Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 2697  Selecting A Weapon For Meng Bai

Without another word, Lin Mu reached into his storage and pulled out a selection of weapons, laying them out before Meng Bai. The boy's eyes flickered with intrigue and curiosity as he examined them, his mind already running through possibilities.

"For ranged weapons, there are different types depending on the kind of ammunition they use as well as their effective range. The most common ranged weapon cultivators use is none other than the bow," Lin Mu said, pointing to the first weapon.

"But even among bows, there are multiple varieties." He gestured towards the array of bows laid out. "Short bows are quick to draw, allowing for rapid fire since they require less strength. They're also the easiest to learn because their range is shorter, so you don't have to worry about long-distance targeting."

"Then there are longbows, which are meant for striking distant targets. At your level, hitting a foe from a kilometer away should still be possible," Lin Mu stated confidently.

"What about those?" Meng Bai asked, pointing to another weapon with a different structure.

"That's a crossbow," Lin Mu picked it up. "It's even easier to use than traditional bows, but drawing it takes longer. However, once loaded, it can be fired almost instantly with great accuracy at short to mid-range distances." He then handed the weapon to Meng Bai.

"It's heavy." Meng Bai could feel the weight as he held it.

The crossbow weighed around seven kilograms, its body crafted from stiff, high-density wood. Its arms were forged from hundred-tempered steel, while its bowstring was woven from the sinews of a Rock Trampling Stallion. This combination granted it immense penetrating power, capable of breaking through the defenses of a Peak Core Condensation Realm cultivator even when they were using protective techniques.

"Try it," Lin Mu encouraged.

"Okay," Meng Bai said, gripping the weapon tightly as he attempted to draw the bowstring. "Hnnngh." He strained slightly but managed to do it within a few seconds.

Once latched, he slotted in a crossbow bolt—a simple yet deadly projectile that even mortal soldiers would use.

He aimed at a nearby tree and pressed the trigger.

TWANG

THUD

With a resounding twang, the bolt tore through the air before embedding itself deep into the tree trunk.

"Whoa…" Meng Bai was surprised. "It drilled all the way in." He observed that only the back end of the bolt was sticking out from the wood.

"Of course. Crossbows possess the greatest penetration power among ranged weapons, allowing even weaker cultivators to challenge stronger foes," Lin Mu explained. "It is said that when they were first invented in ancient times, they changed the entire landscape of war. Even inexperienced soldiers could take down heavily armored warriors with only a few days of training."

Meng Bai's eyes lit up with newfound appreciation.

Lin Mu noticed his growing interest but refrained from letting the boy settle on a choice too quickly.

"There are still more weapons to try—test them all first," Lin Mu suggested.

"Of course." Meng Bai nodded. "I'll try the short bow next."

Picking it up, he nocked an arrow and pulled back the bowstring.

"Oh, this is much easier." He noted that it required significantly less effort compared to the crossbow.

As a Peak Core Condensation Realm cultivator, his physical strength was far superior to that of a mortal, making the draw relatively effortless.

"Now aim and shoot," Lin Mu instructed.

SAP

"Ah!" Instead of the arrow flying, the bowstring snapped back and slapped his thumb.

His skin reddened, and a sharp sting spread through his hand.

"My grip slipped…" Meng Bai realized his mistake.

"Adjust your hold and use three fingers to draw the bowstring," Lin Mu demonstrated the proper technique. "This way, you won't injure yourself… probably."

"Okay." Meng Bai followed Lin Mu's instructions carefully.

TWANG

This time, the arrow flew—but missed the target by half a meter, landing harmlessly in the bushes.

"Uh…" Meng Bai hadn't expected it to be so difficult.

"Bows take more practice but offer greater versatility. You just have to keep at it," Lin Mu encouraged.

"I'll try again." Determined, Meng Bai picked up another arrow, drew the bowstring, and released.

TWANG

Once more, he missed the mark, though the gap had shortened.

Undeterred, Meng Bai repeated the process several times, until he finally managed to hit the edge of the tree trunk.

"It hit!" He beamed with excitement.

"You can enhance your aim using your spirit sense," Lin Mu offered another tip.

"Oh, right!" Meng Bai immediately activated his spirit sense, marking his target with precise focus.

TWANG

THUD

"Hah!" The arrow struck much closer to the tree's center this time, off by only five centimeters. "It's so much easier with spirit sense!"

"It does make aiming simpler, but it also has drawbacks," Lin Mu cautioned. "Using spirit sense reveals your location to your opponent and allows them to anticipate your attack. It's best suited for stationary targets. Also, you won't be able to hit enemies beyond your spirit sense range."

Meng Bai's spirit sense extended to about fifty meters—average for a Core Condensation Realm cultivator. A Peak expert would have a longer range, but since Meng Bai hadn't trained it extensively, his ability remained limited.

"Then I need to improve my spirit sense," Meng Bai deduced.

"Indeed. Spirit sense is one of the most powerful tools in a cultivator's arsenal. It's essential for mastering numerous techniques and skills. Once honed to a certain level, you'll even be able to control an arrow's trajectory mid-flight." Lin Mu elaborated.

"That sounds amazing… Looks like I need to focus on training it more." Meng Bai added another goal to his growing list of skills to develop.

Lin Mu let Meng Bai practice for a while more and let him use different bows so that he could get a hang of it. After a couple hours, Meng Bai was comfortable with them though using Long Bows was still hard for him as he didn't have the best aim for it.