Overdraw the future and become a peerless martial god

Chapter 79: Illusion
Uta stood frozen in place, cold sweat beading on his forehead, his chest heaving violently, and his eyes bloodshot. "Why...why didn't you kill me?"

He was panting heavily, his voice hoarse and almost inaudible, yet it suppressed his confusion and a hint of indescribable respect.

Chu Ning remained silent for a moment, then walked over, pulled out the rusty knife, gently brushed the dust off the blade, and calmly replied, "We both cultivate the 'Rough Stone Hard Skill,' so we can be considered fellow disciples."

His tone was as calm as the wind, but his back, as sharp as a mountain and as formidable as a sword, was revealed as he turned away. "I will not kill my fellow disciples."

As soon as he finished speaking, he stepped out of the lightning array, his back bathed in light.

Uta stood there, stunned, looking down at the fragments of the breastplate scattered on the ground. Those armor pieces that carried his savage glory were now shattered into dust, and even the surging anger in his chest was quietly dissipating.

He clenched his fists, then slowly relaxed them, the fierceness in his eyes fading, leaving only a complex silence.

The stands were completely silent, as if time had stood still.

After a long silence, someone gasped and broke the silence: "That thunder fist, those array patterns... they were too ruthless."

"Chu Ning... he actually lost even to the Southern Wilderness Barbarian Blood?"

"How did he do that? That's a top-grade ninth-rank Uta!"

Xie Mingli's gaze was solemn as she stared at Chu Ning's retreating figure, her heart churning with turmoil. "Chu Ning's strength... has already surpassed the imagination of our generation of prodigies. He is destined to be extraordinary."

On the arena, the steward, with a complex expression, announced loudly: "The winner is Chu Ning! Six points, ranking twentieth on the leaderboard."

As the words fell, the square, which had been silent for a moment, finally erupted in thunderous applause that shook the heavens.

"Chu Ning! Chu Ning!!"

His name resounded throughout every corner of the viewing platform, like thunderclaps, spreading far and wide, shaking all directions.

With three victories in three battles, from this moment on, Chu Ning's name was completely etched into everyone's hearts, becoming an undeniable presence.

The fifth battle, the seventh battle, the eleventh battle... More and more viewers stopped mocking him for being "tenth-rank" and instead stared at every strike of his sword and every lightning bolt he unleashed, as if watching a god descend to earth.

In the twelfth match, Chu Ning encountered an opponent who truly put pressure on him.

Chu Ning stood in the center of the arena, opposite Feng Lan, the peerless genius of Feng Lei Valley and a peak ninth-rank martial artist.

She stood still like mist, her clothes flowing lightly, the silver armor close to her body vaguely outlining her slender yet sharp figure. Between each of her ten fingers she gripped a crescent-shaped silver blade, its cold light not yet revealed, but her killing intent already rising.

Before the deacon could finish speaking, the hoarse drumbeat had just struck its first note.

The wind and mist have stirred!

A streak of white light burst forth from the spot, swooping down like an eagle, piercing through the clouds and mist. In an instant, Chu Ning's vision was completely taken away.

Feng Lan's figure moved faster than the naked eye could perceive. Her footwork was incredibly mysterious, like a dream among the clouds or a mist in the wind. Each step, turn, and shift seemed to vanish in an instant and be reborn in another dimension.

On the arena, streaks of silver light stretched across the sky, overlapping and intersecting like shooting stars or butterflies dancing in the heavens.

A shockwave of wind and thunder exploded on the stage, and as silver butterflies fluttered, lightning surged, transforming into a dazzling halo, like a celestial illusion.

For the first time, Chu Ning truly felt a kind of powerlessness called "dullness".

He was like a lone boat thrown into a raging storm; just as he was about to gain his footing, he was torn apart by the raging winds and waves.

The first cut missed.

The second cut missed.

By the time the third, fourth, and thirteenth strikes were unleashed, Chu Ning was already sweating profusely. The rusty blade was crackling and crackling with lightning, yet it still couldn't pierce through the silver shadow in the air.

His sword strikes were incredibly fast to the naked eye, but in the afterimages of the wind and mist, they appeared as slow as an old ox plowing a field.

Just as he swung his sword for the fourteenth time, Chu Ning's right shoulder trembled violently—the silver blade grazed his flesh. But strangely, despite tearing his clothes, Feng Lan's blade failed to leave a single bloodstain on his shoulder.

At that moment, Chu Ning's gaze sharpened. He realized it. Feng Lan was ultimately just fast. She couldn't sever his own body, which was made of steel.

His body was as strong as a fortress of bronze and iron; the "Primordial Body Refining Technique" had long since made his upper body impervious to blades and spears. Even if she could dodge his sword, she couldn't break through his body.

"Ten breaths."

The chilling voice rang out again, echoing in every corner of the arena, its source indistinct like a ghost wandering about.

Chu Ning stood still, holding his breath, his divine sense spread out, but he couldn't discern Feng Lan's true form at all.

"I can suppress you for ten breaths, and then I can sever your tendons." Voices pierced the eardrums from all directions.

This was the first time in Chu Ning's life that he had encountered an opponent he could not overpower with force or control with his methods. It was also the first time that, despite being at a significant disadvantage in speed, he felt not fear, but rather—a burning fighting spirit.

A surge of hot blood welled up in my chest and rushed to my heart.

"Can't catch up?" he muttered to himself. "Then I'll be faster." Lightning crackled between his palms, and thunderous energy surged. He began to adjust his footwork, reshaping it according to the rhythm of the "Sky-Splitting Shadow Technique".

But Chu Ning didn't imitate Feng Lan's light and ethereal movements; instead, he used lightning to push the limits of his footwork. Lightning patterns wrapped around his feet, and the aura of lightning seeped into his bones. He channeled the power of lightning into his "Sky-Splitting Soaring Shadow Technique," making each step as if lightning struck the void, instantly shattering spatial barriers.

With lightning flashing and arcs of electricity trailing behind, Chu Ning's figure suddenly transformed from a slow slasher into a bolt of lightning!
On the ninth breath, he stepped diagonally with his left foot, shifting half a step to the side with lightning speed. In that instant, a silver light grazed past his ear, severing a few strands of his long hair and creating a whistling sound as it cut through the air.

The wind and mist materialized. Chu Ning's eyes turned cold, and his left hand, which had been waiting for a long time, suddenly reached out.

"Snap!" Fingers gripped Feng Lan's ankle like steel clamps!

"Wind Chaser Step?" He sneered, lightning surging from his palm. "I'll show you how to chase lightning!"

"Boom--!"

The lightning energy surged into Feng Lan's body like a pillar, causing her to stiffen abruptly. Her entire body seemed to be pierced by an electric current, and she suddenly became visible.

Chu Ning roared angrily, and with a sudden swing of his arms, he lifted her entire body up.

"Go down!"

He swung his sword in a wide arc and slammed it down onto the arena!

"boom!!!"

The arena trembled as if struck by a meteor, the three-inch-long blue bricks cracked all at once, and billowing dust rose into the sky. Feng Lan's twin blades had left his hand, their silver light embedding themselves in the coiled dragon stone pillar beside the stands, causing the crowd below Prince Duan to gasp in surprise.

The disciples of Fenglei Valley all changed color, and the viewing platform remained silent for several breaths.

Then, thunderous applause erupted!
Someone whispered in shock, "This speed has even surpassed the speed of wind and rain..."

"He's a tenth-rank genius? This guy is probably not some disguised prodigy!"

The deacon announced loudly: "The victor of the twelfth siege is Chu Ning!"

"With 15 points, we are ranked first on the leaderboard."

A thunderous shout resounded through the heavens!
Chu Ning has officially stepped into a height that all geniuses can only look up to.

After two days of fierce fighting, Chu Ning had won 65 consecutive matches. His name on the Qingyun Arena had become a nightmare, and all the prodigies stared at him with gritted teeth.

The original plan of 116 challenges was stretched to 190 due to pressure from everyone. In other words, apart from the ten members of the Marquis of Wu's Mansion, almost all the participants had to challenge Chu Ning alone.

Xie Mingli was so angry that she slammed her hand on the table and went straight to the referee's table to raise her objection, demanding that the original match order be maintained, but her objection was coldly rejected.

She returned to Chu Ning's side, gritted her teeth, and whispered, "They want to wear you down."

Chu Ning looked up at the blood-red sun filling the sky, his eyes showing no anger, only a cold and resolute determination.

"Since they want to fight, I'll oblige."

"Fool..." Xie Mingli bit her lip, her eyes reddening, but she knew she couldn't persuade him.

Chu Ning had already made his decision. If he couldn't even survive these mere hundred or so battles, how could he possibly break through the Northern Cangque Pass and reclaim Qing Li's destiny?
Then fight!
His steps onto the ring stirred his robes, like a blade cutting through the wind.

In the sixty-sixth match, the opponent was the Enchantress of the Ghost Palace.

The enchanting maiden moved with light, graceful steps, her bare feet touching the ground, the silver bells at her ankles tinkling softly like a song to lure the soul. Her figure was exquisite, her robes flowing like smoke, every movement seemingly bewitching.

A melodious tune rang out from the arena, not from any musical instrument, but from the nightmare energy swirling around her fingertips.

"Sink into ruin," Meiji exhaled, her breath sweet as orchids, her eyes as deep as a still pool at night, "Rotten in your deepest fears."

Chu Ning's vision blurred, and the world suddenly turned upside down. A blood-red sky suddenly pressed down, and the world seemed to have fallen into an endless purgatory.

He stood amidst the scorched earth, a soft sound reaching his ears—the pendant Qing Li always wore, slowly shattering in the flames, shards flying and cutting the corner of his eye. The flames reflected in his pupils, a snow-white figure turning back from the depths of the inferno, her hand outstretched, a smile on her lips, before collapsing inch by inch in the scorching flames, not even having time to leave her silhouette.

"Qingli!!"

Chu Ning roared and lunged forward, only to crash into an invisible, transparent barrier, like a trapped beast. His fingertips were cut, but he could no longer touch that tenderness.

The mirror shattered with a crash, and the scene instantly shifted, as if one had been forcibly pulled into another world.

The cold rain fell like arrows, and iron chains stretched across the long street. He watched as Xie Mingli was nailed to a rack, her collarbone pierced by black chains, slowly being pulled from her flesh and bone. Her face was covered in blood, yet she gritted her teeth and remained silent until her gaze slowly fell upon Chu Ning, carrying a slight sigh and unspoken resentment.

"Why didn't you come..." she whispered, but it seemed to strike his heart.

"I'm here! I'm coming!" Chu Ning roared and charged forward, his blade flashing as if slashing into water, instantly dissipating.

Blood flowed back down to his feet, turning into an abyss.

The mirror shattered again, scattering like shooting stars.

Flames engulfed the sky, and a beautiful figure staggered forward through the inferno—it was Chu Yun, the elder sister who brought him warmth and comfort. Her body was charred black, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, yet she still desperately reached out her hands to him.

"Ning-ge'er...don't be afraid...your sister is here..."

Her voice was as hoarse as a dried-up leaf. The next moment, a gust of wind swept by, and her whole body instantly collapsed into ashes, shattering inch by inch before his eyes. Even her cries were swallowed up by the flames.

"Sister—!"

Chu Ning's mind was completely torn apart. He rushed out, but there was no solid ground beneath his feet. Only the raging flames engulfed his entire body.

Another mirror shattered, breaking into endless fragments of light.

The illusions surged like a tidal wave, one after another, like countless faces gnawing at the depths of his soul. Memories, emotions, and obsessions all became a nightmare abyss, threatening to swallow him whole.

(End of this chapter)