Ruling Martial World by Infinite Insect Swarms

Chapter 17: Chapter 16: Three Arrows to Subdue the Demon

”ROAR!”

The Blazing Flame Tiger Demon roared. Tangible soundwaves rippled outward. Zhang Shun, who had just sliced open a gash on the Tiger Demon’s body, let out a cold grunt as the Qi Blood within him surged wildly.

An ordinary tiger’s roar could echo for miles and force beasts into submission, but this Blazing Flame Tiger Demon’s roar could literally shock Martial Artists to death. It was already bordering on Divine Techniques.

The moment Zhang Shun retreated, a blast of scorching flame spewed from the Blazing Flame Tiger Demon’s mouth, sweeping directly toward him.

”Not good!” he realized.

Zhang Shun, half a beat too slow, turned pale. Much of the flame lashed across him, rapidly draining his Qi and Blood Power. The towering phantom of Qi Blood that had erupted from him immediately thinned.

As he explosively retreated to evade the rest of the flames, a trace of hesitation and struggle flashed across his face. He instinctively reached for a bottle of elixirs hidden in his robes.

The Blood Burst Pill! It was a desperation drug used by the Demon Suppression Bureau. Consuming it would cause one’s Qi Blood to skyrocket for fifteen minutes, temporarily boosting their strength by an entire tier. However, the consequences were incredibly severe. Being bedridden for half a year was getting off lightly; it would also leave behind severe lingering side effects. It was a treasure meant only for absolute life-or-death scenarios.

”I was too careless,” he thought.

He had secretly scouted this Demon’s Nest before. He originally believed he could forcefully slay this Great Demon that had just broken through to the Qi and Blood Realm. He never expected its strength to reach such a terrifying level. Even a veteran Martial Artist like himself—who had been in the Qi and Blood Realm for years, achieved Qi and Blood Perfection, and was on the verge of breaking through to Qi and Blood Like a Tiger—was no match for it! It was simply unbelievable.

”I have to risk it all!” he resolved.

Zhang Shun gritted his teeth. His eyes turned cold as he prepared to pop the Blood Burst Pill into his mouth. Suddenly, Xu Chen’s low shout rang out from behind him.

”Combat Plan Three!”

Zhang Shun furrowed his brows. This was one of the prearranged tactical plans their squad had agreed upon: he would draw the enemy’s attention while Xu Chen launched long-range attacks. Xu Chen was holding three Rune Armor-Breaking Arrows, which their squad had spent a fortune in Merit Points to purchase. They could genuinely injure the Blazing Flame Tiger Demon.

However, despite its massive size, the Tiger Demon was incredibly agile. Landing a hit wouldn’t be easy, and the Rune Armor-Breaking Arrows were far too slender. They were fine for killing humans. But given the Blazing Flame Tiger Demon’s sheer bulk, unless the arrows struck a vital spot, they would only inflict minor wounds that wouldn’t affect the overall battle.

He couldn’t help but glance back, only to see that Xu Chen hadn’t drawn his bow and arrow at all. Instead, he was gripping his Long Saber, standing guard in front of Qin Yu.

”Are those three Rune Armor-Breaking Arrows in Qin Yu’s hands?” Zhang Shun wondered.

”The Microscopic Arrow!”

Qin Yu’s terrifying Archery Skill flashed through his mind—shooting over a dozen arrows in the blink of an eye, with each shot instantly killing a massive Demon Fiend. If it hadn’t been for Qin Yu, the Martial Artists of Cyan Peak County would likely have been routed long ago!

”I’ll take the gamble!” he decided.

He made a split-second decision in his heart. If Qin Yu failed to achieve anything, it wouldn’t be too late to consume the Blood Burst Pill and fight to the death.

Instead of retreating, Zhang Shun pushed off a tree trunk and charged fiercely toward the Blazing Flame Tiger Demon.

”Sky-Splitting Slash!”

Despite having depleted most of his Qi and Blood Power, Zhang Shun unleashed another strike. A saber beam, easily ten feet long, tore through the air with a piercing howl.

A flash of fury crossed the eyes of the Blazing Flame Tiger Demon, which had been planning to pursue. Yet, it had no choice but to dodge. Out of all the human Martial Artists, Zhang Shun was the only one it truly feared. Relying on its thick hide and robust flesh, it had gained the upper hand, but one moment of carelessness could still cost it its life!

SLASH!

The sickening sound of the saber beam ripping through flesh echoed. Zhang Shun pressed his advantage, closing in as if trying to seize the opportunity to sever its head.

However, the fury in the Blazing Flame Tiger Demon’s eyes shifted into mockery. Did he really dare to face it head-on? This human was courting death!

With a massive chunk of its flesh torn open, the Blazing Flame Tiger Demon swiped down with its gigantic Tiger Claw. It clashed against the Long Saber, producing a deafening screech of colliding metal.

Zhang Shun’s body convulsed. He was sent flying backward, violently coughing up a mouthful of blood.

”Now’s the chance!” he thought.

Within the Insect Nest, endless streams of battlefield data flowed frantically. The world in Qin Yu’s eyes seemed to slow down to a crawl. Through the multiple visual feeds of the surrounding Rapid Insects and the Red-bellied Eagle high above, every single detail of the Blazing Flame Tiger Demon was fully exposed to him. Every possible combat outcome had been thoroughly analyzed.

Qin Yu finally moved.

One bow, three arrows! Qin Yu gripped three black Rune Armor-Breaking Arrows simultaneously.

”Wind-Chasing Linked Pearl Arrows!”

SWISH!

A black arrow shot explosively toward the Blazing Flame Tiger Demon’s eye. Almost the exact instant the first arrow left the string, the second arrow was fired, sealing off the Blazing Flame Tiger Demon’s retreat. Then came the third arrow!

All three arrows were launched in rapid succession, yet their targets were entirely different. This was the ultimate profound mystery of the Qin Family’s Wind Chasing Arrow manual—the Wind-Chasing Linked Pearl Arrows. When trained to Great Success, one could seamlessly loose nine arrows in a single breath!

ROAR!

The Blazing Flame Tiger Demon roared, spotting the incoming arrows the moment Qin Yu fired them. Among all the humans, it feared Zhang Shun the most! Zhang Shun had the capability to kill it, but immediately following him was Qin Yu. That sublime Archery was far too astonishing.

Even with its thick hide and robust flesh, its vulnerable spots like the eyes and throat would be severely injured without the protection of its flames. Even it couldn’t maintain a full-body flame barrier for long; the toll was simply too immense.

Seeing the sharp arrows flying toward it, the Blazing Flame Tiger Demon flared the flames across its body. After tilting its head to protect its vital eyes and throat, it completely ignored the projectiles and continued its pursuit of Zhang Shun.

As long as it killed Zhang Shun, the rest of the human Martial Artists would die!

SWISH!

The black Rune Armor-Breaking Arrow tore through the air and slammed into the blazing shield around the Blazing Flame Tiger Demon’s head. Suddenly, a terrifying realization dawned upon the beast. The very instant its flame—infused with Demon Power—came into contact with the Rune Armor-Breaking Arrow, the runes etched into the arrowhead seemingly began to flow.

It effortlessly ripped through the fire, slicing through it like a hot knife through butter.

SQUELCH!

The first black Rune Armor-Breaking Arrow struck the Tiger Demon’s skull. It penetrated half a foot deep before getting lodged in the incredibly tough bone. Having narrowly survived disaster, the Blazing Flame Tiger Demon scrambled backward frantically. How could it dare to tank another hit head-on?

But it was too late!

Backed by the immense computing power of the Insect Nest, the second Rune Armor-Breaking Arrow completely sealed off its escape route.

In the blink of an eye, the third black Rune Armor-Breaking Arrow pierced through the curled, open wound on the side of the Tiger Demon’s neck at an extremely tricky angle. The entire Armor-Breaking Arrow passed clean through its flesh and buried itself directly into the Blazing Flame Tiger Demon’s heart.

”ROAR—”

The Blazing Flame Tiger Demon let out a shrill, mournful wail and violently spewed a mouthful of blood. Its massive frame swayed unsteadily before crashing heavily to the ground.

”It’s dead?”

Zhang Shun, who had just been sent flying, widened his eyes in disbelief. His desperate, explosive assault had only been meant to create a fleeting opening for Qin Yu to inflict a heavy wound! Who would have thought that Qin Yu would directly shoot it dead with an Archery Skill that verged on the uncanny!

”Hahaha, the Blazing Flame Tiger Demon is dead! Kill them all!”

Despite his overwhelming shock, Zhang Shun roared at the top of his lungs. Amplified by his Qi and Blood Power, his booming voice rolled like thunder across the entire battlefield.

Both the human Martial Artists and the Demon Fiends had been paying close attention to the grueling duel between Zhang Shun and the Blazing Flame Tiger Demon. After all, they were the key to deciding the victor of this battle.

The moment the Blazing Flame Tiger Demon fell, the morale of the Cyan Peak County Martial Artists currently engaged in bloody combat skyrocketed. They let out battle cries as they brandished their Blades.

Conversely, the Demon Fiends’ side entirely collapsed.

This Demon’s Nest had only been held together because the Blazing Flame Tiger Demon forcefully suppressed the others with absolute strength. With its death, their ranks naturally crumbled. All the Demon Fiends began to flee in disarray, no longer daring to put up a fight.

”Kill! Slaughter every last Demon Fiend!”