Eternal Tale
chapter-61

His foundational pill remained unused because, for those with mediocre aptitude, there was a considerable risk of failure when using a foundational pill.

"Moo," the big black ox said, nodding heavily. It had been looking forward to this day for a long time, and it walked to another cave entrance with a storage bag in its mouth.

Chen Xun squinted his eyes, summoned his sword, and flew through the waterfall. He wanted to keep watch outside to be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances.

They were engulfed in immense busyness every day. Chen Xun continued to study alchemy and control the alchemical fire. It was well known that the strength of the Qi Refining stage was insufficient to refine these centuries-old elixirs.

There were two main reasons for this. First, the purity of the alchemical fire was insufficient, and second, these elixirs were too precious to be squandered. In just a hundred years, the art of alchemy could consume a lifetime. In the Qi Refining stage, it was impossible to achieve this.

...

Time flew by, relentlessly aging everyone. Six years had passed.

The sect received many joyful news stories. Some inner disciples had successfully used foundational pills to advance, and there were even individuals with extraordinary talents who didn't need foundational pills and broke through the tenth level of Qi Refining directly, achieving foundational success!

It was rumored that one of the peak masters had received a girl with a Heaven's Spirit Root while traveling outside, causing a sensation throughout the Five Elements Sect. All the prominent figures came out and personally welcomed her.

They even prepared a grand induction ceremony for her. However, ordinary outer disciples like them were excluded and could only secretly envy.

Heaven's Spirit Root individuals had a smooth path to the Golden Core stage, with limitless potential. They were considered the sect's treasures, and all the elders and peak masters protected her, never revealing her in public.

Most people didn't even know what she looked like. People who could cultivate to the Golden Core stage weren't fools.

These reports were enough to inspire countless disciples. The future of the Five Elements Sect was promising, and their sense of belonging to the sect grew stronger. This was their true home.

In an ordinary herb valley, there was a man and an ox. They were the unnoticed contributors to the sect every year, keeping a low profile.

Cluck, cluck, cluck...

Behind the waterfall in the herb valley, there was a chicken coop. Chen Xun was feeding the chickens, and the big black ox held the feed bucket.

There were over twenty mountain chickens and many chicks, all of them well-fed and laying eggs with double yolks, which were extremely delicious.

In Chen Xun's words, for sustainable development, hunting every day would one day deplete the wild animals in the mountains, which would be detrimental to their virtue. Raising their own livestock was a better option.

"Old ox, our Five Elements Sect is getting stronger again. Life is getting better," Chen Xun said with joy while spreading the feed, "With a Heaven's Spirit Root, maybe it'll only take her a few years to reach the Golden Core stage."

"Moo," the big black ox, also wagged its tail joyfully, hoping that all Heaven's Spirit Root individuals would come to the Five Elements Sect.

For them, the so-called talent meant nothing. They were in the Qi Refining stage. People from their generation might already be in the Golden Core stage, but that was not their concern. They didn't have any enmity.

When they were in the small village, there might already be someone who had reached the pinnacle of the Dao. Constant comparisons and competition only made them uncomfortable. They weren't like Long Aotian, who attracted mockery wherever he went.

"However, with greater power comes greater responsibility, and these predecessors are also under a lot of pressure as they lead our Five Elements Sect forward," Chen Xun said with a calm smile as he finished feeding the animals, "These years, I've heard that some small sects were annihilated, and even their mountain gates were destroyed, so our sect sent many people to investigate."

"Moo," the big black ox nodded solemnly. Both in the mortal world and the cultivation world, conflicts and battles were everywhere. Every year, many outer disciples who served the sect lost their lives.

"Our strength is limited, and we don't like attracting too much attention. We can contribute to the sect by peacefully cultivating spirit fields," Chen Xun said.

Chen Xun smiled and said, "My mindset has become much calmer now, no longer as restless as before, like an impulsive young lad."

"Farewell, old ox. Today, I'm planning to open the furnace for alchemy. Let's see who dares not to show me some respect!"

"Moo~~"

With a thud, the big black ox set down the feed, scaring the mountain chickens in the coop and wondering who would survive.

Over these six years, they had finally accumulated enough Lifespan Points to max out their mana, and now they had 20, providing quite an exaggerated boost to their spells.

They had even tried once. If they unleashed their alchemical fire with full power, the cauldron would have melted.

Moreover, the alchemical fire of the Qi Refining stage was originally a small crimson flame. If they didn't control it, it would already turn pale and become extremely cold, undergoing a qualitative change.

The Small Fireball Technique was even more exaggerated. The deafening roar from last year, with fireballs falling like meteors, could have severely damaged the restrictions in the herb valley if they hadn't stopped it in time.

"Old ox, we can finally try that defense now."

"Moo~"

"Hehe, I hope it won't be like us being impervious to swords and spears. With chests as strong as rocks, we might have the potential to become the world's greatest performers. Haha..."

"Moo~~"

Laughter filled the herb valley, and they disappeared into their secret base by the waterfall.

In another part of the cave, there were formations set up by the big black ox. If something unexpected happened, it could control them remotely and destroy the elixirs inside without leaving a trace.

Moreover, in a location that no one would ever think of, they had planted seeds of elixir herbs as a backup.

"Moo~" The big black ox softly called and stood upright. It made a peculiar gesture with its two hooves, revealing the entrance of the cave, which was filled with various foundational elixirs, enough to drive someone insane.

At this moment, Chen Xun stood quite far away, constantly looking outside. He was somewhat nervous about the big black ox's formations. Many places in the herb valley were arranged with formations, and he had suffered quite a bit from them.

"Moo~"

"They're here."

Chen Xun's eyes were like lightning as he watched the various foundational elixirs placed inside the cave. All the main ingredient elixirs were over three hundred years old, clear and radiant, continuously emanating spiritual energy.

"Old ox, keep an eye on things. You've already learned the Art of Sword Control, and I need to activate the sensing formation when the time comes."

"Moo~" The big black ox nodded and also took out a celestial sword from its storage bag, a sword that Chen Xun had replaced for it. It looked at the sword with great appreciation before taking flight with it.

A cauldron hovered in the air, and Chen Xun used his Manipulation Technique. While others in the Qi Refining stage could manipulate one object, he could manipulate over a hundred objects with a very small mana consumption.

"Heavenly Rainbow Fruit, Moon Order Fruit."

Chen Xun murmured, and a fireball rose from his hand, constantly dividing into five fireballs. If someone else saw this, it would surely astonish them. The fireball could split and be manipulated like this.

"Each elixir has different properties, and the temperature and technique for alchemical fire vary greatly. I haven't had a master teach me the experience, so I can only experiment continuously."

Chen Xun's finger techniques were graceful. The Heavenly Rainbow Fruit soared into the cauldron, and an hour later, as expected, it turned into a useless mess.

His face twitched, and he felt a pang of heartache. He picked up a small book and recorded the feelings from just now, making adjustments and revisions without any haste.