Eternal Tale

”Wait, fellow Daoists!”

”Ah?! Who’s there?!”

”Who?!!”

The two were greatly alarmed, instinctively reprimanding, wondering if there were cultivators here since the spiritual energy didn’t gather?

They looked in the direction of the voice, wielding their magical implements in hand. Could it be enemies lurking here, making it impossible for their divine senses to probe?

Two dark figures emerged from the depths of the cave, awkwardly smiling: ”We’ll leave first; you can continue...”

The big black ox followed silently, looking somewhat embarrassed. How did they encounter such a situation?

The two were shocked by the strange attire of the newcomers. The man’s expression turned cold.

”We are disciples of the Huaming Valley. Since fellow Daoists arrived here first, we can yield...”

His words suddenly halted, with cold sweat appearing on his forehead. The woman’s pupils also contracted, suppressing the thousand words of anger that were about to be uttered.

Their magical powers were completely suppressed. These two oddballs turned out to be seniors!

”No need to worry, no need to worry,” Chen Xun waved his hand gently as he passed by them. ”Dispel the formation to avoid backlash.”

The big black ox also nodded towards the two. Breaking the formation forcefully would harm the one who set it up.

”Yes, senior.” The pair of Daoist companions were greatly shaken. A senior in the cultivation world who was so easy to talk to? Unbelievable... They exchanged a glance, feeling uncertain, but still dispelled the formation and stood respectfully in place, not daring to raise their heads.

After a while, there was no movement in the cave. The man sneakily glanced around, realizing that the two had disappeared. He breathed a sigh of relief.

It felt like they had just been through a battle, their backs soaked in cold sweat. It seemed like a narrow escape.

”Senior Zhang, who are these two seniors?”

”Senior Jiang, they are truly formidable experts.”

Senior Zhang’s chest rose and fell slightly, saying solemnly, ”Today, we haven’t seen anything, and we shouldn’t mention it again.”

”Yes, Senior Zhang.” Senior Jiang seemed to have a sudden understanding, nodding gently.

The two then left, their enthusiasm dampened by Chen Xun and the big black ox’s interference.

On another peak of the mountain.

Two figures sat on the ground. Chen Xun looked at the big black ox and shook his head with a light smile, ”It’s really an interesting incident, quite amusing.”

”Moo~” The big black ox snorted and laughed along.

It seemed that with the advancement of their cultivation, people around them were filled with goodwill, and they encountered fewer troubles.

Chen Xun sighed lightly, looking at the distant peaks and valleys, his eyes distant. Along this journey, they had been ignoring a certain domain.

It seemed that now was not the time... Their bodies gradually turned into shadows.

A gust of mountain wind blew, scattering their shadows slowly with the wind. Where the wind rose, the sound of pines roaring echoed, like the tides hitting the shore.

...

Chen Xun and the big black ox traveled through the mortal world, without any sense of disillusionment or sighs. Instead, they integrated well.

Chen Xun often took the big black ox to watch old men playing chess under the shade of trees, holding a cup of health tea in his hand and enjoying it with relish.

The big black ox also watched with wide eyes, occasionally sipping health tea.

In reality, they both didn’t understand much, but they enjoyed the slow times, savoring the feeling of time passing slowly.

Chen Xun was just an ordinary person, completely clueless about refined things like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. He had no talent in any of these areas. Whenever there was an opportunity, he would take a look, but he didn’t force it when there wasn’t.

Sometimes, Chen Xun and the big black ox would stay in a small village for a few days, playing with the children or interacting with the big yellow dogs.

Chen Xun always teased the little dogs until they were furious, then he would be chased by a group of their brothers. The big black ox watched with laughter, its tail wagging up to the sky.

They crossed several provinces along the way, visiting many Daoist temples and Buddhist halls.

Although they didn’t know any of these immortals and Buddhas, they still had to make offerings.

If Chen Xun hadn’t kicked the big black ox away, all the money they earned along the way would have gone into offerings.

In the end, only seventy percent of the money given to him was given, barely satisfying the big black ox.

Seeing their devoutness, the Daoist priests and abbots also gave them some scriptures and sutras.

Chen Xun was overjoyed to receive them and donated another twenty percent of the remaining money.

The big black ox was so moved that it cried tears of gratitude, almost wanting to stay in each Daoist temple and Buddhist Hall and not leave...

Finally, they arrived in Jin Feng Province and reached the Qian Nation’s Imperial City. It had been seven years since they left their homeland.

Their point of longevity was still focused on their magical powers.

Every day, Chen Xun and the big black ox used the essence of all things to nourish their life-bound magical treasures, and they hadn’t reached their limits yet. They continued to improve.

Along the way, they had gained some weathering on their faces, but also some openness.

As the sun set, the earth was bathed in the colorful twilight, and a gentle breeze brought the fragrance of flowers and trees.

The imperial city stood quietly under the sky; its ancient walls seemed to bear many scars, having experienced countless wars, displaying a disdainful attitude towards the world.

Unlike the buildings of cultivators, this was the crystallization of the wisdom, blood, and tears of countless ordinary people, carrying a heavy historical weight.

Inside the city gate, there was still a bustling scene, many people were dressed luxuriously, and there were city guards everywhere on the city gate and towers, their eyes scanning everywhere.

Today, there were still many scholars heading to the imperial court for the exam. They walked hurriedly, excited in their eyes and uplifted in their hearts.

Chen Xun and the big black ox sat far outside the imperial city, looking at the walls dyed golden by the setting sun, and began to comment.

”Old ox, this is the imperial city.” Chen Xun sighed and said, ”It’s truly magnificent...”

”Moo~~” The big black ox was also amazed. This imperial city was even more exaggerated than the Panning City, and the city walls were so high.

They just sat quietly like this, from sunset to nightfall. Many people passing by seemed to involuntarily ignore them.

At this moment, two sisters approached. One had a pure and gentle face, while the other had a cold demeanor. They had bright eyes and white teeth, with beautiful features.

One was dressed in green, and the other in purple. They walked slowly to Chen Xun.

”Sir.”

”Hmm?” Chen Xun raised an eyebrow slightly. It turned out to be cultivators, and they were at the fifth level of the Qi Refining stage. ”What can I do for you, two ladies?”

The big black ox remained unmoved, just glanced at them, appearing as indifferent as an ordinary ox, with no hint of intelligence in its eyes.

”We, sisters, find the sir’s temperament somewhat special and would like to make acquaintances.”

”Hehe.” Chen Xun smiled politely, finding it quite unusual. His gaze shifted to the distance. ”If you ladies have any business, please speak.”

They frowned slightly, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. This person seemed calm on the surface, but there was always a strong sense of rejection that kept people at a distance.

”