Chapter 25: Wealth, Companions, Methods, and Land—The Wisdom of the Ancients Rings True

"Moo!" The big black ox responded solemnly. 

"Old Ox, time to get to work!" Chen Xun chuckled. "We still have spells to practice." 

"Moo!" The big black ox's eyes lit up. It had been eagerly anticipating the fireball spell for a long time—after all, even street performers could pull it off. 

They began their daily routine of cultivating spiritual herbs, practicing spells, and refining their Qi techniques. When hunger or thirst struck, they would hunt in the mountains. Life was carefree and delightful. 

Half a year later, tension filled the air in the mountain cave, the atmosphere sharp and foreboding. 

"Ximen Black Ox, I didn't expect you to reach the fourth level of Qi Refinement in such a short time. It seems I can't let you go today!" Chen Xun's expression turned cold and stern as his palms clashed repeatedly, his internal energy surging. "Watch my Object Manipulation Technique!" 

"Moo!" The big black ox's face was full of vigilance. Suddenly, a stone moved from behind, aiming to ambush it. "Moo moo moo!" It stood upright on two legs, its eyes widening sharply. With a burst of energy, its hoof, infused with spiritual power, launched a small fireball straight at the stone. 

Sizzle! Sizzle! The entire cave was filled with a wave of heat. Watching the stone turn to ash, the big black ox grinned broadly. "That's it." 

"Strength to lift mountains, spirit to dominate the world!" 

"Moo~~!!" The big black ox let out a startled cry as Chen Xun burst into laughter, lifting the ox high above his head—a move that never failed to amuse. 

After some playful antics, Chen Xun and the big black ox sat on the ground, their spirits soaring. With spells now at their disposal, they felt invincible. But the big black ox had truly surprised Chen Xun. Over the years, they had learned at the Ascension Gathering that spiritual beasts were fundamentally different from humans. Generally speaking, spiritual beasts couldn't cultivate human techniques or spells. Yet the big black ox could do it all, surpassing the limits of ordinary spiritual beasts. 

Regardless of what kind of creature the big black ox truly was, it would always be family to Chen Xun. He smiled warmly and patted the ox, which was still mooing contentedly. 

… 

Another year, another Ascension Gathering. Chen Xun led the big black ox forward, walking alone with an air of serene detachment. 

Many wandering cultivators glanced at them and shook their heads silently. This was the epitome of tragedy in the cultivation world—someone with no talent, unable to let go, destined to perish in the desolate wilderness. 

Yet there was no mockery in their eyes. Such people commanded a certain respect, embodying the harsh reality faced by most—a profound sense of melancholy. 

Even the seasoned veterans squinted slightly. Compared to this man, they felt inferior. If he didn't show up, they might even feel a strange emptiness in their hearts. 

Chen Xun had never been a target for their schemes of murder and treasure theft. He was too poor, and his pursuit of immortality was so pure it bordered on foolishness. 

In the valley, within a sect's pavilion, Chen Xun's expression lost its calm. He cried out miserably, "Senior, just a little more! I've lived half my life and only managed to find this one plant!" 

The elder frowned slightly, hesitating as he examined the hundred-year-old Divine Wisdom Herb. 

"Senior, look at its quality, its condition—its medicinal properties are completely intact! I brought it here as soon as I found it." Chen Xun squeezed out two tears of joy, pleading earnestly. "Just a little more, and it's yours." 

"Fine, ten more spirit stones. Its medicinal properties are indeed excellent." 

"Deal." Chen Xun's face instantly turned calm, refusing to push his luck further. The elder twitched at the sight of Chen Xun's sudden change in demeanor, feeling as though he was being played. 

"Senior, I'd also like to buy a few medicine boxes. My old ox is quite fond of them." Chen Xun grinned, pocketing 120 spirit stones. "If I find more, I'll bring them to you." 

"Heh, five boxes for one low-grade spirit stone. Take them yourself." The elder shook his head with a smile, glancing at the big black ox outside the pavilion. There was no way such a rare herb could be found so easily. 

To the elder's surprise, Chen Xun bought thirty boxes in one go, stuffing them into the ox's side pockets before disappearing. 

"What an inexperienced kid," the elder muttered. Even the box for the herb he had just sold was taken back. Deep in the Ningyun Mountains, Crane Spirit Trees were everywhere. These boxes, made from Crane Spirit Trees, were hardly difficult to craft. 

Years later, when Chen Xun learned the truth, he beat his chest in regret, feeling as though ants were crawling all over him. Whenever he saw a Crane Spirit Tree, he would chop it down with an axe. 

Now, they arrived outside an alchemy pavilion. The pills sold here were far more expensive than those sold by wandering cultivators, but the quality was guaranteed. 

"Fellow Daoist, is there anything that catches your eye?" A sect disciple approached Chen Xun. The pavilion was filled with an array of items—alchemy furnaces, spiritual herbs, pills, and alchemy manuals. 

The disciple had seen countless eccentric wandering cultivators. This man, wearing a black veil over his face, didn't stir any particular reaction in him. 

"How much for this alchemy furnace?" Chen Xun coughed, pretending to be knowledgeable. 

"This is a Yellow-grade low-tier alchemy furnace, priced at twenty low-grade spirit stones," the disciple explained with a smile, pointing to a small furnace. "The larger one is also…" 

"I'll take this one." Chen Xun's heart trembled—why was it so expensive? He couldn't help but ask, "Fellow Daoist, I've seen wandering cultivators selling furnaces for only ten spirit stones." 

"Most of those are ungraded furnaces or ones with significant damage," the disciple patiently explained. "This severely impacts the pill formation rate and the quality of the pills." 

"Professional!" Chen Xun praised. Indeed, for items like this, it was better to buy from reputable sellers. He handed over the spirit stones and left. 

In the cultivation world, items were generally divided into four grades: Heaven, Earth, Mystic, and Yellow. Though there were higher grades, they were beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators like them. 

"Moo~~" The big black ox was quite fond of the small furnace, constantly asking Chen Xun to show it to him. 

"Wealth, companions, methods, and land—the wisdom of the ancients rings true," Chen Xun sighed inwardly. Even immortality couldn't escape these principles. Hiding away in one place and cultivating until the end of time was a pipe dream—your progress would eventually hit a wall. 

They continued selling booklets, which had been a huge success last year, earning hundreds of spirit stones in a single day. 

In a dark corner, Chen Xun's eyes gleamed, though there was no trace of smugness. 

"Old Ox, let's sell them this year and stop after that." 

"Moo?" The big black ox looked puzzled. Weren't they selling quite well? 

"These booklets are too easy to imitate and draw too much attention. We only need them for our first bucket of gold." 

"Moo!" The big black ox suddenly understood. Its mind was growing sharper by the day—it could grasp Chen Xun's intentions with just a glance. Of course, it still struggled to understand other people's expressions. 

"Ah, Fellow Daoist, so this is where you are." An old man in flowing white robes approached with a smile, as if he had been searching for them for a long time. 

"What do you want?" Chen Xun's eyes narrowed—it was the same old fraudster from the pill incident. 

"I have an opportunity related to your booklet. I wonder if you're interested, Fellow Daoist." The old man smiled, hands behind his back. He had been observing Chen Xun for a long time. This man came every year but never dared to challenge the trials. Surely he would take the bait. 

Chen Xun shook his head silently, saying nothing. He led the big black ox away, showing no interest whatsoever. 

The old man froze in place and muttered, "So he really is a fool—a blockhead." 

On the street. 

"Old Ox, remember this: we will never harm others, never covet unearned gains, but also never believe that good fortune will fall into our laps," Chen Xun said, his gaze deep and resolute. "This might mean missing out on many opportunities, but we will never suffer losses." 

"Moo moo!" The big black ox nudged Chen Xun repeatedly, committing his words to memory.