In the beginning of chaos, the primordial chaos was first discerned.

This was Su Nian's first feeling upon "waking up." It wasn't that she opened her eyes, but rather that some more fundamental "existence" was illuminated. She felt like a drop of water suspended in boundless darkness, containing a faint light within, able to vaguely perceive her own existence, as well as the heart-palpitating, vast, and boundless coldness and silence around her.

Without form, without a coherent memory, only fragmented light and shadow and a deep, bone-deep emotional imprint of sorrow and longing, like an undercurrent, slowly surging within the core of her nascent consciousness.

Among them, the clearest and strongest is a name, a figure—Xie Chen.

The name was like a key; the moment it was touched, it could stir subtle ripples in the sea of ​​consciousness, bringing a mixture of indescribable peace and stinging pain. She didn't know who he was, or what had happened; she only knew that this name was crucial, intimately connected to her very existence.

She began to try to "move" the drop of water, expanding her perception. It was difficult, like an infant trying to control limbs that were not her own. Her "vision" was extremely limited; she could only "see" the soft, milky-white glow emanating from herself, and beyond that glow, the deep, all-consuming darkness.

In this darkness, she felt an omnipresent gaze upon her. That gaze was cold, indifferent, devoid of any emotion, like an observer high in the clouds, recording her every change. This instinctively made her uncomfortable and wary, causing her to subconsciously conceal her own radiance even more.

She focused her senses inward. Her "body" seemed to be... an ice crystal? She could feel the stability and crystalline quality of her own structure, and its surface seemed to have many pale golden, mysterious patterns, as if they had grown naturally. These patterns exuded an aura that felt both familiar and strange to her. And at the very core of the ice crystal was her own spiritual essence, radiating a milky white halo.

She tried, as naturally as breathing, to draw upon a trace of power from her core.

Buzz—

A cool, tranquil stream emerged from the core, flowing gently along the pale golden patterns. Wherever it passed, her perception of her own structure became clearer, and her consciousness seemed to solidify a little more.

This is... the "Ice Soul Condensation Technique"?

The name appeared abruptly in her consciousness, accompanied by some basic information about how to condense one's divine sense and stabilize one's spiritual body. This information seemed to have been imprinted on the very foundation of her being, and was simply being re-read.

Like a child who has found a toy, she began to practice diligently. She guided the cool stream, washing and nurturing the ice crystal again and again, feeling her own consciousness slowly but surely becoming stronger and clearer.

However, amidst this seemingly peaceful cultivation, a deep-seated sadness and emptiness always lingered. She felt incomplete, as if she had lost the most important part of herself.

"Xie Chen..."

Unconsciously, she called out the name again in her mind.

The instant that name was uttered—

A sudden change has occurred!

(change)

It was not an attack from the outside, but rather originated from the depths of her own spiritual essence!

A sealed, extremely brief fragment of memory, accompanied by a resolute will to protect and the terrifying fluctuations of a collapsing Dao foundation, erupted like a dormant volcano, rushing into her just-stabilized consciousness!

[Visuals]: In the center of a dazzling yet terrifying ruin of power, a blurry figure (it's Xie Chen!) faces her, revealing an extremely weak yet undeniably obsessive smile. At his dantian, something symbolizing the core of his power is collapsing, transforming into a primal rain of light that surges towards her like a sacrifice…

• [Thought]: "Now... my path, my life, my everything... have been offered to you."

• [Feelings]: Indescribable palpitations, tearing pain, and a overwhelming, heavy sense of being protected.

"ah--!"

Su Nian's spiritual consciousness emitted a silent shriek, and the milky white halo vibrated violently, almost collapsing again!

The impact was far too intense, exceeding the limits of her newly formed consciousness! It wasn't the memory of a bystander; it was a traumatic echo, personally experienced and imprinted deep within her soul!

He... destroyed himself for her?!

The intense emotional fluctuations triggered the primordial power within the ice crystal core—power originating from the shattered Dao Seal of Immortal Lord Qingxu—that had not yet been fully absorbed. These two powers, sharing the same origin but differing in nature due to their respective owners' varying states, clashed and surged within her spiritual body!

Worse still, deep within this space of consciousness, the omnipresent, cold gaze seemed to ripple subtly due to her violent fluctuations. A probing thought, imbued with the meaning of algorithmic optimization, began to refocus, attempting to analyze her "unstable state."

Just when she was beset by internal and external troubles, and her spiritual consciousness was about to be torn apart again by the conflict between her own emotions and power—

A faint, almost extinguished spark of light flickered stubbornly in a corner of the endless darkness of consciousness that was closely connected to her spirit crystal.

The light was so dim, as if it would vanish forever at any moment.

But in the instant it flickered, a familiar, soothing, and guiding coolness, like a mother's gentle hand, caressed her turbulent consciousness.

It's Xie Chen! It's his lingering presence! He's still here! Although so faint as to be almost nonexistent, he hasn't completely disappeared!

This perception acted like a stabilizing force, instantly calming her mind as it was on the verge of collapse.

She endured the stinging pain in her soul and the tsunami of her emotions, following the deeper meaning of the "Ice Soul Condensation Technique" contained in that faint guidance—it was not merely about condensing herself, but also about resonance and harmony.

She no longer resisted the two conflicting forces within her (her newly born spiritual power and his sacrificial source), nor did she suppress the surging emotions. Instead, she tried to use the light of her own spiritual power as a bridge to communicate with and soothe his raging, broken source, while also sorting out her own spirituality, which had been disrupted by the impact of memories.

This was an extremely delicate and dangerous process, like walking a tightrope over a bottomless abyss. Her entire being was immersed in it, guiding the milky white halo, like a weaver weaving, little by little, to gently and closely weave the pale golden primordial power that represented his sacrifice with her own spiritual consciousness.

Gradually, the internal conflict began to subside. His power was no longer violent, but rather like a gentle stream, beginning to truly and deeply nourish her spirit crystal, and the pale golden patterns became brighter and more harmonious. The sorrow and longing did not disappear, but settled down, transforming into a steadfast foundation within her consciousness.

As the internal storm finally subsided, Su Nian's spiritual phantom became more solid, and the light it emitted became purer and more restrained. She felt that her fusion with this soul ice crystal had deepened, and her control over her own power had reached a new level.

She focused all her attention on the direction from which the faint spark of light came—the dark corner of that space of consciousness.

She "saw" it.

There, there was no formed consciousness, only tiny, almost blending-into-the-background fragments of soul light, like fireflies, silently floating and flickering in the cold darkness. They exuded an aura of the same origin as that pale golden essence, the last proof of Xie Chen's existence, the most primordial fragments of his soul remaining after his consciousness had completely faded away.

They were too faint, too faint to think or respond, merely clinging to some instinct, or rather, to the unbroken connection with her soul, barely managing to avoid completely dissipating.

For her sake, he not only shattered his Dao seal, but his consciousness almost vanished into nothingness.

A feeling of bitterness and resolve replaced the previous panic and sorrow.

She knew what she had to do.

She carefully guided her spiritual power, which had merged with his origin and become more gentle and vibrant, transforming it into the finest and softest threads of light, silently nourishing the floating fragments of soul light like spring rain.

She didn't know if it would work, or if it could wake him up. It could be a long and desperate process, or it might never end.

But she had to do it.

Just like how he once protected her at all costs.

Time loses its meaning in this space of consciousness.

Su Nian tirelessly repeated this process, continuing to cultivate the "Ice Soul Condensation Technique" to stabilize herself, while generously and continuously transferring the power she gained from cultivation to those dim soul fragments.

She could see that, nourished by her spiritual power, the flickering of those light fragments seemed to have stabilized slightly, and the rate at which they dissipated seemed to have slowed down a little.

This tiny change gave her endless hope.

Just as she was fully focused on this long and lonely mission of guardianship, a chance, deeper spiritual scan led her to discover something unusual deep within those floating fragments of soul light.

There, there was an extremely tiny speck of light. Its light was not the color that the soul of the Immortal Lord Qingxu should have, but rather carried a trace of almost imperceptible, cold, metallic texture.

Furthermore, this speck of light seems to be... extremely slowly attempting to assimilate the surrounding specks of light belonging to Xie Chen's soul!

It's not Xie Chen!

It is... a fragment of the consciousness of the master of that cold gaze—the Dark Gold Consciousness—that was severed and frozen here by that ancient will during that earth-shattering collision...?

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(End of Chapter 45)

Next Chapter Preview: Su Nian discovers a fragment of dark gold consciousness hidden within Xie Chen's remnant soul! Is this fragment a blessing or a curse? What does its slow degeneration signify? How can Su Nian deal with this deadly "tumor" without harming Xie Chen's remnant soul? And does the existence of this fragment mean that the dark gold consciousness has already laid a deeper foreshadowing? The path of protection is about to be fraught with new challenges!