Volume 4: Hidden Battles – Chapter 96: The Sword Named Mo Yan

Upon hearing this, Chu Tianyu instantly sprang up without hesitation, revealing his mottled grayish-yellow body. He then retracted at even faster speed, lowering his head awkwardly as he waited for Xue Feifei’s shocked scream.
But aside from a “pfft~~” laugh and the sound of something light being thrown beside him, the scene Chu Tianyu had imagined did not happen!
Chu Tianyu instinctively glanced at the object Xue Feifei had thrown—it turned out to be a vine skirt that could be wrapped around the waist. There was also a layer of large green leaves on it. Out of curiosity, Chu Tianyu quickly picked it up and examined it closely, inwardly marveling at Xue Feifei’s skill!
It turned out that only the top part of the vine skirt was made from actual vine, which could be tied around the waist, while the lower leaves were made by threading thin strands spun from tree bark together, layer upon layer. Not only did it serve as cover, but it was also handwoven with great artistic flair…
“Hehe, stop looking and put it on quickly! The top isn’t ready yet, so we have to make do like this for now!” Xue Feifei’s gentle voice, accompanied by a light laugh, interrupted Chu Tianyu’s thoughts.
Chu Tianyu’s already yellow face turned red again! He quickly wrapped the vine skirt around his waist under the cover of the leaves. Though it looked a bit odd, according to Xue Feifei, he had to make do for now!
“Xue, Miss Xue…” With something to cover himself, Chu Tianyu relaxed a bit. He wanted to thank Xue Feifei but didn’t know how to address her.
“Just call me Feifei!” Xue Feifei’s delicate face flushed slightly. But soon, as if remembering something important, she quickly continued, “By the way, are you okay? You’ve been unconscious for half a month, and… and…”
As she spoke, her eyes kept scanning Chu Tianyu’s skin from head to toe. Chu Tianyu also noticed his own skin. After sitting naked face to face with a girl just now, where could he have the mind to worry about anything else?
Reminded by Xue Feifei, Chu Tianyu first sat in seiza position and focused his energy to check the condition of his internal qi.
After circulating it once, he was both surprised and conflicted. To be sure, he circulated it several more times, with the same result each time.
Seeing Chu Tianyu’s complicated expression, Xue Feifei also asked anxiously, “What’s wrong? Is there a problem? Did that dragon energy have some effect on you?”

Chu Tianyu slowly retracted his energy, watching Xue Feifei’s anxious expression. He was momentarily puzzled, feeling that her concern for him seemed genuinely sincere, as if it came from the bottom of her heart. Why had she suddenly become so close to him?

Before he could ponder this further, Xue Feifei bombarded him with a series of concerned questions, drawing his attention back to his physical condition. So Chu Tianyu first briefly explained the origin of the black dragon within him—after all, it was no longer a secret! Then he described how the energy of this black dragon had led him to Motuo. He recounted how, by chance, he ended up traveling with Xue Feifei and what happened afterward, giving her a general understanding before revealing his current condition.

Upon examination, aside from the still inert Purple Void Dragon Core, the black dragon energy that once surged through his body was completely gone—another source of powerful energy had vanished!

Now, inside Chu Tianyu’s body, there was only the true energy he had cultivated through combining the Purple Void Dragon energy with the guidance of his several masters.

To his surprise, the Purple Void true energy he had practiced had achieved successive breakthroughs, reaching the eighth level! It could be said that even without the support of dragon energy, his current skill level had already matched that of his three masters!

Thus, for Chu Tianyu, this change brought mixed feelings. Yet the disappearance of the black dragon energy didn’t seem like a loss to him; instead, he felt relieved.

After hearing this, Xue Feifei finally understood: “Oh, no wonder you warned us in advance… Sigh…”

At that moment, she thought of Xiao Ya, as well as the fates of her grandmother and junior sisters. Her expression darkened, and she fell silent, head bowed.

Chu Tianyu didn’t know how to comfort her either. Xiao Ya’s cuteness had brought him much joy throughout the journey. He remembered her “generosity” when she gave him fifty yuan, her efforts in helping him along the way…

Especially as her life slowly faded away, the memory remained vivid in his mind, filling him with sorrow and anger. For a while, he remained in silent grief with Xue Feifei.

The cave was quiet once again, and a dark dragon pattern silently appeared on Chu Tianyu’s chest, coiling as if ready to rise!

As Chu Tianyu gradually calmed down, the dark dragon pattern faded away, disappearing once more. Even Xue Feifei, who was still lost in sorrow, didn’t notice this change.

“By the way, let’s put that aside for now. What’s wrong with your skin? There’s a hot spring lake over there; why don’t you wash it first? We can check if there’s anything serious later!” Xue Feifei put aside her sadness and spoke out of concern for Chu Tianyu.
“Really? That’s great!” Hearing Xue Feifei say so, Chu Tianyu also felt intense itching all over his body and quickly agreed.
Following Xue Feifei’s finger direction, Chu Tianyu quickly reached the lake’s edge. Being skilled and bold, he wasn’t as cautious as Xue Feifei was the first time; he used his inner energy to float straight into the hot spring.
The water temperature wasn’t as scalding as he had expected but was just right to be comfortable. Chu Tianyu relaxed and enjoyed the hot spring bath.
After soaking for a while, he noticed that large pieces of his skin were starting to fall off. Horrified, he thought there must be something strange about the water. Just as he tried to get up and exit, he saw that what fell to the ground was only the grayish, cracked outer layer, while the exposed fresh skin was even fairer, smoother, and more elastic than after his previous rebirth.
At the same time, as he touched his skin, he felt something he had never experienced before—every cell in his body seemed to be filled with power, an explosive kind of power that was different from any true energy. It seemed invisible yet omnipresent…
After washing away all the dirt and old skin from his body, Chu Tianyu looked at himself and couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, “Perfect!”
Now, Chu Tianyu was in high spirits. Thinking about what had happened while he was unconscious, about Xue Feifei herself and what she had said, along with his own changes, he began to ponder deeply.
Xue Feifei’s appearance was undoubtedly the work of that evil dragon. He remembered how the Hanchan Sect had been after her so-called “Heavenly Body” that night!
“Heavenly Body…” The moment these four words appeared in Chu Tianyu’s mind, his body in the water trembled violently!
Thinking about Xue Feifei wearing vine clothing, her natural reaction to his nudity, her caring and familiar tone, and that black dragon’s depraved habits…
Chu Tianyu really couldn’t bear to think any further!
But deep down, he had to admit that the probability of him having a relationship with Xue Feifei was over 99%!

“Sweat! If that’s really the case, things will get even more troublesome in the future! Do I really have to take on three wives and four concubines? What a beast!” Chu Tianyu thought happily while blaming himself.

Chu Tianyu was suddenly shocked—how could he feel happy and proud while condemning himself? Could this be what Bai Lei often talked about as the way of men: desire for food, sex, and pleasure?

Chu Tianyu quickly shook his head vigorously, as if trying to get rid of Bai Lei’s trashy ideas and theories so he could continue to ponder the issues. After further reflection, he reached three conclusions: first, the Black Dragon had somehow managed to separate itself from him and ascend using a certain method or medium, likely the same one he and Xue Feifei used… Second, that method or medium was probably… well, the same one. Third, during its ascent, the Black Dragon had transformed its own body, not only elevating its power to a new level but also giving it a more “muscular” and strong physique!

Unfortunately, Chu Tianyu couldn’t see his own face right now, and he hadn’t shaved in days. Otherwise, he would have been surprised to find subtle changes in his usually plain appearance. It wasn’t that he had become more handsome, but he no longer had that plain, unremarkable look. Instead, he exuded a natural, peaceful, gentle, and refined aura—a sense of openness and warmth. Perhaps this was what truly allowed Chu Tianyu to reach a state of harmony between inner and outer self, in complete accordance with nature…

Suddenly, a melodious sound of playing interrupted Chu Tianyu’s thoughts. He had soaked long enough. He quickly got up. Since he was already naked and only wearing a skirt, there was no need to wipe himself off.

The sound came from inside the cave—obviously Xue Feifei was playing. This time, Chu Tianyu didn’t use any light attacks. Instead, he walked back in rhythm with the beautiful melody, completely immersed in that transcendent tune.

The sound was sometimes like a gentle breeze and light rain, nourishing everything silently, and other times like fluff carried by the wind—light, delicate, and utterly wonderful.

When Chu Tianyu followed the sound out of the forest, his first sight was Xue Feifei sitting on the ground, legs crossed, revealing a pair of crystal-clear, white jade-like feet. Her heels formed a graceful curve leading to her long, fair legs. Her long black hair hung naturally to the side, highlighting her delicate and beautiful face. In her rosy lips, there indeed was a leaf…

The beautiful music, the lovely scenery, and the beautiful woman playing—it left Chu Tianyu utterly captivated, both by the sound and by her appearance…

Suddenly, as Xue Feifei gradually raised the pitch, Chu Tianyu felt a strong resonance throughout his body, as if every cell was beating in rhythm with the music!

Chu Tianyu was about to suppress his emotions when he suddenly remembered his second master’s method of natural insight. So he simply let go of his restraint, murmured softly, leaped into the arena, and as the melody of falling snow played, he transformed into a wandering dragon and began to practice his moves.
“It’s not satisfying enough! If only there were a sword that could make it dance at the sound of music!” As this thought crossed his mind, Chu Tianyu felt his body tremble. The dragon pattern on his chest reappeared, drawing immense energy from every cell in his body to his right hand. In an instant, a pitch-black long sword emerged, like blazing black flames, accompanied by a dragon’s roar…