Cirrus stole a glance at the approaching ghost-hunting squad, flashing a smile. "You've bound Luxie in the formation… I also heard other Heliobi humming and trembling… yearning to escape this place."
His smile grew brighter, tinged with a hint of mockery. "The Ten-Lords Commission is making smooth progress, huh? And now you've come to see me—surely you want something again?"
Stelle suddenly clutched her chest with one hand, saying with a coy expression, "I missed you."
"Yue~" Cirrus's face was a mix of disbelief and disgust.
"I admit, you've successfully grossed me out."
[Hahaha, well done, my Stelle!]
[Got him shook, huh? LOL.]
[ Told you, a direct attack counters Heliobi!]
[I'm dying, as expected of Lord Stelle, effortlessly doing what no one else can!]
[Stelle always drops the most shocking lines!]
[Cirrus's expression is killing me!]
Huohuo helplessly shook her head, then said to Cirrus, "Per the agreement you made with the general, one victory earns one question."
Cirrus crossed his arms over his chest, striking an arrogant pose. "Victory or not, don't be so sure before the battle even starts, little girl. Without Tail to help you, isn't capturing Heliobi a bit beyond your reach? If you open your heart and accept me… I can take Tail's place. I can help you."
[Yo yo yo, is this for real?!]
[I know it's impossible, but why am I kinda excited?]
[You lost Tail, but you've got me! I can totally be your Tail and help you suppress Heliobi, right?]
[??? Bro who sent that comment, what are you even saying?]
[Why do I suddenly feel like punching him?]
Huohuo's eyes sparkled. "…Really?"
Cirrus slightly curled his lips. "Of course."
"Good."
"Good what?"
"You're trying so hard to tempt me—it seems you're not confident about winning at all."
Huohuo's expression calmed. "If you had even a sliver of confidence, you'd have already bared your fangs at us without hesitation. Am I wrong, Cirrus?"
[Ohhhhhhh!]
[Huohuo's killing it here! You can see her growth with your own eyes!]
[Oh no, Detective Huohuo?]
[Huohuo's gotten so smart and reliable now!]
[I'm in love, I just adore this strong matcha cake!]
"As you wish, then. Let's fight on the board, Jing Yuan's pawns!" Cirrus laughed maniacally, his words dripping with mockery.
"Don't get too smug about your last victory… Because the moment you slip up, I'll seize the chance! Without Jing Yuan watching your back, are you feeling a little less confident? I'll keep testing you, keep challenging you. You'll grow tired, your spirit will wane—but I won't. Hahahaha…"
Then the screen went black. When light returned, Cirrus stood there, meek as can be. "Ask your question."
[Hahaha, I thought we were getting a revenge battle, and it's just this?]
[That face-slap came out of nowhere!]
[My stomach hurts from laughing, I thought Cirrus had some big move, but his face got slapped crooked!]
[Cirrus's deflated expression—I laugh every time I see it.]
[Such a resigned tone lol.]
"It seems the Divination Commission is occupied by some Heliobus. Got any clues?" Huohuo asked, pulling out her phone to show Cirrus the details.
"A place where Xianzhou people peer into the future… It could only be Keralum. I know it loves to torment seers and prophets, debating fate with them, watching them suffer between randomness and destiny."
Hearing this, Stelle interjected, "Fate… isn't set in stone."
"Hahaha!" Cirrus let out a booming laugh, mocking Stelle's naivety.
"That lump of protein in your human skulls has such low computational efficiency. Your guesses about fate are just metaphors and illusions. But we Formless Eyes are different. When we gather, resonate, and observe, fate becomes as clear as a torch in the dark. In a fight, predicting your opponent's moves is paramount—that's why, among the Heliobi that form Ignamar, Keralum governs the role of reading the past and foreseeing fortune or calamity."
At this, Cirrus lowered his head and sighed. "But it's said Keralum once sensed omens of defeat, yet for some reason, Ignamar ignored its warnings."
Huohuo turned to the rest of the ghost-hunting squad with a serious expression. "Looks like our target is clear. Let's move out."
As the group prepared to leave, Cirrus tossed out what seemed like a jest. "Though I don't have Keralum's skill, little fox… I predict that one day, you'll beg for my help."
Huohuo let out a soft hum, ignoring him. But Stelle stopped in her tracks and walked up to Cirrus.
Cirrus raised an eyebrow. "Lonely? Bored? Itchy for a fight? Spit it out already!"
Stelle's tone was unusually calm. "What's your take on fate?"
"If you open your heart to me, I can show you your fate."
"Get lost."
Cirrus pouted. "You're the one who started this conversation."
Seeing the mood grow heavy, he began mumbling to himself. "Since you want to talk about fate, fine, I'll tell you—I never think about that stuff. Everything in this world has an end. Maybe in a trillion years, maybe tomorrow afternoon—whether it's Nanook's pawns, a yawn from Nihility, or some other reason… This universe will meet its end. Long-life species, short-life species, all will perish together. That's an unshakable fact. But knowing that fact—what does it change? What's it got to do with you? For a flame, I don't stop burning now just because I'll go out when the universe reaches heat death. Just like you wouldn't skip tonight's dinner because the Xianzhou might sink tomorrow. Fate… why should a fish care where the river flows?"
[Yo? That's kinda deep!]
[I love this mindset.]
[True, some things aren't worth worrying about.]
[But fate is meant to be broken! To shatter predetermined rules!]
Next, the group met up with Qingque at the agreed-upon location.
"Yo, you're here!" Qingque took one look at Huohuo's outfit, her pupils shrinking. "Even a judge from the Ten-Lords Commission is here?"
Stelle: "What's the situation inside?"
Qingque said with a serious air, "Let me tell you, something's off in the Divination Commission right now. Everyone's muttering to themselves—are they planning a workplace uprising? Could it be my bad example rubbing off?"
Huohuo wiped the sweat from her brow. "Miss Qingque, you're overthinking it. No, this is just an accident. Explaining it is…"
Guinaifen chimed in with a half-hearted explanation. "Anyway… anyway, there's some dangerous stuff going on in the Divination Commission. Just don't go in!"
"Working conditions this bad? How's anyone supposed to focus?"
Qingque rubbed her chin. "I heard from A-Wei in the Artisanship Commission that something leaked in their department too. A few apprentices started babbling nonsense—super creepy… though it might just be stress from not graduating or passing their apprenticeship."
[Stop it, Qingque, please stop!]
[Why does watching this web drama keep breaking me?]
[Waaah…]
The group decided to investigate first, leaving Qingque to guard the entrance.
But Qingque shook her head. "If I turn around and leave now, that's just skipping work, right? Slacking off is one thing, but ditching work entirely? The Divination Commission wouldn't tolerate that. Besides, you need someone familiar with the Divination Commission to guide you or lend a hand, right? Let's go."
Soon, the group arrived near the Matrix of Prescience Ultima. They heard the diviners of the Divination Commission muttering, "There's only ever one path…"
"Divination is meaningless…"
Qingque scratched her head. "The Matrix of Prescience Ultima… how did it end up like this?"
All eyes finally locked onto Fu Xuan at the array's core. From her reactions, it was clear she was possessed by a Heliobus.
The group approached Fu Xuan, and Stelle shook the Concentric Firebell.
The camera zoomed in on Fu Xuan. She turned her head sharply. "Silence! No noise is permitted in the Divination Commission!"
Qingque rushed to Fu Xuan's side. "You're awake, Lady Fu Xuan!"
Huohuo eyed Fu Xuan suspiciously. "Or should we call you Keralum now?"
Fu Xuan's expression was stern. "What you call me doesn't matter. Fu Xuan or Keralum—I am the sole master of this Divination Commission. The divination work is at a critical juncture and cannot be disturbed. Not even a judge of the Ten-Lords Commission or guests of the Astral Express may act recklessly here!"
Her gaze then fixed on Qingque. "Qingque! You again! Did you bring these outsiders into the Commission? Have you taken all my rules as mere whispers in the wind?"
Qingque gave an awkward smile but said nothing.
Fu Xuan let out a heavy sigh. "Qingque, you're fired!"
Qingque's face showed disbelief. "Me…? This… this is…"
"Damn it… we just lost a member!" Sushang slapped her forehead.
But Qingque's response caught everyone off guard.
"This is just too awesome! Hehe, I always felt loafing around all day wasn't quite right—playing cards while drawing a salary from the Divination Commission… What's that phrase again?"
[Huh? Huh? HUH? I was actually worried for a second!]
[As expected of Qingque, getting fired and beaming with the joy of freeloading!]
[I forgot—with Qingque's personality, this is the best news ever!]
[Glowing little Qingque!]
[LOL, they're all surrounding Qingque, but how is she even shorter than Huohuo?]
[Grass, that's so her!]
[This is literally her dream come true!]
[Oh no, she's living the dream!]
Stelle chimed in, "'Too awesome to handle'?"
Guinaifen nodded in agreement. "I think so too. Days like these are what I, Little Gui, dream about."
Qingque shook her head. "It's 'wasting life.' Thank you, Lady Diviner, for giving me a push. Since you think I don't belong here wasting my talents, it's time I made some changes. But before I go, I need to help these folks deal with the trouble facing the Divination Commission. Otherwise, people might think I got fired for running away in a crisis. So, what's next? Hehe, I got caught up saying cool stuff—what do we do to snap the Diviner out of this possession?"
Huohuo stared intently at Fu Xuan. "I don't know. That Heliobus doesn't seem intent on trapping us in an illusion or attacking us…"
"Possession? I am perfectly lucid—clearer than ever." Fu Xuan crossed her arms and paced back and forth.
"From now on, I will dedicate myself fully to divining the Xianzhou Alliance's destined future and proclaiming it to the world, so all may live with clarity."
Stelle disagreed with Fu Xuan's words. "What destined future?"
Fu Xuan walked up to Stelle, looking up at her. "I know what you're going to say. 'Man conquers heaven,' 'free will'… but those are mere illusions born of the human mind. From the start, there has only been one path. You're nothing but a pawn manipulated by the Stellaron Hunters. Boarding the train, choosing your enemies, deciding your destination… these choices you think you make freely are merely tributaries flowing into the river of fate. This journey to help the Xianzhou defeat Phantylia—surely you felt it? Every outcome was scripted by that slave behind the curtain. Right now, your choices are limited to—'swing your bat and charge at me,' 'loudly but futilely argue against me,' or 'fall silent without a word.'"
The camera focused on Stelle, who pulled out the script used for filming. The audience knows that during filming, actors need to follow the script. And on the script, clear as day, were three choices:
"Swing your bat and charge at me,"
"Loudly but futilely argue against me,"
"Fall silent without a word."
[Hahaha, I'm dying, is this allowed?!]
[The real filming script only has these three options, I'm dead!]
[Stelle literally has no choice—the writer and director told her to do it this way.]
[She's unfazed!]
[I'm dying, this web drama is packed with memes!]
Stelle sighed helplessly. "No choice, the script says so."
At that moment, Stelle could only comply, falling silent without a word.
Fu Xuan's eyes glinted with disappointment. "Come back when you've thought it through."