From a distance, atop a hill overlooking the training grounds, two figures sat leisurely, enjoying a shimmering alcoholic drink—wine infused with Qi. Elder Jian and Elder Xian observed the group of disciples training under the guidance of a young man who clearly stood out among them.
Elder Jian took a sip of his drink before speaking casually. “Hey, Xian, what do you think about that boy?”
Elder Xian nodded slightly, his eyes still fixed on Han Ye. “You mean Han Ye? I find him interesting. He understands how to teach very well, even without formal instruction. And besides that, he has the highest cultivation among the new disciples, doesn’t he?”
Elder Jian smiled faintly. “Yes, and he’ll soon face the bottleneck to Arc II.”
Elder Xian raised an eyebrow. “Highly talented, and what’s even more remarkable… he hasn’t taken any pills or used a Qi-gathering array to boost his cultivation.”
Elder Jian raised an eyebrow. “Where did you even get that information?”
Xian chuckled before taking a sip of his drink. “From his father.”
Elder Jian fell silent for a moment, then turned to Xian with a serious expression. “Interesting. With the amount of Qi he should have, it’s impossible for his body not to experience over-Qi. But he seems perfectly fine.”
Xian sighed. “That’s what confuses me. How can his body withstand all of that? Does he have an abnormal physique?”
They both fell into thought, considering the possibility. In the world of cultivation, there were unique physiques that only a select few possessed. The Lightning Body, for example, allowed someone to absorb and store lightning energy to strengthen their attacks or refine it to enhance their body. If Han Ye had something simir, it could expin his resilience to an excessive amount of Qi.
“I’m not sure,” Xian finally said, “but I’ll ask the other elders about this.”
Two hours had passed since the archery training had begun, and the results were quite surprising. Han Ye, who had unofficially taken on the role of an instructor, trained the disciples with a method that… could be considered extreme.
Simple, yet harsh.
And without realizing it, his teaching style was more suited for a battlefield than a mere training session.
“HEEEY, YOU THERE!” Han Ye’s voice suddenly echoed, startling one of the disciples. “WHY ARE YOU STARING AT YOUR OPPONENT LIKE SOMEONE USING A MELEE WEAPON?!”
The disciple gulped nervously. “I-I wasn’t staring lik—”
“DON’T ARGUE!” Han Ye cut him off, his tone sharp. “YOU’RE AN ARCHER! YOU MUST HIDE YOUR KILLING INTENT! JUST FROM YOUR EYES, PEOPLE CAN TELL ‘THIS PERSON IS GOING TO ATTACK ME.’ AND IF IT’S TOO OBVIOUS, YOUR ENEMY WON’T EVEN GIVE YOU THE CHANCE TO DRAW YOUR BOW!”
Elsewhere, Lan Ji, who was shooting arrows while running, gnced at Xue Lian and muttered, “He’s scarier than the instructors from my cn.”
Xue Lian nodded in agreement. “Same.”
Many of the disciples had assumed Han Ye would be gentle with them since he was their peer. They thought he would give them a few pointers and let them practice at their own pace.
But they were dead wrong.
Han Ye wasn’t just teaching them—he was pushing them.
They weren’t just trained to shoot from a stationary position, but also while moving, hiding, and under pressure.
And that pressure came directly from Han Ye himself.
4 hour ter.....
The training was finally over. But what remained was not a sense of accomplishment or pride.
Only exhaustion.
But this exhaustion wasn’t purely physical.
Their minds were drained.
For four hours, they had been chased, forced to shoot while running, made to hide and find the best positions… only for Han Ye to somehow always find them.
“Wow, this was so much fun,” Han Ye said cheerfully, as if he had just finished an enjoyable game. and he doesn't know why he likes to scold them but he likes to py with them like-
Xue Lian, with a sulking expression, walked up to him. “How did you know where I was hiding?”
Han Ye, who was still lost in thought, smiled mysteriously. “Secret.”
The truth was, even he wasn’t entirely sure how he was able to find them. But he had two possibilities.
First, the mysterious mark he had carried from the cursed book might have granted him a heightened awareness of his surroundings.
Second, the sensory technique his father had taught him before he received the mark was proving to be far more useful than he had expected.
‘That sensory technique my father gave me is really useful… maybe I should modify it,’ Han Ye thought to himself. ‘If I can incorporate heat detection and Qi sensing, I might be able to create a better detection technique.’
The disciples were sprawled across the training grounds, panting heavily. Some were lying ft on the ground, while others sat with their backs against trees, trying to recover.
“This… is crazy…” one of the disciples groaned.
“I thought we’d just be practicing archery,” another one mumbled weakly.
“I can’t even feel my legs anymore…”
Despite their compints, there was no denying that their skills had improved. Even the weakest disciple was now able to draw their bow faster and aim more precisely.
Lan Ji stretched his arms with a tired grin. “You know… as much as I hate to admit it, this training might actually be effective.”
Xue Lian sighed. “It is effective. But that doesn’t mean I like it.”
Han Ye cpped his hands together. “Alright, that’s enough for today. Rest well, because tomorrow… we’ll be doing it again!”
A collective groan of despair echoed across the training field.
Elder Jian and Elder Xian were still observing Han Ye, their expressions filled with admiration.
“He doesn’t even realize he’s training them like an elite unit,” Elder Jian said with a small ugh.
Elder Xian nodded. “His teaching style is strange, but highly effective. He’s not just training their skills—he’s shaping their mentality.”
Jian sighed. “That kid has an incredibly sharp combat instinct. Not like a typical archer.”
Xian narrowed his eyes. “I’ll make sure the other elders know about this. Han Ye is not like ordinary disciples. If he can break through to Arc II smoothly, we might have the strongest archer of this generation.”
Jian stared at his drink, deep in thought before finally saying, “Or maybe… something even greater.”
