Eternal Tale
Chapter 289: Immortal Encounter Oranges

One Stick of Incense Later. Beside Chen Xun sat five figures, their expressions cold and emotionless. Their bodies emanated a radiant, five-colored light as hundreds of talisman blanks floated in the air.

At this moment, a rootless flower of pure energy emerged from Chen Xun's body. He slowly closed his eyes, fully focusing on refining the talismans.

Drops of corrupted blood seemed to struggle in their final moments, boiling faintly in an attempt to taint the man’s lifespan. However, their efforts were in vain.

The yellow-grade talismans in the air continued to shatter, unable to withstand the power of the corrupted blood. Opening his eyes, Chen Xun's gaze flashed with a hint of anger. What a waste.

The five spiritual avatars dissolved into faint light and returned to his body. Chen Xun took out a container made of the millennia-old Crane Spirit Tree and carefully sealed the corrupted blood inside while continuing to craft and store them.

"Crane Spirit Trees truly are versatile."

With swift movements, he forcefully suppressed and sealed the corrupted blood, musing that he would need to purchase some black-grade talismans in the future. "Even millions of mid-tier spirit stones are hard to spend entirely," he muttered.

…

One Month Later. A low hum resonated as the massive ark transformed into a shadow and gradually vanished into the horizon. Together, they stepped into a mid-tier teleportation array, their eyes cold, disappearing in an instant.

The moment they vanished, a large protective formation activated, hiding the teleportation array.

In the distance, countless yellow-grade oblivion talismans lay in wait. Should any corrupted spirits approach, they would experience firsthand the thrill of ascension.

What’s more, there weren’t just one or two such mid-tier teleportation arrays; there were three of them!

With the Black Ox achieving Divine Ascension, its mastery of formations had reached new heights. It had now begun research on large-scale teleportation arrays, soon connecting Qian Nation and the Great Li Realm with a functional pathway.

…

Today. Sunlight pierced through a thin layer of clouds, illuminating the vast, boundless land below, reflecting vibrant colors that dazzled the eye.

In the Great Li Realm's Feiyun Prefecture, an expansive and magnificent mountain range stretched endlessly, suffused with spiritual energy. It was none other than the ancestral land of the Yu Clan, the Dawning Demon Mountain.

Deep within the mountains lay a forbidden area, the secluded training ground of Yu Clan's patriarch, Yu Jingxin.

The scene opened with an endless, crystal-clear lake. Its shimmering surface reflected the surrounding undulating mountains.

A solitary man stood by the lake, deep and contemplative, accompanied only by a tombstone inscribed with a single name: Ding Lingxiao.

"Since you left, it hasn’t snowed in The Great Li Realm—not once. Such a desolation," Yu Jingxin said with a soft smile, as if speaking to himself, though his tone carried the weight of a confession.

"Immortals and mortals are destined to part ways. Life and death are but another divide. Yet, for some reason, I find myself missing you."

He gazed at the tombstone, his expression unchanged. Only here could he truly be himself, free from the exhaustion of life’s burdens.

In the shadows, two onlookers glanced at him inadvertently, their expressions tense as they recalled a major scandal that had rocked the Yu Clan—a tale often ridiculed by other powerful factions.

Yu Clan’s prodigy, Yu Jingxin, had once fallen in love with a mortal woman without spiritual roots during his Foundation Establishment stage—a plain-looking, ordinary woman of humble origins.

What greater absurdity could there be?

It was common knowledge that Yu Jingxin enjoyed spending time among mortals, but no one could have imagined he would propose making such a woman his Dao Companion.

A prodigy of a great clan marrying a mortal? The Yu Clan was vehemently opposed, especially since someone at the Foundation Establishment stage should focus on cultivation.

The clan discreetly sent several Golden Core cultivators to protect the mortal woman, ensuring no harm came to her lest Yu Jingxin’s Dao Heart suffer damage.

Unable to fight the clan's opposition, Yu Jingxin resigned himself to silently visiting her. Yet the woman, being mortal with familial obligations, could not be so easily tethered to his affection.

Her family had already arranged a marriage for her. But Yu Jingxin, unwilling to accept this, revealed his identity as a cultivator and forcibly eloped with Ding Lingxiao—a move that left everyone dumbfounded.

The Yu Clan had to step in to resolve the ensuing chaos, preventing the scandal from tarnishing their reputation or damaging Yu Jingxin’s Dao Heart.

But Ding Lingxiao, a mortal steeped in the virtue of filial piety, could not bear to betray her family. She persuaded Yu Jingxin to let her return, reasoning that his feelings stemmed from a longing for a sense of belonging rather than true love.

Understanding this, she returned to her family. Out of gratitude and fear, her family canceled the arranged marriage and treated her with utmost care.

Yu Jingxin retreated into silence, though he continued to visit her over the decades. Together, they shared a quiet companionship that spanned a century.

As Ding Lingxiao aged, Yu Jingxin watched her with a heavy heart. She refused all offers of longevity elixirs, content with the natural course of life.

On a snowy night, Ding Lingxiao passed away, leaving only a single sentence:

"Jingxin, we have a home."

From that night on, Yu Jingxin's heart died with her. He buried himself in cultivation, carrying out the tasks assigned by the Jiang Clan.

Yet he continued to wander among mortals, savoring their simplicity—a stark contrast to the scheming of the immortal world.

Perhaps, just maybe, he hoped to once again encounter a woman like Ding Lingxiao.

…

By the lake, Yu Jingxin let out a soft sigh, his eyes growing cold.

"Those three within the Demon Nest of the Forbidden Seas—after all these years, have you truly forgotten, or do you simply not dare to provoke the Yu Clan?"

“The flawed fourth layer of the Water Spirit Art seems to have been left untouched by them. There are no signs of spiritual sense fluctuations, making it impossible to pinpoint their location. Truly cautious.”

He had waited for so many years. Despite sending people to the Forbidden Sea and Heavenly Gate, no traces of them had been found. Even he himself had grown lax, setting up defenses that amounted to nothing but solitude.

Yu Jingxin shook his head with a self-deprecating smile. The world of cultivation was like this—full of intricate schemes, though not all bore fruit. Exhausting.

Since there was no further progress, he decided to proceed step by step. Becoming the Yu Clan's patriarch would suffice for now. The secrets of that place remained beyond his reach, as his status was still insufficient.

Generations had passed, and he refused to believe the Yu Clan could see through the Jiang Clan's meticulous plans. Such subtle and silent infiltration was not something a few generations of cultivators could uncover.

“Better go have a drink. Drown my sorrows in a good stupor.”

Yu Jingxin smiled faintly. His figure became increasingly transparent as he headed toward a mortal town.

…

Half an hour later.

Above the misty clouds, he witnessed an intriguing scene.

At the outermost edge of the mountain range, a man in gray robes was chatting and laughing heartily with an old peddler selling oranges.

The rules here were set by Yu Jingxin himself. The Yu Clan's vast territory, with its lush landscapes and abundant resources, allowed the common folk to make a living here.

…

On the Road.

“Young man, how do you find the oranges? Sweet enough?”

“Elder brother, this is a cultivator's domain. They actually let you grow oranges here?” Chen Xun squatted on the roadside with the old man, chatting while eating an orange. “But I must say, these are truly sweet!”

“Hahaha…”

The old man laughed heartily, his beard quivering. “Cultivators have their way of life, and we mortals have ours. Here, the immortals don’t forbid us from coming.”

Chen Xun devoured the orange with juice dripping, surprised by this unexpected leniency. Back in the Qian Nation, mortal access to cultivator territories was strictly prohibited, let alone in a place as significant as The Great Li Realm's ancient cultivator families.

“Interesting! Elder brother, your business must be thriving, eh?” Chen Xun grinned as he grabbed another orange from the peddler’s basket, who didn’t seem to mind at all, as if gifting it to him.

The sun was scorching, and the old man wiped his sweat but still beamed. “You have no idea, young man. Our village depends on selling these oranges. Life’s been getting better and better.”

“Wow!” Chen Xun genuinely believed him. With this quality, it would be hard not to sell out. “Elder brother, don’t these oranges have a name? Without one, they wouldn’t stand out in the market.”

“Huh?” The old man was taken aback, realizing the young man had a point. He began pondering seriously about giving the oranges a proper name.

“Elder brother, I’ll buy all your oranges. I have some friends with big appetites—they’d love to try them.”

Chen Xun looked at the two baskets of oranges and smiled sincerely. “Name your price, the same as in town—no need for a discount.”

“Young man, all of them? That’ll cost quite a bit of copper coins.”

The old man sized up Chen Xun, who didn’t look like a wealthy noble. “How about I give you a few for free?”

What the heck!

Chen Xun’s eyes widened in shock. Did he look that poor? When he first arrived in The Great Li Realm, someone had even tossed him a few coppers.

Quickly he pulled out a few silver ingots from his pocket, proving he was wealthy.

The old man chuckled sheepishly, realizing he’d misjudged the young man. But now he wondered how Chen Xun would carry so many oranges.

Before long, they agreed on a price. With a wave of his hand, Chen Xun made the oranges disappear, startling the old man into silence—he was a cultivator?!

Walking leisurely along the path, Chen Xun ate an orange with one hand while waving with the other. “Elder brother, if fate permits, I’ll come back for more oranges.”

The old man stared blankly at his departing figure before laughing and waving back. “Alright, young man!”

Carrying his now-empty baskets, he began humming a mountain tune as he walked away, his mood brightened.

As he walked, an idea struck him. “Haha, let’s call these oranges ‘Immortal Encounter Oranges.’ Not bad! I’ll tell the wife and kids at home about it.”

…

Under the Bright Sun. Chen Xun turned slightly, watching the old man’s retreating figure with distant eyes and a faint smile.

This scene, too, was entirely observed by Yu Jingxin. A peculiar expression flickered in his eyes—it was the first time he’d seen a Yu Clan member act like this.

Hiding his cultivation, Yu Jingxin gracefully approached, curious to make his acquaintance.

“Fellow Daoist, passing by; I hope you won’t mind a brief intrusion.”

With a kind smile, Yu Jingxin stopped before Chen Xun. He had already probed Chen Xun’s cultivation level—Nascent Soul early stage.

A Divine Transformation cultivator?!

Chen Xun’s heart pounded. Buying oranges and running into a Divine Transformation stage powerhouse—what kind of outrageous luck was this?!

But narrowing his eyes, he quickly composed himself and offered a polite bow, his tone calm:

“An honor, indeed.”