Divine Beast Creator-Chapter 1267 - 1268: Casual Conversation

"How is it?"

"Aren’t you the one who dislikes drinking alcohol?"

Seeing the amber liquid in the glass in front of Feng Yuan, Qi Chen felt a bit puzzled. The heavy aroma of the drink permeated the air, unscattered even by the sea breeze. But wasn’t this guy someone who avoided alcohol?

"I do dislike it—getting drunk, going crazy, as if everything is forgotten, as if there are no worries. But wake up, and you still have to face reality. If it can’t truly be avoided, then why should I bother?"

Feng Yuan swirled the glass in his hand and smiled faintly.

"Relax, this isn’t alcohol. It’s just a drink with a dash of alcohol for flavor. Want to try it?"

Not fully understanding what Feng Yuan was up to this time, Qi Chen didn’t decline. He pulled out a chair and sat down, letting the sea breeze brush past him. Exhaling deeply, he glanced at the glass Feng Yuan handed him, then at Feng Yuan.

"Your drink there—does it have some kind of energy-boosting effect?"

The guy looked unusually lively now. This wasn’t new either; sometimes, out of nowhere, he’d consume odd energizing things in the middle of the night, only to skip class the next day and sleep in the dorm.

"How could it? We’re heading to the ocean ruins tomorrow—I wouldn’t want to create any trouble for myself."

Feng Yuan glanced at Qi Chen, then swirled his glass again. Since he himself wasn’t entirely sure what awaited them at the ocean ruins, the slightest lack of focus tomorrow might lead to unpredictable complications.

"It’s really not alcohol!"

Though the drink smelled distinctly alcoholic, Qi Chen took a sip and realized that it was indeed just as Feng Yuan claimed—juice, not alcohol. Feng Yuan gave Qi Chen a quick look and said,

"Of course. Do you think I have nothing better to do than lie to you for fun?"

"It’s just—don’t you find it poetic to enjoy a drink under the moonlight?"

Feng Yuan swirled his glass as he gazed at the bright moon above. The ship was speeding forward under Delong Tower’s control. Long Boduo was in its room sorting through its latest winnings. While it had some desire to dive again, the vessel was heading toward Starlit Sea, making any detour impossible. Yes, it could use the Gate of Netherworld to catch up, but there was no need.

Veronia and Najia, at the stern of the ship, were admiring the night as they chatted and enjoyed their tea and snacks. In the captain’s cabin, Delong Tower and Agunas were engaging in idle conversation. Kong Qing was silently listening nearby with Pomiti and the others, occasionally using its tail to corral Little Ice Cream when it tried to sneak off.

Inside her room, Dou Yanlan sat quietly at the table, staring out of the window. Cotton, restless, wagged its tail, occasionally hopping onto the table to nudge Dou Yanlan with its head, only to jump back down moments later. But Yanlan made no response, as if she didn’t see the disheveled Cotton at all.

Yang Hongzhi was on deck checking Xiao Hui and Xiao Hei’s health and directing them to train appropriately. While it was meant to be a leisurely outing, practice could not be neglected. Strengthened by Delong Tower’s power, the ship was protected from any accidents unless directly targeted with a full-on attack.

Sprawling on the deck, Xiao Hei stuck out its tongue, looking utterly exhausted. But knowing its true nature, Yang Hongzhi didn’t fall for it. He knocked it lightly on the head, saying exasperatedly,

"Still pretending? Weren’t you full of energy just now? So soon you’re out of strength?"

After a few stern words from Yang Hongzhi, Xiao Hei begrudgingly got up, shook its body, glanced at Xiao Hui nearby, and lazily began its training.

"Even without peering, destiny can be overturned..."

Belusir flicked its tail lightly as it murmured to itself, a complicated expression on its face. It had been silently observing all along. Although it had previously promised Feng Yuan not to peek into the future anymore, habits are hard to break. However, this time it noticed that Dou Yanlan’s fate mysteriously shifted again—two people, originally never to meet again, now had a thread of connection. But what lay beyond that—it couldn’t discern.

Its tail swished nervously. Belusir didn’t understand—was Feng Yuan’s power the reason for this? Or was it because it refrained from peering into fate? Changing its focus might be better. Belusir pondered the thought. Feng Yuan was unique to begin with, and searching for answers through him proved tricky. Luckily, there were others besides him. If gazing at destiny truly brought misfortune, what then...how should it manage? To witness destiny yet remain powerless to alter it—that sense of helplessness, it was something it dreadfully wanted to escape.

"What’s wrong?"

Feng Yuan noticed Yang Hongzhi acting odd and glanced at him. What was up with him today? He seemed uneasy from the moment dawn broke. Yang Hongzhi, catching Belusir staring at him, replied,

"That...why is it staring at me?"

Of course, he was aware of Belusir’s identity. Even if Feng Yuan hadn’t introduced it, Najia would recognize it—it’s natural for Divine Beasts to sense one another. Although a Divine Beast could conceal its identity, generally no one bothered trying.

Belusir wasn’t intentionally hiding its nature either. It harbored no malice and simply lacked interest in their revelry. Until it resolved its torment, it was unlikely to relax and indulge.

"What are you planning..."

"I want to see if reversing destiny is tied to power."

Feng Yuan scratched his head, unsure how to react to Belusir’s words. Should he tell it to stop looking at Yang Hongzhi like that? But knowing Belusir’s anguish, he understood its perspective. Yang Hongzhi did seem like an excellent subject for observation—but why the sudden change?

"Reversing destiny?"

Yang Hongzhi felt perplexed. Belusir, lying on the table and staring intently at him, explained,

"He didn’t gaze at the future or destiny, yet altered someone else’s fate. Two people once doomed never to meet crossed paths again."

"Uh...isn’t the future inherently uncertain?"

Feng Yuan instinctively scanned their surroundings and, upon confirming Dou Yanlan wasn’t nearby, breathed a sigh of relief. As for why Belusir claimed this, he understood well. The location where that person appeared was not the designated launch site for the special weapons. Even if the later incident had never occurred, even if Feng Yuan hadn’t intervened, that person had already been abandoned.

Perhaps it was because their identity had been exposed. Perhaps other factors were at play. Regardless, the probability of survival in that war was slim. Dou Yanlan wouldn’t have been at the border battlefield under any circumstances at that time. Only due to Feng Yuan’s involvement, and when he summoned Xilnais, did the situation change. Those individuals were retrieved by Xilnais—even though some identities may have been unmasked, spare operatives were common. While identities were known, targeting them outright was unlikely.

Perhaps they simply wouldn’t be able to leave the country in the future. But after those events, Feng Yuan wondered if such deliberate measures were even worth executing.

Ultimately, who truly changed destiny? Was it Feng Yuan? If he hadn’t summoned Xilnais, there would’ve been no subsequent intervention. But without Xilnais acting, he wouldn’t have survived. Let’s not forget: during the aftermath of the anomaly, many lives were lost.

Destiny remains fluid, as futures unformed are never set. Belusir grasped this truth, but couldn’t understand why it attracted misfortune whenever it attempted a change.

"Enough thinking about that. Besides, we’re just here for fun. I doubt any major destiny shifts will occur."

Feng Yuan chuckled. Perhaps even trivial occurrences could bring immense change to destiny in Belusir’s eyes. Yet such shifts didn’t necessarily demand extraordinary power.

"You’ve altered the future?" frёewebnoѵēl.com

Agunas, intrigued by its thoughts, chuckled at itself. Futures are inherently uncertain; how could one alter what’s undefined? Any possibility could exist, but only when it manifests as the singular reality at its moment does it transmute into something immutable.

Feng Yuan rolled his eyes and refrained from commenting further—Agunas must’ve been joking. Surely it knew all this?

"It didn’t seem to truly enjoy itself yesterday..."

Yang Hongzhi murmured to Feng Yuan beside him, eyeing Belusir briefly. Truth be told, until Belusir spoke up, he’d unintentionally forgotten its presence. Reflecting on yesterday, it seemed Belusir had quietly remained detached as they played.

"It probably just doesn’t have the heart for it... The more you wish to save, the more misfortune you’re met with. But who could truly stand idle when a friend is in need—especially one as fond of making friends as this Divine Beast."

Feng Yuan sighed softly before playfully shoving Yang Hongzhi, saying,

"Let’s go; time for breakfast. We should be near the ocean ruins now~"