The sweeping torrent of energy, colorful yet filled with a destructive and chaotic aura, instantly overwhelmed all of Su Nian's senses like a bursting dam! The clear radiance of immortal essence, the scarlet of demonic energy, the darkness of insidious power, and those wisps of dark golden light that seemed to contain supreme laws... they collided and tore at each other, forming a terrifying storm capable of annihilating any fragile existence!

And the target of this storm was her frozen soul crystal, which had become extremely dim!

There's nowhere to hide, nowhere to avoid!

Faced with this absolute destructive power, Su Nian felt as insignificant as dust, unable to even muster the slightest thought of resistance. Her consciousness, caught between extreme fear and the faint warmth of Xie Chen's life essence flowing back from the opposite direction, fell into a brief blank.

Is it... over?

However, the anticipated scene of the soul ice crystal being instantly torn apart and consciousness being completely reduced to nothingness did not occur.

Just as the chaotic torrent of energy was about to engulf the ice crystals—

The anomaly occurred suddenly, in a way that was beyond the comprehension of everyone (including Su Nian herself)!

The first thing to react was the ice seal that was laid down by the dark gold consciousness and wrapped around Su Nian's soul!

This seal, imbued with the power of the laws of "stillness" and "isolation," did not shatter like an ordinary barrier when faced with the external energy impact that also contained some of the same origin (dark gold light) but was even more violent and chaotic. Instead, it was... stimulated by a deeper, autonomous defensive instinct... an "assimilation" mechanism!

"Buzz—!"

On the surface of the ice crystals, the previously dormant and extremely complex patterns of laws suddenly lit up! They emitted a dark blue light that was more dazzling and colder than ever before!

An even larger and purer force of "stillness" and "isolation" erupted from the ice crystals, forming a miniature yet absolutely powerful domain!

The surging torrent of chaotic energy, upon impacting this miniature realm, had its most violent and destructive parts instantly frozen, as if thrown into an absolute zero environment! It was forcibly "frozen" at the very moment before the impact!

Meanwhile, the relatively mild energy in the torrent, or that originated from the same source as the power of ice (especially those wisps of dark golden light), was "filtered out" by this domain. As if drawn by some invisible force, it began to slowly, bit by bit, merge into the law patterns on the surface of the ice crystal!

This process is not gentle nourishment, but a more domineering and direct... devouring and fusion!

As the core sealed inside the ice crystal, Su Nian was the first to bear all of this!

She felt as if her soul had been thrown into a rapidly spinning furnace of extreme cold and chaotic energy! The external freezing force was intensifying, while the internal energy was rampaging and merging! Her soul was caught in the middle, enduring unprecedented and terrifying pressure that seemed to crush and reassemble every single particle of her consciousness!

"ah--!!!"

The indescribable pain surpassed the limits of the physical body, directly affecting the very essence of her soul! She felt her consciousness being torn apart, ground up, and forcibly reshaped and reconstructed by those cold laws and violent energy!

This pain was a thousand times more intense than any previous tempering!

But even in this extreme pain, she clearly "senses" that something different is happening—

The outer layer of ice that was originally just imprisoning her seemed to... no longer just a cold cage after absorbing some of the dark gold light of the same origin and the pure energy filtered through the "Stillness" domain. Instead, it began to form a deeper, almost "symbiotic" connection with her soul's origin.

It still imprisoned her, protecting her from being completely annihilated by the chaos of the outside world. At the same time, those cold law patterns, like growing roots, slowly and firmly spread and imprinted themselves into the deepest part of her soul!

Meanwhile, her soul, being tempered and reshaped, seemed to be passively and greedily absorbing the pure energy that had been "filtered" and integrated into the system (especially Xie Chen's dissipated life essence and some of the assimilated dark golden light)!

A sense of power, both unprecedented and faint yet undeniably real, began to quietly sprout in the depths of her nearly depleted soul, like tender buds in early spring!

This is neither spiritual power nor magic, but a more fundamental, seemingly originating from the soul itself, yet possessing characteristics of freezing and stillness... a strange power!

Just as Su Nian's soul was undergoing a difficult transformation in the heart of this storm of destruction and rebirth, the Qingxu Immortal Lord in the outside world also experienced an astonishing change due to this sudden anomaly originating from within his sea of ​​consciousness!

He clearly felt a pure and cold power, faintly connected to his origin yet of a higher level, spreading from the depths of his consciousness, temporarily "freezing" some of the rampant evil power and restless inner demons within his body, giving him an unprecedented chance to breathe!

What shocked him even more was that, through the not-yet-completely-severed soul link, he vaguely "saw"—in that frozen core, Su Nian's soul hadn't dissipated; instead, it seemed to be undergoing an…inconceivable transformation?! Her soul aura was becoming…more solid, more…profound! It even carried a hint of…coldness and majesty that made his heart tremble?!

How is this possible?!

However, reality didn't allow him time to ponder. The formidable enemy outside, after their initial shock, had already reacted, and even more ferocious attacks followed!

Immortal Lord Qingxu's eyes narrowed, suppressing the turmoil in his heart. With the help of the brief "tranquility" within his body and an even colder and more determined will that came from nowhere, he suddenly swung his natal immortal sword, which was already cracked!

"Frost Condenses...Nine Heavens!"

The clear shout was no longer the chaotic and violent one before, but carried a resolute determination to break through and rebuild, and... a faint, almost imperceptible, cold aura similar to Su Nian's soul aura at this moment!

The sword light was like a bolt of lightning, and wherever it passed, space seemed to be frozen! The originally entangled demonic energy and sinister power were noticeably slowed down under the sword intent which contained a strange "static" characteristic!

"What?!" His opponent, a figure shrouded in a black robe, let out a low growl of surprise and uncertainty, "Your power... what's going on?!"

Immortal Lord Qingxu did not answer. He simply stared intently at his opponent, feeling the increasingly close connection between the ice crystal deep within his sea of ​​consciousness and himself, as well as the extreme pain and indomitable will that Su Nian was enduring, which he could vaguely sense through the connection.

An unprecedented determination, a mixture of protectiveness, guilt, and a strange resonance, filled his heart.

He must win! He must survive! For the sect, and for... that soul deep within his consciousness, reborn from the ashes for him!

And in the deepest part of the frozen prison of the heart.

The storm that gripped the soul gradually subsided.

As the last trace of chaotic energy was devoured and fused by the laws of the ice crystal domain, and as the extreme pain receded like a tide, Su Nian's almost scattered consciousness finally began to coalesce again.

She "looked" at herself.

The soul ice crystal still existed, even more crystalline and translucent than before, emitting a faint, dark blue light that seemed capable of freezing time and space. The soul light within the ice crystal was no longer dim and weak, but had transformed into a cluster... quietly burning... ice flame, radiating the same chilling aura!

Her soul was not destroyed, but instead underwent a fundamental transformation during that incredible energy storm and the fusion of laws!

She felt that her connection with the outer layer of ice and seal had become so close as to be inseparable. It was no longer a mere prison, but more like... a part of her soul, a "armor" or "shell" that coexisted with her and was initially influenced by her will?

She tried it out, and had a fleeting thought.

The ice crystal then trembled very slightly!

Although it's far from enough to break free, it means she's no longer completely passively enduring confinement! She has gained a tiny... influence over this "cage"!

More importantly, she sensed that within her soul essence, which had transformed into ice flames, lay a faint yet undeniably real and strange power possessing the characteristics of "stillness" and "isolation"! This power seemed to be able to be manipulated to a very limited extent according to her will.

Just as she was shocked and somewhat delighted by this transformation in dire straits—

A larger, purer will, seemingly dormant for millennia, carrying a hint of indifference and inquiry awakened by the "same origin" energy, descended quietly from the deepest part of Qingxu Immortal Lord's sea of ​​consciousness like a giant eye slowly opening, once again locking onto this "different" ice crystal!

It's that dark gold consciousness! He... has awakened again?!

Su Nian's soul flames suddenly froze, and the glimmer of hope that had just risen was instantly shrouded in a deeper unease.

The story's suspense takes an even more unpredictable turn at this point—the female protagonist's soul, through a stroke of luck, undergoes a transformation, initially merging with the laws of ice and gaining a faint power. However, this also attracts the renewed attention of a higher-level consciousness. Does this grant her the means to navigate dire situations, or is it the beginning of an even greater crisis? All will be revealed in the next chapter.