Overdraw the future and become a peerless martial god

Chapter 181 Spark in My Heart (Seeking Monthly Tickets and Subscriptions)
It is easy to bring peace to the world, but difficult to protect one person.

With the world behind them and the future in their hearts, they have already achieved their goals.

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The sky over the capital city has finally cleared up.

The Soul Map has been burned, the Imperial Throne has been shattered, new laws have been established, officials are in good order, and the remaining power of the old dynasty has dissipated.

The new chapter, like the dawn breaking, was passed down through the land, stroke by stroke.

In the east of the capital, a quiet courtyard is hidden away from the hustle and bustle of the world, simple yet elegant.

The bamboo shadows slant across the courtyard, the wind rustles through the branches and leaves, brushing past the silent silhouettes of two people in the yard.

Xie Mingli stood in the courtyard, dressed in plain clothes, her hair slightly tied up, her expression as serene as the moon.

She held a cold, unsheathed sword, Hanxingduan, in her hand, seemingly practicing and contemplating, her fingertips occasionally stroking the hilt, as if trying to conceal some indescribable discomfort.

On the blue stone below the steps, Chu Ning sat quietly with his eyes downcast, gently twirling the thunder wheel between his fingers.

The thunder and fire that once illuminated the emperor's soul have now faded and died out, like the setting sun reflected on the water, its light sinking into the bottom of the lake.

He seemed to be gazing at a snowstorm that only he could see, his heart surging with emotions, remaining silent for a long time.

Xie Mingli glanced sideways several times, her lips moving as if she wanted to speak, but in the end she sheathed her sword, approached, squatted down beside him, and asked softly:

“Brother Ning…you seem to have something on your mind these past few days.”

Chu Ning didn't look at her, but simply raised his palm. The Five Soul Wheels spun like a broken star, their light barely an inch long.

After a long pause, he murmured:
"Mingli, I... I'm afraid my remaining days are numbered."

Xie Mingli's heart skipped a beat, her gaze suddenly sharpened, and even her breathing became erratic.

"What did you say?"

Her voice was so low it sounded like the wind through a window, yet there was a faint, suppressed tremor at the end.

Chu Ning looked up at her, her eyes still carrying the warmth of the one who had once braved the storm alone and plucked flowers for her. But deep within that gaze lay a sorrow she had never seen before.

"Back when the twelve evil spirits of the Blood Refining Hall were about to emerge, I sealed 'Bone-Blazing Ape Marquis' in the far north ice plains with the Boundary Lock... At that moment, I knew that what I had gained in return was only ten years."

"Three years have passed, and seven years remain. If we cannot find a way to defeat him..."

He looked up at the sky, his fingers slowly closing.

"The seal will be broken in seven years."

"And he—will surely unleash a bloodbath, slaughtering mountains and destroying cities."

The courtyard fell silent for a moment, with only the distant yellow leaves slowly falling from the paulownia trees, making a soft sound as they hit the earth.

Xie Mingli suddenly felt a slight discomfort in her stomach. She had been feeling nauseous since she woke up, with waves of nausea rising and falling, but she forced herself to hold her breath and silently lowered her head to cover it up.

Chu Ning noticed the subtle change in her eyes and reached out to gently place the back of her hand in his palm.

His palms, as always, carried a slight hint of thunder, yet were warmer than spring snow.

Xie Mingli sat quietly under the eaves, the afterglow of the setting sun reflected in her eyes, making that little bit of light gentle and deep.

She had been by his side for a long time, but only today did she dare to ask the question she had hesitated to ask for so long.

"Your appearance... has aged so much," she said softly, like a breeze passing through a white curtain, "is it because you only have seven years left to live?"

Chu Ning didn't speak, but simply nodded slowly.

In that instant, the light in her eyes seemed to tremble, and she immediately reached out to cover her cheeks, her fingertips trembling slightly, while tears slowly slid down her cheeks through her fingers.

She didn't want him to see her cry, yet she couldn't stop the sudden, dull pain that had sunk deep into her heart.

He wanted to reach out to comfort her, but in the end he just stared at her silently, a lump in his throat. After a long while, he finally whispered:

"What's even more terrifying is not lifespan."

"Yes—the Heavenly Gate has opened, and the Inspector General is about to arrive."

Xie Mingli looked up abruptly, her heart pounding.

Tianmen.

Those were ancient words she had heard before, hidden in the fragments of her family's history and the forbidden history of the Soul Prison. There were many rumors about them, but no one had ever actually witnessed them being activated.

All she remembered was someone saying that it was "the gate to another world," and also "the gate abandoned by God."

“Border patrol envoy…” she murmured.

Chu Ning nodded, his expression unusually calm, with a hint of deep-seated weariness hidden beneath the calm.

"When the Heavenly Gate opens, the Border Patrol Envoy will arrive. They are the gatekeepers of another realm—neither human nor ordained by Heaven."

"They will redefine the energy flow and re-evaluate the boundaries."

"If evil spirits are not eliminated, the soul path is out of balance, and the world is in chaos before they arrive... then they will not hesitate to destroy the world."

The Five Soul Thunder Wheel in his palm rotated gently, but it seemed to be disturbed by an unseen aura, trembling slightly, as if sensing some kind of profound disturbance.

The wind blew through the withered branches, and the world was silent, but Xie Mingli's heart felt as if a piece of it had been torn apart.

She was silent for a moment, then suddenly reached out and slowly grasped the empty tattered cloth under his right sleeve.

She had held that hand countless times in her dreams, and even now, though it was gone, she still didn't want to let go.

"Then..." She looked up at him, her eyes no longer filled with tears, "What...are you planning to do next?"

Chu Ning looked at her, and in that instant, all the complex emotions in his eyes turned into a faint, bitter smile.

"I need to go to Yipin Pavilion."

"The legacy left behind by Master Hunyuan is still hidden deep within his secret chamber. If I could obtain his mental cultivation method, perhaps... it could slow down the calamity of my soul wheel collapsing."

He paused, his gaze growing ever more distant, as if piercing through countless years to see a figure still trapped in the secluded valley.

“In addition…” he said in a low voice, “my sister is also trapped in the direction of Yipin Pavilion. I need to bring her back safely.”

Xie Mingli listened, her eyes flickering slightly.

She slowly rose, dressed in white as snow, her eyes calm and steady like the light of a cold star.

"I go with you."

Chu Ning frowned slightly, about to speak and persuade her to stay. But she had already looked up at him, her gaze gentle yet firm, almost piercing through fate.

"This time, I will not leave you again."

"If you are to traverse the perilous gates of heaven and face the calamities of evil, then I will walk alongside you."

“Otherwise…” she chuckled softly, but her tone was as heavy as if she were making a vow, “Where do you expect me to guard?”

Chu Ning was slightly shaken and remained silent for a long time.

Three years ago, he walked alone on a snowy night, ready to die for her.

Three years later, she was willing to risk her life to walk the rest of her life alongside him.

This isn't a romance novel; it's a vow.

He looked at her and finally whispered a reply:
"it is good."

However, just as she gently got up and prepared to go back to her room to pack her things, her steps faltered slightly and her body swayed gently.

A wave of dizziness rose from the bottom of my stomach, and the nausea that I hadn't made a sound about yesterday came back again.

Not wanting to disturb them, she forced herself to steady herself, gripping the bamboo railing for support. Her brows furrowed slightly, her lips paled, yet she still whispered:
"fine."

Chu Ning's gaze sharpened; he had already sensed something was amiss in her expression.

She was always calm and rarely showed fear, even when she was seriously injured.

But in that instant, her face turned pale, her breathing became slightly erratic, and a faint trace of fatigue from dizziness appeared between her brows.

His heart tightened, he took a step closer, and asked in a deep voice:
"What's wrong with you?"

"Is there... any hidden injury?"

Xie Mingli looked up at him, but her gaze did not avoid his; instead, it was extremely calm as she simply shook her head.

"There are no hidden injuries."

Her tone was very soft, yet it carried an almost gentle stubbornness.

Chu Ning, however, did not believe it.

He knew her too well—she could grit her teeth and endure for three years in the thirty-nine layers of the Mirror Prison, and would not lower her voice and show weakness because of a little dizziness and paleness; she could draw her sword and kill the emperor in the imperial palace, and would not lose her footing for no reason.

So he said:
"let me see."

She didn't stop him, but silently placed her hand in his palm.

Chu Ning grasped her wrist with his left hand, and his soul sense probed into her meridians like a thread, slowly moving along the meridians, passing through Jianjing, Xingong, and Qihai. Everything was normal—the meridians were slightly sluggish, probably due to not resting for several days.

But just as his divine sense slowly probed into his dantian, he suddenly paused.

Chu Ning frowned slightly, slowed down his mental focus, and entered the field again.

The next instant, he saw that deep within her dantian, in the center of the true qi ripples that should have been as still as a lake, a very shallow ripple of soul light was rising.

That's not an illness.

That's not an injury.

It was an extremely faint light, like a newly born morning star, nestled between her soul and true energy, quietly pulsating and breathing.

It is a "life".

Chu Ning's heart skipped a beat.

At that moment, his consciousness tightened almost uncontrollably, his hand trembled slightly, and he nearly gripped her wrist too tightly.

Xie Mingli frowned slightly:
"What's wrong?" Chu Ning didn't answer immediately.

He slowly opened his eyes and looked at her face.

That face, which he had dreamt of countless times amidst war and snowy nights, now stood peacefully before him, slightly weary, yet serene and tranquil.

And within her body, their flesh and blood were being conceived.

For a moment, he felt somewhat dazed, as if he had returned to the underworld, where she lay silently in his arms, and he used his strength to protect her as he escaped from hell.

And now, she has quietly entrusted a brand new life to him.

His voice suddenly went hoarse.

His fingertips were still on her wrist, but he seemed so shaken by the tiny life throbbing that he couldn't move.

She noticed his unusual behavior and asked softly:
"Brother Ning...?"

He spoke after a long pause, his voice slightly hoarse:

"Mingli...you...you're pregnant with our child?"

Xie Mingli's eyelashes trembled.

In that instant, the surroundings were so still that it seemed even the wind had stopped moving.

She parted her lips slightly as if to say something, but in the end she simply closed her eyes and slowly nodded.

Chu Ning looked at her, remaining silent for a long time.

He remained unmoved by the thunderous killings, the breaking of formations and the destruction of emperors, and the shattering of the heavens by the soul diagram.

But at that moment, he felt a lump in his throat, and he couldn't bring himself to say, "We have a child."

He slowly squatted down, pressing his forehead against her lower abdomen, like someone who was utterly exhausted but had finally seen hope.

"I'm sorry..." he murmured softly, as if afraid to disturb the starlight in his womb, "It's my fault... I came too late and almost let you down."

Xie Mingli looked down at him and gently placed her hand on his hair.

But you came.

She placed her other hand on her still-flat belly, her gaze gentle yet resolute.

She didn't say anything more.

But they all knew that from this day forward, apart from the mountains and rivers, the calamities, and fate of this world.

There is another life, a future that has yet to be spoken, yet is already inextricably linked to their destiny.

Chu Ning looked at her.

She was so close, her expression serene, yet she couldn't hide her weariness and a hint of suppressed panic.

He suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist.

“Mingli,” he said in a low voice, but each word was distinct, “this time, you can’t come with me.”

She was stunned for a moment, then looked up, her eyes filled with disbelief and shock: "What did you say?"

"You want me... to stay?"

He nodded.

The wind whispered between the two, as if trying to dispel the heavy words they had spoken.

Xie Mingli slowly withdrew her hand, stood up, turned her back, and did not speak immediately.

But her back was already slightly tense, and her hands unconsciously clenched into fists.

"You're going to face the First-Class Pavilion, the Primordial Master, and the Heavenly Gate of the Worlds all by yourself?" Her voice was as low as falling snow. "You want me to stay?"

Chu Ning slowly stood up and walked behind her.

He didn't say "you can't," nor did he say "I'm stronger." He simply said very softly:
"I need you to watch over this world for me."

"You shall guard this place, so that the new chapter of the Soul Law will not be altered."

"You will guard this throne, so it will never be stained with blood again."

"You shall guard... the road we have not yet finished."

"And..." he said softly, reaching out to place his hand on her abdomen, "to ensure his safe delivery."

Xie Mingli was stunned.

She was speechless for a moment, as if struck in a vital spot. After a long silence, she turned around, looked at him, and her eyes welled up with tears.

"But what if you don't come back?"

"What if you stay in Yipin Pavilion and never get out?"

Chu Ning looked at her quietly, without avoiding her gaze.

"I'll be back."

"I promise you."

His tone was gentle, yet unquestionable.

“I already owe you too much. If I were to owe him a lifetime of companionship as well… I would be unworthy to utter a ‘vow’ in this life.”

Xie Mingli bit her lip and remained silent.

She almost wanted to rush over to him; she wanted to hug him, to comfort him, and even to die in his place.

But a life-giving flame was growing within her, a flame that Chu Ning had protected for her with his severed arm, his lifespan, his blood, and his oath.

She can no longer be willful.

She finally lowered her head slowly, like someone who had finally accepted their fate, and asked softly:
"Will our child come back one more time before it's born?"

Chu Ning raised his hand, brushed away a stray hair from her forehead, and nodded gently.

"I will come back before you give birth."

"Even if it means my soul is severed and I have to cross realms, I will come back."

Before he finished speaking, Xie Mingli's eyes suddenly trembled, and almost subconsciously she reached out and covered his lips with her trembling fingertips.

"Don't say it."

Her voice was low and hoarse, and her eyes welled up with barely suppressed tears.

“I…I want to hear you answer like this.”

"But you mustn't say things like that."

Tears welled in her eyes, she bit her lip, and spoke softly, each word distinct and clear:
"I want you to come back safe and sound, and completely unharmed."

"It's not a soul-severing event, nor is it a transmigration."

"It means to come back alive, with yourself and with the future."

Her hand was still on his lips, trembling slightly, but she didn't let go, as if only in this way could she suppress the ominous hint in his words.

Chu Ning looked at her quietly, her gaze gentle and calm. She slowly took her hand in hers and gently pressed the fingertips that were covering her lips into her palm.

He responded softly, a word that settled in her heart like a vow:

"Okay, I'll answer you—come back alive."

Xie Mingli listened, her lips trembling, but in the end she only nodded.

There were still countless unspoken words in her eyes, but she knew it.

This time, she had to stay.

Because this time, she would protect him from behind.

After a moment, Chu Ning's expression turned serious, his gaze turned slightly cold, and he spoke in a low voice:
"But before I set off, I need to check one place first."

Xie Mingli asked softly, "Where?"

Chu Ning slowly rose, stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze as cold as a sword's edge:

"The Archives of the Former Dynasty".

"Although the Emperor's Soul Diagram is shattered, I always feel that... there are still unsolved secrets hidden beneath this realm."

His gaze lowered slightly, his voice deep:

"What lies beyond the Heavenly Gate? How does the Border Patrol Envoy know about this realm? And what about the First-Rank Pavilion and the previous dynasty... I suspect there is a connection between them."

"I must find out the truth."

Upon hearing this, Xie Mingli's eyes flashed with contemplation.

A slight stirring ran through her heart, and she originally wanted to say she would go with him again, but thinking of the newborn in her womb, she finally bit her lip and suppressed her thoughts.

After a moment, she gently raised her eyes and slowly said:

"Then I will prepare everything you need, and you can go without worry."

Chu Ning looked at her, smiled slightly, and a hint of tenderness appeared in his eyes.

"it is good."

As the words fell, the wind rustled through the courtyard, bamboo shadows slanted, and the thunder had not yet subsided.

A new chapter has quietly begun.

But deeper secrets await his discovery in the shadows.

(End of this chapter)