Transforming into a stunningly beautiful fox spirit, leaving a scar on the heart of a prodigy.

The tremors at the Emperor's palace have stopped.

The stone pillars that originally supported the dome broke into several pieces and crashed to the ground.

Dust swirled in the hall, obscuring the view. Chen Xuan sheathed his heavy sword. His movements were slow, his right hand fingers still trembling. Several of his finger bones had cracked during his fist-fight with Chen Tianyou, and blood was now dripping from his fingertips onto the shards of jade brick.

Su Chang'an walked over.

Her red dress was a little dirty with dust, and a few strands of her long silver hair were disheveled. She didn't speak, but simply reached out, slipped her hand under Chen Xuan's armpit, and put his arm on her shoulder.

Su Chang'an reached under Chen Xuan's armpit and draped his arm over her shoulder. Her fingers felt a momentarily ethereal quality—the energy of the Soul-Nourishing Wood was almost depleted, and its physical form couldn't be maintained for much longer.

But she gritted her teeth, her mind hardening, and managed to support her rebellious son, who weighed over a hundred pounds. "Go easy," she snorted, "any harder and my hand will go right through."

Chen Xuan looked down at her. Su Chang'an's profile was clean; although her face was a little pale, her eyes were steady. He opened his mouth, wanting to say that he could walk, but in the end, he rested his head on her shoulder.

"Mm," Chen Xuan replied.

The two walked outside.

Stones were still falling down the corridor. Chen Xuan listened to the two people's footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. His vision was a little blurry, and the excessive blood loss made his head feel heavy.

He looked at the light ahead.

That's the exit at the end of the passage.

The bright light shone on the stone wall. Chen Xuan stared at the light, his expression suddenly becoming dazed.

He recalled many years ago.

He was only three years old then. The Chen family dug out his bones and threw them into that dark hole. He floated in the water, feeling cold and in pain. It was Su Chang'an who pulled him out.

For the next thirteen years, he longed to leave that cave. He wanted to go outside, to become stronger, and to take revenge.

He remembered when he was sixteen, Su Chang'an used her gleaming white hands to push him onto the bone boat. She stood at the cave entrance, her hair cut short, crying pitifully. She used all her strength to lift him up and send him out of that deathly secret realm.

At that time, darkness surrounded him, and an unknown snowstorm lay ahead. He walked alone.

He is still emerging from a hole.

But he had someone by his side.

Su Chang'an's hands were gripping tightly. Her shoulders weren't broad, but they were very firm. Chen Xuan could feel her body temperature emanating from her clothes.

"Su Chang'an," Chen Xuan suddenly spoke.

"What are you doing?" Su Chang'an didn't turn around and continued walking forward.

"Were you this tired when you saw me off before?" Chen Xuan asked.

Su Chang'an paused. She turned her head and glared at him.

"How much did you weigh back then? Now your bones feel as heavy as iron." Su Chang'an snorted. "Stop talking nonsense and get out of here, this place is about to collapse."

Chen Xuan didn't speak. He stared at the light that was getting closer and closer ahead.

They walked out of the passage.

The blinding sunlight streamed down. The snowstorm in the north had stopped, and the sky was an almost unnatural blue. The sunlight shone on the snow, making it difficult to open one's eyes.

Chen Xuan stood on the snow. He looked at the distant mountains and at the collateral descendants guarding the edge of the ruins.

Chen Mu was leading his men running this way. Chen Fan was being carried by several people, waving his hands desperately.

Chen Xuan suddenly burst out laughing.

He laughed loudly. The sound echoed across the empty ruins.

Su Chang'an was startled by him. She released her grip and looked at Chen Xuan.

Chen Xuan laughed so hard he bent over. He covered his bloody wounds, tears streaming down his face. He looked like a child who had just received candy, or a petty thug who had just won a fight.

"Are you crazy?" Su Chang'an frowned, reaching out to touch his forehead. "Did you get beaten senseless?"

Chen Xuan grabbed her hand. His palm was covered in blood, which stained the back of Su Chang'an's hand red as well.

"Su Chang'an, I'm out." Chen Xuan looked at her, his eyes shining brightly. "This time you came out with me."

Su Chang'an was stunned for a moment. She looked at Chen Xuan's face.

The boy's face was swollen beyond recognition, his nose and face were all black and swollen, making him look quite comical. But his smile now was the cleanest she had seen in years.

There was no chilling coldness, no murderous intent, no scheming or obsession.

Like that little brat in the cave who got chased and beaten by her for stealing a sip of meat soup.

Su Chang'an's heart skipped a beat. She pulled her hand away and tapped Chen Xuan on the head.

"So what if you're out? What's all the fuss about?" Su Chang'an turned his head and looked at the snow-capped mountains in the distance. "You still have a long road ahead of you."

Chen Xuan ignored her disdain. He stood there, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath of the outside air.

It was cold, but refreshing.

At that very moment, a soft sound came from inside his body.

That was Daoji's voice.

The Dao Foundation, which was originally covered with cracks due to the forced breakthrough and the bloody battle with Chen Tianyou, is now starting to move.

The cracks no longer contained the black, malevolent energy.

A gentle power welled up from his heart. It was the most precious thing he had ever possessed. Not the Supreme Bone, not the Great Sage's cultivation, but the perfection of this moment.

Su Chang'an's hand was still on his shoulder.

Her fingertips were slightly cool, carrying the fragility of a soul-nourishing wood that was almost depleted. Xuan looked down at the hand that seemed poised to turn transparent at any moment.

His heart suddenly tightened.

It wasn't pain, it was something else.

It was as if something that had been blocking the way for a long time had been crushed by this seemingly real yet imperceptible hand.

A soft sound came from deep within the Dao Foundation.

Golden light traveled through his meridians, repairing the broken blood vessels and muscles.

His aura is changing.

It was no longer the chilling killing intent. Instead, it was a profound, mountain-like stability.

Su Chang'an noticed. She turned around and looked at Chen Xuan with some surprise.

This kid's luck is so good it's enviable.

This kind of mental breakthrough is more effective than taking ten thousand elixirs.

"Big brother!" Chen Mu ran up to him.

He looked at Chen Xuan's injuries and turned pale with fright. He wanted to reach out to help him up, but dared not touch him.

"Big brother, are you alright?" Chen Mu's voice trembled.

Chen Xuan opened his eyes. He looked at Chen Mu, then at the worried-looking members of the collateral branches.

"It's nothing," Chen Xuan said.

His voice was very steady.

Chen Xuan touched his chest.

He wrapped the token and the white short sword in three layers of his cloak, placing them close to his chest. These belonged to Su Chang'an and were not included in the distribution. He took out another storage bag and tossed it to Chen Mu.

"Distribute the medicine inside. Take the rest back and share it with the brothers," Chen Xuan said.

Chen Mu caught the bag and was stunned.

"Brother, this is something from the Emperor's palace..."

"I'll divide it up as you say." Chen Xuan waved his hand. "I don't need these."

He certainly doesn't lack anything.

What he lacked was now standing right beside him.

Chen Xuan turned his head and looked at Su Chang'an.

"Su Chang'an, I want to eat noodles," Chen Xuan said.

Su Chang'an raised an eyebrow.

"Let's go back to the family home to eat."

"No, I want to eat what you make." Chen Xuan looked at her with a serious expression.

Su Chang'an remained silent for three seconds.

"You want noodles? You want me to blow up the kitchen?" Su Chang'an sighed. "Alright, find a place to rest. I'll make you some when we get back to the Northern Region."

Chen Xuan smiled.

He laughed very quietly this time.

He walked on the snow, each step firm and deliberate.

The Chen family behind him, the Central Plains behind him, all the blood and tears behind him, he left them all in that collapsed palace.

He stepped into the sunlight.

Su Chang'an followed behind him. Her shadow overlapped with his.

The wind from the north blew in, stirring up the snow on the ground.

Chen Xuan felt that the snow was not cold at all.

He glanced back at the dark hole.

He escaped from there eighteen years ago.

Eighteen years later, he walked out of there.

This time, he never went back.

Chen Mu followed behind with his men. Looking at Chen Xuan's retreating figure, they felt as if their elder brother had become a completely different person.

The former Chen Xuan was like a swift sword that could break at any moment.

Chen Xuan now resembles a heavy sword hidden in its sheath.

"Let's go," Chen Xuan said.

He took Su Chang'an's hand.

Su Chang'an couldn't break free.

She looked down at her two clasped hands.

His hands were much larger than hers, with knuckles bearing newly healed cracks, rough as sandpaper.

She suddenly remembered many years ago, when this hand was still small, it was clutching her fox tail and refusing to let go.

"Let's go," Su Chang'an said.

She didn't kick him.

She didn't scold him. She simply tightened her grip on his fingers a little, letting him lead her towards the distant flying boat.

The emperor's palace collapsed completely.

Beneath the ruins, the remains of the deceased lay quietly.

The purple light flashed one last time and then went out.

No one looked back at it.

The snowstorm started again, leaving two lines of footprints on the snow, one deep and one shallow, stretching to the other side of the mountain.