Eternal Tale

TL: https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1271347/eternal-tale/

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Over the next month, Chen Xun and the black bull continued traversing the depths of the Heaven’s End Ravine. They noticed more and more cultivators mining along the ravine walls, some in large groups, others in smaller ones, with scattered patches of Clear Soul Grass surrounding them.

They quietly gathered more information and learned that the eerie wind in the Heaven’s End Ravine was called the Extinguishing Spirit Wind, and the stones they were mining were *Extinguishing Spirit Stones*, found only in this place and nowhere else in the cultivation world.

There were three periods each year when the Extinguishing Spirit Wind was at its weakest, although Chen Xun and the black bull hardly noticed any difference. To them, it had no effect, as they weren't affected by the wind.

The highest level of cultivators they encountered were in the Golden Core stage. It seemed that Nascent Soul cultivators avoided this place, perhaps fearing for their lives.

Every time Chen Xun and the black bull attempted to approach other cultivators, they unintentionally terrified them. On one occasion, they even caused a female cultivator to have a seizure and roll her eyes in shock. Seeing this, they had no choice but to leave and come up with another plan.

Today, the Extinguishing Spirit Wind was especially strong. Along the ravine wall, two middle-aged cultivators were hard at work mining, their divine sense locked onto their Clear Soul Grass.

"Brother Huang, the teleportation fees are outrageous. Even traveling from the nearest province costs 100 mid-grade spirit stones," sighed Dai Xinqing, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. "And the cost of Clear Soul Grass alone takes up most of our savings. This isn’t a place for ordinary cultivators."

Huang Shao remained silent, simply focusing on his Clear Soul Grass while using a pickaxe-shaped artifact to strike the ravine wall. Embedded in the wall was an Extinguishing Spirit Stone, occasionally emitting a dim glow.

"Heh, looks like another 10,000 low-grade spirit stones are coming my way," Dai Xinqing chuckled, though his hands never slowed, revealing his experience as a veteran miner. "Brother Huang, think we’ll make at least a hundred thousand this trip?"

"If we make it out alive, we might," Huang Shao replied coldly. "This is nothing but small change. Next year, I’ll buy more Clear Soul Grass from the black market."

"Brother Huang, what are you planning?" Dai Xinqing asked, his curiosity piqued.

"To forge an Extinguishing Spirit Artifact," Huang Shao answered.

"What?!" Dai Xinqing exclaimed, stopping mid-swing. "You’d need an entire mountain of Extinguishing Spirit Stones for that! The wind around those deposits is incredibly dangerous. You’re really going to try?"

Huang Shao's gaze turned icy as he glanced at Dai Xinqing. "Xinqing, I plan to go alone. You don’t need to risk your life."

Dai Xinqing fell silent, casting a deep look at Huang Shao. He couldn’t bear to leave him behind.

Huang Shao resumed mining, his expression growing colder. He carried a deep, unquenchable hatred—his entire family of 200 had been massacred by someone from a particular sect. Without an Extinguishing Spirit Artifact, he had no chance of harming a Golden Core cultivator. He needed to strike when they least expected it.

"Brother Huang, the ancient immortal sects don’t come cheap. Forging an Extinguishing Spirit Artifact requires Extinguishing Spirit Stones as payment," Dai Xinqing pointed out.

"I know," Huang Shao nodded calmly.

Hearing this, Dai Xinqing quickened his pace. The method to create an Extinguishing Spirit Artifact was only known to the five great ancient immortal sects and the three ancient cultivation families. Though these artifacts didn’t have a rank limitation, they harmed both the user and their target. An Extinguishing Spirit Artifact could permanently damage one's divine sense unless they reached the Nascent Soul stage, where they could repair it.

It was clear that Huang Shao’s enemy had far greater potential than him. The longer he waited, the larger the gap between their cultivation realms would grow.

"Heh, gentlemen, care to join us on the boat for a chat?"

As they mined diligently, a calm voice suddenly echoed from the darkness behind them.

Huang Shao and Dai Xinqing froze, their tools slipping from their hands and falling into the depths of the ravine. A storm of emotions—confusion, dread, terror—raged within them. What… was happening?

They slowly turned around. Out of the darkness floated a massive flying boat, with two shadowy figures standing on it, their faces indistinct but smiling. Most unnervingly, the Extinguishing Spirit Wind wasn’t harming them at all. ꭆ𝐚𝐍ồΒЕʂ

"E-Elder!"

"Please, no!"

Their cries of terror echoed through the ravine. Suddenly, golden light enveloped them, dragging them helplessly toward the flying boat. They were completely powerless, their bodies moving on their own. This force wasn’t magic—this was something they had never encountered before.

It’s over!

The two cultivators felt their hearts sink as tears streamed down their faces. They still had so many Extinguishing Spirit Stones to mine, so many years of life left to live.

Dai Xinqing, in his despair, couldn’t help but curse his fate. Why hadn’t he visited that brothel when he had the chance? Now he would die without ever experiencing a woman’s embrace.

Huang Shao's eyes were empty, his hopes for vengeance shattered. The Heaven’s End Ravine truly lived up to its dreadful reputation.

Thud!

Thud!

The two landed unsteadily on the deck of the flying boat, their legs weak, eyes glued to the floor. They didn’t dare resist or even speak a word.

"Gentlemen, don’t worry. We’re good people," a voice said from above.

"Moo moo~" added another voice, gentle and soothing.

Chen Xun sat cross-legged at the front of the boat, while the black bull stood proudly beside him, exuding an air of friendliness.

Huang Shao and Dai Xinqing exchanged a glance, their hearts racing. Slowly, they lifted their heads, only to be struck by an overwhelming sight. The boat was filled with Clear Soul Grass, each plant at least a thousand years old!

Now it made sense why the Extinguishing Spirit Wind had no effect on them. The Clear Soul Grass was absorbing it all.

These plants had been cultivated by the black bull in its spare time. Who would’ve thought they’d be so useful now?

"Elder!" the two cultivators bowed deeply toward the source of the voice, not daring to raise their heads or use their divine sense. The voice sounded human, but they still didn’t know who—or what—they were dealing with.

"We just have a few questions for you," Chen Xun said gently. "Nothing that concerns you personally. After we’re done, you’ll be rewarded for your trouble."

The black bull had already begun rummaging through its storage ring, looking for suitable items to offer as rewards.

Upon hearing this, Huang Shao and Dai Xinqing visibly relaxed. The danger seemed to pass, though they were still in shock. Who were these beings who could travel freely in the Heaven’s End Ravine and cast spells without care?

"Elder, please ask anything. We’ll answer truthfully," Huang Shao replied, bowing even lower.

"Where are you from?"

"Elder, we are both rogue cultivators... we belong to no sect."

"Hmm... I didn’t mean your backgrounds. Did you come from Da Li?"

"To answer the elder, we’re from Huoyuan Province," Huang Shao replied respectfully, not daring to hide anything. "This province is closest to the Heaven’s End Ravine, so it saves on teleportation costs."

Dai Xinqing, drenched in cold sweat, remained silent. His usual chatter was gone, and he couldn’t even muster a word.

"I see. What is this Extinguishing Spirit Artifact you mentioned? Can the Extinguishing Spirit Stones be refined?" Chen Xun asked, his eyes filled with curiosity. "If it breaks, wouldn’t the Extinguishing Spirit Wind burst forth uncontrollably?"

The black bull nodded in agreement, sharing the same concerns as Chen Xun.

Huang Shao's heart sank. Could these elders not be from Da Li after all? The questions were strange, making him wonder what was really going on.

Clearing his throat, he replied, "Elder, the Extinguishing Spirit Artifact can bypass a cultivator’s magical defenses and directly attack their divine sense. However, we don’t know the method to forge them. Only the five great ancient immortal sects and the three ancient cultivation families possess this knowledge."

"And how much do these sell for in Da Li?" Chen Xun asked.

"An Extinguishing Spirit Stone the size of a fist sells for around 10,000 low-grade spirit stones," they both answered in unison, heads still lowered.

Suddenly!

The Extinguishing Spirit Wind outside the boat fell silent, and an oppressive, terrifying pressure filled the air. It was brief, but both cultivators felt as though they had fallen into a bottomless abyss, their faces turning pale. What kind of unimaginable power were they facing?

"E-Elder?!" Huang Shao and Dai Xinqing stammered, terrified. Their spiritual energy and divine sense froze, rendering them as helpless as mortals.

After a long pause...

"I see..." came the calm, emotionless voice. The Extinguishing Spirit Wind resumed its usual pace, gently brushing past them once more.

Huang Shao and Dai Xinqing silently swore that they had never felt the Extinguishing Spirit Wind so comforting. They almost wished it would blow even harder—anything was better than the terror they had just experienced.

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