Overdraw the future and become a peerless martial god

Chapter 169 Ten Years of Agreement
Deep in the icy plains, the wind has stopped and the snow has ceased.

There was a deathly silence between heaven and earth.

The Golden Lock Divine Tree hung high in the sky, its roots entwined around the core of the divine remains, and its branches fell like thousands of vines, firmly binding the soul of the Ape Lord, as if it were a cage personally created by the will of heaven and earth.

The snow's light reflected off the golden chain, creating streaks of rainbows that illuminated the desolate yet solemn landscape.

Chu Ning stands alone in the heart of the icy plains.

He knelt on one knee, his hand resting on the Broken Snow Blade, its blade embedded in the solid ice, the golden patterns still visible, its gleam still lingering.

His face was pale, and there were still traces of blood on the corners of his lips. The aftershocks of the flames burning his soul had not yet subsided, and with each breath he coughed up a little blood.

But his eyes were as calm as a thunderous sea.

—Straight ahead, the demigod's body was still struggling.

The face of the Ape Lord was no longer human. Divine flames flickered intermittently on his body, and soul fire surged like a collapsing mountain or a thunderous abyss.

He roared desperately, trying to tear the chains apart, but ultimately he could not move.

"Boom-"

A faint, almost imperceptible thud, like a deep throbbing in the heart.

Chu Ning turned his head to look, his brows furrowing slightly:
"Did you hear it?"

Tun Yuan's gaze was as deep as an abyss as he stared at the chain for a long time, his tone unusually low:
"The seal has been removed, but... it is not eternal."

He pointed and saw that the roots of the golden tree were deeply buried in the earth's veins, several places were charred black like charcoal, and cracks were slowly spreading outwards. At the place where the divine chains intertwined, a drop of dark gold liquid that looked like blood but was not blood seeped out and steamed up black smoke on the snow.

“Although the seal can seal a god,” Tun Yuan murmured, “when the object being sealed possesses a soul core that exceeds the set strength, its instincts will continue to challenge the restraints.”

Tun Yuan hovered not far behind Chu Ning, his voice low and deep:

"Sealing him for ten years is the limit of the 'lock' and the 'divine tree.' One more day, and the chains will break and the roots will wither."

He sighed softly, "Ten years is not a fixed number—if this tree withers, it is not impossible for the seal to break prematurely."

Tun Yuan suddenly whispered, "In the vast sea of ​​stars, there was once a realm—the Star Soul Realm—whose seal broke in August of the ninth year."

"That night, a demigod appeared out of nowhere, and no one could stop him. The border patrol judged the matter, and the souls of three million people were scattered. That realm... is now only ruins and a fragment of a realm."

Chu Ning's throat moved slightly, as if he were swallowing a sharp blade.

“What you need to do is not just cultivate.” Tun Yuan glanced at him, “You need to use these ten years to extend the life of this realm.”

As the snow and wind rose again, Chu Ning looked at the heart of the golden tree, his eyes no longer filled with confusion.

He knew that the trembling chain was more than just a warning.

That was the first drumbeat of the countdown.

"ten years……"

Chu Ning's fingers tightened slightly, and the knuckles on the hilt of the Broken Snow Blade turned white from the force.

The lightning flickered weakly in his palm, but it no longer possessed the surging and turbulent energy of the lightning core it once possessed.

Although he stood still, he seemed to be trapped in an abyss that stretched across his destiny.

“But I myself,” he whispered, “only have ten years left.”

Silence fell like snow on a glacier. Tun Yuan slowly turned his gaze to that slender figure.

ten years.

Two decades.

One is the imprisonment of a "demigod"; the other is the countdown for a "mortal".

Fate brought these two lines together at this moment in a cruelly symmetrical way.

Chu Ning slowly stood up. He gazed at the silhouette of the Ape Marquis on the Tree of Gods. That fierce god, who had once built his foundation with ten thousand souls, was now compressed into fragmented souls and shadows, yet it still released an oppressive aura powerful enough to change the very fabric of the world.

"The Thunder Soul within you has been forcibly seized by the Ape Marquis, and your Divine Soul has also been severely damaged. You are now at the end of your lifespan... You can only last for ten years at most."

“By then, he will break through the seal… If you haven’t reached the first rank yet, you won’t be able to stop him,” Tun Yuan said.

As soon as he finished speaking, a crack seemed to appear in the sky.

“He will eventually return,” Chu Ning said softly.

Tun Yuan remained silent, only nodding slowly.

They all knew that this was not the end, but merely the beginning of an even bigger storm.

The ice sheet appearing still is merely an illusion.

The Heavenly Gate shattered, the Boundary Lock broke, and divinity and chaos had already been revealed to the world, awaiting the outbreak of the next catastrophe.

Tun Yuan raised his eyes, looked at him, and said in a tone that was more serious than ever before: "You now have two choices."

"Firstly, you can stay here and cultivate in seclusion. I will protect you with my divine soul and temper the remnant soul of Youhou and the fragments of divine remains into your sea of ​​consciousness to reshape the Thunder Core. At the latest, it will take you five years, and at the latest, ten years, to reach the first rank."

"Secondly, go to the 'First-Class Pavilion' and inherit the true legacy left by Master Hunyuan, which may solve your problem of lifespan depletion."

Chu Ning's gaze sharpened, but he did not answer immediately.

He pondered for a moment, then slowly asked, "The first path sounds perilous, but the progress is clear. The second path, why would obtaining the Primordial Chaos inheritance save me?"

A strange smile appeared on Tun Yuan's lips, as if he had been waiting for him to ask this question: "Because Hun Yuan... should have died long ago."

Chu Ning raised her eyes, her gaze sharpening: "What do you mean?"

"How many years do you think he has lived?" Tun Yuan sneered. "Master Hunyuan should have reached the end of his lifespan a thousand years ago, but he has not only lived to this day, but has also been guarding the seal of this realm."

"So you suspect he... found a way to prolong his life?" Chu Ning's voice was low and hoarse, yet an irrepressible ripple of hope rose within it.

Tun Yuan nodded, his voice low and resonant like an echoing mountain: "I'm not sure... but he has survived against the heavens for a thousand years, there must be secrets in his inheritance. If you can truly inherit his methods, perhaps these ten years of lifespan will not be the end."

Chu Ning remained silent for a long time.

He looked at the divine tree in the distance, which was still slowly gathering and sealing the golden light. The ape-lord sealed under the golden vines seemed like a "seed of hell" that could break through the soil and be reborn at any moment.

He looked again at his pale, paper-white hands; the lightning core was shattered, and his true energy was weak and unstable.

“If I stay here to cultivate in seclusion…” he said slowly, “I can improve my strength in the short term, but if I die ten years later, perhaps everything will just be a cycle.”

“But if Hunyuan truly has a way to prolong life…” he said, his eyes hardening again, “that is the key to taking the initiative.”

Tun Yuan stared at him for a while, then slowly grinned: "You are still like him after all."

"Who?"

"Hun Yuan," Tun Yuan replied, "Knowing that there is no chance of survival, I still insist on gambling on that sliver of hope."

Chu Ning said softly, "This world has never been a place for gods to live."

"I don't gamble with my life, I just... don't want to accept my fate."

As the snowstorm subsided, Chu Ning sat half-sitting on a broken ice platform by the sinkhole where the Ape Marquis had been sealed, his brows furrowed.

“You’re telling me to go find the legacy of Master Hunyuan just because he might have a ‘method for prolonging life’?” He stared at Tunyuan. “That’s not like you.”

Tun Yuan remained silent for a moment, then lowered his head and gently touched his brow.

The fingertip traced a faint gray line, as if some kind of "seal" was sealed outside the sea of ​​consciousness.

"You think I willingly trapped within your consciousness just to save you?"

Chu Ning raised an eyebrow.

"What Master Hunyuan left behind is more than just a legacy." Perhaps only his legacy can unlock my shackles.

"Your shackles?" Chu Ning repeated in a low voice.

“That’s right.” Tun Yuan’s gaze was as firm as iron. “That is the proof of breaking the ‘Sealing Laws’, entering and leaving the heavens, and wielding the power of the divine locks—and it is also the only thing that can unlock the seal on my sea of ​​consciousness.”

"So, you want me to obtain the inheritance and unseal it for you?" Chu Ning's tone carried a hint of wariness.

Tun Yuan did not deny it, but simply smiled calmly:
"You want to escape the calamity of your lifespan, I want to escape... You gain your life, I gain my freedom, each gets what they need. Besides—" He paused, his gaze sweeping across the severed boundary between heaven and earth, "If you really survive ten years, without that inheritance, can you stop the Ape Lord, but can you stop the Border Patrol Envoy?"

Chu Ning remained silent, but his heart was already in turmoil.

It turns out that what he wanted was not just the "art of prolonging life," but also the key to stepping into a deeper level of the chessboard of destiny.

The inheritance of Hunyuan has never belonged only to "mortals," nor is it merely for prolonging life.

That was a lock that unlocked a "new chapter," and the key lay on the road ahead of him.

The wind and snow rose again, sweeping across the horizon, but were isolated by divine will around the Golden Lock Divine Tree, not a single leaf was affected.

Chu Ning's eyes were like torches as he gazed at the "Prison of Fallen Gods," which was about to be sealed for ten years.

He uttered a word slowly, as if declaring to himself, or even as making a vow, nailing it into the desolate world amidst the wind and snow:

"A ten-year limit... is also a ten-year agreement."

His voice was deep and firm: "I will come back, and before he is born, I will become the one who can slay gods."

The moment those words were spoken, the wind and snow began to rise again.

Tun Yuan gazed at him for a moment, as if he could see the reflection of the future in his brows, and then slowly nodded:
"So, next... is the next leg of the journey."

Heaven and earth were silent. The lock of the divine tree hung high in the sky, and the Domain of Gods still gasped for breath amidst the aftershocks. And deep within this silent ruin...

Beneath the ice and snow, a pale golden light slowly emerges at the edge of the abyss, like a guiding light illuminating a path home where the future is uncertain.

……

The wind and snow gradually subsided, and the cold light began to pierce through the air.

The setting sun peeked through the torn clouds, casting its light on the desolate hills at the edge of the snowfield. The blood-red sunset illuminated the scorched earth, casting a broken yet stubbornly extending shadow.

Chu Ning stepped out of the sealed domain step by step.

The snow beneath their feet had been torn into a black charred shell by the scorching divine fire and spiritual explosion, and the spiritual energy between heaven and earth had become chaotic.

The once sacred Fox Realm, brimming with spiritual energy and filled with foxfire, is now nothing but scorched earth, ashes, and lingering resentment, as if even the souls have temporarily lost their voice after a divine war.

That was the "silent aftershock" left over from the battlefield of the gods.

Chu Ning, with the Broken Snow Blade hanging from his shoulder, trembled slightly.

With each step he took, his wounds burned like lightning, but he never stopped.

The wind blew through his hair, and a wisp of snow slid down his forehead, but he seemed oblivious, his steps becoming more determined.

The closer one gets to the center of the Fox Domain, the weaker, yet more real, the soul aura emanating from "Qing Li" becomes.

—She's still waiting for me.

He took a deep breath and stepped into the barrier filled with intertwined shattered flames and soul light.

The remaining snow on the icy plains was like a cup, and the world was cold and desolate. Suddenly, a white figure appeared, like a snow fox, soaring through the air.

At that moment, Chu Ning was still standing on the edge of the shattered ice, his blade trembling slightly, his snow-white clothes stained with blood, and his figure almost vanishing when the wind blew by.

"Chun Ning!"

A cry cleaved through the deathly silence of the world.

He looked up slightly and saw her—Dong'er—running from the other side of the snowfield.

Her white robe was already stained and tattered with blood. Her fox ears trembled slightly, her eyes were filled with tears, and she called his name again and again, as if she had traveled through a hundred calamities.

She suddenly threw herself into his arms.

For a moment, Chu Ning swayed, but managed to stay upright.

He put his left arm around her slender shoulder and lowered his head slightly.

She trembled uncontrollably in his arms, her hands encircling his waist as if trying to embed him into her flesh.

"You're finally back..." she murmured softly, tears streaming silently down her face. "If you hadn't come back, I... I really don't know what I would have done..."

Chu Ning paused for a moment, then slowly raised his hand, placed it on her head, and smoothed her slightly disheveled hair.

His fingers were extremely cold, but the gentle caress of his palm was more comforting than a thousand hot springs.

"I'm back," he murmured.

Dong'er nestled in his arms, then suddenly looked up, her gaze meeting his weary eyes, and tears welled up and streamed down her face.
"Your injuries... how could you be so reckless again..."

"If you die to resurrect her, what is the meaning of her resurrection?"

"I won't die," Chu Ning said softly, her tone so gentle it was almost unnatural. "What I'm afraid of is not coming back."

"What I fear is that I won't be able to protect you completely."

"So I'm back."

This sentence struck the softest spot in Dong'er's heart.

She choked back tears and could no longer hold them back. She hugged him tightly, burying her face in his neck, her voice breaking into a jumbled mess: "I've never been afraid of gods, never been afraid of the heavens... but I'm afraid you won't come back."

Chu Ning closed his eyes and felt her trembling.

He knew she had been waiting, she had been gambling.

He was her hope, her anchor, and the fire in her heart.

This was not a simple survival; it was a confirmation and embrace of each other's beliefs, a moment when two hearts could finally find peace after countless deaths.

The wind suddenly became gentle.

The snow fell gently, like fluff and feathers, landing on their shoulders, yet there was no chill in it.

At that moment, heaven and earth seemed to fall silent, with only the heartbeats of the two people striking each other's souls in the stillness.

Chu Ning gently raised his left arm and wrapped it around Dong'er's slender yet tenacious body, holding her even tighter.

His chin rested on the top of her head, his breath carrying the chill of the snow and the trembling warmth of her neck.

He lowered his head, his forehead touching hers, his voice like a drop of ink in the night:

"Dong'er, I..."

Before he could finish speaking, he closed his eyes, as if he was suppressing something or restraining some kind of impulse.

Finally, he exhaled softly: "My lifespan... is only ten years."

His voice was low and hoarse, like a stream trapped under ice, struggling to break through his chest, carrying self-blame and fear.

"You shouldn't have fallen for me." He said it softly, but it sounded like a knife carving in the wind. "I'm afraid I'll hold you back."

Dong'er suddenly looked up, her eyes slightly misty, but she showed no sign of backing down.

She gently shook her head, her tone stubborn and resolute, each word like a vow:

"Even if... it's only a year, a month, a day, or even just an hour, I will use it to love you."

"I want to go with you too."

Chu Ning was stunned.

His eyes trembled slightly, as if he had heard some unbearable vow.

But the next moment, before he could speak, Dong'er stood on tiptoe and suddenly kissed him.

That kiss came without warning.

It was the outburst of her pent-up emotions, the only response after all the storms and snow.

Her lips carried the coolness of snow, the saltiness of tears, and an undeniable resolve and a fiery obsession.

It wasn't a deliberate attempt to please, nor was it tender and lingering; rather, it was a kiss that poured all her emotions into his heart.

Chu Ning was momentarily stunned.

His pupils contracted slightly, but he did not push her away. He simply let her get closer, letting her burning passion crash into the depths of his already numb soul.

There was no thunder, no wind or snow, only a sudden gentle warmth that trapped him in a long-lost tenderness.

His heart suddenly started racing.

Her lips were soft yet firm, carrying a stubborn warmth and trembling with tears, like a snowflake of early spring falling on his burning heart, cooling his fighting spirit, yet igniting a deeper impulse.

Chu Ning's breathing began to become erratic.

That wasn't panic, but rather... he finally stopped suppressing his emotions.

His arms slowly tightened, pulling her firmly into his embrace, as if holding onto her last moments of peace.

Dong'er's body trembled slightly with emotion, but she did not back away.

She closed her eyes and looked up to receive his belated response.

Chu Ning looked down at Dong'er's slightly upturned face, her eyes reflecting those tearful yet stubbornly unyielding gazes.

He could no longer restrain himself, so he took her shoulder and returned a deep kiss.

This kiss, full of tender affection, seemed to pour out all the repression, loneliness, and unspoken words that had been sealed away for three years between their lips and teeth.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

Dong'er trembled slightly, but did not back down. She closed her eyes, her fingertips tightly gripping the hem of his clothes, as if afraid that if she let go, everything would shatter like a dream.

Beneath her fingertips, her skin felt slightly cool and delicate to the touch.

His palms moved from her waist to her back, pressing her against his chest.

He wanted to remember every breath she took, every tremor she made at that moment.

She was like a white plum blossom that had not yet burned out in the flames of war, quietly blooming between his lips with a fragrant stubbornness.

He gently bit her lower lip and heard her let out a soft gasp.

Her hands also circled his waist, her fingertips digging into the thin shirt on his back, as if to prove that this was not a dream or an illusion.

Just as the two got close.

"hiss--!"

Chu Ning groaned, his brows furrowing suddenly, a sharp heat shooting through his chest, followed by a searing pain that felt like it was burning his heart.

He abruptly pulled away and looked down.

It was that Ice Soul.

The Shuoyue Bingpo in Dong'er's arms had been glowing with a faint blue light at some point. It was now pressed against his chest, trembling slightly, and a barely perceptible fox shadow appeared on its surface, looking at him gently, as if both crying and laughing.

The icy intent pierced through flesh and bone, striking the soul—without resentment, yet like the calamity of frost.

Chu Ning was stunned, as if an invisible hand had seized his throat.

Dong'er also noticed the strange phenomenon and reached out to remove the Ice Soul, only to find that the Ice Soul seemed to be entangled with Chu Ning's soul energy, and the connection was so subtle that it was impossible to break free.

"Qingli..." Chu Ning murmured softly, her voice as low as snow melting on the ground, "Are you... watching me?"

In an instant, images of his past with Qingli flooded back like a tidal wave.

The burning pain in his chest wasn't intense, but it felt like it was gnawing at his bones, causing him to break out in a cold sweat.

That wasn't an injury, but a punishment. It was an unfulfilled vow.

Dong'er looked at his face, which had turned as pale as paper in an instant, and asked softly:
"Is it... that you feel you shouldn't... respond to me?"

Chu Ning was taken aback, her lips moved, but she ultimately did not deny it.

“I…” He looked up, his voice carried away by the wind, “She’s still here.”

Dong'er lowered her head, a hint of unfathomable darkness flashing in her eyes, yet she still took his hand and placed it against her heart:
"Whether she's here or not, it doesn't matter." Her voice was gentle yet resolute. "I just want you to remember one thing—it's you who, time and time again, pulled me back from hell."

"Even if half of your heart remains in the snowy night," she looked up at him, tears still lingering in the corners of her eyes, "I am still willing to stay with you and guard that half of the wasteland." The icy essence quietly cooled, and the fox shadow gradually faded, as if sensing a certain silence that did not wish to be disturbed.

Chu Ning closed his eyes, gently pressing his forehead against Dong'er's temple. After a long while, he spoke in a hoarse voice:
"Dong'er, I'm sorry."

"but I--"

"One day, we will send her back to this world."

He instinctively wanted to back away, but she held him tightly.

"Don't go..." she whispered, her forehead pressed against his. "I know you're leaving, but let me first... make up for all the debts you owe me over the years."

That phrase, "Don't go," was like a spell, freezing all his will in place.

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears and light.

"Don't go, okay?" Her voice was so low it was almost inaudible.

"Mmm." Chu Ning looked at the tears in Dong'er's eyes, and finally took her hand again, pressing it against his heart. "This is just... the first time I've been treated like this."

"Then let me be good to you this once." She smiled, but tears fell. "I know you've been carrying too much, but at least... in front of me, you can let go of anything."

He gently picked her up, his steps light, and walked step by step towards a low-lying rocky pit in the shattered snowfield. It was a sheltered and warm place, the only corner in the post-war ruins where people could still hide.

She leaned against him without struggling, as if she had entrusted herself entirely to him.

They lay in a secluded spot behind the rock face, their bodies pressed together.

She rested her head on his chest, the sound of his strong heartbeat ringing in her ears, like a drum, like a vow.

He wrapped his shirt around her slender shoulders and whispered:
"Dong'er, I... I might really fall in love with you."

"Then you're too late. I've loved you for a long time." She laughed, her voice trembling.

The night was slightly cool, and the ground was covered with remnants of snow.

Their intertwined figures lay silently beneath the heavens and earth.

That night, there were not many words, only fingertips intertwined and heartbeats in sync.

It is the most genuine embrace of emotions, the only respite and tenderness in the adversity of fate.

……

After a long silence, Dong'er said softly, "You... still want to save her, don't you?"

Chu Ning's gaze paused slightly.

At that moment, he didn't answer immediately. He simply lowered his eyes, his fingertips tightening silently.

He nodded slightly.

Dong'er lowered her head and slowly took out the "New Moon Ice Soul" from her bosom. Her fingers were a little stiff, but her movements were extremely solemn, as if she were holding a frozen heart.

“I tried using it… to guide Qingli’s soul back to its place.” Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, “but she didn’t move.”

She presented the shimmering blue crystal to Chu Ning. Her fingertips trembled, and her eyes were filled with complex emotions.

Chu Ning reached out and took it.

The moment the fingertips touched the icy essence, a chill instantly crept into the palm, as if a wisp of soul had touched it—cold and distant.

Within that icy crystal, a faint wisp of starlight was sealed, like a fox tail swaying gently, or like a name sleeping deep in a dream.

"Qingli..."

He murmured to himself, as if afraid of disturbing something.

The moment he uttered those words, Ice Soul suddenly trembled slightly, revealing a glimmer of light. The light was not dazzling, but gently swaying.

Chu Ning was startled.

But the next moment, the light and shadow suddenly dimmed.

A sudden frost appeared around the Ice Soul, spreading like a cold wave and quickly freezing Chu Ning's palm—as if she sensed his hesitation, or as if her soul... was still too weary to respond.

Chu Ning's expression changed slightly, and his fingers paused.

"Her soul is too badly wounded."

Dong'er stood aside, watching him silently.

She didn't speak, but she knew that the Ice Soul was no longer just a "sacred object of the Fox Clan".

It is the remnant of Qing Li's soul, and also the softest and most painful corner of Chu Ning's heart.

And now... she chooses to stand by his side.

Even if his heart may not belong entirely to her.

Even if that icy essence is forever colder than her hands.

Within Chu Ning's sea of ​​consciousness, Tun Yuan slowly approached, his expression unusually solemn.

He gazed at the ravaged land, his eyes as deep and unfathomable as an abyss:

"The Fox Ancestor's fiefdom has been destroyed, the main array's spiritual source has been extinguished, and the spiritual energy here is disordered and the earth veins are severed. Using the Ice Soul to guide the soul is no longer feasible at this moment."

"What do you mean?" Chu Ning's expression changed.

Tun Yuan said in a deep voice, "Her soul is too weak and cannot withstand the power to return to her original body at this stage. If we forcibly recall her, her soul will be completely destroyed."

The air suddenly froze.

Chu Ning looked down at the ice fragment in his palm and asked softly, "Then... is there any way?"

Tun Yuan did not answer, but walked to the center of his sea of ​​consciousness and hooked his finger in the void.

A mysterious soul rune appeared, the secret rune of his soul devourer, ancient and obscure, faintly revealing a sense of "returning to nothingness".

"I can set up a plan for a while."

He said calmly, “It’s called ‘Guiding the Soul Back to the Tomb’. It uses the ancient secret techniques of my Soul Devouring lineage as the base of the array, supplemented by the residual soul fire and spiritual energy of the fox clan, to slowly nourish her soul—not seeking an early recovery, but only hoping that it will not perish.”

"You want to keep her here?" Chu Ning turned her head, her tone tinged with wariness.

“It was not I who kept her here,” Tun Yuan said slowly. “It is she who needs to sleep here and wait for rebirth.”

He paused, lowered his eyelids—a rare occurrence—and his tone softened slightly:
"She died because of her past. I owe her this debt."

Chu Ning was stunned.

That one sentence, devoid of remorse or emotional fluctuation, carried more weight than any apology.

Dong'er gently hugged Bingpo, as if to pass on the hope in her body heat to Qingli.

“She will wake up,” she murmured. “She will wake up when the snow falls again.”

The abyss remained silent.

He began to set up his formation.

He spat out several dark crystal soul stones and drove them one by one into the gaps in the earth's veins.

He then took out his natal soul fire, burning a dark purple soul flame from his palm, which burned among the remaining snow and ice, transforming into a series of soul fire patterns.

The entire complex consists of nine rings, each embedded in the core of an ice vein, anchoring this desolate territory as a gathering place for the remnants of the fox clan's souls.

“‘Guiding the Soul Back to its Tomb’,” Tun Yuan said. “It will draw upon the scattered fox spirit fires here to nourish the Ice Soul. If Qing Li does not dissipate within seven years, she will have the possibility of rebuilding her soul foundation.”

"Seven years..." Chu Ning looked at the array patterns on the ground. The streams of soul fire intertwined like a spider web, gently wrapping around the entire icy plain, as if countless fox shadows were whispering beneath the earth.

"I will protect her," Dong'er said firmly.

She carefully placed the Ice Soul into the center of the formation, as if she had just lifted an unbearable weight.

"Qingli once protected you, now I will protect her."

When the formation was completed, the icy plain suddenly fell silent.

A blue-white halo rose from the ground, and the Crescent Moon Ice Soul slowly sank into the Coffin Well within it. The pale blue radiance, like frost and snow, blended into all things, sealing the ice plain as a forbidden area.

When the wind blows, the shadow of a fox appears like a dream, like a prayer.

After completing the final step, Tun Yuan stood silently for a long time without saying a word.

At that moment, he showed neither sarcasm nor his former arrogance.

There is only one kind of belated compensation.

He had personally slaughtered Qingli's entire clan and killed her as well. Yet today, he finally protected her path home.

“This debt,” he suddenly whispered, “I remember it.”

Chu Ning did not turn around. He simply stood at the edge, gazing at the Ice Soul Moon Wheel that was slowly sinking into the icy plain, a distant light appearing in his eyes.

Those are the snows of memory, those are the fires of promise.

Indeed, the word "trust" is the gentlest answer.

As the night wind rises, it ruffles the snow on our shoulders. The world falls silent for a moment, as if bidding farewell to the departed and welcoming the living on their journey.

After a long while, Chu Ning withdrew his gaze and said softly, "We should go."

The moment he turned around, that distant light also disappeared into the depths of his eyes.

He walked through the snow, his steps as firm as ever, but the vow in his heart had been reforged.

Snowflakes fluttered along the way, and distant icefalls roared, as if foreshadowing the turning of the gears of fate—not the final chapter, but the prelude to another destiny.

At the summit of the cliff, a bolt of lightning suddenly ripped through the sky, as if awakening a slumbering destiny.

Tun Yuan suddenly frowned and said in a deep voice:
"You only have ten years left to live, and you must immediately begin your attempt to reach the 'First Rank'. Otherwise, the day the Ape Lord is born will be the day your soul is scattered."

Chu Ning looked into the distance, a kind of anxiety compressed by time in his eyes:
“I understand. But how long would it take to reach the first rank… given my current soul form?”

Tun Yuan lowered his gaze slightly, as if recalling a deeply buried algorithm:

"Although your soul core is damaged, you still have fragments of the Nether Throat Divine Soul. I can use these to rebuild the foundation for your dual cultivation of 'Soul Dao Thunder Bone'."

He flipped his palm, and several lightning patterns appeared, resonating with Chu Ning's sea of ​​consciousness:

"I want you to use your soul consciousness to inscribe an array, to use lightning patterns to penetrate your bones, and to use your soul to cross over your marrow. Within three months, you will forge a soul shell, within six months you will stabilize your foundation, and within three years you will step into the first rank."

"This is already the fastest route."

“Then let’s begin.” Chu Ning said without the slightest hesitation.

Tun Yuan smiled and said:
"I will teach you the most direct way, without relying on elixirs or tools, but only on willpower."

On the edge of the icy plains, the evening snow has just stopped.

Chu Ning gazed at the last rays of light on the horizon and said in a deep voice:

"You said that I need to reach the 'First Rank' within three years, otherwise, after ten years, when the Ape Marquis breaks through the seal, I will surely die."

Tun Yuan replied calmly:

"Three years is not an opportunity, it's the limit."

Chu Ning turned around and asked in a deep voice:
"Then what exactly is this 'dual cultivation of soul, path, thunder, and bone' that you mentioned?"

Tun Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, his deep gaze fixed on the horizon.
"If you want to be strong, you must borrow all of your origins."

His voice softened:
“You have a wisp of my soul imprint within you, as well as fragments of the soul of the Ghost Throat Maiden. You have a ‘second soul gate,’ an extremely rare phenomenon of soul consciousness in the world, equivalent to having an extra ‘soul core auxiliary device.’ Your sea of ​​consciousness can withstand my power—it can withstand even stronger soul pressure forging.”

Upon hearing this, Chu Ning raised an eyebrow and secretly clenched his fist.

"Thunder Bone Cultivation for Body, Soul Path Cultivation for Knowledge—this is your next 'path'."

Tun Yuan slowly raised his hand and drew a lightning pattern in the void. The lightning pattern was like the scales of a dragon that split the sky, with complex veins and folds like a secret incantation.

“I will refine the remaining fragments of Youhou’s soul in your consciousness into a ‘Soul-Guiding Anchor,’ and combine it with this Nine-Pattern Array to set up a soul array at the bottom of your sea of ​​consciousness.” Tun Yuan paused, his eyes sharp. “This array is called: ‘Nine Thunder Patterns for Breaking the Void.’”

"Of the nine patterns in the formation, three are anchoring the heart, three are breaking through barriers, two are bone-piercing, and one is spirit-capturing."

"Use your soul consciousness as a brush to draw an array into your bones, thereby awakening the remnants of the thunder soul within your bones and reshaping the broken thunder veins."

Chu Ning asked in a deep voice:
"How long will this first step take?"

Swallowing Abyss sneered:

"After three months of soul-engraving and the lightning patterns entering your bones, every bone in your body will experience the pain of 'lightning scorching bones.' If you can withstand it, you will be able to reforge your lightning bones."

He paused, his voice low:
"But the process is extremely arduous. You must temper your body by breaking and regenerating your bones. Each failure will result in your bones being shattered. This method is called 'Thunder Bone Body Refinement,' which is the most primitive and savage bone-refining method among the ancient remnant paths."

After listening, Chu Ning remained silent for a moment, then said:

"continue."

Swallowing Abyss's gaze was as dark as ink:

"The second stage is 'soul crossing over to the marrow'."

"Using the remnant soul of Youhou as a guide, we will construct a 'soul core refining furnace' in your sea of ​​consciousness, mobilize soul power to enter the nerve trunk from the sea of ​​consciousness, and pour it all the way into the sea of ​​marrow from the tail of the spine."

"This step will awaken your remaining 'soul essence'. If successful, your sea of ​​consciousness will leap from perception to concrete embodiment, and your soul pressure will be able to contend with a fifth-grade martial artist."

Chu Ning nodded:

What if we fail?

Tun Yuan gave a cold laugh:
"When the soul and bones are misaligned, madness and delusion will result, at best, severe damage to the soul and consciousness, and at worst, complete destruction of the mind."

Chu Ning's expression remained unchanged:

"There's a third stage?"

"Have."

Tun Yuan touched Chu Ning's forehead with his finger, and a wisp of dark lightning seeped into his sea of ​​consciousness:

"I will use a wisp of my soul to coexist with your original soul and your possessive soul, simulating 'three-soul resonance'."

"If you can accept this, you will be able to condense the 'initial manifestation of the soul wheel' in your sea of ​​consciousness."

Chu Ning repeated in a low voice:

"Soul Wheel... first manifestation?"

Tun Yuan nodded slowly:

“That is the true threshold of the first rank—not lightning magic, not the accumulation of external forces, but the control of one’s own life soul.”

Chu Ning's eyes flickered, as if he had realized something.

"So what are the advantages of this whole road?" he asked again.

"Quickly," Tun Yuan answered decisively. "Without relying on pills or borrowing tools, one can temper oneself purely with the will of the Thunder Soul. The cultivation speed will not be restricted by external objects, breaking through the bottlenecks of the traditional system."

"And the Thunder Bone is the strongest 'soul-resistant frame' in the world, capable of withstanding my soul power. In the future, if you face a high-dimensional deity like a World Patrolman, you can withstand a 'rule overturning' attack without dying."

Chu Ning took a deep breath, as if trying to force all of this into her chest.

"And there's one more crucial point." Tun Yuan suddenly raised his fingertip and gently touched his brow.

"If you enter the 'Soul Wheel Critical Point' during this road construction, you will be qualified to access the 'Boundary Key' hidden within the Primordial Inheritance."

Chu Ning's expression changed slightly: "The Boundary Key?"

Tun Yuan did not answer, but left behind a profound statement:
"The Boundary Key can reset the rules of the Heavenly Gate... and it can also sever my shackles."

Chu Ning remained silent. He knew that Tun Yuan was not without selfish motives, and he also knew that the road ahead would not be smooth.

But he knew even more clearly that he had no other choice.

"When does it begin?"

"Now."

Tun Yuan raised his finger again, and nine lightning patterns ignited in his sea of ​​consciousness, wrapping around Chu Ning's soul and emitting a dark blue light, like nine snakes drinking fire, encircling his soul.

"Close your eyes and concentrate your mind on the seal."

"With your soul's will, summon the first pattern deep within your sea of ​​consciousness."

Chu Ning closed his eyes, and his mind suddenly became bright.

At the bottom of the sea of ​​consciousness, in the pitch-black sea, a cracked lightning pattern slowly emerged, its shape like a lock, a seal, or a sword tip piercing the soul.

His soul trembled, and his consciousness surged like thunder.

"Soul Consciousness Engraving Array—Begin!"

Tun Yuan's eyes were as deep and unfathomable as an abyss. With a wave of his hand, a rotating lightning pattern appeared in the void, like nine layers of star rings stacked together. Ancient seal script appeared within the lightning pattern, faintly reflecting the words "Anchor Heart", "Break Barrier", "Bone Break", and "Soul Capture".

“Using your soul consciousness as a brush, you inscribed the array at the bottom of your soul sea. You have a second soul gate, which is your greatest advantage and is enough to bear this ‘Nine Thunder Patterns of Void Breaking’.”

Chu Ning's soul was as vast as the sea, and the Nine Thunder Patterns were like the starting point of a divine brush. He used his consciousness to condense the blade and slowly carved the first one—the Anchor Heart Thunder Pattern.

His mind trembled, and lightning entered his body. In an instant, Chu Ning's bones emitted a series of fine crackling sounds, as if they were being forcibly infused with divine power.

"puff--!"

Chu Ning spat out a mouthful of blood, veins bulging on his forehead, his teeth almost crushed.

He knew this was not an engraving, but rather the integration of his soul consciousness into his bone marrow in the most primitive and violent way.

"Again," he growled.

Tun Yuan's tone was low but brooked no refusal:
“The Nine Formations are each a cycle. If you cannot withstand these nine instances of bone shattering and soul fragmentation, you are not worthy of this Soul Path.”

……

At the end of the first month, Chu Ning's nine-patterned bone was first drawn, and his soul consciousness lingered around his bones, with a faint blue lightning mark appearing on his back. This was the "Initial Birth of the Thunder Bone".

"boom."

At that moment, Chu Ning seemed to hear the sound of his bones cracking one by one, like thunder crashing down a mountain ridge, tearing apart his muscles and shaking his soul.

He suddenly knelt down in the center of the soul array, his palms gripping the ground tightly, veins bulging on his forehead, his teeth clenched, and he actually bit his own blood into his throat.

The pain of having one's bones reforged is far beyond what the flesh can bear.

Tun Yuan watched coldly from the sidelines and said in a calm voice:

"The hammer has penetrated the bone and struck the marrow; this is only the beginning."

The next instant, the lightning pattern array exploded in his sea of ​​consciousness, like stars bursting together. The nine types of lightning patterns exploded one by one, and his soul power transformed into a torrent, impacting every nerve channel in Chu Ning's body.

"Kaka!"

Chu Ning's spine felt as if it were being pounded by a thunder hammer. His entire spine cracked inch by inch in the lightning, and streaks of lightning flames even shot out from the cracks, like angry snakes dancing wildly, scorching his flesh and blood.

Deep within the marrow sea, it was like boiling lava, rolling up waves of blazing white lightning, refining and peeling away the soul inch by inch.

Chu Ning finally let out a roar that almost tore his throat apart.

"what!"

Before the words had even finished, his mind suddenly trembled.

"boom!"

Under extreme pressure and torment from thunder and fire, the second soul gate suddenly opened half an inch on its own.

A wisp of dark blue soul mist then appeared; it was a fragment of Youhou's soul.

The soul mist, which had been lurking in the sea of ​​consciousness, suddenly transformed into a giant soul shadow maw, as if stimulated by the power of soul fire and lightning. It swallowed the raging soul power whole.

(End of this chapter)