The Angel God Statue hung high in the depths of the Worship Hall.
Qian Renxue stood before it, her six wings folded behind her. Golden Soul Power rose from beneath her feet, climbed the ancient patterns carved into the stone walls, and finally flowed into the statue's brow.
Bai Jin sat on the steps outside the Hall Gate.
"I can't go in?"
Qian Daoliu stood nearby with his eyes closed. "This is her trial of the heart. If you go in, you'll only become part of the question."
"Sounds like I'm important."
"Quiet."
"Great Enshrined, the older you get, the more you should talk. It's good for your health."
Qian Daoliu opened his eyes. Bai Jin immediately mimed zipping his lips.
After a while, Qian Daoliu spoke first. "A trial of the heart can't be passed with outside help. If she can't find her way out, no amount of strength from you will save her."
"I know."
"You don't seem worried."
Leaning against a stone pillar, Bai Jin looked up at the closed Hall Gate. "She held on alone in Heaven Dou for all those years. When she first returned to Spirit City, she could still argue with me without batting an eye. If even she can't pass, there's something wrong with the question."
Qian Daoliu watched him for a moment, then closed his eyes again.
"You certainly have faith in her."
"If you like someone, you can't only like her when she needs you to save her."
Bai Jin fell silent as soon as he said it. The corner of Qian Daoliu's mouth twitched faintly, but he said nothing about Bai Jin's reddening ears.
Inside the hall, golden light had swallowed Qian Renxue.
When she opened her eyes again, she stood in the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.
Ning Fengzhi