Chapter 21: The Future Can Be Changed
Buzz!!! Sixteen crossbow bolts tore through the air! Zhu Zhuqing remained unfazed as she watched the projectiles shoot from Tang San's mysterious black box. Secretly, she channeled more power into her Evil God's Protection, maximizing its defensive and rebound properties. She was confident in her defense, but even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Since this opponent was not simple, she had to remain cautious.
In the next moment, the sixteen crossbow bolts struck the dark barrier precisely, yet they failed to penetrate even slightly. Tang San's smug smile froze.
In reality, watching this scene unfold, Tang San couldn't help but shout, "Impossible! That's the Zhuge Divine Crossbow! How could a mere Soul Elder block it?!"
[Gasp! What kind of soul tool is that thing in Tang San's hand?]
[Such terrifying power! Even a Soul King might struggle to withstand that attack!]
[If only these soul tools could be mass produced...]
[Unfortunately, soul tool crafting techniques were lost long ago…]
[That crossbow must be one of a kind.]
The live chat was flooded with astonishment at the Zhuge Divine Crossbow's power. Most assumed it was an ancient relic and had no idea it was a mass producible hidden weapon. Their shock quickly shifted elsewhere.
[That Zhu Zhuqing girl is something else!]
[Her third soul skill's defense is insane!]
[The Dark Evil God Cat… which clan is it from?]
[Her last name is Zhu could she be from the Star Luo Zhu Clan?]
Despite the ongoing discussions, the video continued playing.
After seeing his first round of crossbow bolts fail, Tang San stubbornly fired twice more, unloading another sixteen bolts each time. After three rounds, his weapon was empty.
Holding the now useless crossbow, Tang San stared at the untouched black barrier before him, his face filled with disbelief. It was as if he couldn't comprehend how his Zhuge Divine Crossbow had failed against such a thin shield.
Inside the barrier, Zhu Zhuqing, sensing the power behind the bolts, realized that if she were an ordinary Soul Elder, she would have died instantly.
That Tang San guy… he was trying to kill her!
Understanding this, Zhu Zhuqing became furious.
"You can have these back."
The bolts fired by Tang San were still embedded in her barrier. With a surge of soul power, Zhu Zhuqing activated Evil God's Protection's rebound effect.
In an instant, the barrier expanded!
The next second
A series of sharp whooshing sounds filled the air.
The crossbow bolts shot back toward Tang San at even greater speed and power than before.
Tang San's expression changed drastically. Without hesitation, he used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to dodge. But since this was a rebound effect, it wasn't a simple reflection it was far stronger than the original attack.
Even with his sharp eyes and quick footwork, there was no way to avoid all the incoming bolts.
Splat! Splat! Splat!
Three bolts pierced through Tang San's body.
The sheer force of the impact tore through his flesh, leaving gaping wounds as the bolts passed clean through his torso.
In an instant, three bloody holes appeared in Tang San's chest, abdomen, and thigh. Blood gushed out uncontrollably.
"AHHHHHH!!!"
The intense pain made Tang San scream in agony. He collapsed onto the ground, writhing like an injured worm.
Seeing Tang San's miserable state, the live chat erupted.
[Damn! Those bolts went straight through him!]
[Serves him right! He was trying to kill someone and got his own attack thrown back at him!]
[Yeah, isn't this just karma?]
Meanwhile, in reality, Tang San clenched his fists as he watched the video. He gritted his teeth and growled, "Damn it! If I could create even stronger Tang Sect hidden weapons, I wouldn't be humiliated like this!"
For him, Zhu Zhuqing's cold indifference was the greatest insult. Some people's arrogance and resentment were simply ingrained in their very being.
On the other hand, Zhu Zhuqing watched the video with shock. "Can I really become that strong?" She lightly touched her own face, unable to believe that the fierce and unstoppable warrior in the video was her.
If she could truly reach that level, then maybe… she could defeat her sister and take control of her own destiny.
But how did her future self grow so powerful?
Now that she had seen the future, would things still unfold the same way?
This worried Zhu Zhuqing.
In the years since the Question and Answer system appeared, people had discovered that the future shown in the videos was not fixed it could be changed.
Some futures were not set in stone. The videos sometimes provided clues that allowed people to alter their fates.
For example, once, a man saw in a future video that he would die from absorbing a spirit ring beyond his capacity. So, he chose a different ring instead. As a result, he survived and changed his fate.
This real life example reminded everyone that the future could be rewritten. By analyzing the hints from the videos, people could avoid disaster or even alter their destiny.
Likewise, if the future had already been changed, any future videos played by the Question and Answer system would reflect the new reality instead of the original timeline.
That was why Zhu Zhuqing was now worried.
Her sister had been sending assassins after her. Now, after seeing this video of her future strength, she would definitely increase her efforts to kill her before she could grow.
This was different from the original future.
In the original timeline, Zhu Zhuqing had managed to escape. But if her sister sent even stronger assassins now… could she still survive?
She wasn't sure.
Because the future could change.
…
Back in the video, Zhu Zhuqing coldly watched as Tang San lay on the ground, writhing in pain.
Her gaze darkened even further when she noticed the blood oozing from his wounds had turned black.
That meant… those bolts were poisoned!
Zhu Zhuqing was certain she had no prior enmity with this guy.
Just how much did he hate her to use such a lethal weapon?
(End of Chapter)
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