Water Ink Panel: Starting with Bow Technique to Hunt the Sun and Patrol the Skies

Deep in the mountains, the lingering twilight intertwined with the rising moonlight, accompanied by the chorus of insects and frogs.

Shen Qing and the others each took out some dry provisions they had brought with them and made do with a few bites in the cave.

Such were the conditions in the wild mountains and ridges, nothing more to be had.

Shen Qing couldn't help thinking that it would have been nice to have a Storage Bag, so he wouldn't look so destitute while out in the countryside.

Unfortunately, it appeared that the concept of a Storage Bag did not exist in this world, which he found somewhat regrettable.

After taking a water bladder and guzzling a few mouthfuls, Shen Qing looked at Shao Hongling and the others and asked, "What are your thoughts on our next move?"

A Da and Xiao Man shook their heads self-mockingly and said, "With our level of cultivation, it's a bit of a stretch to say we can protect ourselves, let alone have any plans. We naturally listen to Lord Shen and the young lady."

Shao Hongling pondered for a moment, then pointed to the endpoint on the map and said, "Lord Shen, why don't we hurry along and reach the intersection of these routes as quickly as possible, then find a concealed place to hide and wait at ease."

"The Jing Luan Assembly first looks for the hundred survivors, and only then does it determine ranking by military achievements. So, in my view, as long as we hide among the top hundred, it's not a loss. And by the time of the final battle, those martial masters who survived will surely have accumulated considerable merits. If we seize the opportunities then, it would be like getting twice the results with half the effort."

Shen Qing nodded, agreeing, "You make a lot of sense, and I have the same thought."

In his eyes, this Jing Luan Assembly was not much different from his previous life's "chicken eating" game; it was all a matter of strategy.

Now his cultivation had broken through to the Spirit Void Realm.

With such cultivation, he couldn't necessarily do as he pleased in the Jing Luan Assembly, but there were indeed few who could threaten him.

If he continued to play it safe, he would surely be in an impregnable position.

For him, the Jing Luan Assembly could very well be an excellent opportunity to become a Marquis.

"Rest well tonight, and we'll hit the road tomorrow, heading west."

"Yes, my lord."

Shen Qing gave some more instructions about the journey, and then the conversation ceased.

Shao Hongling and the others gradually drifted to sleep, while Shen Qing cultivated seriously, as usual, refining the Wish Power Pearls he had seized.

Spiritual Energy surrounded him.

A night passed without incident.

When the next day dawned, a ray of golden light streamed into the cave.

Shen Qing slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath of turbid air.

After a night of cultivation, he felt refreshed and in a better state than ever before.

Outside the cave, a large bird with colorful feathers perched on a branch, chirping away.

The others awoke, and Xiao Man, surprised to see the bird, commented, "That bird is beautiful."

No sooner had he spoken,

Thwack!

A searing beam of energy shot over his head and struck the fat bird.

The bird's head exploded with a dull sound, and its lifeless body fell to the ground.

Shen Qing approached and picked up the bird, noticing it was indeed sizable, about half the size of a chicken.

He said with satisfaction, "Not bad at all, you're in for a treat. We'll roast it and eat it in a bit."

Xiao Man hadn't expected such a casual remark from him to result in Shen Qing so swiftly killing the bird and was at a loss for words.

Even after many years without entering the mountains to hunt, Shen Qing, with his hunter origins, found dealing with such birds almost effortless.

Shen Qing quickly set up the fat bird on the skewer, sprinkled some salt, and roasted it.

After a short wait, a wisp of smoke carrying a tempting aroma began to drift lazily through the air.

The fat bird's skin was roasted to a golden, crispy finish.

Shen Qing tore off a piece, the meat inside still maintaining its tenderness.

"Eat up," Shen Qing joked. "Consider yourselves lucky. With me here, you won't go hungry in the deep mountains."

Shao Hongling and company woke up and, without any hesitation, tore into the meat and began eating earnestly.

It had to be said that Shen Qing's cooking skills were indeed impressive.

A large fat bird was quickly picked clean by them, leaving behind nothing but a skeletal frame.

A Da brought some earth to douse the campfire, extinguishing the fire in the mountains.

...

In the distant woods, a group of martial masters was desperately running for their lives.

Their clothes had long been torn by tree branches, revealing streaks of blood, and their shoes had been lost at some point, forcing them to run barefoot over thorns and jagged stones.

"Faster! Move faster!"

A man's shout suddenly erupted in the woods, his tone fraught with urgency.

Shang Jin glanced back and saw shadows swarming behind him, relentlessly pursuing him.

Continuous pained groans and the dull thuds of bodies hitting the ground came from their party.

But Shang Jin showed not a moment's hesitation or pause, leading the others in a desperate sprint forward.

They were from Great Zhou's Northern Moonlight City.

Their original plan was to hide near the starting area, to lay low for a while.

However, they had not anticipated the supervision team arriving just as it started to get light, pulling them from their hiding spot.

After a fierce battle, their squad suffered heavy losses, with only a few surviving.

To make matters worse, after being found by the supervision team, they encountered two more teams one after another.

Shang Jin ran, drenched with sweat, completely exhausted from fighting all the way to this point.

Despair took hold of his heart.

Suddenly, footsteps approached from ahead, causing Shang Jin's heart to tighten—

He stopped quickly and, using the sunlight filtering through the trees, saw three men and a woman blocking their path, their eyes glittering coldly.

"Everyone, be careful!" Shang Jin whispered as a warning, while he drew the short knife from his waist, ready for combat.

"What should we do next?" someone whispered.

Shang Jin was silent for a moment, his mind in turmoil, unable to get a read on these people before him: "I don't know."

Shen Qing sized them up and down, noting their blood-soaked bodies as if they had just returned from a clash. He asked with a frown, "Is there someone else behind you?"

Uncertain of Shen Qing's capabilities, Shang Jin replied, "There are some people."

As they spoke, five or six individuals charged over.

The leader, upon seeing Shen Qing and his companions, paused briefly, then joyfully exclaimed, "Our luck today is really good; I didn't expect to run into another group—"

Shang Jin quickly interjected, "Be careful. This group is mostly at the Qi Cultivation Realm, and the leader is at the Qi Hai Realm. They're brutal, and many of our brothers have fallen at their hands."

The leader took in Shen Qing's and others' attire as well as the bulges at each of their chests, recognizing that they possessed considerable wealth.

If they could execute them, there would certainly be a great bounty to claim.

Driven by desire, he signaled to his companions with a look.

They understood.

The leader licked his dry lips, turned silently, and lifted his axe high.

The Jing Luan Assembly was a place of constant conflict, where all strangers encountered were walking merits.

If they didn't kill them, they would eventually be killed by them.

Might as well take action now.

Shen Qing smiled and asked, "Why are you holding your axes so high?"

"Nothing much, just killing you, that's all. Brothers, attack."