Chapter 217: The True Tian Duan Plains
Chen Xun and the big black ox took a deep breath, their eyes fixed on the distant horizon. A shimmering light curtain flickered in and out of sight, the grand array before them far surpassing their understanding.
They had reached the edge of the Tian Duan Plains, but had avoided the teleportation arrays leading to the various outposts of the cultivators from the Great Li Realm Dynasty.
"Moo~~" The big black ox snorted heavily, gazing at the surrounding cliffs. Five elemental array flags circled around it as a rainbow light shot out, beginning to make contact with the grand array.
Chen Xun narrowed his eyes as he observed the God-killing wind within the Tian Duan Plains being sucked into the cliffs and then expelled by the array.
Their cultivation world had long endured this relentless invasion, yet the Great Li Realm had found a solution: they had driven the catastrophe to another realm, severing all connections.
He let out a cold laugh without saying a word. The cultivation world was indeed a place where people prioritized their own survival, sacrificing others without hesitation. The reality was likely far more complex than he had imagined.
"Moo!" The big black ox's gaze turned sharp as it touched the sky-covering array, jotting down notes in its small book.
Chen Xun glanced over and felt another jolt of shock.
This array clearly contained massive God-killing Stones, and the array's foundation wasn't on the surface but buried underground!
The Great Li Realm must have discovered something. The invasion of the God-killing Wind was not the main issue—it was the erosion of the world's spiritual energy and the environment of the cultivation world that posed the real threat.
Their earlier discoveries in the underground of the Qian Nation also proved this point. The key lay in the terrifying, demonic stones associated with the sealed creatures, which were definitely different from the God-killing Stones.
The Great Li Realm's sky-covering array could block the God-killing Wind but couldn't halt the progress of cultivators, which was a relief.
According to Huang Shao and the others, it took over a hundred mid-grade spirit stones to teleport from the nearest major state, and the teleportation array could only handle ten people at a time, so they had to band together.
Chen Xun and the big black ox had no interest in paying for such an unnecessary expense. They weren't in a hurry, and besides, they wanted to enjoy the scenery along the way.
"Moo~~" The big black ox let out a low moo, shaking its head in disappointment. The array of techniques of the Great Li Realm was so advanced that it was struggling to comprehend them.
"Haha, old ox, we're just getting started. Take your time learning," Chen Xun said, patting the big black ox. "See that long-distance transportation array? Surely you, Ximen Black Ox, are interested!"
"Moo!" The big black ox's eyes widened. In the Qian Nation, such large teleportation arrays no longer existed. Not only had the technique been lost, but the materials had become extinct.
In Qian, there were only small teleportation arrays for short-range transport. The technique of teleportation was vast and profound, and the big black ox knew only a fraction of it.
The big black ox grinned, nudging Chen Xun. It was eager to go to the Great Li Realm to learn as much as possible.
"Old ox~" Chen Xun raised an eyebrow with a mysterious glint in his eyes.
"Moo?"
"The Great Li Realm... has the ocean," Chen Xun whispered, his heart racing and his face flushed slightly. "One of my dreams is to go out to sea and fish."
"Moo~~~" The big black ox grew excited as well, snorting out a long breath.
"Old ox, this is the ultimate path of cultivation!"
"Moo!!"
They grew more excited as they spoke, standing face to face. Chen Xun embraced the ox's head while its eyes widened. It still had plans to visit the Buddhist sects and inquire about karmic reincarnation.
"Old ox, let's go explore the world!"
"Moo~~~"
Two joyful laughs echoed from the cliffside as they took to the sky, heading off into the distance.
Buzz!
At the same time, they put away their large ship, deciding it wouldn't be needed for now. There would be other chances to let their little crane see the world.
Seven days later.
They had traversed through the cliff region, discovering that the sky-covering array actually had three layers. The first layer they had seen earlier was only the beginning. The God-killing Wind was no longer detectable.
The sky grew clearer, no longer filled with yellow sandstorms ravaging the land.
It was as though they had entered a new world. The sky was an unblemished blue, with not a single wisp of cloud, as if all impurities had been filtered out, gleaming brightly.
The sky was as clear as a sheet of blue paper, with a few wisps of thin clouds drifting slowly, as if they were melting under the sunlight.
Standing on the edge of the cliff, they felt the overwhelming spiritual energy of the land and stared into the distance, completely stunned.
Under the sky, a vast, boundless plain stretched out like an enormous, dark green jade disk, majestic and expansive, awe-inspiring in its grandeur.
The endless grasslands stretched out under the sky with no hills in sight, as calm and tranquil as a peaceful sea on a windless day.
This was the true Tian Duan Plains, the frontier of the Great Li Realm, and the paradise of spirit beasts.
"Whoa..."
"Moo..."
Chen Xun and the big black ox exchanged bewildered glances. The rich aroma of earth and spiritual herbs swept over them with the breeze, leaving them utterly astonished.
It had been so many years since they had seen greenery like this. It felt like a lifetime ago, and they hadn't expected the Tian Duan Plains to be such a beautiful sight.
Chen Xun, filled with excitement, leapt onto the back of the big black ox, shouting, "Old ox, let's go! Woohoo!!!"
"Moo!!!"
The big black ox let out an excited roar, charging forward. The surrounding wildflowers bloomed as they sped through, stirring up a whirlwind that caused the lush green grass to ripple like waves.
Chen Xun laughed heartily, lying back on the ox as they raced, while large flying spirit beasts occasionally soared across the sky.
Like an iron beast, the big black ox galloped across the plains, occasionally taking a bite of grass as it ran.
Chen Xun raised his hand gently, feeling the five elements' energy swirling around his fingers, sensing the boundless spiritual energy of the land. It was incomparably rich, far beyond anything in their cultivation realm.
With a deep sigh, Chen Xun marveled at the sheer strength of the Great Li Realm. Just this one Tian Duan Plains was enough to reveal how abundant its cultivation resources were.
Yet, according to Huang Shao, even in the Great Li Realm, a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator was still a well-known figure, not someone who would be weakened just by coming here.
As for those beyond the Nascent Soul stage, they knew little and dared not speculate, but it was certain the Great Li Realm had them!
With 360 states, who knew how many hidden experts lurked within? The major powers only controlled a hundred states or so at most.
The remaining states were home to countless sects and other forces, including hidden sects, whose whereabouts were unknown.
Chen Xun smiled, feeling no fear. He and the big black ox weren't here to steal resources or conquer sects. They just wanted to live their own lives without stirring trouble.
"Moo!" The big black ox suddenly stopped, gazing into the distance.
"Oh, Foundation Establishment spirit beasts." Chen Xun's eyes lit up as two spirit beasts fought in the distance, rainbow light flashing and dirt flying.
"Old ox, it seems the spirit beasts here are hunting each other—natural enemies, haha."
"Moo~~~"
They watched with great interest, not interfering in the battle.
Roar!
Roar!
The spirit beasts, with their sharp instincts, quickly sensed the presence of two humans observing them from afar. Were they planning to steal the spoils?
They immediately separated, still full of battle intent, muttering some vicious words in the spirit beast language: "We'll fight again next time!" Then they quickly fled in opposite directions.
The big black ox laughed heartily. The spirit beasts here were much smarter than those in the Southern Dipper Mountains, which were much more reckless.
Chen Xun rested his hands behind his head, chuckling softly. "Let's move on, old ox. We'll just watch the spirit beasts fight when we come across them."
"Moo~~" The big black ox grinned, understanding his companion's carefree attitude. Watching was just a harmless way to pass the time.
For the next half month, the big black ox ran wild without using any spiritual energy, as if releasing its pent-up excitement.
Chen Xun occasionally joined in, running alongside it, completely free and unrestrained.
Gradually, they ventured deeper into the Tian Duan Plains, where they occasionally spotted Golden Core stage spirit beasts. The abundance of spiritual herbs was astonishing.
But Chen Xun and the big black ox never collected them, nor did they hunt. It wasn't necessary, and they didn't want to spoil the beauty of the scene.