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

Su Chang'an looked at the gap where the hatch was closing, and his nerves, which had been taut for so long, finally reached their limit.

The Supreme Forgetfulness Sect.

These five words stirred up huge waves in her mind, causing her soul, which had just been soothed by the spiritual liquid, to surge again.

She leaned against the cabin wall, her translucent fingers digging hard into the thin pad beneath her, her fingertips piercing through the fabric to touch the cold, hard wooden board.

She wanted to laugh.

Back then, in the snowstorm of the Northern Region, she nestled in Chen Xuan's arms, transforming into a white fox. She patted the boy's chest with her paws, warning him word by word that once he entered the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect, he could not trust anyone but herself.

She spoke these words from the detached perspective of a transmigrator, her words filled with wariness of the villainous sect and certainty about her predetermined fate.

She viewed this place as the biggest hidden reef in Chen Xuan's fate, wishing she could plant warning flags all over it so that the boy would always avoid it.

it's good now.

After going around in circles, she herself became a remnant soul that could dissipate at any moment, and was casually thrown into this legendary villain's forbidden land.

She failed to descend as a quasi-emperor to settle scores, and instead fell to a state where she couldn't even protect herself. She could only lie on their flying boat, drinking the charity medicine, with their priceless soul-stabilizing talisman stuck to her chest.

The person who rescued her happened to be Luo Qingxue.

Su Chang'an closed his eyes, forcibly suppressing the vigilance and absurdity churning in his chest, peeling away the excess emotions layer by layer, retaining only the most rational understanding.

The things she did at the Guiyuan Hall, the ancestral home of the Chen family, could not possibly be hidden from the sect's eyes and ears, and Li Changgeng would definitely send a message back.

She personally broke through seven layers of restrictions, burned away the essence of the Heavenly Fox and the Phoenix Fire, and stormed into the main hall. In front of the Quasi-Emperor, she made outrageous remarks, belittling the old man's three thousand years of hard-earned Dao Heart to nothing.

The old man was unable to pursue her due to damage to his Dao heart at the time. His first action after regaining his senses must have been to block the news and investigate all clues related to her.

The Supreme Forgetfulness Sect is conducting a large-scale manhunt in the Northern Region, and Luo Qingxue's words before leaving were by no means casual remarks.

Su Chang'an's consciousness sank into the depths of his sea of ​​consciousness, quickly searching for the remaining fragments of information.

Search for special monsters and spiritual sources.

These two targets were so accurate it sent chills down my spine.

The special demons undoubtedly refer to the Heavenly Fox lineage, and the divine soul and spiritual source are precisely her wandering soul state that is detached from the physical body.

Although that old fellow Li Changgeng was unaware that her soul had wandered to the northern snowfields, he had already made the worst-case scenario plan and cast a wide net, waiting for her to walk right into it.

She is currently suspended on one of the threads of this large net.

Su Chang'an opened his eyes and his gaze swept over the array patterns running on the cabin wall.

That was a restriction that isolated her from the laws of the outside world. Its advantage was that it blocked the continuous erosion of her soul by the laws of the extreme north, but its disadvantage was that it completely cut off her possibility of exploring or sending messages to the outside world.

She was being carried in an exquisite cage at high speed toward the main northern camp of the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect.

必须冷静。

Su Chang'an silently repeated the two words in his mind, and then began to take stock of the few remaining chips in his hand.

The first point is that Luo Qingxue failed to recognize her.

This is her biggest asset right now.

During their encounter in the Misty Swamp, she remained in her nine-tailed white fox form, lying inside Chen Xuan's cloak, with only her furry head and two pointed ears visible.

Luo Qingxue never saw her human form from beginning to end.

Her current state is completely different from any time in the past.

The damage to his soul resulted in blurred facial features. The essence of the Heavenly Fox was exhausted after repeated self-damage and stripping. His aura was mixed with the embers of Phoenix Fire, the wounds of the laws of space, and the external spiritual power infused by the Soul-Stabilizing Talisman.

Even if Li Changgeng himself were to arrive, he might not be able to recognize the woman in red who set fire to the Guiyuan Hall that day from this remnant soul without using soul-searching techniques.

Secondly, she urgently needs an identity.

A rogue cultivator from the Northern Region who was being hunted by his enemies and whose physical body had been destroyed.

This kind of explanation is so common in the cultivation world that no one bothers to verify its authenticity.

The far north is a chaotic area where various forces compete for resources. Clashes between sects and loose cultivators happen every day. A pitiful creature who has lost his physical body and is left with only a remnant soul would not attract any extra attention here.

Thirdly, she must never reveal any trace of the Celestial Fox.

The soul-stabilizing talisman on his chest provided a natural layer of protection.

The white light barrier completely enveloped her soul core, and the leaking fluctuations were filtered by the runes, leaving only ordinary spiritual energy attributes.

As long as she doesn't actively activate her source or trigger the resonance of the Seventh Tail, this disguise can be maintained for a very long time.

Su Chang'an weighed the pros and cons repeatedly in his mind, and only after confirming that nothing had been overlooked did he let out a long breath.

She had no choice at all.

Until she finds a vessel to hold her soul or returns to her original body, the flying boat of the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect is currently the only place where she can survive.

The severing laws of the far northern snowfields would completely destroy her remnant soul within a few hours; the energy provided by the soul-stabilizing talisman and the spiritual liquid was the key to prolonging her life.

Su Chang'an raised his hand to examine his translucent palm. The fine cracks were slowly healing under the nourishment of the spiritual liquid, but the process was so slow it was agonizing.

The cabin returned to silence.

The slight swaying of the flying boat, accompanied by the sound of wind and snow isolated by the array, intertwined to create a dull rhythm.

Su Chang'an regulated his breathing and focused all his energy on refining the spiritual liquid in his body, while mentally preparing for the various situations he might face next.

About half an hour later, the hatch mechanism made a sound again.

Su Chang'an quickly suppressed the excess spiritual fluctuations. She half-closed her eyes, pretending to be weak and exhausted after just waking up from a coma.

Luo Qingxue pushed open the door and walked in.

The other person changed into a thicker white cloak, with the collar turned up to cover half of their face.

She was still holding the white jade tray in her hands, with a small white porcelain medicine bottle and a neatly folded piece of gray coarse cloth on it.

Luo Qingxue walked to the bedside and put down the tray.

How long have you been awake?

This sentence has no extra fluctuations.

"I'm not sure."

Su Chang'an's voice squeezed out from his translucent throat, revealing a hoarse and broken quality worn down by wind and sand.

This wasn't entirely acting; her soul was indeed so weak that even speaking normally was incredibly difficult for her.

"Thank you so much, fairy, for saving my life."

Luo Qingxue's gaze fell on Su Chang'an's face.

It was a face whose features were indistinct due to the damage to its soul.

The outline appeared and disappeared in the semi-transparent light and shadow, but the eyes were particularly clear, the dark eyes seeming to gather all the remaining vitality.

"What's your name?"

Luo Qingxue asked from the side.

"Su Wan".

Su Chang'an paused for a moment before answering, a very short pause that could be mistaken for weakness causing shortness of breath.

She chose a character that had nothing to do with her real name.

The name Wan, meaning graceful or unassuming, is just an ordinary name among the rogue cultivators of the Northern Region, and it wouldn't evoke any particular associations.

"Which lineage of rogue cultivators?"

"There is no sect."

Su Chang'an lowered his head, his voice revealing just the right amount of fear and humility.

"When I was young, I worked with my father selling medicine on the northern border. Later, I had a chance to awaken my spiritual root and began to cultivate on my own."

"Three months ago, I was targeted by a group of bandits. They were numerous and powerful. When I fought my way out, my body was destroyed in that battle."

She spoke haltingly, each pause controlled to the limit of what a person with a weak spirit could produce, neither too fluent nor so mumbled as to be unintelligible.

She also coughed painfully several times during the performance, her translucent body flickering violently as she coughed, as if she would completely collapse at any moment.

Luo Qingxue listened quietly to the story.

She didn't ask for details, nor did she show any sign of doubt.

She simply picked up the white porcelain medicine bottle from the tray, poured out two dark red pills, and placed them in front of Su Chang'an.

"Soul-stabilizing pill."

"Two pills a day can slow down the rate at which the soul dissipates."

Luo Qingxue's voice was devoid of any personal emotion, as if she were simply stating a fact that had nothing to do with her.

"But the damage to your remnant soul is far too severe."

"If we cannot find a vessel to attach to or spiritual materials to reshape the body within half a month, these pills will not be able to delay the effect for long after the Soul-Stabilizing Talisman has exhausted its power."

Su Chang'an reached out to pick up the pills.

Her translucent fingers showed obvious penetration when touching the object; she tried twice before she could barely pick one up and put it to her lips to swallow.

The whole process was clumsy and embarrassing, a far cry from her former domineering demeanor as a quasi-emperor.

The moment the medicine entered his body, Su Chang'an sensed a warm, gentle force seeping into his soul through the cracks, reconnecting the fragments that were on the verge of collapse.

With a sharp pain, the medicine began to take effect.

Thank you.

Su Chang'an raised his head, his eyes filled with genuine gratitude.

This gratitude was entirely genuine; her life had indeed been saved by Luo Qingxue from the snowfield.

Luo Qingxue did not rush to leave the cabin.

She stood in front of the bed, looking down at Su Chang'an, and remained silent for a moment.

The cabin lights reflected in her pupils, causing a subtle ripple to spread across the clear depths of her eyes.

"I shouldn't have bothered with you."

Luo Qingxue's words suddenly carried an emotion different from her cold and aloof appearance.

That wasn't warmth; rather, it was closer to a kind of long-suppressed self-mockery.

"The lineage of the Supreme Being Who Forgets Emotions emphasizes severing ties with the mortal world and remaining uninvolved in cause and effect."

"Picking up a remnant soul from the roadside and bringing it back to the sect will result in being held accountable."

Su Chang'an did not respond, but simply stared at the other person quietly.

Luo Qingxue lowered her eyes, shifting her gaze from Su Chang'an's translucent face to the gray coarse cloth beside her.

She picked up a coarse cloth, spread it out, and laid it on Su Chang'an's legs, her movements stiff and devoid of any warmth.

"The way you crawled forward through the blizzard, even with your last breath."

Luo Qingxue lowered her voice so much that her words were almost swallowed up by the sound of the wind and snow outside the cabin.

"It looks like someone."

Su Chang'an's soul suddenly tightened.

To be precise, it was a slight tremor in the most stable mass of energy deep within the core of her soul.

She firmly suppressed this fluctuation within the white light barrier of the Soul-Stabilizing Talisman, ensuring that not a single trace of it leaked out.

"I used to know someone."

Luo Qingxue stared at the array patterns on the cabin wall, as if they were telling the story of a stranger.

"He's the same way."

"His injuries are ten times worse than yours. He's clutching a broken sword with its hilt snapped. There's not a single good piece of flesh on his body."

"He looked like he could collapse at any moment while standing there, but his eyes were brighter than any living person I had ever seen."

Su Chang'an's throat tightened.

Luo Qingxue did not mention the other party's name.

But she didn't need that name at all.

In this world, there is only one person who can make a disciple of the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect unable to erase the memory of him even after severing his emotional ties, and who is even described as crazy and irrational when mentioned.

"I still don't understand why he worked so hard back then."

Luo Qingxue lowered her voice, a thin layer of bewilderment in her words.

"I later found out that he had been carrying a small white fox with him all along."

"He declared in front of everyone that if he were to be a kept man, he would only be with that fox's family."

Su Chang'an's breath hitched for a moment.

Her fingers clenched into fists under the coarse cloth, the translucent knuckles hardening with force before returning to their original state in the next moment.

Something in my chest was being clenched tightly, and waves of soreness spread outward from the core of my soul.

Chen Xuan, the one who lifted her up in the swamp in public and solemnly uttered those words.

Chen Xuan, who complained that the meat porridge was too salty but still drank every last drop.

Chen Xuan, whose spine was broken into three pieces, still clung tightly to her clothes.

Su Chang'an exhausted all his willpower to barely stabilize his soul and prevent it from showing any signs of trouble.

"That person must have some reason that would make him risk his life."

Her voice was soft and slow, with a subtle dullness filtered through weakness.

Luo Qingxue's eyelashes trembled slightly for a moment.

She did not turn to look at Su Chang'an.

After a moment of silence, she straightened up and placed the white porcelain medicine bottle beside Su Chang'an's pillow.

"The flying boat will arrive at the sect's main camp in the northern region before dawn."

Luo Qingxue's words regained their cold and detached tone, as if that brief moment of revelation had never happened.

"Once you arrive, you may leave on your own."

"Three hundred miles south of the far northern snowfield, there is a town of mortals. If you are lucky, you may find a rogue cultivator who is willing to take in wandering souls."

Su Chang'an nodded and said nothing more.

Luo Qingxue walked to the door, her fingers pausing on the door frame for a moment.

"There's one more thing."

Her back was straight and upright, and the lines of her shoulder blades were taut under her white Taoist robe.

"The sect recently received a decree from the patriarch and is conducting a large-scale search in the Northern Region for a special demon and a wandering spiritual source."

"The camp's defensive formations have been reinforced three times, and all personnel entering and leaving must undergo a spiritual scan."

"Once you arrive, do not wander off or release any spiritual energy. Stay close to me, and I will guide you to leave through the side door."

Su Chang'an's translucent face remained pale and weak, only his dark eyes moved slightly.

"Thank you for the reminder, fairy."

Luo Qingxue pushed open the door, and a biting cold wind rushed into the cabin.

The moment she stepped out of the cabin, Su Chang'an heard the other person leave a message in a very low voice.

The voice was so low that it was impossible to tell whether it was being spoken to oneself or to the person inside the door.

"Don't thank me."

"I just don't want to see anyone die in the snow anymore."

The heavy hatch closed again.

Su Chang'an sat alone in the cabin, the light casting a dim shadow on her translucent body.

She slowly put the second Soul-Stabilizing Pill into her mouth, and the warmth from the spreading medicinal power helped the cracks in her soul continue to heal.

Search for special monsters and spiritual sources.

Spiritual awareness scanning and a defensive array reinforced three times.

Li Changgeng's influence has already extended into the Northern Region.

Su Chang'an leaned against the cabin wall and pulled the gray coarse cloth up to his waist.

Her gaze pierced through the translucent back of her hand, scrutinizing the lines on her palm that were not fully visible due to a lack of energy.

Back then, she was in Chen Xuan's arms, patting the boy's chest and telling him that once he entered the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect, he shouldn't trust anyone but himself.

Now she's come in herself.

There's no Chen Xuan's cloak to hide in here, no Quasi-Emperor level of cultivation to sweep through, and no system-generated cheat codes to rely on.

She only had a Soul-Stabilizing Talisman, two pills, and a disciple of the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect who didn't even recognize her face.

Su Chang'an closed his eyes and refined the medicinal power within his body, layering the surging emotions and pressing them deep into the very bottom of his soul.

She is still alive.

As long as people are alive, this game is far from over.

Su Chang'an stared at the direction the hatch closed, and the tension that had been building up in his mind for so long was finally stretched to its limit.

The Supreme Forgetfulness Sect.

These four words exploded in her mind, stirring up her soul, which had just been soothed by the spiritual liquid, once again. She leaned against the cabin wall, her translucent fingers digging tightly into the thin mattress beneath her, her fingertips piercing through the fabric and touching the cold wooden board.

She wanted to laugh.

Back then, in the snowstorm of the Northern Region, she nestled in Chen Xuan's arms, transforming into a white fox. She patted the boy's chest with her paws and warned him word by word—once you enter the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect, don't trust anyone except me.

At that time, she was speaking from the perspective of a transmigrator, a god among mortals, her tone filled with wariness of the villain's lair and certainty about the original plot. She regarded this sect as the biggest hidden reef in Chen Xuan's fate, wishing she could plant warning flags all over it so that Chen Xuan would always avoid it.

it's good now.

After much wandering, she found herself, a remnant soul on the verge of dissipation, thrown into the lair of what she called the villain. Not as a quasi-emperor to settle scores, but rather, without even the ability to protect herself, lying on their flying boat, drinking their elixirs, with their priceless soul-stabilizing talisman affixed to her chest.

The person who saved her happened to be Luo Qingxue.

Su Chang'an closed his eyes, forcibly suppressing the surging vigilance and absurdity in his chest, peeling away all the useless emotions one by one, leaving only the coldest layer of cognition.

Li Changgeng couldn't possibly have kept quiet about what she did at the Guiyuan Hall in the Chen family's ancestral land. She personally shattered seven layers of restrictions, burned the Heavenly Fox's essence and the Phoenix True Fire to force her way into the hall, and made a statement before the Quasi-Emperor, dismissing Li Changgeng's three thousand years of Dao Heart as worthless. Although that old man didn't pursue her at the time because of his shattered Dao Heart, his first action afterward would undoubtedly have been to suppress the news and investigate all clues related to him.

The Supreme Forgetfulness Sect is conducting a large-scale manhunt in the Northern Region—Luo Qingxue's last words were by no means casual.

Su Chang'an's consciousness sank into the depths of his sea of ​​consciousness, quickly searching through the remaining fragments of information.

Search for special monsters and spiritual sources.

These two targets were so precise it sent chills down one's spine. "Special demon" referred to the Celestial Fox lineage; "divine soul and spiritual source" referred to her wandering soul state, detached from her physical body. Although that old bastard Li Changgeng didn't know her soul would end up in the Northern Snowfield, he had clearly prepared for the worst, casting a wide net in anticipation.

She is now on one of the threads of this net.

Su Chang'an opened her eyes, her gaze sweeping over the active array patterns on the cabin wall. The restriction that isolated her from external laws—the good news was that it blocked the continuous erosion of her soul by the extreme north's spirit-severing laws; the bad news was that it also sealed off all her possibilities of exploring or sending messages outwards.

She was placed in an exquisite box and was moving at high speed toward the main camp of the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect in the northern region.

calm.

Su Chang'an silently repeated the two words in his mind, and then began to take stock of the remaining cards in his hand.

First, Luo Qingxue did not recognize her.

This is currently their biggest bargaining chip. During their encounter in the Misty Swamp years ago, she remained in her nine-tailed white fox form the entire time, nestled inside Chen Xuan's cloak, with only her furry head and two pointed ears visible. Luo Qingxue had never seen her human form.

Her current state was completely different from any other version of herself. Her shattered soul had blurred her facial features, and her Celestial Fox essence had been almost entirely depleted after multiple self-destructions and separations. Her aura was a mixture of remnants of Phoenix True Fire, damage from spatial laws, and external spiritual power infused by the Soul-Stabilizing Talisman. Even if Li Changgeng himself stood before her, without using a quasi-Emperor level soul-searching technique, he might not be able to identify the red-clad woman who had burned the heavens and destroyed the palace in the Guiyuan Hall from this remnant soul.

Secondly, she needs an identity.

A rogue cultivator. A rogue cultivator from the Northern Region who was being hunted by enemies and whose physical body was destroyed.

This kind of story is everywhere in the cultivation world, so much so that no one bothers to verify its truthfulness. The far north is a chaotic area where various forces compete for resources, and sectarian infighting and conflicts among rogue cultivators happen every day. A pitiful creature who has lost his physical body and is left with only a remnant soul would not attract any extra attention if he appeared in this land.

Third, she must not reveal any trace of her connection to the Celestial Fox.

The Soul-Stabilizing Talisman on her chest formed a natural shield. Its white light barrier completely enveloped her core soul, and any leaking energy, filtered by the runes, appeared as ordinary spiritual power. As long as she didn't actively activate her source energy or trigger the resonance of the Seventh Tail, this disguise could be maintained for a considerable period of time.

Su Chang'an went through these pros and cons in his mind three times, and only after confirming that he had not missed anything did he slowly exhale.

She had no choice.

Until she finds a vessel to house her soul or returns to her original body, the flying boat of the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect is currently her only place to survive. The spirit-severing laws of the far north snowfield will completely destroy her remnant soul within a few hours, while the energy provided by the Soul-Stabilizing Talisman and the spiritual liquid is the foundation for her survival.

Su Chang'an raised his hand and looked at his translucent palm. The fine cracks were slowly healing under the nourishment of the spiritual liquid, but the process was so slow it was irritating.

The cabin fell silent again. The slight rocking of the airship, accompanied by the sound of wind and snow outside, which was blocked by the array, created a dull rhythm. Su Chang'an regulated his breathing, focusing all his energy on digesting the spiritual liquid in his body, while simultaneously preparing for every possible situation he might face next.

About half an hour later, the hatch mechanism made a sound again.

Su Chang'an immediately suppressed all superfluous spiritual fluctuations, half-closed his eyes, and presented himself as someone who had just barely woken up from a coma and was extremely weak.

Luo Qingxue pushed open the door and entered.

She changed into a thicker white cloak, the collar turned up to cover half her face. In her hands she still carried the white jade tray, but now it held a small white porcelain medicine bottle and a folded piece of coarse gray cloth.

"How long have you been awake?" Luo Qingxue walked to the bedside, put down the tray, and spoke in the same calm tone as before.

"No... I'm not quite sure." Su Chang'an's voice squeezed out from her translucent throat, carrying a hoarse and broken quality, worn down by wind and sand. She wasn't entirely acting—her soul was indeed so weak that even speaking normally was difficult. "Thank you, fairy... for saving my life."

Luo Qingxue's gaze fell on Su Chang'an's face.

It was a face whose features could not be fully formed due to the shattered soul. The outline appeared and disappeared in the semi-transparent light and shadow, with only a pair of eyes that were particularly clear, dark and deep, as if all the remaining life force had been concentrated in that one place.

"What's your name?" Luo Qingxue asked.

"Su..." Su Chang'an's voice paused for a moment, extremely briefly, so brief that it could be attributed to the disjointed breathing caused by weakness. "Su Wan."

She used a character completely unrelated to her real name. Wan, meaning graceful and unassuming, was an ordinary name that wouldn't evoke any particular association among the rogue cultivators of the Northern Region.

"Which lineage of rogue cultivators?"

"No... I don't belong to any sect." Su Chang'an lowered his head, his voice trembling with just the right amount of humility. "When I was young, I worked with my father selling medicine on the northern border. Later, I had a chance to awaken my spiritual root and began to cultivate on my own. Three months ago, I was targeted by a group of bandits. They were numerous and powerful, and I escaped with my life... but my physical body was destroyed in that battle."

She spoke haltingly, each pause controlled to the limit of what a person with a weakened spirit could manage—neither abnormally fluent nor so muffled as to be unintelligible. Interspersed among her words were several painful, dry coughs, her translucent body flickering violently with each cough, as if she were about to shatter at any moment.

Luo Qingxue's expression remained unchanged.

She listened quietly, without asking for details or expressing any doubt. She simply picked up the white porcelain medicine bottle from the tray, poured out two dark red pills, and placed them in front of Su Chang'an.

"Soul-Stabilizing Pills. Two a day, to slow down the dissipation of your soul." Luo Qingxue's voice was cold and devoid of any personal emotion, as if stating a fact unrelated to herself. "But the damage to your remnant soul is too severe. If you cannot find a suitable vessel to inhabit or spiritual materials to reshape your body within half a month, these pills will not prolong the effect of the Soul-Stabilizing Talisman for long after it has worn off."

Su Chang'an reached out to grab the pill. Her translucent fingers pierced noticeably when they touched the actual object; it took her two tries to finally manage to scoop one up and swallow it. The process was clumsy and awkward, a stark contrast to her previous domineering and invincible demeanor as a quasi-emperor.

The moment the medicine entered his body, Su Chang'an felt a gentle force seeping into the cracks in his soul, like applying fine glue to a mirror about to shatter. It hurt. But it worked.

"Thank you." Su Chang'an raised her head, a genuine gratitude welling up in her eyes—a gratitude that needed no pretense, for her life had indeed been saved by Luo Qingxue.

Luo Qingxue was not in a hurry to leave.

She stood before the bed, looking down at Su Chang'an, and remained silent for a few moments. The light from the cabin reflected in her pupils, cold and clear, yet with a barely perceptible ripple deep within.

"I shouldn't have bothered with you." Luo Qingxue's voice suddenly held a quality that didn't belong to her usual cold exterior. It wasn't warmth, but rather a kind of self-mockery that had been suppressed for a long time. "The Supreme Forgetfulness lineage speaks of severing ties with the mortal world and not being involved in karma. Picking up a remnant soul from the roadside and bringing it back to the sect would be a crime."

Su Chang'an didn't reply, but just looked at her quietly.

Luo Qingxue lowered her eyes, her gaze shifting from Su Chang'an's translucent face to the coarse gray cloth beside her. She picked up the cloth, unfolded it, and laid it on Su Chang'an's legs, her movements stiff and devoid of any warmth.

"The way you crawled forward in the blizzard with your last breath," Luo Qingxue's voice was very low, almost swallowed by the sound of the wind and snow outside the cabin, "resembled someone."

Su Chang'an's heart skipped a beat.

To be precise, it was an extremely subtle tremor that occurred within the most stable energy deep within the core of her soul. She firmly suppressed this tremor within the white light barrier of the Soul-Stabilizing Talisman, preventing even a trace from leaking out.

"I used to know someone." Luo Qingxue's gaze was fixed on a certain array pattern on the cabin wall, her tone as calm as if she were talking about someone else. "He was just like that. His injuries were ten times worse than yours, he was clutching a broken sword with a broken hilt, there wasn't a single good inch of flesh on his body, and he looked like he would die at any moment. But his eyes were brighter than any living person I've ever seen."

Su Chang'an's throat tightened.

Luo Qingxue didn't say her name. But she didn't need a name.

In this world, there is only one person who, even after a disciple of the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect has severed all emotional ties, cannot be completely erased from their memory, and is described as "crazy" and "incomprehensible" when mentioned.

"I still don't understand why he was working so hard back then." Luo Qingxue's voice lowered, tinged with a thin layer of bewilderment. "Later I found out that he was always carrying a little white fox in his arms. He said in front of everyone that if he was going to be a kept man, he would only be with that fox's family."

Su Chang'an's breath caught in his throat for a moment.

Her fingers clenched into fists beneath the rough cloth, the translucent knuckles becoming slightly opaque from the force, only to return to their original state in the next moment. Something inside her was suddenly gripped, waves of bitterness spreading from the core of her soul.

Chen Xuan, the one who lifted her up in public in the swamp and said those words with a serious expression.

Chen Xuan, who complained that the meat porridge she made was too salty, still drank every last drop.

Chen Xuan, whose spine was broken into three pieces, was still clinging tightly to her clothes.

Su Chang'an used all his willpower to prevent his soul from fluctuating abnormally.

"That person..." Her voice was soft and slow, with a subtle dullness filtered through her weakness. "There must be some reason why he would risk his life for them."

Luo Qingxue's eyelashes trembled.

She didn't turn to look at Su Chang'an's expression. After a moment of silence, she straightened up and placed the white porcelain medicine bottle beside Su Chang'an's pillow.

"The flying boat will arrive at the sect's main camp in the Northern Region before dawn." Luo Qingxue's voice regained its cool, emotionless quality, as if that brief revelation from before had never happened. "Once you arrive, you can leave on your own. There's a town of mortals three hundred miles south of the far northern snowfield. If you're lucky, you might find a rogue cultivator willing to take in wandering souls."

Su Chang'an nodded without saying anything more.

Luo Qingxue walked to the door, placed her fingers on the door frame, and paused for a moment.

"There's one more thing." Her back was tall and straight, her shoulder blades taut beneath her white Taoist robe. "The sect recently received an imperial decree from the patriarch and is conducting a large-scale search in the Northern Region for a special kind of demon and wandering spiritual sources. The camp's defensive array has been reinforced three times, and everyone entering or leaving must undergo a spiritual scan. Once you arrive, don't wander around, don't actively release any spiritual energy fluctuations, stay close to me, and I'll arrange for you to leave through the side gate."

Su Chang'an's translucent face was expressionless, except for a slight movement in his dark eyes.

"Thank you for the reminder, fairy."

Luo Qingxue pushed open the door, and a cold wind rushed in. The moment she stepped out of the cabin, Su Chang'an heard her say something in an extremely low voice, so low that it was unclear whether she was speaking to herself or to the person inside the door.

"Don't thank me. I just don't want to see anyone else die in the snow."

The hatch closed.

Su Chang'an sat alone in the cabin, the lamplight casting dim shadows on her translucent body. She slowly put the second Soul-Stabilizing Pill into her mouth, the warmth of the medicine helping to heal the cracks in her soul.

Search for special demonic creatures and spiritual sources. Spiritual awareness scan. Three-fold reinforcement of the defensive formation.

Li Changgeng's influence has already extended to the Northern Regions.

Su Chang'an leaned against the cabin wall, pulling the gray coarse cloth up to her waist. Her gaze pierced through the translucent back of her hand, looking at the lines on her palm that were not fully visible due to insufficient energy.

Back then, in Chen Xuan's arms, she patted his chest and said, "Once you enter the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect, don't trust anyone except me."

Now she's in.

She had no Chen Xuan's cloak to hide in, no Quasi-Emperor level of cultivation to sweep through enemies, and no cheat system to rely on. All she had was a Soul-Stabilizing Talisman, two pills, and a disciple of the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect whose face she couldn't even fully remember.

Su Chang'an closed his eyes, digesting the medicinal effects in his body, layering those surging emotions one by one, and pressing them into the deepest part of his soul.

She is still alive.

As long as you're alive, the game isn't over.