Chapter 559: Chapter 341: Shift in Mindset, Harvesting Prey_2

Thus, when someone suggested putting aside their prejudices, everyone naturally had no objections.

"In that case, we should show some sincerity. I think it’s better if we spread out the battle line, rather than wasting everyone by staying here. This way, we can contribute more to the battle."

"Agreed."

The Instructor Elders immediately took action.

Zhao Ya, of course, had no idea that the stance of these Instructor Elders had already changed.

At that moment, he did not head to the dilapidated temple thirty miles away.

Because he couldn’t be sure if the information was true or false.

What if it’s a trap?

It’s not that Wu Bao’Er was lying to deceive him.

But because someone like Ye Xunhuan is extremely cunning and insidious, one must be cautious.

That’s why Zhao Ya used poison bait to control Wu Bao’Er, letting her investigate the truth first.

As long as she opened the bottle, Zhao Ya would sense it, and then it wouldn’t be too late to rush over.

However, Zhao Ya wasn’t idle but was instead weaving through the woods.

By now, the battle had entered a fever pitch.

Everyone was fighting with bloodshot eyes.

Although those dispatched by the Separation Tower were elites, and with the assistance of North Canglong, they were imposing.

But because Azure Dragon Temple was well-prepared, they didn’t gain any advantage, instead losing a lot of manpower.

However, as time elapsed, the battle gradually reached a stalemate.

For the moment, neither side could gain the upper hand.

Especially as the rain subsided and those in the ambush team gradually adapted.

The crossbow arrows that flew chaotically at first finally regained most of their accuracy.

And in this dim environment, the menacing arrows coming from unknown directions were undoubtedly the greatest threats.

At least on the Azure Dragon Temple side, more than a dozen disciples and even an elder were injured.

Despite several charges by the elders of Azure Dragon Temple to find the ambush team, the outcomes were minimal.

Gan Rou lay crouched in a bush, despite being soaked in the pooled rainwater beneath her, she didn’t move an inch.

As the only female member of the Separation Tower’s ambush team, Gan Rou had absolute confidence in her archery skills.

And indeed, that was the case.

Because the injured elder from Azure Dragon Temple was hit by her hand.

But Gan Rou did not relax, instead, she aimed at another elder from Azure Dragon Temple.

At an ultra-long range of two hundred and seventy-one steps, with dim lighting, and accompanied by a southwest wind and incessant raindrops.

Each of these conditions alone would be extremely challenging, but Gan Rou was nevertheless full of confidence.

From a young age, she had exceptional eyesight, capable of hitting sparrows fifty steps away with a slingshot at the age of five at night.

So the dim environment at that moment didn’t hinder her at all; instead, it became the best camouflage.

She silently adjusted her breathing, steadily holding a precise and complex mechanical crossbow, aiming it at the distant target.

This was her favorite moment.

No matter how strong like the Meridian Opening, they still couldn’t escape the life-and-death control of her trigger finger.

But just as she was about to pull the trigger, she suddenly felt her Qi Blood stagnate, her heartbeat even halted for a half-beat.

Although this phenomenon was fleeting, it had a tremendous impact on Gan Rou.

The shooting point she painstakingly found was nowhere to be seen.

Gan Rou was shocked, not understanding what had just happened to her.

Could it be because she was soaked too long in the cold rainwater?

During training, she often stayed in muddy water for a whole day and night; such a short time shouldn’t have affected her.

Determined not to give up, Gan Rou adjusted her Qi Blood and raised the mechanical crossbow once more to focus her aim.

This time, she didn’t even wait to pull the trigger before she again felt her body stiffen, and her carefully adjusted shooting stance was gone.

Moreover, she felt that her hands started to slightly tremble.

This is not right!

This is not right at all!

Gan Rou’s strength might not be top-notch, but her bodily control was superb.

Under normal circumstances, her hands would never tremble.

Feeling a strange fear, she forgot about the target and silently retreated into the bushes, intending to withdraw from the area.

But right then, a shadow suddenly appeared before her.

"Here’s another one!"

It seemed like a self-dialogue, and the shadow immediately unleashed a palm strike.

The gust of palm wind rushed towards her.

Greatly alarmed, Gan Rou tried to roll away to dodge.

But just as that familiar stiffness hit her again.

Her reaction was half a beat too slow.

And it was this half-beat that cost her life.

Splat.

Her head was smashed like a rotten watermelon.

White brain matter scattered all over, emitting a suffocating stench.

Zhao Ya withdrew his hand, casually picking up the mechanical crossbow beside Gan Rou’s corpse and placing it into the cloth sack on his back.

There were already three inside.

But those three mechanical crossbows clearly couldn’t match the complexity of the one in Gan Rou’s hand, indicating that the deceased female assassin was likely a core member of the Separation Tower’s ambush team.

Zhao Ya didn’t search the body this time.

Since all these assassins—every single one—had nothing of value on them.

Zhao Ya surmised that they probably knew the perilous nature of this mission, thus carried no valuables.

But acquiring a mechanical crossbow was more than enough.

Zhao Ya had a high interest in this hard crossbow capable of injuring those in the Meridian Opening Realm.