Survival in an apartment, starting with a stroke of luck on a plane

The Voidwalker then used his abilities to construct a spatial tunnel.

Inside the tunnel, Lin Yu and his four companions held their breath and focused intently.

The demon slayer still looked like he was enjoying himself, while the demonic phantom beside him greedily absorbed the faint death energy that was escaping.

The ancient warrior's body radiated with a powerful aura, dispelling the approaching chill. The blue fox frowned slightly, its demonic power circulating within it to resist the discomfort.

Lin Yu silently circulated the "Divine Fire Heart Sutra," with the Samadhi True Fire flowing through his meridians. At the same time, the [King's Skull] was frantically absorbing the almost endless aura of the dead souls outside the tunnel.

"The spatial structure here is even worse than I imagined," the Voidwalker said with a sigh. He continued, "Be careful, there are lots of spatial fragments and energy turbulence. Stay close to me."

Everyone nodded.

Lin Yu's Heavenly Eye pierced through the tunnel walls, observing the flow of energy in the outside world. He discovered that the death energy here was extremely chaotic. As they went deeper, they gradually entered a world that seemed to be a shattered space.

Time passed in a stifling silence, about half an hour later.

Suddenly, the entire space tunnel began to twist violently without warning.

"not good!"

The Voidwalker's expression changed drastically, and he rapidly formed hand seals, attempting to stabilize the passage.

Something is interfering with the spatial coordinates!

Om-!

The Voidwalker attempted to stabilize the spatial tunnel, but to no avail.

A pale white light suddenly filled the entire field of vision without warning.

Lin Yu felt an irresistible force acting on his body, as if the entire space was being violently kneaded and tossed by an invisible hand.

Suddenly, the world spun around, and my senses went blank.

Even with Lin Yu's current mental strength and physical condition, he felt a strong wave of dizziness and nausea.

[Nightmare Guardian] activates automatically, and an invisible barrier protects his soul.

I don't know how much time passed, maybe it was just a moment.

The tearing force suddenly disappeared.

The feeling of being grounded came over me, and at the same time, my senses were flooded with the noisy voices of people, the warm sunshine, and... the rich aroma of cooking.

Lin Yu suddenly opened his eyes, his Sharingan and Heavenly Eye instantly activating as he warily scanned his surroundings.

The sight that came into view completely stunned him.

It's not the desolate wasteland that outsiders see, nor is it some gloomy ancient castle ruins.

He was standing in the middle of a wide, ancient cobblestone street, flanked by rows of ancient buildings with upturned eaves and fluttering wine flags.

The streets were bustling with pedestrians, peddlers, porters, and cart drivers, their cries of vendors, laughter, and children's playful shouts filling the air.

The men were mostly dressed in coarse cloth short jackets or long gowns, while the women wore ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), a typical scene of ancient Chinese urban life.

The sky... was a normal azure blue, and you could even see a few wisps of white clouds. The sunlight shone on me, bringing a real warmth.

"Where...is this?" Alarm bells rang in Lin Yu's mind.

Illusion?

He immediately activated his Sharingan and Heavenly Eye, pushing his eye power to its limit.

However, everything within sight remained real and authentic. The flow of qi and blood in pedestrians, the material structure of buildings, and even the dust floating in the air were all clearly visible under the Heavenly Eye, without any trace of illusionary energy.

At least, it wasn't an illusion he could comprehend.

He quickly looked at himself; his equipment was still there. The Azure Rose slipped quietly into his hand, and the Symbiotic Willow Vine was in a semi-activated state, ready to transform into armor at any moment.

The flow of magical power was smooth, and the connection with the apartment and the statue of the True Lord remained.

If it's not an illusion, then what is it? Did the teleportation malfunction and throw them into an unknown world?

He immediately tried to contact Voidwalker through his friends list.

[The Witcher]: Void, I heard you reply! Where are you?

The message was sent out, but it disappeared without a trace.

In the friend list, the avatars of Voidwalker, Ancient Warrior, Demon Slayer, and Blue Fox were all lit up, but there was no response.

They got separated.

Lin Yu took a deep breath to calm himself down.

He carefully observed his surroundings.

The city was exceptionally prosperous, with clean streets and rosy-cheeked residents who seemed to live a comfortable life.

There was nothing strange about it.

Lin Yu stood in the middle of the street, his strange equipment, especially his slowly rotating scarlet Sharingan, attracted the attention of passersby, who were both curious and slightly surprised.

It was exactly the same reaction as a normal person.

He quickly suppressed the Sharingan's unusual phenomena, restoring it to its normal black eye state to reduce unnecessary attention.

"This is not a place to stay for long," Lin Yu thought to himself.

He needs to figure out where he is as soon as possible, find his lost teammates, and determine how to leave.

He blended seamlessly into the crowd, seemingly strolling casually, but in reality, he had his eyes wide open, carefully perceiving everything around him.

The city's vibrancy and realism remain impeccable; the vendors' cries, the aroma of food, the children's laughter, the sound of wheels rolling over cobblestones... everything is vividly portrayed.

Lin Yu walked through the bustling streets, his Heavenly Eye and Sharingan scanning alternately, not missing a single detail.

However, a quarter of an hour passed, and he still hadn't found anything.

The pedestrians were full of energy, the buildings were solid, the food smelled delicious, and even the clinking of coins in the beggar's bowl on the street was crisp and pleasant.

Everything points to one conclusion—this was just an ordinary ancient city.

"Could it be that the spatial turbulence really threw me into an ordinary world completely unrelated to the Abyss of the Dead?"

Lin Yu frowned. Although the possibility of this idea was extremely low, it was not impossible.

If that's the case, the difficulty of finding the Voidwalkers and returning to the Black Mist world will increase exponentially.

He tried to contact them again through the friends panel, but still received no response.

We must find the "anomalies" in this world using other methods.

Lin Yu calmed down and began to think of a strategy.

First, he needs information and identity.

His outfit was too eye-catching.

Lin Yu turned into a deserted alley and took out a rather ordinary-looking blue cloth robe from his spatial ring. Although the material was somewhat special upon closer inspection, it was not so conspicuous in the crowd.

At the same time, he used some basic tricks to slightly adjust his facial features and temperament, making himself look more ordinary.

After doing all that, he went back out onto the street and began to collect information purposefully.

As usual, he found a bustling teahouse, sat down by the window, ordered a pot of tea, and quietly listened to the conversations around him.

The tea drinkers mostly talked about everyday matters, local anecdotes, and government policies. Occasionally, when they mentioned border wars, it seemed rather distant.

He paid particular attention to topics that might involve supernatural phenomena, strange tales, or anecdotes.

After all, if it's a game world, then there's a high probability that special powers exist.

"...I heard that strange noises were heard at Butcher Wang's house again last night, which scared him so much that he couldn't sleep all night."

"It's probably a stray cat, these days..."

"The blacksmith Zhang from the east of the city has become increasingly skilled; even the prefect has commissioned him to make weapons."

"This year the weather has been favorable, the harvest should be good..."

After listening to a few, I found that most of the conversations were about ordinary, trivial matters.

Lin Yu was not discouraged; he knew that.

He left a few copper coins to pay the bill (borrowed from several seemingly wealthy passersby), got up, and left the teahouse.

He decided to visit places in the city where books or information might be stored, such as academies, temples, or Taoist monasteries.

As he passed an intersection, he saw a group of people gathered around a wall, pointing and commenting on a newly posted notice.

Lin Yu took a closer look and saw that it was a government reward notice.

"It is said that strange things have been happening at the residence of the wealthy merchant Li in the city recently. At midnight, a woman's crying can be heard, and objects in the mansion move on their own. Furthermore, servants claim to have seen a white-clad phantom... It is suspected that evil spirits are at work."

"I am now inviting talented individuals to exorcise evil spirits and protect my home. Master Li is willing to reward them handsomely and treat them as honored guests."

The inscription reads "Li Mansion" and bears an official seal.

Is it the work of evil spirits?

Lin Yu's heart stirred.

In this seemingly perfectly normal world, such "supernatural" events are often the breakthrough point.

Moreover, the notice explicitly mentions "talented individuals and extraordinary people," which indicates that the world at least acknowledges the existence of such individuals, and there may be groups similar to cultivators.

He noted down the address of the Li residence, located in Fugui Lane in the west of the city.

Instead of heading there immediately, Lin Yu first went to the largest academy in the city and a temple with a thriving incense offering, as originally planned.

Using the Sharingan's genjutsu, Lin Yu successfully entered both places and found the libraries within, where he consulted the books.

Based on the information gathered, the city was named "Lin'an City" and was a prosperous prefecture of the "Daqi Dynasty".

The historical records are clear, coherent, and without any gaps.

The disasters recorded in local chronicles are mostly floods, droughts, and locust plagues. Occasionally, there are mentions of "fox spirits" or "mountain demons" causing trouble, but these are vague and more like folk legends.

The monks at Cihang Temple only preached Buddhist teachings and did not display any extraordinary powers.

He also did not sense any energy fluctuations in these places.

Everything is still normal.

As the sun began to set, Lin Yu decided to go and investigate the Li residence.

Whether what happened there was a real paranormal event or just an accident, he had to go and check it out.

Following the address, he quickly found the Li residence.

The grand gate and courtyard, adorned with vermilion lacquer and bronze rings, exude an extraordinary air of grandeur.

However, above the mansion, in Lin Yu's clairvoyant vision, there was a faint, almost imperceptible, gray-black aura that was out of place with the bright sunshine and vibrant city atmosphere.

This aura... is somewhat similar to the deathly aura of the [Abyss of the Dead]...

"finally found you."

Lin Yu's lips curled slightly, and he felt a little more at ease.

If this were an ordinary world, he would find it hard to accept.

Now it seems that his arrival in this godforsaken place is definitely related to the already destroyed world of the Abyss of the Dead.

He straightened his clothes and went up to knock on the door.

A moment later, the side door opened a crack, and a gatekeeper poked his head out, sized up Lin Yu's ordinary attire, and asked in a somewhat arrogant tone, "What is it?"

"I heard that your household is troubled by some strange matter, so I came to give it a try," Lin Yu said calmly.

As he spoke, Lin Yu revealed a hint of diamond-level aura.

Since his official purpose is to solve problems, it's not appropriate for him to enter using illusions. Therefore, entering normally is the best-case scenario.

The gatekeeper was clearly intimidated by this invisible aura, and his attitude softened considerably, but he still asked with suspicion: "This... sir, do you have a visiting card or a teacher? Recently, quite a few self-proclaimed masters have come to your residence, and the results have been..."

Lin Yu interrupted him: "Whether it can exorcise evil spirits or not, we'll know once we try. If it doesn't work, we won't charge you a penny."

The doorman hesitated for a moment, then said, "Please wait a moment while I inform the steward."

A moment later, the doorman led out a well-dressed, middle-aged butler with a worried expression.

When the butler saw Lin Yu, a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, but perhaps out of desperation or as a last resort, he still politely invited Lin Yu in.

The butler led Lin Yu through several courtyards, with pavilions, terraces, rockeries, and flowing water along the way, exuding an air of wealth and luxury. However, Lin Yu's Heavenly Eye could detect that beneath this splendor, wisps of gray-black death energy spread like a spider web, becoming increasingly dense the further they went, and the air seemed to carry a faint, eerie chill.

Finally, they arrived at a brightly lit study. The butler knocked gently on the door: "Master, another scholar has been invited, who says he might be able to resolve the calamity befalling your household."

"Come in." A slightly tired and hoarse voice came from inside.

The butler pushed open the door and stepped aside to let Lin Yu in.

The study was furnished in an antique style, but amidst the fragrance of books and ink, there was a subtle undercurrent of anxiety and fear.

A middle-aged man dressed in a brocade robe, with a wealthy face but deep-set eyes and a heavy cloud of worry between his brows, was sitting behind his desk. He was Master Li.

There was also a man who looked like an accountant standing next to him.

Seeing Lin Yu's youth and plain attire, a hint of barely concealed disappointment flashed in Master Li's eyes, but he still mustered his spirits, stood up, and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, sir. May I ask your name and who your teacher is?"

"My surname is Lin. I am a wandering monk, without any sect or affiliation." Lin Yu returned the greeting, his tone calm: "I heard that your residence is uneasy, so I came to investigate. The key to exorcising evil spirits lies in its effectiveness, not in empty fame."

Master Li sighed, seemingly worried about Lin Yu's "unaffiliated" nature, but still said, "Mr. Lin is a man of few words, so I will speak frankly. It is truly... a troubled household, making it difficult to eat or sleep!"

He asked Lin Yu to sit down and began to recount the strange events that had occurred in the mansion.

"About half a month ago, strange things began to happen in the mansion. At first, around midnight, faint cries of a woman could be heard from near the courtyard where the young lady in the west wing used to live. The cries were so mournful that they made everyone uneasy. The servants on night watch mustered their courage to investigate, but they could not find anything."

"Later, the strange occurrences intensified. In addition to the crying, some people saw a white figure flitting about in the corridors. The objects in the mansion, especially the dressing mirror and jewelry box in the young girl's room, would sometimes move inexplicably. Even... even once when I was passing by the courtyard late at night, I seemed to see that white figure standing by the pond, combing its hair in front of the water!"

At this point, Master Li's face showed fear.

"My daughter has been frail since childhood and cannot withstand fright. I had no choice but to send her to a secluded courtyard outside the city to recuperate a few days ago."

But the strange occurrences in the mansion did not stop; on the contrary, they seemed to be provoked and became more and more frequent.

Now, every servant in the household lives in fear. Some of the more timid ones have already quit and left. If this continues, my Li family…”

He sighed heavily, his voice filled with helplessness and anxiety.

Lin Yu listened quietly, while Tianyan carefully observed Master Li.

He discovered that Li Yuanwai was also shrouded in a faint aura of death, but this aura did not originate from him; rather, it seemed to be caused by long-term exposure to the environment.

"I understand." Lin Yu stood up. "Would you mind taking me to Miss's courtyard? Where evil spirits dwell, there will always be traces."

"That...of course." Master Li also stood up and personally led the way.

After passing through several courtyards, we arrived at a rather elegant but somewhat deserted courtyard.

The steward whispered, "This is the place, Miss's boudoir. Recently, every midnight, the sound of a woman crying can be heard coming from here. The servants on night patrol have also seen a white shadow flash by, causing unrest throughout the mansion."

Lin Yu activated his Heavenly Eye and carefully scanned the entire courtyard.

Sure enough, the gray-black aura here was several times stronger than in other places, especially in that tightly closed boudoir, where the resentment was almost tangible.

He could also sense that this resentment was not without origin; its roots seemed to have penetrated deep into the ground of the mansion, and even... it was faintly connected to some invisible network of the entire city of Lin'an.

"I need to go in and take a look," Lin Yu said.

Upon hearing his words, Master Li quickly replied, "Please make yourself at home, sir."

Lin Yu pushed open the door and entered.

The boudoir was exquisitely furnished, but covered with a thin layer of dust, indicating that it had been uninhabited for some time.

The air was filled with a faint musty smell and... a very subtle fragrance of cosmetics.

His gaze instantly locked onto the bronze mirror in front of the dressing table.

In the vision of the Heavenly Eye, the bronze mirror was the gathering point of all the resentment in the room, from which wisps of black energy slowly seeped out.

Lin Yu walked to the bronze mirror, stretched out his finger, and gently touched the mirror surface.

Just as his fingertips were about to touch the cold mirror surface—

Lin Yu's body trembled involuntarily. When he came to his senses, he found himself in an unknown space filled with black and white fragments.

"That's interesting."

Lin Yu narrowed his eyes slightly. He could feel that his body was still in that boudoir. This place should be a place similar to a consciousness space.

Furthermore... this is not his consciousness space, but the consciousness space of another unknown entity.

"But why is this the way the consciousness space is?"

Lin Yu frowned slightly as he looked at the irregular black and white fragments around him.

"Because His consciousness has gradually shattered along with the destruction of this world."

Just as Lin Yu was wondering, a calm female voice appeared in his ear.

Lin Yu turned his head and saw that, at some point, a woman dressed in a bright red wedding gown and with a red veil covering her head had appeared beside him.

Of course, what surprised Lin Yu even more was that the only exposed hands of this figure were actually a pair of skeletal hands.

"Who is He? And who are you? Did you deliberately create this situation outside?"

Lin Yu asked calmly.

He was not afraid.

"He is Lin'an, which is the Abyss of the Dead that you see now, or rather, the last echo and remains of this world."

Beneath the red veil, a skeletal finger lightly tapped a black and white fragment floating nearby. Within that fragment, a bustling street scene flashed faintly, only to shatter into even finer dust in an instant.

"And I, you can call me Red Robe, a... vengeful spirit who refuses to sleep forever with Him."

Her voice carried an ancient, weathered quality, and an unusual calmness.

She continued to explain: "The Lin'an City you see outside is actually a dream that His broken consciousness is barely holding together by relying on the last bit of primordial power."

It feels real because it is maintained by the rules of the game system that you people talk about. Therefore, although it is just a dream, it is a dream that conforms to the rules of the game system, which is why it feels so real.

As for the vengeful spirit of the Li family? That was merely a tiny, insignificant thought that escaped from my mind, using that vessel to attract 'variables' like you.

Lin Yu understood immediately; it was just as he suspected.

The entire city of Lin'an is a huge trap, or rather... a test? The purpose is to filter out those who are capable of sensing the anomalies and have the courage to come and investigate.

"Variables? What has drawn me here?" Lin Yu asked directly.

"For a deal, or rather, a request." Red Robe's skeletal hand slowly clenched, causing the surrounding fragments to tremble slightly.

"As you can see, Lin'an is dying, turning into nothingness. The power supporting this illusion is about to run out. When the dream ends, everything will be empty, this world will be completely destroyed, and I will also disappear completely."

"But I'm not resigned to it."

For the first time, her voice carried a strong emotional fluctuation.

"The culprit that destroyed this world, the one that devoured the world's origin, a part of it... still lurks in the shadows of this shattered world, drawing upon its last sustenance."

Lin Yu's eyes narrowed: "Devouring the origin of the world?"

This is even more interesting, because Lin Yu actually knows of something that has a similar effect.

That would be the "Story Intruder" from the dark fairy tale world of Snow White.

However, that guy wasn't that powerful. It seemed he could only absorb the world's essence to become stronger by altering the plot, and he hadn't reached the level of this world at all.

I just don't know if it was this thing that did it.

Lin Yu pondered silently.

"That's right, it's a predator that roams the world, feeding on the world's origin."

The Abyss of the Dead, also known as Lin'an, was targeted and gradually destroyed by it.

But it was too greedy, ate too much, and suffered the trauma of the world's dying backlash, leaving a part of its consciousness trapped here.

Hongshang explained, "I need you to help me find it and destroy the part of it that is trapped."

Why should I help you?

Lin Yu said calmly, "That sounds quite risky, and besides, what benefit would I gain from eliminating it?"

"Benefits?" Hongshang let out a soft snort that sounded like a half-smile.

She began, "First, if we resolve this, this fragile space of consciousness will completely collapse, but you will have the opportunity to access the last remaining core of the Lin'an world—a piece of [World Remains]."

The energy and fragments of rules contained within are of extremely high value.

"Second," Red Robe paused, her skeletal finger pointing at Lin Yu, "You're a player. The system will definitely give you extra rewards for eliminating these predators that threaten the game world, right? If I remember correctly, isn't there an organization in the neighborhood that specifically houses these things?"

Such belated news.

Upon hearing her second point, Lin Yu curled his lip; he knew immediately that she was referring to the shelter.

But the shelter is gone...