Qian Daoliu had not ordered a banquet, leaving out only three sets of bowls and chopsticks. When Qian Renxue walked in, he was moving a steamed fish toward the middle of the table. He burned the back of his hand and chuckled to himself.
"I wasn't much good at this when I was young, either."
She took the plate and set it on the table. Bai Jin entered after her, saw the fish, and first closed the half-open door firmly. The old man had cooked only a few dishes himself, but the soup was ready. There were no dossiers on the table, nor any papers detailing the order of the inheritance.
Qian Renxue sat down but still did not pick up her chopsticks.
"Grandpa, what does that last gate require?"
Qian Daoliu ladled soup into her bowl. He did not use the meal to stall until she stopped asking. He looked toward the inner hall and spoke of the path he had been guarding.
The power within the Divine Temple could let her see the gate, and the six pieces of the Divine Outfit could let her reach it. But the final stretch that truly connected to the Divine Position had always remained within the enshrined guardian. All the Angel Holy Light he had borne throughout his life had to be passed over when the inheritance began, burning away together with his soul power, martial soul, and life.
Qian Renxue stood up.
"You never told me."
"You hadn't reached this point before."
"So once I take hold of the sword, it'll be too late?"
The old man did not tell her to sit down. Instead, he handed her the sword resting beside him. Its cracks had been cleaned, but the blade still bore traces of yesterday's crushing pressure.
"I'm telling