Overdraw the future and become a peerless martial god

Chapter 193 Boundary Origin Ruins
In an instant, the lightning surged like a thunderous cage, forcefully breaking the Phoenix Flame Seal.

Xian Fenghuai's whole body trembled violently, and he was sent flying backward, taking seven steps back. His soul wheel shattered, and his soul light spilled out. He crashed heavily onto the edge of the steps.

In the Soul Field, the dust and smoke had not yet completely settled.

Xian Fenghuai knelt on the ground, his soul wheel shattered, his soul imprint disordered, and the surging soul energy in his chest burned like broken fire.

He gritted his teeth and forced himself to steady his breathing, but he was still unable to get up.

He suddenly raised his gaze and looked at the white-haired, one-armed figure opposite him.

The man simply stood there quietly, one hand hanging down, the other supporting his soul power, his expression calm and serene, as if the attack just now was nothing more than a wave of his hand.

"I... lost?"

Xian Fenghuai's pupils constricted; he couldn't accept this conclusion for a moment.

He knew his cultivation level: a fifth-grade superior level Soul Form Pavilion cultivator, with the Flame Prison Phoenix Mark Soul Seal in condensation, and was on the verge of breaking through to the middle stage.

The person opposite him clearly appeared to have a broken soul aura, unstable lightning power, and even a severed arm; his soul lock was not fully stable either...

But why did his soul wheel shatter under this attack?
Xian Fenghuai was shocked, and his breathing became disordered for a moment.

He seemed to suddenly realize something—the move he made just now wasn't for winning or losing, but rather he was being "pushed" into making it.

He subconsciously looked up at the high platform of the Soul Form Pavilion.

On the high platform, a middle-aged soul cultivator dressed in a gray-blue robe sat upright, his eyes cold and stern, and his lips slightly pursed.

That was his master—Elder Yanlan of the Soul Form Pavilion.

Just before the Soul Arena opened today, he secretly summoned Xian Fenghuai for a meeting and said calmly:

"That white-haired youth... is named Chu Ye. He was personally brought into the pavilion by Li Jing'an. His soul lock is not yet stable, and he seems to be a newly promoted fifth-rank. His origins are unknown. You should test his strength."

Xian Fenghuai had no suspicions.

He was always arrogant and was the designated core member of the pavilion. He originally thought that Li Jing'an had just helped another person with connections, and that he could "stop there" and use this opportunity to gain another advantage in front of the Soul Form Pavilion and the elders.

But now—he realized that it wasn't just "stopping at the point."

The soul-locking power contained in that palm strike, and the lightning flames that reversed the lightning soul, were not from a fifth-grade initial level, nor were they from someone with connections.

Those were killers, true souls who had emerged from a deadly predicament.

Xian Fenghuai withdrew his gaze, his throat bobbing slightly. His eyes gradually shifted from initial pride, shame, and anger to a complex mix of horror and doubt.

He stopped struggling to get up, took a deep breath, and lowered his head.

The moment he lowered his head, the dust on the soul platform was swept by the wind, carrying a fragment of a broken soul wheel past his eyes.

That was the soul wheel he had just desperately activated to form his soul essence. Now, it was riddled with cracks, coldly reflecting his disheveled figure, like a broken mirror, perfectly shattered, clearly and thoroughly illuminating all the pride in his heart.

Xian Fenghuai's pupils trembled slightly, and his gaze subconsciously turned towards the high platform, but he no longer saw Yan Lan Zhenren's usual dignified expression.

He only felt a faint, cold wisp of soul thought, like an unintentional frost, sweeping across his sea of ​​consciousness, offering neither blame nor comfort, as if scrutinizing him, or perhaps forgetting him.

He realized for the first time:

Perhaps, from the very beginning, I was not the weapon that was "forged," but rather a trial blade that could be "discarded or broken."

The Soul Form Pavilion remained silent, and no one from the disciples' seats stepped forward.

Several fellow disciples who had practiced alongside him remained silent, heads bowed, avoiding eye contact. Some even turned away, as if afraid that meeting his gaze would bring them bad luck.

Xian Fenghuai's throat tightened, and an indescribable sense of shame, indignation, and bitterness surged from his chest, but he was ultimately unable to utter a single word.

He staggered to his feet, the blood on his knees still wet. As he walked unsteadily, some outer disciples of the Soul Form Pavilion tried to help him up, but he gently pushed them away with a raised hand.

"I...can walk."

His voice was hoarse and low, like a shattered stone sinking to the bottom of the water, barely causing a ripple.

He walked down the Soul Platform step by step, his steps slow but extremely steady.

But at the moment he turned around, no one saw that his fingertips trembled slightly, as if he were completely stripping the last wisp of "belonging" from his soul wheel.

A slight breeze stirred the boundary wall, lifting the corner of his robe and dispelling the unspoken thoughts in his eyes.

At the edge of the Soul Arena, Li Jing'an squinted at the high platform, a half-smile playing on his lips.

He whispered to himself:
"The Soul Form Pavilion's attack was quite ruthless."

"Unfortunately, this knife... is too dull."

Mu Yan held the scroll, his soul trembled slightly, and he announced in a deep voice:

"Chu Ning wins the third round."

As soon as he finished speaking, the wind around the soul field subsided slightly, as if even the soul pressure had fallen silent at that moment.

In the arena, Chu Ning slowly withdrew his fist without uttering a single word.

His body trembled slightly, but he still stood ramrod straight.

The soul lock slowly returned to his body, and the silver-gray soul imprint in his palm extinguished inch by inch.

Before it went out, it left behind a very faint phantom of a soul pattern—the fourth pattern, initial form.

In that instant, the world seemed to stand still for a moment.

In the silence, whispers suddenly erupted:

"...Did you see that?"

"His Soul Chains... show signs of the fourth rune!"

"This is just a trial formation and sparring... how could he force Xian Fenghuai to retreat?"

The sound, as if carried by a soul wind, spread rapidly around the Soul Platform.

Among the disciples of the three pavilions, a young man in black at the front row frowned slightly and said in a low voice:
"That's not an ordinary soul rune...it looks like...a source rune?"

The woman beside her flashed her eyes slightly and said coldly:
"If it is truly a remnant of the Source Seal... then the 'Boundary Seal Tablet' that sealed the source of the Soul Lock back then may have truly been touched by him."

Further away, an elder Soul Mirror Pavilion murmured in a deep voice:
"Li Jing'an dared to bring him into the cabinet, could it be... that someone has already taken sides?"

In an instant, all eyes were drawn to the surrounding area, and a surge of spiritual energy was brewing beneath the surface, like a tide beneath the water, preparing for the next collision.

Just then, from the direction of the Soul Form Pavilion, a surge of soul energy suddenly rose up, like a knife cutting through the sea of ​​clouds.

Before the person moves, the soul has already appeared.

—A white-robed warrior slowly rose to his feet, his robes billowing without wind. His soul wheel emanated from behind him, and four complete soul rings interlocked like a cliff, creating what appeared to be a soul prison amidst the light and darkness.

In that instant, the soul patterns on the ground around the Soul Platform suddenly lit up with a "hum," then dimmed inch by inch under the pressure of the soul energy. Several low-level martial artists' expressions changed drastically, and some even trembled slightly with their soul energy and their sea of ​​consciousness became unstable, so they hurriedly took a few steps back.

Chu Ning also felt a slight tremor between his brows. The Soul Lock briefly solidified at that moment, as if it had been pulled into a low-frequency suppression, and the illusory image of the fourth rune almost dissipated.

—At the same time, in the direction of Tianjing Tower, the boundary marker suddenly showed unusual activity.

Suddenly, a thin line, like a wisp of fire, appeared on the originally silent and dark surface of the stele, slowly rising from the center of the stele and revealing a circle of blurry ancient patterns. Within the patterns, an image appeared faintly.

That was the initial form of the Soul Lock—right in the center, a fourth Soul Rune, yet to be activated, was clearly inscribed. Its lines were faint but clear, as if responding to the call of some ancient law.

At the edge of the Soul Law Seal, a broken inscription array that should have been sealed away quietly lit up.

This startled the Soul Law Elders not far from the stage, one of whom whispered in a deep voice:
"A self-generated soul diagram? This is... a resonance of the realm's origin!"

The temperature of the entire soul field plummeted, and even the light patterns that were originally running smoothly in the realm showed slight tremors, as if a silent world had "recognized" an anomaly in someone.

The white-robed soul cultivator's gaze also shifted slightly, locking onto the soul imprint in Chu Ning's palm. The light and shadow in his eyes flickered, and his emotions surged like a tide—was it astonishment? Was it fear? Or perhaps, an unconcealable greed, a restraint forcibly suppressed by the rules?

The white-robed warrior's gaze was as cold as ice water, but it paused slightly when it landed on Chu Ning's severed arm. Then, as he swept his gaze over the soul lock mark on Chu Ning's palm that had not yet completely dissipated, his expression darkened. For a moment, a faint sense of apprehension seemed to surface, as if... he had restrained himself before greed could arise.

He didn't say much, but spoke slowly and deliberately, each word distinct:
"Li Jing'an, you've bet on the wrong person."

Before the words had even finished, Li Jing'an, who was standing at the end of the steps, chuckled softly.

He stood with his hands behind his back, seemingly undisturbed by the pressure of the fourth-rank official, his robes not even trembling.

“I’m the kind of person who,” he glanced at the white-robed martial artist, his tone calm but his smile sharp, “I never aim to win every bet… but winning the first one is enough.”

After he finished speaking, he turned around, his robes fluttering, his steps unwavering, and he never looked back. Only the faint ripples of light left on the spirit platform as he passed by.

The white-robed warrior's gaze sharpened, and he remained silent, merely turning his head slightly to meet the gaze of another figure on the Soul Form Pavilion's high platform. It was a soul thought, like a hidden flame, that touched the void like a tongue of fire in a mirror.

In just a moment, they each withdrew.

On the high platform, Master Yanlan did not move an inch, but at this moment he slowly withdrew the "Soul Observation Technique" that was being formed in his hand. His expression was calm, and he was even too lazy to look at Xian Fenghuai again, as if he had known this scene would unfold, and was just waiting for someone to "test the knife" for him.

Xian Fenghuai's gaze faltered slightly, as if he had finally realized something. His throat tightened, but he couldn't utter a word.

Around the Soul Arena, the Soul Masters looked at each other in bewilderment, and for a moment, no one dared to speak.

Chu Ning remained standing in the arena, her gaze not following Li Jing'an's departure.

He simply raised his head and looked at the "Heavenly Mirror Tower" that hung high above the Soul Domain.

His brow twitched slightly, the lightning marks lingered, and a cold light condensed inch by inch in his pupils.

The wind suddenly stopped.

The thunder rumbled in the distance.

The winds of war have not yet subsided.

Just as Chu Ning's figure was being followed by the gazes of all the soul cultivators, a cold, clear soul aura silently rose from the west side of the Soul Platform.

That was a visitor from the Soul Map Pavilion—Yu Xing Shui.

She remained silent throughout, her expression indifferent, yet her eyes held a profound meaning that was difficult for ordinary people to discern.

At this moment, she finally took half a step forward, her gaze falling on Chu Ning, the faint wisp of soul light between her brows flickering gently:

"Soul Lock Four Patterns... Are you sure they were generated naturally during the Soul Battle?"

Chu Ning frowned slightly, turned to look at her, and did not answer immediately.

A moment of silence fell over the surroundings.

Although the woman was dressed in a long blue robe and exuded no air of authority, the entire space seemed to sink as she stood there.

Li Jing'an didn't turn around, but stopped walking and said calmly:

“Jade Pavilion Envoy, the will of the Pavilion should not be revealed here too early.”

Yu Xing Shui didn't even lift her eyelids, only saying:

"This is not the 'palace's' intention, but simply 'my' interest."

She turned her gaze to Chu Ning, her voice soft yet direct:
"The first to third patterns of the Soul Lock are created by the Soul Master's seal."

"But starting from the fourth mark, it will automatically connect to the Soul Lock 'Source Seal' itself."

“You have traces of the ‘Boundary Lock Source’ within you.”

Upon hearing this, the Soul Arena fell into an eerie silence.

Chu Ning's pupils contracted slightly. The Five Elements Thunder Wheel Heart, which was spinning endlessly in his mind, was now showing a deep, indelible mark—the same "brand" that was exactly the same as the Lock Seal of the Primordial Master Realm.

He didn't speak, but he already knew that what the other person said was true.

Yu Xing Shui said calmly:

Whether you know it or not is secondary.

"But what the Soul Pavilion is really tracing is: whether the source of the Primordial Soul Lock ever had a true 'owner'."

Chu Ning said:
"Not Master Hunyuan?"

A deep meaning flashed in Yu Xingshui's eyes, and she whispered a reply that seemed ambiguous:

"He was merely 'borrowing' it."

Chu Ning was startled.

At this moment, Li Jing'an finally turned around slowly, his face still bearing a lazy smile, but his tone couldn't hide a hint of coldness:
"If the Soul Map Pavilion truly wants to trace back to the source, why doesn't it open the 'Land of Locked Source' itself?"

Yu Xing Shui shook his head:
"Because from that day on, the source of the lock has been sealed off to those who possess the 'Soul Map'. Only those who truly trigger the 'Fourth Soul Lock Mark' can open it again."

"He might have the key on him."

The moment he said this, the entire room fell silent.

But Yu Xing Shui no longer looked at the crowd, only raising his eyes to gaze at the boundary lock inscription light hanging high atop the Heavenly Mirror Tower, his gaze suddenly becoming unfathomable:
"—Perhaps, this time, the Soul Chains themselves have chosen who to choose."

As the wind rose, the light in the soul field trembled, and there was a faint disturbance in the boundary force.

Chu Ning felt the "Boundary Lock Seal" in his soul sea tremble once more, as if responding to some kind of call.

It didn't come from the Soul Field, nor from the Soul Master, but from the "sealed keyhole" above the Heavenly Mirror.

The storm in the Soul Arena had not yet subsided, and the Soul Realm members were still discussing in astonishment over Chu Ning's "fourth mark".

Yu Xingshui had already withdrawn her gaze, turned around gently, and her green robe fluttered in the wind like a mirror reflecting light.

As she walked past Chu Ning, she whispered:
"Within and beneath this realm lies a 'Relic of the Origin of the Realm.' Ordinary people are forbidden from entering; only those with four Soul Locks can activate its core."

"If you're willing—come find me."

Having said that, she didn't linger any longer and stepped into the virtual building on one side of the Soul Map Pavilion. Her robes billowed like a galaxy, without leaving a trace of dust.

Chu Ning stood still, her brows slightly furrowed.

He wasn't unaware of the deeper meaning behind the other person's words.

She was inviting him, or more accurately—testing him.

The Suoyuan Ruins.

Soul Lock Four Patterns.

Undisclosed matters.

He simply stared silently in the direction Yu Xingshui had left, remaining motionless for a long time.

At this moment, Li Jing'an approached discreetly, patted him on the shoulder, and whispered:

Don't agree to her request.

Chu Ning raised an eyebrow at him: "Didn't you just not object?"

Seeing that his expression was still unsettled, Li Jing'an smiled again, his tone still not harsh, but every word struck home:
"You thought they were waiting for you to open the door."

“Wrong.” He paused, his eyes revealing a profound meaning. “They are waiting for a writing.”

"They may not really know what is hidden in the Land of Locked Source, nor may they really want to open it—but as long as you go in, that door will be recorded in the 'Soul Map Pavilion' as a door they have opened."

"Even if you emerge with your body still warm and your soul completely dissipated, it will be alright—"

His tone turned colder as he slowly uttered:
"They can write a 'Soul Map Reboot: The Record of the Sealed Realm.' And your name will be written at the very bottom."

“A line of pale gold text—'Soul Guide: Chu Ning.'”

Chu Ning listened without changing his expression, but he felt the Soul Lock Inscription on his fingertip getting slightly warm.

Li Jing'an glanced at him and continued:
"They don't care whether the road is passable or not."

"They only care about whether, if someone gets through, they can ultimately say: that person is one of their Tuge people."

He chuckled softly, his voice light and airy, yet chilling to the bone.

"Soul Pavilion does not concern itself with the process."

"What they crave is a sense of belonging, control, and who will write the history book of 'Rebooting the Sealed Boundary'."

Chu Ning responded softly:
"I see."

Li Jing'an's gaze was calm. He glanced at him, then turned and left, leaving a lingering echo in his last words:
"You can use them, but don't trust them."

A gust of wind suddenly arose, and the talismans on the Soul Platform scattered, marking the end of the preliminary test.

But the bigger game has only just begun.

(End of this chapter)