[Dreamscape · Court of Radiant Spirits]
It was a vast, boundless expanse of white.
Silence reigned, broken only by the ripples of light shimmering beneath her feet like water. Gu Xingyu looked down and realized the patterns were identical to the Solar Seal on her pocket watch—the intersecting lines of the Five Elements, glowing faintly.
She looked up. Through the misty glow in the distance, a figure approached.
It was a woman clad in a white robe, her countenance as elegant as the moon. Her eyes were gentle yet profound, resembling a still lake that had weathered ten thousand storms.
"You are..." Gu Xingyu started to ask, but was silenced by the woman's slow, soft smile.
"Are you the one chosen by that pocket watch?" the woman asked softly, her tone somewhere between a question and an affirmation.
Gu Xingyu froze for a moment, then nodded. "My name is Gu Xingyu. I come from... another world."
The woman nodded slightly, her gaze falling upon the watch. "I once entrusted my final sliver of faith to it. Now, it has finally found its new successor."
A flicker of emotion crossed the woman's eyes as her smile widened slightly. "I was once the Saint. I was also a woman who... entrusted her faith and love to the wrong person."
"My name is Mu Yunzhao."
She reached out, her fingertip brushing the light of the Solar Seal on Gu Xingyu's chest. In an instant, a barrage of fractured memories flashed by—
The moment the Gate of Solar Origin opened, she exhausted her power beneath the searing radiance; in the Black Obsidian Prison, she wore a tattered white robe, chanting scriptures; in the Royal Study, a man sat in silence, clutching a silk handkerchief...
"I once believed that if I loved enough, if I trusted enough, I could change a person."
"I gave him all my faith, my love, and my power."
"But in the end... I realized that those things are not meant to be used as a gamble."
Gu Xingyu gazed at her, a wave of indescribable emotion surging within her heart—a sense of mourning for a vanished soul, yet feeling the weight and warmth that soul had left within her own body.
"Yunzhao... is there anything else you want me to know?"
Mu Yunzhao smiled gently, her eyes glistening like soft moonlight. "If you ever find yourself standing before the door of a great choice, remember this—trust is a two-way street. If someone truly protects you, he will not let you bear the entirety of the Light alone."
Her voice began to fade, her form blurring like a feather caught in the wind.
"Go now, Gu Xingyu. You have them, and you have a destiny yet to be fulfilled."
"This time, do not carry the burden for others. Choose—for yourself."
In the final second, Gu Xingyu thought she saw her look back and smile. It was a smile more real than any legend of holiness.
[Yaonan Hidden Manor · Morning]
Gu Xingyu snapped her eyes open, finding herself lying on the bed in the guest room. She dazed for a moment, memories of the previous night flashing back—sitting by the campfire with Li Yan in the mountain forest. Her last memory was of him reaching out to steady her.
She sat up slowly, a faint smile touching her lips. He must have carried me back.
After washing up, she pushed open the door. The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the manor was bathed in a golden hue. The distant sound of birdsong and wind rustling through the bamboo forest created a scene of pure tranquility.
Her chest rose and fell slightly as she gripped the pocket watch in her palm. She thought of Mu Yunzhao—that dream was not a blurry shadow like the ones before. She remembered the loneliness and resilience in Yunzhao's eyes, and that specific sentence: "If someone truly protects you, he will not let you bear the entirety of the Light alone."
It felt like a gentle knock on her heart. It wasn't sadness, but a quietly flowing sense of... understanding.
Gu Xingyu stared at the watch face for a long time. Finally, she took a deep breath, pressed the watch to her heart, and whispered, "This time, I won't just remember. I will carve my own path, and I will finish the journey you started."
A servant was waiting outside and, with a respectful bow, led her to the dining hall.
Inside, the wooden furniture looked clean and rustic under the soft light. Grandpa Watch sat across from Lin Lie, the two of them deep in conversation over a yellowed notebook with frayed edges.
As Gu Xingyu approached, she heard Lin Lie speaking earnestly: "This notebook was left by my grandfather..." He flipped to a page, pointing at a circular diagram. "The pattern drawn here is almost identical to the one on Xingyu's watch."
He looked up at Grandpa Watch with an inquisitive gaze. "As the Keeper of the Watch, do you know the connection between these two?"
Grandpa Watch traced the diagram with his thumb, a nostalgic look in his eyes. "This notebook... so it really was still with the Lin family."
He spoke calmly, yet with a hint of sighing. "Do you know what this diagram represents? It is called the 'Solar Pulse Array.'"
Lin Lie shook his head, looking stunned.
The old man pointed to the circular pattern—five pulse lines intertwined, marked with the colors of Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. In the center was a six-pointed star seal that matched the watch perfectly.
"This is the core secret seal of the ancient Solar Realm, used to connect the Solar Origin with the power of the Five Elements. Only when the five users gather, the Solar Key resonates, and the Saint's heart bonds with the pulse, can the Gate of Solar Origin truly be opened."
His voice was slow, each word carrying heavy weight.
"And this notebook... was the journal of the previous Keeper, General Lin Zheng. He was one of the oldest Solar Smiths of the realm and the one who helped the former Saint design the prototype of this watch."
"He didn't just participate—he was the blacksmith the Saint trusted most. If he hadn't defied opposition to hide the Solar Seal mechanism inside an 'outer world' watch... none of you would be standing here today."
Grandpa Watch turned to Gu Xingyu, his gaze solemn and warm. "Miss Xingyu, that watch is more than a token; it is the clue and the guide left to you by this world. Have you noticed? Its vibrations resonate with the hearts of the Solar users—not just because of their power, but because of the bond you share with them."
Gu Xingyu nodded slowly. The watch in her hand shimmered with a pale gold light in the morning sun. She thought of her journey with each of them—the laughter, the arguments, the comfort, and the protection. Those were the real keys that had awakened the watch piece by piece.
Lin Lie's fingers remained on the parchment, his brow furrowed in calculation. "So this notebook... is actually the original blueprint for the entire Five Elements project?"
"Not just a blueprint," Grandpa Watch nodded, "but an unfulfilled wish. Lin Zheng and the Saint foresaw the coming chaos and hid the key designs to leave a chance for the future. No single person can move the fate of the Solar Realm. Only together can you restart the Origin."
He looked intensely at Gu Xingyu. "And the one who binds those hearts... is you."
Gu Xingyu remained silent, her hand resting over the notebook and the watch. A strange yet familiar sensation spread from her chest—it wasn't just power, but a feeling of being synchronized with the pulse of the entire world.
Lin Lie noticed the change in her expression and asked softly, "Did you... have a dream last night?"
Gu Xingyu caught his smile but didn't answer directly. She simply offered a faint smile of her own—one that looked like light emerging from a midnight secret, carrying both determination and unspoken gratitude.
"I saw her. Mu Yunzhao. She entrusted her final wish to me—not to walk for someone else, but to choose for myself."
The room fell into a brief silence until a low cough sounded from the doorway. Cang Yuan stood leaning against the frame, a smirk on his lips. "You all woke up so early. Why didn't you call me to hear these 'startling secrets'?"
He walked closer, glancing at Gu Xingyu. "You look like you're in good spirits. Had a good dream?"
Lin Lie shot him a look. "Be serious."
"Alright, alright," Cang Yuan raised his hands in mock surrender, turning to the old man. "Old man, if you're going to let us into the Gate of Solar Origin, shouldn't you tell us what the 'Solar Keys' actually are?"
Grandpa Watch smiled and nodded. "It is time."
He opened another locked box and spread an ancient scroll on the table. It depicted five distinct weapons embedded with solar crystals: a blade, a staff, a ring, a hairpin, and armor. Beside them was a line of ancient text:
The Solar Keys, the primordial imprints of the Five Elements, hidden where the Solar Blood resonates; only those with a heart-bond may claim them.
"These five items are the Solar Seal weapons left by the ancestors," the old man explained. "They appear alongside the Solar Keys, symbolizing your respective powers. But the true 'Key' to open the gate is the resonance of the weapons themselves."
Luo Ye stepped into the room, rubbing his wrist. "Mine is the Fire Solar Ring. It awakened in the flame illusions of Ember Valley a few days ago." He raised his hand, and red rings materialized around his wrists, glowing with latent heat. "I can use them to strike, block, or summon fire arrays. They fit me well."
Sang Qi followed, looking lazy as usual. "My Wood Solar Hairpin... well, I had to dig that out of some childhood memories in the Floating Mist Forest." He pulled a slender pin from his hair; it flickered with green light and suddenly extended into a vine-like whip. "I thought it was just a medical needle, but it turns out it can act as a lash or seal pressure points. Those Solar Smiths were truly eccentric."
Lin Lie stood up. "I suppose I've had mine the longest... though I didn't know what it was at the time." He took out a short cylinder from a mechanical box. As his solar veins glowed, it extended into a mid-length combat staff. "I thought it was just a prototype my grandfather left for controlling mechs. Later, I realized it channels the Gold Element."
From the corner, Cang Yuan drew a short dagger. With a flick of his wrist, the light flowed, and it extended into a long, shimmering blade. "I thought it was just a self-defense tool. It wasn't until the Domain of Tidal Shadows that I understood—it carries my clan's memories and my brother's dream. It's mine to carry now."
Finally, the room turned to the silent Li Yan.
"And you?" the old man asked.
Li Yan paused, then slowly unbuckled his cloak to reveal a shoulder guard. What looked like ordinary armor began to glow with vein-like patterns resembling cragged rock. He pressed the center, and the heavy pauldron expanded into a massive, sturdy heavy shield.
"Left by Vice Captain Shen Lang... I found it after returning to Gray Fang Cliff. He said protecting the villagers was our responsibility. I will keep guarding them."
Grandpa Watch gazed at the group, his expression becoming solemn. "The five Solar Keys and their weapons are all present. This is an unprecedented moment. Never since the fall of the former Saint has the realm seen all five heart-bonded users gathered."
He turned the scroll to reveal the central six-pointed star. "When the keys resonate, the watch will reveal the final guidance to open the Gate of Solar Origin."
The hall went quiet, save for the flickering of the candles. Gu Xingyu looked at the watch and the five weapons. The light was pulsing in rhythm, as if responding to destiny.
She looked up, her eyes resolute. "We are ready. No matter how dangerous the path ahead—we walk it together."
Lin Lie nodded. "It's responding to us."
Sang Qi propped his chin on his hand with a helpless grin. "This is getting more troublesome by the minute... but I don't plan on running away this time."
Luo Ye gripped his fist, his rings vibrating in agreement.
Cang Yuan leaned against the window, looking toward the morning light. "Then let's go. All the way to the end—with no regrets."
Li Yan's voice was as steady as iron. "Yes. Together."