Chapter 7: Archery Talent

The old bird grew increasingly agitated as he spoke: "Although my abilities are average, I've awakened a rapid-fire talent. While my accuracy against moving targets is a bit off, I make up for it with speed. Quantity can sometimes compensate for quality, and I still manage to hit a few. If it weren't for that woman Ji Nanhong, I wouldn't have fallen to this state. I should have reached level 10 long ago."

"Who is Ji Nanhong?" Chen Guan asked, puzzled.

"Ji Nanhong is the most talented and capable among our group, and she was the first to reach level 10," the old bird said bitterly. "Originally, we helped each other on the island, and everyone could benefit. But that woman gathered a few talented individuals and formed an elite team. They went off on their own to hunt high-quality Mystic Spirits, disregarding the lives of others. Those who joined her team leveled up rapidly, acquiring high-quality spirit pets, Mystic Techniques, Mystic Skills, and treasures, which they could use freely. The rest of us couldn't even level up. Without strong teammates, hunting Mystic Spirits became a high-risk endeavor. Many of us had to work like slaves, doing menial labor just to exchange for some resources. If it weren't for this, I wouldn't still be stuck at level 7. I should have reached level 10 ages ago."

Chen Guan remained silent. He didn't think Ji Nanhong and her group were entirely in the wrong. The law of the jungle, survival of the fittest, was a natural rule. Ji Nanhong and her team helping the weak would be an act of benevolence, but not helping didn't make them guilty.

"Originally, I was part of that elite team, but Ji Nanhong said my archery accuracy was too poor to handle important tasks, so she kicked me out of the team," the old bird said, growing angrier as he spoke, his teeth grinding audibly. "Once I've honed my archery skills, I'll head to the Golem Valley, kill a supreme Mystic Spirit, and obtain supreme Mystic Techniques, Mystic Skills, and pets. They'll regret it then."

"What's the Golem Valley?" Chen Guan's interest was piqued at the mention of a supreme Mystic Spirit.

"The Golem Valley is one of the mysterious regions on the island. There's a type of black golem Mystic Spirit there, and it's extremely powerful. Ji Nanhong and her team suffered heavy losses when they tried to hunt it, speculating that it's a supreme Mystic Spirit," the old bird said with a cold laugh. "According to their research, the golem's defense is too strong. Unless you have a supreme treasure as a weapon, you can't even break its defense, let alone kill it. The only feasible method is to damage the vertical eye on its forehead. That eye is its only weakness, but it only opens for a moment when the golem uses a Mystic Skill. And when it uses a Mystic Skill, the golem moves at high speed. They couldn't even touch it, let alone damage it. Only long-range attacks like archery could possibly hit the eye in that brief moment."

"Tell me more about this golem. Maybe we can team up and kill it," Chen Guan said, very interested.

The old bird shook his head with a bitter smile. "I was just venting earlier. Even if I could shoot accurately, the two of us couldn't kill the golem Mystic Spirit. It's likely a level 10 supreme Mystic Spirit. The two of us combined wouldn't be enough to handle even one of its hands. How could we force it to use a Mystic Skill and expose its weakness?"

"Although my level isn't great, my pet is quite formidable. Combined with your archery skills, we might actually pull this off," Chen Guan said, pointing to the Rouge beside him.

"Is that a rare-quality Evil Cute Rabbit? It seems a bit larger—could it be an uncommon quality? Even if it is uncommon, it would still be hard to match up against a golem. But you're lucky to have gotten such a pet; at least it increases our chances of survival on this island," Old Bird said dismissively.

"Take a closer look," Chen Guan urged, having Rouge walk over and pull the Bloodsucking Knife from the tree.

Old Bird was stunned, his expression turning to one of astonishment. "That knife is the Evil Cute Rabbit's treasure? I've never heard of an Evil Cute Rabbit having a treasure before. Could it be a unique Mystic Spirit?"

"Exactly, it is indeed a unique Mystic Spirit. If we can level it up to ten and combine it with your archery skills, do you think we have a chance to take down the golem?" Chen Guan didn't mention his biggest trump card—the Cheerleading Soul.

With the Cheerleading Soul enhancing Rouge, in a one-on-one fight, Rouge might just be able to defeat the golem.

"A unique Mystic Spirit!" Old Bird was shocked. He had been on the island for a year and hadn't managed to get his hands on any high-quality Mystic Spirit pet. Yet, Chen Guan, who had just arrived, already had a unique Mystic Spirit with such formidable combat power.

"If that's the case, there might be a chance, though it's probably still slim... and my archery accuracy might not be up to par..." Old Bird clearly lacked the confidence he had in his youth, no longer the fearless and spirited person he once was.

Chen Guan stared at Old Bird. The island was full of mysteries, and Chen Guan didn't want to risk exploring it alone. Having an experienced guide would save him a lot of unnecessary trouble and danger.

Moreover, he wasn't entirely sure if Rouge, enhanced by the Cheerleading Soul, could single-handedly take down the golem. If not, they would still need Old Bird's archery skills to target the golem's weak spot—its vertical eye. It was essential to bring Old Bird along as insurance.

As for whether Old Bird might betray him, Chen Guan had already considered that. At level 7, Old Bird was weaker than Rouge at level 2. If Old Bird tried anything funny, Chen Guan would simply enhance Rouge with the Cheerleading Soul and deal with him easily.

With this in mind, Chen Guan solemnly said to Old Bird, "Old Bird, I think you should know this—on our street, you were the childhood idol of our generation. Remember that time you took me to the wild woods to hunt birds? We saw two old turtledoves sitting side by side on a branch, and you asked me if I believed you could knock both of them down with a single stone. At the time, I didn't believe it at all, but without a word, you picked up a stone, pulled back the slingshot, and took down both turtledoves with one shot. Do you know what you were to me back then? In my eyes, you were a god, an incredible existence."

"But those were just ordinary birds, and they weren't moving. It's completely different from fighting Mystic Spirits now," Old Bird said with a bitter smile, still appearing somewhat dejected, a far cry from the fearless person he had been in his youth.

"It's all the same to me. In my eyes, your archery talent is unparalleled. No one is more suited for weapons like the bow and arrow, and no one can match your accuracy," Chen Guan said, raising his hand to stop the veteran from speaking. He continued with a serious expression, "I believe your talent in archery is unmatched. You will be the finest archer. The reason you're not hitting your mark now is because you're too concerned with others' opinions, losing yourself and not unleashing your true potential."

As Chen Guan spoke, he subtly activated the Spirit of Encouragement, curious to see how much of an effect it would have on a cultivator.

The veteran stared at Chen Guan, listening to his words, and inexplicably felt a surge of excitement. Yet, he still smiled bitterly and said, "Chen Guan, you overestimate me. I'm really not as exceptional as you think."

"Not exceptional? Then let's test it," Chen Guan said, picking up a pebble the size of a pigeon's egg from the ground. He turned to the veteran and said, "Here, I'll throw this pebble, and you shoot it with your arrow."

Before the veteran could respond, Chen Guan had already tossed the pebble into the air. The veteran felt a surge of emotion within him and instinctively drew an arrow, nocked it, and let it fly, striking the pebble mid-air and bringing it down.