Yan Jin stood in the center of the dark cavern, the air thick with the malevolent energy of the corrupted guardian. He knew it was time to unleash his ultimate technique— the one that had taken him days to perfect within the labyrinth.
He drew his special blue arrow from his quiver, its tip glowing faintly with a pulsating blue light. But this time,he infused it with his blood energy, allowing the raw power of his own life force to fuel the attack. The arrow began to glow brighter, its light intensifying, creating a vibrant, pulsating energy that hummed with lethal potential.
Yan Jin's stance shifted, his body taking on an atypical pose that seemed almost unnatural for an archer. He held the bow horizontally, the arrow nocked and aimed not at the creature's heart, but at the space above it. His feet were spread wide, his knees bent, and his torso twisted slightly, allowing him to draw the bowstring back with a strength that belied his slender frame.
His other hand, which held the bow, was steady, but his fingers trembled slightly with the immense power he was about to release.
The air around Yan Jin began to change. The temperature plummeted, frost forming on the ground and on the walls of the cavern. The blue light of the arrow bathed the entire space in an eerie glow, casting long shadows that danced across the walls. The corrupted guardian, sensing the danger, let out a deafening roar and charged at Yan Jin, its claws extended, its dark energy flaring.
But Yan Jin was unmoved. He took a deep breath, as he focused all his energy into the arrow. In that moment, the vision of the Garuda flashed before his mind's eye—the majestic bird soaring through a blizzard, its massive wings slicing through the storm, and its feathers transforming into deadly projectiles that could obliterate mountains.
He had felt this excitement before, on stage in front of the whole world,as the Olympic champion of archery.
With a calm exhale, Yan Jin released the bowstring.
The arrow shot forward with a sound like thunder, the sheer force of its release creating a shockwave that blasted outward, shaking the entire cavern. But the arrow was just the beginning.
As it flew through the air, it unleashed a storm of icy feathers—thousands upon thousands of them, each one a razor-sharp shard of pure ice, infused with the deadly precision of Yan Jin's technique and the overwhelming power of his blood energy.
The feathers exploded from the arrow in all directions, filling the cavern with a blizzard of death. The corrupted guardian, now only feet away from Yan Jin, was caught in the maelstrom. The icy feathers tore through its flesh, each impact generating a burst of frost that froze the creature's wounds and sapped its strength.
The guardian roared in agony, its body convulsing as it was shredded by the relentless storm.
The power of the Garuda Feather Storm was awe-inspiring. The sheer force of the attack was enough to shake the very foundations of the labyrinth. The walls of the cavern began to crack, unable to withstand the explosive energy. Massive chunks of stone broke free and fell from the ceiling, crashing to the ground with earth-shaking force.
The city lord nodded, seeing the wisdom in Meng's words. "I agree. Start the preparations, but keep the evacuation discreet. We don't want to cause unnecessary panic. We'll monitor the situation closely."
"I'll go observe the boundaries of the city," Purple Spear Meng declared. "If the beasts are moving, we need to know now." Without waiting for further debate, he summoned his spear and shot into the sky, a streak of light blazing toward the city's perimeter.
As he flew off, the council members exchanged worried glances. The tension was palpable. They all knew the stakes. If the corruption from 14 years ago had resurfaced, it could spell doom for Pine City, regardless of the outcome of the tournament.
Below, in the arena, the spectators continued to murmur anxiously. Some wondered if they should leave the city while they still could, while others clung to the hope that everything would be fine.
--
The race for the Iron Blood Cell trials was reaching its final stage. The atmosphere in Pine City was tense as the leaderboard shift and real contenders emerged. Wei Xi, grandson of the city lord, was holding first place, his Imperial Storm Wyvern bloodline pushing him forward with unmatched ferocity.
Behind him, Yan Bai, the ice-cold prodigy of the Yan Clan, trailed closely, his every step calculated, every strike of his spear precise.
Meng Xiao, niece of Purple Spear Meng, was hot on their heels in third place. Her Royal Steel Eagle bloodline lent her agility and unmatched grace in battle, and she had garnered the admiration of many onlookers with her quick, deadly strikes.
But what truly shocked the crowd was the appearance of a new name in fourth place: Gu Zhun, a relatively unknown participant from Little Creek Village, a village that had been ravaged by the celestial descent.
"Who's this Gu Zhun?" a spectator murmured as they watched the leaderboard shift.
"I didn't know anyone from that village still survived," someone else added with surprise.
"Looks like we're underestimating the underdogs," a merchant commented. "That kid must have some real skill to be competing with the likes of Wei Xi, Yan Bai, and Meng Xiao."
The top contenders were all skilled, powerful, and ready to lay everything on the line. Yet, with Gu Zhun making a name for himself, it was clear that this year's competition was not as predictable as anyone had thought.
Tension filled the air, and every second counted. Spectators watched with bated breath, wondering if the underdog from Little Creek Village could upset the balance, or if the established powerhouses would dominate the field until the very end.