"Longevity is truly as lonely as snow."
A young man lay sprawled on a small hillside, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, gazing into the distance. A gentle breeze rustled through the trees.
However, his tone suggested not a sigh, but rather a deep sense of smug satisfaction.
Moo~ Moo~
Beside him sat a black bull with a broken horn. Yes, it wasn't standing, but sitting upright on its hind legs, its black back ramrod straight.
The young man was Chen Xun. He had transmigrated here a year ago. This world was vast and boundless, filled with countless cultivators who could move mountains and overturn seas, sitting high in the clouds, overlooking the mortal realm.
However, he had arrived with a system, for which Chen Xun was truly grateful. Countless stories of novel protagonists flashed through his mind.
However...
Chen Xun's system wasn't some kind of invincible system with built-in physique or invincible cultivation techniques.
He had achieved immortality… the laws of heaven and earth could no longer limit his lifespan, but he could only increase his attributes by one point each year.
Strength, speed, defense, mana, and the essence of all things.
He could understand strength, speed, defense, and mana, but he couldn't grasp the essence of all things for a long time, and eventually put it aside. Staying alive was the most important thing.
However, the system is quite considerate; the path to immortality is long, and it even provides him with an immortal spirit beast as a companion.
Although it cannot speak, it can understand his words, and he can add points to it every year without consuming his own immortality points.
"We may be immortal, but we can still be killed. We should probably be more cautious from now on."
Chen Xun sighed deeply. Six months ago, he and Hei Niu had planted a rice paddy and raised many chicks in a small mountain village. But on a dark and stormy night, Old Wang from the neighboring village led a group of people and stole everything.
When Chen Xun found out, he was consumed by rage. "Is there any justice left in this world?! Is there no law left?!" he cried.
Sharpening his axe, he took his big black ox and went to the neighboring village to demand an explanation.
However, the other side outnumbered them. Chen Xun was brutally beaten, and one of the ox's horns was broken off. They fled in disarray, recovering for several days.
Moo!
The ox snorted heavily, its eyes filled with resentment. Those people were truly despicable.
This incident also left a deep psychological scar on Chen Xun, with far-reaching consequences.
[Ding! Host can add points.]
Chen Xun grinned. The one-year period is over, add points!
He didn't hesitate to add points to Strength. When he was brutally beaten, it was because he wasn't strong enough to push away the people holding him.
"Holy crap..."
Chen Xun's face turned liver-colored. A surge of power suddenly welled up inside him, veins bulging in his arms. He punched the ground, startling the ox, which jumped back in fright.
"My fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens!"
*Thump—*
Force is reciprocal. Chen Xun broke his hand and spent several days recuperating with the black ox.
He also added a little strength to the ox, though its appearance remained unchanged. After witnessing Chen Xun's fate, the black ox casually tested its own strength and found it quite impressive.
They lived in a thatched hut in a small mountain village, peaceful and undisturbed by the world. However, the laws of this world seemed ingrained in their very bones.
Mortals must bow and show respect to cultivators; offending them is absolutely forbidden. Even the people in this remote mountain village knew this.
"Brother Xun."
A boy's voice rang out from outside the thatched hut. It was Little Blackie from the village, given a humble name because of his dark skin at birth.
"What's wrong, Little Blackie?" Chen Xun, his injuries healed, slowly opened the door.
"The village chief asked me to bring you some rice," Little Blackie said with a simple, innocent smile, holding a bag of rice.
"Thank the village chief for me."
Chen Xun took the rice, deeply moved. He and Big Black Ox had been starving for days, eating only wild vegetables.
A dignified immortal was about to starve to death—a blatant absurdity!
Thinking this, Chen Xun felt a surge of resentment. Revenge is a dish best served cold; his family's ancestral graves would soon be dug up by them.
"Brother Xun, I'm off now. My mother's calling me home for dinner."
"Okay, go back quickly."
Chen Xun smiled, looking at the rice in his hand. Tears welled up in his eyes; there were still many good people in the world.
Moo!
The big black ox bellowed impatiently from inside the thatched hut. It didn't like grass, but it loved rice.
A wisp of smoke rose, and the fragrant rice was ready. The man and the ox sat down on the ground and began to wolf it down, their eyes filled with anticipation for the future.
"Old ox, we have to live well. Don't act impulsively again."
Chen Xun chewed rice, swallowing hard. "The world is big. When we're successful, I'll find you some old cows."
Moo! Glug.
The old ox looked at him with disdain, as if to say, "Didn't you just grab an axe and rush into the next village?"
"They outnumber us and have the upper hand. We need a strategy to deal with people like them," Chen Xun said mysteriously.
Big Black Bull's eyes lit up, and he instantly moved closer to Chen Xun.
"When they're old and gray, we'll smash their teeth and dig up their ancestral graves! Damn it, dare they mess with an immortal?"
Chen Xun spoke with conviction, his eyes sharp and his demeanor incredibly arrogant.
Moo! Moo!
The large black ox's large, bell-like eyes gleamed, nodding repeatedly. "Good, good."
"Why does it smell like burning?"
Chen Xun sniffed, then suddenly looked towards the kitchen, his eyes widening in shock. "Our thatched hut!!"
Moo~~ The black ox also let out a startled snort.
"Fire!"
"Chen Xun's house is on fire! Quick, put out the fire!"
...
An hour later, the fire subsided. The entire thatched hut was almost completely burned down. The man and the ox, their eyes lifeless, knelt outside the hut, utterly despondent.
Chen Xun was an orphan in the village, suffering a series of misfortunes. He was pitiful, and the villagers offered a few words of comfort before dispersing.
"It's over, my home is gone."
Chen Xun said dejectedly. He didn't know how to build a house; it was truly a case of misfortunes never coming singly. Life was already bleak enough.
However, there's always a way out. The black ox had preserved some rice through rumination, enough to last them a few more days.
"Old ox, I see a few caves on the eastern hillside. Hey, let's go stay there."
Chen Xun shook his head dejectedly. He should learn some skills in the village; he'd spent his time farming, and now he knew nothing.
Moo! The big black ox didn't care. Wherever Chen Xun went, that was its home.
Outside the small village, the black ox had a lot of dry grass tied to its back. Chen Xun also gathered some dry firewood and took it to the cave to stay temporarily.
For the next year, Chen Xun apprenticed with the village carpenter, and the black ox helped carry things. The villagers said it was intelligent and told Chen Xun not to kill it for food.
Chen Xun scoffed. He, Chen Xun, would rather starve to death than betray his friends, even if it meant jumping off a small hill.
"It smells so good."
Chen Xun ate the beef with a smile. At the end of the year, to celebrate, the villagers slaughtered several oxen and held a grand feast for everyone.
He naturally wouldn't miss such a good occasion, but the black ox's pupils constricted, and it hesitated to even eat the few pieces of beef Chen Xun offered.
After the feast, food couldn't be wasted. What others didn't eat, he and the black ox packed up. Life had to be thrifty.
Inside the cave, the black ox ate with relish, and Chen Xun finished off all the beef it didn't eat.