Eternal Tale

Shoo!

Shoo!

In the western part of Qian Nation, two figures riding swords whistled low in the sky above the deep forests of the mountains. When no one was around, their speed was already astonishing.

They spread out a map in front of them, bypassing all sects and the residences of various major cultivators.

One of the figures was named Chen Xun, and he was feeling quite anxious at the moment, with sweat forming on his forehead. The commotion in the Snow Mountain of the Morning Suns caught him off guard; he never expected such a big disturbance. He knew that sooner or later, the cultivators from the Ten Great Sects would investigate. He had never been one to become conceited.

The other figure was named the big black ox. It was feeling anxious too. It was going to follow its big brother and leave the country. That’s right, they were going abroad to avoid trouble!

They whistled past above the dense forest, scattering countless fallen leaves.

”Old Ox, this is the cultivation world. Danger is inevitable, and fighting and killing are unavoidable. It’s not child’s play,” Chen Xun took a deep breath, spreading out his spiritual sense completely, even avoiding mortals. ”Consider this a lesson for me; from now on, I’ll be more prudent and cautious in my actions.”

He looked ahead with deep eyes. Even if one avoids contention and does not strive, trouble will eventually find its way to them in the long river of life.

You never know which will come first—accidents or tomorrow. Only by having the power to protect oneself can one survive in this dog-eat-dog world of cultivation.

”Moo,” The big black ox glanced at Chen Xun, completely unconcerned. Who knows, even a cultivator who breaks through the Gold Core stage could get struck by lightning.

”Our journey is still long. We may encounter all sorts of things in the future. It’s not necessarily a bad thing to suffer a loss now. It’s better than suffering a major loss later,” Chen Xun said.

”Moo!”

The big black ox’s eyes widened, nodding heavily. What Chen Xun said made sense.

Chen Xun grinned, then his gaze became solemn. ”Old Ox, from now on, remember every word I say.”

”Moo?”

”Regarding the tribulation and the strange changes in the body, it may be related to the widening of the dantian caused by the Foundation Building Pill.”

”Moo!”

”First of all…”

Chen Xun began to transmit his thoughts through a spiritual sense. The big black ox was initially alarmed, wondering how Chen Xun’s voice got into its head. It took quite a while for it to adapt.

Then, despite its initial fear, the big black ox felt a surge of confidence, knowing that these were all experiences Chen Xun had gone through. It bellowed in anger, ”Moo!”

Suddenly, the big black ox didn’t feel so afraid anymore, knowing that Chen Xun was behind it.

”Old Ox, we’re heading to the Tianduan Great Plains; let’s go!”

”Moo!”

The two figures accelerated rapidly, turning into dots in the sky and disappearing completely.

…

Three months later…

Tianduan Great Plains, located in the extreme west of the Qian Nation, were vast and boundless, stretching to the horizon with endless yellow sands. It was flat, expansive, and awe-inspiring, devoid of any greenery near the borders of the Qian Nation.

Today, the scorching sun was overhead, clouds filled the sky, constantly roasting the plains, and everywhere was filled with rolling heat waves. It was a place where not even a dog would venture.

Two figures wearing straw hats gradually appeared on the horizon, their bodies distorted by the heat waves rising from the ground.

”Old Ox, it’s my first time going abroad, and I’m still not used to it,” Chen Xun said with a sigh as he and the big black ox gazed into the distance. His eyes were filled with monotonous colors, and there wasn’t even a single tree in sight, just endless yellow sand.

The heavens and the earth here seemed to have frozen the violent waves in an instant, making it perpetually motionless, only desolation lingering.

They had inquired in the border town and learned that the origin of the name Tianduan Great Plains was untraceable. Countless people had been lost here, never to return.

When he was in the Five Elements Sect, Chen Xun had read some books. Even the information left by the sect about this place was sparse, only mentioning it as a forbidden land, warning against entering and getting lost.

”Old Ox, we have about a thousand low-grade spirit stones left. Let’s see how far we can go,” Chen Xun said, looking in the direction they were headed. Without a way to replenish spiritual energy here, they could only rely on spirit stones. ”First, we must focus on the matter of forming the Golden Core.”

”Moo~” The big black ox grinned, looking at Chen Xun. It didn’t care about such things; it didn’t have the patriotism that Chen Xun did.

As long as it could follow Chen Xun, it was fine. It felt at ease wherever they went; anywhere was its home.

Chen Xun suddenly smiled, patting the big black ox, and glanced back at the blurry and somewhat small border town. It was his first time leaving Qian Nation, and he felt a bit lost.

”Let’s go, we’ll have to experience and adapt,” he said.

”Moo~”

They continued their lonely journey, accompanied only by the surrounding yellow sand, filled with a profound sense of loneliness.

If it were to face the tribulation, Chen Xun still thought that nighttime would be a better choice. When he broke through, he thought it would be a beautiful sight with colorful lights, so he specifically chose a good weather day to deceive others...

But he ended up being too clever for his own good, becoming the most eye-catching presence instead. Strange experiences had only increased along the way.

Two more months passed, nearing dusk. Countless sandstone folds surged like solidified waves, extending all the way to the distant golden horizon.

Endless yellow sand spread over this boundless land without murmuring water or towering mountains.

The endless yellow sand met the sky, making it impossible to imagine where the end was.

Chen Xun lifted the big black ox with one hand as they flew through the air. For these days, they couldn’t see any signs of human habitation, and they didn’t know where they had flown to.

Although Chen Xun’s consumption of spiritual power was quite small, he still used over a hundred low-grade spirit stones to restore his spiritual power, yet he still couldn’t see the end.

”Damn, Old Ox, with our flying speed, we could circle around the Qian Nation!” a voice of frustration came from the sky, already losing control of itself. ”Is the Tianduan Great Plains really this big?!”

”Moo~!” The big black ox instinctively let out a long howl, being tormented by Chen Xun all the way.

But it still hoisted one hoof on Chen Xun’s shoulder; the meaning in its eyes was clear: Big Brother, circling around Qian Nation, is a bit exaggerated.

”Old Ox, are you trying to sing? Haha...” Chen Xun chuckled.

”Moo?! Moo??” The big black ox’s eyes widened in panic. That’s not what it meant. Oh no!

Chen Xun’s eyes gleamed, looking at the vast expanse of sand, and he sang loudly:

”I believe so much~~ that behind me, supporting me, is you~!”

”Moo~~”

Once again, the sky was filled with the howls of ghosts and wolves, accompanied by a helpless bellow from a cow. It couldn’t resist it, so might as well join in.

Afterward, Chen Xun was completely absorbed in the fun, soaring into the clouds with the big black ox, and then suddenly ascending even higher, staring at the vast land below.

His eyes were filled with intense excitement, and some of his regrets could finally be realized.

”Old Ox, don’t use magic, jump!”

”Moo?!”

”Quick, bungee jump!”

”Moo?!?!”

Shoo!

Shoo!

The howling wind accompanied the two figures as they free-fell. The big black ox was crying with tears streaming down its face; wasn’t this just like falling off a sword...

”Moo~” The big black ox’s eyes rolled back, fainting in mid-air.

”Oh damn! Old Ox! Old Ox!!” Chen Xun spread out his arms, shouting at the ground, then quickly flew to catch the big black ox.

”Moo~” The big black ox weakly opened its eyes; it was still afraid of heights.

”Again!”

”Moo~!!”

Under the setting sun, Chen Xun and the big black ox no longer rode their swords, continuously free-falling from the clouds.

”Hahaha...”

”Moo moo~~!”

Looking from the ground to the sky, a young man with his arms outstretched danced wildly, constantly shouting excitedly towards the ground, while a black ox spread its four hooves in the sky, embracing the earth, experiencing both pain and joy.

The fierce wind tore at their bodies, and the yellow sand continuously floated in the sky, but it still couldn’t cover up their free hearts.

”