Eternal Tale

Chapter 278: Unyielding Resolve

“Our lifespans are of no concern. Regarding these corrupted beings, Old Ox and I have long found a way to counter them. Xiao Chi, get back to the ship.”

“Moo moo!”

“Huh?!”

Xiao Chi’s eyes lit up with joy. So that was it—Brother Xun wasn’t just any human after all. “Haha, got it, Brother Xun! Now I’m relieved!”

Chen Xun smirked at Xiao Chi’s reaction, surprised that Xiao Chi had been hiding such a trump card. What made this Flameglow Ancient Lion form so special?

Black Ox also gave Xiao Chi a puzzled look. The catastrophe that had befallen Xiao Chi’s clan might not be as simple as it seemed. With abilities like these, Xiao Chi wasn’t just any ordinary spirit beast.

Xiao Chi shrank back to his usual, cheeky form, chuckling quietly in the crater. However, his aura seemed slightly diminished.

“Don’t worry. We’re not going to die.”

Chen Xun laughed heartily, slinging his Mountain Splitting Axe over his shoulder. “Let’s go, Old Ox—time to kill.”

With that, the two figures disappeared in an instant. The battlefield ahead was now a barren wasteland, but the corrupted beings showed no understanding of fear or death.

Xiao Chi cast a deep glance at them before turning back to the ship.

He closed his eyes, beginning to condense his Nascent Soul’s essence blood again—this was his second life and could allow him to rebuild his physical body.

The current form he inhabited was merely a disguise; all his essence blood was condensed within his Nascent Soul. Cultivating this technique had cost him dearly, and none in his clan had ever succeeded.

But to survive, he had no choice but to push himself, driven by his greatest obsession. In the end, persistence paid off, and he succeeded in mastering the technique!

Time passed slowly. Chen Xun and Black Ox grew bolder with every battle. As long as no Deity Transformation-stage corrupted beings appeared, they remained unstoppable.

*Boom!*

The two Nascent Soul avatars shone like blazing suns, cutting down every corrupted being in their path. The eerie silence and gloom of the black soil lands were finally shattered…

…

Across the War Realm, all cultivators were trapped in the abyss of lost years, unable to escape. Darkness loomed, and the tainted blood’s curse etched itself into their bodies, slowly corroding them, turning all efforts into futility.

On the battlefield.

At an unremarkable section of the coastline lay a mountain of corpses—a vast expanse of blood and remains, piled high with the mutilated bodies of corrupted beings. Even the chilling aura had settled into silence.

Time left no trace; lifespans vanished like shadows. Amid the long passage of time, they sought eternity in brief moments.

When all seemed lost, drowned in the ancient stillness, only two figures remained, seated atop the mountain of corpses. Their eyes were deep, as calm as ancient wells, unmoved by the passing storms.

The once cursed land, covered with tainted blood, now served as nourishment. The ravaged black soil beneath them slowly mended itself, inch by inch, revealing its depths.

Chen Xun and Black Ox had been fighting these corrupted beings for a year.

This area had become a graveyard for the corrupted.

Chen Xun, now fully restored to his true form, had silver hair that flowed like lightning, emanating a sense of extraordinary power.

Over the past year of research, Chen Xun had discovered that the structure of these corrupted beings differed entirely from that of living creatures—they couldn’t even reproduce. Their existence was shrouded in mystery.

Their cultivation relied on the dark, chilling energy of the War Realm, which allowed them to elevate their spiritual senses and achieve breakthroughs.

Like cultivators, they could die if slain, and they could also succumb to the natural lifespan limits of their realm. Yet, their origins remained unknown.

Chen Xun had yet to attempt his breakthrough; he refused to risk the lives of his brothers without fully understanding the dangers.

Especially considering the depths of the black mountains, where Nascent Soul-stage corrupted beings seemed to dominate specific peaks, unlike the common ones scattered across the land.

Over the past year, the strongest corrupted beings they encountered were at the Nascent Soul early stage, with only one mid-stage encounter. Their blood-sacrificing, reckless methods made them even more dangerous, as they fought with a suicidal fervor.

Although Chen Xun and Black Ox were equipped to counter these beings, the sight of such desperation left a heavy feeling in their hearts. If the creatures of the War Realm fought with such resolve, who could pave the way forward?

An intangible sense of despair subtly loomed over them. This was just the coastline of the black soil lands—who knew how many more corrupted beings lay in the depths, and where the path forward would lead.

Chen Xun looked up at the sky, his body’s apertures fully opened, and a rootless essence flower hovered above his head, showering him with light. Five Nascent Souls within him meditated, undergoing a mysterious transformation.

“Old Ox, I’ll go first.”

Chen Xun’s eyes were serious and cold. “I don’t know how the heavenly tribulation will manifest in this War Realm, but the heart demon tribulation might be similar to the heart-refining trial.”

Black Ox let out a low moo, the land before them was filled with killing formations; any corrupted being that stepped into them would be shredded into a pool of tainted blood.

They had been at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage for some time, and now their spiritual senses were reaching their limit, pressing against the Deity Transformation bottleneck.

“Don’t worry. We are far stronger than before.”

Chen Xun smiled faintly, the Five Elements Immortal Path fully established—a power he didn’t have in the past. “Old Ox, activate the formations and send me to the center. If the heavenly tribulation strikes, I’ll use its power to eliminate these corrupted beings.”

“Moo~” Black Ox’s eyes revealed a trace of hesitation, but it ultimately obeyed. “Moo!”

With a wave of its hoof, a radiant path appeared ahead. Chen Xun stepped onto it and vanished into the distance, his figure becoming a blur.

“Moo!”

“Black Ox, don’t underestimate me. A mere Deity Transformation tribulation—who can stand against me?!”

A boisterous laugh echoed, followed by a triumphant shout, “The auspicious moment has come. I beseech the heavens and all deities, grant me a favor!!”

“Moo!!”

Black Ox roared in response, its voice shaking the land. A simple ledger floated in the air—the Book of Merits.

It sat cross-legged atop the mountain of corpses, and 108 mid-tier yellow incense burners materialized around it, emanating an air of sincerity as Black Ox chanted devoutly.

On the giant ship.

Xiao Chi clung to the base of the tree, his body fully recovered, eyes locked on Chen Xun’s distant figure. Big Brother was about to break through!

His eyes were filled with awe—this area had been purged of corrupted beings, even those at the Nascent Soul stage. And now, only now, was Big Brother beginning his breakthrough?!

“What kind of being is Brother Xun...?”

Xiao Chi muttered, his body stiffening like a statue. “And those spells... they aren’t powered by spiritual energy?”

His pupils contracted as a realization dawned. Yes, Brother Xun and Brother Ox’s spells lacked any spiritual energy fluctuations!

Impossible—how could a cultivator not use spiritual energy? How could one cultivate, let alone break through?

Xiao Chi’s thoughts churned. His two elder brothers held secrets far too profound, ones he dared not delve into. It would only lead to disaster.

As he lost himself in thought, the winds began to stir—no longer carrying the chill of the corrupted lands.

The ground emitted a low hum, and the distant mountains resonated with a fierce energy, like the calm before a massive tidal wave—heavy and suffocating.

Currents of energy rushed in from all directions, and Chen Xun’s presence became increasingly transcendent, a dark glow emanating from above his head.

“I humbly ask the heavens to grant their blessing and aid me on my path to Deity Transformation!”

His voice rang out, majestic and powerful, rippling across the land as the force of the Five Elements stirred, expanding like a tidal wave.

As the words echoed, fierce winds surged like a storm, spreading in all directions, enough to make all living beings tremble.

Chen Xun’s silver hair billowed wildly, his face a mix of reverence and cold amusement. From his position, fissures radiated outwards, cracking the black soil for hundreds of miles.

Corrupted beings within that range were startled. Dark shadows appeared, looking up, their eyes betraying emotions they had never shown before—fear, a deep and primal fear.

An overwhelming anger gathered in the pitch-black sky.

“Brother Ox!!”

“Moo!!”

Xiao Chi and Black Ox both trembled, shouting in unison. Even the small crane on the ship let out nervous chirps.

Black Ox broke into a sweat. Something was wrong; this was no ordinary tribulation.

It raised its hoof, casting a protective charm, praying for the heavens’ mercy—they were the good guys!

Far away.

Chen Xun remained seated. His eyes twitched as he sensed the deep rumbling beneath the earth.

Boom! Boom!

Lightning arcs stretched from the heavens to the earth, the blackness pierced by blinding bolts. Thunder roared, its might overwhelming.

“Damn it!!”

Chen Xun’s eyes widened, his hair standing on end. He quickly levitated, gathering the incense burners around him. “Heavenly tribulation—and an earthly one too?!”

The lightning surged without clouds, filling the sky with a relentless storm. But beneath the ground, something seemed to be locking onto him, and he felt an overwhelming urge to flee.

The heavenly might bore down, and corrupted beings retreated in terror, knowing that the wrath of the heavens was no mere foe.

“Stay calm. The heart demon tribulation is still ahead; I can’t lose focus.”

Chen Xun’s skin began to shed, hardening into an impenetrable armor. He prepared every trump card for the tribulation ahead.

A sea of lightning gathered in the sky, vast and boundless. Thunder crackled furiously, stirring immense waves.

Boom!!!

A massive bolt of lightning struck, connecting the heavens and the earth, enveloping the black soil lands in light.

Chen Xun’s eyes blazed with fury as he roared, bracing for impact.

But his eyes narrowed as he felt his mind being dragged into the heart of the tribulation, his consciousness fading...

On the giant ship.

The lightning storm surged across the black sea as the Crane Spirit Five Elements Tree glowed brilliantly, shielding the vessel with all its strength.

Black Ox mooed in panic, unable to gauge the situation or know if Chen Xun was prevailing.

Xiao Chi twitched on the deck, foaming at the mouth, his eyes blank. Everything he knew about cultivation had been shattered.

Chen Xun’s breakthrough to Deity Transformation had triggered the Three Tribulations: Heaven, Earth, and Man.