Chapter Thirty-Four: The Pursuing Arrow

Murong Xun had no knowledge of any of this. Watching the strange creature collapse, he calmly drew his short sword and used his glove to collect the corpse. Guided by the mission, he had just arrived and hadn’t even begun searching before being attacked.

Yet all the assailants were diminutive, barely reaching the lowest level—frightening to ordinary people, but for him, they were dispatched in a single blow. Now, he left nothing behind, gathering every trophy; if the Primordial Glove provided feedback, he’d profit greatly.

He stood in a derelict steel mill, clearly abandoned without much relocation—machines still in place, but now coated in rust. Surveying his surroundings, Murong Xun advanced with caution. Though cold by nature, he was far from reckless. In a place akin to a nest of the bizarre, one careless step could mean an unknown demise.

After all, he was still a mere mortal, albeit with enhanced physical prowess—dealing with tangible foes was manageable, but the intangible ones posed a real threat.

A strange screech echoed through the empty factory, grating on the nerves like claws raking over something. Murong Xun frowned, took out two talisman papers, crumpled them, and stuffed them into his ears. The noise persisted but was much weaker now, making it bearable.

A shadow darted swiftly overhead. Murong Xun spun around, but found nothing. He sheathed his short sword in the scabbard sewn into his coat and now held a great bow.

An arrow flew, igniting a trail of fire within the factory, but nothing more. Murong Xun frowned—his usual unerring aim had failed him for the first time. He had indeed fired at the shadow, so the arrow should have struck its mark, yet the figure had slipped away, leaving only its former position for the arrow to lock onto—thus, it missed.

“Found you!” a shrill voice called out.

Murong Xun turned, firing arrow after arrow in several directions, but none found their target.

“It’s useless. Even when Li Jing was around, this bow couldn’t hit me—let alone you, who can’t even shoot properly!” mocked the voice. “It’s wasted in your hands!”

As the words faded, a powerful force struck Murong Xun’s back, causing him to stagger.

“Hey, kid, you can’t afford to be distracted in a fight!” The voice shifted locations, its tone tinged with curiosity. “You seem like a rookie, lacking any skills. How could you possibly have killed Li Jing? Tell me who your accomplice is, and I’ll make it quick for you.”

Murong Xun said nothing, ignoring the taunts. Instead, he closed his eyes. At this moment, his formidable mental strength allowed him to faintly sense his adversary’s presence—his eyes and ears only muddled this perception.

He stood quietly, drawing the bow but holding his shot. As he infused the arrow with his ability, he felt a refreshing stream of energy from his mind pour into the arrow.

“How is this possible?” The shrill voice cried out in disbelief as a blue glow enveloped the once ordinary arrow. “You can’t shoot—did you somehow acquire Li Jing’s archery secrets?”

Murong Xun offered no reply. Guided by instinct, he fired an arrow in one direction. Not stopping there, he infused each arrow with a measured dose of cool energy, shooting five in quick succession.

“Damn!” The shrill voice, now stripped of its earlier mockery, howled as a black shadow darted from the factory, pursued by five streaks of blue light.

Murong Xun opened his eyes and rubbed his temples. Though slightly fatigued, a faint smile graced his lips.

“So that’s how it works!” Despite the expenditure of mental energy, he felt as if he had discovered a new continent.

[You have discovered the application of mental force and can now skillfully integrate it into your attacks. Congratulations, your archery has reached Entry Level 1!]

Yet more crucial was the second notification.

[Congratulations, you have unlocked a new domain: you can now infuse mental energy into your arrows, combining it with your unerring attack—locking onto your target, relentless until it hits!]

Previously, his unerring attack merely locked onto the opponent’s location—a general range—but if the enemy moved rapidly like the shadow earlier, the lock was useless. Now, with the addition of mental force, it worked like a radar: relentless pursuit until the target was struck.

Though the cost was significant—ten points of mental energy per arrow—the effect was worth every bit.

Remembering that his pursuer was closing in, Murong Xun quickly left the factory.

Meanwhile, the shadow dashed outside, shouting and clamoring, “Boss, boss, help! Save me!”

He ran wildly, constantly shifting his position, but no matter how he moved, the arrows trailed him like shadows—never closing the distance, but never falling behind.

Several people emerged from different directions. Seeing the shadow chased to tears, they couldn’t help but be both amused and annoyed.

“Monkey, you’ve been through several worlds, nearly at the threshold of the first tier—how can you be scared by a few arrows?”

Initially, they thought something serious had happened and rushed out to help, only to find Monkey being tracked by a few energy arrows imbued with weak power.

With their strength, there was nothing to fear.

It was utterly ridiculous.

“Right!” Monkey suddenly realized—Murong Xun wasn’t Li Jing, and the arrows he shot were the most basic type, with minimal energy. Even if he stood still, his defense would prevent them from penetrating. He’d simply been conditioned by the harsh training under Li Jing, subconsciously reacting as if facing a deadly attack.

Now reminded, he stopped, casually smashed the arrows with a knife, and flashed a look of annoyance—he’d made a fool of himself in front of his teammates.

“Did you find him?” Tang Ao cared little for these antics, focusing only on the important matter.

“He’s in there,” Monkey pointed to the steel mill he had fled from.

Tang Ao signaled to the others.

Following the paper bird’s guidance, they had come to this area, but once its effect wore off, they wandered aimlessly, searching like headless flies for some time.