When Li Wei woke up the next morning, the crystal fragment had disappeared.
But something had changed.
When he looked at the forest, he could see faint shadows moving around the trees.
They were not ghosts.
They were memories.
The voice spoke again.
"You have awakened the Forbidden Path."
Li Wei frowned.
"What is that?"
"A power lost to history."
The voice continued.
"You can absorb the memories of dead cultivators… and turn them into strength."
Li Wei's breathing slowed.
"Why is it forbidden?"
For a long moment, the voice said nothing.
Then it whispered:
"Because those who walk this path eventually forget who they are."