Volume 4: Hidden Battles – Chapter 187: Cultivating Wildness Within

Apart from the initial movement when he rushed out of the mound, Chu Tianyu’s current physical condition made it impossible for him to take even a step; his body felt utterly weak. Yet Chu Tianyu knew he had to return, go back to that small mound. Otherwise, lying there like this, beasts would eventually track him down by his scent, leaving him with no chance to resist.

But those few steps seemed utterly unattainable for Chu Tianyu at the moment. His limbs wouldn’t obey him at all; he didn’t even have the strength to lift them. After trying several times, he gave up using his limbs to move instead lying back, trying to get as close as possible to the mound. Then he turned over and lay face down, crawling forward bit by bit by dragging himself along. Chu Tianyu had never imagined that one day he would find it so difficult to “crawl” just a few steps…

After much struggling, Chu Tianyu finally reached the edge of the mound. By then, he was drenched in sweat. After resting for a while, he gathered all his strength and rolled into the human-shaped depression left where he had been buried, lying down with his face upward.

The mud underground was still very soft, so when Chu Tianyu lay down, there was no stiffness or discomfort.

The rest of the time was spent waiting for nightfall. But Chu Tianyu didn’t wait passively; instead, he used this time to repeatedly practice the Xuanji cultivation method taught by his third master, yet there was no response at all.

Still undeterred, he kept trying over and over. After all, he had nothing to do anyway. With his determination, he wouldn’t miss even the slightest chance. His third master, the radical scholar, had once said that as long as one wasn’t dead, they still had a chance to do anything…

So Chu Tianyu ignored whether there was any response inside his body and continued to alternate between different cultivation methods and breathing techniques as per his country’s traditions.

Unnoticed, the full moon after the clearing of the weather finally appeared in the sky. Chu Tianyu, who had been with his eyes closed, was fully focused on practicing and didn’t notice the moon rising. Just then, he happened to be using the Xuanqing True Qi cultivation method taught by his second master. Suddenly, a powerful beam of light shot down—fast and fierce, utterly unlike the gentle light from previous days.

Chu Tianyu immediately felt a violent tremor throughout his body, as if all his pores had opened wide, desperately absorbing the moon energy. This caused intense pain in his skin, as if it were being torn apart, forcing his already weak body to spasm involuntarily. The Xuanqing True Qi cultivation method he was using also failed to function properly. At the same time, the moonlight seemed to lose its attraction suddenly, retracting as if it had gone back to its usual state, shining down gently once more.

Yet just that sudden surge had already caused Chu Tianyu great pain, and the symptoms of spasms persisted, with waves of convulsions reaching deep into his heart. It took a long time before Chu Tianyu recovered from the spasms and slowly relaxed his body, enjoying the gentle moonlight bath. The familiar feeling from previous nights returned.

After recovering for some time, Chu Tianyu began to ponder what had just happened. “How could such a strange thing occur? Could it be that the cultivation method I used inside my body affected the absorption of this moon energy?”

Faced with this question, Chu Tianyu recalled which cultivation method he had used. After trying various methods throughout the day, switching between them had become an automatic reaction for him. So at the moment of the anomaly, he didn’t know which method he had been using.

However, this didn’t stump Chu Tianyu. Since he had plenty of time now, he started testing the cultivation methods taught by his master one by one. Throughout the process, he was extremely cautious, fearing that a mistake might repeat the previous incident. But when he tried his master’s Buddhist scriptures, nothing happened, which made him realize that the earlier phenomenon wasn’t related to all cultivation methods.

When he switched to the Xuanqing True Qi method, his skin’s absorption of moon energy accelerated suddenly. Fortunately, Chu Tianyu controlled it well, stopping it immediately to prevent the same situation from happening again.

He was overjoyed at this. Now that he had identified the problem, he could study it and find a solution. If he could use the Xuanqing True Qi method to speed up the absorption of moon energy, it would be crucial for his current situation—and it was also an unexpected blessing.

Chu Tianyu tried a few times slowly, each time stopping after just a brief attempt. It turned out that his Second Master’s Xuanqing True Qi belonged to the authentic Taoist practice of breathing exercises, which focused on absorbing the vital energy from heaven and earth. There were several mantras specifically designed to help expel impure energy from the body through the pores of the skin and to absorb the vital energy from the outside world.

After understanding this, Chu Tianyu began to gradually apply Xuanqing True Qi step by step, increasing his control over pore contraction within the limits his skin could tolerate, thereby guiding the continuous absorption of lunar energy.

At first, however, he couldn’t control this force well. Either the range of application was too small, resulting in little increased energy absorption, or he used too much force, causing an excessive influx of lunar energy that exceeded his body’s capacity, leading to spasms and intense pain throughout his body.

But as time passed and his control improved, Chu Tianyu eventually managed to adjust the speed and amount of absorption according to his body’s tolerance.

With Xuanqing True Qi, he shifted from a passive to an active role, greatly accelerating his recovery. The Ink Dragon energy in his body seemed to sense this change as well. As the Ink Dragon patterns were repaired with abundant lunar energy, they finally emitted a glimmering light, faintly visible through Chu Tianyu’s chest, resonating with the lunar energy and filling him with a sense of joy.

Over these days, Chu Tianyu finally felt a sense of accomplishment and happiness. If this pace continued, there would be no problem with his recovery. Moreover, once all his bodily functions were restored, the long-lost true energy within him might return to his “embrace.”

The exciting night passed, and actually, by 3 a.m., Chu Tianyu had fully regained his mobility. Yet he remained in the same position until dawn, when the moonlight disappeared. Only then did he slowly rise from the mound, stretching his limbs. He felt he had reached the level of an ordinary person, meaning he now had some self-protection abilities—such as escaping, climbing trees, or hiding…

No longer exhausted from even a few steps, as he had been the day before, once his mobility was restored, Chu Tianyu’s first concern was food and water. Previously, with the powerful Zi Xu True Qi as a backup, he could go days without eating or drinking, but now it was different. He already felt hunger and thirst.

At this moment, Chu Tianyu was covered in a layer of mud, with some areas already dried but still sticking to his skin. Although he tried to shake it off, his body remained extremely itchy. He really wished there was a puddle he could jump into to take a good bath.

Chu Tianyu didn’t rush into any action. He neither immediately searched for a water source nor recklessly followed the direction the mud flowed to go back to Ouyang Ziyi and the others. Instead, he first carefully observed his surroundings to ensure there was no immediate danger before drawing out the Coiling Dragon Sword from his waist.

Although his upper clothes had torn to shreds the moment he broke through the soil, the Coiling Dragon Sword, used as a belt, remained untouched. Aside from the time he went to Europe when it couldn’t pass through customs, the sword had never left Chu Tianyu’s body.

However, the Coiling Dragon Sword wasn’t very useful for him now, as without the support of true energy, it was soft and ineffective. Chu Tianyu tried several times to use it to dig up plants with edible roots in the vicinity, but to no avail—since the sword couldn’t exert any force, it would bend before even starting to dig.

With no other choice, he found a reachable branch, used his own weight to break off a branch as thick as an egg, and then, using the unyielding part at the base of the Coiling Dragon Sword, gradually sharpened one end of the branch before inserting it into the ground to dig up edible roots.

This was a skill he had learned from his second master, Xianyun, involving wilderness techniques. Just like these roots, after digging them up, one didn’t need to wash them—just make a cut on the surface to peel off a layer, revealing the tender, white edible part inside.

Yet, no matter how hungry he was, Chu Tianyu didn’t actually eat them. He merely chewed them and swallowed their juices. He knew that with an empty stomach, it was unsuitable to consume such fibrous tissues, as they would be difficult to digest in the stomach.

Still, the juice from a few roots couldn’t satisfy his hunger and only intensified his appetite. At this point, Chu Tianyu cared about nothing but finding something to eat!

Chu Tianyu looked around, filled with emotion. The vast forest—had his strength been intact, he could have traversed it in just a few trips. Wild fruits and small beasts would have been easily obtained without any effort. Now, his mobility was no different from that of an ordinary person, leaving him feeling helpless, as if staring at the ocean and not knowing where to start.

But at that thought, Chu Tianyu was shocked. How could such feelings of despair and weakness arise after losing his vital energy? Had his previous state of harmony with nature also been shattered by the disappearance of his vital energy?

For a moment, Chu Tianyu stood frozen, his mind filled with chaos and hesitation. Just then, a cold aura suddenly surged from his chest, spreading throughout his body in an instant. This shock seemed to disperse his chaotic thoughts, restoring clarity to his mind.

Although what had just happened wasn’t exactly possession by evil spirits, it was still quite dangerous. In such a quiet environment, allowing one’s thoughts to wander unchecked could easily lead to mental confusion.

Once sober, Chu Tianyu understood what had happened and why. It was mainly due to the loss of his entire strength, creating a stark contrast between his former strong mindset and his current weak state. Coupled with the sense of helplessness from earlier, it had caused his mindset and thoughts to go haywire…

Chu Tianyu realized that the cold aura must be the lunar energy absorbed by Mo Long. As for why it appeared at this critical moment to resolve the chaos, he couldn’t figure it out for now.

In fact, Chu Tianyu’s reaction was quite normal. Just as a healthy person might feel anxious or uncomfortable when suddenly sick or injured, it’s even more so for a cultivator who suddenly loses all their strength—it’s worse than death. The greater one’s strength, the greater the shock of losing it, and those with unstable minds might even give up on life altogether.

After all, Chu Tianyu had started his cultivation in Buddhism and Taoism from a young age, which gave him a strong mindset and wisdom. So even when he first lost his strength, he was able to face it calmly and quickly devised a plan for his next steps.

It was only under those specific circumstances, combined with his natural hunger and thirst, that his irritability found an opportunity to arise.

This cold moonlight, which calmed his emotions, also reminded Chu Tianyu that rather than wandering aimlessly without the ability to search for water or food in the surrounding areas or face the dangers that might arise in the wilderness, it was better to conserve his energy. He could dig for roots and eat their sap in the vicinity, wait until nightfall to absorb the moonlight, see to what extent his body could recover, and then decide on his next steps. Even if he explored the surroundings then, he would have more confidence.

With a goal in mind, Chu Tianyu focused on exploring the surrounding resources. He found many edible roots and, around a towering tree, numerous mushrooms. Although he couldn’t make a pot of mushroom soup like he had in Motuo this time, he chewed the mushrooms directly and managed to swallow them to stave off hunger for now.

Though it still didn’t fully solve his hunger and thirst, it met his basic survival needs. After finding food, he returned to the mound, ignoring the muddy interior, and lay down to minimize his energy expenditure and conserve his strength. His main concern was preventing wild animals from following his scent.

Lying in the mound, Chu Tianyu stopped futilely trying to gather energy and entered a state of pure mental focus, minimizing his body’s metabolic rate.

It wasn’t until the moonlight shone again that he emerged from this state. His mind became clear once more, and he began using his Xuanqing True Qi to help his body absorb the moonlight. Whether it was due to his stronger body or the state of meditation he had maintained, that night he could fully rely on his Xuanqing True Qi without the issues from the previous night, greatly increasing his body’s ability to absorb moonlight.

By dawn, after absorbing the last bit of moonlight, Chu Tianyu felt full of energy. The dark dragon pattern on his chest also glowed faintly, with all the cracks repaired.

After standing up, he stretched his limbs. Although there was still no true qi in his body, his strength far exceeded that of an ordinary person. He immediately practiced a few sets of boxing moves, feeling vigorous, which brought some comfort to his heart.

His original physical condition simply didn’t allow him to use any form of force; despite having skilled martial arts, he was still restricted due to the lack of true energy. However, as long as his body was in optimal condition, he could use many external techniques and moves without issue.

After acquiring combat skills, Chu Tianyu tried climbing a tree again. He broke off a few branches of moderate thickness, sharpened them with the Panlong Sword, and polished the shafts to make them smoother and more comfortable to hold. In no time, he had created several simple javelins.

This was mainly because the Panlong Sword couldn’t be used freely yet due to the lack of true energy support. So Chu Tianyu decided to make some javelins first to at least have basic defensive capabilities.

To be honest, in this primeval forest, Chu Tianyu was just as cautious as Ouyang Ziyi. Even without mentioning other things, the sheer number of intelligent wolves made the dangers here obvious.

After finishing the javelins, Chu Tianyu pulled some long tree vines, tied the javelins to them, and attached a strap to his back, getting ready to explore the surroundings.

At this point, Chu Tianyu wasn’t in a hurry to look for Ouyang Ziyi and the others. He mainly considered practicality—without sufficient supplies of water and food and without restoring his strength, trying to return along the path of the mudslide would be reckless and suicidal!

Moreover, Chu Tianyu surveyed the area in that direction. The entire trail left by the mudslide was so vast that it was impossible to see the end from afar. So he decided it was more important to address problems from the bottom up first.

Thus, Chu Tianyu began searching for a water source using methods taught by his second master, such as looking for signs along the terrain, in valleys and basins, and tracking the footprints of wild animals.

He moved very carefully, carefully observing the surrounding terrain as he descended and marking his path to avoid getting lost.

Soon, he found traces of small animals, which filled him with joy—there was finally hope of finding a water source, even if it was just a small puddle.

Following the animal tracks, he didn’t find a water source but did discover several caves. From the markings, he couldn’t tell which small animals had lived there, but he marked them all. Once he found water, he might need to return here to catch some small animals to solve his food problem.

After searching several places, Chu Tianyu still found no signs of water. However, he wasn’t discouraged. Instead, he pulled out a spear from behind and held it in his hand, as he had already spotted the footprints of large wild animals. This discovery filled him with both joy and worry—joy because he might be able to find water by following these footprints, and worry because he might end up at the nests of these beasts. In his current state, he should avoid such situations at all costs. So, Chu Tianyu became even more vigilant, careful about his movements, ready to retreat immediately if anything unusual happened. Fortunately for him, after following the animal tracks for a while, he finally came across a river. He rushed to the riverbank and, looking at the crystal-clear water, without hesitation, submerged his entire head to drink deeply from the sweet water. As the cold water flowed through his parched throat, the sensation of relief and comfort was indescribable. Chu Tianyu never realized before just how enjoyable drinking water could be. After drinking, he began to observe the surroundings of the river. It was unclear where the river originated, but judging from its flow rate, there must be a height difference upstream, which explained why the area appeared relatively flat yet the water still flowed swiftly, keeping it clear without debris accumulating on the bottom. He walked along the riverbank upstream and downstream and finally found a wider stretch of water downstream. Here, the river widened, causing the current to slow down and creating a calmer area. The bottom wasn’t too deep either, making it an ideal natural bathing spot for Chu Tianyu. Over the past few days, the mud and dirt on his body had accumulated, but he hadn’t paid much attention earlier since his focus wasn’t there. Now, with the clear water and the perfect location, he could no longer bear the dirt and itching. He took off his clothes and jumped into the river—after all, in such a remote forest, there was no need to worry about being seen or exposed. After washing, he also cleaned his remaining pants and underwear. The pants, especially, were stiff as the original fabric and mud had fused together, making them almost impossible to clean. After several attempts, he finally managed to remove the muddy stains.

After arriving in Chu Tianyu’s territory, he was wearing only underwear, with his pants propped up using branches, assuming they would dry quickly in such weather. After taking care of personal matters, before he could plan his next move, he heard the panting of wild beasts, along with a foul smell that reached his nose. Without looking in the direction of the sounds, Chu Tianyu quickly grabbed the bundle of spears at his feet and fastened the Coiling Dragon Sword around his waist before checking the situation upstream. It was then that he noticed, about thirty meters away, five wild wolves, seemingly having detected him as an anomaly, staring at him fiercely and slowly approaching with bared teeth. Chu Tianyu smiled bitterly—given the current situation, it was too late to turn around and flee. He would also lose his advantage in direct defense and waste unnecessary energy. Since there were only five wolves, he still had a chance. After all, his recovered strength allowed him to use many of his external martial arts techniques and attacks, so a few wolves should be manageable. Moreover, he had a few spears prepared in advance. When the wolves got closer, he could strike first, killing two or three of them, making things easier afterward. Holding the spears, Chu Tianyu calculated the distance the wolves were closing in. The wolves seemed aware of the weapons in his hands and approached cautiously. Their eyes were fixed on the spears, keeping them on high alert, ready to dodge at the slightest sign of movement. Realizing this approach wouldn’t work—whether the wolves were alert or not, he wasn’t confident in the killing power of his simple spears, as they were merely sharpened branches. Now, he could only rely on the strength regained that day, using speed and momentum to increase his offensive power. As the wolves gradually closed in, they entered a range where Chu Tianyu felt confident in shooting them, but their vigilance made it difficult for him to act rashly. Missing a shot would mean wasting a spear, and it might also provoke the wolves’ aggression, causing them to pounce all at once, putting him at a disadvantage. These wolves were cunning; they weren’t eager to hunt Chu Tianyu right away but instead took steady steps, maintaining pressure on their enemy while staying alert themselves. As the wolves closed in further, even if he could kill one or two more, the rest would surely pounce. In that case, he would be forced into close combat, putting him at a disadvantage.

But Chu Tianyu still didn’t throw the javelin easily; instead, he suddenly kicked a branch lying nearby that was cooling his trousers. Faced with this sudden change, several wolves instinctively stepped back. At that moment, Chu Tianyu threw the javelin with all his strength. Though it lacked true power, his extraordinary physical strength allowed it to fly toward the nearest wolf with considerable force. With a howl, the javelin pierced through the wolf’s body. Before the other wolves could react, Chu Tianyu threw another javelin, killing another one. The remaining three wolves finally realized an attack was underway and charged at Chu Tianyu, howling. Their speed was so great that even Chu Tianyu was surprised. He threw his third javelin, but the leading wolf dodged it by twisting its body. With this miss, Chu Tianyu no longer had the ability to kill from a distance. Facing the charging wolves, he threw another javelin, this time targeting the one at the back. Although it too was dodged, it slowed down the wolf’s progress. After throwing it, Chu Tianyu quickly gathered the remaining two javelins to deal with the two wolves already at his charge. Wolves attacked by pouncing and using their sharp teeth to bite once they got close. Knowing their nature, Chu Tianyu moved swiftly, swinging his javelins back and forth while stepping back continuously, trying to maintain some distance. The javelin shafts hit the heads of the two wolves, but Chu Tianyu didn’t use much force—after all, they were just ordinary sharpened tree branches. While stabbing could be somewhat lethal, using them as clubs to strike the wolves from the side meant the shafts would surely break. Thus, his move was merely to distract them, giving himself room to maneuver. The two wolves, clearly disturbed, grew even more aggressive after being hit on the head. With another roar, they charged at Chu Tianyu again. Unperturbed, Chu Tianyu quickly turned, dodged their attacks, and suddenly threw one of the javelins from his hand in a swift motion toward the third wolf, which was slightly behind but had just caught up.

As a spray of fresh blood erupted, the javelin pierced through the wild wolf’s entire body with perfect accuracy. Chu Tianyu’s sudden attack was flawless in terms of angle, speed, and effect. The last wolf, having dropped its guard and prepared to attack alongside its companion, never expected Chu Tianyu to turn his attention to it despite the attack from its companion. Thus, even as the javelin stopped trembling in its body, its eyes remained wide open in death agony.

After succeeding with his strike, Chu Tianyu prepared to retreat toward the several wolves he had killed, intending to retrieve his javelins and deal with the remaining two beasts. But before he could move, the two wolves, spurred on by his earlier attack, rushed at him again. Forced to act quickly, Chu Tianyu crouched down and rolled sideways to avoid their pounce. He then drew back the last javelin in his hand and thrust it sharply at one of the wolves’ abdomens. However, the wolf moved too fast—by the time Chu Tianyu struck, it had already turned sideways, causing the javelin to graze its fur only.

The wounded wolf howled in pain, its fierce gaze intensifying as it immediately lunged at Chu Tianyu again. Due to the missed strike, Chu Tianyu didn’t have time to retrieve his javelin, so he simply held it horizontally and used a technique from the Xuanji Sect called “Swinging Thousands of Troops” to block the wolves’ gaping maws with the shaft of the javelin.

Without pause, Chu Tianyu thrust his hand forward with his javelin, using some practical external techniques he had practiced earlier. He struck one of the wolves in the eye as the wolves were momentarily blocked by the javelin, while also moving swiftly to maintain a close combat stance and prevent further attacks.

The wolf hit in the eye let out a agonized cry; its head was thrown to the side, and its body crashed into the other wolf. Seizing the opportunity, Chu Tianyu delivered a series of rapid kicks, each hitting the injured wolf’s abdomen…

This direct head-on attack somehow sparked a bloodthirsty and wild desire in Chu Tianyu’s heart, making him thoroughly enjoy this form of direct confrontation and enemy assault. After a series of frantic attacks, only one wild wolf remained, standing not far from Chu Tianyu. With red eyes, bared fangs, and continuous low growls, it dared not advance any further—clearly both resentful and fearful of Chu Tianyu’s recent display of power.

At this point, Chu Tianyu’s confidence soared. Although his moves felt awkward without internal energy, relying solely on physical strength and external techniques, if used wisely by adjusting factors like angle and speed to maintain continuity, his combat effectiveness was far from weak. Handling a few wild wolves should be no problem at all for him now.

Chu Tianyu stared at the lone remaining wolf, clenched his fist, and prepared to use it as practice again, eager to experience the thrill of wielding techniques purely through the power of his body.

Unfortunately, before he could smile triumphantly or fully indulge in the thought of tormenting the remaining wolf, it let out a long howl that echoed endlessly. This stunned Chu Tianyu. Looking around the riverbank, he saw grayish-black figures constantly appearing in the woods. He finally realized he had encountered the same wolf pack that had attacked them a few days ago—some of them even showed signs of burned fur, clearly the result of Ouyang Ziyi’s fire attack!

Chu Tianyu sighed bitterly. The wolf, which had once seemed fearful, now grew bold again, relying on its pack to challenge him fiercely, baring its fangs and roaring at him in outright provocation.

Faced with this situation, Chu Tianyu hesitated none. He turned and jumped into the river, diving downstream—this was his only escape…

His actions left the once-trophy wolf momentarily stunned. After a while, it reacted with a roar and led its pack in pursuit along the riverbank. It seemed they hated Chu Tianyu deeply!

…

He didn’t know how long they chased him. All Chu Tianyu knew was that, during this time under the moonlight, he didn’t dare emerge onto land. Instead, he found a place with gentle currents and began channeling his Xuanqing True Qi to absorb the moonlight. Deep in his heart, he also hoped for some miracle to happen to his body again tomorrow…