[The Camp • Morning Mist]
Morning light filtered through the forest leaves. Gu Xingyu woke to find a warm cup of calming tea and a note from Sang Qi: "If you haven't slept enough, stay down. You won't grow taller if you don't rest." She smiled and sat up, hearing the low murmur of conversation outside.
At the center of the camp, the others were gathered around Lin Lie's map. He was tracing enemy positions from the previous day, while Cang Yuan marked anomalies detected by his Yao-sensors.
"Here, and here. There were residual Yao-pulses late last night," Cang Yuan pointed to a low valley and a fault line. "It doesn't look like residue; it looks like... something is still running."
"Running?" Luo Ye frowned. "You mean there are still mechanisms active?"
Lin Lie nodded. "If I'm not mistaken, this is an extension of the Rift-Yao base. The Third Prince didn't fully retreat. They left a network of Yao-crystal conduction lines—as if something hasn't finished yet."
"Are you saying they're still conducting trials?" Xingyu asked, joining them. "Not for us, but for this valley?"
"There are signs of a hidden passage beneath the subsidence zone," Li Yan added. "The terrain looks artificially hollowed out."
"Is it to hide people, or something else?" Sang Qi interjected. "I noticed carbonized roots in the herbal patch—the Yao-energy was forcibly sucked dry. This isn't just an ambush site; it's an experiment ground."
Xingyu looked toward the misty valley. "We can't just be reactive. This valley might be a key stronghold for the Rift-Yao. If we break this game, we might force them back."
"You want to go deeper into the valley?" Cang Yuan raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," she nodded. "Lin Lie, Cang Yuan, and I will investigate. Luo Ye, Sang Qi, and Li Yan will hold the camp and the exit for backup."
"If you're going into danger, I'm going with you," Lin Lie said firmly.
[The Descent into the Rift]
The three entered a narrow crevice hidden behind a mossy cliff. The air grew damp, and the walls were marked with claw scratches.
"This scent... it's a mix of residual Yao-energy and Rift-powder," Lin Lie analyzed.
They stepped into a circular stone chamber. At its center stood a triangular pedestal engraved with ancient Yao-script. Murals on the walls depicted a twisted scene: the power of the Five Yao being torn apart and gathered into a single individual.
"This is an original Rift-Yao altar," Xingyu whispered.
Suddenly, the Yao-energy in the room surged. A purple vortex erupted from the pedestal.
"Get back!" Lin Lie reached for Xingyu, but it was too late. The vortex expanded, swallowing them into a realm of mental pressure.
[The Heart-Break Domain: Visions of the Past]
Xingyu opened her eyes to find herself in a dark, empty classroom. Whispers filled her ears: "Aren't they hurt because of you?" "You think you can save anyone?" "They will only find destruction following you."
She gripped her pocket watch. Her memories were being distorted into scenes of betrayal. "A mental trial," she muttered, biting her tongue to clear her mind. She pushed through a shimmering door.
[Lin Lie's Vision]
Xingyu stepped into a workshop filled with the smell of oil and grinding metal. Lin Lie stood before a collapsing Gold-Yao construct, his hands bloody. "It's not my design... I tested it a thousand times... why... if I fail again, I am not worthy to create anything..." he muttered, his eyes vacant.
"Lin Lie!" Xingyu shouted. She stepped beside him. "You aren't a failed designer. You are Lin Lie—the man who protects me even in a storm, the one who notices even when I frown." She placed her hand over his. "I trust you."
The vision shattered. Lin Lie blinked, the affirmative light in Xingyu's eyes pulling him back to reality.
[Cang Yuan's Vision]
The next door led to a scorched wasteland. Cang Yuan knelt in the flames, cradling the body of his brother, Cang Lan. "You lived, but you saved no one... you are a coward," shadows hissed.
Cang Yuan was catatonic, his habitual smile long gone. Xingyu knelt and took his hand. "You aren't a sin, Cang Yuan. You are the man who rescued me from the enemy camp. Your brother wouldn't want you to torture yourself. You aren't his shadow; you are the one who is alive."
The flames died. Cang Yuan gasped, tears and sweat mingling on his face. He leaned into Xingyu's embrace for a fleeting second before the illusion crumbled.
[The Beacon]
The three stood back in the ruined stone chamber. A Yao-crystal beacon emerged from the pedestal.
"This is a relay for the Rift-Yao energy lines," Lin Lie said. "We need to take this back."
As they retreated into the narrow tunnel, they didn't notice a hidden sigil glowing on the wall. It wasn't an ancient carving—it was a modern Yao-mark planted by someone else. A cold, blurry eye flickered within the stone, its gaze reflected across a great distance.
[The Yao Capital • The Pavilion of Dark Visions]
Deep beneath the palace, the Grand Preceptor, Feng Mian, sat before a long table. Floating specks of light surrounded him like a miniature galaxy. One cluster shimmered, revealing the figures of Xingyu and her companions escaping the domain.
Feng Mian looked up, his eyes deep and unfathomable. "The stars are set, yet one has veered off course..."
His voice was a mere whisper. He watched Xingyu on the water-mirror, her expression calm and resolute. A smile that carried a hint of dangerous suppression touched his lips.
"She actually broke the domain..."
He gazed at her as if observing an uncalculable star. "Gu Xingyu... will you burn out, or will you light up the night sky?"