The doors of the ancient palace closed silently behind them.
A profound stillness filled the hall.
Twelve stone thrones stood in a great circle, each carved with symbols representing one of the Twelve Keepers. Time had worn away much of their beauty, but the power lingering within them remained overwhelming.
Only the **First Throne** was occupied.
The translucent man seated upon it wore silver robes embroidered with countless tiny stars. His long black hair flowed to his waist, and although his body was only a spirit, his presence filled the hall with quiet authority.
Chen Yu and Han Qiu instinctively lowered their heads.
Lin Mo alone met the spirit's gaze.
The man smiled.
"So... after ten thousand years, Time has finally chosen another successor."
Lin Mo stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"Senior."
The spirit chuckled softly.
"It has been a very long time since someone addressed me that way."
"You may call me **Aster**, the First Keeper."
Lin Mo's heart trembled.
One of the legendary Twelve Keepers...
Was standing before him.
Aster slowly rose from his throne.
"My true body perished long ago."
"What you see now is only a fragment of my will."
He looked at Lin Mo's silver watch.
"The Chrono Heart accepted you."
"But tell me..."
"Do you know why?"
Lin Mo shook his head.
"I thought it chose me."
Aster sighed.
"No."
"It remembered you."
The hall became silent.
Lin Mo frowned.
"Remembered... me?"
Aster raised his hand.
The space before them rippled like water.
An image slowly appeared.
It was the same battlefield Lin Mo had glimpsed before.
The sky burned crimson.
The Eternal Clock towered in the distance, surrounded by darkness.
The Twelve Keepers fought desperately against countless shadowy figures.
Then the vision shifted.
A woman wrapped in white robes ran through the battlefield, holding a baby in her arms.
Beside her fought a man wielding a silver spear.
Both wore identical silver watches.
Lin Mo's breathing stopped.
"My..."
"My parents..."
Aster nodded.
"They were not ordinary cultivators."
"They were Keepers."
Chen Yu gasped.
"Wait... his parents were members of the Twelve Keepers?"
Aster looked at him kindly.
"They belonged to the **Order of the Hidden Seconds**, descendants entrusted with protecting the Chrono Heart after our fall."
"They were never full Keepers."
"But they carried our legacy."
Lin Mo stared at the vision.
The woman kissed the infant's forehead.
Then she removed the silver watch from her own wrist and placed it around the baby's neck.
A gentle smile crossed her face.
> "Live."
> "No matter what happens..."
> "Live."
The image dissolved.
Tears welled in Lin Mo's eyes.
For the first time in twelve years...
He had seen his mother's face.
"They're dead..."
Lin Mo whispered.
Aster closed his eyes.
"I do not know."
"The final memories of this fragment end before their fate was decided."
"There is still a possibility."
"Then they're alive?"
"There is hope."
Aster's answer was careful.
"Hope... and uncertainty."
Lin Mo clenched his fists.
"If they're alive..."
"I'll find them."
"No matter where they are."
Aster smiled.
"Good."
"A Keeper never abandons those precious to him."
Suddenly, the palace shook violently.
Far above, a distant explosion echoed through the tomb.
Dust drifted from the ceiling.
Chen Yu looked upward.
"The Eclipse Court!"
"They're trying to break in!"
Aster's expression grew serious.
"The barrier will not last forever."
"I must hurry."
He extended his hand.
A silver book appeared before Lin Mo.
Its pages shimmered with ancient runes.
"This is the **Codex of the First Hour**."
"It contains everything I learned about observation, perception, and the rhythm of time."
"It is not merely a technique."
"It is wisdom."
The book dissolved into countless streams of light, entering Lin Mo's mind.
An overwhelming amount of knowledge surged through him.
He saw countless battles.
Countless victories.
Countless failures.
Each one teaching the same lesson.
> **Observe before acting.**
Aster nodded with satisfaction.
"The inheritance is complete."
Then, unexpectedly, he walked toward Chen Yu.
The cheerful young disciple looked startled.
"M-Me?"
Aster smiled.
"Loyalty deserves recognition."
He placed a hand upon Chen Yu's shoulder.
A blue crystal emerged from thin air.
"This is the **Heart of Clear Waters**."
"It is not an inheritance."
"It is a gift."
Chen Yu accepted it with trembling hands.
"Thank you... Senior."
Aster then turned to Han Qiu.
The quiet disciple remained calm, but his eyes revealed surprise.
"You possess remarkable patience."
"Few understand the value of silence."
Aster handed him a dark-gray stone.
"The **Stone of Unmoving Resolve**."
"It will strengthen your foundation."
Han Qiu bowed deeply.
"I will treasure it."
The palace trembled again.
This time, cracks appeared in the walls.
Aster looked toward the ceiling.
"They've broken the first barrier."
His expression became solemn.
"Listen carefully."
"The First Trial is over."
"But the Second Trial..."
"...will not test your strength."
"It will test your hearts."
He pointed toward a doorway that had just appeared behind the twelve thrones.
Beyond it lay a vast sea covered in silver mist.
"This is the **Sea of Forgotten Time**."
"Many who enter never return."
Before Lin Mo stepped through, he looked back.
"Senior..."
"Will we meet again?"
Aster smiled peacefully.
"When the Second Hour awakens..."
"My brothers and sisters will guide you."
"My duty..."
"...ends here."
His spirit slowly dissolved into countless silver lights.
The First Throne became empty once more.
Lin Mo bowed deeply.
Not as a disciple.
But as the successor of a legacy stretching back ten thousand years.
Without another word, he, Chen Yu, and Han Qiu stepped through the doorway.
The entrance closed behind them.
Far away, beyond the collapsing barriers of the tomb, the masked leader of the Eclipse Court finally smiled.
"The first inheritance..."
"...is mine to claim."
He raised a jet-black spear and drove it into the barrier.
**CRACK!**
The seal protecting the tomb shattered.
The hunt had entered its next stage.