Ben'er's Future is the Ox Clan's Future!

Niu Ba's outstretched hand trembled slightly.

He stared fixedly at that Five-Revolutions Golden Pill.

On the pill, five profound patterns seemed to come alive, swirling before his eyes, radiating a fatal allure.

Golden Immortal!

This was a realm he had dreamed of, yet one that had always remained beyond his reach.

Once he swallowed it, he would break through instantly, becoming a powerhouse his clan hadn't seen in tens of thousands of years.

Leading the declining Ox Clan—especially their branch—to new heights.

But the price was a severed path ahead, never to advance another step.

Exchanging all his future potential for the clan's present stability.

Was it worth it?

In Niu Ba's mind surfaced the worried faces of the clan's elders, the hostile foreign tribes lurking beyond their territory.

And above all, the young, resolute face of his son, Niu Ben.

He was going to Kunlun Mountain, to follow a future Saint.

Then as his father, the only thing he could do was clear away all worries behind him, letting his son cultivate in peace, with no lingering attachments.

The future?

My future, Niu Ba's, doesn't matter anymore.

Ben'er's future—that's the Ox Clan's future!

This thought exploded in his heart, and the last trace of hesitation in Niu Ba's eyes vanished like smoke, replaced by boundless resolve.

He hesitated no longer, tilting his head back and swallowing the Golden Pill into his belly.

"Boom!"

The pill entered his gut, and an unimaginably vast medicinal force erupted!

A torrent of violent energy instantly shattered the Golden Immortal shackles within him, like the Celestial River pouring in reverse, scouring his limbs and bones, remolding his immortal body and Dao Foundation!

His immortal light surged, and a terrifying pressure shot skyward.

The Dao Fruit of a Golden Immortal.

It was done!

Feeling the unprecedented power within him, Niu Ba's heart swelled with a quiet steadiness and peace.

"Go on, Ben'er."

"Your father will handle things in the clan."

"Follow Taishang well."

Taishang glanced at him calmly, giving a slight nod, settling the karmic ties between them.

"The hour has come. Let's go."

"Yes, Master."

Then, with a thought, he stirred the source within him that had just settled.

"Moo!"

Niu Ben's form shifted rapidly in the immortal light, transforming into a magnificent divine Green Ox.

An ancient, noble aura, tinged with a hint of chaos, emanated from him.

Taishang moved, landing lightly on the ox's back, steady as a mountain.

The Green Ox's four hooves stamped, and he turned into a streak of green light, racing toward Kunlun Mountain.

Only Niu Ba remained.

Feeling the surging mana within him, watching the fading figures of his son and Taishang, he clenched his fists, a sharp light blazing in his eyes.

"Hahaha, our Green Ox Clan is about to rise!"

Primordial Aeons Pass Uncounted.

Niu Ben, in his Green Ox true form, carried Taishang eastward, speeding toward Kunlun.

Beneath them stretched endless mountains and rivers, a scene of primal wilderness.

Divine peaks ten thousand ren high pierced the clouds like swords; rivers ten thousand li wide wound like jade belts.

Occasionally, powerful auras flickered and vanished in the forests below—beings of the Hundred Clans of Primordial Heaven and Earth.

And the Taishang Daoist on his back was unfathomable.

Though Niu Ben felt no weight at all, that intangible presence was heavier than the entire Primordial Heaven and Earth combined, keeping him in constant awe.

This was the foremost of the Three Pure Ones, a future Saint, his ticket to greatness.

Just as his thoughts wandered, the space ahead suddenly rippled.

Two figures stepped out from the void, blocking the path ahead.

On the left was a man in a bright red Daoist robe, his face kind and gentle.

On the right was another in a cyan Daoist robe, his features ancient, his demeanor steady as the earth, and his eyes seemed to hold an entire world within them.

Niu Ben's heart tightened.

Such powerful auras!

These two were incredibly strong.

But he didn't panic.

He was just a mount—but the one on his back was Taishang Daoist!

The Primordial Spirit incarnated from Pangu, the future Heavenly Dao Saint!

In the entire Primordial World, who would dare refuse him? Who could possibly be his match?

As his mount, all he had to do was stay steady and enjoy the show.

Sure enough, Taishang Daoist on his back didn't even stir. He simply spoke in a calm voice.

"Zhen Yuanzi, Hong Yun, you two fellow Daoists block my path. What urgent matter do you have?"

Zhen Yuanzi? Hong Yun?

Niu Ben's mind reeled. So it's these two Great Experts of the Primordial World!

The Ancestor of Earth Immortals, Zhen Yuanzi, and the good-natured Hong Yun!

The red-robed Hong Yun, ever the good-natured one, stepped forward first, laughing heartily. "Fellow Daoist Taishang, what a fateful encounter! Truly a stroke of immense fortune!"

"Just now, my Brother and I were discussing the Dao in the temple when he suddenly sensed something—an Auspicious Sign soaring into the sky from the west. We came together to investigate, and who would have thought this auspicious sign was none other than you, fellow Daoist."

Zhen Yuanzi gave a respectful bow and spoke steadily, "Fellow Daoist Taishang graces us with your presence, and I failed to welcome you from afar. Please forgive my negligence."

"My Wuzhuang Temple is not far from here. If you don't mind, would you honor us with a visit? The three of us could discuss the great Dao together—wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Zhen Yuanzi's invitation was sincere.

But Taishang Daoist fell silent.

He had just cut off his Three Corpses, his mind clear and bright, and was planning to return to Kunlun Mountain to go into seclusion, fully solidifying the insights from this breakthrough.

Going to Wuzhuang Temple to discuss the Dao would undoubtedly delay his journey.

For a moment, the atmosphere grew subtly tense.

Niu Ben lay prone on the clouds, motionless, even slowing his breathing.

He could sense that Taishang seemed unwilling to go.

But just then, the voice he had been waiting for finally rang out in his mind.

"Ding!"

"God-Tier Choice System activated."

"Triggering God-Tier Choice. Please make your selection, Master."

It's here!

Niu Ben's spirits soared, and golden text only he could see appeared before his eyes.

[Choice One: Remain silent, do not interfere with Taishang Daoist's decisions, and return directly to Kunlun Mountain. Complete the choice to receive a reward: [Five-Revolutions Golden Pill].]

[Choice Two: Do everything possible to persuade Taishang Daoist to go to Wuzhuang Temple to discuss the Dao, fostering a good relationship between the Three Pure Ones and Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun. Complete the choice to receive a reward: Chaos Divine Ox Scripture.]

Looking at the two options the system presented, Niu Ben's heart began to race uncontrollably.

A Five-Revolutions Golden Pill!

That was another rare treasure in the Primordial World, enough to save him countless years of bitter cultivation and skyrocket his cultivation.

But the other reward made it almost impossible for him to breathe.

The Chaos Divine Ox Scripture!

This was a technique tailor-made for him!

A supreme method pointing straight to the path of the Chaos Demon God!

Origin determined the lower limit, but technique determined how high the upper limit could go!

With his ancestral Origin and this exclusive supreme technique, the two complementing each other, his future would truly hold infinite possibilities!

Was there even a choice?

It had to be the second one!

But the problem was—how?

Right now, he was just a mount, a little ox demon at the Celestial Immortal realm.

In a conversation among three Quasi-Saint Great Experts, where did he have the right to speak?