The Sea of Forgetting is not a true ocean, but a nebula composed of countless "fragments of memory." Here, stardust is frozen images, air currents are flowing sounds, and even the light carries the temperature of oblivion— Dream Guardian, this is the final resting place for the "unrecorded memories" of all civilizations in the early days of the universe.
As Xiao Yan, Qing He, and Xiao He's starship entered this nebula, the scenery outside the porthole became extremely strange: sometimes a group of ancient cultivators clad in animal skins would fly by hunting in the starry sky, sometimes a crystal city would appear collapsing in war, and most strangely, a layer of "rust from the past" would condense on the starship's metal hull, as if the ship had been drifting here for thousands of years.
"These fragments of memory interfere with reality." Xiao He stroked the rust on the cabin wall, the Power of Chaos at her fingertips instantly dissipating the rust. " The Tree Spirit said that at the core of the Sea of Forgetting lies a ' Memory Shipwreck,' carrying the 'first wisp of memory from the beginning of the universe,' the only 'original coordinates' that can pinpoint the Bottom of the Void."
The starship traversed the nebula for three days before finally spotting the sunken ship amidst a churning "tide of memories."
It resembles a gnawed star core, its hull riddled with holes, its sails long since rotted away, only the wooden carving on the prow remains intact—a human figure with an indistinct face, holding up a luminous sphere in its hands, a symbol of the beginning of chaos. Even more peculiar are the countless translucent "memory ghosts" floating around the wreck, repeating the actions of their lives: some are steering, some are recording, some are praying to the stars, yet they remain silent.
"They are the ' Recorders '." Xiao Yan stared at the ghosts, the Power of Chaos allowing him to vaguely sense their will. "A group of ancient beings whose mission was to record the memories of the universe, but in the end, they were devoured by the memories they themselves recorded, sinking here along with their ship."
Qing He tried to approach the sunken ship, but was blocked by an invisible barrier. The barrier flowed with a " Power of Forgetting " similar to that of the Bottom of the Void, but it was gentler, more like "self-sealing" than "actively devouring".
"What are they protecting?" Qing He's longsword struck the barrier, scattering tiny particles of light. "This barrier isn't to keep outsiders out, but to prevent anything from the ship from leaking out."
Xiao He suddenly pointed to the wooden carving at the bow of the ship. "Look! The sphere held up by the wooden carving is moving! It's... responding to the seed of the Tree of Chaos!"
As everyone looked over, they saw that the glowing sphere was emitting light at the same frequency as the seed in Xiao Yan's palm, and the Power of Forgetting on the barrier weakened accordingly, revealing a gap that could only allow one person to pass through.
"Go!" Xiao Yan put away the seed and flashed through the gap. The barrier behind him quickly closed, keeping Qing He and Xiao He outside.
The interior of the sunken ship was more spacious than imagined, with only one corridor leading to the bow. The walls on both sides of the corridor were covered with densely packed symbols—an Primordial Script, older than any in the Co-Prosperity Zone, recording the process of the universe's creation from nothingness. Xiao Yan followed the symbols and discovered that, under the illumination of Power of Chaos, these symbols gradually transformed into clear images:
First came absolute darkness (the Bottom of the Void ), then the first ray of light was born from the darkness ( the Origin of Chaos ), the collision of light and darkness produced stars (the origin of laws), and the birth and death of stars gave birth to life (the beginning of existence)...
"I see." Xiao Yan stopped at the bow of the ship, looking at the sphere held aloft by the wooden carving, and finally understood, " The Bottom of the Void is not an external threat, but a remnant left by 'nothingness' when the universe was born. Its 'forgetting' is not malicious, but instinctual—just as darkness fills the corners where light cannot reach."
The sphere suddenly erupted with dazzling light, enveloping Xiao Yan. Countless primordial memories flooded his consciousness: how the Recorders discovered the existence of the Bottom of the Void, how they attempted to seal it with their memories, and how, after the seal failed, they chose to sink into the Sea of Forgetting, using their own memories as an " Anchor Chains " to temporarily lock the expansion of the Bottom of the Void...
"Their sacrifice... is nearing its end." Xiao Yan stepped out of the light, a metal plate engraved with Primordial Script appearing in his hand—this was the " Core Anchor " of the Memory Shipwreck, and also the key to locating the Bottom of the Void. "The power of the Anchor Chains is being diluted by the Sea of Forgetting; at most a century later, the Bottom of the Void will completely break free of its restraints."
As he stepped out of the barrier with the metal piece, Qing He and Xiao He were nervously dealing with the onslaught of memory ghosts. For some reason, the ghosts had become frenzied, constantly ramming the barrier with illusory weapons, causing the barrier's light to flicker.
"They're afraid." Xiao Yan raised the metal plate high, and the light of the Primordial Script spread out, instantly calming the raging ghost and restoring its gentle appearance. "They thought I would take the Anchor Chains and let the Bottom of the Void destroy the memories they were guarding."
He handed the metal plate to Xiao He: "This anchor can not only locate the Bottom of the Void, but also mobilize the power of the Recorders. But don't use it lightly unless absolutely necessary—each activation will make their ghosts thinner until they completely dissipate."
As the starship sailed away from the Sea of Forgetting, Xiao Yan looked back at the quietly floating sunken ship. The wooden carving on the bow seemed to nod slightly, and the ghosts of memories stopped their repetitive movements, making a gesture of prayer in the direction the starship had departed.
"A century..." Qing He looked at the metal piece in her hand, the Primordial Script on it slowly darkening. "Our time is running out."
Xiao Yan gazed at the gradually clearing starry sky outside the window, the Power of Chaos flowing slowly within his body, more composed than ever before. "That's enough. We have the Recorders ' Anchor Chains to buy time, the Co-Prosperity Zone as our shield, and... the three of us." He looked at Qing He and Xiao He, a smile flashing in his eyes, "This time, we will not let any existence be completely forgotten."
Ahead of the starship, the light of the Co-Prosperity Zone was already faintly visible. In the more distant darkness, the Bottom of the Void seemed to sense the movement of the Anchor Chains, and its closed pupils were preparing to open again.
But this time, Xiao Yan holds the key that allows him to confront the darkness.