Volume 4: Hidden Battles and Turbulences, Chapter 86: The Hidden Dragon Accompanies Them
As the path became more rugged and full of obstacles, the girls who had been singing and chatting happily earlier suddenly remembered they still had a guide they had hired. They called Chu Tianyu forward to lead the way again and kept asking various questions. Chu Tianyu didn’t mind; whenever asked, he would make up some answers and add some local dialects. If they understood, great; if not, it was not his concern.
For Chu Tianyu, the goal was simply to follow them and figure out why so many cultivators had gathered here, while also gathering more information about them—especially about the so-called senior sister they mentioned, Xue Feifei, his potential rival from Hong Kong. This was something Chu Tianyu was particularly interested in!
After walking for a while, Chu Tianyu managed to piece together some clues from their casual conversations. It seemed these girls, led by Xue Feifei, all belonged to some ancient sect, one that apparently only accepted female disciples. They had come to Motuo for some mysterious purpose, though Chu Tianyu couldn’t figure out exactly what it was. Whenever the topic came up, it was the younger girls who asked the older ones, who clearly didn’t know the details either. It seemed only Xue Feifei, who remained silent with a furrowed brow, knew the answer!
From their conversations, Chu Tianyu also learned that they had come merely to follow their senior sister and gain experience. They had a group of companions, whom they called “grandma,” who should have met up with them earlier, but no trace of them could be seen. It seemed they hadn’t even left any unique sect markings, which likely explained why Xue Feifei was so worried!
Chu Tianyu secretly checked the dragon energy within him—it seemed completely gone, returning to its usual state of calm. It seemed he was on the right path; perhaps this evil dragon truly intended to take Chu Tianyu back to its lair. But why had Xue Feifei and the other cultivators who were already ahead all gathered in Motuo? Could it be that the dragon in Chu Tianyu was taking advantage of the Awakening of Insects season to do something in its lair or unearth some treasure, drawing the attention of many?
With these thoughts, Chu Tianyu decided to continue pretending to be a random traveler and follow Xue Feifei and her group. It served as a cover and allowed him to gather more information. Not to mention, Xue Feifei’s own identity was already mysterious enough, and now there was also this ancient sect involved—making things even more intriguing.
Decided, Chu Tianyu earnestly took on his role as a guide and laborer. The route they took today mainly involved crossing the Daxiongla Pass, a necessary path to Motuo, and it was extremely difficult. They had to adapt to the physiological effects of high altitudes, as well as deal with wind, snow, and harsh conditions with uncertain paths ahead.
As the journey grew more challenging, led by the girl named Xiaoya, they took back the heavy bags from Chu Tianyu and carried them themselves. Clearly, they had also seen the difficulties of the route, and since each of them was skilled in martial arts, they wanted to lighten Chu Tianyu’s burden.
Xiaoya kindly offered to carry the wicker basket for Chu Tianyu, so he could focus entirely on guiding them and dealing with potential rockfalls and landslides along the way.
Chu Tianyu declined her kindness. With his skills, not only could he handle the wicker basket, but even several more bags like the ones they had before would not be a problem for him.
Yet their kindness earned him even more goodwill. He felt that although these girls acted capriciously, they truly were, as they said, there to gain experience. It was obvious that aside from Xue Feifei and a few older ones, the rest, though all in their twenties, showed immaturity and simplicity in their behavior and speech.
Chu Tianyu’s perception of them changed, and he reduced the use of local dialects when answering their questions. Before long, they would begin climbing the Daxiongla Pass. With an altitude of over 4,000 meters, the pass featured a clear vertical distribution of different natural zones—from subtropical jungles to a cold icy world—making it a natural wonder and a destination desired by many explorers and tourists.
The uphill slope was steep, but fortunately, there were large stones laid by previous caravan routes, making it slightly easier to walk. Around 2 p.m., Chu Tianyu led them over the summit. At noon, Xue Feifei suggested eating something on the spot, but Chu Tianyu stopped her, as the weather could change rapidly in the afternoon—thick fog or even wind and snow might cover the summit, making it easy to get lost. Worse still, it could trigger avalanches or rockfalls when descending. Even someone as skilled as Chu Tianyu couldn’t claim to be able to defy nature’s forces here.
Fortunately, thanks to Chu Tianyu’s persistence, they managed to cross the mountain in time. The downhill path was mostly a ravine route, which became even more difficult to navigate due to the snowmelt from summer. But luckily, these young girls all had considerable cultivation skills, allowing them to cope with the challenges.
When they reached halfway up the mountain and looked back, they saw that the summit was indeed shrouded in thick fog, making it impossible to see anything. They could also hear the sound of wind and rain, and they were all relieved to have descended in time.
They also began to regard Chu Tianyu, the “miscellaneous laborer” who led the way, with new respect. Xiao Ya even kept emphasizing that she was the one who first found this guide.
By the time they reached the foot of the mountain, it was already evening. There was a simple shelter there, but no one was stationed there at this time. The door wasn’t locked, and there was nothing inside. Yet for Chu Tianyu and Xue Feifei and their group, having a place to shelter from the wind and rain was enough.
Girls love cleanliness, so with everyone’s combined efforts to clean and arrange the place, the wooden cabin quickly became tidy and cozy. A few girls even went to the nearby mountains and somehow picked some small winter flowers to decorate the room.
Chu Tianyu couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Back in the day, although he and his second master also lived in harsh conditions, they never had such enthusiasm and flair as these girls. Back then, they would just find a slightly flat spot to sit and meditate through the night.
While Chu Tianyu was lost in thought, he heard Xiao Ya’s voice by his ear, “Hey, big brother, could you go get some dry wood and branches to start a fire in the stove?”
And so…
That night, inside the wooden cabin, there was a warm atmosphere, accompanied by beautiful singing—voices as melodious as heavenly music. This gave Chu Tianyu, who was lucky enough to help start the fire, a real treat for his ears. It turned out that not only Xue Feifei but also these young girls were all masters of music. Their voices were naturally beautiful and magnetic, which explained why Chu Tianyu had found their speech to sound as pleasant as singing when he first met them.
From their casual conversations, Chu Tianyu finally learned that they all came from the “Heavenly Sound Sect” and understood why they were all female disciples. Only those with pure yin constitutions could cultivate the internal skills of their sect and produce voices as melodious as heavenly music.
Chu Tianyu was so engrossed in listening to the songs that it wasn’t until Xiao Ya handed him a piece of bread that he realized they had stopped singing and were taking out food to have dinner.
Chu Tianyu “gratefully” took the cold and hard bread handed to him by Xiao Ya, looked around, and saw that all the girls, including Xue Feifei, each had a piece of such bread, eating it with a bowl of hot water… This further puzzled Chu Tianyu. Given Xue Feifei’s status as a famous star, how could she possibly eat such food? Even if she brought simple things, they should have been higher-quality convenience foods or branded packaged items, not just ordinary bread sold on the street. With doubts in mind, Chu Tianyu didn’t rush to eat. Instead, he took out a piece of snow deer meat he hadn’t finished eating from his basket. The meat had already been roasted by Chu Tianyu and, due to the cold weather, had turned into dried meat. Chu Tianyu pulled out a dagger from his belt—also one of the spoils from their journey. It was a razor-sharp blade that must have been used to drink enemy blood in the past, but now it was being used by Chu Tianyu to cut the snow deer meat. One couldn’t help but wonder if the original owner, torn to pieces by the black dragon’s aura, would feel tears well up in their spirit if they knew… Chu Tianyu quickly sliced the snow deer meat into thin strips, sliced the bread into three layers, layered the meat between them, threaded them onto a wooden stick, and roasted them over the fire. Soon, the room was filled with a delicious aroma. Xiao Ya had been watching Chu Tianyu’s actions the whole time. At first, she found it strange to see him fiddling with a dark-colored object, but when she saw him prepare the bread with meat and roast it, filling the air with fragrance, she realized he was cooking. Curious, she approached him and asked, “Big brother, what are you making? Can that dark thing really be eaten?” Chu Tianyu smiled slightly. Throughout the journey, it had been Xiao Ya who had talked to him, though mostly giving orders. Still, he felt closest to her. So he didn’t answer. When the bread was almost ready, he took the bread that Xiao Ya hadn’t had time to eat yet, handed her the already roasted bread with meat and stick, and gestured for her to try it. Then he ignored her and took out more meat to continue his task. “Ah~~~” Xiao Ya’s beautiful voice suddenly let out a shocking scream. “It’s absolutely delicious~~~” As her high-pitched cry reached its peak, she said another sentence under everyone’s astonished gazes. And so… The subsequent screams continued as Chu Tianyu kept roasting, sweating profusely. His short career as a laborer now included the title of chef!
At four in the morning, all the girls in the house were already fast asleep. Even the girl on night duty was drowsy. Chu Tianyu, who was lying in the corner still in his clothes, suddenly sensed five auras approaching from afar. From the intense fluctuations of their energy, he knew that the five people coming were all top experts…
Yet Chu Tianyu remained motionless. He had only received fifty yuan as a guide fee. Being a part-time laborer was one thing, but acting as their free bodyguard was beyond acceptable!
However, given the high level of skill of these five people, if they came to cause trouble, they were definitely beyond the capability of these young girls. But it seemed they had mentioned waiting for someone like an “grandma”—perhaps it was a fellow disciple of theirs. Well, it wasn’t his concern, so he decided to stay out of it. With that thought, he stretched and continued to pretend to be asleep in meditation.
As the sound of something breaking through the air grew louder, Xue Feifei and several older disciples of the Tianyin Sect were finally awakened. “A powerful enemy is attacking! Everyone, wake up quickly! Form formations and prepare to defend yourselves!” Xue Feifei’s clear and melodious voice rang out. Though these young girls appeared naive and innocent, they showed the results of their sect’s rigorous training under such circumstances.
They quickly got up and formed groups of three, taking up positions in all corners of the room—by the door and the windows on both sides.
Xue Feifei stood in the center. Somehow, a completely green jade flute appeared in her hands. Combined with her white windbreaker, the stark contrast created a uniquely fresh and elegant appearance.
“It seems these five people aren’t their grandma. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be ready to face such a powerful enemy! Heh, if they’re enemies and not friends, this could be quite interesting! It’s a good chance to learn more about the Tianyin Sect, see what kind of skills they have, and whether they possess any even more powerful techniques…” Chu Tianyu thought to himself, pretending to be groggy as he woke up.
Just then, five figures rushed in from outside, and suddenly two gusts of wind shot straight at them, bursting through the door of the wooden house and hitting the disciples of the Tianyin Sect inside.
Xue Feifei, being in the center, was hit first. But she remained calm under pressure. She placed the jade flute to her lips and emitted a sound wave at just the right moment.
The sound wave formed a circular barrier that barely blocked those two incoming forces. A loud “bang” echoed inside the room as the energies of both sides collided in the air and radiated outward. The disciples of the Tianyin Sect also formed triangular formations, supporting each other to resist together.
Xue Fei, caught in the clash of those two powerful energies, was shaken so badly that her blood surged wildly. Fortunately, with the help of two skilled junior sisters behind her, she managed to hold back the attack. When the energies disappeared, the sound of two objects hitting the ground was heard. Everyone looked over—and it turned out to be two gray-haired heads. The disciples of Tianyin Gate were all girls, naturally timid. Upon seeing them, they all screamed in horror. It seemed they had never witnessed such a scene in their lives; their faces turned pale, and several even fainted from shock. Their formation, which they had maintained until then, instantly collapsed…
Just then, another “boom” echoed, shattering the front of the wooden house with the force of a palm strike. A gust of cold wind swept through the room, allowing the disciples of Tianyin Gate to finally see the faces of those heads. Their initial shock turned into grief, and they began to cry, for those two heads belonged to none other than their long-missed grandmothers!
As the senior sister, Xue Fei still bore responsibility for the safety of her junior sisters. From her initial shock to the grief after recognizing their faces, she suppressed her emotions tightly, never letting the jade flute leave her lips.
“Don’t cry! Don’t fall for the enemy’s trickery. Form a formation to face them—or face disciplinary action!” Xue Fei ordered in a light voice, maintaining her combat stance.
Though her voice wasn’t loud, it seemed to come from deep within their hearts. The disciples of Tianyin Gate regained their composure, suppressing their grief as they gathered around Xue Fei in groups of three, forming a larger formation. Each of them now held an instrument—flutes, musical pipes, or mouth flutes.
The enemy across from them didn’t launch an attack right after breaking through the wall but stood quietly outside, not far away.
“Hmm, the disciples trained by that thief grandmother of Tianyin Gate still have some skill. You must be her top disciple, Xue Fei, with the ‘Heaven and Earth Body,’ right? Tsk tsk, what an excellent vessel!” A very magnetic, almost neutral voice came from one of them as he slowly stepped toward the disciples of Tianyin Gate.
Under the moonlight, everyone could see that the man was in his forties, with a fair face and no beard. He was tall and dressed in the robes of an ancient cultivator, with a palm-sized white jade cicada hanging from his waist.
“The Cold Cicada Sect!!!” Xue Fei gasped in shock.
Regarding the Cold Cicada Sect, Xue Feifei had long heard from her master that they were natural enemies of the Heavenly Sound Sect. Both relied on music as a means to transform it into offensive power, yet the Cold Cicada Sect was the only martial arts school unaffected by the Heavenly Sound Sect’s melodious voices. Not only were they naturally superior to them in martial arts, but her master also said that for the Cold Cicada Sect’s martial arts to reach perfection, they needed the pure yin disciples of the Heavenly Sound Sect as vessels to help them break through limitations and attain an extraordinary level.
The disciples recruited by the Heavenly Sound Sect indeed all possessed pure yin constitutions and carried some form of the cosmic energy within them. They were among the rarest among people, and thanks to the specialized martial arts and training methods developed by the Heavenly Sound Sect for this purpose, these sisters were able to reach the level of skilled practitioners in such a short time.
Xue Feifei herself was born with a pure yin constitution. After being discovered by her master, she was given his teachings. Despite her young age, she became the senior sister among them all because of her exceptionally pure cosmic energy. Her master said that it was already rare for other disciples to have more than two such energy channels, and someone like her, with a complete pure yin constitution, was likely the only one besides the founder of the Heavenly Sound Sect!
She never expected this secret to be uncovered by the Cold Cicada Sect. Her master said that although the Cold Cicada Sect also relied on music, it was a corrupt and evil organization. It seemed to have been eradicated by the righteous forces in the martial world as early as the late Qing Dynasty, yet it had reappeared. It appeared that its remnants had resurfaced once again.
Though Xue Feifei had her thoughts, she was actually extremely anxious. With their current strength, they were definitely no match for them—even the four Elders of the “Snowy Melody” faction were not their opponents. Her own skill level was at most comparable to that of an elder, and now two of the four Elders had been killed, while the other two were missing…
Looking at the heads of the two Elders on the ground, recalling their kind faces and the care they had shown her since childhood, she was overcome with sorrow. Her eyes instantly filled with tears and turned red.
But Xue Feifei knew now was not the time for grief. She forced down her pain and said coldly, “Remnants of the Cold Cicada Sect! The Heavenly Sound Sect swears eternal enmity with you. Today, even if we must perish together, we will avenge our Elders!” By the end, she had already used her melodious voice.
“Yes, avenge our Elders!” The other disciples of the Heavenly Sound Sect echoed in unison, filled with righteous anger.
The people nearby didn’t move at all, but four melodious whistles sounded behind them. Those individuals took out the jade cicadas hanging around their necks and blew into them, instantly countering Xue Feifei and the disciples of the Tianyin Sect’s sonic attacks.
“Hehe, don’t show off those trivial tricks of yours from the Tianyin Sect…” The middle-aged man hadn’t finished speaking when Xue Feifei suddenly brought her lips close to the jade flute and blew a high-pitched note. She quickly stepped back, her mouth forming a “break!” shape as she unleashed a powerful shockwave that caught up with that high pitch and exploded in front of the middle-aged man, sending continuous waves of force at him.
At the same time, after completing her attack, Xue Feifei and her fellow disciples played “General’s Order” together. Massive sound waves surged forward with the rhythm of the music, like waves rolling in one after another.
The middle-aged man clearly hadn’t expected Xue Feifei to possess such skills. Caught off guard, he could only barely resist with his own energy, but he was still pushed back repeatedly. His breath became ragged, and blood appeared at the corners of his mouth. However, after regaining his footing and with the musical support from his companions behind him, he took out his own white jade cicada. As its sharp, high-pitched sound rang out, Xue Feifei and her team’s attacks were completely blocked. After all, their martial arts were inherently designed to counter the Tianyin Sect—not only were their skills far superior to those of the Tianyin Sect’s young women, but even at the same level, they had a clear advantage.
Just as “General’s Order” came to an end, Xue Feifei was already out of breath from the intense battle, and her weaker fellow disciples were gasping for air, struggling to control their surging energy, barely managing to stay upright thanks to their collective formation.
Realizing the odds were heavily against her, Xue Feifei suddenly twisted her jade flute, creating several emerald-green flower shapes. With a sharp cry, she transformed into a butterfly and rushed at the enemy, her flute’s shadow enveloping all five of them.
The middle-aged man on the other side exclaimed, “Good move!” He put down his jade cicada and drew a circle with his palm to meet her attack. His four companions scattered in different directions, each pulling out a dark-colored ruler and positioning themselves in various spots to prevent other Tianyin Sect disciples from breaking through.
As soon as Xue Feifei and the middle-aged man clashed, they quickly exchanged a few moves before each unleashing their ultimate techniques in a fierce battle.
In the corner, Chu Tianyu secretly ate dried meat while observing quietly. Aside from the initial exchange of rhythmic attacks between the two sides, the techniques used by the others seemed rather mediocre to him! Take the two fighters in the arena as an example—the middle-aged man clearly had greater skill, but his techniques were extremely limited; his moves were stiff and repetitive, likely because he specialized in long-range rhythmic attacks and neglected close combat training. As for Xue Feifei’s techniques, though not exceptionally refined, they were still smooth and graceful, but lacking in power. This might be due to her insufficient skill level, or perhaps because the techniques she used were designed to be gentle and elegant for girls, focusing more on showmanship than on delivering impactful blows. In fact, Chu Tianyu was unfair to those two fighters. He never considered that since he began practicing martial arts, backed by his powerful dragon energy, he had never had to worry about internal strength. Which exquisite martial art can be used effectively without strong skill as a foundation? Moreover, Chu Tianyu’s various masters each had their own strengths and taught him based on their expertise—his first master’s solid Shaolin internal cultivation methods, his second master’s natural and effortless approach to martial arts, and his third master’s comprehensive practical techniques that drew from various schools. Any one of these alone would be enough to make someone stand out and dominate the field! So, in Chu Tianyu’s eyes, the techniques of those two fighters in the arena naturally seemed worthless and full of flaws. But in the ordinary martial arts world, those two unique schools were formidable, and anyone who dared to provoke them would need to weigh their own strength carefully! While Chu Tianyu watched the fight, it gradually intensified. Xue Feifei was already sweating on her forehead, panting heavily as she struggled to hold on. The middle-aged man was also surprised that Xue Feifei could fight him this long; he hadn’t expected her, at such a young age, to have skills comparable to those of the deadly women from the Tianyin Sect. A pure yin constitution was indeed extraordinary. Thinking this, the middle-aged man grew even more eager—this was a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity, a precious treasure of the world that he couldn’t afford to miss!
But thinking that even if this treasure fell into his hands easily, it still had to be given to the senior brothers and sect leader, he couldn’t help feeling resentful. He decided that after capturing her, if he had the chance, he would first kill a few of his own sect members before devouring this “vessel.” By then, once his Cold Cicada Divine Skill had reached perfection, those so-called senior brothers and sect leader would surely be trampled under his feet. The thought filled him with pride—haha!
Thinking of this advantageous plan, the middle-aged man didn’t go for a decisive strike but instead continued to engage in a stalemate, aiming to gradually wear Xue Feifei down.
The disciples of the Tianyin Sect saw that their senior sister was struggling to hold on and were about to rush into the fight to help, but the members of the Cold Cicada Sect surrounding them also started playing their jade cicadas, sending sound waves straight at them.
Under such attacks, it was not only impossible for the Tianyin Sect disciples to offer aid; even protecting themselves became a challenge. They could only play their instruments to fend off the attacks.
The situation in the arena had become extremely critical. Chu Tianyu saw that it was time for him to act secretly. Otherwise, if things turned completely one-sided and he intervened later, although his identity might not be exposed outright, suspicion would surely arise, as aside from the two factions, only this minor servant was present!
So, seizing the moment when Xue Feifei launched an attack, he secretly gathered energy into a beam and let out a Buddhist lion’s roar!
The middle-aged man, still lost in his fantasies, saw Xue Feifei’s weak attack coming and was about to counterattack when suddenly a loud noise rang in his ears: “These little girls are under the protection of our Tianmo Sect! Get lost!!!”