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

The spirit ship of the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect is a huge white jade ship, its hull engraved with defensive formations, so that not even a wisp of wind can get in when it breaks through the clouds.

On the deck, a group of inner disciples sat cross-legged, making the most of the last moments to adjust their state.

The only unique feature is the area at the bow of the ship.

A soft couch covered with a snow-white fox fur lay there, and Su Chang'an lay on his side on it, holding a storybook in his hand, with an exquisite brazier at his feet.

Chen Xuan sat on the edge of the couch, holding a small silver knife in his hand, intently peeling a spirit fruit.

The fruit has a thin skin and is very juicy; if you're not careful, it will drip all over your hand.

Chen Xuan's fingers were long and strong. The hand that usually held a sword to kill was now frighteningly steady. The peel of the fruit was connected in a long line, with a uniform thickness.

Open your mouth.

Chen Xuan cut off a piece of fruit and held it to Su Chang'an's mouth.

Su Chang'an kept his eyes on the storybook, opened his mouth and bit down, muttering indistinctly, "This fruit is a bit sour, next time get the purple-skinned kind."

"Purple-skinned foods are considered cooling in nature, so eat them sparingly."

Chen Xuan cut another piece, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable air of authority.

Su Chang'an rolled over and covered his face with the book: "You unfilial son, you're really meddling in other people's business."

Chen Xuan ignored her complaints, took a brocade handkerchief, carefully wiped the juice off his hands, and then tucked her fox fur coat back into place.

Zhao Tiezhu and Wang Teng, who were not far away, exchanged a glance and silently turned their heads away.

They had eaten their fill along the way.

I only knew that Senior Brother Chen was protective of his own, but I never expected him to be like this in private.

This isn't about supporting an elder or a Daoist partner; it's about worshipping an ancestor.

"arrive."

The elder's voice came from inside the cabin.

The spirit boat shuddered violently, slowed down, and began to descend slowly.

Su Chang'an removed the book from his face, sat up, and leaned against the gunwale to look down.

Below lies a gray-brown wasteland, barren of vegetation and strewn with jagged rocks.

In the center of the wasteland, there is a huge sinkhole, shrouded in black mist, with no bottom in sight. That is the legendary ruins of the fallen god.

At this time, several spirit boats were already moored around the ruins, with banners waving and crowds of people.

Su Chang'an narrowed his eyes, his warlike instincts beginning to stir.

Based on her experience playing games in her previous life, the opening of such sect competitions is often a hotbed for showing off and getting humiliated.

The various sects disliked each other, verbally provoked each other, and then started fighting at the drop of a hat. Finally, the protagonist made a dazzling appearance and suppressed the entire scene.

"Chen Xuan," Su Chang'an poked Chen Xuan's waist, "that's the Blood Fiend Sect's ship, right? I heard that these people cultivate the path of slaughter, they're all fierce and evil, and they love to use human skulls as wine cups."

She pointed to a blood-red airship in the distance, flying a skull and crossbones flag, her tone tinged with excitement.

Chen Xuan followed her finger and nodded: "Yes, it's them."

"If they dare to provoke us later, don't hold back, just beat them up." Su Chang'an rubbed his hands together, eager to get started.

The spirit boat landed.

Led by Chen Xuan, the disciples of the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect filed out.

As soon as they stood still, a series of rumbling footsteps came from the blood-red flying boat.

A group of muscular men wearing red vests jumped off the boat.

The leader was a bald, burly man, at least two meters tall, with arms thicker than Su Chang'an's thighs. His blood was surging, and you could feel a wave of heat from a distance.

Su Chang'an's eyes lit up.

Here they come! The villains are coming to cause trouble!

The bald, burly man strode over and headed straight for Chen Xuan.

Su Chang'an was ready to throw away the melon seeds in his hand, and was prepared to shout "Close the door and release Chen Xuan" at any moment.

however.

The bald, burly man rushed to within three steps of Chen Xuan, then abruptly stopped, and then—

With hands clasped in a fist, bowing ninety degrees, his voice booming, "Senior Brother Chen! It's been three years, and your physique has become even more perfect!"

Su Chang'an dropped the melon seeds in his hand.

Chen Xuan returned the greeting expressionlessly: "Junior Brother Li's qi and blood have become even more robust."

The bald, burly man straightened up, his face flushed with excitement.

He pulled a huge jade bottle from his robes and shoved it into Chen Xuan's hand: "Senior Brother Chen, this is our sect's newly developed 'Great Strength Blood Pill,' it's extremely high in protein... oh no, spiritual energy! For us sword practitioners, a strong physique is the most important thing, take this and nourish yourself!"

Chen Xuan accepted the jade bottle without hesitation, saying, "Thank you."

A group of muscular men behind the bald giant also surrounded him. Although they looked fierce, they were incredibly polite.

"Senior Brother Chen, how did you train your physique and strength? Last time I saw your sword strike, your core control was so stable!"

"Is the food at the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect not good? Senior Brother Chen, you look a bit thin. How about coming to our Blood Fiend Sect for a free meal? We'll feed you to your heart's content!"

Su Chang'an stared dumbfounded at the group of "villains" exchanging fitness tips, his mind a little blank.

What happened to the promise of ruthless killing?

What happened to using skulls as wine glasses?

"Have they... always been like this?" Su Chang'an tugged at Chen Xuan's sleeve and asked in a low voice.

Chen Xuan put the bottle of "Mighty Pill" into his storage ring and said calmly, "The Blood Fiend Sect cultivates the physical body and emphasizes the circulation of qi and blood. They believe that as long as the physique is trained properly, one force can overcome ten techniques. They don't have any bad intentions, they're just a bit noisy."

Su Chang'an: "..."

Is this considered a little noisy? This is practically a gathering of muscle enthusiasts.

Just then, a cold wind blew by.

Su Chang'an shuddered and turned to look.

From the shadows on the left, a group of men in black appeared out of nowhere.

These people all wore black veils, were thin, and exuded a chilling aura that kept strangers at bay.

They walk silently, as if floating on the ground.

Listening to Snow Pavilion.

The number one assassin organization in the Northern Region.

Su Chang'an's expectations were at their peak again.

Assassins are definitely aloof and will draw their swords at the slightest provocation.

The group of men in black slowly moved over.

They walked slowly and huddled together, as if no one wanted to be in the lead.

Finally, a petite woman in black was pushed forward by her companions.

She stood before Chen Xuan, her body stiff, her hands gripping the hem of her clothes tightly, her eyes, visible through her veil, filled with terror.

Su Chang'an held his breath.

Are you about to make some harsh remarks?

The woman took a deep breath, held it for a long time, and finally managed to utter a voice barely audible: "Senior Brother Chen... hello."

After saying that, she seemed to have exhausted all her strength. Her face turned red to the roots of her neck, and she darted back into the crowd, burying her head behind her companions, refusing to come out again.

The other disciples of Tingxuelou also lowered their heads, looking at their toes as if there were flowers on the ground.

Some people were so nervous that they dropped their daggers on the ground with a clatter.

The man trembled with fear, picked up the dagger, and repeatedly apologized, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry for disturbing everyone..."

Su Chang'an: "???"

Is this some kind of assassin?

This level of social anxiety is unbelievable!

"The Listening Snow Pavilion cultivates the art of stealth and assassination," Chen Xuan explained from the side, shielding Su Chang'an from the wind. "They usually stay in the shadows and are not good at socializing. They get nervous when there are many people around, and when they get nervous, they want to hide."

Su Chang'an's lips twitched.

Why is this cultivation world so different from what she imagined?

"Awooo—"

A tiger's roar broke the awkward atmosphere.

On the right, a group of cultivators dressed in animal skins and riding various demonic beasts walked over.

The Gate of Ten Thousand Beasts.

Looking at the enormous demonic beasts, Su Chang'an thought, "Surely they'll be more normal this time? A beast tamer should at least have some wildness."

The leader was a young boy riding a large tiger with piercing eyes and a white forehead. The tiger was majestic and had sharp teeth.

The boy jumped off the tiger's back and patted its rump: "Big Yellow, sit down."

The ferocious tiger immediately sat down obediently, stuck out its tongue, and panted heavily.

The boy pulled a specially made comb from his pocket and began to groom the tiger's fur, saying in a coaxing tone like he was talking to a child, "Good boy, Big Yellow, I'll give you some jerky after I groom you. Look at you, your fur is all matted, did you go into the bushes again yesterday?"

The tiger squinted comfortably, making a gurgling sound in its throat.

The other disciples of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect were similar.

Some were wiping the scales of a giant python, some were feeding water to a hawk, and one was hugging a baby panda and sucking on it like a lovesick fool.

"Senior Brother Chen!"

After the boy finished combing his hair, he looked up and saw Chen Xuan, and waved enthusiastically.

"Look at my dog, Big Yellow, isn't he even stronger now? Should we let him play with your... uh, with his Daoist partner?"

Su Chang'an looked at the drooling tiger and shrank into Chen Xuan's arms.

What a load of crap.

The way the tiger looked at her clearly indicated that it was eyeing a feast.

"No need," Chen Xuan refused decisively. "She's shy."

Su Chang'an rolled her eyes in his arms.

I'm not shy, I'm afraid of catching the quirks from this bunch of weirdos!

All the members of the three major sects have arrived.

There was no tense standoff, no bloodshed.

The atmosphere at the scene was eerily harmonious.

The muscular men of the Blood Fiend Sect were competing in strength with the demonic beasts of the Myriad Beasts Sect, while the socially awkward members of the Listening Snow Pavilion were trembling in a corner, and the disciples of the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect stood aloof in the middle, occasionally having to deal with the muscular men who came over to chat them up.

Su Chang'an felt his worldview had collapsed.

"Chen Xuan".

"Um?"

"Is this really the world of cultivation?" Su Chang'an wondered, somewhat doubting his own existence. "Why does everyone seem so dim-witted?"

Chen Xuan looked down at her, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Although the major sects have different methods, they are not all evil or heretical."

"Although the Blood Fiend Sect is warlike, they are straightforward; although the Listening Snow Pavilion does things for money, they are extremely disciplined; the Myriad Beasts Sect regards demonic beasts as partners and is simple-minded."

"The northern region is bitterly cold. If people were constantly fighting amongst themselves, the human race would have been wiped out long ago."

He said this in a very calm tone.

Su Chang'an was stunned for a moment.

Yes.

This is the Northern Region.

Snowstorm raged, and demons roamed freely.

Sects that can survive in this environment may have some quirks, but they are definitely not the kind of fools who are only good at bullying their own kind.

"Alright."

Su Chang'an sighed, crawled out of Chen Xuan's arms, and patted her skirt.

"Since everyone is so polite, I can't let them lose face."

She composed herself and adopted a dignified and ladylike demeanor.

Just then, the black mist in the center of the Fallen God Ruins suddenly began to churn violently.

An ancient and weathered aura surged forth from the ground.

The competition has begun.

Chen Xuan's eyes narrowed, and the lazy aura around him instantly vanished, replaced by a sharp sword intent.

He grasped Su Chang'an's hand, his voice low.

"Stay close to me."

"Once inside, if you encounter danger, forget about the rules and just run."

Su Chang'an grasped his hand in return and scratched his palm with her fingertips.

"rest assured."

"I'm no good at fighting, but I'm number one at running away."

Chen Xuan glanced at her helplessly, his sword slightly unsheathed.

"Walk."

As soon as he finished speaking, hundreds of streaks of light shot into the sky and disappeared into the billowing black mist.