Overdraw the future and become a peerless martial god

Chapter 201 The Initial Destiny Chart
"What you have completed is only the 'form' of the Soul Lock, not the 'seal'."

A deep, ancient voice resounded from the depths of the Soul Lock. The voice seemed to transcend time and space, devoid of joy or sorrow, yet possessing the power of judgment.

"Without proper guidance or a true name, how dare you show your true identity in this world? You are nothing but the embers of a illusory soul."

Chu Ning opened his eyes, and a golden mark appeared between his brows. His voice was low and cold, but without fear: "If this lock cannot break my life's limit, then it is not worthy of being called a soul lock."

Thunder and lightning rose again in the sea of ​​souls, and the soul lock trembled.

Suddenly, there was an unusual movement.

A ray of silver light emerged from the gap in the Soul Lock, like the first ray of moonlight piercing through a sea of ​​ink, and actually gathered into the phantom of a key of light.

"The first of the three keys to the Soul Lock—the Key to Soul Structure." The voice rose again, its meaning like an inscription: "Whether this lock can be stabilized, the Soul Chart reversed, and the Life Pattern reshaped, all will be tested by this key."

"Are you willing to hold this key?"

Chu Ning did not answer, but raised her hand and clenched it.

The silver light transformed into a seal and pierced into the palm.

In an instant, countless broken soul threads burst forth from all directions of his sea of ​​consciousness, attempting to reconstruct his entire soul.

Light and fire intertwine, blood and thoughts resonate in unison.

He stood as if amidst the flames of calamity, his gaze unwavering, and stepped into the edge of the whirlwind.

"If my life is not to return, then I will defy fate; if the soul map is incomplete, then I will redraw it!"

—The path of the Soul Chains truly begins here.

Chu Ning slowly descended from the pillar of light, the Soul Lock patterns around his body still trembling slightly. At the intersection of the five lock patterns, a thin, imperceptible silver crack appeared, as if there were still unhealed wounds deep within his soul sea.

He did not leave the center of the monument immediately, but instead looked down at the silver key in his right palm—it had not dissipated, nor collapsed, but instead became even heavier.

That was not a remnant of the Soul Lock, but rather a prelude to the next stage of testing.

The wind beneath the monument suddenly ceased.

Chu Ning slowly raised his eyes and saw an ancient soul wheel slowly emerging at the end of the inscription, with a constantly rotating test array embedded in its center.

And that familiar voice rang out again:

"The soul structure has not yet been reflected, and the soul map is not yet stable."

"Chu Ning, granted access—to the Mirror of Soul Keys."

The beam of light re-energized, engulfing him once more.

At the summit, the wind is sharp as a blade.

A dazzling silver light flowed into Chu Ning's palm, causing the entire Soul Lock System to tremble violently as if struck by lightning.

Within the sea of ​​souls, countless broken soul threads transformed into serpents, weaving and intertwining along the five-patterned lines, reshaping an unprecedented soul diagram.

Chu Ning sat cross-legged, blood dripping from the corners of her eyes, her lips pressed tightly together like blades.

His consciousness is being transferred to another soul realm.

It was a still, mirror-like realm.

There was nothing there except a circular array slowly rotating beneath one's feet, like a reflection of a celestial wheel, extremely intricate.

"This is the mirror for testing the soul's structure."

The ancient inscription echoed through the void:
"Everyone who wishes to possess the main soul must manifest their own soul form here. If the soul map is broken, the life mark is unstable, or the clues are disordered, then the test will fail, all five marks will be shattered, and the soul lock will backfire."

Chu Ning lowered his eyes and looked down.

The Soul Image slowly appeared.

At first, there was a thunderous moon, its light scattered amidst the mist; then cracks spread, the moon disc shattered inch by inch, and countless souls were reflected in the cracks—some burning, some drowning, some laughing madly and then breaking apart, and some standing alone on the mountaintop, dying in silence.

Each soul shadow is a "Chu Ning" that he might have become in the past.

Each one of them is him.

"You have not been fully guided by fate."

"The path you have walked has never been recorded."

"You are using forbidden methods to seize a Soul Chain that does not belong to you."

Chu Ning's eyes flickered slightly, but he showed no fear. He took a step forward, his voice like thunder.

"I am indeed not that segment of the soul."

"But I want to create something that belongs to me with my own hands."

He raised his palm, and the five patterns of the Soul Lock slowly unfolded in the air, overlapping and reflecting the Soul Diagram.

In an instant, lightning surged, and the mirror world trembled.

In the center of the Soul Diagram, the shattered Thunder Moon suddenly condensed, and a golden mark meandered down from its core, like thunder emerging from ink—the mark of reconstruction, the imprint of forging.

"The soul's initial light shines, and they unite."

The Mirror Realm suddenly closed, and all the soul shadows collapsed, leaving only one person and one image, Lei Yue Ru Xin.

Chu Ning slowly opened her eyes.

His soul lock finally stabilized in the form of "five patterns".

But he knew that this was only the first step on the path to the Soul Key.

There is also a second key—the Key of Life Source—waiting for him outside the realm.

He had no way out.

The Soul Diagram was still slowly swirling deep within his sea of ​​consciousness. Although the Thunder Moon had already coalesced, an invisible ripple remained, vibrating back and forth within his body.

He tried to regulate his breathing and calm his mind, his fingertips twitching slightly, but he felt that deep within the five lines, a light imprint had not yet completely subsided.

That was the remaining momentum of the key.

It is also a sign that the trial is not yet over.

The space within the monument trembled slightly, and the previously closed soul domain passage began to ripple once more.

Beneath the five lines, a wisp of dark red light slowly emerged, like a bloodline hanging upside down, drooping from the edge of the sea of ​​consciousness and winding around the heart meridian.

Chu Ning frowned slightly.

Before he could even fully recover from the lingering effects of the Soul Construction Trial, he suddenly sensed:
On the other side of the boundary, something was watching him.

A wave of energy, resembling the spirit of battle, rippled from afar, like the beating of war drums or the roar of destiny.

He, the chosen one, is about to face the second trial.

Before the thunderous aura had dissipated and the five patterns of the Soul Lock were slowly stabilizing within his body, Chu Ning already sensed that the second Key Shadow was approaching.

"Once the soul structure is complete, the source of life will shine forth."

The sound of the ancient stele rang in my ears again, but unlike the previous cold statement, this sound was like a knife, a halberd, or the horn drums before the battle cries.

"The key to destiny should not be obtained through quiet contemplation, but rather forged in the flames of war. Only in the moment of life and death can the true 'carrying of soul and destiny' be revealed."

Suddenly, the wind at the edge of the boundary reversed, and before Chu Ning could react, he was engulfed by a blazing white beam of light.

The next moment, he found himself on an unfamiliar battlefield.

It was a wasteland scorched by lightning and flames, the setting sun like blood, the sky hanging low.

The fields were empty, yet the wind blew like a tide.

A phantom figure walked from the edge of the wasteland.

That was... Chu Ning himself.

No, that is not him now. It is his future form if he had not yet embarked on the path of the Soul Lock, was still under the control of the seal, and died within three months due to the collapse of his soul—"Death Reflection".

The "Chu Ning" had empty eyes, disordered breathing, and a hunched back, yet he held a long black chain in his hand, with a fragment of a soul-binding diagram embedded in its head, reflecting an image of the sky collapsing and the earth splitting.

The sound of the monument fell like a vow:

"Trial of the Key to Life - Battle of the Souls".

"You will fight against another version of yourself."

The loser's soul will sink into oblivion, and their lifespan will be cut short.

The victor will obtain the lifeblood and seize the key, thus returning home.

Chu Ning smiled with narrowed eyes, five-colored flowing light swirling around his body, his figure as swift as thunder.

"That's just right."

"I'm thinking of killing the part of myself that was destined to die."

"boom!"

The phantom struck first, its movements carrying a frenzy and despair born from being crushed by fate.

It did not step forward, but rather seemed to be dragged and propelled out by invisible chains, its hunched body exuding a ferocity inconsistent with its decaying aura.

The black chain embedded with fragments of the soul map was not being swung, but rather seemed to be an uncontrolled extension of its limbs, carrying filthy and viscous soul power. Like a rotting poisonous dragon, it tore through the air, emitting a piercing shriek, and slammed heavily towards the spot where Chu Ning was standing.

The desolate land split open with a loud thud, and the soul wind was stirred into a foul-smelling vortex.

Chu Ning's pupils contracted slightly, and his figure flashed like lightning, narrowly avoiding this devastating attack.

The force of the wind generated by the chains brushing past him carried a chilling aura that corroded his soul power, causing the flowing soul light of his five-patterned rings to dim.

"Is that all you've got?" Chu Ning coldly retorted, his soul sea surging with lightning as he unleashed a "Startling Insects" strike aimed straight at the phantom's heart.

Lightning's speed and sharpness were the result of his precision and ruthlessness honed through countless life-and-death battles.

However, the phantom's reaction was extremely bizarre.

It neither dodged nor evaded, its empty eye sockets seemed to mock it, and the chain in its hand, at a completely illogical angle, like a broken spine, lashed upwards from under its armpit, and the broken piece of the chain flashed with a ghostly light, actually precisely binding the Thunder Soul Blade.

Even more terrifying, the tainted soul power on the chains was frantically corroding the blade like a living thing, making a "sizzling" melting sound.

At the same time, the phantom's other hand, resembling a withered claw, moved with a frenzied madness, its five fingers like hooks, aiming straight for Chu Ning's throat.

A fragment of a thought suddenly exploded in Chu Ning's mind—it was when he first obtained the broken lock, facing the pain and temptation of the lock's erosion, a cowardly thought flashed through his mind: if he gave up resistance and submitted to the lock, could he prolong his life?
"Get out of my way!" Chu Ning roared, his five patterns trembling, and a surge of powerful lightning erupted from his palm, forcibly breaking free of the chains binding him. He retreated rapidly, but a bloody gash had already been cut open at his throat by the claw wind, and his soul power was faintly sluggish.

The phantom's fighting style was completely chaotic, filled with the disorder and self-destructive tendencies resulting from being thoroughly corrupted by the seal. Each strike carried a strong aura of death, as if it wanted to drag its opponent into that eternal abyss as well.

The ensuing clashes were even more perilous. The phantom's attacks were like leeches clinging to bones; the chains sometimes strangled like venomous pythons, sometimes swept across like funeral banners; the soul power was filthy and mixed, extremely corrosive, constantly trying to corrupt Chu Ning's five-patterned soul light.

Chu Ning's Soul Sword technique was exquisite and powerful, but it was repeatedly restrained by the opponent's crazy fighting style, which disregarded his own safety and only sought destruction.

In a direct clash, Chu Ning's soul blade was nearly knocked out of his hand by the fragments of the soul diagram that flew off the chains. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the phantom closed in, its withered claws tearing through space with a sharp shriek as it viciously grabbed at his crown.

Another fragment exploded—it was from a moment of despair when he humbly begged an unspeakable being: "Give me a chance to live, and I will give anything, even my soul."

In the video, he is kneeling on the ground with a vacant look in his eyes.

At the critical moment, Chu Ning forcibly twisted his body, taking the blow to his left shoulder.

"Hey!"

Blood and flesh flew everywhere, bone was visible deep inside, and excruciating pain spread instantly along with the chilling, corrosive force of the lock.

He grunted, and lightning condensed in his right palm like a drill, slamming into the phantom's chest.

"boom!"

The phantom was blasted backward, its chest caved in, and blood splattered everywhere. But after landing, it let out a strange "hoarse" laugh, as if it felt no pain. Its empty eye sockets were fixed on Chu Ning.
The chains rose again, carrying an even more frenzied aura.

Meanwhile, the filthy soul power, like maggots, tried to burrow into the wound on Chu Ning's left shoulder, but it was suppressed by his five-patterned power, which also restrained some of his strength.

The aura of the phantom actually increased after being injured.

The fragments of the lock on its body shone with an eerie light, as if drawing upon the deathly power of this "land of death."

It roared, and as its chains danced, the soul wind condensed into countless distorted faces of pain and wailing, which swept over Chu Ning and devoured him.

The entire wasteland seemed to have become its domain.

The darkest fragment emerged—a vision of him completely controlled by the chains, reduced to a monster that knew only slaughter and devouring, stretching his claws towards the innocent. Blood splattered into the sky, and the cries of souls echoed across the land.

Chu Ning felt a sudden increase in pressure, and the five-patterned light flickered erratically under the impact of the tainted soul tide, causing him to retreat step by step.

Each block was incredibly heavy, and the consumption of soul power far exceeded expectations.

The power of that phantom seemed boundless, crushing down with the weight of an entire tragic future.

A chilling sense of despair, like a venomous snake, crept into Chu Ning's heart—could that "shadow of death" be the inescapable fate?
Just as Chu Ning was momentarily stunned by the raging tide of souls, and the chains were about to wrap around his neck again...

Deep within his soul sea, the stable Thunder Moon Soul Diagram rippled slightly and uncontrollably at its edge.

A blurry yet resolute light and shadow quietly emerged: Inside the Soul Pavilion, Lei Jingjing sat quietly beside a solitary lamp, her slender fingers gently brushing the flame, her eyes focused and tender, as if she were guarding something of paramount importance.

The light and shadow were extremely faint, flashing by in an instant, yet like a drop of water thrown into boiling oil.

"Ugh—!" The phantom's movements suddenly froze, its empty eye sockets intensely "focusing" on the fleeting light and shadow of Chu Ning's soul diagram, emitting a sharp screech filled with hatred and fear.

It was as if the warm light and shadow were its most deadly poison. The rhythm of its attack became momentarily chaotic, and the filthy light on the chains fluctuated violently.

Chu Ning keenly observed this fleeting flaw.

The flame that had been extinguished in his eyes suddenly ignited, burning brighter than ever before.

All the pain, the suppressed frustration, and the hatred for that tragic future transformed into a roar that tore through the battlefield:

"You have no obsessions!!"

"You are nothing but an abandoned shadow, an empty shell! And I—"

The five lines on his left shoulder wound, which suppressed the tainted soul power, suddenly reversed their direction and collapsed.

It's not a collapse, but rather the invading, corrupt soul power, along with a portion of its own soul blood, is used as "fuel" to ignite and sacrifice in an instant!
"—I have a name! I have a belief! Someone is waiting for me to return!"

The disintegrated five patterns did not disappear, but under the illumination of the Thunder Moon Soul Diagram, they reassembled in a fraction of a second.

The newly formed five-patterned light carried a touch of resolute crimson, and the nature of the soul power underwent a subtle change, becoming more condensed and pure, carrying a do-or-die will to sever all shackles.

He no longer retreated, but stepped forward into the raging torrent of chains.

The Soul Blade in his hand was no longer pure lightning, but a fusion of the power of the five-patterned reunion and the light of faith of the undying flame in his heart, transforming into a blade of judgment that was condensed to the extreme and seemed capable of cutting through the long river of fate.

"cut!"

The blade flashed like a line, silently cutting through the air.

Time seemed to freeze.

The wildly dancing, filthy chains, the roaring, soul-wind-like face, the hunched, phantom-like body, and the last trace of fear of light and shadow remaining in its empty eye sockets... all melted and disintegrated instantly under this ray of sword light, like ice and snow thrown into the blazing sun.

The chains snapped inch by inch, and the fragments of the Soul Map turned to ashes. The phantom remained in a forward-leaning posture, a very thin golden-red crack spreading down from its brow and traversing its entire body.

It opened its mouth, as if to let out a final, unwilling roar, but only a wisp of black mist, mixed with a sigh of despair and relief, escaped.

In the end, his entire body, like a weathered sand sculpture, completely disintegrated in the soul winds of the wasteland, leaving no trace.

As the lightning dissipated, the wasteland fell silent. A deep purple-gold key slowly emerged from the core of the vanished phantom, carrying an aura as heavy as a mountain yet containing boundless vitality, and fell heavily into Chu Ning's outstretched palm, still stained with blood and crackling with lightning.

The echoes of the monument resound once more:

"The key to life has been obtained."

"It can bear half the fate map of the world and test the lock of cause and effect."

(End of this chapter)