Just as it was about to rush forward to stop the person from picking the spiritual herb, a massive creature blocked its path. "Moo!" The great black bull stood on its hind legs, its hooves striking the ground with a thunderous clap, moving with such speed that the red-skinned lion was taken aback! A burst of flames erupted, and the red-skinned lion's spell was effortlessly dispelled by the great black bull. Its fangs were caught by a hoof, and it couldn't break free no matter how hard it struggled. Roar! Moo! The great black bull exerted its strength, swinging the red-skinned lion and slamming it down onto the ground with a violent crash. The red-skinned lion's face contorted in pain, a look of intense horror flashing in its eyes, as it felt a jolt in its heart, fearing its brain might burst from the impact. Moo! The great black bull swung again, and the red-skinned lion began to doubt its very existence, spewing a mouthful of blood, its internal power unable to manifest. Moo! The great black bull roared in fury, its hooves continuing to swing, and the red-skinned lion's tongue was knocked out, emitting a series of whimpers, "Big brother, please stop hitting me!!"
Chen Xun had picked two plants of Ice Duckweed and Cold Spirit Grass, both as white as jade and exuding a chill. He placed them carefully in a medicine box for preservation. He then shouted towards another lakeside, "Old Bull, it's time to go." "Moo~" The great black bull hurriedly dragged the red-skinned lion to Chen Xun's side, leaving a long trail of blood on the ground. "Old Bull, you really did well." Chen Xun marveled, "Damn, I almost smashed this lion to death." "Moo~ Moo!" The great black bull grinned; this red-skinned lion was quite blind to the situation, already fantasizing about whether it would be braised or steamed. Whimper~ The red-skinned lion's pupils were vacant; it had truly given up, really given up. "Ah, how tragic." Chen Xun shook his head, "Brother, take care of your injuries. If you encounter someone else, they might skin you alive and refine your bones."
Chen Xun hoisted the red-skinned lion and, accompanied by the great black bull, headed into the jungle. If it weren't for the fasting pills they had taken, they wouldn't dare to light a fire here; they would have feasted long ago. They tossed the red-skinned lion into a secluded spot, letting it fend for itself; after all, it wouldn't be moving for at least half a year, to avoid being discovered by their fellow disciples. Whimper~ The red-skinned lion weakly called out, "Big brother, I really thank you!" "Old Bull, let's get out of here." Chen Xun and the great black bull began to climb trees again, disappearing in the blink of an eye. They left, but they had left a lifelong shadow on the red-skinned lion, which would later crawl and weep at the sight of a pile of dead leaves, recalling all the wrongs it had committed in its life.
"Old Bull, take a look at the map." On an ancient tree, Chen Xun spread out a rough map, many places unmarked. "Is that lake we just visited here?" This map had been painstakingly crafted by countless generations of disciples from the Five Elements Sect, a treasure earned with their lives, and Chen Xun cherished it greatly. "Moo?" The great black bull pointed to several large lakes on the map, all of which seemed somewhat similar. Chen Xun was also troubled; the teleportation was too random. Although they all arrived at the edge of South Dipper Mountain, the distances were absurdly vast, making it impossible to discern direction. "Let's take it one step at a time; we'll know where we are when the time comes," Chen Xun said nonchalantly. "Moo!" The great black bull nodded, playfully nudging Chen Xun with its hoof, which made the latter chuckle. They continued deeper into the forest, where they discovered a foundational herb, which delighted both Chen Xun and the great black bull, who kept saying, "Old Sun, Master Ning, they are watching over us."
Three days later, Chen Xun and the great black bull were dumbfounded; they finally accepted the reality—they were lost! The east, west, north, and south all looked the same, filled with towering ancient trees, and they couldn't even be sure if they were going in circles… "Old Bull, just boldly move forward…" Chen Xun began to sing to the great black bull, which looked pained, continuously mooing softly, its hooves occasionally covering its ears. The forest was pitch black, and they couldn't see their hands in front of their faces; the tree trunks were incredibly wide, allowing them to lie on top without feeling cramped. Sometimes they couldn't tell if it was night or day; it was just a blanket of darkness, with the sky completely obscured by dense foliage.
Suddenly, a venomous snake appeared silently, flicking its tongue, its eyes gleaming with malice. It sensed warmth—two prey were nearby and was about to unleash its venom. Chen Xun, lost in thought, seemed oblivious. In an instant, his hand moved like the wind, pulling the snake towards him. He wrapped his hands around it, tying it in a deadly knot, then yanked it hard, killing the snake instantly, sending it to meet Zhong Kui.
"Little thing." A faint glow of fire flickered, and the great black bull quickly rose to cover it, extinguishing the light as the snake's corpse turned to ash. After resting for a while, they were suddenly awakened by the sounds of a fight, coincidentally right beneath their tree. A group of men and a group of women were engaged in battle, with three women surrounding three men. Chen Xun and the great black bull remained motionless, peering down; they seemed to be disciples from the Ten Great Sects, likely from the Dan Ding Sect and the Zi Yun Sect.
"Hehe, fellow disciples, why not stop running?" a woman from the Zi Yun Sect giggled, her eyes sparkling seductively. "Sister, we are willing to hand over the spiritual herbs; please spare our lives," the three disciples from the Dan Ding Sect pleaded, blood streaming from their mouths, their clothes tattered, having been chased relentlessly. "That won't do," another woman laughed, seemingly toying with them. Suddenly, one of the women's expressions changed; the silicon valley bird in her hand was signaling frantically—there were people nearby! The three women from the Zi Yun Sect naturally trusted the silicon valley bird, as it had led them to track down the Dan Ding Sect disciples. The three Dan Ding Sect disciples were also overjoyed, seeing the women's reaction, thinking they had found salvation.
"Fellow Daoists, no need to hide; we've already found you!" the three women shouted in various directions, but even the silicon valley bird couldn't pinpoint their location, indicating that the hiding place was very well concealed. Chen Xun and the great black bull scoffed; did they really think they could play this game with them, treating them like twenty-year-old children? They remained motionless above their heads. The women from the Zi Yun Sect exchanged glances, unable to locate the hidden individuals, deciding to quickly deal with the Dan Ding Sect disciples first, lest things change.
"Kill!" The three women summoned their respective magical artifacts and charged at them. "Brothers, let's fight to the death!" The Dan Ding Sect disciples, desperate, unleashed all their strength for a bloody battle. Below the tree, the magical powers roared, while Chen Xun and the great black bull stood firm as a mountain, with gusts of wind occasionally sweeping by. However, the Dan Ding Sect disciples were already at a disadvantage, and with their strength waning, several flashes of cold light passed, and their heads flew into the air, their bodies split in two.
"What a vicious bunch of women." Chen Xun's gaze darkened, inwardly cursing. They formed a small circle, their magical powers swirling in their hands, eyes scanning the surroundings, remaining vigilant.
Chirp! Chirp! The silicon valley bird suddenly fluttered upwards, confirming the location! "What?!" The three women were incredulous, feeling their hair stand on end, realizing that someone was hiding right above them, and they hadn't noticed at all. Chen Xun frowned; why was this bird so annoying? Did it think it was the only one with tricks? Damn it.