Eternal Tale

”Moo!” The big black ox gave Chen Xun a hefty slap on the back. Why does the painting look so odd?

“Damn you, Ximen Black Ox! Are you questioning my artistic skill?!” Chen Xun glared, a hint of anger flashing in his eyes. He sipped his herbal tea nonchalantly. “This painting is still a work in progress. Why are you in such a rush?”

The big black ox’s gaze held discontent. It always looked so strange in Chen Xun’s paintings—not majestic at all!

Wouldn’t the others look down on Ximen Black Ox if they saw this?

“Brother Xun, this lightning looks off. Why does it resemble a black line?” Little Red, seriously analyzing the painting, chimed in. “And the divine mountain—why does it look like, um, that?”

He didn’t know much about Chen Xun’s painting skills, but the strokes seemed a bit… casual, to say the least.

As Little Red continued to study the painting, a shadow loomed behind him, blurry and indistinct, but with a pair of ghostly eyes staring fixedly at him.

“Brother Xun, look at—” Before Little Red could finish, a chilling, soul-shaking sensation swept over him. His scalp tingled as he stiffly raised his head. “Ahhh!”

“Moo~~” The big black ox shook its head as it watched Little Red being beaten again. He still doesn’t understand Chen Xun. Brother Xun is a man of pride and dignity.

Even the big black ox didn’t dare to critique Chen Xun’s art directly. The best it could say was that his painting skills were about as refined as his singing.

After another round of scolding and punches, Little Red finally settled down. He sat quietly, trembling slightly, glancing at the big black ox, who returned the look knowingly—no words were needed.

The next day,

Satisfied with his masterpiece, Chen Xun carefully rolled up the painting and called out, “Brothers, set sail!”

“Moo~~!” The big black ox waved the Five Elements Formation Flag, and the massive ship began absorbing the surrounding elemental energy as it moved forward.

As they approached the divine mountain, it became evident that the direction indicated by their token was behind the mountain, not within it.

On the sea, countless cultivators were locked in bloody battle. The sea beasts, drawn by the mystical energy of the secret realm, showed no restraint as they absorbed the essence of heaven and earth.

Only a few could scale the mountain, which was fraught with perils, including lightning beasts. Even after countless years, less than one-thousandth of its mysteries had been explored.

Suddenly, a massive column of water surged into the sky, brimming with a terrifying aura. Two gigantic tentacles emerged from the water.

“Retreat!!” The cultivators shouted in panic. Some fled to the skies, others scrambled aboard warships, while the unlucky ones were struck by lightning and turned to ash.

This chaotic scene was ever-present. The dark sea grew increasingly crimson, the air filled with streaks of spiritual energy and killing intent.

The massive ship cut a faint shadow through the sky. Chen Xun and his group coldly observed the carnage below, neither moving nor inclined to intervene. They had always avoided unnecessary involvement.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Several late-stage Golden Core cultivators, clad in luxurious sectrobes, flew toward them in panic. Their eyes betrayed fear, as the sea beast’s tentacles were beyond what Golden Core cultivators could handle.

“Senior Brother, something feels off,” one of them murmured.

“What’s wrong?”

“There’s something massive up ahead… breaking through the air.” A female cultivator squinted slightly, a premonition stirring in her heart. “And there’s a faint trace of a formation.”

The group stopped mid-air, frowning. Her intuition was not baseless—her cultivation technique granted her a unique sense of self-preservation.

But as they looked ahead, the dim skies and the Forbidden Sea’s suppression made their spiritual senses almost useless. They couldn’t detect anything.

Whoosh…

The wind shifted. Their pupils constricted—something had passed by!

“Who’s there?!”

Their fear spiked as they formed a defensive circle. Under the vast heavens, they seemed pitifully small. A bead of sweat rolled down the female cultivator’s forehead, falling toward the sea below.

The unknown is the true source of terror.

She was certain. Something had just passed by them…

“Senior Brothers, we must leave now!” Her chest heaved as her pupils shrank to pinpoints. “This place is wrong. Don’t linger!”

“Alright.” The group exchanged glances and nodded. In the Forbidden Sea, knowing too much often meant dying sooner.

On the ship.

Chen Xun glanced at the sect cultivators’ attire—crafted entirely from magical materials. Such extravagance! Back in the Five Elements Sect, they had never enjoyed such luxury.

The big black ox, on the other hand, was captivated by the divine mountain, its awe reflected in its bright eyes. It had even set up an incense burner to express reverence for the forces of heaven and earth.

Little Red, his fiery divine sense still focused on the sea, observed the tentacles that continued to stir the waters. He couldn’t discern what kind of sea beast lurked below, but it was undoubtedly terrifying.

He felt a sense of gratitude. Although their journey had been perilous, it had also been filled with extraordinary sights. Without immediate danger, their travels had been quite enjoyable.

Boom! Boom!

Thunder rolled across the heavens, oppressive and heavy. Lightning serpents writhed through the clouds.

Out of nowhere, a massive bolt of lightning descended at lightning speed, aimed directly at their ship!

Little Red’s fur stood on end, but before he could react, the big black ox had already leaped into action, stomping its hooves and charging into the sky.

“Moo!!” The big black ox roared in fury, its dense fur spreading across its entire body. Its hooves transformed into massive palms as it prepared to confront the lightning directly with its flesh and blood.

A towering black palm extended from the giant ship, its veins pulsing with increasing speed as the circulation of its qi surged. The energy of its boiling blood grew even more intense, enveloping the entire bolt of lightning.

Boom!

A deafening blast of white light erupted in the sky. The massive bolt of lightning was shattered, its energy scattering in all directions before dissipating into fragments of light, fading into the heavens.

“Who’s there?!”

“What just happened?!”

“Why did the lightning suddenly disperse?!”

Amid the chaotic skirmishes on the sea, some cultivators noticed the disturbance in the sky. Dodging the divine mountain’s lightning strikes was an essential skill for anyone venturing here.

Moments ago, a massive bolt had descended from the heavens, yet it had been inexplicably shattered into nothingness.

Those who witnessed it felt their hearts tremble. Such a powerful bolt—one even Nascent Soul cultivators dared not face—had simply vanished.

Some quietly retreated behind others, saying nothing, their eyes fixed on the sky. The event was far from accidental; some mysterious force was at play.

On the giant,

The big black ox stood on the deck, letting out soft ”moo” sounds. Its hooves crackled faintly, still carrying remnants of the lightning’s destructive power.

But as the Five Elements Divine Light emerged, the destructive energy of the lightning was swiftly dispersed, leaving its body unscathed.

“Brother Ox… you’re incredible,” Little Red murmured, his gaze dazed. “That was heavenly lightning… and you dispersed it with brute force.”

“How are you feeling, old ox?” Chen Xun asked.

“Moo-moo!” The big black ox exhaled hot air through its nostrils, signaling that Chen Xun didn’t need to worry. Compared to the trials they’d faced, this lightning wasn’t even close.

“Haha, not bad, Old Ox. You’re only three steps behind me!” Chen Xun remarked with hands clasped behind his back, then suddenly shouted, “Damn it, stop posing! Get over here!”

“Moo~~” The big black ox chuckled and trotted over to Chen Xun.

Little Red watched the banter between Chen Xun and the ox. A shadow crossed his eyes as he realized just how formidable his two elder brothers were. Every time he thought he’d seen their full strength, reality reminded him otherwise. They had never truly unleashed their full power.

He looked down at his claws, his expression unreadable. I don’t want to be a burden. I, too, have cards up my sleeve that I’ve never revealed.

“Hey, Little Red, what are you daydreaming about?” Chen Xun’s large hand suddenly grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. “Jealous of your ox brother?”

“Moo-moo~~” The Big black ox playfully smacked Little Red. Everyone starts weak before becoming strong.

“No, Brother Xun,” Little Red replied with a sheepish grin. “I just don’t want to hold you back.”

“You’re overthinking it. Your ox brother’s horns were snapped off once. Wasn’t he weaker than you back then?”

“Moo?!”

The big black ox snorted indignantly, nudging Chen Xun with its head. “Moo-moo?!”

“Hahaha…” Chen Xun laughed, hugging the ox’s head. He quickly changed the subject. “Let’s go, let’s go.”

Little Red perched on Chen Xun’s back, his face softening as he looked toward the distant divine mountain and the lightning-filled sky. They didn’t seem as intimidating as before.

Buzz—

Boom! Boom!The area around the divine mountain became an endless sea of lightning, spreading in all directions. The oppressive aura of destruction was suffocating.

Darkness intertwined with white light as a massive ship slowly advanced toward the depths beside the divine mountain.

The big black ox’s formation could no longer contain the lightning. Bolts of earth-shattering lightning tore through the heavens, surging toward the ship attempting to cross the lightning’s domain.

Storm clouds churned, and the world was bathed in blinding light. The massive ship revealed its full form, a towering black-and-white tree swaying against the heavens.

“Look at the sky! There’s something next to the divine mountain!”

“No—it’s a giant ship!”

“Someone’s trying to traverse the divine mountain?! Who would dare take such a risk?”

A wave of exclamations and commotion swept across the sea as cultivators retreated hundreds of meters, seeking safety while staring at the majestic sight near the divine mountain.

Even the ferocious sea beasts poked their heads above the waves, their eyes filled with curiosity at the presence of life in that forbidden region.

In the distance, a solitary ship drifted amidst the sea of lightning. Against the backdrop of the divine mountain, it seemed both insignificant and unwavering, defying the raging storms of the Forbidden Sea and the wrath of the lightning.

Unafraid and unyielding, it pressed onward into the heart of the lightning sea.

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