The Yao-Rover rolled slowly along the gravel path into a low basin. The surrounding forest grew dense, the humidity thickening into a swirling mist that looked like a slumbering beast.
Lin Lie's brow furrowed as he gripped the control lever. "The ground here is unstable. We can't take the Rover any deeper. We go on foot."
Luo Ye hopped down, his boots sinking into the marshy soil with a wet squelch. "Is this gods-forsaken place really where the next Seal is?"
Gu Xingyu looked down at the pocket watch. The icons were pulsing with a faint, rhythmic light. She bit her lip and nodded. "It keeps pointing this way."
"This area... it used to be called the Dust-Float Marsh," Sang Qi said, his tone unusually solemn. "Supposedly, it was a stronghold for a clan of Yao-Artisans decades ago."
By mid-afternoon, the sky turned a dusty amber. The air smelled of old iron and sun-baked metal. As they navigated the ruins under the cliffside, Lin Lie led the way, his expression intense. He stopped before a tilted stone monument and wiped away the dust, revealing a faded crest of the Gold-Yao Clan.
"This matches my grandfather's records..." he murmured.
Nearby, a half-hidden metal door stood, etched with rusted mechanical seals. Drawn by a silent calling, Lin Lie approached. At his touch, the door creaked open, exhaling a heavy scent of age. Before the others could stop him, he stepped inside as if deaf to their voices.
[The Underground Complex]
The tunnel was abyssal, lined with extinguished Yao-lamps. Lin Lie struck a flint, illuminating complex blueprints on the walls—ancestral mechanical designs, but mixed with records of military weaponization.
His heart sank. This wasn't just a clan site; it was a sealed weapons laboratory.
Suddenly, a low mechanical hum vibrated through the floor. A half-active Gold-Yao automaton slid from the wall, its core flickering. Recognizing the Gold-Yao Qi in Lin Lie, it identified him as a "Defector" and attacked.
Lin Lie dodged a shockwave, his shoulder slamming into the stone. He gasped, forcing himself up. In the firelight, his eyes ignited with a resolve he had never felt before.
"Grandfather said creation is for the people, not for war... but if destruction is unavoidable, I will use my hands to guard the last of our convictions!"
Yao-power surged through him. Gold patterns flowed like liquid light along his arms. "The wish to never fight... is always trampled by reality," he whispered.
He raised his short-staff, twisting the base to reveal its hidden core.
Resonance.
Gilded energy erupted from his palm, pulling scattered mechanical scraps from the floor. They assembled in mid-air into rotating blades, circling him like crescent moons. He lunged, his Yao-blades clashing against the automaton's claws in a shower of sparks and shrieking metal.
"Grandfather... I finally understand why you hid these designs so deep."
He gritted his teeth, pulling out a prototype seal-mold his grandfather had left him—the Yao-Converter. Placing it in his palm, he whispered, "Let me prove that what you left behind wasn't a weapon... but a will."
The core flared. A gilded forcefield expanded, and blueprints flashed through his mind. Using his grandfather's logic, he reconstructed the surrounding scrap into a heavy defense shield. When the automaton charged again, he stood his ground. The impact nearly shattered his arm, but he did not retreat.
"You are a ghost of a memory. I am a living man."
He leaped, his staff carving a trail of brilliant light through the air. The strike pierced the automaton's core.
BOOM!
The machine shattered. Shards of crystal fell like a meteor shower, illuminating the ruined corridor. Lin Lie knelt, gasping for air, blood trickling from his forehead—but his eyes were brighter than ever.
He hadn't fought for revenge. He had fought to stop running from his own power.
[Outside the Ruins]
"Was that... an explosion?" Luo Ye shouted.
Xingyu's heart hammered against her ribs. "Lin Lie!" She sprinted into the tunnel, the others hot on her heels. They rounded the final corner to see Lin Lie standing amidst a sea of crystal shards.
"Lin Lie!" Xingyu rushed to him, her eyes scanning his bleeding shoulder and bruised legs.
He turned slowly. Seeing her face, he seemed to wake from a dream. "I'm... fine," he rasped, offering a faint, weary smile.
"You call this fine? You're bleeding, and your Yao-Qi is unstable!" She knelt to check his wounds.
Lin Lie simply watched her. He reached out and gently took her wrist. "I really am fine... I just... finally know why I have to keep walking."
Xingyu froze, their eyes locking in a heavy, silent gaze.
"Holy crap," Luo Ye gaped at the wreckage. "Did you dismantle the whole ruin by yourself?"
Sang Qi knelt to inspect the residue. "This is Gold-Yao burst-level energy. Lin Lie, you..."
"It's him," Li Yan said, his voice deep with respect. "You are the Gold-Bearer. There's no doubt."
Lin Lie closed his eyes, exhaling a long-held breath. When he opened them, the heavy "armor" of his isolation seemed to have fallen away. "I thought my power only brought disaster. But for once... I didn't hesitate."
He looked at Xingyu. "You made me realize I don't have to copy his path. I can forge my own."
Xingyu didn't speak. She just squeezed his hand, her eyes shining with pride and relief.
"Hey, our golden genius has finally awakened!" Cang Yuan broke the silence. "So, should I call you Master Lin or Mr. Exploding-Head now?"
"Shut up, you," Sang Qi snapped, though his voice was softer than usual.
Lin Lie laughed. He had always thought his only family was his grandfather. Now, he had a whole team willing to walk beside him.
"Let's go," he said, looking deeper into the shadows. "This place might still hold secrets of my people."
Xingyu gripped the watch, the Gold icon glowing steady and bright. The journey had reached a new chapter, and Lin Lie had finally become who he was meant to be.