Moonlight bathed the mountain in silver.
The breeze carried the scent of plum blossoms, and somewhere in the distance, soft laughter echoed—light, innocent, full of life.
Lin Xuan stood at the edge of a memory—one that should've been lost forever.
But here, in the Realm of Forgotten Echoes, time and memory obeyed different laws.
He was no longer dressed in black robes of chaos.
He wore the plain white robes of a young outer disciple.
His hands were clean. His gaze—soft. Unscarred.
And at his side walked Yun'er.
---
The First Truth: A Life of Peace
She was exactly as he remembered.
Eyes like spring water. A voice like wind chimes.
She walked barefoot over the grassy cliffside, holding a basket of herbs and smiling at him with a gentle frown.
> "Lin Xuan, you forgot again. You promised you'd help me gather moon petals today."
He smiled—awkward, nervous, younger.
> "Sorry, I was caught up with scrolls again."
> "You and your scrolls," she said, laughing. "You're always chasing some greater truth. You know what I think?"
> "What?"
> "Sometimes… it's okay not to climb. Sometimes happiness is right here."
She tapped his chest lightly.
And that memory—that warmth—struck deeper than any blade ever had.
---
A Choice Revisited
As they walked, visions of simpler times unfolded around them:
Training in the courtyard under moonlight.
Sharing buns by the lantern shop after dusk.
Her humming lullabies as he studied late into the night.
Lin Xuan had once loved her.
Truly.
And she… she had once believed he would stay.
> "We could've left the sect together," her memory whispered. "Opened a clinic in a small city. Maybe raised a child."
> "You could've lived."
Lin Xuan closed his eyes.
And for the first time in years—he hesitated.
---
System Prompt
[Memory Trial 1 – Nearing Completion]
Confrontation Required: Confirm or Deny the Path You Abandoned
Warning: Emotional Conflict Detected – Chaos Core Stabilizing…
Stability Holding: 83%
---
> "Would you give it up?" Yun'er's memory asked softly. "The power. The chaos. Everything."
> "Would you trade it for me?"
The stars dimmed. Even the wind seemed to wait for his answer.
Lin Xuan looked at her—eyes full of sorrow and strength.
> "No," he said. "Because you would've died… with the rest."
> "The sect betrayed me. Our masters betrayed me. And if I had stayed—if we had stayed—you'd have been buried beside me."
> "So I climbed. I burned. I became what they feared… to ensure no one ever broke me again."
Tears ran down Yun'er's cheeks.
But she smiled.
> "Then don't regret me. Just remember me."
She faded like mist under sunlight.
---
The Memory Shatters
Light exploded across the dreamscape.
And when it cleared, Lin Xuan stood alone.
In his hand, the first shard of the Third Nexus Key glowed softly—etched with the symbol of a crescent moon.
---
[Memory 1 of 3 Confronted: "The Life He Left Behind"]
Progress: 1/3
Chaos Core Stability Restored: 100%
New Passive Unlocked: Heartsteel – Immune to mental illusions below his cultivation stage
Emotional Residue Detected: Affection, Regret, Resolve
System Processing into Core Resonance… Complete
---
Back in the Silver Forest
Lin Xuan awoke beneath the great memory tree.
The Watcher of the Grove waited nearby, unmoving.
"You held her close," she said. "And you let her go. That is strength few possess."
He nodded once, no words.
She held out the next shard—dark red, humming with raw anguish.
"Are you ready to face the second truth?"
Lin Xuan stood.
> "Show me the pain I buried."