Book 2: Chapter 17: Hacking Down With the Sword, Hiding In the Wind

Pa!

Even though he knew that the black armor on him was extremely sturdy, that there was no way it could be penetrated, the blunt force of the ‘Black Flower’ Pike smashing down on his armor still made Lin Xi’s entire body go cold.

The force of the impact from the spear point quickly spread into his chest. Following a muffled groan, Lin Xi continuously backed up three steps. His body buckled, a bloody taste filling his mouth.

The Black Rose armored Jiang Xiaoyi also took two steps back. He couldn’t help but feel a bit of admiration towards this opponent with the Silver Fox symbol.

From the other party’s rigid blade grip and movements, Jiang Xiaoyi could clearly tell that this opponent never underwent any martial skill training prior to entering the academy, completely different from him who came from a city supervisor family. However, after enduring a combination of attacks, his opponent actually had the mental fortitude to counterattack with everything he had; this type of bravery and calmness was not something a normal person could achieve.

Under his evasive movements, even though Lin Xi’s attack only struck his left shoulder, the pain still momentarily prevented his left arm from holding the spear.

“What department are you from?” Right at this time, Jiang Xiaoyi unexpectedly heard the other party ask while coughing, his voice distorted extremely strangely under the mask’s effects.

Due to the respect he felt for the other party, after a bit of hesitation, Jiang Xiaoyi seriously replied, “Natural Arts Department.”

However, what made the eyes behind the silver mask immediately widen, curse out ‘coward’, was that the other party actually didn’t wait for him to reply, instead turning around to run.

…

Lin Xi gripped the black border army long blade, frantically running through the mountain forest. He was breathing heavily like a windbox, coughing continuously.

The previous exchange already allowed him to see that this Jiang Xiaoyi was rather adept at using ‘Black Flower’, which was why in that extremely unfavorable situation, he immediately chose to run. However, his choice to run wasn’t because of the reason Jiang Xiaoyi imagined, not purely out of cowardness.

Soul force had a set amount of a soothing effect on the body, so he wanted to buy himself a bit of time to at least catch his breath.

The most crucial thing was that the other party clearly already won at least one battle, so the more both sides’ soul force was consumed, the more favorable it would be for Lin Xi.

En?

However, after running for just a bit, Lin Xi felt like something wasn’t quite right. He took a deep breath and then stopped.

There was already no trace of Jiang Xiaoyi behind him. Meanwhile, from the resentful ‘Coward!’ Jiang Xiaoyi shouted out, and how he immediately began to chase after him, there was no way he would just let him go, let this chance to withdraw from the battlefield with five pentagon emblems go.

“You thought you could escape?”

Sure enough, a somewhat panting cold shout soon sounded, filled with contempt. The black spear wielding Jiang Xiaoyi appeared from the left.

Originally, Lin Xi should have been greatly alarmed, but he just happened to see something not far out in the thicket that made him excited, his entire body shaking slightly.

On a thorn tree with unknown small red fruits was a black longbow, as well as a quiver of black arrows.

“I originally wanted to run for a bit, but now, I don’t want to run anymore.” When he saw Jiang Xiaoyi emerge from the forest, Lin Xi said with a smile.

Jiang Xiaoyi’s brows jumped. Lin Xi’s strange behavior made him notice the black longbow and quiver of arrows as well. However, what he didn’t understand was that this fella clearly never received any martial skill training before entering the academy. Don’t tell me, he really thought he could defeat his opponent just because he got his hands on a bow?

Could it be that he believed that anyone who obtained a bow could shoot down their opponent?

However, Lin Xi didn’t show any hesitation, directly stabbing the black long blade into the ground next to him. He charged forward, seizing that black long bow with his left hand, at the same time drawing a black arrow in an extremely smooth manner.

This was the local army’s most commonly seen black horned  longbow. It was made from bow horns, rock poplar wood, and the back muscles of a bull, a bit heavier than the hard poplar bow Lin Xi was normally used to in training. This was also the first time Lin Xi used a bow in battle, but perhaps precisely because of this bit of weight and the already formed habits from his normal training, Lin Xi actually didn’t feel the slightest bit of nervousness. His eyes locked onto his target, he added an arrow, drew the bow string, and then fired, everything done in a smooth motion.

Jiang Xiaoyi who already charged at Lin Xi powerfully with the pike in hand suddenly felt his mind go cold, his entire body unable to help but become a bit sluggish.

Lin Xi’s motions were extremely skillful, displaying a type of flowing aesthetic.

Weng!

The moment his pupils contracted, the bowstring trembled lightly. A black arrow already left the bow.

Bang!

Before he could react in time, the black arrow already smashed heavily into his chest. Jiang Xiaoyi looked towards his own chest in a bit of disbelief, but the feeling of intense pain made his footsteps pause slightly.

Weng!

Lin Xi’s second arrow flew outwards.

The distance between himself and Jiang Xiaoyi was less than fifty steps; in this type of situation, he already had an absolute advantage. This was why the second arrow didn’t have any fine adjustments made, only pursuing power and speed.

Bang!

In the local armies, ordinary soldiers needed to experience at least half a year of training before they could draw the black horn strength bow. However, when drawn by Lin Xi who was now already a cultivator with just two fingers, the arrow still displayed astonishing power. Even though it similarly couldn’t smash through the black armor, when it struck Jiang Xiaoyi’s chest, a tremendous explosion sound could be heard, the powerful impact making the arrowhead instantly break off from the shaft. Jiang Xiaoyi released a muffled groan of pain, his left hand holding his chest, body taking half a step back.

When he saw that this world’s powerful archery wasn’t purely reliant on advantageous positioning, containing great strength itself, Lin Xi felt even more excited. In an extremely natural and flowing style, the third arrow was pinched between his fingers, added to the bow, and then immediately fired, forming a complete cycle.

Roar!

Jiang Xiaoyi released a ferocious roar, leaping out like a mad tiger.

However, what made his arms and legs go ice-cold was that Lin Xi wasn’t affected at all, the hands holding the arrow still terrifyingly stable.

Weng!

After a slight adjustment, a black arrow shot out as fast as lightning, smashing fiercely into his chest once again.

The intense pain made it impossible for Jiang Xiaoyi to breathe. He decided he might as well give up on breathing. He held his breath and adjusted his stance, trying to close the distance.

However, Lin Xi’s stability and speed immediately left him in despair.

Weng!

The fourth arrow immediately smashed into his flank, making his entire body buckle.

When he saw how this formidable opponent was acting, Lin Xi felt more and more excited. He even completely forgot about the form he painstakingly pursued, within his eyes only the black arrows he shot out and the enemy’s figure.

Weng!

Weng!

Weng!

…

Arrows flew out like heavy black fists, smashing into Jiang Xiaoyi’s body, the explosion sounds absolutely deafening as they smashed into the black armor. A student who wasn’t too far off quietly approached, this black-armored individual with a White Bear symbol on his chest wielding dual swords. Originally, he wanted to take advantage of the situation to prey on two already wounded students, but when he only stuck his head out a bit from the distant mountain forest, seeing Lin Xi’s graceful and beautiful firing motions, as well as Jiang Xiaoyi rolling on the ground in misery from being shot at, this student’s face immediately turned pale, quickly withdrawing, completely disappearing into this mountain forest.

As black arrows flew through the wind, unknowingly, Lin Xi’s rate of firing arrows was also increasing in a linear manner.

The arrow he fired began to aim at Jiang Xiaoyi’s arms and legs with precision, the wind sounds produced by the arrows making him feel more and more carefree.

“I admit defeat!”

Jiang Xiaoyi completely gave up resistance. He threw aside the spear in his hands, full of endless pain and helplessness as he fell on the ground.

Why was this Silver Fox symbol opponent such a formidable archer?

He was a formidable archer, so why did he not undergo any combat training?

His entire body felt like it was splitting apart from the pain Lin Xi’s arrows delivered, especially his thighs that each suffered an arrow… if this continued, he might not even be able to run, could only run around here, wait for a lecturer to bring him out from the valley.

“You admit defeat?” 

Lin Xi, who was enthusiastically shooting arrows, treating Jiang Xiaoyi as a live target, was a bit stunned. Before he could even react, he saw Jiang Xiaoyi throw aside the Black Flower Pike in his hands, removing one of his pentagon emblems, throwing it over.

When he saw the golden pentagon emblem land on the ground, confirming that the other party really did surrender, Lin Xi placed the black horn bow and the half quiver of arrows left on his back. After pulling out the black border army long blade out of the ground as well, only then did Lin Xi pick up the golden pentagon emblem on the ground, sticking it into his left shoulder, thus turning around to leave.

Jiang Xiaoyi only managed to sit up from the ground through great willpower, enduring the penetrating pain that attacked from every part of his body. He looked at Lin Xi who obtained the golden pentagon emblem from him, with a voice full of confusion and unwillingness, he shouted, “What department are you from?”

Lin Xi, who had a blade in hand, a long bow on his back, was currently secretly rubbing the two fingers on his right hand. When he heard Jiang Xiaoyi’s words, he hesitated a bit. Not even telling someone he defeated his department seemed a bit too cruel, but when he thought about how he still had to help keep Bian Linghan’s secret of being a windstalker, he ultimately still decided to pretend as if he didn’t hear anything, walking out of Jiang Xiaoyi’s line of sight.

As he silently walked in the forest, when he looked at the golden pentagon emblem that was added to his left shoulder, as well as his right arm that had some skill in shooting arrows, the corners of Lin Xi’s lips couldn’t help but produce a hint of a smile.

Seeing how his performance just now couldn’t be considered too shameful, and that he still had half a quiver of arrows that hadn’t been completely shot yet, he might as well go for five emblems, right?

After looking all around him, he found a vine to bind the long blade onto his body as well. Then, using his arms and legs, he crawled onto a large tree full of branches and leaves, hiding himself.

This forest immediately became extremely quiet, with only the sound of wind passing through this place.

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