Starting from the imperial palace guards, his clones spread all over the world.

Chapter 584 Bows and arrows are so much fun

The City of the Wrongfully Dead.

As far as the eye could see, there were rows of houses made of dark blue and gloomy bricks and stones.

Meng Guang's rough palms pressed against the cold hilt of the knife at his waist, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

He was followed by three trusted subordinates, who were moving quickly down the street.

Their target was the palace that stood in the very center of the city, like a giant black tombstone.

Its silhouette appeared exceptionally massive and menacing against the gray sky, with the sharp eaves of the roof resembling the fangs of a giant beast, silently piercing the suffocatingly dark sky.

"There is a master lurking inside."

Meng Guang's deep, hoarse voice broke the unsettling silence, only to be quickly swallowed up by the surrounding stillness.

"Let's go over there and see what's really going on."

He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the tense faces of the three people behind him:

"If it's still there, watch my hand gesture and scatter immediately!"

"Remember, run around those walls, stall for as long as you can, and risk your life to create an opportunity for the chieftain!"

"Anyway, in this godforsaken place, dying is just a puff of smoke, what's there to be afraid of!"

These last words seemed to be spoken to his subordinates, but even more so to himself, as he forcefully tried to dispel the lingering chill in his heart.

Although one wouldn't die here, being deep in such a strange place still filled everyone with trepidation.

There are even rumors among martial artists that every time someone dies in this City of the Wrongfully Dead, a portion of their soul is taken away by the Soul Reaper, until they die a certain number of times and are completely trapped here, never to escape.

However, no one can verify this claim.

This wasn't the first time Meng Guang and his companions had visited the City of the Wrongfully Dead.

He died and was resurrected time and time again, risking his life to uncover many secrets of the city.

That black hall was the very core of the core.

Legend has it that whoever can defeat the mysterious master in the palace can obtain a rare elixir that will drive the outside world crazy.

However, what exactly is hidden behind the main hall itself, behind that heavy, seemingly unopened door?
Is it a path to survival and the outside world, or a deeper purgatory?
No one knows.

Therefore, it became the primary objective that Meng Guang and his group had to explore every time they entered the City of the Wrongfully Dead.

Far behind them in another direction, Yin Leiling and Yan San Niang's group were stealthily making their way as planned.

The two teams, one operating openly and the other covertly, complement each other perfectly. Only through such cooperation can they possibly crack open a gap in this ever-changing city and glimpse its hidden secrets.

"Hopefully this ghost town will quiet down today..."

Meng Guang silently prayed in his heart, and a strange sense of restlessness and unease quietly spread.

The City of the Wrongfully Dead appears unchanging on the outside, but in reality, it is like a living labyrinth that often transforms into all sorts of bizarre shapes.

Every so often, the buildings and layout of the City of the Undead are adjusted, as if guiding them toward a predetermined location.

Each time I enter, it's like stepping into a completely new nightmare.

Yan San Niang had reported this strange change in detail to her grandfather, the Thief Saint.

Even the most knowledgeable thief, who had traveled to all the strange and wonderful places in the world, remained silent for a long time after hearing this, and finally sighed deeply.

The Thief Saint believed that this city was not an inanimate object, but a massive 'hub'.

It forcibly gathered the souls of martial artists with unique destinies and strong spirits from across Changzhou to this place.

As for why it keeps changing?
The Thief Saint believed that the goal was simply to force the trapped martial artists to fight each other like caged beasts.

This fighting itself is the food that sustains its operation and provides it with the strength to draw power.

Within this spiritual world, the ability to manipulate such a vast city at will must be driven by an all-encompassing consciousness.

The strength of that consciousness had long surpassed the limitations of ordinary martial artists.

Almost...like a god or demon!
Everyone present, including Meng Guang, listened respectfully on the surface, but inwardly they all scoffed.

god? magic?
Meng Guang's lips curled into an undisguised contempt.

Meng Guang spent his life killing and robbing, living a life of constant danger and committing all sorts of heinous acts.

If there really are gods, how could they allow him to live such a carefree life, with his family business becoming increasingly prosperous and his wife, children, and elderly parents enjoying wealth and comfort?

If the wronged souls of those families he slaughtered had spirits, they would have long ago turned into vengeful ghosts and torn him to pieces!

It's true that the Thief Saint's martial arts skills are profound, but his mindset is far too pedantic and outdated!

But at this moment.

As Meng Guang stepped into the depths of the City of the Wrongfully Dead, a place as deep and winding as the intestines of a giant beast, the lingering feeling of being locked in by some being became clearer and more intense than ever before.

It was as if a pair of cold, indifferent eyes, looking down upon all living beings, were embedded in the eternal, dark sky above his head, their gaze piercing through all obstacles and firmly nailed to his back.

The chill doesn't come from the skin, but seeps out little by little from the depths of the bone marrow.

With his keen senses as a third-rank martial artist, he knew that if someone stared at him for a long time, there would be an exchange of energy, and he would feel a sense of alarm.

No matter how intently he investigated, even secretly channeling his inner energy to sense his surroundings, the source of his gaze was like a drop of water melting into thick ink, impossible to find.

The more elusive it was, the heavier the invisible pressure became, almost crushing his forced composure.

"Damn it..."

He cursed under his breath, forcing himself to ignore the unease he felt, and refocused his gaze on the increasingly massive shadowy palace in the darkness ahead.

Just at this moment!
Without warning, the eternally gloomy sky that had shrouded the City of the Wrongfully Dead was suddenly torn apart!

An indescribable, intense light suddenly exploded at the far end of darkness!

It was neither the fleeting paleness of lightning, nor the swaying, dim yellow of a torch.

That was the purest and most destructive light!

It was like a new, tyrannical sun that was forcibly dragged out from the depths of hell and hung arrogantly in the sky above the City of the Unjustly Dead!
The flames pulsed and instantly dyed the surrounding layers of twisted buildings a blinding golden-red!

The moment the light appeared, it had already traversed an unreachable space!

"Varied……"

Meng Guang's pupils contracted to the size of a pinhead in a fraction of a second, and the thought of astonishment didn't even have time to fully form in his mind.

That all-consuming light had engulfed our vision, carrying a terrifying heat that could melt even the finest steel, tearing through the air and emitting a muffled roar as if the world had just begun to open and space itself had collapsed!
“Boom——!!!!!”

Destruction has come.

That was not a simple explosion.

That was the ultimate release of pure high temperature and violent power!

A reddish-gold fireball with a diameter of over ten zhang suddenly expanded out of thin air where Meng Guang and his group stood!
The solid, dark blue stone slabs on the ground shattered, melted, and vaporized instantly, like a brittle crust being struck by a giant hammer!
The scorching airwaves formed a visible ring-shaped shockwave, sweeping out with devastating force!

The several skilled fighters from Yanshan Village beside Meng Guang, their burly bodies and horrified expressions, left only a fleeting, distorted silhouette in the blazing white light before vanishing completely.

Before it could even utter a muffled groan, it turned into wisps of rising blue smoke.

Meng Guang, the master who firmly held the second position in the Yanshan stronghold, only had time to open his mouth wide.

The devastating heat and violent impact acted on his body without any hindrance.

His tough leather armor crumbled to dust like paper, his muscles carbonized instantly, and his bones cracked with a teeth-grinding sound.

An unprecedented, unimaginable pain, like millions of red-hot steel needles piercing the depths of one's soul at the same time!
He could even "hear" the "sizzling" sound of his own life rapidly evaporating in the high temperature.

Before his consciousness completely succumbed to the excruciating pain and burning sensation, a vague and absurd thought flashed through his mind:

What the Thief Saint said... could it be true...?

After the deafening roar, only a huge, charred crater, nearly twenty feet in diameter and several feet deep, remained on the spot.

The soil at the bottom of the pit was melted into a dark red, glassy state, with wisps of smoke still rising from the edges.

The air was thick with the pungent smells of sulfur, ozone, and the acrid odor of burning flesh and blood, making it nauseating.

Meng Guang and his three companions, along with all their equipment, were completely erased from this location, leaving no trace whatsoever.

……

Within the boundless void.
Most of the warriors were still immersed in the frenzied fighting, with flashing swords, blood mist, roars and screams intertwining to form a chaotic death symphony.

The instantaneous evaporation of Meng Guang and the others was like a pebble thrown into the ocean on this vast, chaotic battlefield, causing only a tiny ripple and attracting little attention.

however.

True masters have perceptions that transcend the limitations of ordinary senses.

The three, Mu Shanqing, Yan Zian, and Cen Ruifeng, who were engaged in a fierce battle, almost simultaneously stopped their violent attacks!

The three of them, without prior agreement, turned their gazes sharply towards the direction from which the explosion had occurred, filled with indescribable surprise and solemnity!
The pure and violent aura of destruction that erupted in an instant, like a beacon suddenly lit in the night, was clearly transmitted to their senses.

That was a shockwave that could not have been caused by a clash between ordinary masters!

Besides.

Yin Leiling and the others naturally sensed it as well.

The first to arrive at the explosion site were Yin Leiling and Yan San Niang's group.

They were responsible for providing support, and were relatively close by.

"what happened……"

Yin Leiling and the others stared blankly at the scene before them, a chilling sensation that even those who were used to life and death felt.

The pit was charred black, and the soil and gravel at the edges had been melted by the high temperature and solidified into a strange glassy substance, still radiating scorching residual heat.

The air was filled with the pungent smell of burnt metal and molten metal.

At the center of the pit, a pool of dark red, viscous liquid was slowly flowing, its surface shimmering with a lava-like luster, hissing, and steaming with scorching white vapor.

"This is……"

One of the men accompanying them looked on in surprise and instinctively reached out to touch the scorched earth at the edge of the pit.

"Don't touch it!"

Yin Lei shouted a stern rebuke, his voice carrying an unprecedented gravity:
"That's molten iron! Molten iron made from refined iron!"

His gaze, sharp as lightning, swept over the still-writhing pool of scorching metal:
"The attacker's weapon... was actually melted by the power of the attack itself?!"

This deduction sent a chill down everyone's spine.

What kind of power can not only crush its target but also turn its own tough weapon into molten iron?!

"Uncle Meng... he's a third-rank official!"

Yan San Niang's voice trembled slightly, and she looked at Yin Leiling, her eyes filled with disbelief: "Even if he just broke through not long ago... how could he not even last a single move..."

Although Meng Guang had only been a third-rank cultivator for a few months, his cultivation level had not yet been fully stabilized, and he was still unable to unleash the true power of a third-rank cultivator.

But no matter what, a master of his caliber shouldn't be taken down in a single move.

Yin Leiling's heart sank to the bottom.

He had known Meng Guang for many years and was well aware of his abilities.

Meng Guang's martial arts were fierce and domineering, and his internal strength was profound.

Such a person was instantly reduced to nothing by an attack that came from nowhere?
There wasn't even a sign of resistance?

The attacker's skill and methods were so profound and unpredictable that they were simply astonishing!
"Who is this?"

Yin Leiling suddenly looked up, his sharp, hawk-like gaze sweeping across his surroundings as if it were a tangible force:
"Hiding your head and showing your tail, what kind of skill is that? Come out!"

His booming voice, imbued with pure inner strength, echoed far and wide in the deathly silence of the City of the Dead, attempting to provoke the enemy lurking in the shadows.

However, all that answered him was the howling wind amidst the ruins and the faint sounds of fighting in the distance.

It was as if that fatal blow truly came from the highest heavens, from the depths of the netherworld.

Sudden--

A strong sense of danger washed over me!
Yin Leiling's hair stood on end!

This chilling premonition of death, like an invisible giant hand, gripped his heart tightly!

"careful--!!!"

Yin Leiling's roar was like a thunderclap from a clear sky!

He had no time to think. As he roared, his powerful internal energy, which he had cultivated for decades and had reached the peak of the third rank, surged out of his body like a torrent!

Om-!
The air was humming under the strain!
A massive, visible protective shield, shimmering with a resilient, pale golden luster, instantly expanded from Yin Leiling's center!
This protective barrier was round and thick, with a diameter of three zhang (approximately 10 meters), resembling an inverted giant bowl.

He completely enveloped himself, the still-shaken Yan San Niang, and the three other attendants who were a little slower to react!
The moment the protective shield was formed.

A piercing shriek, tearing through space, hurtled down from the dark, blood-red sky at a speed beyond comprehension!

The target was the protective shield he had erected!
"withstand!"

Yin Leiling's eyes were bloodshot, and the veins on his forehead bulged like a dragon. His internal energy was circulating wildly at an unprecedented speed, pouring into the protective shield without regard for the cost.

The pale golden light instantly became dazzling!
"Bang——!!!"

A terrifying impact!
A crimson flame engulfed the entire protective shield, making everyone feel as if they were surrounded by rolling flames, as if they were in a sea of ​​fire.

At the same time, everyone finally saw clearly what was about to attack them.

Amidst the flames, a sharp weapon was seen embedded fiercely in the protective shield.

The weapon was surrounded by terrifying crimson internal energy, so strong that it even formed a ball of flame, and this flame-shaped internal energy was still driving the weapon to try to break through the protective shield.

"Is that... an arrow?"

Someone couldn't help but ask in alarm.

The weapon was shaped like an arrow.

After all, this arrow, forged from fine iron, was far too thick and long, making it look more like a spear.

The spear shaft is spinning at high speed!
What is concentrated at the tip of the spear is an extremely sharp and destructive scorching internal force!

The power was not dispersed, but concentrated at a single point, like the sharpest drill bit, frantically tearing at Yin Leiling's extremely wide-ranging protective shield!
"Ugh—!"

Yin Leiling let out a painful groan, his body shuddered violently, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth!

He could clearly feel that the point on his massive shield that was pinned by the spear was under unimaginable, terrifying pressure!
The golden light of the shield flickered and fluctuated violently, like the surface of a lake where a boulder had been thrown in, with ripples spreading wildly in all directions and then diminishing!
The deadly sense of crisis was like ice water being poured over my head!

Yin Leiling instantly realized: the protective shield's range was too large, and the power was being dispersed!

Faced with this spear of destruction, concentrated at a single point and seemingly invincible, it simply couldn't withstand it!
"We can't protect them anymore!"

"Scatter! Save yourselves!"

Yin Leiling's eyes were bloodshot, and he roared hoarsely. At the same time, he tried to forcefully withdraw his internal energy and shrink his protective shield to protect himself!

Too late!
Just as his mind wavered and his internal energy recovery faltered slightly—

"Pfft!"

A soft sound, like cloth being pierced by a sharp blade.

The rapidly spinning, golden-red tip of the giant arrow finally broke through the weakest point of the protective shield's energy!
It tore through the last barrier, carrying the lingering force of destruction, and brazenly entered the shield!
Time seems to freeze at this moment.

The giant arrow that pierced the shield, the extremely violent crimson internal force gathered at the tip of its spear, erupted like a volcano that had been suppressed to its limit the moment the shield was no longer there!
"boom--!!!!!!"

The second, devastating explosion erupted violently inside the protective shield erected by Yin Leiling!

All the destructive energy was confined to this small space, which was no more than three zhang in diameter!

At the moment of the explosion, the golden shield expanded outwards like a balloon stretched to its limit before shattering and turning into countless golden specks of light!

Immediately afterwards, crimson, viscous flames erupted from the shattered shield like magma bursting its banks, sweeping across all directions!
Yan San Niang's slender figure, along with the last frozen look of shock on her face, was instantly twisted, charred, and then turned into a wisp of rising smoke and completely dissipated in the raging flames and shockwaves, like a paper figure thrown into an incinerator.

The three followers fared even worse; they couldn't even utter a muffled groan before their bodies decomposed and vaporized under the extreme heat and impact, following in the footsteps of Meng Guang and the others.

Yin Leiling, a peak third-rank expert, only had time to frantically gather his remaining internal energy into his vital areas of the chest and abdomen the moment the protective shield shattered, forming a last, weak layer of defense.

However, this hasty defense appeared utterly ridiculous in the face of that destructive spear that had broken through.

"puff!"

The spear tip, burning red-hot, pierced through his hastily gathered protective aura without any resistance, just like a hot knife cutting through solidified grease, and pierced his chest with perfect precision!
The terrifying power contained within the spear was fully released the moment it entered the body!
Severe pain!

Indescribable pain!
It felt as if my internal organs were being gripped and crushed by a red-hot iron hand!
He could clearly feel his heart being torn apart, his lungs being pierced, and the scalding spear burning his flesh and bones!

That destructive, scorching internal energy raged wildly along the meridians and blood vessels, extinguishing all life wherever it passed!

"Uh... huh..."

Large gushes of dark red blood mixed with fragments of internal organs gushed from Yin Leiling's mouth.

His strong body seemed to have all its bones removed, and he crashed backward with a thud, landing heavily on the uneven, scorched earth, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Only a martial artist at the peak of the third rank like him could survive such severe injuries.

However, they didn't live long either.

"Such superb archery skills..."

Yin Leiling lay on the ground, utterly horrified.

"Fortunately, I am now in this strange space-time."

"If I were to run into him outside, I would be truly beyond saving..."

Although the arrow was incredibly powerful, it wasn't impossible for Yin Leiling to defend against it with all his might.

The problem is that arrows are ranged attacks, and they can catch people off guard when they suddenly attack.

Yin Leiling didn't even notice the enemy approaching before their arrows were already upon her.

This prevented Yin Leiling from using the most reasonable defensive measures immediately, allowing him to attempt to save everyone around him.

However, this flawed strategy ultimately led to his downfall.

Even if there was no one around to protect, Yin Leiling might not be able to adopt the correct defensive strategy when facing this arrow for the first time, and would inevitably suffer a great loss.

"Next time, I definitely won't be defeated by you so easily!"

Yin Leiling glared angrily.

Unfortunately, he has yet to find an enemy who killed him with an arrow.

In his unwillingness, Yin Leiling's body finally turned into green smoke and dissipated in this strange space-time.

This group of people wanted to explore the depths of the City of the Wrongfully Dead, but unfortunately, it ended as soon as they began.

……

far away.

Atop that solitary stone tower, piercing the low sky of the City of the Dead like black fangs.

Liang Jin put down the Jade Shadow Bow in his hand.

The bowstring still emitted a low, subtle hum, as if it were still savoring the two violent outbursts just now.

He was very satisfied with the effect of the two arrows.

The Earth-level secret manual "Sun-Shooting Ashes" in the Hualongmen was indeed no ordinary item; its power truly satisfied Liang Jin.

However, relying solely on "The Ashes of the Sun Shot" is not enough to send Yin Leiling to his death with a single arrow.

This also includes the power of the Jade Shadow Bow, a divine weapon.

However, ordinary martial artists simply cannot unleash the full power of the Jade Shadow Bow.

Only an anomaly like Liang Jin, whose physical strength is terrifyingly powerful, could do that.

"Bows and arrows... I didn't know they were so much fun."

Compared to the bloody clashes of close combat, this sense of control—the ability to decide the life or death of an enemy from thousands of feet away in an instant—has a completely different, captivating, and ruthless charm.

This made Liang Jin even more determined to concentrate his arrow intent.

If the arrow's intent is fully condensed, how powerful will his arrow become?
Now, Liang Jin has developed both fist and spear intent.

He had intended to try to condense his sword intent, but he discovered that observing the flowing light within the jade sword seemed to help in condensing his sword intent.

In that case, he could use a two-pronged approach, simultaneously gathering his arrow intent within the Nine Realms.

Having made up his mind, Liang Jin immediately took out another spear and arrow and aimed it at a distance.

In the distance, masters like Yan Zi'an, Mu Shanqing, and Cen Ruifeng were still engaged in fierce combat.

And nothing can better concentrate the arrow's intent than killing these masters with arrows.

The heavy spear and arrow came into his hand, their icy touch carrying a heavy killing intent.

Liang Jin grasped the jade-like, warm and smooth yet containing a violent power in his left hand.

Nocking an arrow.

Draw the bow!
The heavy bowstring of the Jade Shadow Bow, as heavy as a mountain, was slowly pulled back by his superhuman strength, emitting a heart-palpitating creaking sound once again.

Tension as high as a full moon!
The wind at the top of the tower picked up, making his clothes flutter loudly.

The arrowhead points to the next sacrifice to be annihilated.

(End of this chapter)