Online Game: Evil Dragon Against The Heaven - 209

“Zuo Po Jun!?” Jie Ying Xing Hun exclaimed in surprise. He quickly muttered to himself in understanding, “Well, where Murong Qiu Shui is, it’s no surprise that you’d be here too, Zuo Po Jun.”

Although they hadn’t met in three years, Zuo Po Jun’s physique was unforgettable after just one encounter.

Zuo Po Jun smirked playfully and said, “Oh, isn’t this the little brat who challenged me to a duel three years ago and ended up face-planted on the ground after I kicked him down? You’ve grown up, but you don’t seem to have changed much.”

Jie Ying Xing Hun’s expression froze in embarrassment, quickly giving way to anger. With a loud clang, he drew the massive sword from his back and roared, “You fat idiot, I’ll duel you right now!! Eh?”

Just as his shout erupted, it abruptly cut off. He stared dumbfounded at the man beside Zuo Po Jun. After a moment, he bellowed even louder, “You’re Xie Tian!”

It wasn’t a question—it was a statement filled with certainty. After all, Ye Tian Xie’s gear was entirely unique and inimitable.

Ye Tian Xie didn’t respond but instead took a careful look at the young man before him. Someone who dared shout so boldly in Zuo Po Jun’s presence was clearly no ordinary person.

Oh? Jie Ying Xing Hun… The one on the level rankings? So young, yet already showing such sharp potential. Though he hasn’t outgrown his impulsiveness, his talent is evident.

Jie Ying Xing Hun’s anger from Zuo Po Jun’s provocation vanished in an instant. He hurried forward a few steps to stand in front of Ye Tian Xie. “Xie Tian, let me join your Heavenly Soul Mercenary Group!”

“Why?” Ye Tian Xie asked, his interest piqued as he looked at the young man.

“I will become the strongest sword warrior in Destiny! That’s my reason!” Jie Ying Xing Hun’s gaze burned with determination as he stared at Ye Tian Xie. Despite the Hero Badge concealing Ye Tian Xie’s face, being so close to this legendary figure—the top player in all of Huaxia—made Jie Ying Xing Hun’s heart race. He’d never felt such intense excitement, not even when meeting the highest-ranking leaders in Huaxia.

“If you’re destined to become the strongest sword warrior, what does that have to do with joining the Heavenly Soul Mercenary Group? Your reason boils down to wanting to use the group to enhance your abilities. That’s all,” Ye Tian Xie said with a calm smile, his tone neither cold nor warm.

“You’re absolutely right,” Jie Ying Xing Hun replied without hesitation. “But I believe I have what it takes to join the Heavenly Soul Mercenary Group!” He stood tall, his voice firm.

“And what exactly qualifies you?” Ye Tian Xie asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m ranked ninth on the level rankings…” Jie Ying Xing Hun began.

“Levels don’t determine strength,” Ye Tian Xie interrupted smoothly.

“Then I…”

“If you’re truly determined to join the Heavenly Soul Mercenary Group, it’s not impossible,” Ye Tian Xie said, cutting him off again before he could list his qualifications. His expression remained calm as he continued, “There are two conditions. You can choose one.”

“What are the conditions?” Jie Ying Xing Hun asked.

“The first…” Ye Tian Xie said calmly, “Survive one strike from me. The second…” His gaze shifted slightly, “Defeat Murong Qiu Shui.”

Recalling the video of Ye Tian Xie casually dealing thousands of points of damage with a single attack, Jie Ying Xing Hun wisely dismissed the first option. Though he admired and revered strong individuals, and had aspired to become a peak-level powerhouse from a young age, he wasn’t a fool. His natural pride and resilience couldn’t deny the overwhelming strength Ye Tian Xie had displayed, which shattered his psychological defenses with ease. The very thought of facing Ye Tian Xie in battle filled him with a profound sense of powerlessness. Nevertheless, it had always been his dream to meet him in person.

“Fine, I’ll choose to defeat Murong Qiu Shui!” Jie Ying Xing Hun shouted confidently before turning to face Murong Qiu Shui.

“I should remind you” Ye Tian Xie said, “Murong Qiu Shui is a member of the Heavenly Soul Mercenary Group. To qualify, you need to either defeat him or end the match in a draw. That’s your only chance to join. Now, you may begin. Quick fight—one round to determine the outcome. No one is allowed to use potions. Murong Qiu Shui… no holding back.”

With that, Ye Tian Xie stepped back a few paces, thoughtfully stroking his chin as he observed the two.

“Alright,” Murong Qiu Shui sighed dramatically. “Though I’m not particularly inclined to crush the delicate flowers of our nation, for the sake of my dear second brother, I’ll reluctantly betray my soft heart and act ruthlessly… Come, boy!” With a slight pout, he lazily raised the steel bow in his hand. Compared to Jie Ying Xing Hun’s shining silver two-handed sword, Murong Qiu Shui’s bow appeared dull and unimpressive—practically a pile of scrap metal. Facing an opponent whose level and equipment were both inferior to his own, Jie Ying Xing Hun felt no real pressure, his confidence unwavering.

Murong Qiu Shui’s flippant attitude irked Jie Ying Xing Hun. Waving his hand, he said, “Xiao Xie, step aside. Watch me teach this dead—”

The word 『dead』 had barely left his lips when he froze in horror, breaking into a cold sweat. He suddenly remembered the terrifying rumors about Murong Qiu Shui. After several gruesome incidents, no one dared to call him a 『monster』 or 『freak』 anymore—it had become his deadly taboo.

Quickly correcting himself, Jie Ying Xing Hun stammered, “A beauty… a beauty, indeed…”

However, his attempt to push Yan Xiao Xie aside failed. Turning to look, he discovered Yan Xiao Xie standing rooted in place, drooling as he stared at Su Fei Fei, who stood beside Ye Tian Xie. Completely absorbed, Yan Xiao Xie didn’t even react to Jie Ying Xing Hun’s words.

Black lines began to form on Jie Ying Xing Hun’s forehead. This fool was utterly ruining the reputation of both himself and the Ling family with his inability to resist the sight of a beautiful woman. Furious, Jie Ying Xing Hun bellowed, “Xiao Xie, get lost!!”

Startled by the yell, Yan Xiao Xie snapped out of his trance. Hastily wiping the drool from his mouth, he scurried off.

Ye Tian Xie’s gaze lingered briefly on Yan Xiao Xie, his eyes narrowing slightly as a glimmer of interest flashed within them.

“Xie Tian, can Qiu Shui win? That Jie Ying Xing Hun is on the level rankings, and his equipment is superior to Qiu Shui’s,” Su Fei Fei whispered softly into Ye Tian Xie’s ear.

“Jie Ying Xing Hun… will undoubtedly lose. Unless Murong Qiu Shui intentionally holds back, there’s no other possible outcome” Ye Tian Xie responded with absolute certainty. “In fact, I can confidently say that before Jie Ying Xing Hun is defeated, he won’t even get the chance to touch Qiu Shui’s body.”

“Ah?” Su Fei Fei glanced at the two poised for battle, her eyes filled with surprise.

“Attack me, young man. I’m not one to bully the weak—I’m an old softie” Murong Qiu Shui muttered carelessly, pouting as if annoyed. His expression was so casual it was as though he hadn’t even registered Jie Ying Xing Hun’s presence as an opponent.

Jie Ying Xing Hun bristled at being repeatedly called 『young man』. Despite having superior equipment and a higher level, he refused to take advantage of Murong Qiu Shui and sneered coldly, “Why don’t you attack first…”

Before he could finish his sentence, a soft twang came from the bow in Murong Qiu Shui’s hands. At a distance of just ten meters, an arrow shot out with incredible speed, heading straight for Jie Ying Xing Hun.

Jie Ying Xing Hun’s half-spoken taunt was abruptly cut off. At such close range, the suddenness of the attack left him no time to react. The arrow struck him squarely on the forehead.

For an archer, hitting the head is significantly harder than striking the body. Conversely, for the target, being hit in the head is far more devastating. In the game Destiny, a headshot greatly increases the chance of activating the bow’s attached effects. For example, the basic archer skill Shocking Arrow, which interrupts spellcasting, has a 100% chance of interruption when it strikes the head. Additionally, a headshot can cause the target’s body to briefly freeze for about half a second and, in some cases, even knock them to the ground.

Whether it was Murong Qiu Shui’s good fortune or Jie Ying Xing Hun’s bad luck, the arrow not only hit Jie Ying Xing Hun squarely between the eyebrows but also carried enough force to knock him flat on his back.

It was only after this that Murong Qiu Shui’s leisurely voice rang out, “Since you’re being so polite, I’ll attack first, then.”

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Damage values appeared above Jie Ying Xing Hun’s fallen form:

-88, -92,

-90, -91.

As Jie Ying Xing Hun climbed to his feet, his health bar was already more than halfway depleted from Murong Qiu Shui’s initial single arrow and the two successive Double Shots that had been casually loosed. His expression darkened, and he gritted his teeth in frustration. Focusing all his energy, he charged forward with fury—once he got into melee range, the tide of battle would undoubtedly turn in his favor.

Instead of retreating to maintain distance, Murong Qiu Shui remained where he stood, quickly drawing his bowstring. With a slight flick of his fingers, the bowstring released its tension. Jie Ying Xing Hun, who had been intensely watching Murong Qiu Shui’s movements, saw the shot coming and abruptly shifted his body to the left.

The sound of the arrows cutting through the air came a fraction of a second later than Jie Ying Xing Hun anticipated, but their trajectory was entirely unexpected. The arrows flew directly to where he had shifted, as though they had predicted his movement.

Bang! Bang!

Both arrows hit their mark with unerring accuracy, landing squarely in Jie Ying Xing Hun’s forehead once again. Despite his swift sidestep, the arrows seemed to home in on him, striking dead center as if they had eyes of their own.

The double headshots inflicted another second of stun time, causing Jie Ying Xing Hun’s consciousness to blank momentarily. By the time he recovered, Murong Qiu Shui was already standing three meters in front of him, bow at the ready, casually whistling.

“Whooo…Young man, if I cruelly fire another arrow, will our great nation lose another delicate flower to the winds of destruction?” Murong Qiu Shui teased, his tone light and mocking.

Jie Ying Xing Hun’s health bar was now perilously close to empty, the result of three consecutive Double Shots and one regular arrow.

This completely one-sided battle was beyond Ye Tian Xie’s expectations. Just as he prepared to step forward, a voice suddenly called out in his ear, sounding hurried and anxious.

“Xie Tian! Can you hear me? This is the City Lord of Tianchen City!”

Ye Tian Xie was momentarily stunned. It was highly unusual for an NPC, let alone a prominent figure like the City Lord, to proactively contact a player. Quickly recovering, he responded via his communicator, “City Lord, what’s the matter?”

“There’s an urgent matter, of the utmost importance. Please come to the City Lord’s Mansion immediately!” the Tianchen City Lord said hastily.

After the call ended, Ye Tian Xie couldn’t help but sigh in amusement. “Ah, having such high charm really is something else—NPCs practically deliver quests to my doorstep.”

‘Hmm, feeling like the last three system quests were dull? Meow, calm moments are necessary to build up to passion. And guess what? That long-awaited excitement is just around the corner, meow…’

‘Wondering why there’s a ‘meow’ here? Meow…’