Eternal Tale
chapter-224

The Great Li Realm, Huo Yuan Province.

This state is abundant with volcanoes, and the fire-attributed spiritual energy between heaven and earth is exceptionally rich. There are also many underground flames, claimed by numerous sects, large and small.

It is close to the Tian Duan Plains, where many rogue cultivators and black markets thrive. The Qinghun Grass, transported from various states, can be sold for a high price here.

Every major city in the Huo Yuan Province has teleportation arrays. Though expensive, they save a considerable amount of time.

Huo Yuan Province, Luchai City.

Outside the city, there was an old man leaning on a cane. He moved slowly, occasionally coughing, and after walking just a few steps, he would stop by the roadside to rest.

He looked up at the city and sighed softly. On the ten-meter-high city wall, there were only cultivators guarding it, while no one was stationed at the wide city gate.

The gate was bustling with cultivators coming and going, with many spirit beasts around. Seeing this scene, his eyes dimmed. If only he had spiritual roots.

At that moment, his attention was drawn to a gray-clad man leading a black ox slowly along the road. Beneath the ox's belly, there was… a red dog?!

The man’s eyes narrowed slightly, a faint smile on his lips as he gently held the ox's head.

The big black ox gave a low moo, its eyes calm and honest, with nothing particularly special about it.

The red dog under its belly trembled slightly, its eyes half-closed, silently chanting in its mind, "You can't see me, you can't see me..."

They were making their way into the city. The townspeople here clearly had a high standard of living. The city was filled with noise, and the wide, flat streets could accommodate five carriages side by side.

Chen Xun looked astonished. In The Great Li Realm, the city was home to both ordinary people and cultivators. The commoners didn't seem surprised when they saw cultivators, merely showing respect to the powerful.

But there was no mention of immortals. The ordinary cultivators of The Great Li Realm did not display a superior attitude towards the common folk, and they seemed to coexist harmoniously.

In The Great Li Realm, only Nascent Soul cultivators were worthy of the title "Immortal." Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators were merely considered stronger mortals.

Furthermore, The Great Li Realm had strict laws regarding cultivators. Those who disturbed the city's order or wantonly slaughtered innocent mortals would be executed without mercy!

There were many wanted lists from the various sects across the states, all filled with the spiritual imprints of evil cultivators. If encountered, they were to be killed without question.

As Chen Xun journeyed, he realized that in the cultivation world, regardless of the place, there wasn't a clear division between righteousness and demonic paths, though there were many different schools of thought.

However, evil cultivators were like rats crossing the street—everyone wanted to kill them. The world was vast, but there was no place for them to hide.

Two hours later.

They sat crouched at the corner of a wall, watching the passersby. Their minds were connected through spiritual transmission.

"Old Ox, Little Red, The Great Li Realm is too vast. We need to take our time planning everything."

"Moo!"

"Brother Xun, Brother Ox, I'll follow your lead."

Little Red squeezed between Chen Xun and the big black ox, his heart racing so fast it seemed like it would burst out of his chest, and he nearly buried his head into the ground.

"We have several major goals in coming to The Great Li Realm." Chen Xun’s gaze was calm as he looked at the bun shop across from him. "First, we need to learn the method of using the teleportation arrays, the method for advancing to the Nascent Soul stage, and the Buddhist teachings on merit. We might as well learn some mantras like the Rebirth Mantra and the Great Compassion Mantra along the way. The most important thing, though, is to go out to sea to fish and gather information about the banks of the Heavenly River."

"Moo moo!"

The big black ox's eyes sparkled, and it nudged Chen Xun excitedly. Everything suddenly became clear in its mind.

"Brother Xun, Brother Ox... you're both aiming for great things." Little Red's pupils shrank. He didn't fully understand but was deeply shocked. "I can only bow in admiration."

Clang clang~~

While they were still discussing the future, a passerby shook his head and tossed a few copper coins at them. Even in times like this, they were still wearing patched-up linen clothes.

Upon closer inspection, the man’s shoes also had several patches. With a broken straw hat hanging on his back, crouching at the corner with a rustic old ox and a mutated dog, he indeed looked like a beggar from The Great Li Realm.

"What the—?!"

"Moo?!"

"Roar!"

They were shocked, staring in disbelief at the passerby, but the latter just smiled lightly and left gracefully, as if to say, "No need to thank me."

Chen Xun and the big black ox exchanged looks, dumbfounded. Little Red, on the other hand, picked up the copper coins, wiping them off, having never seen such things before.

"Hahaha…"

"Moo moo~~"

The two of them burst into laughter, while Little Red inspected the copper coins, having heard that they could be used to buy things.

"Brother Xun, Brother Ox, this feels pretty good." Little Red's eyes widened slightly as if discovering a money-making path. "If we beg in front of the cultivators, wouldn't they give us spirit stones?"

"Moo!" The big black ox stretched out its hoof and smacked Little Red on the head. Don’t you care about our dignity?!

"Heh heh, Brother Ox, I was just saying."

Little Red shrank his head, almost getting carried away, and then began glancing around cautiously. He was very curious, as this was his first time in such a vast city.

Chen Xun was deep in thought. The big black ox glanced at him, not wanting to disturb him, and it began watching the street with Little Red.

The people of The Great Li Realm wore fine clothes, exuding a sense of confidence as they walked. None of them seemed timid.

Passing cultivators and commoners hardly interacted, maintaining a quiet mutual understanding.

"Let's go, we'll take the teleportation array."

"Moo~"

"Brother Ox, wait for me!"

They quickly stood up. Little Red, reacting a step slower, hurriedly hid under the big black ox’s belly, feeling nervous at the sight of the cultivators.

He only felt safe near the big black ox and stuck close by its side, never leaving it.

They continued forward, spending over a dozen low-grade spirit stones to gather information. The teleportation array was located in the city center, and it only connected to the giant city of Huo Yuan Province, where there were larger teleportation arrays connecting to the other major states.

Within the state, low-grade spirit stones were typically used for teleportation, but to teleport between major states, mid-grade spirit stones were required as a starting point!

In the center of Luchai City stood an ancient grand hall, surrounded by several small towers filled with Foundation Establishment cultivators in meditation.

There were arrays nearby to monitor spiritual power, and this place was forbidden to mortals—only cultivators were allowed. Any trespassers who died had no one to speak for them; there was no reasoning with the rules.

Chen Xun, the big black ox, and Little Red stepped into the hall. There were many cultivators inside, and various strange formations were in operation.

Every now and then, several cultivators appeared, their gazes cold. It was clear they were headed to the Tian Duan Plains.

Chen Xun swept the hall with his spiritual sense and noticed two early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators guarding it.

From the information they had gathered, the teleportation arrays of Huo Yuan Province were actually monopolized by a powerful organization called the Ling Shu Trading Association.

This association had immense power, but no one seemed to know exactly how large it was, not even those they asked.

"Let's go."

Chen Xun’s gaze fell on a middle-aged Foundation Establishment cultivator. There were more than a dozen teleportation arrays in the grand hall, yet it didn’t feel crowded. They walked towards one of the arrays on the edge.

"Senior!" The middle-aged man’s gaze sharpened, and he bowed respectfully, unable to discern the true cultivation level of Chen Xun or the big black ox. The only thing he could tell was that the red dog seemed to be at the Foundation Establishment stage.