Eternal Tale

Chapter 151: Old friends gradually wither away

The years pass quietly, seen again through the flowers, fallen leaves signal autumn, friendship is like wine, and though the wind grows colder, there is joy without worry.

In what seems like the blink of an eye, decades or even centuries, have passed. Countless people haven't had time to say goodbye before being suddenly taken away by the passage of time.

In Zhiyang Prefecture, in the wilderness outside the Yuzhu Mountains. The yellow sand still rages, and it remains forbidden for ordinary people to traverse. But what has changed is the sight of three figures bidding farewell.

Two ordinary gray shadows appeared on the horizon. Chen Xun and the big black ox have returned. They walked across the wilderness, no longer running, as if a lifetime had passed.

Today, the Five Elements Sect announced the closure of its mountain, and the protective mountain array has been activated. This situation is very familiar to Chen Xun and the big black ox.

The Peak Lord is about to ascend and become immortal...

Their faces show neither joy nor sorrow as they step by step approach the Five Elements Sect.

Over the years, the Five Elements Sect has also experienced many significant events. The strength of the sect has surged, and its prestige has greatly increased. But the strongest person in the Sect, Wei Xun, felt hopeless about reaching the Nascent Soul stage here and left alone, leaving behind only four words: "Do not miss me."

Looking up, the black night surges in, with layers of dark ink heavily smeared across the sky. There is no moonlight, not even starlight, nothing at all...

Inside the Five Elements Sect, on a cliff, a woman sits quietly at the edge. Her eyes are cloudy as she looks up at the sky, seemingly reminiscing, but her body already shows signs of decline.

The entire sect seems to be filled with a sense of mourning. Disciples all around the mountain bow their heads. On the main peaks, the peak lords stand with their hands behind their backs, looking into the distance, full of sorrow, and remaining silent.

The evening wind howls, blowing the scattered petals in the valley, bringing a sense of desolation and the lingering fragrance of the past, slowly piling up memories.

Outside the main hall of the sect, two people stand; one is the current sect leader, Ding Qiu. The other is Ji Haoxuan.

Their brows are furrowed as they look towards the blurry figure on the distant cliff, the peak lord Liu Yuan.

"Sect leader, Junior Sister Liu Yuan..." Ji Haoxuan hesitates to speak. Although he is younger than Liu Yuan, he has witnessed her journey.

Her Daoist partner died in sorrow, and during that great battle, her senior brothers and sisters were severely injured, unable to break through. The Alchemy Hall's combat strength was never strong.

Her most respected master followed the passage of time, and her most beloved disciple failed to break through the Golden Core stage and eventually passed away. Of the older generation of cultivators in the Five Elements Sect, it seems that only Liu Yuan remains...

"I know." Ding Qiu sighs deeply, looking at Ji Haoxuan.

His eyes show pity. Junior Sister Liu Yuan is kind and graceful in everything she does. Why does fate never favor such people?

"Sect leader, the heavens are unfair!" Ji Haoxuan's chest heaves, his forehead full of gloom, and he suddenly turns to roar, "The heavens are unfair!!!"

"Senior Brother Ji!" Ding Qiu is startled and quickly calms him, "Don't disturb Junior Sister Liu's final peace."

Ji Haoxuan nods solemnly, no longer making noise, but his fists are clenched tighter. He doesn't want to see Junior Sister Liu pass away like this.

Suddenly.

**Buzz!**

**Boom!!**

The entire protective mountain array trembles as two mysterious figures step through the air, and the sky resounds with a series of booming sounds.

They are shrouded in five-colored light, their imposing aura covering all directions. The disciples of each peak are shocked. What is happening?!

The protective mountain array is directly breached, not by magical force, but by using an array to break the array!

"Who?!"

"Presumptuous!!"

"Audacious!!!"

Angry shouts echo from each peak, and vast spiritual power surges into the sky. They are about to take action when a voice transmission from the sect leader suddenly rings in their minds.

The peak lords' expressions change, and they quickly calm down, beginning to reassure the disciples. It's not an enemy invasion.

All the disciples are bewildered, still frightened by the previous oppressive aura, which they have never felt even in the presence of the peak lords.

On the cliff, Liu Yuan remains unmoved by the recent commotion, still gazing at the sky, her eyes seeming even more clouded.

_Step..._

_Step..._

Two footsteps approach from behind her, and Liu Yuan's lips slowly curl into a smile, "Senior Brother Chen Xun, Black Ox, is it you..."

"Moo~" The big black ox calls out sorrowfully to Liu Yuan.

Chen Xun is silent, walking slowly. This cliff is where the five of them once watched the stars fall together.

His steps were heavy and slow, with thoughts clouding his irises. He had believed that as long as he avoided it, as long as he didn't see or hear it, they would still be alive, even if he knew in his heart they were gone.

"Chen Xun, what are you avoiding..." Chen Xun keeps cursing himself; his body is already trembling slightly.

Unknowingly, he sits beside Liu Yuan, also looking up at the sky.

The big black ox sits on her other side, staring at Liu Yuan with sorrowful eyes.

"Liu Yuan... Junior Sister." Chen Xun forces a smile, speaking softly, "We are here."

Liu Yuan's eyes shine like stars as she looks at Chen Xun, "I thought Senior Brother wouldn't acknowledge us."

"I thought I had seen through it all, but in the end, I still can't see through life and death in this world." Chen Xun's eyes suddenly show an expression that hasn't appeared for a long time—an aged look, "Junior Sister Liu, it was Senior Brother's fault back then."

"Senior Brother Chen, why bother seeing through everything? If we could truly see through it all, would we still be human?" Liu Yuan smiled gently, her body showing more signs of decline. "Having no regrets is enough, but for someone like you, Senior Brother, regrets may only continue to grow."

"Heh." Chen Xun shook his head and chuckled softly without responding. "Have you been well these years?"

Liu Yuan's body suddenly trembled. It seemed like it had been a very long time since anyone had asked her that, and those who had asked were already gone.

Her cloudy eyes suddenly filled with tears. This simple question seemed to strike a tender spot in her heart.

"Senior Brother Chen... Shi Jing is gone; our master is gone; they are all gone..." Liu Yuan couldn't hold back anymore, tears streaming down like rain. She gently grasped the corner of Chen Xun's robe, choking with sobs.

"Moo~" The big black ox nudged Liu Yuan gently, its eyes filled with pain.

Chen Xun took a deep breath, quietly watching Liu Yuan. The war in the cultivation world had cost them too much, and its impact would continue.

"Did Shi Jing leave any last words?" Chen Xun's eyes grew heavier with sorrow, and his raised head slowly lowered.

"Knowing it's inevitable... and accepting it as fate." Liu Yuan murmured, her voice growing softer and softer. "I never blamed him; I just felt it was such a regret. After being together for so long... there was no proper farewell."

The decline in Liu Yuan's body was becoming almost tangible, and she was growing weaker.

Chen Xun's pupils contracted, his brows furrowing deeply. He remained silent, not wanting to express his thoughts on the matter.

"Senior Brother Chen, don't worry about me anymore." Liu Yuan gently released her grip, looked at the big black ox, and patted its head. "Black Ox, come closer."

"Moo~" The big black ox let out a low call and sat closer to Liu Yuan.

Chen Xun looked at Liu Yuan, seeing the life force fading from her. His breathing became more rapid.

"Senior Brother Chen, this cliff is where we once watched the stars fall like rain together." Liu Yuan smiled through her tears, her eyes darkening again. "If only that war hadn't happened, we would all still be together."

Chen Xun's fists clenched slightly, and he nodded heavily. "Yes.”

"But today, it seems the heavens are not in our favor; there's not a single star in sight."

"Yes."

"Senior Brother Chen Xun, Black Ox, seeing you today has been the happiest day in hundreds of years for me."

"Yes."

"Moo~"

"After a thousand years of cultivation, it's tiring. Today, I can finally let go of everything and rest well."

"Yes."

Chen Xun's eyes were filled with age-old sorrow. He kept nodding, his voice heavy.

"I..." Liu Yuan had just uttered a word when her body suddenly went limp. Chen Xun and the big black ox quickly supported her.

Her eyes grew increasingly lifeless, as if she were slowly dissipating.

She murmured, "Senior Brother Chen Xun, Black Ox, Senior Brother Shi, Junior Brother Ji, I wish we could watch the stars fall like rain once more..."

Chen Xun's body trembled slightly, one hand supporting her shoulder. "Junior Sister Liu, look at the sky."

"Huh?" Liu Yuan's cloudy eyes slowly looked up at the sky.

Chen Xun raised his other hand towards the sky. His gaze was fixed on the vast sky, and for the first time, he unleashed his full power!

In an instant, the ripples of his formidable spiritual energy spread out, shaking the surroundings.

**Rumble...**

**Rumble...**

The ground quaked, and a fierce wind arose, its howling deafening. The waves of spiritual power roared like a hurricane. Even the nearby trees were uprooted, and many large stones rolled away. The earth continued to tremble.

Countless disciples were stunned, terrified, and rooted to the spot. What kind of powerful being could cause such a terrifying phenomenon?

The peak lords' eyelids twitched wildly, and the last trace of anger in their hearts dissipated.

"Look at the sky!"

"Look at the sky!!"

Cries of shock and alarm rose from the ground as everyone looked up. Their expressions turned numb, their bodies were weak, and sweat poured like rain.

At this moment, a vast amount of pressure emanated from the sky. Large fireballs, like meteors, streaked across the sky, making a buzzing, vast sound as they passed.

The entire night sky was illuminated. The mountains seemed like they were in a land of lava, the ground bathed in red light.

**Buzz—**

**Buzz—**

The fireballs streaked across the sky, extraordinarily beautiful but carrying an immensely terrifying spiritual energy, eventually disappearing on the other side of the horizon.

Liu Yuan's eyes were dreamy, a smile playing on her lips. She seemed to return to that day, the happiest day before the war.

"Senior Brother Chen Xun, Black Ox, thank you." Liu Yuan's voice was weak, and her eyes were struggling to stay open. She lightly tugged at Chen Xun's robe. "In the days to come, don't be so lonely..."

"Junior Sister Liu!"

"Moo!!"

They suddenly cried out, but Liu Yuan gradually faded in their arms, lifeless, yet a faint smile lingered on her lips.

Chen Xun gasped for breath, his pupils trembling violently. In this world, the last of his old friends was gone...

On this memory-laden cliff, only he and the big black ox remained.

"