Overdraw the future and become a peerless martial god

Chapter 210 Departure
Li Jing'an pointed to the illusory image formed by the condensation of soul power. It was an ancient gate sealed above the icy abyss in the far north, with snow crystals floating and a chilling aura shaking the soul.

He whispered:

"In the far north, Cangque was sealed with three layers of boundary locks by Master Hunyuan four years ago. The sealing technique does not rely on human power but is based on the order of heaven and earth."

"Now, the Hunyuan Stele has been disturbed many times, and two of the sealing chains have quietly broken."

"The demonic flames have burned the ashes and reached the boundary marker."

The expressions of all the worshippers on the platform changed.

Yu Xingshui slowly stepped forward, her robes billowing in the wind, and added in a cold voice:
"If the third chain collapses, the 'Blazing Bone Ape Marquis' will break through the boundary."

"At that time, not only the realms within realms—but also the entire Nine Provinces will be stained with blood and flames."

Before she could finish speaking, she turned to look at Chu Ning with a meaningful gaze.

Chu Ning slowly emerged from among the worshippers, his trench coat fluttering in the wind, and stood upright before the seal wheel.

He lowered his head and quietly looked at the ancient seal.

—The Seal of Primordial Chaos, the Source of the Soul Map.

That was the "Boundary Exit Order" that he had never truly activated since he took over the cabinet.

He slowly raised his palm, the Five Soul Thunder Wheels condensed in his palm bones, and a barely perceptible bolt of oath lightning slid along his finger veins into the edge of the soul seal.

Then he spoke, his voice not loud, but every word struck like a thunderbolt:
"I am going to the far north, not for fame, not for glory."

"Just to seal off the world-burning fire and suppress the last corner of the boundary marker."

He paused for a moment, his voice as deep and resonant as thunder:

"This is the responsibility of the Pavilion Master, and it is also the oath that I, Chu Ning, must fulfill after inheriting the Hunyuan legacy."

After speaking, he clasped his hands together, and the thunder seal snapped shut as his palm descended:

"--start!"

boom! !

Above the Heavenly Mirror Platform, all the talismans resounded in unison.

The soul array rotated, and thirty-six spatial portals simultaneously vibrated and opened.

Ancient incantations shot out like sparks from the sky, connecting the void and opening up the rifts of the soul paths leading to various realms of the mortal world.

The northernmost gate is the most magnificent, revealing a vast snow-covered region where frost covers the land and shadows intertwine.

At the far north, at the end of the Soul Realm—it finally revealed itself.

Li Jing'an stepped forward and solemnly reminded him:

"Sect Master, once the gate to the boundary opens, it will require the absorption of source power to maintain its operation for three months. During this time, none of us will be able to return to the boundary."

Chu Ning remained unmoved, gazing towards the frigid northern region, his voice low yet firm:
No need to reply.

"If the Cangque Pass is not sealed, my Chu Ning will never return to the border."

He turned to face the thirty-odd worshippers clad in spirit robes, his voice booming like thunder:

"Your service is at my command!"

"Follow me, let's travel north through the snow."

"Use the soul as a lock to re-establish the Azure Palace!"

After a solemn silence came a thunderous response of vows:

"I am willing to follow you, Pavilion Master!"

"Use the soul as a lock to re-establish the Azure Palace!"

The soul power surged like a tidal wave, and the vow to soar to the heavens.

The wind and snow temporarily ceased, and the boundary gate sounded a long wailing.

On the Heavenly Mirror Platform, the oaths resounded like thunder, shaking the void.

More than thirty worshippers stood solemnly behind Chu Ning, their soul robes fluttering, their vows as vast as the sea.

In the sky above the Heavenly Mirror Platform, the golden-patterned Soul Wheel reflected the thunderous breath, connecting the Nine Provinces Realm with the Far North Death Plain, like a divine throne pointing northward.

At this moment, Chu Ning stood tall and silent, his gaze sharp as a sword as he looked toward the now-opened gate to the far north.

The next moment——

A streak of dark golden lightning suddenly pierced the sky.

Chu Ning's figure was like a star breaking through the sun, with lightning at his feet and his soul imprint as wings, as he stepped straight into that dark, cold, and unknown ice-flame rift.

The lightning streaked across the sky, leaving an indelible trail of light, like a comet piercing the Milky Way.

Following him, dozens of powerful soul shadows leaped into the boundary gate without hesitation, like stars going against the current, embarking on this expedition with an uncertain future.

Deep within the gate, the soul light swirled and surged like waves, swallowing their figures inch by inch into the void abyss.

Once the last person disappeared, the north gate through the thirty-six rifts snapped shut with a "click".

The Heavenly Mirror Terrace returned to silence.

The lingering echoes of the oath still reverberate, and the Pavilion Master's Seal Wheel still hangs high in the air, rotating slightly, reflecting the handprint left by Chu Ning, like a star wheel watching over and witnessing this life-or-death journey concerning the existence of the realm, the breath of the soul, and the future.

In the silence.

The souls of all beings in the lower and middle realms below the mirror stand gazed up in silence.

They knew that this departure might be their last.

at the same time.

The far north, a vast and icy land.

This land, perpetually weighed down by snow like a coffin, is silent in the wind and still in the cold, so deathly quiet that even the passage of time seems unwilling to set foot here.

But at this moment, the almost solidified silence between heaven and earth was quietly broken by a very subtle tremor.

An ancient stele, half-collapsed and covered with ancient Hunyuan symbols, stands alone on the edge of the icy abyss.

The monument, which was ten zhang tall, was severely damaged. Three sealing chains had passed through the center of the monument, but now only one chain remained, gleaming with a faint golden-blue light, still struggling to maintain the seal.

The other two chain marks were broken, and the edges of the broken ends were charred black, as if they had been corroded and penetrated by the inner flame.

Beneath the monument lies a bottomless abyss, like a wound in the earth, sealed beneath the tundra for years, never seeing the light of day.

Sudden.

"Click——"

An extremely faint sound rang out from the deepest part of the earth.

Unless one's soul penetrates the earth's veins, it would be extremely difficult to detect.

Then, the sound gradually arose, like bones rubbing against each other, like a sleeping behemoth slowly stretching its rusted joints.

Dark red melting patterns, like hellish blood, emerged from the abyss ice wall, seeping in inch by inch, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, bypassing the ancient stele and slowly climbing up the broken soul chain.

At this moment, the pressure on the entire ice plain plummeted, snow clouds surged, and an extreme cold storm roared up from the rift valley.

In the deepest part of the abyss, in the dark, cold, and silent depths of the extreme abyss, a black shadow, seemingly formed from chaos, slowly raised its head.

It has no clear shape, only a vague outline like an eclipsed moon.

But the moment it moved, the entire sky above the ice field was instantly filled with shadows, as if the stars themselves trembled.

A low, broken voice, like the gasp of death, came from the depths of the abyss, echoing above the boundary marker, as if piercing the soul platform:
"The sixth... Soul Chain..."

"To...break..."

"The boundary... seal... has cracked..."

"Who... will... come... to tear... this cage open for me..."

The voice had no warmth, yet it contained a ferocity and greed that chilled all souls, as if it could devour an entire realm with just a "yes".

In an instant, the three thousand miles of frozen wasteland were transformed by the wind and snow, which simultaneously reversed direction and scorched towards the formless soul within the abyss.

The tide of souls has not yet begun, but the celestial phenomena are already in chaos.

This is—the Blazing Bone Ape Lord.

The origin of all evil, the head of the twelve malevolent spirits.

The Grand Master Hunyuan sealed it with his divine blood, pressed down with a boundary marker, and locked its three souls, but he only sealed its form and did not destroy its soul.

The seal is about to collapse, and it has already been revived.

Above the shadows, the two eyes, not fully open, quietly opened a crack—crimson red like blood, cold light like a hook.

It is waiting for someone to come.

They were also waiting for the final soul lock to completely break.

Several days later, on the northern border of the territory.

The fierce wind howled like blades, slapping against the Soul Crystal Curtain of the Boundary Harbor high in the sky, making the thousand-foot-long Soul Banner flutter loudly, as if it were also bidding farewell to the expeditionary who was about to step into the realm of death.

The enormous World Ship was moored in the center of the Heavenly Mirror berth. The entire ship resembled a crouching, colossal black-gold beast, silent and menacing. Runes were engraved on it, shimmering with the aura of primordial chaos, each one like a shackle sealing off all spirits.

At the bow of the ship, Chu Ning, clad in a black gold soul armor, stood before the Azure Sky Soul Map.

The five-patterned soul lock slowly swirled on his shoulder armor, as deep as an abyss, unmoved by thunder.

Compared to his sharpness when he first ascended to the position of Pavilion Master, he is now more like a weapon that has been repeatedly tempered—still, yet even sharper.

He stared at the Soul Map Rift in the due north, which was churning with ice flames and dark red, his gaze piercing through the constantly vibrating void coordinate mark.

That place is the "extreme northernmost canyon".

Standing to his left and right were Li Jing'an and Yu Xingshui.

Lei Jingjing and Chu Yun were positioned slightly behind, protecting the central axis.

Behind him, the neatly arrayed Soul Armor Warriors stood solemnly, while dozens of Soul Worshippers from the First-Class Pavilion lined up on both sides, their soul power flowing and their aura chilling, like a military soul that had been dormant for too long and had finally returned to its place.

All the teleportation arrays in the border port had already been sealed off, and all the defensive soul towers in the four directions were focused on the main berth, providing the deepest support from the boundary source for this cross-border expedition.

Li Jing'an stepped forward and presented a key containing a Primordial Soul Seal with both hands.

This key seal is entirely dark blue, with patterns extending from the inside out, resembling a miniature soul-locking array, with the mark of the realm's master soul floating at its core.

“Lord,” he said in a low voice, “the Interdimensional Key is here.”

"Once this key is issued, the Pavilion Master can mobilize the hidden soul sources of our Pavilion distributed in various domains. If necessary, he can also reset the domains of all accompanying souls and guide their energy back to the Primordial Origin Vein."

His gaze remained fixed, yet he sighed heavily:
"The journey to Cangque is fraught with peril, so please proceed with caution, Pavilion Master."

Chu Ning silently accepted the master key.

The cold touch of the soul crystal trembled slightly at my fingertips, as if I were grasping the lifeline of a sleeping realm.

He didn't speak, but simply raised his eyes and looked once again at the generals and retainers who were fully prepared and waiting for orders.

The sound of the wind stopped for a moment.

His voice wasn't loud, but it was as deep as thunder, slowly echoing between the stone walls of the border port:
"This journey to the far north is neither for travel nor for fame or fortune."

"The Blazing Bone Ape Marquis... a calamity of demigods, which cannot be sealed by the laws of the realm, nor can it be killed by the garrison."

"Our mission is not to defeat a monster."

He paused, then his voice suddenly rose, sharp and clear as a blade:

"We're going to confirm—whether this realm can still—bear hope!"

"A future that can sustain our survival!"

"If not—we'll build another one ourselves that can withstand it!"

boom!
The soul armor vibrated, and the shockwave was like thunder.

All the martial artists took a step forward at the same time, their souls trembling and their fighting spirit soaring to the sky.

That's not etiquette.

It was a vow.

Chu Ning turned around, his cloak billowing, and the thunder seal humming softly.

Without uttering a word, he took the lead in stepping onto the Soul Light Staircase and entering the main deck of the Boundary Ship.

Yu Xingshui's figure was like light. He then leaped onto the bow of the ship, his soul magic swirling, locking onto the coordinates of the Northern Region, and summoning the main soul of the expeditionary force.

Li Jing'an gave a low command, and the various departments of Yipin Pavilion boarded the ship in order. The Soul Map was arranged like a boundary lock unfolding, and the array reflected in the sky, stabilizing the rift passage.

Lei Jingjing and Chu Yun stood on either side, injecting their soul fire into the ship's protective soul array, and sixteen soul-guiding lamps illuminated the entire ship.

When the last offering was placed, the boundary ship trembled.

Outside the boundary sealing array, there are those who silently recite the Primordial Inheritance Oath.

When the words "Use the soul as a lock to suppress the remaining flames" were uttered, the Soul Map Engine roared up, and the entire Xuanjin Ship was like a blade that cleaved through the heavens, cutting through the boundary wall.

Just as Chu Ning was about to step into the main cabin of the World Ship—

hum!
A soul-stirring cry, unseen, resounded between the eyebrows.

Deep within the soul sea, the fifth soul rune, which had been dormant for many years, suddenly trembled.

It was not a warning sign, nor did it carry any threat or pain. Rather, it was a stirring that came from the depths of time, like a whisper of a long-awaited reunion, like an echo of intersecting destinies.

In an instant, a blurry yet incredibly clear image flashed into the depths of his consciousness:

—North of Qingyang County, deep in the Black Wind Forest, at the bottom of the Burning Flame Valley, towering crimson flames rise, staining the caves red;

—A giant tiger was coiled there, its body like a hill, its soul fire burning brightly, its eyes half-closed, yet its aura was extraordinary;

—And on its chest and abdomen, a faint soul line was burning, which was the "life spirit remnant" that had been lost and not broken when its soul imprint was first formed.

At that moment, Chu Ning's mind was suddenly shaken, and even his soul wheel made strange noises due to the boiling soul fire.

He paused, his figure frozen in the light and shadow at the boundary between the hatch and the boundary ship, his fingertips trembling slightly involuntarily.

"Crimson Flame..." he murmured softly, "Is it you?"

That wasn't a call from bloodlines.

Rather, it is the echo of a predestined connection between souls.

Years ago, in an attempt to avenge his family, he was surrounded and attacked by dozens of Wang family warriors, and his life was in danger.

With the help of the Crimson Flame Tiger, he managed to kill dozens of Wang family warriors. Not only that, he also obtained three Nine-Turn Profound Yang Fruits from the Crimson Flame Tiger.

After that, it disappeared in the wildfire, and the remnants of its soul imprint have long since faded into oblivion.

Now, its aura resonates with him once again.

And this kind of feeling cannot be faked.

Li Jing'an noticed the unusual movement and stepped forward:

"Sect Master? What are you doing—"

Chu Ning did not respond.

He slowly turned around and looked towards the southern sky. The blurry but rapidly dissipating trajectory of the soul light was breaking off rapidly from the direction of Qingyang. If he missed it, it would be annihilated.

"You go first." His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable firmness. "I will personally arrive for the battle in the far north."

"Sect Master?" Lei Jingjing also sensed something was wrong and quickly stepped forward. "What happened?"

Chu Ning didn't explain. His brows were furrowed, but his eyes didn't show anxiety; instead, they held a deep and profound entanglement and hidden pain—not only the lingering regret of an unresolved soul imprint from the past, but also the feeling that fate was forcing him to look back at where he came from.

"I must go back to Qingyang first," he finally said.

Yu Xing Shui Mei's eyes narrowed slightly, as if she were deep in thought.

She had only known Chu Ning for a short time, but she knew that he was not the type to readily say "must".

If one were to actually speak up, it would mean—one has no choice but to do it.

Li Jing'an asked in a deep voice, "Does the Pavilion Master wish to stay? Then what about the Cangque Army..."

"The plan has changed." Chu Ning turned around, his expression hardening.

"Elder Li, you are hereby appointed as the temporary commander-in-chief, leading the troops directly to the outer ring of the Ice Soul Plains. Without my personal order, no one is permitted to enter within a hundred miles of the Cangque heartland!"

"Sect Master!" Lei Jingjing immediately wanted to ask, "Why...why are you turning back now?"

Before she could speak, Yu Xingshui gently stopped her.

Yu Xingshui placed her hand on her shoulder, her voice soft, yet it sounded as if she were saying something she had known long ago:
"Let him go."

"That was a bond he had to resolve alone..."

The moment the word "bond" was uttered, Lei Jingjing fell silent, her expression subtly changing.

She suddenly realized that this was not a spur-of-the-moment thought, but a cause and effect that had been buried for a long time and that she would eventually have to face.

(End of this chapter)