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Chapter 989: The Patriarch Bodhi

Everyone was dumbfounded—the contrast between their expectations and the reality before them was too stark, leaving many unable to process what they were witnessing.

In the mountain valley, Ran Deng\'s expression flickered with a trace of emotion, though he remained silent. Maitreya, however, wore an odd expression on his face.

Zhong Shan\'s entourage, any one of them, was this powerful?

Streams of golden light shot continuously toward Sun Shen. He was no longer just in a difficult situation; his shoulder had been grazed by one of the arrows, causing intense pain.

The Xuanyuan Bow? Sun Shen thought in shock. It wasn\'t this powerful in Nezha\'s hands, was it?

Sun Shen was bewildered. Nezha wielding the Xuanyuan Bow couldn\'t compare to Luo Xingchen. Luo Xingchen\'s cultivation was a whole realm higher, and he specialized in archery, unlike Nezha. Plus, he possessed time-based divine abilities, which further enhanced his mastery of the bow.

Luo Xingchen\'s control over the Xuanyuan Bow far surpassed Nezha\'s.

Arrows, like falling stars, rained down with deadly precision, each one landing perilously close to Sun Shen.

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"

The powerful impact of the arrows pushed Sun Shen back, shattering mountains in his path. The pressure on him was mounting, and his defeat was becoming more and more apparent.

The entire sky seemed to belong to Luo Xingchen alone.

Sun Shen, gradually overwhelmed, was forced to the ground. He couldn\'t even manage to stay airborne, something he had never expected, nor had the countless onlookers. How had the situation turned so dire so quickly?

"Boom!"

Another golden arrow struck, creating a deep crater where Sun Shen had been standing.

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"

A rapid succession of nearly a hundred golden arrows followed, all converging on the crater. The concentrated barrage of arrows left everyone watching in awe and fear. This was terrifying.

The crater, now a thousand zhang wide and bottomless, trembled with each arrow that hit, causing the earth itself to quake.

Luo Xingchen hovered in the sky, his gaze icy as he looked down at the crater below.

Suddenly, with a loud explosion, dirt and debris were blasted into the air as Sun Shen, battered and beaten, emerged from the crater. His clothes were tattered, his hair disheveled, and his face smeared with blood and mud. He looked utterly miserable. But what shocked everyone the most was the Golden Cudgel in his hand.

One of the golden bands on the cudgel was slightly bent!

The sight of this left nearly everyone gasping in disbelief. The Golden Cudgel—bent?

Those watching didn\'t just feel shock anymore; they felt terror. They looked at Luo Xingchen not with astonishment, but with fear.

"Who are you?" Sun Shen shouted in disbelief.

How could Zhong Shan\'s random subordinate be so overwhelmingly powerful?

Luo Xingchen didn\'t respond. Instead, he calmly took out a long, emerald green arrow, his eyes narrowing as he drew the bowstring.

This arrow was different from the golden ones before, but no one dared to underestimate it.

Seeing Luo Xingchen prepare to shoot again, Sun Shen\'s expression changed drastically. He charged forward, the Golden Cudgel still guarding his body.

A cold gleam flashed in Luo Xingchen\'s eyes.

"Fire!"

With that, he released the arrow.

"Boom!"

Sun Shen was once again sent flying backward.

This time, there was no radiant explosion—just a single arrow shot with such speed that it seemed to traverse space and time itself, reaching Sun Shen before anyone could even see it coming. It was so fast that Sun Shen didn\'t even have time to raise his Golden Cudgel in defense.

As he was propelled backward, Sun Shen stared in horror at his chest, where the arrow had pierced straight through him.

The crowd around them collectively gasped.

The Bull Demon King, who had already drawn his weapon and was preparing to charge forward, suddenly halted in mid-motion, his weapon frozen in the air.

Fight? How could he fight?

Sun Shen had been completely and utterly defeated. The archer with the bow seemed invincible—who could possibly stand against him? The speed of that green arrow was so fast it was invisible. Charging forward would be nothing short of suicidal.

What made the Bull Demon King even more apprehensive was the realization that this archer appeared to be merely one of Zhong Shan\'s subordinates.

If even a subordinate was this powerful, then what of Zhong Shan himself? And what of the other two subordinates?

Staring at Zhong Shan, who stood atop the peak, the Bull Demon King swallowed hard, unsure if he should risk his life by attacking.

The other powerful cultivators also turned their gazes toward Zhong Shan and his three companions. It was now evident that Luo Xingchen, the archer, was a subordinate of Zhong Shan. Who were these people, and how could they be so terrifyingly strong?

In the distant valley, Maitreya\'s eyes were wide with shock.

"Ran Deng, did you see the speed of that green arrow?" Maitreya\'s usual smile faded, replaced by a serious expression.

"It was too fast—I could barely catch a glimpse of the afterimage. Even for me, it would be nearly impossible to dodge," Ran Deng replied, shaking his head.

"Yes, it was far too fast! That wasn\'t the speed of an ordinary ancient immortal weapon," Maitreya said, his tone now grave.

"The crucial question is, was that green arrow his limit?" Ran Deng wondered aloud.

Indeed, was that green arrow the extent of Luo Xingchen\'s power? What if he pulled out an even stronger yellow arrow or a purple arrow next?

Moreover, what about the other two people standing behind Zhong Shan? Could they be just as formidable?

Maitreya glanced at Ran Deng and finally understood why the usually proud and aloof monk had decided to abandon this particular karmic entanglement.

Sun Shen, staring at the green arrow lodged in his chest, couldn\'t believe what had just happened. He hadn\'t even seen the arrow coming, let alone how it had struck him. Worse still, the green arrow seemed to be radiating a reverse flow of energy, causing the energy within his body to collide violently with itself, inflicting severe internal injuries.

Sun Shen now realized that he was no match for this opponent, absolutely no match.

As Luo Xingchen calmly nocked another green arrow onto his bowstring, the onlookers seemed to collectively hold their breath. It was clear to everyone—today might very well be the day Sun Shen met his end.

Seeing the arrow aimed at him, Sun Shen turned and fled without hesitation.

An ancient immortal, driven to flee by a mere archer? But when faced with the threat to his life, Sun Shen had no choice.

Flee?

How could he possibly outrun Luo Xingchen? His speed was inferior, and the arrows were even faster.

"Boom!"

Another arrow pierced through his heart, worsening Sun Shen\'s injuries. His face twisted in terror as he continued to flee.

The Golden Cudgel grew larger, moving to shield him from behind.

"Boom!"

Another arrow struck the Golden Cudgel, causing it to tremble violently, but it managed to hold.

Sun Shen didn\'t dare to stop, two arrows now lodged in his chest, as he desperately sped toward a distant horizon.

Luo Xingchen was faster, and in the blink of an eye, he had overtaken Sun Shen, forcing him to change directions in a desperate attempt to escape. It was like a cat playing with a mouse; Sun Shen was completely at the mercy of Luo Xingchen, unable to break free from the relentless pursuit.

The Golden Cudgel managed to block a few green arrows, but Luo Xingchen wasn\'t done yet. He paused, watching Sun Shen flee, and slowly drew out a red arrow.

The arrow was blood-red, and as he nocked it and drew the bowstring, an immense amount of blood-colored energy gathered from all around, enveloping Luo Xingchen. The surrounding space began to tremble slightly, as if forewarning the devastating power this arrow would unleash.

Even before the arrow was released, the very air seemed to quake. If this arrow were to be fired, what kind of destruction would it bring?

In the distance, the Bull Demon King looked on in shock, Ran Deng maintained a calm demeanor, and Maitreya\'s expression became increasingly peculiar.

"Fire!"

Luo Xingchen finally let the arrow loose. It flew like a river of blood, surging toward Sun Shen. Wherever it passed, space trembled and the earth below split apart, leaving a massive, gaping trench in its wake.

A terrifying pressure bore down on Sun Shen, who was flying through the air. When he sensed the red arrow approaching from behind, his face turned ashen with fear. In that moment, Sun Shen was filled with regret. How had he ended up in such a dire situation? Where had Zhong Shan found such a terrifying subordinate?

Sun Shen could feel that even the Golden Cudgel might not be able to withstand the force of this red arrow.

"My life is over!" Sun Shen screamed in despair.

"Boom!"

With a thunderous explosion, the red river of energy detonated behind Sun Shen. The shockwave spread out in all directions, causing trees within a thousand li to bend and break under the force.

The red arrow had been stopped, and Sun Shen was saved!

Luo Xingchen, holding the Xuanyuan Bow, hovered in the sky, his gaze fixed on the figure who had blocked his arrow.

It was an old Taoist in white robes, with a long white beard.

Seeing that he had been rescued, Sun Shen\'s expression shifted from shock to elation. He quickly flew towards the old Taoist.

"Master, save me!" Sun Shen cried out.

The old Taoist waved his horsetail whisk, and Sun Shen understood, falling silent and taking refuge behind him.

Luo Xingchen eyed the old Taoist warily. Anyone who could block one of his arrows was no ordinary person.

"Patriarch Bodhi? He\'s here too?" someone exclaimed in the crowd.

"Is that really Patriarch Bodhi? Didn\'t he sever ties with Sun Wukong long ago? Why is he helping now?"

The crowd erupted in whispers and speculation.

Patriarch Bodhi glanced at Luo Xingchen before turning his attention to Zhong Shan.

"I\'ve heard Ying mention Holy King Zhong many times. Now that I\'ve met you, I see that you are indeed extraordinary. I am Bodhi. I humbly ask Holy King Zhong to spare my disciple this time," Patriarch Bodhi said respectfully to Zhong Shan.

"Holy King Zhong? Who\'s that?"

"No wonder! Zhong Shan is a Holy King of some sacred court—no wonder his subordinates are so strong!"

"Even Patriarch Bodhi is speaking to him so courteously? Just who is this Zhong Shan? How powerful is he?"

"He must be incredibly strong!"

The crowd continued to murmur, their curiosity and awe toward Zhong Shan growing with each passing moment.

Zhong Shan looked at Patriarch Bodhi, his expression shifting slightly. \'I\'ve heard Ying mention...\' If Patriarch Bodhi wasn\'t a friend, Ying wouldn\'t have mentioned Zhong Shan to him. Could it be that Bodhi and Ying were old acquaintances?

Moreover, Patriarch Bodhi was a Progenitor Immortal, a figure whose depth could not be easily gauged according to the information Zhong Shan had gathered. There was no need to make an enemy of him at this point.

Nodding slightly, Zhong Shan said calmly, "Since Patriarch Bodhi has spoken, let this matter end here."

"Thank you, Holy King Zhong!" Patriarch Bodhi replied with a smile.

With a sweep of his large sleeve, Patriarch Bodhi and Sun Shen vanished from the scene.

All around, the gathered cultivators stared blankly at what had just transpired. Was it over? Just like that?

The Bull Demon King took a deep look at Zhong Shan, and from the distance, Maitreya did the same. Of course, every strong figure present was now intently focused on Zhong Shan, committing his name and face to memory.

This was a man to whom even Patriarch Bodhi would show respect.

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