[Distant Echoes · The Watch Vibrates]
While Lin Lie, Gu Xingyu, Sang Qi, and Li Yan were resting and regrouping at the mountain border—
Night fell, the wind grew still, and insects chirped in the dark. Gu Xingyu sat on a flat rock outside the tent, leafing through the Yao ruins map drawn by Lin Lie. Suddenly, her pocket watch vibrated violently!
She flipped open the lid. The Fire Yao Mark was erupting in a sudden, brilliant crimson light, flowing across the watch face like a rekindled bonfire in the night.
"Fire Yao...!" she whispered, her heart jolting. That light felt like a response sent from a distant heart. Her eyes welled with warmth, and her fingertips trembled.
Sang Qi rushed out of the tent, his brow furrowed. "Resonance?!"
Lin Lie followed close behind, his eyes fixed on the flickering red light. "There's a change on their end... the Fire Yao has awakened."
Gu Xingyu stood up, clutching the watch to her chest. Her eyes were filled with shock and joy. "It's Luo Ye. He's awakened his power. They must be safe, right?" She bit her lip and took a deep breath. "We need to pick up the pace and head to Wind-Stone Plain immediately."
Lin Lie nodded solemnly, his gaze sweeping over the quiet woods. "If he survived the trial, it means he is strong enough. But it also means... the Cracked Yao might have already targeted them."
Li Yan, leaning against a nearby rock, felt his own Earth Yao Mark flickering with a faint light. "That kid... he looks impulsive, but he's harder than anyone. If he truly lost control, no one could stop him. But the fact that he awakened means he pushed through."
A smile touched Gu Xingyu's lips. "Then we can't fall behind. We have to find the next key and join them—to the very end."
[Wind-Stone Plain · Realm of the Yao-Bones]
The next morning, the group crossed the fault valleys and reached the heart of the Wind-Stone Plain ruins.
The wind here was strange, swirling between massive, wind-eroded stone pillars like ancient voices whispering. The ground was littered with Yao-crystal shards and pale bone fragments. Broken blades and rusted armor were embedded in the stone—a heavy atmosphere of ancient, unspent battle intent.
"This isn't a normal battlefield," Sang Qi said, his voice unusually grave. "Someone once used their own body as an array here to repel a world-ending force."
Li Yan walked at the front. As his hand touched the stone, a heavy pulse of Yao-energy surged from his body, resonating with the ruins. "There is an echo of 'Earth Yao' here. I can feel it calling me."
"We need to find the core of the trial immediately," Lin Lie said. "Time is running out. Last night's resonance means the Cracked Yao might already be—"
Before he could finish, a faint, sharp sound echoed through the pillars.
[Interference · Shadows of the Cracked Yao]
Lin Lie signaled for the group to stop. "Careful—we aren't the only ones here."
Shadows darted between the pillars, moving as fast as the wind itself. The stench of Cracked Yao energy pressed in.
"They're trying to interfere with the trial!" Sang Qi hissed. "Are they trying to steal the power, or destroy the ruins entirely?"
"Whatever it is," Lin Lie said coldly, "this trial cannot wait." He looked at Li Yan. "We'll hold them off. Go. Face your Yao-soul."
Li Yan nodded silently and stepped into the ruins' core—a half-collapsed circular hall. At its center was a massive monolith engraved with the ancient Yao crest, recording the mission of the "Earth Yao Sentinels."
[The Trial · The Night of the Fall]
As Li Yan pressed his palm against the monolith, a deep, heavy vibration shook the ground. Stone patterns rippled outward, enveloping him. The vision began.
Inside the vision, Li Yan stood in his old home—the village by Grey Fang Cliff. It was peaceful, children were playing, and villagers were moving supplies. But he knew it was an illusion.
His Vice Captain, Shen Lang, walked toward him. "Li Yan, do you really believe you can protect everyone?"
The scene shattered into the night the village fell. Fire raged. Li Yan stood at the village entrance alone, his arms drenched in blood as he held back the monsters. Behind him, the villagers fled in terror.
"Go! Get out of here!" he roared.
But in the end, he couldn't hold them. He watched the Cracked Yao storm the village. He heard the screams. He heard Shen Lang's final cry: "I'll stay and cover you!"—and then, silence.
In the illusion, Li Yan knelt in the ashes, clutching the Vice Captain's broken badge. "I was too weak... I couldn't protect them."
But then, whispers surrounded him—not from the enemies, but from the phantoms of those he had protected.
"You were our shield."
"Li Yan, it was the Cracked Yao who were wrong, not you."
"You aren't a failure. You are our Captain."
[Awakening · The Earth Key]
A gold-brown light rose from the ground, winding around Li Yan's legs. The grief didn't vanish, but it transformed—becoming as solid and immovable as a mountain. It wasn't a weight anymore; it was his foundation.
He opened his eyes, and the Earth Yao energy crystallized. The vision shattered.
In the center of the hall, the monolith cracked, and the Earth Yao Key, forged of stone and power, emerged. Li Yan grasped it. The energy was stable and vast.
Outside, the wind stopped. The Cracked Yao attackers froze, sensing the overwhelming power. Realizing they had lost the chance, their leader signaled a retreat, and they vanished into the shadows.
[Nightfall · A Shared Moment]
Later that night, outside the tent, Gu Xingyu sat on a mound, watching the Fire and Earth symbols glowing on her watch. She felt a new sense of peace.
Li Yan stood nearby, watching the horizon. She walked up to him. "Are you... okay?"
Li Yan didn't turn around. "I never thought those voices from the past would one day become so clear."
"You did well," she said softly.
He finally turned to look at her, his gaze warm despite his usual sternness. "Thank you. When I felt like I couldn't hold on anymore... I heard your voice."
"Huh? Me? Did I call you?" she asked, confused.
Li Yan let out a rare, low chuckle. "No. But in that moment, I knew—if I didn't hold on, I would never see you again."
Gu Xingyu froze, her cheeks flushing.
Then, he went back to his stiff, formal self. "...And the team. And the mission. It's not the time to fall yet."
"This 'mister-brooding' can actually flirt..." she murmured to herself.
"What?"
"Nothing!" she waved her hands frantically. "I'm going to see if the others need help!" He just had to pause like that, she thought. I almost thought he meant... well, it's not like I'm a legendary beauty or anything.
Li Yan didn't ask further; he just looked down and smiled. Her presence was the light that had pulled him out of the shadows.
[Dawn · The Reunion]
At dawn, as they crossed the northern wastes of the Wind-Stone Plain, they saw two familiar figures on a high ridge.
Luo Ye was kicking at pebbles with his pack on his back, while Cang Yuan sat on a rock, chewing on a wild fruit. Seeing them, Cang Yuan waved frantically.
"Ah! Our lady Xingyu has finally arrived!"
"I'm so glad you're both safe!" Gu Xingyu ran toward them, her watch vibrating in rhythm with her heartbeat.
Luo Ye watched her run toward them, a flicker of emotion in his eyes, but he kept his scowl. "What are you running for? The ground here is unstable. Watch your step."
"I'm fine, I'm not that weak," she laughed.
Cang Yuan hopped down and spread his arms playfully. "Oh! You're so eager to give me a hug? I'm blushing!"
"Shut up!" Luo Ye snapped, though he was clearly relieved.
The laughter of the group echoed across the plain. For the first time, all five Yao were gathered.