Six dayster, The Emperor''s birthday celebration began.


    The event was being held in the center of the empire''s capital inside thergest arena, the empire had.


    The arena was circr, with a diameter so vast it could easily amodate tens of thousands of spectators.


    The central stage was a massive tform of polished obsidian, iid with veins of glowing azure crystal that pulsed faintly, as though drawing energy from the qi lines beneath.


    The stage was surrounded by a shimmering barrier of translucent light, a protective formation crafted by the empire''s most skilled formation masters to protect the person on stage and increase their voice to be heard by all.


    The seating arrangements were a spectacle in themselves. Rising in tiers around the arena, the stands were divided into sections, each more opulent than thest.


    The lowest tier was reserved formoners and lesser nobles, with simple yet sturdy stone benches.


    Above them, the middle tiers were adorned with cushioned seats and draped in silks of imperial colors—gold, crimson, and deep purple.


    These were for the high-ranking officials, generals, and wealthy merchants.


    But it was the uppermost tier that truly stole the breath away.


    The seats here were thrones in their own right, each one carved from rare materials like frostwood and adorned with precious gems.


    The emperor''s throne, positioned at the center, was a masterpiece of craftsmanship, its backrest shaped like a rising dragon, symbolizing the eternal glory of the empire.


    It was ced a meter above the rest of the seats, giving a straight, clear view of the stage down below.


    The other seats beside the emperor were for the Nine Celestial Sovereigns.


    They were heads of a certain department or field in the empire which made them essential for the empire to properly function.


    There were Galleries which were elevated tforms, a series of luxurious private boxes, each adorned with the personal banners and colors of the respective power.


    The boxes were enclosed by translucent silk curtains embroidered with golden threads, allowing the guests to observe the arena in privacy.


    The seating within each gallery wasvish, with cushioned thrones for the heads of their respective ns, surrounded by smaller seats for their most trusted advisors, generals, and favored disciples.


    Right now, this arena was only upied bymoners and lesser nobles along with merchants who were there to make connections and witness the emperor themselves.


    It wasn''tmonce for him to appear in public and this event was one of the few urrences where he''d appear in front of public.


    Even this event took ce once in a century so some would only be able to see him once in their lifetimes.


    Also, this was an event where one could see all the big shots of the empire gathered in one ce, no one was foolish enough to miss such a chance.


    Everyone present waited for the arrival of various powers that held the most influence in the empire.


    Meanwhile, on a massive Flying ship, a girl with white flowing hair and sea-like blue eyes, stood at the edge of the ship, looking at the passing clouds with a solemn expression.


    She was exasperated, looking at the blue screen in front of her, disying a certain text.


    "Yes, I know! I don''t need you to keep showing this to me to make me realize how pathetic I am." She cursed, annoyed by the blue screen in front of her.


    Suddenly, the blue screen changed text before vanishing away.


    Sigh, how did I end up in this situation?


    [From her perspective]


    I am the princess of the Xue n, Xue Nanxi.


    [Picture in discord]


    Our n is one of the four sacred ns of this empire, headed by my grandmother —— Ice Empress, Xue Zhaoyun.


    I''m the daughter of her fourth son, Xue Yuhan.


    Until fifteen, I was a normal girl, living a carefree life in my n, however, on my fifteenth birthday, a strange screen appeared in front of me that only I could see.


    This screen does not make sounds and just disys messages tomunicate with me.


    On the day of my birthday, it disyed the harsh destiny I was born with.


    [You are destined to die at 25 years old at the hands of your own n!]


    At first, I refused to acknowledge this, even refusing the screen''s existence, however, when it had been more than three days and it still hadn''t disappeared, I understood that it was real.


    From then, I began to ask it questions to gain knowledge about the situation I was in.


    "What are you?" I asked.


    [I''m a messenger from the heavens, to inform you about your situation. I''m not a conscious being].


    With that answer, I understood that it was more like a tool or artifact.


    "Then, is there a way I can avoid my destiny?" I asked with an expectant expression, hoping the answer to be yes.


    [Yes, there is a way and I''m here to tell you about it]


    "What is it?" I asked with a relieved smile.


    [You just need to find someone who can change destiny which is already destined to ur.]


    "Huh? And how am I supposed to find someone like that? Moreover, Does someone like that even exist? Isn''t destiny unchangeable?"


    [It is... For the people of this world atleast.]@@novelbin@@


    "Huh? So you mean I need to find someone from another world?"


    [Yes, atleast someone whose soul or body is of another world so that the destiny of this world can''t affect them.]


    "And someone like that exists?" I asked with a non-believing expression.


    [Yes. Even in this empire, there are four individuals like that.]


    "Really?" I couldn''t believe that there were people from other worlds.


    "Then how am I supposed to find one of these individuals and why would they even help me?"


    [To find the individual, I''m here. If you ever touch one of these individuals, I''ll notify you. As for why they would help you, that''s up to you to decide]


    "So you mean, I need to touch every individual in this empire to check whether they are the one or not?" I asked, finding the task to be arduous.


    [Not everyone. You can eliminate the powerless since even if they can change destiny, they won''t be able to save you if your n is after your life, hence, this person must be someone with atleast the capabilities of saving you, right?]


    "Ahh... that means someone of high status must be the one I''m looking for." I realized. "Alright, I start by touching the people in my n. I should find this person before deciding how to get their help."


    I was optimistic at first, shaking hands with everyone I met to check if they were the destined person, however, I haven''t found this person until now.


    I am turning twenty next month, hence, only five years will be left to find that person.


    Right now, I am going to the Emperor''s birthday with my n.


    -----------------------------------


    (A/N - Thanks for reading. ^..^)