"Golden hair—no, Arthur. I didn't expect him to be brought here too."
Yi Tianxing's pupils narrowed slightly. He recognized the blonde youth opposite him. Or rather, he had seen him before—long ago, during the World's First Martial Arts Tournament. It was Arthur. Undoubtedly, he was the so-called King Arthur from the Western human race.
From his aura, Arthur's cultivation was quite impressive—already at the Law Manifestation Realm.
However, he cultivated Battle Qi. In the Sea of Divinity realm, Battle Qi cultivators condensed vortices of energy. Nine vortices marked the peak of this realm. Advancing further into the Life Aperture realm, each vortex served as the core for a divine ability, imbuing their Battle Qi with special attributes. This made Battle Qi their fundamental strength. Its violent nature brought immense power but also caused severe damage to the body, shortening their lifespan—unlike Eastern cultivators, whose qi paths allowed for longevity and even immortality.
Moreover, the divine abilities they condensed were crude and explosively destructive.
Upon reaching the Life Map realm, they formed what was known as the Battle Qi War Map—a manifestation of their divine abilities. If this map were destroyed, it would deal a devastating blow to their foundations.
In the Law Manifestation Realm, their Battle Qi condensed into a Battle Soul. This Battle Soul granted immense combat power, akin to a walking god, able to unleash their divine abilities at will—forming what was known as the Battle Soul Domain.
At the Nascent Soul realm, they would form a Battle Deity. In Western lore, this marked the domain of legends—demigods—those on the path to true godhood. But reaching this stage was a rare feat.
At present, Arthur had clearly condensed a Battle Soul. His Battle Qi radiated ferocity, and the holy light from his cross-shaped sword strikes contained powerful sacred energy. His strikes weren't just fast—they had a devastating effect on evil forces. Sharp and unforgiving.
But now, the once-dashing Arthur looked utterly disheveled.
Clang! Clang! Clang!!
From the radiant slashes of his holy sword, one could see pitch-black war arrows emerging from the shadows. Each clashed with the sword light, erupting with terrifying arrow intent, as if endless darkness was engulfing everything.
The arrows collided with the sacred sword light and disintegrated together, presenting a grim and powerful spectacle. The arrow intent was so fierce that it seemed to swallow the holy light entirely—bringing with it an overwhelming pressure.
What made things worse was the cunning trajectory of the arrows. Some were blocked, but others pierced through the gaps in Arthur's defense. Had it not been for the enchanted armor he wore, he would have already been killed.
Still, Arthur was in dire straits.
Then, he caught sight of Yi Tianxing and his eyes lit up with sudden hope.
"It's him—I'm saved!"
Arthur, of course, knew Yi Tianxing. He had seen him at the World's First Martial Arts Tournament, and the memory of that vicious hellhound in his entourage haunted his nightmares. Anyone who could tame such a beast couldn't be forgotten easily. Later, he learned that Yi Tianxing had established the first Imperial Dynasty among humans. Now, the Great Yi Dynasty was a shining beacon of power.
Even on the Divine-Demon Battlefield, Yi Tianxing's reputation was fearsome.
Dragged mysteriously into this Death Maze, Arthur had all but given up hope. All the opponents here were elite geniuses from various races—each overwhelmingly powerful. Against a hidden archer, he was completely suppressed—unable to get close, nor escape. He was being kited to death. It was excruciating.
"Brother Yi Tianxing, help me! We're both human—you can't just watch me die here!"
His voice rang out, full of desperation and excitement. Seeing Yi Tianxing was like seeing a long-lost brother. He began rushing toward him—until he noticed the collapsing corridor behind Yi Tianxing. His eyes widened in shock, and his heart clenched.
This guy's crazy.
Everywhere he walked, the walls crumbled and the ground collapsed. How could one even think of escaping if the passage behind them kept getting destroyed?
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
At the same moment, the alien sharpshooters saw Yi Tianxing as well. Observing the destruction left in his wake, they instantly knew this man was a dangerous adversary.
Without hesitation, the arrows that had been bombarding Arthur shifted mid-air—now aimed directly at Yi Tianxing.
The sound of these arrows breaking through the air was almost inaudible—a silent kill. In an instant, nine arrows flew forth, sealing off the space around Yi Tianxing, each aimed at a vital point. The power of these arrows was undeniable—they radiated a terrifying dark arrow intent.
When faced with them, one felt a wave of darkness sweeping in, aiming to drown the body and even the soul.
"Not just one."
Yi Tianxing immediately sensed that there were two archers, not one. The arrow intents embedded in the shots differed—some slightly stronger, others weaker. Subtle, but distinguishable to someone like him. After all, his own arrow intent had reached the level of Three Tribulations Arrow Intent.
Scanning the area, he spotted two vague silhouettes hidden in the darkness. Even with his Innate Yin-Yang Eyes, he could only make out blurry outlines—proof of their exceptional stealth.
"Talismanic Divine Ability—Five Elements Barrier!!"
Without hesitation, Yi Tianxing summoned his Ten Thousand Talisman Banner, which appeared overhead. Instantly, a Five-Colored Barrier formed, enveloping him. The dark arrows slammed into it, sending ripples through the shield. Light flickered as the barrier's glow dimmed under the consuming pressure of the arrow intent.
Still, while the Five Elements Barrier weakened, it simultaneously depleted the arrow energy. Finally, both the shield and the arrows collapsed—neutralizing each other.
"Interesting. So, dark arrow intent can be condensed to this level. But since you shot at me—I must return the courtesy. Let me show you what real archery looks like."
Yi Tianxing's eyes gleamed with excitement.
The dark arrow intent had reached the Two Tribulations level, a mark of high mastery. But beyond intent, true archery also required skill. Facing another top-tier archer was rare—and exhilarating. Especially in a fight to the death.
He summoned the Falling Star Bow, gripping it tightly. A blood-red war arrow appeared—a Seven Kills Arrow—radiating fierce killing intent.
Without hesitation, he drew the bow.
It arched like a crescent moon.
In that moment, his invisible arrow intent locked onto his target—crossing time and space. This was the hallmark of a true godly archer: with a single draw, one could lock onto the target's very essence—the fate-thread of life and death.
Infusing the arrow with his Three Tribulations Arrow Intent, he didn't use any additional powers—only pure, refined intent. But the killing essence within made it akin to a Slaughter Arrow Intent.
Whoosh!
The arrow streaked forward—blood-red light tearing through the air.
It was fast—an indescribable speed. In the blink of an eye, it appeared before one of the hidden alien archers.
Caught off guard, the alien was visibly shaken. But he had his own countermeasures. A true archer knew how to evade arrows: by concealing their aura, deceiving the enemy's aim, and using Illusion Arrow Intent to mislead lock-on abilities.
This alien did exactly that.
His presence vanished. His body flickered, dodging and weaving within a limited space—avoiding the arrow's path like a shadow.
But it didn't work.
As the Seven Kills Arrow closed in, it suddenly exploded in blood-red light—splitting into seven arrows in an instant. They sealed off all paths of retreat—enveloping the alien entirely.
Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!
The transformation was too sudden. The alien had no time to react.
The arrows pierced through his body, shattering defenses, penetrating armor, and tearing through flesh and bone.