The shadows of the Eternal Night Forest provided Su Nian with the best cover. The awakening of her memories was like infusing her with a completely new soul. Although her body was still weak and her wounds still ached faintly, the confusion and hope that had once filled her eyes had been replaced by a calm frost. She was no longer the "blood servant" struggling to survive in her cage, but an avenger returning with the truth and fury.
Following the faint connection deep within her soul to an ancient, icy presence, she traversed the tangled thickets of trees. Her movements were lighter and more precise than before, as if she had found some strange resonance with the dark forest. Though her transformed Ice Soul power was diminished, it was incredibly responsive, forming a faint, almost seamless, barrier of chill around her. This not only further concealed her presence but also rendered the sound of her footsteps on fallen leaves nearly imperceptible.
However, the pursuers behind her were like leeches clinging to her bones. The five vampire hunters were clearly experienced; their compasses seemed to be able to pinpoint the lingering scent of her blood or the fluctuations of her contract. They remained close by, slowly tightening their encirclement in a flanking formation.
Su Nian could faintly hear their suppressed whispers, tinged with excitement and cruelty, carried on the wind:
"The signal is very strong...she's nearby..."
"You're injured, you can't run far... Be careful, the prince wants you alive, but he didn't say you can't lose an arm or a leg..."
"Hmph, a lowly human blood servant dares to offend His Majesty..."
A chilling killing intent coalesced in Su Nian's eyes. She no longer saw them merely as pursuers, but rather... as part of the Main God Space's henchmen, obstacles preventing her from reuniting with Xie Chong.
She stopped behind a massive, ancient tree, its trunk covered in glowing moss, leaning against its cold, rough bark, slightly out of breath. The wound on her left shoulder was bleeding again from the continued movement, sending shivers of pain through her. She couldn't continue this passive escape; she had to fight back and deal with these pursuers, otherwise she wouldn't be able to focus on finding clues deeper in the forest.
She glanced at the jade hairpin in her hand, its luster slightly enhanced, and a plan instantly formed in her mind.
Su Nian chose a small depression, slightly lower in elevation and surrounded by several moss-covered boulders and dense shrubs. The relatively obstructed view made it suitable for an ambush. She moved swiftly, carefully gathering nearly half of her Ice Soul Power, like weaving a spider web, at several key points around the depression—under the shadow of a boulder, at the roots of a twisted shrub, and amidst a cluster of brightly colored mushrooms exuding a putrid stench.
She didn't set any traps with direct offensive capabilities; her power wasn't enough to instantly cripple these elite hunters. What she did was construct a temporary, small-scale prototype of an "extremely cold domain." This was achieved by leveraging the awe-inspiring, time-freezing nature of the transformed Ice Soul Power, as well as the abundant moisture and yin energy of the Eternal Night Forest itself.
After doing all this, her face paled even more, but her eyes remained sharp. She gripped the jade hairpin tightly in her right hand, as if holding an invisible short sword, and then deliberately released some of her aura concealment, even intentionally letting the bloody smell of the wound on her left shoulder dissipate slightly.
After doing all this, she silently climbed up a nearby ancient tree with lush foliage, hiding in the dense canopy, holding her breath and concentrating like the most patient hunter, waiting for her prey to step into the trap.
A moment later, rustling footsteps approached.
Two vampire hunters appeared first at the edge of the depression. They scanned their surroundings warily, the compass needles in their hands trembling violently, pointing straight to the center of the depression.
"The signal is strongest here! She must be hiding inside!" A hunter licked his sharp canines, his eyes gleaming with bloodlust.
"Be careful, it might be a trap." The other, more cautious man, gripped the poisoned dagger at his waist.
The two exchanged a glance, then, positioned to the left and right, cautiously stepped into the depression.
The instant their feet completely stepped into Su Nian's pre-set area—
Buzz!
An extreme chill, not from the outside world but originating from the soul, suddenly descended!
The air seemed to freeze instantly, and the shimmering moss on the ground was covered with a layer of white frost at a visible speed! The two hunters felt their blood flow suddenly slow down, their limbs become stiff and numb, and even their thoughts seemed to be frozen! The dark energy around them seemed to have met its nemesis, its circulation becoming extremely sluggish!
"Oh no! It's a trap!" The cautious hunter was terrified and tried to retreat, but found that his feet were frozen to the ground!
Now!
High in the treetop, a cold glint flashed in Su Nian's eyes, and his figure swooped down like a night owl hunting its prey! His target was the mental hunter who had temporarily lost his balance due to shock!
She poured all the remaining power of her Ice Soul into the jade hairpin she was holding tightly in her right hand! The originally warm and smooth jade hairpin now burst out with a dazzling icy blue light, and the chill gathered at its tip made the surrounding air creak and freeze!
"puff--!"
Without any hindrance! The jade hairpin, imbued with the ultimate power of ice, pierced the hunter's heart with precision and ruthlessness, like a hot knife cutting through butter!
A burst of icy blue light erupted from his body! Before he could even scream, his entire body was rapidly covered from the inside out with a thick layer of ice crystals shimmering with runic light, his expression frozen in horror, turning him into a lifelike ice sculpture! The dark energy and life force within his body were instantly annihilated under the absolute low temperature of the Ice Soul Power!
One strike, one kill!
The other hunter was terrified by the sudden turn of events and the instant death of his companion! He forced his stiff limbs to move, wielding the sharp blade in his hand, which was wrapped in the remaining dark energy, and slashed at Su Nian, who had just landed and was breathing heavily!
"Go to hell!"
Su Nian had just unleashed a powerful attack, and now her strength was exhausted and she hadn't yet generated any new power. Seeing the sharp blade approaching, she could only barely turn to the side and block with her left arm!
"Sizzle!"
The sharp blade sliced through her arm, leaving a deep, bone-revealing wound that splattered blood! But at the same time, the hunter, having forcibly exerted himself within the "Extreme Cold Domain," suffered a backlash from the chill, causing his movements to falter once more!
Despite the excruciating pain, Su Nian used the momentum of turning to the side to release the jade hairpin, which had lost its luster and was covered in cracks, with her right hand. She formed a claw with her five fingers, gathered the last bit of her remaining soul power (not the power of ice soul, but the original soul power from her awakened memories), and with an inviolable majesty that seemed to come from a higher dimension, she fiercely grabbed at the hunter's forehead!
"To peer into my soul? You... are not worthy!"
Her voice was cold and noble, with an unfamiliar, ancient tone.
The hunter felt as if his soul had been gripped tightly by an invisible hand, and all his consciousness and memories were instantly shattered and stripped away! He let out a shrill scream that was not human, black blood spilled from his seven orifices, and he fell straight backward, his eyes empty, his soul already gone!
The depression instantly returned to deathly silence. There were only two corpses—one an ice sculpture, the other with its eyes wide open in death—and Su Nian, kneeling on the ground, panting heavily and covered in blood.
The "extreme cold zone" slowly dissipated as it lost its energy support.
She succeeded. Despite being severely injured, she used the terrain, her wit, and her transformed power to kill two elite vampire hunters.
But the price was enormous. Her left arm suffered a severe new injury, her Ice Soul Power was almost completely exhausted, and her soul power was still reeling from that final blow. The jade hairpin that held the token of their past was also completely shattered, turning into dust that slipped through her fingers.
She had no time to grieve, nor to tend to her injuries. The commotion would soon attract three more hunters!
She struggled to her feet, staggered to the hunter she had killed with her soul strike, and quickly searched his body. She found some vampire currency, several vials of potions of unknown purpose, and... the tracking compass that was still flashing red.
She picked up the compass, gazing at the pointer that pointed to her, a cold glint in her eyes. She attempted to infuse the compass with a wisp of her remaining icy power, imbued with the unique essence of her soul.
The compass trembled violently, the pointer spun wildly, and finally, with a "crack," the crystal at its core shattered, and the red light went out completely.
It's ruined.
She dared not linger. She picked up the poisoned dagger the hunter had dropped, supported herself, and quickly left the hollow filled with the stench of blood and death, disappearing once more into the deeper darkness of the forest.
Shortly after she left, three other hunters arrived, drawn by the earlier commotion. When they saw their companion's gruesome death, especially the eerie ice sculpture, their faces showed expressions of horror and disbelief.
"What...what kind of power is this?!"
"This is no ordinary ice spell... This chill... can freeze the soul!"
"Quickly! Send a signal! The target is in extreme danger! Requesting backup!"
A blood-red magic flare shot into the sky and exploded under the dark sky of the Eternal Night Forest. Even though it was filtered by the dense canopy, it was still extremely dazzling.
Further away, in the direction of the ancient castle, Xie Chen, standing on the highest stargazing platform, seemed to sense something. His blood-red eyes suddenly looked into the depths of the forest, and for the first time, an uncontrollable, solemn and profound fluctuation appeared on his cold face.
Deep in the forest, Su Nian, staggering forward, also saw the crimson light of the signal flare.
She knew that an even more brutal hunt was about to begin.
But a cold and resolute smile curved her lips.
"bring it on."
"Let's see in the end... who is the real hunter."
She gripped the poisoned dagger tightly and walked resolutely toward the source of that ancient, chilling sensation. Blood was still flowing from the wounds on her shoulder and arm, leaving a broken, scarlet trail behind her.
(End of Chapter 64)
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Next Chapter Preview: A bloody counterattack deters the pursuers, but Su Nian is also seriously injured, and her whereabouts are exposed! What kind of force will Xie Chen send to encircle and annihilate her? Is that ancient, cold being deep in the forest friend or foe? Can her awakened memories and powers support her to the end? In this desperate situation, can Su Nian find a glimmer of hope in the Eternal Night Forest, or even... an opportunity for a counterattack? The hunting game is leveling up!
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