C32 I Can't Let You Go

Four more days had slipped by.

Deep into the night, the forest outskirts of Evergreen Town came alive with the frantic rustling of what sounded like a wild beast sprinting at full speed.

As drifting clouds revealed the moon, its sudden emergence cast a bright glow over the land.

In that instant, a slender beam of silver light pierced the darkness.

Accompanied by a thunderous shout, the silver light burst forth like lightning, stirring the air into a frenzy and triggering a sharp, piercing boom.

Swish!

Woo!

In the dense forest, the silver light left a trail of blood blossoming in its wake.

A shadowy figure emitted a pained groan as it was launched into the air, slamming against a large tree with such force that it shook violently. After a few feeble struggles, it lay still.

Moments later, Chu Yan stepped out from the shadows.

He looked at the grey wolf impaled by his silver scale spear against the tree and nodded with a hint of a smile, "Though merely a beast, it's a satisfactory challenge."

Chu Yan had learned through his readings that not only humans but all living beings could pursue the path of cultivation.

Living beings, like martial artists and cultivators, had their own realms of cultivation.

The wolf before him, known as a wild beast, was akin to a warrior in the human realm.

Higher-ranked creatures, termed dire beasts, were comparable to human cultivators at the Pulse Condensation Stage.

Chu Yan found himself in the Black Cloud Forest.

Dire beasts roamed its depths, but Chu Yan had been sticking to the periphery, encountering only wild beasts.

After days of careful observation, Chu Yan realized the Lin Family had all but ignored him, merely providing meals thrice daily. Anyone else might have felt neglected, but for Chu Yan, it was the very opportunity he desired.

So, for the past two nights, he hadn't stayed within the confines of the Lin Family Mansion but had ventured into the Black Cloud Forest to cultivate.

Despite the advantage of doubling his time in the time-space cage, Chu Yan understood that as a warrior, real combat was essential to gain experience.

Unable to find a martial artist of equal caliber as an opponent, Chu Yan naturally turned his sights to the wild beasts of the Black Cloud Forest.

Moreover, after fully absorbing the blood essence of the Canghai Cloud Cracking Beast, he required a substantial amount of beast flesh to replenish his blood and spiritual energies.

Chu Yan deftly removed the wolf, as tall as a man, from the tree trunk, gutted it, skinned it clean, and set it to roast over the fire.

While waiting, Chu Yan kept busy, repeatedly practicing the Blood Yang Spear Art—a mid-tier martial skill of the Mortal Realm—with his silver scale spear in hand.

The Blood Yang Spear Art wasn't of a high grade and thus had a limited number of techniques—just three moves that weren't particularly challenging.

After several days of diligent practice, Chu Yan had mastered the first technique, "Crippling Blood Sun," and the second, "Blood Chain Sky."

The third technique required reaching the fifth level of the Genuine Force Stage before one could begin to learn it, so Chu Yan focused on perfecting the first two, aiming for a level of proficiency where he could execute them instinctively, without conscious thought.

After a session of practice, the tantalizing scent of the roasting meat on the fire became irresistible.

Since the refinement of his body with the blood essence of the Canghai Cloud Cracking Beast, Chu Yan's appetite had significantly increased. Coupled with the devouring power of the Swallowing Whale Spirit Hunting Technique, the large wolf, with its flesh and bones combined, weighed over a hundred kilograms—still not enough to satisfy Chu Yan in a single meal.

Having worked up an appetite from the chase and spear practice, Chu Yan was ravenous. Seeing the meat was ready, he plunged his silver scale spear into the ground, grabbed a hunk of the roast, tore off a wolf leg, and began to gnaw on it voraciously.

The chunks of meat, larger than a fist and knotted with muscle, would require a normal martial artist to slice them into smaller pieces with a sharp blade to chew slowly.

But Chu Yan's teeth, sharp as cleavers, crunched through the meat effortlessly, chewing it to bits and swallowing it down. His digestive power was dozens of times greater than that of an ordinary person, producing a sound akin to leather being rubbed as he digested what would take a normal person several hours to process in mere moments.

In an instant, Chu Yan felt a surge of warmth coursing through his organs and spreading to his limbs, bathing his entire body in a sensation as comforting as soaking in a hot bath.

He made quick work of the roasted wolf meat, not a bone left untouched.

After wiping the lingering grease from his lips, he settled into a cross-legged position and began to meticulously assimilate the vital essence of the meat, channeling every trace of strength from the wolf into his own sinews and skeleton.

Roughly two hours later, Chu Yan's eyes flickered open. Any weariness from his prior training had vanished; he was now alert and vibrant, his eyes gleaming like stars.

"The sky looks overcast today, and there's a dampness in the air. Is rain on the way?" Glancing at the sky, Chu Yan retrieved his silver scale spear from the ground, gave it a quick once-over, and prepared to descend the mountain.

He followed the narrow path winding down the mountain ridge until, abruptly, he halted, squinting at a silhouette standing in the middle of the path.

The figure was lean and tall, eerily still, as if carved from stone.

Given the remoteness of these mountains, it was highly unlikely for anyone to venture here, especially not someone blocking the path before daylight.

The only logical conclusion was that this person had come for Chu Yan.

With a slight twist of his mouth, Chu Yan gripped his silver scale spear and advanced cautiously, keeping a vigilant eye on his surroundings.

Chu Xing's men couldn't possibly have tracked him here. The monks of Sunset Valley would have killed him by now if they wished. Since arriving in Evergreen Town, Chu Yan had crossed paths with only a handful, and even fewer had reasons to wish him dead. After a brief reflection, he deduced the identity of the figure before him.

"So, the Ye Family, unable to defeat me, has sent an elder to seek revenge?" Chu Yan paused, a cold smirk on his face, still a good thirty paces from the figure.

Behind him, the sound of faint footsteps approached.

Then, a voice he faintly recognized spoke from behind, "You've guessed right. Since that's the case, I can't let you return today."

Chu Yan exhaled, turning to face the towering figure: "Ye Chen, did you grow in height but not in brains?"

Emerging at that moment was none other than Ye Chen, with a slightly hunched man standing behind him.

His arm, previously broken by Chu Yan, was now secured with a splint and hung around his neck, presenting a somewhat disheveled appearance.

Upon hearing Chu Yan's words, Ye Chen's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Huh? What did you just say?"