I am the Arcane Archer, and all my skills are self-created.

The arrows did not cause any damage after hitting their targets, but a chaotic burst of blue lightning suddenly flashed across the four Black Iron Guardians.

Their originally stable life resonance seemed to be truly "disrupted" at this moment.

[System notification: You have created a new skill: Life Disruption Arrow.]

【Life Disruption Arrow: Fires an arrow imbued with the laws of life disruption. Upon hitting a target, the arrow will inflict a "Life Disruption" effect for 5 seconds on all units within a 20-meter radius of the target that are in the "Life Link" state.

Under this effect, the target's life link becomes unstable; each time health changes, there is a 30% chance to deal an additional 10% of the target's own health as damage.

Li Wu was secretly delighted. Although it didn't completely prevent damage, the 30% chance to deal an additional 10% of the target's health as damage meant that each Life Resonance would cause them to lose health on their own! Moreover, the damage was based on their own health, which meant it would be even more effective against high-health elite monsters!

"Now!" Li Wu shouted.

He drew his bow again, this time with a [Chain Lightning Arrow].

"Crack!"

Blinding bolts of lightning leaped between the four guardians, causing a series of damage.

-1400! -1350! -1380! -1420!

Damage numbers kept popping up, and the health of all four guardians decreased simultaneously.

Immediately afterwards, as their life force attempted to flow through life resonance, chaotic blue lightning flashed again.

[System Notification: The Black Iron Guardian (Elite) has been affected by the Life Disruption effect, resulting in a loss of 800 health points!]

[System Notification: The Black Iron Guardian (Elite) has been affected by the Life Disruption effect, resulting in a loss of 800 health points!]

[System Notification: The Black Iron Guardian (Elite) has been affected by the Life Disruption effect, resulting in a loss of 800 health points!]

[System Notification: The Black Iron Guardian (Elite) has been affected by the Life Disruption effect, resulting in a loss of 800 health points!]

In an instant, the four guardians' health dropped by a significant amount again!

Li Wu's eyes lit up.

This new skill is perfect!

"Hua Zitong, keep luring the monsters together!" Li Wu shouted.

Hua Zitong's eyes lit up. She saw hope. She rushed forward again, using [Guardian Barrier] to block the two melee guardians, while using her body to block them, trying to keep all four guardians within the range of [Life Disruption Arrow].

Li Wu's Arcane Bow never stopped. Chains of lightning bolts roared out, weaving a dense electric net between the four guardians.

Whenever their health drops and Life Resonance attempts to trigger, the negative effects of Life Disruption Arrow will cause them to suffer the consequences, with extra damage numbers constantly popping up.

-800! -800! -800! -800!

It felt like they were harming themselves!

The health of the four Black Iron Guardians was dropping rapidly at a visible rate.

They roared angrily, swinging their cutting saws and drills even more wildly, but their attacks could not break through Hua Zitong's defenses.

Although Hua Zitong's health was continuously decreasing, she knew that they were winning.

She gritted her teeth and raised her shield even higher, using her body to block every drill that came flying at her, giving Li Wu more time to deal damage.

Li Wu's mana was also being depleted rapidly, but he knew it was worth it.

"Two thousand HP left!" Li Wu shouted.

He fired two Chain Lightning Arrows in quick succession, the lightning leaping wildly between the four guardians.

-1500! -1480! -1520! -1490!

[System notification: You have defeated a Level 24 Black Iron Guardian (Elite), gaining 62 experience points.]

[System notification: You have defeated a Level 24 Black Iron Guardian (Elite), gaining 62 experience points.]

[System notification: You have defeated a Level 24 Black Iron Guardian (Elite), gaining 62 experience points.]

[System notification: You have defeated a Level 24 Black Iron Guardian (Elite), gaining 62 experience points.]

A series of system notifications flooded the screen.

The four enormous black iron guardians crashed to the ground with a deafening thud, their massive bodies slamming into the earth.

The dust has settled.

Li Wu was panting heavily; his mana was almost depleted. Looking at the four steel wreckage bodies lying on the ground, he felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

This feeling is far more exhilarating than simply dealing massive damage and instantly killing an opponent. It's a victory he created from a desperate situation using his own wisdom!

Hua Zitong also breathed a sigh of relief. She put away her shield and gasped for breath. Her health was less than 10% left, and her plate armor was covered in wounds, but a tired yet satisfied smile was on her face.

"You... have created another new skill." Hua Zitong looked at Li Wu with a complicated expression.

Li Wu shrugged: "There's no other way, we're forced by circumstances."

He stepped forward and began to count the spoils. The four elite monsters had dropped a very generous amount of loot.

[System notification: You have obtained 4 Black Iron Cores (Rare).]

[System notification: You have obtained 8 pieces of Black Iron Alloy (Fine).]

[System Notification: You have obtained 1 Black Iron Guardian Blueprint Fragment (Special).]

[System notification: You have obtained Black Iron Boots (Fine) x1.]

"Both the Black Iron Core and the Black Iron Alloy are rare forging materials," Hua Zitong said, her voice returning to normal. "Black Iron Guardian blueprint fragments—these are valuable items. Collecting all the fragments allows you to synthesize the blueprint to summon the Black Iron Guardian."

Li Wu nodded and put everything away.

"Let's go take a look at that big guy," Li Wu said.

He looked at the enormous forging furnace in the center of the cave, the heavy hammering continuing unabated. He knew the real challenge was yet to come.

Hua Zitong nodded, knowing that Li Wu's fighting spirit had been completely ignited.

The two walked through the fallen remains of the Guardians toward the forging furnace.

As they approached the furnace, the strange smell of sulfur and engine oil intensified, and the air temperature became almost suffocating.

"Clang...clang...clang..."

The knocking was deafening, each strike accompanied by the tremors of the furnace, as if some enormous creature was being conceived within it.

Li Wu's heart pounded faster and faster with each knock. He knew he was about to face the guy Hua Zitong had described as "someone even she found troublesome."

He gripped the Arcane Bow tightly, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

He enjoys the feeling of creating in dire straits and growing stronger through challenges.