Chapter 8: Don't Underestimate Yourself
"Chen Guan, this doesn't mean anything. Others can do it too, and even better than me." Lao Niao was still a bit unsure of himself.
"Again." Chen Guan ignored him and this time directly picked up two pebbles and threw them out.
Lao Niao felt it was impossible for him to continuously hit two pebbles that were so small and flying so fast, but to make Chen Guan give up, he still drew his arrow and shot it out.
But at the moment he shot, Lao Niao felt an indescribable sensation that allowed him to smoothly and rapidly draw his bow continuously, shooting two arrows in one go. For some reason, Lao Niao just felt that these two arrows would hit. That feeling was profound and mysterious, as if he had entered an extraordinary state that he normally couldn't reach.
As expected, both arrows hit, striking the two pebbles flying in different directions almost simultaneously, knocking them directly down. This made Lao Niao himself somewhat disbelieving.
"Continue." This time, Chen Guan directly threw out four pebbles, because Lao Niao only had four arrows left on him.
Lao Niao couldn't help but draw his arrow and nock it onto the bowstring. His fingers flickered like phantoms, and arrows flew out, shooting down the four pebbles in the sky one by one with a precision that made Lao Niao himself find it hard to believe. He even had a feeling of wanting more, as if if there was one more pebble, he could shoot it down too.
Lao Niao himself found it hard to believe and stared blankly at the hand holding the bow.
"Lao Niao, don't underestimate yourself. You've always been excellent. Your archer talent is unique. Hitting the target every time is not difficult for you at all. Don't limit yourself, give yourself some confidence, and you will be the greatest archer in the world." Chen Guan said, patting Lao Niao's shoulder.
The Lala Team Soul is indeed useful for cultivators, and its effect is even better than Chen Guan imagined, being able to improve archery accuracy.
You should know that shooting accurately is actually a very difficult thing, especially when shooting at moving targets. There are too many uncertain factors, and hitting 100% is almost impossible.
However, the encouragement from the Lala Team Soul can make Lao Niao's accuracy so formidable. The potential it can unleash is already astonishing enough.
"The greatest... archer... in the world..." Lao Niao only felt a surge of hot blood rush to his head, making him feel as if he had been enlightened. His head was dizzy, and he felt a sense of floating.
At this moment, Lao Niao felt as if he was omnipotent. Hitting the target every time was simply a piece of cake.
Chen Guan was actually a little nervous in his heart. It was the first time he had used the Lala Team Soul on a human, and he didn't know if it would be discovered. If it was discovered, he had already prepared some explanations and would describe his talent ability as a weakened version.
But soon Chen Guan realized that his worries were unnecessary. Lao Niao didn't discover that his sudden accuracy was due to Chen Guan's ability. He still thought it was just as Chen Guan said, that he had been too lacking in confidence, which was why his performance had been abnormal during this period.
Of course, the main reason is that the Lala Team Soul doesn't create external buffs; it only stimulates others' potential. Therefore, even those who are buffed by the Lala Team Soul won't realize they have been buffed, and will only think their own state has improved.
"Chen Guan, you're right. It was my first time entering the Secret Realm, and after suffering some setbacks, I lost myself and became unconfident, which is why I lost my former accuracy. You awakened the real me." Lao Niao grabbed Chen Guan's shoulders and said excitedly, "Now I've realized! As long as I'm confident enough, with my talent, I will definitely become a very strong archer and make everyone who looked down on me regret it, make Ji Nanhong regret kicking me out of the elite squad..."
"Lao Niao, I believe you can definitely do it. You've always been the best in this regard." Chen Guan's eyes were firm, and his voice was strong and powerful, continuing to provide emotional support.
"Let's go! I'll take you to kill Mystic Spirits to level up first. When we both reach level ten, we'll go to Golemn Valley to kill golems, get Peerless Secret Treasures, and make Ji Nanhong and the others regret it." Lao Niao's confidence was overflowing. He couldn't wait to go to Golemn Valley right now and shoot the golem dead with one arrow.
Fortunately, he still retained a shred of rationality, fearing that his earlier performance was just temporary luck. He wanted to verify whether his archery skills could remain that accurate after his realization while leveling up.
"Chen Guan, what Secret Method are you cultivating now?" Lao Niao asked as they walked, wanting to know how Chen Guan could level up. Different Secret Methods absorb Yuan Qi to increase levels in different ways.
The Secret Method he was currently using was the rare Eternal Stealth Assassination Technique, obtained from a rare Mystic Spirit called the "Stalker". After killing a Mystic Spirit, he could absorb a portion of the Yuan Qi overflowing from it. The amount he could absorb was relatively small, and he could only absorb the overflowing Yuan Qi, unable to actively draw it in. Its effect was much worse than the Vampire Great Art.
By cultivating the Eternal Stealth Assassination Technique, Lao Niao could increase his Yuan Qi limit by 1.63 with each level up, and it also had a considerable strengthening effect on his body.
"I'm still cultivating the Longevity Skill, and I haven't found a suitable new cultivation method yet. I'm still level 1. If possible, I hope to get a high-quality Secret Method like a unique item before leveling up." Chen Guan directly stated his ambition. This was intentional on his part. If that golem dropped a Secret Method, he had to get his hands on it, otherwise, cooperating with Lao Niao to kill the golem would be meaningless.
"Chen Guan, you're too idealistic. How could high-level Secret Methods like unique items be so easy to obtain? If you can get a rare Secret Method or uncommon Secret Method with a growth rate of 1.6 or higher, you can practice that first. It won't be too late to get a high-quality Secret Method after your level goes up; it won't make much difference in Yuan Qi." Lao Niao said, reaching into his clothes pocket and taking out a Mystic Core, which he handed to Chen Guan: "This is a rare Secret Method, 《Vajra Skill》, that I've collected. Like the Longevity Skill, it absorbs the Yuan Qi of heaven and earth in the Secret Realm to grow, but the absorption speed is much faster than the Longevity Skill. You can practice this first, and when we get a higher-level Secret Method from a drop, we can switch then."
"Even if I level up to ten, my own combat power will still be insufficient and won't be much help. With Rouge and your divine archery skills, it's enough to kill the golem. Let's focus on leveling up Rouge first." Chen Guan paused, looked at Lao Niao, and said, "After we kill the golem, if it drops Secret Skills, Secret Treasures, or pets, those can all belong to you. If it drops a Secret Method, how about letting me have it?"
"Of course, no problem. It's a deal." Lao Niao agreed readily without thinking.
"By the way, what level is this cute rabbit of yours?" Lao Niao asked.
"Level 2." Chen Guan answered truthfully.
Lao Niao's eyes widened upon hearing this, and he said in surprise, "Level 2? It can cut off the head of a mutated Corpse Mound with one strike at level 2? Its attack power is too formidable, isn't it? Are you sure it's only level 2?"
Lao Niao originally thought Rouge would have to be at least level five to be able to cut off the head of a mutated Corpse Mound with one blow during a sneak attack.
"It just reached level 2, there's no mistake." Chen Guan said.
"A unique secret spirit can actually be this much stronger than a regular Mystic Spirit. A Mystic Spirit with a Secret Treasure is indeed different." Lao Niao sighed a couple of times. The more he spoke, the brighter his eyes became: "With a pet like this, maybe we can really kill that great black sky demon statue Mystic Spirit!"
After a moment of contemplation, Lao Niao spoke again: "Although your pet's ability is very strong, its level is too low, so it's not suitable for going to high-level places. Let's go to the Corpse Mound Forest first to hunt Corpse Mounds. Ordinary Corpse Mounds are only level four or five, and the mutated Corpse Mound just now was only level six or seven. My pet and I working together are enough to handle them. As long as we don't go too deep and encounter the level ten Corpse Mound Forest Lord, we won't be in much danger."
Chen Guan had no objections. He took Rouge and followed Lao Niao upstream along the creek. The creek wound through the mountains like a green python. On both sides of the creek grew many strange flowers and plants, as well as various types of fungi and strangely shaped fruits, which were rarely seen outside of a Blessed Land.
There are some rare treasures within a Blessed Land that can increase one's Yuan Qi limit. In the Secret Realm Botany taught at the academy, many types of mysterious fruits are recorded, including a precious fruit called the Yuan Yang Fruit, which, if eaten, can increase one's Yuan Qi limit by hundreds of points overnight.
There are also many other precious fruits with various magical effects, but these precious fruits are very rare. Most of the strange flowers and plants in a Blessed Land contain toxins and should not be eaten casually. Countless people have died from accidentally eating them.
