"..."

The [Black Flood Dragon] bow hung from Jiang Qiu’s left hand as he lowered his gaze slightly.

’The day after tomorrow is the challenge. If I can’t even reach the entry-level, where my arrows can pierce armor, I’ll definitely lose to Liu Yong from First Middle School.’

’Time is too tight. I have to guarantee high-intensity archery practice tomorrow!’

"Hooo..." Wu Shan let out a long breath and murmured, "Director Zhao originally valued your talent in the Spear Dao and hoped you could grow to your maximum potential. But now, with Tianshan City directly facing the Demon Race, our Military Department has diverted massive resources to support the front. Squeezing out an extra spot for the Prodigy Project is like wringing water from a dry towel—it was incredibly difficult."

"Forget it. Just go back for now. I’ll figure something out for you..."

"Okay."

As his voice trailed off, Jiang Qiu pressed his lips together for a moment, then silently hung the bow on a wooden rack against the wall.

CLICK—

The moment the door slid open, Jiang Qiu glanced back at the side profile of the man, whose hands were clenched into fists and eyes were shut. A resolute gleam flashed in his own eyes, and he lightly bit his lip.

Thump...

The steel gate closed, swallowing the Archery Range and Wu Shan behind him. He walked out of the elite training hall, his fists burning, the red of the setting sun splashing across the side of his face. The fragmented shadows of his bangs concealed a third of his eyes.

"Jiang Qiu," a crisp voice called out from nearby. The patter of footsteps approached, entering his field of view. "You didn’t come back to Area Eight all day. Did something serious happen?"

Liu Zili casually wiped away the sweat pooling in her dimples, exhaled lightly through her nose, and leaned forward slightly to keep pace with him.

"Yeah, Liu Yong from First Middle School is coming here to challenge me the day after tomorrow," Jiang Qiu said, unclenching his fists which had been trembling along with his veins. "A contest of Spear Technique, and... Bow Technique."

"Liu Yong?!" Liu Zili’s almond-shaped eyes widened. In her gaze, the boy’s jawline was as sharp as a knife slicing through light and shadow. "He’s the number one genius of First Middle School! Why would he challenge you? And a contest of Bow Technique, of archery?"

"My Ancient Martial Spear Technique has already reached the Mastery Realm, so breaking through is very difficult. In the college entrance exams, it’s the geniuses who practice Spear and Bow Dual Cultivation that score the highest. That’s why Director Zhao applied for the Prodigy Project for me, to unearth my potential," Jiang Qiu said, his gaze fixed on the distance. The fiery sunset clouds were like massive waves, slowly pressing down from overhead.

"The Martial Education Department hasn’t approved it yet, but the Military Department is willing to give me a chance. The condition is that I have a showdown with Liu Yong, who also wants to enter the Prodigy Project. The winner moves on to secure the spot."

It wasn’t unheard of for someone to rank among the Ten Great Prodigies in the college entrance exams with only the Spear Dao, but it would be incredibly difficult for him to raise his Spear Dao to that level right now.

Breaking through after reaching Mastery in the Ancient Martial Spear was indeed difficult. Teacher Wu Shan had said that to advance further at this stage, he had to practice the bow. He needed to find the commonalities in the motions of drawing and nocking, and integrate them into his Spear Skills. But that, too, would require a long period of accumulation.

The Prodigy Project, on the other hand, could support geniuses in Spear and Bow Dual Cultivation, allowing them to rack up the most points in the college entrance exams. That was the opportunity Director Zhao had fought for on his behalf. He absolutely couldn’t waste it.

’I have to win the day after tomorrow.’

At this thought, Jiang Qiu took a slow breath, his eyes half-lidded. "A contest of Spear Technique is easy. A contest of archery... not so much."

"But you’ve never practiced archery before! That’s so unfair!" Liu Zili frowned and clenched her fists. "But... even if you’re at a disadvantage in archery, you’ll definitely get stronger after you get into Northwest Martial University and study the bow for a year or two."

"Besides, your Martial Arts Talent is so high. You’ll definitely be stronger than those students in the Prodigy Project in the future!"

"Yeah," Jiang Qiu said with a dry laugh. "But I can’t lose to Liu Yong right now, either. This was an opportunity Director Zhao personally went to the Military Department to get. I can’t let it be wasted in my hands."

"..."

Liu Zili’s lips were pressed so tightly they turned white. Her gaze was fixed out of the corner of her eye, her pupils reflecting his right hand, which swung slightly with each step. The blue veins on that arm were ferocious, pulsing like worms, the Qi Blood within still surging and unspent.

She quietly clenched her own fists. "Did you go to the Archery Range with the teacher today? Did you use a Qi Blood Bow? How many arrows did you shoot?"

"Hmm?" Jiang Qiu glanced at her, his brows knitting slightly. "Forty-one arrows."

"Forty-one arrows?!"

Liu Zili’s steps faltered. Her chest felt as if it had been struck by a leather mallet, and she stared wide-eyed, muttering, "Online, they say that shooting thirty arrows in one day with a Qi Blood Bow is the absolute limit for someone in the Iron Flesh Realm. Any more than that could damage your body, and it’ll affect the number of arrows you can shoot the next day..."

"It’s fine. My body’s pretty tough." Jiang Qiu shoved his hands into his pockets as a warm current surged from his heart. "By the way, your wooden tub..."

"N-No... you don’t have to return it," Liu Zili said, hurrying to catch up again, her chin lowered slightly. "Since you have to practice archery, you should take hot baths for a few more days... to relax your muscles..."

Her soft words burrowed into Jiang Qiu’s ears like wool. He glanced at her cheek, half-hidden by her short hair, and nodded lightly. "Thanks."

Their two shadows, one long and one short, stretched diagonally behind them on the brick-paved sidewalk as they walked together toward the jagged outlines of the Shantytown’s streets and alleys.

...

SPLASH—

PLOP.

Lying naked in the large wooden tub, the lactic acid that had been building up in his arms and bones slowly seeped out. The high-pressure waves of water repeatedly massaged his blood vessels. Jiang Qiu’s knuckles rested on the bottom of the tub as he exhaled a long, turbid breath. ’How far am I now from the goal of becoming one of Gao Yuan City’s Ten Great Prodigies?’

Before Gao Yuan City’s Outer City was first breached, the Ten Great Prodigies of Gao Yuan City had always hailed from the Inner City.

Later, with the establishment of the Prodigy Project, a member of the Ten Great Prodigies would emerge from the Outer City every few years. They were all masters of Spear and Bow Dual Cultivation, achieving breakthroughs by merging the two daos.

Every high school in the Outer City was proud when one of their chosen students could participate in the Prodigy Project. Students would sometimes toss around the "Ten Great Prodigies" and the "Prodigy Project" as fantasies to boast about.

Without participating in the Prodigy Project, one couldn’t access the faster channels for improving their Archery Dao. It was extremely difficult to become proficient in both long-range and close-quarters combat before the college entrance exams. And without that, one could never shine like a meteor in the exams and become one of the Ten Great Prodigies with their limitless futures.

’I thought with only two months left until the college entrance exams, I could only bury my head in spear practice to prepare. But Director Zhao fought for me and got me the chance to participate in the Prodigy Project...’

At this thought, Jiang Qiu slowly closed his eyes. He clenched his hand into a fist, the movement causing a dozen small blisters to sizzle on his skin.

"I must beat Liu Yong and get into the Prodigy Project."

...

「The next morning」

With a loud SLAM of the door against its frame, Jiang Qiu strode towards Eighth Middle School, his feet pounding on an alleyway so dim the cracks between the bricks were invisible.

A streetlamp, swarmed by moths, watched his retreating back.

Soon, Jiang Qiu entered the Archery Range in the center of the elite training hall, grabbed the [Black Flood Dragon] bow from its wooden rack, and casually picked up the quiver by his feet.

THOK.

He spread his legs, one in front of the other, and nocked an arrow.

DRAW—

He twisted at the waist, his right arm pulling the string taut, trembling with a low hum.

His elbow joint groaned like a rusty gear. As it did, the patterns on the bow’s grip lit up with a red glow that connected the two beads at either end.

TWANG, WHOOSH—

THUD!

[Advanced Archery Training +1]

Jiang Qiu’s right arm vibrated like a bronze bell. He took a deep breath and, after resting for a moment, nocked another arrow with a soft CLICK.

DRAW—

TWANG, WHOOSH—

THUD!

[Advanced Archery Training +1]

[Advanced Archery Training +1]

[...]

"HUUFF... HAAH..."

With a thump, Jiang Qiu sat down on a long bench, sweat dripping from his chin. The [Black Flood Dragon] bow lay flat beside him, silently watching his chest heave like a great wave.

[Ancient Martial Arrow (Uninitiated)]

[76/100]

Another day passed, yet he had only managed to force out thirty-five arrows. His right arm could no longer draw the bow.

’At this rate of recovery, even if I practice for most of tomorrow, I might not reach the entry-level. And Liu Yong’s challenge certainly won’t wait...’

At this thought, Jiang Qiu closed his eyes, listening to the explosive pounding in his chest, and remained silent.

CLICK—

Suddenly, the sound of a door opening broke his train of thought. He looked up and saw a figure wearing glasses appear in the doorway.