Maybe Lin Xingyao really did just hit the jackpot… great. Now I almost wish they'd checked me first, Li Chen thought to himself.
Lin Zheng glanced toward Li Chen, his expression still tense beneath the surface. "And him?"
Liu Yulan frowned slightly, though her tone remained steady. "We were probably just overwhelmed. The omen must've been for Xingyao, not him. They used the mirror on Li Chen—if anything was unusual, they would've seen it."
Lin Zheng nodded. "Exactly. No reaction at all. That's proof enough."
Knock.
Knock.
Both parents froze at the same time, their earlier calm vanishing instantly.
A voice called from outside, "Old Zheng? You home?"
They exchanged a surprised glance.
Lin Zheng hurried to the door and cracked it open slightly. "Elder Zhou? It's late—what brings you here?"
The village elder stepped inside, brushing dust from his sleeves with a practiced motion. His presence carried none of the oppressive weight of the Temple elders, yet there was a quiet authority about him that commanded respect.
"I saw the Temple elders leaving your house," Elder Zhou said calmly. "Thought I should check in."
Liu Yulan forced a tired smile, though the strain beneath it was obvious. "We're fine. Just… a lot happened."
Elder Zhou's eyes softened slightly. "So it's true, then? They tested the children."
Lin Zheng nodded. "Xingyao reacted to the mirror."
Elder Zhou let out a long, slow breath. "That girl… I always knew she had a spark." His voice lowered slightly. "And? What did the Temple decide?"
"They want to take her for nomination," Lin Zheng said. "Two days from now."
Elder Zhou looked between them, easily reading the tension etched across their faces. "That's fast. But… it's the kind of opportunity many would pray for."
Liu Yulan rubbed her temples, exhaustion finally showing. "I know. But it still feels too sudden. She's so young."
"She'll be safe with them," Elder Zhou said gently. "The Pearlroot branch isn't harsh like the others. They take care of their own."
From his small corner, Li Chen watched in confusion. Everyone was noticeably more relaxed around this elder than they had been around the Temple representatives. The difference was almost absurd.
Lin Zheng sighed. "We'll think on it tonight."
Elder Zhou nodded. "Good. And Zheng, Yulan—if you need anything, come to me. The village stands with you."
"Thank you," Liu Yulan said softly.
Elder Zhou left as quietly as he had come.
Once the door closed, Lin Zheng let out a long breath and slumped into his chair, the weight of everything pressing down on him all at once. "Tomorrow, we'll talk to Xingyao once she's rested."
Li Chen blinked up from his basket, still trying to piece everything together.
Liu Yulan noticed and walked over, her expression softening. "Don't worry. Everything's alright now."
He didn't understand everything, but one thing was clear—the house finally felt calm again.
Lin Zheng stood, stretching his stiff shoulders. "Let's rest. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."
Liu Yulan nodded and gently extinguished the lantern.
For the first time since the elders arrived—
Silence settled fully over the house.
Li Chen lay in his basket, staring at the ceiling, wondering what kind of cosmic miscalculation had dropped him into this situation.
Eventually, sleep came for him faster than expected, pulling him under before he could resist.
And then—
Everything changed.
When he opened his eyes, his surroundings were completely different.
He was standing on two legs, back in his original body, breathing normally for the first time since this entire reincarnation ordeal began.
The ground beneath him wasn't wood or cloth, but cracked, barren earth stretching endlessly in every direction. He turned slowly, taking in the desolate landscape—grey sand, jagged land, nothing living in sight. Above him, the sky hung still and lifeless, a pale expanse of unmoving clouds.
"What the hell…?" he muttered.
Before he could process anything further, a deep rumble rolled across the sky. The ground trembled beneath his feet like distant thunder crawling through the earth.
Instinctively, Li Chen looked up—
—and froze.
Two colossal figures were fighting in the sky.
Not merely large—unimaginably vast. Their forms stretched across the heavens, making him feel smaller than dust before ancient, untouchable beings. Every movement tore through the clouds, leaving streaks of blinding light in their wake.
The figure on the left was indistinct, constantly shifting, as if reality itself refused to define it.
The one on the right, however, was clear.
A young man formed of radiant brilliance—tall, flawless, with long golden hair flowing like a stream of light. But what seized Li Chen's attention wasn't his appearance.
It was the eye on his forehead.
A third eye—closed, yet glowing faintly. It didn't resemble flesh, but rather a flawless gem embedded into his skin, radiating an overwhelming, tranquil power.
It didn't make him look monstrous.
It made him look transcendent.
Li Chen stared upward in stunned disbelief.
This… is way beyond anything I signed up for.
The two beings clashed again, their collision sending ripples across the sky. Blinding arcs of light split the clouds apart as the shockwave reached him, making the ground tremble violently beneath his feet.
Suddenly, the blurred figure raised an arm.
The motion was casual—almost effortless.
A pillar of light descended from the heavens, brilliant beyond comprehension. The figure reached into it as if it were water and drew out a long, gleaming sword.
Before Li Chen could react, the figure swung.
The strike carved through the sky itself.
The golden-haired figure resisted, and in that instant, the third eye on his forehead snapped open, unleashing a terrifying surge of power—
—but it wasn't enough.
The sword cleaved through him in a single motion.
Li Chen staggered as the world shook violently. Cracks spread beneath his feet, and dust exploded into the air as the radiant figure shattered into fragments of light, scattering like dying stars.
When everything finally settled, a faint glow caught his attention.
He didn't move toward it intentionally—his steps simply carried him there.
He looked down.
It was an eye.
The third eye.
It had not turned to ash.
Li Chen stared at it in stunned silence.
"…You have got to be kidding me."