Chapter 2: The Arrival of the Cultivators - Chen Xun Foaming at the Mouth

[Ding! The host can now allocate points.] 

A voice echoed in his mind. As usual, he added one point to his strength and gave the black ox an extra point as well. Chen Xun discovered that increasing strength brought great benefits—his legs and feet were more powerful for work, his vision sharper, and he was as strong as two men combined, utterly unstoppable. The forty-year-old spinster Cuihua from the village often cast him flirtatious glances. 

"Perhaps this is what it means to be a man," Chen Xun sighed deeply as he admired his muscles, pondering the irresistible charm that had surely captivated countless village girls. 

"Hey, old ox! Slow down!" Chen Xun exclaimed in shock as the black ox seized the moment while he was lost in thought to devour his portion of the midnight snack. 

Moo! The black ox reacted swiftly, swallowing it in one gulp. Chen Xun stared in disbelief, speechless for a long time. 

The following year, Chen Xun and the black ox apprenticed themselves to a blacksmith. Chen Xun's extraordinary strength greatly impressed the blacksmith, who praised him repeatedly, saying he had the makings of a true blacksmith. Chen Xun asked for no wages, only food for himself and the ox, and the blacksmith readily agreed. 

But the next month, disaster struck. One day, Chen Xun stepped into the blacksmith's shop with his left foot first, violating a taboo. They were immediately thrown out. 

Chen Xun sighed helplessly. "Perhaps this is the pain of being strong." 

They moved on and found a fertile plot of land to grow rice. The black ox plowed the fields, and man and beast worked seamlessly together, laboring diligently to prosper. 

"This is our kingdom." 

"Moo!" 

Chen Xun gazed at the lush green fields before him, his eyes filled with joy. He gripped his mountain-cleaving axe tightly, with two more tucked into his belt. The black ox was equally delighted, its four legs adorned with blades and an axe tied to its horns. 

"If those scoundrels dare to come and steal again!" Chen Xun's eyes gleamed with a cold light as he looked at the black ox. The latter met his gaze and nodded solemnly. 

"We'll run. We won't fight head-on. With this gear, let's see who dares to chase us!" 

"Moo! Moo!" 

This year went relatively smoothly. Word spread that something major had happened in the neighboring village, drawing everyone's attention away from Chen Xun's fields. He added another point to his and the black ox's strength, happily harvesting the rice. 

The black ox dug a pit in the cave, and Chen Xun understood its intention, storing countless sacks of white rice inside. He kept some aside to repay the village chief, giving back several times the original amount. 

Ding-dong! Ding-dong! 

The sound of gongs echoed through the village, reaching even the cave faintly. It was the village's signal for a major event. 

Chen Xun squinted slightly and hurried out of the cave. "Could it be a village brawl? With my current strength, I can easily take down a grown man." 

They crouched stealthily on a small hill to observe the situation. But contrary to their expectations, the village was in a festive mood, with people gathered outside the chief's house. 

"Let's go, old ox, and take a look." 

"Moo!" 

In the village, over a thousand people stood with hopeful and excited expressions, holding offerings of chicken, duck, and fish, bowing respectfully toward two individuals at the center. 

"The Cloud Sky Sect is recruiting disciples. Those with spiritual roots have the chance to embark on the path of immortality," announced one of the individuals, dressed in a Daoist robe, standing arrogantly atop the village chief's roof. 

"Immortal, how can we tell if we have spiritual roots?" 

"Yes, my son Xiao Hei has been strong as an ox since childhood. The fortune-teller said he was the reincarnation of an immortal!" 

The villagers were abuzz with excitement, bombarding the two cultivators with questions like a barrage of cannon fire, causing them to frown. 

"Silence." 

One of the cultivators seemed angered and activated a talisman in his hand. A terrifying blaze erupted mid-air, radiating intense heat. 

The villagers instantly fell silent, their eyes wide with fear, marveling at the power of the immortals. 

"Truly like a black ox walking a dog—leading from start to finish," Chen Xun muttered as he and the black ox reached the edge of the crowd, his eyes filled with awe. This world indeed had cultivators. 

The black ox looked puzzled. When had it ever walked a dog in the village? 

"Spiritual roots are categorized into five-element mixed roots, four-element lower roots, three-element middle roots, two-element upper roots, and one-element heavenly roots," the cultivator explained with his hands behind his back, activating a token in his hand. "No need to be nervous. Those under twenty years old, step forward to test your spiritual roots." 

A column of dazzling light rose from the ground, radiating in five colors. The villagers erupted in chatter again, even the elderly eager to try their luck. 

One by one, the village children and young people stepped forward, but the light column showed no reaction. 

"This can't be! I dreamed I was an immortal!" muttered one villager, his eyes filled with disbelief. Suddenly, he knelt and shouted, "Immortal, please take me as your disciple!" 

"Leave. You have three breaths' time." 

A cold voice replied. 

"Immortal, I beg you!" The villager cried, refusing to leave the light column. "I dreamed it, I swear!" 

Swish! 

A flash of sword light, and blood splattered. The villager's eyes still held disbelief as he slowly collapsed. 

The sound of kneeling spread like wildfire. The villagers trembled like leaves, their eyes filled with terror. 

Chen Xun's pupils contracted as he crouched down, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. These cultivators were utterly lawless. 

The black ox also lay low, silently cowering. Their eyes met, and some of their naive fantasies quietly shattered. 

"Continue," the cultivator commanded coldly, his gaze as indifferent as if he were inspecting livestock. 

This time, there was no more commotion. The villagers lined up orderly to pass through the light column, their eyes still brimming with hope. 

Chen Xun timidly stepped forward to test himself, but he turned out to have five-element mixed roots, which failed to attract the cultivators' attention. 

"Not bad. There's actually someone with three-element roots," one cultivator remarked with a faint smile, looking at a little girl. "Say your goodbyes to your family." 

"Yes, Immortal." 

The little girl, torn between reluctance and joy, bid farewell to her family. The cultivator even gave her family dozens of taels of silver. 

"Those with five-element mixed roots may join the sect as laborers. You too have a chance to tread the path of immortality," the cultivator said casually to a few others. 

"Immortal, I'll go!" 

The five-element root individuals were overjoyed and knelt immediately. 

The cultivator glanced at Chen Xun, who was already foaming at the mouth, drenched in sweat. Even the black ox beside him was on the verge of collapse, clearly terrified by the earlier scene. 

"Weak-minded. No hope for the immortal path. Leave," the cultivator said, shaking his head. 

He summoned a celestial sword from his storage pouch and flew away with the chosen few, disappearing into the clouds. 

The villagers watched the immortals' retreating figures with longing, their hearts filled with envy. 

"Damn it... Old ox, I told you to fake death with a casual kick, but you nearly killed me!" 

Chen Xun lay on the ground, severely injured, his chest heaving. That kick had nearly sent him to meet his long-dead parents. 

Moo~ 

The black ox nudged Chen Xun apologetically. It hadn't realized its strength was so overwhelming. 

It carried Chen Xun back to the cave, where he recuperated for several days until his health improved. 

"We absolutely can't join those sects," Chen Xun explained to the puzzled black ox. "Sects are too dangerous. Killing people isn't a crime, and they eat beef—ox penis included." 

The black ox's pupils trembled, shaking its head frantically. It didn't understand the part about killing people, but it understood the part about eating beef. 

The incident with the cultivators did not inspire Chen Xun with longing but instead filled him with a profound sense of insecurity. 

Even when they had feuds with Old Wang's family from the neighboring village, it was just a matter of brawling. These cultivators, however, killed without hesitation. 

Chen Xun would never forget that gaze—it was the same look he had when slaughtering chickens.