A bow was a fairly common weapon, and Leyvi had seen archers in action before. Typically, their arrows were fast, piercing, sharp, and silent, designed to eliminate a target without attracting attention.
But this woman's arrow seemed to be heavy and destructive. She was likely a cultivator proficient with explosive Qi techniques, similar to himself, which was rare because each such attack consumed a significant amount of Qi.
Leyvi wondered about the size of her Qi reserves, or if she possessed a more efficient method of using explosive Qi, one that could minimize consumption while achieving the same destructive power.
He did not personally need such a technique, but it had always been a side goal of his. He wanted to create a continuation and an improved version of the Fiery Trailblazer Martial Skill he had used for so long, to leave behind as a legacy for his Mountain Dew Sect. So far, he had developed several variants: the Big Bang Attacks, the Bursting Steps, and the Bursting Flight technique.
In the future, he planned to include long-range Big Bang Attacks as well, similar to how the woman had used her bow.
However, the most critical problem to solve was the massive Qi consumption. If he could not solve this, the entry barrier to learn the martial skill would be too high. Practitioners would not only need vast Qi reserves but also have to endure the physical pain from the internal explosions. Novice cultivators would likely choose other, easier and safer martial skills instead.
Nowadays, Leyvi had no problem continuously using Big Bang attacks and Bursting Steps, relying on the enormous Qi reserve from his abnormal core. But back when he was in the Qi Refining Realm, a single Big Bang Attack exhausted most of his Qi. That was a major weakness. If an attack missed, it was effectively over.
Practicing the Fiery Trailblazer Martial Skill did naturally increase a user's Qi capacity more than other average cultivators, a theory he had both theorized and proven years ago. It allowed the user to have more Qi at their disposal, but it still did not solve the fundamental problem of high Qi consumption.
What had happened to his own core was a unique accident that could not possibly be replicated. He could not expect future practitioners to conveniently possess vast Qi reserves like his own. It should be the other way around. He had to refine the martial skill to make it convenient, efficient, and accessible for them to learn and use.
While deep in thought about his martial skill, Leyvi continued to watch the three people haul the injured man back in the direction from which they had come, until they finally disappeared from the edge of his spiritual sense. He made a careful mental note of their direction, as that would be his first destination when he began his information-gathering mission.
He wondered why the man had been captured rather than killed. Were they forcing him to serve them? Anda had mentioned that people were gathering here, expanding their groups and consolidating their influence. Was this how they did it, by capturing people and forcing them into service?
Leyvi let out a quiet sigh. He could not help but feel another pang of disappointment at the darker nature of people. If that cockroach villain Ori could use pills to enslave others, there were surely many other methods to force compliance as well. If this was truly how the established groups were recruiting, it made perfect sense why Anda was being so extraordinarily cautious.
Afterwards, Leyvi informed the rest of the group about everything he had witnessed outside.
"Hmph. That is normal," Dastan explained, his tone dismissive. "My kingdom does not practice slavery, but others do. Among the twelve great kingdoms, it is split half and half. Many of the powerful individuals who came to the Mystic Realm are far worse than I am. I can be considered a good guy by comparison. Everyone here had better be extremely careful when you go outside later."
"Oh, so you know you are a scum?" Leyvi remarked, unable to resist.
"Shut up, country bumpkin! Why must you say that every single time? I am aware of my flaws!" the crown prince fumed, his face flushing.
"Hahaha! Why not? I need to remind you so you don't forget," Leyvi laughed.
Dastan fired back another retort, and soon the two were throwing insults and mocking each other loudly. The argument escalated, and they began using Qi to amplify their voices, each trying to outshout the other.
Suddenly, in the middle of their heated bickering, the temperature inside the main hall began to rise rapidly.
"Ahem. Can you two stop being so loud?" Anda said, her voice polite and her smile perfectly warm.
Her tone was courteous, but everyone present knew it was the prelude to Anda's anger. The sudden sweat dripping down their faces was proof enough. Whenever Anda became truly angry, the surrounding temperature would surge dramatically.
Leyvi and Dastan immediately fell silent and sat back down, their posture becoming obedient in an instant. When the panda grew angry, everyone knew to behave. Even a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator like Dastan dared not defy a maddened Anda. A panda's wrath was a truly terrifying thing.
"If you two still wish to bicker loudly," Anda continued, crossing her arms, "I will ask Anima to create a special room for you. A room much, much deeper underground where nobody can hear you at all. Would you like that?"
Leyvi and Dastan both shook their heads vigorously, their expressions resembling children who had just been thoroughly scolded by their parents.
"No? Good. Let us continue our meeting," Anda said, her smile returning as if nothing had happened.
The temperature in the room returned to normal almost instantly. Everyone let out a simultaneous, quiet sigh of relief.
---
A few days later, within the southwestern region under the colossal tree's shade.
"Captain Shino, we caught this man," a woman with a bow slung across her back announced as she entered a spacious, high-ceilinged hall.
The two men behind her dragged the captive forward, throwing him down like a discarded ragdoll. His wrists and ankles were bound together with heavy cuffs, though his injuries appeared to have been treated.
A young man wearing a distinct black and purple military uniform, complete with a cap and a short cape, turned from the window and walked toward them. His polished military boots made a clear, sharp clip-clop sound with each measured step.
"Hmm... you are quite late, Poloma. Was it that difficult to catch him?" Captain Shino asked, his tone bordering on lazy. His expression gave away no particular emotion.
"It could not be helped, Captain Shino," Poloma replied. "We encountered Prince Charles's men along the way, so we had to take a significant detour. They had ten people. We could not do anything against those odds with just the three of us and a burden in tow."
"Hoo... they are getting bolder and bolder, are they not?" Captain Shino mused.
"That is right, Captain," one of the two men behind Poloma spoke up, his voice thick with frustration. "They keep pushing deeper and deeper into our territory lately. It is getting extremely annoying! I think we should kill a few of them to warn that childish prince!"
"Hmm... this is quite troublesome indeed," Captain Shino acknowledged, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "They have more people than us by a significant margin. Among all the major factions here, we have the fewest members. I am well aware that Prince Charles is quite an ambitious person, despite his childish demeanor. He probably believes his faction is now strong enough to intimidate us and seize more land."
"So, what should we do? Do we fight back?" Poloma asked, seeking a clear directive.
Captain Shino fell silent. Frankly, as the Captain of the Royal Guard, he was not particularly skilled at solving problems of this nature. He would much rather be fighting a Commander Level Demonic Beast than managing territory and political friction. That, at least, was straightforward and fun. He had managed to arrive here early and establish this faction, but he had only done so for the sake of the prince he served. He had hoped to have everything prepared by the time his lord arrived.
Unfortunately, after two long years, there was still no news of the prince. He had likely already perished. Now, Shino was not sure what purpose their efforts served anymore. He felt little motivation to hold onto this region.
Even if they eventually managed to return to the kingdom, with their prince gone, he and all his men would likely be held responsible and executed. He saw no future for himself or his subordinates. Lately, he had been considering simply abandoning everything. They could leave this place, let the other factions fight over the territory, and he and his loyal guards could explore this new world, living a new life free from royal obligations.
However, that did not mean he would allow a prince from another kingdom to act without consequence. Before he departed, he planned to leave a memorable "present" for Prince Charles, who had been such a persistent annoyance.