Derrick's appearance was like throwing a block of ice into a volcano about to erupt. The dark spear, imbued with all of Xie Chen's dark killing intent and writhing in agony, was firmly held back by the seemingly gentle yet indestructible gray light emanating from the tip of his wooden staff, unable to advance an inch!

The energies collided violently, emitting a piercing shriek! A deep blue icy domain, dark red destructive energy, and gray purifying light—three completely different forces intertwined and annihilated above the altar, distorting space into blurry ripples!

"Dai, Li, Ke!" Xie Chen spat out the name through gritted teeth, his bloodshot eyes blazing with madness. "Even you... are going to betray me?!"

He couldn't understand why this old steward, who had served him for countless years and was as loyal, rigid, and devoted as his shadow, would repeatedly oppose him for the sake of that "blood servant," and even now, openly stand in front of his destructive spear!

Derrick's hunched body trembled slightly under the violent energy surge, but his hand gripping the wooden staff remained as steady as a rock. His perpetually calm face now revealed a deep, complex emotion, a mixture of sorrow and resolve.

"This old servant has never betrayed you, Master." His voice, clear through the roar of energy, reached Xie Chen's ears, and also reached Su Nian's ears, who was barely maintaining a sliver of consciousness. "What this old servant betrayed was this body corroded by pain and darkness, this cowardly soul that indulges in false 'quiet' and escapes the truth! What this old servant has always been loyal to is the one from ten thousand years ago, the one who dared to face fate head-on, who protected his loved ones even when broken... the real you!"

Before he finished speaking, Derrick's gray cloak fluttered and rustled without any wind! His hunched body seemed to straighten up a bit, and a power that was far more ancient, more obscure, and imbued with the sedimentation of time and a certain sacredness, like a dormant volcano, erupted from within him!

The hazy light suddenly intensified, no longer merely a defense and purification, but carrying a power of law that seemed capable of cleansing the soul and tracing back to the origin! The light surged back like a tide, forcing the dark red destructive energy to retreat steadily!

"This power... You're not an ordinary vampire! Who exactly are you...?" Xie Chen's pupils constricted, and for the first time, an expression of disbelief and horror appeared on his face!

"I am Erwin, the last Ice Priest who served the Ice Soul Saintess (referring to Su Nian's previous life) and the Star Immortal Lord (referring to Xie Chen's previous life) ten thousand years ago."

Derrick, or rather, Erwin, had a voice with an ancient rhythm, as if it had traveled through the river of time. In his gray eyes flowed a recollection of past glories and endless vicissitudes.

"When the cataclysm struck, the Immortal Lord, to protect the Holy Maiden, single-handedly withstood the 'Heavenly Punishment' (the Main God Space), his soul shattered, and most of his essence sealed here. The Holy Maiden's memories were sealed, and she was stranded in another world. I was ordered by the Immortal Lord to conceal my identity and infiltrate this 'shell' formed by the combination of his dark side and the power of the vampires, waiting for the Holy Maiden's return, waiting... for the opportunity to awaken the true master!"

At the top of the wooden staff in his hand, the inconspicuous gray gem shattered completely, revealing an ancient emblem inside that flowed with pure moonlight and ice crystal runes!

"This altar is the core of the former holy land! These ice core fragments are of the same origin as the Saintess's power! And you, my master," Erwin's gaze pierced through the dark energy, looking directly at Xie Chen's chaotic core, "what you drank was not merely blood, but the mark of the Saintess's return, the key to awakening your true nature! The 'quiet' you seek is merely a temporary illusion of your primordial consciousness being soothed by the Saintess's power, a temporary escape from pain! True liberation lies only in facing it, only in... completeness!"

As he spoke, the ancient emblem burst forth with dazzling light, resonating powerfully with the entire altar and the suspended ice core fragments! A deep blue radiance shone brightly, and countless ancient phantoms of the Ice and Snow race appeared and disappeared around the altar, chanting lost prayers!

"With my remnant soul as the guide, and the Holy Emblem of Ice and Snow as the witness, I call your true name—Xie Chen! Lord of the Stars, Companion of the Ice Soul, if you do not awaken now, when will you ever wake up!"

Erwin, the loyal servant who had lain dormant for millennia, let out his final and most glorious cry! His entire figure began to become transparent in the light, and he poured all his remaining power and life essence into this awakening ritual without reservation!

"No--!!!"

Xie Chen let out a desperate and frantic roar! He felt an irresistible, warm and vast power, mixed with the impact of Erwin burning his life, as well as the remaining ice and snow power in the altar beneath his feet, the ice core fragments above his head, and even the entire Eternal Night Forest's ley lines, like countless scorching chains, piercing the deepest part of his soul!

The dark consciousness within him let out a dying howl, struggling and retaliating frantically! The crimson energy, like the claws of a dying beast, tore apart everything around it! The altar trembled violently, and the frozen domain shattered inch by inch!

But that awakening power was too strong, too fundamental! It directly affected his sealed core essence!

Su Nian struggled to lift her head, looking at Erwin (Derrick), whose image was gradually becoming illusory yet bearing a relieved smile, in the center of the light. She looked at Xie Chen, his face contorted in agony amidst the light and pain, and tears mixed with blood blurred her vision. She knew now, she knew everything this old butler had silently sacrificed.

She cannot let this sacrifice go to waste!

With her last ounce of strength, she activated the resonance with the ice core fragments, transforming her awakened icy essence, along with all her emotions and memories, into the purest spiritual support, and casting it towards the core of the light, towards the soul that was waging its final battle against its own darkness!

"Xie Chen! Come back!"

Her call was like the last straw that broke the camel's back, or a lighthouse in a lost journey.

At the core of the light, Xie Chen's struggling movements suddenly stopped.

He slowly and with great difficulty raised his head.

In those blood-red eyes, madness and violence receded like a tide, and the dark energy melted away rapidly, like ice and snow meeting the sun. In its place was a bewilderment, as if awakened from an eternal slumber, and deep within that bewilderment, a clear and familiar light gradually ignited... the light of stars.

He looked at Su Nian, his gaze piercing through the barriers of space and through countless years of time.

That look was no longer the indifference and possessiveness of a vampire prince, but rather the look that Su Nian was familiar with, that transcended countless worlds—the gentleness of an immortal lord, the persistence of a domineering CEO, the reliance of an e-sports god… all the fragments finally came together to form that complete look, that look that belonged only to her… Xie Chen’s eyes.

He opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something.

But the next moment, the starlight that had just ignited in his eyes flickered violently, like a candle flickering in the wind! The dark consciousness had not completely dissipated; it was still making its final backlash! And the awakening power brought about by Erwin burning his life force had also reached its limit!

Xie Chen's face showed an expression of extreme pain. The newborn consciousness and the remaining darkness were engaged in a final tug-of-war in his soul! His body twitched slightly in the air, and his breathing became extremely unstable, sometimes clear and sometimes chaotic.

Finally, amidst the dazzling light and the starlight that Erwin had completely dissipated into, Xie Chen let out a long sigh that seemed both liberating and more painful. All the energy around him—whether darkness or the newly awakened clarity—receded like the tide.

He closed his eyes, his body lost all strength, and he fell straight down from mid-air.

"Thank you, Chen!"

Su Nian exclaimed in surprise, and with a surge of strength from who knows where, she struggled to rush over and caught him just before he fell onto the cold altar floor.

He collapsed into her arms, his face as pale as paper, his breathing so weak it was almost imperceptible, like a delicate puppet devoid of all power. His eyes, which had just regained their clarity, remained tightly closed, and between his brows, a faint, crack-like dark gold mark was faintly visible—a trace left by the fierce conflict between his primordial consciousness and the dark side, proof that the seal had loosened.

Around the altar, the light faded, and the ice core fragments resumed their slow rotation, though their light had dimmed considerably. Erwin… or rather Derrick, had vanished completely, leaving only the dull wooden staff lying quietly not far away.

The pursuers had either died or escaped in the earth-shattering energy blast, and the surroundings were deathly silent. Only the eternal darkness of the Eternal Night Forest and the faint breathing of the person in her arms reminded Su Nian that what had just happened was not a dream.

Holding the unconscious Xie Chen, she sat on the cold, broken altar, feeling the faint yet real fluctuations of his soul within him, tears silently streaming down her face.

Did we win...?

She awakened a corner of his true consciousness, and Erwin paid the ultimate price.

But what's the cost?

He remains unconscious, his condition unknown. Has the dark side truly been dispelled? Or merely suppressed? Will the Main God Space... stand idly by and watch all this unfold?

She raised her head and looked out at the boundless Eternal Night Forest beyond the altar, a forest that seemed to conceal even greater dangers.

The road ahead remains uncertain.

But at least this time, she wasn't alone.

She gently wiped the dust off his face and carefully placed his head on her lap.

"No matter what lies ahead..."

"This time, we'll face it together."

She gripped his cold hand, feeling the faint yet real connection, and her eyes regained their resolve.

However, she did not notice that in the far distance, in the direction of the ancient castle, an extremely subtle and emotionless "gaze" seemed to pierce through layers of space, "looking" at the direction of the altar from afar, before disappearing silently.

(End of Chapter 67)

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Next Chapter Preview: Xie Chen is unconscious, Su Nian is seriously injured, and the two are trapped deep in the Eternal Night Forest! Will Xie Chen's consciousness stabilize after awakening? What does the "gaze" of the Main God Space mean? Are there other secrets or dangers hidden in the Eternal Night Forest? Without Derrick's guidance, how will Su Nian lead the unconscious Xie Chen to survive in this desperate situation and find a final way out? A new test is about to begin!