Xu Yang stood where he was,his eyes fixed on the distant shrine.His mind replayed Ling Yuan's final words again and again.*Come to the shrine.The answers you seek...and the truth they buried...are waiting there.*His fingers slowly tightened around the broken silver chain link in his palm.He lowered his eyes and looked at it once more.The faint silver glow had vanished."..."Xu Yang frowned slightly.Did all of that really happen?Or...had the chain only reacted because of Ling Yuan?He turned the fragment over in his hand several times,but nothing happened.It remained dull and silent.
Lin Chen cautiously stepped closer,glancing first at Xu Yang and then toward the empty place where Ling Yuan had stood.His brows remained tightly furrowed."He's...really gone?" he asked quietly.No one answered immediately.Chen Yu slowly let out a breath and looked toward the shrine."I don't think that was an illusion!" he said calmly."We all saw him."Hei Long gave a small nod,his gaze never leaving the distant mountain."And we all heard him."Yan Luo folded his arms across his chest,his expression remaining unusually serious."Whether he was friend or enemy...he wanted Xu Yang to reach the shrine."
Zhao Ming frowned slightly."Or he wanted Heaven to believe that."Yan Luo glanced at him."You think it was a distraction?"Zhao Ming didn't answer immediately."I don't know," he admitted quietly."But someone willing to stand against the Heavenly Court doesn't make a move without a reason." Chen Yu nodded thoughtfully."He risked everything just to deliver a warning."Lin Chen rubbed the back of his neck,still looking confused."Then why not just tell us everything?Why speak in riddles?"Hei Long answered before anyone else could. "Because some truths can't be spoken openly."Lin Chen sighed."That somehow makes even less sense."
Xu Yang finally looked away from the empty mountain path.His thoughts remained unsettled."He knew me!" he murmured quietly.His eyes slowly shifted toward Yan Luo.He stared at him for a moment,as though searching for something.Yan Luo soon noticed the look and frowned slightly. "What?" Xu Yang hesitated before speaking."You...don't remember him?"Yan Luo blinked in confusion."Remember who?"Without saying a word,Xu Yang slowly pointed toward the place where Ling Yuan had disappeared."Him."
Yan Luo looked in that direction before turning back to Xu Yang,his brows drawing together."What do you mean?"Xu Yang searched his face carefully."You don't have any memories related to him?Anything at all?"Yan Luo's expression became even more puzzled."No."He answered without hesitation."I saw him for the first time today."He paused before asking,"Why are you asking me that?"Xu Yang remained silent for a few seconds before quietly saying,"I thought...maybe you knew him."Yan Luo slowly shook his head."If I did,I wouldn't have asked who he was."
Lin Chen looked back and forth between the two of them,completely confused."Wait...you seriously think Yan Luo forgot someone?" Chen Yu glanced at Xu Yang."Why would you think that?"Xu Yang lowered his gaze. "Because..."He stopped himself.Xu Yang slowly exhaled and forced a faint shake of his head."...Maybe I was just overthinking."Yan Luo continued watching him for another moment.His instincts told him Xu Yang hadn't said what he was really thinking,but he didn't press the matter."If something's bothering you." he said quietly,"don't carry it alone."
Xu Yang gave a small nod,but his thoughts were already elsewhere.Why doesn't he remember Ling Yuan?...His fingers unconsciously tightened.Weren't they friends...?Or...am I remembering something that never happened?The question made his chest feel strangely heavy.What exactly happened back then?Xu yang looked at Shirne and said, "All answers I want is there!"
Xu Yang lowered his gaze again, his mind replaying Ling Yuan's smile.That expression hadn't carried hatred or fear.It had carried relief as though he had finally completed something he had waited years to do.
Before Xu Yang could say anything,Hei Long suddenly stopped walking.His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked toward the ground."Wait."Everyone immediately turned toward him.Chen Yu stepped closer."What is it?"Hei Long didn't answer right away.He slowly crouched beside the narrow mountain path and brushed aside a layer of white petals with the back of his hand.A footprint appeared beneath them and it was fresh.The edges remained sharp,as though someone had stepped there only moments earlier.
Lin Chen blinked in surprise."Someone came this way?"Hei Long silently brushed away more petals.Another footprint appeared. Then another.They formed a clear trail leading toward the shrine.Yan Luo stepped closer,studying the ground with narrowed eyes."Those weren't here before."Zhao Ming slowly nodded."They couldn't have been.We searched this path when we arrived."Chen Yu crouched beside the footprints,carefully examining them without touching."They're recent," he said quietly."The soil hasn't settled yet."Lin Chen looked around uneasily. "Could they belong to those Heavenly cultivators?"Zhao Ming slowly shook his head."No."Lin Chen looked at him."How can you be so sure?"
Zhao Ming pointed toward the prints. "Heavenly cultivators travel through spiritual movement.They rarely leave ordinary footprints. "Yan Luo's gaze remained fixed on the trail."And these belong to only one person."Xu Yang stared silently at the footprints,his heartbeat quickening with every passing second.A thought slowly formed in his mind."Could they belong to Ling Yuan?"Chen Yu slowly followed the trail with his eyes before giving a small,uncertain nod."Maybe."
Hei Long remained crouched for another moment before quietly adding,"Or...someone who walked this path long before we arrived."Those words made everyone fall silent.Lin Chen swallowed unconsciously. "You're saying...these might not be new?"Hei Long slowly stood up,"I'm saying..."He looked toward the shrine,his voice becoming quieter."...this mountain may not be showing us the present anymore." Lin Chen looked uneasily between the footprints and the shrine before forcing out a nervous laugh. "That's...not funny."Nobody laughed.
Chen Yu slowly straightened and brushed the dust from his hands.His thoughtful gaze remained fixed on the trail."Whether they're from the past or the present,we only have one way to find out."Yan Luo gave a small nod."We follow them."Zhao Ming didn't immediately agree.His eyes remained on the final visible footprint,his expression unusually cautious."Carefully?" he said."If this mountain is distorting time,the next thing we see may not be real."Lin Che frowned. "How exactly are we supposed to tell what's real and what's not?"
Yan Luo took slow breath and looked ahead. "Standing here won't give us answers," he said quietly."Let's keep moving."Chen Yu gave a small nod."Stay close to each other.If anyone notices something unusual,say it immediately."Zhao Ming's gaze swept over the forest one last time before he stepped forward."Don't wander off,even if you think you see something familiar."Lin Chen forced a weak smile."With everything that's happened today,I don't think I'd be brave enough to wander anywhere."
Xu yang closed his eyes for second.Why were you here?...He frowned slightly without realizing it.Why did you come just to warn me?...know."Xu Yang's chest tightened.What did you want to tell me?Another thought surfaced,bringing an even stronger feeling of unease.And why did you smile...after I remembered your name?together.Then why can't he remember you?What did Heaven erase?Was it not only my but his memories too...or something much bigger?...He let out a slow breath and lifted his eyes toward the distant shrine standing high above the mountain.Are all the answers really waiting there...?Or is this exactly where they want me to go?...Xu Yang felt uncertain about every step he was taking.Still...he didn't stop.If Ling Yuan risked facing the Heavenly Court just to send me there...then I have to know why...His resolve slowly hardened.Whatever the truth is...I'll find it myself....
Then...*Dong...*A deep bell echoed faintly across the mountain.Xu Yang's footsteps stopped without him realizing it.His eyes widened slightly as he slowly lifted his head."A bell?" he whispered.Lin Chen,who had been walking beside him,turned around with a puzzled look."What?"Xu Yang frowned."Didn't you hear that?"Lin Chen blinked."Hear what?"Chen Yu looked back as well,his expression calm but curious."I didn't hear anything."Yan Luo glanced around the silent forest before looking at Xu Yang."Neither did I."
Xu Yang's heart skipped a beat.*Only I heard it...?*He looked around again.The forest was exactly the same as before.The white petals drifted quietly through the air,and the others waited for him with confused expressions. *Did I imagine it?*Before he could think any further...*Dong...*The bell rang again.This time,the sound was deeper,older,as though it had echoed through countless years.The moment it reached his ears,the world around him changed.
He saw trees surrounding the path became black and withered,their branches bent unnaturally toward the ground as if crushed beneath an invisible weight.Broken stone statues stood scattered throughout the forest,some missing their heads,others split cleanly in half.Their empty eyes seemed to stare silently toward the shrine.Dark blood stained the narrow stone path beneath Xu Yang's feet,fresh enough to reflect the pale light above.Countless silver chains hung from the dead branches,stretching endlessly through the forest.They swayed slowly despite the complete absence of wind,and the faint sound of metal brushing against metal echoed from every direction.
Xu Yang's breathing caught.His fingers instinctively tightened.His heartbeat grew louder with every passing second.where...am I...?His eyes moved slowly across the ruined forest.This isn't the mountain...A cold feeling spread through his chest.Or...is this what the mountain used to be?...He looked toward the shrine in the distance.It was no longer old and weathered.The shrine had become enormous,its gates cracked open as countless silver chains poured from the darkness inside like living creatures.What is this place...?Why does it feel so familiar?
*Dong...*The bell rang a third time,and the sound lingered far longer than before.For the briefest instant,Xu Yang saw motion among the ruined statues.Several figures stood silently between the broken stone remains,their bodies wrapped in heavy silver chains that coiled around their arms,waists, and necks.Their faces were completely hidden beneath deep shadows,making it impossible to tell who they were.They didn't move.They simply stood there,watching him.
Xu Yang instinctively narrowed his eyes, trying to see them more clearly.Who are they...?His heartbeat quickened.Why does it feel like...they're waiting for me?Just as he took a small step forward,the shadowy figures dissolved into wisps of gray smoke and vanished without leaving a trace.At the same moment,the entire vision collapsed. The blood covering the stone path disappeared as though it had never existed.The broken statues crumbled into dust before fading away.The countless silver chains hanging from the trees dissolved into tiny specks of light,and the bitter cold surrounding him was replaced by the gentle warmth of the morning breeze.The quiet mountain returned,white petals drifting peacefully through the forest as if nothing had happened.
Xu Yang remained frozen in place,his breathing uneven.His eyes slowly swept across the trees again.What...was that?He tightened his fingers unconsciously around the broken chain link.That wasn't a dream...It felt too real...Then he felt pain in chest. Was I looking at the past...or something that hasn't happened yet? Before he could think any further,Chen Yu's voice broke through his thoughts."Xu Yang?" Xu Yang blinked and quickly looked toward the others.They were all watching him with puzzled expressions. After a brief silence,Xu Yang forced himself to speak."I'm fine."Chen Yu frowned slightly as he stepped closer."You don't look fine."Xu Yang looked away for a moment before giving a faint shake of his head."I just thought I saw something." Yan Luo's expression immediately sharpened.He took one step closer,his eyes fixed on Xu Yang."Saw what?"
Xu Yang opened his mouth,but no words came.He looked back toward the forest once more.It was peaceful again.There was no broken statue remained.Not a trace of blood and silver chain hanging from the trees. Should I tell them?...He adjust his robe.No...He slowly lowered his eyes.If I'm the only one who can see it...telling them now will only make them worry.And if these are memories...I need to know why they're choosing to appear now.He quietly exhaled before lifting his head again."...Nothing!" he said softly."I must have imagined it."
Yan Luo watched him for several long seconds.His instincts told him Xu Yang was hiding something,but he also knew forcing an answer now would accomplish nothing.He finally gave a small nod."If you see or hear anything again,you tell us immediately."
Xu Yang nodded in return."I will."
Far above the clouds,hidden beyond the mortal world's sight,the Heavenly Court stood in complete silence.Ancient white halls stretched endlessly beneath a sky of flowing golden light.At the very center stood the Hall of Heavenly Judgment,where only the highest-ranking elders were permitted to gather.An elderly man dressed in long white robes embroidered with golden dragons slowly opened his eyes from his meditation seat.He was Grand Elder Tian Xuan,the highest authority among the Heavenly Elders.His calm gaze settled upon the kneeling figure before him.A young Heavenly cultivator bowed deeply,his voice respectful."Grand Elder...the Chain Bearer has made contact with Xu Yang."
Tian Xuan closed his eyes once more,After several moments,he quietly spoke."So...the seal is beginning to break."Standing to his right,Elder Mu Chen,Keeper of the Heavenly Records,frowned slightly."That should not have been possible.The memory seal was personally reinforced three hundred years ago."Another elder,Elder Bai Yun,Guardian of Heavenly Law,folded his sleeves and spoke in a cold voice."Then we should eliminate Xu Yang before the memories return completely."
Several cultivators standing below lowered their heads in agreement.The hall grew quiet again.Grand Elder Tian Xuan slowly opened his eyes and gave a faint shake of his head."No."His calm answer immediately surprised everyone.Elder Bai Yun frowned. "Grand Elder?"Tian Xuan slowly rose from his seat and walked toward the edge of the hall,where the mortal world could be seen beneath the endless sea of clouds.His ancient eyes rested on the distant mountains where Xu Yang and the others continued their journey."If he reaches the shrine..." he said quietly,"...he will lead us to what we have been searching for."
Elder Mu Chen narrowed his eyes."You believe the shrine still hides it?"Tian Xuan gave a slow nod."It has remained hidden for far too long."Another elder,Elder Luo Feng, Master of Heavenly Formations,stepped forward with a troubled expression."But if Xu Yang remembers everything..."Tian Xuan interrupted him before he could finish."Then history will begin moving again."
One of the younger Heavenly cultivators finally gathered the courage to speak."Grand Elder...what if the Chain Bearer interferes again?"A faint smile appeared on Tian Xuan's aged face."He no longer has that luxury."His gaze remained fixed on the mortal world."The moment Xu Yang reaches the shrine..."His eyes slowly narrowed."...every hidden piece will reveal itself."Elder Bai Yun lowered his head."Then our orders remain the same?" Tian Xuan nodded once."Observe." A brief pause followed before his voice became colder than before."And when the truth finally appears..."His sleeves stirred gently as a powerful pressure spread through the ancient hall."Take it before anyone else does."The Heavenly cultivators bowed deeply in unison."As you command,Grand Elder."
Back to past Where Qing Li and Hei Long stood without moving, their eyes fixed on the old letter in Wang Xio's trembling hands.Qing Li swallowed hard and forced himself to speak."Wang Xio?" His voice was barely above a whisper. "What does it say?"Wang Xio didn't answer. His eyes remained locked on the next line of Ling Yuan's letter. His fingers unconsciously tightened around the fragile paper, careful not to damage it. The more he read, the more disbelief appeared on his face.
Qing Li felt his heart beat faster. A strange sense of dread slowly crept into his chest. "Stop scaring us!" he said nervously, taking a step closer. "Just tell us." Hei Long quietly watched Wang Xio's expression. Even without reading the letter himself, he could already tell whatever was written there had completely exceeded Wang Xio's expectations. "...Is it bad?" he asked softly. Wang Xio slowly lifted his head. His usually calm eyes were filled with shock. He looked at Qing Li first, then at Hei Long. His lips moved slightly before finally producing a quiet voice. "There's a name."
Qing Li immediately frowned. "e knew that but tell us Whose name?" Wang Xio lowered his eyes back to the letter. He drew a slow breath, as though simply saying the words aloud required tremendous courage. His voice echoed quietly through the chamber. "Ling Yuan wrote..." He paused briefly before reading the next line exactly as it was written. "...The one Heaven fears..." His voice stopped again. His fingers trembled ever so slightly. Qing Li unconsciously held his breath.Hei Long's heartbeat slowly quickened for reasons he couldn't explain. Wang Xio finally finished reading. "...is Hei Long."
Qing Li's pupils shrank instantly. "What?" He stared blankly at Wang Xio before slowly turning toward Hei Long. His face was filled with complete disbelief. "Hei Long?" Hei Long himself remained frozen where he stood. His mind went completely blank. "Me?" he whispered quietly. "How...?"Qing Li immediately shook his head. "No... that doesn't make sense." He looked back toward Wang Xio. "Are you sure you didn't read it wrong?" Wang Xio silently handed the letter toward him. "Read it yourself." Qing Li hurriedly took the letter with slightly trembling hands. His eyes scanned the neat handwriting again and again. Every single word remained exactly the same. There was no mistake. His breathing gradually became uneven. "It's really written here..." he murmured. "The one Heaven fears... is Hei Long."
Hei Long lowered his eyes. His fingers slowly curled into fists without him realizing it. Countless questions flooded his mind at once. Why me? I'm just... Hei Long. Why would Heaven fear someone like me? The more he thought about it, the stranger everything became. Memories of the blooming flowers beneath his feet... the strange familiarity he felt toward the shrine... the inexplicable sadness that had been growing inside him... they all resurfaced at once. None of it made sense anymore.
Qing Li looked at Hei Long with worry filling his eyes. He quickly stepped closer and grabbed both of Hei Long's shoulders. "Hei Long... look at me." Hei Long slowly raised his head. Qing Li searched Hei long's face desperately, as though hoping to find an explanation there. "Did you know?" he asked quietly. Hei Long slowly shook his head. "No." His answer came immediately. There wasn't even a moment of hesitation. "I swear... I don't know anything."
Qing Li studied him for several more seconds before letting out a slow breath. "I know." His grip on Hei Long's shoulders softened. "If you knew... you would've told us." Hei Long lowered his head again. "...Would I?" he asked quietly. "Right now..." A bitter smile slowly appeared on his face. "I'm not even sure who I really am anymore."Qing Li's expression immediately softened. Seeing Hei Long like this made his chest tighten painfully. He slowly withdrew his hands from Hei Long's shoulders and gave him a reassuring smile, though his own eyes were still filled with worry. "You don't have to know who you are right now," he said gently. "To me, you're still Hei Long."
He let out a quiet laugh, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere. "The same quiet guy who never talks unless he absolutely has to... and somehow always ends up cleaning up the mess Xu Yang and I make."Hei Long couldn't help lowering his head with a faint, helpless smile. "You made plenty of messes."Qing Li rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "That's... not the point.""It is!" Hei Long replied softly.