[Ding! Host can add points.]
A voice sounded in his mind. He added a point to his strength, and also added a point to Black Bull's strength.
Chen Xun discovered that adding strength had great benefits. His legs were stronger when he worked, his eyesight was sharper, and he was as strong as two people.
Cuihua, the village's forty-year-old young woman, often gave Chen Xun flirtatious glances.
"Maybe this is what men are like."
Chen Xun looked at his muscles and sighed deeply. His undeniable charm had captivated countless village girls.
"Hey, Old Bull! Eat slowly."
Chen Xun was shocked. Black Bull had actually eaten his midnight snack while he was lost in thought.
Moo!
The black ox reacted swiftly, swallowing Chen Xun whole. Chen Xun stared, speechless for a long time…
The following year, Chen Xun and the black ox found a blacksmith to be their apprentices. Chen Xun's strength greatly impressed the blacksmith, who repeatedly praised him for having the potential of a blacksmith.
He didn't want wages, only meals for himself and the ox, which the blacksmith readily agreed to.
The following month, because Chen Xun stepped into the blacksmith's shop with his left foot first, violating a major taboo, they were immediately kicked out.
Chen Xun sighed helplessly; perhaps this was the pain of the strong.
They found another fertile field and began planting rice. The black ox plowed the field, and the two worked seamlessly together, their hard work bringing them wealth.
"This is our land."
"Moo!"
Chen Xun looked at the lush green fields before him, his eyes filled with joy. He gripped his axe tightly, two more tucked into his belt.
The big black ox was overjoyed, though its hooves were covered in blades, and an axe was strapped to its horns.
"If those thugs dare to steal again!"
Chen Xun's eyes flashed with a cold light as he looked at the big black ox, who looked back and nodded emphatically.
"Just run! We won't fight head-on. With this gear, let's see who dares to chase us!"
"Moo! Moo!"
This year had been relatively smooth. He heard that something big had happened in the neighboring village, and everyone was focused on their own affairs, so no one cared about Chen Xun's fields.
He focused his efforts on himself and the black ox, happily harvesting the rice.
The big black ox dug a hole in the cave, and Chen Xun, understanding its meaning, poured countless bags of white rice into it.
However, he kept some for himself, intending to return it to the village chief—several times the amount he had initially intended to give.
Clang! Clang!
The sound of gongs echoed throughout the village, reaching even the caves in the mountains. It was a call to arms signaling a major event in the village.
Chen Xun narrowed his eyes and quickly ran out of the cave. He worried it might be a village brawl; with his current strength, he could easily take down a large man.
They crept furtively onto the hillside to observe the situation, but the reality was quite the opposite. The village was filled with joy, and people were gathered outside the village chief's house.
"Come on, Old Niu, let's go see."
"Moo!"
Inside the village, thousands of people, their eyes filled with hope and excitement, held chickens, ducks, fish, and meat, bowing and clasping their hands towards the two figures in the center.
"The Yuntian Sect is accepting disciples. Those with spiritual roots have the opportunity to embark on the path to immortality."
One of them, dressed in a Daoist robe, stood on the roof of the village chief's house, looking down arrogantly.
"Immortal, how can we know if someone has spiritual roots?"
"Yes, my little black dog has been as strong as an ox since he was a cub. The fortune teller said he's a reincarnation of an immortal."
...
The villagers were incredibly excited, bombarding the two cultivators with questions, making them frown.
"Quiet."
The cultivators seemed to be angry. A talisman in their hand activated, and a terrifying fire suddenly erupted in mid-air, making the air feel scorching hot.
The villagers instantly fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Their eyes widened in shock, thinking, "This is an immortal!"
"It really is a big black ox walking a dog, from beginning to end."
Chen Xun led the black ox to the edge of the crowd, his eyes flashing with admiration. This world truly has cultivators.
The black ox, upon hearing this, looked puzzled. When did it start walking its dog in the village?
"Spiritual roots are divided into five types: mixed spiritual roots, four types: lower spiritual roots, three types: middle spiritual roots, two types: upper spiritual roots, and one type: celestial spiritual roots."
The cultivator explained, hands behind his back, activating a token in his hand. "Don't be nervous. Those under twenty years old, begin the spiritual root test."
A beam of light, dazzling and multicolored, rose from the ground. The villagers erupted in clamor, even the elderly wanting to try.
The village children and young people were eager to try, standing one by one, but the beam of light showed no reaction.
"This is impossible! I dreamt I was an immortal the other day!"
A villager muttered incredulously, his eyes filled with disbelief. Suddenly, he turned and knelt down, crying out, "Immortal, please take me as your disciple!"
"Leave. Three breaths." A cold voice rang out.
"Immortal, please!"
The villager cried, still not leaving the beam of light. "I dreamt about it!"
*Sizzle!*
A flash of sword light, blood spurted out, and the villager, still in disbelief, slowly collapsed to the ground.
Countless thuds echoed as the villagers knelt, their bodies trembling, their eyes filled with fear.
Chen Xun's pupils contracted, and he quickly squatted down, cold sweat beading on his forehead. These cultivators were utterly lawless!
The big black ox also lay prostrate on the ground, heads bowed, their eyes meeting, their cherished illusions shattered.
"Continue," the cultivator said coldly, his gaze as cold as if he were looking at livestock.
This time, there was no more commotion. The villagers passed through the pillar of light in an orderly fashion, their eyes still filled with hope.
Chen Xun also timidly tried, but with only a mixed five-elemental spiritual root, he didn't attract the cultivator's attention at all.
"Not bad, there's actually one with three elemental roots."
The cultivator smiled faintly, looking at the little girl. "Say goodbye to your family."
"Yes, Immortal."
The little girl was both reluctant and secretly delighted. After saying goodbye to her family, the cultivator even gave them several tens of taels of silver.
"Those with mixed five elemental roots can join the sect as errand boys; they also have a chance to embark on the path to immortality."
The cultivator looked at the group and said casually.
"Immortal, I'll go!"
The five elemental root practitioners were overjoyed and immediately knelt down.
The cultivator glanced at Chen Xun, who was foaming at the mouth and sweating profusely. Even the black ox beside him was on the verge of death; they were clearly terrified by what they had just witnessed.
"Without a firm will, there is no hope on the path to immortality. Let's go."
The cultivator shook his head, summoned a celestial sword from his storage bag, and rode away with the others, disappearing into the distance.
The villagers, lost in thought, still gazed at the immortal's retreating figure, a sense of envy washing over them.
"Damn it... Old Ox, I told you to just give me a kick and play dead, you wanted to kill me, didn't you?"
Chen Xun lay on the ground, severely injured, his chest heaving. That kick, with its force, had almost brought him back to his parents who had died years ago.
Moo~
The black ox nudged Chen Xun, surprised by its own strength.
It carried Chen Xun back to its cave, where he recuperated for several days, his complexion finally improving.
"We can't go to those sects."
Chen Xun explained, seeing the black ox's puzzled look, "Sects are too dangerous. They kill without breaking the law, and they even serve beef with bull penises."
The black ox's pupils twitched, and it shook its head frantically. It didn't understand "killing without breaking the law," but it understood "eating beef."
The incident with the cultivator that day didn't inspire any longing in Chen Xun; instead, it gave him an extreme sense of insecurity.
Their feud with Old Wang's family in the next village was just a fight. These cultivators would kill at the slightest provocation…
Chen Xun remembered that look vividly, just like when he killed a chicken.