Reincarnation Choices

After saying that, Zheng Li turned and started to leave.

"Little fellow, wait a moment." Mu En called out to stop him.

Zheng Li turned around. "Yes?"

"Since you've put it that way, little fellow, there's something I'd like you to help me with." Mu En raised his head slightly and smiled.

Zheng Li: "..."

"Old sir, what is it?"

Mu En said, "I haven't had lunch yet. Go to the cafeteria and get me something light. I'm old, and it's not easy for me to get around."

Zheng Li: "..."

I knew you were full of it!

Who are you? You could probably get from here to the cafeteria in the blink of an eye! And with your cultivation, you could go a whole year without eating and be just fine!

Though those were his thoughts, Zheng Li nodded without hesitation.

He told Ling Nan and the others to head back to the dorm first, then returned to the cafeteria.

Mu En watched Zheng Li's retreating figure with narrowed eyes. Zheng Li had already left his battle stance; he kept his uniform in the System Space, and had changed into it in the restroom during the break.

His keeping his Martial Soul activated had naturally piqued his classmates' curiosity, but Mu Jin had explained it to them.

What did they think?

That it was one bizarre Martial Soul.

The girls in particular were relieved their own Martial Souls weren't like that.

"The aura of light, with a hint of holiness, but not pure..." Mu En murmured with a shake of his head, then closed his eyes again.

Mu En had heard about Zheng Li from Shao Zhe. He didn't care much about the Twin Martial Souls; he'd seen them before, both since joining Shrek and before.

The reason Shao Zhe had mentioned Zheng Li was his "heart."

That was right. It was because of the "heart."

There was no doubt about the Heart Martial Soul's unusual nature. The heart was also one of the body's most important organs. Just as Zheng Li had thought, something could easily go wrong.

Besides, if his Martial Soul was a "heart," how would its Soul Skills manifest?

The Sea God Pavilion Elders who knew about Zheng Li's Martial Soul were all quite curious.

But this "heart"...

Mu En couldn't make anything of it.

Before long, Zheng Li returned with a light meal.

"Old sir, here you go. I don't know if it'll suit your taste." Zheng Li handed Mu En the lunchbox.

Mu En took it with his "bony" hand.

Seeing this, Zheng Li helped Mu En sit up. His back was badly hunched, but even though he was lying on a recliner, he could still sit.

"How much?" Mu En asked.

"No need, no need. Just eat, old sir. Is there anything else?"

"No, you can go." Mu En smiled and waved.

Zheng Li nodded. "All right. Goodbye, old sir. Call for me anytime if you need anything."

Then Zheng Li turned and went back to the dorm.

As soon as he pushed the door open, he saw Ling Nan examining the Soul Ascension Pill.

"When are you planning to take it?"

The sudden voice startled Ling Nan so badly that he nearly dropped the Soul Ascension Pill.

"A Li, do you make no sound when you open doors or walk?"

Zheng Li sat down on the bed and said mildly, "I do. You were just so focused on the Soul Ascension Pill that you didn't hear me. So, when are you planning to take it?"

"You could at least knock first. I'm planning to save the Soul Ascension Pill for later." Ling Nan gave Zheng Li a resentful look.

"Hm? Why?"

"My Soul Power is at the peak of level nineteen, and I'm about to reach level twenty. Taking it now wouldn't show any effect, so I plan to take it after I get my Second Soul Ring," Ling Nan explained.

"Your Soul Power won't stop increasing because of a bottleneck. After you get your Soul Ring and advance..."

"I know!" Ling Nan waved a hand, cutting Zheng Li off. "But don't you think it feels great when your Soul Power shoots up in a short time?"

Zheng Li: "?"

Does it? When I went from an ordinary person to having Innate Full Soul Power a few days ago, it didn't feel that great.

"Do whatever you want, but keep it safe."

If other people found out, it wouldn't necessarily be dangerous or cause major trouble, but there would definitely be minor complications.

"Mm, I understand. By the way, A Li, you know what the Soul Ascension Pill does, right?"

"Of course." Zheng Li rolled his eyes. "Otherwise, I would've asked you ages ago."

"True. So when are you planning to take it, A Li?" Ling Nan asked.

"Tonight!" Zheng Li had decided as soon as he got the Soul Ascension Pill. "My Soul Power is at level fifteen. After taking it, maybe I can jump straight to level eighteen! Then I'll be right around the average level for the new students."

"Jealous," Ling Nan said after hearing him.

"If I'd gotten a Soul Ascension Pill at your age, I might already be level twenty-five or twenty-six."

"Fate is fate."

Zheng Li lay back down.

Ling Nan fell silent, but kept staring at Zheng Li. After a long pause, he asked hesitantly,

"A Li, does your Martial Soul have some kind of special ability?"

Reincarnation Choice

"Hm?!"

Zheng Li's body stiffened. Then he sat up and stared straight at Ling Nan.

"What are you getting at?"

"Don't look at me like that. You're making me nervous..."

He said that, but there wasn't a hint of nervousness on Ling Nan's face.

Zheng Li didn't look away.

"All right, all right. You win..." Ling Nan said helplessly. Then he raised the middle three fingers of his right hand, palm facing outward, and said,

"I, Ling Nan, swear that what we discuss from here on will be known only to Heaven, you, and me. Otherwise, may my Martial Soul shatter and leave me an ordinary person."

Zheng Li: "???"

"Why are you swearing?"

Zheng Li knew that oaths were taken seriously in the Douluo World.

"What do you think? I was afraid you might not answer the question I'm about to ask..." Ling Nan said. He hadn't planned to ask, but he was just too curious.

"No, you're overthinking it. If I don't want to answer, I won't. Your oath won't change that," Zheng Li said calmly.

As soon as Zheng Li had asked that earlier question, he'd already guessed that Ling Nan had figured something out.

Ling Nan: "..."

"Then why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Hm? That's a strange question. You hadn't even asked anything before you swore. How was I supposed to know what you wanted to ask? You asked if my Martial Soul had a special ability. What kind of ability? If you don't ask, how am I supposed to know whether I can tell you? So..."

"Stop, stop! You're tying my head in knots." Ling Nan rubbed his brow. "I'll ask what I wanted to ask. Answer if you can. If you can't, then forget it. No matter what you say, I won't tell anyone. I've already sworn."

"Fine. Ask."

Ling Nan thought for a moment, then asked, "Can your Martial Soul... foresee the future?"

Zheng Li: "..."

I knew it.

"Because of the Soul Ascension Pill?"

"Yes. A Li, you were too obvious this morning. You were clearly waiting for someone, and when Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong arrived in Class One, your eyes lit up for a moment. After that, it seemed like you'd expected that inner-court senior to show up, and even the compensation with the Soul Ascension Pill."

Ling Nan spoke slowly.

After hearing him out, Zheng Li fell silent for a while. Ling Nan didn't rush him.

"I thought you only knew how to eat..." Zheng Li joked. He knew that a young sect master like Ling Nan couldn't really be a "Gluttonous Cat," no matter how he acted.

Ling Nan: "!!"

"A Li, I feel like you're insulting me, but I don't have any evidence."

He knew how much he acted like a "Gluttonous Cat."

"Foreseeing the future, more or less. Or, you could say I see fragments of possible futures. They don't come whenever I want; I only see them sometimes. And it's not really me who sees them. My Martial Soul sees them and tells me."

Zheng Li said this without batting an eye, completely naturally.

"Oh... I see." Ling Nan nodded. That was more or less what he'd guessed, but...

"What do you mean by fragments of possible futures?"

"Let me ask you something. The future has countless possibilities. Do you agree?" Zheng Li asked calmly.

"Countless possibilities..."

Ling Nan frowned, looking somewhat confused. He thought it over carefully before giving a vague answer. "I guess so."

What did "I guess so" mean?

Zheng Li didn't dwell on it. Instead, he said, "For example, this morning, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were supposed to be the only ones who got the Soul Ascension Pill. Now there are two more of us."

"That's a small matter. It won't have much impact on the future."

"But what if, in the future, I see an event that has a major impact, and I wasn't originally part of it? After learning about it, I get involved and change what was supposed to happen. Wouldn't the future that unfolds after I get involved be another future?"

This time, Ling Nan's face cleared as he listened.

"When you put it that way, I more or less understand."

"Mm. That's why I said they're fragments of possible futures. They're not necessarily accurate. Like this morning—I was almost ready to leave." Zheng Li didn't say anything more.

The incident also served as a reminder to Zheng Li that he would have to be more careful from now on. Looking back, he really had been a little too obvious that morning.

"Good thing you didn't leave," Ling Nan said with relief. "Even if they're only fragments of possible futures, that's still ridiculously powerful!"

"So just remember the oath you swore," Zheng Li said calmly.

Though the Douluo World took oaths seriously and the Divine Realm existed, as for oaths... Zheng Li had seen his father swear plenty of them, and hadn't seen him keep a single one.

Consequences for breaking an oath? Nothing at all.

"Don't worry. I know you're concerned, A Li. I'll swear another one."

After saying that, Ling Nan swore again, promising that he wouldn't tell anyone. Even if Zheng Li saw something else and didn't bring him along, he wouldn't complain; if Zheng Li did bring him along, he wouldn't reveal anything. He also swore he'd never turn against Zheng Li or scheme against him. Finally, he vowed that if a third person found out, his Martial Soul would shatter and he would die a terrible death.

Ling Nan had covered everything. Zheng Li didn't stop him.

Thinking about it, even if he told Ling Nan about the opportunities he knew of, Ling Nan would be powerless to do anything with them.