The Black Arrow pierced through Yi Beidou’s palm and suddenly exploded, its fragments shooting out in all directions and enveloping Zhou Qingchen and the others.

Excruciating pain!

In that instant, Yi Beidou felt an agonizing pain course through his body, particularly sharp in his joints and other vital points.

He could feel the Qi and blood in his body raging and his Life Magnetic Field running wild. To travel quickly, he had been maintaining the Fourth Layer of Reverse Chaos. This level of the Secret Technique was normally well within his control and wouldn’t have caused much damage.

But in that moment, the backlash from the Fourth Layer of Reverse Chaos suddenly intensified dramatically.

POP! POP! POP!

Flesh burst open from the inside out all over his body, spilling blood everywhere. His physical condition seemed to be deteriorating rapidly.

As for Zhou Qingchen and the others, who were hit by the fragments of the Black Arrow, their expressions also changed abruptly.

Intense pain instantly swept through their bodies. They felt their internal condition rapidly worsening, a wave of intense malaise washing over them.

This was the terrifying power of "Black Arrow: Severe Illness," a technique unleashed by the Pale Knight.

The Magnetic Force of this Technique could influence a person’s Life Magnetic Field, causing "diseases" to grow and worsen at a rate that defied all logic.

Take, for example, the innocent citizen Charles, who was previously pierced by a Black Arrow. He was affected by this ability, causing drastic changes in his bodily functions. A benign tumor in his stomach grew at an unnaturally frenzied pace in a short time, absorbing most of his body’s nutrients until it finally burst from his abdomen.

Yi Beidou and the others were Saint Realm experts with Vajra Indestructible Bodies, but as long as one has a human body, injury and disease are inevitable.

For instance, the reason it is so difficult for people addicted to illicit drugs to quit is that the drugs damage the nervous and endocrine systems. This prevents the body from secreting necessary hormones that mask the pain caused by subtle bodily movements.

In other words, the human body is actually sustaining damage at every moment; it’s just that corresponding hormones help us block out the pain.

This, too, is a form of "disease."

Not to mention, Yi Beidou and the others had just been traveling at full speed, using powerful Secret Techniques that had already caused some internal damage.

Now, the Black Arrow had aggravated all this damage, causing abnormalities to flare up within their bodies.

TAP! TAP!

Zhou Qingchen tapped his feet lightly, his figure drifting like a willow catkin. Qing Guang bloomed from his body, and it was as if sword lotuses were sprouting beneath his feet.

Dustless Sword Step!

Zhou Qingchen forcefully suppressed the abnormal effects within his body.

The Primordial Map manifested on Huang Tianhu, its Exotic Beasts roaring as they protected him. The air around Ding Huiyuan vibrated as faint scriptures appeared, drawing wisps of black smoke from his body. A Demon Seed appeared between Meng Qianyuan’s brows, and he used his killing aura to sever the malignant illness.

Since they were only caught in the aftershock, the effect was limited, and suppressing it was not particularly difficult.

But Yi Beidou had been pierced clean through the palm by the Black Arrow, taking the brunt of the impact.

VMMMM!

The Tribulation Star emerged, and the level of his Celestial Demon Dissolution rapidly escalated.

Sixth Layer of Reverse Chaos!

The Demon Flame erupted toward the sky in a cone, capable of burning away all abnormal effects, rendering him impervious to a thousand techniques.

In an instant, the Demon Flame suppressed and purged the effects of the Black Arrow throughout his body. At the same time, the Penglai Flame activated, rapidly repairing his physical injuries.

But there was one exception.

His palm, where the Black Arrow had pierced it.

Black smoke still billowed from the wound. Flesh would knit together only to split open again. His trembling nerves sent out constant, intense waves of pain, and the movement of his entire hand was impaired.

Yi Beidou estimated that at his current Demon Flame’s intensity, it would take at least a dozen breaths to completely refine and purge this effect.

And that was only because it had hit his palm. If the Black Arrow had struck a vital point, the damage would have multiplied, and the time needed to eliminate its effects would have increased exponentially.

"What a terrifying lingering effect. I’ve never seen such a condensed Magnetic Force. Everyone, be careful. If one of us is hit in a vital spot, it’ll be extremely difficult to handle."

Yi Beidou said in a low voice, his eyes narrowed.

Seeing this, the others felt a chill.

’They had all personally experienced the power of Yi Beidou’s Demon Flame. And yet it’s struggling to completely eliminate the damage and lingering effects of that Black Arrow?’

"The attack came from the southwest, from at least a kilometer away," Ding Huiyuan said in a low voice. "The assailant is an expert at concealment. He’s probably already moved. I’m tracking him now."

At this, the group was even more stunned.

’A long-range attack from over a kilometer away, yet the Magnetic Force was still so condensed and its effects so terrifying... it was simply inconceivable.’

’Even Zhou Qingchen could only extend his own Magnetic Force a hundred meters before its effects began to diminish. And with his Flying Sword Technique, which excelled at long range, maintaining full combat power beyond two hundred meters was already a considerable challenge.’

’Just who was this enemy?’

They had only just entered Constantinople, and their opponent had already given them a stunning show of force to welcome them.

’A targeted strike from a kilometer away that affected all five of them, and they couldn’t even lock onto their opponent’s position.’

’So this is the power of an Ancient One in their true body? The difference between this and the avatars they’d encountered before was like night and day.’

The Pale Knight was powerful on his own; with the amplification from the Spirit Treasure Pale Bow, his abilities were simply unfathomable.

The Pale Bow had three functions.

First, it condenses Magnetic Force until it is tangible. By drawing the bowstring, the user can infuse their unique Magnetic Force, which the bow then transforms into a condensed state akin to a Spirit Treasure. This prevents the arrow’s power from decaying significantly over long distances. Moreover, because the Magnetic Force is so extremely dense, its special effects are also far more potent.