[Memory Space of Water Yao · The Realm of Tide Shadows]
Before them lay a world of water, silent and serene. Cang Yuan and Gu Xingyu hovered above the surface, surrounded by shifting shades of azure and silver light. In the distance, colossal crystal towers and bridges of churning tide-patterns loomed through the mist.
"Where... are we?" Gu Xingyu whispered, clutching her pocket watch.
Cang Yuan's eyes welled with an emotion beyond words. "This is... my home."
As he spoke, silhouettes began to emerge in the distance—kinsmen adorned in the flowing patterns of the Water Yao tribe. Children played by the river, elders sat in quietude weaving water-nets, and men and women manipulated glowing threads of Yao-water to construct towering spires. It was a vision of life, vivid yet ethereal.
But the tender illusion was suddenly devoured by flames and black fog. Screams, desperate escapes, and the thunder of collapsing structures collided in their ears. One by one, figures fell at the boundary of fire and water, until the vision froze on a single back.
It was a youth, his silhouette almost identical to Cang Yuan's. He was kneeling, cradling a blood-stained body in his arms.
"Brother... don't sleep... Brother!"
Cang Yuan's body jolted. He lunged forward, crying out, "Cang Lan!"
Gu Xingyu gasped, realizing that the youth in the vision was Cang Yuan himself.
In the vision, Cang Lan gently stroked his brother's face, his voice tender yet fading: "You must... live on. Remember... what home looked like... for us."
The illusion finally shattered. The entire Tide Shadow space shook as water-pattern arrays spun violently.
Gu Xingyu stepped forward and gripped Cang Yuan's hand firmly. "You are not alone anymore. This memory, this pain—from now on, we bear it together."
Cang Yuan took a deep breath. Yao power surged within him, and the Seal of Water Yao materialized on his palm, growing as clear and deep as a whirlpool.
"I remember now," he spoke softly. "I am of the Water Yao—and the last Warden of Memories for my tribe."
"We, the Water Yao, chose not to fight. We chose only to leave these memories behind... guarding the past, hoping that one day, someone would remember."
The entire realm transformed into a surging tide. Currents rose from beneath Cang Yuan's feet, enveloping him and Gu Xingyu as if the very domain of memory was responding to his awakening.
"Water Yao—is not a power born for escape," he murmured, his eyes slowly closing. "It is the sentinel of memory, the vessel of emotion, and the will of flow and endurance."
Awakened from the depths of memory, Yao power swirled in his palm. The azure Seal erupted with unprecedented brilliance—a force gentle yet steadfast, like the sea embracing a thousand rivers, or rain nourishing the earth.
"Cang Yuan...!" Gu Xingyu gazed at him, her eyes filled with a mix of awe and pride.
At that moment, the crystal ring reactivated. Tidal light swept them up, carrying them through the backflow of memory and returning them to reality.
[Ruins of Floating Dust · Trial Chamber]
BOOM—
The pillar of Yao-water at the center of the ring exploded. Amidst the lingering mist, Cang Yuan and Gu Xingyu returned from the Tide Shadow Realm, their footsteps landing firmly on the stone floor.
The group immediately surrounded them.
"Are you alright?" Lin Lie asked urgently.
Gu Xingyu nodded. "We're back... and he..."
Her gaze turned toward Cang Yuan.
Cang Yuan's expression was no longer lost. The Water Yao Seal pulsed clearly on the back of his hand, shimmering like ripples. His aura was deep and vast, like a silent sea.
"I have reclaimed the primal memories of the Water Yao, and I have accepted the inheritance."
He walked to the edge of the platform and touched the Yao-crystals on the wall. The patterns lit up automatically, revealing a hidden data structure—a library of knowledge. Unlike the rigid, mechanical nature of the Gold Yao, this database flowed like a gentle tide, preserving the wisdom and history of the ancient Water Yao.
Lin Lie was shaken. "This... the memories of Gold and Water were sealed here together? Were they allies?"
"More than allies," Cang Yuan said softly. "They were chroniclers who chose defiance together."
He guided his Yao power, and the light-veins of the two crystals interlaced, activating another mechanism at the heart of the ruins.
The entire trial chamber began to rotate slowly. The dormant Yao-dolls knelt in unison. From the center of the platform rose a dual-Yao crystal, blending the patterns of Gold and Water, humming as it hovered in the air.
Gu Xingyu held up her watch; the Gold and Water seals glowed in synchrony, responding to the revival of this ancient oath. In an instant, the ruins erupted in light. Hidden layers unfolded like a grand treasury of knowledge—ancient techniques, genealogies, history, and forbidden arts surfaced before their eyes.
At the same time, a second core rose from the platform. It resembled the Gold Key but was crafted from translucent blue crystal, its patterns woven like flowing water and shifting memories.
Lin Lie stepped forward, holding the Gold Key he had previously obtained. When the Water Yao energy drew near, the two forces resonated, producing a warm wave of light—a reunion of an ancient pact.
"I thought this belonged only to me," Lin Lie said. "Until you appeared, I didn't realize that knowledge could converge instead of being divided."
Cang Yuan looked at the Gold Key, then at the blurred totem on the wall where Gold machinery and Water ripples intertwined. He reached out, took the Water Key, and touched it to the edge of the totem.
Gu Xingyu's watch vibrated violently. "It... is responding to you both."
Sang Qi murmured, "Two keys, two lineages awakened... It seems the true awakening of the Lost Tribes has only just begun."
Luo Ye leaned back and shrugged. "So? Where's the third one?"
"This isn't a treasure hunt," Li Yan said coldly. "We collect these to stop those who would abuse this power from taking them first."
Lin Lie nodded. "The Yao Realm is shifting. I suspect other ruins are already being watched."
Gu Xingyu looked at the five seals on her watch—Gold and Water were lit; the others remained silent. "We have to find them faster," she whispered.
"Where to next?" Cang Yuan asked.
As Lin Lie pondered, Li Yan spoke up, his voice low but firm: "Before that... can we go to Grey Fang Cliff? I want to go back."
A heavy silence followed.
Gu Xingyu looked at him, sensing the weight in his voice. She didn't hesitate. "Then Grey Fang Cliff is our next stop."
Luo Ye sighed, ruffling his hair. "Sigh, another place that sounds dangerous... but I guess our team is just a magnet for trouble."
"Hey, who's the trouble?" Cang Yuan snapped.
"Me! I'm talking about me!" Luo Ye raised his hands in surrender.
Sang Qi rummaged through his medical bag. "I have a feeling I'm going to be busy. That place is dusty; I need to prep some cough powders."
Lin Lie added, "Grey Fang Cliff is to the southeast. The terrain is rugged and the Yao power is unstable. It's marked as a 'Grey Danger Zone'..."
"I know," Li Yan interrupted, his voice more certain than ever. "But I have to go back. That was my... place of vigil."
Gu Xingyu looked at him with understanding. "You want to see if there are any survivors, don't you?"
Li Yan didn't answer immediately. After a moment, he gave a slow nod. "They were my brothers, my comrades... I owe them more than a promise of rescue. I owe them an answer—to see if hope still remains."
Gu Xingyu took a step closer. "Then we go together. You don't have to face it alone."
Lin Lie paused, then said, "The Yao-carrier can handle that road. I'll drive."
"I'll handle the food," Luo Ye added.
Cang Yuan walked to Li Yan's side. "Lead the way. We're with you."
Li Yan trembled slightly, a flicker of moved emotion in his eyes. "...Thank you."
The sunlight fell across his shoulders, casting a straight, steady shadow. That shadow was no longer alone.
Gu Xingyu watched them, feeling the team transform from mere travelers into a family bound by fate. Their next stop—Grey Fang Cliff. A piece of the past, and a destiny waiting to be restarted.