"Big Brother!"
Little Crane clutched the corner of Chen Xun's clothes, looking at him with wide eyes. "You've spent all those billions of mid-grade spirit stones!"
She repeated it again, the words striking heavily into Chen Xun's heart, causing a bead of cold sweat to form on his forehead.
Chen Xun didn't respond, his eyes slightly unfocused. How did I end up like this...
Once, it took him and Bull seven whole years to earn a single low-grade spirit stone.
Those cultivators who struggled their entire lives for a few spirit stones, those who put aside their dignity to scavenge in the grand world's trash heaps...
Chen Xun fell silent, frowning slightly. Third Sister had been tirelessly planning for the trash site, while Bull was always outside the ancient forest researching the Five Elements Disintegration Array.
Little Chi worked tirelessly day and night at the garbage recycling plant, sorting and categorizing waste, his red mane often stained with black...
Chen Xun sighed softly, not knowing when he stopped valuing spirit stones as spirit stones.
For fifty years, he never budgeted carefully, just squandered, and now his family's fortune was gone.
Little Crane's eyes brightened slightly, her grip on Big Brother's clothes tightening. This method was taught by Second Brother.
Second Brother had said: The best way to provoke Big Brother now is to tell him the spirit stones are gone, and it won't have any negative effects.
They had all seen Big Brother's changes over the years, how he had become a different person in the details. They knew he used to be such an optimistic and happy person.
Faced with Big Brother's changes, they buried their hatred deep in their hearts, never wanting to provoke him. Now they just wanted him to slowly return to his old self.
Hatred meant nothing compared to Big Brother.
Even if they never sought revenge, living a carefree life, they just wanted to see Big Brother smile warmly once more.
Fifty years... Big Brother's smile seemed to have vanished, leaving only a deep, calm expression.
"Third Sister, I understand." Chen Xun said with a hint of apology in his eyes, gently patting her head. "Big Brother will plan carefully."
Before he finished speaking, Chen Xun had already turned and walked away, unconsciously drawing a line on his body, though his brows furrowed slightly—why hadn't he grown taller?
"Big Brother, drink less wine!"
"Third Sister, I only drink health tea."
A calm voice came from afar, and Chen Xun raised his hand slightly, holding a cup of health tea. "This was Teacher Ning's advice, something Chen Xun dares not forget."
Little Crane looked at his retreating figure and suddenly smiled, her eyes curving, as the surrounding flowers and plants swayed, bringing a warmth like a spring breeze.
At this moment, an Earth rank Thousand Mechanism Spirit Seal hovered in front of her, appearing black and green, exuding a sense of heaviness, even drawing the spiritual qi of heaven and earth into it, quite mystical.
With this seal, not to mention walking sideways on Li Chen Island, no one would dare offend her. The symbolic meaning of this seal was far beyond just spirit stones.
It was the first time she had deceived Big Brother. How could their family possibly go bankrupt, and how could she let Big Brother squander spirit stones at will!
Even now, Big Brother's Thousand Mechanism Spirit Seal was still at the Yellow-tier.
...
Chen Xun wandered aimlessly on the desolate Trash Island, his expression somewhat heavy, finding a random place to sit down.
He took out a somewhat old booklet, filled with records of his and Bull's expenses, even including detailed records of Black Bull's formation materials.
This booklet was originally used to bluff Black Bull, to show how many spirit stones had been spent along the way.
Imagining Black Bull's dumbfounded reaction, jumping in shock, Chen Xun couldn't help but laugh.
And then say: Bull, without following Big Brother, who could afford to keep you, Ximen Formation Bull?!
But now, after that major event, this booklet hadn't been updated for a long time, and he even forgot to nourish it with mana, unable to laugh anymore.
Whoosh~
A gentle breeze flipped the pages of the booklet, as if countless memories from the past were gradually resurfacing with the wind, and he looked at whichever page the wind turned to.
Chen Xun's gaze was slightly unfocused, his posture gradually becoming upright, the warm health tea entering his mouth... still that familiar taste.
He gradually raised his head, gazing at the vast, boundless sky, his expression remaining calm.
The clouds, filled with rosy light, were soft and fluffy, ever-changing, like life itself, unpredictable.
Chen Xun began writing again, filling in the blanks of these years: Ximen Black Bull, formation materials, millions of mid-grade spirit stones, one entry...
This old booklet, nourished by mana, was rejuvenating, becoming as good as new.
Over the years, Chen Xun had squandered these heavenly treasures, deepening his understanding step by step.
His control over the elemental energy of heaven and earth grew stronger, marking the entry into the early stage of Void Refinement.
For example, if he could summon a breeze upon first entering Void Refinement, now his control over elemental energy allowed him to summon strong winds, even gales!
His current Starfall technique was so terrifying even he didn't know its full extent, and he needed to find a place to practice it.
However, the improvement of his realm wasn't just about understanding; spiritual qi was fundamental, and he possessed the qi of the Five Elements.
But first enhancing understanding would ultimately reduce bottlenecks, complementing each other, as the spiritual qi of heaven and earth couldn't be forcibly absorbed, risking deviation if not comprehended.
And those prodigies of the grand world could recklessly extend their lifespan to strengthen their foundation, partly due to this reason.
They lacked neither the insights of powerful figures nor their own understanding, allowing their realm to advance naturally.
This was something ordinary cultivators couldn't compare to; where could they find so many spirit stones?
Every opportunity they had was gained at the risk of their lives, with most cultivators perishing along the way.
Half a day later, Chen Xun disappeared from the spot.
He quietly arrived beneath the ground of the ancient forest, where spiritual herbs were planted, irrigated with the mutated Five Element spiritual herbs using the Water Spirit Decision.
These herbs were all ingredients for the Flying Crossing Pill. Although the qi of the Five Elements was abundant, with the aid of pills, cultivation could progress faster, keeping pace with understanding.
And these herbs, nurtured by the World Soul, grew differently from those in the small boundary, as the grand world's source and the qi of the Five Elements were too overwhelming.
Even if they were the same thousand-year-old herbs, their potency differed by several levels, which explained the anomaly of the Taiwei Purple Immortal Trees.
Originally, the potency of the Flying Crossing Pill required herbs aged one to three thousand years.
But Chen Xun and Black Bull had cultivated them to over five thousand years, far exceeding the limit.
Boom.
A pill furnace landed heavily on the ground, an Earth-tier low-grade pill furnace: the Northern Cold Zhuo Ying Furnace.
He had completely repaired this furnace, its icy blue body shimmering with light, exuding a chill, even slowly absorbing the qi of the Five Elements.
"The original material of this, I've never seen on Li Chen Island. Treasures compatible with the qi of the Five Elements are too rare, but I've heard quite a bit about it in the Star Pavilion."
Chen Xun squinted slightly, confirming that this furnace had been used by a cultivator with Five Elements spiritual roots in a small boundary. "I've found a good treasure."
He no longer planned to change furnaces, intending to let its grade continuously improve with the treasures he encountered, always accompanying him.
Chen Xun sat cross-legged on the ground, the herb field enveloped by a force of Five Elements mana, each Five Element spiritual herb emitting a faint hum.
His expression gradually became serene, as two primordial spirits emerged from his body, forming a triangular formation, tightly surrounding the pill furnace.
