Overdraw the future and become a peerless martial god

Chapter 198 The Echoes of Buried Memories
Upon entering the core of the Mirror Domain, the surrounding floating mirror fragments exude an ancient and desolate chill.

Chu Ning focused his mind and prepared to withstand the soul impact of the "First Trial of Severing Memories".

However, just as he activated the Soul Lock and resonated with the mirror stand, an extremely subtle sense of stagnation, like a pebble thrown into a deep pool touching a hidden vine, quietly grazed the surface of his soul consciousness.

The feeling was fleeting, so quick it was like an illusion.

Chu Ning frowned slightly, but did not delve into it, simply assuming it was a natural obstruction to the flow of energy within the Mirror Domain.

He recalled Yu Xingshui's vague reminder before his departure:

“The Mirror Domain is not an inanimate object. Its depths are protected by the ‘Memory Sealing Covenant.’ Any memory that is not designated will easily backfire on Chu Ning. Guard your heart and do not try to explore it.”

At the time, he thought it was just a routine precaution, but now, that slight hesitation inexplicably overlapped with the word "covenant" in his mind for a moment.

Within the mirror realm, the light faded, the soul returned to stillness, and the initial test of severing memories was successfully passed.

Before Chu Ning could fully recover from the excruciating pain of his soul being torn apart and the lingering echo of the ancient seal, a wisp of mixed soul waves suddenly surged up from the depths of his sea of ​​consciousness.

This fluctuation was not the afterglow of the initial trial; it was viscous and restless, carrying a forced, suppressed urge to express itself, as if something dormant had been disturbed by the previous trial and was trying to break through an invisible barrier.

Immediately afterwards, the fluctuations intensified, forcibly tearing open a section of the soul consciousness space, and a distorted, fragmented piece of information struggled to emerge like a drowning person's cry for help:

"The Soul Mark Seal Has Not Been Activated."

"The source of memory is severed and cannot be continued."

Before the meaning could fully solidify, the entire Soul Domain suddenly trembled violently! It was as if an invisible giant hand had suddenly gripped this space.

"Crack!"

The struggling information that surfaced was like fragile glass, forcefully severed and crushed by an overwhelming and unyielding will.

All unfinished words vanished, leaving only the stinging pain in the soul from the explosion of information.

The entire Soul Realm space then fell into a chilling, absolute silence.

Even the ripples of soul energy that were slowly spreading on the mirror platform were completely frozen, as if time itself had been frozen.

An indescribable, condescending sense of being watched silently descended, cold and indifferent, carrying an ancient majesty that scrutinizes all things.

It remained silent, yet its presence was more oppressive than any roar, as if silently declaring: This is a forbidden zone, and no one may transgress it.

Chu Ning was shocked and instantly realized that this was definitely not an inert reaction from the Mirror Domain not being opened.

The fragmented information that had just surfaced, and the subsequent forceful intervention that clearly carried the meaning of "erasure" and "imprisonment," all point to one fact: something is preventing that memory from surfacing.

Suddenly, countless soul pattern nodes appeared on the mirror stand beneath his feet, interlocking layer upon layer, as if some dormant soul vein was awakening.

The soul patterns writhed and swelled like the veins of a living being, and strands of runes emerged from the depths of the mirror stand, as if blood vessels were growing, forming a living "soul network".

The entire Mirror Domain resembled a gradually awakening "Spirit Organ".

The light pulsed subtly, the drumbeats sounded like a heartbeat, and an ancient soul's breath seemed to surge from all directions.

At that very moment, a low rumble reverberated through the depths of the sky.

"boom--"

It was neither lightning nor a resonance of an array.

It was more like some ancient will stirring for a moment while it was dormant, causing the entire Mirror Domain to tremble slightly, as if the root of the realm was shaking.

Chu Ning looked up and felt the Soul Lock tremble in his palm. The light of the silver seal suddenly went out, and the originally active patterns seemed to have touched some kind of "Heavenly Seal," and were suppressed and deprived of their response on the spot.

In the deepest part of the Mirror Domain, the "Third Soul Imprint Remnant Domain" that should have been opened did not unfold as promised.

Only a thin, hair-like crack of light remained, floating faintly in the air.

The crack resembled an unopened eye, quietly closing.

At that moment, combined with the warning from Yu Xing Shui, the initial hesitation upon entering, the struggle and annihilation of fragments of information, and this cold, silent "gaze,"...

Chu Ning finally realized that this was neither the so-called "insufficient soul rank" nor "unopened inheritance".

Instead, there is a guardian with an independent will who, before this fragment of memory truly emerges, personally seals it away and reclaims it.

He didn't utter a word, but took a half-foot back, his gaze calm and unfathomable.

But deep within his heart, a thought pierced his soul like an ice spike:

—It's not that I can't remember.

It was "it" that chose to forget.

And this "it" is by no means an inanimate object that restricts, but rather a living will.

The Mirror Domain's main soul had formed a kind of "memory-sealing covenant" when the Primordial Master was in charge of the Soul Lock.

It is said that, in order to prevent things from outside the boundary from peeking into the "residual memories", certain fragments with the risk of abnormality will automatically trigger the power of "sealing and hiding" if they are not awakened by a designated person.

This is a secret treaty of the Soul Realm, which cannot be deciphered by later generations.

In other words:
Some memories are not lost, but rather "quietly buried".

And that unopened eye is the crack in the door that holds buried memories.

It sensed Chu Ning's presence but remained silent.

It seemed to want to say the word "fragment," but before it could finish speaking, it was suddenly interrupted by some deeper "sealing will," and the trace of its words suddenly cracked, as if the soul thread had broken.

"Hiss... hiss."

The entire area around the mirror trembled in that instant.

The mirrors shone in unison, like the soft whisper of celestial bones.

Then——

Total destruction.

One after another, the mirror light went out, and the sky above the Soul Platform became as dark as an abyss. The flow of souls surged back, and the sea of ​​consciousness collapsed.

But what's most alarming is not these things.

Rather, above the Soul Realm, at that distant, unseen peak, a faint, deep echo could be heard:

"boom--"

Low-pitched, distant, almost like divine punishment.

It was neither caused by any mechanism nor by the sound of a battle formation breaking.

It was more like a colossal being, disturbed from its chaotic slumber, slightly turning over, causing the entire Mirror Domain's skeleton to resonate.

Chu Ning felt as if he were standing on ice. His soul tightened, and he felt his soul sea tremble violently. The soul lock in his palm closed up on its own, the three lines of the lock were hidden, and his soul breath was low and restrained like a crouching beast.

He subconsciously looked at the central mirror, which should have been cracked.

On its surface, the crack-like light trace flickered for a final moment.

It was as if an eye was about to open, staring at him.

However, the moment his gaze fell upon it, the "eye" suddenly closed, the trace of the soul vanished without a sound.

He took a half step back, a slight chill running through him.

This is not "you are not allowed".

Instead, it said: "You shouldn't know."

It was a kind of "warning" at the level of the soul.

It was a gaze emanating from a being far superior to him.

Chu Ning stood quietly in place, without moving.

But the chill that weighed on his heart lingered for a long time.

Some memories are not forgotten by relics.

Rather, it refuses to remember.

A faint soul rune slowly lit up in a corner of the Mirror Domain, guiding the way like a finger bone in cold light, pointing to a deeper soul lock passage.

But the previously "suppressed" mirror surface remained submerged in an unknown shadow, as if sealing away some unawakened, alien soul consciousness, silently lurking beyond the boundary of light. Meanwhile, far away in the secret chamber of the Soul Map Pavilion's "Mirror Abyss," Yu Xingshui gazed intently at a newly revealed page of the Soul Mirror scroll. After a long while, she finally spoke in a low voice:

"We initially thought he was there to disrupt the source-locking order..."

But now it seems—

"He himself is an echo left by a certain rule."

"Back then, he used his remnant soul to trigger a resonance in the Mirror Realm. Now it seems that this was not an accidental loss of control."

As soon as these words were spoken, the light in the descending passage suddenly solidified, and a sealed door with a soul lock inscription opened in response.

Before you lies a secluded, circular, sunken stone corridor.

The third layer of the Lock Source Ruins: Soul Lock Reflection Ring.

The stone walls of the surrounding corridor are all made of soul crystals, densely covered with countless tiny "inscription holes," like hundreds of silent soul eyes, all closed and not yet open, emitting a faint light like the breath of ink gold.

As Chu Ning stepped inside, the Soul Lock in his palm trembled violently.

The fourth mark exploded in his palm like a thunderclap, and a sense of dread, as if instantly locked onto by countless cold gazes, rushed straight to his soul core.

It felt as if hundreds of invisible gazes pierced through my skin and reached the depths of my soul.

The next instant, the entire Soul Ring Border resonated with low voices, as if a whispered word came from a slumbering consciousness:

"Soul Imprint Seal, responding"

Chu Ning felt the patterns inside his Soul Lock being peeled away inch by inch, an irresistible "power of imprint" forcibly revealing every secret of his Soul Lock.

He seemed to be forced to stand before a "heavenly mirror" that illuminated everything, where every vein and every line was ruthlessly dissected and reflected.

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, a complete soul vein totem belonging to him slowly condensed and took shape.

However, just as the totem was about to fully reveal its true nature...

The "power of imprint" suddenly exerted its force, as if peeling off a carefully disguised mask.

"His."

A phantom pain, as if one's soul had been forcibly torn apart, struck.

Chu Ning finally saw clearly the core of his Soul Lock, the "Clavicle Source Vein".
Suddenly his pupils contracted sharply, as if struck by lightning.

Cold sweat instantly soaked his back, and his heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, almost stopping its beating.

He felt a strong dizziness, and his soul energy surged beneath his feet, making him almost unable to stand.

—That was not a naturally formed, spontaneously generated soul bone at all.

It was clearly a broken mark covered with traces of artificial joining, forcibly stitched together and reconstructed from countless broken soul networks.

Countless tiny "stitching points" shimmer with an unnatural, eerie light, as if silently accusing its fate of being utterly shattered and then barely pieced back together.

"This isn't...my original lock?!" Chu Ning's voice was dry and hoarse, trembling with disbelief. His eyes were churning with shock, confusion, and even a hint of fear that his understanding had been completely overturned.

He clenched his fists instinctively, his knuckles turning white from the force, the Soul Lock throbbing uneasily in his palm, as if it too was groaning in pain because of this cruel truth.

And the instant he finished speaking.

The surrounding mirror pillars all moved.

Dozens of Soul Lock Reflection Mirrors emerged from the void, showing the broken shape of his Soul Lock, which was now covered with "stitching" marks.

It was incredibly clear, even with a cruel sense of magnification.

Projecting it in its entirety is like revealing his most shameful secret to the public.

However, what shocked him even more and made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave were the three mirrors.

The soul lock reflected in those three mirrors, its core "clavicle source vein" structure, is exactly the same as the sutured mark on his palm.

This is no coincidence.

This can only mean that there were other souls who held a lock that was "completely identical in structure" to his.

Were they all "manufactured"?

In the very center of the mirror, the inscription flickered violently, and a cold, judgmental message appeared on it:
"The Fourteenth Reflector of Soul Lock: Ning Gou"

"Lock-type resonance: 71%"

Status: Soul Chains are damaged.

"The remnants are returning."

"The fourteenth actor?!" Chu Ning's pupils suddenly shrank to pinpoints, a chill running from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. "Then... which actor am I?!"

This thought clung to his heart like a poisonous vine, almost suffocating him. The spiritual energy beneath his feet churned violently, reflecting the turmoil within his heart.

Before he finished speaking, the fourth mark of the Soul Lock in his palm trembled violently, as if stimulated by this cruel truth, trying to forcefully break through some kind of shackle.

Beyond its outline, a faint outline of the fifth rune, yet containing even greater power, struggled to emerge!

however!
Before it could fully solidify, within the mirror ring, an echoing imprint representing "iron laws of rules" suddenly descended like a celestial blade.

"boom!"

His soul sea felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer.

The soul energy surged wildly backward, and a tearing pain shot through the soul core.

A chilling, bone-piercing beam of "severing light" ignored all defenses and quietly invaded his left shoulder's soul aperture.

"Ugh!" Chu Ning groaned, feeling as if a thousand pounds were weighing on his left shoulder. His body suddenly sank, and he staggered back half a step, crashing heavily into the cold mirror pillar before barely managing to regain his balance.

A sweet taste rose in his throat, and he forced down a slightly fishy smell.

Within the mirror ring, an ancient, majestic, and unquestionable whisper echoed, like an iron law etched into the foundation of rules:
"Those whose names are not known, their souls will not be reflected."

"Those who have not received proper guidance will be sealed in the fifth lock."

Chu Ning's face was as pale as paper. He leaned against the mirror pillar, breathing heavily, and large beads of cold sweat slid down his forehead.

But he still gritted his teeth and looked up at the cold mirror-like dome, his initial fear replaced by an extreme coldness and an indomitable flame.

He finally understood that the reflecting ring was not meant to "manifest his" power at all.

It is conducting a cold and ruthless identity trial:

—Should he "exist" here? Does he deserve to possess this fifth mark?
Before he finished speaking, the fourth rune of the Soul Lock in his palm trembled violently, and a very faint outline of the fifth rune appeared beyond its outline.

however!
Before it could fully solidify, an echoing imprint from within the mirror ring suddenly slashed down, forcibly suppressing the Soul Lock Ascension Pattern.

"boom!"

His sea of ​​consciousness trembled, his soul energy surged backward, and his soul core felt as if it had been struck by a heavy blow.

A ray of light, sharpened by a severing motion, quietly entered the body.

His left shoulder sank, and he staggered half a step before regaining his balance by grabbing the mirror pillar.

A faint, ancient voice echoed from within the mirror ring, like a dying wish left by a departed spirit:
"Those whose names are not known will not have their souls reflected."

“Those who have not received proper guidance will be locked away in the fifth lock.”

Chu Ning's face was pale, but she still gritted her teeth and looked up.

He finally understood:
This reflecting ring is not for "manifesting His" power.

It is confirming:
—Should he "exist"?

Just as the afterimage of the fifth Soul Lock subsided, the Mirror Domain suddenly trembled once more.

Rings of soul patterns emerged from the ground, as if the soul consciousness of the entire ruins was loading a deeply sealed old memory.

That was a buried echo.

The truth has been hidden.

It is also the source of the Soul Lock that Chu Ning is destined to pursue.

(End of this chapter)