Chapter 161: Cook at the Moon Tower
Another night had fallen.
Outside the entrance of the Juque Sect, the dense forest of giant rocks remained unchanged. Two figures returned to this familiar place.
"Heh heh heh..."
"Moo moo moo..."
Two strange laughs echoed as they exchanged glances and found an unguarded spot.
From the body of the big black ox emerged three formation flags, and a triangular formation stood upright in the air, drawing in the surrounding energy.
"Moo~" The big black ox waved its hand, and the triangular formation touched the protective array of the mountain.
The Five Elements energy and spiritual energy didn't interfere with each other. The vacuum created upon contact became the breached path!
A triangular opening slowly appeared, and this time, the protective array showed no reaction.
"Impressive," Chen Xun stared blankly at the big black ox, marveling at how outlandish it was in the world of cultivation.
"Moo~" The big black ox grinned crookedly and patted Chen Xun with its hoof.
"You deserve to live forever," Chen Xun shook his head and sighed, having learned so much over time, "Let's go, old ox."
"Moo~"
They stepped through the triangular opening together, and with a wave of the big black ox's hand, the protective array was restored.
Dressed in bandit outfits, Chen Xun and the big black ox roamed the sect as if they owned the place, exploring everywhere. Each mountain peak had a grand hall, surrounded by a dense array of buildings at the base.
Many disciples in the Qi Refining stage were seen along the way, encountering only a few Foundation Establishment cultivators. This sect had no Nascent Soul cultivators, and they couldn't detect them. Various restrictions and formations were discovered and avoided by the big black ox.
Following behind, Chen Xun clicked his tongue in amazement. The old ox was like a minesweeper, and he could only follow helplessly, scouting the surroundings.
"Moo~!"
The big black ox transmitted its voice to Chen Xun, suddenly letting out a startled cry. It sensed a formation at the same level as the protective array.
"What is it, old ox?" Chen Xun extended his divine sense, scanning the surroundings and saying, "Don't worry, no one's around."
"Moo moo~"
"Let's go take a look." Chen Xun's eyes flashed with understanding.
"Moo~"
The two figures turned into a breeze, sweeping past the peaks, exploring the sect with impunity.
However, the major sects or forces were now in decline, relying only on the remaining cultivators and the grand formations.
The next day, as the sky lightened, two shady figures with excited eyes discovered seven stalks of 'Mystic Spirit Mushroom' at the base of a cliff shrouded in formations.
Chen Xun picked the one with the lowest age, buried a bottle of elixirs in the pit, and then ran off with the big black ox.
This plant wasn't even in the sect's herb garden and didn't need to be nourished by the Water Spirit Technique because it wasn't transplanted. The Juque Sect simply let it grow naturally, maintaining its spiritual energy.
Chen Xun suspected this place might be some secret realm that the Juque Sect had taken over, as the spiritual herbs in South Dipper Mountain grew similarly.
"Oftentimes, the rarest herbs require the most natural conditions." Chen Xun held the Mystic Spirit Mushroom, sighing, "Old ox, what do you think?"
"Moo moo~"
The big black ox pondered along the way; it loved spiritual herbs, and if not for the essence of all things, it preferred these herbs to grow in their original place.
"Look at our journey so far; these Foundation Establishment herbs haven't gone extinct here." Chen Xun's words carried a deeper meaning, "Others protect them well. Despite the chaos, the way of survival remains intact."
"Moo~!" The big black ox almost gave a thumbs up; his words were spot on.
Every sect here had its characteristics, either producing unique spiritual herbs or special cultivation materials, mineral veins, and the like.
Unlike the cultivation world of the Qian Nation, the three major powers here never oppressed these sects, allowing each to live its own way.
"Heh, big shots have their way of living, and we small fry have ours." Chen Xun dismissed his distracting thoughts and crossed a mountain peak, "Old ox, on to the next sect."
"Moo~~"
The big black ox let out a long cry, following Chen Xun as they gradually disappeared into the horizon.
Two days later, the two elder caretakers of the Juque Sect discovered that one stalk of the Mystic Spirit Mushroom was missing! However, in its place was a bottle of elixirs.
When they opened it to investigate, they found mid-grade Five Elements Elixir! They were filled with mixed emotions, not knowing whether they had lost or gained. They didn't publicize the matter. Anyone who could infiltrate the sect without a sound was not someone they could deal with, especially since the three major powers were all preoccupied with their own issues.
Moreover, this person had left elixirs in exchange, so they had to bear this small loss for now and wait for the sect leader's return to make a decision.
...
In the following days, Chen Xun and the big black ox repeated their method, staking out in front of each major sect before safely 'visiting' them.
They collected auxiliary herbs for the Nascent Formation Elixir one by one, though it took quite some time.
These sects were far apart, and each had at most one of the needed herbs. They crossed several countries, wore out two pairs of shoes, and their hemp clothes were ragged, patched up like beggars.
But their perseverance paid off. After thirty years, they finally gathered all the auxiliary herbs, except for the 'Five Qi Ink Spirit Flower', which was exclusive to the Moon Tower, with no known growth elsewhere.
Besides granting them infinite lifespans, longevity had taught Chen Xun and the big black ox the virtue of patience. They understood the importance of proceeding cautiously and avoiding perilous situations.
The Moon Tower, one of the three major powers, was located deep in the eastern countries, not within any nation. It had its own large city for cultivators, composed of dozens of large cities, mostly inhabited by female cultivators.
Many women with tragic backgrounds found refuge here; in chaotic times, only the Moon Tower provided them with a haven. However, women without spiritual roots still had no chance to join.
Behind these dozens of cities was Nine Palaces Mountain, the true base of the Moon Tower and the place where core cultivators trained.
From a distance, these cities seemed embedded in the rolling mountains, looking exceptionally magnificent.
The Nine Palaces Mountain, renowned for its sixth-grade spiritual veins, was envied by many but exclusively occupied by the Moon Tower.
One of its specialties, the 'Five Qi Ink Spirit Flower,' was highly sought after by the other two major powers, who had to pay exorbitant prices and favors to obtain even one.
Rumors said that there were at least five Nascent Soul ancestors behind the Moon Tower!
Their influence was overwhelmingly terrifying, deterring anyone from causing trouble. Cultivators outside were always very courteous when encountering the Moon Tower's fairies.
Naturally, Chen Xun and the big black ox did not dare to force their way in. The formations and restrictions set by Nascent Soul ancestors were not something that Golden Core cultivators could break.
Subsequently, Chen Xun and the big black ox, under the guise of Foundation Establishment cultivators, honorably joined the Nine Palaces Mountain.
Unsurprisingly, they became cooks!
Since official disciples were not allowed to be men, they could only take on this role, but they were paid spirit stones and given vacations.
The ingredients were not ordinary but included meat from various demon and spirit beasts, indicating the sect's wealth and generosity towards its members.
Over the years of traveling, Chen Xun had mastered many skills, and cooking was naturally no exception.
The Nine Palaces Mountain had nine main peaks, and Chen Xun and the big black ox were assigned to the kitchen under the 'Three Lives Peak.'