136 Power of Sun-Shattering Bow
The Sun-Shattering Bow was a treasure that could pose a fatal threat to fully crystallized vampire lords.
According to information gathered by Cascadia's vampire hunters, only seventeen harmonizing vampire lords existed in the region.
In other words, within Cascadia's vicinity, only the Blood Moon Vampire King could completely ignore this bow's power. At most, a dozen or two vampires might survive a single arrow from it.
Of course, this was assuming the bow could be fully drawn.
Even with Peter Volare's Crystal Realm cultivation, drawing the bow halfway risked death itself. However, this achievement alone was enough to make everyone's expressions shift.
In the next instant, with a piercing cry, the white light transformed into a brilliant rainbow streaking across the sky!
"Dodge!!"
As the arrow's cry pierced the air, the old man unfurled two enormous wings, beat them fiercely, and vanished from where he had stood.
Rajitha and the old woman followed suit, while Rose Hightower darted away.
The moment the white light struck the wooden house, everything within thirty yards instantly crumbled to dust!
Boom!
The ground shattered and caved inward, dust billowing like wild dragons while countless rocks cascaded down from every direction.
The three airborne figures dared not pause. They circled frantically, their eyes fixed with lingering terror on their former position before turning fierce glares toward the distant cliff.
"Peter Volare!!"
The blood-soaked, dejected man stared back vacantly, his eyes empty of all light.
He had exhausted every possible method and made every conceivable preparation.
But to his dismay, the arrow—which had drained every last bit of his energy—had missed its mark.
Drawing the bow was far too slow—impossibly, fatally slow!
Exhausted, Peter Volare collapsed to his knees as the longbow clattered to the ground beside him.
The Sun-Shattering Bow hadn't lost any of its brilliance, but he no longer had the strength to draw it a second time.
"..."
Rose staggered to her feet, wiped the dust from her face, and gazed up at the figure, utterly speechless.
"I really want to slap him, twice!" Master Arden spat angrily, utterly exasperated. Can't he be a little more competent! He crouched there for so long, was it just to come out and wreck the place!
"This damned fool—if he had something to say, he could have just said it directly. Why trick us into coming here?" Master Rhys panted heavily. The situation was clear now; how could he not see Volare's true intentions? All this maneuvering was simply to find allies in his quest to eliminate the vampires.
If that arrow has struck true, it could have severely wounded the strongest of the three vampires. We may have had a real chance at victory today. Rhys thought to himself.
"Everyone..."
Peter Volare's gaze grew dim. Words failed him as emptiness consumed his heart.
He stared at the people below, wanting to clench his fist, but discovered his hand had split down the middle and now hung limp at his side.
Suddenly, Volare noticed a shift in how the people below gazed at him—especially Rose, whose eyes now gleamed with intensity.
Steady footsteps approached, and a pair of pristine boots crossed his field of vision.
The hems of a pair of black trousers billowed in the mountain wind as the handsome young man bent down to retrieve the longbow.
… …
I sensed the immense power flowing through the Sun-Shattering Bow as I gazed down at the people below.
Their bravery had truly caught me off guard.
Not just Rose, but even the two Templars had rushed in without waiting for me.
Having been delayed by my earlier fight with Peter Volare, I arrived at the stone wall and sensed something unusual.
I couldn't see the others, though, and this unfamiliar situation made me cautious. Rather than rushing in blindly, I wanted to wait and hear what the seniors had to say first.
I waited for a while but didn't see anyone, and the message from the silver bell was also blocked by something. It wasn't until I sensed movement coming from within the stone wall that I decided to come in and take a look.
The two Templars looked embarrassed as my gaze swept over them. They hadn't thought of this young H.A.R.M. colonel as part of their force when they entered the valley, forgetting he was in charge of the operation. But at this critical moment, quibbling over protocol seemed pointless—survival was their primary concern.
Rose finally realized that she had misjudged John again. Her heartbeat quickened as unease welled up inside her. When they were in Surrey, he had bowed to her and addressed her as a superior—but now, under his piercing gaze, she felt the same inadequacy she'd experienced as a junior agent being scrutinized by a superior after making a mistake.
... ...
My arrival immediately drew the attention of the three vampires.
They hovered in the air, studying me with wary eyes. From the way the others reacted, this young man seemed to be these humans' leader.
Rajitha bristled at being overshadowed. He flapped his wings and sneered, "Dad, Mom, let me handle this kid!"
As his voice echoed through the valley, he suddenly swooped toward me.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, I raised the longbow. It felt awkward and unwieldy in my grasp, a stark contrast to the familiar weight of my blade. But with a steady breath and a resolute gaze, I drew the bowstring, feeling the power thrumming through the weapon.
Peter Volare stared blankly, and then his pupils suddenly contracted.
The Sun-Shattering Bow—the very weapon that had nearly claimed his life when he'd tried to draw it halfway—was now being silently pulled back to a perfect half-moon. A dazzling white light suddenly materialized on the bowstring.
The two Templars' jaws dropped in astonishment while Rose's face lit up with delight.
Rajitha screeched to a halt mid-air, whirling around in panic. "Dad!"
I gained a deeper understanding of the treasured bow as I drew it back. The power of the Nine Cycles Sanguine Resurrection coursed through my arms. In the next moment, I had pulled the bowstring to seventy percent of its full draw!
Without hesitation, the old man revealed his true form—a massive, ferocious blue-green peacock dozens of yards long. His sky-obscuring wings crossed before him like a shield, protecting his body.
The creature showed fear before the battle even began!
Sensing I had reached my limit with the bow, I decided not to strain further. I released my fingers.
The white arrow blazed with an aura far more powerful than before, bathing the entire secluded valley in brilliant light. Its passage through the air tore at everyone's eardrums, its might suggesting it could pierce the very heavens themselves!
Whoosh!
"Brother!" Terror filled the old woman's face as she instinctively summoned her crimson feather. Her complexion drained not just from fear, but also from the brilliant white light streaking across the sky directly toward her.
She couldn't understand. Whether the strategy was to eliminate the strongest or the weakest first…
No matter what... it shouldn't be her...
When the white light struck her, the peacock's true form—slightly smaller than the old man's—was forced to appear. The incomparably tough vampire body seemed utterly defenseless against that arrow.
With a deafening roar, the great peacock vampire was slammed into the mountain wall, pinned there violently!
Blood cascaded down as its long neck went limp, a massive hole several yards wide torn through the center of its body.
With a single arrow, a Crystal Realm vampire had been slain!
The larger peacock—the old man's transformed state—spread its wings and stared at the scene, its entire form quaking.
The creature whirled toward the peak, unleashing a mournful, furious shriek that sent fierce winds howling through the secluded valley!
On the cliff, my black coat and hair whipped in the gale, yet I stood unwavering as steel.
The incessant screeching grated on my nerves.
With deliberate calm, I raised the longbow, aimed it in that direction, and arched an eyebrow.
"..." The massive peacock abruptly fell silent, its wings fluttering nervously.