Volume 4: Hidden Battles and Turbulent Times, Chapter 99: The Dominant Shaolin

Chu Tianyu and Xue Feifei’s baskets, filled to the brim with belongings, were already overflowing, and the valley had been stripped clean by Chu Tianyu. The entire day after that, Chu Tianyu spent time with Xue Feifei…
However, he didn’t do anything vile; instead, he carefully guided the true energy throughout her body and helped her digest the effects of those spiritual herbs and immortal fruits.
Of course, their intimate moments were beyond the ears of outsiders!
During this time, Xue Feifei also asked Chu Tianyu about the Ink Dragon pattern on his body and the Ink Flame Sword. It seemed they couldn’t be summoned or used at will by Chu Tianyu—did she have to play a certain tune or transmit her breath each time?
Chu Tianyu couldn’t explain it clearly either. He only speculated that once the dragon energy was fully restored, it would become even more powerful, using his body as its origin or an “nest” it could never leave. To use it, external stimuli were needed—either through Xue Feifei’s “sounds of heaven and earth” or the energy of the Green Dragon within him, or when attacked or enraged, reaching a state where intent guided action.
By now, Chu Tianyu’s physique, appearance, and aura had changed drastically compared to before, as he had reached a state where both inner and outer aspects operated naturally. In other words, he had cultivated both an outer body and a divine spirit within—inside, the temporarily sealed Purple Void True Dragon; outside, the scattered Ink Dragon energy!
Yet, such powerful dragon energy wasn’t a good thing either. At least for now, Chu Tianyu couldn’t use its power at will to deliver a strike as powerful as “Dominant Might Through the Ages”!
…
At the moment of leaving the valley, Xue Feifei, being emotionally sensitive, felt somewhat reluctant to part. After all, she had stayed here for nearly twenty days—it would be the most unforgettable place in her life, and it was where she transformed from a girl into a true woman…
Chu Tianyu didn’t feel the same way. After all, he had only stayed for a few days from waking up to leaving. So he simply carried his bags full of spoils, used one hand to embrace Xue Feifei, let out a long roar that echoed through the valley. In just a moment, the echoing sound was mixed with faint thunder, gradually growing into a deafening roar.
Unexpectedly, Chu Tianyu’s roar triggered an avalanche on the mountains. At first, it seemed far away, but as it rolled down from the peaks, carryinga large amount snow and rocks, the noise grew louder and louder. By halfway down, it was like mountains splitting open and a furious wave surging forward—utterly spectacular.

Moreover, the snow on the mountains was like a torrential flood, with the riverbanks bursting open and the snow rushing down relentlessly. In an instant, it filled the valley, with snow piles rising dozens of feet high, suddenly creating a snow-capped peak from the flat ground.

Chu Tianyu was highly skilled and bold. His energy surged throughout his body, and as snowflakes swirled around him, he soared upward, charging straight into the storm of snow and ice. His roar grew even more intense, as if only in the face of nature’s fury could he fully unleash all his suppressed energy, fighting against the vast world with pride and defiance!

At this moment, Chu Tianyu’s heroic spirit and his bold demeanor as a man who dared to face the world alone deeply touched Xue Feifei’s heart, leaving an indelible mark there forever.

After leaving the valley, they couldn’t tell where they were. So Chu Tianyu first determined the direction—east—and without caring whether there was a path or not, he glided forward using his qi. The scenery along the way was quite nice: the rivers were deep blue and turbulent, glacial waterfalls resembled songs from the heavens, and there were mixtures of evergreen broadleaf forests and coniferous forests. In the distance, there were high mountain meadows and glacial debris—various landscapes that were breathtaking. It was like a dreamlike paradise forgotten in a corner of the world.

Chu Tianyu slowed down, and together with Xue Feifei, they admired the beautiful scenery. The stunning views lifted Xue Feifei’s mood significantly, and she began to chat and laugh with Chu Tianyu.

After much effort, they found a small village. Chu Tianyu went ahead to inquire, and they learned that this was Dagu Glacier in Chenba Prefecture, within Sichuan Province. They never expected that the Black Dragon had brought them here from Motuo in just one go.

Chu Tianyu also exchanged some medicinal herbs from the valley for two sets of clothes and learned more about the roads ahead. According to the villagers, it would take about half a day to reach the town on foot from here, where things would be much more convenient, with inns and stations!

Ten minutes later, Chu Tianyu and Xue Feifei finally arrived at the small town mentioned by the villagers. Indeed, though small, it had everything necessary. But Chu Tianyu and Xue Feifei lacked one thing—cash, commonly known as “money”!

Chu Tianyu had thought of exchanging precious herbs for money, but the people here didn’t appreciate such things like the mountain dwellers did. They all looked at the herbs in Chu Tianyu’s hands with wary eyes and then shook their heads in confusion.

Chu Tianyu was completely speechless!

Having waited so many times before, it wasn’t the right moment now either. So they asked around for the way to Chengdu. Instead of taking the main roads, they and Xue Feifei took the side paths. When there was no one around, they used their light-footed skills to move quickly; when there were many people, they walked leisurely, enjoying the scenery along the way. It was quite relaxing…

Chu Tianyu had a purpose in going to Chengdu. Back then, he had made an agreement with the brothers Tian Cai Di Bao to follow Wei Yanqing from Tianmo Gate, who would arrange for them to go to Shaolin. So this time, he and Xue Feifei went to Chengdu first to find Wei Yanqing. First, to gather information about Tian Cai Di Bao and Tianyi Gate, as Chu Tianyu and Xue Feifei weren’t aware of what had happened later. Second, to contact Wei Yanqing—at least to make a phone call.

This way, they could get in touch with their own people, and future arrangements could be handled by the Chengdu branch of Xuanji Sect, avoiding the need to trouble the people from Tianmo Gate!

It didn’t take them long to arrive in Chengdu. As Wei Yanqing had said, Chu Tianyu randomly picked a guy with dyed yellow hair who looked like a hooligan in a back alley and used a coded message to inquire about Tianmo Gate.

Sure enough, just as Wei Yanqing had said, after asking no more than five people, they managed to get in touch with a branch of Tianmo Gate!

“Haha, it really is you, my brother! Wahaha, I wondered why my eyelids kept twitching this morning—turns out it’s because of your visit! Come on, come in quickly!” Wei Yanqing, who had been waiting at the door of a five-star hotel, rushed down the stairs to welcome Chu Tianyu and Xue Feifei into the lobby.

“Hehe, the sect leader is too kind!” Chu Tianyu replied.

The hotel had received a notice twenty minutes earlier about two distinguished guests arriving. They prepared the best banquet and reserved two luxury presidential suites, one of which was even at the hotel’s top-tier standard.

Seeing Wei Yanqing standing at the door early on, waiting eagerly for the two guests, they thought some very important person was coming. To their surprise, it was just two ordinary young man and woman. Although both had their own distinct charms—the woman especially beautiful and seemingly familiar—they certainly didn’t seem like dignitaries at all!

But seeing Wei Yanqing’s respectful demeanor, they knew they must be the right people, so they also started to get busy.

Entering the luxury private room and taking their seats, they exchanged a few pleasantries before getting down to business. Wei Yanqing waved his hand to dismiss the unnecessary people; even his subordinates who weren’t high enough in rank could only stand outside, leaving only the four Ghost Kings to stay. Before Xue Feifei could speak, Wei Yanqing tactfully recounted what had happened. There wasn’t much to say—back then, the Black Dragon and the Green Serpent had achieved their desires and paid no attention to the lives of such insignificant beings. So, everyone gathered their own companions. Fortunately, Tianyin Sect and their Tianmo Sect were far apart, resulting in almost no losses or casualties. In Tianyin Sect, aside from their originally injured elder who damaged her meridians by forcing herself to use energy, everyone else escaped unharmed—except for Xiao Ya… Hearing this, Xue Feifei felt relieved, but thinking of Xiao Ya, she was filled with sorrow again. Chu Tianyu noticed this and quickly asked about the precious treasures. Realizing the situation was tense, Wei Yanqing swiftly changed the subject to talk about those treasures. They had safely arrived at Shaolin, with Ghost Sword personally sending them up the mountain. Hearing this, Chu Tianyu quickly thanked Ghost Sword, who waved his hand dismissively. Now relieved, everyone enjoyed the banquet together, and there was no need to mention further pleasantries. Back in their room, Wei Yanqing had already sent over two latest models of mobile phones and a gold card! Chu Tianyu and Xue Feifei quickly contacted their relatives. Chu Tianyu first called home; nothing seemed amiss—seemingly, they didn’t know about what had happened, though his mother complained that he called too rarely! Then, of course, he called Ouyang Ziyi—she must be frantic! As expected, the call lasted for half a day. The concern and affection shown in it even made Xue Feifei, who had already finished her call, shift from jealousy to sympathy… Next was Li Rou, another “painful half day”! Finally, checking the time, it was almost midnight, so they called Bai Lei—time didn’t matter at all! “Hello, is this Bai Lei? It’s Chu Tianyu. I’m fine! Please extend my leave for a few more days!” After saying this in one breath, Chu Tianyu quickly pressed the hang-up button, turned off the phone, even removed the battery, looking extremely nervous and sweaty! Xue Feifei asked in confusion, “Why do you talk to a classmate as if it’s a battle?” Chu Tianyu wiped his sweat nervously and said, “That classmate is really powerful—you’ll understand later!” …

On the other end of the phone, Bai Lei, who had just gone to bed and been awakened, roared at the already hung-up phone if he lived up to Chu Tianyu’s evaluation of him. The shouting lasted nearly an hour. Realizing it was almost 1 a.m., he reluctantly stopped and dialed the principal’s number—time seemed irrelevant to him!
“Hello, is this the principal? I’m…”
“I know. You’re Bai Lei. You’re here to extend Chu Tianyu’s leave again. Alright, no problem. I’ll approve another ten days…” Before Bai Lei could finish, the principal blurted out the answer effortlessly.
Hearing the principal’s instant responses over the phone, Bai Lei was speechless…
With a puzzled expression, Bai Lei hung up. Chu Tianyu’s call was extremely unusual! Although Bai Lei knew his own persuasive power, it had been so many days since Chu Tianyu had lost contact with them, leaving him troubled by Li Rou’s harassment… Now that he finally managed to call, Chu Tianyu acted as if facing a great threat—very strange. Could it be…? Immediately, inappropriate thoughts of beautiful sisters and lustful men popped into Bai Lei’s mind!
Chu Tianyu, enjoying the spring atmosphere, shivered slightly and sneezed loudly. But such a minor sneeze couldn’t disrupt the romantic atmosphere between the two in the room!
Xue Feifei had already reached several peaks of desire through her moans, while Chu Tianyu remained full of vigor. Finally, Xue Feifei understood what Chu Tianyu had hinted earlier—one or two wasn’t enough!
…
The next day, they first went on a shopping spree. Chu Tianyu bought several large and small travel bags, filling them with no less than ten sets of clothes. He really scared Black Dragon! Xue Feifei, on the other hand, didn’t buy much—just a simple outfit and a pair of large sunglasses!
Still, they were recognized by the salesperson from before. With a scream, the crowd surrounded Xue Feifei, and the place quickly became noisy with requests for autographs and photos.
Watching Chu Tianyu gradually get pushed out of the crowd, Xue Feifei felt helpless and could only force a smile. Eventually, even the mall owner came over, offering gifts, inviting them to dinner, and “enthusiastically” asking Xue Feifei to visit his office.
Chu Tianyu disliked that greasy guy at first glance. He also noticed that the enthusiastic fans around him were annoyed by his words. Even the two salespersons rolled their eyes when he wasn’t looking, silently cursing him—probably wishing harm upon his relatives!

“Why should that be! Miss Feifei belongs to all of us. Why should she go with you alone? Do you have some ulterior motives? I really can’t stand people like you who act superior just because they have a little money. Feifei is ours, and for her safety, we need to beat that ‘Hapi’ (a Sichuan dialect term meaning idiot)…”
As Chu Tianyu incited the crowd with sarcastic remarks, the already enraged young men rushed at the unlucky boss, punching and kicking him. Even the mall security took the opportunity to kick him a few times while trying to stop them, before weakly shouting and pulling them away, “Please stop fighting…”
Chu Tianyu finally took advantage of the chaos to drag Xue Feifei away and disappear! He now deeply understood the charm of celebrities and the obsession of fans. Wiping his sweat, he said, “No wonder you were wrapped up like a zongzi when we first met, with bodyguards picking you up—now I see it was indeed necessary.”
“Once I get in touch with my sect members, I’ll send you back first so they won’t worry. Then I’ll go to Motuo—there are still many things I left there that I need to retrieve!” Chu Tianyu suggested.
“No need! Aren’t you going to Shaolin? My sect is near the old Three Gorges, not far from here. Besides, our sect’s rules don’t allow you to send me back!” Xue Feifei said reluctantly.
“That won’t do! With what just happened, I’m really not at ease letting you go alone!” Chu Tianyu insisted.
Xue Feifei covered her mouth and laughed again. “Do you think this is Motuo? All those so-called heroes and weird folks come from the mountains and swamps. This is the real world. If I don’t go, others will be overjoyed! And it’s in Chengdu—our Tianyin Sect will surely come to pick me up!”
Chu Tianyu agreed. Since Xue Feifei had said so, it seemed her sect indeed had some taboos; otherwise, that Hanchan Sect wouldn’t have spent so much time trying to find them without success.
And thinking about it, with her current skills—enhanced by the Power of the Heavens and Earth and the effects of the spiritual herbs—even Mo Zhan Wei Yanqing probably wouldn’t be her match. Plus, there was her unpredictable Power of the Heavens and Earth—impossible to defend against!
“Well, how can I contact you then?” Chu Tianyu quickly brought up the important point.
“Hehe, after dealing with matters in my sect, I’ll come look for you. By the way, are you at Beifu Academy? You can meet your dear sister Ouyang and sister Li then!” Xue Feifei rolled her eyes at him.

“Hehe…” When it came to this topic, Chu Tianyu fell silent.
“Oh, by the way, take some spiritual herbs before you leave. I heard your grandmother was seriously injured, right? They’ll come in handy. As for the rest, I’ll keep them to refine into pills—this way they can be preserved better, and their efficacy will also be much higher!” Chu Tianyu said, showing concern for her family.
“Mm…” Even before parting, Xue Feifei felt a sense of melancholy, with reluctance rising in her heart.
……
After Chu Tianyu and Xue Feifei went their separate ways, he first had the disciples of the Chengdu Martial Hall of the Xuanji Sect escort the medicinal materials back to the armory. There, with its natural conditions suitable for storing such precious herbs, they could be left there for now since there was no time to refine them immediately.
Then Chu Tianyu gave more instructions, asking the martial hall disciples to closely investigate the whereabouts and information of a sect called the Hanchan Sect. He also explained his relationship with the local dominant force, the Tianmo Sect, and instructed them to contact him directly if anything arose, to avoid unnecessary conflicts.
After taking care of all this, Chu Tianyu set off again on his journey to Motuo.
Without Xue Feifei’s company, her beautiful flute music, and singing, Chu Tianyu found it quite difficult to adjust. So he kept moving ahead in silence, and in sparsely populated areas, he used his powers to speed up his progress.
Along the old route, Chu Tianyu was filled with emotions—everything had changed since then! On his back, he dug out the last hidden items. He packed everything into his travel bag, except for the soft sword that resembled a belt, which he couldn’t bear to part with. He decided to carry it with him, as it wasn’t very noticeable. He could pull it out anytime to practice if he felt like it. As for the Mo Yan Sword that could be transformed within his body, there was no hope for that—not only was it too astonishing, but it also couldn’t be controlled at will!
After finishing everything, Chu Tianyu decided to make another trip to Motuo, to go to that place again… Anyway, it would be good to pay his respects to Xiao Ya at least…
Upon reaching the mountaintop, the ruins and broken tiles only added to the desolation of the place.
Chu Tianyu walked to the center, recalling the scenes from back then. His heart was filled with mixed emotions. That devastating blow that left him unconscious still made him feel no regret if given another chance!
The dead are dead; the living can only grieve…
As Chu Tianyu was lost in thought, the Mo Dragon within him suddenly stirred—seemingly excited, filled with hatred, and even a hint of fear—directed toward the ruins below!

Chu Tianyu was shocked. Ever since he regained consciousness, he had known that the black dragon energy within him had fully matured, transforming into a complete dragon that had merged with his body. This was the first time such an active sensing had occurred. Could there be something unforgettable or a talisman that could restrain this black dragon beneath the ruins? He then channeled his energy to clear away the debris first, ready to dig up the large stones below. Suddenly, he saw a single-handed short white jade staff lying there, still as clean as if untouched by dust.

Chu Tianyu immediately realized it must be the talisman used by that annoying old man in red back then. It remained intact even after his fierce attack with dragon energy. Clearly, it was a divine artifact! No wonder the dragon energy in his body still reacted strongly to it.

Chu Tianyu took the white jade staff in his hands. A sensation like lightning surged through him, causing the black dragon energy in his body to explode instantly. In retaliation, a massive force was sent back, completely neutralizing the power of the staff. Then, with undiminished momentum, it rushed into the staff, firmly controlling and suppressing it!

Only after that did it seem to have “won,” as if venting its anger, before retreating and disappearing once again without a trace. Chu Tianyu stood there, motionless, watching as the petty black dragon finished its revenge, leaving the treasure once again quietly in his possession…

In fact, those who fled that day might have returned to check, but who could have imagined that such a treasure would survive beneath the debris and dust, remaining intact?

So, Chu Tianyu had gained another advantage.

Just then, he suddenly heard several sounds of something cutting through the air in the distance. Frowning, he thought to himself, “Why are there more cultivators here?”

He then walked slowly in that direction to see who had come. When Chu Tianyu saw the attire of the three people approaching, he was stunned—they looked like three ascetic monks!

Before he could think further, the monks had already reached him. One of them bowed first and said, “Amitabha. May I ask if your surname is Chu?”

Chu Tianyu was taken aback. Although he had sensed their authentic Shaolin internal energy when they arrived and guessed they were looking for him, he didn’t expect them to ask so directly. He quickly nodded and said, “Are you all Shaolin disciples? I am Chu Tianyu. May I know your Dharma names?”

As soon as Chu Tianyu spoke, the three of them immediately bowed deeply and said, “Disciples Hui Pu, Pu Sheng, and Fa Fa pay their respects to their uncle master!” Chu Tianyu quickly stepped aside to make room for them before asking what had happened. It turned out that their senior brother, Wu Jing, was worried about his safety. After meeting the Tian Cai Di Bao brothers, he arranged for twelve disciples to go to the area near Motuo to search for Chu Tianyu! Working in groups of three, they asked everyone they encountered, which led to the scene that had just taken place. Chu Tianyu was deeply moved; he never expected his senior brother, who had never even met him in person, to care so much about him. This made him feel a strong sense of brotherhood and the kindness of the Buddhist community. After exchanging pleasantries, without hesitation, he decided to go to Shaolin with them! On the way, as they tried to gather other groups and contact the head monk in advance, they found that all mobile phone signals were blocked, which puzzled the monks greatly. They had no choice but to return to Shaolin with Chu Tianyu to discuss it further! When everyone rushed back to Shaolin, they saw a sign outside stating, “Interior renovation in progress; visitors prohibited!” The young monk guarding the entrance quickly let them in upon seeing that it was their senior brothers. Zhi Xin, who was in charge of the outer part of Shaolin, also rushed out to meet Chu Tianyu after receiving the notice. “Uncle master, is there something wrong with Shaolin? Why is there suddenly renovation and blocked mobile signals? We didn’t notice anything unusual on our way back,” Hui Pu asked in confusion. “Ah, it’s complicated! Let’s go to the meditation room first,” Zhi Xin said, leading them inside. After Zhi Xin explained everything, Chu Tianyu realized it was still related to that fake “soul” trying to take revenge on Shaolin. But this time, the “soul” was targeting the inner part of Shaolin, clearly not wanting to disturb the outer part, given its status as a tourist attraction and its worldwide fame. So they issued a challenge, giving Shaolin ten days to prepare, and declared that if they caused a stir, they would spare neither the inner nor the outer parts of Shaolin and wipe them out completely! “They’re too arrogant!” Hui Pu said angrily, slamming the table and standing up. “Amitabha, as a warning, three of our disciples from the outer halls have already been killed by sniper fire!” Zhi Xin said sadly. Hearing this, Hui Pu and the others fell silent, their fists clenched, bodies trembling, and veins bulging on their temples—clearly filled with rage.

“Zhi Xin, what other demands did they make?” Chu Tianyu asked with a “calm” expression. This matter should actually be blamed on him; if he hadn’t kept interfering and ruining their plans, they wouldn’t have been forced to take drastic measures! As the old saying goes, you can run away from the monks, but not from the temple!
“Replying to Uncle, they said they will come to visit on the night ten days from now. At that time, someone will challenge each Shaolin monk one by one, threatening to use laser sniper guns if they set up any Arhat formation! They also said that the outcome of the battles depends entirely on fate, and no one is allowed to leak any information, or else they’ll bear the consequences!”
“How many days are left?” Chu Tianyu continued to ask.
“There are still three days until their scheduled time…”
“Hmm!” Chu Tianyu thought for a while before saying, “Pu Hui, I won’t enter the inner Shaolin for now. Tell your senior brother that I’ll pay another visit in three days! As for those worthless clowns, their incompetent junior brothers will deal with them!”