C36 Cloud Pigeon

"It got away," Tie Ta lamented, watching as the Cloud Pigeon became nothing more than a blurry shadow in the distance.

At that moment, Jiaang Lin stooped to pick up a pebble, weighing it in his hand with a grin spreading across his face. While the Cloud Pigeon had evaded the sight of Tie Ta and the others, it hadn't escaped Jiaang Lin's watchful eye.

"What are you up to?" Qiu Xiya inquired, her confusion evident.

Ji Zhong, however, was staring at Jiaang Lin's movements, his eyes widening suddenly as if he had grasped Jiaang Lin's next move. "Is he really planning to knock down the Cloud Pigeon with a stone? Impossible!" Ji Zhong was filled with incredulity.

The Cloud Pigeon was already hundreds of meters away. Even to Ji Zhong's keen vision, it was merely a vague black speck, and it was certainly beyond the visual reach of Tie Ta and the rest, who were no more than ordinary folks.

"At such a distance, obscured by dense foliage, and with the Cloud Pigeon still in motion, even a seasoned archer would lack confidence. How could a mere cultivator with a stone hope to succeed?" Ji Zhong couldn't fathom Jiaang Lin attempting such a feat, dismissing his own judgment as flawed.

Yet, in the blink of an eye, as all eyes converged on Jiaang Lin, he launched the stone from his grasp. To the astonishment of the onlookers, the stone soared hundreds of meters, tracking the flight path of the Cloud Pigeon before vanishing from sight.

"Chase it!" Jiaang Lin commanded, releasing the stone and immediately setting off in pursuit. As the words left his mouth, the others saw that Jiaang Lin had already covered several meters.

He had even moderated his pace, concerned they wouldn't keep up. But even this moderated speed left everyone in awe.

"Such incredible speed!" Ji Zhong marveled, his pupils dilating as he pondered, "With such swift agility, could his encounter with Xiya really have been a mere coincidence?"

As he thought this, Ji Zhong quickened his pace, surprisingly keeping up with Jiaang Lin's speed.

Jiaang Lin paid no attention to Ji Zhong; his eyes were locked on the Cloud Pigeon and the stone he had hurled. Moments later, a smirk crept onto Jiaang Lin's face as he watched the stone pierce through the back of the Cloud Pigeon's head, obliterating its brain.

The Cloud Pigeon plummeted to the ground, lifeless.

As Jiaang Lin continued his relentless pursuit, a question lingered in everyone's mind: Could he actually strike the Cloud Pigeon?

Qiu Xiya was sprinting fiercely, yet she couldn't keep up with Faang Meng. Luckily, Ji Zhong produced a talisman out of thin air and affixed it to Qiu Xiya's leg. Her speed surged instantly, matching Jiaang Lin's.

"Can your stone truly hit the Cloud Pigeon?" Qiu Xiya inquired, running beside Jiaang Lin.

"Just watch," Jiaang Lin replied, a confident grin spreading across his face.

"You're so full of yourself!" retorted Qiu Xiya.

"Full of myself? How about a kiss, and I'll spill the secrets," Jiaang Lin teased with a chuckle.

"Get lost!" Qiu Xiya snapped back.

Trailing behind them, Ji Zhong observed their interaction with a sense of unease.

"Jiaang Lin, who are you, really? And what are your intentions with Xiya?" Ji Zhong's brow furrowed deeply, his face etched with concern.

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