Xilos paused, then nodded. "Yes."
She understood what Shen Yi meant.
Rather than suppress that thread of power, she could follow it back to its source.
The enemy was hidden while they were exposed. Better to test the waters than wait for the enemy to make a move.
They exchanged a glance and said no more.
Some things needed no explanation. They both understood.
Sure enough, the Guides let no one venture deeper that day.
The Authority Holders at the resting place grew restless, but there was nothing they could do. They could only wait in small groups. Shen Yi and Xilos stayed among them, no different from anyone else.
As night fell, the surroundings gradually quieted.
Xilos did not rest at once.
She sat cross-legged and steadied her breathing, deliberately lowering her guard just enough to let the life-attuned power deep in her bloodline slowly unfurl.
Sure enough, the pull returned.
This time, she did not resist. She followed it, extending her senses little by little.
The invisible thread was tied deep within her bloodline. Its other end stretched toward the Hidden Light Hall, passing through layer upon layer of Rule Barriers before disappearing into a place of profound stillness.
Deep within that place was a mass of light.
It was utterly pure and gentle, like the source of all warmth and life in the world. Sensing even a trace of it from afar made the Flame of Continued Combustion within Xilos grow a little more docile.
Her heart stirred. Just as she was about to probe further, the light seemed to sense something. It trembled ever so slightly, and a warm, gentle force traveled along the thread toward her.
It was neither heavy nor fierce. From across that vast distance, it touched her lightly.
Warmth spread through Xilos's