Peering into Destiny

Xue Qinghe lightly stroked his fingertips, a faint smile appearing on his refined face.

"Xiao Xi, since your martial soul is particularly strong in terms of Mental Power, you can focus entirely on cultivating your Mental Power to the utmost. As for your development path, I think there are two options: one is a pure offense type focused solely on mental attacks, while the other is a control type centered on Mental Control."

"Each has its own strengths. There's no need to rush into a choice. You can first familiarize yourself with your martial soul, then choose the path you believe suits you best."

Listening to Xue Qinghe, Chen Xi nodded as though he understood, though not entirely.

Xue Qinghe continued walking toward the end of the street, while Chen Xi remained half a step behind him, following at his side.

But Chen Xi soon realized that this was not the road back to the imperial palace. As for where they were going, he had no idea for the moment.

Before long, Chen Xi followed Xue Qinghe to a rather luxurious residence.

Xue Qinghe opened the gates of the residence and walked inside first.

Chen Xi followed close behind.

Upon entering the residence, Chen Xi curiously looked around at the surroundings.

The layout of the residence gave off a quiet, secluded feeling. Though somewhat plain, it did not lack grandeur.

Xue Qinghe sat down before a stone table and looked at Chen Xi with a gentle gaze.

"Xiao Xi, isn't your martial soul capable of glimpsing the future?"

"Can you try taking a look at my future?"

At those words, Chen Xi's body stiffened slightly. Looking at Xue Qinghe before him, he somehow caught traces of majesty in Xue Qinghe's eyes.

But after thinking it over, Chen Xi obediently summoned his martial soul. Though he had long known that the real Xue Qinghe was already dead, if he kept hesitating and refused to try, the problem seemed likely to become even bigger.

Holding the Pen of Destiny in his hand, Chen Xi took a deep breath and openly wrote the three characters "Xue Qinghe" in the air.

The words written by the Pen of Destiny shone pale gold. They carried an ancient and profound aura, then began radiating a faint golden halo before transforming into an entirely new sentence: A dead person cannot have their fate glimpsed.

Seeing the words that had appeared, Chen Xi cautiously turned his gaze toward Xue Qinghe.

Xue Qinghe naturally saw the words in the air as well, but his expression did not change in the slightest. His emotionless eyes remained fixed on Chen Xi.

"Your... Your Highness..."

Before Chen Xi could finish speaking, Xue Qinghe lightly waved a hand.

"The real Xue Qinghe truly is already dead."

"Let me introduce myself again. My surname is Qian, and my given name is Renxue. I come from Spirit Hall, and I am the daughter of Spirit Hall's former Pope."

"The one who brought you back to the imperial palace some time ago was not Xue Qinghe, either. It was me."

Xue Qinghe lightly tapped the table before him with his finger. A faint glow emerged from his body, and when it faded, the person standing before Chen Xi was an incomparably beautiful young woman in a long palace gown, with a fair face, skin whiter than snow, and slightly narrow phoenix eyes.

Gasp, she's so beautiful. So, so pretty.

But this didn't seem like the time to be thinking about that...

Chen Xi lowered his head slightly, a thoughtful glint flashing through his eyes.

He felt that he might be in a bit of danger now.

Since Qian Renxue had voluntarily revealed her identity, it seemed there were only two paths before him—and neither was his to choose.

One was that Qian Renxue found him useful and kept him alive.

The other was that Qian Renxue found him useless and made him keep the secret forever.

As for how one could keep a secret forever, that was obvious.

"Try again now. See if you can still glimpse my fate."

Qian Renxue rested her head on one hand, her majestic gaze quietly fixed on Chen Xi.

Under Qian Renxue's gaze, Chen Xi wrote Qian Renxue's name in the air once more. But this time, the feeling was completely different from before. He could clearly sense his Soul Power and Mental Power rapidly draining away.

Some unknown energy within his body was being drawn away as well.

A strand of Chen Xi's hair quickly turned white before drifting to the ground.

Watching the falling strand of hair, Qian Renxue's gaze tightened slightly, as though she had thought of something. But when the pale golden words in the air began to change, she shifted her eyes toward them.

The words in the air formed a new sentence: One wrong move, and the entire game is lost.

The moment she saw those words, Qian Renxue slowly narrowed her eyes.

"One wrong move, and the entire game is lost!"

"Did my future self ultimately still fail?"

"But where exactly did something go wrong?"

Qian Renxue rapidly calculated in her heart, her expression shifting unpredictably.

She carefully reviewed the current situation from start to finish, yet she could not find any flaw at all.

Since Qian Renxue did not speak, Chen Xi did not dare make a sound either. He could only stand honestly where he was.

He was a little afraid that Qian Renxue might think he was useless and make him into someone who would keep her secret forever.

He wondered whether, if he really died young, he would still have a chance to transmigrate or be reborn again.

Chen Xi was lost in wild thoughts when Qian Renxue's voice slowly rang out.

"Is that all you could see?"

Qian Renxue looked at Chen Xi with an inquiring gaze.

"Uh..."

"With my current Mental Power and Soul Power, that's all I can see for now."

Chen Xi answered quickly.

"Use this ability as little as possible in the future. If I'm not mistaken, it doesn't merely consume your Mental Power and Soul Power—it also drains your own life force."

"Also, are you willing to join Spirit Hall?"

"I can guarantee that you'll receive the best possible training. I can also direct whatever resources I can mobilize toward you. As long as you don't slack off in your cultivation, becoming a Titled Douluo with your talent is not impossible."

"How about it? Will you consider it?"

Qian Renxue spoke softly, her eyes constantly watching for changes in Chen Xi's expression.

In Qian Renxue's eyes, Chen Xi's martial soul had the greatest potential.

Setting everything else aside, the ability to glimpse the fate of the future alone gave Chen Xi's martial soul an exceptionally high ceiling. Used well, it could even be called a divine skill without the slightest exaggeration.

Not to mention his ability to write the future.

"One must repay even a drop of kindness with a gushing spring."

"Your Highness, I am willing to join Spirit Hall."

Chen Xi spoke righteously, his voice firmer than ever before.

Although Qian Renxue had not said what would happen if he refused, Chen Xi could imagine it without her needing to say so.

"A very wise choice."

"You don't have to call me Your Highness from now on. You can call me Sister."

"For the time being, stay by my side."

Qian Renxue revealed an exquisitely beautiful smile.