Eternal Tale
chapter-59

“Why are you in such a hurry, old ox? I specifically brought you a copy of the _Comprehensive Basics of Formation Arrays_.” Giving the black ox a hearty pat to snap it out of its trance, Chen Xun led it inside.

"Moo? Moo moo~~" With a jolt, the black ox started hopping in place joyfully, clearly pleased with the trade.

"Basics of Alchemy; Basics of Five Elements Concealment Techniques; Comprehensive Basics of Formation Arrays; Comprehensive Basics of Rune Crafting; Comprehensive Basics of Treasures of Heaven and Earth..." Chen Xun let out a chuckle as he held the precious texts.

These texts were purely foundational and at a merely basic level; however, they were still only available inside the sect and couldn’t be purchased outside.

They were preserved in the sect's archives, and the disciples could exchange their points for them.

In addition to these books, Chen Xun had brought four pieces of refined iron, a high-quality forging furnace, and materials for crafting inscriptions: pens, ink, and paper.

The black ox was completely absorbed in its daydreams. It imagined itself mastering formations and sealing mountains with a wave of its hoof.

Two muffled booms ripped through their dreams as a massive tree shook, swayed, and rattled outside, with a volley of leaves raining down

"Wow, what's wrong with this tree? It suddenly grew in the middle of the path!"

"Moo, moo!!"

"Well, whatever. Forget it, old ox. Let’s go back."

"Moo~"

The two of them complained as they walked away, unwilling to get into trouble on this otherwise delightful day.

Back at the medicinal herb garden, the big black ox clutched the _Comprehensive Basics of Formation Arrays_ and delved into its study, while Chen Xun took out the _Basics of Alchemy_ and started reading.

Alchemy and forging were very similar in terms of having high requirements for materials as well as their need for spiritual energy; however, there were also many differences.

Suddenly, the black ox, who was studying near Chen Xun a moment ago, hopped on its feet, bolted towards Chen Xun, and pointed at several sections in the book with its hoof.

"You want to buy formation flags?" Chen Xun asked.

"Moo~"

"Once you learn, I'll buy them for you. But first, master the basics." Chen Xun extended his hand, palm up. "Give me some melon seeds."

"Moo, moo~~" Jumping in excitement, the black ox gave him a bunch of melon seeds and retreated to the corner again, enthusiastically reading.

Chen Xun munched on the seeds as he read.

The more he read, the more his breath turned heavy. The art of crafting absolutely overturned the many years he had accumulated doing ironwork. The amount of spiritual energy control needed in order to mold materials was staggering, and the materials used had to be of excellent quality; additionally, one had to be incredibly precise.

His eyes drifted towards the greenish twin-eared cauldron in front of him, and he lovingly patted it. "Can you help me bring my forging skills right to the Immortal World, my precious baby?"

"Moo~"

The big black ox trotted over, its eyes filled with anticipation. It had learned every single word in the book and was eager to begin applying its newfound knowledge. Although these were fundamental techniques, they were still deep and profound.

And so, the man and ox settled back into their peaceful lives.

They had heard that the elders of the Alchemy Hall were quite satisfied with their medicinal herb garden and kept praising Chen Xun as an excellent farmer who was willing to endure solitude.

The people from the sect refrained from disturbing them, for their hard work managing the garden was a great contribution to the sect.

With that, time passed.

Chen Xun and the black ox were so utterly engrossed in their work that they hardly noticed the time passing. There was a lot to do.

They kept allocating their points to Spiritual Energy.

Half a year ago, an elder from the Alchemy Hall personally delivered a glossy black Foundation Establishment Pill and offered a few words of encouragement. He commended Chen Xun for his excellent job managing the medicinal herb garden.

The elder implied that he should continue to work tirelessly for the sect. They needed dedicated, patient individuals like him who could withstand solitude.

A single tear escaped Chen Xun’s eyes as he accepted the pill from the elder. He then told him that his sect was his home and that he would not disappoint them.

The elder was pleased with his response and even shared a few insights of his own on cultivating herbs. He had also painted him a rosy picture, promising that if Chen Xun successfully achieved foundation building, he could gain access to the sect's true herb garden, which was on a completely different level from this one.

Feeling grateful, Chen Xun even brought out the Suona horn and bid farewell to the elder.

This year, they didn't go directly to the Contribution Hall to exchange their points but instead kept two thousand Contribution Points in reserve for emergencies.

Even if the sect master came down personally and begged and flattered them to spend these points, he still wouldn’t. In this matter, he was unwavering and wouldn't be swayed by words of honey. Yes, it was absolutely impossible.

"Right to the Contribution Hall! Charge!"

Well…Chen Xun had wanted to hold his ground, but he crumbled in the face of the black ox’s incessant requests.

"Moo~ Moo~" The big black ox opened its mouth and wagged its tail.

"Old ox, you can get what you want today. With these two thousand Contribution Points, getting a few formation flags should be a piece of cake."

"Moo?"

"When you decide what else you need, I'll get it for you in one go."

After a moment's thought, Chen Xun added, "I don't have the time to study formations at the moment. I've heard that setting up formations also requires diverse materials."

"Moo~ Moo~" The black ox jumped around happily, its eyes forming crescent shapes.

"Let's go, my old friend, and spend some points." Chen Xun grabbed its reins and hurried to the Contribution Hall.

They went ahead and exchanged their Contribution Points for formation flags, formation stones, and basic materials. In total, they spent about a thousand Contribution Points.

Chen Xun also decided not to participate in the sect's grand competition this year. He didn't want to torment the junior disciples any longer. Besides, they had already achieved their goals. If they caused widespread dissatisfaction among the junior disciples, they would become the targets of criticism.

………

Back at the medicinal herb garden, inside their cave residence.

"Old ox, take a look at these materials; they're completely different from the ordinary ones found outside!"

Chen Xun squinted as he examined the many materials on the ground. "They naturally contain spiritual energy. In the future, we shouldn't miss any of these when we come across them."

"Moo~" The big black ox nodded earnestly. Not that it had mastered formations, it wanted to study the book _Comprehensive Basics of Treasures of Heaven and Earth_."

"Old ox, you go ahead and do your thing. I'll continue with my forging."

"Moo!"

"Forging is profound, and there are still many problems when it comes to refining materials," Chen Xun muttered as he wrote and drew in a new notebook. This year, he had used many rocks from the herb garden for forging, but he didn't dare touch the refined iron yet.

He had proved that consistent hard work could make up for a lack of innate talent. Time could be used in any way one wished.

One person and one ox were once again busy in the herb garden. Chen Xun occasionally smashed some rocks and took them back to the cave to forge. The big black ox took care of the spiritual herbs and practiced formation arrays.

However, they didn't have any natural talent for formations and forging, so they had to study diligently day by day.

Every evening, they enjoyed their sky-sailing adventures, regardless of wind and rain. Chen Xun controlled their altitude and speed, feeling the beauty of the world. It filled his heart with tranquility.

But one day, they were caught by a disciple from the Law Enforcement Hall named Le Feng. He confiscated their Immortal Sword and gave them a stern lecture in a small forest. Chen Xun and the big black ox sat on the ground with remorse.

Thankfully, Chen Xun admitted his mistake sincerely, acknowledging that he shouldn't have wasted time on trivial matters. Le Feng finally returned their Immortal Sword to them.

Le Feng even offered to help if they had any cultivation issues, as he was their senior. Chen Xun nonchalantly asked a few forging-related questions, and Le Feng provided answers. He considered these basic queries, and then, he lectured them about not wasting time on forging.

This time, Chen Xun and the big black ox were at a loss and shouted that they had been wrong. Le Feng finally let them go.

This year, Chen Xun and the big black ox were overshadowed by Le Feng's constant presence, but they kept accumulating their Immortal Points in spiritual energy. They also made a trip to the Sect's main hall to collect 200 Contribution Points.