The intermittent prompts from System 088 were like a fleeting spark in the darkness; though faint, they precisely illuminated a possible direction for Su Nian's path.

The [Ice Soul Condensation Technique] has a potential connection with the cause of Qingxu Immortal Lord's inner demons!

This was no longer a aimless struggle, but a clue that could be followed and might lead directly to the core of the problem! Although the correlation was only 17.8% and the information was severely lacking, it was a precious hope for Su Nian, who was in dire straits.

Survival and a deeper understanding of the "Ice Soul Condensation Technique" have become her sole objectives.

She once again immersed herself completely in the ancient, deep blue jade slip. This time, it was no longer merely to ward off the cold, but with an almost devout desire to understand and experience the true meaning of "Ice Soul" and "Concentration" contained within this method.

The process of cultivating the "Ice Soul Condensation Technique" was far more difficult and painful than she had imagined.

This is not simply guiding the cold air; rather, it requires actively introducing the extreme coldness of the Ice Soul Jade, capable of freezing and corroding the soul, into a specific source of the divine soul. In this almost self-destructive way, it is used to temper, purify, and stabilize the mind. Each time the incantation is activated, it is like throwing the soul into the Xuanbing Hell, enduring torture as if being cut into a thousand pieces.

"Ugh—"

In the silent hall, her barely suppressed, extremely faint groans of pain could often be heard. Her body was curled up and trembling on the cold jade bed, her face as pale as paper, her lips bitten until they bled, and cold sweat soaked through layers of gauze, which instantly froze into tiny ice crystals by the cold.

The extreme pain nearly destroyed her will. Several times, she wanted to give up and let the cold air devour and assimilate her, perhaps then she could suffer less.

But whenever this happens, images uncontrollably flash through her mind—Xie Chen's (Qingxu Immortal Lord) eyes, chaotic and cold, filled with inner demons and pain; the desperate yet resolute look in his eyes when he pressed his forehead against hers in the last moment of their previous life, saying, "No one can separate us"; and the heavy pressure of the system notification that "the world line is at risk of collapse"...

She cannot give up.

She gritted her teeth, and with a tenacity that surprised even herself, she repeatedly forced the chilling forces that tried to destroy her into the path of cultivation, guiding them like the cruelest craftsman, hammering and tempering her unfamiliar soul.

Pain is like the tide, one wave after another.

However, amidst this seemingly endless torment, change is also quietly taking place.

She discovered that her control over this body, "Yun Zhi," was improving at a slow but steady pace. The originally clumsy flow of spiritual energy gradually became smoother; the fragments of memories belonging to Yun Zhi, concerning basic cultivation knowledge and common sense of the Qingyun Sect, also seemed to be activated by this extreme environment, becoming clearer and easier for her to understand and utilize.

What surprised her even more was that as her cultivation of the "Ice Soul Condensation Technique" deepened, her perception of her surroundings became even more acute. She began to vaguely "hear" the sounds of flowing clouds and mist in the distance outside the palace, the clear cries of cranes, and even... she could vaguely sense, in certain areas atop this solitary peak, an aura of pain and repression that shared the same origin as that of Immortal Lord Qingxu, yet was even deeper and darker...

Perhaps that is the core of his inner demons?

Just as Su Nian was gradually adapting to the painful rhythm of cultivation, and was even able to spare a little attention to try to perceive more information about the outside world, a violent accident suddenly occurred.

In this cultivation, she attempted to break through a key point recorded in the "Ice Soul Condensation Technique" for "concentrating the mind and calming the heart to see the origin." This key point is extremely dangerous, requiring the cultivator to maintain a clear mind amidst extreme cold and pain, and to look inward in reverse to see the deepest scenes of the soul.

She carefully guided the even more surging cold air to impact that acupoint.

Just as her vital energy was about to open, and her consciousness was violently oscillating between extreme cold and clarity—

"Buzz!!!"

A deafening roar, seemingly emanating from the depths of the soul, suddenly exploded!

It didn't come from the outside world, but rather from a deep resonance between her own soul and the remaining essence of this body (Yun Zhi)! More accurately, it was her soul that, together with the powerful divine imprint left by the Qingxu Immortal Lord (Xie Chen) that was omnipresent in this palace, and the strong emotional imprint related to her master that was deeply rooted in Yun Zhi's body's memory, created an uncontrollable and intense intertwining and collision!

The scene before my eyes instantly distorted and shattered!

She was no longer lying on a cold jade bed, but in a battlefield filled with mountains of corpses, seas of blood, and raging demonic energy!

In the sky, a colossal demonic shadow blotted out the sun, and ferocious demonic creatures surged in like a tidal wave. Celestial light and demonic energy clashed fiercely, and explosions, screams, and the shattering of magical artifacts filled the air.

She (or rather, Yun Zhi) held a long sword that gleamed with a clear light, her body covered in blood, protecting a moon-white, tall, and equally blood-stained figure. That was Immortal Lord Qingxu! But back then, although there was solemnity and killing intent in his eyes, they did not yet possess the impenetrable ice and deathly stillness they held now.

"Master! Be careful!" She heard herself (Yun Zhi) shout, and bravely blocked a strange demonic light that was heading towards his back.

However, the next moment, a more concealed, more sinister, and seemingly cursed black magic arrow shot from an unbelievable angle, aiming directly at Qingxu Immortal Lord's vitals!

It's too late!

A resolute glint flashed in Yun Zhi's eyes. She turned around abruptly and used her body to firmly block him!

"Pfft—"

The sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh was so clear it sent chills down one's spine.

Intense pain instantly swept through Su Nian's senses! She could clearly "feel" the chilling curse power attached to the demonic arrow, like countless tiny poisonous insects, frantically eroding Yun Zhi's life force and tearing her soul apart!

"Zhi'er!!!"

A heart-wrenching roar, filled with endless panic and rage, exploded in her ears! It was the voice of Immortal Lord Qingxu, yet it was filled with emotions she had never heard before, emotions bordering on collapse.

She (Yun Zhi) tried hard to lift her head, to look one last time at that unforgettable face, to tell him not to worry... but her vision was quickly swallowed by darkness...

My last conscious thought was falling into a trembling, cold embrace, filled with the force of despair...

The illusion abruptly ended!

Su Nian suddenly sat up on the cold jade bed, panting heavily, her heart pounding wildly as if trying to break free from the confines of her chest! Her entire body was already soaked in cold sweat, and the excruciating pain of being pierced by the demonic arrow and the icy feeling of her soul being torn apart still lingered clearly, causing her to tremble uncontrollably.

That wasn't a dream! That was... Yun Zhi's memory before she died! It was the deepest, most tragic moment imprinted on this body!

She finally witnessed Yun Zhi's death and understood why Qingxu Immortal Lord's Dao heart was shattered and his inner demons were deeply rooted—he witnessed Yun Zhi, whom he cherished as both his disciple and daughter, perish in order to save him! That heavy guilt, the despair of being unable to turn the tide, and the deep hatred for the demonic path intertwined to form a nightmare that he could not escape for a hundred years!

And at that moment, perhaps it was the intense resonance of memories and the emotional fluctuations that triggered the mysterious, cross-world soul connection between her and Xie Chen—

She suddenly raised her head and looked towards the direction of the palace gate!

Almost at the same time!

"boom--!!!"

A terrifying pressure, far more violent, chaotic, and filled with destructive aura than ever before, erupted from somewhere outside the hall like an out-of-control tsunami, instantly sweeping across the entire Qingyun Peak!

Above the sky, the once clear and pure spiritual energy became violent and chaotic, with dark clouds gathering and lightning flashing! A faint crimson aura, belonging to inner demons, rose into the sky!

The aura of Immortal Lord Qingxu... has completely spiraled out of control!

His inner demons flared up!

Was it because... the resonance of Yun Zhi's death memories that she had unintentionally triggered just now had aroused him?!

Su Nian's face turned deathly pale, her heart filled with indescribable shock and a strange flutter of emotion.

In his mind, System 088's urgent alarm blared again:

"Warning! Warning! The target's inner demon activity has exceeded 90%! Critical point!"

"The external energy field is extremely unstable! The risk of world collapse has increased dramatically!"

"High-intensity soul fluctuations detected... briefly synchronized with the host..."

"Opportunity...high risk...high reward..."

"Host! Please...make a decision immediately!!"

A choice? What choice?

Should he remain holed up in this "relatively safe" cage, waiting for him to survive (or for the world to collapse if he doesn't)? Or... should he risk going out and use this brief "synchronization" and the memories and techniques he just acquired to do something?

Su Nian looked at the tightly closed palace door, which seemed to isolate life and death, and felt the terrifying aura of destruction outside. Her heart was in her throat.

The suspense reaches its climax here—the female protagonist accidentally triggers the core of the male protagonist's most painful memory, causing his inner demons to erupt completely. With the world on the verge of collapse, what exactly is the "high-risk, high-reward" opportunity suggested by the system? What life-or-death "choice" will the female protagonist make? All awaits to be revealed in the next chapter.