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

There is no light underground in the Northern Region.

There was only endless darkness here, and five bronze chains with sealing talismans attached.

Su Chang'an opened his eyes.

For a moment, she was in a daze.

The chilling fragrance of osmanthus from the Moon Palace still seemed to linger around my nose, and I could almost hear the dripping sound of blood falling from the altar.

And that silly tiger's clumsy heartbeat.

"Splash!"

She moved her fingers.

The heavy chains rattled the surrounding stone walls, producing a harsh, scraping sound.

The sound echoed in the empty cave, abruptly pulling her back from that poignant dream.

came back.

Su Xiaojiu, who could act coquettishly, lie, and hide in a tiger's arms for warmth, died on the altar of the Heavenly Demon Dynasty.

The one who survived was Su Chang'an, who was imprisoned in this dark and sunless abyss.

Su Chang'an slowly sat up.

She looked down at her hands.

These hands were long and fair, with neatly trimmed nails, and contained a terrifying power capable of tearing through the void.

No longer were those mortal hands that trembled even when holding a dagger.

Deep within the sea of ​​consciousness, a cold, mechanical voice rang out without any emotion.

【Ding. 】

[Rewards being processed...]

Su Chang'an ignored the system's incessant chatter.

She leaned against the cold stone wall and exhaled a long breath.

The breath turned into white mist in the darkness, lingering for a long time.

Memories flooded back like a tide.

That was Su Xiaojiu's life.

From their first encounter in Yunmengze, to their mutual dependence in the cave, and finally their farewell at the altar.

Every image is frighteningly clear.

She remembered Bai Yin's clumsy way of catching fish for her for the first time, his silly way of buying up all the aphrodisiacs in the city to buy medicine for her, and his madness in practicing swordsmanship in the far west for nine years.

"Fool."

Su Chang'an muttered a curse under his breath.

The voice was somewhat hoarse, but it sounded exceptionally clear in the deathly silent cave.

She raised her hand and pressed it against her heart.

It beat steadily and powerfully there, without wounds or blood.

But she felt a void there, as if a piece of it had been dug out.

That was the emotional backlash brought back by the incarnation.

Although she considered herself an outsider.

But this heart is not made of stone after all.

The system was still chattering on and on.

[Host, weren't your methods this time a bit too...cruel?]

Su Chang'an twitched the corner of his mouth.

Is it cruel?

She closed her eyes, and the images of the "original work" that the system had shown her before floated into her mind.

Su Xiaojiu was not in that scene.

There is only one tiger demon named Bai Yin.

He was skinned, his tendons removed, and hung on the city wall to be exposed to the scorching sun for three days and three nights.

His demon core was dug out to make medicine, and his bones were made into weapons.

When he died, his eyes were filled with only despair and hatred, without a trace of light.

That's true cruelty.

"system."

Su Chang'an spoke, his tone as calm as a stagnant pool.

Do you know what it means to be put in a do-or-die situation and then survive?

The system fell silent.

Su Chang'an opened his eyes, his gaze piercing through the darkness, as if he could see the distant Nine Heavens.

"He is a knife."

"A peerless sword."

"But this knife is rusted, shrouded in so-called inferiority and cowardice."

"If we don't push him to the brink, if we don't crush his heart and rebuild it, he will forever remain just a mountain king in the Yunmeng Marsh."

"He will always be trampled underfoot, used as a pawn, and slaughtered at will."

Su Chang'an tapped his knees lightly with his fingers.

"I gave him a life."

"A destiny leading to the Great Way."

"Although this path is arduous, painful, and might even drive him mad."

"But at least he's alive."

"Live uprightly, so that no one dares to bully you."

The system flashed twice.

[Host, have you... fallen for him?]

Su Chang'an's fingers paused.

Tempted?

She's a liar.

She was lying to the tiger from beginning to end.

He lied to him that he was a nine-tailed celestial fox, that he would stay with him forever, and that he could be resurrected even if he died.

Even his final death was a meticulously planned scheme.

But after a while, even con artists sometimes lose sight of the difference between reality and fiction.

That silly tiger who would shield her with his body in the rainy night, who would take a knife for her in desperate situations, and who would dare to defy the heavens for her sake.

Who could remain unmoved?

But it was just a fleeting attraction.

She is Su Chang'an.

She tried to use the excuse that she was living for herself.

Tell her that she cannot indulge in romantic love, and that she cannot stop moving forward for someone.

"So what if I'm attracted?"

Su Chang'an said calmly.

"Love in this world, if it lacks a solid foundation, is nothing but a mirage, easily shattered."

"If I'm not strong, I'll just be waiting to die in this cave."

"If he's not strong, he'll only be slaughtered by others outside."

"We are all drowning people."

"No one is in a position to fall in love before they have reached the shore."

Su Chang'an stood up.

The chains rattled loudly again.

Her aura began to rise.

That was the pressure of a quasi-emperor. Although it was sealed and suppressed, it still made this space tremble.

Although Su Xiaojiu died, she brought back more than just memories and emotions.

And then there's the insight gained from experiencing life's trials.

That is a profound understanding of "life and death" and "emotion and principle".

Su Chang'an felt that his long-stagnant cultivation level seemed to have loosened slightly.

"Bai Yin".

She silently repeated the name in her heart.

Don't let me down.

"I've paved the way for you and put on a perfect show for you."

"If you still can't become a saint or an ancestor, then you'll really be letting down all the blood and sweat I poured out."

Su Chang'an walked to the edge of the cave.

There was a small puddle there, reflecting her current appearance.

Dressed in fiery red, with unparalleled beauty.

His brows exuded an air of domineering arrogance, completely dispelling any trace of Su Xiaojiu's gentleness and naivety.

This is the real her.

Su Chang'an reached out and gently touched the surface of the water.

Ripples spread, and reflections shatter.

"Su Xiaojiu is dead."

She said to herself.

From this day forward, there will only be Su Chang'an.

She turned around and walked back to the cold stone bed.

Sit cross-legged and meditate.

The moment I closed my eyes, a tear slid down my cheek.

soon.

Before it could even land, it was evaporated into nothingness by the spiritual power surging from her body.

Just like that dream of Yunmengze.

It came suddenly and left decisively.

Only a deep scar remains, etched on the hearts of two people.

The cave returned to deathly silence.

Only the five chains still emitted a faint, cold light in the darkness.

And in the distant Nine Heavens.

A mad tiger, clutching a cold crystal, begins his long and lonely path of cultivation.

He knows the truth.

But he knew even more that he needed to become stronger.

So powerful that he can reverse life and death, so powerful that he can see her again.

He also wants to find her and bring her back.

Silly tiger.

Practice your sword skills diligently.

She's waiting for you at the finish line.

"To the Tune of Bu Suanzi: Awakening in the Northern Regions"

A beautiful woman is locked away in a cold cave; her dreams are shattered in the Yunmeng Marsh.

We once vowed to grow old together in deep affection, but upon waking, only sorrow remains.

I would rather die for your safety; who can express this sorrow?

Let longing forge a heart of Tao, awaiting the breaking of the iron sky.