The Super Big White sped along like lightning.
Hong Yun reclined comfortably in the dog fur, chatting with Chen Song about amusing tales from the prehistoric world.
As Big White raced wildly, he occasionally twitched his nose, greedily inhaling the lingering scent of Ginseng Fruit drifting from Hong Yun. He was full of energy.
Suddenly, while running, Big White casually muttered, "Huh? Why is there a little sun stuck down there in the middle of nowhere? It's kind of dazzling, woof!"
He had said it without thinking, but Chen Song took notice.
"A little sun?" Chen Song curiously sat up from Big White's back and leaned over to look below.
On a sunlit mountainside below, a strange plant grew all alone.
It had a thick green stalk, topped with a huge golden disk surrounded by a ring of golden "petals." It seemed to slowly turn with the movement of the Sun Star in the sky. It really did resemble a miniature sun!
"Holy shit! A sunflower?!" Chen Song's eyes went round, and he nearly leaped off Big White's back in excitement!
"Sunflower seeds! It's sunflower seeds, brothers!"
Hong Yun was stunned by Chen Song's sudden excitement. He followed Chen Song's gaze and asked in puzzlement, "Oh? This thing is called a 'sunflower'? A fitting name. But... Chen Song, it is merely an ordinary plant, not a spiritual root, and it possesses no spiritual energy. It is useless for cultivation. Why are you so excited?"
He simply could not understand why Chen Song was more excited to see this thing than Ginseng Fruit.
"You don't understand, Senior! This is good stuff! It's no worse than Spirit Fruit!" Chen Song excitedly patted Big White's back. "Big White! Turn around! Go down! Hurry up! We've found treasure!"
Although Big White did not understand how an ordinary plant could count as treasure, Elder Brother had spoken. He immediately slammed on the brakes, drifted through the air, turned his dog head around, and dove toward the sunflower with the two people on his back.
After landing beside the sunflower, Chen Song jumped off Big White's back and circled the sunflower, which was taller than him, several times. Rubbing his hands together, his eyes gleamed as he muttered, "That's right! It's a sunflower! The sunflower seeds are secured! They look so plump!"
Hong Yun and Big White stared at him blankly.
Chen Song stretched out a finger, and the Wood Essence Qi within the Innate Five Elements Qi in his body slowly flowed out, nourishing the sunflower like the gentlest spring rain.
Under Hong Yun and Big White's astonished gazes, the sunflower visibly grew sturdier. The golden flower disk at its top swelled and ripened, its color deepening. It even began to faintly emit a distinctive dry fragrance that belonged to sunlight.
Chen Song carefully broke off the enormous flower disk. It felt satisfyingly heavy in his hands.
He activated his Fire Essence Qi again. With only the slightest release, he dried the sunflower seeds. Then he gently picked off a plump black-and-white striped seed, examined it closely before his eyes, and nodded in satisfaction.
Then, under Hong Yun and Big White's curious gazes, he put the sunflower seed into his mouth.
Crack!
The crisp sound was exceptionally clear.
Chen Song skillfully cracked open the shell with his teeth, spat out the two shell fragments, and chewed the fragrant, crunchy kernel inside. An expression of utter satisfaction and bliss appeared on his face!
"Mmm~~~! Yes! This is the flavor! I've missed it so much!" Chen Song was so moved that he nearly cried. He had never expected to be able to snack on sunflower seeds in the prehistoric world!
Hong Yun: ???
Big White: ???
The Qilin Ox, who had finally caught up: ???
Elder Brother was eating grass seeds? And enjoying them that much?
Little Master also liked eating grass... seeds?
"Pine Tree boy... y-you're eating that?" Hong Yun could not help asking. What was there to eat in that thing? It was not even as good as his pine nuts!
"Senior, you don't understand, do you?" Chen Song picked off several more sunflower seeds and handed them to Hong Yun and Big White.
"Come, come, try them! They're called sunflower seeds! The essence lies in the process of cracking them and in that roasted fragrance filling your mouth! They're an essential tool for passing time and chatting about gossip!"
Hong Yun took one skeptically. He tried to crack it with his teeth as Chen Song had done, but he could not get the hang of it—he was an innate godfiend, after all. How could he know how to do such delicate work? In the end, he lightly shook the shell open with mana, took out the kernel, and chewed it.
"Mmm... it does have... a unique flavor." Hong Yun nodded, acknowledging it, though he still felt it was more trouble than simply eating fruit flesh.
Big White was not so particular. He swallowed the several sunflower seeds Chen Song had given him, shells and all, crunching them loudly. Then his eyes lit up. "Woof! Fragrant! Crunchy! There isn't much spiritual energy, but it tastes good! Elder Brother, I want more!"
"Stupid dog! You have to spit out the shells!"
Chen Song laughed and scolded him, breaking off another small piece of the flower disk and handing it to him. "Crack them yourself!"
He also gave the Qilin Ox a small piece. The Qilin Ox was even less particular. He swallowed it in one bite, chewed a few times, and gulped it down. What was so tasty about it? There was no spiritual energy in it. What were they getting emotional over? Huge confusion covered his bovine face.
Big White had already shrunk down and hugged the flower disk. Using one dog paw to scoop up sunflower seeds and toss them into his mouth, he snorted, "A mountain pig can't appreciate fine grain."
Chen Song activated his Wood Essence Qi again, ripening all the surrounding wild, inconspicuous sunflowers. However, he did not dry them, since he still had to keep some as seeds!
After harvesting more than a dozen huge flower disks, he happily stored them all away. Then he had Big White transform into a giant dog bed again, and they resumed their airborne bed journey.
The weather was fine, and fluffy white clouds drifted lazily through the sky.
Yet one enormous white cloud was completely out of place among the others, darting rapidly between them. Behind it, a massive black object that seemed to be a dark cloud was also giving chase.
Looking more closely, those were no white and dark clouds at all. They were clearly Big White, swollen to the size of a small mountain with his fur streaming in the wind, carrying Chen Song and Hong Yun as he ran for his life.
And the black figure behind him, covered in flashing lightning and overflowing with rage as he desperately pursued them, was the unfortunate Qilin Ox!
"Awooo! You can't catch me, you can't catch me! Stupid cow, eat my dust! Woof, hahahaha!" As Big White sped along, he did not forget to turn around and verbally harass his pursuer. His enormous tail waved like a battle flag, and he looked unbearably smug.
"Moo!! Fat dog! Stinking dog! Dead dog! Once this mighty ox catches you, I'll make you regret it!" Lightning burst from the Qilin Ox's single leg as he pursued with all his might. Even the air blasting from his nostrils carried sparks of electricity. He was clearly furious.
Chen Song lounged comfortably in Big White's soft back fur, holding a handful of sunflower seeds and happily cracking them one after another. Daoist Hongyun also held a handful of sunflower seeds and was munching on them with relish.
"Tsk, tsk. Old Ox is pretty slow. Should we put him on a diet? When we get back, will Third Martial Uncle dislike him?" Chen Song spat out a sunflower seed shell, delighted to stir up trouble.
Daoist Hongyun imitated Chen Song and finally learned how to crack sunflower seeds. Savoring their distinctive roasted fragrance, he grinned from ear to ear. "Interesting, interesting! Chen Song, the two immortal pets you tamed are truly amusing. They're far more interesting than those unchanging discussions of the Dao! Hahaha!"
"Senior Hongyun, I'm taking this Qilin Ox back for Third Martial Uncle. He may look a little stupid, but tell me, wouldn't he be impressive as Third Martial Uncle's mount?"
Daoist Hongyun glanced at the lightning-wreathed Qilin Ox chasing behind them. "He is indeed impressive."
"What about this dog? Are you planning to give him to Fellow Daoist Taiching or Fellow Daoist Yuanshi?"
"No. I'm afraid Master and the others won't be able to resist stewing him."
With Big White's constant chatter, who besides Chen Song could stand him? Oh, Hong Yun could too!
Just as the dog and ox were having the time of their lives in their chase, an inconspicuous streak of light flew low along the foothills below.
Within that streak of light was a sharp-mouthed, monkey-faced cultivator with shifty eyes. He tightly clutched a jade bottle brimming with spiritual energy that he had just obtained, his face full of secret delight and panic.
"I'm rich, I'm rich! I never expected to actually find a jar of Innate Stone Marrow in that broken cave! Hehe, Old Ancestor Black Weasel is truly lucky! I need to hurry back to my cave abode and refine it..."
As the cultivator calling himself Old Ancestor Black Weasel was happily thinking this, he suddenly felt the light above him darken, as though two enormous dark clouds had passed overhead. Strange dog barks and ox bellows accompanied them.
He instinctively looked up.
Plop.
A sunflower seed shell landed squarely on his face.
Before you continue