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And with that, the next day, amidst the silence of dawn, Chen Xun and the black ox set off. They continued their journey westward. The duo leisurely walked on the empty streets, gradually disappearing into the distance.
A few hours later, when the locals woke up to go about their day, they were quick to hear that Chen Xun had resigned from his position at the medical hall, leaving for good. Hearing this piece of news, some people were inexplicably happy. They felt a great sense of satisfaction shooing away such an evildoer. However, others felt a sense of loss; they knew that Chen Xun had done nothing wrong. He was just a good doctor who looked out for the people.
Alas, everyone was quick to forget about this matter in a few days. In the end, whether Chen Xun stayed or left, it wouldn’t cause waves in their daily lives. They couldn’t put food on the table worrying about a stranger, and truth be told, no one had the energy anyway, at least in such a world….
……
Ninuyan Mountain Range.
A grand, majestic mountain of tall peaks stood amidst heaven and earth. The range was surrounded with an air of timeless primordiality. It was without a doubt that, If willing and sentient, it could enlighten the beings of the world, letting them witness the annals of history.
Its abyssal black cliffs were immensely boundless. They stabbed towards the void like sharp blades. And its meandering mountain ridges wounded and twisted about, resembling a slumbering dragon.
The mountain was so incredibly tall that, if one were to follow its path and peer into the valley, their vision would be filled with trailing mists and a sea of clouds, ever reaching.
At this moment, a young man could be seen treading the range’s path. He carried a bamboo basket on his back and seemed to be scouring for herbs. He would occasionally crouch down and uproot a herb before placing it into the basket. A black ox followed right behind, copying his pace.
Since the day the pair had left the hall, a short three years had passed. Chen Xun had not forgotten to add each point to his speed with every passing year, after all, he was eager to reach twenty points in his speed stat and further test if it was possible to go beyond the supposed limit.
Their current point distribution was as such: Strength: 21, Speed: 18, Defense: 0, Spiritual Energy: 0, Essense of all Things: 0
Truth be told, Chen Xun’s current speed was mind-boggling. If he were to sprint at full speed, it would be difficult for mortals to even catch a glimpse of his blur.
The pair continued scouting for the herbs. "Search carefully, old ox," Chen Xun recalled, patting the basket on his back. It was brimming with various herbs. "Who knows, maybe we can find that legendary elixir, the one that could cure all illnesses!"
The range was known to have a number of herbs that were a few hundred years old, and those have come to be known as elixirs. A few fortunate people would stumble upon one every once in a while, and in a stroke of luck, earn a fortune.
"Moo moo!" The big black ox affirmed and happily roamed around. It recognized many of the medicinal herbs they came across, and every time, it would marvel at the power of knowledge. Its mind felt much clearer now after years of studying.
"Still, don't wander too deep; I heard there are demon beasts around here, and they are not like ordinary wild animals," Chen Xun said, a little on edge. He added, "And also, any cultivator passing by might end up attacking us."
"Moo!" The ox mooed, reassuring.
“AUGHHHHH….”
All of a sudden, a mournful scream echoed from the woods, startling countless birds into flight. The pair’s eyes met briefly, pausing. Then, Chen Xun hastily pulled a bandit's headscarf over his face.
Shortly after, a group of frightened villagers scurried towards them from a distance, sprinting in desperation. The group noticed a man donning a headscarf with a bamboo basket on his back. Seeing his get-up, they were confused but quickly started shouting in alarm. "Demon beast! Run, run! There is a demon, a demon beast!"
These words threw Chen Xun into a frenzy. He shouted to the black ox, “Quickly run!” And instantly turned around and ran, heart pounding.
A roar echoed behind, and shortly, the demon beast appeared, crazily wrecking a path towards them. It seemed to be a hybrid of a wolf and a tiger, although it was much larger than a tiger, and it had a pair of crimson blood eyes.
"What the hell! That thing is terrifying!"
"Moo! Moo!"
Chen Xun and the black ox were shocked. They had lived for so many years and seen many things, yet this sight truly broadened their horizons.
They sprinted vehemently, breaking countless dead branches as they turned into two gusts of wind. The people behind them were amazed at how fast they were running.
Seeing the two accelerate and escape, the demon beast’s eyes turned a shade darker, enraged. Saliva overflowed out of its jaw, splashing around.
“It’s coming! Run! Run!” The villagers screamed in terror. One of the group couldn’t handle the fear and fainted, collapsing to the ground. However, the demon beast surprisingly ignored him and continued chasing after Chen Xun and the ox.
"What's wrong with you? Are you crazy?!" Chen Xun's pupils widened.
The demon beast was directly chasing after them, and its speed was much faster than that of a wild animal.
"Moo! Moo!" The black ox charged furiously, sweating buckets. This demon beast was too terrifying.
"Moo~~!"
Crash!
As the black ox accelerated, it accidentally smashed into a giant tree, causing it to start cracking, and with the sound of wood snapping, it started to tilt.
"Old Ox!" Chen Xun came to a halt and called out to the ox, his eyes filled with anxiety. He quickly came to its side and checked on its head.
"Moo~~"
The animal was a little dizzy but it only had a little scrap, nothing serious.
Roar!
The demon beast was catching up now, its eyes filled with excitement. It was the first time it had encountered prey that ran so fast.
Chen Xun and the black ox were now cornered. They huddled together in panic. The demon beast’s appearance was too terrifying. "We're done for, old ox." Chen Xun said, trembling. He held onto the ox's head.
Was their immortal path going to end here…?
The demon beast closed in and slowed down, drooling as it leisurely circled the two. It’s eyes flashed with contempt towards the two timid prey. After a few seconds of toiling, it suddenly leaned forward, eyes filled with bloodlust; large droplets of viscous saliva dripped on the ground, emanating a foul stench. It immediately charged towards Chen Xun!
Its eyes displayed excited savagery, as they were now within arm's reach. However, right as it unhinged its jaw, its expression changed; the human prey, who had been scared in place, suddenly showed a calm and collected demeanor.
In an instant, a violent whirlwind appeared under Chen Xun’s feet and he turned illusory, dashing with astonishing speed! The demon beast couldn't keep up with his movements, and its expression turned into one of horror.
“You might be a little strong, but not enough for me to take my second mountain-opening axe out, let alone be scared…!”
He appeared behind the demon beast for a split second, and his hand blurred, then, he slowly took a few steps back, creating distance. All this happened in an instant.
The demon beast felt a sharp tingle through its back, and searing flames of pain surged right through its abdomen. It shakily turned its head back and noticed an axe in the man’s hand, dripping with blood and dying the ground red…. The headscarf-wearing man had a pair of frosty eyes.
It fell to the ground, howling in agony with its blood flowing all over, forming a little pool.
The black ox followed through, rushing in and slamming into the heavily wounded beast.
Boom!
The ground shook, and pieces of rubble flew into the air; a crater was smashed in the ground. And a scene of gore played out. The demon beast's guts were flung out, with his intestines squeezing through its gaping wound. It was dying in the most tormenting of ways, full of agony and suffering.
With a step, Chen Xun swung his axe down, his attack devoid of any sense of pity for the beast. Another stream of blood flew, splattering the ground once more.
“Is that it?! Is this all you got?!” Chen Xun taunted.
"Moo! Moo!"
"What, scared senseless now? Why don’t you give us a few barks?! Bark like a dog for me!"
"Moo, moo!"
Both man and ox vented their anger, with spittle flying around. Truthfully, they were shocked when they first laid their eyes on this demon beast, but they had steeled their nerves and acted with decisiveness.
They set up a large pot, boiled water, and directly prepared a feast.
"This time we got lucky since this demon beast didn’t know any magic. Some demon beasts have different magics they could use. I heard of some ‘Ice and Fire Reversal’ magic before, or so it was called, I think." Chen Xun thought for a moment, recalling the rumors about demon beasts in the city. "Only an immortal could deal with those, however. But _damn,_this is some good meat!”
"Moo, moo~~"
The ox ate the meat with relish, and it grew happier with every bite. It had never eaten anything that delicious before!
They ate their fill before quickly covering their tracks. They dug a pit before throwing in any remains of the carcass and set it on fire. They then packed the remaining meat.
Chen Xun did not let his guard down because this was a wild demonic beast. He was extremely careful and set up the fight scene meticulously.
The fire burned for a while, with ashes scattering in the air. It was not very long before everything was back to normal.
"Moo!"
Chen Xun quickly dug out another hole. Ever since he had learned various digging techniques and mastered them, he had not slept out in the open again. He found a large rock and carried it right to the hole, sealing it but leaving a little gap. He then covered the hole with grass and leaves.
It was well hidden and it would be quite difficult for anyone to notice. He dusted his hands before hopping into the hole. He immediately felt a whole lot safer. It was very dark in here, however. He searched around his person, grabbed a candle, and lit it.
"This is a lot better, right?"
"Moo, moo!"
The duo huddled together and started resting. Chen Xun leaned his body against his companion and fell into thought.
Today’s encounter had reminded him of how dangerous this world really was….
After hesitating for a long time, he took out the book given to him by Master Sun.
Qi Cultivation Technique….