Before the Battle for Glory: The Night Oath of Ten Thousand Talismans (Part One)

The Soul Stele's image was transmitted, causing tremors throughout the sect.

It was a life-or-death challenge burning with golden flames, which appeared in front of the main altar, the Soul Tower, at the very center of the Thousand Realms Sect. In an instant, the air currents of the entire sect surged and the soul patterns vibrated, as if the closed world that had encountered the power of heavenly tribulation had been torn apart and stripped away by some force from the fundamental cause and effect.

The challenge post was not lengthy; in fact, it was chillingly concise:

[Soul Rankings Challenge Notice - Proposed by Lu Xuchen: Three days from now, a life-or-death battle will take place on the Ten Thousand Talisman Battle Platform - Qin Yu.]

His name is Lu Xuchen, his Realm Merit Points are 7,211, and he is currently ranked sixth on the Soul Stele. He is known as the "Limit-Breaking Martial Physique". His physical body has reached the pinnacle and his divine sense has entered his soul. He is a true existence who has broken through the Limit physical cultivation. He is the most feared body cultivator in the outer sect of the Thousand Realms Sect and even in the entire Spirit Firmament Great Realm.

And the object of his challenge—

[Qin Yu, with over 9,000 Realm Merit Points, ranked third on the Soul Stele, and possessing the Core of Mutation.]

The mere phrase "Core of Mutation" is like an irreversible mark left on the Soul Stele, pushing the background, meaning, and outcome of this challenge into an abyss of no return.

Within the Thousand Realms Sect, amidst countless floating peaks, blessed lands, and Soul Tower training grounds, countless disciples gazed up at the sky, their eyes filled with a continuous sense of awe.

"The Soul Stele third, and has been challenged?"

"It's Lu Xuchen! The Lu Xuchen who Limit-Breaking Physique!"

He finally made his move!

"But Qin Yu had just returned from his mission at the Realm Calamity Tower... He hadn't even fully consolidated his gains yet. This battle was too hasty!"

"Have you forgotten? He killed Zhang Hao, severely injured the Shang Lineage Sect's Deacon, and even awakened a new soul skill during the battle against the Sha-Slaying Marquis..."

"So what? No matter how strong he is, he's only at the True Soul Realm, while Lu Xuchen is Limit-Breaking Physique. He has faced off against the Realm Consciousness Realm experts three times without being at a disadvantage!"

"Do you think... this is a battle? No, this is a decisive battle, a soul-hunting operation that has been planned for far too long."

In the outer sect area, several senior disciples conversed in hushed tones, their expressions grave. In the distance, a young disciple who had just entered the True Soul Realm murmured in disbelief:

"Qin Yu, third on the Soul Stele... Has he already been chosen by life and death?"

At the summit of the Thousand Realms Sect Master's Hall, a cold light flickered, and a figure in white stood quietly at the top of the tower.

She gazed silently at the golden list of Soul Stele that slowly appeared in the sky, without saying a word or moving, a complex emotion flashing in her icy eyes.

Qian Ruishan, daughter of the sect leader, and the holder of the first position on the Soul Stele, is truly the woman standing at the pinnacle of the entire sect. She has never fought against the second or third-ranked disciples, and they have rarely even exchanged words. But today, for the first time, her gaze lingered on that one name for an extended period—

Qin Yu.

She murmured to herself.

His name, like a sword and a seal, has been the fuse for all storms since the moment the Soul Stele was erected.

She naturally understood that being in the Soul Stele was not a symbol of honor, but rather a synonym for extreme danger.

Within the sect, those who are truly engraved in the top three by the Soul Stele either have powerful clan backgrounds, like Ming Ye, or have an unshakable destiny and lineage; and she, Qian Ruishan, is the one who represents the sect's will, possessing an almost unquestionable primal trust.

And what about Qin Yu?

He had no background, no connections, no master to guide him, and even his cultivation resources were mostly obtained through world-difficult missions.

He is someone who completely defies fate.

"That's why you're in the most danger," she said softly.

"A top-three Soul Stele will make you an enemy of the entire old order. If you're still fourth, eighth, or even tenth, they'll observe, but once you enter the top three... you've been chosen."

"By the will of Heaven, or by the hunter... I don't know."

She turned and walked away through the snow.

At the same time, beneath the Dark Abyss Platform, the rune array roared, and a wave of poisonous intent surged forth.

Shang Kui sat cross-legged, his soul fire igniting behind him, transforming into hundreds of venomous dragon phantoms that writhed and roared.

"He actually made it to third place..." he murmured, each word dripping with murderous intent that seemed to tear space apart.

"Zhang Hao is dead, I'll tolerate it."

"I can tolerate the crippling of the Realm Consciousness Realm assassins."

"Even the Ember Sealer perished... yet I still endured it."

"But now that you've reached third place, do you really think... you can surpass me Shang Kui?"

"Qin Yu!"

He let out a low growl, and a dark red token flew from his hand, instantly unleashing a surge of myriad poison soul patterns:

"All hidden seal permissions activated immediately. Execute the Soul Rankings Third Place Soul Extinction Order – Hidden Team Coordination. Target: Qin Yu. He must be killed in battle on the Ten Thousand Talisman Battle Platform within three days!"

Roar!!

The poisonous soul trembled, and the entire base of the Dark Abyss Platform was plunged into a frenzied tremor.

Inside the main council hall, several deacons gathered, each with a different expression.

"This battle must not be interfered with," an old man said in a deep voice.

"Lu Xuchen is backed by the Shang Clan. If he wins, we can at least retain the right to handle the aftermath of the war."

"But what if he loses?" another elder said. "If the third- Soul Stele wins, it will truly change the power structure within the sect, and that will be far more than just a simple struggle."

"Therefore..." an old man in a gray robe said coldly, "We have no choice but to watch."

"If any unforeseen circumstances arise, the sect leader will personally intervene."

Everyone fell silent.

This battle is no longer as simple as a contest between disciples.

This is a harbinger of a deep causal rift within the entire Thousand Realms Sect's upper echelons.

North Cliff of the Thousand Realms Sect, atop the Thunderbone Battle Tower.

Two figures stood side by side in the raging wind, gazing at the distant, shimmering light of the Soul Stele.

"You knew all along that he would come to this?" Yao Wanqing's voice was cold and solemn, her eyes slightly trembling.

Zhou Yu remained silent for a long while before saying, "No, I originally thought that his fifth-rank Soul Stele was enough to trigger wind and thunder."

But he went straight to third place.

He clenched his fist, his voice tinged with barely concealed anxiety.

"It's not that I don't believe in him... it's just that he's moving too fast, so fast that even those of us who are walking alongside him are struggling to keep up."

Yao Wanqing's eyes flickered slightly as she said, "Lu Xuchen is Limit-Breaking Physique, a true 'physical realm breakthrough'. His punch once shattered the realm soul armor of a Realm Consciousness Third Stage expert who had invaded from outside the realm."

"Qin Yu... might not be able to handle it."

"Are you afraid he'll die?"

"I'm afraid we won't even have a chance to repay him with our lives," Zhou Yu whispered.

He looked down at the weapon embryo in his hand— the Soul Bone Edge, refined from the Thunder Sha True Marrow. The thunder patterns on it were gradually solidifying, and it was beginning to take shape.

"He forged this weapon for me; if I were to retreat even a step before battle, I, Zhou Yu, would be unworthy to cultivate lightning."

Yao Wanqing glanced at him sideways without saying a word.

After a long silence, she spoke softly, "If it really comes to that, I'll be with you."

Outside the sect, the Soul Battle Market was already a scene of utter excitement.

"Come on, place your bets! The third challenge of the Soul Stele is a life-or-death battle, a once-in-a-millennium event!"

"Qin Yu, payout is 30 times! Lu Xuchen wins, payout is 1 to 1.5!"

"Are you crazy? Thirty times the stake? If you win, you'll be made a god?"

"Qin Yu, how many times have you seen him fight? Let me tell you, this madman who came back alive from the Realm Calamity Tower, when a real battle breaks out, even Lu Xuchen might not be able to completely control him!"

"But Limit-Breaking Physique is Limit-Breaking Physique! Don't treat the struggle Realm Consciousness Third Stage as a joke, okay?"

"Hehe, I'm betting three hundred Realm Spirit on him defying the odds and ascending to godhood!"

The sounds of betting, shouting, and the surging crowds shook the entire market like a festival frenzy.

Meanwhile, in front of the Soul Stele replica stone, a light screen slowly appeared: This battle has been officially recorded in the sect's "History of the Soul Stele Competition".

Behind the main altar mountain, deep within an ancient forest and secluded cliff.

Qin Yu sat with his eyes closed, surrounded by densely packed array-breaking patterns. The interwoven soul patterns seemed to exude a tranquil aura detached from reality.

He did not immediately prepare for battle.

Instead, they were quietly examining themselves.

From the day I first entered the sect, memories gradually surfaced:

Upon first testing in the alchemy room, the soul stone trembled slightly.

The Tower of Soul Trials trembles with fear.

The main altar tested the formation; a single spear Realm Breaking pattern.

Then, embark on another challenging mission: Sha-Slaying Marquis, seize the Thunder Sha Soul Bone...

He knew he was "different," the focal point of all variables.

But now...

"The third Soul Stele," he murmured.

"Is this the beginning of a road, or... the prelude to its collapse?"

He had no answer.

The Azure Ring remained dormant within his body, showing no unusual activity. He knew that in this battle, he could neither rely on it nor expose it.

You can only rely on yourself, your true self.

At the summit of the main altar formation, the deacon of the Talisman Master Hall slowly descended.

"The Ten Thousand Talisman Battle Platform is sealed off, and flight is prohibited for a thousand feet. The sect's Eighth Law is in effect throughout the entire territory."

"Pre-battle spirit sealing, the Myriad Talisman Defense Array is fully activated, prohibiting the intervention of any Realm Artifact."

Command tokens flew out, activating all war components: the floating platform, the monitoring tower, the soul-pattern mirror, the law-fire suppressing pillar, and so on.

"The third battle of the Soul Stele is considered a top-tier conflict in Soul History."

"The Thousand Realms Sect's seventeen main peaks and eighty-three secondary altars are projected holographically in sync."

At this moment, the entire sect was under full martial law, as if it were in the midst of a pre-war period.

This battle should not be underestimated.

The Ten Thousand Talisman Battle Platform was silent in the night.

It was a vast, forbidden area, where a huge spiritual domain composed of hundreds of thousands of rune arrays floated in the void, and ancient seals swirled like stars, reflecting a mysterious and chilling oppressive light.

This place has only been open to the public three times in the past century.

Each time, it's a life-or-death battle—a clash at the level of World Souls.

At this moment, a figure in silver-white robes slowly landed on the Soul Seal Altar below the battle stage.

"Are you really going to do this?" A voice came from the void behind the scenes.

Qian Ruishan did not turn around, but slowly raised her hand and waved her sleeve. A dozen ice-blue Soul Seal fell around the battle stage and merged into the rune array.

"If he dies, I may not be able to leave the sect safely."

You're too sentimental.

"It's not about love, it's about cause and effect." Her icy eyes remained calm. "You only see that he climbed to third place on the Soul Stele, but you don't see who he slew, or what causes he overcame."

"I'm just... trying to preserve the last thread of my soul."

A moment of silence followed in the void.

If your father knew...

"If he obstructs me, I will change my name."

Boom!

The final Soul Seal settled, and the soul pressure on the entire battle platform rippled slightly. This was a warning sign of the fusion of the rune array and the soul array, indicating that the battlefield was no longer a domain that could be altered or revoked.

Once the challenge takes effect and the challenger steps into the fray, their fate is sealed.

At the other end, deep within the Extreme Refinement Stone Platform, the third peak of the Thousand Realms Sect.

"Boom!!!"

Lu Xuchen shattered the Xuan Tie Soul Stone in front of him with a single punch, and the three talisman souls originally engraved on it were instantly annihilated into dust. Strange red and gold blood patterns appeared all over his body, which was a kind of Limit Realm Blood form that was close to the state of "blood boundary separation", indicating that his body was in a Threshold state and could trigger body-soul resonance at any time.

"Realm Blood Break Fifth Form"

He closed his eyes and murmured softly.

"Take another half step... and you'll be able to rival someone at the Realm Consciousness Initial Stage."

His fists trembled slightly, and a crack appeared on his palm—a mark left when he had fought against a powerful expert in the Realm of Knowledge.

"Qin Yu... you truly deserve to have my Realm Blood Burning Pattern ignited before this battle."

He muttered to himself for a moment, his gaze slightly narrowed.

Then, he slowly walked out of the Extreme Refinement Stone Platform.

"However, I will make sure you die a worthwhile death."

For the past three days, the entire sect has been completely engulfed in an unprecedented storm of silence.

Whether it was the main altar peak, the floating secondary tower, or the soul testing ground for outer sect cultivators, all disciples understood in their hearts—

This battle will completely reshape the landscape of sects.

The battle between the third and sixth Soul Stele may seem like just a contest of disciple rankings, but it actually conceals a clash of power between forces from multiple realms.

And at that very moment--

The Soul Stele is acting strangely!

Grayish-gold threads began to appear on its entire body, a highly dangerous signal representing the "boundary between soul and life".

Beneath the Ten Thousand Talisman Battle Platform, thirty-three monitoring towers were activated, projecting the entire battle into the sky above the sect in a "full mirror reconstruction" manner, for everyone to witness.

At the very center of the battle platform, a jade talisman slowly appeared:

[This battle is a "Soul Stele Life and Death Token" final battle: if either side dies in battle, the sect will not hold them accountable and must not interfere.]

[The Soul Stele will record the final outcome and write it into Soul History.]

[Three days later, at noon, the battle begins.]

Everything is ready.

The battle is just one step away from dawn.

Night falls, stars dim, and the battle platform is sealed.

This was the last night before the Ten Thousand Talisman Battle Platform was sealed off. The entire Thousand Realms Sect seemed to be shrouded in an invisible prohibition; even the wind stopped moving, and even the soul dared not waver.

This night, no one is destined to sleep.

On the Quiet Abyss Ancient Cliff, a figure quietly sat on the blue stone altar.

It was a long spear, entirely made of Black Bone, with an unhealed crack at the end, still bearing traces of the Sha-Slaying Marquis.

Qin Yu slowly wiped his body, his fingers tracing every crack and every line, his eyes devoid of any emotion.

"You are weak," he whispered.

"I'm weak too."

"But the world is not lacking in enemies stronger than us."

He slowly covered the spear shaft with his palm, and with a light tap of his fingertips, a very faint gray light quietly appeared. It was not Azure Ring combat technique, but a pure soul pressure manipulation.

The Black Bone trembled slightly, as if offering an extremely faint response.

"You will not back down in this battle."

"I don't know either."

As the wind rose, he stood up and sheathed his spear.

The path to the battle arena is paved with silence.

Ten Thousand Talisman Battle Platform, Limit-Breaking Sealing Array.

Lu Xuchen stood in the center, his body seemingly no longer that of an ordinary person, with a layer of red-gold veins like flames emerging from his flesh, and the fifth form of his Realm Blood fully ignited.

He gazed calmly at the floating Soul Stele in the distance, as if looking at an old soul about to be torn apart.

I didn't do this to kill you.

"I just need to protect my soul's place."

"Third place is a symbol of my nearly ten years of arduous self-cultivation."

"And you cannot take it away."

He slowly raised his hand and inserted a black-gold soul talisman into the center of the array. The entire Limit-Breaking Sealing Array immediately revealed three soul rings, which was the "Realm Blood Critical Locking Array" - indicating that he had entered an irreversible state.

From this moment forward, he will be completely trapped in the pre-war soul lock, and will not be able to break free unless war breaks out.

He imprisoned himself here, waiting only for the war drums to sound.

At the top of the sect leader's tower, Qian Ruishan stood quietly at the edge of the Heavenly Talisman Cliff.

As she gazed at the Soul Stele high in the sky, a thought suddenly occurred to her amidst the flickering light:

--If he loses, I will take his body with me, leaving no Soul Seal in the sect.

Even if the price is being expelled from the sect, I will not let him suffer the same fate as Zhang Hao, having his soul bones shattered and being blacklisted by the Soul History.

She gently closed her eyes and slowly uttered her last words:

"If you win tomorrow, I will protect your soul until it is extinguished."

If you die, I will return with your soul.

The sky remained dark all night.

At midnight, the strange movements of the Soul Stele intensified.

The cracks on it spread like vines, as if the fate of the entire sect was being torn apart and reshaped because of this battle.

Deep within the sky, an indescribable gaze was cast from beyond the boundary, seemingly extending far beyond the sect's domain.

The entire floating island of the sect slowly trembled, and beams of light sealed off all the external Soul Seal.

The Thirty-Three Soul Tower were activated simultaneously, with all main altar, secondary peak, and outer sect disciples present, and the entire region was open for spectating.

Before each Soul Mirror, tens of thousands of disciples stood silently, gazing at the Ten Thousand Talisman Battle Platform reflected in the mirror, awaiting that moment.

They didn't know whether what awaited them was a battle of destiny or a calamity that would divide their sects.

As the Soul Stele in the sky cracked, an unprecedented celestial pattern appeared:

[The main seal level of this Battle Soul Stele will be upgraded to the "Boundary Soul Composition" event.]

[The post-war Soul Rankings will be reshaped]

The Soul Stele... it's time to change my fate.