Overdraw the future and become a peerless martial god

Chapter 206 Turmoil in the Three Pavilions
"Uh." A very soft groan escaped her lips.

Lei Jingjing, who was standing guard by the bedside, was suddenly jolted, and tears instantly filled her eyes again. She didn't even have time to wipe away the wet tears on her cheeks before she rushed to the bedside like an arrow and tightly grasped Chu Ning's slightly cool hand:
"You...you're finally awake! Do you know how long you were unconscious? Do you know that your soul source almost..." Overwhelmed by fear and the immense emotion of regaining what she had lost, her voice choked with emotion.

Chu Ning slowly opened her eyes, her vision clearing as she met Lei Jingjing's red eyes.

He opened his mouth, his throat as dry as sandpaper, his voice low and weak:

"...The water...is not completely dead yet."

His gaze shifted slightly, landing on the dark blue soul scroll beside his pillow, which emanated a restrained yet heavy aura.

Almost instinctively, he twitched his fingertips and sent a wisp of his soul into the area.

"boom--!"

In an instant, a massive torrent of information surged into the soul sea.

No longer fragmented pieces, but a systematic, complete, and even bloody and dusty secret:
The sealed scrolls of the Soul Mirror Pavilion, kept secret for hundreds of years, record countless secret battles and sacrifices;
The intricate factional map of the Soul Form Pavilion, the entanglements of interests and the distribution of power among the various great cultivator families;
The Soul Pavilion's seemingly detached yet incredibly comprehensive "Heavenly Mirror" monitoring system extends its reach to every corner of the realm within a realm.

Even more clearly, a huge, invisible net is slowly tightening around him—he has been undeniably pushed to the very center of this vortex of power within a realm, becoming the absolute focus of all forces, whether they want to control him, destroy him, or depend on him.

There was no shock, no fear, and not even much hesitation.

Chu Ning simply closed his eyes, took a deep breath, as if trying to inhale the heavy power and the endless dangers that followed into his lungs.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, the initial confusion of waking up fading away, leaving only an icy calm and enlightenment.

He gently grasped Lei Jingjing's hand in return, his voice still hoarse, yet carrying a calm that seemed to have settled:

"The path that pushed me up."

"Then let's go down."

Deep within the Mirror Abyss of the Soul Map Pavilion, Yu Xing Shui stood alone before the enormous Soul Mirror. The mirror's surface was deep and dark, reflecting the turbulent energy flow remaining in the Heavenly Mirror Tower and the faint soul energy fluctuations of the Quiet Cloud Pavilion.

The news that Chu Ning had awakened and accepted the Soul Authority Talisman had already arrived.

Behind her, Vice Master Feng Wuyai approached silently and whispered:

"He woke up. Although his fifth mark was damaged, his foundation was stable. Faster than expected."

Yu Xing Shui's expression remained calm as her fingertips lightly brushed across the cool mirror surface, as if caressing the invisible threads of fate:

"Fast? No. The key left behind by Hunyuan shouldn't have been made of ordinary iron. The faster he walks, the closer he gets to that door."

"Are you really going to let him ascend to the position of master of the Soul Mirror Pavilion?" Feng Wuyai's tone carried a hint of barely perceptible worry. "This boy is arrogant and is probably no ordinary person. Once he takes power, the Soul Map Pavilion's years of planning will be in vain."

Yu Xingshui's lips curved into a very faint, yet unfathomable smile:
"Let him go? Why not? Not only should we let him go, we should also help him secure his position."

She turned around, her gaze falling on the table—where lay a dim, black Soul Lock Imprint, covered in fine cracks, the fragment of authority left behind by Feng Wuyai after his setback in the Sixth Trial of Locking Return.

"Those who possess the five Soul Locks have their names inscribed on the Heavenly Mirror scroll and the Master's Stele to prove that they are already the nominal 'Master.' To obstruct them is to waste one's own strength and to go against the tide is not something a wise person would do."

She walked to the table, picked up the fragment, and a wisp of dark soul light swirled around her fingertips as she slowly poured it into the crack.

The wreckage trembled slightly, emitting a faint mournful cry.

"What the Soul Pavilion seeks has never been that empty title of 'First Master'," Yu Xingshui's voice was low and clear, carrying a calm composure as if she controlled the game. "What we want is to control the ultimate path to the 'Locking Core.' Let him ascend, let him wield power, let him touch that door, and we..."

The eerie light at her fingertips suddenly intensified, as if a deeper darkness was being drawn into the cracks and wreckage. "Just grasp that thread the moment he connects with that 'deeper soul source' before he touches the core."

The mirror surface reflected the illusory image of Chu Ning's five soul-locking patterns, especially the deep and mysterious fifth pattern.

Yu Xingshui stared intently, a hint of almost greedy inquiry flashing deep in her eyes:

"Hun Yuan, you left him the power of the Soul Lock for the sake of inheritance and protection. But I helped him ascend to this position of sovereignty in order to receive—that wisp of 'Primordial Soul Source' that you yourself were unable to fully control on the other side of the boundary gate." The last whisper was as light as a mosquito's buzz, yet it carried a chilling ambition.

At the Battle Heart Cliff of the Soul Form Pavilion, the fierce wind, sharp as a knife, swept across the steep cliff face.

Xian Fenghuai sat cross-legged in the center of the restrictive formation in front of the cliff, his face still pale, with two deep, soul-piercing lock marks on his chest, which were ferocious and terrifying, left by Chu Ning.

Although his soul breath was stable under the nourishment of the formation, the resentment and humiliation in his eyes burned like poisonous fire.

An elderly man clad in heavy black armor, exuding an aura as deep and imposing as a mountain—Elder Tu Lie of the War Hall—stood behind him like an iron tower, his icy voice piercing the wind:
"The boundary gate is in turmoil, and the Three Pavilions' Heavenly Council is about to convene. If Chu Ye regains control of the boundary gate, he will no longer be the 'Pavilion Master,' but a true elder who can command the three pavilions. At that time, in his eyes, what difference will our Soul Form Pavilion be from fish on a chopping board?"

A suppressed growl escaped from Xian Fenghuai's clenched jaw, his fingernails digging deep into his palms, drawing blood.

"I know!"

Tu Lie's gaze was like lightning, piercing his back:

"Can't swallow this insult? Then don't let it fester inside! Your 'observation period' is over, and the Council has decided to reinstate you to the 'Battle Rank: Soul-Slaying Envoy Waiting Position'."

A crimson command talisman radiating a fierce fighting spirit appeared before Xian Fenghuai.

Xian Fenghuai suddenly opened his eyes.

Deep within his pupils, the resentment and bitterness that had been suppressed for so long erupted like ignited explosives.

A wisp of "Crimson Soul Flame," condensed to its extreme and imbued with a frenzied destructive intent, burst forth from his eyes, instantly staining the surrounding air crimson.

"Chu Ye!" He practically spat out the name through clenched teeth, grabbed the command talisman, and the crimson flames instantly devoured and merged with it.

A violent and ferocious aura rose from his tattered soul lock. Although unstable, it was filled with a resolute determination to tear his opponent apart by any means necessary.

Almost simultaneously, deep within the Soul Form Pavilion, several powerful battle intents were mobilized, creating a turbulent undercurrent.

Inside the Battle Hall, Bai Xiu stood with his hands behind his back before the massive Soul-Burning Pillar, gazing at the dark red flames leaping within it. His voice, cold and hard as iron, echoed throughout the Battle Hall:

"The Five-Patterned Soul Lock has been established; forcing it will be futile. From this day forward, all core combat cultivators shall go into seclusion to practice the 'Soul-Splitting Dual Seal Technique'! Condense a second soul source and forge a foundation for replacement!"

He doesn't need to challenge that real dragon right now.

He wants to cultivate a new dragon, or a pack of hyenas strong enough to devour its flesh. The sharp edge of his counter-pressure is already being honed in secret.

Late at night, the lamp in Jingyunzhai flickered like a bean, swaying gently in the breeze, casting Chu Ning's solemn profile on the wall.

He sat alone under the lamp, with the dark blue soul scroll spread out in front of him. Pages of soul power text flowed, shimmering with a faint light, recording the intricate evolution of the three pavilions' old systems, the power struggles, and various secrets and incomplete records about the sealing of the boundary gate by the Hunyuan Grandmaster—"Hunyuan Sealing Relics".

Just as he was engrossed in an obscure description of the "first generation sealing array core of the boundary gate," his palm suddenly trembled.

It was neither a fluctuation of soul power nor a resonance caused by cultivation.

Or was it a call from the deepest part of the Soul Lock, from that fifth, mysterious pattern? Or perhaps, a response?

A distant, vague, yet coherent vibration, seemingly emanating from across endless time and space, gently tapped at the core of his soul lock.

Chu Ning's brows furrowed suddenly, and he looked up abruptly, his gaze shooting like lightning towards the deep night sky outside the window.

The starry sky hung low, and all was silent, but deep within his soul, he caught a faint, yet incredibly ancient and weathered, fragmented thought, like the whisper of a candle flickering in the wind:

"The Gate of Boundaries is About to Rise."

"The master seal will return."

Chu Ning's expression instantly turned icy, and his entire body tensed involuntarily.

"The boundary gate... As expected! They're not done yet!"

That sense of crisis, which had been forcibly suppressed, surged back once more, accompanied by the call from beyond the distant source of the lock.

At the summit of Tianjing Tower lies the sealed boundary gate.

The night was as dark as ink, and the lingering power of the Soul Realm storm still roared faintly in the distant sky.

However, before this gate, sealed by layers of ancient runes, a strange, deathly silence permeated the air.

Qi Zang, the deputy master of the Soul Map Pavilion who guards this place, has been sitting here in meditation for several days.

His soul power was connected to the sealing array, as solid as a rock.

However, at this moment, his tightly closed eyes suddenly opened, and a horrifying light burst forth from his pupils.

"Buzz!"

Without warning, the massive gate itself, which had been silent for countless years, emitted a deep and unsettling hum.

On the door, a tiny, almost invisible crack quietly appeared. It wasn't caused by external force, but rather seemed to be a pattern created by some kind of force from within.

"What's going on?!" Alarm bells rang in Qi Cang's mind. His withered hand shot out like lightning, and a refined and pure soul diagram light imprint containing a powerful and stable intent instantly condensed and shot straight towards the newly formed crack.

However, a strange scene happened.

The moment his soul image touched the edge of the crack, it did not repair or stabilize it as expected; instead, it seemed to trigger some kind of violent rejection mechanism.

An overwhelming, ancient, and absolutely exclusive force of vibration suddenly surged out from within the crack.

"Pfft!" Qi Zang felt as if he had been hit by a heavy hammer, let out a muffled groan, and his body trembled violently.

The recoil not only instantly shattered his soul diagram light imprint, but also crashed into his body through his soul power connection.

His outstretched right index finger cracked inch by inch under the impact of this terrifying power, and pale golden soul blood gushed out like tiny fountains.

"Ugh!" Qi Zang cried out in pain, staggering back several steps, staring in horror at his blood-stained fingers and the crack on the boundary gate that seemed to be mocking him silently.

"Rejection?! The gate is rejecting my sealing power?!" This thought sent chills down his spine.

What terrified him even more was that at the edge of that tiny crack, a faint, yet rhythmic, golden light flickered like a breath.

The aura of that light resonated with the fifth Soul Lock Pattern that Chu Ning, the newly appointed master, had sensed a few days ago at the Heavenly Mirror Tower.

"It's him?!" Qi Zang exclaimed in a low voice, his face turning deathly pale. "Impossible! He just condensed his Soul Master Seal and is still recovering from serious injuries. How could he have triggered the origin of the Boundary Gate? But this resonance... this resonance originating from within the Boundary Gate is undeniable!"

He suppressed the turmoil in his heart, daring not to hesitate any longer. He immediately crushed a communication jade pendant at his waist, and a soul thought filled with extreme panic tore through space and sent it toward the core of the Three Pavilions:

"Urgent Order! The essence of the Boundary Gate is disturbed! The current seal is experiencing 'internal rejection'! A resonance source suspected to be the 'newborn fifth soul rune' has been discovered! Elders of the Three Pavilions, proceed immediately to the Soul Mirror Heavenly Council Hall! There is no time to lose!"

Within half a day, all the heavyweight figures who could decide the fate of the Realm Within a Realm arrived at the Heavenly Council Hall of the Soul Mirror Pavilion.

Li Jing'an of the Soul Mirror Pavilion, Yu Xingshui of the Soul Diagram Pavilion, Bai Xiu, the representative of the Soul Form Pavilion, and three highly respected neutral elders solemnly took their seats on the circular Soul Crystal Council seat.

The atmosphere was so heavy it seemed to drip water; an invisible pressure collided and churned in the air. Chu Ning was also invited and sat down next to Li Jing'an.

Everyone understood what Qi Zang's emergency order meant—it was an "extraordinary decree" that would determine the future of the Realm Within a Realm.

The topic, unsurprisingly, focused on two points:
I. The root cause and danger of the abnormal movement of the boundary gate;
Second, whether or not "Chu Ning" should be allowed to formally receive and control the authority of the Hunyuan Realm Gate using the "Soul Master's Mark".

Li Jing'an broke the silence first, his voice steady as a bell, yet carrying a do-or-die determination:
"The root cause is clear! The fifth mark of the Soul Lock has appeared, and the three keys have returned to one. This is the inevitable echo of the traces left behind by the Primordial Master. The Boundary Gate has awakened due to the resonance of its main seal, rejecting the old seal. This is the clear will of Heaven! At this moment, only Chu Ning, the holder of the seal, can take control of the Boundary Gate and restore order to the world!"

Yu Xingshui's face was calm as still water. She lightly tapped the armrest with her fingertips, and her voice, though clear, carried a cold skepticism:
"Elder Li's words may be one side of the truth. However, the key is not whether he has the seal, but rather—"

Her gaze, sharp as an icicle, pierced Chu Ning. "'Can his soul truly bear the weight of the boundary gate?' The boundary gate is not an object, but the very lifeblood of a realm. Its power is vast, and its responsibility is as immeasurable as the heavens! If the one who receives the seal lacks a solid foundation and a firm will, rashly accepting it will not save the realm, but rather cause the power of the boundary gate to run rampant, resulting in a cataclysmic disaster that will overturn the entire realm within a realm!"

She focused on "bearing the weight" rather than "having a mark," directly pointing to Chu Ning's current state of serious injury and unknown limits of endurance.

Bai Xiu of the Soul Form Pavilion snorted coldly, his voice like the clang of metal on metal:

"What Jade Lord is worried about is exactly what my Soul Form Pavilion is concerned about! The power of the three pavilions is not yet balanced, and the power of the Realm Gate is even greater than that of the three pavilions! If he were to seize the power of the Realm Gate with his severely injured body, who could guarantee that he wouldn't use the Realm Gate to command the three pavilions? If the power is unbalanced and chaos breaks out in the Realm, who would bear the responsibility?!"

His concerns point directly to the risk of a disruption of the power structure.

The three parties held distinct positions, and an invisible pressure, like a giant net, enveloped the entire Heavenly Council Hall. All eyes were focused on Chu Ning, who had remained silent throughout.

(End of this chapter)