Chapter 361: Chapter 77: The Divine Arrow Shocks the Enemy_3
A faint white glow rose from Ah Dai’s body. After his mind regained calmness, he mobilised all his power for the first time. An unprecedented, colossal energy surged from his silver body, seeping into every part of him, enabling him to clearly perceive the energy pulsating from within. The feeling of being in control of everything was so wonderful. Although he did not realise that before him stood Byinlog, one of the three greatest mages of the Empire of Sunset City, Ah Dai felt confident that he could confront the magician, now brimming with immense self-assurance.
Under Ah Dai’s astonished gaze, Byinlog flew upwards from the eaves and hovered in mid-air, continuously chanting spells in the language of the Empire of Sunset City, unrecognisable to Ah Dai. A cold terror seized Ah Dai’s heart as he realised that Byinlog was almost fifty meters from the ground — not only was this distance too great for him to strike, the halo of cyan light exuding from Byinlog was attracting other enemies, making escape almost impossible for him. This couldn’t go on. With these thoughts, Ah Dai silently chanted the spell, "With the Dragon’s Blood as a guide, open, the gate of space and time." A blue glow lit up and a heavy iron bow flew out, landing in Ah Dai’s hands. Holding the iron bow, while an olive-colored arrow appeared on the bowstring, Ah Dai yelled and drew the bow into a full moon, staring intently at Byinlog floating in the sky. The huge attacking force of the arrow from the iron bow took Byinlog by surprise. The immense pressure from the drawn bow made him barely able to breathe. The long olive arrow appeared to him as a harbinger of death, ready to claim his life any moment. Byinlog, not having felt such powerlessness since becoming a mage, felt a chill run down his spine and hurriedly intensified the incantation of his own near-complete spell.
Grinding his teeth, Ah Dai hurled the arrow into the sky, releasing it just as Byinlog was about to finish his spell. The arrow’s sharp piercing sound against the sky was so jarring, it caused Ah Dai’s ears to throb with pain. The olive glow fired off in Byinlog’s direction at a velocity difficult to gauge with the naked eye, appearing as though it was unhindered by the magic around it. Even as Byinlog instinctively wanted to use the Staff of Hades to block the oncoming arrow, the high-pitched screech reverberated around him, causing alarm. The arrow shattered Byinlog’s magical barrier, sending a shock that significantly disturbed his spiritual power. However, a deeper shock lay in his heart - had the olive arrow found its target in him, death would’ve been imminent. In his miscalculation and underestimation of his opponent, he had narrowly escaped what could have proven to be a deadly arrow. Doubts clouded Byinlog’s mind. Why had the young man shown mercy? Why hadn’t he aimed to kill? Surely a human who could hold his own amongst Elves wouldn’t falter in his aim. He continued to float motionlessly in the sky, dazed.
While Byinlog was frightened, Ah Dai was filled with regret. Despite practicing archery whenever he had the time over the past year, his aim was still far from accurate. It wasn’t so much mercy that stopped him from hitting his illustrious target, rather a miss. Suddenly, he heard the rustling of the wind and sensed someone approaching. With the airborne magician showing no signs of attack, he hurriedly started moving in the direction where the Elf Queen disappeared to.
The four elemental guards, who serve under Quan Yi, arrived. Seeing Byinlog hovering in the air, Shui Tian caught sight of the ruined palace and asked respectfully, "Lord Byinlog, did you see the enemy? Did the Elf Princess..."
Byinlog returned from his stupor, his magical robe soaked in cold sweat. Heaving a sigh, he said, "The enemy is unexpectedly powerful and they’ve escaped. In the name of His Majesty, I command you to pursue them with every available hand. Meanwhile, order a lockdown of the city. We must capture the Elves at all costs. Carry out a systematic search of every possible refuge; pay extra attention to unfamiliar groups of around ten or so people. As soon as you discover any trace of the Elves, detain them, whatever the cost may be. There’s no escape. I will now seek an audience with His Majesty." As soon as he finished speaking, he chanted a spell and set off towards the palace where Quan Yi resided. While on his way, Byinlog calmed his mind, still shivering from the shock of the arrow shot by the young man. Despite being eighty, he wasn’t ready to die. Had the arrow pierced him, he would’ve lost everything. Why hadn’t he been his intended victim when he was clearly his adversary? Having narrowly escaped death, Byinlog found himself feeling somewhat grateful towards Ah Dai.
A number of soldiers had already assembled at the entrance of the palace where Quan Yi resided, some struggling to break free from the plants while others weren’t under such control. They awaited a signal with bated breath, vigilantly guarding the palace. Seeing Byinlog’s arrival, they gave him a respectful salute. Byinlog proceeded towards the palace, passing through the multitude.
