Chapter Thirty-Three: The Bow Riders — Tolelia!

Wang Tian’s figure darted swiftly, launching an attack in an instant toward the two colossal forms. Against the corporeal one, his efforts had some effect, but when facing the phantoms, without exception, his strikes passed right through.

“So unfair?” he muttered, gritting his teeth as pain stabbed through his soul. He had no choice but to pull away to a safe distance. If he kept enduring that soul-wrenching assault, he would collapse before his foes did. The enemy was tough as iron; there was no hope of a quick resolution.

What Wang Tian didn’t know was that, at that moment, someone was rapidly approaching their battleground. The commotion they’d caused was impossible to ignore—after all, the Night Watchers were no idle bystanders.

A figure soared through the sky, clad only in gleaming silver armor—she hadn’t even taken the time to don her helmet. Fury was written plain upon her face.

“Utterly lawless!” she spat.

Catching sight of the two battling figures in the distance, she did not hesitate. Reaching behind her, she drew forth an enormous bow, its arc full as the moon, and pulled the string taut.

In the darkness, floating above the ground, her golden hair streamed behind her; she seemed a goddess descended to earth. Light radiated from her, turning night to day.

“Damn!” Wang Tian yelped, sensing a mortal danger. He leaped aside, just in time to evade.

Though Fang Yuan had lost all reason, his battle instincts remained terrifying. He tore a pillar from a nearby house and hurled it at the woman.

She merely snorted. An invisible arrow of light flew from her bow, shattering the pillar mid-air and continuing unimpeded toward Fang Yuan.

Unfazed, Fang Yuan leaped forward, caught the arrow in his grasp—and succeeded. But with nowhere to brace himself, the arrow’s immense force swept him off his feet, sending him crashing through building after building.

“Lawless transcendents!” the woman thundered, her anger mounting.

As the Agent of Light, Guardian of Ireland, and Saint of the Night Watchers, to see such destruction wrought before her very eyes was the gravest insult.

Without pause, she nocked another arrow and drew her bow.

Seeing this, Wang Tian dared not delay a moment longer. He turned and fled at once. This woman was a true terror; to linger meant certain disaster.

Spotting Wang Tian’s retreat, the woman did not hesitate—her next arrow of power was aimed directly at him.

A thunderous explosion echoed.

“Woman! You just wait!” Wang Tian’s anguished cry rang out from afar.

“Ow, my backside…” he groaned, falling silent.

With one foe dealt with, the woman turned her attention back to Fang Yuan.

“Hmm? Where did he go?”

To her bewilderment, Fang Yuan—who had just been within her senses—had vanished, along with the stench of blood she so despised.

“My lady!”

As she searched, armored White Knights began to appear, one after another.

“Seal the area. Arrest any suspicious transcendents!” she ordered coldly.

“Yes, ma’am!” The White Knights dispersed instantly.

At the same time, various onlookers who had gathered quietly slipped away. They had only come to see what was happening, never expecting to draw such wrath upon themselves. Most importantly, that woman was far too terrifying! With a single bow, only two arrows, she had driven the two combatants—who had been locked in bitter struggle—one to flee injured, the other to vanish entirely.

Who would dare provoke such a being?

“So this is the power of a Saint…” On a distant rooftop, Wen Feng and his companions watched, their hearts sinking. The greater a Saint’s strength, the worse it was for their own plans.

“This is trouble,” Wang Junfeng sighed.

“That’s the Bow Knight—also called the Saint of the Bow, Tolelia. She’s one of the resident Saints among the Night Watchers in the Royal City of Ireland. I didn’t realize she was this formidable.”

“Even though Fang Yuan ruined things this time, at least we’ve tested a Saint’s strength. That’s something,” Wen Feng said helplessly.

“With power at the peak of the Second Tier, even if we weren’t sealed, I doubt we could defeat her. Is this really a first-tier war world?”

“This place must be special. Otherwise, how could beings like the Grand Duchess of Aefisoya descend here and ask you to help her find something?” Wang Junfeng replied coolly.

“I wonder what’s become of Fang Yuan.”

Wen Feng was more concerned about Fang Yuan at this moment. He was a vital ally—if something happened to him, things would become much more complicated.

“I had Fang Yige get him out of the city. It’s far too dangerous to stay now,” Wang Junfeng explained. “If Fang Yige hadn’t arrived, we might have had to abandon Fang Yuan.”

He spoke with pragmatic realism. After all, they were united by mutual interest. Fang Yuan’s power was valuable, but none of them would risk their lives for him. Especially up against Tolelia, when victory was hardly assured—revealing themselves now was not an option. Fang Yuan’s impulsiveness was a genuine liability.

“Still, having an array master like Fang Yige is convenient—you can go wherever you please,” Wen Feng remarked enviously.

“And you never mention how your swordsmanship can shatter all spells?” Wang Junfeng rolled his eyes, though he secretly envied his childhood friend’s prowess.

Fang Yige hadn’t been in the city, but when he sensed the battle and realized it was Fang Yuan, he hurried over and teleported him out at the critical moment.

“But who was fighting Fang Yuan? He seemed impressive, to take on that giant in close combat.”

No one knew better than Wen Feng how formidable Fang Yuan was in melee—he hadn’t even used his full strength last time they fought.

“That was the King Breaker, a martial artist,” Wen Feng identified Wang Tian.

“That guy, huh,” Wang Junfeng replied, though he only knew the name. Lone wolves like themselves were rare in the Paradise; they respected one another, and without conflicting interests, maintained cordial relations.

“Should we try to recruit him?” Wen Feng suggested.

“He’s in the castle as well, probably has the same mission. He’s proud, but straightforward, and strong—a worthy ally.”

“Let’s try,” Wang Junfeng agreed. Seeing the power of a Saint firsthand was sobering enough. There were two openly in the city, and who knew how many more lurked in the shadows? They couldn’t afford to let any potential help slip away.

By now, the Night Watchers’ forces had fully mobilized throughout the city, ruthlessly hunting down all transcendents. Any who resisted were executed on the spot.

Things had truly soured. Occasional skirmishes were tolerated, but this was an all-out battle that had enraged a Saint—unforgivable.