Chapter 8: The Celestial Arrow of the Flying Immortal

Wu Zetian slammed the table and exclaimed with great joy, "What a true divine archer! Even if the legendary Huang Zhong of the Five Tiger Generals were to be reborn, it would be no match for this!"

Wu Zetian smiled and said: "Regardless of the celestial steps learned from anywhere, as long as one can contribute to the great Zhou dynasty and achieve merit, the source of the skills is not important!"

Today, Empress Wu Zetian personally attended the event, seated majestically on the dragon throne beneath the canopy, eagerly observing the imposing military formations and the twelve vigorous young warriors. Her heart was filled with joy, while simultaneously evoking memories of Di Renjie. Over a year ago, it was Di Renjie who, on his deathbed, submitted a memorial advocating for the establishment of martial examinations. Now, at long last, that wish had been fulfilled. Each of these twelve young warriors was extraordinary, possessing exceptional martial skills. However, among them, was there the individual that Di Gong had mentioned? Over a year ago, it was Di Renjie who, on his deathbed, submitted a memorial advocating for the establishment of martial examinations. Now, at long last, that wish had been fulfilled. Each of these twelve young warriors was extraordinary, possessing exceptional martial skills. However, among them, was there the individual that Di Gong had mentioned? Empress Wu Zetian's interest was piqued, yet she restrained her curiosity and refrained from requesting the list from the Ministry of War. She believed in Di Renjie, trusting that the person he spoke of would surely reveal themselves before her.

The swift winds howl, the weapons gleam, and the twelve valiant warriors don their armor and ride in, preparing for the final round of competition

Ah?

Qin Xiaochong smiled at Li Siyu and handed the rope to him. Li Siyu was taken aback for a moment: "Brother Qin, you are truly a good person! But this won't do. If it hinders your chance of becoming the top scholar, I won't be able to live with myself. I will just ride this foolish horse out to shoot arrows!"

Aman has become increasingly interested in "Qin Xiao," even suggesting a brotherhood bond with him, but was politely declined by Qin Xiao. That evening, during their breakup, Qin Xiao privately referred to him as "King of Linzi."

The soldiers of the Zhongyu Linwei Army were all valiant warriors on the battlefield. Upon witnessing this scene, each one was filled with fervor and high spirits, spontaneously rallying to cheer for Qin Xiao—"Roar, roar! Roar, roar!"

Qin Xiaoxin thought to himself: Upon arriving in Chang'an, I became acquainted with Li Longji and *Tu* Shu, and this fellow wants to establish a brotherhood with me. Although this person is quite agreeable, I do not wish to be associated with the reputation of climbing the social ladder and seeking fortune. If he truly becomes an emperor as recorded in history... ? ... Being a brother of the emperor is not an easy task. Let alone sworn brothers, even biological brothers have often turned against each other in mutual slaughter. If he truly becomes an emperor as recorded in history... ? ... Being a brother of the emperor is not an easy task. Let alone sworn brothers, even biological brothers have often turned against each other in mutual slaughter.

Wu Zetian's heart stirred—Jiangzhou, "Qin" Xiao! It seems this person must be him! Indeed, he is a young hero, surpassing others in talent!

"No problem! I can ride your horse."

The venue was packed! Gasps of astonishment arose!

Li Siyie was taken aback and said in a rough voice: "What about you? Aren't you going to compete for the top scholar anymore?"

The venue was filled with silence, and for a moment, no one spoke; it was as quiet as a grave.

Wu Zetian was slightly taken aback and turned to say, "Wan'er, what did you say?"

The examiner quickly ran to the fallen target stand, lifted the target face, and exclaimed loudly: "Jiangzhou Qin Xiao, ten arrows, ten red stars, full marks!"

Having spoken, he turned and dismounted, mounted Qin Xiao's horse, and galloped away. His towering figure, reminiscent of an iron tower, was particularly striking, causing a stir among the onlookers

With the sound of a gong, a young man shouted, "Drive!"

Li Siyie laughed heartily a few times and said, "You should also do your best, brother. I believe you are most likely to be this time's top scholar, so don't let your brother down!"

With a single arrow hitting the target, Qin Xiaoxin felt immense joy and confidence: "I have a foundation in archery, and my master has taught me this technique known as 'Nine Heavens Thunder Arrow.' Coupled with the horsemanship I learned in the special forces, I must say, it really is quite impressive!"

Standing beside Empress Wu Zetian, Shangguan Wan'er suddenly exclaimed, "Flying Immortal Steps, Nine Heavens Thunder Arrow"

Qin Xiaodian nodded and rode out. The horse, which had been oppressed by Li Siyu for a long time, now felt a sudden lightness in its body and moved with remarkable agility, causing Li Siyu to widen his eyes in disbelief: "This horse raised by that woman is such a little beast, bullying me when I am being honest! It runs wild like this just by following someone else!"

Qin Xiao slightly bent his body, with his left hand taking down the seven-dou bow, and his right hand drawing an arrow to nock it. With a clear whistle, he shouted "Release!" The feathered arrow shot forth like a long rainbow piercing the sun, heading straight for the target, hitting the red star directly

At that moment, the herald urged: "Seventh, Li Siyi of Gaoling! Quickly take the stage to participate in the equestrian archery competition!"

Qin Xiao slapped Li Siyu's leg and said: "Hurry up, I'm calling you! Ride my horse, go quickly!"

Qin Xiao held the boundary rope in one hand and wore a seven-bow quiver on his back, his face radiating a confident smile. His eyes involuntarily glanced towards the group of ministers on his right, where he noticed Li Longji and Li Chongjun standing in the ranks, secretly giving him a thumbs up. Qin Xiao smiled and nodded slightly.

Qin Xiao rode out on horseback, met Li Siyu who was returning, and gave him a thumbs up—"Well done!"

Thousands of forest guards erupted in loud cheers—Roar! Roar!

In the second year of the Great Zhou Dynasty, on the fifteenth day of the first month in the year 702 AD, at the training grounds of the Imperial Guard.

Qin Xiao looked at the big man and couldn't help but chuckle silently, thinking to himself: "What do you mean by having an upset stomach? Just take a look at your own weight; you must have crushed this already not very strong horse!"

Qin Xiao remembered that this tall man was named Li Siye, a man from the Guansi region. He was about twenty years old but already had a full beard, standing approximately seven feet tall (around 2.1 meters). He had a tiger-like physique and a bear-like waist, with arms as strong and thick as a bull's legs. Qin Xiao had seen him perform a set of sword techniques during his leisure time, which was truly spectacular, earning him the applause of the crowd. He was a strong contender for the championship this time.

In the arena, Li Siyue had already rushed onto the horse path. His enormous physique did not appear clumsy at all; he bent his bow and shot arrows, emptying the quiver in just a few rounds, and each arrow hit the target. The crowd erupted in exclamations, and even Wu Zetian was delighted, applauding in approval. Shortly after, the examiner stepped forward to inspect and announced: "Nine arrows hit the red star, one arrow hit the target, totaling ninety-five points"

Then, three arrows were drawn again—"Thump, thump, thump" sounded three muffled echoes, hitting three red stars once more

Qin Xiaohui lined up, and Li Siyue grinned at him with a silly smile: "My goodness, you little pretty boy are indeed impressive! Where did you learn such skills? You're even more extraordinary than the legendary White-Clad Divine Archer Wang Bodang, soaring like a celestial being all day long!"

Shangguan Wan'er was taken aback, realizing that she had lost her focus. She hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, this servant inadvertently spoke earlier—Flying Immortal Steps, Nine Heavens Thunder Arrow"

Li Siyie was taken aback for a moment and said in a rough voice: "Thanks, brother, you take care and do well too"

The sound reverberates through the heavens

Shangguan Wan'er lowered her head and said: "This servant speaks thoughtlessly; Your Majesty, please do not take it to heart. The Feixian Step and the Jiuxiao Thunder Arrow are things I have read in unofficial histories and miscellaneous writings. It is said to be the unique skill of the renowned general Yuwen Chengdu from the previous Sui dynasty, but it is merely a legend, and I have never seen it. Just now, I was astonished by the remarkable skills of this warrior named Qin Xiao, which led me to think of this. I hope Your Majesty will forgive this servant's foolish words..."

Today, here, the finals of the first martial arts selection in history are about to take place. After the elimination of thousands of candidates, only twelve outstanding individuals remain. These twelve have already become the winners of this martial arts selection, and from this group of winners, the top three will be selected. Under the personal supervision of Wu Zetian, officials from the Xia government will evaluate and determine the top three: the champion, the second place, and the third place.

As soon as the arrow was released, it garnered resounding applause! This was due to Qin Xiao's extremely swift shooting speed, as he almost shot without aiming, like a fleeting horse passing through a gap.

When Qin Xiaoqi mounted the horse of Li Siyu and the book, he noticed that the chestnut horse let out a long sigh of relief, which made Qin Xiaoqi chuckle. Looking at the back of Li Siyu, Qin Xiaoqi couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled: "Li Siyu, clearly a renowned general of the Mid-Tang period, historically famous as the 'Mochao General', should have been active several decades later than now. Could it be that, because of me, history has undergone some distortion, even altering the birth years of certain figures? At this moment, the timeline seems to be in disarray; it wouldn't be possible that Qin Shubao and Cheng Yaojin have been brought to the 21st century, would it?"

Qin Xiaoshan felt a secret shock—was this ultimately a good thing or a bad thing

Riding swiftly, drawing the bow and nocking the arrows, each arrow struck the target, eliciting waves of applause. After the assessment was completed, the examiner approached to verify and announced loudly: "Six arrows hit the red star, three arrows on target, one arrow off target, totaling sixty-five points"

That seven-section bow also emitted a crisp sound, breaking into two pieces

Li Siyie, looking embarrassed, muttered to himself and gave the horse's neck a hard slap: "You useless creature, why are you falling ill at this time!"

Qin Xiaofan dismounted and said to Li Siyue: "Brother Li, use my horse; this one is a fine steed and can carry you well"

With a sudden flick of the right wrist, three finely crafted feathered arrows were drawn from the quiver and nocked onto the bowstring. Drawing the bow to its full moon shape, he relaxed his waist and extended his arms like a monkey. Holding his breath, the arrows shot forth like shooting stars, whistling through the air and striking the three red targets dead center.

A cavalry officer rode out and unfurled a scroll, announcing to the twelve contestants: "Today’s finals will begin with the equestrian archery competition. There will be ten arrow targets arranged in a horizontal line, each spaced twenty paces apart. The racing track is fifty paces away from the targets, and each participant will have ten arrows. Each hit on a red star scores ten points, hitting the target scores five points, missing the target deducts ten points, and those who fall from their horses will be eliminated"

This is the resounding roar of the Tang army, inspiring morale

Aman thought to himself: "Indeed, hetushu.com is a person of meticulous nature and extraordinary insight. Having traveled from a thousand miles away to the capital, he is remarkably well-informed about court affairs, even knowing that I, Li Longji, refer to myself as Aman, and that my cousin Li Chongjun is the King of Yixing... Interesting, truly an intriguing character! Let us see how this person stands out during the martial examination; given time, he is bound to become an extraordinary figure!"

Swift as the wind, like an arrow flying through the air

Qin Xiao was truly invigorated at this moment. As a former soldier, upon hearing these deep roars, he felt a surge of blood boiling within him, and a heat enveloped his entire body. His old habit of seeking the spotlight resurfaced; he forcefully gathered a surge of true energy in his chest and abdomen, and with a powerful push of his feet against the stirrups, his body leapt off the saddle, soaring forward like a swallow. With his seven-dou bow fully drawn, a twang of the string echoed, and three arrows were released in quick succession. Three loud thuds followed as the last three targets were pierced and shattered, crashing to the ground.

Qin Xiaoyu, feeling dejected, touched his face with his hand and forced a bitter smile, saying: "Brother, please don't talk to my face anymore, or I will eventually drown in your words!"

Qin Xiao's figure fell like a flying flower or drifting fluff, returning to the saddle as he rode back

Three arrows have been shot, and seven red stars have been hit

A chorus of exclamations arose from the crowd, as this was the highest score of today's archery competition, and it was significantly ahead of everyone else

Immediately afterward, five or six more individuals stepped forward, with scores mostly ranging from sixty to eighty points. At this moment, it was the turn of a burly man next to Qin Xiao. The man grumbled, "This is ridiculous! This foolish horse must have eaten something bad yesterday; now its legs are trembling uncontrollably. How can we compete like this?"

Qin Xiaoye was overjoyed: Haha! My special skills have not been in vain! Simple devices like the Big Dipper bow can be easily modified; by adding a three-ring hidden buckle, it becomes a simple task to shoot three arrows with one bow!

Wu Zetian inquired: "What does this mean? Are you saying that this man named Qin Xiao employs a particular style of martial arts?"