Volume 4: Hidden Battles – Chapter 235: The Illusory Flame True Meridian

Punch after punch, Chu Tianyu struck in a highly rhythmic pattern, leaving Zhan Zifeng’s entire body stiff, with only his eyes able to move and his pain nerves still active. He truly experienced the feeling of living worse than dying and the profound meaning behind those four words!
At this moment, Chu Tianyu said nothing, nor did he utter any cruel words while fighting, as depicted in movies. He simply focused on swinging his fists continuously, hitting every part of Zhan Zifeng’s body precisely, never repeating a spot.
“Thump… thump…” The sound echoed in the air. It was unclear how long this beating lasted. Zhan Zifeng couldn’t remember how many times he had fainted from pain or woken up due to the intense agony. But finally, he waited for Chu Tianyu to stop. At the same time, Chu Tianyu’s words reached his ears clearly: “Our account is settled…”
Then, Zhan Zifeng faintly saw the figure who had been punching him slowly turning and leaving. But soon, his vision blurred, and aside from darkness, he felt no light at all.
Suddenly, his stiff body, ravaged by the illusory beast, cracked with a crisp sound, starting from every spot hit by Chu Tianyu’s fists. Like porcelain, cracks spread instantly throughout his body, from the outside in—through his skin, meridians, and finally to his internal organs…
Zhan Zifeng inwardly sighed in relief, thinking, “Great, I can finally be freed!”
At that moment, a breeze blew, and the entire part of his body below his head shattered instantly. Before his limbs could fall, they turned to dust in the air and vanished!
At the same time, with a “bang,” Zhan Zifeng’s head also fell to the ground. It rolled a few times before stopping, facing upward, revealing eyes that were no longer able to close. There was no resentment or bitterness in those eyes—only final relief as they stared blankly at the sky… though their eyeballs could no longer move.
Chu Tianyu’s heart was calm, though he was still filled with rage. His punishment of Zhan Zifeng was exactly as he had said—his account was settled!
But what about the dead disciples of the martial arts hall and the severely injured Tai Nianran? How could he explain this?

The energy of Chu Tianyu continued to envelop Tai Nianran, providing her with vital force. Although she hadn’t yet regained consciousness, her life was not in grave danger. Yet what troubled Chu Tianyu was that this survival was only at a basic level—whether she would be able to live as before was uncertain. Let alone possessing any cultivation skills or special abilities; even leading an ordinary life might become a luxury!

Thinking of this, Chu Tianyu hardly dared to imagine Tai Nianran paralyzed in a hospital bed for life. So after dealing with Zhan Zifeng, he felt no relief at all—instead, his heart was filled with heaviness.

Upon approaching Tai Nianran, Chu Tianyu shook his head firmly to try to wake her up. After all, Nianran’s aunt was not far away, and her injuries might not be incurable in the future. After forcing himself to calm down, he decided that saving her was the top priority, leaving other matters to be handled by the disciples of the Xuanji Sect later. Without further hesitation, he bent down, picked up Tai Nianran, and rushed toward her aunt at lightning speed.

Not long after Chu Tianyu left the park with Tai Nianran and her aunt, three dark figures appeared in the open park again. In the blink of an eye, they reached the area where Chu Tianyu had just fought against Zhan Zifeng. The leader, his face filled with urgency, scanned the surroundings frantically, as if searching for something. The two figures behind him immediately split up to search the area without waiting for orders.

Soon, one of them found the site of the recent battle and hurriedly said, “Family head, you—come and take a look quickly…”

The leader, who had also been searching nearby, detected a faint trace of blood in the air. Combined with the family’s unique sensing ability, he already had a badpremonition. Hearing his subordinate’s urgent call, his heart trembled. Without a moment’s delay, he flashed forward and arrived beside the speaker.

Looking around, when his gaze finally landed on Zhan Zifeng’s head, still open and eyes wide in death, he was shocked. Then, like lightning, he rushed forward, picked up the head, and burst into tears, crying out repeatedly, “Zifeng, Zifeng! Your father is here. Don’t be afraid. Wake up, please…”

“Family head, please don’t do this. The young master… he’s already…” The two subordinates rushed over as well, trying to comfort him while suppressing their grief.

“Get out! All of you, get out! What do you mean ‘already’? Isn’t my Zi Feng right here? Haha, he’s still here…”
“Master, what’s wrong? Please comfort yourself…”
…
When Chu Tianyu returned to Ouyang Ziyi’s villa with his men, his two mentors, Kuang Ru and Fernand, were waiting in the hall. Although their expressions remained calm, the way they quickly stood up upon seeing Chu Tianyu revealed their concern.
Especially Kuang Ru—once he saw the person in Chu Tianyu’s arms, he stepped forward swiftly, took Tai Qi, Nianran’s great-aunt, from him, and asked urgently, “Tianyu, what exactly happened? Were those energy fluctuations and the aura from the heavens and earth just now caused by you? It doesn’t seem like it…”
Kuang Ru asked these questions while checking Tai Qi’s pulse after taking her in his arms. Hearing this, Chu Tianyu frowned and replied seriously, “Third Master, Nianran’s great-aunt is fine. I’ve already taken care of her. Her injuries aren’t serious. I just stimulated her sleep meridian to let her rest properly.”
As Chu Tianyu explained, Kuang Ru finished checking her pulse and withdrew his hand. Everything was indeed as Chu Tianyu said, so he felt relieved. However, he soon noticed Chu Tianyu’s serious expression and his worried glances at Tai Nianran, and asked anxiously again, “Tianyu, what about Nianran?”
Chu Tianyu didn’t answer. Instead, he supported Tai Nianran’s soft body, gently laid her down on the sofa, and took one of her hands, signaling his mentor to check her pulse himself.
Full of doubts, Kuang Ru placed his fingers on Tai Nianran’s pulse and sent a gentle energy flow into her body to examine her meridians.
As time passed, Kuang Ru’s expression grew increasingly grave. He hadn’t expected Tai Nianran’s injuries to be so severe—her meridians were almost completely destroyed, and some of her internal tissues were shattered. Her life force was already on the verge of extinction, sustained only by pure energy from the heavens and earth, which also helped restore the scattered vital energy in her body. It was barely keeping her alive. Kuang Ru knew that this energy must have been infused by Chu Tianyu—only his peculiar energy, whether it was the Purple Void True Dragon, the Ink Dragon, or the essence of the heavens and earth like lunar energy, could have such life-restoring powers.

When the Mad Scholar retracted his finger, it was clear he was at a loss as well. Chu Tianyu knew this outcome, yet still cast a pleading look at his master.
“Third Master, what do you think? What should I do next in this situation?”
Hearing this, the Mad Scholar frowned deeply and racked his brains for a long time before looking at Chu Tianyu and shaking his head. “Tianyu, even your vital energy and life force can only sustain you in this state right now. As for your master, there’s nothing more he can do!”
“I’m sorry, gentlemen. May I take a look at this beautiful lady’s injuries?” Just as Chu Tianyu was filled with disappointment, Fernandi, who had been watching nearby, suddenly spoke up in a calm tone that seemed even a bit relaxed.
“Ah!” Chu Tianyu exclaimed in surprise. Right! There was still that undead “old fellow” here. How could he have forgotten him?
Immediately, Chu Tianyu looked at Fernandi with excitement, but his excitement left him speechless.
“Alright, alright. I know you see me as your savior at this moment, but you don’t need to give me such affectionate looks. Otherwise, the ladies who have a crush on me will get jealous!” Fernandi said lightly, meeting Chu Tianyu’s eager gaze.
Though joking, Fernandi didn’t linger. He walked straight over to Tai Nianran. Instead of checking her pulse or sensing her energy, he suddenly bent down and began sniffing around her head, leaving Chu Tianyu and the Mad Scholar utterly confused.
Soon, Fernandi pulled back his nose. His body suddenly froze, and black smoke emerged from around him. It seemed alive as it slowly drifted toward Tai Nianran, instantly enveloping her entire body. Seeing this, Chu Tianyu wanted to step forward to check on her, but the Mad Scholar stopped him with a shake of his head, signaling, “Your concern will only cause chaos. Stay calm and observe.”
At that moment, the black mist surrounding them suddenly emitted a dazzling light. Fernandi began reciting incantations. As the incantations continued, the mist grew larger, gradually faded, and rose away from Tai Nianran’s body before slowly returning into Fernandi’s body. On Tai Nianran’s body remained tiny, star-like glowing beads that danced across her skin.

Faced with such a fantastical scene, the experienced master and disciple held their breath, not daring to disturb in the slightest, their eyes fixed in awe. When the last trace of mist returned to Fernandi’s body, he seemed to have gone through some fierce struggle—his expression serious, his eyes darkened, and his complexion even paler. To Kuang Ru and Chu Tianyu, Fernandi now truly resembled a member of the undead race… Fernandi stretched out his hands again above Tai Nianran’s body, closed his eyes, and murmured words. Kuang Ru and Chu Tianyu immediately felt an invisible magnetic force emanating from his hands, manipulating the glowing beads that jumped around Tai Nianran’s body, making them gradually more orderly before entering her body through her skin pores. Under the control of this magnetic force, the countless beads vanished in an instant. Tai Nianran’s body trembled, as if glowing, instantly illuminating the entire hall. The brightness grew increasingly intense, so much so that even Kuang Ru had to turn his head away. However, the strong light had no effect on Chu Tianyu, though his worry and tension were beyond description. As Fernandi sped up his incantations and his hands moved faster in the air, the light emitted by Tai Nianran grew stronger. At the moment when the brightness reached its peak, a loud roar erupted! With the roar, the light reached its most dazzling intensity, but like a flash in the pan, it lasted less than a second before everything returned to normal. The hall became dark again; although the lights were still on, compared to before, it felt as if the entire room was plunged into endless darkness. At that moment, the noise attracted everyone in the room. Ouyang Ziyi and the others, who were listening to the Tiancai Dibao brothers’ stories about their experiences at Shaolin and being disturbed by Sophia, didn’t know that Chu Tianyu had already left. Thinking he was still talking with the two elders and that it hadn’t been long, they were unaware of Tai Nianran’s injury.

A moment passed. Everything seemed to have returned to normal. Fernandi, though looking extremely tired, could not hide his joy, which filled Chu Tianyu with happiness as well. He felt hopeful about Tai Nianran’s injuries. Although Fernandi’s skills were not on par with those of his master, he had lived for thousands of years and had encountered everything. After all, there are often unconventional remedies for serious illnesses, and sometimes outsiders know better ways…

At this point, Chu Tianyu didn’t know what to think. Though he didn’t speak up immediately to ask about Nianran’s condition, the intense look in his eyes directed at Fernandi spoke volumes.

The Mad Scholar, as an observer, sensed that Tai Nianran showed no signs of improvement—this could be judged from her continued coma and weak, irregular breathing. Was this just a superficial phenomenon or a sign of weakness after injury, or…?

Thinking of this, the Mad Scholar hesitantly asked Fernandi, “Mr. Fernandi, Nianran’s injuries should be fine now, right?” “Injuries? What injuries?” Fernandi was taken aback by the question and replied in confusion.

The Mad Scholar hadn’t expected him to ask such a thing and instinctively replied, “Of course, Nianran’s injuries. Didn’t you just treat her by emitting smoke and chanting spells?”

Upon hearing this, Fernandi suddenly understood and said with a helpless expression, “Oh. The god of ‘them’—I think you’ve misunderstood. What I did wasn’t treating injuries. Neither of you could do anything about such injuries. My little star is no match for your bright moon—trying to compete is sheer overreach…” “Yes, I’m sorry, Mr. Fernandi. I must interrupt you. Your use of idioms is undoubtedly magnificent, but could you please get to the point?” Chu Tianyu interrupted, unable to listen any longer. “Oh, the point? Alright, the point is that I just gave her a baptism—a baptism that carries the highest honor of the undead. Only my great Fernandi can perform such a baptism!” Fernandi said proudly. “Baptism!?” The Mad Scholar and Chu Tianyu exclaimed in unison. “Yes, a baptism. What else do you think it is?” Fernandi asked innocently.

Kuang Ru and Chu Tianyu were truly speechless at this moment. Indeed, no one had said that what just happened wasn’t a “baptism”! But with Fernando causing such a big fuss and then showing a look of triumph as if he had accomplished something great, anyone would think he was doing his best to heal Tai Nianran!
Chu Tianyu was completely defeated by this old bat and could only ask helplessly, “Brother, I really have nothing more to say. But could I trouble you one last time? May I ask what exactly this so-called ‘gorgeous baptism’ is for?”
Fernando rolled his eyes and replied as if it were obvious, “Of course, it’s the prelude to bestowing upon her the gift of immortality!” Only then did Kuang Ru and Chu Tianyu realize that what Fernando meant by “testing” was to turn Tai Nianran into an “immortal” as well!
Before Kuang Ru and Chu Tianyu could speak, Fernando, as if reading their minds, said, “You might not yet understand the mystery of the baptism I just performed. With this baptism, followed by the next step of granting eternal life—namely, a small bite from me—she will be able to inherit 60% of the power of all my skills. Of course, she won’t fear the daylight either. In other words, aside from some changes in her diet and the addition of a few special skills, nothing else will change. So there’s no need for you to worry. And I think, apart from this method, there’s no better alternative!”
Fernando’s words left Kuang Ru and Chu Tianyu in silence. After initial shock and disbelief, they realized he was right—given Tai Nianran’s injuries, there indeed was no better solution at the moment.
However, deep down, Chu Tianyu still couldn’t accept this proposal. So besides staying silent, he also felt resentment and regret.
At this moment, Ouyang Ziyi saw this scene. Although no one explained anything, and she didn’t know how Tai Nianran had been injured, from their words and Fernando’s mention of a “gift” and a “small bite,” she could roughly guess what was going on. Especially seeing Chu Tianyu’s troubled and pained expression, she stepped forward gently, firmly grasped his hands, and, as if to comfort him, met his gaze with her own eyes and said softly, “Tianyu, is Nianran’s injury really that serious? Can’t you even do anything?”

Chu Tianyu could only nod helplessly. “Don’t be sad; we can think of other ways…” Ouyang Ziyi comforted him instinctively.
Before she could finish speaking, Ouyang Ziyi suddenly seemed to remember something and exclaimed, “Ah! By the way, Tianyu, have you tried contacting your senior brother Liu? Weren’t you also cured by his help back then? You could reach out to him!” Her words reminded Chu Tianyu, who suddenly recalled, “Right! There’s still Senior Brother Liu Xiangshi. Instead of using such a skilled healer, I’m here worrying endlessly, seeking help in desperation. Sigh, concern really causes chaos!”
Thinking of this, Chu Tianyu quickly turned to Fernand and asked, “Mr. Fernand, is there a time limit for this baptism? Or are there any side effects if the blessing isn’t accepted?”
Fernand had also heard Ouyang Ziyi’s words, so as soon as Chu Tianyu finished speaking, he replied promptly, “Oh, don’t worry. I merely planted some ‘light of life’ in her body as a carrier of my memories—it doesn’t affect anything. If there’s a better treatment method, go ahead and try it. It’s fine. As long as you can keep her alive, there won’t be any problem!” With Fernand’s clear answer, Chu Tianyu regained hope and quickly took out his phone to contact his senior brother. At this point, he felt a bit more confident—even if he couldn’t get through, it wouldn’t matter. His senior brother was probably still with their master exploring that mysterious forest. If all else failed, he would just take Nianran and go look for him!
Fortunately, the call connected after a short while. As his senior brother’s voice came through clearly, Chu Tianyu immediately described in detail Nianran’s condition and how she got injured.

After listening, Liu Xiangshi pondered for a long time before slowly saying, “Tianyu, do you still remember that strange blue gem that fell to the ground after the battle with the Illusory Flame?” “I do,” replied Chu Tianyu. “It was that gem. Do you know what conclusion we reached after taking it back and studying it with my uncles?” Liu Xiangshi continued. “What is it?” Chu Tianyu asked, slightly excited. “It is the core essence of the Illusory Flame—the source of pure fire. The blazing flame inside can refine all things in the world. But if used properly, it can also merge and reshape everything, including severed meridians and severely damaged bodies. Moreover, in this mysterious forest, we found a place where we can utilize this blazing flame. So, perhaps you should bring her here…”