novelraw Chapter 125
Chapter 125
Archery was the first martial skill Wangchuan had cultivated to the Entry-Level Mastery realm.
His heart burned with excitement.
How long had it been?
And Archery had already broken through.
He glanced at the experience of Hundred Paces Piercing the Poplar. It had reached 351/500.
Today, he might push both martial arts to Entry-Level Mastery in one breath.
No wonder the few First-Rank Martial Artists guarding the front of Blackwind Stronghold were unwilling to end this training session.
If it were him, he would not want to stop either.
In Huishui County, or in any city, where else could one find so many beasts at the level of Quasi-Martial Artists to train on?
Wangchuan continued to draw his iron-reinforced bow.Arrow after arrow, he called out wolves by name and shot them down.
However…
With Bai Yuhui and Hong Kaibao gone, the situation became harder to control.
The wolves charged through the rain of arrows, broke past the last few inner disciples’ saber arcs, and stormed into the stronghold.
“Switch to sabers!”
Wangchuan decisively abandoned the iron-reinforced bow, drew his Hundredfold Steel saber, and instead of retreating, surged to the very front.
“Ergou, take the others to the rear of the stronghold.”
The Hundredfold Steel saber whistled sharply through the air.
The wolves’ slight frames were no match for the edge of a Second-Rank martial art. Flesh and bone were severed with ease.
Blood splashed, soaking him.
But there were simply too many wolves.
He cut down two wolves in front, and immediately another lunged from the side, snapping at his leg.
It was met with a whipping kick.
Crack!
The wolf’s spine snapped under the blow.
Black Tiger Fist.
Wangchuan spun and cut down a wolf that had leapt at him, then began to feel the pressure mounting.
More and more wolves were pouring in from outside.
Awoooo!
Awoooo!
The wolf pack surged through the gate.
The situation was no better in the other directions.
On Lin Xun’s side, all the Quasi-Martial Artists had retreated. Only Monk Dalong and two others were holding out stubbornly, surrounded by snarling wolves, forced to carve their way through.
The six full-fledged Martial Artists guarding the front also began to feel the strain.
“Fall back!”
“Retreat to the rear of the stronghold!”
Wangchuan retreated while fighting, cutting down a wolf from time to time.
The experience of Crocodile-Mouth Saber Art was increasing.
The experience of Black Tiger Fist was rising as well.
Soon, wolves flooded over the front section of the stronghold. More than two hundred had stormed inside.
The group fought while retreating until they reached the passage connecting to the rear of the stronghold. The walls narrowed there, forming a natural choke point. Shoulder to shoulder, they blocked the passage perfectly.
Now they faced far fewer wolves at once. In the span of a few breaths, more than a dozen wolves were cut down.
Wolves’ dying cries rose and fell along with the thuds of their bodies.
“Good!”
“Hold here for a while.”
Ten Martial Artists stood shoulder to shoulder, sabers drawn, facing the wolf pack without fear.
Behind them, not far away, a bonfire crackled.
A wolf was roasting over it.
Two Martial Artists were turning the spit leisurely, brushing oil and sprinkling chili powder as though at a picnic.
A group of Quasi-Martial Artists sat nearby to rest. Captain Zhao Heiniu was among them.
Behind the crowd stood a figure dressed in white as snow, elegant and upright. She held a longbow in one hand, grasped four arrows at once in the other, and drew in swift succession.
Not a single arrow missed.
Wolves were struck and flung backward one after another.
Many lay already dead nearby.
What rank of archery was that?
Wangchuan’s heart trembled.
He finally understood why Captain Zhao Heiniu had said the rear required no concern.
With such an expert stationed there, how could wolves possibly get close?
The rear was as solid as a mountain.
At the front, after dozens more wolves were cut down, the wolves at the rear of the pack began to sense danger and showed signs of retreat.
“They want to run?”
“Kill them!”
“Leave none behind!”
Monk Dalong, drenched in blood like a monk who had broken his vows and clawed his way out of hell, gripped his Hundredfold Steel iron staff and charged out.
But only three followed him.
Two of the First-Rank Martial Artists who had guarded the front.
And Wangchuan, who had also reached First Rank.
Lin Xun, Instructor Yu, and the others had no strength left to pursue. They collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
Wangchuan activated Lightfoot on Grass. His steps were light, yet even he felt the strain. After cutting down three more wolves, the rest had already leapt out of the stronghold.
Unwilling to give up, he retrieved his iron-reinforced bow, grabbed a handful of arrows, and climbed to a higher position. He aimed at the fleeing wolves and unleashed a rapid volley.
Hundred Paces Piercing the Poplar!
He began hunting from the farthest wolves, ultimately leaving twelve more dead and pushing Hundred Paces Piercing the Poplar’s experience to 389/500.
The wolf pack retreated.
Blackwind Stronghold fell noticeably quieter.
Only when a gust of wind swept through did the overwhelming stench of blood strike their noses.
From his high vantage point, Wangchuan aimed at wolves that had not yet died and calmly finished them off, one arrow at a time.
Hundred Paces Piercing the Poplar’s experience soon climbed to 421/500.
“Who is that kid? So fierce?”
The group of Martial Artists nearby, seeing that Wangchuan still had energy left to finish off wolves, could not help but whisper among themselves.
“Wangchuan, newly advanced First-Rank Martial Artist.”
“So that is him? The Hall Master of the Yulong Gang in Huishui County?”
“That is right.”
“He is so young.”
“Lin Xun, I heard you personally recommended him. You have a good eye.”
When Lin Xun saw Wangchuan putting away his bow and walking over, he called out proactively,
“Come sit. Let me introduce you to the brothers of the Land-Clearing Team.”
A strip of dried meat was tossed to him.
Wangchuan caught it, took a fierce bite, and walked over.
Lin Xun began the introductions.
“Captain Zhang Xiaoxiao of the Third Land-Clearing Team. First-Rank Martial Artist. Her Second-Rank Three-Flower Sword Art has reached Entry-Level Mastery. Her strength is on par with Monk Dalong.”
“Captain Zhang,” Wangchuan greeted.
Zhang Xiaoxiao, in her early twenties, stood with sword in hand. Her skirt was stained red with blood, carrying the heroic air of a female warrior. She smiled. “Hall Master Su is too polite.”
She was courteous.
“Captain Qin Jinguo of the Second Land-Clearing Team. First-Rank Martial Artist. Gale Saber Art and Wind-Splitting Sword Art are both at Entry-Level Mastery. It is unclear which Second-Rank martial art he is cultivating now. I heard he is preparing to clear new territory alone and form a Fourth Land-Clearing Team.”
“Captain Qin,” Wangchuan nodded in greeting.
Qin Jinguo smiled.
“In the future, the Fourth Land-Clearing Team will need Hall Master Su’s support. Please take care of me.”
The status of a Yulong Gang Hall Master was not to be underestimated.
“I would not dare,” Wangchuan replied. “If Captain Qin supports my business, I will be deeply grateful.”
After some polite commercial flattery, the atmosphere lightened considerably.
The remaining four full-fledged Martial Artists were members of the Second and Third Teams. They had not yet advanced in rank and were naturally even more courteous, smiling broadly.
“Enough.”
“Since everyone has met, let us go see Captain Bai.”
At Monk Dalong’s call, everyone rose.
Dressed in white as snow, Bai Jingtang sat quietly on a grand armchair that no one knew where she had found. Her expression was serene, like a gentle girl next door. With her long sword, she idly stirred the bonfire.
“Captain Bai.”
They stood before her.
The two team captains and even the future captain appeared like students in her presence.
Wangchuan was both surprised and unsurprised.
Surprised, because Bai Jingtang appeared gentle and not especially stern.
Unsurprised, because she was a Third-Rank Martial Artist, her strength comparable to that of the Constable Captain of the Six Gates at the Prefectural Government.
It was said that Captain Bai had come here specifically to take time out of her own schedule to guide them.
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