Chapter 57: Horsemanship

Everyone held their breath as they saw the feathered arrow strike dead center into the apple perched upon Xu Zhouyi's head.

Ning Yunshu tore the black silk blindfold from her eyes, and the ribbon drifted away into the distance on the wind.

Nangong Yafu muttered inwardly: "My son, you are truly kind and truly brave; I will not blame you for what you have done. How could I overlook my own negligence when it concerns future success or failure?"

To be honest, although the individual strength of these extraterrestrials was nothing to write home about, their technological prowess was simply terrifying to a degree.

"Die!" Unfortunately, Lu Chuan had somewhat overestimated the sanity of King Yama at this moment. Aside from barely being able to distinguish between friend and foe, King Yama could not understand a single excuse Lu Chuan offered, nor did he have any desire to do so.

In the distance, he spotted a patch of white substance drifting toward the end of the alley. As it drew closer, he realized it appeared to be a wisp of white mist. This fog seemed almost endowed with life; gathered together and refusing to disperse, it glided straight toward them silently and inexorably.

After the shadow departed, Qing Che turned his head, plunging his hand back into the lake to gently and rhythmically agitate the water. The previously calm surface of the lake stirred, blooming with layer upon layer of ripples. Reflected upon these ripples were one familiar figure after another. Qing Che gazed, lost in thought, at the scene mirrored within the lake.

Leaving the commando squad, Lu Yu flashed away, arriving in the blink of an eye near a ruined building a kilometer away. Judging by its exterior, it must have once been a fairly large local hotel.

A figure stepped into the entrance of the Serene Valley. Catching sight of people already inside, the newcomer sprang forward without a word, displaying exceptional lightness kung fu and adopting a stance to launch an attack upon Liang Yin, who was within the ruined bamboo cottage. With her back turned, Liang Yin was completely unaware of the approaching assailant, her mind occupied with other matters entirely.

As of now, he felt as though he had been reborn, completely sublimated to an entirely different plane. This transformation manifested not only in his physical body but even more profoundly in his state of mind.

Once again, a dense horde swarmed onto the shore, spearheaded by bizarrely mutated mermen, merfolk, and other semi-aquatic races acting as cannon fodder to draw the enemy's firepower. Meanwhile, the elite warriors of the Naga race seized the opportunity to storm the artillery emplacements and directly demolish the coastal defense guns that they feared so much.

"Who else could it be? It is bound to be one of the four major generals under that old fox, Yan Zhuang. Naturally, it cannot be Azure Face, which leaves the remaining three..." Guliang Naqi pondered aloud.

A silvery-gray barrier of light manifested around Xia Mingfeng's five-丈-tall physique. Grasping both arms of the zombie simultaneously, silvery-gray gas surged into them instantly before he delivered a ferocious stomp. A sharp cracking sound echoed, followed by another kick as his hands finally let go.

Strange! Old Jin was no fool; he was a seasoned veteran of the underworld. It was impossible that he failed to realize the meaning behind Ghost's shot—it was a warning. Yet why wasn't he afraid in the least? He was well-acquainted with Ghost's marksmanship, so logically speaking, Old Jin should not have dared to charge toward them again.

Time continued its slow, measured crawl, with more and more eyes casting their gazes here, as if this place were the embodiment of light—the long-awaited light of hope.

"Acting Director Sakura-ma, how are things over at headquarters?" Hachisuka asked impatiently the moment they met.

Viewed from afar, that pillar of light resembled a massive blade that pinned the gigantic avian beast firmly to the ground.

He was leaning against an ancient pine tree, gasping heavily for breath. Plumes of white vapor billowed continuously from his mouth, yet Chang Bao'er's eyes remained fixed intently upon the figure ahead.