What's the point with that quite lackluster story in Endwalker?

[Nayukhuut]

Except they can't, and it's never been shown nor hinted they could. For one thing, the entire Elpis story never would've happened if Emet-Selch could've just read our past as soon as we arrived, and he's grouchy and suspicious enough that he would've done it.

Except they can. It is not something they did often because I assume they valued privacy, but it was Venat herself that taught us to channel our Echo ability in Elpis. Our abilities are all things that different Ancients could do naturally. We have them because we are broken versions of that race made into something new.