Chapter 3

Listen to the star steel?

Star steel refined from meteoric iron?

Meteoric iron is already an extremely rare material for weapons. Any ordinary iron sword or steel knife, when mixed with a bit of meteoric iron, will see its toughness and strength more than double. A weapon made entirely of meteoric iron would be able to cut through iron like butter. Star steel, on the other hand, is a supreme material that can only be refined from a hundred pounds of meteoric iron, making it a treasure of the world. Any piece of star steel is enough to cause a stir in the entire martial arts world. A piece of meteoric iron can be exchanged for ten thousand taels of gold, and a piece of star steel is simply priceless.

In the vast Tang Empire, apart from the current emperor, only the four great generals can possess weapons made of pure star steel. Could it be that General Ziyang gave his Ziting war saber to Zichen?

As the bag was completely untied, everyone discovered that it was not a saber but a bow—a long bow, entirely black, with no patterns, yet emitting a dark black glow. The entire bow was taller than a person, even taller than Zichen.

To use so much star steel to forge just such a long bow? This is not just extravagance, it's a waste of resources...

With so much star steel, how many supreme weapons could have been forged?

Now, it has been made into a long bow of little practical use. What else could this be but a waste of resources?

Indeed, in the eyes of everyone, such a long bow has little practical use. Star steel is tough, but not much more so than ordinary steel. To use such extravagant star steel to forge a long bow, its power would only be about twice that of other steel bows.

Apart from being luxurious, it can't have much practical use, can it? At least, none of them had ever heard of anyone using star steel to forge a long bow.

"A wastrel is indeed a wastrel, to use star steel to forge a long bow, what a waste of resources..."

"Exactly, does he think using star steel makes him not a waste?"

"A waste is a waste, even if given a supreme weapon, he would still be a waste..." At this moment, the surrounding generals began to murmur in ridicule. If they weren't on the city wall, fearing it would affect morale, they might have already shouted their ridicule loudly.

"Zichen, don't tell me you plan to use arrows to kill the enemy's immortal master?" Luo Yun, standing next to Ximen Zhan, looked at Zichen as if he were an idiot. The enemy's immortal master was under the command flag, several miles away. Even the giant crossbows on the city wall couldn't reach such a distance, let alone a bow.

"Of course, this bow is called 'Falling Star,' killing an immortal master is nothing..." Zichen said confidently, gently stroking the black bowstring.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the star steel, and no one noticed the thick bowstring. No one in the room, including Zichen, knew what the bowstring was made of.

They only knew that the bowstring was extremely tough, even a war saber made of star steel would have difficulty cutting it.

"Truly ignorant, the enemy's immortal master is at least five miles away. Even if this bow is made of star steel, how could it possibly shoot that far?" Luo Yun sneered.

"What do you know? Young Master Zi has never been on the battlefield, how would he know how far a mile is?" Liang Yin added sarcastically.

"Indeed, how could I forget that?" Luo Yun sneered as well.

Not just them, even Ximen Zhan felt a deep sense of doubt. This guy's so-called confidence is just such a long bow? He actually wants to use arrows to kill an immortal master several miles away?

Isn't this a fairy tale?

A regular bow has a range of fifty paces, a good one can reach a hundred paces, a stronger one might reach three or four hundred paces. Even the heavy crossbows on the city wall have a range of only a thousand paces, two miles. A long bow, even one made of star steel, how could it possibly shoot that far?

Even if it had such a range, aiming at a target so far away would be extremely difficult.

If the first shot misses, how could the enemy give him another chance to shoot?

Am I being too naive? To actually believe this kid's words?

"General, look, their immortal master is moving!" At this moment, someone shouted. Ximen Zhan turned to see the enemy's immortal master standing up, a powerful pressure emanating from the distance.

"Don't panic, he's dead..." Zichen said again.

"Damn waste, still talking big at this moment. If it weren't for you, how would we have no preparation?" Luo Yun roared, disregarding Zichen's status. If it weren't for this kid's recklessness yesterday, they might have had a chance to charge out. Now, even if they wanted to charge out, it was too late...

Faced with Luo Yun's roar, the ridicule of the crowd, and Ximen Zhan's disappointment, Zichen's face remained unchanged. In the angry gazes of the crowd, he pulled a pitch-black arrow from his quiver, also made of star steel, its black body emitting a dark black glow.

The cost of just this one arrow was more than ten thousand taels of gold.

Holding the massive bow in his hand, the cold star arrow in the other, Zichen's mind flashed with the image of his father's resolute face. It was his father who, because of Zichen's blocked meridians and inability to practice martial arts, climbed to the top of Lotus Mountain alone to seek a Meridian-Opening Pill for him. It was his father who, for twelve consecutive years, used his innate true qi to regulate Zichen's meridians. If not for this, he might have already broken through the peak Martial Master realm. It was his father who, to create this massive bow for him, disassembled his own Ziting war saber. It was his father who, to keep him away from the vortex of power struggles, sent him to the border.

Zichen had been in this strange world for twenty years. It was his father who gave him the most selfless love, making him feel attached to this strange world...

Father, I won't let you down...

A tear glistened in Zichen's eyes, then he suddenly lifted his head, his clear eyes looking at the immortal master several miles away who had just stood up to cast a spell. He then took a step forward.

With a "snap," the entire ground trembled. Then, he held the bow in his left hand, the arrow in his right, and pulled the string. The string, which required at least a thousand pounds of force to pull, was quickly drawn into a half-circle. Yes, with Zichen's three-thousand-pound strength in both arms, he could barely draw it to a half-circle, but even a half-circle was enough.

"Die..." Zichen growled, releasing the star arrow.

"Buzz..." Everyone heard this sound, then saw a black meteor streak across the sky, instantly appearing in front of the immortal master's forehead.

With a "swoosh," the black meteor instantly pierced the immortal master's forehead, directly penetrating his head, then flew another hundred meters, piercing through the bodies of dozens of cavalrymen, finally embedding itself in the chest of a cavalryman, sending him flying and colliding with several other cavalrymen before stopping...

The scene was silent. The immortal master, who was casting a spell, had his eyes wide open, a look of shock on his face. His fingers were still frozen in the air, his eyes still looking forward, but a large mass of white brain matter spurted from his forehead. Not only him, but every cavalryman pierced by the star arrow also spurted a jet of blood, falling to the ground one by one...

Everyone, whether the grassland demons or Ximen Zhan and his men on the city wall, looked at this scene in horror.

Especially Luo Yun, who was still in the midst of his roar, his mouth wide open, his eyes wide open, his ears still ringing. What kind of arrow was this?

It shot several miles? The command flag was at least five or six miles from the city wall, and this arrow shot that far, not only killing the immortal master but also killing over a dozen cavalrymen? How much power did this arrow have?

The strongest archers in the army could shoot arrows only three or four hundred paces, less than a mile. But Zichen's arrow shot that far? If it hadn't pierced through so many cavalrymen, it might have shot even further?

This...

This is the so-called waste?

A waste can shoot an arrow several miles?

Everyone's minds were blank. Even if Zichen were an immortal master, they wouldn't be this surprised. They never imagined that someone could shoot an arrow so far.

They also never imagined that a powerful immortal master could be killed by an arrow without any chance to resist.

This is too terrifying. Even a peak Martial Master, could they withstand such an arrow?

"Protect the prince..." Ximen Zhan and the others were still in shock when several Great Martial Masters around Wanyan Gu shouted. No one expected an arrow to shoot such a distance, several miles...

With such a terrifying archer, how could anyone be safe, even in the center of the army? Didn't they see the powerful immortal master die?

At this moment, Zichen had already grabbed another arrow, placed it on the bowstring, and looked at Wanyan Gu, who was still sitting under the command flag. Ignoring the torn flesh on his right hand, he drew the bowstring again and released it.

Another "buzz," another meteor streaked across the sky, heading straight for Wanyan Gu's face.

Wanyan Gu was still in shock, but the Great Martial Masters around him had already stepped in front of him. The first to step forward was his top warrior, Aguda.

Before Zichen shot the second arrow, he had already stood in front of Wanyan Gu. When Zichen shot the shocking arrow, he instinctively gripped his curved saber and swung it forward at full speed.

The star arrow was too fast, so fast that he didn't know what to do.

His true qi surged into the curved saber, and a huge blade glow appeared.

"Clang..." A crisp sound, the black arrow, like a deadly light, instantly broke his curved saber and pierced his chest. His chest armor, like paper, was instantly penetrated, then it continued to pierce the second Great Martial Master, followed by the third, and the fourth, who only managed to take a step, was pierced through the shoulder. Then the black meteor pierced Wanyan Gu's forehead, penetrated his head, and embedded itself in the command flag pole behind him, shattering the pole made of fine steel. The black arrow lost its momentum, fell to the ground, and buried itself in the soil.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..." Blood spurted from each person's body. Except for the fourth Great Martial Master, all the others, including Wanyan Gu, fell to the ground, their faces filled with shock and fear.

It seemed they couldn't believe the power of this arrow...

"Thud" Even the high command flag fell to the ground...

The people on the city wall all drew a deep breath...

One arrow to kill an immortal, one arrow to kill a king, such a feat, how domineering...

"General, the enemy's command flag has fallen, now is the time to attack, not later," Zichen said softly, looking at the fallen command flag in the distance.

Ximen Zhan finally came to his senses.

"Luo Yun..."

"Here!"

"I order you to lead three thousand Blue Robe Iron Cavalry from the main gate, and charge the center of the demon army..."

"Yes..." Luo Yun, his face filled with excitement, rushed down. Passing by Zichen, his gaze was now filled with reverence. Thinking about how he had called him a waste earlier, his heart trembled. If Zichen had shot him with an arrow? Luo Yun didn't dare to think about it...

"Liang Yin..."

"Here!"

"I order you to lead five thousand cavalry from the south gate, and sweep the right wing of the demon army..."

"Yes..." Liang Yin accepted the order and left...

"Lin Hu..."

"Here..."

"I order you to lead five thousand cavalry from the main gate, follow Luo Yun, and expand the victory..."

"Yes..." A tall and strong general accepted the order and was about to leave when Zichen called him back.

"General Lin..."

"What does Young Master Zi need?" At this moment, Lin Hu looked at Zichen with admiration, no longer with any contempt or ridicule.

"Please help me pick up the two arrows, they are very expensive..." Zichen looked almost exhausted. The two arrows had almost drained all his strength...

"Rest assured, Young Master Zi, I will definitely retrieve the divine arrows for you..." Lin Hu bowed respectfully to Zichen and quickly left.

Soon, all the generals on the city wall were assigned tasks by Ximen Zhan. Everyone began to get busy. The enemy's proud immortal master was dead, their commander, Prince Wanyan Gu, was dead, and the command flag had fallen. With the command flag down, the army's morale was scattered. This was the best time to pursue and expand the victory. If they didn't take advantage of this opportunity, Ximen Zhan wouldn't be called the Northwest Wolf.

Watching everyone get busy, Zichen leaned the massive bow against the wall, stood tall on the city wall, and looked into the distance, at the already defeated grassland demons, at the Tang Iron Cavalry slaughtering the demons like butchers, at the rising sun. His eyes shone with a fiery light.

The Tang Empire, whether the Tang in his memory or another Tang, from today on, the entire world will tremble because of my existence, Zichen...

The divine bow, Falling Star, can shoot immortals and kings. Why can't I, Zichen, be like the blazing sun in the sky, illuminating the world...

Those who bullied me, insulted me, and betrayed me, wait for my powerful return...

Heaven sent a war ancestor named Zichen,

His strength can move mountains and rivers, his spirit dominates the world,

With the divine bow in hand, he shatters the stars,

With his iron fist, he destroys immortals and gods!

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