Legend of the Divine Archer

Yan Jin's journey through the mid levels of Babel Tower had been a relentless test of skill, endurance, and adaptability. Each floor presented its own unique challenge, pushing him beyond his limits as he climbed.

His training, meditation, and cultivation had prepared him for many trials, but what he faced in these duels went beyond physical prowess—they demanded mastery of mind and spirit.

Towering before him was a colossal figure—armor so thick it seemed impenetrable, and each step sent tremors through the ground. The Colossus wielded a massive weapon, swinging it with terrifying force, each blow capable of pulverizing stone. Yan Jin's first instinct was to strike hard and fast, aiming for weak points, but his arrows bounced harmlessly off the beast's metallic hide.

He took a deep breath, slowing his heart rate, forcing himself to focus. Power alone would not win this fight; he needed precision. He analyzed the giant's movements, studying the rhythm of its attacks.

Every creature, no matter how strong, had a vulnerability. After moments of evasion, he spotted it—a slight delay in the Colossus' stance when it swung its sword, exposing a gap beneath its arm.

Yan Jin nocked an arrow, his hands steady, vision narrowed. He leapt sideways to dodge another crushing blow, then released the arrow mid-air.

The projectile sliced through the gap, hitting the soft tissue under the Colossus' arm. The giant howled, staggering back. A few more precise strikes, and the beast collapsed, crashing to the ground with a resounding thud.

Yan Jin exhaled sharply.

The next level greeted Yan Jin with a vast expanse of treacherous quicksand. Every step was a battle against sinking, and stopping for even a second would be fatal.

To make matters worse, sand serpents lurked beneath the surface, attacking with deadly precision. The landscape shifted beneath his feet, fluid and dangerous.

Yan Jin's strategy here was clear—he couldn't stop moving. He had to rely on his agility, his ability to think on his feet. With every step, he propelled himself forward, using the terrain's instability to his advantage, staying light, never giving the sands time to drag him down.

The serpents lunged, their massive fangs emerging from beneath, but Yan Jin was always one step ahead, leaping and twisting in the air to avoid their strikes.

He used his arrows sparingly, knowing they had to be aimed precisely at the serpents' eyes, their only vulnerable spot. With each leap, he fired, downing one serpent after another. The quicksand tried to pull him under with each step, but his discipline, his rhythm, and his constant motion kept him alive. After what felt like an eternity, he reached the end, exhausted but victorious.

The following level brought a strange, eerie sense of déjà vu. His opponent appeared, but it wasn't just any opponent—it was him. A perfect mirror image, wielding the same bow, with the same strength and speed. Every tactic Yan Jin thought of, his doppelgänger mirrored. Every feint, every shift in stance, was anticipated and matched.

At first, it was disorienting. Every time he tried to gain the upper hand, his double was there, blocking, countering, moving in perfect sync. It became clear that pure skill wouldn't win this fight—he had to outthink himself, find a way to be unpredictable.

Yan Jin switched tactics. Instead of relying on the strategies he knew so well, he began to improvise. He shot arrows at angles he normally wouldn't, used unconventional movements, attacking his doppelgänger from awkward positions.

The mirrored version hesitated for just a fraction of a second, but it was enough. Yan Jin launched a flurry of arrows in rapid succession, overwhelming his double and breaking through its defenses.

With one final strike, the mirror image shattered, leaving Yan Jin standing alone, victorious.

The air was thick with a sickly green fog on the next floor. The poison was subtle at first, creeping into his lungs, sapping his strength and dulling his senses. Yan Jin knew he had little time. His body was weakening with each breath, and to survive, he had to find the source of the poison before it consumed him.

Moving carefully through the mist, Yan Jin's vision blurred, and his limbs felt heavy. Every step was a battle against the growing numbness in his body. He could hear the faint hiss of the poison's source, hidden somewhere in the shadows. But his mind, clouded by the toxin, struggled to focus.

He drew on his inner strength, recalling the teachings of the Heretical God Race. His soul and blood surged, helping him push through the fog. He tracked the sound, his hearing sharper than his sight now. There, behind a jagged rock formation, he spotted a glowing, pulsating crystal emitting the lethal fumes.

With a final surge of energy, he nocked an arrow and aimed. His body protested, muscles screaming in agony, but he steadied his breath and let the arrow fly. The crystal shattered, and the poisonous mist began to dissipate.

Yan Jin collapsed to one knee, gasping for breath. He had done it. He had overcome yet another challenge, though it had nearly cost him everything.

After what felt like an eternity of trials, Yan Jin finally reached the end of the floor. His body was battered, his mind fatigued, but his resolve had never been stronger.

These trials had pushed him beyond his physical and mental limits, forcing him to grow in ways he hadn't anticipated.

He had faced overwhelming strength, treacherous terrain, his own mirror image, and poison that sought to strip him of his power—and he had triumphed over them all.

Stepping through the next gate, Yan Jin knew the path ahead would only grow more difficult, but he welcomed the challenge. With each floor he conquered, his mastery over the Dao of Archery deepened, and he knew that by the time he emerged from Babel Tower, he would be stronger than ever before.

As Yan Jin stepped through the door into the next level, a familiar figure greeted him—Luo Li from the Lotus Palace. She stood with her graceful posture, her sharp eyes scanning him like a hawk. "I was right to believe you'd make it this far," she said, stepping closer.

"What do you mean?" Yan Jin asked, his tone guarded.

"To cross the middle levels, one usually needs to be at the Resonance Level at least. But you're not," she said, her eyes narrowing with curiosity. "If you've made it this far, that means you're a Perfected Celestial."

"So?" Yan Jin replied, unbothered by her discovery.

"I could share this information with your enemies," Luo Li said, her voice laced with a subtle threat.

"Or," Yan Jin's twelve halos spun behind him, their ethereal glow brightening the room, "I could kill you right here."

"Let's see if you're powerful enough," Luo Li replied without hesitation. She released her own cultivation, and nine halos appeared, spinning around her with a vibrant, pulsating energy.

In that moment, the air around her transformed. From her body sprouted thick lotus roots, curling and expanding outward, forming a natural barrier. Large lotus leaves fanned out gracefully, giving her the appearance of a mythical forest nymph. Her skin seemed to shimmer with a faint green hue, as if she were connected to the earth itself. The roots twisted and coiled around her, anchoring her firmly to the ground, while the lotus blossoms bloomed softly, their petals gently swaying with each breath she took. The ethereal beauty was deceptive, hiding the raw power she held within. Her presence radiated strength and danger, a harmony between grace and destruction.

Yan Jin's eyes narrowed. He could feel the weight of her power, but he remained calm, his own halos spinning faster, the tension building as both warriors prepared to clash.

Luo Li moved first. The lotus roots around her shot forward like spears, attempting to ensnare Yan Jin. She directed them with precision, their speed and flexibility catching most opponents off guard. But Yan Jin was no ordinary opponent. His blind eyes, useless for seeing, didn't hinder him. Instead, he relied on his keen hearing and honed instincts.

With a graceful leap, he dodged the first wave of roots, his body twisting in midair as he fired his arrow. The arrow sailed through the air, crackling with energy, aimed straight for Luo Li's heart. But her defense was swift. A massive lotus leaf unfurled in front of her, intercepting the arrow just before it could strike. The leaf shimmered as it absorbed the impact, rippling with energy before it disintegrated into glowing particles.

"You're fast," Luo Li remarked, her voice calm but with an edge of excitement. "But I've seen faster."

"Then you haven't seen enough," Yan Jin replied, landing gracefully as another arrow formed in his hand.

Luo Li's roots surged forward again, faster this time, crisscrossing in an intricate web designed to trap him. But Yan Jin remained focused, his every movement precise. He rolled under one root, flipped over another, and fired another shot mid-spin. The arrow grazed Luo Li's cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.