Eternal Tale
chapter-14

_‘Amidst heaven and earth, there exists a type of energy that connects them together, and this energy is called Spiritual Energy. This type of energy can be drawn into one’s body, and…_’

He got more and more interested as he read, his mouth gapping a little more with every word. He wanted to shout and yell how amazing this was, but immediately right after, he would close his mouth back and marvel at the words that followed.

Chen Xun hopped to his feet and shouted, “This is amazing!”

“Moo? Moo!” The ox was startled by his sudden yelp and lept up in fright. It quickly noticed the book in his hands and thought that must be it. It peered a little closer, studying it intently, and yet… it understood nothing!

Chen Xun noticed its confusion and exclaimed, “Old ox, this is a cultivation technique!” He was swimming in joy. “ This is about cultivation! The thing that allows you to fly in the sky. We don’t need to become servants in a sect to learn this anymore!”

“Moo~~” The ox instantly got excited. They would sometimes notice cultivators in the sky, riding their shiny swords and roaming freely. This sight had always incited a feeling of envy in their hearts.

They both shoved their heads near the book’s pages and continued reading.

'_The Qi Condensation stage is divided into ten layers. The tenth layer establishes the foundation, extending one’s lifespan to four hundred years…._”

When they reached this part, they both smirked in unison. Their eyes met, and they let out a few chuckles.

Unfortunately, the manual only mentioned how to cultivate the Qi Condensation stage, and then how to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage. It didn’t cover anything else.

“Let's try this, old ox. Follow the cultivation instructions and try and sense spiritual energy,” he said. He then sat cross-legged, collecting his nerves, which were spewed all over.

“As long as any living being has spiritual roots, they can sense spiritual energy.”

“Moo?”

“Rest assured, you definitely have it. You are a spiritual beast.”

“Moo~”

The big black ox opened its mouth wide, feeling reassured.

“Come, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth! Heed my command and enter my body.”

“Moo moo moo moo!”

They both followed the instructions clearly, trying to sense spiritual energy. They closed their eyes, calming their minds and regulating their breath. And slowly, an hour passed like that, then a second… and a third….

'Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!” Chen Xun blurted, snapping his eyes open. He turned his head to the ox. “Could this be a fake?”

“Moo~ Moo!”

The animal hesitated for a moment then nodded, it didn’t feel anything too….

"Dammit!"

Chen Xun was filled with misery. He crouched on the ground and clasped his head.

"It never crossed my mind that old man Sun’s son could have been scammed. He must have realized something was wrong after cultivating and decided to leave it behind."

"Moo moo!" The big black ox nodded. Chen Xun was really smart; his words made a lot of sense.

"Actually," Chen Xun's tone suddenly changed, and he frowned slightly, "after practicing, I do feel something in my abdomen."

"Moo?" The big black ox looked puzzled.

"No, wait… I think it's just because I ate a lot of demon beast meat. I guess I'll go out and relieve myself," Chen Xun said.

His words caused the ox to not know what to moo….

Chen Xun lifted himself out of the hole. He then searched for a secluded spot. It wasn’t long before he found a suitable area. He quickly dug a small hole and crouched.

“Could it be that my spiritual root is too weak?” He placed his chin over his hand, pondering.

With a grunt and a frown, his expression tensed for a moment before relaxing again. “_Hmmm._ That can’t be right. The ox is a spiritual beast, how could it be paired with a nobody?” He chuckled. Then, his body shook a little.

His expression tensed for a few seconds, and he shook terribly. And finally, with a ‘_poof’_ **__**, his face relaxed. He felt a great sense of relief wash over him. But, suddenly, his expression turned sour, and he looked down at his feet…. “Holy _crap…_”

A while later, he walked back to the hole and climbed down.

When the ox saw him, it started sniffing randomly in the air. Chen Xun said, "Old ox, there's actually another possibility that our spiritual roots are too weak."

The ox stayed silent and sniffed repeatedly. It didn’t know why, but there seemed to be an unpleasant smell around Chen Xun….

Seeing it ignore him, he frowned and repeated, “Old ox?” But the ox didn’t pay him any heed. It sat up and approached him. It bowed its head and started sniffing his feet closely, its nose almost touching his feet.

The ox had apparently struck a nerve, because Chen Xun forcibly lifted its head and shouted, “Old ox, I’m talking to you!” He then smashed his hand on its big head, causing it to fall to the ground.

"Moo!!~~~"

The animal got up and turned obedient. It took a few steps back and laid against the wall of soil, keeping its distance. However, a flash of mockery appeared in its large eyes.

Chen Xun didn’t mind the looks and said, "We'll practice for an hour every day. If it doesn’t work out, we can forget about it."

"Moo." The ox nodded and kept its eyes on Chen Xun, who was walking over. It quickly shifted a little away. Unfortunately for it, Chen Xun seemed not to catch on and continued approaching.

He sat down and leaned on its body. Instantly, a foul smell invaded its nostrils, and it almost broke out in tears, but it forcibly closed its eyes and tried to go to sleep.

….

The night passed, and the first rays of sunlight passed through the errant soil of their dug hole, resting over their closed eyelids. The chirping of birds filled the vicinity, welcoming a new day.

Chen Xun slowly opened his eyes and stretched lazily, feeling groggy. He patted the ox and called out, “Hey, old ox, we are collecting herbs. Come on, let's go.”

"Moo~" The big black ox woke up, feeling a bit of a headache.

...

Time slowly flew by. The duo had now spent three years in the Ningyun Mountains. They hadn't encountered any dangerous monsters or beasts coming down from the mountains, but they had come across countless human bones. Sometimes, when they had nothing else to do, Chen Xun and the big black ox would get the suona and ringing bells out and start passing time.

The mournful sound of their performance would echo throughout the mountains, and they would feel greatly connected to their hometown when playing.

At this moment, the young man was in beast fur, carrying a bamboo basket and holding a mountain axe in his hand. He had a couple of blades dangling around from his waist. Lines were scribbled on his face, giving him a furious look.

The ox's horns had finally grown back. It, too, wore beast fur and had several large stripes painted on its head. It hardly looked like an ox anymore.

Near the two, a wild boar was running frantically through the woods with fear in its eyes. A few days ago, its father was brutally killed by a wild man, and its mother was rammed to death by a wild bull.

“Oink, oink.”

It suddenly came to a stop, trembling all over. It kept turning its head left and right, checking the surroundings. Out of nowhere, a man wearing beast fur appeared near it like a ghost. His lips arched into a bloodthirsty grin, and he stepped forward, blocking its path.

The ox crept behind it as well, sealing its fate.

"Little piggy, comer to us~” Chen Xun showed a twisted smile, and then in a flash, he appeared above the wild boar's head, while the big black ox charged forward from behind in perfect coordination.

“Snort!”

A burst of blood flashed, and the wild animal fell to the ground weakly. And so, the entire family was cleanly offed by the duo.

"Let's go, old ox."

"Moo."

Chen Xun carried the carcass. The bloodstains were covered in dirt and soil by the black ox, and they headed back to their man-made cave.

They sat down, cooked the meat, and started eating.

"I didn't expect that the cultivation technique to be real." Chen Xun said with his lips covered in grease. "My hearing has improved. Turns out cultivation could really make us different from mortals."

"Moo moo moo."

The big black ox kept nodding, splashing soup around. It could see things more clearly in the darkness of the night now.

This felt completely different from adding points. Cultivation directly enhanced the physical body, while immortal points seemed to elevate one’s entire being into a higher life.

"Still, our progress in the speed stat has stalled again." Chen Xun shook his head slightly. He had stubbornly increased their speed stat to 21.

However, just like with strength, they seemed to have encountered a limit and were unable to further enhance their speed.

"Moo moo?" The big black ox was also puzzled.

Could it be that they could only achieve longevity in the mortal world? After all, no one among the common people could defeat them in one-on-one combat now.

"Then, how about trying to put a point in Spiritual Energy next year?" Chen Xun said, a little uncertain.

"Moo! Moo~" The big black ox shook its head and nudged Chen Xun.

"Essence of All Things?"

"Moo!"

The big black ox vigorously nodded. It wanted to try that. It already had its powerful charge attacks. There is no need for magical power, that sounded too complicated for now.

"Alright, we will do that, then." Chen Xun smiled and patted the big black ox with his greasy hand, but the ox didn't notice….