, as it struggled to evade, a brilliant blue light shone from its body, more dazzling than the blazing sun in the sky, and a terrifying chill permeated the air, as if it were about to freeze the heavens and earth within a certain range.

It folded its wings in front of it, and the cold blue light transformed into an arc-shaped shield. With a barely perceptible, slight cracking sound, ice crystals condensed, and the arc-shaped shield turned into an ice wall, sparkling and dazzling in the sunlight.

However, all of this seemed to freeze at that moment. The arrows, like streaks of fire, came like streaks of light. The ice wall shield could not stop its advance, but it was pierced in the blink of an eye, leaving only a hole the size of a bowl. Then came the ice butterfly's overlapping protective wings, which also could not stop the fire from penetrating. Then came the ice butterfly's body.

The line of fire pierced through its head and body in the blink of an eye, but it dimmed and gradually disappeared into the horizon.

The ice butterfly's massive body froze in the void in a defensive posture. The next moment, starting from the point where it was pierced by the fire line, it exploded into countless fragments, accompanied by a visible shockwave that swept in all directions.

As the ice butterfly's body shattered, a terrifying cold wave spread wildly, with ice crystals and snowflakes fluttering down. An area of ​​dozens of miles around was frozen, and countless creatures were frozen into ice sculptures. That area was transformed into a world of ice and snow in a short time, but it was within the range of the beast tide and there was no need to worry about it being affected.

Chen Xuan's arrow was like detonating a frozen bomb, and the damage it caused to the beast horde was no less than that caused by the second arrow's torrential rain.

At the same time, his arrow completely took away the life of the Ice Butterfly, a beast with combat power comparable to a grandmaster. The beast was not even left with a complete body; it was blown to pieces by the arrow!

He was like a sniper on the battlefield, specializing in killing enemy generals with a single, horrifying shot, and the killing scenes were incredibly shocking and intimidating.

Sure enough, his arrow that killed the Ice Butterfly caused a brief hesitation in the movements of other beasts of the same level that were rapidly approaching Sun City from all directions. A sense of fear and apprehension was palpable, but they quickly resumed their advance.

Whether it was his imagination or not, Chen Xuan felt that those beasts with combat power comparable to grandmasters, or the overwhelming beast tides, all seemed to have a strong desire, as if they were attacking Sun City with a clear goal.

"All living things that become powerful enough possess a certain level of intelligence, and survival is an instinct for all. According to Remo, the beast tide doesn't stop until everyone is wiped out; it will retreat once a certain number of casualties are suffered, or even if its leader is eliminated. Therefore, my killing of two Grandmaster-level beings should be enough to deter them from leaving. So why do they still seem to be attacking? Either the two I killed weren't enough to intimidate them—after all, the previous Arrow-Bone Boar was already wounded but was killed before we even met—or my guess is correct: there's something in Sun City that attracts them, something they're willing to risk their lives for, causing them to launch a beast tide every few days."

Many thoughts flashed through Chen Xuan's mind. Then he wondered if he should stay and fight. If he killed a few more beasts with the strength of a Grandmaster, could he repel the beast tide? But for now, the giants were not worth his full effort, and besides, he might also be in danger.

He was confident in his ability to protect himself, but if he were to be surrounded by more than a dozen beasts of the same level, he was not sure he could escape unscathed. How many he could kill was one thing, but he would definitely have to pay a heavy price. Moreover, he also had to take care of Du Juan and Su Roujia. In a battle at this level, even a slight aftershock could kill them.

However, just as Chen Xuan was lost in thought, he suddenly felt the ground beneath his feet tremble. For some reason, with this tremor, he subconsciously felt a chill. He couldn't explain why, but his instincts told him that something extremely dangerous had probably happened, making it difficult for him to maintain his composure.

However, the tremors only lasted for a very short time before subsiding, lasting only two or three breaths.

Such a tremor was not caused by the boundless beast tide outside the city, nor by those strange beasts comparable to grandmasters, nor by a huge creature attacking the city walls, but rather originated from the depths of the earth, like an earthquake caused by the pulsation deep within the earth. In the chaotic situation, this tremor was not obvious, but he still clearly caught it.

'Did something happen that I don't know about?' Feeling the tremors deep underground, Chen Xuan subconsciously turned to look in the direction of the center of Sun City. He could sense that the source of the previous tremors was from the deep underground center of Sun City.

Considering the giant warriors and guardians that Remo mentioned, those powerful beings didn't come out to participate in the resistance even in such a crisis, so they must be carrying out some kind of mission. In addition, the beast tides attacking Sun City every few days must mean that something is attracting them. It seems that this giant race has a big secret.

That being said, the existence of giants is strange enough, so it's normal for them to have unknown aspects.

As for Chen Xuan, curiosity is certain, but not an intense one. Satisfying curiosity is good, but he won't try to find out more just because of it, as that could easily cause him trouble. Why force it?
Instead of worrying about things that have nothing to do with you, why not just laze around and enjoy life, watching beautiful women dart around in front of you without feeling comfortable?

Looking towards the depths of Sun City, Chen Xuan didn't even realize that he had subconsciously frowned, feeling a vague sense of unease, a strong sense of rejection and aversion, without any reason, and he didn't even understand why he had such emotions, as if he had encountered a deeply hated enemy.

The feeling appeared so suddenly that Chen Xuan hadn't even had time to react before he was interrupted. He heard the giant Remo beside him, bewildered yet excited, cheer: "They retreated! They retreated! The beast tide has retreated! We've once again repelled the beast tide and protected Sun City, preventing our families and people from being slaughtered by the beast tide!"

Like a fleeting moment of inspiration that was missed, Chen Xuan, who was abruptly interrupted by Remo, overlooked this and turned around somewhat bewildered, only to be astonished to see that, just as Remo had said, the beast tide had receded.

The once overwhelming and boundless beast tide was crashing against the city walls, with many already reaching the walls to fight the giants. The scene was extremely brutal and violent, which shows that at this moment, the beast tide retreated for no apparent reason.

To the giant's astonishment and delight, the beast tide departed just as it had come, surging away like a tide into the distance. Not only that, the dozen or so beasts that were originally comparable to grandmasters in combat strength decisively abandoned them, turning around and leaving without hesitation. Their posture, how to put it, was as if they were avoiding them at all costs, even though just a moment ago they were filled with bloodthirsty and greedy desires.

'What's going on?' Chen Xuan was completely confused.

One moment it was a critical situation, and the next it ended inexplicably. Who can you complain to?
After a fierce battle, the giants cheered as the beast tide quickly retreated, leaving behind mountains of corpses. The area outside the city was ravaged, especially after Chen Xuan's two brutal attacks, which could be described as a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood. Moreover, the beasts that were frozen like ice sculptures after the ice butterflies exploded remained intact, and the aftershocks of the cold air were still spreading.

"It's finally over," Su Roujia said with a sigh of relief, patting her chest, which was beginning to take shape. She had been very frightened and her expression was tense. As a country girl, she had never experienced anything so shocking.

However, it is conceivable that after this experience, her courage and ambition will reach a new level.

As the beast tide receded quickly, Dujuan withdrew her gaze. She had also been fighting earlier, killing many ferocious beasts that had climbed the city walls. After the battle, she was inevitably exhausted, her chest heaving with each breath. Her gaze towards Chen Xuan was incredibly ardent, filled with heartfelt admiration. She wished she could kneel before him and offer him everything, but she restrained herself. This was her master, after all.

The desire for strength is ingrained in the genes of all things, so it's normal for Du Juan to have this kind of mentality.

Before she could say anything, the ground beside her trembled. Remo strode over, his face filled with excitement and reverence as he looked at Chen Xuan. "Chen Xuan, the powerful being from beyond the heavens, it was you who killed two ferocious beasts comparable to guardians, thus frightening them away, saving Sun City, and saving countless members of our race. Thank you for your help. You are our eternal guest, our most respected guest. If you ever need any help in the future, just let us know, and our entire giant race will do everything in our power. Now, please allow me to express my highest respect to you."

As he spoke, Remo's massive body was several feet away from Chen Xuan when he suddenly knelt down on one knee, his left hand holding a huge bone knife as a support, his right fist clenched and striking his chest as he lowered his head.

Following suit, the giants around him knelt down on one knee and bowed their heads, just like Remo did.

"Chen Xuan, you will always be our most respected guest. We will convey this message to all our clansmen."

"It was thanks to your help that we repelled the beast tide. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to stop it at all. If they had stormed into the city, countless members of our people would have died. Please accept our gratitude..."

There were all sorts of opinions, and the giants were already very loud, which almost made Chen Xuan feel at a loss.

"No, I didn't. There's no need for this. Please rise," Chen Xuan said somewhat awkwardly, as the giants had clearly misunderstood something.

In the past, he would have waved his hand to make these giants move at this point, but there were too many now, and besides, they were too big to be so nonchalant, so there was no need for him to do so. As for reaching out to help them up, could he even reach their bellies? It would only look ridiculous.

Upon hearing this, Lei Mo looked up and smiled, "Chen Xuan, you're too modest. That's not good. We've all seen your efforts, and what we've said is far from enough to express even a fraction of our gratitude."

Even though Chen Xuan killed two powerful figures in this beast tide, that's a fact. But the real reason the beast tide retreated was definitely not because of that. It was the tremors deep underground in the center of Sun City that Chen Xuan knew perfectly well.

But it seems the giants present don't think so.

Chen Xuan wouldn't shamelessly claim credit for something he didn't do. He said earnestly, "Please rise, everyone. This really isn't my doing. I feel unworthy of it. Whether you believe it or not, there's another reason for the beast tide's departure. I don't know the specifics either. Perhaps you can find out for yourselves within the city."

Faced with Chen Xuan's frank explanation, Remo laughed and said, "Of course we know the real reason why the beast tide left, and we understand what you said, but that doesn't diminish our gratitude to you. If it weren't for you, the defense line would have fallen long ago. Countless of our people survived because of you. Furthermore, we won't have to face the two guardian-level beasts you killed in the future. And a beast tide of this scale only happens once every few years. So you won't even accept this small token of our gratitude?"

They understood everything; Chen Xuan was simply expressing gratitude through his actions. Now that the misunderstanding was cleared up, Chen Xuan wasn't so bothered anymore and smiled, saying, "I only helped a little within my ability. Holding the line was the result of everyone's joint efforts. I appreciate your thanks, so please get up."

"Haha, that's right! From now on, Chen Xuan, you will be the most respected guest of our giant race!" Remo immediately burst into laughter.

The other giants laughed and stood up, casting friendly glances at Chen Xuan. If it weren't for the huge difference in their sizes, they would have all seemed eager to throw him away and cheer.

Avoiding the topic that made Chen Xuan somewhat embarrassed, he put away his smile and looked around, saying, "Although the beast tide has receded, your people have suffered heavy casualties. Let's go treat the wounded and clean up the battlefield first."

Remo nodded and said, "You don't need to worry about that, Chen Xuan. Leave it to someone else. We're used to this kind of thing. Although it's a bit inappropriate, I still want to say that with your help, the casualties this time were only slightly higher than in previous small-scale beast tides. How about we take you to see the Sage? I think he'll be very happy to see you."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan looked around. Just as Remo had said, many giants were already busy in an orderly manner, and there was really no need for his help. After thinking for a moment, he nodded and said, "Alright."

In fact, there were many things he wanted to know, but ordinary giants avoided discussing them. Perhaps the wise men they spoke of could answer his questions.

“Please follow me, I will take you to see the wise man. Or Chen Xuan, you should come up on my shoulder,” Remo nodded.

Shaking his head, Chen Xuan said, "It was a sudden and urgent matter before, which was impolite. Just lead the way, we can keep up."

“Alright, come with me,” Remo said, no longer insisting. He didn’t know if it was because he respected Chen Xuan’s previous behavior or because he felt it was inappropriate to be covered in blood.

Following his lead, Chen Xuan glanced back at the area outside the city and asked, "So many wild beasts have died, covering a large area. Isn't it a bad idea to just leave the corpses there? If we don't deal with them, it could easily cause disease."

"Don't worry, Chen Xuan, we already have a perfect way to handle this. In addition to collecting as many useful items as possible, we will use special powder to dissolve the carcasses of wild animals. Their carcasses will become the best nutrients for the earth, and soon the vegetation on the earth will definitely grow very lushly," Remo said with a smile as he turned around.

They were experienced in relationships, and Chen Xuan, slightly embarrassed, said, "I was overthinking it."

Then he thought to himself, the retreat of the beast tide was too illogical. What was the root cause? Or what was deep underground in the center of Sun City that caused the beast tide to flee in panic with just a tremor?

...(End of chapter)