Big Brother, I Really Have to Thank You

Just as it was about to rush over and stop that man from picking the spiritual herbs, a massive creature blocked its path.

Moo!

Big Black Ox stood upright on two legs, clapped its hooves together, and struck with a thunderous blow. The speed was so fast that the Red-skinned Lion was greatly alarmed!

A burst of firelight flared, but the Red-skinned Lion's spell was effortlessly dispelled by Big Black Ox. Its fangs were caught by a hoof, and no matter how it struggled, it could not break free.

Roar!

Moo!

Big Black Ox suddenly exerted force, swung the Red-skinned Lion up, and smashed it viciously into the ground. The Red-skinned Lion's face twisted in pain, intense horror filling its eyes. Its heart lurched as it felt as though its brains were about to be smashed out.

Moo!

Big Black Ox swung it again. The Red-skinned Lion began to doubt its life as a lion, blood spraying from its throat. The spiritual power within its body could no longer circulate.

Moo!

Big Black Ox roared, its hoof continuing to swing. The Red-skinned Lion's tongue had already been smashed out, and it kept making sobbing noises through its mouth. Big Brother, I beg you, stop smashing me!!

Chen Xun picked two stalks each of Ice Mandarin Duck Grass and Cold Spirit Grass. They were white as jade all over and gave off a chill. Chen Xun placed them in his medicine case and carefully preserved them.

He then shouted toward another lakeshore, "Old Ox, get ready to go."

"Moo~" Big Black Ox hurriedly dragged the Red-skinned Lion before Chen Xun, leaving a long trail of blood across the ground.

"Old Ox, you're really something." Chen Xun marveled. Damn, you nearly smashed this lion to death alive.

"Moo~ Moo!" Big Black Ox grinned. This Red-skinned Lion had no sense at all; it was already imagining whether to braise it in soy sauce or steam it.

Sob~

The Red-skinned Lion's eyes were dull and unfocused. It yielded—truly yielded.

"Ah, how miserable." Chen Xun shook his head. "Brother, recover well. If you run into someone else, they might skin you and refine your bones."

Chen Xun hoisted the Red-skinned Lion onto his shoulder and headed into the forest with Big Black Ox. If they had not eaten Bigu Pills, they would not have dared light a fire here. Otherwise, they would have already laid out a feast.

They threw the Red-skinned Lion into a concealed place and left it to fend for itself. It definitely would not be able to move around for the next half year, which would keep it from encountering their fellow disciples.

Sob~ The Red-skinned Lion weakly shouted, Big Brother, I really have to thank you!

"Old Ox, let's slip away, let's slip away." Chen Xun and Big Black Ox began climbing trees again, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

They left, but they had cast an enormous shadow over the Red-skinned Lion's entire life. From then on, whenever it saw a pile of dead leaves, it would crawl on the ground and weep bitterly, recalling every wrong it had committed in its life.

"Old Ox, take a look at the map."

Up in an ancient tree, Chen Xun spread out a rough map. Many places remained unmarked. "Was that lake from earlier this one?"

This map had been paid for with the lives and painstaking efforts of countless generations of Five Elements Sect Disciples. Chen Xun treasured it greatly as well.

"Moo?" Big Black Ox pointed at several large lakes on the map. They all seemed somewhat alike.

Chen Xun found himself in a bind as well. The teleportation had been far too random. Though they had all been teleported to the outskirts of Southern Dipper Mountain, the place was absurdly vast, and they could not tell one direction from another.

"We'll take it one step at a time. We'll naturally know where we are eventually," Chen Xun said indifferently.

"Moo!" Big Black Ox nodded and even patted Chen Xun with its hoof, making him laugh.

They continued deeper in. Along the way, they found a supplementary spiritual herb for Foundation Establishment, sending Chen Xun and Big Black Ox soaring with joy. They kept saying that Sun Lao and Teacher Ning were blessing them from above.

Three Days Later, Chen Xun and Big Black Ox were dumbfounded. They finally accepted the truth—hey, they were lost!

East, west, south, and north all looked exactly the same, nothing but towering ancient trees. They did not even dare say for certain whether they were walking in circles on the spot...

"Old Ox, boldly walk forward..." Chen Xun began singing to Big Black Ox. Big Black Ox looked pained, repeatedly letting out low moos and covering its ears with its two hooves now and then.

The forest was pitch-black, so dark one could not see one's own fingers. The tree trunks were exceptionally broad; when they lay atop them, there was no crowding whatsoever.

At times, they did not even know whether it was day or night. Either way, everything was black, the sky entirely blocked by dense branches and leaves.

Suddenly, a venomous snake silently appeared, flicking its tongue with a ghostly gleam in its eyes. It sensed warmth—two prey, at that—and was just about to release poisonous mist.

Chen Xun was still deep in thought, seemingly unaware. In an instant, his hand shot out like the wind and directly yanked the venomous snake over.

With a twist of both hands, he tied the venomous snake into a dead knot, then gave it a savage pull. The snake was dead beyond death and immediately went to see Zhong Kui.

"Little thing."

A faint flicker of firelight appeared. Big Black Ox quickly rose to cover it, blocking the light as the venomous snake's corpse turned to ash.

They rested for a while, only to be awakened by the sounds of battle. By sheer coincidence, it was directly beneath their tree.

There was a group of men and a group of women. The battle situation was such that three women had surrounded three men.

Chen Xun and Big Black Ox did not move, lowering their gazes. They seemed to be disciples of the Ten Great Immortal Sects—Pill Cauldron Sect and Purple Cloud Sect disciples, by the look of it.

"Hehe, Junior Brothers, why not stop trying to run?" A Purple Cloud Sect woman laughed coquettishly, her eyes brimming with allure.

"Senior Sisters, we are willing to hand over the spiritual herbs. Please spare our lives."

The three Pill Cauldron Sect disciples were already at the end of their strength. Blood flowed constantly from their mouths, their clothes tattered after being pursued and hunted all the way here.

"How could that do?" Another woman laughed coquettishly, seemingly toying with them without end.

Suddenly, one woman's expression changed. The Silicon Valley Bird in her hand was issuing constant warnings—there were people nearby!

The three Purple Cloud Sect women naturally trusted the Silicon Valley Bird. They had relied on it to continuously catch up to the Pill Cauldron Sect disciples.

The three Pill Cauldron Sect disciples were delighted as well. Seeing the women's strange reactions, they cried inwardly that they were saved.

"Fellow Daoist, stop hiding and come out. We have already discovered you!"

The three women called out in every direction. Even the Silicon Valley Bird could not determine where the person was, so they must be hidden very deeply.

Chen Xun and Big Black Ox snorted in disdain. Trying that trick on them? Did they really think they were twenty-year-old children? They remained motionless directly above the women's heads.

The Purple Cloud Sect women exchanged glances. Since they could not find the hidden person for now, they would quickly finish off the Pill Cauldron Sect disciples first. Delay could bring change.

"Kill!" The three summoned their respective magical artifacts and charged at them with a thunderous rush.

"Junior Brothers, fight with everything we have!" The Pill Cauldron Sect disciples' eyes nearly split open as they unleashed every trick they possessed and began a bloody battle.

Spiritual power howled beneath the tree, while Chen Xun and Big Black Ox remained as steady as Tai Shan. Powerful gusts swept past them from time to time.

Yet the Pill Cauldron Sect disciples had already been no match for their opponents, and they were at the end of their strength besides. Several cold flashes streaked through the air, and their heads shot towards the sky, their corpses split in two.

"What vicious wenches." Chen Xun's gaze was dark as he inwardly cursed.

They formed a small circle, streams of spiritual power winding around their hands as they watched every direction, without lowering their guard in the slightest.

Chirp! Chirp! The Silicon Valley Bird hurriedly flapped upward. It had pinpointed the location!

"What?!" The three could not believe it. Their hairs stood on end all at once. Someone had actually been hiding above them, yet they had noticed nothing.

Chen Xun frowned. Why was this bird so damn annoying? So you disciples of the Ten Great Immortal Sects had all sorts of tricks, huh? Damn you.