"Old Bull, take the Pest Repelling Pill and the Worm Expelling Pill." Chen Xun took out two pills, swallowed them in one gulp, and then handed two to the big black bull. "Moo~" The big black bull responded, rolling its tongue to take them in; these were bought with spirit stones at their sect. "What a strange place," Chen Xun murmured. This was completely different from the forests they usually entered—there was not a hint of vitality, only a heavy, lifeless atmosphere, though the spiritual energy was abundant.
"Moo~" The big black bull stared wide-eyed, cautiously looking around, its nostrils twitching. "Old Bull, the secret realm of Southern Dipper Mountain lasts for half a year; we're not in a hurry. Let's observe first." Chen Xun shrank his head and pulled out a long-lost bandit mask from his pocket. He slowly put it on; the feeling, the aura—it was entirely different! "Moo!" The big black bull patted Chen Xun, where's my mask? "Here, put it on, put it on." Chen Xun grinned; this was their gear from the bloodbath at Old Wang's house.
"Moo~" The big black bull trembled with excitement; that feeling suddenly returned... Chen Xun slowly took off his disciple robes from the Five Elements Sect. To outsiders, it seemed like a protective talisman, but to Chen Xun, it exposed his identity—what if there were accounts to settle in autumn? He donned a set of coarse linen clothes he had sewn himself, feeling light and unshackled.
"Old Bull, hold on!" Chen Xun hugged the bull's head; they were standing under countless dense leaves, perfectly concealed. "Moo~" The big black bull responded, already understanding Chen Xun's essence; it was not worried at all. As the sun and moon rotated, while disciples from various sects were diligently searching for spiritual herbs, this man and bull sat quietly in the trees for an entire day, utterly motionless!
"Old Bull, it should be safe here; let's make some clothes!" "Moo?" "Just watch; I learned a set from Aunt Wang back then." Chen Xun smiled, thinking of that little mountain village, vowing to return one day. "Moo." The big black bull nodded, watching as Chen Xun climbed down the ancient tree, stealthily gathering countless fallen leaves, and it hurried to help.
Half a day later, the task was complete. Chen Xun looked at the 'lucky outfit' made of countless dry leaves, his eyes filled with satisfaction as he quickly draped it over himself. "Moo!" The big black bull was startled; at that moment, Chen Xun lay on the ground, feeling as if he had become invisible—he was completely undetectable.
"Haha..." Chen Xun chuckled softly, standing up, causing countless dry leaves to rustle. He quickly draped another set over the big black bull, leaving only its eyes visible; even its horns were covered. "Moo!!" The big black bull looked at Chen Xun with a single expression: sheer awe.
"Hehe, Old Bull, let's move!" Chen Xun grinned, his terrifying appearance accentuated by the mask. "Moo~" The two figures made of dry leaves slowly traversed among the ancient trees, their movements minimal and their speed remarkably agile. They pressed on, and along the way, they unexpectedly spotted spiritual herbs—this was their first time seeing them in the wild, but they did not pick any; they were of no use.
Suddenly, they halted in the trees; ahead lay a large lake, shimmering under the light, surrounded by a profusion of spiritual herbs, the spiritual energy wafting through the air. However, the lake exuded a chill, with wisps of mist swirling above its surface, truly magical. "Moo~" The big black bull extended its hoof to stop Chen Xun; there was surely danger in that lake.
"Old Bull, are you teaching me how to do things? Isn't that redundant? Only a fool would jump in." Chen Xun chuckled, amazed at how much the old bull had grown in strength over the years. "Moo!" The big black bull nudged Chen Xun, its eyes filled with defiance; it was clearly the one who had discovered this place, and here Chen Xun was playing the critic.
"Ice Orchid Grass, Cold Spirit Grass, they really are here." Chen Xun observed from a distance, spotting two types of auxiliary herbs for foundation-building pills. Over the past six months, he had gathered extensive information on these spiritual herbs, familiarizing himself with them. As soon as he spoke, several sounds of breaking air echoed from another thicket; a small team of three appeared, their sect affiliation indiscernible.
"Old Bull, look, there really are fools." Chen Xun shook his head repeatedly, as if expecting some water monster to leap from the lake at any moment. "Moo~" The big black bull nodded; these people seemed even less capable than it. However, something felt off about the situation!
"Damn it!" "Moo?!" Chen Xun and the big black bull stretched their heads out, growling in disbelief as they watched the three comfortably harvesting spiritual herbs, with no water monster in sight. "Impossible, absolutely impossible." Chen Xun gripped the tree trunk tightly, causing the bark to peel away. The big black bull shook its head repeatedly, confused by the situation.
The three gathered their harvest without greed, quickly leaving with just a few herbs; they were clearly seasoned veterans, retreating decisively. Suddenly, an unexpected turn of events occurred! From both sides of the thicket, a group of sect disciples charged out, their attire suggesting they were from the same sect, and angry shouts erupted as they immediately engaged in battle.
"What the hell, Old Liu." Chen Xun's eyes widened; the real danger was here. "Old Bull, did you see? The threat isn't from beasts, but from people." "Moo?" The big black bull was puzzled; there were still so many spiritual herbs by the lake, why risk it by robbing others?
"This is the treachery of human hearts." Chen Xun sighed, "Weren't we also ambushed by those three back then?" "Moo!" The big black bull's pupils contracted; it understood. After so many years with Chen Xun, it had encountered its fair share of absurdities.
Suddenly, another twist of fate! Countless bubbles erupted from the lake, and Chen Xun and the big black bull stretched their heads again, their eyes fixed on the lake's surface. Was the legendary water monster finally coming?! Large black fish leaped out of the water, seemingly playing, only to dive back in moments later. Chen Xun and the big black bull exchanged glances, both filled with anger, merely watching the distant fight with disinterest.
Suddenly, another twist of fate! Beneath their tree, a roar erupted, and a fierce wind swept through, causing their lucky outfits to flutter wildly, filling their mouths with dust. A red figure darted out swiftly, resembling a red-skinned lion, its long fangs sharp and menacing. Its body was over a yard long, and its front claws glowed red as it lunged at the battling disciples.
"A beast at the tenth level of Qi Refinement, quite formidable." Chen Xun calmly adjusted his lucky outfit, speaking nonchalantly. "Moo!" The big black bull was eager to try, a glint of battle intent flashing in its eyes.
From a distance, shouts of surprise and anger rang out; the red-skinned lion relentlessly pursued the disciples harvesting spiritual herbs, casting spells in chaos, creating utter disarray. Blood splattered as they had no choice but to abandon the herbs, tossing them into the air, and hurriedly fled in all directions.
"Old Bull, let's go? I'll grab a few herbs, and you can handle it." "Moo!" The two figures lightly descended from the tree, their expressions calm as they swiftly dashed toward the lake.
Roar! The red-skinned lion was furious; someone had intruded into its territory again, and these two leaf-clad figures puzzled it—what were these strange creatures it had never seen before?