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

Chen Fan and his associates from the Chen family seemed to have taken root in their knees, unable to pull themselves out of the mud.

Their eyes were wide open, like copper bells, staring intently at the man carrying the broken sword, who exuded a murderous aura.

Chen Xuan completely ignored the terrified audience.

With a flick of his wrist, he shook off the blood droplets from the broken sword. The moment he turned around, the murderous intent that could freeze a person to death vanished instantly, like ice and snow meeting boiling water.

He took a few steps to Su Chang'an and grabbed her wrist.

He placed his fingertips on the pulse and checked it repeatedly, like an old Chinese medicine doctor taking a pulse, until he felt a faint but real pulse at his fingertips. Only then did his shoulders, which were as tense as stone, slump down.

Chen Xuan raised his head, and his eyes, which had been so cold they were practically icy, now shone as brightly as a dog seeing a bone.

He looked at Su Chang'an, his lips curling into a wild smile, his tone carrying a childish eagerness for praise: "How was that? That sword strike just now?"

Chen Fan and the others kneeling in the distance nearly dislocated their jaws with a "crack".

Is this the same demon god who just killed someone with a single sword strike and kicked the head of the Central Continent's Divine Son like a ball?

Su Chang'an rolled her eyes at him and pulled her hand back in an annoyance.

"What the hell?"

She disdainfully patted the bloodstains on Chen Xuan's clothes, as if brushing off dust: "You're all dirty now, wash it yourself later, don't expect me to."

Chen Xuan wasn't annoyed. He chuckled foolishly and stood there obediently, letting her scold him, his tail practically wagging in a blur.

Just then, a rustling sound came from the corner.

Ji Wuxie, who had previously wet his pants in fear, was taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention and was crawling behind the pile of rocks on all fours.

They moved as quietly as a mouse stealing oil, afraid of disturbing the evil spirits on this side.

The silly grin on Chen Xuan's face vanished instantly, faster than turning the pages of a book.

He turned his head, his gaze passing over Su Chang'an's shoulder and coldly fixing on Ji Wuxie.

That look in his eyes was like looking at a bug that he could crush with a flick of his wrist.

"I almost forgot, there was one fish that slipped through the net."

Chen Xuan walked over, carrying the broken sword, his voice devoid of any warmth: "Since we came together, I'll send you to see your brother. At least you'll have company on the road to the underworld, so you won't be lonely."

Ji Wuxie froze, turning around in despair.

As the still-dripping broken sword approached, his mental defenses completely collapsed. Snot and tears streamed down his face as he frantically kowtowed, crying, "Don't kill me! Don't kill me! I'm the second young master of the Ji family, I don't want to die! Chen Xuan… no, Grandpa Chen, spare my life!"

Chen Xuan remained expressionless, and with a flick of his wrist, the sword's edge pointed directly at Ji Wuxie's throat.

He felt no pity for this piece of trash who had just been clamoring for him to commit suicide.

Be more careful in your next life.

The sword light fell.

"Snapped!"

A hand suddenly reached out from the side and slapped Chen Xuan on the back of the head.

It wasn't very forceful, but it was extremely insulting.

Chen Xuan was knocked off balance and nearly lost his grip on his sword.

He turned around blankly, looking at Su Chang'an who had followed him without him noticing, with a wronged expression: "Why did you hit me?"

"What a waste of money!"

Su Chang'an glared at him with exasperation, pointing at Ji Wuxie on the ground and saying, "Kill, kill, kill! All you know is killing! This isn't a human! This is clearly a walking mine of top-grade spirit stones!"

Chen Xuan was stunned: "A spirit stone mine?"

"The Ji family's divine son is dead. Those old fogies in the Ji family are definitely going to go crazy."

Su Chang'an crossed his arms and began to calculate the costs and benefits of his rebellious son, who only knew how to fight. His calculations were practically aimed at Chen Xuan's face: "We're dirt poor right now. What good will killing him do besides generating more hatred? Keeping him alive is like holding him hostage! If the Ji family wants their second young master back, won't they have to pay a ransom? Top-grade spirit stones, ten-thousand-year-old divine medicine, great saint weapons—why not take them? Can't you be a little more open-minded?"

Chen Xuan was stunned.

He glanced at Ji Wuxie, who was trembling on the ground, and then at Su Chang'an, who had a shrewd look on his face.

The murderous intent in his eyes slowly changed its meaning.

He began to look Ji Wuxie up and down, his gaze no longer fixed on a dead man, but rather as if he were estimating how much this pile of "meat" could be sold by weight.

That makes sense.

Chen Xuan nodded and put away the broken sword.

He stepped forward, grabbed Ji Wuxie by the collar, and lifted him up like a dead chicken.

"Did you hear that? Your life now belongs to me."

Chen Xuan sneered and reached out to grope Ji Wuxie's body.

Storage rings, protective jade pendants, gemstones on hair ornaments, and even the gold wire inlaid on the belt were all included.

His movements were so practiced it was heartbreaking; he had clearly done this kind of "corpse-robbing" work many times before.

In a short while, Ji Wuxie was stripped down to only a thin undergarment, shivering in the cold wind.

Chen Xuan pulled a few tough vines from the side and, with extremely professional skill, tied Ji Wuxie's hands and feet behind his back, forming a standard "pig's trotter knot".

Finally, finding Ji Wuxie's crying too noisy, he picked up a piece of rag that someone had dropped from the ground, rolled it up, and roughly stuffed it into Ji Wuxie's mouth.

"Waaaaah!"

Ji Wuxie stared wide-eyed, struggling in humiliation.

Chen Xuan kicked him in the butt and coldly threatened, "If you want to live, you'd better behave yourself. If you dare to run, I'll cut you into pieces and mail you back to the Ji family in batches."

After doing all this, Chen Xuan clapped his hands, turned to look at Su Chang'an, and gave him a "Praise me for being thrifty and good at managing the household" look.

far away.

Chen Fan and his group were completely dumbfounded.

Is this their aloof, arrogant, and otherworldly eldest brother?

The kidnapping methods and the skill in skinning people were even more thuggish than bandits!

"They're all villains..."

Chen Fan swallowed hard, his awe of the woman in red growing even stronger.

To be able to train her older brother like this, this "sister-in-law" must be a ruthless character.

Just then.

Su Chang'an's figure suddenly flickered.

The originally solid red dress became somewhat transparent, and one could even see the rocks behind her through her body.

That was a sign that the energy of the Soul-Nourishing Wood was about to run out.

The smile on Chen Xuan's face froze instantly.

He threw down the hostage he was holding, strode up to Su Chang'an, grabbed her shoulders tightly with both hands until his knuckles turned white, and his voice trembled: "You're leaving?"

The panic of about to lose the whole world resurfaced on his face.

Su Chang'an felt a pang of sympathy when she saw his dejected expression.

She raised her hand and poked Chen Xuan's forehead with a hint of helplessness: "What's the panic? This body is only temporary. It will naturally dissipate when its energy is exhausted. It's not like my soul is scattered. I'll just go back to your sea of ​​consciousness to recuperate."

Chen Xuan pursed his lips, staring intently at her, refusing to let go.

I don't believe it.

He was as stubborn as a mule: "What if you go in and never come out?"

Su Chang'an rolled her eyes: "That's my home, where else can I go if I don't come out? Hurry up and find a safe place, I can't hold on any longer."

Chen Xuan took a deep breath, suppressing the unease in his heart.

He glanced around; a great battle had just taken place here, and the stench of blood was too strong for recuperation.

"I'll carry you on my back."

Without saying a word, Chen Xuan squatted down directly in front of Su Chang'an.

Su Chang'an didn't stand on ceremony; she swayed and climbed onto his broad back.

The long-lost body temperature wafted through my clothes.

Chen Xuan carried her on his back, supporting her legs with one hand and carrying Ji Wuxie, who was bound like a dumpling, with the other, and walked towards the depths of Broken Soul Valley.

He walked very slowly, taking each step very steadily, as if afraid of jolting the person on his back.

"Chen Fan, keep up."

Chen Xuan gave an order without turning his head.

The Chen family's collateral disciples seemed to wake from a dream, quickly got up, and followed behind them eagerly.

Chen Xuan kept talking the whole way.

"I'm already at the Profound Realm. Although my Dao Foundation still has some cracks, I gained insights from the battle just now, and I'll be able to repair it soon."

"The broken sword has been reforged, and it contains your fire, so it's very easy to use."

"Oh, right, I still have quite a few spirit stones stored up in Central Continent. I was originally planning to save them to buy you some good food..."

He went on and on about his progress in cultivation and the trivialities of his life over the past three years, down to the smallest detail, like a primary school student eager to show off his grades to his parents.

Su Chang'an lay on his back, responding half-heartedly.

"Okay, I understand."

"It's alright, so-so."

Her fingers unconsciously twirled the strands of hair by Chen Xuan's ear, and as she listened to his steady and powerful heartbeat, her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, slowly calmed down.

This is the child she raised.

Although he grew up to be a ruthless killer, in front of her he will always be that little kid who needs to be coaxed.

Chen Fan and the others behind him looked at the figure carrying the woman in red on his back, walking briskly, and exchanged bewildered glances.

They had never seen Chen Xuan talk so much.

I've never seen Chen Xuan so gentle before.

"So it turns out my brother wasn't heartless after all," Chen Fan murmured with a sigh. "He gave all his affection to that one person."

Everyone nodded in agreement, secretly vowing that they would never offend this "sister-in-law" again—even though she always referred to herself as their father.

It took the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Chen Xuan found a relatively secluded and dry cave.

He left Ji Wuxie in a corner, had Chen Fan lead men to guard the cave entrance, and then carried Su Chang'an to the deepest part of the cave.

He carefully put Su Chang'an down.

At this moment, Su Chang'an's body had become so transparent that it was almost impossible to see clearly.

"Go in."

Chen Xuan sat down cross-legged, his eyes filled with reluctance, but he knew he couldn't delay any longer.

He grabbed Su Chang'an's hand and, just before releasing the defenses of his consciousness, suddenly commanded domineeringly, "Once inside, don't pay any attention to that imposter."

Su Chang'an was taken aback: "Who?"

"That inner demon."

Chen Xuan gritted his teeth, his face full of jealousy and disgust: "She has your face on her, it's annoying just looking at her. You're mine, you're not allowed to talk to her, and you're not allowed to smile at her."

Su Chang'an rolled his eyes speechlessly.

Even his own inner demons are jealous; this rebellious son is truly something else.

"Okay, okay, stop nagging."

After saying that, she transformed into a streak of light and instantly entered Chen Xuan's brow.

Chen Xuan's body trembled, then he closed his eyes and let his consciousness sink into his body.

Within the sea of ​​knowledge.

Su Chang'an's figure slowly appeared.

She looked around, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

This place was originally a desolate ruin, with broken walls and gruesome sword marks everywhere.

But now, tender green grass shoots have sprouted on those ruins.

The enormous broken sword that stretched across the heavens and earth still exuded a terrifying aura, but its blade now possessed a layer of warm, dark golden light.

That was her original power.

Like the warm winter sun, it is gradually melting this frozen world.

Su Chang'an smiled.

This rebellious son's resolve has been salvaged.

She flashed and landed in the center of her sea of ​​consciousness.

In the shadow of the broken sword, a woman dressed in revealing red clothes huddled there, trembling.

It was the "Red-Clad Demon" who had accompanied Chen Xuan for several years, whom he used as a punching bag and a source of comfort.

The inner demon could clearly see Su Chang'an's rampage outside and his scheming for the Quasi-Emperor's Mark through Chen Xuan's eyes.

Upon seeing the main character return, the inner demon was terrified.

She immediately adopted a "I'm very obedient and harmless" posture, kneeling on the ground, holding a cup of tea conjured with her soul power in both hands, and raising it high above her head.

"Sister...you're back?"

The inner demon's face was plastered with a fawning smile, and his voice trembled as he said, "You've worked hard. Please sit down and have some tea to soothe your throat."

His appearance was incredibly humble, his will to survive was at its peak.

Su Chang'an didn't stand on ceremony, sitting down with an air of authority and taking the teacup, swirling it around in his hand.

She stared at her inner demon with a half-smile, her eyes full of amusement.

"She's quite sensible."

The inner demon broke out in a cold sweat: "It's my duty, it's my duty. It's my blessing to be filial to you."

Su Chang'an took a sip of tea, then suddenly leaned forward, staring into the inner demon's eyes, and asked in a low voice, "I heard that over the past few years, with my face on your back, you've done quite a few 'outrageous' things to him, haven't you?"

The inner demon froze, its eyes darting around.

"No...no, I don't think so..."

"For example, dressing like this to seduce him?" Su Chang'an pointed to the pitifully thin red robe on the inner demon's body, his tone chilling.

"For example, him biting your ear in the bathtub?"

"For example...warming his bed at night?"

With each word spoken, the inner demon lowered its head a little further, wishing it could disappear into a crack in the ground.

at the same time.

Inside the cave outside.

Chen Xuan, who was meditating with his eyes closed, suddenly blushed, the blush spreading all the way to his ears.