An attempt to synchronize with the same frequency, a harbinger of ice cracking.

"Don't give up... I'm still... trying..."

That faint yet incredibly clear thought, which had pierced through layers of reinforced seals, was like the last spark of fire. Though encased in endless ice, it stubbornly burned deep within the frozen sea of ​​consciousness of Immortal Lord Qingxu, and was also imprinted on his mind, which was nearly out of control due to anger and powerlessness.

Hope has not been completely extinguished.

It is merely bound by heavier, stronger shackles, requiring greater strength and a more resolute will to break them.

The dark gold consciousness, carrying displeasure and warning, slowly receded, leaving only the soul ice crystal, which was completely bound by several dark gold law chains, its light completely concealed, and looked like a dead object, as well as an even more suffocating sense of surveillance permeating the entire sea of ​​consciousness.

Immortal Lord Qingxu slowly loosened his clenched fists, his knuckles pale from the excessive force. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and the icy air seemed to carry the smell of steel, piercing his lungs.

Anger is useless, and despair is even more useless.

He must remain calm. He must hone his mind and strength as if he were sharpening the sharpest ice blade.

Su Nian was trying. In that absolute silence and confinement, she still did not give up, and even... seemed to have found a way to interact with him, to try to "help" him? Although that attempt brought about an even more severe seal.

what does that mean?

This means she wasn't entirely passive! It means her symbiotic fusion with the Frozen Law may have produced changes that even the Dark Gold Consciousness couldn't fully anticipate! It means the essence of their soul connection may transcend a simple connection of consciousness, touching upon some deeper level... Law Resonance?

A bold, almost insane conjecture gradually took shape in his mind.

He was no longer in a hurry to break through the reinforced seal, nor did he passively wait for Su Nian's faint response as before.

He began to devote more energy to in-depth research on his own "Ice Mark Dao Seal" and the phenomenon of soul resonance with Su Nian.

He repeatedly savored and analyzed the brief energy interaction process before—how Su Nian's soul ice crystal absorbed the wisp of demonic energy in his body, how it "filtered" and "transformed" it, and finally fed back a pure and strange energy that nourished his Dao seal.

This process was by no means accidental.

It seems to follow some kind of...unique "frequency"?

A unique resonance frequency that exists only between him and Su Nian, shaped by their shared experiences of life and death, the pain they endured together, the profound meaning of "stillness" they comprehended together, and the soul connection that transcends worlds.

Dark gold consciousness can seal energy and isolate thoughts, but can it... completely block out this mysterious "frequency" that originates from the soul's source?

Immortal Lord Qingxu decided to take a gamble.

He adjusted his cultivation method.

No longer just for increasing strength or healing, but... trying to actively "simulate" and "get closer" to that special state when resonating with Su Nian.

He recalled the subtle changes in his Dao seal, the special fluctuations in his mind, and even... the speed of his blood flow and the amplitude of his soul trembling every time he received Su Nian's thoughts.

He disassembled and analyzed these extremely subtle and ineffable perceptions little by little, and then tried to actively reproduce and amplify this "state" in his own practice.

He was like the most patient musician, tuning a unique instrument that was intertwined with his life, trying to find the melody that could perfectly harmonize with another instrument on the distant other side...

This process was extremely difficult and fraught with uncertainty. Many times, he felt like a blind man trying to describe an elephant, his efforts futile. Several times, his deliberate attempts to guide the fluctuations of his mind and Dao seal nearly caused him to lose control of his power, further aggravating his injuries.

But he did not give up.

With each failure, each time he teetered on the brink of losing control, he would force himself to steady himself, turn his attention back to that lifeless ice crystal, and in the depths of his heart, call out her name again and again, trace her outline, and feel the cold obsession that existed because of her.

He didn't know if doing this would work, but he could feel that when he immersed himself in this state, the cold and violent "Ice Mark Dao Seal" in his body seemed to become slightly... "gentler"? And its operation would be smoother?

This small change gave him the confidence to continue.

It is unknown how much time has passed; perhaps it was during one of his countless attempts.

When he once again adjusted his mind to that ultimate state of "resonance," focusing entirely on "sensing" the ice crystal, even going so far as to slightly reverse his Dao seal to simulate the subtle feeling of "emptiness" he had experienced when the ice crystal "drained" his energy—

Another anomaly has occurred!

The soul ice crystal, sealed by layers of dark gold chains and long since lifeless, had its core, deep within which the absolutely frozen spark of primordial energy flickered once more without warning!

This time, it was no longer a faint, almost illusory flicker.

Instead, it was... a clear, powerful pulse, as if responding to his long and persistent "call" and "adjustment"!

Along with this pulse, a cold and serene aura, though still faint, was more concentrated than ever before and more in tune with the frequency of his "Ice Mark Dao Seal." Like a precisely tuned ray, it ignored the layers of dark gold seals surrounding it and precisely... projected onto the core of his Dao Seal!

"Buzz—!"

Immortal Lord Qingxu trembled violently!

He clearly "felt" that the moment his "Ice Mark Dao Seal" came into contact with this essence, it was like a long-awaited rain after a drought, emitting a joyful and smooth hum! The speed of the Dao Seal's operation instantly increased, and the efficiency of suppressing and refining the remaining chaotic power in his body suddenly increased! Even the stubborn, insidious power in his shoulder blades was washed away and loosened slightly by this same pure essence!

It works! His guess was correct!

The resonance between their souls, its very "frequency," is a power that can penetrate seals! A deeper level of connection that a dark gold consciousness might be able to detect but cannot completely prevent!

However, just as he was thrilled by this breakthrough and preparing to attempt deeper interactions, such as trying to send some gentle energy back—

"Snap!"

A faint yet clear cracking sound, like a thunderclap, suddenly exploded in his mind!

The source of the sound... was none other than the outer layer of that soul ice crystal!

Immortal Lord Qingxu's heart almost stopped beating!

He suddenly "looked" over—

On the outermost layer of the ice crystal, the ice seal initially laid by the dark gold consciousness, a hair-thin yet incredibly clear crack had quietly appeared!

Was it because of Su Nian's overly "powerful" response just now? Or was it because his continuous "frequency" resonance had finally reached a certain critical point? Or perhaps... something unknown was happening inside the ice crystal, something that even the Dark Gold Consciousness couldn't fully control...?

The crack was so small that it was almost negligible compared to the solid ice.

But it's like the first crack in the ice announcing the arrival of spring, signifying... that absolute stillness has been broken!

Almost at the same instant the crack appeared!

That enormous, cold, seemingly omnipresent dark gold consciousness, carrying an unprecedented and almost "enraged" violent fluctuation, descended with a roar, like a primordial beast whose core restrictions had been triggered!

It instantly locked onto that tiny crack, and beneath it, the soul ice crystal that seemed to be undergoing some kind of "qualitative change"!

[Top Alert! Structural damage detected in the sealing unit (Frozen Law - Sub-body)!]

[An abnormal surge in soul activity detected in the observed sample (anchor point - Su Nian)! The resonance intensity exceeds the safety threshold!]

[Determination: The symbiotic fusion system has undergone uncontrolled evolution! Poses a serious threat to the 'container' and the observation program!]

[Emergency Plan Execution: Initiate... Law-Level... Annihilation Procedure...]

This time, the cold stream of thoughts carried no trace of assessment or observation; it was nothing but the purest, uncompromising...destructive will!

Annihilation program?!

Immortal Lord Qingxu's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints! An unprecedented chill instantly froze his blood and thoughts!

No--! ! !

The suspense in the story reaches an unprecedented climax—the male and female protagonists finally find a way to resonate beyond the seal, but this triggers the most extreme "annihilation" response from the Dark Gold Consciousness! At this critical juncture of life and death, is that tiny crack in the ice the beginning of hope or the countdown to the end? Everything awaits to be revealed in the next chapter!