Volume 4: Hidden Battles – Chapter 253: Confrontation Unveiled

Upon closer inspection of the figure descending from above, it was none other than Lord Qin, who had always operated in secrecy. Above his lowered hands, a gray wolf with bared fangs and sharp teeth materialized—this was the source of the force that had tightly restrained the man in black.

The man in black could even smell the fierce wind emanating from it, and the fear was evident on his face hidden beneath the black mask. His master had told him that if someone could transform their energy into a tangible form and project it outward, one must be extremely cautious, as such energy was formed from the natural spirit of the world, sharing the same nature as one’s own internal energy. Its power was comparable, depending solely on the practitioner’s skill level.

Unexpectantly, he encountered such a form of spiritual energy under these circumstances, and its user clearly possessed extraordinary skill—far surpassing him by many orders of magnitude. Even if he weren’t already severely injured, relying on the icy cold energy to seal his damaged meridians, he would still not be a match under optimal conditions. His only options were to flee or surrender!

Thus, in that instant, feeling the overwhelming force, the man in black had no choice but to close his eyes and wait for death.

But just as the fierce wind was about to hit him, a streak of purple energy shot toward him from afar. At the last moment, it forced Lord Qin to dodge aside, forcing him to twist and avoid the attack.

With his current level of cultivation, Lord Qin was well aware of the threat posed by this rushing energy. If he insisted on subduing the man in black first, he would surely not have time to defend himself or dodge. Given the strength of this energy, if struck, Lord Qin estimated it could either cripple him or kill him on the spot!

Therefore, without hesitation, he abandoned the man in black and focused on dodging and countering this sudden and terrifying energy. Fortunately, he reacted in time—the energy barely missed him. Though he wasn’t struck, the fierce wind still pierced through his protective energy, leaving a deep wound on his arm, with blood immediately seeping out…

Meanwhile, the energy continued its unstoppable momentum. After passing by Lord Qin, it seemed to be controlled by an unseen force as it suddenly turned downward and crashed heavily to the ground with a loud “boom!” An earth-shaking explosion ensued, raising clouds of dust and sand that covered the sky and blocked out the moon, leaving nothing visible but a few inches ahead.

It took a long time before the dust and mist gradually faded away. Lord Qin and his fellow disciples opened their eyes, disheveled and covered in dirt, only to find that the man in black had already vanished, leaving behind only a huge crater. They exchanged glances, their expressions filled with shock.

Lord Qin, aside from his shock, fell into deep thought. What had happened that night was simply unfathomable. Clearly, two groups had been targeting them—one after another. Especially the latter group, whose terrifying strength needed no further explanation. They must have shown mercy today; otherwise, they would all have died here.

It was for this reason that Lord Qin boldly concluded there were two groups involved—otherwise, they wouldn’t have let them go so easily. Moreover, the skills of the two groups were not on the same level.

Sigh, the people sent by headquarters were really overestimating themselves. They hadn’t even reached the later stages of training in the Netherworld yet but were already boasting loudly. What annoyed Lord Qin even more was that he had almost captured the man in black just moments ago but failed in the end. If he had known there was another group lurking, he would have gone all out from the start to tear off that man’s mask…

Not to mention Lord Qin and his companions’ shock and regret, Chu Tianyu, who had come to rescue them, was also feeling frustrated now.

It was indeed Chu Tianyu who intervened. Given the situation, even if the man in black wasn’t his ally but was instead spying on Lord Qin’s group, following the principle that an enemy of your enemy is your friend, Chu Tianyu couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. But at the same time, to leave a clue, he created chaos, taking advantage of the dust to rescue the man in black without killing them.

If it was to rescue them, then why was Chu Tianyu frustrated?

Because at the moment of rescue, as his hand brushed against the man’s chest, he felt it was firm yet soft. With his experience, it was obvious that the man was a woman wearing men’s clothes with her chest bound tightly with straps…

That alone would have been enough, but what really troubled Chu Tianyu was that this “problem” forced him to use his icy energy to seal the injured meridians. Under the pressure of Lord Qin’s powerful aura, his own icy energy flowed back into the man’s body. Not only were his internal organs further damaged, but his clothes also froze solid due to his own icy energy. During Chu Tianyu’s rapid flight, the clothes couldn’t withstand the friction and tore apart, leaving only thin strips of fabric hanging on his body. His fair, bare torso was now fully exposed to Chu Tianyu’s gaze.

What Chu Tianyu touched was smooth, creamy skin, extremely slippery. Especially her breasts, free from restraint, stood tall and snow-white, with two rosy dots adding to their infinite charm. Yet her entire body was icy cold; otherwise, it would have been even more intoxicating, drawing one into endless reverie.

Chu Tianyu was also overwhelmed. Fortunately, she was unconscious and still had the black cloth over her face; otherwise, he really wouldn’t have known how to face or explain the situation.

But in her current state, it was not convenient for Chu Tianyu to take her straight back to the city. Even with his high level of skill, bringing such a naked, alluring woman with him would be extremely difficult.

With no other choice, Chu Tianyu found a dense forest, laid some dry grass behind a tree, took off his coat, and temporarily covered her with it, then propped her against the tree trunk.

At that moment, a cold wind blew, and the black cloth covering her face—whether due to the wind or the shock from her being placed down—suddenly tore apart, revealing an ordinary face.

She appeared to be around twenty years old. If she showed up in front of people with such an appearance, no one would ever guess that she was a practitioner possessing the essence of heaven and earth!

Chu Tianyu didn’t look too closely, regardless of whether she was beautiful or ugly. He simply placed his hand on her pulse to check her injuries.

After a while, Chu Tianyu was greatly surprised. The purity of the vital energy within this girl far exceeded his imagination. That icy aura seemed innate, completely integrated with her being. No wonder she still had the strength to fight back despite the combined attacks of those men—it was related to her pure vital energy.

Heaving her injuries could be effortless for Chu Tianyu. However, there was still one problem: once she woke up and saw her current appearance, what would her reaction be? If further misunderstandings arose, it would be a case of good intentions leading to bad outcomes!

After some thought, thinking that “if you’re helping someone, help them to the end,” Chu Tianyu sighed helplessly and pointed his hand at several key acupoints on her body. After all, in such a freezing night, abandoning such a “vacuum-packed” girl would not be in line with Chu Tianyu’s character.

Chu Tianyu’s treatment of the girl was effortless. The natural energy in her body, upon receiving his vital energy, seemed to become active as if it had encountered something special. Without any need for Chu Tianyu to manipulate it deliberately, that energy followed his vital energy around her body, instantly repairing her damaged tissues and blocked meridians.

The moment Chu Tianyu withdrew his vital energy, the girl let out a soft sound and opened her eyes. Before she could fully understand what was happening, Chu Tianyu quickly said, “Miss, listen carefully. I just happened to pass by and saved you, and by the way, healed your wounds. As for your clothes, they probably froze due to the cold energy emanating from you. They broke apart at the slightest disturbance—it has nothing to do with me. Don’t get any wrong ideas!”

After saying that, Chu Tianyu instinctively stepped back. After all, he had seen many such scenes in books and movies. Usually, when a woman regained consciousness, she would either scream or cry in despair, acting as if the end of the world had arrived.

But Chu Tianyu’s worries were unnecessary. After hearing his rather sudden and abrupt explanation, the woman didn’t react at all. She simply tightened the coat Chu Tianyu had put on her and sat upright, beginning to practice qigong.

Chu Tianyu was surprised but didn’t disturb her and just watched. After a while, the woman opened her eyes again, this time with a hint of surprise in them.

“Are you the one who’s been following me?” the woman suddenly asked, looking at Chu Tianyu.

Chu Tianyu was stunned, not knowing where she was getting that idea from. But before he could reply, she continued, “Don’t be surprised. With your level of skill, I probably wouldn’t have noticed you at all. But my constitution is different. As soon as I entered that courtyard, my vital energy became strangely restless, as if it was searching for a place to belong. At that time, I didn’t realize it was because of you. Along the way, this feeling grew stronger, and I thought it was a sign that my skills were about to reach a breakthrough. It seems now that it was all because of you. And your so-called ‘happening to pass by’ must mean you’ve been following me the whole time!”

Chu Tianyu never expected this woman to be so perceptive. Under such circumstances, she wasn’t even flustered. By relying solely on her own intuition and the few words he had said, she had deduced the general situation. She was truly remarkable!