Volume 4: Hidden Struggles, Chapter 242: Why Be a Hero?

After everyone wisely left, only the Mad Scholar and Chu Tianyu remained in the room. The Mad Scholar didn’t speak first but appeared deep in thought, as if organizing his words. Meanwhile, Chu Tianyu remained calm, neither asking his master immediately nor showing any signs of urgency. He simply stared at his master, knowing that nothing else mattered at the moment. No matter what the enemy or difficulties were, as the saying goes, “Meet the enemy with force, and quench floods with earth.” All he had to do now was wait for his master to give him the answer he wanted…
“Tianyu, you’ve truly turned misfortune into fortune this time—your gains are significant!” the Mad Scholar finally spoke.
Seeing that his master didn’t get straight to the point, Chu Tianyu smiled slightly and replied patiently, “I’m just average. All the benefits went to Nianran, Zi Yi, and Feifei—the three of them! At most, I’m just a backdrop!”
Upon hearing this, the Mad Scholar raised an eyebrow and asked meaningfully, “A backdrop? Why do I feel like you’re completely different from before you left? It’s hard to describe in words, but anyone who has reached your master’s level of cultivation can sense it! Didn’t you notice Fernandi’s eyes, which kept blinking and shining when he first saw you? Although his cultivation level shouldn’t be enough to detect such changes, he still has thousands of years of experience and insights…”
Hearing his master’s praise, Chu Tianyu couldn’t help but mention the awakening state of the Purple Void Dragon Core, which he hadn’t mentioned earlier. He also detailed how they absorbed the essence of heaven and earth, the True Pulse of Illusory Flame, and the changes within his body. After all, with so many people around earlier, Chu Tianyu had only briefly touched on their adventures and the final outcome, without going into much detail about the process.
When Chu Tianyu talked about the awakening of the dragon core, even the Mad Scholar was deeply moved. The Purple Void Dragon Core was something that had kept them worried since childhood and had required tremendous effort to cultivate. Although Chu Tianyu had achieved remarkable results with the help of the external dragon energy, for the Mad Scholar and Chu Tianyu’s other two masters, seeing the true power of the dragon core was their greatest lifelong wish!
So, upon hearing this, the Mad Scholar eagerly asked more questions, not missing a single detail. Of course, Chu Tianyu understood his master’s feelings and answered every question, including sharing some of Senior Liu Xiangshi’s opinions.

At that time, they finally concluded that the Dragon Core had reached a state where it could be unsealed at any moment. This could be seen from its cessation of absorbing the true energy of Chu Tianyu’s realm—it had now fully accumulated the energy it needed, waiting only for the right moment to break free and transform into a dragon! The so-called “breaking free and transforming into a dragon” was merely an inference by everyone. Moreover, the Purple Void Dragon Core itself was formed from dragon energy, unlike the Ink Dragon in Chu Tianyu’s realm, which had to be transformed from adragon. Thus, no one could predict exactly what would happen, how the Dragon Core would exist, or what consequences it would bring. As for the “right moment,” that too was unknown. According to senior brother Liu Xiangshi, such celestial treasures usually had the conditions for transformation, requiring a combination of favorable timing and circumstances to complete the final step. The reformation of the Illusionary Flame True Vein was a vivid example. Given the situation at the time—the once-living place in the dense forest and the Warm Jade Spirit Stone obtained in the deep valley by Chu Tianyu—these two could be considered the conditions and opportunities for its ultimate transformation. After hearing this analysis, theThe mad scholar also let out a long sigh and said with some emotion, “The mysteries of the Dragon Realm are beyond what mere mortals like us can fully understand or control. Add to that your later absorption of the Ink Dragon and the variables related to lunar energy—it’s truly unclear whether this Purple Void Dragon Core is a blessing or a curse for you. Your first and second masters and I have been studying it since you were born, yet we still haven’t made any progress and haven’t truly found a way to dominate or control it. Inside you, it’s like a time bomb, causing constant worry. As your masters, we feel deeply regretful and ashamed!” Of course, Chu Tianyu could understand his third master’s feelings and concern, so he quickly reassured him, “Third Master, look, I’m still fine, right? My cultivation, even my life, aren’t all thanks to the Purple Void Dragon energy? As the saying goes, contentment brings happiness. Even if something unexpected happens to the Dragon Core in the future, upon careful consideration, I’m still a winner. After all, it’s because of it that I, once a silly boy, have experienced so many amazing things. What do I have to regret? Isn’t an open-minded attitude something you often tell me?”

“I’m truly relieved to hear you think this way. With your current level of cultivation, even the masters themselves are likely far behind you. But what I want to say is that though the martial power you possess may be strong, even terrifying, it still can’t solve everything!” The mad scholar’s tone shifted as he spoke.

Upon hearing this, Chu Tianyu knew his master was finally getting to the point and prepared to listen attentively.

After a pause, the mad scholar continued, “Well, take this current incident as an example. I know you must be wondering why I didn’t take any action after the incident happened.”

At this point, the mad scholar stopped speaking and stared at Chu Tianyu, leaving him completely confused. Although he could tell from his master’s words that this matter was certainly not simple, he had no idea what exactly made his master so cautious.

Just as Chu Tianyu was puzzled, the mad scholar suddenly asked without any preamble, “Tianyu, do you know the origin of Xuanji Sect’s practice of staying low-key?”

Chu Tianyu was stunned and replied in confusion, “I’ve heard from Master before that it’s not for the sake of convenience, and also…”

Before Chu Tianyu could finish, the mad scholar waved his hand and shook his head to interrupt, “That’s not the case at all! Xuanji Sect, and even Xuanji Sect as a whole, has operated in such a low-key manner for thousands of years—not out of choice!”

“What? Could there be some other force restraining our Xuanji Sect?” Chu Tianyu exclaimed in shock.

Faced with Chu Tianyu’s surprise, and having gone this far, the mad scholar stopped being vague and said outright, “It’s not restraint—it’s suppression!”

These words left Chu Tianyu with an expression of disbelief as he looked at his master, waiting for further explanation.

“Actually, even before the establishment of Xuanji Sect, there already existed a mysterious force—neither entirely good nor evil. Its strength was enough to overthrow an entire dynasty back then, and it even had the power to create a new era. Fortunately, this force didn’t get too deeply involved in worldly affairs. It was only after Xuanji Sect grew stronger over hundreds of years that we began to uncover some clues! In other words, even with Xuanji Sect’s great strength, we can only grasp a superficial understanding of this force—its true power is unimaginable!” the mad scholar explained.

Facing his master’s subsequent words, Chu Tianyu was no longer surprised. After listening calmly, he asked directly, “Does Master suspect that this force is behind the night attack on the villa? And that the Zhan family represents this force?”

The mad scholar nodded slowly and said, “That’s right. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many masters possessing the energy of heaven and earth! The situation back then was critical. My master could handle at most three at a time. If it weren’t for Mr. Fernand’s special abilities—controlling time and transforming space—it would have been impossible for us to escape unscathed.”

Chu Tianyu felt a wave of fear after hearing this. Thankfully, Fernand arrived suddenly; otherwise, with Li Rou, Jin Yujie, Angel, and the others’ meager strength, the consequences would have been unimaginable!

“Tianyu, you might be facing opponents even you can’t fathom. That’s why my master didn’t act rashly. Before understanding the enemy’s true strength, revealing too much or getting too involved will only impose more constraints on you in the future. Given the current situation, it might be better if this enemy is left for you to deal with alone!” the mad scholar continued.

Chu Tianyu immediately understood his master’s words. If it were truly as his master said, with such a formidable force lurking even the Xuanji Sect feared it, even if he could face it alone without fear, he couldn’t bear the burden for those around him—his family, his friends!

Yet after hearing this, the corners of Chu Tianyu’s mouth curved slightly, showing a mix of contempt, confidence in the face of pressure, and excitement at the challenge…

“Master, do you remember something you once told me?” Chu Tianyu asked suddenly, his expression calm but his eyes shining.

Seeing Chu Tianyu’s expression—no sign of panic despite the series of pressures he had deliberately mentioned, instead a strong fighting spirit—plus his question, the mad scholar smiled and nodded, understanding instantly. “When there’s no crisis…”

“Why need a hero?” Chu Tianyu replied calmly. Though it were just four words, the confidence in his tone would inspire anyone, filling them with enthusiasm.

Hearing this, the mad scholar exclaimed, “Good! That’s my good disciple. But confidence alone doesn’t guarantee success. Planning first is key. Let’s stop here for today. Bring those girls over tomorrow so we can discuss it together. As the saying goes, ‘A hero needs three helpers.’ Don’t underestimate them. Hehe, Nianran’s aunt taught me four words…”

“Not inferior to men!” Before his master could finish, Chu Tianyu smiled knowingly and finished the sentence for him.

“Hehe, only you are so quick-witted. Alright, get going quickly—those girls must be waiting anxiously already! Oh, by the way, Tianyu, I have something more to show you tomorrow…”
…
The next day, in the secret room, in addition to Kuang Ru and Chu Tianyu, there were four more formidable women: Qin Nianran, Ouyang Ziyi, Xue Feifei, and Nianran’s great-aunt.
It was a small gathering of great importance. Kuang Ru and Chu Tianyu decided to invite only these few people, as they didn’t want others involved for now.
First, they analyzed in detail the timing of the attack, and it could be inferred that it was revenge from the Zhan family. Although Chu Tianyu had made some preparations before leaving, they were limited to prevention and not extensive. Worried about Qin Nianran, her great-aunt decided to stay at Ziyi’s villa to wait for news. That’s why she was secretly followed while packing her things at the hotel, leading to the ambush that night…
However, no one could be blamed for this. Who could have expected that Zhan Yupeng would figure out the situation so quickly and target the Qin family, especially Nianran’s great-aunt!
Their brutal attack was well-planned in terms of execution and involved significant resources. Clearly, after Zhan Zifeng conjured the Blood-Qilin, they still lost their lives, indicating the strength of their opponent. It’s easy to understand why so many experts capable of conjuring the Blood-Qilin appeared!
Next, Kuang Ru briefly recounted what he and Chu Tianyu had discussed the previous night. This shocked Qin Nianran and Ouyang Ziyi, who were well aware of the power of the Xuanji Sect, and they could hardly believe it.
“What do everyone think about this?” Kuang Ru asked after finishing his account.
Except for Chu Tianyu, who remained calm and seemingly lost in thought, the others fell into deep thought and remained silent, filling the room with quiet.
After a long while, Qin Nianran broke the silence, saying, “I’m truly sorry, everyone. This all started because of me. I…”
But before she could finish, Kuang Ru waved his hand to interrupt her. “Let’s not talk about this for now. There are some documents here; you can take a look first. After that, I’ll show you some videos!”
With that, Kuang Ru distributed the prepared documents to everyone.

After reviewing the documents, everyone’s expressions grew even more solemn. The documents were simple—just a few major business deals and personnel changes in key positions. On the last page, changes in cultivation sects and disappearances of cultivators were listed in bullet points, including Jin Yuji’s Jin family! Although the various events in the documents seemed unrelated at first glance, everyone knew that the Mad Scholar wouldn’t make random accusations. Sure enough, after everyone finished reading, the Mad Scholar pressed the remote control, and a pre-prepared projection immediately displayed images… One scene after another appeared—dialogues and conspiracies among characters, transactions in special settings, and several fierce battles. Finally, when a character rushed onto the screen, everyone’s attention immediately focused on Chu Tianyu. Yet Chu Tianyu remained unfazed, calmly watching until the end before muttering two words to himself: “Elder brother!”