The Valley Of Echoing Souls

The air was still cold, and crisp as we emerged from the Forest of Whispering Shadows, but the moment we did, the sunlight warm against my skin. Yet, the shadows I had commanded still lingered in my memory, a reminder of the power within me… and the curse that came with it.

Yue Ling walked beside me, with a blank expression on her face. She hadn't spoken much since the strange ordeal in the forest. I turned to see her gaze on my pendant, then she looked away. I didn't blame her. Even I was afraid of what I don't yet know the answer to. But there was no time for fear. Not when we were so close to the next destination.

*****

Soon, we had arrived at the Valley of Echoing Souls in awkward silent between us. But the moment we stepped into the valley, I felt the land shifting slowly, glowing with an unusual light, and it buzzes with an energy, a low hum vibrating through the ground

I had heard stories about this place. A valley where time flowed backwards, where voices of one's past deeds whispered through the wind. It was said that the valley was created by the tears of the Goddess of Memories, who mourned the loss of the ancient world after it's destruction. Her sorrow had soaked into the earth, giving birth to the valley's power.

"Do you hear that?" Yue Ling asked, her eyes wide with awe. I did. It was faint, but I could hear voices… laughter… weeping… past battles. The echoes of those who had lived, and died, their memories trapped within the valley.

Swallowing hard, We walked deeper, the ground still shaking beneath our feet, and trying to throw us off balance. The more steps we take forward, the more the air grew colder, the voices growing louder, My head spinning around with unknown memories of fallen men pressing against my mind. It was as if they wanted to be heard… to be remembered.

"They're searching for something," Yue Ling whispered, hugging herself.

"For someone to carry their stories."She is afraid, I could see it in her eyes.

A chill ran down my spine. The valley was alive, its memories hungry for someone to possess. I could feel them pressing in, trying to seep into my thoughts, to take over.

"Focus," I said, my voice low but steady. "We're here to train. To strengthen our minds, and spirits. We can't get lost in the past."

Yue Ling nodded, her determination returning.

"You are right. We need to learn how to resist illusions. If we can master our minds here, we'll be ready for anything the tournament throws at us."

I took a deep breath, centering my Qi energy. The whispers slowly grew distant, their pull on us weakening slowly. We moved through the valley, the air, and more memories of others surfaces. Faces started appeared, and vanished at will. Majority were faces of warriors, lovers, children… all lost to time.

Then, we found it. At the heart of the valley stood the Altar of Remembrance, an ancient stone platform engraved with symbols beyond human understanding. In its center a Memory Crystal, glowing with silver light, was floating. It seemed to be the source of the valley's power, the anchor holding the echoes of these daunting memories in place.

Suddenly I felt the crystal's pulling me toward him, and I stepped forward, unable to resist it. It wanted to show me something… a memory meant for me.

Despite Yue Ling's screams to let it go, I just couldn't control my inner energy anymore. the crystal pull was stronger than my accumulated Qi energy. But as I reached out to touch the crystal, the ground suddenly trembled, and shadows cames out around the altar, forming a monster-like shape. It was a Memory Wraith, a guardian born from the same sorrow of the Goddess. Its body was made of swirling memories of dead men, and its eyes glowing with hatred.

"It's feeding on the pain of the past!" Yue Ling shouted, drawing her sword. "We have to purify it!"

The wraith roared as if to her decision, its form shifting, faces stretching from its body, faces of people who had died long ago. They screamed, their voices piercing my mind.

And I stumbled forward, my vision slowly beginning to turn blurry. I shaked my head hard in an attempt to keep my Qi under control but it's didn't work as memories of others flooded in, and flows through my mind, memories that weren't mine. I saw wars, betrayals, deaths… pain that spanned centuries. It was overwhelming, suffocating. Twisting my face in anguish, I could literally feel their pain, it looked so real.

"Li Tian!" I could hear Yue Ling's voice trying to break through go me from the chaos. "Don't let it control you! Remember what we came here for!"

Her words worked, because my spirit started fighting back. I took a deep breath, feeling the pendant's slowly warming up against my chest.

"I am Li Tian. I am the boy who survived, the orphan who refused to give up. I am not just a vessel for these memories". I said, feeling determined to fight back.

Suddenly, my Qi outer energy flared up, trying to push back the echoes in my mind. The wraith screamed out, its form slowly dissolving. I felt its pain, its sorrow, and I understood. It wasn't evil. It was trapped, just like the souls it guarded.

"We need to release it," I said, stepping forward. "To set it free from its past."

Yue Ling nodded, her sword flames igniting again. "Together, then."

We combined our energies, my outer energy wrapping around her sword flames, it formed a spiral shaped light of blue, and gold hue. The wraith screamed out loudly again, while it body is breaking apart, and I saw the faces within it smiling… they were finally at peace.

Turning to look at the altar, I saw the Memory Crystal pulses at intervals, its light brightening. Suddenly the light started to fades away, and the echoes grew quiet, the valley returning to stillness.

Slowly I approached the altar, placing my hand on the crystal, Images flooded my mind. They were visions of the past, of the Goddess of Memories weeping for her lost world. For the destruction caused by greedy immortals. Her tears had created this valley, preserving the stories of the fallen.

And then like a flash, I saw something else. A vision of a man standing on a mountain, his body radiating darkness. His eyes were cold, empty, and around his neck hung a pendant identical to mine.

And just as it came as a flash, the vision faded, the crystal finally going black. I staggered back, my heart racing rapidly.

Quickly, Yue Ling caught me, steady me with her hand on my back, with concern in her eyes. "What did you see?"

"A man… I saw man… a man with my kind of pendant," I stuttered

"He was surrounded by darkness… and the mountain… it looked like Mount Tianxu."

Her eyes widened on hearing my words.

"Then he must be connected to the Celestial Lotus Sect… or the artifact they guard."

I looked at the crystal, its light completely black in color now. The valley had shown me a fragment of the past… and a warning of what lay ahead. What should I do now? It's either I continue on the journey of searching for my past, or I encounter what destiny has in store for me

"Hey, I was actually thinking! You know, why don't we just go ahead, and enlist in the competition?" She said ,and i smiled. It's just the solid push I need.

"Yeah! But what about your father? He will be so worried about you! You know you never informed him of joining the competition this year?" I said, pretending to frown.

"Nah! He will understand! Actually, he knows of my plans of joining the competition, though!" She replied, and I grinned.

"Alright! Let's go! As for me, I have got nothing to lose if I fail the competition!" I said, and she grinned back at me.