Chapter 9
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
You can buy coins here to unlock advanced chapters: https://gravitytales.com/coins-purchase-page/
Chapter 9: The Power of the Cultivator
A tearing sound came from the depths of the crack, like cloth being ripped apart, or countless threads snapping.
As the giant claws smashed down, a large hole was easily torn in the section of spider web closest to the crack. The large web that had supported more than a dozen boys broke apart so easily.
As the large web shattered, something fell down into the dark abyss below.
It was a pair of Taoist hemp shoes with ox-ear design, stuck to the spider web.
In the instant the monster appeared behind him, Xu Yan, still about ten feet from the exit, made a decision. He didn’t desperately run forward, but instead suddenly dropped downward, using the rebounding force of the spider web to propel himself forward before the giant claws struck, leaving behind only his shoes stuck to the web.
On the inside of the crack, Xu Yan hung barefoot at the edge of the exit, with one hand firmly grasped by Tiezhu, who had thrust half his body into the crack. The spider web had indeed propelled him forward, but the force was just a bit short. If Tiezhu hadn’t reached out to grab him, Xu Yan would have fallen into the abyss.
As the son of a blacksmith, Tiezhu had considerable strength, but grabbing Xu Yan this time required not just strength, but also tremendous courage.
Ever since seeing the giant claws behind Xu Yan, Tiezhu’s hair had stood on end all over his body. Although he couldn’t tell what kind of creature it was, he knew it was certainly not benevolent. ‘Even reaching out to grab Xu Yan is just instinct,’ he thought. Not fainting from fear already showed his exceptional courage.
Tiezhu, lying in the crack, let out a strange cry and pulled Xu Yan up with all his might. But Xu Yan, having escaped from the mountain’s interior, showed no intention of thanking him. Instead, he growled, “Take them away! Quick!”
Tiezhu was stunned for a moment, then without another word, grabbed Xiaohua and rushed down the mountain first. Two boys who wanted to rest halfway down the mountain were each kicked by him toward the bottom.
Having escaped with their lives, Tiezhu wouldn’t kick people without reason. This action of kicking them down the mountain, despite the risk of them tumbling down, immediately caused renewed panic among the boys. None dared to look back as they hurriedly ran down the mountain.
The reason for Tiezhu’s rudeness, not hesitating to punch and kick, was partly because he had seen those giant claws, but more importantly, because of the ferocity on Xu Yan’s face.
In the eyes of the half-grown children of Linshan Town, the little Taoist from Chengyun Temple was somewhat simple-minded, but very well-liked. He always had a smiling face for everyone. Even when bullied or teased, he wouldn’t get angry, having a very easygoing temperament. But at that moment, Xu Yan, in Tiezhu’s eyes, looked like a fierce beast about to pounce!
‘This isn’t the Xu Yan I know,’ Tiezhu thought with alarm.
At that moment, Xu Yan indeed resembled a fierce beast. After climbing out of the crack, he immediately half-crouched on the hillside, his hand tightly gripping the last thunder pearl. As his companions’ footsteps receded, strange sounds of iron hooks scraping against rock came from within the crack.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Four long claws, as thick as arms, suddenly extended from the crack. After bending, they firmly gripped the rock wall. The hairy long claws, covered with a layer of frost, looked even more sinister in the sunlight. Xu Yan’s arm, thrown behind him, was bent to its limit, ready to throw with all his might at any moment.
Escaping from the crack didn’t mean escaping danger. If this giant spider crawled out from the crack, Xu Yan was certain that neither he nor his companions would survive.
‘I must stop it here, no matter what,’ he resolved grimly.
The crack halfway up the mountain was about a man’s height, extremely long and narrow. From a distance, the standoff between a small Taoist and four giant claws appeared eerie and strange. If the giant spider crawled out even a bit more, Xu Yan would throw the last thunder pearl at the rock wall.
In this moment of life and death, even Xu Yan didn’t realize how ferocious his face looked.
It was a kind of savagery that would bite a chunk of flesh from an opponent even in the face of death. This kind of savagery shouldn’t appear on a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy, yet it emerged in Xu Yan as if the violence hidden in his nature had finally been stirred by extreme danger.
Sunlight, carrying a hint of warmth, covered the entire mountainside. Gradually, it dried some of the frost on the giant claws. As if disliking the sunlight, the four terrifying claws were slowly withdrawn one by one, receding further and further away with a rustling sound.
When the last giant claw disappeared into the darkness of the crack, the fatigue that washed over Xu Yan like a tide almost made him black out. He slowly backed away, his hand still gripping the thunder pearl without moving a muscle, maintaining the posture ready to throw at any moment. Only when he had retreated to the foot of the mountain did Xu Yan put away the thunder pearl, glance at the long, narrow crack halfway up the mountain, and turn to run into the distance.
There were no paths in the deep mountains, but they were covered with green grass. Barefoot, Xu Yan moved swiftly through the mountains, running more than a mile before finally collapsing into the grass.
He was truly exhausted. The soreness in his arms had just started to improve when they encountered the giant beast in the abyss. Without the thunder pearls, Xu Yan dared not imagine what would have happened to him and his companions.
‘Perhaps we wouldn’t even have seen the giant spider—we would have been devoured by the demon wolf first…’ he thought.
Lying face-up in the grass, his rapid breathing gradually slowed after a long while. Xu Yan raised his hand, and through the thunder pearl he held, even the sun appeared distorted. The lightning arcs inside the pearl flowed and moved like small fish, looking extraordinarily strange.
“Cultivators… Master, are there really cultivators in this world?”
Speaking to himself, Xu Yan finally relaxed his mind and curiously looked at the thunder pearl, saying, “Is this the power of cultivators? It’s truly terrifying…”
Xu Yan could see the lightning arcs flowing inside the pearl and could guess that these thunder pearls certainly had a correct way to use them, though he didn’t know how. He could only trigger the power within the thunder pearl through violent impact.
With one thunder pearl left, Xu Yan became happy again. At least from this dangerous encounter, he had gained something.
Getting up from the grass, he looked around. Dense ancient trees surrounded him. Tiezhu had led the boys off in an unknown direction. Xu Yan wasn’t worried—as long as they could leave the deep mountains before dark, they should be safe.
After determining his direction, Xu Yan walked toward a section of forest.
It was already afternoon. Having been trapped in the mountain’s interior for a day and a night, his master was probably worried.
In the forest, the barefoot little Taoist pushed through the undergrowth, heading toward Linshan Town. Sometimes he would leap onto a blue stone and shield his eyes to check his route; sometimes he would run quickly along a small stream. By dusk, Xu Yan was about to leave the deep mountains.
Climbing over a hill, he could see in the distance that wisps of smoke rose from Linshan Town. Many households had already started preparing dinner. Xu Yan could even see some small black dots moving out of the forest on another side in the distance.
Though he couldn’t see clearly, Xu Yan knew it was Tiezhu and the others.
Finally going home, Xu Yan on the hilltop smiled lightly and began to run wildly downhill. Once past a patch of forest, he would see the main road. Before dark, he would definitely be able to return to Chengyun Temple.
As Xu Yan moved, a fluttering sound suddenly appeared on the hillside—it was a large flock of birds flapping their wings, yet not one could fly up.
His footsteps paused as the little Taoist looked at the birds unable to fly in the distance, momentarily bewildered.
