Chapter 221: Beigong Red Lion, Little Red
Inside the boat, three figures of different sizes stood at the stern, under the Crane Spirit Five Elements Tree.
The Blazing Red Lion was trembling with excitement as it watched the clouds passing by in the sky. It had never flown this high before, and the higher the clouds, the stronger the flying spirit beasts it would encounter.
However, after the initial excitement came a wave of fear. The vast Tian Duan Plain below had become blurry, and it suddenly felt a bit like going back down...
"Moo~" The big black ox nudged the Blazing Red Lion, snapping it out of its daze. A cold sweat dripped down as it shivered from the nudge, looking over at the ox.
"Lion, do you have a Taoist title?" Chen Xun leaned against the tree, smiling faintly, his body covered in shadow. "I remember most Nascent Soul stage cultivators have some kind of Taoist title."
"Senior, I've always been wandering around the Tian Duan Plain, so I've never needed one."
The Blazing Red Lion gave a sheepish grin and transformed into the size of a Tibetan Mastiff, though it appeared somewhat mystical with a faint red mark on its forehead.
Its head was covered in tangled tufts of long hair that kept twitching, and combined with its somewhat timid expression, it appeared more amusing than intimidating—"cute but lacking substance."
"I haven't formally introduced you yet. Old Ox, come over."
"Moo~"
The big black ox took a few steps forward and stood beside Chen Xun, nudging him while the Crane Spirit Five Elements Tree behind them glowed softly.
"I'm Chen Xun; you can call me Brother Xun from now on. The Old Ox there is a Ximen Black Ox, so you'll call him Brother Ox." Chen Xun laughed heartily, glancing behind him. "That's Little Crane. From now on, call him Brother Crane. He's not fully sentient yet, but he will be someday!"
"Moo moo~~" The big black ox puffed up with pride, lifting its head. It was now officially part of the "older brother" group.
"Greetings, Brother Xun! Brother Ox! Brother Crane!"
The Blazing Red Lion beamed with joy, even running in a circle before lowering its head to bow to each of them. This meant they truly accepted it, not just as a mount.
"Let me give you a name."
"Please, Brother Xun, bestow a name!"
The Blazing Red Lion wagged its tail like a steel whip, brimming with energy and pride.
The big black ox grinned widely and hurriedly pulled out a small booklet, showing Chen Xun the meaning behind its name.
"Hmm..." Chen Xun pondered for a moment, looking at the ox's little booklet. "How about Beigong[^1] Red Lion?"
"Moo~~~!"
Roar!
The Blazing Red Lion's eyes widened. The big black ox quickly ran over to share its excitement, and soon, the two of them were deep in conversation—one mooing, the other roaring. It seemed that spirit beasts had their own way of communicating.
The Blazing Red Lion was still unaccustomed to speaking human language, much like how Chen Xun wouldn't bark at a dog to communicate.
Chen Xun watched as the ox and the lion sat together, amused. They seemed to have endless things to talk about, their beastly chatter never stopping.
It was the first time Chen Xun had seen the Old Ox so genuinely happy. In the past, he had often brought it into human territories, but the conversations always revolved around humans.
This had always created a bit of tension for Chen Xun. Many people viewed the big black ox as nothing more than a tool, and if it weren't for its cultivation level, there would be no respect or equality.
But the ox was his sworn brother, and he had always cared about how others treated it.
Even now, only Senior Brother Ji had ever regarded the big black ox as a true brother, never judging it by its cultivation, but treating it with equal respect.
"Hehe." Chen Xun couldn't help but laugh out loud. He raised a hand to his forehead and looked at the Blazing Red Lion. "We've given you a formal name, but what should we call you casually?"
"Brother Xun!"
The Blazing Red Lion suddenly lifted its head and shouted, startling the big black ox, whose little booklet flipped a few pages in the commotion.
"We'll call you Little Red from now on. You should keep your real name hidden."
"No problem."
The Blazing Red Lion grinned slyly, clearly understanding the hidden rules.
The big black ox had finished bragging and now stood beside Chen Xun, happily flicking its tail back and forth.
...
A month later.
Little Red had become the big black ox's little follower, though it remained quite timid, occasionally suggesting they go back to the Tian Duan Plain.
The Big black ox noticed how strong Little Red's physical body was, which was unusual. Generally, the stronger the body, the harder it was to take on a smaller form.
Yet Little Red had done the opposite, something the ox couldn't quite figure out. However, its abilities were indeed weak—only the flame-control spell was decent.
Chen Xun stood outside the pavilion and shouted, "Old Ox, Little Red, come here!"
"Moo!"
"Roar!"
They hurried over, not knowing what their big brother wanted to say.
Chen Xun glanced at the Blazing Red Lion and asked, "Little Red, how did the Tian Duan Plains come to be?"
It rummaged through its little booklet. These ancient spirit beasts, after breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, often awakened some ancient memories. Little Red should know something.
Hearing this, the Blazing Red Lion's pupils shrank, and a cold sweat broke out. It did indeed know something.
"Moo?" The big black ox nudged it, eyes full of curiosity.
Chen Xun sat down slowly as they gathered around, the atmosphere turning heavy.
"Brother Xun, the Tian Duan Plains were caused by something from beyond this world..." The Blazing Red Lion furrowed its brows deeply. "This is a secret among many Nascent Soul spirit beasts. Speaking of it could bring disaster to a species."
"Why?"
"Our Blazing Red Lion Clan was wiped out because of it." Little Red lowered its head, speaking in a solemn tone. "If you hadn't asked, Brother Xun, I might never have spoken of it."
The boat fell into a deep silence, as if only the rustling of the Crane Tree could be heard.
Chen Xun and the big black ox exchanged a glance. It seemed there was more to Little Red's clan's tragedy.
"Brother Xun, Brother Ox, I know you're not from the Great Li Realm." Little Red looked up at Chen Xun and the big black ox, its eyes still filled with fear. "The spirit beast clans have a deep-seated blood feud with the human clans!"
Notes
[^1]: "Beigong" means "Northern Palace"