Xilos paused briefly, then nodded. "Yes."
She understood what Shen Yi meant.
Rather than suppress that wisp of power, she might as well follow it and trace its source.
The enemy remained hidden while they stood exposed. Instead of waiting passively, they would take the initiative and test the depths of these waters.
The two exchanged a glance and said nothing more.
Some things needed no explanation for them to understand each other.
That day, the Guide indeed allowed no one else to venture deeper.
Though the Authority Holders in the resting area grew somewhat restless, there was nothing they could do. They could only wait in small groups, with Shen Yi and Xilos mingling among them, no different from anyone else.
After nightfall, their surroundings gradually fell quiet.
Xilos did not immediately settle down to rest.
She sat cross-legged to regulate her breathing, deliberately lowering her mental defenses a little and allowing the wisp of power drawn to Life Force deep within her bloodline to slowly unfurl.
Sure enough, that tug came again.
This time, she did not suppress it. Instead, she followed its pull, extending her perception little by little.
That invisible thread was anchored deep within her bloodline, its other end stretching toward Hidden Light Hall, passing through layer upon layer of Rule Barriers and vanishing into a place of profound depth and stillness.
In those depths lay a mass of light.
It was utterly pure and gentle, like the source of all warmth and Life Force in the world. Merely sensing a trace of it from afar made even the flame of continued combustion within Xilos grow a little more docile.
Something stirred in her heart. Just as she was about to probe further, the light seemed to notice something and trembled ever so slightly. Then