Overdraw the future and become a peerless martial god

Chapter 174 The Thunder Wheel is Formed, Those Who Swear an Oath Will Never Return (Please Subscribe and Vote)

In just six days, Chu Ning's Thunder Soul swept across the northern border, and the ten sects and five aristocratic families suffered successive defeats.

He was like a blade that cut through the sky, breaking through formations and piercing through clouds. Wherever he went, lightning illuminated the ground three feet deep, and no one dared to stop him.

Thunder Soul Chu Ning, leaving no enemy for a thousand miles.

These nine words echoed like thunder in the various sects along the way, keeping countless people awake at night.

Some people thought he was seeking revenge, while others said he was aiming for fame and fortune.

But only he himself knows what he is seeking.

He never looked back.

From the very first battle, he never looked at the fallen corpses behind him, nor did he linger for any place or sect.

He didn't even know whether those once arrogant and powerful enemies, who sat high in the position of sect leader, left behind scorched earth or a horrified populace after his departure.

He only looked ahead, walking faster and faster, with lightning shadows rolling beneath his feet and the thunderous aura growing stronger. The world seemed to surge with his emotions, as if facing imminent calamity.

But he himself became increasingly silent.

He was unaware that Xie Chengjun's trial would take place in the capital in three days.

In three days, life and death may be decided, power and influence may be destroyed, and the very root of a person's soul may be severed.

All he knew was that Xie Mingli was still alive. Although the Soul Jade was dormant, the unbroken pull of its soul was just like someone standing in the wind, silently waiting for him.

But she couldn't wait any longer.

Chu Ning fought for six consecutive days, his spirit still high and his mind still troubled.

The Thunder Soul within him grew increasingly agitated, the five thunderbolts converging to the point of near-madness;

The wind and snow on the horizon were like blades. As they walked into the night, the thunderous breath surged from his back, as if the killing intent in the world resonated with his blood, and they were no longer indistinguishable.

He reached the summit of the high mountain, his robes fluttering like flags, his soul churning like an abyss, thunder roaring incessantly, as if heaven and earth themselves were urging him to go faster and faster.

The wind rises, and the heavens resound.

He stood atop the mountain peak and suddenly whispered:
"Mingli, I'm here."

The Azure Phoenix Sect has departed, and the stars remain silent.

Chu Ning strode swiftly along the mountain peak and cliff, surrounded by utter silence, as if the heavens and earth were gazing upon the silence of his soul.

The Soul Wheel slowly emerged in the sea of ​​consciousness, its nine lines clearly visible, yet constantly trembling.

That's not instability, but rather—incompatibility.

Five thunder souls emerged from his body, like five beasts trapped in a cage, their rage intertwined:

The golden crow thunder swirled high above, blazing like flames, its cleaving intent like a battle flag soaring in the blazing sun.
The black serpent thunder coiled deep within my heart, as dark and unfathomable as ink, each movement stirring up memories of those dark nights and lonely graves.

Snow Fox Thunder lay silent, yet dripped cold frost with every wave of soul energy;

Nightmare Tiger Thunder stood outside the Soul Wheel, appearing and disappearing in the long night, like a nightmare from the future;
Only the Soul Lion, perched atop the Soul Core, heavy as a mountain, remained unmoved, like a determined will to guard the gate.

Chu Ning attempted to gather the five souls into the Soul Wheel, making them merge into one, but with each rotation, a lightning soul would stir, disrupting the circular motion.

He frowned, pondered for a long time, and forcibly used "Thunder Breath" as a guide to reverse the Soul Wheel.

In an instant, the five souls clashed.

The flames of the Golden Crow fiercely scorched the Soul Wheel, causing the Snow Fox to feel fear.
The black serpent's resentful flames flared, attempting to devour the lion's heart;
The Nightmare Tiger roared, startling the Nine-Patterned One, and the Soul-Guiding Platform trembled.

"cough--"

Chu Ning suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, which was thick and black. Wherever it stained his clothes, it was instantly covered with scorch marks, carrying the remnants of lightning flames.

His consciousness felt like a torn net, the sensation of it ripping through every thread of his mind.

A sudden jolt ran down my spine, and my whole body felt as if it had been torn apart by lightning, from my limbs and bones to the depths of my soul.

He heard his teeth cracking softly as he clenched them; his knuckles were already bleeding from gripping so tightly that blood mixed with the thunderous breath seeped from between his fingers and dripped onto the stone surface beneath his knees, burning a trail of smoke into the cold rock.

"Am I forcing them to unite, or... are they trying to split me apart?"

While suppressing his soul wheel, he let out a low growl from his throat, like a wild beast trapped in a cage, yet still refusing to submit.

But the next moment, a thought suddenly arose deep within his mind.

It wasn't hostility, nor was it vigilance, but rather a very faint suspicion:
"who am I?"

"Am I the master of these souls, or their prisoner?"

"I always thought I was controlling lightning and manipulating souls, but now... am I controlling them, or am I just a collection of their chaotic wills?"

A sudden gust of wind arose, and lightning flashed.

A crack suddenly appeared in the Soul Wheel, and Chu Ning felt a sweet taste in his throat, spitting out another mouthful of blood.

Before the blood even hit the ground, it was incinerated by the lightning energy emanating from his body.

He could barely hold on; his knees trembled slightly, and the five souls within his body roared and intertwined, thunder roared like a tide, almost crushing his consciousness.

However, just as her soul was about to collapse, the lingering resentment that once belonged to Xie Mingli in the soul jade in her heart suddenly stirred slightly, like a candle flickering in the wind.

In the blink of an eye, from the depths of that torn soul consciousness, a voice seemed to resound from the farthest reaches:
"Chu Ning, you said you would definitely return in three years."

Chu Ning slowly opened his eyes, his pupils bloodshot.

He stared at the Soul Wheel, which resembled a shattered mirror, and gritted his teeth, muttering under his breath:
"No, I am not a prisoner..."

“I am the one who swore the oath.”

“I don’t believe these souls can’t be united. I don’t believe I’ve come this far just because I’m a slave to Lei.”

He slowly stood up, his body as hard as iron, his back straight, blood trickling from his lips, yet not a drop of water seeping out.

Although the soul wheel was cracked, it was not shattered.

Though my mind is in disarray, my will remains as firm as a mountain.

He wanted to ensure that from this day forward, these soul thunderbolts would no longer tear each other apart.

No longer relying on old methods.

No longer borrowing from others.

—It arises only from his heart and changes according to his will.

"I want you to come together."

Chu Ning spoke slowly and deliberately, his soul consciousness surging, his soul wheel spinning, and nine lightning patterns shining like rings.

The five Thunder Beasts roared in unison, and thunderous intent poured down from the sky.

The golden crow roared angrily, its scorching flames burning the sky; the black serpent coiled around a ring of thunder, trying to devour the axle; the snow fox lay prostrate on the ground, its soul patterns frosting; the nightmare tiger was struck by thunder; the soul lion roared, suppressing the thunder tide with a protective stance.

Chu Ning stood in the center of the Soul Wheel and uttered, "Thunder and Lightning United!"

In an instant, he forcibly sealed the five types of thunder souls into his soul core with the "Thunder Intent Seal," causing his soul wheel to vibrate violently as if it were about to crack.

Thunder rises, souls overflow; souls are thrown into chaos, devoured by thunder.

"boom!!!"

His mind exploded, as if his soul was being pulled apart by five bolts of lightning from different directions. His bones and muscles were shattered, and his internal organs were burning. His whole body seemed to turn into a thousand pieces of soul fragments in his mind, dancing wildly in the wind.

In an instant, his consciousness suddenly dissipated, and his five souls were like beasts released from their cages, causing the Thunder Wheel to crack open with seven marks.

"cough!"

In reality, he coughed up blood, his breathing became disordered, and his face turned ashen.

Chu Ning sat cross-legged, his body as solid as a rock, while the Thunderous Intent spun rapidly in his sea of ​​consciousness.

He attempted to forcefully draw the five souls into the wheel with his divine sense, but as soon as he did, the Golden Crow's raging flames exploded first, the Snow Fox devoured its tail, the Black Serpent roared, the Nightmare Tiger rammed wildly, and the Soul Lion roared fiercely. The five souls devoured each other, and in an instant, the thunderous intent surged like a raging tide, impacting the soul wheel.

"Om-!"

His body jolted violently, his spine trembled like a broken lightning bolt, and a tearing sensation rushed from his soul core to his brow, as if a thunder beast had pierced through his body.

His knuckles suddenly tensed, his nails cracked, and blood seeped from the gaps.

The lightning breath surged out from his pores, steaming into threads, as if hot iron were scorching his body.

A sweet taste rose in his throat, and he suddenly lowered his head and coughed up blood. The blood was jet black, carrying the remnants of a scorched thunderbolt, and it dissolved upon landing, rising as a wisp of smoke.

He gritted his teeth, his eyes slightly red: "Before I even gained any power, you almost killed me... Is this my own soul?"

Just then, a cold voice rang out in my mind.

"Your soul is unstable, yet you dare to talk about creating cultivation techniques?"

The voice was deep and distant, yet carried a hint of a half-smile.

Chu Ning raised his head and said calmly:
"Swallowing the Abyss".

The shadow slowly emerged in his mind, its form blurry, its eyes like abysses.

The voice of the Swallowing Abyss echoed like the ancient, desolate mountains:
"You are forcibly combining the five souls, suppressing them with force. This will only lead to qi deviation and demonic possession."

Chu Ning said coldly:

"If we don't force a union, how can we create new laws?"

Tun Yuan sneered, his voice rolling across the sea of ​​souls, like thunder yet not thunder, striking directly at the divine sense:

“You haven’t even figured out the ‘principle’ of the cultivation method.”

Chu Ning frowned, and the Five Soul Thunder Intent slowly receded. He sat quietly in the center of his Soul Wheel, his fingers twitching slightly, sitting cross-legged in thought, his tone remaining calm:
"Then tell me, what is reason?"

Tun Yuan did not answer immediately, but slowly asked in return:

Do you know how many levels there are in the martial arts techniques of this world?

Chu Ning closed his eyes, his voice as calm as the wind: "Heaven, Earth, Profound, Yellow."

"Then you know that the evaluation of a martial arts technique is not just about the 'technique'?"

Chu Ning raised an eyebrow slightly and her eyes flickered, but she remained silent.

Tun Yuan's tone turned cold, carrying a hint of the ancient authority of a successor:

"There are four fundamental principles of martial arts: power, technique, mind, and theory."

"'Momentum' refers to the movement of heaven and earth in nature, the operation of yin and yang, and the alternation of the four elements; this is the root of great momentum."

"'Technique' refers to the form of skills and techniques, which can be used to leverage external forces and achieve victory against the enemy."

"The 'heart' refers to the cultivator's own obsessions, the true nature of their soul, and the anchor of their will."

"'Reason' is the most difficult and the deepest, yet it is fundamental."

He spoke each word:
"'Principle' is the cause and effect of heaven and earth, it is the internal interaction and external harmony between your soul and the five elements, muscles and bones, and sea of ​​consciousness of this body."

"In other words, reason is the great way."

Chu Ning's gaze sharpened, and his shoulders and back straightened unconsciously.

The lightning energy beneath the Soul Wheel surged faintly, but it was no longer restless; rather, it was a kind of instinctive response.

Tun Yuan coldly pressed on:

"The 'Five Thunder Heavenly Heart Technique' you used before seemed fierce, but it was actually just borrowing techniques and momentum. Although the thunder was fierce, the soul did not return. You were just using external methods to force your inner consciousness to act against reason."

Chu Ning remained silent for a long time, rubbing his knee with his thumb, and whispered:

"I... thought that was the strongest."

For the first time, a hint of disappointment crept into Tun Yuan's tone:
"You think that with the Soul Wheel in hand, the power of thunder will naturally follow? Have you ever asked—is your soul willing to become thunder?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Ning was struck dumb and abruptly opened his eyes.

His five souls trembled slightly, and his sea of ​​consciousness surged with wind and thunder. He felt a weight on his chest, as if an invisible hand was pressing on his heart meridian.

He opened his mouth as if to speak, but then fell silent.

Devouring Abyss did not slow down, and continued coldly:
"How many martial artists in this world spend their entire lives only to glimpse the basics of their skills. Some borrow rare materials, some form soul contracts, and some seal their thoughts and forge diagrams—these are all just means to an end."

"And you, who already have the Soul Wheel and the Five Souls Thunder Shadow, insist on 'merging them into one,' without asking why they are not going well, without asking what they want."

"You're not merging souls, you're taming souls."

Chu Ning's expression froze, his knuckles turning white from the force. He wanted to retort, but suddenly felt a dryness in his throat.

He suddenly asked in a low voice:

"Then what do you want me to do? You taught me the Soul Wheel, and now you say I don't follow reason?"

Tun Yuan said calmly, "You have indeed combined the techniques, but you have not questioned your heart or explored the principles. It's like trying to assemble five sharp blades into a halberd, but you don't know whether it can bear any weight or whether you can hold it firmly."

"If you really want to create a technique that is 'your own,' you should first ask yourself: what is the relationship between you and your own soul?"

Chu Ning let out a long breath, the light in his eyes gradually dimmed, but the brows between his brows slowly relaxed.

He paused for a few breaths and said slowly:
"Then...where to begin?"

Tun Yuan's tone softened slightly, carrying a hint of approval and expectation:

"Begin by respecting the soul and understanding the universe."

"Stop trying to merge all things with violence. Cultivation techniques are not 'techniques for defeating enemies,' but rather 'how you exist in this world.'"

"Although the martial arts techniques in this world are divided into four levels: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow, what truly determines their foundation are the four fundamental elements: power, technique, mind, and principle."

He paused:

Those who reach the Heavenly Rank can alter destiny;

Those of the Earth Rank can govern a region;
Those who attain the Xuan rank establish a lineage and pass it down through generations;

Those who follow the Yellow Rank are merely accustomed to using brute force.

"And if you truly wish to join the ranks of the 'Creators of Laws,' you must begin with the four fundamental elements—soul, thunder, the five elements, and consciousness."

"Only by understanding the causal relationships and mutual restraint among them can you truly step out of your 'reason'."

Chu Ning lowered his head, his fingertips gently stroking the ground, as if drawing an invisible diagram.

“Soul, Thunder, Five Elements... Consciousness.”

He repeated softly, his brow furrowing slightly, but his eyes growing ever clearer.

The sea of ​​consciousness is calm, yet thunderous sounds arise.

He suddenly asked:
"Thunder comes from me, yet it does not obey my commands; the soul dwells in my heart, yet it disturbs my spirit..."

"I thought I could control them, but could it be... that I'm just a vessel for them?"

"Are they the Thunder Souls I 'borrowed,' or... am I actually being led astray by them?"

At that moment, for the first time, he questioned "himself".

It's not about whether you have enough strength.

Rather: Am I the master, or the instrument?

A single thought arises, a single thought changes.

Within the Soul Wheel, the wind and color suddenly changed.

Before he could withdraw his thoughts, his entire sea of ​​consciousness began to fluctuate violently, and five thunder souls suddenly appeared—no longer lightning or shadows, but physical beasts, standing on the lightning patterns, their gazes fixed on him.

At that moment, Chu Ning felt as if he had fallen into his own courtroom.

Golden Crow Thunder, its wings spread to scorch the sky, its pupils burning like fire, its anger surging like a tide;

The Xuan Snake Thunder, with its dark red body and chilling breath, can evoke the deepest resentment in people at a glance.

Xuehu Lei, with his icy, cold eyes and aloof expression, stood silently.

The Nightmare Tiger Thunder, hidden in the black mist, only revealed half of its eyes; its roar could not be heard but it still shook the soul.

Soul Lion Thunder sat alone at the heart of the Soul Wheel, his gaze deep and silent.

Chu Ning stood in the center of them, beneath the Soul Wheel and amidst the lightning marks, coldly observing.

This wasn't the first time he had faced them, but it was the first time he had truly "seen" them clearly.

Those five lightning souls were not something outside of him, not external lightning, not a beast borrowing his power, but five fragments he had torn apart himself. They were "him", but not the complete "him".

He asked in a low voice:
"Why...do you two not get along?"

Thunder rumbled overhead, but no one answered; only five soul shadows stood silently.

Suddenly, the Golden Crow roared, its eyes reflecting heavenly fire:

"You made us stand side by side, but you never acknowledged our existence."

"You want our strength but despise our sex."

As soon as he finished speaking, thunder and flames erupted, illuminating a burning city wall—a remnant of the Great Wall battle three years prior.

Chu Ning stood atop the ruins, his body covered in blood, his soul soldiers all retreating. He charged into the beast tide alone, burning his soul lightning to its limit, summoning the Heavenly Fire Thunder Spirit, and single-handedly shattering Li Wujiu.

Blood stained the setting sun, and flames soared into the sky like banners.

That was his most intense rage, but it was also the first time he truly shouted in silence.

At that moment, he knew that the fire of the golden crow was his anger, and also his proof of "existence".

Xuan She Lei sneered, twisted his body, and his soul transformed into a red snake coiled in front of the altar, covered in blood.

"You're afraid of my resentment."

"But if it weren't for me, how would you have survived that absurd trial?"

The image appeared:
When he first entered Benlei Martial Arts School, he was falsely accused by Instructor Zhou of the school of being a sinner who harmed his fellow students. He knelt on the steps of the dungeon, letting the thunder and rain pour down on him, without saying a word.

In the night, his divine sense trembled, and silently, he burned the robe with the character "thunder" written on it in the cold fire and thunder.

He didn't sleep that night.

Xuanshe Lei represents both "endurance" and "resentment".

He hated power, he hated fate, and he hated his own incompetence—he couldn't have endured that toxicity without the resentment of the Black Serpent.

The Nightmare Tiger Thunder's voice was as soft as sand in the wind, a low, rumbling sound emanating from a corner of his consciousness:

You call me 'fear'.

"But little do you know, I am the instinctive hesitation you feel before each decision, the 'uncertainty' you dare not speak of."

Deep within his consciousness, the image of his hesitation before Qing Li's corpse surfaced.

If he had acted faster at that moment, Qingli might not have died.

But he was a moment too late.

It wasn't because of his ability, but because before he took action, he saw even more wronged souls hidden behind the bloody hand.

In that instant, he feared that if he made a move, he and Qingli would die together.

He was gambling, but he was also afraid.

The Nightmare Tiger was the soul he least wanted to acknowledge—he could be angry, sad, or obsessed, but he could not allow himself to be "fearful."

But the fear is always there.

Xuehu Lei remained silent, only glancing at him with a look that seemed to rise from beneath the snow, carrying three parts coldness and seven parts sorrow.

"I never make a fuss."

"But you always hide me away."

"You don't want to admit that you also feel pain and hate Qingli's death."

The scene resembles falling ice flowers.

When Qingli breathed her last that day, the flame of her soul still flickered between her fingers.

He held her body, knelt in the snow, and said nothing.

He simply tied her fox head pendant around his neck and never mentioned her again.

The snow fox is the "cry" he hides.

His pain towards Qingli wasn't guilt or hatred, but rather an inability to accept that she was truly gone.

Therefore, he neither spoke of it, nor mentioned it, nor allowed it to be revealed, but instead let it coldly crouch on the edge of his heart, like a silent fox spirit, quietly biting at a part of his softness.

Soul Lion Lei slowly rose, his back as straight as a mountain, his thunderous aura as steady as a tolling bell.

It made no accusations, nor roared, but simply looked at him and spoke slowly and deliberately:
"We are you."

The image slowly seeped into my heart.

It was during a village attack. He could have ignored it as he passed by, but he intervened when he saw an old woman bravely protecting her grandson.

He was not emotionally affected at the time, but for a fleeting moment, he had the thought of "guarding".

Soul Lion is the one who "guards" the spirit, yet no one knows it.

It is that will that says, "No one deserves your protection, but you still protect it."

Chu Ning's consciousness trembled, surrounded by five thunderbolts. Standing in the center, he finally understood.

He never reconciled with these aspects of himself.

The Golden Crow represents his unacknowledged belief that "someone must see me."
The black snake is his unspeakable expression of "my resentment of the injustice of fate";
Nightmare Tiger is his most shameful "I'm afraid of failure";
The snow fox represents his weakest point: "I have been hurt before."
Soul Lion represents his most silent sentiment: "I long for someone who doesn't need my help."

He forcibly controlled the five souls, like harnessing five horses to a cart, but without giving them direction or a place to go.

He wasn't cultivating the Thunder Soul; he was using it.

He didn't integrate; he suppressed.

This is not spiritual practice; it is a disguise for division.

And at this moment, for the first time, he finally stopped asking:

"who are you?"

Instead, he whispered:
"...I am one of you."

Meanwhile, within the sea of ​​consciousness, a sea of ​​thunder surged.

At that very moment, Tun Yuan's voice, like a stabilizing force, resounded deep within his consciousness:

"Although you have five souls, they are not the five elements."

"Thunder Soul is powerful, but without the 'Five Elements Law', it will ultimately be chaotic and ineffective."

Chu Ning strained his senses and looked at the Devouring Abyss in the void:
"What do you mean...? What is the relationship between the Five Souls and the Five Elements?"

Tun Yuan slowly said:

"Your soul now is merely the form of a thunder beast, a manifestation of its personality. Emotions can be manifested by thunder, but emotions cannot be the root of your being."

"The Five Elements are the principles of Heaven and Earth. If you want to truly unify the five souls, you must position them according to the order of the Five Elements."

Chu Ning murmured:

"The Five Elements...positioning..."

Tun Yuan pointed to the Soul Wheel diagram and said:
Listen carefully—

Golden lightning pierces through armor, unyielding as a blade;
The wood-like trees take root and flourish like spring.
Mines move stealthily, their stillness concealing their sharpness;
Fire and thunder scorch the fields, their fury unabated;
The earth and mines seal the town, their weight as firm as a vow.

"Metal generates water, water generates wood, wood generates fire, fire generates earth, and earth generates metal."

"By following the order of the Five Elements and placing the soul in its proper place, chaos can be transformed into harmony."

After hearing this, Chu Ning remained silent for a long time, and suddenly felt as if the clouds had parted and the sun had shone through his heart.

He never truly regarded the Five Souls as a "system"; he merely treated them as five directions, not as a whole.

"Thunder is the power of circulation; the soul is the source of will; the five elements are the way of heaven and earth."

"If the Thunder Soul obtains its proper order, the Dao may be achieved."

He slowly closed his eyes and whispered a sentence:
"Again."

The sea of ​​consciousness is restarted.

The thunderous breath from the zenith had not yet subsided, the layers of clouds pressed down like a monument, and the low rumble of thunder sounded like an unending thought. Beneath the Soul Wheel, the lightning patterns swirled nine times, yet failed to form a complete circle.

Chu Ning sat cross-legged in meditation, with faint lightning flashing between his brows. His divine sense, like a wisp of silk, slowly sank into the depths of his sea of ​​consciousness.

He softly recited the five words that Tun Yuan had taught him:

"Gold breaks, wood grows, water hides, fire burns, earth suppresses."

The sound wasn't loud, but it felt like five bolts of lightning striking straight into the sea of ​​consciousness.

The five souls and lightning shadows reappeared on the Soul Wheel, but this time, they no longer roared at each other or raged together. Instead, they stood quietly, as if awaiting a choice, a farewell, or a true summons.

Chu Ning did not force him to submit with lightning, nor did he use his divine sense to subdue him. He did not say "obey," but only said:

"Return to your place."

—Part One: The Golden Soul Enters the West.

The first place he went to was Jin Wulei.

It still burns brightly in the sky, its wings like the sun, its eyes blazing with golden flames, like a burning flag fluttering in the sky.

Chu Ning looked up at it, her gaze fearless yet gentle:

"You are anger, the obsession that drives me to fight day and night on the Great Wall."

"You are both light and flame. You enabled me to slay enemies across thousands of miles, but you also burned my soul."

“Anger without a blade will eventually burn me. Now, I beg you to slay the enemy, but not me.”

Chu Ning stepped forward, not to pull, but to meet the blazing flames of the Golden Crow Thunder.

He didn't reach out, but instead opened his chest, stepped on lightning, and faced the soul shadow that rose fiercely like a battle flag.

The flames were intense, burning painfully to the bone.

Jin Wulei seemed to be asking him: Do you still dare to carry me on your back?
He responded in a low voice:
"If you don't back down, I won't back down."

The golden flames suddenly roared, like the echo of a war drum.

Under his unwavering, fearless gaze, the Golden Crow Thunder spiraled down and suddenly crashed into the western part of his Soul Wheel.

In an instant, the western emblem of the Thunder Wheel lit up, like the rising sun, with a trail of raging flames running across the western side, shaped like a broken halberd, revealing a tattered battle flag with two characters on it:

"No retreat."

The rage was no longer chaotic, but instead forged into a sharp edge.

At that moment, his consciousness seemed to be in the furnace of a battlefield, his soul turned into steel, and was forged into a blade by the raging fire.

—Part Two: The Wood Soul Enters the East.

Chu Ning turned around and looked at Xue Hu Lei.

It remained silent, quietly lying beneath the thunderclouds, its spirit like the first snow after a storm, its chill penetrating to the bone yet not repulsive.

Chu Ning said softly:
"You are my wound, the 'I'm sorry' that I never got to say."

"You are the snow after Qingli's death, the tear that I refuse to shed."

“The way to heal is not to create cracks, but to create new seeds.”

“You are associated with wood, occupy the eastern position, and are responsible for extension and life.”

Chu Ning did not attempt to trigger the Snow Fox Thunder.

He simply stood there, gazing at that snow-white ghostly figure.

After a long silence, Xuehu Lei seemed to sense something, and slowly stood up, his eyes seemingly filled with tears, but they did not fall.

Then, it leaped lightly, transforming into a streak of azure light, like the first melting of morning frost and spring rain falling into the earth, spontaneously landing on the east side of the Soul Wheel.

The eastern pattern then lit up, branches sprouted leaves, the leaves were covered with snow, and lightning flashed like a vine, stretching endlessly.

The fox shadow coiled on a branch, silently gazing towards the location of the golden lightning to the west. Above the lightning patterns, a phantom bridge had formed on its own.

Connecting the past and the future, scars and healing.

At that moment, Chu Ning felt a warmth in her heart, as if a frozen part of her heart had been quietly illuminated.

—Part Three: The Soul of Water Enters the North.

Next up is the Nightmare Tiger.

It remained coiled in the shadows, limbs on the ground, its eyes reflecting the abyss of emptiness. That was not evil, but a hidden "possibility."

Chu Ning said softly:
"You are fear. You remind me to be cautious; you prevent me from rushing in blindly."

"You shouldn't hide in the shadows. You are the eyes of the night, the umbrella that shelters us from the rain."

"I will no longer regard you as a disgrace, but will take you as my teacher." The Nightmare Tiger Thunder Calmly lay on the north side of the Soul Wheel, surrounded by heavy fog, like a bottomless abyss of souls.

It did not move.

Chu Ning took the initiative and stepped into the black mist shrouded in the shadowy souls.

A chill ran through him, and fear pierced his body like needles. With each step he took closer, he felt the trembling of that "unknown" instinct within his consciousness.

The Nightmare Tiger's growl seemed to come from another world, cold and restrained.

He walked closer step by step, until he stood before the Nightmare Tiger, and quietly said:

“I was afraid, but I also remember… fear made me turn back and avoid going into a dead end.”

“You should stay here and guard this place, instead of being hidden by me any longer.”

The next instant, Nightmare Tiger Thunder let out a soft roar, stepped out of the black mist, and crouched low into the Northern Wheel.

The Northern Pattern of the Soul Wheel rippled like the moon reflected in a cold pool, unfathomable and still as a deep current.

The shadowy figure lurked in the water, its form unseen, yet its intent was felt.

The Soul Platform sank, and the foundation of the Soul Wheel finally became stable.

—Part Four: The Soul of Fire Enters the South.

The Xuan Snake Thunder coiled around the heart chakra, its body covered in crimson scales, its eyes like blood, entwined with obsession and resentment.

It remained still, as if it had been waiting for a single word.

Chu Ning stepped forward, slowly reached out, and gently stroked its corner:

“I used to hate you. But I know—without you, I wouldn’t have made it through those days.”

"You are the poison that keeps me gritting my teeth and living, and the thorn that prevents my father's revenge from being forgotten."

“Resentment should not be a raging fire. It should be a spark that burns away old evils and illuminates the way forward.”

“You are fire, you reside in the south, you are in charge of burning, you are in charge of transformation.”

The Xuan Snake Thunder hovered in mid-air, its body undulating, shrouded in rage, and crackling with flames, yet it refused to approach the Soul Wheel.

It is refusing.

Chu Ning did not force him. He simply stretched out his hand, slowly circulating his soul power in his palm, drawing out the wisp of resentment fire from the deepest part of his body, and drawing it together with the lightning flames of the Xuan Snake.

At that moment, he ignited its flame with his own fire.

The two flames merged, and the thunder and fire surged, yet there was no intention of violent destruction.

He whispered:

"I no longer hate you."

"I am willing to burn with you, not for hatred, but for the path."

The Xuan Snake Thunder let out a deep, murmuring roar, its long tail coiling as it slowly spiraled from the burning flames into the southern part of the Soul Wheel.

The south side of the thunder pattern lit up, like a red dragon swimming, the flames meandering, intense but not frenzied.

Deep within his consciousness, he saw a familiar scene.

When he was young, the image of his father bending over to chop wood and build a platform for him was silent yet resolute.

Amidst the flames, a serene calm remained, burning not with hatred, but with a sense of legacy.

—Fifth: The Soul of Earth Enters the Center.

Finally, he arrived in front of the Soul Lion.

It remained lying in the center, never roaring, never getting angry, just gazing at him intently, its eyes like distant stars.

Chu Ning stopped and said solemnly:
"You are my thoughts, the people, the things, and the wishes I want to protect."

"It's not about being persistent, but about keeping one's word."

“Thoughts are not weakness; they are the strongest shield, calming my heart and protecting my people.”

“You are the earth, residing in the center, the master of bearing, the master of protecting.”

Chu Ning looked at the Soul Lion one last time.

It remained motionless.

Without roaring, without thunderous intent, without any resistance, it simply stood quietly atop the soul core, like a mountain, like a monument, like an ancient soul that remained steadfast in its vow.

He neither went over nor gave any instructions.

He simply clasped his hands together lightly in front of his chest and whispered a name:
"Remember, return to your place."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Soul Lion slowly rose up and steadily stepped into the center of the Soul Wheel with its four paws, without needing thunder or light.

In a flash.

The nine patterns vibrated simultaneously, and the center of the Soul Wheel resounded like a bell.

A massive, mountain-like phantom suddenly rose from the wheel, piercing straight to the top of the Soul Diagram. Its shape was like a guardian, a monument, and a vow.

Beneath it, inscriptions intertwined, and the soul light resonated like the deep tolling of a night bell, silencing the world.

Chu Ning's soul consciousness trembled, and an ancient voice seemed to echo in his heart:
"No oath, no establishment; no thought, no thunder."

The five souls returned to their places, and the five elements were arranged separately.

The Soul Wheel suddenly shone brightly, the lightning not dazzling, but deep and solid like stars.

The five-colored lightning breaths circulated in sequence, no longer conflicting with each other, but connected like a chain, echoing each other, mutually generating and complementing each other, just like the pulse of life.

Chu Ning slowly opened his eyes. His lightning intent remained unmoved, but his soul intent surged into his heart like a tide.

At that moment, he understood for the first time:
He does not "control" the five souls.

He is "inviting" the five souls to become an inseparable part of himself.

Within the sea of ​​consciousness, the Soul Wheel spun silently, the Five Thunders were positioned, and the nine patterns on it lit up one by one, like stars arrayed and reflected in the dome.

Chu Ning sat down on the ground and slowly brought his palms together in front of his knees.

In his mind, every breath of soul began to resonate spontaneously, no longer resisting or struggling, but following a higher-level rule—mutual generation and acting in accordance with reason.

At that moment, a clear image surfaced in his mind:
The Soul Wheel is the disc, the Five Souls are the axis, the Thunder Pattern is the Dao, and the Nine Revolutions return to the Heart.

He closed his eyes and looked inward, and the Five Elements Thunder Souls rotated like stars in the sky, and a complete pattern condensed in his soul sea.

—Soul Wheel Diagram.

It has never existed in any ancient texts, nor was it created by any sect's secret methods.

It was he alone who combined the power of the five souls, the order of the five elements, and the meaning of the nine patterns to create it.

It's not about inheritance, it's about creation.

Chu Ning slowly opened his eyes, the lightning fading from his pupils, replaced by a paleness that suggested exhaustion.

Cold sweat dripped from his forehead, down his nose, and landed on his knees. Suddenly, with a hiss, a burst of lightning emanated from the sweat, and tiny sparks of electricity exploded.

His chest heaved rapidly, as if he had just walked a long mountain road, and his body was so exhausted that every bone in his body was groaning.

The thunderous energy surging in his dantian, though no longer running rampant, had not yet fully integrated with his physical body.

He reached out his hand, his fingers trembling slightly—not out of fear, but because although his five souls had returned, the "Soul Thunder Transformation" was not yet fully completed, and the nature of thunder and the desire of the soul were still impacting the origin of his physical body.

He smiled bitterly:
"The cultivation technique... is complete."

Thunder was no longer like a passing fire, but rather like a force that arose at will.

They await his thoughts and act according to his will, rather than arising from his "destiny".

"I asked before: Why did Ray come?"

"Now I know—the thunder did not fall from the sky, but rose from my heart."

For the first time, he unified his soul consciousness, emotions, five elements, thunder intent, and "target" into one unified form.

At that very moment, a deep and distant voice slowly resounded above the sea of ​​consciousness.

"very good."

It was the voice of the Abyss.

"Your current cultivation method is controlled by your soul, embodied in your personality, marked by your life and death experiences, and inspired by your thunderous will."

"To achieve such results on the first time creating a new martial art is truly remarkable."

Chu Ning slightly raised her eyes, her expression calm, neither expressing gratitude nor showing any elation.

Tun Yuan continued:
"but……"

"The thunder you are experiencing now is still caused by 'people' and moved by 'her'."

"This is your vow, and it is also the instability of your path."

Chu Ning did not deny it. He closed his eyes for a moment, and the thunderous aura subsided.

"I know."

“But without her… this ‘path,’ I might not have made it this far.”

"She is the person behind me, and the reason I move forward."

"The path must be clear, and thoughts can be profound. If one does not even understand why one is on this path, any further effort I make will be in vain."

After a long silence, Tun Yuan finally said:

"Then go on. Don't break."

Chu Ning nodded slightly and said nothing more.

The voice of the Devouring Abyss rang out again, its tone unusually solemn:
"Your current cultivation technique can already be called 'Advanced Earth Rank'. If you further internalize your lightning intent and complete the Nine-fold Soul Diagram, you may be able to glimpse the gate to 'Heaven Rank'."

Chu Ning did not respond. His expression was extremely calm, his soul was like the sea, his thunder wheel was like a star ring, and his five souls were like a seat, guarding him in the very center.

"But this is not the end."

He whispered something and looked toward the core of his soul, where there was still a blank space that had never been touched.

He knew that would be his real "bomb".

— It is neither metal, nor wood, nor water, nor fire, nor earth.

—It is a vow, a wish, the ceaseless cycle of the heart, the ultimate embodiment of the will to face calamity.

"The skill has not been tested, so there is no point in discussing its superiority or inferiority."

The voice of Tun Yuan descended slowly from the dome of the Soul Sea, sounding like thunder yet not thunder, its meaning like the Dao yet not the Dao, carrying a certain majesty and judgment from the ancient soul consciousness.

As soon as the words fell, his sea of ​​consciousness trembled, and an invisible Dharma seal descended from the sky, like a Dao bell gently striking, resounding throughout the Nine-Patterned Soul Wheel.

Chu Ning frowned, and before he could respond, he felt his consciousness suddenly sink, as if he had been abruptly dragged into a deeper level of the soul domain by some force.

The surrounding lightning froze instantly, and the scenery crumbled and shattered like faded paper.

The next moment, heaven and earth turned gray, all things vanished, and the sea of ​​consciousness transformed into a vast battlefield. Dust billowed, tattered flags fluttered, and the air was filled with the lingering aftershocks of ancient killing intent and thunderous power.

The battlefield was familiar to Chu Ning—it was the very place where he had fought against sects and aristocratic families a few days ago.

This time, however, he was not passively reminded, but rather "chosen" to be in this place.

The voice of the Devourer rang out again, calm yet chilling:
"Success comes from the mind, but the law is achieved in battle."

Whether the technique you created can truly "respond to the thunder and be annihilated" will be determined in this battle.

Fenglei Mountain.

The cliffs are towering, the broken rocks and faults are still there, and the rolling thunderclouds are like those of the battle that took place on that day.

Three enemy figures stood atop the mountain, all clad in Zhenwu armor, exuding a powerful aura. They were the three sect elders who had blocked his path that day.

"A projection of consciousness?" Chu Ning's gaze sharpened slightly, but he was not surprised.

Tun Yuan said calmly, "It is not a copy of an illusion, but rather a condensation of all the killing moves, formations, soul pressure, and reactions from the 'past hostility' in your mind, which are exactly the same as what you remember."

“If you cannot defeat your former enemies using the current methods, then this ‘new method’ is nothing but a vain trick.”

Chu Ning remained silent, his five fingers slightly spread, his soul wheel unfolding above his sea of ​​consciousness, thunderous intent swirling within, and the nine-patterned wheel moving.

Three enemy figures moved simultaneously: one wielded a spear and charged forward, another used a talisman to pierce the air, and the third used array patterns to seal off the enemy.

Chu Ning did not use his Soul Wheel to fight as he had done before.

He gave a soft shout: "Jin Po".

The Golden Crow appeared, bursting forth from the west. Its thunderous blades roared, and before the enemy with the Soul Spear could even get close, their soul sea was already as if forged from golden thunder and iron, and was instantly severed by the powerful shock.

"Fire arises." The Xuan Snake Thunder surged. The Talisman Daoist mainly used fire talismans, which could originally suppress ordinary soul cultivators. But now the fire and thunder mutated, burning more and more, and even using fire to burn fire, directly penetrating the soul platform.

The third person set up a soul-locking formation, and Snow Fox Lei appeared in response—without fighting or charging, he merged into the formation patterns, like frost seeping into water, freezing the soul formation.

Chu Ning spreads all five fingers and rotates them once:
"The Five Thunders arise and transform, striking in response to the calamity!"

The lightning rings bloomed in the void, with five-colored lightning intent forming arcs. Each arc did not collide or overflow, but instead detonated in accordance with the momentum, layer upon layer.

After the first strike, the enemy figures of Fenglei Mountain were completely shattered. The scene in his mind then shifted, and the illusion of Jiang Lindu appeared.

The river mist swirls and rolls, and the old illusions reappear.

The wooden bridge reappeared, suppressed by the Soul Stone. Four soul cultivators lurked beneath the bridge like shadowy snakes, and the Drowning Soul Array emerged underwater, their killing intent silent.

If it were the Chu Ning of old, there would only be one method: to strike with lightning and unleash a burst of steam, using the force of absolute destruction to seize the initiative in the battle.

But now, he simply stands by the bridge, eyes closed for a moment, and softly calls out:

"Water, submerge; earth, suppress."

The Nightmare Tiger Lei Wei appeared beneath the bridge, letting out a low roar, and the lightning marks disappeared into the water veins like fish scales.

Before the soul cultivator could even awaken to the reversed water flow, the Soul Lion Thunder struck from the center, suppressing the water soul like a mountain pressing down on the river.

"...This is not breaking the formation." Tun Yuan's eyes gleamed strangely. "This is changing the situation by leveraging the momentum."

Chu Ning did not answer. The bridge broke but did not collapse. The soul cultivators were completely defeated, and he was defeated in silence.

Next battle, Dream Formation.

Incense smoke billowed from the viewing platform, the zither music slowly began, and female cultivators in crimson robes danced, their movements captivating and enchanting.

Three days ago, he broke through the formation as easily as slicing silk, breaking the zither and causing people to fall.

He hasn't removed the thunder yet.

"Wood represents emotion, water represents longing."

The snow fox and the nightmare tiger appear together; one brings tranquility to the mind, while the other calms the mind.

Before the dream array could be completed, it automatically collapsed due to the mutual complementation of the five elements' soul energy.

The female cultivator's soul and consciousness were shattered, but her body was not harmed. However, she never dared to enter the formation again for the rest of her life.

Chu Ning stood in the center of the Dream Platform, exhaling slowly.

This is not about killing the enemy, it's about "crossing over" the enemy.

Lei does not kill, but resolves.

Upon the Thunder Wheel, the Five Elements gradually stabilized, and Chu Ning finally truly comprehended:
"Lightning isn't just for shattering—"

"It is a response between heaven and earth and the human heart."

"When you have completely extinguished your killing intent, thunder can become a blade."

"And when your obsession has been fulfilled, even thunder can become a bridge."

The soul wheel returned to its place, and the sea of ​​consciousness fell silent.

The thunder ceased its chaotic movement, and the five souls no longer roared. Instead, they were like tigers in the mountains, leaves falling in the wind, and boats sailing on the water, all returning to an invisible rhythm.

Chu Ning stood quietly in the center of the Soul Wheel. A ring of lightning surrounded her, its five colors swirling and its nine patterns never ceasing.

He is like an island, and thunder and soul are the tides that surround him.

Tun Yuan emerged from the void, gazing at the Soul Wheel for a long time. For the first time, a hint of admiration appeared in his tone:
"This round is ready to be completed."

"You take the five souls as your body, the five elements as your order, the soul's thoughts as your guide, and the power of thunder as your method—the power, technique, and psychology are all combined into one. You have already mastered three of the four aspects of your self-created skill."

With a flick of his sleeve, an ancient, broken stele appeared above Chu Ning's sea of ​​consciousness. The inscription on the stele was faint, but the four characters "Cultivation Method Rank Seal" could be seen.

Swallowing Abyss with his hands behind his back:

"If your soul wheel reassembles and you devour the souls of others into lightning, you may be able to enter the gate of the divine realm."

He paused, then said in a low voice:
"The five souls used in this technique all originate from your lifelong obsession, and your inherent qualities are irreplaceable."

"It is not your soul that can be trained."

Chu Ning said in a deep voice:
"Then let's call it—Thunder Wheel Heart Sutra: Responding to Calamity."

"Respond to the thunder in your heart, and transform your vow into the Way."

Tun Yuan asked, "Can this method be passed on?"

Chu Ning shook her head: "No."

"I testify to the thunder with my five souls; the Dao resides in my heart and cannot be passed on to others."

Tun Yuan nodded: "You finally know what 'your own cultivation method' is."

Chu Ning slowly exhaled, her voice extremely soft, yet it seemed to carry away the last trace of turbulent, restless thunderous energy within her body.

The sea of ​​consciousness returned to silence, the soul wheel slowly rotated, the five elements settled, and the thunderous intent gradually settled from the center.

The nine soul meridians, like the ebb and flow of a galaxy, returned from the four extremes to one source, quietly merging within his body, like the undercurrent between a heartbeat and a breath, stable and enduring.

— Lei, from then on, had a "home".

This sense of belonging is neither earth-shattering nor deafening, but rather like an anchor point for self-awareness, quietly settling deep within the soul.

The next moment, his consciousness gradually dissipated, and the light and sound of the outside world slowly returned. He heard the low rustling of the wind through the pine branches and felt the cool mountain mist against his skin.

He opened his eyes.

The scorching lightning in his right pupil was gone, replaced by a deep, stillness like the night.

In that instant, he did not circulate his soul power or activate his lightning breath, but the rocks beneath his feet quietly cracked inch by inch, as if the entire earth had made way for him the moment he awoke.

He slowly rose, his back straight, his movements unhurried and deliberate.

The air seemed to instinctively give way, creating barely perceptible ripples wherever he went.

With each breath, he finally became completely in harmony with heaven and earth, no longer experiencing the turbulent pressure of thunder, nor the misalignment and tearing between his body and soul.

The afterglow of the setting sun hangs low, and a gentle mountain breeze blows.

He stood atop the cliff, the pine forest swirling like waves, and the clouds and mist rising slowly from the cliff face beneath his feet.

He walked slowly forward, his steps extending from the cliff top like the veins of mountains and rivers. Each step was steady as a pulse, in harmony with heaven and earth. It was no longer as thunderous as before, but it added a deep sense of oppression.

My gaze passed over layers of clouds, traversed thousands of miles of sky, and pointed directly to the west.

The wind rustles through the pine forest, and the branches whisper.

His eyes, however, were like a frost-covered blade carving through snow, or an ancient mirror submerged in water—clear, sharp, and unwavering.

He had already etched that direction into his soul; it was the place where Xie Mingli was imprisoned, the place where her soul was about to perish.

He slowly reached out and pressed his hand to his heart.

The soul jade, hidden close to the body within the clothing, had been dormant for many days, like a cold flame in a frozen valley, offering no response whatsoever.

But at that moment, his mind was suddenly jolted.

From the depths of the Soul Jade, a faint fluctuation emanated. The fluctuation was so light that it was almost imperceptible, like the last embers of a dying lamp trembling slightly in the deepest, darkest space.

That was neither language nor telepathy.

It is thought.

It was a glimmer of light struggling to emerge from the brink of life and death, a soul on the verge of collapse, before being completely annihilated, using the last vestiges of its consciousness to glance back at him in the darkness.

It wasn't a cry for help, but a call to name.

"Chu... Ning..."

These two words, broken and weak, pierced through all the defenses of the soul, like a knife cutting into the sea of ​​the heart.

At that moment, Chu Ning could barely breathe.

That was no ordinary feeling.

That's a sign that "the soul is about to dissipate."

He clearly sensed that her consciousness was shattering, and if he had hesitated any longer, there would have been no one left in this world to respond to him.

It wasn't confined, it wasn't imprisoned, it wasn't unconscious; it was—a matter of life and death.

His back tensed instantly, his mind trembled violently, and his five souls resonated.

A single thought makes the decision.

He understood that there was no longer any room for hiding or detours.

Any delay or detour will not lead to "greater stability," but rather to "too late."

If we want to save her, we must use the fastest speed and the most direct thunder to tear through the dark clouds over the capital.

In an instant, the Thunder Wheel silently began to turn on its own. The Five Thunders remained stable and unmoved, but a blurry yet clear trace of will slowly emerged from the depths of the Soul Core—the Sixth Thunder.

It was not part of the Five Elements, nor did it take the form of thunder, nor did it possess the pressure of thunderous intent. It was as if it were merely a thought, a persistent idea that quietly rose from the depths of his soul wheel and was hidden in the softest part of his heart.

The thunder doesn't move, but the heart resounds first.

He didn't speak, but his back was already taut without him, his whole body like a bowstring ready to strike. Although the thunderous energy didn't leak out, the heavens and earth were trembling with hidden power.

There was no thunder in the sky, but a dark line of clouds had already appeared on the horizon, like the shadow of thunder quietly opening its eyes in the air.

Birds and beasts in the mountains fell silent in fright, the sound of the forest suddenly stopped, and even the wind seemed to be crushed, leaving only the heavy beating of his heart in his chest.

She was waiting for me.

But I can't be any later.

In the sea of ​​consciousness, the sixth thunder gradually appeared, like thunder but without sound, like the light of a star, not born of power, not refined by technique, but condensed by "obsession".

That's a thunderbolt.

It did not stem from anger, nor from a desire for battle, nor from sorrow, nor from an awakening of bloodlines.

It is a response, a belief, a vow.

I swear not for the sake of the common people, nor for the laws of nature, but only to respond to the call of one person at the ends of the earth.

"Thunder can be used to kill all living beings, but the one person I cannot disobey is the one in my heart."

The sea of ​​consciousness was silent, the five thunders rumbled softly, and the sixth thunder, like a spark igniting, illuminated the abyss of the soul wheel.

In the midst of this silence, Tun Yuan's voice rang out again, deep and cautious like never before:

"Your lightning strikes now... can no longer be hidden."

He paused, a rare hint of emotion in his voice:

"That is no longer a soul technique, nor is it a secret power."

"It is itself the result of your mind resonating with the heavens and earth. It is not that you are controlling the thunder, but that 'you yourself' have become a cause and effect of thunder."

"When this thunder roars, heaven and earth will respond. If you walk in the world, you will be like a lamp entering a dark sea, carrying your own light. Trying to hide will only add to the disturbance."

Chu Ning listened quietly without saying a word.

But he sensed that at this moment, his sea of ​​consciousness was as clear as a mirror, and the rhythm of his soul wheel was almost synchronized with the rhythm of the outside world. When he walked, the wind made way for him, and when he sat, the thunderous intent surged forth. He didn't even need to consciously operate it; the world was flowing in accordance with his way.

The power is no longer just "what he possesses," but "what he becomes."

He finally understood.

It's not that he gave up hiding.

His presence is now impossible to hide.

Like a flash of lightning in the dark night, it is destined to attract attention.

—In that case.

Let them see how this light cleaves through the clouds.

He slowly rose and glanced away.

No lightning flashed, yet the robes fluttered like flags in the mountain wind, and the cloak surged like a black sea.

He stood atop the towering peak, the world as black as ink, his entire being like a sharp blade forged by lightning, its chill piercing the clouds even before it was drawn.

At this moment, he was no longer the exhausted and out-of-breath Chu Ning he had been six days ago.

He was already a peak martial artist.

Now, the Thunder Soul has returned to its place, the Thunder Wheel is complete, and the Five Elements Thunder Sequence rotates like a star track.

Without relying on any sect or magic treasures, but solely on his own enlightenment and creation, he forged the Tribulation Transformation Technique, and the Thunder Wheel Diagram penetrated his sea of ​​consciousness and soul core, making him unparalleled in the world.

Six days ago, he still needed to hide his whereabouts and avoid being restrained, for fear of alerting the enemy.

Now, he intends to make an example of the powerful and shake up the capital.

He no longer delayed, nor did he need to hide anything.

Every step he took was not a "rush," but a declaration:
—Chu Ning has arrived.

The west wind swept across the snow-capped mountains; when the wind stopped, the birds fell, and all things fell silent.

Dark clouds slowly descended from the highest point of the sky, as if the heavens had heard his will and bowed their heads in response.

The thunder has not yet appeared, but the wind and thunder are about to rise.

Chu Ning gently raised his hand and pressed it against his chest, feeling the faint, fading thought wave within the Soul Jade. His gaze was indifferent yet cold.

If the road ahead is blocked, I will break through its defenses.

"If anyone oppresses me, I will cut off their power."

"I am going to the capital not to plead for my life, nor to reason with anyone."

"It's about taking people away, it's about protecting an oath."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Ning took a step forward, and lightning exploded from beneath his feet.

The entire mountaintop seemed to be lifted up by a thunderous tide, with stone chips flying and clouds surging backward.

Amidst the deafening roar of heaven and earth, his figure soared straight into the sky, his black robes billowing, and lightning energy swirling through the air like a dragon, tearing apart the firmament and cleaving out a lightning trail that stretched across the western sky.

At that moment, the sky lost its color, and the clouds surged like an overturned sea, as if the gates of heaven had been suddenly opened, and the thunderclouds of ten thousand miles made way for him.

He showed no restraint whatsoever.

Thunder Soul fully activated, the five elements resonate in unison.

The Thunder Wheel appeared behind him, and the Soul Map hung high in the sky like a star chart. Nine thunder patterns moved at his will, as if guided by the power of heaven. Wherever it went, the wind and snow stopped, the mountains and rivers subsided, and all spirits gave way.

He used his soul power to condense his steps, stepping into the void. With each step he took, the heavens and earth resounded with thunder.

The thunderous sound was like a bell, echoing for miles around.

—This line will no longer be hidden.

It was Lei Hun Chu Ning's high-profile return to the scene;

It was a wake-up call to the powerful figures in the capital;
It was the beginning of a betrayal against the imperial family's mastermind;

It was also a response to her—that faint soul thought.

Thunderclouds surged westward, covering a thousand miles in a single day.

Wherever it passed, the dark clouds split open, towns were shocked, and countless cultivators looked up to witness the trajectory of the lightning bolt that swept across the sky, heading straight for the capital.

Someone gasped in shock:

"A god... has descended to earth!"

And he, within the heart of lightning, his eyes as cold as frost and as fiery as fire, his whispers as powerful as thunder, echoed across the vast sky:
"For her, I broke down the palace gates—"

"I swear, I will tread upon the capital!"

"Listen up—I, Chu Ning, am here!!!"

The thunderous roar never ceased, the soul map remained unbroken, and azure lightning struck directly over the capital, stirring up thunder from the heavens and igniting the winds and clouds across the land.

(End of this chapter)