Murderous intent.

A cold, pure, and unadulterated killing intent, like a tangible chill, seeped into every tiny channel of the soul connection, instantly engulfing Su Nian's nascent consciousness. The previous gaze was indifferent observation, an algorithmically optimized scrutiny; now, it transformed into a judgmental gaze, carrying an undeniable will to destroy.

The self-destruction of that dark gold fragment was not the end, but an alarm. Through its own annihilation, it conveyed a signal of the highest priority to the main body—the "emotional variable" here had exceeded the controllable range and had begun to erode the system logic in reverse, posing a risk of triggering "infinite chaos."

Su Nian's illusory spiritual form swayed violently under the pressure of this killing intent, its milky-white light compressed to a thin layer that could only cover its core. She felt like the last leaf in a blizzard, about to be torn apart at any moment. Fear instinctively gripped her, but even stronger than fear was the indomitable spirit ignited from the depths of her soul by Xie Chen's sacrifice.

She could not retreat, nor did she have a way to retreat. Behind her were the last remaining, faint fragments of Xie Chen's soul.

[An uncontrollable variable, 'emotion,' was detected, triggering systemic disorder.]

[Initiating the 'purification process' according to Chapter Zero of the underlying protocol.]

[Objective: Eliminate the source of abnormal variables (anchor point - Su Nian), recover usable law information (Ice Soul Inheritance, unknown high-level information fragments), and format the contaminated area (container - Qingxu Remnant Soul).]

[Countdown begins...]

The icy intent was no longer being transmitted to her, but rather echoing in this space of consciousness like a pronouncement. Along with this intent, Su Nian "saw" that the channel of their soul connection began to be filled and blocked by a viscous energy radiating an ominous white light. This energy carried an absolute sense of "order" and "purification," and wherever it passed, even the void of consciousness seemed to be "bleached," losing all color and vitality, returning to a deathly pure white.

Purification process...formatting...

They want to erase her, erase Xie Chen, erase everything that happened here!

Despair washed over her like a bucket of ice water. The difference in power was too great. She was merely a nascent spirit, facing an unknown being capable of constructing a symbiotic system and manipulating laws. To withstand it head-on would only result in her being instantly "purified."

Is there really no other way?

Her spiritual senses raced, searching for any possible chance of survival. The dying words of the Dark Gold Fragment echoed in her mind: "...'Infinite Chaos' triggered by 'Emotional Variables'...Highest Priority Threat..."

Are they afraid of "emotions"? Are they afraid of "unpredictability"?

Is it because this is beyond the scope of their cold, logical calculations?

An extremely risky, even whimsical, idea, like a flash of lightning in the darkness, illuminated her consciousness.

Since they fear "unpredictability," she will push that "unpredictability" to the extreme!

Since they want to "purify" all "abnormalities," then she will make herself the biggest "abnormality"!

She stopped trying to tighten her defenses and stopped pushing outwards. Instead, she did something completely contrary to her survival instincts—she deliberately loosened her own spiritual defenses and even actively guided the edge energy of the "purifying" energy that was beginning to seep in to touch her!

"Sizzle—!"

Like cold water dripping into boiling oil, a violent repulsion reaction occurred instantly. The milky-white aura of spiritual consciousness, at the edge of contact with the "purifying" energy, emitted a piercing sound of being eroded and dissolved, bringing excruciating pain as if tearing at the soul. Su Nian's illusory spiritual consciousness twisted violently, its light flickering uncertainly, as if it would dissipate at any moment.

She's gambling! She's gambling that when this "purifying" energy comes into contact with her, the "core of the abnormal variable," it will create a logical conflict due to its inherent "unpredictability" and "emotional" characteristics, even if only for a moment!

really!

As the "purifying" energy attempted to delve deeper into and assimilate the emotional imprints (sadness, longing, and resolute protection) closely connected to Xie Chen within her spiritual core, its originally stable and orderly progress experienced a minute delay and disruption. It was as if the most precise instrument had suddenly encountered a chaotic data stream that could not be calculated using existing formulas.

Effective! But far from enough! This disturbance is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot; it cannot prevent the final inundation of the "purifying" torrent.

We need a stronger "source of interference"! We need a more intense and purer "emotional variable"!

Her gaze fell upon the fragments of Xie Chen's soul light, which appeared even dimmer under the oppressive killing intent, as if they might be extinguished at any moment.

An idea that sent shivers down her spine emerged uncontrollably.

If... if the deepest emotional imprints in Xie Chen's remnant soul were to resonate and merge completely with her own spiritual consciousness, and together they faced this "purification," what kind of chemical reaction would occur? Would it create an even more powerful "chaos" capable of shaking the cold logic?

This is extremely dangerous. Xie Chen's remnant soul is too fragile; any intense resonance could hasten its dissipation. This is tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst.

But there was no time to hesitate! The white light of "purification" energy had already spread more than halfway, and the countdown to death was ringing in their ears.

"I'm sorry, Xie Chen..." she murmured silently in her mind, with a resolute tenderness, "Trust me one more time..."

She no longer guides the "purification" energy, but transforms all her spiritual consciousness into the gentlest yet most steadfast bridge, no longer merely nourishing in one direction, but attempting to resonate with those floating, faint fragments of soul light at the deepest level!

She no longer suppressed her newly born emotions, which were incredibly intense because of him—the preciousness of something lost and then regained, the heartache of witnessing his sacrifice, and the resolute determination to live in solitude rather than alone. She poured these emotions out without reservation, like burning flames, through the bridge of her consciousness, towards those fragments of soul light.

At the same time, she also actively sought to perceive and accept the emotions contained within Xie Chen's fragments—that obsession that transcends reincarnation, that unwavering protection of the broken imprints, and that deep, abyss-like waiting and love.

Two torrents of emotions, born from the same source and intertwined by sacrifice and protection, collided violently at this moment of life and death, and then... became one!

"boom--!!!"

Like the Big Bang at the beginning of the universe, it was silent, yet it shook the entire space of consciousness!

A seven-colored, glazed light, which could not be defined by any existing laws and was purely formed from extreme emotions, suddenly erupted from the point where Su Nian's spiritual consciousness and Xie Chen's remnants merged!

This light contains no aggressive energy, yet it possesses a subversive, "unreasonable" presence. Unlike the "purifying" white light that rejects everything, it acts like an all-encompassing vortex, actively embracing the spreading "purifying" energy!

An unbelievable scene unfolded.

The invincible "purifying" white light, representing absolute order, seemed to encounter its natural enemy the moment it came into contact with the seven-colored glazed light, emitting a piercing, metallic shriek! It tried to "purify" the light, but found that the light itself had no "abnormal structure" to analyze; it was simply a state of being, an "existence" that transcended logic!

The white light fluctuated and distorted violently, and its stable internal operating logic began to show large areas of garbled code and logical collapse under the impact of this pure "emotional chaos"!

[Error! Error! Encountered interference from an unknown dimension!]

[The purification protocol has been impacted by an unanalyzable force! The logic core is overloaded!]

[The target variable (emotion) level has surged dramatically! Exceeding the defined threshold! Risk! Risk!]

For the first time, the icy intent was tinged with a distinct, almost panicked fluctuation. The spreading "purifying" white light was as if blocked by an invisible force, not only unable to advance but also beginning to retreat step by step, forced to shrink continuously by the seemingly gentle yet infinitely possible seven-colored glazed light!

Su Nian hovered at the center of the shimmering light, feeling an unprecedentedly close connection between herself and the remnants of Xie Chen. Far from being damaged by the resonance, her consciousness became more solid and clear through this profound emotional cleansing, radiating a warm and powerful glow. The pale golden primordial patterns completely merged with her own milky-white aura, becoming indistinguishable.

As she watched the retreating white light of "purification," she felt no joy, only a profound realization.

She found a way to confront the Dark Gold consciousness—not a battle of power, but a confrontation of its very essence. She used the power of "emotion" and "mind," which they could neither comprehend nor calculate, to shake its cold, logical foundations.

However, she also clearly felt that the fragments of Xie Chen's soul light in her arms, after unleashing their hidden emotional power, became even dimmer, as if they had exhausted the last bit of energy to sustain their existence. This resonance had been extremely taxing on his remnant soul.

The "purifying" white light was forced back to the entrance of the soul link channel, yet it still stubbornly attempted to reorganize and counterattack. Amidst the chaotic fluctuations of the dark gold consciousness, the killing intent did not subside; instead, it became even sharper and deeper due to the setback.

[...The 'purification process' was immediately suspended...]

[Threat level reassessed... The variable 'Sentiment' has been confirmed as 'Enemy of Order'...]

[Initiating pre-loading of the final response plan... Simultaneously requesting higher-level access...]

[Warning: The system has a fundamental conflict... the possibility of... mutual destruction cannot be ruled out...]

After leaving behind these ominous messages, the cold intent receded like a tide, along with the suffocating murderous gaze, disappearing once more into the depths of the soul link.

The crisis has been temporarily averted.

But Su Nian knew that this was just the beginning. She had touched the deepest taboo, exposed the other party's true "weakness," and attracted attention from higher levels and even more extreme killing intent.

She gently embraced (in a spiritual way) the increasingly faint fragments of soul light, and slowly passed on the warm life light that she had merged with.

"Rest now," she whispered in her mind, with endless pity and determination, "Now, it's my turn to protect you."

Just when she thought she could finally catch her breath and focus all her energy on nurturing Xie Chen's remnant soul—

The pale blue mark, which had been dormant deep within the ice crystals of her soul and belonged to ancient and boundless thoughts, suddenly pulsed slightly on its own initiative.

A faint yet incredibly clear stream of guiding intent, like the light of a lighthouse piercing through the fog, directly entered the core of her consciousness.

Within that stream of thoughts was an extremely blurry fragment of a map, seemingly made of ice and snow, and a coordinate system that kept repeating itself, filled with the aura of ancient times!

Is this ancient tradition... actively warning her? Or is it guiding her... somewhere?

---

(End of Chapter 47)

Next Chapter Preview: The "purification process" is forced to halt, but the Dark Gold Consciousness has initiated the final pre-loading of the plan, and higher authority is about to intervene! While Su Nian's emotional resonance with Xie Chen averted the crisis, it also made his remnant soul even more precarious. At this moment, the ancient mark suddenly transmits mysterious coordinates—is it the only way out, or another unknown trap? How will Su Nian choose? How will his broken soul bear this sudden guidance? In this desperate situation, the divine oracle of ice and snow descends once more!