The Eternal Life Being's Final Bottom Line

"Chen Xun, you shouldn't spend too long forging iron."

Sun Kaile frowned slightly. Not only was Chen Xun strong, but his endurance was impressive as well. "It'll harm your body. When you're old, you'll end up like me."

"Sun Lao, it's fine. I was born strong—fierce as hell."

Chen Xun did not care in the slightest. He had not even used his full strength for this work, so he was barely tired.

He was constantly increasing the force he controlled. In the past, a single exertion might have ruined the iron, but now, with his grasp of strength and technique, one hammer blow was equivalent to several from before, without ruining the piece.

To outsiders, it looked as though he was forging iron. In truth, Chen Xun was constantly cultivating. Skills never weighed a man down, and time was what he lacked least.

"Hehe, all right."

Sun Kaile Shook Head with a smile. Perhaps Chen Xun's optimistic mindset had influenced him over the past year; he felt much younger himself.

At night, Chen Xun and Big Black Ox returned to the courtyard.

As before, he added this year's Longevity Points to speed. One man and one ox huddled together furtively.

"Old Ox, dig!"

Moo!

Clods of earth flew everywhere, gradually revealing an earthen jar. It was Filled With Copper Coins, along with a piece of silver. Chen Xun sighed and lamented endlessly. They had money now.

"Moo! Moo!" Big Black Ox nudged Chen Xun, hope gleaming in its eyes.

"Once we finish Brother Zhang's order, we'll go buy wooden carvings. Don't worry, I remembered."

"Moo~~" Big Black Ox happily bounced twice. Its happiness was that simple.

Chen Xun changed locations and buried the earthen jar again. When away from home, one could not let down one's guard in the slightest.

The following month, Zhang Jiang did not come. Chen Xun found it strange. Brother Zhang had never broken an appointment before, so why had he not come today?

"Perhaps something delayed him."

Chen Xun did not think much of it and continued forging. He was still far from the realm of microscopic control over strength; diligence could make up for clumsiness.

The next month, someone finally came to collect the blades, but it was not Zhang Jiang.

"Miss, where's Brother Zhang? He said he would come collect the blades last month," Chen Xun asked casually, while Big Black Ox carried the longswords behind him.

"Senior Brother Zhang... died in a fight with the Hundred Mysteries Sect," the woman said quietly, her spirits low.

"Ah?"

In His Eyes, Chen Xun was startled. He immediately changed his tone. "I spoke out of turn. I'll go get the blades for you right away."

"All right." The woman nodded.

Before long, the woman and her fellow sect members paid for and took all one hundred longswords. Chen Xun sat in the back and let out a soft sigh. He said to Big Black Ox, "Brother Zhang is dead."

"Moo?"

Big Black Ox nudged Chen Xun in shock and confusion. Brother Zhang had been so young.

"I heard he died in a fight. For people of the martial world, dying in battles and killings is perfectly normal."

Chen Xun Shook Head and sighed. "Even immortal cultivators will die as long as they involve themselves in conflict."

Big Black Ox Nodded Gravely. They were still safer.

"Our path to eternal life was originally an invincible road. Don't offend others, don't get involved. Within the bounds of what we can do, just help the friends around us."

Chen Xun spoke calmly, his gaze distant. "There is No Longer Existed anything in this world that can stir up waves in our hearts. Keep an even mind."

Moo!

Big Black Ox looked at Chen Xun with an awestruck expression. Truly cultured—it could not say such things itself.

"Chen Xun, the people selling iron ore heard our business was good, so they raised their prices."

Sun Kaile hurried in from outside. He had always been responsible for purchasing iron ore for the shop.

"Ah?! What?!"

Chen Xun shot to his feet, fury blazing in his chest. They had only just started making some money. "Isn't this bullying honest people?!"

"Old Ox, grab the weapons. Damn it."

Chen Xun instantly drew the two Mountain-Splitting Axes at his waist. Bare-chested, his Eight-pack abs on display, he declared, "Let's go reason with them!"

Moo! Moo!!

Big Black Ox flew into a rage. With a toss of its horns, its custom-made bandit gear instantly covered its entire body. No one could stop it now—it specialized in reasoning with people.

The iron ore shop was several streets away. Chen Xun led Big Black Ox over in a blaze of motion, their momentum intimidating as wind seemed to rise beneath their feet.

The iron ore Boss was greatly alarmed when he saw them. He Shouted, "Good sirs, what do you intend to do?"

"Nothing much. We're just here to reason things out. Why did the price of iron ore go up when you sold it to us?"

Gripping his twin axes, Chen Xun roared, "That's not fair, understand?"

Moo! Moo!

Big Black Ox followed behind and bellowed twice as well, its voice full and forceful.

Fuck me.

Sweat beaded on the iron ore Boss's forehead. This man looked vicious, had Eight-pack abs, and was followed by a Big Black Ox covered from head to toe in blades—and he was saying they had come to reason things out?

"Hehe, good sir, please do not be hasty. Are you from Sun Kaile's place?"

"That's right. Boss, give us an explanation. That Blacksmith Shop is also under Zhang Jiang—Brother Zhang's—protection."

Chen Xun spoke Word by Word. If people did not put on a bit of a show, the kind would only be bullied. It was the same in every world.

"All right, please wait a moment. Please have a seat." The iron ore Boss gave a Cupped Fist Salute with a smile.

"Fine. We're reasonable people too. We didn't come here to cause trouble."

Chen Xun's tone softened as he sat down and slapped his Mountain-Splitting Axe onto the table. He was not anxious at all.

Not long after, the iron ore Boss Stepped Out, his face filled with smiles as he gave a Cupped Fist Salute. "It's this man and this ox—they came to the authorities' territory to make trouble."

"Arrest them!"

A group of soldiers rushed over and immediately seized Chen Xun. They did not even spare Big Black Ox.

"We came here to reason things out! We've been wronged!"

Chen Xun shouted, struggling slightly. "I really came here to reason things out!"

"Cut the nonsense! You're picking quarrels and causing trouble here, disrupting the peace of Pan Ning City. Who are you trying to scare?!"

A soldier barked coldly and took the two criminals away. Chen Xun continued shouting that he had been wronged.

Five days later, Chen Xun and Big Black Ox walked out of the Great Prison and saw daylight again.

However, their Mountain-Splitting Axes and blades had been confiscated, so they could only return and forge new ones.

Back at the Blacksmith Shop, Sun Kaile had prepared a brazier. One man and one ox repeatedly hopped around it, laughing and joking as if nothing had happened.

Yet after Chen Xun's little disturbance, the iron ore Boss really did not raise the prices. It was a small gain, at least.

In the blink of an eye, another Five Years passed.

The Blacksmith Shop's business flourished, even stealing quite a bit of business from the neighboring blacksmith shop. When that Boss saw that it was Chen Xun, he beat his chest in regret and cried out what a pity it was that he had failed to recognize a hero with discerning eyes.

He even invited Chen Xun to a meal at a restaurant. Their grievances vanished like smoke, though Chen Xun's appetite terrified him. Chen Xun even packed food to take away after eating, and the blacksmith shop Boss suffered a heavy loss.

The two now addressed each other as brothers. Chen Xun was absolutely on point when it came to Human Relations.

But today, Chen Xun sped through the streets so quickly that he Stirred Up a fierce gust of wind. In His Eyes was filled with anxiety.

Over these Five Years, his control over strength had become flawless. He added five Longevity Points to speed.

Chen Xun and Big Black Ox's Longevity Points were now: Strength, 21. Speed, 8.

Chen Xun carried several bags of medicinal herbs. Sun Kaile's body was already close to failing. Over the past year, he had relied entirely on medicinal herbs to cling to life, exhausting all their savings.

But so what? To Chen Xun, wealth was like passing clouds. The people by his side were what mattered most. Always cherish the present and live brilliantly.

Besides, how could people be grass and trees, without feelings? He had already reached the end point sought by all immortal cultivators—eternal life. There was no need for him to cast aside desire and emotion in pursuit of that so-called supreme Great Dao. This was his final bottom line as an Eternal Life Being.

Chen Xun had always believed in one rule: within the bounds of what he could do, help the friends around him; beyond those bounds, never force himself.