Chapter 113: The Day of Becoming a Sharpshooter
Twenty-five people drew their longbows, aiming at the wooden posts. They released their arrows simultaneously, and once again, all twenty-five arrows missed their targets.
“Why did I miss again?” Ge sighed, reaching for another arrow. His long black hair was tied up high with vines. He was a snake beast man. As he spoke, his long tongue was constantly flickering.
“It’s only our first time. We just need more practice,” Ah Zhen smiled reassuringly. He was a sheep beast man with white hair, golden pupils, and a pair of brown sheep horns.
Ge shrugged and said, “I know we need more practice, but every shot goes astray.”
They were both Warrior Trainees, who had eagerly volunteered when Yan Jiao was selecting archers. They had participated in long-distance running, weightlifting, and various other activities, all in hopes of being chosen.
Ah Zhen blinked his golden eyes and said, “I must practise diligently. Once I master the longbow, I’ll be so dashing.”
Ge rolled his eyes. “You just want to attract Ah Duo’s attention but she doesn’t care about you at all.”
“Who says that? Once I master the longbow and awaken as a Totem Warrior, she’ll definitely notice me!” Ah Zhen confidently declared, with eyes of absolute certainty..
Ge spread his hands and continued to aim his longbow at the wooden post, saying. “Well, you’d better practise hard then. The way you are now? You’ve got a long way to go.”
Ah Zhen also raised his longbow, aimed at the post, and smiled, “You don’t need to tell me that. I’ll practise hard regardless.”Two arrows whistled through the air, but only one struck the very edge of the wooden post.
Ge’s lips curled into a slight smile as he lowered his bow and asked, “How about that? My arrow had managed to hit the post.”
Ah Zhen rolled his eyes and ignored him, continuing to aim his longbow at the post.
Meanwhile, Su Bai had walked up beside the numerous archers, watching them train step by step.
“Shaman,” Ge and the others immediately bowed to Su Bai.
Su Bai gave a small nod of acknowledgement and pointed out, “Your shooting postures were all wrong just now.”
Ah Zhen immediately stood up straight and humbly asked, “Shaman, please tell us what we’re doing wrong.”
“Yes, Shaman, please teach us,” Ge quickly added.
“You were pulling the bowstring too hard earlier. This not only strains your muscles but also affects your accuracy,” Su Bai explained. Even before he had approached, he had noticed the common problem among these people. They were drawing the bowstring to its fullest – to the point the bow could snap at any moment.
Their hands were also too rigid, showing no fluidity. This was not how archery should be learned.
Ge recalled his own shooting posture and scratched his head, saying, “Shaman, you’re right. That’s exactly what I was doing.”
“Hand me the longbow. I’ll demonstrate once for all of you. Then, you’ll understand what is the proper way to use it.” Su Bai gestured.
Although he had taught Qing Mu and Chi Tu how to do it, it was still not something that could be mastered so quickly. It was inevitable that their teaching might be somewhat inadequate, which was what Su Bai was concerned about. It was great that he came to check personally, lest more errors were made into habits.
“Yes, here’s a longbow for you,” Ge immediately handed over a longbow with both hands.
“Shaman, are you going to teach us personally?” Yan Hua walked over from a distance.
“Yes, I’ve already taught you, but it’s always good to watch again and revise.” Su Bai smiled.
Yan Hua nodded firmly and said, “I will definitely study carefully again.”
*Whoosh! Thud!* Su Bai nocked an arrow on the bowstring, raised the bow and aimed at the wooden post. In the blink of an eye, the arrow struck the centre of the post. Due to the strong inertia, the arrow’s tail was still quivering, indicating the great force behind that shot.
“Wow! Shaman, you’re so skilled! You hit the centre point in one shot!” Ge exclaimed in amazement.
He had heard Qing Mu and Chi Tu say that the Shaman was excellent at archery, that he managed to hit a bullseye with every shot. However, now that he had witnessed it for himself, he was still shocked to his core. The arrow was released in an instant and struck the dead centre of the target.
Ah Zhen’s eyes widened in shock, “Shaman, you made it look so effortless. You hit the target in one shot, right in the middle.”
“With enough practice, you can do it too. It’s not difficult. As long as you continue to persevere, hitting the bullseye is just a matter of time.” Su Bai said, lowering the longbow.
“Yes, we will practise diligently,” Ge immediately responded.
“Also, if you want to improve further, you need to do more muscle training,” Su Bai paused, then continued, “Drawing a bow relies not only on arm strength but also on your chest and back muscles. Strengthening these areas will be greatly beneficial.”
“Shaman, why is archery related to muscles?” Ge asked, puzzled.
“The stronger your muscles, the steadier your hands will be, and the better your endurance.” Su Bai explained. With sufficient muscle strength, one could continuously shoot arrows with better control and for a longer distance.
“We understand.” Everyone responded in unison.
“Continue practising. Also, make sure to warm up before training in the future. This will prevent injuries,” Su Bai advised.
Ah Zhen and the others nodded repeatedly, immediately responding, “Yes, we understand.”
Su Bai nodded, turned around, and walked to the side to continue watching them practice.
Yan Hua stepped in front of Su Bai and reported, “Shaman, I shot about a dozen arrows just now, and eight of them hit the target.”
“Very good. Keep practising and it won’t be long before you can shoot like me,” Su Bai smiled.
Yan Hua immediately stood straight and replied, “Yes, Shaman. I’ll continue practising.”
Su Bai smiled and said, “Good. Go back. I look forward to the day you become a sharpshooter.”
“Thank you, Shaman,” Yan Hua beamed with joy.
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