The hole in the ceiling wasn't good enough as a shooting spot to hunt the level two magical beast from a secure location. The creature could escape out of sight or run into one of the passages the river had carved.
Liam also couldn't allow the magical beast to regroup with its pack. The hit on the neck had been for that exact reason. Liam wanted to prevent the creature from calling for help.
Of course, killing the magical beast in one blow would have met those conditions. Even Liam's deadly poison could have provided a stark advantage. The problem was that he didn't know what that creature could endure.
After all, despite powerful, deadly tools, Liam still employed a foundation expert's Qi. The magical beast would innately resist it out of virtue of its superior level.
That superiority also applied to Liam's poisoned arrows and needles. He wasn't sure whether they would pierce the coyote's hide or snap before they could attempt to spread their deadly properties.
