Immortals Descend, Chen Xun Foams at the Mouth

[ Ding! The host can now allocate points. ]

A voice sounded in his mind. He still added one point to Strength, and gave the Black Ox one point of Strength as well.

Chen Xun discovered that adding Strength brought tremendous benefits. His arms and legs had more vigor when he worked, and his eyes had become sharper too. One of him could do the work of two—fiercely so.

Cuihua, the forty-year-old maiden in the village, often cast secret admiring glances at Chen Xun.

"Perhaps this is what it means to be a man."

Chen Xun looked at his muscles and let out a deep sigh. With all that charm having nowhere to go, who knew how many village girls he had enthralled.

"Hey, Old Bull! Slow down!"

Chen Xun was startled. While he had been lost in sentimental reflection, the Black Ox had actually eaten his share of supper.

Moo!

The Black Ox reacted swiftly and swallowed it in one gulp. Chen Xun stared wide-eyed, speechless for a long while...

The following year, Chen Xun and the Black Ox found a blacksmith and became his apprentices. Their astonishing strength earned lavish praise from the blacksmith, who kept saying Chen Xun had the makings of a blacksmith.

He did not even ask for wages, only food for himself and the Black Ox. The blacksmith readily agreed.

The next month, because Chen Xun had stepped into the smithy with his left foot first that day, violating a great taboo, they were promptly thrown out.

Chen Xun could only sigh helplessly. Perhaps this was the pain of being strong.

They found another patch of fertile land and began planting rice. The Black Ox plowed the fields, and man and ox worked in seamless coordination, laboring their way toward prosperity.

"This is our realm."

"Moo!"

Chen Xun looked at the lush green fields before him, his eyes brimming with delight. He gripped the Mountain-Splitting Axe in his hand, with another two tucked into his belt.

The Black Ox was delighted as well, though blades hung from all four of its legs, and an axe was tied to its horns.

"If those scoundrels dare come steal again!"

A frigid gleam filled Chen Xun's eyes as he looked at the Black Ox. The latter looked back at him and nodded heavily.

"We run immediately. We absolutely won't fight them head-on. With this gear of ours, let's see who dares chase us!"

"Moo! Moo!"

This year was rather smooth, however. They heard that something major had happened in the neighboring village and everyone had been gathered together, so no one paid attention to Chen Xun's fields.

He added another point of Strength to himself and the Black Ox, then happily began harvesting the rice.

The Black Ox dug a pit in their cave. Chen Xun naturally understood what it meant and placed countless sacks of gleaming white rice inside.

He kept some aside, though, intending to return it to the village chief—several times the amount from before.

Clang! Clang!

The sound of gongs rang out through the village and spread in every direction. It could even be faintly heard within the cave. This was the village's summons when something major had occurred.

Chen Xun narrowed his eyes slightly and hurried out of the cave. Hopefully it was not a village brawl—at his current strength, putting down a burly man would be easy enough.

They crouched sneakily atop a small hill to observe the situation, but the reality was exactly the opposite. The village was festive, with everyone gathered outside the village chief's house.

"Come on, Old Bull. Let's take a look."

"Moo!"

In the village, over a thousand people held hope and excitement in their eyes. They carried chicken, duck, fish, and meat, bowing with clasped hands toward the two people at the center.

"Cloud Heaven Sect is accepting disciples. Anyone with a Spiritual Root has a chance to embark upon the immortal path."

One of them wore a Daoist robe and stood atop the village chief's roof, looking down from on high with an arrogant bearing.

"Immortal, how can we tell whether we have Spiritual Roots?"

"Yes, my Little Blackie has been strong as an ox since childhood. A fortune-teller even said he was an Immortal reincarnated."

The villagers were immensely excited. Questions erupted in a rapid-fire barrage, making the two cultivators frown.

"Quiet."

The cultivator seemed angered. He activated a talisman in his hand, and a great fire suddenly ignited in midair. It was terrifying, and scorching heat filled the air.

The villagers instantly fell silent. One could hear a pin drop. Their eyes were full of horror as they thought, So this is an Immortal!

"Truly like a Black Ox walking a dog—from beginning to end."

Chen Xun brought the Black Ox to the edge of the crowd, admiration flashing through his eyes. This world truly had cultivators.

Hearing that, the Black Ox's eyes filled with confusion. When had it ever walked dogs around the village?

"Spiritual Roots are divided into Five-Element Mixed Spiritual Roots, Four-Element Lower Spiritual Roots, Three-Element Middle Spiritual Roots, Two-Element Upper Spiritual Roots, and Single-Element Heavenly Spiritual Roots."

The cultivator explained with his hands behind his back, activating a token in his hand. "No need to be nervous. Those under twenty years old, begin testing your Spiritual Roots."

A pillar of light rose from the ground, shining in five colors with dazzling brilliance. The villagers began clamoring again, and even the elderly wanted to step forward and try.

The village children and youths were eager to give it a try. They stepped up one by one and stood in the light, but it did not react at all.

"That's impossible! I dreamed one day that I was an Immortal!"

One villager muttered like a madman, his eyes full of disbelief. Suddenly, he turned and dropped to his knees, crying out, "Immortal, please accept me as your disciple!"

"Leave. Three breaths." A cold voice sounded.

"Immortal, please!"

The villager sobbed and shouted, refusing to leave the pillar of light. "I dreamed it!"

Swoosh!

A flash of sword light swept past, and blood blossomed. Disbelief still lingered in the villager's eyes as he slowly fell to the ground.

Countless people dropped to their knees. The villagers trembled like sieves, their eyes filled with fear.

Chen Xun's pupils contracted. He hurriedly squatted down, fine cold sweat beading across his forehead. These cultivators were utterly lawless.

The Black Ox silently sprawled on the ground as well. They lowered their heads and met each other's gaze, while some of the beautiful fantasies in their hearts quietly shattered.

"Continue," the cultivator said coldly, looking at them as though they were livestock.

There was no more disorder after that. The villagers passed through the pillar of light in an orderly fashion, hope still in their eyes.

Chen Xun nervously went to try as well, but he only had a Five-Element Mixed Spiritual Root and did not attract the cultivators' attention at all.

"Not bad. There is actually one with a Three-Element Spiritual Root."

A faint smile appeared on the cultivator's lips as he looked at the little girl. "Say goodbye to your family."

"Yes, Immortal."

The little girl was both reluctant and secretly delighted. After saying farewell to her family, the cultivator even gave her family several dozen taels of silver.

"Those with Five-Element Mixed Spiritual Roots may enter the sect to do odd jobs. They likewise have a chance to embark upon the immortal path."

The cultivator glanced at several people and spoke casually.

"Immortal, I'll go!"

Upon hearing this, those few with Five-Element Spiritual Roots were overjoyed and immediately dropped to their knees.

The cultivator glanced toward Chen Xun. The latter was already foaming at the mouth and sweating all over, while even the Black Ox beside him was on the verge of death. They had clearly been frightened by the earlier scene.

"Your wills are weak. The immortal path holds no hope for you. Let us go."

The cultivator shook his head. An immortal sword flew from his storage bag, and he carried several people away atop it, drifting beyond the dust of the mortal world.

The villagers felt lost and disappointed, their gazes still fixed on the Immortals' retreating backs as envy rose in their hearts.

"Damn it... Old Bull, I told you to casually kick me once so we could play dead and fool them. Were you trying to kill me?"

Chen Xun lay on the ground, badly injured, his chest rising and falling constantly. That hoof's particular flair had nearly sent him to meet his parents, who had been dead for many years.

Moo~

The Black Ox nudged Chen Xun. It had not expected its own strength to be so great.

It carried Chen Xun back to the cave. After nursing his wounds in the cave for several days, his complexion finally improved.

"We absolutely cannot go to those sects."

Seeing the confusion in the Black Ox's eyes, Chen Xun explained, "Sects are far too dangerous. Killing people isn't against the law, and when they eat beef, they even throw in the bull whip."

The Black Ox's pupils trembled as it frantically shook its head. It did not understand the part about killing people not being against the law, but it understood the part about eating beef.

That encounter with the cultivators did not make Chen Xun yearn for cultivation. Instead, it gave him an extreme sense of insecurity.

They had a grudge with Old Wang's family in the neighboring village, but at most they fought each other. These cultivators killed people at the slightest disagreement...

Chen Xun deeply remembered that gaze. It was exactly like the look in his own eyes when he slaughtered chickens.