Eternal Tale

Outside the Ancient City of True Spirits.

A desolate land stretched out, withered grass and fallen leaves rustling in the wind.

Chen Xun and Black Bull walked expressionlessly along the rugged path, as if they had been treading this way for millennia.

They remained silent, and for the first time, Chen Xun did not utter any grand philosophies or comforting words to Black Bull. He neither deceived it nor himself.

For the first time, his heart was as calm as still water, without a single crack.

Even when the boundary was destroyed, Chen Xun’s words were still deceiving everyone.

In just a few decades, it felt like an eternity had passed, as if he was drowning in the deep sea, the water rising above his neck, yet unable to break free...

The cycle of life might exist, or it might not, but that person was no longer him. Their pursuit was meaningless, and their pasts were equally so.

At this moment, Chen Xun’s eyes transformed, the Five Elements Immortal Eyes swirling within, gradually covering the human pupils.

His immortal eyes were indifferent to all things, devoid of emotion, completely severing the ties of the past that spanned ten thousand years. A black and white mystical pattern formed on his brow.The destruction of the boundary was simply destruction. The passing of old friends was simply passing. What was missed was simply missed.

Chen Xun’s hemp clothes and bamboo hat gradually faded away, replaced by a black robe that covered his body.

His pupils revealed a resolute coldness, devoid of any emotion, only filled with reason.

”Moo...” Black Bull let out a low moo, its eyes lifeless, slowly turning to Chen Xun.

”Bull, after living for so many years, some things don’t need me to guide you anymore. You’ll figure it out on your own.”

Chen Xun spoke calmly, standing on the desolate land. ”Now, we must move forward without looking back, at all costs and by any means, to compete for immortality!”

He took a deep breath, pulling out a small booklet he had written on the coast of Trash Island after the boundary’s destruction, casting a deep gaze at the sky.

The sky was filled with the dense power of the Great Dao, and ominous signs frequently appeared in the void. Many powerful beings who had proven their Dao in the Wild Heaven Region were falling, a celestial phenomenon in the eyes of the Tribulation Crossing Venerable.

A precursor to the great chaos of heaven and earth!

”Moo.” Black Bull nudged Chen Xun, its mood exceptionally low, indifferent to the chaos of the grand world and the extinction of life.

Yet, its entire being exuded a steadfast aura, unwaveringly standing by Chen Xun’s side.

Whether or not there was reincarnation in the world, whether old friends would return, the eldest brother was right beside it!

Black Bull snorted heavily, its aura growing stronger, temporarily putting aside its thoughts. The path, more or less, was fraught with misfortune, like the long road of cultivating immortality.

Its gaze gradually shifted to the distance, its hooves lightly lifting.

”Bull.”

”Moo...”

”You can always trust the eldest brother.”

Chen Xun uttered softly, a black and white axe strapped to his back. ”The era of great chaos is coming. When the time is right, we are no longer cultivators swept along by the great tide.”

”Moo!”

”Let’s go.”

”Moo!”

Buzz—

The qi of the Five Elements surged in all directions, and the two figures vanished from the desolate land without leaving a trace.

...

Deep within a mountain range, inside a thatched hut.

Frog Daoist’s eyelids twitched, and he immediately flashed outside the hut, no longer daring to step onto its roof alone.

That young one had once said, if you dare step on the roof of this Dao Ancestor’s hut today, will you dare step on Bull’s head tomorrow?!

Frog Daoist didn’t want to argue, knowing that since then, he had become incredibly well-behaved.

”Ribbit~”

Frog Daoist croaked on the ground, his pupils shrinking slightly as he watched the two figures approaching. Why did that young one seem like a different person, as if possessed?!

”Frog, come with me.”

Chen Xun said, grabbing the thin rope around Frog Daoist’s neck and dragging him into the hut. Frog Daoist’s expression was one of indignation; this was a great humiliation!

Inside the hut, Frog Daoist lay on the table, his cheeks puffing up.

”I heard you’ve glimpsed immortals?” Chen Xun asked expressionlessly.

”Indeed...” Frog Daoist stared at Chen Xun, a chill rising in his heart. Something was off; those eyes... he had seen them in a few others!

They were all figures of great slaughter, pillars of their races, with dead hearts and eyes indifferent to all things, filled with absolute reason, untouched by emotion.

This was a true monster of the immortal path. Had this young one become like this after leaving for a few decades?! Frog Daoist’s heart trembled. Impossible, what had this kid been through...

”Do you know how to become immortal? Is there a method to become immortal in this world?”

Chen Xun ignored Frog Daoist’s strange expression, asking on his own, ”Can a single law cultivated to its extreme glimpse the path to immortality?”

Black Bull lay quietly beside Chen Xun, its eyes bright. The Chen family was erupting in battle in the Water Nether Cave Heaven, and members from all sides were gathering there.

This place held the water essence of the Five Elements, a treasure worth fighting for, and only in a place like the Wild Heaven Region, where the power of the Great Dao was so abundant, could such a thing be born.

Its gaze grew distant, its attention not on Frog Daoist.

”Immortal.”

Frog Daoist’s voice trembled, clicking his tongue. ”Who knows... The path of Tribulation Crossing is one walked alone. The strength of laws, is this era already set in stone?”

”No.” Chen Xun replied calmly. ”Is there no method to become immortal?”

”Dao Essence!”

Frog Daoist suddenly said firmly, ”Engrave the Dao Essence into the world, be protected and acknowledged by the heavens and earth, and you may glimpse the immortal gate.”

”What was your cultivation level before?”

Chen Xun squinted slightly. There was something wrong with this frog; it had a chaotic space hidden within, deeply concealed. It seemed the spatial Dao of that White Spirit beast was taught by this frog.

As soon as he finished speaking, Frog Daoist sneered, his eyes revealing a look of disdain. ”Not to boast, but this Daoist was once a mid-stage Tribulation Crossing cultivator. With a single word, the grand world would tremble, and all beings would bow.”

”Oh.” Chen Xun responded indifferently, his eyes showing no surprise.

”Young one, is that your reaction?!” Frog Daoist’s eyes showed displeasure. ”If I’m not mistaken, you’ve just entered Tribulation Crossing, right? Can you control the laws of heaven and earth to form an immortal Dao domain?”

”I can.”

”......”

Frog Daoist fell silent. This young one seemed impervious to persuasion. He changed his tone, ”The path to immortality and cultivating Dao Essence are equally elusive, with no shortcuts and no reference methods.”

”Reaching late-stage Tribulation Crossing is already considered an extraordinary feat in the Three Thousand Great Worlds. White Spirit is at this stage, and this Daoist is slightly lacking.”

Frog Daoist spoke eloquently, inadvertently revealing some senior demeanor. ”In the Era of great slaughter among the myriad clans, becoming immortal could protect a great clan from extinction. But to go further, it depends on planning and strategy.”

”It seems immortals of the grand world aren’t omnipotent.”

”Of course, but those who become immortal have a lifespan of at least a hundred thousand years, existing on a different level from other beings. Yet, most haven’t lived past a hundred thousand years, alas...”

”Why?”

”That’s a taboo beyond this Daoist’s reach. The power of immortals might exceed the limits of what the Three Thousand Great Worlds can bear. They all hold their positions and rarely act.”

Frog Daoist frowned and shook his head. Thinking back, he hadn’t really seen an immortal battle. ”Perhaps beings of their level no longer compete in duels, but seek higher things.”

He fell into contemplation. Even during the Era of great slaughter among the myriad clans, when the heavens and earth were shattered, no immortal came to dominate eternity and suppress the world. What were they doing...

Or had they all returned to their true selves, roaming the heavens, seeking a higher immortal path?!

Nonsense... If he, Frog Daoist, became immortal, the first thing he’d do is take on the ancient human clans of the Boundless Great World, turning the world upside down. Let’s see who dares to stop him.