Eternal Tale

Chapter 257: The Lone Ship in the Thunder Sea

"Moo!" Black Ox slapped Chen Xun’s back hard, finding the painting strange.

"Hey, Black Ox, are you questioning my painting skills?!" Chen Xun retorted angrily, taking a sip of his herbal tea. "This painting is still a work in progress. Why are you so impatient?"

Black Ox's eyes showed dissatisfaction. In Chen Xun’s paintings, it always looked strange, lacking any sense of majesty!

If others saw it, wouldn’t they underestimate him, Black Ox?

"Brother Xun, the thunder isn’t drawn correctly; it looks like a black line," Xiao Chi commented earnestly. "And this divine mountain... it looks like a pile of something..."

He wasn’t sure about Chen Xun’s painting skills; he just felt it was a bit rough, expressing his true feelings.

Xiao Chi continued studying the painting, unaware that a shadow had crept up behind him. The shadow was blurry, with only a pair of ghostly eyes staring fixedly at him.

"Brother Xun, look..." Xiao Chi's words were cut off as a chilling sensation rushed through him, making his scalp tingle. He stiffened instinctively and looked up. "Ah!!!"

"Moo~~" Black Ox shook his head at the sight of Xiao Chi being smacked. He still didn’t understand Chen Xun; Big Brother was a proud person who valued his reputation.

Black Ox himself had never dared to criticize like that; he could only say Chen Xun’s painting skills were on par with his singing.

Xiao Chi, thoroughly beaten, fell silent, trembling slightly and casting a glance at Black Ox, who responded with a knowing look—no words needed.

The next day, Chen Xun, satisfied, put away his painting and called out, "Brothers, set sail."

"Moo~~!" Black Ox waved the Five Elements Formation Flag, and the giant ship began absorbing the Five Elements energy from the heavens and earth, moving forward.

They drew closer to the divine mountain, but the token’s guidance clearly pointed behind them, not toward the mountain.

On the sea’s surface, countless cultivators fought fiercely. The sea beasts, too, were drawn to this secret realm, absorbing the spiritual essence of heaven and earth day and night.

Only a few cultivators could ascend the mountain, as it was filled with dangers, including thunder beasts. Despite years of exploration, less than a fraction had been uncovered.

Suddenly, a towering pillar of water erupted from the sea, carrying a terrifying aura. Two tentacles emerged from the water column.

"Retreat!" the cultivators shouted, some flying into the sky, others stepping onto warships, while some, unable to dodge in time, were struck by lightning, reduced to charred remains.

These events occurred continuously, and the dark sea turned increasingly crimson, with magical lights flashing everywhere.

The giant ship glided through the sky, casting a faint shadow as Chen Xun and his companions looked down coldly, showing no interest in the chaos below.

*Whoosh!*

*Whoosh!*

At that moment, several late-stage Golden Core cultivators dressed in sect robes flew toward them, their eyes filled with fear. The sea beast beneath those tentacles was beyond what Golden Core cultivators could handle.

"Senior Brother, something feels off."

"What is it?"

A woman squinted slightly, sensing a sudden intuition. "It feels like there’s an array formation fluctuation."

The group paused mid-air, frowning. Their junior sister’s intuition wasn’t baseless; her technique had protective and evasive properties.

But as they stared into the gloomy sky, their spiritual senses, already weakened by the Forbidden Sea, picked up nothing.

*Whoosh...*

The wind shifted, and their eyes narrowed. Something had passed by!

"Who?!"

They were startled, forming a circle. Under the vast sky, they appeared small and insignificant. A drop of cold sweat fell from the woman’s forehead, plummeting toward the sea.

The unknown is the true source of fear.

Her intuition was never wrong; something had indeed passed them just now...

"Senior Brother, Junior Brothers, we must leave!" Her chest heaved as her pupils shrank to pinpoints. "Don’t be curious—something is wrong here."

"Alright." The group exchanged glances and nodded. The Forbidden Sea held too many secrets; the more one knew, the quicker they met their demise.

On the giant ship.

Chen Xun cast a casual glance at the sect cultivators. Their robes, crafted from magical artifacts, were indeed luxurious—a stark contrast to his treatment back in the Five Elements Sect.

Black Ox’s eyes remained fixed on the divine mountain, showing no interest in the cultivators. Reverence filled his heart as he set up an incense burner, marveling at the power of heaven and earth.

Xiao Chi’s flame-glow divine sense focused on the sea, where the tentacles stirred the waters. He couldn’t discern what kind of sea beast lay beneath, but he knew it must be terrifying.

He felt a sense of relief. Although the journey had been perilous, it had also revealed many sights, and without immediate danger, the experience had been quite fulfilling.

*Boom! Boom!*

In the sky, thunder flashed and rumbled, heavy and oppressive. Thunder serpents slithered through the clouds.

Without warning, a thick bolt of lightning appeared, striking down at their giant ship in the blink of an eye!

Xiao Chi’s fur stood on end, and before he could react, Black Ox leapt into action, launching himself skyward.

"Moo!!" Black Ox roared as thick fur covered his entire body. He transformed his hooves into palms, meeting the lightning with his bare hands!

A massive black palm stretched out from the ship, its slow-moving apertures accelerating, and his blood surged with increased strength, enveloping the entire bolt of lightning.

*Boom!*

A burst of white light erupted in the sky as the thick bolt of lightning shattered and dispersed into rays of light, vanishing into the heavens.

"Who?!"

"What just happened?!"

"Why did the lightning suddenly disperse?!"

...

Despite the chaos on the sea, some cultivators noticed the sky. Evading the divine mountain's lightning strikes was essential for anyone venturing there.

They had seen the flash of lightning, but how could it have suddenly dissipated in an explosion of light?

Those who saw it felt their hearts skip a beat. The power of that lightning was immense; even a Nascent Soul cultivator would hesitate to face it directly...

Some quietly retreated, their eyes fixed on the sky. This was no accident; something unknown was out there.

On the giant ship.

Black Ox stood on the deck, letting out a soft moo as sparks crackled from his palm, remnants of the lightning.

But as the Five Elements divine light emerged, the destructive energy of the lightning dissipated, leaving his body unharmed.

"Brother Ox... so powerful." Xiao Chi mumbled, his eyes vacant. "That was heavenly thunder... he actually dispersed it."

"Old Bull, how are you?"

"Moo moo!"

Black Ox snorted, assuring Chen Xun not to worry. This heavenly thunder was nothing compared to their tribulations.

"Haha, well done, Old Bull. Only three points behind me!" Chen Xun nodded with his arms crossed, then suddenly shouted, "Darn it, hurry over here! Why are you posing?!"

"Moo~~" Black Ox grinned, trotting over to the crane-headed prow.

Xiao Chi watched as Brother Xun and Brother Ox bantered, feeling a sense of gloom. His two brothers were far too strong. Every time he thought he had seen their full strength, they always proved him wrong.

In truth, they had never revealed their full power. Xiao Chi could never fathom just how much strength they still held.

He raised his paw, looking at it with a mysterious expression. He didn’t want to be a burden; he, too, had cards up his sleeve he had yet to reveal...

"Xiao Chi, what are you thinking about?" Just as he was lost in thought, a large hand lifted him. "Jealous of Brother Ox?"

"Moo moo~~" Black Ox gave Xiao Chi a pat. Everyone starts small and grows stronger.

"No, Brother Xun." Xiao Chi, held by the scruff, grinned mischievously. "I just don’t want to hold you back."

"Don't overthink it. Your Brother Ox even had his horn broken off once. That's no burden; he was weaker than you back then."

"Moo?!!"

Black Ox nudged Chen Xun hard, questioning, "Moo moo moo??!"

"Hahaha..." Chen Xun laughed, hugging Black Ox's head and quickly changing the topic. "Let’s move on."

Xiao Chi clung to Chen Xun's back, smiling as he looked toward the distant divine mountain and the lightning-filled sky. It didn’t seem so frightening anymore.

*Buzz—*

*Boom! Boom!*

The thunder sea around the divine mountain stretched endlessly, filled with overwhelming thunder power and oppressive energy.

As darkness and white light intertwined, a colossal ship sailed slowly toward the depths beside the divine mountain.

Black Ox's formation could no longer hold back the thunder, as one lightning bolt after another tore through the sky, spreading in all directions, aimed at the ship crossing the thunder sea.

Storms surged, and the world turned blindingly white as the ship revealed its form—a giant black-and-white tree swaying against the sky.

"Look at the sky! There’s a black dot beside the divine mountain!"

"No, it’s a ship!"

"Is someone trying to cross the divine mountain?! Who would dare take such a risk?!"

...

A chorus of exclamations erupted from the sea as cultivators retreated hundreds of meters.