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

The wind in the valley was damp, mixed with a strong smell of blood, and it wafted into people's noses.

The enormous corpse of the two-headed demonic serpent lay across the swamp, like a collapsed hill.

The surrounding fog had dissipated considerably, revealing a scene of utter devastation.

The outer disciples gathered in twos and threes in the distance, lit a fire, but no one dared to speak loudly.

Their gazes kept drifting towards the large blue stone by the river, their eyes filled with awe and a hint of inexplicable fear.

That ruthless man named Chen Xuan was sitting there.

His cloak was splattered with mud, and his broken sword lay casually stuck in the ground at his feet.

The murderous aura from the sword strike that severed the snake's head hadn't dissipated yet, and no one dared to approach within three zhang of it; even mosquitoes flew around it.

Chen Xuan ignored those stares.

He lowered his head, holding a clean white cloth in his hand, and was carefully wiping the paws of the white fox in his arms.

Su Chang'an squinted contentedly, sprawled out on Chen Xuan's lap.

She held the red bead she had just snatched in her arms, rubbing it against her face every now and then, making a gurgling sound in her throat.

This is the remnant soul of a nine-tailed celestial fox, a highly nourishing substance.

Chen Xuan's sword strike was too powerful; snake blood splattered everywhere.

Although Su Chang'an was well protected, there was still a trace of fishy smell on the tip of its tail.

She loves cleanliness, and right now she's wagging her tail, directing Chen Xuan to clean her up.

"A little to the left, yes, right there."

Su Chang'an hummed in the voice transmission, "Rectify gently, don't rub my fur bald. This is pure natural fur, you can't afford to pay for it if you damage it."

Chen Xuan paused for a moment, then gently rubbed the tuft of white hair with his fingertips, the force being incredibly gentle.

"Delicate."

He said that, but his movements slowed down even more, as if he was afraid of hurting her.

After wiping his paws, he took out a handful of dried meat from his storage bag, tore it into small strips, and fed it to Su Chang'an.

Su Chang'an opened his mouth to catch it and chewed it with relish.

"This jerky is a bit dry. Remember to add more honey next time," Su Chang'an said, picking at the meat as he ate. "Also, did you dig out the demon core from that snake? That stuff can be exchanged for a lot of spirit stones, don't forget about it."

Chen Xuan hummed in agreement and reached out to smooth the fur on her back.

"They're all in the bag."

This scene, as seen by those in the distance, was even more terrifying than Chen Xuan's slaying of the snake.

That's a killing god who can even cut down a great demon at the Pifu Realm with a single sword strike!

Now she's acting like a mother hen, taking care of a fox's every need – eating, drinking, and relieving itself?

That gentleness was so tender, it was almost sweet.

Luo Qingxue stood not far away, gripping and releasing the sword in her hand.

She looked at Chen Xuan.

The boy's profile was cold and hard, but when he looked down at the fox, his eyes and brows softened.

That focus, that atmosphere that shut out the whole world, felt blinding to her.

She bit her lip, took a deep breath, and walked over, lifting her skirt.

Footsteps echoed on the pebble beach.

Chen Xuan's ears twitched, but he didn't look up, continuing to concentrate on feeding Su Chang'an jerky.

Luo Qingxue stopped three steps away from him.

"Junior Brother Chen."

She called out, trying to keep her voice steady, not wanting to appear too disheveled.

Chen Xuan didn't stop what he was doing, but he slightly raised his eyelids and glanced at her.

"What's up?"

Cold and distant. A complete change from how she was coaxing the fox just now.

Luo Qingxue felt a tightness in her chest.

She is a direct disciple of Tianjian Peak and a goddess pursued by countless fellow disciples in the inner sect. When has she ever been treated so coldly?

But looking at Chen Xuan's face, she couldn't bring herself to get angry.

"Just now... thank you for saving us, Junior Brother." Luo Qingxue offered a lame excuse, "If it weren't for Junior Brother killing that Demon Scale Python, we would all probably be dead here."

Chen Xuan stuffed the last piece of jerky into Su Chang'an's mouth and patted the crumbs off his hands.

"Just doing it on a whim."

He picked up the white cloth and slowly wiped his fingers. "I want that bead. It's in my way, so I'll kill it."

That's a blunt and hurtful statement.

So, rescuing you guys was just a side job of clearing roadblocks?

Luo Qingxue's smile froze for a moment, and she seemed a little embarrassed.

Her gaze shifted downwards, landing on the white fox on Chen Xuan's lap.

Su Chang'an was watching the show while holding the beads. When she saw Luo Qingxue looking over, she deliberately blinked and tucked her tail into Chen Xuan's arms, as if declaring her ownership of "this is mine".

"This fox..."

Luo Qingxue hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Is it very important to my junior brother?"

Chen Xuan stopped wiping his hands.

He lowered his head and looked at Su Chang'an in his arms.

Su Chang'an was also looking at him.

The man and the fox stared at each other.

Chen Xuan reached out and placed his palm on Su Chang'an's head, gently rubbing it. The movement was practiced and natural, carrying an intimacy ingrained in his bones.

"It's not important."

Chen Xuan spoke, his voice soft, yet each word clear.

He raised his head and looked at Luo Qingxue. His usually calm and still black eyes were now churning with an emotion that was hard to decipher.

"She is fate."

Luo Qingxue was stunned.

The disciples who were eavesdropping nearby were also stunned.

Life?

A fox?

Chen Xuan ignored their shock. He picked up Su Chang'an, tucked him back into his cloak, and placed him close to his chest.

"A broken sword can be reforged, and a dead person can be repaired."

Chen Xuan stood up, dusted off his clothes, and spoke in a calm tone as if he were saying that the weather was nice today.

"But she's gone, and so am I."

The wind suddenly stopped.

The valley was deathly silent.

Luo Qingxue stared blankly at Chen Xuan.

The boy stood there, his figure slender, yet he seemed like an insurmountable mountain.

When he said that, he was simply stating a fact.

The budding romantic thoughts in Luo Qingxue's heart shattered completely at this moment.

She suddenly felt ridiculous.

Are you jealous of a fox?

And they lost so decisively?

"I see."

Luo Qingxue gave a wry smile and took a step back.

She was, after all, a sword cultivator, and inherently proud.

Since they've already said all that, continuing to argue will only lead to further humiliation.

"Junior brother is loyal and righteous, Qingxue admires him."

She took a deep breath, gripped her sword tightly, and her eyes cleared again. "Since that's the case, then I won't bother you any longer, Junior Brother. The path to enlightenment is open to all; let each go their own way. I should also go and seek my own destiny."

She is a sword cultivator.

Sword cultivators don't need men.

As long as the sword in your hand is fast enough, you can cut down anything in this world.

Chen Xuan glanced at her and nodded, a rare occurrence for him.

"Um."

Is this over?

Su Chang'an rolled his eyes inside his cloak.

This rebellious son is destined to be alone forever!

The girl is so magnanimous, can't you say a few nicer words?

"Chen Xuan, is that mouth of yours rented? Are you in a hurry to return it?"

Su Chang'an complained telepathically, "She's a beautiful woman, can't you give her some face? What if we fall on hard times in the future and have to rely on her for help?"

Chen Xuan lowered his head and patted her bottom through her clothes.

"Shut up."

"I have hands and feet, I can support you."

Su Chang'an pursed his lips, about to retort, when suddenly a series of hurried footsteps came from afar.

"Something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened!"

An outer disciple stumbled out of the woods, his face covered in blood, and he had lost one of his shoes.

"Help! Monster! There's a monster!"

The disciple kept looking back as he ran, as if some evil spirit was chasing him.

The nerves that had just relaxed instantly tightened.

Zhao Tiezhu, who was nearby, grabbed the disciple: "What's the panic! What monster? Explain yourself!"

The disciple was panting heavily, pointing to the dense forest behind him, his finger trembling like a leaf.

"The dead...the dead have come back to life..."

He swallowed hard, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets. "Those senior brothers and sisters who died in the secret realm... they... they all got back up!"

Before he could finish speaking...

Suddenly, a sickening scraping sound came from the woods.

"Click...click..."

It looked like bones were being dragged across the ground.

Immediately afterwards, one by one, unsteady figures emerged from the shadows of the trees.

They wore Taoist robes from the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect, some tattered and others already decayed.

The skin on his face was peeled back, revealing stark white bones, and his eye sockets contained no eyeballs, only two eerie green will-o'-the-wisps.

Corpse puppet.

Moreover, there are hundreds or even thousands of corpse puppets.

"roar--"

The leading corpse puppet roared to the sky, its voice hoarse and unpleasant, like a broken bellows being pulled.

That is……

Luo Qingxue's pupils suddenly contracted.

"Fourth Senior Brother?"

That was the fourth senior brother of the inner sect who died in the Floating Pagoda Secret Realm three years ago. At the time, it was said that he had gone missing, but I never expected that he would turn into this ghost.

"Run! Run!"

Someone shouted something, and the crowd instantly erupted in chaos.

These corpse puppets were all elites in the sect when they were alive. Although they lost their intelligence after death, their physical bodies were strong and they felt no pain. They were simply not something that these newbies from the outer sect could deal with.

Chen Xuan stood still.

He frowned slightly as he watched the emerging corpse puppets.

It's not fear.

It's because they find it dirty.

"What a hassle."

Chen Xuan sighed and tightened the cloak in his arms to make sure Su Chang'an wouldn't smell the nauseating stench.

"Hold me tight."

He said something in a low voice, and slowly gripped the hilt of the sword with his right hand.

Su Chang'an peeked out from his arms and looked at the corpse puppets covering the mountains and fields. Far from being afraid, he excitedly whistled.

"Oh, a zombie apocalypse?"

"Son, this is a high-level game, now it's your turn to shine."

Chen Xuan drew his sword expressionlessly.

"Clang—"

The broken sword was drawn from its sheath.

The cold light illuminated the entire valley.

The Journey of Slaying Corpses at the Floating Pagoda

Miasma and wild smoke lock away the broken souls, while the corpse demon howls in the night, disrupting heaven and earth.

A flash of cold light extinguishes the Asura, the broken sword is swung again and the ghosts wail.

Holding the spirit fox, he gently wiped away the blood, his eyes vacant of worldly desires, laughing at greed and anger.

Mo Yan said that the great road is heartless, but he only gives his gentleness to one person.