Chapter 253: Your burial ground, the ultimate plan to annihilate a Nascent Soul cultivator

" Moo!" The big black ox nodded enthusiastically.

"Here, take this booklet. Without opening the body's apertures, you won't be able to cultivate this flower." Chen Xun retrieved a well-organized body cultivation booklet from his storage ring and handed it to the ox. "Ximen Black Ox, don't disappoint me. After all, that hide of yours is only three shades less tough than mine."

"Moo~~" The big black ox immediately knelt, transforming its hooves into hands to receive the booklet respectfully, honored by his brother's gift.

Little Red looked on with a hint of envy. He was interested in body cultivation, but his race's limitations held him back, forcing him to rely on enhancing his spiritual perception through his flame-light senses rather than physical cultivation. This lack of resources made him avoid direct confrontations with other spirit beasts.

"Little Red."

"Brother Xun?"

"Take it slow; no rush. Dao Ancestor won't abandon you. If an opportunity arises, I'll help you defy fate and transform your bloodline!" Chen Xun, hands clasped behind him, looked up to the sky. "Your Brother Crane? I raised him personally. Anything is possible."

"Yes, Dao Ancestor!" Little Red's eyes brimmed with emotion. He trusted Chen Xun wholeheartedly and knelt beside the big black ox. "I swear to follow Dao Ancestor's path loyally, without regret!"

While he didn't fully understand the concept of "defying fate," he grasped "transforming bloodlines." Bloodline was both a strength and a shackle for spirit beasts—a blessing and a curse. But now, Little Red had renounced his clan ties and pledged himself to Dao Ancestor.

"Hmm..." Chen Xun's mouth twitched, barely suppressing a laugh. "Little Red, let's get mining. Black Ox, you may train on your own."

"Got it, Brother Xun!"

"Moo moo!" The big black ox eagerly opened the booklet, preparing to go into seclusion for training.

With a flow of the Divine Light from Chen Xun, streams of air converged from all directions, and the ethereal essence flower was drawn back into his body, disappearing gradually.

Little Red licked his lips quietly, growing increasingly certain that Brother Xun wasn't human. His origins seemed profound, and Little Red considered himself incredibly fortunate to have met such brothers.

Just as he was lost in thought, Chen Xun suddenly picked him up. Startled, Little Red yelped before Brother Xun settled him onto his shoulder. Grinning, Little Red clung comfortably to his brother, feeling a deep sense of security and warmth as they walked toward the mine, ready to dig.

Clang! Clang!

Chen Xun and Little Red divided the work, leaving no stone unturned as they mined the area. Rocks and dust flew, reverberating with the clamor of their labor.

...

Twenty years later, a brilliant flash of lightning struck the island, accompanied by a powerful rumbling that reverberated in all directions.

The big black ox, bathed in lightning, slowly rose. A colossal, indistinct shadow loomed behind him, nurtured by the descending heavenly essence, defying perception. In the murky form, only a pair of eyes, as large as copper bells, glared down at the island, radiating a terrifying power.

Little Red stared up from the mine in awe, feeling his blood roiling with discomfort and his bloodline repressed to an unbearable degree.

"Brother Ox... What kind of spirit beast is he?" His legs felt weak; the pressure was even more intense than Brother Xun's.

In another part of the mine's darkness, a figure wielding a large axe chuckled softly, transforming into a streak of green light that appeared at the cave entrance.

Looking up, Chen Xun felt his blood resonate with the heavenly force before him. "As expected, the old ox's progress in body cultivation surpasses my own."

Though the big black ox had always possessed formidable physical power, Chen Xun knew that this path might allow his friend to journey further than himself. But he couldn't resist a teasing grin, unable to admit as much aloud.

"Moo moo~~"

A bellow echoed across the island, stirring the surrounding sea into turbulent waves. The big black ox had fully awakened, drawing a rootless essence flower into his body, nearly identical to Chen Xun's own. His coat, thick and lustrous, exuded a palpable sense of dominance.

The big black ox's pupils contracted as his imposing aura began to settle. He glanced at the mine and then soared toward Chen Xun and Little Red.

"Old Ox!"

"Brother Ox!!"

Chen Xun and the big black ox laughed heartily, with Little Red shouting loudest, his face covered in black soot from the mine. Even Chen Xun's lips were smudged with dirt.

These past twenty years, they'd hardly rested from mining, and Little Red couldn't help but blink in amazement. It seemed Brother Xun had some deep-rooted obsession with the veins of the earth...

He no longer thought of Brother Xun as stingy. When it mattered, he was incredibly generous. Still, he believed in not wasting resources and had imparted this philosophy to Little Red, who now understood that earthly resources are finite and must be treasured. Anything unclaimed was theirs to take, and if anything were to suffer, it shouldn't be themselves.

"If it has a rightful owner, just pass it by; no point making enemies everywhere and becoming the world's foe—that's not a life worth living."

"Moo!" The big black ox charged toward Chen Xun, retracting its bristling fur into its body to resume its unremarkable appearance.

"So, how does it feel?!" Chen Xun got up and gave the big black ox a hearty slap, feeling its toughened hide. It was indeed sturdier.

"Moo moo!" The big black ox affectionately rubbed against Chen Xun, thrilled—it had fully learned everything in the booklet, harnessing the power of heavenly tribulation for body refinement, no longer needing suppression. It felt thoroughly invigorated.

"Brother Ox, Brother Xun, and I mined out the entire vein! It's all a refined Starstone ore!" Little Red ran over, holding a large, jingling bag filled with storage rings. "This will definitely be enough for your teleportation array!"

"Moo~~" The big black ox let out a satisfied snort, patting Little Red and lifting him onto its back.

Chen Xun took a few steps to the side, gazing proudly over the disheveled, barren mine pit. "Now that the old ox is back, brothers, we're sweeping every inch within a ten-mile radius!"

"Moo!" The big black ox bellowed, now brimming with strength and ready to excel at mining.

"Right away, Brother Xun!"

Little Red echoed energetically, his body glowing red as it grew larger.

"Let's go!!!"

Chen Xun's resounding shout shook the island, sending leaves swirling through the air.

They spread out to survey the vein's pathways, noting down experiences in Chen Xun's booklet. If these weren't surface deposits, they wouldn't have even found them! Mining required careful knowledge—a hard-earned lesson from his multiple entrapments in collapsed mines.

However, whenever a dark, windy night arrived, they would gather at the mine's bottom, letting out eerie laughter and plotting something unknown.

A year later.

Rumble!!

The central mineral vein had been excavated to the last stone, left utterly barren, with no trace remaining.

Three figures stood atop the pit, overlooking their 'masterpiece.' Little Red, perched atop the big black ox, was clutching a large bag, breathing heavily in excitement.

Hundreds of storage rings, once filled with other materials, were now packed with ores—enough to last countless years.

The big black ox nudged the dazed Chen Xun.

"Heh, we're rich!" Chen Xun's eyes sparkled like gems. "This cultivation world is amazing, full of resources—everything we need is right here!"

Little Red growled with excitement, his heart pounding. He'd never imagined draining an entire vein, and he wondered how many rare resources they could exchange it for in The Great Li Realm.

He looked at Chen Xun and grinned. Traveling with Brother Xun was quite a thrill.

"Old Ox, Little Red," Chen Xun's expression suddenly turned serious, his voice laced with cold resolve, "Start preparing the ultimate strike. When I break through to the Transformation stage, that old bastard's time will come!"

Who exactly was that person named Long Guanzi, and the one behind his arrival? This mystery had to be unraveled; no one would be spared.

"Moo~~~!"

"Understood, Brother Xun."

The big black ox and Little Red nodded solemnly, their gazes turning steely. Their plan was enormous, and they had rehearsed it countless times—killing a Nascent Soul powerhouse would shake the entire Great Li Realm.

Only a massive war could take down a Nascent Soul cultivator, but The Great Li Realm had been peaceful for ages. Not a single Nascent Soul powerhouse had fallen unexpectedly, much less perished in a duel.

"Brother Ox, we need to gather a large amount of Five Elements Stones first."

Little Red looked down at the big black ox, a bit nervous but resolved to fight alongside his brothers.

"Moo~" The big black ox's gaze tightened as he looked at the pit, a flash of black light transporting them to its bottom.

Chen Xun, hands clasped behind his back, gazed deeply ahead. He never spared anyone with murderous intent toward him. If he hadn't had the means to protect himself, he might have ended up a mindless puppet.

Now, with the enemy in the open and him in the shadows, he would prepare carefully, waiting decades or even centuries if necessary. The strike on the Nascent Soul powerhouse had to be flawless!

A dark beam of light shot upward from the pit as the big black ox's icy gaze fixed on the Five Elements formation flags scattered around, each radiating with power.

At the bottom, an enormous formation began to rise, surrounded by stones. Little Red, though straining, maintained his concentration. If they escaped, the God-killing Stones would be rendered useless.

A little sweat appeared on Little Red's forehead, and the flame consciousness suppressed it fiercely, and the five elements of heaven and earth were forcibly filled into those huge and incomparable God-Destroying Stones.

Just as Little Red and the big black ox worked together to create, a trace of a cold murderous aura lingered on the ground of the huge mine.

"Yu Jialong Guanzi, wait for me." Chen Xun's expression became a little gloomy, and the corners of his mouth began to rise, "This place is your... burial place."

A faint voice floated in the air, and the sky and earth of the island were suddenly filled with a bleak and absolute atmosphere!