The atmosphere suddenly became heavy, and the air seemed to become oppressive.
Rainwater continuously dripped into Chen Shouyi's eyes, like sand had gotten in them, irritating and painful, but he didn't dare to blink.
He held the strong bow, aiming for a long time, yet he didn't release the arrow.
At this moment, the canoe was still about a hundred and fifty meters away. At such a distance, factors like gravity and various environmental elements in the air needed precise calculations.
Especially now, with the heavy rain causing severe interference, he had not a bit of confidence.
Even during normal training, he had never shot over such a long distance.
After weighing the situation for a moment, he decided to give up.
Just as Chen Shouyi released the bowstring, that tall barbarian moved instantly.
He quickly pulled out a short spear about a meter long and as thick as a child's arm from his back, and hurled it forcefully at him once more.
A tiny dot rapidly grew larger, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound in the air, rushing toward him like a rocket; fortunately, this time, Chen Shouyi was not caught off guard like last time, and he instinctively sidestepped to the left, easily avoiding it.
The short spear plunged heavily into the sand, blasting out a small crater, sending countless grains of sand scattering, stinging his face.
Chen Shouyi's expression grew serious.
This barbarian's strength was terrifying, at least two or even three times his own.
His heart pounded fiercely as he quickly retreated, all the while searching for cover with the corner of his eye.
He couldn't run; if he ran now, he would die even faster.
Under the sporadic threat of that strong barbarian's short spear, it was utterly impossible for him to run back to the passageway without distractions.
He soon discovered a rock nearby.
He quickly took a few steps and crouched down behind the rock.
The rock was only about a meter high and one and a half meters long. After countless days and nights' impact by the tides, its surface was smooth and hard. Although not large, it was enough for cover.
As soon as he crouched down, a loud bang reached his ears. The rock vibrated slightly, and wood chips rained down on his head.
He quickly peeked out, then turned and sat against the rock.
Breathing like a bull!
Nervous, anxious, fearful, yet with a thrill like walking a tightrope over a thousand-foot cliff.
Chen Shouyi couldn't help but feel the urge to pee.
"Damn! Damn! Damn!"
"How did things turn out like this?"
Just a minute ago, his life was so peaceful, he thought it would continue like that forever.
But everything changed, and his life hung by a thread.
If not for how vivid everything felt, he'd suspect he was dreaming, trapped in a horrible nightmare!
He gripped the strong bow in one hand, an arrow in the other, leaning his head against the rock, eyes closed, letting the rain pour over him!
Time seemed to crawl, with every second feeling like an eternity for Chen Shouyi.
Yet at the same time, he wished time could stretch on like this forever.
The attacks suddenly stopped, and he realized he hadn't heard that sharp whistling sound for a long time.
He kept his eyes closed, quietly listening to the sounds outside, not missing a single note.
But the chaotic sound of the torrential rain outside drowned out everything, and he didn't hear any useful information.
Until, after more than ten seconds, a faint splash sound reached his ears.
Soon after, he heard a second splash, a third... a total of six sounds.
Six barbarians had jumped off the canoe.
His breathing quickened, and he immediately moved from sitting to a crouch.
He didn't rashly sneak a peek nor attack hastily.
Because the distance was simply too great, he had no confidence.
Silently counting in his mind, Chen Shouyi lost track halfway, a sudden daze making him forget the previous number.
"Damn it, keep calm, damn it!"
Chen Shouyi slapped himself hard, leaving a red mark on his face.
The sharp pain brought him back to his senses, and he restarted counting.
Until he reached twenty.
He took a few deep breaths, quickly nocked an arrow and drew the strong bow, stood up from behind the rock, and with a glance saw the tall barbarian wading through waist-high seawater.
In fact, this tall, strong barbarian had been watching here intently, prepared to attack the moment Chen Shouyi showed himself.
Their gazes met in an instant.
In a flash, Chen Shouyi released the bowstring, and the barbarian simultaneously hurled the long spear in his hand.
Their responses seemed equally matched, but in fact, one was already prepared, just waiting to release the bowstring, while the other was hastily reacting after spotting the target.
One involved a brief release, the other at least three lengthy movements, making Chen Shouyi's reaction noticeably slower.
At this point, they were about sixty meters apart, a distance covered in the blink of an eye.
Chen Shouyi didn't check the result, only ducked his head down instinctively, and the short spear crashed into the rock.
He didn't check the result, quickly nocked another arrow, drew the bowstring, counted to one, then stood up and swiftly released another arrow.
He ducked behind the rock again.
This time the retaliating short spears increased to six, with the other five barbarians also throwing attacks. The short spears rained down like a storm, with one almost piercing through his exposed foot.
He quickly retracted his body.
Chen Shouyi felt a sinking in his heart as he realized he had shot two arrows, yet the tall barbarian remained unscathed; either expertly dodged or knocked away, but either result wasn't promising for him.
Time was running out.
Growing more anxious inside.
Once they crossed the sea, sword combat would be his only option.
However, facing six barbarians, especially the mighty one, no matter how confident he was, he didn't dare believe he could win; their terrifying physical strength was enough to crush him.
Moreover, the last two canoes were close to running aground.
"A strategy shift is needed!"
His mind raced, then suddenly he stretched out and fired an arrow.
A short, muffled grunt.
Followed by an angry roar in his ears.
"Finally, one's dead!"
Yet he felt no joy, as he hadn't shot the tall burly barbarian; two failed attempts made him decide to first clip the wings before tackling the strongest barbarian.
Once the barbarians' counterattack subsided, he leaned out again and swiftly let loose another arrow.
A muffled sound came again.
...
Except for the strong tall barbarian, the other barbarians clearly weren't as formidable.
One of them managed to dodge an arrow, wasting a shot.
No more surprises occurred. After six consecutive shots, the last strong barbarian left on the second canoe was now furious, his face twisted.
The veins on his neck twisted like earthworms, his muscles swelled, straining with each step.
The terrifying power caused the seawater to splash loudly, creating waves.
Eventually, he even began running in the water, his speed increasing.
Chen Shouyi hadn't moved for a long time, simply squatting behind the rock, quietly listening.
At the true moment of life and death, his previous agitation and fear strangely vanished, replaced by a profound calm.
His breathing became steady, and his gaze sharper.
Listening intently, the sound of water growing louder and closer, the rhythm quickened to match that of a normal person's running pace.
He could even faintly hear the barbarian's bull-like gasps!
He slightly closed his eyes, and a second later, abruptly opened them, moving with the speed of the wind, standing up sharply.
Without any close observation, he released the bowstring, relying solely on instinct, and instantly shot an arrow.
The short distance of just over twenty meters was negligible for the five-hundred-pound strong bow.
The running barbarian barely managed to shift his body slightly when an arrow pierced his chest. His eyes widened in disbelief, trembling hand reaching as if to extract the arrow.
But the next moment, another arrow swiftly penetrated his skull.
He staggered, and his impossibly strong body fell heavily.
...
At this moment, the other two canoes just barely ran ashore; one barbarian was about to jump into the sea when he witnessed this scene, struck as if by lightning:
"Clan Leader! The Clan Leader is dead!"
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