Eternal Tale

“Old Ox, this trip has been worthwhile.” Chen Xun laughed heartily; the surroundings were already filled with firelight as massive fireballs swirled everywhere.

“Moo~~” The big black ox's eyes were gleaming, wondering if any cultivators would collect these things.

“Hmm? Why are there so many skeletons?”

“Moo!”

They looked around, and the ground was covered with enormous white bones, some as large as small mountains. These were not humans but rather more similar to spiritual beasts.

Chen Xun frowned slightly. Throughout their descent, there had been no signs of life, so where did these skeletons come from?

Boom!

Chen Xun landed heavily, and the ground was as dark and hard as the ravine walls. The big black ox landed beside him.

As the tremors spread, many of the skeletons around turned to dust, making their eyelids twitch. What does this mean? Should they not have come here?

At the bottom of the ravine, an endless darkness surrounded them, with faint glimmers of light scattered everywhere, continually producing yin wind.

“Old Ox, those dark glimmers are all mineral deposits. We mustn't miss them.”

“Moo!”

The big black ox nodded, looking at several spots on the ground where these minerals were embedded, some as small as jade beads, others as large as boulders.

Chen Xun scanned the area, searching for any discarded storage rings or bags.

Since beings had once been here, it meant that it wasn't initially so terrifying. The wind emitted by these minerals must have accumulated over the years.

But now this place was probably too dangerous to touch; the accumulation of yin wind was too great.

“Moo Moo!” The big black ox suddenly called out from one location.

“What’s the matter, Old Ox?” Chen Xun stepped forward, instantly arriving beside the Big black ox.

There were no storage bags or rings around, and even the skeletons turned to dust upon contact.

The enormous spiritual beasts made Chen Xun think of the Nascent Soul stage. He had seen a few such beasts in the Northern Region, and they were indeed quite large.

Spiritual beasts' cultivation methods differed greatly from humans; some cultivated their bodies, while others focused on bloodline inheritance techniques. However, they all relied on spiritual energy to refine themselves.

In the realm of cultivation, it was said that the larger the spiritual beast, the stronger it was. Transforming into a human form was considered a misstep, which Chen Xun had never heard of or seen.

Demon beasts, on the other hand, were the food for spiritual beasts and humans. They had low intelligence, were not educated, grew freely in nature, and acted on instinct. Even reaching the Golden Core stage was difficult for them.

Spiritual beasts formed groups and had intelligence, and they could assist humans, having an equal status. Chen Xun had seen a few Golden Core spiritual beasts. Even Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment disciples had to pay respects to them.

The guardian spiritual beast of their mountain was an old turtle in the Nascent Soul stage, said to be sleeping, so they had not disturbed it.

Chen Xun had not seen the big demons in the South, but he had read about them in the records of the Top Ten Sects. He heard they were demon beasts that had become intelligent...

Moreover, those great demons had no interest in humans; they went about their own business, and there was no record of them slaughtering human beings. Such incidents had never occurred.

“Moo!” The big black ox’s bellow brought Chen Xun’s thoughts back.

It pointed at the ground, describing what had happened earlier.

“Old Ox, you used the Five Elements power to decompose it? You wasteful fellow!” Chen Xun laughed heartily and patted the big black ox. “Old Ox, this is a gift from heaven. We’re the masters of the mine. How much could we lose if a piece is missing?”

The Big black ox grew anxious upon hearing this, quickly explaining to Chen Xun that it was upset seeing this stone injure Chen Xun two months ago.

Chen Xun was stunned, but his lips curled into a faint smile, nodding repeatedly without saying a word.

The big black ox continued to describe its discovery. The decomposition and destruction of the mineral were entirely different; destruction was attributed to heaven and earth.

When it decomposed the mineral using the Five Elements power, it restrained the dark glimmer, and as it decomposed, a peculiar power seemed to return to its body.

“What?! Is this for real? Old Ox, you actually have a bit of my brain?!” Chen Xun’s eyes widened in exaggerated surprise. “Our Five Elements Decomposition power can really restrain this peculiar destructive force, preventing it from returning to heaven and earth.”

“Moo Moo!” The big black ox grinned and patted Chen Xun, thoroughly enjoying the praise.

“No wonder this place erodes spiritual energy and consciousness but cannot erode the Five Elements energy.” Chen Xun's eyes showed deep thought, stroking his chin. “So, it’s restrained. Old Ox, keep experimenting. Take notes!”

But it wasn’t truly restrained, merely that they did not interfere with each other. Who would have thought that in the realm of cultivation, there would be such a peculiar phenomenon, practicing the Five Elements Immortal Path?

Transforming the Five Elements energy into Five Elements power naturally created this restraining chain.

“Moo Moo~~” The big black ox nodded deeply. The peculiar power hadn’t been felt seriously before it entered its body, and no further changes were detected.

Chen Xun waved his hand, bringing out various minerals of different sizes from his storage ring and placing them on the ground.

“Old Ox, get to work!”

“Moo!”

As soon as the words were spoken, their bodies were enveloped in Five Elements divine light, wrapping around the various minerals.

Sounds of cracking echoed as the dark glimmer within the minerals flickered continuously as if stimulated, struggling madly.

“Ah, not bad.” Chen Xun’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he felt the peculiar power merge into his consciousness.

“Moo~~” The big black ox looked satisfied. The peculiar power was no longer so ferocious and did not attack their consciousness.

It seemed to have been purified, using the Five Elements power as a medium, benefiting itself.

“Kekekeke…”

“Moo Moo Moo Moo~~~~”

Two terrifying laughter echoes came from the bottom of the Tian Duan Plains. Their surroundings were filled with fireballs, making the two shadows appear even more terrifying.

The yin wind before them seemed relatively benign. The ground was covered with decomposed dust, swept into the high sky by the wind.

Although these minerals were large and the destructive force was strong, only a few traces were usable after decomposition.

Chen Xun and the big black ox felt nothing significant yet, but as long as there was no danger, it must be good stuff.

After two thousand years in the cultivation world, couldn’t the brothers finally get some great fortune?!

Even if it was a great fortune, it was visible, in literal plain sight, and no cultivator seemed to have obtained it. All the conditions were indispensable.

“Haha, Old Ox, charge ahead!” Chen Xun sat on the big black ox’s back, heading towards the dark glimmers. “Those dark glimmers are our guide lights. First, clear the horizontal area, then attack vertically.”

“Moo~~!” The big black ox snorted, raised its head, and began to charge.

Crack!

Crack!

Chen Xun and the big black ox’s expressions became increasingly frenzied. Every day they roared and ran through the bottom of the ravine, taking out their notes to record the changes.

Occasionally, they would see the skeletons of spiritual beasts but never the remains of cultivators, which puzzled them.

Later, they even let their flying boat out to let the third brother, Little Crane, witness the scene. This ravine had no life forms or ghosts, making it a paradise for them to harvest.

“Old Ox, Little Crane, perform the ritual and thank the heavens for the gift!!!”

“Moo Moo Moo!!!”

The Five Elements Tree of Crane Spirit rustled in the yin wind, its black and white leaves flashing faintly as if responding to the elder brother and second brother.

Chen Xun and the big black ox sat at the stern of the boat, surrounded by incense burners, with fragrant smoke curling up. They chanted.

Whenever there were dark glimmers, the massive flying boat would immediately stop, and Chen Xun and the big black ox would instantly cease their ritual, their devout eyes turning into bloodthirsty ones.

Boom!

Boom!

Large pieces of minerals from the bottom of the Tian Duan Plains were drawn onto the boat’s deck, then broken into fragments and blown away...

Buzz—

Buzz—

A colossal flying boat hovered at the bottom of the pitch-black ravine, gradually moving away.

In the perilous Tian Duan Plains, it was like a ghost ship, drifting aimlessly, its eerie presence making one’s eyes bulge and even causing shivers of fear in the soul.