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[Scene: Inside the Sanctum – Hidden Corridors Beyond the Flame Hall]
Max walked in silence, his hand occasionally brushing the smooth, rune-marked walls as they moved deeper into the sanctum. His Origin Eyes—now infused with the power of the Sealed Flame—gleamed subtly with purple and red hues. Every glyph, every mark, seemed to shift under his gaze, offering whispers of truth once thought lost.
Behind him, Lian Yue followed, quiet but alert. Her spiritual sense pulsed outward in soft waves, feeling for disturbances.
They reached a tri-arched passage, each path shrouded in different elemental auras—wind, stone, and shadow.
"Which one?" she asked, turning to Max.
He didn't respond immediately. Instead, he stepped forward and closed his eyes. As he did, the Origin Eyes began to shimmer beneath his lids.
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[Scene: The Gift of Sight – Through the Veil of Illusions]
A system ping rang softly in his ears.
[Origin Eyes – Phase II: Memory Perception Active]
[Analyzing Ancient Spiritual Residue…]
[Detection Complete: Illusion-based Rewriting Found on Shadow Path]
[WARNING: False History Detected – Proceed with Caution]
Max's eyes opened sharply, fire briefly flaring within them.
"The shadow path is a lie. Someone rewrote its presence to divert us."
Lian Yue blinked. "Rewrote history?"
He nodded. "Not the kind of illusion you dispel with spirit power. This… this was embedded centuries ago. Whoever did it didn't just alter perception—they altered remembrance itself."
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[Scene: Choosing the True Path]
Guided by instinct and the subtle shifting of the Origin Eyes, Max led them through the wind path.
The corridor twisted unnaturally, like it existed outside of normal space. They passed through floating steps, hovering memory fragments, and spectral guardians bound in ancient slumber.
One fragment paused before Max, lingering like a lost soul.
It showed a boy kneeling at an altar, whispering a name to a burning tree.
"Elis…"
Max's heart skipped a beat.
"That name…" he murmured. "It was in my dream. My flashback."
Lian Yue turned. "Was it the girl?"
He shook his head slowly. "I… I don't know. But I feel like I should."
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[Scene: Arrival at the Sealed Library Gate]
Eventually, they reached it.
A vast obsidian gate loomed in front of them. It bore no inscriptions, only a singular groove in the shape of a flame and an eye. As Max approached, the groove lit up with golden-red energy.
[Sealed Library Authentication: 100%]
[Origin Eyes – Verified]
[Sealed Flame Signature – Verified]
[Gate Unsealing Initiated…]
The gate trembled.
Chains of memory and time recoiled.
Then, with a deep boom, the gates slowly parted—revealing not a library of scrolls and books, but a cathedral of light and shadow filled with floating tomes, suspended thoughts, and living records of history itself.
"This… is no ordinary library," Lian Yue whispered, awed.
"This is the Archive of Forgotten Origins," Max said grimly. "And it was sealed for a reason."
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[Scene: Fate Moves Outside the Sanctum]
Far beyond the sanctum, a cloaked figure stood at a cliff's edge. In his hand was a mirror reflecting the moment the library's gates opened.
He chuckled.
"Finally… after all these years, the boy opens the gate."
A second figure approached.
"Shall we act?"
"No," the cloaked figure said. "Let him learn. Let him unravel. The truth… is heavier than any sword."
"But if he reaches the memory of the girl…"
"Then the world will burn again."
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#### Max – Status Window Update ####
Name: Max
Age: 19
Realm Category: Mortal Realm
Major Realm: Qi Initiation
Minor Realm: Fifth Minor Realm
Level: 50
Segment: Peak Stage (Minor Realm Breakthrough Possible)
Lifespan Limit: 260 years
Eyes: Origin Eyes (Phase II – Flame Infused)
Traits:
• Flame of Memory
• Law Resonance: Truth & Illusion (Preliminary)
• Library Keybearer
Status: Stable – Deep Mental Engagement
Notes: Access granted to Archive of Forgotten Origins
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End of Chapter 23
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📘 Author's Note:
Hey everyone! We've officially stepped into the next major arc of Volume 1, and things are only going to get deeper from here—mysteries about Max's past, the identity of the girl in the flashbacks, and the grand design behind the sanctum will start unfolding.
This chapter introduces the Archive of Forgotten Origins, which will serve as a central mystery zone for the next few chapters.
Max is on the brink of another breakthrough, and his Origin Eyes have never been more critical.
As always, I'd love to hear your theories—especially about Elis. Who do you think she really is?
Thanks for staying on the Path to Origin.
— Daoinc