Ten years had passed, and the island echoed only with the constant sound of mining. Xiao Chi, relentless as ever, dug away every day without missing a speck of ore, unearthing new patches across the island. Above the mine, broken teleportation arrays and shattered pieces of Starshift Black Ores littered the ground—a waste that Xiao Chi found hard to watch, though Brother Ox appeared undeterred, as if progress were steady, despite no clear success.
Three small teleportation arrays, set up in close proximity, blinked intermittently with faint lights as Brother Ox carefully placed a small stone on one of them.
"Moo~~" With a flick of his hoof, the arrays sparked to life, each interconnecting, though instead of mid-grade spirit stones set in their grooves, they now used stones sourced from the Heaven's End Ravine—Extinguishing Spirit Stones.
Brother Ox had driven out the harmful aura, carefully refining the stone’s core structure into a conduit for the “five-elent energy,” naming them Five-Elent Stones. The power held within varied depending on the size of each stone, but he’d succeeded in creating a vessel of sorts, though at the cost of many Extinguishing Spirit Stones.
The large bull snorted, glancing back at Xiao Chi. Xiao Chi’s fla-imbued awareness had been crucial, able to shield them from the corrosive energy of the stones and even absorb faint amounts. Without this protection, the five-elent energy would instantly revert to the destructive nature of the Extinguishing Spirit Stones.
Together, they had birthed the Five-Elent Stones. Brother Ox realized this stone might one day be used to help Xiao Chi expand his awareness, aiding him toward the threshold of the Deity Transformation Stage. The path to strengthening divine sense in Da Li was arduous, and, so far, they had encountered no such miracle.
Boom!
The small stone Brother Ox tested exploded upon reaching the second array. Brother Ox shook his head; the five-elent energy kept fluctuating and fragnting, resisting stable transmission.
Brother Ox walked over to the center of the arrays, deep in thought about how to stabilize the teleportation matrix to prevent the tearing effects. Even a small rock couldn’t make it through.
Behind him, a series of regular teleportation arrays lay unused, now trivial for him to construct with the right diagrams. This Five-Elent Teleportation Array, however, was different from standard teleportation. Instead of relying on consumables and precious stones, it utilized Five-Elent Stones as a continuous energy source, drawing five-elent energy from the atmosphere itself.
Brother Ox gave a low "moo" and settled on the ground, consulting his booklet filled with Chen Xun’s notes on the five-elent path.
Big Brother truly paved the way, yet now he was imrsed in creating his own path. Brother Ox didn’t dare disturb him, only finding excuses to visit the giant boat each day to check from afar. Thunderous arcs of electricity surrounded Chen Xun, preventing anyone from approaching.
Brother Ox gazed out over the sea with a peaceful smile. Despite the passage of ti, Big Brother’s aura remained as steadfast as ever, and their lives were steadily improving.
“Brother Ox, there’s still plenty of Starshift Black Ore. Just give a shout if you need more!” A voice rang out from the mining pit, full of vigor. Xiao Chi’s loud mining noises were sohow even comforting after so many years.
"Moo!!" Brother Ox let out a joyful bellow, his smile broadening before he returned to his studies.
What they didn’t know was that the Yu family had dispatched nurous cultivators to scour the Forbidden Sea, not for secret realms but as if searching for sothing or soone. The widespread searches stirred suspicion among other powers, who began their own inquiries, though nothing concrete erged. Over ti, the Yu family’s efforts dwindled, knowing that finding three rootless cultivators in the vast sea was akin to searching for a needle in the ocean.
Yu Chen himself, fortified by the resources gained from Chen Xun, closed himself off in seclusion. His family, uninterested in whatever treasures he acquired, focused instead on the greater mysteries of the Forbidden Sea. Only his younger sister knew of his long-term ambitions. For him, the only way forward was through the Hanging Heaven’s Gate, no matter the cost.
“If you lack the will, then live out your life in Da Li. A thousand years should be enough for you to enjoy it,” a Deity Transformation cultivator from the Four Immortal Mountains once said, words of open contempt that still resonated among the forces in Da Li, unable to refute such humiliation.
---
The clouds thickened over the Forbidden Sea, swept by an eerie wind as countless waves bore witness to the regrets of those left behind. Thus, fifty years quietly passed.
On an obscure island, a figure bathed in white light slowly opened his eyes, montarily dazed. The instant he did, arcs of lightning crackled across the water, dissipating the mist as they struck.
In the air above the island, a colossal shadow condensed into shape, like a divine mountain, casting its gaze over the Forbidden Sea. The shadow clenched its fist towards the sky, and the sea parted beneath it.
Chen Xun’s expression grew sharper as his divine sense extended beyond the five-elent energy, his body becoming its own conduit for power, unbound by the need to channel spiritual energy. His grasp over the natural essence of his body refined his Nascent Soul, relying solely on its inherent energy to command the might of his surroundings.
This would be his secret weapon for any danger yet to co. If the five-elent energy failed, he could turn inward, converting his physical form into a boundless reservoir of strength.
---
"Brother Ox! Brother Ox!!" Xiao Chi’s eyes widened in terror, flattening himself to the ground, his entire body trembling as he called out, "Big Brother… he’s awakened!"
Xiao Chi’s voice ca out as a low, animalistic growl, too overwheld to stand. He felt his own blood reverberating as if his flesh itself were instinctively aware of sothing prival and terrifying in the atmosphere.
A feeling of raw power gripped Xiao Chi, a revelation he couldn’t comprehend. For the first ti, his innate strength felt insignificant, and his spirit beast bloodline’s natural dominance was utterly suppressed.
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