Legend of the Divine Archer

The Babel Tower was buzzing with activity after a full year of travel. The tower of Babel finally arrived at the docking port in the eastern region. It was an affluent city called Blue Bell. Blue Bell was quite small in size compared to places like Border Town or Pine City. It was a single-purpose city that came alive once a year because of the tower of Babel. It was an agglutination of merchants and handymen who sought to make a profit during the docking period of the tower.

Each lodging was a temporary establishment that would disappear in a few weeks.

The environment in the tower had changed so dramatically since the departure of the miracle generation a year ago. Even beyond the tower, the return of those geniuses to the mainland had heralded a new dawn for the continent of Pi, with Huang as the main culprit.

The tower ranking in the middle level now had Yan Bai as the first, Wei Xi as the second, and Zhang San as the third.

The legend of Huang quietly became old news since nobody could find traces of him within the tower. For some, he died in the trials, for others, he escaped to hide from the Nie clan retaliation. For others, he was still lurking in the tower, waiting for the right opportunity to emerge. All rumors did have a little bit of truth to them since Yan Jin hadn't reappeared in the tower since that night he laid Yan Bai to sleep.

Right now, in a large meeting room, Lee Ann was pacing around nervously. The past year, she followed Yan Jin's instructions and managed the ascension of the three young men who were present in the room. She made an incredible fortune and freed herself from debt and slavery. The Lee Ann of today had nothing to the Lee Ann from a year ago. She was panicking because the architect of her change was still nowhere to be found.

Zhang San grew the most in stature over the past year, although he has become a nine-halo purified celestial like the other two. Taking the leadership of the treasure pavilion affairs helped temper his behavior and teach him the values of patience and responsibility.

" Calm down," he said. "Yan Jin would never fail his promise"

"The Bear is right, brother Yan Jin is fine," Wei Xi replied. He had matured a lot also; his face was less childlike, and he radiated an air of reassurance.

"For sure, if anyone can't survive in the trials this long, it is him," Yan Bai spoke. His aura had turned colder with time, but a sense of calm and serenity emanated from his presence.

"I am not worried about his death. I am worried about my money." Lee Ann said

"I have turned all my fortune in paper bills, if we don't leave the tower before the departure, I am going to lose fifty percent of my wealth." She added

"Do you only worry about money?" Zhang San asked.

"Only money is stable. Money doesn't betray you or cause stress. But jokes aside, what are we gonna do if he doesn't come back?"

"My sister wants me to return to the Border Town and assist her." Zhang San replied.

"I am not leaving the tower without him," Wei XI answered. "Neither will I"

" But there needs to be a strategy to our exit, or we won't make it out of Blue Bell alive."

"The town must be crawling with Golden Warrior and the Nie family's dead soldiers"

"It is Okay if they come, my treasure pavilion is not easy to defeat"

--

The man at the center of the discussion was lying asleep under a Plum blossom tree.

He had spent nine months conquering the last floor of the trials. His tremendous soul power had become the bane that hindered him from success. His soul split into emotions he had never come across before or some that he had buried so deep he never thought would resurface.

It took three thousand and seventy-six attempts to complete the trial. In a chamber devoid of time and space, he seemed to have achieved nirvana. The rewards were as abundant as the challenge. He completed his archery technique and solidified his Dao.

With the help of the Heavenly eyes and the strength of his nine-totem, heretical god bloodline, he accomplished the impossible. He gained full mastery over four bloodline inheritance and was in the process of absorbing the fifth one.

Omen, his faithful bow had cracked a few months ago, unable to withstand the versatility and strength required for the execution of his archery dao.

He sighed as he caressed the head ornament on his forehead, this was the best reward he had gained from the completion of his tournament. He now understood a bit more about Nie Yang and He Chen as the only ones who had succeeded at this trial. Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire

"It is time to go back," he thought.

The space around him twisted into nothingness, and his body turned translucent as a door magically appeared before him. With every step he took, his disheveled appearance, turned cleaner, by the the time he arrived at the door. He was dressed in a black robe, and gold inlaid embroidery, and his long ashen hairs were properly groomed and held together by the golden ornament. His usual white-furred cape hung over his shoulders.

The next step, he was transported out the door and into the hallway that hosted the tower trials. For a split second, a massive pressure emanated from him engulfing the whole tower before disappearing just as fast. Only the sharpest minds could perceive it.

"I forgot to reel in my aura, it almost ended in a disaster," he thought.

His appearance had changed a lot after a year. He looked, older and serene but his aura was non-existent. " For a moment I forgot my birthday, I should be approaching eighteen years of age. I wonder how Uncle is doing?" He mused, with a sigh as he descended from the stairs.

—

Wei Xi, Yan Bai, and Zhang San all flinched at once as a familiar, spiked aura pierced the air like a cold blade. "He's back," they said in unison, a mix of awe and trepidation, before darting out of the room one after another, their footsteps echoing through the silent corridors.

But despite scouring every inch of the tower, not a trace of Yan Jin's presence could be found. It was as though he had vanished into thin air, leaving no trace behind—no scent, no whisper of his footsteps, only an eerie emptiness where his presence had once lingered.

"Why do you think he doesn't want to see us?" Wei Xi asked, his voice tinged with confusion, his brow furrowed as he paced restlessly.

"Maybe there's someone else following us?" Yan Bai suggested, but even his voice was uncertain, lacking the usual confidence.

"Let's think about it. If you were Huang, and you'd just been released from a lockup, where would you go first?" Yan Bai asked, his eyes narrowing with thought. He knew that Wei Xi had the closest bond with Yan Jin, and perhaps his insight would be the key.

Wei Xi hesitated for a moment, the question weighing heavily on him. "I don't know... I can't think of anyone who would be close to us now, but..." His words trailed off as realization hit him like a crashing wave. Without another word, he turned and sprinted toward the highest floor, his feet pounding the stone steps with urgency. The others followed close behind, their hearts racing.

When they reached the open-air balcony, they stopped in their tracks. There, bathed in the soft golden light of the setting sun, stood Yan Jin. His presence was as commanding as ever. By his side was a creature so majestic that even the wind seemed to hold its breath. A massive bird—its silver feathers shimmering like moonlight on water—stood proudly next to him. The creature was no mere bird, but a young Garuda, its noble bloodline clear in the sharpness of its claws and the powerful spread of its wings.

The bird, despite its grandeur, nuzzled its head against Yan Jin with a playful affection, as though it were a mere chick eager for attention from the father it had not seen in some time. The scene was almost otherworldly, a serene harmony between man and beast, so beautiful it made Wei Xi pause, unwilling to disrupt the moment.

"Why are you all just standing there?" Yan Jin's voice broke the stillness, his tone casual, though his words carried a subtle warmth.

"Brother Yan Jin," Wei Xi was the first to step forward, his voice barely a whisper of the awe he felt.

"You've grown, Little Xi," Yan Jin said, a faint smile tugging at his lips, though his blind eyes remained closed.

"How would you know? You can't even see," Zhang San teased, the tension in the air lifting slightly.

"My brother never needed eyes to see," Yan Bai said with a smile, his voice steady, though his words carried a deep truth that made the others nod in silent agreement.

"You too, Yan Bai. You've grown," Yan Jin said warmly, his gaze—or what would have been—lingering on him.

"What about me?" Lee Ann's voice broke in, a hint of unease beneath her words.

Yan Jin turned to her with a gentleness that softened his features. "You've done well. Thank you for taking care of my troublesome sibling while I was away," he said, his tone almost apologetic, as though acknowledging the burden she had carried in his absence.

Lee Ann, overwhelmed by the weight of the emotions she had held back for so long, felt the pressure of it all finally break. Tears welled up in her eyes, and before she could hold them back, they spilled over.

The stress of being connected to Huang—of being caught in the web of his complexities, the family tensions, and the expectations—had taken its toll on her. Her shoulders trembled with the release, the tears a silent testament to all the unspoken struggles she had endured.

Yan Jin watched her quietly, the storm within her mirrored in his own, though he made no move to comfort her. He understood all too well what it meant to bear burdens alone.