I can foresee the future. Do you believe me?

Spirit City.

In a quiet little courtyard.

"Grandpa, I can foresee the future. Do you believe me?"

A girl of about five or six, with fair skin and delicate features that made her look like an oversized porcelain doll, took a bite of the pastry in her hand. Her azure eyes remained fixed on the person before her.

"Foresee the future?"

"Wanwan, if I told you that you came out of a huge egg, would you believe me?"

Guangling chuckled, his tone utterly serious as he studied Bai Wanwan with a probing look.

Yes, he really wasn't joking.

Bai Wanwan really had come out of an egg.

About seven years earlier, while visiting the Sunset Forest, he had spotted a Spirit Beast around fifty thousand years old moving through the forest, guarding a pale blue egg roughly a meter and a half long.

Having never seen an egg of that kind, Guangling had snatched it and brought it back to Spirit City to study.

Three months later, the egg had cracked open. But instead of a Spirit Beast, a beautiful little baby lay inside.

The sight of the child had nearly made Guangling's brain shut down.

His first suspicion was that she was a new species of Spirit Beast, but after a series of examinations, he had finally confirmed that she was, without a doubt, human.

Having no descendants of his own, Guangling found the baby so adorable that he decided she was a gift from heaven. He adopted her and named her Bai Wanwan.

"Ahem. Grandpa, be serious. How could a person possibly come out of an egg?"

Bai Wanwan finished her pastry in two or three bites and looked at Guangling with a solemn expression.

"Well, I still haven't figured that out. If someone could explain it, I'd also like to know how a person could come out of an egg."

Guangling twirled a small arrow in his hand, looking thoughtful.

He really wanted to know why a person would come out of an egg!

Surely someone hadn't slept with a Spirit Beast.

If it had taken humanoid form, that would be understandable. But if it hadn't...

People couldn't do that. At least, they shouldn't.

"Grandpa, you can study that later. Listen, last night I dreamed that His Holiness the Pope returned gravely wounded after taking his men out."

Bai Wanwan's expression was earnest and solemn.

The pope she spoke of was none other than Qian Xunji, who had gone out to capture a Spirit Beast in humanoid form.

As the granddaughter of Guangling, the Fifth Elder of the Worship Hall, she occasionally heard him talk about matters concerning the Papal Hall.

And since her soul had transmigrated from Blue Star, she had easily worked out the timeline and plot. Foreseeing the future was merely an excuse.

"His Holiness the Pope returned gravely wounded?"

Guangling turned his gaze toward Bai Wanwan and suddenly chuckled.

"Wanwan, although I told you the details of His Holiness's expedition last time, there's simply no way he could return gravely wounded."

"You should know that dreams are the opposite of reality. Besides, Spirit Beasts in humanoid form aren't as powerful as you imagine. His Holiness didn't go alone, either. He took the two Titled Elders, Chrysanthemum and Ghost, with him. Nothing could possibly go wrong."

"All right, I need to head back to the Worship Hall. I might not come home tonight. Stay here and behave. No running off. If you need anything, have Bi'er and the others buy it for you."

Guangling stroked Bai Wanwan's ice-blue hair, then rose from his seat and headed toward the courtyard gate.

"Grandpa!"

Bai Wanwan called after him as she watched him leave.

"I almost forgot. It's nearly time for your Martial Soul Awakening. I'll awaken your martial soul when I come back next time. If your talent is good, I'll take you to the Worship Hall to cultivate with the Young Master."

"If your talent isn't good, or you can't cultivate at all, that's fine too. Grandpa can afford to support you. You can be a happy, carefree little princess your whole life."

Guangling looked back at Bai Wanwan with a gentle smile, then stepped out of the courtyard.

As for what Bai Wanwan had just told him, he hadn't taken it to heart at all.

"No... Grandpa, listen to me!"

Bai Wanwan chased him to the courtyard gate, but after a few flickers, Guangling had already vanished from sight.

Forget it. His Holiness will have to fend for himself. I've achieved my goal anyway.

Bai Wanwan thought to herself.

She had said all that to Guangling for one main reason.

She was afraid she wouldn't awaken a good martial soul, or that she would awaken a trash martial soul that couldn't cultivate, leaving her a mere pretty ornament with little standing.

Even as a pretty ornament, she would never have to worry about food or drink. But she was a transmigrator!

How could she accept coming here for nothing?

Even if she had a trash martial soul, immortal herbs that could improve her aptitude could still save her. She intended to use her supposed ability to foresee the future as an excuse to have Guangling take her to obtain those herbs and improve her aptitude.

As for Guangling not believing her now...

That was fine. She would simply wait at home until His Holiness returned gravely wounded. Even if Guangling didn't fully believe her then, he would at least believe her a little.

"Young Lady, my lord said you weren't allowed to run off."

A voice as gentle as flowing water sounded softly behind her.

"I know. I won't run off."

Bai Wanwan turned to look at Bi'er, who was dressed in a maid's uniform. She smoothed the loose strands of ice-blue hair beside her ear, then walked toward the stone table.

Bi'er followed beside her, always staying half a step behind.

Elsewhere.

In a dense forest.

The battered Gui Mei and Yue Guan were rushing toward Spirit City with the unconscious Qian Xunji.

Of the people they had originally brought to capture the Spirit Beast in humanoid form...

Only the three of them remained.

They had lost, and it had been a crushing defeat!

By the time they returned to Spirit City with Qian Xunji, it was already late at night.

Back at the Papal Hall.

Seeing Saintess Bibi Dong still handling official affairs in the Papal Hall, Gui Mei and Yue Guan handed Qian Xunji over to her, then hurried toward the Worship Hall.

As the two survivors who were still conscious, they needed to give the Grand Elder a truthful account of their crushing defeat.

Bibi Dong's gaze followed them. Once they had left the Papal Hall, a red gleam quietly flashed through her eyes, and murderous intent gathered within them. But they soon returned to normal.

"Someone, fetch the two best Healing Spirit Masters and have them go to the Rear Hall to treat His Holiness the Pope."

"I'll take His Holiness to the Rear Hall first."

Bibi Dong's voice was calm, without the slightest ripple of emotion.

Those who received her orders immediately set off to fetch the Papal Hall's Soul Masters skilled in healing, while Bibi Dong took Pope Qian Xunji toward the Rear Hall.