Overdraw the future and become a peerless martial god

Chapter 179 The Blood Oath Returns (Seeking monthly votes and subscriptions)

The seventy-two generals activated the Soul Array together, their souls intertwining like celestial ropes, and the array patterns rising like locks, directly sealing the lightning track that Chu Ning had stepped on.

Before the formation was even complete, the heavens and earth were already shrouded in darkness.

But in that very instant...

The Soul Map suddenly resounded!

A bolt of azure lightning descended from the center of the sky, like a thunder dragon cleaving through the air, piercing through the three corners of the formation.

With a "crack," the three layers of the "Elephant Locking Formation" crumbled inch by inch, and the soul chains broke like rain as they swirled.

Before the seventy-two generals in the air could change formation, Chu Ning had already raised his hand and said:

"Those who govern the country should protect its people."

"Yet you wield the Soul-Suppressing Axe, a weapon for forging souls for the imperial family."

His palm trembled slightly, and the tribulation wheel, which had been focused on the core of his soul, suddenly unfolded, forming a vortex of lightning that devoured his sea of ​​consciousness and shattered his soul chains.

Where the thunderbolts struck, a torrent of lightning surged forth, and the flames of lightning, like a flood, swallowed the formation inch by inch into the void.

But before the intense lightning engulfed everything, the shadows of some generals briefly appeared:
The Ninth General, Chu Yan, was on the verge of losing consciousness, with blood in his throat.

He wore a peace charm embroidered by his daughter, and originally planned to go home to see her after returning to camp from this battle.

The instant his sea of ​​consciousness cracked, the talisman shattered into powder, and he murmured:
"Little Sang... Father has broken his promise."

The next instant, lightning and fire engulfed him, annihilating his divine consciousness.

The thirty-eighth general, Wen Yue, was a rare son from a poor family. He entered the imperial army at the age of seventeen and was promoted to general at the age of twenty.

He had watched Chu Ning compete in the Qingyun Arena, and Chu Ning's move shook the rankings. From then on, he vowed to "chase his shadow and sever his will".

When Lei arrived, he merely looked up blankly, the light in his eyes gradually fading away.

He said softly:

"So... I shouldn't have chased after him."

Before he could turn around, he was dragged into the collapsing formation by the entire soul chain.

There were also the sixtieth general, the seventy-first general... and many other nameless souls, who were not entirely evil. They had also made oaths, written letters home, and uttered the words "protect the country."

But they ultimately became "tools" under the old imperial system.

So at this moment, when Chu Ning's palm struck down, they couldn't even control their own souls and could only be buried as victims of this collapsing soul law, swept into the fire of destiny.

And all this destruction, lamentation, and struggle occurred within seven breaths.

In that brief moment, Chu Ning's expression remained unchanged, but after the oath lightning dissipated, he slowly closed his eyes.

It was a silent, unassuming silence.

It's not regret, it's not pity.

Rather, it was a trace of regret, an understanding of the cost.

"...I know that not all of you are hateful."

"But what you are upholding is wrong."

He didn't say those words aloud.

He simply withdrew his fingertips, returning the lightning seal to his palm, as if closing a page of a murder case that could not be rewritten.

He turned around and stepped out of the remnants of the lightning and flame array.

The names of the seventy-two soul generals were not remembered;
Their deaths, however, were destined to vanish along with the dynasty's military laws.

Duan Wang Zong Shu's eyes narrowed sharply. Before the Soul Axe could strike, Chu Ning's Thunder Soul had already broken through his head and arrived.

Xie Mingli stood at the edge of the lightning and flames, her white clothes still stained with blood, her gaze fixed on the powerful "mountain" on the high platform.

She didn't move.

But his fingertips trembled slightly.

It wasn't fear, but rather that years of pain had finally revealed its cracks.

She saw the Soul Map struck by lightning, and the seventy-two generals scattered like candlelight in the wind. In an instant, the blood feuds of the past surged forth like a tidal wave...

"Can you kill them?"

She had asked herself this question countless times in her dreams.

At that moment, she suddenly felt a tightness in her throat.

Tears welled up, but she forced them back down.

Because she knew—she could kill him.

She looked at him.

The boy she had waited for for three years now overwhelmed the dynasty with his own soul.

At this moment, the Crimson Soul Array behind Prince Duan suddenly burst into flames, the runes scorching, and the layers of protective seals burning like dry paper in the lightning.

He stood atop the platform, a position that should have suppressed everything, yet he suddenly felt a strange chill he had never experienced before.

It wasn't the fear of impending defeat, but rather... the tremor of the world cracking open before my eyes.

He subconsciously recalled in his mind:
Although he was a descendant of royalty, he joined the army as a young man, fought his way up from the Battle of Zhenxi to becoming a king, reviewed 300,000 troops, killed rebels and Soul-Melting Soldiers, pacified Qingzhou, and quelled ten towns.

He thought he had seen all the possible "variables" in the world.

Even if Xie Chengjun is reborn and the crisis recurs, he has five ways to deal with it.

He designed the Soul Lock Array, connecting the souls of the seventy-two generals with the Imperial Map, and even secretly borrowed the remnant array from the Blood Refining Hall, all to ensure that he could only win this gamble in the Imperial Court.

In this game, he calculated everything.

"Even if you are at the first-grade level, so what?" he once asked himself.

As long as you remain within the bounds of human nature, the laws of the law, and the boundaries of your position, you will eventually have to submit.

When the first line of defenses collapsed, he merely frowned slightly.

When the three layers of the Soul Lock shattered, he immediately turned the Soul Axe around and roared, ordering the Soul Wheel to be focused on fire.

But now he saw it:
The souls of the seventy-two generals were not defeated, but their beliefs were stripped away, like ashes from burnt-out incense, scattered by the wind the moment their faith collapsed.

Something deep within him, which should have been as solid as iron, suddenly cracked open with a "crack".

He suddenly remembered Xie Chengjun's last words, which he had once ridiculed:

"If one day, someone can establish their soul without relying on any rank, without borrowing an imperial title, and without ascending to the Soul Rank..."

"At that time, all your 'order' will be uprooted."

He laughed at Xie Chengjun's naiveté.

But now, watching Chu Ning annihilate the seventy-two generals and shatter the triple bindings with his own soul intent, he suddenly felt that it was himself who was absurd.

He slowly opened his eyes, but suddenly, as if struck by lightning, a question he had never pondered before arose in his mind:

--How can it be?

How could someone reach this point without entering the imperial court, without following the imperial system, without receiving imperial seals, without belonging to a sect, and without a memorial tablet?
Since the establishment of laws and regulations, the entire martial arts system of the Great Qian Dynasty has been based on "rank" and "system".

Imperial power controls the allocation of soul veins, the dissemination of cultivation techniques, and the allocation of resources; all advancement paths must rely on the Law Order System.

Whether you are a border general, the head of a powerful family, or the leader of a martial arts school.

If you want to go further, you must enter the "Martial Law".

Once you step inside, you become subject to its control.

For thousands of years, no one has been an exception.

Even the most extraordinary genius must first obtain the "Imperial Soul Seal" before they can condense their cultivation and ascend to sainthood.

No one has ever been able to escape this entire legal network and ascend to a higher level on their own.

He thought he knew this ironclad rule well and had defended it for most of his life.

But now, a "martial artist" who has never been registered or signed up is breaking the spell with his soul wheel and suppressing the seven formations with his oath thunder right before his eyes.

Zong Shu felt a chill run down his spine.

It turns out that it wasn't because "he was too strong".

It was him; he fundamentally didn't belong to this set of rules.

He was neither a rebel in the imperial court nor an ambitious usurper.

He stepped in from outside this code of law, outside the law, outside the system.

That's the most terrifying thing.

He finally realized that what he had lost was not the art of soul manipulation, nor the power struggles, but the very code of law that he had defended his entire life.

Lightning, like feathers, swirled around Chu Ning's still palm, as if all the energy in the world had been drawn into his mind.

Within the celestial map, a strange wisp of soul light descended from its center, landing precisely on his fingertip.

He slowly raised his left hand, his two fingers forming a seal, and gently closed them together.

"Prince Duan, Zong Shu."

"Your life was sealed by the law; my life was born from the ashes of wronged souls." "The law you upheld your whole life is not worth a single ashes in my eyes."

The lightning bolt pierced the sky, striking directly at the Prince Duan's brow.

"--boom."

At that moment, Zong Shu's head tilted back, and the Soul Axe fell to the ground out of control.

In an instant, a thunderous sound, like a cracking bell, reverberated through his soul platform. His sea of ​​consciousness shattered, and his soul scattered. He didn't even have time to utter a sound of pain.

The Crimson Gold Royal Palace, its soul array collapsed, and tiles and stones rained down.

Thunder and flames surged from the center of the palace, sweeping across the nine courtyards and the second floor. The authoritative mansion that Zong Shu had built throughout his life was reduced to ashes in the wind.

The wind blew from the depths of the ruins, stirring up a sky full of thunder dust and debris, as if tearing an old chapter from the history books.

Xie Mingli stood not far behind him.

In that instant, she witnessed with her own eyes the mountain that had been pressing down on the Xie family for more than a decade, which collapsed with a deafening roar.

The man who had flirted with her in court and treated her like a plaything died before her eyes;
The mastermind lurking in the shadows, who murdered his elder brother Xie Jinghong and personally sent the Xie family's soul into the abyss, was finally reduced to ashes by lightning.

Her fingertips instinctively gripped his clothes tightly, as if it were all just a fleeting dream, and she was afraid that if she let go, it would all vanish.

All of this happened too fast, and too long.

She stared blankly, her throat tight and dry, her chest feeling as if it had been struck by a blunt object, leaving her numb and lightheaded, as if she had escaped from a nightmare but was not yet fully awake.

Suddenly, it felt as if a huge rock was slowly cracking in her chest, and what surged out of the cracks was... not pleasure, not the ecstasy of revenge, but a heavy sense of relief, like spring snow melting into ice.

But that sense of relief lasted only a moment.

Her eyes regained their sharpness, and her voice was deep:

"The mountain has collapsed..."

When the wind rose, her plain clothes were disheveled and her hair was stray.

But her back was already straighter than Lei Guang's.

She slowly stretched out her hand and pointed to the due south direction of the capital.

“Brother Ning,” she said softly, yet with a vow in her voice, “this time, I will personally send him to prison.”

Chu Ning looked at her but did not stop her.

He simply reached out and tidied the messy strands of hair at her temples.

The warmth of the thunder still lingered in her palm, but when it fell behind her ear, it was like a late spring snow, so light it almost melted away.

"Okay! This time, I won't do anything."

"Yan Chengheng," she whispered, her voice like ice being crushed between her lips.

The man who once publicly mocked her at the Soul Banquet, privately harmed the women of the Xie family, orchestrated the execution and soul stripping of the Xie family, and even personally dragged her into the abyss of the Mirror Prison, is still alive today.

He simply accompanied her to the door, but did not go inside with her.

She turned to look at him, and he simply nodded, his expression calm.

"Don't worry, I'll get through this," she said softly.

"I'll wait for you." His voice wasn't loud, but it brooked no argument.

Before the vermilion gates were swung open, she slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

Her fingertips felt slightly cool, and her soul fire flickered quietly. She knew this was not the joy of victory—it was the return of the Xie family, who had been wronged for years, to seek justice.

She stepped into the long corridor, and it seemed as if she could hear her mother's heartbreaking voice and her mother's solemn farewell words from years past.

Today, she is not a remnant of the Xie family.

It is the soul fire of the Xie family.

She entered the palace alone, her clothes still wet with blood, and the Soul Lock still bound to her wrist.

She didn't change her clothes or fix her hair; she was only wearing a plain robe, as if she were wearing a heavy snowfall.

The Prince of Yan's residence is empty today.

Most of the Imperial Guards were transferred to the capital, and those who remained were all shaken to their core when the Soul Diagram approached, and no one dared to stand in her way.

The vermilion gates opened, and the old roads within the mansion remained unchanged.

With each step she took, it was as if she were crushing an old dream, shattering it beyond recognition.

The lamps in front of the hall were dim and yellow.

She walked slowly through the long corridor, through the inner palace, until she reached the main hall that she least wanted to approach in her life.

The Prince of Yan sat upright on the couch, his white hair disheveled, a lingering soul wandering in his eyes, and a low laugh escaping his throat.

"Xie Mingli, you really came back... Did you come on your knees?"

A low, hoarse laugh escaped his throat, as if he already knew that calamity was about to befall him, yet he was still determined to suppress her life force with his own.

Xie Mingli stood outside the palace gate, quietly gazing at the man inside who had single-handedly pushed her into hell.

She didn't step inside immediately.

A chill quietly rose from the depths of my heart, slowly spreading along my meridians to my fingertips.

She lowered her head, took out an ancient silver ring blade, and placed it in her palm. It was the Xie family's old treasure, "Cold Star Blade"—a short blade that her father had given her in the past, but now it carried the blood debt of a thousand souls of the Xie family.

Her fingertips paused slightly as she lightly stroked the blade, her eyes cold and clear.

She did not come here today out of anger.

Rather, it is to repay a life.

She slowly stepped into the palace gate, her clothes fluttering slightly, her footsteps like snow tapping on the steps.

The Prince of Yan sat upright on the couch, his white hair as white as snow, his eyes gleaming with a soul-like light, his body surrounded by a dense array of soul formations, and nine layers of restrictions protecting him.

As she stepped in, a sneer curled at the corner of his lips, his voice as cold as iron:
"You bastard of the Xie family, after three years, you dare to trespass on my royal residence?"

Do you think you can kill me today?

After speaking, he suddenly activated a soul-locking chain in his palm, and a chilling black light pierced through the air, striking Xie Mingli's brow.

Just as the chain light was about to arrive, she suddenly raised her eyes, and a burst of extremely cold Ice Soul True Qi erupted from her body.

The blade gleamed with a chilling light, like an ice needle piercing the soul, carrying the "Heart and Soul Ice Sealing Technique" honed over three years in the Soul Prison, instantly freezing the aura within three feet of the Soul-Locking Chain.

"Click."

The Soul-Locking Chains suddenly cracked under the erosion of the Ice Soul, turning into inch-long pieces of ice that fell in front of the palace.

The Prince of Yan's expression changed drastically. Just as he was about to urge the formation to its full strength, he suddenly saw Xie Mingli's figure move.

The white robe was shaken open, and the glint of the blade struck like a cold current.

"Shh-!"

A silver arc of light streaked through the air as she swiftly slashed out with the Frost Star Broken Blade in her hand, sealing the Yan King's soul lock with its icy vortex, the blade's intent aimed straight for his throat.

The Prince of Yan let out a low shout, and the nine soul arrays around his body suddenly burst forth with soul light, forming layers of protective shields to block its attack.

"break."

Xie Mingli gave a low shout, and the blade of the short blade suddenly turned. The Ice Soul True Qi condensed into an ice blade wheel, and round after round of cold light swiftly slashed at the weak points of the soul array.

"boom!"

The first layer of the soul array collapsed with a deafening roar, scattering cold air and causing the temperature in the hall to plummet, with frost forming on the ground.

Enraged, the King of Yan suddenly gathered soul light in his palm and urged the remaining soul chains to sweep wildly through the palace.

Xie Mingli moved like a swallow, her footwork agile, and she arrived in an instant, the Cold Star Broken Blade spinning in her palm like lightning.

"Shhhhh."

Several cold blades flashed, sealing off the Prince of Yan's offensive.

The Prince of Yan struggled to maintain his soul shield, only to find the icy blade already within reach, its icy essence penetrating his body, causing his soul consciousness to tremble faintly.

"Yan Chengheng".

Xie Mingli's voice was low and cold, her eyes as frosty as ice:

“In the past, my mother’s blood was spilled on the altar of the spirit, and my brother and father’s souls returned without offerings.”

"Today, I, Xie Mingli, will take your dog's life for the Xie family!"

The blade flashed, piercing through the soul shield, and a chilling aura pierced the Yan King's shoulder and neck.

"Pfft."

A flash of blood appeared, the Prince of Yan groaned, his true energy suddenly dissipated, and he staggered backward.

Xie Mingli pressed forward relentlessly, raising her short blade once more, her Ice Soul True Qi enveloping her entire body, her killing intent as fierce as frost.

Outside the hall, frost had already formed, and the chill permeated the nine jade brick steps.

And she finally, with her own hands, shattered the blood debt prison that had weighed on the Xie family for over a decade.

(End of this chapter)