Eternal Tale
chapter-97

Between heaven and earth, life is like a traveler on a distant journey.

The fiery sun approached the horizon, and suddenly a vast expanse of fiery red glow lit up the sky, overflowing with faint and profound beauty.

On Sunset Avenue.

A young man was riding a black ox madly charging on the road, the speed was so fast that it stirred up waves of sand, and there was a continuous pleasant jingling sound.

They passed through fields, crossed rivers, and countless passing villagers were amazed at the sight of this black ox.

It was much more powerful than their own old yellow ox.

On the galloping road, Chen Xun kept shouting with joy, "Wu Hu!!!"

"Moo, moo!"

The big black ox also excitedly kept yelling. It had been many years since they had galloped so freely and joyfully.

There was no disturbance, no restraint, and no direction; everything ahead was the road, and everything encountered was a surprise.

"Old ox, you understand!"

"Moo~~!"

As Chen Xun and the big black ox continued their cultivation, their speed gradually slowed down.

A shrewdness gleamed in the eyes of the big black ox. Although it was in the later stage of Foundation Building, now... it was only at the seventh level of Qi Refinement, and no one dared to cause trouble.

"Moo~" The big black ox turned its head triumphantly towards Chen Xun, then suddenly its eyes widened in shock!

Why did Chen Xun lose all his cultivation and become a mortal? It also looked at him in confusion.

"Old ox?"

Chen Xun frowned and said slowly, "Let's just be ordinary people instead of looking for cultivators. Did cultivators ever bother ordinary people? Everyone else is busy too."

"Moo~" The big black ox nodded. It had been in the cultivation world for a long time, and I wasn't used to it.

Its cultivation was also gradually declining, gradually becoming an ordinary black ox in the mortal world, and its magical power was no longer apparent.

Boom.

With a smile in his eyes, Chen Xun jumped down. He looked at the golden fields on both sides and walked slowly with the big black ox.

A map was spread out in mid-air, seemingly moving with them.

"Old ox, don't go near these blank areas. They are all the residences of cultivators."

Chen Xun said calmly, his gaze fixed on the map. "When the time comes, we'll find an ordinary deep mountain forest and cultivate the Golden Core first."

"I have a plan in mind. Look at the border between Zhiyang Prefecture and Kaiyang Prefecture. It's full of mountains, rivers, and no immortal sects."

"When the time comes, we'll scout around and observe. Safety first when traveling!"

"Moo~~"

The big black ox joyfully agreed. It still liked this feeling, being able to wander around with Chen Xun, wandering the world.

Now that they had the power to protect themselves, as long as they didn't associate with those cultivators, trouble would not find them.

"Let's go!"

"Moo~"

The two figures gradually disappeared into the fields, like the freedom of the wind and the casualness of rain.

...

Two months later, in an inconspicuous village in Zhiyang Prefecture, at the ancestral graves.

It was crowded with elders and villagers, all of them looking at a little Daoist priest and his ox with anticipation, their hands holding plenty of chicken, duck, and fish, their faces flushed with excitement.

"Please, Daoist priest, cast your spell."

"Daoist priest, there's a monster haunting our village, making us unable to sleep at night!"

"Please, Daoist priest!"

...

Hundreds of people exclaimed excitedly, speaking one after another, creating a noisy atmosphere.

But this little Daoist priest obviously had a high level of cultivation. His face was calm, and he was not moved. He slowly drew out a mountain-opening axe from his body.

Suddenly, all the villagers quieted down. They widened their eyes in astonishment. How could the Daoist priest have a mountain-opening axe?!

The little Daoist priest muttered incantations in his mouth, surrounded by swirling green smoke. Suddenly, he shouted loudly, and with a swing of his mountain-opening axe...

"Let it explode!"

Boom...

The tombstones in the ancestral graves directly exploded, and smoke rose from the pit, accompanied by a piercing scream.

"Moo!!" The demonic-expelling black ox continued to sway its bell, and the sharp, eerie shriek suddenly turned into roars and struggles.

Before long, it began to dissipate. The big black ox smirked crookedly. At the Qi Refinement stage, two little ghosts dared to show off in front of it, the mighty Big Black Ox... Wasn't this a case of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut?!

"The Daoist priest is mighty!"

"The Daoist priest is mighty indeed!"

...

The surrounding villagers cheered joyfully, bowing continuously with tears in their eyes, finally resolving this great trouble.

"Hahaha... folks, please, let's feast." The little Daoist priest supported the old village chief and laughed heartily. This person was none other than Chen Xun.

"Oh yes, quickly prepare for the Daoist priest!" The old village chief, excited, lifted his crutch and pointed at everyone. "We must not neglect the Daoist priest!"

"Yes, village chief!" The crowd shouted with vigor and hurried off in all directions.

"Daoist priest, please." The old village chief smiled gently, his eyes full of respect.

"Village chief, after you." Chen Xun smiled, bowing politely.

The whole village was bustling with excitement, like it was New Year's Day, with shouts echoing everywhere.

At the banquet, people constantly flattered Chen Xun; some even brought their children to inquire about apprenticeships, but he politely refused them all.

Finally, the old village chief couldn't bear it anymore and scolded everyone, admonishing them not to disturb the Daoist priest's meditation.

Helpless, the villagers began to drink heavily, relieved that the haunting incident was finally resolved.

Chen Xun also enjoyed the peace and quiet, picked up a few plates, and walked towards the distant corner with the big black ox.

"Moo, moo~"

"Old ox, let's taste the flavor of the dishes from Zhiyang Prefecture."

Chen Xun smiled, sitting on the ground, eating from one plate, and feeding the big black ox from another.

"Moo~" The big black ox exclaimed, its eyes shining brightly. It was really delicious, different from the taste Chen Xun made.

"Haha, old ox, the taste varies from place to place."

Chen Xun said as he ate, "We still have a lot to learn, take it slow, no rush."

"Moo~" The big black ox nodded with a smile and started eating again.

The two of them looked nothing like cultivators, more like beggars in the city, not even using chopsticks.

Just then, a little boy walked over quietly. He bent over ninety degrees, awkwardly bowed, and said, "Daoist priest, are you an immortal?"

"Huh?" Chen Xun and the big black ox were both stunned, with food still in their mouths, looking rather unkempt.

"Young man, you're thinking too much. Immortals are not like us."

Chen Xun suddenly laughed, and the big black ox grinned too. The pots and pans around them were quite conspicuous.

The little boy looked up. He had somewhat irregular features and didn't seem very bright.

He said crisply, "You are an immortal, aren't you? There's a haunting in our village, and the people from the Erya family can't solve it."

"Young man, have a seat." Chen Xun chuckled, "Why didn't you join the feast? I see there are a lot of people at the children's table."

The little boy was delighted and quickly sat down, but his eyes suddenly became dim. "They said I look strange... and won't play with me."

"Isn't that absurd?" Chen Xun took another bite and looked at the big black ox. "Right, old ox?"

"Moo~" The big black ox nodded earnestly. They were all humans, after all, and it also took a bite of the food.

"Daoist priest, don't you think I..."

"What's the big deal? You haven't done anything wrong, haven't stolen or robbed. Just ignore them."

Chen Xun said it casually, picking up a plate full of meat. "Here, young man, eat more meat and grow taller."

"Thank you, Daoist priest!" The little boy was so excited that he knocked his head on the ground. They didn't let him join the feast, and his stomach had been empty all this time.

The two of them, along with the ox, sat on the ground and ate, which was quite out of place compared to the lively atmosphere of the feast in the distance.