Chapter 56: The Art of the Heavenly Pivot

Yunli slightly raised her chin, wearing a proud and haughty expression.

"That's only natural. I've been practicing archery since I was a child!"

Seeing his attack miss completely, Li Ning couldn't help but curse out loud.

"Damn it! What in the world is that woman's background? How can she be this powerful?!"

The time limit for his flight martial skill was about to expire, and Li Ning no longer hesitated, unleashing his ultimate technique.

With his hands pressed together, a massive fireball materialized in front of him.

At first, the fireball was only the size of a fist, but within three seconds, it swelled to the size of a grown man before hurtling toward the trio.

Having completed this strike, Li Ning descended from the high altitude, leaping back down to the ground.

The time limit for his flight martial skill had run out.

However, he was confident that his all-out attack was definitely something a Great Earth Master could never withstand.

He could simply go ahead and find the three corpses up ahead.

The colossal fireball shot toward the three of them. While its speed was slightly slower than before, its destructive power had multiplied manifold.

Yunli loosed two arrows in rapid succession, yet neither could detonate it; they merely weakened the fireball's might by a fraction.

At that very moment, Lu Xingchen activated the "Azure Cloud Wings," soaring up from behind the Netherworld Dragon and hovering mid-air.

Yunli was taken aback, shouting, "Lu Xingchen, have you lost your mind?!"

Lu Xingchen said in a deep, resolute voice, "If that fireball gets any closer to little You, all four of us will die. Instead of us all being wiped out together, let me try!"

Yunli's tone was laced with utter shock, "That is the full-strength attack of a Spirit Realm expert! How could you possibly block it?"

Lu Luochang was also gripped by agonizing pain as he yelled, "Little Chen, get back here!"

He only hated his own humble cultivation realm, unable to manifest battle qi wings to shield his son from this blow.

Ignoring their desperate shouts, Lu Xingchen faced the man-sized fireball and activated the "Heaven-Swallowing Art."

The aura emanating from his body climbed layer by layer, surging to the level of a five-star Great Earth Master in the span of just a few breaths.

Immediately afterward, Lu Xingchen executed the "Heaven-Obliterating Seal," followed by the activation of "Jade Shatters."

A white battle qi handprint materialized before him, then ruthlessly slammed into the fireball.

The two forces locked in a stalemate for a brief moment before erupting into a violent explosion.

The massive shockwave blasted Lu Xingchen backward through the air. He spat out a mouthful of blood as he tumbled into the distance.

Little You instantly whipped around, flying toward Lu Xingchen.

Finally, just as Lu Xingchen was about to plummet to the ground, Yunli leaped forward and caught him in her arms.

Down on the ground, Li Ning furrowed his brow as he observed the scene.

"Damn it, that Lu Xingchen really has guts! He actually dared to take my ultimate move head-on!"

"Though Lu Luochang managed to escape, being able to wipe out a Lu Xingchen with even greater potential means I still come out ahead."

With these thoughts, Li Ning abandoned the pursuit, turning around to walk toward Zigui City.

On Little You's back, Yunli gently cradled Lu Xingchen in her arms, asking with palpable anxiety, "Lu Xingchen, are you alright?"

Lu Xingchen coughed up another mouthful of blood, replying softly, "Don't worry, I won't die yet!"

With that, Lu Xingchen brushed his right thumb against his spatial ring, retrieving a tier-three Rejuvenation Pill and swallowing it in one gulp.

Yunli gazed at Lu Xingchen with eyes full of disbelief.

"To take the full-strength attack of a Spirit Realm expert head-on while only at the one-star Great Earth Master realm... Lu Xingchen, you are an absolute freak! Even more freakish than me!"

Lu Luochang was also beaming with profound gratification, laughing, "My son Xingchen possesses the bearing of a supreme emperor."

Lu Xingchen gave a faint smile, "It was merely luck."

There were multiple reasons why Lu Xingchen had managed to survive that strike.

First, Yunli's two feathered arrows had already sapped away a portion of the giant fireball's power.

Second, Lu Xingchen's "Devour" innate talent had directly neutralized half of the fireball's might.

Consequently, Li Ning's full-strength attack had been depleted to less than fifty percent.

Coupled with "Jade Shatters" and the "Heaven-Swallowing Art," Lu Xingchen was barely able to receive the blow.

Through this battle, he had personally experienced the formidable power of a Spirit Realm expert; without relying on cheats, victory was practically out of the question.

Yunli spoke in a solemn voice, "Lu Xingchen, you truly have given me a massive surprise. Someone resourceful and brave like you is a rarity even within the Cangxuan Sect."

"I've decided. From now on, I will do everything in my power to help you restore the Great Yan Kingdom. With you around, I believe the Great Yan Kingdom genuinely stands a chance at winning."

Lu Xingchen smiled faintly, "Thank you, Lady Yunli. In fact, I have a favor to ask of you right now."

Hearing this, Yunli was momentarily stunned.

"Speak. As long as it is within my capabilities, I will certainly help."

Lu Xingchen said gravely, "I wish to establish a squadron of archers entirely composed of Earth Masters, and I would like to ask you to help train them in archery. I've witnessed your archery skills with my own eyes—they are truly extraordinary."

Yunli narrowed her eyes, "You intend to use this archer squadron to counter the State of Tianhui's Earth Master brigade?"

Lu Xingchen chuckled softly, "Lady Yunli is truly clever, guessing it right away. I wonder if you are willing to assist?"

Yunli nodded firmly, "I can. While the Cangxuan Sect's exclusive secret techniques and archery styles cannot be passed on to outsiders, training a few hundred master archers is entirely feasible."

Lu Xingchen continued, "Before that, would you be able to teach me first? I genuinely envy your silent arrows and the ability to imbue martial skills into your projectiles. I swear I will never leak these secrets!"

At these words, Yunli frowned.

These techniques already fell under the category of top-secret materials belonging to the Cangxuan Sect, and logically speaking, they were not to be imparted to outsiders.

Yet, Yunli recalled the time they had spent together over the past few days.

Lu Xingchen was a fine man—brave, resourceful, ambitious, and deeply filial to his parents.

She could trust his word.

More importantly, Lu Xingchen's talent was simply too terrifying.

He even possessed a physique that grew stronger through combat, raising the possibility that he could become the human race's next God of War.

Though the probability was exceedingly slim, it was still worth investing in.

After pondering for a moment, Yunli said in a low voice, "Alright, I will teach you!"

"Hooray! Lady Yunli, you're the best!"

Lu Xingchen was ecstatic.

Even if he could only grasp a fraction of Yunli's archery mastery, his combat prowess would undergo a dramatic surge.

Yunli brushed her fingers over her spatial ring, causing a martial skill scroll to appear in her palm.

"This martial skill is named the 'Tianxuan Art.' It allows the user to attach martial skills onto feathered arrows, ranking as a low-grade Earth-tier technique. Take it for now, but you must return it to me once I head back to the Cangxuan Sect. Understood?"

Hearing this, Lu Xingchen was left in profound shock.

An Earth-tier martial skill!

Even if it was only a low-grade Earth-tier technique, it was still a priceless treasure.

Since he had been able to trade blows with a Spirit Realm expert simply by relying on the low-grade Earth-tier "Heaven-Obliterating Seal," the power of the "Tianxuan Art" could undoubtedly be expected to be immense.

Yunli truly was a wealthy young lady, casually giving away an Earth-tier martial skill just like that.

Needless to say, she must possess even superior martial skills in her possession.

He could slowly unlock her potential over time and leech off her benefits whenever possible.

"Extremely understood!"

Lu Xingchen smilingly accepted the scroll.

In an instant, all the information regarding the "Tianxuan Art" flooded into his mind.

Just as Yunli had mentioned, utilizing the "Tianxuan Art" allowed one to imbue martial skills onto arrows, though it required consuming thirty percent more battle qi.

This was only reasonable; after all, there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.