Soul Recovery Pod – Bureau of Strange Affairs
Lu Feng lay quietly inside the soul-restoration chamber, his consciousness slowly descending into a deeper layer.
In his hand, he still tightly held the cracked soul-core left by Lin Qian's echo.
He did not dream.
Instead, memories—not from this life—began to rise like the tide.
[Memory Fragment – 132 Years Ago]
A crumbling mountain valley, winds howling with violent spiritual turbulence. Dozens of early-generation spiritual agents circled a collapsing altar. At the center stood a young man—long hair tied back, calm eyes, wrapped in spiritual chains.
His name: Lu Yuan.
Lu Feng's previous life.
Beside him stood a woman in black-and-gold robes, her face sharp yet kind. She looked remarkably like Kaelin—only softer, and more resolute.
Her name: Lin Nian.
"This is the last time," Lu Yuan said quietly.
"If you activate the soul-sealing array," Lin Nian replied, "you'll lose everything—including your chance to reincarnate."
"If it saves the world from the Gray Domain, it's worth it."
Her eyes reddened. Still, she didn't stop him.
"I promise you… if you fall, I'll wait a hundred years."
"I'll never link souls again. Never bind another."
Lu Yuan looked at her with a gentle smile.
"Then… if you're still waiting a century from now—come find me."
He turned, pressing his soul chain into the core of the altar.
Blinding light exploded. The world burned away.
Present – Reality
Lu Feng's eyes opened. Sweat soaked through his shirt.
"Lu Yuan… Lin Nian…"
His voice trembled.
The truth dawned on him.
His bond with Kaelin wasn't random.Their connection didn't begin in this life.Their souls had once been bound by a promise never fulfilled.
He stood up, gripping the core fragment tightly.
Control Room – Later
Kaelin stood quietly by the window. She turned when Lu Feng approached.
"I remember now," he said.
Kaelin's breath caught.
He walked closer, slowly, carefully.
"You are Lin Nian. I was Lu Yuan."
"And our soul-bond… is a vow left unfinished."
Kaelin's eyes turned red.
But before she could speak—
The alarm system blared.
"Dimensional surge detected. Former Sealing Site reactivating.""Location: Valley of the First Seal – Lu Yuan's death site."
Zhao Ting looked up in shock. "Isn't that the place from your memory?"
Lu Feng narrowed his eyes.
"The Gray Domain is opening the past."