This man ranked higher than Xue Feng among the twenty-four prodigies of the Eight Great Houses. Xue Feng's true strength placed him somewhere around seventh or eighth among those twenty-four. Generally, prodigies ranked in the top ten would each claim they could contend for the top five.
In truth, however, anyone whose real strength genuinely fell within the top five would absolutely be able to suppress Xue Feng without question.
The man before him was named Xuan Rui. He was a genuine top-five prodigy — ranked fifth among the twenty-four.
His fifth-place ranking had been verified through multiple prior competitions. It was the real deal — unassailable, undeniable.
But he was still only fifth.
Every person ranked above him was stronger still.
Yet being ranked fifth among so many prodigies from the Eight Great Houses of the Duowen Divine Kingdom meant his talent was unquestionably at the apex of his generation. Among all the prodigies of his age across the entire Myriad Abyss Island, he was a first-rate existence. At most, perhaps two hundred people in the whole of Myriad Abyss Island could match him in his age bracket.
So Xuan Rui had every reason for his confidence — his pride was well earned.
What he hadn't expected, however, was that among this pack of prey on Dongyan Island, he would encounter a bone so hard to gnaw.
Of course, Xuan Rui was a top prodigy of the Duowen Divine Kingdom after all — experienced, well-traveled, broad-minded. Though he had taken a slight disadvantage in the contest of ocular arts, this had done nothing to deflate his morale. On the contrary, it had ignited his fighting spirit, stripping away his arrogance and reserve, throwing him fully and wholeheartedly into the battle.
When a prodigy of Xuan Rui's caliber truly got serious, the result was terrifying without exception.
"So, boy — you're a practitioner of ocular arts as well? That's genuinely unexpected." Xuan Rui's voice was low and measured, carrying a thin smile. "My Wind Pupil Eye has achieved minor mastery, and that was merely an appetizer. Don't celebrate too early."
Jiang Chen smiled coolly. "Are all you prodigies from the Duowen Divine Kingdom this talkative?"
Xuan Rui nodded with an indifferent expression, but Jiang Chen's dismissive contempt had pierced deep into his pride as a prodigy. In all his years, Xuan Rui had faced countless talented opponents, but never once had anyone dared to humiliate and mock him so openly. Even among the prodigies of the Duowen Divine Kingdom, where sparring was common, no one would ever push their words that far.
"Enjoy your arrogance, boy — this is your last chance to be arrogant in your life." Xuan Rui spoke, and with a grasping motion, the ancient carved bow was already in his hand.
His entire body coiled like a divine bow drawn to full tension, every fiber locked into a state of combat readiness.
A truly outstanding archer cultivated their momentum with exquisite precision — in the pressure they built, in the stance they chose, in the moment they seized.
Arrows were not loosed lightly. When they flew, they took lives. That was the true essence of the way of the bow.
Jiang Chen moved first without hesitation. In a flash, almost like sleight of hand, the Sacred Dragon Bow materialized in his grip.
"Archery? Who's afraid of whom?" Jiang Chen let out a cold laugh.
Seeing Jiang Chen suddenly produce a bow, Xuan Rui felt a flicker of surprise.
Earlier, when Xue Feng had fought this man, whatever Divine Ability Xue Feng used, this opponent had countered with the same type. And now that it was Xuan Rui's turn, the same thing was happening all over again!
He had used ocular arts — the opponent had used ocular arts. Now he had taken up the bow and arrow, and the opponent had done the very same.
For a moment, Xuan Rui was rendered speechless. What silenced him even further was the fact that despite spending so long building his momentum, he still couldn't lock onto his target.
The true strength of archery often hinged on the ability to pin down one's opponent through sheer pressure — the weight of intent bearing down until the target had nowhere to hide.
But after all that time gathering his focus, Xuan Rui couldn't find any opening whatsoever. No wonder this opponent had been so confident — he clearly knew the way of the bow intimately.
If the other man hadn't also been a master of archery, there was no way he could have remained immune to Xuan Rui's lock for this long.
A deep sense of wariness surged through Xuan Rui's heart. He realized he had truly met a formidable opponent this time. He glanced again at the bow in the other man's hands — its aura was powerful, saturated with the unmistakable aura of antiquity. Clearly no inferior to his own carved bow, and possibly even superior.
In that instant, Xuan Rui's curiosity about Jiang Chen's identity burned white-hot.
"Boy, logic would suggest that Dongyan Island couldn't produce a genius of your caliber. Who exactly are you? What could have possibly gotten you exiled to this wretched place?"
Without question, a hairline crack had appeared in Xuan Rui's Dao heart.
Jiang Chen smiled inwardly. He was a grandmaster of archery — of course he could read the fluctuations in Xuan Rui's composure. If the other man's arrow could successfully lock onto him, Xuan Rui would waste no words. His next move would be to loose a lethal shot and claim Jiang Chen's life. That was basic knowledge of the bow.
The only reason Xuan Rui hadn't fired was simple — he couldn't lock on.
Of course, the moment Jiang Chen had seen the opponent produce a bow, he had already begun making preparations. Everything he did now was calculated to evade the other man's targeting lock.
Both men were masters of the way of the bow. Their standoff and stalemate left neither one with any opportunity to strike.
Seeing that Jiang Chen refused to answer his question, Xuan Rui silently sighed, realizing this opponent was even more troublesome than he had imagined.
If the other man had answered — or even engaged him in conversation — Xuan Rui's plan was to further divide his attention, thereby exposing a flaw he could exploit to successfully lock on.