In the soul link, the forceful torrent of "observation" that had reduced Su Nian's existence to cold data had receded, but it left an indelible mark on Qingxu Immortal Lord's sea of consciousness. [Structural Stability: High Risk], [Core Crack Expansion Rate: +17.8%]... These words, like nightmares, repeatedly seared his mind.
He continuously channeled gentle primal energy, the energy containing the symbiotic essence of the "Ice Soul Condensation Technique," like a gentle stream, carefully enveloping and nurturing the cracked ice crystal of her soul. All he could do was this—maintain that faint spark of life, using his own renewed power to construct a final, precarious barrier for her in the endless cold and darkness.
However, after "observation" comes "adjustment." This is the cold logic of the Dark Gold Consciousness. Immortal Lord Qingxu could clearly feel that although the channel connecting their souls had returned to its original state, the power behind it that transcended the laws of this realm had not gone away, but was exerting pressure silently. An invisible, suffocating sense of urgency spread out, forcing him to choose among those devilish "optimization solutions."
Stripping? Extracting? He didn't even waver in his thoughts.
But what will be the cost?
The consequences soon became apparent.
The circulation of his newly formed Dao Seal began to experience unprecedented stagnation.
The originally perfect and flawless power always generates a slight, almost imperceptible, yet real "resistance" when flowing through the specific meridians connected to the soul ice crystals. It's as if the entire symbiotic system is instinctively rejecting his "inefficient" and selfless maintenance behavior.
What alarmed him even more was that the soul ice crystal seemed to be struggling to withstand even his gentle nourishment. The cracks on the surface of the ice crystal showed no signs of healing; on the contrary, under the continuous input of his power, they faintly emitted a cracking sound as they were unable to bear the weight.
He wasn't saving her; he accelerated her breakdown!
This realization was like an ancient, thick ice piercing my heart, bringing a chilling cold and despair.
"A flawed maintenance method will accelerate the collapse of the anchor structure." A cold, emotionless thought was once again directly imprinted in his consciousness, like a final verdict: "The system needs balance. Choose, or let the system enforce the optimal solution."
"Optimal solution..." Immortal Lord Qingxu chewed on these three words in his heart, a laugh mixed with rage and sorrow almost bursting from his throat. The so-called optimal solution was to crush her last remaining existence and turn it into resources for his path to enlightenment?
He slowly lowered his head, "looking" at the fragile soul ice crystal gently enveloped by his own primal power. The data-driven assessment was cruel and clear, but what he "felt" was something deeper—the warmth that had once intertwined with his soul deep within that ice crystal, the unique light belonging to "Su Nian" that, even on the verge of shattering, had never truly been extinguished.
This can't go on any longer.
Passive protection can only lead to mutual destruction. The logic of the Dark Gold Consciousness is cold and absolute; it does not understand "emotions," and it only recognizes the conservation of energy and system efficiency.
Therefore, to break this deadlock, we must use a disruptive "variable" that it cannot ignore to forcibly correct the "errors" in this system!
A crazy and resolute idea quickly took shape in his mind, carrying an unquestionable firmness.
He stopped the continuous energy supply.
The gentle power surrounding the soul ice crystal receded like a tide, and the ice crystal seemed to tremble slightly, as if it were uneasy about losing this last support.
Immortal Lord Qingxu's consciousness was more focused than ever before, his entire mind sinking into the newly born Dao Seal that had fused with the complete Ice Soul Inheritance. The Dao Seal was dazzling, containing immeasurable power and infinite possibilities leading to the Great Dao.
Then--
He activated the core runes at the deepest part of the Dao Seal.
It's not about operating, it's not about stimulating.
It's... a reversal!
"boom--!!!"
An indescribable, excruciating pain, originating from the collapse of his very essence, instantly engulfed his entire being! It was a thousand times more intense than any previous backlash!
In his perception, the newly formed Dao Seal, which symbolized hope and the future, emitted a mournful cry of being overwhelmed. Its brilliant light flickered rapidly, and then, starting from its core, countless fine cracks broke out!
Shatter the elixir!
No, it's even more thorough than shattering the core—shattering the seal!
Destroy your own foundation! In the most tragic way, personally destroy this supreme power that you have just obtained and which is not yet stable!
The vast, ocean-like primordial power, freed from the constraints of the Dao Seal, instantly raged and surged wildly within his body. Yet, he forcibly guided and compressed it with his supreme will, transforming it from an input into the purest and most primordial life essence and soul origin. Like a sacrifice, it poured into the nearly shattered soul ice crystal along the soul link without reservation and with overwhelming force!
This is not nourishment, it is replacement! It is a forced exchange of life and soul at the cost of his own path being destroyed and his foundation being lost!
"Ugh—!" His consciousness screamed on the verge of collapse, but he clung to the last shred of clarity.
For the first time, the cold, detached consciousness of the Dark Gold exhibited a violent fluctuation, seemingly unable to comprehend this behavior that completely contradicted its underlying logic. [Warning! Container self-destruction detected! System stability rapidly declining! ...Error! Incomprehensible! Energy flow reversed...]
All the "optimization solutions" it offers are based on sacrificing the "anchor point" to preserve the "container." But Qingxu Immortal Lord chose the exact opposite path—sacrificing the "container" to save the "anchor point"!
This is beyond its computational scope and breaks all the rules it set!
Under the infusion of that vast and boundless primal power, far surpassing the gentle nourishment of before, the Soul Ice Crystal emitted an unbearable hum. Some of the cracks on its surface were forcibly mended, and the extremely faint halo inside suddenly blazed brightly as if it had been thrown into a raging fire!
Although it was still full of cracks and still fragile, the life force it represented suddenly became several times stronger, transforming from being on the verge of death to being stable and clear!
At the same time, Immortal Lord Qingxu's aura collapsed like an avalanche. The newly formed Dao Seal shattered completely, turning into countless points of light that merged into his broken body and soul, barely keeping him from immediate annihilation. His powerful Immortal Lord strength vanished, replaced by a profound weakness and emptiness.
Above the soul link, the cold will, after a violent fluctuation, fell into a kind of "crash"-like silence. It was unable to handle this extreme case, and the "imbalance" of the system was forcibly "corrected" in a way it had never anticipated.
As Qingxu Immortal Lord felt the excruciating pain of emptiness within his body, and the soul fluctuations on the other end of the soul link that, though scarred, had finally stabilized, a smile of extreme weakness, yet undeniable victory and obsessive determination, slowly appeared on his pale face.
He addressed the seemingly chaotic dark gold consciousness, and also addressed the unseen destiny, issuing a silent declaration:
“Now… my path, my power, all of me… have been sacrificed to her.”
“I redefine the ‘balance’ of the system.”
“Dark Gold Consciousness…all your ‘plans’ are now obsolete.”
He sacrificed himself to buy her a chance at life and regain some control, even if the price was eternal damnation.
After absorbing his sacrificial essence, a faint yet vibrant spark of light began to quietly form at the very core of that soul ice crystal.
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