The Newcomer's Strength

Sun Wei wasn't acting out of idle curiosity, but rather out of a sense of responsibility toward Chen Fan.

Or perhaps, not just for Chen Fan alone; as the president of the branch association, he cared about the life and safety of every member.

Especially in the current situation.

The headquarters had sent an extra bow with a draw weight of ten thousand catties out of goodwill. If he simply let Chen Fan leave with this bow, what if an accident occurred?

Even if the headquarters didn't hold him accountable, he would live with guilt for the rest of his life.

"President, you want to see with your own eyes if I can draw this bow, right?" Chen Fan asked with a smile.

"Indeed."

Sun Wei's expression remained serious. "Unless you can do it, I won't let you take this bow even a single step out of this branch."

"Fair enough."

Chen Fan felt a bit helpless but also touched. He understood that the president was acting out of good intentions.

"This place is too small. We need a wider space. Besides, ordinary targets won't do. It's best to find some thick steel plates."

Sun Wei was taken aback, then quickly said:

"Thick steel plates? The branch has plenty of them, in any thickness you want. As for the venue, let's go down to the basement. There's a five-hundred-meter shooting range there."

"Let's go then. President, we shall head out right now."

Chen Fan smiled.

He was also looking forward to it.

First, he wanted to see just how powerful a bow with a draw weight of ten thousand catties truly was.

Second, if he used this bow to practice his Basic Archery, wouldn't his proficiency increase at an astonishing rate?

"Alright."

Seeing Chen Fan so full of confidence, Sun Wei's inner resolve began to waver.

Could this young man really do it?

But to achieve this level, shouldn't one at least be a martial artist of the Meridian Refining Realm?

Wasn't he only at the Dark Jin stage?

...

Rewinding the time by two or three minutes.

Several Entering Jin martial artists walked out of their training rooms one after another, heading to the lounge opposite the elevator.

"Tu Yue, has the newcomer arrived yet?"

Xu Jie asked curiously, his eyes filled with intense anticipation.

Not only him, but the others were also very curious.

After all, a seventeen-year-old Dark Jin martial artist who used a bow and arrow was truly as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

"Yes."

Tu Yue waved her phone screen and said, "The president sent me a message a few minutes ago, saying the newcomer has arrived. He asked me to notify everyone to gather here. He'll bring the newcomer over shortly so we can get acquainted."

"That was fast."

Xu Jie rubbed his hands together eagerly. "I'll go up and shake his hand later, taking the opportunity to test him a bit."

"Xu Jie, aren't you being too wicked?"

"I think it's not a bad idea. We can give it a try, hahaha."

Someone nearby who loved drama chimed in.

"Xu Jie, don't go too far," Tu Yue frowned and said. "Even if the newcomer is a Dark Jin martial artist, he probably only broke through recently. You've been at this level for two or three years. Aren't you just bullying him?"

"Oh, don't worry, I won't use too much force." Xu Jie waved his hand.

Just as they were about to say more, the secret room door not far away opened, and two figures stepped out, one after the other.

Their gazes instantly locked.

In the next moment, the six people, including Xu Jie, gaped in unison.

Even though the president had forewarned them and they were mentally prepared, seeing him with their own eyes still shocked them.

This newcomer was truly incredibly young!

Chen Fan's gaze also swept across the faces of the six people, thinking that these must be the teammates the president wanted to introduce him to.

Sun Wei also snapped out of his thoughts, bringing Chen Fan before everyone, and said, "Everyone, this is Chen Fan, the new Dark Jin martial artist who just joined our branch, whom I mentioned to you earlier."

The six of them looked at Chen Fan with varying expressions.

A strange light flashed in Tu Yue's eyes as she proactively extended her hand. "Chen Fan, my name is Tu Yue, a Dark Jin martial artist. You can call me Sister Yue. Welcome to our team."

"Uh..."

Chen Fan was slightly stunned, then smiled and reached out to lightly shake her hand.

Tu Yue smiled gently and withdrew her hand.

"Chen Fan, my name is Gao Shan, a Transforming Jin martial artist. You can call me Brother Gao or Uncle Gao."

The middle-aged man smiled and extended his hand.

Chen Fan also quickly shook his hand, thinking to himself that this must be the only Transforming Jin martial artist in the branch besides the president.

"I am Zhao Xuewen, and he is Zhao Xuewu. We are biological brothers, both Dark Jin martial artists." Two men who looked extremely alike also extended their hands.

"Little Brother Chen Fan, I am Xu Jie, a Dark Jin martial artist. You can just call me Brother Jie." Xu Jie laughed and reached out his hand.

Beside him, Tu Yue suddenly coughed and glared at him.

The smile on Xu Jie's face froze, and he shook Chen Fan's hand amicably.

"Fan Sui."

The last man, who had a cold face, uttered a single sentence. He kept his hands in his pockets, and no matter how much the others winked at him, he had no intention of shaking hands.

"Chen Fan, Fan Sui is always like this, even to us," Tu Yue said with a smile.

"Yes, yes, Little Brother Chen Fan, don't take it to heart," Gao Shan added.

"It's fine."

Chen Fan smiled. He indeed wouldn't take it to heart.

After all, he and these people were probably just casual acquaintances. Before long, they might go their separate ways.

Sun Wei coughed and said, "Now that everyone knows each other, I hope that in the coming days, you can unite as one and support each other."

"Of course."

"Naturally, naturally."

"Little Brother Chen Fan, you are only seventeen but already a Dark Jin martial artist. That's truly amazing."

"Yes, when we were seventeen, we weren't even Archery Dao martial artists yet."

Except for Fan Sui, Xu Jie, Gao Shan, and the others were very cooperative and friendly.

"Oh?"

Tu Yue's gaze fell on the bow in Chen Fan's hand. She asked curiously, "Chen Fan, the bow in your hand looks quite extraordinary?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the attention of the others was also drawn to it.

The limbs of this bow were almost thicker than an adult's arm, weren't they?

Someone caught sight of the quiver on Chen Fan's back out of the corner of their eye and immediately gasped.

Good heavens, were those arrows?

They looked more like javelins!

No, they were even larger than javelins!

What kind of bow and arrow set was this?

"Little Brother Chen Fan, is it convenient to disclose the draw weight of your bow?" Gao Shan couldn't help but ask out of curiosity. "If it's inconvenient, you don't have to say."

"Uncle Gao is too polite."

Chen Fan smiled. "I also just received this bow from the headquarters. Its draw weight is ten thousand catties."

"How much?"

Xu Jie, who was nearby, cried out in shock.

"Ten thousand catties,"

Chen Fan repeated.

In an instant, the six people, including Xu Jie, froze on the spot, their minds buzzing continuously.

A... ten-thousand-catty draw weight bow?

Did they hear wrong?

Or was this newcomer sensationalizing?

If it were ten years ago, they would have felt that such a bow only existed in ancient legends.

Now, they believed such a bow existed, but they didn't believe a mere Dark Jin martial artist would have the strength to use a bow with a draw weight of ten thousand catties.

"Pres... President?"

Zhao Xuewen widened his eyes and looked at Sun Wei, as if asking, *President, is what he said true?*

"Yes,"

Sun Wei nodded. "It is a bow with a draw weight of ten thousand catties, sent from the headquarters early this morning."

In an instant, the atmosphere fell dead silent.

They looked at each other, their minds completely blank.

"Chen... Chen Fan," Tu Yue stammered, "Can... can you draw this bow?"

She couldn't believe it, but Chen Fan was already equipped with it; he couldn't have done so out of sheer boredom, right?

The others also stared unblinkingly at Chen Fan.

Drawing a ten-thousand-catty bow?

Was this something an Entering Jin martial artist could do?

Even a Transforming Jin martial artist couldn't do it, right?

Chen Fan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "I am about to head down to the basement with the president to test its effects."

The group looked at Sun Wei, who nodded with some helplessness.

He actually hoped Chen Fan could draw it, but common sense told him it was unrealistic.

"President, can we tag along to watch?"

"Yes, let's go check it out."

"President?"

Sun Wei looked at Chen Fan, who indicated he didn't mind.

Thus, Sun Wei led the way, with Chen Fan following closely behind, and Xu Jie and the other five bringing up the rear.

"Do you think Chen Fan can really draw it?" Tu Yue asked, her heart pounding. As a Dark Jin martial artist, drawing a three-thousand-catty bow was already her limit.

"How is that possible? A ten-thousand-catty bow? Even Brother Gao can't draw it."

Seeing his companions look over, Gao Shan shook his head with absolute certainty.

"Then where does his confidence come from?" Xu Jie was utterly baffled.

"Aren't newcomers always like this?" Fan Sui, who had been silent all this time, muttered.

Soon, they arrived in the basement.

Under Sun Wei's arrangements, the branch staff set up two one-meter-thick steel plates against the wall, with a target pasted on the frontmost plate.

Chen Fan stood over five hundred meters away. He planted his feet firmly, drew an arrow from his quiver with his right hand, nocked it, then held the bow before him, slowly pulling back with his right hand.

Behind him, Sun Wei and the others held their breath, their eyes wide like bronze bells.

"Creak, creak..."

The sound of the bowstring being stretched taut echoed through the air.

The shape of the bow once again bent into a Crescent Moon, and then continued to expand.

"!!!"

Sun Wei and the others' breathing instantly grew rapid. Could it be... could it be!

They felt as if their hearts were about to leap out of their throats.

They watched as the Crescent Moon-shaped bow turned into a Gibbous Moon, and then, a Full Moon!

The entire process actually took less than a second!

The key was that it was as smooth as flowing water, without the slightest hesitation.

And then...

"Boom!"

A deafening roar.

Almost instantly, with a loud *thud*, the arrow cleanly pierced the bullseye, burying itself halfway into the steel plate. The tail of the arrow vibrated violently, producing a relentless buzzing sound in their ears.

Even after the vibration faded, the entire basement remained in a deathly silence.

Except for Chen Fan, the same thought echoed in everyone's mind:

*He drew it! He actually drew it! He really drew it!!!*

Chen Fan paid no attention to his surroundings. Instead, he eagerly looked at his skill bar.

He wanted to see just how much proficiency his Basic Archery had gained from this single shot.