Overdraw the future and become a peerless martial god

Chapter 119 Life Tribulation
The moment the first lightning tribulation dissipated, the world fell silent.

Dark clouds rolled in, and the thunder still raged, yet Chu Ning's figure remained at the center of that sea of ​​lightning.

Although his body was covered in scorch marks and his clothes were torn, his upright posture seemed to pierce through the wind and thunder, shaking the hearts of everyone present.

On the tower, Li Jing'an clenched the magic seal in his sleeve, his Adam's apple bobbing, but he ultimately remained silent.

He had witnessed too many life-and-death situations, seen the bloody tides of thousands of troops charging into battle, but he had never seen an ordinary person face such a life-or-death situation.

Xie Mingli gripped the hem of her skirt tightly with both hands, her lips biting until they turned white.

She knew perfectly well that it was a tribulation, a legendary lightning tribulation that even the most talented would surely perish.

She knew perfectly well that she was powerless to save him.

But her feet kept moving forward, as if she would rush to the person's aid without hesitation if he fell.

"You mustn't fall," she murmured softly, her voice as gentle as the wind, yet concealing the throbbing of her entire heart.

The surrounding sect disciples and ordinary cultivators all held their breath.

"He...is still alive?"

"This is beyond what a normal human body could withstand, isn't it?"

"How on earth did he do it..."

In the crowd, someone exclaimed in a low voice:

"He...he was looking at the sky."

People looked up.

Sure enough, in the center of the lightning tribulation, the charred and broken figure that did not bend over slowly raised its head.

His gaze was fixed on the abyss where the second lightning shadow was slowly taking shape in the sky.

There was no retreat, no respite.

He didn't even... hesitate.

"boom!"

The second tribulation lightning bolt finally struck.

That was a lightning bolt that burned the body—crushing bones and tendons, peeling away skin and corroding the soul.

The lightning poured down like a raging torrent, a thousand layers of thunder, its light shining like tens of thousands of suns and moons, illuminating the entire sky with nowhere to hide. At this moment, only a single, violent white light remained between heaven and earth, seemingly tearing the entire world apart and rebuilding it.

Chu Ning's flesh and blood were peeled away inch by inch, his bones and muscles were charred, his hair turned to ashes, and his soul trembled and burned in the light of the calamity, his body like a withered branch being set ablaze.

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, Tun Yuan also let out a shrill scream.

He wanted to retreat, but because his two souls were one, he could not separate them and could only share the tribulation with Chu Ning.

"what--"

That was a heart-wrenching wail.

His proud soul blood ignited the flames of calamity; one of the nine soul seeds he scattered throughout the world shattered in an instant.

Even Wang Lin, who was buried in the fiefdom of Qingyang County, was wiped out.

That was his spare shell, which now collapsed into the void like paper.

Consequently, even his faint projection somewhere in the far north was severed by the lightning energy.

Chu Ning's mind trembled, and he gritted his teeth, a cold glint appearing in his eyes.

"I thought your soul was immortal? It's nothing special."

Tun Yuan's face was contorted with rage; his previous composure was gone, replaced by an instinctive fear.
“We are one body. If you destroy my clone, I will die, and your soul will backfire, and you won’t live long either.”

Chu Ning sneered, remaining silent, only clenching his fists tightly, his gaze piercing the sky amidst the lightning.

Just as the destructive light was about to crush his last glimmer of life.

A faint blue light quietly bloomed within its body, like spiritual water seeping into scorched earth.

"Om-"

That was a "substitute death talisman" crafted by Yipin Pavilion and personally sealed into Wang Lin's body by Li Jing'an.

An extremely gentle yet indestructible force rose from the depths of Chu Ning's consciousness, transforming into a rune shadow that suddenly blocked the path between Chu Ning and the lightning tribulation.

"Boom!"

The entire sea of ​​consciousness trembled, and lightning bolts crashed into the talisman shadow like a raging dragon, but were momentarily slowed down.

"puff!"

Black blood gushed from Tun Yuan's throat, and his sea of ​​consciousness felt as if it had been ripped apart by knives and axes.

"You actually... planted that talisman in my soul! Li Jing'an, you're courting death!"

At this moment, his eyes were filled with hatred, yet he was helpless.

The second lightning tribulation ended, and the white light dissipated.

A profound silence fell over the land, leaving only the stench of anguish and destruction. In the distance, amidst the ruins, the people stared blankly at the sky, wondering to whom this battle would ultimately prevail.

As the lightning dissipated, a kneeling black figure slowly emerged from the scorched earth. It was Chu Ning.

His body was almost unrecognizable as human, with scorched flesh and exposed bones, covered with intertwined blood and lightning patterns, and blue and white lightning mixed with scarlet evil energy.

The protection of the substitute death talisman resulted in this half-human, half-demon body.

The Abyss seemed to have vanished, but he was still alive.

A lightning-patterned mark had formed between his brows, like a mark of destiny, embedded deep within his soul.

Xie Mingli's eyes were filled with tears as she watched the man, whose body was half charred, stagger to his feet. Yet, there was still a light in his eyes—the perseverance of someone who had survived a catastrophe, the indomitable spirit, and the unwavering determination that a game-changer should possess.

"Brother Ning..."

Her lips trembled as she murmured softly, tears welling up in her eyes once more.

Li Jing'an nodded slightly, a hint of appreciation in his eyes: "This kid, he pulled through."

However, the sky did not clear.

High in the sky, the clouds of disaster did not disperse; instead, they rolled in and grew thicker.

The sky was like a furnace, and the blood-red clouds were like ink.

A blurry figure quietly materialized deep within the clouds of tribulation, like a god of judgment, wielding a spear of judgment, looking down upon all living beings.

That was the third bolt of lightning.

The deadly lightning, also known as the "final lightning".

It will sever all hope for martial artists, destroy their lifeblood and seal the source of the Great Dao; this is the final tribulation.

Chu Ning looked up at the rolling thunderclouds and knew that this was the true end.

Deep within his sea of ​​consciousness, Tun Yuan, who was already on the verge of death, suddenly coughed up a mouthful of soul blood. His aura fluctuated violently, his body swayed, and he was on the verge of collapsing.

At this moment, his soul surprisingly revealed a deep-seated fear that had been hidden for a long time.

"I knew you were still alive."

He stared at Chu Ning's stubborn core of consciousness, his tone no longer arrogant or sarcastic, but instead carrying a hint of... apprehension.

"You won't even back down from this."

"You still want to take the blame?"

Tun Yuan gritted his teeth, as if he had been driven to the brink of despair by a force he had never seen before.

"You think... your 'substitute death charm' can save you a second time?"

"You think... this final lightning bolt can be withstood by sheer willpower?"

Chu Ning did not reply.

He was just looking up at the sky.

His brows were serene, his expression cold and resolute, as if he were about to catch not lightning, but destiny itself.

Then he spoke softly:

"This time, I won't rely on anyone."

"I rely on myself."

That sentence was spoken as softly as a whisper.

But it was like a thunderclap, exploding deep within Tun Yuan's sea of ​​consciousness.

Tun Yuan's soul trembled, and his face, which was always filled with coldness and arrogance, suddenly became blurry.

He remained silent for a long time, as if sensing something, or perhaps asking himself a question.

He saw the boy's battered body standing tall in the lightning, half of his body charred and peeling away, the lightning flames still burning, and he still... looked up at the sky.

unyielding.

not regret.

Tun Yuan suddenly felt a bit cold.

It wasn't the temperature of blood, nor the burning of thunder, but a kind of tremor from the deepest part of the soul.

He has been searching for immortality.

But he had never faced death so directly before.

Every one of his clones, every soul imprint he left behind, was annihilated by the heavenly tribulation, and even his path to reincarnation was severed.

He had no way out.

At this moment, the boy who should have been at his mercy stood alone beneath the heavenly tribulation, supporting the sky.

So weak...yet so stubborn.

He once scorned this "unyielding humanity," regarding it as foolishness.

(End of this chapter)