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

In the far north of the Northern Region, deep within that forgotten, secret realm of death.

Enormous chains stretched across the void, each as thick as a bucket, and were covered with dense, dark red runes.

At the end of these chains was a giant nine-tailed white fox.

The white fox huddled on the stone platform, its nine tails drooping weakly, its fur dull and lifeless, and its breath extremely faint.

Since separating a wisp of divine soul and primordial blood to condense that avatar, the original body has fallen into a deep slumber.

This period of dormancy is a form of self-protection and also a way to reduce energy consumption.

Sudden.

Two faint lights appeared in the darkness.

The white fox suddenly opened its eyes.

Those eyes held no trace of the confusion of just waking up, only a piercing pain and shock.

"hiss--"

Su Chang'an gasped, and the huge fox body trembled violently, causing the chains on its body to rattle loudly.

pain.

It hurts so much.

It wasn't physical pain, but the throbbing pain of having my soul torn apart and then forcibly stuffed with a large chunk of memories.

That fragment of soul has returned.

Or rather, it's broken.

Countless images flooded her mind like a burst dam.

She saw the snow falling heavily.

She saw the boy who always had a cold face, but would secretly kiss her fox ears when no one was around.

I witnessed the fierce battle within the ruins of the fallen god.

They saw the Mountain and River Cauldron that descended from the sky, and the Cleansing Golden Fire inside the cauldron, powerful enough to burn the soul.

The final frame shows the boy's face covered in blood and tears, and his heart-wrenching wail.

"Aa ...

The despair in that voice, transmitted without reservation through the connection of souls, reached the body.

Su Chang'an's heart suddenly clenched.

She was panting heavily, her claws digging into the rock beneath her, unaware that her nails were breaking.

"This...idiot."

Su Chang'an cursed.

His voice trembled slightly.

She originally thought that once that clone disappeared, it was gone; it was just a wisp of soul, and once it was gone, it was gone.

As long as the original body remains, and as long as Chen Xuan can get out alive, this deal will be profitable.

But when those memories truly returned, and when she truly empathized with Chen Xuan's feelings at the time, she realized how terribly wrong she had been.

That's not a business transaction.

That's fate.

That rebellious son, whom she raised from childhood, whom she used as a tool, and whom she schemed against countless times, truly regarded her as his life.

To save her, he swallowed the Holy Spirit Blood Crystal.

To save her, he made himself look neither human nor ghost.

To save her, he was even willing to destroy his own foundation of cultivation in order to protect her inside that cauldron.

"Who taught you to do business like this?"

Su Chang'an lay on the ground, burying his head in his paws, his voice muffled.

"You'd do a losing business? Are you a pig?"

Just then, the system notification sound that had been silent in my mind for a long time suddenly rang out.

【Ding! 】

[Host clone detected dead, mission settlement in progress...]

[Congratulations, host! Your target "Chen Xuan" has achieved a favorability rating exceeding 90% (Unwavering devotion)!]

[Congratulations, host! Your target "Chen Xuan" has reached 100% favorability (willing to live and die with you)!]

[Target's favorability has reached its maximum value, hidden reward triggered!]

Su Chang'an was stunned for a moment.

Is it at its maximum value?

That arrogant, stubborn but soft-hearted son who never said a kind word no matter how much you coaxed him, suddenly had his favorability rating maxed out?

100%.

What does this mean?

This means that in Chen Xuan's heart, Su Chang'an is more important than his own life.

This means that Chen Xuan could die without hesitation if she gave him just one word.

"That unfilial son..."

Su Chang'an muttered something, and the bitter feeling in his heart intensified.

The system didn't care what she was thinking; the cold, mechanical voice continued broadcasting.

[Rewards being distributed...]

[Reward 1: The supernatural power "Rebirth from a Drop of Blood". (Note: As long as a single drop of blood remains, the physical body can be rebuilt, and the soul will remain intact.)]

[Reward Two: Cultivation Enhancement. The host's physical body has been detected to be in a sealed state; cultivation will be directly elevated to the "Quasi-Emperor" realm!]

boom!

As the system's voice faded, an indescribably terrifying energy appeared out of thin air within Su Chang'an's body.

The previously dry meridians were instantly filled.

The dim demon core regained its dazzling light.

That energy was so immense that Su Chang'an's weakened body almost couldn't withstand it.

"roar--!"

Su Chang'an looked up at the sky and roared.

Nine enormous tails instantly spread out, and their originally dry fur became crystal clear and emitted a faint fluorescent glow at a speed visible to the naked eye.

A terrifying pressure emanated from her and spread wildly outwards.

The rocks inside the cave are crumbling inch by inch.

The chains, engraved with runes, sensed the threat. Their red light intensified, and they emitted a hissing sound, attempting to suppress the power.

"roll!"

Su Chang'an gave a cold shout.

She suddenly stood up, her figure rapidly shrinking in the light until she transformed into a human form.

She was no longer the sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl she had appeared in her clone.

Instead, she was a mature woman dressed in red, with stunning beauty and an aura of languid arrogance.

She walked barefoot on the gravel, her silver hair cascading down her back to her ankles.

A captivating golden light gleamed in those narrow, fox-like eyes.

Quasi-Emperor.

This is the power of a quasi-emperor.

Su Chang'an clenched his fist, feeling the earth-shattering power within his body.

Although the chains around her were still tightly bound and digging into her flesh, they could no longer immobilize her as they had before.

She could break free of those chains right now if she wanted to.

then……

"Open it, you old hag!"

She gave a low shout and her slender hand suddenly grabbed the black chain that pierced through her collarbone.

The vast, ocean-like demonic power within his body surged wildly into the chains along his arm.

Om-!

The entire underground cavern trembled violently, and rubble fell in a shower.

The chains that had bound her for who knows how many years were instantly scorched red-hot, emitting a sickeningly twisting sound.

The runes on the rock wall flickered wildly, their light fading unpredictably, as if they were about to crumble at any moment.

There is a play!

Just as joy began to appear in Su Chang'an's eyes, a warm, five-colored light suddenly shone from the top of the cave.

This force wasn't domineering, but it was incredibly resilient, like a piece of chewy taffy that couldn't be torn apart no matter how hard you tried, forcefully pushing back her quasi-emperor demonic power, which was powerful enough to overturn mountains.

The chains, which were on the verge of breaking, slowly cooled down under the blessing of the five-colored light and became indestructible again.

It's even tighter than before.

Su Chang'an: "..."

She remained frozen in the position of pulling on the chains for a long while, then let go and collapsed back onto the stone platform as if she had no bones.

This seal was left by an ancient emperor. Although she is now a quasi-emperor, she still cannot escape before the story officially begins.

If she were to force her way through the formation, not only would she be injured, but the entire Northern Region would likely be razed to the ground.

more importantly……

She had promised that silly boy.

We have to wait for him to come back.

"Chen Xuan..."

Su Chang'an leaned against the cold stone wall, his fingers unconsciously twirling a strand of his hair.

In her memory, Chen Xuan's last look still makes her heart tremble when she thinks about it.

That was true despair.

It was genuine hatred.

You had better keep your word.

Su Chang'an stared into the void and muttered to himself.

"If you dare to die out there, I'll... I'll dig out your broken bones and feed them to the dogs."

That's what she said, but the worry in her eyes was impossible to hide.

The Chen family of Zhongzhou.

That was a true behemoth, an imperial clan that had been passed down for countless years.

Chen Xuan's attempt to fight against the entire Chen family alone is like an ant trying to shake a tree.

"system."

Su Chang'an shouted in his mind.

"exist."

"How is Chen Xuan now?"

No comment.

"..."

Su Chang'an rolled his eyes.

"waste."

She cursed under her breath, deciding she had given up on this useless system that only gave out rewards.

She closed her eyes and began to carefully sort through the memories brought back by her clone.

Beyond the pain and despair, there are many other details.

For example, Chen Daolin's arrogant and condescending attitude.

For example, Li Changgeng's meaningful sigh.

And that Mountain and River Cauldron.

"The Chen family..."

Previously, she was just a sealed cannon fodder BOSS who could only survive by increasing favorability.

But it's different now.

She is a quasi-emperor.

Or perhaps he is a quasi-emperor who possesses the heaven-defying supernatural power of "rebirth from a drop of blood".

Given time to fully integrate this power, and with Chen Xuan's combined efforts from within and without...

"You dare touch the brat I raised?"

"We'll settle this score slowly."

She lay back down, finding a comfortable position.

Although there were no soft blankets here, nor that human-shaped body pillow that always had a low body temperature, she was surprisingly calm.

Because she knew that Chen Xuan was not dead.

Not only did he not die, but he also turned misfortune into a blessing, rebuilding his foundation.

The little dumpling who used to hide behind her and cry has finally grown up.

He grew into a man who could shelter her from the wind and rain, and stand against the whole world for her.

"Alright, this is a good deal."

Su Chang'an consoled himself with a sentence.

"My favorability rating is full, and my cultivation level has also increased. Apart from losing a clone, I haven't suffered any losses."

She tried to numb herself with this carefree thought.

But his hand involuntarily reached for his heart.

It was empty there.

Before the clone dissipated, the strength of Chen Xuan's embrace seemed to linger deep within his soul.

So tight.

Use that much force.

It's as if they want to meld her into their very bones.

"Tsk."

Su Chang'an turned over in frustration.

"Pretentious."

She cursed herself.

The biggest taboo for a fox is to fall in love.

Emotional attachment harms the body and shortens lifespan.

She's destined to become a nine-tailed fox fairy and a patriarch, how could she be held back by such romantic feelings?

but……

"Su Chang'an".

"I will definitely come back."

"Wait until I poke a hole in the sky, wait until I dig out that bone."

"I'll come back for you."

The boy's vow still echoed in my ears.

Su Chang'an closed his eyes, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.

"Fool."

"Who asked you to answer?"

"I can get out by myself."

She mumbled something, her voice growing softer and softer.

The cave returned to deathly silence.

Only the nine enormous tails swayed gently in the darkness, emitting a faint glow.

Like a lighthouse in the dark night.

Waiting for the lost person to come home.

……

Central Continent.

The enormous black warship sliced ​​through the clouds, speeding through the sky at an altitude of ten thousand meters.

on the deck.

Chen Xuan remained in that position, lying there motionless.

He clutched the black cloak tightly to his chest.

The wind was strong, making his hair fly wildly, but he didn't even blink.

He was looking at the sky.

Look at that sky, so blue it's almost blinding.

"woke up?"

An aged voice rang out.

Chen Daolin walked to his side and looked down at this junior whom he both loved and hated.

"Get up if you're awake, stop pretending to be dead."

Chen Xuan ignored him.

His eyes were empty, as if his soul had been ripped out, leaving only an empty shell.

"What? Still thinking about that fox?"

Chen Daolin gave a cold laugh.

"Just a prodigy, so what if he's dead? Once you're in the Chen family, what kind of woman won't you have? Holy maidens from holy lands, princesses from imperial dynasties—whatever you want, the family can get it for you."

Chen Xuan finally reacted.

He slowly turned his head and looked at Chen Daolin.

That look sent a chill down Chen Daolin's spine, even though he was an old monster who had lived for thousands of years.

That's not the look you give a relative.

That's for looking at dead people.

You'd better pray.

Chen Xuan spoke, his voice filled with a furious rage, as if it were a death sentence.

"I pray I never become an emperor."

Chen Daolin frowned: "What do you mean?"

Chen Xuan slowly sat up, carefully folded the cloak in his arms, and put it into his storage ring.

The movements were as gentle as if they were handling a rare treasure.

After doing all this, he looked at Chen Daolin again, a stiff smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Because of the day I became emperor."

"That's when I'll settle accounts with you."

Chen Daolin's expression changed, and he was about to get angry.

But Chen Xuan had already stood up and dusted himself off.

The deathly aura emanating from him vanished instantly.

Instead, there is a profound depth that is difficult to fathom.