Chapter 31: Meeting on a Mountain Path. I Wish My Fellow Traveler Success in All Endeavors

"Moo? Moo moo moo?"

The black ox eyed its "masterpiece" in disbelief. It was pulled out of its stupor with a yank from Chen Xun.

An hour later, the raging fire was finally extinguished.

Chen Xun, covered in soot and with barely any clothes left, looked disheveled and miserable. His hair was a mess, and he appeared much worse than those townspeople who were fleeing back then.

They returned to their cave and sat down opposite each other.

"Old ox, I understand now. It turns out this "Spiritual Energy" isn't that same as our internal spiritual energy," Chen Xun said with a bitter laugh, spitting out a puff of black smoke. "It's a type of enhancement for our spells."

"Mo~" The black ox also seemed to understand now, its eyes filled with astonishment.

"This is incredible. And the best part is that it consumes very little spiritual energy," Chen Xun exclaimed, feeling encouraged. "The key lies here."

"Mo?"

"Old ox, give me some space," Chen Xun said, extending his palm, "I'll try using the Fireball Technique."

"Mo~" The big black ox quickly retreated, standing back and poking its head out from behind the wall of their herb growing area.

"Very pure," Chen Xun murmured.

A small flame came to life in his palm as he fed it with spiritual energy while controlling the output closely. The flame grew larger and larger until it resembled the original fireball he was familiar with.

"That's it," Chen Xun said with a smile.

He controlled the fireball without any spiritual energy fluctuations in his body.

"With time, I'll master the improved Fireball Technique even more."

"Mo~" The black ox approached cautiously, observing the fireball, and it noticed that it seemed more dynamic than before.

Chen Xun closed his hand, and the fireball re-entered his body.

He looked at the big black ox and said, "Old ox, we need to start practicing with our spiritual energy more."

"Moo?"

"Because I don't want to end up in my underwear again," Chen Xun said with irritation. "Do you understand?"

"Mo Mo!" The big black ox grinned and nodded.

In the following days, they continuously adapted to their spiritual energy and eventually found the knack for using it and could now control it freely.

During this time, Chen Xun also opened several furnaces to refine pills. The pill success rate increased significantly, and spiritual energy consumption decreased. Many alchemists failed at this stage because any fluctuation in their spiritual energy would ruin the entire process. Most chose the safer method of using the Earth Vein Fire.

Sitting in their cave, Chen Xun and the big black ox grinned crookedly. Their smiles were illuminated by the flickering candlelight, which made them look terrifying.

...

Time passed, and five years went by in the blink of an eye.

On the Qian Nation border, a great war erupted as the crown prince ascended the throne.

The court was filled with bloodshed, and the commoners suffered.

The ambitious Wulin Nation bid war with the Qian Nation, causing chaos to ensue in the lands. Seeing the nation in peril, the ten great sects got involved in this conflict of nations.

And with that, a new round of struggles had begun and turbulent undercurrents surged everywhere.

In the midst of all this, some people thrived, while others suffered.

....

At this moment, a dozen mountain bandits fell to the ground, their heads pierced by countless stones, creating large holes. Blood flowed down from their foreheads to the ground non-stop.

"Moo."

The large black ox let out a soft call, and a burst of fire erupted in the forest. The bandits' bodies vanished without a trace. The surrounding grass was surprisingly untouched.

Chen Xun and the big black ox continued walking forward, their expressions calm. They weren't bothered by the scene whatsoever.

"Old ox, the world has turned more crazy recently," Chen Xun calmly remarked as he looked ahead. "Ningyun Mountain Range is starting to get filled with all sorts of people. We should prepare to leave."

"Moo!"

The big black ox responded emphatically, its eyes even showing a hint of murderous intent. In these five years, they had experienced too much and witnessed too much. The world didn't seem as beautiful as they had initially imagined.

People who were fleeing for their lives resorted to cannibalism. Entire families were wiped out, leaving only one surviving member who was killed by mountain bandits. Some sought immortality but met their end in the mouths of ferocious beasts. Others, whom they had helped, repaid them with malice, only to be mercilessly killed in return.

Through various experiences, Chen Xun and the big black ox had developed a sense of indifference.

"They are just transient passersby with no names," Chen Xun said, his lips curling slightly. "Old ox, don't let them affect your state of mind. The world is vast."

"Moo moo~" The black ox nodded, grinning widely.

As time passed, they invested all their accumulated Immortal Points into enhancing their spiritual energy. Their mastery had reached a level of excellence. They were even afraid to use their full power for fear of causing too much destruction. Even a simple spell like Animal Control had become terrifying in their hands, to the point where decapitating an enemy from a thousand miles away felt like child's play.

Standing on the ground, they could shoot down even low-flying birds with ease.

Their Fireball Technique was even more fearsome.

Moreover, the pills they refined seemed to have an indescribable quality to them. The medicinal potency felt much stronger than before, to the extent that their alchemy furnaces were deemed useless after a certain time.

With the consumption of numerous pills, they had already broken through the tenth level of the Qi Refining Stage.

Today, the scorching sun shone brightly, and even though there was a bit of cold wind, there was still a warm feeling in the air.

Entering deeper into the Ningyun Mountain Range, the air was filled with an unknown floral fragrance. As they walked along the rugged mountain path, they met a group of people descending from the mountains.

"_Hmm?_" At the forefront of the group was a young woman. She paused for a while, staring at Chen Xun, and then said, "It's actually you."

Chen Xun and the black ox were taken aback. Who was this person, recognizing them even with their headgear on? They were practically playing a prank.

Even the people accompanying the young woman were confused. How could she identify someone with a headgear?

"It's been almost ten years. I didn't expect to see you again," the young woman suddenly smiled, "I remember your headgear and that ox of yours."

Chen Xun furrowed his brow. Her smile seemed to remind him of the young girl who had been once frightened by him.

The young girl had matured and no longer resembled the teenage girl she once was, and her eyes seemed to carry many stories.

"_Hehe_, it's you," Chen Xun recalled, asking, "Isn't the Ascension Conference about to begin? Why aren't you selling spiritual herbs?"

"I no longer do that. My aptitude for cultivation is limited, so I'm going back home," the young woman replied with a smile. She seemed to find his headgear comical this time around. "My family has arranged a marriage for me."

"Congratulations then. I actually have some experience with weddings and funerals," Chen Xun said seriously, even offering a bow. "Based on your appearance, you're a fortunate person, and I wish you all the best in the future."

"In that case, I'll accept your kind words," the young woman nodded gently, looking in the direction of the Ascension Conference. "I wish you success in your path of immortality. I hope everything goes your way."

"May the wind be at your back, friend." Chen Xun said, taking a step back.

The young woman turned around, casting another sweet smile towards Chen Xun, and then walked away with her group.

Chen Xun continued on his journey, while the two groups passed each other, heading towards different futures, brushing past each other.

Suddenly, he stopped and turned around, gazing at the group of people below. A gust of mountain wind swept through, causing flowers to bloom all over the mountains. The young woman's dark hair fluttered in the wind, and Chen Xun smiled faintly before turning and walking away.