Jing He couldn’t have said for sure what he had expected the Spring of Fate to be like. Maybe he would have imagined it to have the type of clean water he had just noticed in the sea below or maybe what should have stood out to him wouldn’t have been its looks but the gurgling sound it made as it poured out of the ground or the refreshing feeling it gave off, making its surroundings seem like a place to calm the mind and heart. At this moment, when he finally laid eyes on this place that might be able to not just show him his future but change the path he would take, it didn’t even look much like a spring though.

The water of the spring had a deep golden color. So deep, in fact, that he couldn’t see the bottom below at all. If not for the faint ripples on the surface, he wouldn’t have been able to tell that this was water. Maybe it most resembled some potion refiners would make but he hadn’t seen many of those and couldn’t remember any that were of such a deep color either.

At the very edge of the Spring of Fate, a line of red flowers had blossomed. Their delicate stems arched into the air from the water surface while their heads seemed to turn back as if to look into the spring as one would into a mirror, their bright red petals reflecting like blazing flames. Past them, nothing could be seen. The Spring of Fate — very much like the platform and the unknown sea below — seemed to simply float in emptiness.

Jing He felt puzzled at this odd sight but then, this wasn’t a natural spring but one created from the magical abilities of Tian’s people. He should have expected that it would differ from everything he had seen before.

In a way, the spring’s appearance even seemed to make sense: The mirror-like surface would reflect one’s future in a similar way to how it currently reflected the flowers growing at its side. Meanwhile, the plants themselves were a sign of life, maybe indicating the origin of the spring in the almost hopeless battle Tian’s people had fought against the rules of this universe.

Either way, no matter how the Spring of Fate looked or how it compared to a regular spring, this was the right place. Here, he could find out what awaited him depending on his decision. He should neither hesitate because of its appearance nor because of his own fear.

He had to be courageous and do what he had come here to do. Qiu Ling was waiting for him in the Nine Heavens to do his best and return to his original identity. Now, only one step remained. How could he hesitate to take it?

Jing He took a deep breath and took a last step until he stood right at the edge of the spring. From here, he could smell the sweet scent of the brightly-colored flowers and see his own reflection on the surface of the water.

There was still the Mark of Wisdom resting between his brows, reminding him of what he had come here for. He took another deep breath, trying to shake off the last fear. Then, he looked at An Xin in his arms, carefully putting the little flame heart down next to him.

An Xin raised its head, looking at him and tilting its head in puzzlement.

Jing He rubbed its furry head and motioned to the spot where he had put it down. “I need to do something. I want you to wait here and not move around. This … is a dangerous place. Just wait until I am done and we will leave together and go back home. Don’t touch anything. Be good, alright?”

An Xin gave a faint sound but it was tough to say whether it understood or not and whether this had been an agreement if it did.

Jing He could only hope for the best. If An Xin accidentally used the Spring of Fate or … fell in or something like that, he’d feel guilty for bringing it in the first place. Usually, he would have held An Xin in his arms so nothing could happen but Tian had said that he needed to scoop up some of the water in the spring so he needed his hands to be free and could only hope for the best.

He watched the little flame heart for a moment but An Xin simply sat next to him with a curious expression, curling its long tail around its body and waiting for what he would do. It didn’t look as if it was about to run off to play.

Jing He felt slightly reassured at least and nodded to himself. He couldn’t worry about An Xin the whole time so he’d have to believe things would stay this way. Instead, he focused on the spring again and bent down, carefully scooping a hand of the golden water before straightening up.

Looking at the shimmering surface, he thought of what he wanted to know. “I want to give up the abilities exclusive to the fallen gods to have a glimpse of the future that would await me if I were to follow my father’s wishes.” His eyes widened slightly as he spoke and his heart thumped in fear that those words might not be clear enough. He couldn’t take them back though and could only hope for the best once again. The whole situation seemed terribly uncertain.

The water in his hands flashed and the next moment, it evaporated, rising into the air as a faint golden mist. It brushed past his face and continued further into the sky but Jing He’s gaze couldn’t follow it any longer as he was already immersed in the vision the Spring of Fate had granted him.