Chapter 1: Eternal Life Begins with Attribute Points

"Eternal life is truly as lonely as snow." A young man lay reclining on a small hillside, a blade of grass dangling from his lips as he gazed into the distance. The breeze swept through, causing the trees to bow in unison. Yet, judging by his tone, it seemed less like a lament and more like a subtle expression of delight. Moo~ Moo~ Beside him sat a black bull with a broken horn. Yes, it was sitting, not standing, its two legs folded beneath it, its black back straight as a rod. 

The young man's name was Chen Xun. A year ago, he had transmigrated to this world—a vast, boundless realm filled with countless cultivators capable of moving mountains and overturning seas, perched high above the clouds, looking down upon the mortal world. When Chen Xun arrived, he discovered he had a system. At that moment, he was genuinely grateful, as countless stories of novel protagonists flashed through his mind.

However, Chen Xun's system was not one of those overpowered systems that granted invincible physiques or supreme techniques. Instead, it granted him eternal life. The laws of heaven and earth could no longer limit his lifespan, but he could only increase one attribute point per year: strength, speed, defense, magic power, or the essence of all things. Strength, speed, defense, and magic power were easy enough to understand, but Chen Xun had yet to grasp the meaning of the essence of all things. He eventually set it aside, deciding that staying alive was the most important thing.

The system was considerate enough to provide him with a companion for his eternal journey—a long-lived spirit beast. Though it could not speak, it could understand his words, and each year, he could allocate points to it without consuming his own eternal attribute points.

"Though we are immortal, we can still be killed. Best to keep a low profile from now on," Chen Xun sighed. Six months ago, he and the black bull had planted a field of rice and raised some chicks in a small village. But on a moonless, windy night, Old Wang from the neighboring village led a group of people to steal everything. When Chen Xun found out, he was furious. Was there no justice in this world? No law? He sharpened his axe and, accompanied by the black bull, stormed into the neighboring village to demand an explanation. 

But the other side had numbers on their side. Chen Xun was beaten black and blue, and the black bull lost one of its horns. They fled in disgrace and spent days recovering from their injuries. Moo! The black bull snorted heavily, its eyes filled with resentment. Those people were truly despicable. The incident left a deep psychological scar on Chen Xun, one that lingered.

[Ding! The host can now allocate attribute points.]

Chen Xun smirked. The year had come full circle. "Add points!" Without hesitation, he allocated his point to strength. The beating he had suffered was due to his lack of power; he couldn't even push away the people holding him down.

"What the—" Chen Xun's face turned ashen, his body suddenly surging with strength. Veins bulged on his arms as he punched the ground, startling the black bull into leaping to its feet. 

"My fate is mine to decide, not the heavens!" Bam—force is reciprocal. Chen Xun broke his hand and spent several days recovering, accompanied by the black bull. He also allocated a point to the bull's strength, though its appearance remained unchanged. After witnessing Chen Xun's fate, the bull cautiously tested its newfound power—it was quite impressive.

They lived in a thatched hut in a small village, far removed from worldly affairs. Yet the laws of this world seemed ingrained in people's bones. Mortals were expected to bow and show respect to cultivators, never daring to offend them. Even in this remote corner of the world, people understood this.

"Brother Xun." A boy's voice called from outside the hut. It was Little Blackie, a village boy whose dark skin had earned him a nickname of little regard.

"What is it, Little Blackie?" Chen Xun, his injuries healed, opened the door leisurely.

"The village chief asked me to bring you some rice." Little Blackie grinned innocently, his eyes brimming with childlike purity as he held a sack of rice.

"Thank the village chief for me," Chen Xun said, taking the rice with heartfelt gratitude. He and the black bull had been surviving on wild greens for days. To think that an immortal being was on the verge of starving to death—what an absurdity! Chen Xun's heart burned with resentment. Revenge is a dish best served cold; their ancestral graves would not escape his wrath.

"Brother Xun, I'm heading home now. My mom's calling me for dinner."

"Alright, hurry back," Chen Xun replied with a smile. Looking at the sack of rice in his hands, he felt tears of gratitude welling up—not from his eyes, but from the corners of his mouth. There were still good people in this world.

Moo! The black bull called out impatiently from inside the hut. It didn't like eating grass; it preferred rice too. 

Soon, fragrant rice was steaming in the pot. Man and bull sat on the ground, devouring their meal, their eyes filled with dreams of the future.

"Old Bull, we need to live well and avoid impulsive actions," Chen Xun said, chewing a mouthful of rice and swallowing hard. "This world is vast. When we make it big, I'll find you some lady cows."

Moo! The bull snorted, its eyes filled with disdain, as if to say, "Weren't you the one who charged into the neighboring village with an axe?"

"Those people have numbers on their side. To deal with them, we need strategy," Chen Xun said mysteriously. The black bull's eyes lit up, and it leaned closer to him.

"When they're old and frail, we'll knock out their teeth and dig up their ancestral graves! Damn it, who dares provoke an immortal?" Chen Xun spoke with conviction, his eyes sharp and his demeanor imposing.

Moo! Moo! The black bull's large, round eyes gleamed with excitement, nodding repeatedly. "Good plan, good plan."

"Why does it smell like something's burning?" Chen Xun sniffed the air and suddenly turned toward the kitchen, his eyes wide with alarm. "Our thatched hut!"

Moo~~ The black bull let out a panicked snort.

"It's on fire!"

"Chen Xun's house is on fire! Quick, fetch water!"

…

An hour later, the flames had subsided, leaving the hut nearly burned to the ground. Man and bull knelt outside, their eyes lifeless, utterly despondent. 

Chen Xun had been an orphan in the village, and now, misfortune had struck again. The villagers offered a few words of comfort before dispersing.

"It's over. We've lost our home," Chen Xun muttered, his spirit crushed. He didn't know how to build a house. Truly, when it rains, it pours; life was inherently bleak. 

But heaven never seals off all paths. The black bull, through its cud-chewing, managed to salvage some rice, enough to last them a few days.

"Old Bull, I noticed some caves at the foot of the eastern hill. Let's move there," Chen Xun said, shaking his head in defeat. He resolved to learn some skills from the villagers; farming alone wouldn't suffice, and now he was utterly unprepared for life.

Moo! The black bull didn't mind. Wherever Chen Xun went, that was home.

Outside the village, the black bull carried bundles of dry grass on its back, while Chen Xun gathered firewood to bring to the cave. For now, they would make do there. 

Over the next year, Chen Xun apprenticed with the village carpenter, while the black bull helped transport materials. The villagers remarked on its intelligence, urging Chen Xun not to slaughter it for food. 

Chen Xun scoffed at the suggestion. "I, Chen Xun, would rather starve or jump off a hill than betray a friend."

"Smells amazing," Chen Xun said, grinning as he devoured beef. At the year's end, the villagers slaughtered several cows for a grand feast. Naturally, Chen Xun wouldn't miss out. But the black bull's pupils contracted as it watched, unable to bring itself to eat the beef Chen Xun offered.

After the feast, the leftover food was not wasted. What others didn't eat, Chen Xun and the black bull packed up to save for later. Life required frugality.

In the cave, the black bull ate heartily, while Chen Xun finished off the beef the bull refused to touch.