114: Chapter 114 Peak of the Sixth Rank!

A challenge?

This sudden invitation to battle caused the relaxed laughter and chatter on the martial arts arena to come to an instant halt.

Everyone's gaze shifted from that elegant longbow to the pale mask on Chen Fan's face.

The hearts of Hong Shao and Qing Luo also tightened.

They subconsciously moved closer to Chen Fan, one on the left and one on the right, displaying a clear protective stance.

A wry smile appeared on Shangguan Yun's face as he hurried to Chen Fan's side and lowered his voice to explain.

"Brother Luo, please forgive her. Although my elder sister is a woman, she has practiced martial arts since childhood and is now a Seventh-Rank Martial Artist. Her horsemanship is even more astonishing; among the younger generation in the entire Jiangzhou, she is hard to find an equal."

Chen Fan did not respond; his attention was already completely fixed on the woman holding the longbow.

Before this, he had only regarded her as a sheltered Young Miss of a noble family, possessing some talent and arrogance.

Only now, when she held her weapon and issued a challenge, did the sharpness, previously wrapped in layers of scholarly and noble aura, finally leak out a little.

Her stance was very stable, feet shoulder-width apart—this was the subconscious defensive posture of a Martial Artist.

Her hand gripping the bow had distinct knuckles, with a thin layer of calluses at the web of her thumb, the marks left by years of archery and riding.

Her breathing was steady and long, with the rise and fall of her chest almost imperceptible, clearly indicating a quite solid foundation in Internal Skill.

Most importantly, it was her entire aura.

It was no longer the coldness of an orchid in a secluded valley, but a drawn, polished, and elegant longsword.

Though not overbearing, it possessed its own sharpness.

This was a true Martial Artist, an opponent with extremely high ambition.

Chen Fan felt a bit of a contrast.

He had originally thought that this Young Miss of the Shangguan Family was a noble lady who loved poetry, but he hadn't expected her to be someone who brandished weapons in private.

As for him, having traveled the Jianghu, his horsemanship was naturally not bad.

As for archery... in Luo Hengsheng's memories, he didn't seem particularly proficient.

However, it did not matter.

"Good."

He spat out one word.

A brilliant smile bloomed on Shangguan Wan's plain face, like ice and snow melting.

"Brother Luo is straightforward!"

The group of wealthy young onlookers suddenly erupted into chaos.

"He actually accepted the challenge? Young Miss Shangguan's 'Star-Chasing Arrow' can even shoot down flying birds!" A fat Young Master wearing luxurious clothes shook his head, looking unimpressed.

"This is the head of the hero ranking list, the Jade-Faced Asura! How could he be afraid to fight?" A tall, thin youth beside him retorted, "However, a swordsman's skills are all in his hands; this mounted archery might not necessarily be his strength."

"I bet a jug of 'Three-Day Drunk', Master Luo will definitely win!" Another young man who looked like he came from the Jianghu opened a betting pool with an excited face.

"I bet on Young Miss Shangguan!"

Amidst the discussion, the servants had already led over two spirited black horses.

Shangguan Wan nimbly vaulted onto her horse, her movements smooth and flowing, looking heroic.

She pulled on the reins and made a "please" gesture toward Chen Fan.

Chen Fan also mounted his horse.

The two stood side by side, their temperaments vastly different, yet there was an inexplicable harmony between them.

"We will compete in three rounds." Shangguan Wan's voice was crisp.

"The first round, three laps around the arena, comparing speed."

"The second round, mounted archery at moving targets."

"The third round, you and I will each fire three arrows at willow leaves one hundred steps away, how about that?"

Chen Fan had no objections and simply nodded calmly.

"Start!"

As Shangguan Yun gave the order, the two black horses shot out like arrows released from a bow.

Shangguan Wan leaned low on the horse's back, her body moving in perfect synchronization with the horse, clearly an expert in this field.

Chen Fan's posture was much simpler and more brutal.

He just sat steadily in the saddle, using the muscles in his legs to firmly control the fiery horse beneath him.

Two black shadows sped across the martial arts arena like lightning, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"So fast!"

"Young Miss Shangguan's horsemanship has improved again!"

The crowd on the sidelines watched intently.

Hong Shao and Qing Luo were so nervous they held their breath, their small hands tightly clenched together.

After three laps, the two horses crossed the starting line almost simultaneously.

"A draw?" The fat Young Master widened his eyes.

"No." The tall, thin youth narrowed his eyes and pointed forward.

"Look, Master Luo's horse is half a head faster."

Everyone looked closely, and sure enough, the nose of the black horse Chen Fan was riding was slightly ahead of Shangguan Wan's mount.

Shangguan Wan pulled on her reins, her chest heaving slightly.

She glanced at the gap between the two horses, and a flash of surprise crossed her clear eyes, which was immediately replaced by an even stronger Battle Intent.

"Brother Luo has excellent horsemanship."

She turned her horse around and took a carved longbow and a quiver of feathered arrows from a servant.

"Second round, mounted archery!"

Before her voice had faded, she squeezed her legs against the horse's belly, and the black horse galloped out again.

Just as the horse reached the center of the martial arts arena, Shangguan Wan suddenly turned, drawing her bow and nocking an arrow on the bumpy horse's back in one fluid motion.

Whoosh!

The arrow pierced the air, accurately hitting the chest of a moving straw target one hundred and fifty steps away.

Immediately after, two more arrows followed.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The three arrows formed a triangle, firmly pinned around the bullseye.

"Great archery!"

Thunderous cheers erupted from the sidelines.

This kind of archery, maintaining precision while moving at high speed, was enough to make many master archers in the army feel ashamed.

Shangguan Yun's face also showed a sense of reflected pride.

Hong Shao and Qing Luo's hearts tightened again.

Shangguan Wan finished her shooting and urged her horse back to the starting point, casting her eyes, filled with challenge and expectation, toward Chen Fan.

It was his turn.

Chen Fan urged his horse, galloped, took an arrow, and nocked his bow.

His movements were far less skilled and graceful than Shangguan Wan's, and could even be called somewhat clumsy.

He pulled back the bowstring.

Whoosh!

The first arrow missed the target.

The arrow grazed the edge of the straw man and flew away.

The cheers on the sidelines came to an abrupt halt.

The fat Young Master wore an "as expected" expression on his face.

The tall, thin youth also shook his head slightly.

"It seems that this Jade-Faced Asura is not proficient in everything."

A flicker of imperceptible disappointment flashed in Shangguan Wan's eyes.

Chen Fan ignored the reactions from the outside world.

He was just feeling.

Feeling the flow of the wind, feeling the rhythm of the horse running, feeling the vibration of the bowstring at his fingertips.

Luo Hengsheng's body was indeed not skilled at archery.

But the strength of a Sixth-Rank Martial Artist was not fake.

He nocked another arrow.

This time, he closed his eyes, his essence, energy, and spirit becoming one.

The entire world seemed to go quiet in this instant.

The sound of the wind, the sound of hooves, the breathing of the crowd in the distance, all turned into invisible data, converging into his mind.

That's it, now!

He suddenly opened his eyes.

In the eyes exposed outside the mask, there was no emotion, only absolute calmness.

His arm was as steady as a rock.

Release.

Whoosh!

The arrow left the string, emitting a sharp whistle completely different from before.

It did not fly toward the straw target.

Instead, it flew toward... those three arrows shot by Shangguan Wan!

The crowd hadn't yet reacted to what happened.

They only heard a crisp "crack".

That arrow hitting the bullseye was actually split in half from the tail by Chen Fan's arrow!

One arrow, breaking an arrow!

The entire venue was dead silent.

Everyone seemed to have been hit by a paralysis spell, staring blankly at the arrow shaft stuck in the bullseye, still trembling on its own.

This... what kind of terrifying eyesight and control is this!

This is no longer archery.

This is a divine skill!

Is this the strength of the head of the hero ranking list?

Before the crowd could recover from their shock, Chen Fan's third arrow had already been released.

Whoosh!

This arrow flew even higher.

It traced a graceful arc, crossed the distance of one hundred and fifty steps, and finally, precisely pinned itself onto a large willow tree at the edge of the martial arts arena.

It pinned itself onto a withered, yellow willow leaf that was falling with the wind.

The arrow pierced through the willow leaf, pinning it firmly to the rough tree trunk.

Silence.

Deathly silence.

If the first arrow, breaking the arrow, was a divine skill.

Then this second arrow, shooting a falling leaf, was unfathomable!

The fat Young Master opened his mouth wide, the folding fan in his hand falling to the ground without him even noticing.

The tall, thin youth gasped, muttering to himself.

"Essence, energy, and spirit becoming one, capturing the opportunity? This is an ability only a Fifth-Rank Martial Artist possesses. Has Brother Luo touched the edge of the Fifth Rank!?"

The pride on Shangguan Yun's face had long since turned into undisguised shock.

He knew the Jade-Faced Asura was strong, but he had never imagined he could be this strong!

Truly worthy of being the head of the hero ranking list.

As for Shangguan Wan, she sat blankly on her horse, looking at the willow leaf pinned to the tree trunk, then at the man in the distance wearing a mask, slowly pulling on his horse's reins.

Her heart, which had been incomparably proud because of her superb archery skills, was completely shattered at this moment.

Then, it reorganized.

It turned into something more intense than admiration.

No matter how superb the technique, in the face of true strength, it is ultimately just a flashy display.

Chen Fan turned his horse and slowly returned to the sidelines.

He dismounted and tossed the bow and arrows to a servant nearby, as if he had only done a trivial thing.

The third round no longer needed to be competed.

Shangguan Wan also dismounted, and she walked quickly to Chen Fan, a hint of admiration on her cold face.

She didn't speak, just stared intently at Chen Fan with those startlingly bright eyes.

As if she wanted to pierce through that mask and see his true appearance.

"With Brother Luo's strength, if you were a few years younger, you would certainly have a place on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking." she said slowly.