Volume 4: Hidden Battles – Chapter 189: Releasing oneself in the wilderness

No wolves dared to advance any further. Even their growls had faded significantly, though their bloodthirsty nature kept them in a state of attack. In their eyes, Chu Tianyu was even more bloodthirsty and dangerous than they were. The corpses of their companions scattered around made it clear to them that attacking him earlier had been a huge mistake.

At that moment, Chu Tianyu’s entire body was enveloped in a radiant glow, his mind utterly clear. He could sense every breath and even the slightest tremor of muscles and fur among the wild wolves around him with perfect clarity.

Yet, in this state, Chu Tianyu felt as though he dominated the world, exuding the aura of a master warrior. This made him both amused and puzzled—wasn’t it just a few wild wolves? Even when facing stronger opponents in the past, he had never felt such absurdity. Could it be that not only had his vital energy vanished, but he had also lost his martial mindset?

After careful reflection, Chu Tianyu realized it wasn’t that simple. Compared to his past self, he could be certain of one thing: facing these three “Break the Army” moves now, even if he were in a disrupted state and relied solely on his Purple Void Vital Energy without using Dragon Energy, he would still be flustered and find it difficult to counter them—far from easy to handle.

Although the “Break the Army” moves were simple, simplicity often meant they were the most stable, effective, and direct methods. Their power in actual combat lay in the ability to “break”—breaking the enemy’s initiative, their weaknesses, and their momentum. The variations and applications depended on instinctive reactions at the moment of confrontation, instantly transforming them into the most effective and direct attacks to achieve victory.

Through the use of “Break the Army,” Chu Tianyu also discovered the true secret of the glowing ink dragon in his chest—just like his original dantian, it was a source of immense energy. Moreover, after using this energy, his bodily functions seemed to strengthen, giving him a strange premonition: perhaps during the absorption of lunar energy that night, its increase would surpass the limits and bottlenecks of the previous night.

At the same time, Chu Tianyu felt that the strength contained in every muscle and cell of his body was enough to push back any object that came into contact with him. Additionally, he had gradually learned to control and utilize the radiant glow surrounding him during the recent battles.

Thinking of this, Tianyu unconsciously retracted the radiant light as if controlling it, and that moon energy instantly returned to the Dark Dragon pattern on his chest. At the same time, due to Tianyu’s sudden move, the few wolves that were still struggling to hold on seemed to relax as the pressure exerted on them vanished abruptly. Even one of the wolves that had been hit by Tianyu’s punch could no longer support its body and collapsed to the ground the moment the pressure and killing intent disappeared.

Tianyu glanced pityfully at the remaining few trembling wolves, shaking his head with a smile. But then, an idea struck him, and he suddenly lunged forward, his radiant light flaring up again. Faced with this sudden change, the wolves, which had just relaxed, were forced by Tianyu’s sudden surge of power to tremble involuntarily. With a low howl, it was unclear which one took the lead in fleeing. In no time, the entire forest was filled only with the corpses of wolves, aside from Tianyu standing there—no living beings remained…

Tianyu had made this impulsive decision without expecting such a result. He had also used some moon energy, which successfully scared the tenacious wolves into fleeing in panic. There was only one explanation: his current killing intent and dominance had replaced his previous low-key demeanor.

After tilting his head and thinking for a while, Tianyu only had a superficial understanding of this change—knowing it was due to absorbing moon energy—but he couldn’t explain the deeper reasons for now. Anyway, he couldn’t control these physical changes himself, but overall, he felt it was a trade-off. He decided to ignore it for now. His only goal was to get out of this forest as soon as possible and then search for Zi Yi and the others using every resource at his disposal.

But it was impossible to proceed through the mudslide, so he had to find another route—this led Tianyu to think of the mysterious forest downstream…

In fact, Tianyu himself couldn’t explain why he, knowing there were dangers ahead, still chose to head there. Although there were better options, his heart naturally led him to that place, making it his choice for a breakthrough.

After making up his mind, Tianyu ignored the chaos around him and headed straight for the river. Before dusk, he finally reached the mysterious riverbank and forest from before.

Tianyu decided to embark on the official expedition early the next morning. The time at night was too precious for him now—it was the crucial moment for him to absorb moon energy and practice another form of cultivation. Indeed, by absorbing the moonlight that night, Tianyu once again felt an increase in his strength, finally breaking through the situation where he had absorbed a large amount of moon energy the previous night but his strength had stalled. This discovery filled Tianyu with immense joy. Could it be that this strength could only improve after being used and expended?

With energy surging throughout his body, Tianyu, driven by this question, unleashed his full strength on a huge rock by the river, slamming his fist into it. As the punch approached, the seemingly solid rock, worn by countless years, began to emit a series of “creaking” sounds as cracks appeared everywhere. With a loud explosion, as Tianyu’s fist struck, the rock shattered completely under the force, turning into a pile of powder and raising a cloud of dust that dazzled the eyes…

Looking at the scene before him and his own fist, Tianyu sensed a new kind of power distinct from his usual internal energy. His emotions were complex; he didn’t know how to describe them. From the “Pojun” technique honed through yesterday’s battles to the significant increase in his internal energy, it was as if a blind person had regained sight.

With this newfound strength, Tianyu first drank a few sips of the sweet river water, then ate his fill of wild fruits he had picked the previous day. After satisfying his hunger, he didn’t linger any longer but headed toward the towering tree, ready to set off for that mysterious place.

After climbing up the ancient tree stretching parallel to it, Tianyu realized that this dense forest was indeed full of eeriness. Not to mention the mist, even the damp and gloomy atmosphere made one feel uncomfortable. This was mainly because the towering ancient trees blocked out the sunlight, leaving no light to penetrate the forest, thus creating a gloomy atmosphere. The rotten leaves beneath his feet were only superficially dry despite being in midsummer; they were actually rotting inside. Coupled with the heavy rains earlier, stepping on them often resulted in falling into deep pits.

Chu Tianyu examined the area carefully again. Aside from the intricately entwined ancient trees, it was a place rarely visited by humans, with not even a single path. Yet these challenges posed no difficulty to Chu Tianyu. He tried to walk along the tree roots, marking his path as he went, then used the methods he had learned from his second master to navigate and find exits in the forest, moving stealthily forward.

The mist in this mysterious forest was indeed as Ouyang Ziyi had described—it seemed to paralyze the central nervous system. As he walked through it, Chu Tianyu felt icy currents trying to invade his brain. If it weren’t for the moonlight radiating from his body, shielding him, staying here any longer could have had unpredictable consequences.

Clearly, the mist also feared the moon energy surrounding Chu Tianyu. Wherever he passed, the mist dispersed naturally. But even without the mist’s interference, Chu Tianyu remained vigilant, constantly alert to any sounds around him. Though he lacked true energy to detect distant noises, his ears, enhanced by the moonlight, could pick up even the slightest movement.

Suddenly, Chu Tianyu stopped in his tracks as he heard a “rustling” sound not far ahead. He immediately leaped onto a tree, broke off a branch about the thickness of a bowl, shaped it into a stick, and held it in his hand, staring warily in the direction of the sound.

As expected, several rotting beasts with patchy fur emerged. Chu Tianyu had never seen such beasts during his training in the wild, nor had he read or heard of them in any books.

These beasts resembled leopards but had grayish-black stripes on their bodies. The exposed muscles in their bald spots were full of dynamism and explosive power, and their light steps showed they combined strength with speed. Clearly, they had been drawn to Chu Tianyu’s scent. Their grayish-yellow eyes scanned the surroundings constantly, full of caution.

Watching them approach, Chu Tianyu knew that for these beasts with keen senses, hiding was pointless. And at this moment, more enemies were more tempting than fewer—especially since these seemingly formidable beasts stirred in him a sense of competitiveness and desire to fight.

Right now, Chu Tianyu is in a period of gaining new strength, and the “Pojun” technique he created in yesterday’s battle is perfect for putting it to use. By the end of yesterday’s fight, the decreasing number of wild wolves and their fighting spirit had sharpened Chu Tianyu’s skills, but he hadn’t had the chance to make proper use of them or enjoy their effectiveness. So, facing the first beast he encountered in this mysterious forest, Chu Tianyu was overjoyed. He didn’t even need the stick he had prepared instinctively; instead, he channeled all his strength, throwing it like a javelin at the lead beast. The stick flew out at astonishing speed. Just as it was about to hit, the beast roared and somehow twisted its body, barely avoiding the stick, which then plunged deep into the soft ground. Although the beast dodged the attack, it was terrified by Chu Tianyu’s sudden and fierce assault. It kept retreating, its bald fur standing on end in fear. The other beasts also noticed Chu Tianyu, who had jumped down from the tree, and began to howl menacingly—their cries were shrill and deafening, something Chu Tianyu had never heard before. The beast that was attacked first also recovered and finally saw its attacker. Abandoning its fear, it charged at Chu Tianyu at incredible speed. When it was still several meters away, it leaped forward, claws outstretched, its sharp fangs exposed, and unknown green slime dripping from its gaping maw. For Chu Tianyu, it was like a wave of stench hitting him. The beast’s rapid momentum and strength were so formidable that even Chu Tianyu had to give it a silent nod of respect. But clearly, it had chosen the wrong opponent. Chu Tianyu stepped back just in time to avoid its attack. The beast stared in disbelief—how could anyone escape its attack at such speed? Chu Tianyu quickly gave it an answer. As the beast descended in its attack, he stepped forward, his right arm’s muscles tensing and releasing instantly. A simple straight punch struck the beast right in the forehead at lightning speed.

With a “bang~”, at the moment of contact, a yellow light flashed, followed by splashing blood. The beast’s skull shattered instantly under Chu Tianyu’s punch, and its brain spilled out. With a “moan~”, its twisted body was flung away, killing it on the spot.

After that powerful punch, Chu Tianyu didn’t relax at all. He was already prepared to fight against the other beasts that rushed at him. Those beasts were highly intelligent. They had seen clearly what happened to the first beast as they followed closely behind, learning from its fate and realizing the enemy’s strength. So they attacked simultaneously, shortening the distance they jumped from significantly, almost leaping right up close to Chu Tianyu before attacking.

But Chu Tianyu also changed his tactics. He stepped forward quickly, keeping up with swift movements. Before those beasts could reach their peak jumping height, he had already seized the opportunity, getting close to them. Using several moves evolved from “Po Jun”, he not only threw both fists at once but also relied on inertia and counterforce, utilizing every muscle in his body. Wherever his fists could touch the beasts’ bodies, a yellow light flashed, delivering powerful blows.

The whole process was as smooth as flowing clouds. It seemed as though Chu Tianyu’s figure flashed in front of the beasts mid-jump. After a few crisp sounds, the bodies of those beasts lay on the ground.

Not enough. Far from enough. Absolutely not enough—this was what Chu Tianyu thought at that moment.

He had originally thought these beasts might have something special about them. But aside from their basic attacks, there was no real challenge at all. In fact, Chu Tianyu’s perception of them was unfair. Their strength should definitely not have been as weak as it appeared in front of him. But since Chu Tianyu took the initiative right from the start and defeated them one by one skillfully, and since these beasts were used to running amok here, they never expected they might not be able to handle just one opponent like Chu Tianyu.

Out of carelessness, they simply acted on their instincts and launched attacks. This very action was all too familiar to Chu Tianyu, who had already fought against wolves before. So even with his eyes closed, he could handle the situation effortlessly.

In the following days, as Chu Tianyu continued on his journey, he encountered many more attacks from such mysterious beasts. But few allowed his punches to fully unleash their power. Eventually, whenever he encountered a beast, it was Chu Tianyu who grew eager, rushing forward quickly.

Through continuous attacks, Chu Tianyu also felt that the cellular energy in his body’s structure had been strengthened again, gradually increasing as the abilities of the beasts he encountered grew stronger. “Could it be that I become more courageous the more I fight? The energy in the Ink Dragon Pattern within my body needs constant battles to improve, so that I can store more energy when absorbing moonlight next time?” With these thoughts, Chu Tianyu suddenly saw the light and found a few giant human bears to experiment on. Human bears in the primitive wilderness are highly intelligent creatures, as their name suggests. At first, Chu Tianyu encountered one such bear, which immediately attacked him with outstretched arms. At first, Chu Tianyu didn’t pay much attention, but after a few exchanges, he realized that the bear could withstand his heavy blows without sustaining fatal damage, only continuing to howl frantically and attacking fiercely. In the end, Chu Tianyu gave up using complex techniques and started fighting back with straightforward punches. Without any restraint, they engaged in a brutal struggle, each strike sending shockwaves through both of them, driving them into a state of madness. Yet every time Chu Tianyu was hit, his muscles seemed to come alive—each part of his muscles acted like a sponge, instantly absorbing the impact energy and distributing it throughout his body to minimize damage. Then, like compressed springs, they rebounded with the absorbed energy and his own strength. On the other hand, the human bear took the hits head-on; Chu Tianyu’s concentrated, explosive energy caused severe damage to its body, though its pain receptors weren’t highly developed, so it didn’t react immediately. After fighting like this for a while, the human bear finally collapsed, its bones shattered, meridians severed, and its body reduced to a mess of flesh. Blood kept gushing from its eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

Yet just this battle finally gave Chu Tianyu a sense of satisfaction. After another night of significantly improving his ability to absorb lunar energy, his fighting spirit grew even stronger, and his overall strength underwent a qualitative change—he could now project that lunar energy outward like true energy, and his fists could also emit combat energy several meters away. The term “combat energy” was merely a makeshift name Chu Tianyu came up with, as it was something he developed through combat, so he simply used it casually.

Thus, thrilled by these battles, Chu Tianyu dealt a heavy blow to the strange beasts in this mysterious forest. In particular, the bear-men, who possessed the greatest intelligence and strength, became the perfect opponents for him to hone his combat energy. As his combat energy continued to improve, he was able to take on five bear-men at once. Sometimes, after encountering one, he would follow its footprints to find its lair, so as to face several bear-men simultaneously and increase the challenge.

Although these battles didn’t lead to any substantial progress in finding a way out of the mountains, they greatly enhanced his physical strength and combat abilities. They also allowed Chu Tianyu to fully indulge in the wilds, with his combat energy reaching levels nearly comparable to his original true energy through constant fighting.

Still, Chu Tianyu preferred close-quarters combat and direct physical attacks—simply because of one word: “Exciting!” At this point, his mental state had long transcended the natural state it once was; he focused more on a sense of unrestrained pleasure and freedom to do whatever he wanted. All of this was an extreme emotion that emerged as Chu Tianyu spent time in the wilderness, far away from society, family, friends, moral responsibilities, and all worldly burdens…

…

That day, Chu Tianyu was having a great time fighting two bear-men. He wasn’t using his full strength; each move was like using them as punching bags, as he practiced various variations of “Break the Army” techniques.

But just then, the bear-men, who had been howling and raging under Chu Tianyu’s assault, suddenly seemed to sense something. They abandoned their frenzied attacks on him and fled in terror.

Chu Tianyu also stopped chasing. This was the first time he had encountered such a situation. Normally, whenever he faced those human bears, as long as a fight broke out between them, it would be a battle to the death. No matter how aware they were of their inferiority, they would only attack frantically and never flee!
But this time it was strange. As Chu Tianyu was puzzled, suddenly a series of “whooshing” sounds came from afar, seeming to surround him completely. He glanced around in shock, his scalp tingling with fear.
From afar, nearly a hundred spotted venomous snakes with their heads raised high kept appearing, and venomous scorpions were also climbing up the trees. Some of these scorpions were as big as shoe soles, while others were the size of palms. They ranged in color from brownish-red to iron-blue to pitch black and shiny. They were all scurrying around the trees in panic, likely fearing something just like those rapidly moving venomous snakes.