Chapter 711: The brightest smile in the world

Three days later, at a peach blossom paradise nestled by mountains and rivers, a bamboo raft was moored by the shore. On the raft was a wooden table with a peculiar teacup placed on it.

A man in white, exuding an ethereal aura, was painting on the bamboo raft. His black hair fluttered in the river breeze, his gaze was meticulous, and his brush moved continuously with great concentration.

In the river, a large black bull floated leisurely, occasionally snorting, showing no signs of being a cultivator.

On the ground.

Tai Yu awoke with a splitting headache, two ancient beasts, now reduced in size, were looking down at him with concern in their eyes, their previous ferocity gone, and even their wounds had been healed.

Mere external fatal injuries, they could endure!

"...Where is this..." Tai Yu's face was pale, his robes tattered, covered in blood, and somewhat disoriented. However, upon seeing the two ancient beasts, a hint of joy appeared in his eyes, "A Da, A Er!"

He was tall, at least nine feet, with a handsome and refined face that carried an innate air of authority, his brow bones high, like a natural king.

"Roar..."

They clearly couldn't speak, only growling to express their relief that he was okay.

Tai Yu slowly sat up cross-legged, recalling the events of that day, feeling a sense of having narrowly escaped death. Suddenly, he looked sharply at the man painting on the bamboo raft by the river.

Surrounded by towering mountains, he didn't even know where he was!

Tai Yu quickly stood up, as if suddenly understanding many things. Judging by the appearance, the man was definitely human, but why hadn't he killed them? Such an old monster, every action, every word was worth pondering.

He cupped his hands in a gesture of respect and said, "Tai Yu of the ancient immortal clan greets the human Venerable. I hope I have not offended you..."

Tai Yu took a deep breath, realizing that the battle had awakened him completely. This man was probably not a Venerable of the Xuanji Sacred Land, nor was he targeting him specifically. With just a slight move, he had beaten them so badly they didn't know east from west.

His words reached the riverbank.

Chen Xun paused his brush, turned slowly, and smiled at them, speaking calmly, "We were mining for spirit stones there when you suddenly said you wanted to kill us, so naturally, we acted in self-defense."

"Young man, your hostility is quite strong. The miners never offended you; their issues with you and the Xuanji Sacred Land are unrelated. But with your attack, our karma is now intertwined."

"Moo moo~~"

Water splashed as Black Bull chimed in nonchalantly, surrounded by drifting peach blossoms, creating a beautiful and peaceful scene.

Tai Yu's mouth twitched at the words, mining...? Earning spirit stones...?!

He suddenly felt his intelligence was being insulted, but dared not refute, as this senior's strength was overwhelming, leaving him no chance to even use his trump cards.

The expressions of the two ancient beasts were also quite dramatic... In front of Black Bull, they were nothing more than little ancient beasts, foolishly attacking them.

"The senior is right, the fault lies with Tai Yu."

Tai Yu bowed deeply, lowering his stance, and asked, "May I know why the senior brought us here?"

"Young man, you wanted to kill us back then." The calm voice from the bamboo raft seemed to merge with the drifting peach blossoms, omnipresent, close to his ear.

"Hmm?" Tai Yu frowned slightly, momentarily stunned, as if his thoughts slowed in front of such a Venerable.

Though the man exuded no pressure, Tai Yu felt an overwhelming sense of oppression from all around, unable to straighten his back. That battle had overturned much of his knowledge about cultivating immortality.

Transforming into a heavenly tribulation, his mind plunged into chaotic void...

"Venerable... I didn't know you were mining... earning spirit stones." Tai Yu replied with difficulty, explaining, "The Xuanji Sacred Land destroyed my beast village in the Wild Heaven Region, a hatred as deep as the sea."

"I see, the people of the ancient immortal clan were born in a beast village in the Wild Heaven Region?"

"I am an orphan... I don't know who my parents are, raised on beast milk, nurtured by ancient beasts, my name left on my clothes."

As Tai Yu spoke, his gaze turned a bit cold, saying solemnly, "A Da and A Er are like brothers to me. There is a treasure here that the Xuanji Sacred Land desires, so we came."

"Hmm..."

Chen Xun nodded, looking at the two shores, speaking calmly, "But I only know you wanted to kill us. If we weren't strong enough, we would have been destroyed by your attack."

"Moo~~~" Black Bull chimed in again, drifting further away, his eyes somewhat dazed. Chen Xun truly was a breath of fresh air, a true genius.

"Forgive me, senior!"

Tai Yu's face was grim, hearing the same words twice, he unknowingly felt he owed them a life.

Over the years, he had been ruthless, never knowing right from wrong, never compromising with the strong, nor understanding what reverence was, just like the ancient beasts.

"First, you owe a large sum of spirit stones, leaving me and Bull without work, at least a million top-grade spirit stones in lost wages. Do you have any objections?"

"...None, the Venerable is right..."

"Second, the karma of wanting to kill us is unresolved. Have your two brothers each extract a bone, and we will no longer hold this matter against them, as if they repaid a life."

Chen Xun said lightly, his brush gliding over the water, creating ripples, turning to Tai Yu and asking, "Is that acceptable?"

Tai Yu trembled, feeling empty inside.

He slowly looked at A Da and A Er... Extracting a bone while alive was like losing half a life, even greatly damaging their rule power.

Roar! Roar!

The two ancient beasts roared, agreeing before Tai Yu could speak. The pain of extracting a bone was nothing, it was their debt to repay, nothing to fear.

Due to the nature of ancient beasts, even if killed by a cultivator, the latter would gain nothing, as their bodies would merge with the Wild Heaven Region's earth, protected by the region's will.

Thus, cultivators avoided ancient beasts, finding it not worth the effort.

But if ancient beasts didn't have this trait, they would have been extinct long ago, as they grew too slowly.

"Any bone will do, not necessarily your best one." Chen Xun smiled slightly, "No need to make such a fuss."

"Thank you, Venerable, for your mercy!"

Tai Yu bowed to Chen Xun on the riverbank, even the two ancient beasts paused, looking at the human man with a hint of admiration... No wonder he was followed by the Black Bull Venerable.

"Young man."

"Venerable!"

"I see you have great potential, with the bearing of a Tribulation Crossing Venerable, even with ancient beasts as your guardians. Frequent killing may hinder your cultivation, preventing you from going far."

"...The senior is right."

"Just now, they repaid a life, but you still owe me one, correct?"

"Yes..."

"I have here a Five Elements Law mark, take it. Activate it during your tribulation, and I will come to protect you. After that, our karma is resolved, and we owe each other nothing."

Chen Xun raised his arm slightly, a five-colored light burst from the river, floating towards Tai Yu, "This item is extremely precious, it might even save your life in times of crisis."

Tai Yu received the mark with both hands, solemnly accepting it, but his lowered eyes held a hint of fear. Despite obtaining such a treasure, he felt no joy, rather it seemed like a hot potato.

This Venerable's methods were unfathomable, everything about him was within his calculations. To break free from this cage... only by reaching Great Ascension, he felt helpless for the first time.

He had underestimated the mysterious vastness of the Wild Heaven Region, destroying a mine had attracted such a terrifying figure.

After respectfully accepting it, Tai Yu smiled bitterly and cupped his hands, "Thank you, Venerable, may I know your name?"

"World-Destroying Elder."

Chen Xun gave them an exceptionally gentle smile, like a spring breeze in March, warming the heart.

A sudden breeze arose, peach blossoms danced across the riverbank, brushing against Chen Xun's gentle, smiling face, like the brightest smile in the world.