Eternal Tale

Chapter 236: The Forbidden Sea – A Truly Unclaimed Land

"**Moo!**" Brother Ox held up a cultivation manual, shouting at Chen Xun, "Moo moo!"

"What’s up, Brother Ox?" Chen Xun, who was studying the sea chart, turned his gaze toward the noise.

Brother Ox held a body-refining technique. Although it was an evil practice, it proved that Da Li at least had orthodox body-refining methods.

"Oh?" Chen Xun’s eyes narrowed as his spiritual sense probed into the manual.

The body-refining technique involved using the blood and flesh of spiritual beings to strengthen oneself. No wonder when Chen Xun struck the two dark cultivators earlier, their bodies didn’t completely shatter—just their skulls cracked.

"But this evil method clearly has issues. Even their Nascent Souls were flawed," Chen Xun chuckled. "I found a location on the sea chart—it's a forbidden area in the Western Sea. There might be something there we can use."

Brother Ox, his simple mind accepting Chen Xun's judgment, promptly destroyed the manual. If his elder brother said it was useless, there was no point wasting time on it.

Meanwhile, Xiao Chi was counting spiritual stones with his spiritual sense, all while his flame glow flickered cautiously behind him—ever wary that something might jump out of the island and attack him.

"Brother Xun, Brother Ox, with so many resources, we don’t need to take risks anymore," Xiao Chi said as he fiddled with the stones.

"Moo?"

"We could just go back to Heaven’s End Pl—Ahhh!!"

Before Xiao Chi could finish, he was grabbed by Chen Xun and Brother Ox and promptly thrown into the ocean, letting out a screech as he hit the water with a splash.

Sopping wet, Xiao Chi crawled back to shore, tears in his eyes. He dared not complain anymore and quietly resumed counting the stones, occasionally chuckling to himself.

"We shouldn’t linger here. Those Nascent Soul dark cultivators definitely weren’t drawn here by the Little Crane alone," Chen Xun said to himself, glancing at the depths of the island. "And there’s a larger force behind these dark cultivators. We should give them no chance—time to flee!"

"**Moo!!**" Brother Ox bellowed and immediately began clearing the area.

"No problem, Brother Xun!" Xiao Chi cheered and joined in cleaning up. He glanced at Brother Ox with admiration—his good old Brother Ox, always professional!

Meanwhile, Chen Xun was sketching out a route in his notebook. Deep in the Western Sea lay a forbidden area, a place of great opportunity where countless cultivators and sea creatures gathered.

This place was known as the Forbidden Sea, the remnants of an ancient battlefield. The site was still thick with the stench of blood and resentment, so dense that it had generated its own realm of demonic energy, separating the Western Sea from the Outer seas.

The area was filled with ancient legacies and endless dangers, from both the sea and the sky. Countless cultivators had perished there, but many great cultivators had also risen from its depths.

Chen Xun wasn’t going there to fight for treasures against other Da Li cultivators, though. He planned to collect the remains and loot the storage rings!

According to the dark cultivators’ ancient texts, many ghost ships roamed the area, along with the giant ships of fallen Da Li cultivators.

These relics, left to gather dust, were nothing but wasted treasure. It would be a crime to leave them forgotten.

Half a day later, they set sail.

The sea stretched out endlessly, its massive waves crashing like thunder. The horizon merged with the sky, creating a scene so vast and overwhelming that it made one feel insignificant.

"**Moo?!**" Brother Ox placed a hoof on Chen Xun’s shoulder, his expression slightly alarmed. Brother Xun was really planning to go to the Forbidden Sea.

"Brother Xun? The Forbidden Sea doesn’t sound like a good place," Xiao Chi said as he stood at the edge of the ship, enjoying the sea breeze. "The Forbidden Sea... it’s got to be dangerous, right?"

"That’s why we’ll just take a look. These islands are either full of spiritual beasts or soon-to-be crawling with cultivators. We won’t get any peace."

Chen Xun stood confidently on the deck, looking over the horizon. "The Forbidden Sea may sound intimidating, but it’s truly unclaimed land. If there’s danger, we’ll run. If not, we’ll harvest!"

"**Moo~**" Brother Ox nodded in deep thought. They hadn’t managed to harvest much from the depths of the Heaven’s End Ravine, but they did get a good scare.

It seemed Brother Xun wanted to gather spoils from the fallen cultivators—doing a bit of corpse collecting and offering some funeral rites. It was a righteous thing to do.

"I’m with you, Brother Xun!" Xiao Chi wagged his tail as he ran around, and Brother Ox followed suit. Their brains might not be as sharp as Brother Xun’s, but they trusted his lead.

"Brother Ox, activate the concealment array!"

"**Moo!**" Brother Ox’s eyes gleamed as he waved his hoof. The Five Elemental Flags emitted a faint glow.

In an instant, the giant ship gently lifted a meter above the sea, the power of the Five Elements gathering around it to form a transparent barrier.

The ship, now covered by the barrier, became invisible on the sea’s surface, swiftly sailing hundreds of miles ahead. The towering waves were powerless against it, leaving Xiao Chi with his mouth agape in awe once again.

From the outside, it would be impossible to detect the ship’s presence, even with spiritual senses, unless a grand cultivator with overwhelming power arrived to pierce Brother Ox’s Concealment Array.

As the ship sailed through the waves, Chen Xun sat alone under the Crane Spirit Five Elements Tree, reading ancient texts. Brother Ox worked beneath the deck, cultivating spiritual herbs, while Xiao Chi bustled about, fishing and making a racket.

"Xiao Chi," Chen Xun called.

"Yes, Brother Xun?" Xiao Chi, holding a massive net, yelled back.

"Take this storage bag of spiritual herbs."

Chen Xun tossed a storage bag onto Xiao Chi’s head. "You’re too weak for someone at Nascent Soul early stage. You need to improve your cultivation. We’ve got a long journey ahead."

"Uh?" Xiao Chi shrunk his neck as his spiritual sense entered the bag. He was so shocked he nearly dropped the net, barely catching it at the last moment.

The storage bag was full of Nascent Soul-level spiritual herbs—rare treasures in the Heaven’s End Plains that Xiao Chi wouldn’t have even dared dream of.

"Brother Xun, I’m already at Nascent Soul stage. Isn’t it a waste of these herbs to give them to me?"

Xiao Chi’s head shook furiously like a rattle, as he hastily reeled in his net and sat before Chen Xun. "These herbs are too valuable for me. You and Brother Ox should keep them."

There was not a trace of greed in his eyes—he was well aware of his own limits. Advancing a small realm wouldn’t extend his lifespan much.

"Don’t underestimate your Brother Xun." Chen Xun sneered. "It’s just Nascent Soul. I need you to stay alive and join us in reaching the Deity Transformation stage."

"Deity Transformation?!"

Xiao Chi’s eyes widened, utterly dumbfounded. He’d never even dared to dream of such a stage. "Brother Xun..."

"Take the herbs. We’ll harvest plenty more in the Forbidden Sea. Who knows what treasures await us?"

Chen Xun’s gaze grew distant as he looked toward the horizon. "These herbs are the ones we don’t need. If you don’t accept them, and Brother Ox gets angry, I won’t be able to hold him back."

Xiao Chi lowered his head, clutching the storage bag tightly, unable to say a word.

The Five Elements Tree glowed faintly, its black and white leaves swaying gently in the breeze, exuding an aura of mystery.

"I understand, Brother Xun. I’ll cultivate diligently."

Xiao Chi’s voice was low and firm, his head still bowed. "Wherever you and Brother Ox go, I will follow!"

"Of course. Now get back to fishing!"

Chen Xun waved his hand, and Xiao Chi was launched back into the air, shouting as he flew, "Brother Xun, go easy on me!!"

Chen Xun laughed heartily and resumed reading under the tree. White clouds and the vast ocean stretched before him—a rare moment of peace.