⸻
[Scene: Deep Descent into the Sanctum]
The spiral staircase winding downward felt endless.
Each step Max and Lian Yue took resonated with echoes from another time. Runes etched onto the walls glowed softly—no longer red with warning but gold with dormant reverence.
Max's Origin Eyes swirled faintly with violet and silver streaks as he glanced at the ancient patterns.
"There's something beneath," he murmured. "It's like a slumbering presence… old, but watching."
Lian Yue stayed close, her senses alert.
"The sealed library lies ahead, but this energy feels different. It's not knowledge—it's power. Forgotten and buried."
⸻
[Scene: The Antechamber of Flames]
They arrived at a circular hall, vast and silent.
In the center stood a massive brazier, long extinguished, its structure blackened and cracked.
Around it, statues of robed cultivators kneeled, their faces contorted in pain or reverence. Chains made of crystallized light looped the brazier, sealing its core.
Just above it floated a glowing ember. A single, pulsating speck of scarlet.
"The Sealed Flame," Max whispered. "I've read of it… a flame born from the final breath of an Eternal who mastered the Law of Memory."
Lian Yue turned sharply. "Why is it here?"
"It must've been locked away… too dangerous, even for those who created this sanctum."
Max approached it cautiously, Origin Eyes scanning deep within. Suddenly, visions assaulted his mind—wars of memory, burning skies, and a woman cloaked in eternity, weeping beside the flame.
⸻
[Scene: The Flame Awakens]
As Max stepped within five meters of the brazier, a voice rang out—not from the room, but within him.
"Child of the Origin Path… why do you seek memory that has forgotten itself?"
Max stood firm. "Because I walk toward what was never meant to be found."
"Then burn."
The ember pulsed once—and all hell broke loose.
The chains shattered into sparks, and the brazier flared alive in crimson fire. Ghostly silhouettes screamed and scattered. The statues wept molten tears. A spiritual gale threw Lian Yue back, barely catching herself with a barrier.
Max's body trembled under the sheer pressure of remembrance.
His Origin Eyes glowed uncontrollably—decoding, absorbing, reacting.
⸻
[Scene: Trial of the Sealed Flame Begins]
A phantom flame shot out from the brazier, coiling around Max like a serpent.
[System Notice]
[Trial of the Sealed Flame: Initiated]
[Objective: Endure the Flame of Forgotten Memories]
[Warning: Spiritual Collapse is possible]
Max was pulled into his own consciousness—a plane of burning scrolls, torn memories, and fractured thoughts.
He stood among versions of people he had never met, but somehow felt intimately connected to.
A girl clutching a toy rabbit.
A youth kneeling beside a coffin.
A boy with his hands stained red—tears falling silently.
The face of a mother—blurred and shimmering like smoke.
His knees buckled, but he bit his lip and screamed, "I will not forget!"
The flame flickered—and calmed.
⸻
[Scene: Aftermath – Max Awakens]
The brazier returned to silence. The ember dimmed, no longer hostile—but bound to him.
His robes were scorched. Eyes bleeding faint silver, but he stood tall.
Lian Yue ran to him, hands glowing with healing light. "What did you see?"
He shook his head. "Not all of it… but enough to know this sanctum hides more than relics or knowledge. It's hiding intent."
[System Notice]
[Sealed Flame Resonance Achieved]
[Trait Gained: Flame of Memory – Passive]
[Your Origin Eyes have synchronized with the Sealed Flame. You can now detect 'false memories' and illusionary history.]
⸻
[Scene: Status Check]
Max blinked as his status shifted subtly.
⸻
#### Max – Status Window ####
Name: Max
Age: 19
Realm Category: Mortal Realm
Major Realm: Qi Initiation
Minor Realm: Fifth Minor Realm
Level: 49
Segment: Peak Stage
Lifespan Limit: 260 years
Eyes: Origin Eyes (Stage II) – Synced with Sealed Flame
Traits:
• Flame of Memory – Passive
• Temporal Flow Resistance
• Partial Law Affinity: Memory
Status: Stable – Caution (Mental Load at 68%)
⸻
Lian Yue sighed, seeing his state. "You're too reckless…"
Max offered a tired smile. "But look how close I am now… just one step away."
⸻
[Closing Scene: Outside Interference Begins]
Far beyond the sanctum, a ripple echoed through realms.
In a hidden location, the Silver Masked Cult Leader paused, turning to a cracked mirror glowing crimson.
"The flame has awakened."
He snapped his fingers.
From the shadows, six masked figures stepped forward.
"Bring me the boy. No more watching."
⸻
#### System Notification ####
[You have awakened a Forbidden Legacy]
[You are now being tracked by Fatebound Entities]
[Library Seal Detection: 85% Complete]
[Warning: External Invasion Event may occur within 2 chapters]
⸻
End of Chapter 22