Fire Mane Rats, as their name suggests, are a peculiar type of rat with fiery red manes. Not only are their manes fiery red, but their entire bodies can emit flames, making them exceptionally hot. The elite among them can control flames powerful enough to incinerate even the sturdiest steel, a testament to their might.
While the Fire Mane Rats before him were not the strongest, their body size, comparable to large dogs, indicated considerable strength. Besides controlling flames, they were also incredibly agile, with teeth so sharp they could likely tear through steel with ease, let alone ordinary flesh and blood.
Precisely because he knew Fire Mane Rats were quite agile and nimble, Di Yi Ye was not disappointed after his first arrow missed. More importantly, he was confident he could shoot and kill two or three, or even more, Fire Mane Rats, thus reducing the number he had to face directly and increasing his chances of annihilating them all.
The arrow feather streaked through the void like a meteor. After evading the first Second-tier Fire Mane Rat charging at the front, it flew directly towards the one whose ear had been grazed by an arrow earlier. Perhaps it had lost some reason due to anger, or perhaps it had less time to react due to the closer distance. Although this Fire Mane Rat once again dodged the arrow's attack, its body lost control, flipping violently and soaring into the air.
As if waiting for this opportunity, Di Yi Ye released the bowstring once more. Another arrow whistled through the air, striking the Fire Mane Rat tumbling in mid-air.
With a dull 'thud,' the arrow penetrated over a foot into the Fire Mane Rat's neck, its tip emerging from the other side. A spray of blood splattered, and the Fire Mane Rat fell, whimpering and twitching. Judging by its condition, it wouldn't live long.
Seeing their companion's neck pierced, the remaining Fire Mane Rats became even more enraged. They roared and charged, their speed faster than before, their eyes gleaming with a predatory intensity, as if they wanted to devour him.
Having easily resolved one Fire Mane Rat, Di Yi Ye's confidence surged. He then nocked his bow again, this time with three arrows. Releasing the bowstring, he fired them in rapid succession, just as before. This time, he was still targeting a Fire Mane Rat behind the Second-tier Fire Mane Rat.
The first two arrows confined the Fire Mane Rat's movement range, preventing it from dodging left or right. The final arrow was the killing move—it successfully struck the second Fire Mane Rat in the neck. Like the first, it fell, awaiting only a slow death.
The reason both Fire Mane Rats were shot in the neck was not due to luck but Di Yi Ye's deliberate action. He knew well that the Fire Mane Rats' weakness was their neck; arrows could easily penetrate it, and even if it didn't kill them instantly, it would incapacitate them.
If he shot other parts, the head was easily dodged. Moreover, the Fire Mane Rats' bodies were covered in manes, making it easy for arrows to slide off. Even if an arrow hit, it might not kill them immediately, and an injured Fire Mane Rat could still pose a significant threat to Di Yi Ye.
These were lessons Di Yi Ye had learned from battling numerous exotic beasts. When dealing with exotic beasts, it was crucial to kill them with a single blow or, at the very least, incapacitate them. Otherwise, their threat would be even greater, as wounded but not dead ferocious beasts were more dangerous.
"Good luck. I've directly resolved two Fire Mane Rats. If nothing unexpected happens, I can take down two more, and the remaining three will be easy to deal with, especially since I've made other preparations."
Di Yi Ye tried his best to keep his emotions calm. While muttering to himself, he took out three more arrows. Clearly, he was about to use Consecutive Arrows again, specifically Consecutive Three Arrows.
The plan was good, but after two companions were killed, the remaining Fire Mane Rats, while enraged, were also more alert and cautious than before. Furthermore, the Fire Mane Rat charging at the front spat a mouthful of flames at the critical moment, burning the fletching of the arrow's tail and altering the trajectory of the last arrow. This allowed the Fire Mane Rat behind it to dodge just in time, only losing some of its mane.
However, Di Yi Ye's attack was not without effect. The second arrow struck the Fire Mane Rat behind the target in the front leg. Although it roared in anger, its speed plummeted after its leg was shot, and it was quickly left behind. It wouldn't pose a threat to Di Yi Ye for the time being.
"As expected, exotic beasts also possess considerable intelligence, not much less than humans. After being tricked once, they quickly devised a countermeasure."
Di Yi Ye sighed lightly, "It seems I can only take down three Fire Mane Rats in advance this time. Fortunately, my previous attack hit one Fire Mane Rat's front leg, greatly reducing its speed, so it's not a threat for the moment."
While contemplating this, Di Yi Ye's hands did not stop. This time, he still took out three arrows. After firing Consecutive Three Arrows, he didn't wait to see the result. He took out another three arrows and, after a brief aim, continued to attack the charging Fire Mane Rats.
As Di Yi Ye had said, exotic beasts like Fire Mane Rats possessed high intelligence. After successive kills and injuries to their companions, they found a way to counter Consecutive Arrows. They no longer charged directly but used their agile bodies to weave and dodge. Coupled with their familiarity with the arrow trajectories, they managed to avoid fatal wounds.
Of course, they only dodged the first three arrows. Di Yi Ye's second volley of Consecutive Arrows had already arrived. The already injured Fire Mane Rats found it even harder to dodge. One of them was hit in the neck again and could no longer pose a threat to Di Yi Ye.
As for the remaining Fire Mane Rats, apart from the Second-tier one, they had all sustained some injuries, though not severe. This meant they still posed a significant threat to Di Yi Ye.
The most troublesome aspect was the Fire Mane Rats' high speed. After Di Yi Ye fired several rounds of Consecutive Arrows, the first Fire Mane Rat was less than twenty meters away. At this distance, the Second-tier Fire Mane Rat could easily leap over with its jumping ability. Dealing with it using a bow and arrow would undoubtedly become inconvenient, especially since the Second-tier Fire Mane Rat was the strongest and posed the greatest threat to Di Yi Ye.
As for the other two Fire Mane Rats, although their injuries had affected their speed, they were now less than thirty meters away from Di Yi Ye. At this distance, given their current speed, they would arrive in just three to five seconds. Most importantly, under the attack of the Second-tier Fire Mane Rat, Di Yi Ye could no longer use Consecutive Arrows to attack them.
"I'll avoid the strongest Fire Mane Rat first, deal with the other two, and then focus on it."
Di Yi Ye made his decision instantly. As he made his decision, the Second-tier Fire Mane Rat lunged forward, its sharp claws aimed directly at Di Yi Ye's head.
The Fire Mane Rat possessed immense strength; this claw strike carried a force of several hundred pounds. Coupled with claws as sharp as daggers, it could easily slice open Di Yi Ye's head. If that happened, he would surely die on the spot!
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