Chapter 370: Better to be a chicken's head than a phoenix's tail. |
"..."
Chen Mang looked down at the screen on the tablet Xiao Ai handed him. An endless stream of Wormhole entrances was opening near Qiu Shan Star, originating from dozens of different galaxies within the Rugged Civilization.
The commotion...
...seemed to be much larger than he had imagined.
He fell silent, his mind racing.
His plans had been somewhat disrupted. He never expected a single arrow to cause such a massive impact. He had merely wanted to test the bow, intending to observe the internal situation of the Rugged Civilization from the shadows before making a move.
Now, it seemed he might need to act ahead of schedule.
"Head back to the train first."
He turned his head to look at Biao Zi and the others behind him. Aside from Xiao Ai, everyone else returned. As an AI, Xiao Ai did not need to fear death, and with his Hell Set, Chen Mang was not worried about what these people could do to him.
Lao Zhu possessed the absolute immortality talent of the God Race, so there was no need to worry about him either. However, Chen Mang had killed a member of the God Race before. This absolute immortality was not truly absolute. It was better to be cautious; perhaps the Rugged Civilization might just have a hidden trump card in their possession.
The next moment...
Countless shooting stars rapidly streaked across the sky.
Those were the exhaust flames formed by countless experts flying at high speeds. Soon after, dozens of figures holding detectors arrived in the airspace above the weapon shop. Their gazes locked tightly onto Chen Mang, who stood at the entrance, their eyes full of scrutiny.
Since he was already exposed...
...Chen Mang decided not to pretend anymore.
It was time to lay his cards on the table.
Leaning on his cane outside the shop, he stared straight ahead with a calm expression, waiting patiently. Xiao Ai stood one step diagonally behind him.
The owner of Zhi Hao Weapon Shop could no longer control himself. With eyes full of disbelief, he dropped to his knees at the storefront, his voice trembling as he muttered, "Elder Changsheng... Sixteenth Elder... Elder Lei Se..."
"The entire Elder Council of the Rugged Civilization has arrived."
"These are people you only ever see on the news!"
The Rugged Civilization currently did not have a Holy Arrow. All power belonged to the Elder Council. While these individuals might not be the strongest fighters in the civilization, they absolutely stood at the very peak of its authority.
Very quickly...
...everyone had assembled.
A total of ninety-one people.
The Elder Council of the Rugged Civilization had gathered here in its entirety, not a single member missing.
Leading this group of elders was an old man with greying temples. He appeared to be the Grand Elder. This grey-haired, broad-shouldered old man descended from the sky, landing on the ground. He stared at Chen Mang for a while before speaking in a hoarse voice.
"You are not a member of the Star Arrow Clan. You are human."
"How were you able to unleash that arrow?"
"Good luck."
Chen Mang replied casually. Looking at it now, that 500-Level Bread was much more powerful than he had imagined. It did not merely provide a random racial talent; it elevated the strength of that talent to the absolute highest tier.
"Good luck?"
The old man narrowed his eyes slightly. "Good luck cannot explain how an ordinary mortal body could draw a level fifty blue-grade longbow and fire a Star Arrow. Are you willing to come back with me to participate in the Holy Arrow trial?"
"As long as you pass."
"From then on, you will be the Holy Arrow of the Rugged Civilization, and our sole leader."
"Tsk."
Chen Mang suddenly chuckled, tilting his head to look at the old man. "Do you take me for a three-year-old child? You might as well just admit that you want to kidnap me for research. If I refuse, are you going to use force?"
"No."
The old man shook his head. "I am completely serious."
"..."
Chen Mang stared at the old man for a moment. Seeing that the other party's sincere expression did not seem like a lie, his face gradually took on a strange look. "Since you know I am human, you still want me to take your Holy Arrow trial and become the leader of your Rugged Civilization?"
"Can the leader of a civilization really be an outsider?"
"Why not!"
The old man stated with a solemn expression, "No matter what Civilization Level you come from right now, even if you are from a god-tier civilization, I believe the temptation of becoming the leader of a Level 7 Civilization is not small."
"Better to be a chicken's head than a phoenix's tail."
"Everyone understands this principle."
Chen Mang gave a slight nod and replied softly, "Forgive my bluntness, but the absence of a Holy Arrow is actually a good thing for you, isn't it? After all, all the power currently rests entirely in the hands of you elders. Once a Holy Arrow appears, that power will be concentrated in their hands once again."
"Perhaps the citizens of the Rugged Civilization are looking forward to the appearance of a Holy Arrow, but you elders shouldn't be hoping for one, right?"
As his words fell...
The dozens of elders exchanged glances, each seeing the helplessness in the others' eyes. The leading Grand Elder let out another long sigh. "It is perfectly normal for you humans to think this way."
"But in our Star Arrow Clan, it is only natural for power to belong to the Holy Arrow."
"Every single one of us hopes for the emergence of a Holy Arrow, and we are ready to swear our loyalty to them."
"Even if they are not from the Star Arrow Clan."
"What I can tell you is that the Holy Arrow holds extraordinary significance for the Star Arrow Clan. They can directly elevate the strength of our entire civilization. The Star Arrow Clan is a rather unique race. We must have a core pillar that everyone wholeheartedly believes in before we can..."
The Grand Elder hesitated for a moment before continuing, "...before we can unleash that ultimate strike."
"The Rugged Civilization possesses a total of thirty-seven galaxies, countless planets, and an immeasurable population. The only person capable of earning the absolute conviction of all these people is the Holy Arrow, chosen through the inherited trials of the Star Arrow Clan. Aside from them, no one else can unite everyone's faith."
"Not even a single one of us elders."
"..."
Chen Mang didn't say anything more. Even though the Grand Elder had phrased it somewhat diplomatically, he still understood the underlying message. After a long pause, he said softly, "I'll go take a look first."
"Excellent."
The Grand Elder and the others immediately broke into excited smiles.
Three hours later.
After multiple Wormhole transit jumps, Chen Mang followed the Grand Elder and his group to a planet within the local galaxy. This was the exact planet used for the Holy Arrow trial, though it had been a very long time since it was last activated.
It had been ages since anyone had met the minimum requirements to participate.
The minimum standard was to draw a bow and fire a Star Arrow before even awakening as one of God's Chosen!
"Please."
Outside the planet.
Standing in the vacuum of space, the Grand Elder looked at Chen Mang, who was also standing in the cosmos without any protective gear. A flicker of surprise flashed through the elder's eyes. "The planet below is the testing ground. Aside from the participant, no one else is permitted to enter."
"The Holy Arrow trial primarily tests temperament, potential, and other intrinsic qualities; it does not test combat strength."
"Therefore, there are no combat segments, nor is there any danger."
"Understood."
Chen Mang nodded slightly. He took a step forward, falling freely from the high altitude into the planet's atmosphere, ready to see what this so-called Holy Arrow trial was all about.
After Chen Mang left.
The dozens of elders watched Chen Mang's receding back before breaking into a flurry of discussion. "Grand Elder, he isn't even part of the Star Arrow Clan. Can he really pass the trial?"
"Even if he does pass, since he's not one of us, will he truly prioritize the interests of the Star Arrow Clan above all else?"
"Furthermore, the Civilization Level behind him doesn't seem low, and he certainly doesn't look like a weakling."
The crowd of elders looked toward the Grand Elder, debating heatedly among themselves.
Among this group, the Grand Elder held the highest prestige and the widest reputation. They had once attempted to artificially prop up someone into a position similar to the Holy Arrow.
The Holy Arrow was simply the strongest among the Divine Archers.
By that logic, why couldn't there be a strongest among the Berserkers, titled... the "War God"? That way, they could at least push forward a leader to prevent the Rugged Civilization from remaining a group of dragons without a head. But in the end, the attempt failed. After so many years of cultural inheritance, the people only recognized the Holy Arrow. As for some War God? Where did that come from? Never heard of it.
"Rest assured."
The Grand Elder spoke in a low voice, "No matter what Civilization Level he hails from, as long as he truly passes the trial, he will be the leader of the Rugged Civilization. Our resources will be his to use, and our personnel his to command."
"When a person enjoys the power and benefits brought about by a certain position, they will subconsciously shoulder the responsibilities that come with it."
"He will instinctively protect the Rugged Civilization and safeguard its interests, because doing so also protects his own interests."
"Although he is not a member of our race..."
"But..."
"We are running out of time. The Rugged Civilization desperately needs a Holy Arrow to descend."
"The countdown for that event is almost over."
Upon hearing this, the surrounding elders fell silent, traces of worry evident on their faces.
Meanwhile...
...Chen Mang had successfully landed on the planet.
The moment his feet touched the ground, he found the surroundings completely empty. There were no buildings of any kind, only a few lines of text formed by white clouds floating in the air.
"The Holy Arrow Trial of the Star Arrow Clan officially begins."
"Before the trial, the participant must first understand the responsibilities and obligations of the Holy Arrow."
Soon after.
Countless wisps of water vapor surged before him, forming a screen that began to play a video. The visual perspective was pulled back to a very high vantage point.
It looked like a map on a Doppelganger Radar.
He could see that at this moment in time, the Star Arrow Clan controlled roughly six galaxies, occupying a rather large territory. Millions of light-years away, however, a massive army of trains was aggressively marching toward them.
The image focused on the face of a bearded, middle-aged man.
The people around him were all addressing this man as "Lord Holy Arrow."
He watched as...
...the middle-aged man let out a loud shout. His voice seemed to echo in the ears of every single member of the Star Arrow Clan. Then, the man took the lead, drawing his bow to the maximum. Aiming in the direction of the enemy millions of light-years away, an energy arrow gradually materialized on his fully drawn bow.
As this Star Arrow was released!
Along its trajectory, Core Energy was continuously absorbed by the Star Arrow, causing its destructive power to grow stronger and stronger!
And at the exact same time...
All the Divine Archers across the entire Star Arrow Clan likewise drew their bows and fired an arrow.
These countless Star Arrows launched from different corners of the galaxies, rapidly absorbing Core Energy along the way. Moving at varying speeds, they ultimately coalesced into a single, colossal Star Arrow radiating terrifyingly destructive might.
The naked eye could not discern the true extent of its energy field.
But Chen Mang watched as this Star Arrow seemingly tore through the fabric of the universe, rapidly jumping through space. Thirty-five minutes later, it successfully struck the massive army that was preparing to enter a Wormhole millions of light-years away.
With just this single strike...
...that entire army was completely wiped out.
There were no survivors.
"..."
Chen Mang's eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at the screen, muttering softly, "The power is indeed nothing to scoff at."
He didn't know the exact armor grade of those trains, but just looking at it with his own eyes, the sheer force of that attack was astronomical. He finally understood the purpose of the Holy Arrow. Only the Holy Arrow could simultaneously rally all the Divine Archers of the Star Arrow Clan to launch this combined strike.
This could be considered the ultimate trump card of the Rugged Civilization.
However...
If this was the case, he felt the Rugged Civilization really didn't need to bother searching for a Holy Arrow anymore. After all, the primary destructive power of this technique stemmed from the combined attacks of a massive number of Divine Archers.
The Holy Arrow merely acted as the vanguard to lead the charge.
The prerequisite for this strike to display its true might was possessing a vast army of Divine Archers.
But...
At present, there were hardly any Divine Archers left in the Rugged Civilization. Whether a Holy Arrow existed or not felt meaningless to him. Even if one did exist, they wouldn't be able to unleash this attack. It could be said that for a very long time, this ultimate trump card would be completely out of the Star Arrow Clan's reach.
He didn't voice his thoughts, simply continuing to watch the projection.
The scene shifted.
The "Lord Holy Arrow" who had just spearheaded the attack seemed to witness the enemy's destruction from afar. Filled with excitement, he raised his longbow and roared, declaring their victory. At the exact same time, from every corner of the Star Arrow Clan's territory, all the citizens cheered wildly in jubilation!
Immediately afterward.
Massive cracks gradually appeared across the body of this Lord Holy Arrow. In an instant, he shattered into countless specks of starlight, dissolving into the cosmos.
Not even an intact corpse remained.
The people around him wore sorrowful expressions, but they showed no surprise as they sent off "Lord Holy Arrow." Soon after, they welcomed a new Lord Holy Arrow.
Right at that moment...
...the enemy launched another offensive, refusing to halt their advance. This new Lord Holy Arrow once again led his people to unleash that ultimate strike, instantly obliterating the enemy's freshly deployed expeditionary force with devastating power.
The price was that this newly appointed Lord Holy Arrow, once again... was reduced to ashes.
"..."
Chen Mang stared at the scene unfolding before him, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. 'So this ultimate trump card of the Rugged Civilization actually consumes the life of the Holy Arrow?'
'Use it once, and a Holy Arrow dies?'
The subsequent scenes played on a constant loop. It was the exact same plot, just with different individuals.
It wasn't until the death of the sixth "Lord Holy Arrow" that the hostile civilization was finally beaten back, no longer daring to intrude upon their territory.
The Star Arrow Clan secured their victory... along with the tombstones of six Lord Holy Arrows.
The projection slowly dissipated.
A new line of text surfaced in the air.
"As the Holy Arrow, while you enjoy the power and privileges granted to you by the Star Arrow Clan, you must also be prepared to sacrifice your life for them at any moment."
"Are you prepared?"
"Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for the Star Arrow Clan at any given moment?"
"Yes / No."
Without a shred of hesitation, Chen Mang decisively selected "No".
Immediately after, another line of text popped up on the screen.
"Trial Failed."