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

Chen Fan walked at the back of the group.

His right hand was tucked into his sleeve, his fingertips pressed firmly against the Soul-Dispelling Pill.

The biting cold crept up his veins, making him shiver.

He glanced at Chen Mu beside him, who was gripping a long knife and staring intently ahead.

Chen Fan then turned his gaze to Chen Xuan, who was at the very front.

The figure stood ramrod straight, each step taken with remarkable steadiness.

The scene from just now flashed involuntarily through his mind—the head of the Ji family's divine son fell to the ground, the quasi-emperor mark shattered on the spot, and Chen Xuan, alone with his sword, withstood the raging fire lotuses.

The fingers inside the sleeve tightened suddenly, almost crushing the pill.

The ancestor's condescending voice still echoed in my ears: Purify the bloodline, enter the family genealogy, advanced cultivation techniques...

These temptations were like a mountain, pressing down on his shoulders.

As long as this medicine is handed over, Chen Xuan's cultivation will be completely destroyed, and Chen Fan will be able to lead his younger brother to defy fate.

But as he watched that figure disappear into the distance, Chen Fan's tense fingers gradually relaxed.

He exhaled a long breath, leaving the pill in his sleeve, and quickened his pace to catch up.

Stepping out of the Valley of Broken Souls, you are greeted by a towering stone forest.

The wind howled through the cracks in the stone pillars, sounding like a ghostly wail.

Chen Xuan stopped and raised his hand to make a gesture.

The Chen family members, who had been on edge all the way, felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They all found stone pillars to lean against and slumped down, taking out their water bags and dry rations and swallowing them in large gulps.

Chen Xuan walked behind a thick stone pillar and sat down cross-legged.

With the broken sword resting on his lap, he took out a clean strip of cloth and carefully wiped away the dark red bloodstains on the blade. His movements were focused and meticulous.

Su Chang'an strolled over and plopped down next to him.

She tossed and fiddled with the warm, precious jade in her hand, her fox-like eyes fixed intently on Chen Xuan.

Not far away, Chen Fan leaned against a stone pillar, his gaze never leaving Chen Xuan.

He gritted his teeth, as if making a firm decision, and strode towards Chen Xuan.

"Where are you going?" Chen Mu grabbed his sleeve.

"I need to talk to my older brother about something." Chen Fan pulled back his sleeve without turning his head.

He walked around the two stone pillars and stopped in front of Chen Xuan, head down, his expression complicated.

Chen Xuan stopped what he was doing and looked up at him. Without deliberately releasing any pressure, his voice was calm: "What is it?"

Chen Fanqian swallowed hard, his voice strained: "Brother, the Dragon Burial Pit is just ahead. The Goddess of the Wang family will definitely be blocking it with her people."

"Our cultivation levels are too low; going in would only be a burden."

"Take Miss Su with you and leave. Don't worry about us. We can find our own way out."

Chen Xuan folded the blood-stained strip of cloth and stuffed it into his robes, then gripped the sword hilt again.

"Since I brought you in, I will take you out as well."

His tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable air of dominance: "The Wang family can't stop me. I won't go back on my word."

Chen Fan's hands, hidden in his sleeves, were trembling, and he couldn't help but raise his voice: "Big brother, you don't understand!"

"We, the collateral branches of the family, live worse than dogs! No resources, no cultivation techniques, we do the dirtiest work, and get the fewest spirit stones!"

"Even if you manage to leave this secret realm alive today, you'll still be a useless piece of trash when you go back, and nothing will change!"

His eyes reddened: "But you're different! You even killed the Ji family's divine son; you're destined to stand at the top of Central Continent. There's no need for you to risk your life for a bunch of trash like us!"

Chen Xuan looked at him quietly, then slowly stood up.

"The collateral and direct lineages are nothing but a bunch of old fogies' ridiculous rules."

Chen Xuan looked directly into Chen Fan's eyes and said, word by word, "Rules are made by people, and they can be trampled underfoot."

"If the knife in your hand is fast and ruthless enough, who would dare to step on you?"

"If you accept your fate, then you deserve to be a dog for the rest of your life."

"If you refuse to accept your fate, then grip your knife tightly and fight your way out! Seize resources! Change your brother's destiny!"

"Even dust can hold sparks, and the ordinary can give rise to legends. Do you understand?"

Chen Fan was completely stunned.

He looked at the man in front of him.

A discarded son, stripped of his supreme bone by his family and thrown into the dead like trash, actually harbors such an arrogant and domineering spirit deep down!

Chen Fan's heart pounded wildly, and the hand that had been clutching the Soul-Dispelling Pill clenched into a fist.

"Pfft—"

Su Chang'an, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but burst out laughing.

She caught Baoyu in mid-air, tapped him against the stone pillar, and said with a mocking smile, "You unfilial son, you haven't even settled your own mess, yet you're spouting platitudes to others?"

"What Chen Fan said is absolutely right. Your Chen family is a broken cage that eats people up without spitting out the bones."

"You're just asking for trouble by dragging these burdens along. You're in such a half-dead state, you can barely manage yourself, who are you trying to protect?"

Chen Xuan turned to look at Su Chang'an.

That sharp edge vanished instantly, leaving only stubbornness.

"I'll smash that cage to pieces."

He looked at her, his voice not loud, but as heavy as a thousand pounds: "I will take them out, and I will definitely protect you."

Su Chang'an rolled his eyes dramatically: "Even if you're going to smash a cage, you still need to have enough to eat!"

"That sword strike just now ripped your underwear dry, what are you pretending for now?"

Her gaze shifted downwards, mercilessly exposing her lie: "Your hand holding the sword is trembling, yet you dare to boast about seizing territory from the Dragon Burial Pit? Do you really think you're made of iron?"

Chen Xuan lowered his head.

My left hand was indeed trembling slightly and uncontrollably.

He silently clenched his fists, put his hands behind his back, pursed his lips and didn't say a word, but just cast his gaze into the depths of the stone forest.

Chen Fan watched silently from the side.

Watching Chen Xuan surrender to the woman in red, letting down all his guard, and watching him stubbornly hide his trembling hands.

This is a weakness that Chen Xuan would never reveal to any outsider.

The image of the ancestor's arrogant and condescending attitude flashed through Chen Fan's mind again.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When she opened her eyes again, the struggle in her eyes had completely disappeared, replaced by a resolute look.

He bowed deeply to Chen Xuan, said nothing, and turned to walk back to the group.

After resting for a moment, Chen Xuan raised his hand to signal them to set off.

Everyone stood up, brushed the dust off their clothes, gripped their weapons, and followed.

As you pass through the intricate stone forest, the surrounding black stones gradually reveal an eerie dark red hue, and the stench of blood in the air is so strong it makes you want to vomit.

After walking out of a narrow passage, the view suddenly opened up.

A massive, bottomless sinkhole stretched out in front of us, like a scar on the earth.

Dozens of figures lined up at the edge of the sinkhole.

The goddess of the Wang family, dressed in white, stood at the forefront with her hands behind her back. Behind her, the elite Wang family soldiers drew their swords, exuding a murderous aura, and stood ready for battle.

Chen Xuan stopped, gripped the broken sword, and was about to step forward.

"Big brother!"

Chen Fan suddenly rushed out from the group and blocked Chen Xuan's way.

He took out an old wooden box that he had kept close to his body from his pocket and carefully opened it.

Inside lay a round pill, faintly glowing red, with a fragrant aroma.

Chen Fan held the wooden box in both hands and handed it to Chen Xuan.

Chen Xuan glanced at it: "What is this?"

"Brother, this is a 'Qi Gathering Pill' that I've saved up over three years. It can instantly restore 30% of my spiritual power."

Chen Fan stared at the Wang family's camp ahead, gritting his teeth, "The Dragon Burial Pit is just ahead. The Wang family is clearly trying to hog it all. You've used up too much energy just now; if you take this, we'll have a better chance of winning!"

Chen Xuan looked at Chen Fan's flushed face and shook his head: "Keep it for yourself to save your own life. I don't need it. They're just a few bastards; I can handle them."

"Eating it won't do me any good!" Chen Fan cried out, clutching the wooden box tightly. "Only if you eat it, brother, can we keep the brothers alive! Brother, please accept it; consider it my way of repaying your life-saving grace!"

Chen Xuan still didn't answer, his gaze passing over him and looking at the Wang family members at the edge of the sinkhole.

A fragrant breeze wafted over.

Su Chang'an strolled over, glanced at the Qi Gathering Pill in the wooden box, and without saying a word, directly picked up the pill and stuffed it into Chen Xuan's hand.

"Your younger brother is showing you filial piety; you unfilial son, don't be ungrateful."

Su Chang'an rolled her eyes at him: "Looking at you now, how are you going to fight for territory later? Hurry up and eat, don't dawdle. You need to be full to have the energy to work!"

Chen Xuan looked at the pill in his palm, then at Su Chang'an's expression that said, "You dare not eat it, just try it."

Without saying another word, he tilted his head back and swallowed the pill.

The pure medicinal power instantly dissolved in his throat, and his parched meridians finally received a long-awaited drizzle.

Watching Chen Xuan swallow the pill, Chen Fan's heart, which had been in his throat, finally settled down.

He loosened his sweaty fists, retreated to the group, and stood shoulder to shoulder with Chen Mu, his back straighter than ever before.

As Chen Xuan felt the spiritual energy gradually recovering within his body, he slowly exhaled a breath of white air.

He held the broken sword upside down and strode towards the edge of the sinkhole.