Chapter 1446: The Goddess's Plea

He desperately wanted to refuse, but the Heavenly Emperor never showed himself, and his aura vanished so quickly that Zu An had no opportunity to decline. Amidst his fear and apprehension, he suddenly realized that this mission was, in essence, a re-enactment of Hou Yi's heroic journey. With the Sun-shooting Bow at his disposal, his chances of defeating the Golden Crows significantly increased, making it, in a way, something to be pleased about.

As for the conflict between Zhuanxu and Di Jun, he finally understood that he was simply not qualified to get involved in a struggle between such powerful figures. However, there was no need for him to participate either. Historically, ten Golden Crows were shot down, so merely adhering to history would be the safest course of action.

As for other implications… He mused, he didn't have a celestial wife, so he wouldn't face the same problem as Hou Yi, who couldn't return to the heavens. Furthermore, since figures like Shun and Yu were descendants of Zhuanxu, siding with him appeared to be the most prudent choice from any perspective. With these realizations, Zu An's turbulent emotions gradually settled.

At that moment, the Ten Witches of Mount Ling bowed respectfully to Zu An. "Although we do not know why the Heavenly Emperor chose you," they said, "since he bestowed the Crimson Bow upon you, there must be a profound reason. With ten suns blazing in the sky and the world plunged into chaos, we earnestly implore you, young man, to act and rid the people of this scourge." The sincerity in the Ten Witches' eyes was evident; they were genuinely concerned for the world's inhabitants.

Yun Jianyue and the others, forgetting all else, hastily urged Zu An to reconsider. After all, this was a conflict involving the Heavenly Emperor, a matter far beyond their realm of participation.

Zu An did not reply. He simply stood on the mountaintop, surveying the landscape. Apart from Mount Ling, which was protected by powerful beings and still managed to retain some verdant trees, other areas were utterly devastated. Trees and plants had long withered and died, the earth was cracked, and raging wildfires burned everywhere. It was impossible to tell how many people had been scorched to death or perished in the inferno.

Witnessing the horrific scenes of this earthly purgatory, the three women secretly sighed. They understood Zu An's decision and no longer attempted to dissuade him. While the three women belonged to different factions, their core values were largely aligned; otherwise, they wouldn't have chosen to accompany Zu An. Faced with such an apocalyptic sight, the three women stood firmly by Zu An's side.

Zu An said nothing further, simply gazing up at the ten brilliant golden suns in the sky. Though these ten Golden Crows had been injured by Nüba earlier, they had not fled far. Their Golden Crow Sacred Flame inherently possessed powerful regenerative abilities, and now, suspended in the sky, they were using their sacred fire to accelerate each other's recovery, making the process incredibly efficient. However, this greatly intensified the suffering of mortals in the lower realm. Naturally, to the Golden Crows, these mortals were mere ants, utterly insignificant.

Zu An took a deep breath, directly drawing the bow and nocking an arrow. Although he had never formally learned archery, as a Grandmaster, his control over his body and strength had reached its peak, allowing him to quickly master the skill instinctively. Furthermore, the Sun-shooting Bow, a divine artifact, seemed to possess a spirit of its own, requiring little guidance from him as it quickly began to activate on its own. However, Zu An's expression quickly changed; he discovered that even with his considerable strength, he couldn't fully draw the bowstring! Pulling it barely halfway was already his absolute limit. His entire body's muscles bulged like coiling dragons, trembling uncontrollably, clearly indicating he had reached the very edge of his strength. No one needed to tell him that at this level of draw, he couldn't possibly harm the suns in the sky.

Witnessing this, Yan Xuehen and the other two women quickly placed their hands on him, channeling their vital energy into his body without reservation. Simultaneously, the Ten Witches of Mount Ling encircled them, chanting incantations and weaving spells. A large, glowing runic circle materialized around Zu An, with him at its center.

Zu An immediately felt an surge of explosive power course through him. He directly activated the Star-Shattering Profound Seal, stepping forward with his left foot and leaning back. His right knee unconsciously dropped to a half-kneeling position, his entire body poised like a taut bowstring. In his hands, the Sun-shooting Bow was finally drawn to its absolute limit. As he exerted immense force, his muscles visibly swelled, and his clothes, unable to withstand the strain, ripped apart.

Yu Yanluo remained composed, accustomed as she was to experiencing his intense energy at close quarters. Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue, however, found themselves struggling. Such close proximity to a man's body, especially with his current pose showcasing peak masculine vigor, caused both women, despite their normally resolute minds, to feel their hearts pound like startled deer. Yan Xuehen's mind drifted to the time in the Great Snow Mountain hot springs, recalling the splashes and ripples, though shyness had prevented her from observing closely then. Yun Jianyue's eyes, meanwhile, became unusually moist, almost welling up. She secretly warned herself that once they left the secret realm, she needed to keep her distance from him; otherwise, if news spread that the dignified leader of the Sacred Cult was vying for a man with her own disciple, her reputation would be irrevocably tarnished.

Zu An, oblivious to their internal struggles, accepted their assistance, channeling all his strength into the arrow. The white arrow gleamed brightly, its intricate patterns visibly protruding, exuding an ancient, mysterious aura. A terrifying presence of destruction permeated the very heavens and earth.

Then, Zu An released his grip. The arrow in his hand transformed into a streak of light, rocketing instantly towards one of the suns in the sky. Its speed was so immense that even with Zu An's current cultivation, he couldn't discern the arrow's trajectory.

Moments later, a golden fiery explosion erupted in the heavens, showering countless drops of golden blood downwards. Immediately, the sky dimmed. Countless people had already noticed the celestial anomaly: the sky, once dominated by ten suns, now had one fewer. Although people didn't understand the cause, they erupted in cheers.

Zu An felt a sense of surrealism. Had he truly shot down a sun? "Who would dare boast in my presence after this?" he inwardly wondered. "Who can shoot better than me?"

He quickly snapped back to reality. Without a moment's hesitation, he continued to draw and nock arrows. After all, these were the sons of Di Jun; if the Heavenly Emperor were to realize what was happening and unleash divine retribution, Zu An would face a terrible end. And so, one white arrow after another soared into the sky.

The arrows, laden with a terrifying aura, streaked towards the heavens. The Golden Crows, previously engaged in healing, suddenly witnessed one of their brothers explode. Several of them stared in confusion, wondering if Nüba's earlier attack had been so severe that their unfortunate sibling simply couldn't endure it any longer. After all, they had just incinerated Nüba with their intense heat, but her own heat had been no less formidable, leaving their bodies in a state of chaotic overheating. However, as successive terrifying auras assaulted them, the brothers finally understood what was happening.

"Enemy attack!"

They scattered desperately, none daring to face the arrows head-on, for they felt the palpable aura of death. Unfortunately, their swift evasions were no match for the arrows' speed. Furthermore, the arrows seemed to possess an innate tracking ability, curving to strike them one after another.

*Thwack!**Thwack!**Thwack!*…

One Golden Crow after another plummeted from the sky, their golden blood scattering through the air. Coincidentally or not, they fell precisely onto Mount Yu, the very place Zu An and his companions had first encountered upon entering. With each Golden Crow shot down, a wave of cheers erupted from the ground. After all, with ten suns blazing overhead, the intense heat had become unbearable for everyone, from ordinary mortals to cultivators, and even the ferocious beasts of evil factions.

In what felt like the blink of an eye, nine Golden Crows had fallen from the heavens. Zu An had no time to count them. His primary concern was to resolve the situation quickly to avoid Di Jun's retaliation, and secondly, he himself was rapidly reaching his physical limit. The Star-Shattering Profound Seal could typically only be activated once a day by an ordinary person. Even with Zu An's formidable physique, three consecutive activations were his absolute limit, let alone the added strain of drawing a divine artifact like the Sun-shooting Bow. While this bow and arrow bore a resemblance to the one previously held by the Golden Crow Prince, its power was vastly superior, and it demanded significantly more energy. Fortunately, the Ten Witches of Mount Ling were performing their rites beside him, which allowed him to fire nine arrows in rapid succession.

However, blood had begun to seep from the mouths and noses of the Ten Witches, indicating they were suffering severe backlash. Yu Yanluo and the other two women were in an even worse state, utterly exhausted and collapsing weakly beside Zu An. Zu An himself was trembling uncontrollably, blood seeping from countless pores across his body, making him appear as if he were made of blood.

He instinctively sensed there was still a sun overhead and subconsciously lifted his head, preparing to fire again.

"Don't!" A woman's voice, a mixture of fury and panic, cried out. Vaguely, a beautiful young woman in palace attire could be seen, spreading her arms to shield the sole remaining Golden Crow, using her own body to block the world-shattering Sun-shooting Bow.