Overdraw the future and become a peerless martial god

Chapter 83 A Stunning Appearance, Chaos in the Azure Clouds

Feng Jin slowly raised her eyes, her expression blank, as if she had aged ten years in an instant. She looked at Xie Jinghong's face, the face that had once captivated her, made her hate him, and made her wait in vain.

"How could this be..." she murmured softly, a thousand miles of sorrow choking her throat, "That was Jinghong...it was him, how could this be..."

Xie Jinghong, or rather, the puppet masquerading as "Xie Jinghong," remained as cold and indifferent as ice, unmoved by the calls from those around him. His figure was ramrod straight, his aura chilling, his entire being like a corpse sealed beneath a millennia-old icy spring, with only killing intent churning ceaselessly beneath the icy shell.

Thunder rumbled and sword energy crisscrossed. Thunder and fire surged on the arena, and the heavens and earth seemed to resound with thunderous roars. Sparks flew everywhere, and the edges of the arena cracked inch by inch, teetering on the brink of collapse.

Chu Ning was enveloped in lightning, his eyes like cold stars, yet his heart remained as deep as an abyss. He understood that this battle was not merely a fight between people, but a life-or-death struggle between the heart and the puppet; it was an awakening, a redemption, and a resolute act of breaking free from shackles.

Instead of retreating, he advanced, stepping on thunder, his battle blade sweeping down from the thunderclouds like lightning striking the sky.

"boom!!!"

The thunder was deafening, and the center of the arena collapsed by an inch, sending shards of rock flying like arrows. The spectators were all startled and retreated.

The Ice Blood Puppet remained motionless, its expression blank. With its cold sword drawn, a wave of silvery-white energy burst forth, condensing the surrounding air into a solid ice barrier, the chill penetrating to the bone!
Chu Ning roared, shattering the icy wall with a punch. Lightning crackled around the blade as it slashed fiercely towards the puppet's neck. The blade was sharp and pierced the icy air, but with a "crack!" the blade penetrated three-tenths of the way before being sealed by suddenly appearing ice crystals.

The wound that should have been severely damaged was covered by thick ice crystals in the blink of an eye, and in an instant it was completely healed.

"...It really is a puppet." Chu Ning's heart turned cold, but his eyes became even more piercing.

Although the puppet has no consciousness, it has instincts. Every attack is precise, emotionless, and flawless, fighting relentlessly like a deadly machine.

"The flaw... lies not in the external world, but in the heart."

The Wang family's puppet-making techniques must involve a mind-controlling disc hidden within the body. To break it, a blood curse must be used as a catalyst to force a resonance and disrupt the power of its source.

Chu Ning took a deep breath, and the lightning energy within his body quietly circulated through his meridians, gradually breaking the blood curse sealed on his chest.

Amidst the crackling lightning, a wisp of crimson light silently flowed from Chu Ning's palm into the blade, lightning and blood mingling and resonating subtly. The next instant, the Ice Blood Puppet's movements faltered slightly, and beneath the frost on its chest, a blood-red rune pattern appeared, faintly visible, like the pulsating heartbeat.

Chu Ning's pupils contracted sharply, his sword swirled to gather power, and he unleashed a Cloud-Splitting Slash that cleaved down like a mountain.

"Click——!!!"

The blood talisman shattered, and the frost exploded like flowers. In an instant, the entire arena fell silent, as if heaven and earth had held their breath.

The puppet slowly knelt down, releasing a chilling aura. Xie Jinghong's face was faintly visible in the broken ice crystals, still handsome, but already empty and lifeless, like a hollowed-out shell.

“Jinghong…” Feng Jin’s voice was barely audible. She knelt down in a daze, her knees hitting the broken ice, yet she felt no pain at all.

She reached out with trembling hands, her fingertips gently touching Xie Jinghong's forehead, as if trying to find even a trace of warmth left, but in the end, it was as cold as snow.

"Brother!!!" Xie Mingli cried out, tearing through the sky, and rushed forward to embrace the soulless body, tears streaming down her face.

On the high platform, Wang Chongshan, the patriarch of the Wang family, suddenly changed his expression, and a trace of blood even spilled from the corner of his mouth. He swayed and stood up, leaning on his cane.

He suddenly looked towards the arena, his eyes flashing with horror and anger. His puppet control technique had been broken, and the soul sacrifice had backfired, leaving him seriously injured.

"He can actually reverse the puppet's mind..." he muttered through gritted teeth, staring intently at Chu Ning, his voice low and icy: "This kid... cannot be allowed to live."

The chill had not yet dissipated, and the broken ice had not yet melted. Xie Jinghong's body lay silently on the arena, like a statue that had lost its luster.

Feng Jin's eyes surged with bloodlust, her tears drying before they could fall, extinguished by the rage in her heart. She slowly stood up, her slender body trembling violently like a fire in the wind. Her gaze was fixed on Chu Ning, a hatred that cut to the bone, like a poisoned blade, wanting to tear the man before her to pieces.

“You killed my own brother…and now, you’ve killed my Jinghong…”

Her voice seemed to tear at her throat, hoarse and filled with sorrow and despair. She spoke each word slowly and deliberately, then abruptly raised her hand, pointing at Chu Ning, "Chu Ning! Do you even have a heart left?!"

The storm raged on the arena, the fighting spirit remained, yet Chu Ning remained as calm as a mountain. Thunderous energy swirled behind him, as if divine punishment had not yet ceased. He did not speak, nor did he offer any explanation, but simply stood quietly in the center of the arena, enduring the accusations of thousands, his expression as cold as frost, his eyes as deep as an abyss.

A murmur rippled through the crowd. The initial shock gradually turned into fury. The gazes of the crowd, like oil poured on flames, fell upon Chu Ning, scorching and unbearable.

Suddenly, a suppressed female voice broke the silence.

"I told you so..."

Xie Mingli stepped forward, her eyes brimming with sorrow, which she suppressed tightly. She gazed at Xie Jinghong lying on the arena, his familiar yet unfamiliar face still bearing the lingering shadow of pain. Her voice was low and choked with sobs: "No matter what he becomes... he is still my brother."

Her gaze shifted to Chu Ning, suddenly turning icy and sharp. "Why did you kill him? You knew he had no choice!"

As Xie Mingli finished speaking, the people from the Marquis of Wu's Mansion approached in unison. Zhao Tianyu frowned and looked cold, Qin Henian's face was ashen, and the black-armored guards drew their weapons, their killing intent overflowing. The entire arena was instantly filled with killing intent, and the atmosphere was as tense as the eve of a storm.

Chu Ning remained unmoved, like the eye of a storm. He gazed at Xie Mingli, his voice slowly uttering, not loud, yet each word piercing like a cold blade:
"Don't you... want to know who turned your brother into this?"

Xie Mingli was suddenly stunned, as if struck by lightning. Her pupils contracted slightly, and she staggered a step.

Chu Ning finally moved. He slowly walked towards Xie Jinghong's body, his gaze falling on the face that had lost its luster. He said softly, "Xie Jinghong... his soul has been stripped away and his life force taken away. He is not dead, but has long been refined into the puppet array and turned into a puppet."

"I didn't kill him."

"I merely severed the chains that had imprisoned him for so many years." "Severed the chains?"

Xie Mingli murmured softly, her gaze fixed on the body on the ground that was still twitching slightly.

Xie Jinghong is not completely dead yet.

She was greatly shocked, and the angry words she was about to utter suddenly became stuck in her throat.

Feng Jin stood frozen in place, the pain on her face gradually solidifying, as if her entire soul had been suspended in that moment. She stared at Xie Jinghong's tranquil face, her eyes unfocused, and murmured to herself, "He...isn't dead...but...struggling..."

After a brief silence, Xie Mingli suddenly looked up, her eyes clear as lightning, having made up her mind.

"Black-armored guards, heed my command—!"

Her voice, like a thunderclap, shook the surroundings: "Immediately seal off the Qingyun Arena! All members of the Wang family, regardless of rank, must be brought to the arena for a thorough investigation!"

"promise--!"

The black-armored guards surged like a tidal wave, their armor clanging and their iron boots pounding the ground, like a massive army advancing, causing the arena to tremble slightly. A murderous intent, as dark as ink, spread through the air, making it hard to breathe. In the blink of an eye, the entire Qingyun Arena was completely surrounded.

"What do you want to do!"

A steward accompanying the Wang family shouted angrily, but before he could finish speaking, one of the black-armored guards suddenly struck him in the chest, shattering his armor and sending blood gushing out. The man flew backward, crashing heavily to the ground, and was mercilessly dragged into the formation.

The surrounding crowd all changed color.

One by one, the Wang family members and their accompanying guards were brought to the stage. Some were furious and questioned him sharply, some were terrified and knelt down to beg for mercy, and some had evasive eyes and complicated expressions, as if they had already foreseen the scene that was about to unfold.

Discussions arose among the crowd, and the murmurs grew louder.

"The Wang family, a century-old clan, has been utterly defeated by the iron cavalry of the Marquis of Wu..."

"The Azure Cloud Arena was originally a place for friendly sparring, but now it has become... a judgment arena?"

at this time.

"enough."

A deep, scorching voice rang out, like thunder in a blazing fire.

Wang Chen stepped out from the crowd. His dark blue martial arts robe billowed wildly, and the red copper bell at his waist jingled with each step. With each step he took, the floor tiles cracked like spider webs, and a scorching heat, like magma about to erupt from a volcano, surged violently within him.

He stood below the ring, looking up at the stage, his crimson pupils gleaming with a molten lava-like light.

"The Marquis Wu's mansion... actually listened to the words of a mere scoundrel and launched a major attack on my Wang family?"

He demanded sharply, his anger blazing like a raging fire, "Do you really think the Wang family is made of clay?"

Then, he abruptly changed the subject, fixing his gaze on Chu Ning and sneering, "This guy, a bastard who crawled out of a hunter's den, thinks he's really someone important just because he entered the sect by chance? Today you've incited public anger with a few sophistry and tried to destroy the century-old foundation of my Wang family. What are you anyway!"

"If my Wang family hadn't spared your life, how could you possibly deserve to stand here today?!"

His words were sharp and cutting, each one piercing to the heart. Many people around him turned their gazes toward Chu Ning, their expressions becoming subtle.

However, just as Wang Chen turned to attack Chu Ning, a streak of cold light suddenly pierced the sky.

"boom!!"

The heavy iron halberd descended from the sky, its blade whistling and whipping up a gale. It charged forward with nine fire dragons, but before it could get close, it was frozen in mid-air by an extremely cold force, instantly turning into an ice sculpture before shattering and falling to the ground.

A figure, clad in meteorite armor, strode through the snow.

Zhao Tianyu, commander of the Zhenwu Division, is a mid-level eighth-rank martial artist.

With each step he took, the earth seemed to tremble, as if he were a walking war god mountain. With a flick of his halberd, the frost-like energy surged back, forcefully suppressing Wang Chen's Heaven-Burning Force back into his body. The raging flames were frozen into ashes, and his figure staggered back three zhang.

Wang Chen was horrified. Before he could even catch his breath, Zhao Tianyu moved like lightning, flipping his wrist to seize Wang Chen. The cold energy between his five fingers vibrated, and with immense force, he directly clamped Wang Chen's throat, lifting him into the air.

"You dare to speak so eloquently here?" Zhao Tianyu's voice was deep and cold, filled with murderous intent. "Your Wang family knows in your hearts what you have done."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Wang Chen's face turned red, and he struggled but could not move. He was slammed hard onto the center of the arena, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The entire Qingyun Arena was deathly silent.

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(End of this chapter)