Eternal Tale

"Brothers, let’s dig up just a bit more and then head out. No need to be too greedy. Da Li might already be gathering cultivators from all over, so a little extra prep time for them won't hurt," Chen Xun instructed with a chuckle.

“Moo moo~”

“No worries, Brother Xun, this place is bottomless; there’s no way we’ll run out.”

Three deep voices echoed from the depths of Heaven’s End Ravine, where a massive ship floated silently in mid-air, haunting the darkness like a ghost ship.

The Chaoyuan Scarlet Tree, now at 20,000 years, still looked small next to Little Crane, though it had not yet reached its peak. But the fruits were growing larger, vibrant, and pulsing with life, almost as if blood flowed through them.

Meanwhile, Brother Ox kept his watch, occasionally jotting down notes in his little book.

Their Longevity Points continued stacking up in defense, the lingering shadow of the Three-Eyed Beings lurking in their minds.

…

As the year drew to a close, a system notification echoed in Chen Xun’s mind. Yet his eyes, fixed in the shape of Extinguishing Spirit Stones, showed no awareness of time. Without hesitation, he directed his Longevity Points toward defense again.

With nearly a thousand storage rings filled to the brim, the branches of the Crane Spirit Five Elements Tree were hanging heavy with spirit stones, chiming like wind bells swaying in the Extinguishing Spirit Wind.

The Chaoyuan Scarlet Tree reached 30,000 years, its peak. Thousands of fruits cascaded from its branches, and as they fell, the tree began to wither, decay, and fade without a trace of lifeforce – unlike the corrupted entities of the cultivation world.

“Moo moo~” Brother Ox stood quietly under the tree, watching as its years declined rapidly, like an elder reaching the end of a brilliant life.

Even the purest essence of life could not save it; only time could start its growth anew. Brother Ox’s notebook was brimming with notes, unsure how to classify these herbs or assess their potency.

In this humble cultivation world, herbs with a thousand-year lifespan were rare.

The natural wonders had been plucked bare, and the lacking spiritual energy of the land stunted their growth.

Xiao Chi opened its eyes, gazing longingly at the dark-red fruits, its mouth watering instinctively – a reaction even a Nascent Soul spirit beast couldn’t overcome.

“Moo moo~”

“Brother Ox!”

“Moo!”

Brother Ox offered hundreds of Chaoyuan Scarlet Fruits to Xiao Chi, who eagerly accepted them with a shiver and a look of surprise under its bandit mask. "Brother Ox… I…"

Thud!

Before it could finish, Brother Ox pressed it down with a hoof. No need for theatrics between family; even Big Brother Xun barely glanced up from his scribbles.

With a swell of gratitude, Xiao Chi’s paws trembled, nodding earnestly without another word.

Looking at Big Brother Chen Xun, still calmly jotting notes, Xiao Chi muttered, “Brother Xun! Brother Ox!”

It suddenly let out a roar, rising with a determination that brought a red gleam to its eyes, “I…!”

“What the—Xiao Chi, why the yell? I can’t even write straight now! Ox, give it a beating!”

“Moo moo!”

“Ah! Ah!!”

Chen Xun and Brother Ox pounced on Xiao Chi, pummeling him as he scampered around the deck, arms shielding his head.

The Crane Spirit Five Elements Tree stretched its branches to shield him from a few more hits, and Xiao Chi clung to it, yelping, “Brother Crane!”

The next day.

Chen Xun, Brother Ox, and Xiao Chi sat on the deck, talking in low voices.

"Brother Ox, set up a large teleportation array. Our storage rings and pouches are all loaded with Extinguishing Spirit Stones. No need to dig more."

“Moo moo~”

“Xiao Chi, keep cultivating. Push past the late Nascent Soul stage and enter Deity Transformation. With the chill from the Five Elements Stones, which carry the War Realm’s energy, your progress should be swift.”

Chen Xun’s tone was serious, his words clear and deliberate, “This world’s cultivators couldn’t dream of such resources. Make good use of them.”

“Yes, Brother Xun.” Xiao Chi nodded firmly, crouching down, a low snort escaping him. The Ox Brother’s Five Elements Dispersing Technique was astounding, and paired with his flame-glow talent, it was a match made in creation.

“Moo?” Brother Ox nudged Chen Xun, curiosity in his eyes.

“Brother Ox, prepare three teleportation arrays. If things go awry, the path back to Da Li’s realm must remain open. We need a fallback.”

Chen Xun went on, arranging their strategy, “When we get back, we’ll prepare to enter the battlefield. This may be our last journey in this realm.”

He exhaled, his voice softening, “But before that, I need to pick up a few things in Da Li. I’ll leave the setup to you guys since formations aren’t my thing.”

“Moo moo?!”

“Brother Xun, we’ll go with you!” Brother Ox and Xiao Chi exclaimed, noticing something unusual in his demeanor.

Chen Xun waved them off with a grin, “I’m just buying some local goods for the sect. Relax; I’ll be back in no time.”

Only then did Brother Ox and Xiao Chi sigh with relief. It was just a shopping trip.

With a calm look and serene air, Chen Xun rose to his feet. “Let’s get ready to leave. Heaven’s End Ravine is no place to linger.”

They stood beside him as he rose.

Buzz—

The massive ship began to ascend, slicing through the darkness.

Emerging from the dim chasm into a moonlit night, the pale light cast an ethereal glow over the plains.

Brother Ox handed Chen Xun a few sub-array flags for the teleportation formations they’d placed along the way, saving them considerable spirit stones.

“Brother Ox, Xiao Chi, Brother Crane, I’ll be back soon.”

With a warm smile, Chen Xun waved from the air, “Wait for me.”

“Moo moo~~”

“Brother Xun, we’ll be here waiting!”

Brother Ox and Xiao Chi called after him, their voices fading as they watched his silhouette in the moonlight, his figure momentarily bathed in a mysterious, solitary glow.

They stared at the distant horizon, not moving to their tasks, lingering until his figure disappeared completely.

…

Back in Da Li, at the ancestral grounds of the Jiang family, an uneasy calm filled the air.

The Jiang and Yu families had temporarily halted their feud, even as a late-stage Deity Transformation expert stepped in to mediate. Yet the undercurrents across the twenty provinces hinted at an impending storm.

The Yu family’s elders left with only a cold warning: “This matter will not end with this generation.”

Young elites in the Jiang family frowned, especially the second disciple of Chan Yin Temple, Jiang Zhaocheng.

Returning to the Jiang family with his chubby junior after their master’s sermon, his other junior brothers had long gone their separate ways, dismissed from Chan Yin Temple by their master.

It dawned on Jiang Zhaocheng why his parents had sent him away from the Jiang family to the Buddhist sect of Da Li—they wanted him far from the Jiang family’s turmoil.

The thought left him in silent dread. The Jiang family had to be part of some grand scheme, the scope of which he couldn’t grasp.

The mysterious figures in black that appeared mid-battle couldn’t be from the ancient cultivation families. They seemed more like they hailed from the Forgotten Sea.

His gaze drifted to the forbidden grounds at the back mountain, wary of his family’s elders and their far-reaching ambitions.

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