Little Snow?

The north wind swept up goose-feather snow, raging wildly across the vast, boundless Extreme North Snowfield.

This place had been frozen for ten thousand years, its cold piercing to the bone. Any ordinary creature that set foot here would be frozen stiff in an instant. Only soul beasts of the Extreme North lived here, and silence reigned all year round.

Yet in this eternally desolate land of the Extreme North, an indignant, crisp young girl's furious curses rang out punctually every day.

"Scumbag! You damned scumbag!! You heartless piece of trash!!"

"I've got an eight a.m. class!"

Her emerald twin ponytails bobbed violently in the biting wind as she stood with her hands on her hips, pacing irritably through the thick snow. Each step left a deep pit, and her resentment nearly shot into the sky, overwhelming the blizzard.

With every curse, the scorpion tail behind her slammed into the ice once.

"It's been so many years, and there hasn't been a single message! Dead or alive, at least make a sound!"

After smashing the ice seven or eight times, a spiderweb of cracks had spread across its surface. She stopped to catch her breath.

"Other than sending someone to deliver a little girl about ten years ago, there's been no news at all. A little girl! Why didn't he come himself?!"

Her scorpion tail struck again, especially hard this time. Ice chips flew up and bounced off her own face. She spat twice, growing even angrier.

A white figure emerged from the snowstorm.

The Snow Emperor still looked as cool and ethereal as ever. Her long white hair fell to her waist, and her ice-blue dress trailed over the snow without leaving the slightest mark.

"You've been cursing him twice as often as yesterday. Yesterday, it was once every half hour. Today, it's once every fifteen minutes."

"It's all that bastard's fault!" The Ice Emperor kicked the snowbank before her, sending flakes fluttering over her head and face. She did not even bother brushing them away as she continued cursing. "Ten thousand years! He keeps disappearing whenever he feels like it! Did changing bodies make him forget everyone? Even if he turned to ash, I'd recognize him!"

After saying that, she suddenly seemed to remember something and turned to the Snow Emperor. "By the way, Xue'er, have you been busy lately? Why do I never see you around?"

The Snow Emperor lowered her gaze slightly. A few snowflakes had settled on her long lashes. Her voice remained cool, but there was a trace of gravity in her tone. "Recently, human soul masters have been infiltrating the Extreme North. Their movements are well concealed, but their auras are unusual. They should be what humans call... evil soul masters."

"Evil soul masters?" The Ice Emperor frowned, and her scorpion tail snapped behind her. "What are they doing in the Extreme North?"

"I don't know." The Snow Emperor paused. "I've already dealt with two groups, but they hide deeply. The ice plains are too vast; there will always be some that slip through the net."

The Ice Emperor snorted and slammed her scorpion tail against the ice with a crack. "That damned scumbag used to say you should just crush this sort of thing directly. What's the point of reasoning with evil soul masters? They don't even deserve to be called human."

The Snow Emperor gently shook her head. "Even so, we must be careful. Humans are powerful now, and the Extreme North is not like the Star Dou Forest. The Star Dou Forest has an auspicious beast watching over it, along with Di Tian and that being, though her current condition is unknown. But the Extreme North only has a few of us holding it up. If something truly happens, help will not arrive quickly."

Over the years, the soul beasts of the Extreme North had only barely secured their footing through the home-field advantage of their extreme environment and the assistance of the Soul Planning Hall.

They had established agreed-upon terms with the Federation.

As long as the soul beasts of the Extreme North did not harass residents along the northern border, the Federation would not carry out large-scale development in the Extreme North.

However, to a certain extent, resources were still extracted as long as it did not harm the ecology of the Extreme North. This was also a concession the Extreme North had made to the human Federation.

The Ice Emperor fell silent for a moment and crossed her arms. Her emerald twin ponytails swayed gently in the wind. Her voice dropped several notes. "It would be nice if he were here. He may be a scumbag, but he really is good at fighting."

The Snow Emperor said nothing. She merely reached out and gently brushed the thin layer of snow from the Ice Emperor's shoulder.

The Ice Emperor suddenly looked up. "Xue'er, do you miss him too?"

"I'm fine." The Snow Emperor's expression paused slightly before she answered blandly.

"Liar!" The Ice Emperor turned her head away. "Back then, you were the one who screamed the loudest..."

"Wuwuwu!"

A blush rose across the Snow Emperor's cool, pretty face as she covered the Ice Emperor's little mouth in one swift motion.

After a while, the Ice Emperor finally broke free from her restraint and flashed a wicked grin. "Hehe, Xue'er, how about I help you with my tail..."

The Snow Emperor: "..."

"Brother Xun, what are you laughing at?"

"Nothing. I remembered a friend."

Xie Xie gave him a suspicious look. Somehow, that smile did not seem like he was thinking of a friend.

The two wandered between the bookshelves for a while longer. Before long, the side door opened.

Zhou Changxi walked out, his face bearing the dazed look of someone who had yet to come back to his senses.

A woman followed behind him. She appeared to be in her thirties, wearing a red bishop's robe. Her black hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall, her features cool and dignified, and her aura powerful.

Zhou Changxi walked up to Lin Xun. His lips moved, but in the end, he only managed to force out one sentence. "I passed."

The red-robed bishop stepped before the three of them. Her gaze lingered briefly before she gave a small nod.

"Based on your records and interview assessment, you currently meet the requirements and may give it a try. However, the Soul Planning Hall has strict standards. There will be a six-month probationary period. If you do not meet the requirements, you cannot formally remain at the Soul Planning Hall as an apprentice."

Zhou Changxi nodded vigorously, and color finally returned to his chubby face.

He still seemed unable to process it. This was the Soul Planning Hall. Yet he had actually passed so easily.

What he did not know was that the Soul Planning Hall's true difficulty had never been the interview. The interview only looked at one's character and family background, and he lacked neither. The real hurdle was the probationary period that followed.

That was hell-level difficulty.

After all, Lin Xun had set it up himself.

Lin Xun's gaze dimmed slightly. He gave a faint nod but said nothing.

Xie Xie, standing nearby, was genuinely happy for Zhou Changxi. His eyes lit up as he stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder, his tone lighthearted. "Not bad, Old Zhou! You really got into the Soul Planning Hall. You're going to be a big shot from now on!"

Zhou Changxi's cheeks flushed slightly, his eyes filled with the relief of having survived a disaster. The heart he had kept hanging in suspense all day finally settled.

After all, the Soul Planning Hall's benefits and compensation were absolutely top-tier. Even during the apprentice probation period, as long as he lasted a month, he would receive a generous monthly allowance.

For a family as poor as theirs, that was already very good.

The red-clad bishop calmly swept her gaze over the excited youths. Her cool features remained utterly unmoved as she said in a deep voice, "The interview is only the first threshold for entry. Those who join the Soul Planning Hall must first receive the Angel God's blessing and bear the divine mark before they may formally begin probationary cultivation. Follow me."

After speaking, she led Zhou Changxi slowly to the front of the statue. She straightened her posture and adjusted her red bishop's robes, the former cold sharpness in her brows now replaced by reverence and respect.

The red-clad bishop bent her knees and bowed steadily. Her clear, solemn voice echoed through every corner of the vast hall:

"Honored Lord Angel, my name is Ci Nian, a descendant of the ancient Porcupinefish lineage. For generations, my family has devoted itself to the heavenly gods, upheld the hall's rules, believed steadfastly in divine grace, and revered the Angel God above all else."

"We guard this corner of the Soul Planning Hall, discerning hearts, choosing worthy talents, conveying divine will, and guiding mortal hearts. Today, I recommend the new disciple Zhou Changxi. His heart is pure, his innate foundation upright. He bears neither evil nor delusion and is worthy of the hall's rules for admission."

"May we borrow the heavenly god's divine light to grant this mortal child an opportunity. May he bear the divine mark, receive benevolence, uphold righteousness, and keep a compassionate heart. From this day onward, through every dawn and dusk, this new disciple and I shall abide by the divine teachings, revere the heavenly way, and never fail the hall's cultivation or the Angel God's grace!"

After finishing her devout prayer, Ci Nian bowed deeply once more, her posture respectful to the extreme.

That beam of golden light fell directly upon Zhou Changxi, enveloping his entire body. His chubby figure looked especially small within the pillar of light.

Xie Xie watched with a face full of shock, but Lin Xun remained composed. He had not designed these rituals; they were customs preserved from Spirit Hall's inheritance.

But in that instant, his consciousness was violently pulled away.

It happened so fast that he had no time to react.

Everything before his eyes was instantly wiped clean.

There was no majestic temple, nor the towering statue of the Angel God.

Xie Xie beside him and Zhou Changxi, who had just received the blessing, had both vanished without a trace.

At this moment, he stood within a field of pure white.

There was no sky, no ground, no up or down, no directions.

As far as the eye could see, there was only endless white light—empty, silent, and terrifyingly still.

Within that blank white void, he raised his head and saw her.

High above in the heavens, a golden-haired figure stood suspended in the air.

Six pairs of wings slowly unfurled behind her, every feather wreathed in faint golden flames. A sacred aura washed over him.

Her long golden hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall, blending into the flames that filled the sky.

She wore an extremely simple white-and-gold gown, its design clean to the utmost degree.

She stood barefoot in the void, a nearly invisible golden chain wrapped around her slender ankle. A tiny bell hung at the end of the chain, perfectly still and utterly silent.

A thin halo veiled her face, blurring her features so that her appearance could not be seen clearly.

Only her eyes were frighteningly distinct.

Light purple, bathed in golden light.

She tilted her head slightly and looked down upon Lin Xun below.

After a moment, her pale red lips parted softly.

Only two words fell clearly into the depths of Lin Xun's consciousness.

"Scumbag."

With a bang.

Lin Xun's entire consciousness was forcibly thrown back into his body.

The scene before his eyes instantly returned.

The hall was still the same hall as before, and the statue still stood quietly ahead.

The pillar of light around Zhou Changxi was slowly retracting.

The golden rune between his brows flashed one final time, then sank completely into his skin and disappeared.

Xie Xie's mouth was still open, and the trailing note of his earlier exclamation had not even fully faded.

That cross-dimensional exchange of gazes and judgment had lasted, from beginning to end, only one second.

It was so brief that no one noticed.

Lin Xun stood firmly where he was. His expression appeared perfectly normal, without the slightest hint of anything amiss.

"Brother Xun?"

Xie Xie keenly sensed that something was off. He turned toward him, his eyes filled with confusion.

"Did you just sway a little? You looked kind of strange."

"I'm fine."

Lin Xun's tone was flat, revealing no emotion.

"Oh."

Xie Xie did not dwell on it. He immediately turned to Zhou Changxi, his face full of amazement.

"Old Zhou! Your whole body was glowing gold just now! It was insane! Didn't you feel it yourself?!"

Zhou Changxi raised a hand to touch his forehead, looking utterly confused.

"Just... my forehead felt a little warm, like something lightly touched it. Then it was gone almost immediately."

Lin Xun did not join their lively conversation.

He slowly raised his eyes, his gaze settling quietly on the incomparably holy statue of the Angel God ahead.

Xiaoxue?

But she shouldn't be in very good condition right now. How could she possibly notice me—and with such precision?

Ci Nian turned around to face Zhou Changxi. Her gaze remained cool, but her tone carried more gravity than before.

"The Angel God's blessing is now within you. From this day onward, as long as you remain in the Soul Planning Hall, everything you do will be bound by the divine mark."

She paused, her tone growing heavier.

"Do not commit evil. Do not bully the weak. Do not betray faith or abandon righteousness. Do not stand by and watch someone die. If you violate these rules, the divine mark will backlash. No one else will need to lift a hand—your blessing mark will devour your soul power and mind. At best, your cultivation will be utterly ruined. At worst, your life will be forfeit."

Zhou Changxi subconsciously touched his forehead. After the rune had sunk into his skin, he could no longer feel any heat from it, only the faintest residual warmth. He nodded earnestly.

"I'll remember. I won't do bad things."

Ci Nian glanced at him and gave a slight nod. "You will be notified about future trials."

Xie Xie muttered quietly beside them, "That's way too harsh. But Zhou Changxi wouldn't do anything bad anyway, so this mark is basically a free Buff for him."

Lin Xun said nothing. His gaze moved away from the Angel God statue and fell upon the invisible rune on Zhou Changxi's forehead. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

Free Buff?

There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

The Angel God's blessing was both protection and restraint. Only with this divine mark on him would the Soul Planning Hall truly consider him one of their own.

The three of them left the Soul Planning Hall, and the doors slowly closed behind them.

Standing on the steps, Zhou Changxi looked up at the patch of gray sky above the clock tower's spire, then suddenly pinched the back of his hand hard.

"Ow."

"Obviously. You pinched yourself that hard—how could it not hurt?" Xie Xie rolled his eyes beside him.

"No, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't dreaming." Zhou Changxi looked at the red mark on the back of his hand, the corners of his mouth slowly spreading into a grin. "I really passed. I'm an apprentice of the Soul Planning Hall now."

"Probationary apprentice," Xie Xie reminded him.

"A probationary apprentice is still an apprentice!" Zhou Changxi rarely showed such backbone, but he shrank back the next second and lowered his voice. "Brother Xun, do you think that divine mark will really backlash? What if I accidentally do something bad? Will it swallow me in the middle of the night?"

"As long as you obey the law and follow the rules, it won't eat you." Xie Xie hooked an arm around his shoulders and dragged him toward the car.

"What do you mean, 'won't'? Can't you give me a definite answer?"

"The definite answer is that you've got an official position now. Even if you're on probation for six months, you're still an apprentice of the Soul Planning Hall. That title carries more weight than a Donghai Academy student ID."

Zhou Changxi scratched his head. "Then after probation ends, I'll become an official apprentice?"

"That's right. Then you'll be someone protected by the Angel God."

Zhou Changxi fell silent for a moment, then asked very seriously, "What if I don't pass probation?"

Xie Xie thought about it. "I guess the divine mark will disappear on its own, so you won't need to worry about backlash. You'll just have to pack up and leave."

"Having to pack up and leave is fine. Better than getting swallowed by the divine mark." Zhou Changxi sighed in relief, then asked uneasily, "Is the probation pass rate high?"

Lin Xun opened the car door and got into the back seat. Through the window, he said, "Less than ten percent."

Zhou Changxi's smile froze on his face.

Xie Xie patted his shoulder. "It's fine, Brother Xun is just scaring you. Come on, let's head back to the academy."

Zhou Changxi gave one last sigh. "Actually, I suddenly feel like the Soul Planning Hall is kind of a slapdash operation. Or maybe this whole world is."

Lin Xun paused slightly. "Why do you say that?"

Zhou Changxi spread his hands.

"What kind of good place would accept even me?"

Lin Xun: "..."