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

The wind stopped.

The Northern Regions are such a dreadful place; there's hardly a moment of peace throughout the year.

Chen Xuan sat behind a large, sheltered rock, with the fluffy white ball tucked into his arms.

Just a moment ago it was freezing cold, but now it feels like I have a furnace in my arms, and the warmth is spreading from my chest throughout my body.

He glanced down at it.

The furry ball was nestled peacefully in his arms, breathing steadily, occasionally twitching, just like a living creature.

Chen Xuan reached out and poked it.

Soft.

It's still hot.

"Don't touch me."

Su Chang'an's voice came from inside the fur ball, lazy and with a nasal tone from just waking up, "I'm too weak right now, I don't have the strength to beat you up."

Chen Xuan's hand froze, and he quickly withdrew it.

He held the fur ball up to his eyes, stared at it for a long time, and after several throat movements, finally managed to squeeze out a sentence: "You...really came out?"

"nonsense."

The fluffy ball rolled around in his palm, finding a comfortable position. "If I don't come out, am I supposed to stay inside and suffocate to death by that broken rock of yours?"

Chen Xuan's face turned pale instantly.

He looked down at his toes, where his worn-out boots were still stained with blood and mud.

"sorry."

The sound was very faint and dissipated with a gust of wind.

"I thought that was a way to save you... I didn't know... I..."

Chen Xuan was incoherent, and his hands were trembling.

He really wanted to slap himself twice.

The treasure he painstakingly found turned out to be the brick that sealed off Su Chang'an's last chance of survival.

If it weren't for Su Chang'an's great abilities in splitting off a wisp of his soul, he would have lived his entire life in regret.

"Alright, alright, stop acting all melodramatic."

Suddenly, the fluffy ball jumped up and bumped directly into Chen Xuan's forehead.

It wasn't very strong, like a tickle.

"My main body is sleeping soundly inside and too lazy to move. This part of my soul came out to get some fresh air and keep an eye on you, you unfilial son, so you don't cause me any more trouble outside."

Su Chang'an's voice sounded completely indifferent.

Chen Xuan was taken aback: "Your true form... isn't coming out?"

"Why would you release that stuff?"

Su Chang'an snorted, "It's warm in winter and cool in summer, and no one will bother us. It's much better than outside. Besides, you've reinforced the seal so much that it's like an iron barrel. It would take me a lot of effort to get out, so I might as well just rest inside."

Chen Xuan's eyes reddened again.

He knew it was a lie.

That cave is cold and damp, so how could it be warm in winter and cool in summer?

Su Chang'an was trying to comfort him.

"Hold back your tears!"

The fluffy ball bounced on his shoulder. "You were crying so hard just now, I wrote it all down in my little notebook. If you dare to cry again, I'll have it engraved on a jade slip and spread it throughout the entire Northern Region, so everyone can see what kind of person you are."

Chen Xuan sniffed, forcing back his tears.

He raised his hand and wiped his face, drying the blood.

"I won't cry."

"That's right."

Su Chang'an hummed twice in satisfaction, "Hurry up and find me something to eat. I'm so tired from flying all this way, my back and waist are aching."

Chen Xuan looked around.

In this desolate wilderness, there's nothing but snow and rocks; where would we find food?

He pulled half a hard, dry biscuit from his pocket and handed it over somewhat awkwardly: "This is all I have."

The fluffy ball shrank back in disgust.

"You're feeding your dad this?"

Su Chang'an grumbled, "I want roast chicken! I want to drink Drunken Immortal Wine! At the very least, I need a bowl of hot meat soup!"

Chen Xuan took the cakes back and said in a low voice, "I'll buy you some when we get back to the sect."

"That's more like it."

Su Chang'an muttered something.

She tried to move her body.

This fluffy shape is really inconvenient; it doesn't even have hands or feet, making it difficult to even scratch an itch.

"No, it needs to be changed."

Su Chang'an mustered all his strength and mobilized his meager spiritual power.

A puff of white smoke rose up.

Chen Xuan subconsciously held his breath, not daring to blink.

He thought a person would appear out of nowhere.

Even a smaller version of Su Chang'an would be fine.

The white smoke dissipated.

Chen Xuan blinked.

It's still a ball.

However, this ball had four short, almost invisible legs, a pointed little mouth, and a fluffy big tail trailing behind it.

It's less like a fox and more like a furry meatball.

Su Chang'an looked down at his new look.

silent.

This is so ugly.

It doesn't even have a neck; its head is directly attached to its body.

"What are you looking at!"

Enraged, Su Chang'an bared his teeth at Chen Xuan, "Never seen a beautiful woman transform before?"

Chen Xuan's lips twitched.

I wanted to laugh, but I didn't dare.

"It looks good," he said insincerely.

Su Chang'an rolled his eyes, though you couldn't really tell he was rolling his eyes on that hairy face.

She kicked off with her hind legs and leaped directly onto Chen Xuan's head.

It clung to Chen Xuan's hair with its claws, wrapped its tail around his neck, and found a sheltered spot.

"drive!"

Su Chang'an patted Chen Xuan's forehead, "Little Chen, let's return to the palace!"

Chen Xuan felt the weight on his head.

It's very light.

But he felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders.

As long as she's there, even if she's just a ball, she's still a living, breathing ball.

"Where to?" Chen Xuan asked.

"Let's get out of this godforsaken place first."

Su Chang'an yawned, his voice growing softer and softer, "I want to eat meat...I want to sleep on a soft bed..."

Before he could finish speaking, snoring began.

She was truly exhausted.

Having separated his soul from his body and then forcibly broken through the seal, his spiritual power had long been exhausted.

As Chen Xuan listened to the snoring coming from above his head, the corners of his mouth slowly curled up.

At that moment, a sound suddenly rang in Su Chang'an's mind.

【Ding! 】

[Detection indicates that the host has successfully teamed up with SSS-level target Chen Xuan.]

[Triggered a chain of quests: The Emperor's Development Plan 2.0.]

[Long-term mission objective: Travel to Central Continent and retrieve the Supreme Bone belonging to Chen Xuan.]

[Current task: Return to the sect and reorganize resources.]

Su Chang'an overheard it vaguely, but didn't take it seriously, turned over and continued sleeping.

Stealing bones?

That's for later.

My priority right now is to sleep.

Chen Xuan stood up.

He tightened his grip on the broken sword on his back.

The sword chipped in several places when it broke the seal, and the scabbard cracked, but he couldn't bear to throw it away.

This is his only partner in recent years.

Now, he has one more.

Chen Xuan raised his head and looked at the distant, continuous snow-capped mountains.

His eyes changed.

The lifeless despair from before was gone, replaced by a fierce determination.

That kind of ruthless determination, like wanting to tear a hole in the sky.

"Hold on tight."

Chen Xuan said softly.

He didn't use his spiritual power to protect himself, for fear of waking up the ancestor above his head.

But he walked very steadily.

Make sure you take each step firmly before moving on to the next.

The snow has started falling again.

The shadows of the man and the fox stretched long across the snowy plain.

Chen Xuan touched the bone knife on his chest.

That was made by filing down Su Chang'an's fingernails.

It used to be for escaping death.

Now it's for killing.

Anyone who dares to touch this ball on their head will have their bones broken and boiled into soup.

"elder sister."

Chen Xuan silently recited in his heart.

"This time, it's my turn to protect you."

He quickened his pace.

Their figures quickly disappeared into the vast snowstorm.

Only a line of footprints, some deep and some shallow, leads to that unknown distance.