I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

If they switch to shooting from the rooftops next to the alley, it means that for archers, shooting changes from two-dimensional "planar shooting" to three-dimensional "stereo shooting," which significantly increases the difficulty of shooting!

In this way, the chances of him getting close to the "bearded middle-aged man" and others unharmed would be greatly increased!

The sudden appearance of Qing Deng, who climbed onto the roof and rushed towards them, startled the "bearded middle-aged man" and the others.

The two young men, whose archery skills were rather mediocre, hurriedly raised their bows and began shooting arrows wildly as if they were free, repeatedly performing the series of actions of "shooting an arrow - drawing out a new arrow - nocking an arrow - shooting an arrow again".

It's a bit too much to expect these two, whose skills are still far from perfect, to hit a high-speed moving target in 3D shooting...

The two of them fired a large number of arrows in a very short time... but not a single arrow hit Qingdeng.

One after another, arrows that missed their mark whizzed past Qingdeng, each one sending chills down one's spine.

Qingdeng's spirit... is now frighteningly focused.

With his eyes wide open, he stared intently at his target, at the archers who were constantly drawing their bows!

The "Gathering Spirit" talent effect... should now be at its peak.

"Eagle Eye," "Focus," and "Lone Courage"—these three talents combine and work together to give Qingdeng's dynamic vision an unprecedented level!

Those arrows that seemed so fast to others that they were just afterimages became traceable to Qingdeng at this moment!

20 meters, 18 meters, 15 meters...

As they were rapidly closing in... this determined whether Qingdeng's body would be pierced by the arrow, or whether the archers would be successfully brought close by Qingdeng at a mere 20-meter distance!

Unlike the young men standing on either side of him, the "bearded middle-aged man" did not frantically unleash a barrage of arrows.

He held his breath, his sharp eyes fixed on Qing Deng's approaching figure. His posture... was just like an eagle soaring high in the sky, ready to swoop down and seize its prey.

*Snap*—The bearded middle-aged man spread his legs even wider, then with quick but controlled movements, he raised his hand and bow, steadyed the arrow, and pulled the string tight while aiming at the trajectory... Powerful force accumulated in his waist and arms.

Just as Qing Deng's figure was about 10 meters away from the alley entrance, in that split second... the "bearded middle-aged man" suddenly opened his half-closed eyes wide open!

In an instant, the taut force was released from the arms of the "bearded middle-aged man," followed by the sound of something cutting through the air!

This "bearded middle-aged man's" archery skills were indeed far superior to those of the two young men standing on his left and right.

The arrow fired by the bearded middle-aged man sliced ​​through the blood-tinged air in and above the alley! With power, speed, and accuracy far surpassing any arrow fired by the two young men before, it flew straight toward Qing Deng's head!

The arrowheads, gleaming with a cold light, rapidly enlarged within Qingdeng's field of vision. As the arrowheads grew larger, Qingdeng's pupils shrank at the same speed.

Just as Qingdeng's pupils shrank to the size of pinholes—

laugh--!

Qingdeng tilted his head sharply to the left, and the arrow, which generated a gust of hot air due to its intense friction with the surrounding air, grazed Qingdeng's right cheek with a "whoosh," leaving a shallow bloodstain on his right cheek.

Perhaps not expecting Qingdeng to be able to dodge the arrow he had carefully aimed and fired with all his might... The "bearded middle-aged man's" face was instantly filled with astonishment, and he hurriedly took out a new arrow from the quiver at his waist.

However... it was too late.

At this moment, the distance between Qing Deng and the "bearded middle-aged man" and others... is only 3 meters!

Qingdeng took a deep breath, then leaped up and swooped down from the roof like a big bird!

Now, the Qingdeng has transformed into a hawk swooping down and pouncing on its prey!

As he leaped, Qing Deng switched to gripping the sword with both hands and raised the Ding Gui Shen sword high above his head.

Using the momentum of his jump, Qing Deng, wielding the sword with both hands, swung the Ding Guishen sword, which was raised high above his head, down heavily and slashed at the young man standing to the right of the "bearded middle-aged man".

In a panic, the young man instinctively raised his bow, trying to use it to block Qing Deng's slash.

It's obvious—a wooden bow could hardly withstand the slashing of a steel blade.

With a loud "crack," the bow and bowstring shattered.

Just as he cleaved the young man's bow in two, Qing Deng's feet landed steadily on the ground.

The moment his foot touched the solid ground, Qing Deng flew up and kicked the young man whose bow he had just broken in the stomach.

It feels great on the feet.

The young man who had been kicked away by Qing Deng curled up like a limp shrimp, lying on the ground groaning, unable to get up again.

The bearded middle-aged man gritted his teeth, took a step back, steadied his bow and arrow, and aimed the arrow at Qing Deng, who was very close to him.

The "bearded middle-aged man" had a good idea to shoot Qing Deng at close range, but Qing Deng was clearly not going to let him have his way.

Just as the "bearded middle-aged man's" fingers were about to release the bowstring in the flash of lightning—a flash of light!

The silver-white blade, which could subdue ghosts and spirits, drew out an arc-shaped silver line.

Wherever this silver line passes, all that is touched is destroyed!

Before the bearded middle-aged man could even release his arrow, his bow had already been cut in two.

Immediately afterwards, Qing Deng leaned his right shoulder forward slightly and slammed it hard into the chest of the "bearded middle-aged man".

The bearded middle-aged man who was knocked to the ground coughed a few times and tried to get up again, but after several attempts, he failed each time.

[Ding! Talent detected]

[Successfully replicated talent: "Master of Bows"]

[Talent Introduction: Archery talent is boosted 10 times the average level]

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Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets!

The author is also very satisfied with the quality of this chapter, so it would be unreasonable not to give it a monthly pass (crying face).

Seriously, some readers actually told me in a very serious tone that the "one-man fight against 18 samurai" scene in the previous chapter was too illogical, saying that being able to take on 10 opponents already makes one a sword saint, etc... Dude, can you please stop presumptuously explaining the illogicality of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms in a wuxia novel...? (Leopard dead.jpg)

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Chapter 174 Who told me to like Sanako so much! (Hugs her tightly) [6000]

The system notification sounded in his mind that the talent had been successfully copied... However, Qingdeng had no time to listen carefully to what new talent he had acquired.

After knocking down the "bearded middle-aged man" with a shoulder strike, the archer who was still able to stand properly... was the only one left.

The last remaining person, judging from his expression and movements, was clearly terrified.

The dire situation, with his comrades falling one after another and the enemy close at hand, left him helpless.

His panicked state caused him to lose his basic judgment and thinking ability.

In this situation, you either have to run away immediately, or draw your most powerful melee weapon, the knife at your waist, and fight Qing Deng to the death.

As a result, this person didn't choose either of these two options.

He threw away the bow and arrow, which were of little use in close combat, and without drawing the sword from his waist, he relied on instinct to clench his right fist and punch at Qing Deng, who was only a step away from him.

Judging from his punching motions, even a layman could tell that this person was not skilled in martial arts.

It was obvious that the man was so panicked that he forgot to draw his knife and used only his fists, which he was not good at, to fight back.

Using martial arts skills that are far from refined in front of Qing Deng... the outcome is already predictable.

With lightning speed, Qingdeng shifted his body to the side, bent his left forearm downwards, and flipped his left elbow upwards, aiming the tip of his elbow at the man's outstretched fist. Then, before the man's fist could accelerate to its maximum speed, he deliberately thrust his left elbow forward—this was a technique Qingdeng was very good at, and it was also a classic unarmed combat technique: "vertical elbow defense" and "actively closing in on the opponent to shorten their attack distance and make it difficult for them to exert force."

With a muffled thud, Qingdeng's elbow and the man's fist collided heavily.

The fists and elbows clashed... After about half a second, the collision ended with the "fist" retreating.

The man screamed, then with a motion as if he had touched a flame, he abruptly withdrew his right fist, which was now mostly red.

It's no surprise that this guy reacted this way; Qing Deng's sharp elbow struck one of the most vulnerable parts of his fist: the space between his ring and little fingers.

Qing Deng possesses a talent he copied from Nagakura: "Steel Bones," making him the kind of person with very hard bones.

With the addition of "steel bones," Qing Deng's bones became much harder and tougher than those of ordinary people, increasing not only his personal defense but also his punching and kicking power.

The man felt as if his fist had hit a sharp steel bar... the pain was so intense that his entire right hand was almost numb.

At this point in the battle, the outcome is already decided.

The instant after breaking the man's fist with a vertical elbow defense, Qing Deng strode forward, released his right hand holding the knife, and lifted his right hand into the air. Then, he grabbed the man's right shoulder with his left hand and his left arm with his right hand, using grappling techniques to subdue the man to the ground.

"Mr. Tachibana!" At that moment, Nagakura, who had just emerged from behind the pile of garbage where he was hiding, rushed toward Aoto.

"Yongcang, tie all three of them up."

After giving Yongcang a simple instruction, Qingdeng threw the three archers he had just subdued to Yongcang to deal with, then picked up the Dingguishen that he had just thrown on the ground, and rushed out of the alley, looking around at the surroundings.

Not a single person in sight...

In the chaotic "1v18" battle just now, those "survivors" who were lucky enough to escape Qing Deng's sword have all disappeared without a trace. No one knows which direction they fled in, and there is no way to even begin the pursuit.

It must be said that these three archers perfectly fulfilled their heavy responsibility—staying behind to cover the rear, they successfully bought enough time for their comrades to evacuate.

Those guys actually got away... Qing Deng felt very regretful, but he quickly composed himself.

Successfully capturing these three archers somewhat made up for the losses, preventing a complete failure.

Qingdeng turned around and returned to Yongcang's side. At this moment, Yongcang had just tied up the three archers, led by the "bearded middle-aged man," with hemp rope.

As a subordinate of Qing Deng, Yongcang naturally carried ropes and other items specifically used to bind prisoners.

"Mr. Tachibana!" As soon as Aoto returned, Nagakura hurriedly asked him, "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"Hmm, I'm fine." Qing Deng sheathed the Ding Gui Shen sword, then raised his hand to touch his right cheek, which had just been grazed by the arrow shot by the "bearded middle-aged man" and was now burning hot.

My fingers touched something wet... When I opened my palm, I saw some blood on my fingertips.

"Apart from a small cut on my right cheek, I'm fine," Qing Deng said casually with a smile.

"Mr. Tachibana, when I saw that arrow almost hit your head just now... I got goosebumps all over." Nagakura said, admiring Qing Deng's heroic feat of "breaking the bow with a single sword and charging straight into the bow formation alone," while his eyes cast a burning gaze of admiration at Qing Deng.

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Nagakura wouldn't have believed that what had just happened was real... This was the first time Nagakura had ever seen someone dodge an arrow at such incredible speed at such a short distance!

Nagakura knew he could never replicate such a feat.

"I was just lucky," Qing Deng said modestly, half-truthfully.