Eternal Tale

Chapter 222: The Hidden History — What is ‘Ancient’?

In the end, humans were satisfied, feeling they had found the answers they sought, while most of the spiritual beasts were driven to the Heaven’s End Plains, where they were left to grow freely.

But this cruel chapter of history was something the humans did not want future generations to know. They began hunting the remaining spiritual beasts, aiming to erase that history entirely.

The Flameglow Ancient Lion’s clan was among those that fell from grace, and even now, the humans have not stopped hunting them. Most hunters no longer know the original reason for the enmity, they only know to harvest the beasts for their blood and bones, refining them to strengthen their own cultivation.

Back then, the Flameglow Ancient Lions had produced three Nascent Soul cultivators and became dominant in their region, acting too boldly and drawing attention. This led to the mobilization of a large number of cultivators to exterminate them.

Today, humans and spirit beasts coexist peacefully in Da Li. Occasional hunts between them are seen as normal, but large-scale wars haven’t happened for a long time. Memories of those times have been thoroughly erased.

Most of the spirit beast tribes that exist today are not the original ones but rather those that rose afterward, without any recollection of that bloodstained history.

The Flameglow Ancient Lion had wandered alone for so long because of this. It kept a low profile, never involving itself in disputes, and believed that, in such a vast world, it could always find a place to survive.

...

"Your enemies were the humans of Da Li," Chen Xun remarked, raising an eyebrow. "Xiao Chi, it sounds like your background is quite something. An ancient bloodline?"

"Brother Xun!!!" The Flameglow Ancient Lion fell to the ground, crying out in panic, cold sweat pouring down its body. "I burned off part of my mane long ago, severing my ties with the Flameglow Ancient Lion clan. I hold no desire for revenge!"

Now, it was without a clan or a faction, a complete wanderer. It had no interest in involving itself in any conflicts.

The black bull's body trembled with low chuckles. *No wonder Xiao Chi managed to reach the Nascent Soul stage in such a hostile environment,* it thought.

"This isn’t your true form, is it? Even when we first met, it didn’t seem right," Chen Xun mused.

"Moo?!"

"Brother Xun, Brother Ox, I swear, I didn’t mean to deceive you," the Flameglow Ancient Lion said in a deep, booming voice. "I’ve never shown my true form to anyone, be it human or beast."

"You just happened to get caught by us this time, huh?"

"Moo~~" The black bull let out a long breath through its nose, its eyes gleaming with wisdom. *It seems like those secrets and experiences shaped this cautious personality, just like me and Brother Xun,* it realized, finally understanding Xiao Chi.

"Hehe, no worries. This isn’t our true form either," Chen Xun added with a soft chuckle.

"Moo moo!"

Chen Xun and the black bull both smiled quietly. Their true forms were the result of undergoing Heavenly Tribulations, and in this world, they had learned to remain hidden.

"Roar!" The Flameglow Ancient Lion’s eyes widened in disbelief. *They’re just like me!* It finally felt like it had found its people.

It couldn’t help but think back to their earlier conversations, realizing that everything they had shared with it was genuine.

Chen Xun looked down, flipping through the pages of his small notebook, starting to jot down some notes.

The black bull rested its head on Chen Xun’s shoulder, peering at the notebook as well.

"It seems that the northern spirit beasts have some ties with Da Li," Chen Xun murmured, narrowing his eyes as he recalled the mountain he had seen before. "Back then, some of the spirit beasts must have fled, bringing along many of the Extinguishing Spirit Stones."

"Moo~" The black bull nodded. But how did they manage to bring those stones over without any special means back then?

The Flameglow Ancient Lion's wide eyes darted between them, a bit stunned. *Are these two from the other side of the Heaven’s End Ravine?*

It turned to look outside at the terrifying speed of the flying boat, starting to understand that this might just be the case.

"Xiao Chi, are there any spirit beasts in Da Li that can suppress the Extinguishing Spirit Force?" Chen Xun asked.

"Brother Xun, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of such a thing," the Flameglow Ancient Lion replied, shaking its head after a long pause. "Da Li exterminated too many ancient spirit beast tribes. Even if there were, they’d be impossible to find now."

Chen Xun sighed deeply, clicking his tongue. It wasn’t just in Qian Country—Da Li was no different. The ruthless nature of the ruling powers exceeded his expectations.

He eyed the Flameglow Ancient Lion up and down, a glint of curiosity in his gaze. He had never heard of a spirit beast being able to shrink to such a small size before, and it had only just dawned on him.

With a strange expression, he asked, "Xiao Chi, are you not focused on cultivating your physical body?"

"Moo?!" The black bull’s eyes widened as well. It had been too distracted by other things to ask.

"Brother Xun, Brother Ox... I focus on shapeshifting, mainly for concealment. It helps me avoid disasters," the Flameglow Ancient Lion explained, lowering its head. "I’m also quite good at stealing and escaping. It’s a racial talent."

Many believed the Flameglow Ancient Lions' power of flame was a form of magic, but that wasn’t quite the case.

"Brother Xun, my flame ability is actually a technique for manipulating divine sense. By cultivating it, I can strengthen my divine sense and break through more easily."

As it spoke, Xiao Chi felt a surge of regret. In all its previous escapes, it had never failed—until now. It still didn’t know what kind of formation had trapped it, even blocking its flame-born Nascent Soul.

And based on the time it had been trapped, the formation hadn’t taken long to set up. Xiao Chi still couldn’t figure out who had created it.

"Moo~~"

The black bull snorted in amazement. Most of the spirit beasts in the Heaven’s End Plains fought with their physical strength, using brute force in every encounter. It hadn’t noticed any that cultivated their divine sense. Xiao Chi’s clan must have faced a dire situation, leading them to develop their flame into a defensive technique.

*No wonder Xiao Chi is so unique,* it thought. *In order to survive, it had to focus on strengthening its divine sense.*

"Interesting," Chen Xun said, nodding thoughtfully as he remembered the descriptions he had read in the spirit beast compendiums. "But surely, you still retain the original talent of the Flameglow Ancient Lions, right? Xiao Chi, why don’t you try using an Extinguishing Spirit Stone?"

The Flameglow Ancient Lion’s natural strength lay in its physical body, but it seemed like Xiao Chi had mutated it, forging a different path.

If it weren’t for the black bull’s Five-Element Extinguishing Spirit Array, sealing Xiao Chi’s Nascent Soul and preventing it from escaping, it might have gotten away.

With a flick of his wrist, Chen Xun produced a fist-sized Extinguishing Spirit Stone, which pulsed with faint, dark light.

"Brother Xun!!!" Xiao Chi let out a wail of despair and dropped to its knees. "I don’t want to die! Brother Ox, please say something!"

"Moo?" The black bull placed a hand on Chen Xun’s shoulder, looking confused. *What’s Brother Xun doing with the Extinguishing Spirit Stone?*

"Don’t worry. I’m just testing something. Xiao Chi, it won’t hurt you," Chen Xun said calmly, flipping through his notebook. His gaze softened. "It might even help you improve your cultivation."

As soon as the Extinguishing Spirit Stone emitted a dark glow, scattered wisps of Extinguishing Spirit Wind drifted toward Xiao Chi, whose body went limp in terror, its eyes glazing over.

Suddenly, a glow of flame erupted around Xiao Chi, wrapping itself around the Extinguishing Spirit Wind and diluting it before suppressing it completely.

Chen Xun’s eyes flashed with excitement. *As I thought. Xiao Chi’s lineage is extraordinary, tied to the ancient past!*

The black bull and Xiao Chi exchanged confused looks. Neither of them understood what Chen Xun was getting at.

Xiao Chi furrowed its brow. *Was there a subtle shift in my divine sense just now? Could the flame ability of my clan have a hidden use I didn’t know about?*

"Ancient beasts like the Flameglow Ancient Lions, the Ancient Immortal Gates, and the Ancient Cultivation Clans—they all seem to have mastered the power of the Extinguishing Spirit Wind," Chen Xun said, his voice low as he gazed downward. "There’s only one answer. When the Flameglow Ancient Lions were driven out back then, they discovered this power and fled to the north. That’s where the surviving spirit beasts must be."

As for how they escaped, it likely involved a teleportation array. They might have destroyed several of the large teleportation arrays that connected the two great cultivation worlds.