Chen Xun returned to Trash Island.
As soon as he stepped out of the teleportation array in the desolate mountain, he saw Little Crane squatting nearby, holding a bouquet of flowers.
"Eldest brother, you're back." Little Crane's eyes were filled with joy as she hurried forward. "I picked these flowers for you. If you're tired, just take a look at them."
Her true form was the Crane Spirit Yin Yang Tree, making her very attuned to plants. Whenever she felt sad, seeing these flowers and trees would bring her some comfort.
She didn't dare mention the matter of the small boundary in front of her eldest brother. The strangeness of that night had even frightened her second brother.
Chen Xun took a deep look at the bouquet, accepted it with his own hands, and casually asked, "Where's your second brother?"
"Second brother is setting up an array. He said the materials are still insufficient, so he's asked Yun Jin to purchase another batch."
Little Crane's eyes sparkled as she observed her eldest brother's expression. "Eldest brother, Luoshuang has already completed the transaction with us. Here's the storage ring."
She handed a ring to Chen Xun, which was filled with treasures used during the Void Refinement phase.
However, there seemed to be a hint of barely noticeable disappointment in Little Crane's eyes, as if her eldest brother wasn't particularly moved by the flowers.
"Alright, good."
Chen Xun didn't check the ring but instead looked at Little Crane's height, softly saying, "Third sister, have you grown taller?"
Little Crane quickly took two steps forward, clinging to Chen Xun's robe, looking up with a playful smile, utterly adorable.
"Keep your head level," Chen Xun began adjusting Little Crane's head. "Don't play tricks in front of your eldest brother."
"Eldest brother, I've grown taller."
"Taller, my foot!"
Chen Xun scolded, drawing a mark on himself, "Go back and read. Eldest brother is quite busy these days and won't be around to supervise you all the time."
Little Crane sniffed the delicious scent, feeling that her eldest brother had a hint of alcohol on him, even though he never drank!
Yet her face still bore a clear and innocent smile, unbothered by whether her eldest brother drank or not.
Little Crane then ran off into the distance, her black skirt fluttering in the wind, shouting, "Eldest brother, I'm going back to read!"
Chen Xun let out a gentle sigh. It was better for his third sister to remain innocent, at least she was happy and didn't have to bear so much burden.
However.
Once Little Crane completely disappeared from Chen Xun's sight, her expression changed.
A cold and sharp look flashed in her eyes, and she no longer acted boisterous, quietly returning to the thatched hut, her long hair flowing, exuding tranquility.
Outside the ancient forest of Trash Island.
In Black Bull's array, the dense qi of the Five Elements filled the air, divine light flickered, and the aura was quite intimidating.
Its ears twitched slightly, and it quickly turned to look—it was Chen Xun!
"Moo moo~~" Black Bull dropped everything and ran directly towards Chen Xun, nuzzling him, "Moo!"
"Bull, how's it going?"
Chen Xun, gentle as a spring breeze, lightly patted Black Bull's head, "I want to refine pills. This time, the pills we take will have pill patterns."
Black Bull snorted, a hint of surprise in its eyes. Chen Xun never took pills with patterns except for Realm-Breaking Pills, saying they were dangerous.
"Our bodies are now strong enough to withstand the impact of the pill's effects, we won't explode."
Chen Xun's eyes were bright, his demeanor extraordinary, "If we can advance to Unity, we can establish ourselves in the Mengmu Sea Region."
Black Bull nudged Chen Xun, its eyes filled with determination, never doubting Chen Xun's intentions.
"How's the Five Elements Decomposition Array coming along? No rush."
Chen Xun looked at the mess around, his expression somewhat displeased, "Bull, haste makes waste. I have no intention of seeking revenge, keep a calm mind."
Black Bull let out a soft moo, lowering its head slightly, feeling a bit anxious inside.
"Remember, restoring the small boundary to its original state and finding the reincarnated person are the top priorities."
Chen Xun gave Black Bull a firm pat, "That's our goal. Killing those people won't help."
"Moo~~~"
Black Bull exhaled a long breath, its eyes radiating wisdom. Eldest brother made sense; they could always come back.
It suddenly circled around Chen Xun, sniffing. Did Chen Xun sneak off to drink?!
But looking at Chen Xun now, he seemed much better than the previous year, as if he had truly let go of his hatred, showing no signs of anything unusual.
Black Bull and Chen Xun stood facing each other, gazing into each other's eyes, as if time within the array had come to a halt.
"Moo?" Black Bull's eyes were filled with confusion.
"Just trying the taste of wine. After cultivating immortality for thousands of years, I haven't tried it." Chen Xun lightly coughed, one hand behind his back, "Don't make wild guesses."
"Moo~~" Black Bull sat down beside him, still scrutinizing Chen Xun with its eyes, examining him up and down.
"How's the progress on the array?" Chen Xun changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on the issue.
Speaking of which, Black Bull got a bit excited, immediately getting up to explain to Chen Xun, forgetting all about the drinking matter.
Now, the array gathering the qi of the Five Elements from heaven and earth was complete, and they could even use it for cultivation.
However, they needed to purchase some treasures capable of bearing the power of the Five Elements, which were quite valuable, far beyond ordinary array materials, and also needed to buy some Image Stones for teaching.
"No worries, Bull, we have money now."
Chen Xun was quite affluent now, spending spirit stones like water, "Tell third sister what you need to buy, she'll handle it."
Black Bull nodded heavily, though its eyes were still cautiously observing Chen Xun, as these matters were not important to it.
Chen Xun's expression was calm and composed, "I'll head back to the coast for closed-door cultivation. If anything comes up, find me there. Your eldest brother is fine, no need to worry."
Black Bull mooed in response, raising a few wisps of dust with its hooves, determined to study the array steadily, without impatience.
Chen Xun's eyes held a hint of relief as he transformed into light and left.
But after he left, Black Bull stood for a long time, gazing in the direction he departed. Chen Xun never drank, it was a strict instruction from his mentor...
"Moo~" Black Bull's eyes trembled. Chen Xun was a person of principles and boundaries, no one understood him better.
And now, it seemed that with this cup of wine, he had silently broken his own principles and boundaries...
Eldest brother... how could he be fine!
Black Bull let out a low wail, its eyes suppressing an anger like a volcano ready to erupt, its breathing growing hotter and more intense.
...
By the coast, Chen Xun sat on a chair, leaning against Trash Mountain, almost engulfed by it.
For some reason, he had become accustomed to zoning out here for a long time, completely emptying his mind, just gazing out at the sea.
He had gotten used to calming his mind this way, knowing he had to move forward himself before planning for the future.
"Bull, Little Crane, Little Chi."
Chen Xun looked at the dreamy clouds in the sky, murmuring to himself, "Cultivating immortality should be about freedom, unrestrained, without so many regrets. Hatred is too heavy a burden for you all."
Half an hour later, Chen Xun gradually came back to his senses.
He took out a bottle of Luoyang Green Immortal Nectar from the storage ring, using his divine sense to open the bottle.
Looking inside, it was filled with green droplets like dewdrops, gathering without condensing, quite mystical, even slightly stirring the primordial energy of heaven and earth.
Chen Xun pointed a finger, and a drop of Luoyang Green Immortal Nectar instantly entered his mouth. In that moment, a subtle sense of enlightenment arose from his primordial spirit.
It was like looking at a painting; before, he could see its form, but now he could directly grasp its meaning!
But this feeling lasted only a moment before disappearing. Chen Xun, bathed in the sea breeze, continued to savor it, as the qi of the Five Elements slowly gathered, beginning to circulate within and around him.
