Chapter 2: An Immortals Descends and A Hoof in Panic
[Ding! The host can now add points.]
A voice sounded in Chen Xun's mind.
He thought for a moment before deciding to increase his and the ox's strength once more.
The young man had discovered the significant benefits of increasing strength; his physical work became easier, his movements became more agile, and he could manage two tasks at once.
As a result, Cuihua, the unmarried woman in the village who had turned forty that year, often flirted with Chen Xun.
As he looked at his muscles, he came to realize the irresistible charm he possessed that had captivated many young women in the village. Chen Xun sighed deeply. "Perhaps this is what it means to be a man...."
To Chen Xun's surprise, the black ox took advantage of his moment of posturing and devoured his portion of supper.
"Hey, old ox! Slow down. That's mine!"
"Moo!"
The black ox reacted swiftly, swallowing the food in one gulp. Chen Xun was left speechless for a long time....
In the following year, Chen Xun and the black ox found a blacksmith to whom they became apprenticed. The man was greatly impressed by Chen Xun's strength and praised him for having the appearance of a skilled worker.
Chen Xun didn't ask for money and only requested meals for himself and the black ox as payment, which the blacksmith quickly agreed to.
However, the next month, Chen Xun made the grave mistake of stepping into the blacksmith's workshop with his left foot first, which resulted in them being kicked out immediately.
Helpless, the young man understood that this must have been the so-called immortal tribulation faced by the strong....
After that, they searched for fertile land and started growing rice. With the black ox plowing the field, they worked vigorously and prospered.
"This is our kingdom...."
"Moo!"
Chen Xun looked at the lush green fields in front of him, filled with joy. He tightly gripped the Mountain-Opening1 axe in his hand, with two more axes tucked around his waist.
The black ox was also overjoyed, with blades hanging from its four legs and an axe tied to its horn.
"If those villains dare to lay their hands on our field again...!"
Chen Xun's eyes emitted a cold and fierce aura as he looked at his companion, who returned the gaze and nodded heavily.
"We'll swiftly make a run for it! We can't afford to confront them head-on yet. Let's see who dares to chase after us with our equipment!"
"Moo! Moo!"
Fortunately, the year went by smoothly. Apparently, something major happened in the neighboring village, and everyone was gathered there, too busy to pay attention to Chen Xun's fields.
Chen Xun received his point and allocated it to Strength. He did the same for the black ox as well. They then happily harvested the rice.
The black ox went ahead and dug a pit in the cave. Chen Xun was quick to understand his intention as he proceeded to fill the pit with countless bags of shiny white rice.
However, he saved some for the village chief, several times the amount the chief had sent at that time.
**_Ding-dang! Ding-dang!_**
At that moment, the sound of drums echoed throughout the village, spreading in all directions. Even inside the cave, one could faintly hear it. It was the gathering call for a significant event in the village.
Chen Xun squinted slightly and quickly ran out of the cave, thinking there might be a brawl. With his current strength, he could easily knock down a big man.
They sneakily observed the situation from a small hill. Contrary to what they thought, the village was filled with joy, and everyone was gathered outside the village chief's house.
"Let's go, old ox. Let's take a look."
"Moo!"
In the village, thousands of people looked hopeful and excited. They held chickens, ducks, and fish in their hands, bowing respectfully to the two individuals at the center.
"The Cloud Heaven Sect is accepting disciples. Those with spiritual roots have a chance to embark on the path of immortality."
One of them, dressed in daoist robes, stood on the rooftop of the village chief's house, looking down with an air of superiority.
"Immortal, how can we know if we have spiritual roots?"
"Yeah, my Xiao Heizi has been strong as a bull since childhood. The fortune teller said that he's a reincarnated immortal."
The villagers were filled with excitement, bombarding them with a series of questions. The two cultivators frowned.
"Silence."
The cultivator seemed to be angry. He activated a talisman in his hand, and suddenly, a fierce fire ignited, terrifying and scorching; intense heat filled the air.
The villagers instantly fell into complete silence, not daring to make a sound. Their eyes widened in shock, secretly acknowledging that this was indeed an immortal!
"Black Ox is really lucky. He gets to be walked by a cultivator from start to finish."
Chen Xun brought the black ox to the edge of the crowd, his eyes filled with admiration. As it turns out, there were indeed cultivators in this world.
After hearing that, the black ox looked puzzled. When did it get walked by anyone?
"Listen. Spiritual roots are divided into five grades, which are respectively: Basic Elemental roots, Inferior Elemental roots, Middle Elemental roots, Upper Elemental roots, and finally, Heavenly Elemental roots."
The cultivator explained with his hands behind his back, activating a token in his hand. "Don't be nervous. Those under the age of twenty will now be tested for their spiritual roots."
A beam of light shone from the ground, vibrant and dazzling, causing a commotion among the villagers. Even the elderly wanted to step forward and give it a try.
The young people and children from the village eagerly approached and stood in the light, but there was no response.
"This can't be possible. I dreamt that I was an immortal!" One villager muttered anxiously; eyes filled with disbelief. He then turned around, knelt, and shouted, "Immortal, please take me as your disciple!"
"Leave within three breaths of time," A cold voice answered.
"Immortal, I beg of you!"
The villager cried out, refusing to leave the light pillar, "It's what I dreamt of!"
Sha!
In a flash of sword light, blood splattered, and the villager's eyes remained filled with disbelief as his head tumbled to the ground.
Countless sounds of kneeling came from the villagers. Their eyes were filled with dread as they trembled in fear.
Chen Xun's pupils contracted, quickly kneeling. Beads of cold sweat quickly formed on his forehead. 'These cultivators are really ruthless....'
The black ox silently lowered its head. As their eyes met, some of their beautiful fantasies shattered quietly.
"Continue," the cultivator said, his eyes flashing with coldness. He slaughtered the man like he would a cattle.
From that point on, there was no more chaos. The villagers orderly passed through the light pillar; their eyes still filled with hope.
Chen Xun also timidly stepped forward to give it a try. However, he only had a mixed elemental spiritual root, which didn't garner any attention from the cultivators.
"Not bad, there is actually one person with a middle elemental spiritual root."
A faint smile appeared on the cultivator's lips as he looked at a little girl. "Bid farewell to your family."
"Yes, Immortal." The little girl hesitated, torn between reluctance and secret joy.
After she bid her family farewell, the cultivator gave them several dozen silver coins.
"Those with mixed elemental spiritual roots can join as miscellaneous disciples. They also have a chance to embark on the path of immortality." The cultivator glanced at a few people and casually said.
"Immortal, I'll go!"
Hearing this, several people with mixed elemental spiritual roots were overjoyed and immediately knelt.
The cultivator glanced at Chen Xun, who was extremely angry. He was sweating profusely and looked extremely troubled. Even the black ox beside him held its breath in fright. They seemed shaken by the previous scene.
"Weak-willed. You have no hope on the immortal path. Leave."
The cultivator shook his head as he summoned a celestial sword from his storage bag. He took the chosen group of people and disappeared into the distance.
The villagers felt lost, their gazes still fixed on the departing figures of the cultivators. They were filled with envy.
"Damn it... old ox, all it took was one look and you started playing dead! You even hit me with your hoof in panic! Do you want to kill me?!"
Chen Xun lay on the ground, his chest throbbing. He was severely injured; that hoof almost made him meet his long-deceased parents.
"Moo~"
The black ox nudged Chen Xun, realizing that it had hit him with too much strength.
It carried Chen Xun back to the cave, where he recovered for several days before his condition finally improved.
"We can't go to those sects...." Chen Xun looked at the black ox, explaining, "These sects are way too dangerous. They kill without batting an eye; they don't need a good reason to do so as well. We could find ourselves getting whipped just because we ate a piece of beef."
The black ox's pupils trembled, crazily shaking its head. It didn't understand all that, but it understood eating beef.
Chen Xun's first encounter with cultivators didn't evoke a sense of longing in him, but rather a profound feeling of insecurity.
They had a feud with Old Wang's family from the neighboring village, but it only involved brawls. However, these cultivators were quick to kill without hesitation....
Chen Xun deeply remembered that gaze...reminiscent of his own when slaughtering chickens....
1. I think he is trying to act cool by calling his axe "Mountain-Opener." Probably a reference to the Chinese god "Erlang Baojuan" [https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%BC%80%E5%B1%B1%E6%96%A7/22563450](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%BC%80%E5%B1%B1%E6%96%A7/22563450)