My Cultivation Starting from Archery

5 a.m. to 7 a.m.

The sound of the bugle echoed through the camp.

The soldiers headed to the barracks, bidding farewell to their families.

The Sun Li siblings, too, donned their armor and took up their weapons to join the battle.

"Shanshi."

Sun Buqi caught up quickly, "I've looked into the matter on the grassland for you. That Thousand Households surnamed Luo, his subordinates said he hasn't left alone. Is it possible that it's because Tang Ruoshan is too incompetent, causing the exposure?"

"Perhaps."

Chen Sansi didn't refute, nor did he bother to.

To the people of the Governor Mansion, it was all about evidence.

But he didn't need to provide any.

Sun Li said, "Little Brother, don't worry, we'll keep an eye on him."

Once arriving at the barracks,

after Xiang Tingchun's lengthy speech, all the soldiers then garrisoned the Great Wall.

In the days that followed, they would have to eat, drink, and deal with all matters within the Great Wall, with any departures requiring permission.

Each Household was responsible for two signal towers, covering a distance of twenty miles.

The other two hundred Martial Arts Academy Disciples and over two hundred new recruits who had just joined the army were scattered among them.

The common folk were in charge of boiling the golden liquid, moving rolling logs, boulders, arrows, and other tools.

Xiang Tingchun, Luo Dongquan, and Dan Yuanzhi, three Refining Organ Martial Artists, personally conducted day and night patrols.

Additionally, a night watch team would leave the city every night to scout.

This task no longer fell upon Chen Sansi.

All that was left was to wait.

After three days,

Chen Sansi's swordsmanship shot straight up to entry-level Bone Training, no longer holding him back when used.

"Mr. Chen, it's doomed!"

Xu Wencai, busy for several days, created a makeshift sand table with an accuracy comparable to that within the Central Army's tent.

Holding a stick, he looked troubled, "It's doomed!"

It was mealtime.

Everyone was gathered inside the signal tower, eating the beast meat brought by Chen Sansi, and thus heard everything clearly.

"Doomed my ass!"

Zhu Tong stepped forward and kicked him, "When the barbarians come, I'll push you off the city wall first to meet your doom."

"It really is doomed!"

Xu Wencai's expression was sincere.

Xu Bin leaned over, craning his neck, "Old Xu, I've read Military Books too. We may not have many people, but we are defending the city. We're not lacking in food, and we have the townspeople to help. There's still a good chance we can hold."

"I wasn't talking about that."

Xu Wencai turned to Chen Sansi, "You guys don't understand, but Mr. Chen certainly can see it. The troop reinforcement by the Barbarian Thousand Households from Xi River is very strange, and An Ding Prefecture remains silent. Too weird... Unfortunately, there isn't enough intelligence, I can't see the specifics elsewhere, and can't figure out what the barbarians exactly want to do.

"But from what we see now, the posture they are assuming signifies that they are hell-bent on taking Po Yang, defying the heavens in their pursuit!"

"Hmm,"

Chen Sansi nodded, indicating he agreed with that view to everyone.

Indeed strange.

Even bringing up the Immortal Treasure wouldn't make sense.

Shouldn't such matters be dealt with stealthily?

For instance, sending several more experts of the Witch God Sect, plenty of Refining Organ and Hua Jin practitioners.

What does it mean to send a large army closing in?

Searching carpet-style is not done like this, right?

Of course, if it's just six thousand men, the problem isn't too big. At most, we implement scorched earth tactics, retreat everyone back to the county seat, and concentrate strength on guard higher and more solid city walls.

But what might follow next?

Nobody can be sure.

He, like Xu Wencai, had a very bad feeling.

Nobody is an Immortal; they could only take one step at a time.

"Mr. Chen, why don't we head to the mountains!"

Zhuang Yi proposed this idea for the second time, "Take about a hundred people and just flee straight into the deep mountains and dense forests, where you could be a king and set up a stronghold, recruiting soldiers to start anew."

Zhu Tong agreed with both hands, "Exactly, we could establish our own small court!"

"Are you two brainless? How can you joke about something like this?!"

Xu Bin hurried to stop them.

Xu Wencai seriously discussed the idea with them,

concluding in the end that lacking advanced cultivation methods and resources, becoming prominent would only lead to a dead end.

Of course, everyone was just joking around.

Because defending the city was too monotonous.

Chen Sansi didn't join in the fun. After replenishing his energy, he continued to practice his spear and swordsmanship.

In a flash, another two days passed.

[Cultivation Technique: Undying Golden Snake Spear (Small Achievement)]

[Progress: 308/2000]

His swordsmanship also caught up with his own realm.

[Cultivation Technique: Diancang Swordsmanship (Bone Forger Small Achievement)]

[Progress: 0/2000]

The limit for proficiency increased many times over.

As expected, once reaching the realm of the physical body, rapid progress was no longer possible.

He still needed to focus primarily on spear technique.

"On a side note,"

"it has been over ten days since the grassland journey concluded."

"Shouldn't the Capital City have received news of me capturing the Ninth Prince Yu Wen? I wonder if they'll give me anything in return."

He didn't seek rank or peerage,

only a resource for cultivation.

The Condensed Dew Body Refinement Soup was still useful for Bone Forger small achievement, but it wasn't enough; he wanted to achieve Bone Forging Perfection as soon as possible, so when facing a Refining Organ Martial Artist again, he would not be utterly helpless.

"Enemy attack—"

"Enemy attack!"

Atop the Great Wall, the signal fires were lit.

Along the two hundred mile Great Wall, the soldiers, whose nerves had been strained for days on end, each took up their weapons and moved to their pre-assigned posts.

Chen Sansi also took his spear and sword, and went to the top of the wall.

"Boom, boom, boom, boom—"

"Hum—"

Along with the sound of war drums as loud as thunder and the majestic bugle, a dark mass of figures gradually appeared on the slope ten miles away. It was the barbarian army.

They arranged their battle formation, erected their observation towers, and stood off against the Great Sheng officials and soldiers from afar,

"Yeah—"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Leading a dark horse Calvary unit, one came to a halt about two hundred steps from the Great Wall and began riding around and shouting,

"Hear this, Sheng Dynasty's officers and soldiers within the city!"

"Surrender early, and avoid death!"

"We give you two hours!"

"After two hours, if you don't voluntarily open the city gates, our Heavenly Clan Iron Cavalry will surely flatten Po Yang!"

The best strategy in warfare is to outthink the enemy; attacking the spirit is supreme, attacking the city is inferior.

Even though they were of different races and bloodshed was inevitable, they could still create an atmosphere that boosted the morale of their own troops.

Morale was, after all, the key to victory.

"Soldiers defending the Great Wall, listen up!"

"I offer you..."

"Whoosh—"

Thump!

An arrow suddenly pierced through the helmet of a fast-charging cavalryman, toppling him and his horse to the ground and stirring up a cloud of dust.

Chen Sansi slowly lowered his bow.

Two hundred steps, one kill with a single shot!

"Good shot!"

"Mr. Chen is valiant!"

"Valiant!"

"..."

Hundreds of soldiers cried out in unison.

"Good!"

Xiang Tingchun, who sat atop the fortress gate, cheered loudly, "Excellent archery, upholding the might of our Great Dasheng!"

Although only one barbarian cavalryman had died.

Everyone felt as if they had gained a huge advantage as they looked at the dense group of people becoming insignificant, their hearts invigorated and hands itching for a fight.

This was morale!

...

Ten miles away.

Wu Mu'er, a barbarian Household leader on the observation tower, had an unpleasant expression on his face.

His original plan was to intimidate the Sheng people before attacking, but the result was the opposite of what he had intended.

"How could we, the Heavenly Clan, who rely on our skills with the bow and horse, lose to the Sheng people?!"

He asked solemnly, "Who has outstanding archery skills?"

"I have Admiral Mu Ge!"

Ji Rentai, another Household leader at his side, spoke up, "This man uses a five-stone bow and can hit a target a hundred steps away with one of his three arrows!"

"Good!"

Wu Mu'er issued an order, "Send up Mu Ge and tell him that shooting down that archer just now will be rewarded with twenty taels of gold, five hundred taels of silver, and three hundred heads of cattle and sheep!"

...

"Here they come again!"

Xu Wencai lay on the ground, cautiously looking ahead as another menacing barbarian approached.

"Sheng people, if you're brave, don't use numbers to overwhelm me or shoot chaotic arrows at me!"

Mu Ge came unarmed except for the longbow in his hand, his voice booming, "Call out that archer from just now. I'll compete with him in archery, staking our lives on the outcome!"

"I am right here!"

Chen Sansi stood atop the wall, letting the enemy come within about a hundred steps.

"So arrogant?!"

Mu Ge gritted his teeth and shot an arrow from his bow.

Under the watchful eyes of all, Chen Sansi neither dodged nor flinched, but instead drew his own bow and loosed a thundering arrow.

"Ding!"

A light, crisp sound rang out.

The two arrows collided precisely in midair, veering off and falling to the ground.

"What?!"

Mu Ge was shocked.

From atop the wall, Chen Sansi looked down, "Come again."

"Fine, let's do this!"

Mu Ge adjusted his breathing, calmed himself, and shot three arrows in quick succession.

"Ding ding ding!"

Yet each arrow was effortlessly shot down with unerring accuracy.

"Baturu!"

Mu Ge was struck dumb, standing still in shock for a long while before awakening from the nightmare and calling out in terror, "The number one Baturu, the number one Baturu!"

Using an arrow to block an arrow.

Such a divine skill could only be achieved by the grassland's number one Baturu!

How could there be such a formidable person in the insignificant Po Yang County?

Mu Ge no longer dared to continue the competition; he turned to flee.

But it was too late.

"Whoosh—"

A spade-shaped Qi Pi Arrow struck his horse.

Mu Ge fell hard.

Before he could rise, a willow-leaf arrow pierced his thigh.

Then another hit his other leg, right hand, and left and right.

"Ah!"

Unable to die and unable to live, Mu Ge writhed and howled beneath the city wall.

"Divine Archer!"

"Mr. Chen is likely one of the rarest Divine Archers in the world!"

"Brothers, with Mr. Chen here, how could the barbarians possibly breach our Great Wall?!"

"..."

The two hundred mile Great Wall.

What they saw and heard was passed on and deliberately exaggerated, and in a short time, the morale of the officials and soldiers reached its peak.

...

"Useless!"

Wu Mu'er cursed, "Ji Rentai, is this the Divine Archer you told me about?!"

Ji Rentai remained silent.

Mu Ge was at least a Bone Forger with a small achievement.

And yet he was defeated so effortlessly?

"Let's rest!"

Wu Mu'er said solemnly, "In two days, we'll discuss the siege again."

They had suffered defeats twice in a row.

Attacking now would only make things more difficult.

They had to wait out the period when the enemy's morale was high.

What else could they do?

It's not like the two main generals could personally challenge the enemy.

Facing such a challenge meant facing a barrage of arrows.

If there was a chance to kill a main general, the concept of "martial virtue" would be irrelevant.

...

"My lord, what a strategy!"

Xu Wencai exclaimed in admiration, "After such an event, the barbarians' morale has plummeted to rock bottom, and they will not dare to attack again for a short time!"

The inside and outside of the Great Wall suddenly fell silent.

It wasn't until the third day at dawn that the sound of war drums rang out again.

A dense mass of black dots advanced toward the Great Wall, as the barbarians officially began their siege.