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

The outer gate plaza of the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect is ridiculously large.

The ground was paved entirely with whole pieces of white marble, polished to a shine by the diligent disciples, so bright that one could see their reflection in it.

Today is the annual apprenticeship ceremony.

Logically speaking, such occasions are usually considered chaotic battlegrounds in the cultivation world.

Those with talent look down on others, while those with poor talent tremble in fear. The elders, high and mighty, pick and choose, and then trample on the unfortunate ones who don't meet the standards.

Su Chang'an nestled in Chen Xuan's arms, peeking out half his head, ready to watch this classic "Don't underestimate a young man's potential" drama.

But the sight before her made her wonder if she was still dreaming, or if the gust of wind had damaged her brain.

The square was crowded with people, but it was not chaotic.

Everywhere was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and large red lanterns hung all over the white marble pillars. If you didn't know better, you would think that someone was having a wedding.

The senior brothers and sisters responsible for maintaining order were not holding whips or magic weapons, but... candied hawthorns and hot buns?

"Junior brother, don't be nervous, have a steamed bun to fill your stomach."

"Junior sister, are you cold? Senior sister has a hand warmer here, take it first."

Su Chang'an watched as a burly, strong cultivator squatted in front of a snotty-nosed little boy, carefully wiping his nose with a kind smile on his face.

She couldn't help but shudder and scratched Chen Xuan's chest with her claws.

"Chen Xuan, does your sect have any side businesses? Like child trafficking?"

Chen Xuan glanced down at her, then reached out and pressed her head back a little to block the wind.

"Don't talk nonsense. This is a sect tradition; we treat newly initiated disciples like family."

"Family?" Su Chang'an rolled his eyes. "I think they're treating us like piglets, fattening us up before slaughtering us?"

Chen Xuan ignored her and carried her to the edge of the crowd.

In the center of the square stood a huge spirit-testing stele, three zhang tall, entirely black, and covered with intricate runes.

At this moment, a thin boy was standing in front of the monument.

The boy was dressed in a coarse linen outfit covered in patches, and his straw sandals were worn out, revealing his toes, which were purple from the cold.

He was trembling all over, his hand on the spirit-testing tablet, and he dared not open his eyes.

"Buzz—"

The spirit-testing tablet trembled and emitted five faint rays of light.

Red, yellow, blue, green, gold.

The five colors were mixed together, dim and lifeless, and even flickering constantly, as if they were about to go out at any moment.

The entire room fell silent.

Su Chang'an whistled in his heart.

A mixed spiritual root with five attributes.

In other sects, this would be the worst of the worst, too useless to even sweep the floor. They'd kick him down the mountain, which would be the least of their worries. He'd probably be humiliated as a "toad trying to eat swan meat."

The boy slowly opened his eyes and saw the five-colored light; his face instantly turned as white as a corpse.

"Thump."

He knelt directly on the ground, his knees hitting the white marble floor with a dull thud.

"I...I'm a piece of trash..."

The boy lay sprawled on the ground, his face streaked with tears and snot, his voice filled with a chilling despair, "I'm sorry... I've offended the immortal master's eyes... I'll leave now..."

He struggled to get up, but his legs were too weak to support him.

Su Chang'an sighed.

That's right.

This is the true reflection of the cultivation world.

The law of the jungle prevails.

She was waiting for the people around her to laugh, waiting for the elder in charge of the test to wave him away.

however.

There was no mockery.

There were no boos.

There wasn't even a sigh.

The elder who had been sitting on the high platform with his eyes closed suddenly opened them.

He stood up and walked down the steps one by one.

He was an old man with white hair and beard, wearing a faded Taoist robe, looking no different from the old man next door.

He walked up to the boy and bent down.

The boy flinched in fright, thinking he was about to be beaten, and covered his head with his hands.

"child."

The elder's voice was soft and warm.

He reached out a pair of thin but warm hands and grasped the boy's arm.

The boy was stunned and looked up at the elder.

The elder did not mind the dirt on his body, nor his snot and tears. Instead, he took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his face.

"stand up."

The elder used force to pull the boy up from the ground.

He casually brushed the dust off the boy's knees, the movement as natural as if he were brushing dirt off his own grandson.

"Elder...I...I have mixed spiritual roots..." the boy stammered, his body still trembling.

"What's wrong with mixed spiritual roots?"

The elder laughed, his face crinkling with wrinkles. "Having all five elements is a gift from heaven. It means you have a destiny with all things in this world."

"But... they say that mixed spiritual roots can't cultivate immortality..." the boy sobbed.

"Who said that?"

The elder brother put on a stern face, feigning anger, "They're blind! In my Supreme Forgetfulness Sect, there are no useless spiritual roots, only useless Dao hearts!"

He patted the boy on the shoulder, speaking earnestly.

"Child, your lack of natural talent is a trial given to you by Heaven. If the path of cultivation were always smooth, would the one you cultivate still be an immortal? That would be a pig!"

"As long as you have the Way in your heart, are willing to endure hardship and work hard, the sect is your home."

"Our sect is not lacking in geniuses, but it lacks children like you who know their shortcomings but are still willing to work hard to climb up."

After the elder finished speaking, he took out a wooden plaque from his sleeve and stuffed it into the boy's hand.

"Take this. From today onwards, you are an outer disciple of my Supreme Forgetfulness Sect. If anyone dares to bully you in the future, just mention my name, and I'll beat them up for you!"

The boy stared blankly at the wooden plaque in his hand.

The wooden plaque was ordinary, with the words "Supreme One" engraved on it, and it still carried the warmth of the elder's body.

The surrounding disciples suddenly burst into applause.

"Well done, junior brother!"

"Keep it up, junior brother! Even those with mixed spiritual roots can defy fate!"

"If you ever have any questions in the future, just ask your senior brother, and he'll teach you!"

Those voices were terrifyingly sincere; there wasn't a trace of pretense in them.

The boy gripped the wooden plaque tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

"Wow--"

He suddenly burst into tears, not the desperate tears from before, but the tears of someone who had suffered a great injustice and finally found a backer.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The boy knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times heavily towards the elders and the direction of the sect's main hall.

He didn't care that his forehead was bleeding from being knocked open.

"Disciple...disciple will go cultivate now! This disciple's life belongs to the sect! From now on, if anyone dares to say a bad word about the sect, this disciple will fight them to the death!"

The boy screamed with all his might, and the light in his eyes was frighteningly bright.

That's the look in the eyes of a suicide squad member.

The elder nodded in satisfaction, then helped the boy up and even personally straightened his collar.

"Go ahead, go get two new sets of clothes, and have a good meal. Cultivating immortality is hard work; you can't do it without eating your fill."

The boy wiped away his tears, hugged the wooden sign as if it were the most precious treasure in the world, and walked away, turning back every few steps.

"Did you see that?"

Chen Xuan's voice came from above, carrying a hint of barely perceptible pride, "This is the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect."

Su Chang'an remained silent.

She watched as the elder walked back to the platform and continued to smile at the next disciple.

That smile looked especially kind in the sunlight.

But Su Chang'an only felt cold.

She thought of the capital city.

I thought of the lofty and aloof Xuan Yin Zhenren, and the Black Wind Village outcast who used the entire village as a medicinal ingredient.

"Chen Xuan".

Su Chang'an buried his head in Chen Xuan's clothes, his voice muffled.

"What's wrong?"

"Does your sect have specialized training courses for this brainwashing technique?"

Chen Xuan was stunned for a moment, not understanding what "training class" meant, but he could hear the sarcasm in Su Chang'an's tone.

He frowned, somewhat displeased.

"This isn't brainwashing. This is gratitude."

"If that boy had left here, he might have frozen or starved to death. The sect gave him a way to live and gave him dignity."

"Is this wrong?"

Su Chang'an opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found himself speechless.

Yes.

For that boy, this was an immense favor.

Even if this kindness hides a knife, even if this warmth is fake, at this moment, it truly saved the boy's life.

This is the brilliance of the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect.

It used this irresistible "goodness" to bind everyone to its chariot.

Do you want to hate it?

How do you hate?

It saved you, raised you, and taught you.

If you hate it, you are ungrateful and a heartless wretch.

Su Chang'an suddenly felt very tired.

This dungeon was even harder than she had imagined.

The enemies here are not stereotypical villains, but a group of madmen disguised as saints.

And these people genuinely believe they are doing good deeds.

"Let's go."

Su Chang'an sighed, "I'm hungry, I want to eat chicken."

Chen Xuan patted her head, his gaze softening.

"Okay. I'll make it for you when we get back to the cave."

He carried Su Chang'an across the festive square and headed towards the inner gate.

Behind him, the elder's voice still echoed.

"Child, don't be afraid, the sect is your home..."

This scene is just as the poem describes:

Before the white jade steps, compassion is shown; the young man, with his mixed roots, sheds tears that stain his clothes.

Do not say that the immortal sect is full of kindness and righteousness; under the gentle blade, bones turn to mud.

Snow-covered mountains concealed the stench of blood and goat, while a group of foolish children thanked the ladder to heaven.

Watch as the fox spirit breaks through the illusion, laughing as she exposes the deceitful mask that betrays her life.