Jing He did not know how to answer. Of course, he couldn’t waste time. He didn’t know where to even start though. If he could have kept his soul from shattering in the first place just by relying on himself, he naturally would have done so. Now, he could indeed only rely on Tian’s guidance. “Then … how should we proceed?”

He remembered from when he had come to the High Heavens for the first time during his trial that Tian seemed able to heal a soul through his magic. But then, that had only seemed to be a temporary fix and since he had already fallen, it seemed like this wouldn’t work at all when it came to him.

Tian felt satisfied that Jing He wasn’t trying to argue any longer and instead seemed focused on their goal now. “To solve this issue, you need to dissolve the irresolution in your heart. Right now, you are being torn between the love you feel toward the incumbent dragon king and your obedience toward your father. Only when you manage to pull yourself out of that bind can you heal your soul.”

Jing He nodded. He had already understood that much. It was just … “In theory, I understand but I don’t know how to do it. I want to be with Qiu Ling. Since the day I realized that I am in love with him, this was what I wanted. But … my father …” He hesitated on what to say. “Well, he is my father. Should I not listen to him?” He looked at Tian, his eyes shining with confusion.

No matter what, that person was his parent and he had always guided him to make the best decisions that would lead to the best outcome long-term. Maybe his father could see something he couldn’t but even if he didn’t and was wrong about it … How could he disappoint him like that?

Tian was naturally aware that this was the core of the issue: Jing He valued both these things highly. To make him choose Qiu Ling, he’d have to ensure that he slowly broke out of his blind obedience toward his father. Of course, that couldn’t be done easily.

“You should ask yourself where both of these feelings come from. What is the root of your love for the dragon king and why is it that you yearn for it so much? And what is it that caused you to develop such a heavy reliance on your father’s opinion? Only when you figure this out, can you work on overcoming your issues.”

Jing He’s brows furrowed. It was easy to say this but … he was unaware of how he should do this. What was the root of these feelings? When it came to his love for Qiu Ling, wasn’t it simply about how perfect this man was? There was nothing about Qiu Ling that wasn’t desirable and all these years, he had pursued him with such favor, always treating him as gentle as a precious pearl. Who wouldn’t fall for such a man?

Tian watched him fall into a daze again and gently grabbed his shoulder, turning him around to face the entrance. “Let’s go back to your palace and think about it slowly, shall we? On the way, you can tell me your thoughts. Don’t just keep everything to yourself. That is also one of the reasons it came to this point.”

Jing He looked up at him in confusion. “Is that bad?” His father had always praised him for not being troublesome, saying that he was very different from other children like the son of the God of Justice, for example.

Tian grabbed his chin and pulled his head toward him. “You are doing it again. You are thinking about something but won’t say a word of it. And yes, that is a problem. This way, how can others help you? You come up with things to worry about but you don’t give others the chance to dissuade those worries. Do you believe that the dragon king would refuse to talk things through with you?”

Jing He’s gaze flickered. “Qiu Ling … naturally wouldn’t mind.” It was just that he did not want to bother him with those thoughts. If he did, he was afraid Qiu Ling would tire of him. After all, to constantly have to listen to such things had to be annoying.

Tian could see that Jing He’s mind was still continuing down the same line but this time, he didn’t say anything. He quietly stepped out of his palace, waving for the door to close as soon as Jing He was out as well.

The first breakthrough point with Jing He was tied to Xing so he had needed to let him see his lover but that didn’t mean that he wanted him to stay around. No, since he had now accepted what he was and also accepted that he had to work toward healing, then there was no reason to stay here any longer. Instead, they could return to the replica of Jing He’s palace from the Nine Heavens. The familiar environment would also remind him of Qiu Ling which would certainly aid in the process.

Tian took another step, walking a little ahead while Jing He followed behind. “It can be tough to see the issues in your own life because everything is too close. Throughout the years, you have formed habits and you are infinitely familiar with everyone and everything around you. To try and take another perspective … I get that that is hard. But in this case, that is what you have to do or you won’t get better again in this life. So … you have to be willing to try.”

Jing He nodded. Of course, he was willing. He even wanted to. He just had no idea how to do it because … well, in his life, he hadn’t come in contact with others often. He hardly had any relationship with others so what perspective could he assume if not his own? In this case, should it be that of Qiu Ling or that of his father? But then, everything seemed even more difficult to think through.