Overdraw the future and become a peerless martial god

Chapter 190 The Struggle for Pavilion Mastership
Li Jing'an withdrew his gaze, took a deep breath, and seemed to seal his emotions back into his heart.

He turned to look at the white-robed soul, his expression calm but devoid of any smile:
"These three are now under my name. I will report their names in the Soul Altar register later."

The white-robed soul's expression hardened, and he quickly responded:

"I will obey Elder Li's orders."

He paused, then cupped his hands and said:
"I was unaware of your identity before and spoke rashly. I hope Brother Chu will forgive me."

Chu Ning nodded slightly, without saying anything more, and the Soul Lock Imprint slowly sank into his palm.

He never wanted to stand in front of others as the "pavilion master," and the way he concealed this today was the greatest kindness Li Jing'an could offer.

Li Jing'an seemed to know that his mind was still undecided, so he didn't ask any more questions. Instead, he turned around and said loudly:
"Now that the new members have been admitted, you may continue your cultivation."

The dozens of Soul Masters around them exchanged glances, then bowed and retreated. Although they did not forcefully question him, a hint of doubt still lingered in their eyes.

"Chu Ye, come with me."

With a flick of his sleeve, Li Jing'an's robes billowed as he leaped into the air.

Chu Ning silently helped Chu Yun up, and Lei Jingjing followed. The three of them walked side by side, and the steps of the Soul Platform rose up beneath their feet, as if they were being paved anew for this long-awaited return journey.

As they ascended to high altitude, Li Jing'an glanced back at them, his tone nonchalant:

"Although the First-Class Pavilion does not care about your background, from now on, every step you take on this 'Soul Rank' will not be easy."

His gaze shifted to Chu Ning's face, and he lowered his voice, making sure only Chu Ning could hear:
"Whether it's Chu Ning or Chu Ye—someone will ask about what you're hiding sooner or later."

“But as long as you are still standing on this Soul Platform, even if you are half dead, I, Li Jing’an, will support you.”

Upon hearing this, Chu Ning's expression remained unchanged, but his palms involuntarily tightened.

He neither agreed nor refused, but simply said:
"Old Li, even if I fall, I don't want you to take the fall for me."

Li Jing'an grinned and patted the empty shoulder beneath his cut sleeve:

"Don't worry, even if you fall, I can pick you up."

The four of them ascended from the sky and entered the "Sky Mirror Tower" next to the main hall of the First-Class Pavilion.

That was the passageway reserved for elders and core disciples of the Hidden Pavilion; few disciples were allowed to enter it on ordinary days.

Today, Chu Ning, with his white hair and missing arm, Chu Yun, with his pale face, and Lei Jingjing, whose soul pressure was not yet stable, stepped onto the floating soul staircase side by side.

Upon reaching the mid-air level, Li Jing'an suddenly stopped, put his hands behind his back, and slowly swept his gaze over the three people.

"There are two things you must know before you enter the building."

He held up one finger:
"Firstly, the 'Entry Imprint'—all those who enter the pavilion must pass through the Heavenly Mirror Tower. The mirror gate in front of the tower is the 'Mirror of the Realm.' Once you step in, the mirror will awaken the soul's breath according to the soul law."

"This is not a simple observation of cultivation level, but rather a reflection of the last segment of your true soul journey before entering the realm, based on your soul energy fluctuations, boundary path, and traces in your sea of ​​consciousness over the past ten days."

"All soul behaviors that have been recorded by the Soul Laws of the Realm can be traced. Whether you are aware of it or not."

He paused, his tone slightly somber:
"This mirror will not harm people, but it will not protect them either—once the image is revealed, it will be known to Heaven and Earth. This is the rule, and no one can change it."

Upon hearing this, the three men's expressions changed instantly.

Chu Yun lowered his eyes, his fingertips tightening as if he were subconsciously touching the tattered Soul Guardian Talisman at his waist.

Lei Jingjing frowned slightly, a hint of suppressed emotion appearing in her eyes.

Chu Ning remained calm, but a wisp of silver-gray soul lock light quietly gathered in his palm.

Li Jing'an saw this but didn't point it out. Instead, he raised another finger:
"Secondly, the Soul Field Trial - although not a mandatory procedure for entering the Pavilion, will directly determine your rank and access path, which will affect your future cultivation resources, mission permissions, boundary seal inheritance and the granting of the right to abide by the law."

As soon as he finished speaking, the expressions of the three men changed.

A flash of lightning appeared in Chu Ning's eyes, and his thoughts raced.

His return from the lower realm caused a shock to his soul lock, which had just been activated and whose soul energy was not yet stable.

If such an anomaly appears in the mirror, not only will the white-robed enforcers find it difficult to deceive, but even the other soul cultivators in the Heavenly Mirror Tower will likely notice the abnormality.

Chu Yun frowned slightly. Although he didn't say anything, he subconsciously clutched the "almost exhausted" Soul Guardian Talisman at his waist.

If the "Other Shore Imprint" is reflected in the Tianjing Tower, then the identities of the siblings will undoubtedly be completely exposed.

Lei Jingjing's face darkened. Although her soul energy was slowly recovering within her body, the "suppressive collapse" from before had not been fully repaired. If she were to appear in the mirror, it would not only expose her current soul level, but also leave traces of the "battle of the sealing array cracks".

She asked softly:
"Elder Li, since you are willing to lead us into the building, you must already have a plan."

Li Jing'an smiled slightly, as if he had expected this.

He slowly pulled a bluish-white jade bottle from his sleeve. The bottle was carved with nine-turn cloud patterns, and the sealing talisman light had not yet been released.

As soon as that familiar fragrance wafted out, Chu Ning was startled, his eyes narrowing.

"This is……"

“The Returning Origin Pill,” Li Jing’an said casually. “It’s the same batch of pills I left you before you went to the far north.”

"I still have a few left, specially prepared for those in the world who 'don't want to leave a trace'."

"Taking this pill will not only allow one to 'reverse the soul wheel' in a very short time, but also smooth out the 'boundary-tracing marks' caused by the soul pressure collision, and temporarily obscure the mirror reflection."

He flicked the cork off the bottle, and a sliver of light fell like a snowflake.

"Take it, and within three quarters of an hour your soul energy will fluctuate within a reasonable range of 'below the fifth rank', making it less likely to arouse suspicion."

Lei Jingjing took the pill and swallowed it without saying a word.

In an instant, the Thunder Soul Eye between his brows bloomed slightly again, and his soul energy rose sharply, from the edge of the eighth rank before the Soul Arena preliminary test all the way back to the middle of the seventh rank. His energy flowed smoothly, and his killing intent was restrained.

She slowly exhaled, and her eyes finally regained some of their sharpness.

Chu Yun hesitated for a moment, but then swallowed the pill at Chu Ning's prompting.

The medicine had not yet reached Yuan Hai, but it had already eased the pallor on her face that was on the verge of collapse.

However, the "other shore pollution gray spot" on the back of her neck remained, like a wisp of dead fire deep in the sea of ​​souls, which never dissipated.

She lowered her eyes, using her hair bun to partially conceal them.

Chu Ning stood aside, took the last pill, and swallowed it calmly.

In an instant, he felt the Five Elements Thunder Core tremble slightly, his Soul Wheel rotate like a ring, and his long-dormant Qi and blood vibrated within his body.

That long-lost sense of "completeness" seems to have returned.

Li Jing'an noticed a subtle change in his aura, raised an eyebrow, and suddenly spoke:
"What exactly is your cultivation level now?"

He stared at Chu Ning's face, his tone not like a casual question, but rather carrying a hint of genuine suspicion and probing.

"Fifth rank? No..."

Li Jing'an's eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at the faint, compressed aura within Chu Ning's body, and he spoke in a low voice.

"It's like it's been pressed down even deeper than this."

He paused, then suddenly changed the subject: "You used the Spirit Bell to cover it up?"

Chu Ning did not answer immediately, but slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, the corners of her lips slightly raised, revealing a meaningful smile.

"Old Li... if I said it was a top-tier brand, would you believe me?"

Li Jing'an paused for a moment, then chuckled and shook his head, letting out a sneer. "You're quite the joker."

He looked at Chu Ning, waving his hand as he walked, his tone half-sighing and half-self-deprecating:

"I have been in the First Rank Pavilion for more than 30 years, cultivating day and night and refining my soul imprint a hundred times. I have only just managed to step from the lower fifth rank to the middle third rank. It was thanks to the guidance of an old senior in the Soul Map Pavilion."

"You've only been gone for three years, and you claim to have advanced from the eighth rank to the first rank? If such a cultivation path truly existed, what would we old bones be doing here, stuck in this pavilion?"

After hearing this, Chu Ning raised an eyebrow and suddenly asked:

"Thirty years? Didn't you say only three years have passed in the outside world... Could it be..."

Li Jing'an smiled, a faint golden light flashing in his eyes, his tone calm:
"You guessed it right."

"Time in the First-Class Pavilion is controlled by the 'Boundary Lock' of the Hunyuan Master, which means that ten years here is only one year outside."

"This is a 'ladder to the top' left by Master Hunyuan for future generations. Above the fifth rank, each rank is related to the fusion of the soul and the foundation of the realm. Without enough time to settle, even the most talented person will be devoured by the soul lock."

"Therefore, those who truly wish to break through to the fourth or third rank, or even reach the first rank, must stay in the First Rank Pavilion to cultivate."

As he spoke, he gave Chu Ning a meaningful look:
“If you truly possess such cultivation, then you have likely lived a much more profound and deeper life than any of us over the years.”

Chu Ning lowered her eyes slightly and remained silent.

His mind was filled with images of the extreme north snowstorm, the battle against evil spirits, and the battle for the capital. Before his eyes, the tired yet determined faces of Xie Mingli, Qingli, and Dong'er seemed to reappear.

"I haven't gone very far," he said casually.

Upon hearing this, Li Jing'an's eyes flickered slightly, but he ultimately did not ask any further questions. He simply sighed softly and led the way forward.

"Let's go."

"The next lesson to learn from is one that we should both take: how far have you really come?"

The Floating Soul Staircase slowly extended, and the gates of the Heavenly Mirror Tower gradually opened amidst the soul light ahead.

Heaven and earth bear witness, and the heart of the matter is without concealment.

They have already stepped into the true Heavenly Realm of Soul Masters.

With a flick of his sleeve, the Floating Soul Staircase unfolded beneath their feet, and the main gate of the Heavenly Mirror Tower slowly opened amidst the soul light.

The three knew that from this moment on, they would truly stand in this supreme hall of souls.

Every step must be taken with no room for retreat.

That was the passageway reserved for elders and core disciples of the Hidden Pavilion; few disciples were allowed to enter it on ordinary days.

Today, Chu Ning, with his white hair and missing arm, Chu Yun, with his pale face, and Lei Jingjing, whose soul pressure was not yet stable, stepped onto the floating soul staircase side by side.

The souls within the pavilion either gazed from afar or whispered amongst themselves, each with a different expression.

Someone frowned and whispered, "So, what exactly is Chu Ye's background?"

Someone responded in a deep voice: "Judging from Elder Li's attitude, he's probably no ordinary person."

Some gazed intently toward the Tianjing Tower, murmuring to themselves:
"Could it be that the position of Pavilion Master... is really going to be changed?"

The Heavenly Mirror Tower stands atop the realm within a realm, floating above a ten-thousand-foot cloud of souls.

The entire pavilion was carved from a single piece of "Boundary Stone Soul Crystal," with crystal walls as clear as a mirror.

At this moment, three figures were slowly stepping onto the steps in front of the Heavenly Mirror Tower.

One person had snow-white hair and walked with a missing arm, his body surrounded by a calm and still thunderous soul; another person had a pale face, and the soul-guarding talisman at his waist shimmered with a dim light; the third person had eyes like blades, his steps were steady but concealed pain, and his aura fluctuated like dark thunder surging.

The three stood side by side in front of Tianjing Tower.

Above the gate, a mirror wall made of boundary stone soul crystals hangs silently in the air. It was originally supposed to actively reveal the "soul breath trajectory" and "boundary movement fragments" when the soul approached, symbolizing "heaven knows and earth witnesses".

Chu Ning did not immediately step forward, but silently recited in his heart:
[Soul Lock - Permission Retrieval: Mirror Permission Overlay.]

The silver-gray soul lock inscription in his palm trembled slightly, and a wisp of soul pattern quietly emerged, seeping into the core of the mirror gate array like a trickle.

The next instant, the entire mirror wall trembled slightly, and the light flowed like water. Surprisingly, the soul images of the three people did not appear. Only a faint ripple appeared, as if it had been "blurred" by some rule itself.

The guard in front of the building was startled, raised his head as if to speak, but suddenly felt a jolt in his soul, and a line of small golden characters appeared in his mind:
[Soul Lock Permission Activated: Mirror Surveillance Delayed.]

That was one of the privileges of the "Pavilion Master-level Seal Authority" under the temporary folding mirror rule.

Although it does not truly erase the trajectory, it can forcibly postpone the manifestation of the "unsuitable parts of the soul consciousness" and legally record them as "undetermined state" within the rules.

The guard's eyes twitched, but he ultimately failed to detect anything amiss.

Chu Ning did not respond. Instead, he slightly raised his hand, and silver patterns flowed in his palm. He quietly isolated the "Other Shore Pollution Seal" in Chu Yun's soul consciousness from Lei Jingjing's soul-level fluctuations and sealed it into his own seal.

At that moment, although the Mirror of Boundaries continued to vibrate slowly, it could not reveal even a trace of the true soul—like an unfocused eye, it only reflected a faint image.

This journey through the Soul Mirror, which could have exposed their identities and triggered an investigation by the Law of the Realm, was quietly and silently dismantled by the Soul Lock's authority.

“The Mirror of Boundaries can reflect the path of the soul,” Chu Ning murmured to himself, “but it cannot reveal the will of the heart.”

The next moment, the three of them stepped into the Heavenly Mirror Tower in unison. Only then did the Soul Mirror finally return to calm, like mist settling on a stone surface, without any ripples.

Among the surrounding floating buildings, souls were already casting their gazes and whispering amongst themselves:

"Are those the three people Li Jing'an brought in?"

"Who is that white-haired one? He's missing an arm... and the Soul Chains seem to be moving."

"I heard his name is Chu Ye, a disciple that Elder Li took in from outside."

"Judging from the flow of his soul energy... he doesn't seem to be a beginner at the fifth rank."

Li Jing'an remained expressionless and walked with a leisurely gait, as if all the probing and disdain had drifted away with the wind.

He raised his hand and gestured, and the floating Soul Mirror Gate in front of the Heavenly Mirror Tower trembled slightly. A stream of light appeared, summoning the guardian souls inside the tower.

The newcomer was a middle-aged deputy envoy dressed in a silver-gray robe. His spiritual aura was restrained, he was a fifth-rank lower-level official, and his eyes were calm and steady.

When he saw Li Jing'an, he bowed respectfully, but a barely perceptible hint of hesitation and repression flashed across his face.

"Elder Li," he said in a low voice, "I am aware of your instructions. The three of you may come in with me directly."

Li Jing'an nodded calmly.

"Please arrange for the three of you to stay at 'Jingyunzhai' temporarily."

The deputy envoy paused slightly, his eyes swirling with even more emotion, but he still bowed and said, "As you command."

He didn't say anything more, turned around and led the way, his tone as respectful as ever, but his pace noticeably quickened, as if he was eager to end the reception.

Chu Ning glanced at the other party out of the corner of his eye and noticed that the subtle flow of the other party's soul energy seemed to be faintly connected to the "Soul Form Pavilion Genealogy". He already understood a bit about it.

Lei Jingjing then asked softly:

"Jingyunzhai?"

Li Jingan responded calmly:
"It is one of the few 'soul purification places' in the Heavenly Mirror Tower, reserved only for core soul practitioners of the upper-middle fifth rank with the potential to advance to the third rank to recuperate."

"This deputy envoy was probably intended to be left to his personal protégé," he said calmly. "But I won't allow it."

Lei Jingjing raised an eyebrow slightly, didn't ask any more questions, and only silently glanced back at the deputy envoy.

(End of this chapter)