Douluo Continent: The Ruler of Time, Reigning Supreme

Chapter 141 Hyotei's Choice
Hyotei lowered her head with difficulty, her emerald eyes gazing at the snow elixir protected by layers of petals, where the Snow Emperor's last essence lay dormant.

She knew she was going to die soon.

The "Divine Punishment: Annihilation" arrow, which contained the power of light, from the Light Feather Douluo not only pierced her heart but also severely eroded her life essence.

If it weren't for her immense life force as a 390,000-year-old super soul beast, which forcibly sustained her, coupled with the sealing of her wounds by the extreme ice, she would have already died on the spot.

Her last wish was simply to find a relatively safe corner and then pour all the remaining life essence of her into Xue Dan without reservation.

In exchange for the complete demise of her Ice Empire, she could give Snow Empress the possibility of reuniting the elements and being reborn.

This was the last thing she could do for Xue'er, and it was also her duty and redemption as the King of the North and her dearest friend.

However, fate played a cruel and absurd joke on her.

She had only intended to vent her pent-up anger towards the Hall of Rebirth and humanity by crushing two eyesores when she encountered these two humans on the way.

Who would have thought that one of the "insects" would be Yin Chen, a prodigy who doesn't play by the rules at all?

The Ice Emperor, one of the three great kings of the far north, who had roamed the world for countless years and was renowned in the world of soul beasts and infamous in the human world, was actually... actually tricked by a mere human boy of the fourth-ring Soul Master level in such an unheard-of and unseen way.

It could even be said that he was knocked to the ground without any resistance, and was even poked in the cheek with his finger and told, "You're about to die."

This feeling of suffocation was even more unbearable for her than if her heart had been pierced.

But it was precisely in this frustration and helplessness that a faint flame called "hope" was ignited.

This human boy possesses abilities that are... too bizarre and too powerful.

That power that touches upon the fundamental rules of the universe, if it were him, might not be a bad choice.

Her survival instinct and her worry for Xue Di began to challenge her preconceived notions.

However, her deep-seated prejudice and aversion to humanity firmly imprisoned her mind.

For hundreds of thousands of years, she had witnessed countless scenes of human soul masters hunting soul beasts to obtain soul rings and soul bones, and she had also seen far too much cunning, greed, and betrayal among humans.

She placed her hopes, along with those of Xue Di, on a strange and mysterious human boy.
This left her incredibly conflicted and hesitant.

Trust, or destruction?
To compromise, or to walk towards the end with pride?

Hyotei was caught in an unprecedented and intense inner struggle.

Her emerald eyes flashed intensely, sometimes fierce, sometimes confused, sometimes desperate, and sometimes with a barely perceptible longing.

...

Yin Chen, standing in front of her, took in all of Bing Di's emotional changes.

He did nothing but wait quietly.

He has done everything he was supposed to do.

Yes, to some extent, this encounter with Hyotei was not purely accidental.

In the story he co-wrote with Istar, they anchored "encountering the Ice Emperor who carries the essence of the Snow Emperor" as an important plot point.

This is a tributary that they forcibly guided out from among countless chaotic possibilities at great expense.

But this "writing" is not the omniscient and omnipotent God model.

His and Ishtar's powers can currently only manipulate a general framework and direction. It's like writing a story outline; you can set "where the protagonist meets whom," but you can't precisely control every detail of the encounter, every line of dialogue, or every heartbeat.

Zhang Lexuan was instantly and severely injured by Bingdi, nearly killed—this breathtaking scene was completely beyond Yin Chen's expectations and control.

The power consumed in writing the future, especially Ishtar's power, is enormous.

To precisely control every detail requires mental strength and mastery of the laws of time, which is far beyond their current capabilities.

Therefore, when the details cannot be fully controlled, information and psychology become Yin Chen's most important weapons.

His generous explanation of the almost bug-like effect of his fourth soul skill to Hyotei was not merely to satisfy the latter's desire to die knowing why, but also a calculated move.

He was demonstrating his uniqueness and value to Hyotei.

This seemingly honest explanation was like a heavy chip being placed on the scales of Hyotei's mind.

He is waiting.

As Hyotei's inner scales swayed, amidst a complex interplay of despair, pride, a desire to protect Yuki, and a mixture of fear and hope for his power, they ultimately... tipped towards the future he desired.

The wind and snow seemed to intensify at this moment, as if urging for the final answer.

In Hyotei's emerald green vertical pupils, a complex mix of emotions—anger, resentment, pride, and despair—intertwined and collided like a storm, ultimately settling into a deep, desperate calm.

Her personality is inherently very decisive.

Once she's decided on a path, she'll forge ahead without hesitation, even if it leads to an abyss.

She raised her head, no longer looking at the snow lotus in her arms that had given her her last bit of warmth, but instead fixed her gaze directly on Yin Chen. Her voice, though weak, carried a firm resolve:
"Human, wanna make a deal?"

Upon hearing this, Yin Chen's lips twitched almost imperceptibly upwards, and a smile appeared on his face.

He knew that the future he had been waiting for, the future he and Ishtar had "written," had finally arrived.

Although everything largely followed their pre-set "script," Yin Chen still felt a quiet sense of relief when Hyotei uttered those words.

He knew better than anyone how sublime and unpredictable the forces of time and fate were, far beyond what his current meager abilities could manipulate at will.

Istaru had given him a serious warning.

Those who manipulate time and fate will ultimately be manipulated by time and fate.

Therefore, Yin Chen never becomes blindly confident because he possesses "this moment and that moment".

He always held a deep sense of awe.

He wrote the beginning and direction of the script, but was always prepared for the script to go off track, deviate, or even be completely rewritten.

Maintaining reverence and proceeding cautiously are the principles he set for himself.

"trade?"

Yin Chen quickly suppressed the fleeting smile, replacing it with a coldness and wariness befitting the current situation, even carrying a perfectly timed hint of mockery.

"You're about to die, what do you have to trade with me? And don't forget, we're enemies. You just tried to kill me and Senior Sister."

Every scene that needs to be performed must be acted out.

(End of this chapter)