Several people dragged the Transformation State archer away, who offered no resistance, continuously muttering “Bowstring Shock.”
On this side, the Crane-Controlling Army Commander suffered the worst. He had been continuously pouring internal power into An Jiu, and her final condensation of four pure internal power arrows instantly drained the energy from his meridians.
Fortunately, the enemy didn’t attack again. The Commander knelt on the ground, his dantian’s internal power slowly replenishing his depleted meridians. Only then did he begin to feel somewhat better.
“It was Bowstring Shock,” An Jiu murmured.
A quadruple Bowstring Shock!
An Jiu couldn’t understand why Elder Zhi, despite being obsessed with archery for so many years, couldn’t achieve Bowstring Shock, while she could! Moreover, she found it remarkably easy, facing almost no obstacles.
Yet, ironically, her internal power was nearly zero! It seemed heaven was fair after all; few are born with everything.
The enemies in front swiftly retreated.
The Commander quickly regulated his breathing and led everyone down the mountain to count their numbers.
The Crane-Controlling Army members previously ambushed in the temple were almost entirely wiped out. The trial participants suffered even heavier losses. They had begun killing each other for the scripture fragments and map then were ruthlessly slaughtered by the mysterious organization. In the end, fewer than twenty remained, including the Mei and Lou clan members.
The Mei and Lou families, who had been immersed in profound grief earlier, suddenly felt incredibly lucky.
Mei Tingzhu remained silent. On the plank road, had it not been for Mei Fourteen’s arrow driving away the Transformation State expert, and in the tower, had Mei Fourteen not rushed to seize the powerful crossbow, they would have long since become minced meat.
Only now did she realize that Mei Fourteen, who had almost no presence, was the key to their fortune! How could someone who appeared to be a delicate, pampered woman possess such formidable skills?
“Don’t collect the bodies for now,” the Commander ordered. “Retreat.”
“Commander!” the Crane-Controlling Army members called out in unison.
One of them said, “The Crane-Controlling Army’s rules require us to handle the bodies properly. Our losses are already massive, and the Commander will surely face criticism. If we fail in the aftermath as well, I’m afraid…”
Most of these men were loyal to the Commander and didn’t want their leader to be ousted upon their return.
“Listen to me!” the Commander’s tone was cold and brooked no argument. “As your Commander, it’s my responsibility to ensure your lives aren’t sacrificed in vain. Obey my orders, retreat immediately, and we’ll return to handle the bodies at daybreak!”
“Yes, sir!” everyone responded in unison.
An Jiu glanced at him, surprised he was still mindful of winning hearts at a time like this.
The group swiftly retreated, with the trial participants following them to the Crane-Controlling Army’s nearby outpost.
From the outside, it appeared to be an utterly ordinary civilian residence—a small courtyard with two entrances and about seven or eight rooms.
The courtyard’s owners were a couple disguised by the Crane-Controlling Army. Their daily comings and goings seemed normal, giving no indication of anything unusual about the place.
Seeing the white crane on their clothes, the male owner said nothing and simply allocated three rooms to them, bringing some hot water and medicine for injuries.
Within two-quarters of an hour, the “female owner” brought two middle-aged women with food.
Two large basins contained slowly cooked noodles with some egg flower soup, appearing light and simple.
The shadow guards pulled off their masks, each taking a bowl and chopsticks. They squatted in the room, wolfing down the noodles.
In another room, the trial participants stared at the basins of noodles without appetite.
It wasn’t just that they were used to delicacies; after experiencing such a major upheaval, even though their mental fortitude was stronger than ordinary people’s, they couldn’t bring themselves to eat carelessly.
“Please, eat something,” an old woman said gently. “Everyone has days like this. Life is short, don’t mistreat yourselves.”