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

The wind in the ruins of the Fallen God always carries a rusty smell.

The deeper you go, the thicker the black fog becomes, and the more difficult the path becomes.

The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the crisp sound of Chen Xuan crushing the dry bones under his feet.

He walked very steadily, and Su Chang'an on his back could hardly feel the bumps.

But Su Chang'an knew that the boy's mind was in turmoil.

From the moment he saw Chen Tianyou, Chen Xuan's muscles had been tense, as hard as a rock.

Although he forcibly suppressed the resentment deep within his bones, it still surged and rampaged through his meridians.

Su Chang'an sighed, rested his chin on Chen Xuan's shoulder, and reached out to pull his cheek.

"Don't keep that long face, it looks awful."

Chen Xuan didn't dodge, letting her distort his face.

He continued to stare into the darkness ahead, his eyes vacant, lost in thought.

After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice terribly hoarse.

"I thought I had forgotten."

Su Chang'an released his hand and helped him tidy up his sideburns that had been ruffled by the wind.

"Forgot what?"

"Forgot the pain."

Chen Xuan stopped and looked down at his chest.

There once was a bone there, born supreme, flowing with golden blood.

When he was three years old, the man he called his father cut open his chest with his own hands.

No anesthesia, no hesitation.

The knife was cold, colder than the wind in these ruins.

He remembered the look in the man's eyes at that time.

Indifference and disdain, as if dealing with a defective product.

"Give the bone to Tianyou; he's more talented than you."

"As for you... keeping you around is a waste of your talent."

Then he was thrown into that dark and sunless sealed cave.

The blood has dried up, and the heart is dead.

Chen Xuan's hand holding the broken sword was trembling.

It wasn't fear, but the piercing chill that crept up through my memory.

"When I saw Chen Tianyou just now, I was actually thinking..."

Chen Xuan's voice trembled slightly, carrying a hint of self-loathing that he found hard to express.

"I wonder, if I had behaved better, if I had been more obedient, would my father have stopped digging out my bones?"

"Am I... really a useless piece of trash, that even my own father doesn't want me?"

This is his precept against anger.

Even though he is now the leader of the Northern Sword Sect, even though he can kill the Ghost King with a single sword strike.

But in the heart of that three-year-old child who was abandoned by his family, he was always the one who was disliked and superfluous.

Su Chang'an felt a sudden pang in his heart upon hearing these words.

She had never seen Chen Xuan look like this before.

Normally, Chen Xuan is aloof, domineering, and unfazed even if the sky were to fall.

But now, he is as vulnerable as a child who has lost his home.

Su Chang'an didn't say anything, but tightened her arms and hugged him even tighter.

She pressed her face against Chen Xuan's neck, her warm breath spraying onto his skin.

"Chen Xuan".

She called his name softly.

"Put me down."

Chen Xuan was taken aback for a moment, then squatted down as instructed.

Su Chang'an landed on both feet, but did not let go of his hands. Instead, she turned to face him and cupped his face in her hands.

She looked into Chen Xuan's eyes, those dark pupils now filled with bloodshot veins and confusion.

"Look at me."

Su Chang'an's voice was soft, yet it carried an undeniable power.

"The Chen family doesn't want you; they're blind."

"So what if that bone was given to Chen Tianyou? Look at his current state, his cultivation level built on the blood and flesh of others is as hollow as a paper tiger."

She stretched out her finger and gently touched Chen Xuan's chest.

"Although this place is empty, something harder has grown from it."

"That's the life you earned by crawling out of a pile of corpses and biting them off one by one."

Chen Xuan looked at her, his eyes gradually reddening.

Su Chang'an stood on tiptoe and pressed her forehead against his.

"Do you remember what you looked like when I pulled you out of the river more than ten years ago?"

Chen Xuan nodded.

At that time, he was covered in blood, with a large hole in his chest, and he could only exhale, not inhale.

"At that time, I thought to myself, this little brat is really tough. Even after being ruined like this, he still clings to my tail."

Su Chang'an smiled, his eyes full of tenderness.

"I knew then that you weren't a waste."

"You are both a trouble and a treasure that God sent me."

She reached out and wiped away a tear that had spilled from the corner of Chen Xuan's eye.

"Chen Xuan, listen carefully."

"Whether you are a supreme being or a piece of trash, whether you are a prince of the Central Continent or a forsaken disciple of the Northern Region."

"To me, you are just Chen Xuan."

"He's the child I raised, he belongs to me, Su Chang'an."

"The whole world may not want you, but I will."

"As long as I live, no one in this world can say you are superfluous."

She spoke these words slowly, each one like a nail driven into Chen Xuan's heart.

Chen Xuan looked at the face so close to his.

Those fox-like eyes were curved, reflecting his image.

He was all alone.

The chill that had been lingering in my heart melted away little by little under that gentle gaze.

He took a deep breath and reached out to hug Su Chang'an.

He held her very tightly, as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones.

"elder sister……"

He buried his head in Su Chang'an's neck, his voice muffled and thick with nasal tone.

"Yes, I'm here."

Su Chang'an gently patted his back, just like when he was a child and she was coaxing him to sleep.

"Don't be afraid, let's go home."

"Once we've emptied that emperor's palace, we'll go back to Broken Heart Residence."

"I'll make you roast chicken."

Chen Xuan didn't speak, he just nodded.

After a long while, he finally let go, his emotions having calmed down.

The confusion in those eyes dissipated, replaced by clarity and determination.

It's even more profound than before.

He looked at Su Chang'an, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Okay, let's eat roast chicken."

"But you'll have to pluck the feathers."

Su Chang'an glared at him and angrily brushed the dust off his clothes.

"Dream on. I'm your father, you're not the one to serve me."

Chen Xuan smiled and reached out to pinch her nose.

"Okay, I'll serve you."

He turned around and squatted down again.

"Come on up, the road ahead is still long."

Su Chang'an didn't stand on ceremony and climbed back onto his back, finding a comfortable position.

"You unfilial son, you mustn't tell anyone about your crying just now."

"Um."

"If that little girl Luo Qingxue finds out, where will you put your face as the chief senior brother?"

"It doesn't matter."

Chen Xuan carried her on his back and started walking again.

This time, his steps were much lighter.

That heavy feeling of being burdened by hatred and inferiority seemed to have been left behind in the darkness, along with that tear.

Ahead, the outline of the Emperor's palace became increasingly clear.

It was a majestic black palace, suspended in mid-air, exuding an ancient and weathered aura.

Around the palace, countless restrictions could be vaguely seen flowing, flashing with a dangerous light.

The forces from various sects have gathered below the palace and are attempting to break the formation.

Chen Xuan looked at the palace, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Chen Tianyou was inside.

Some scores really do need to be settled.

But he is at peace now.

Because he knows that no matter what he faces, there are people he cares about on his back.

There are also people who care about him.

This is enough.

"Su Chang'an".

Chen Xuan suddenly spoke.

"what?"

Su Chang'an responded lazily, while playing with a strand of Chen Xuan's hair.

"After this competition ends and the seal is broken, I will take you to the Central Continent."

"What are you doing going to Middle-earth? Are you looking for death?"

"Go and bring that bone back."

Chen Xuan's voice was calm, yet it conveyed an undeniable determination.

"That's mine. Even if I feed it to the dog, the dog has to vomit it up."

"and……"

He paused, turned his head, and glanced at the person on his back out of the corner of his eye.

"I've heard that the roast chicken in Central Continent is better than that in the Northern Regions."

Su Chang'an was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.

She reached out and gave him a sharp tap on the head.

"You've got a conscience, kid."

"Alright, let's go to Central Continent then."

"Let's turn the Chen family's place upside down, and while we're at it, let's try their roast chicken."

The two exchanged a smile, and amidst the murderous ruins, a sense of peaceful tranquility arose within them.

The wind continued to blow, and the black fog continued to churn.

But Chen Xuan felt that the wind didn't seem so cold anymore.

He carried his entire world on his back, step by step, toward that palace that symbolized both chance and death.

Heading to his battlefield.

And so it leads to his future.

【Calming the Waves: Returning Home from the Ruins of the Fallen God】

Do not say that the wind and snow are fierce in the wilderness; the hatred of those years when my bones were ripped apart is hard to dispel.

When two swords meet on a narrow path, who can stop them? A single strike of the broken blade brings frost to the entire city.

The warmth and fragrance on my back weigh down my heart; looking back, I must face life and death.

No matter how noble the imperial family may be, forget it; only the fox is the light of the heart.