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

"It's an interesting story, but I refuse."

Lin Yu's voice was calm and even, revealing no emotional fluctuations.

The resentment emanating from Hongshang paused slightly, as if she hadn't expected Lin Yu to refuse so decisively.

The head covered by red gauze was turned slightly, and the empty eye sockets seemed to be looking at Lin Yu.

"Refuse?" Her voice still carried that ancient calm, but a subtle fluctuation revealed a hint of surprise and even displeasure.

"Young player, are you aware of the consequences of refusal? The dream of Lin'an is about to shatter. At that time, all the consciousness trapped here, including you and your fellow players, will be annihilated along with the dream."

Without my guidance, you won't find your way out of this graveyard of consciousness, or do you really think you can stop the destruction of a world on your own?

Lin Yu's lips curled into a mocking smile: "The consequences? They'll either be trapped or annihilated, but I don't want to believe a single punctuation mark of your words."

Lin Yu's thinking was simple: regardless of whether what this guy said was true or false, he was not going to let her lead him around like that.

Besides, even if what she said is true, so what? This isn't a game world without system rules and restrictions. He doesn't believe he can't find a way out with his current abilities.

Moreover, he didn't believe that an existence capable of freely invading others' consciousness and weaving such a vast fantasy would so easily place its hopes on a 'variable' it had just met.

Not to mention, her so-called "benefits" sound more like empty promises.

World debris? System reward?

This is just her opinion. Like I said, this isn't a game world; there's no system to back it up. The reward she mentioned is just talk. Who can guarantee that Lin Yu will actually receive the reward after fulfilling her so-called requirements?

Hongshang fell silent.

The flow of black and white fragments around seemed to slow down, and an invisible pressure permeated the space.

After a long silence, she finally let out a cold snort: "It seems you are more cautious and more...stubborn than I thought."

Her tone was unreadable: "Since you've made up your mind, then so be it."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Yu felt a strong sense of rejection coming from his consciousness, and the black and white fragments in front of him receded rapidly and became blurred, like the receding tide.

"If you change your mind, come find me before the dream shatters completely. Remember, time... is running out."

Hongshang's last words were like a whisper, fading into the dizziness of losing consciousness.

Lin Yu suddenly opened his eyes and found himself still standing in that boudoir filled with a faint musty smell and the scent of cosmetics, his fingers just a hair's breadth away from the cold bronze mirror.

In the outside world, it seemed that only a short moment had passed.

He slowly withdrew his finger, and his Sharingan and Heavenly Eye simultaneously focused on the bronze mirror in front of him.

The intense resentment and deathly aura that had once lingered on the mirror's surface had vanished without a trace, leaving it unremarkable—just an ordinary ancient mirror.

At the same time, he also sensed that the layer of gray-black aura that enveloped the entire Li residence was wiped away as if by an invisible hand, instantly becoming thin and almost non-existent.

Lin Yu slowly turned his head to look at the decorations inside the room, his eyes slightly narrowed.

"Sir? Mr. Lin?" came the slightly nervous voice of Master Li from behind: "You...you've noticed something?"

Lin Yu turned around, his face regaining its previous calm, and said lightly, "It's alright, the evil spirit has been dispelled."

Upon hearing this, Master Li was first stunned, then overjoyed: "Really...really? Thank you, sir! Thank you, Mr. Lin! You are truly the savior of my Li family!"

He quickly bowed and thanked the butler beside him, his gloomy expression vanishing.

"I will never forget your great kindness, sir! This is just a small token of my gratitude, I hope you will accept it!" Master Li hurriedly gestured to his steward to present a heavy brocade bag, which was clearly filled with gold and silver.

Lin Yu casually put away the reward, then continued, "I have something I'd like to ask Master Li."

"Please speak, sir! I, Li, will answer all your questions!" At this moment, Master Li regarded Lin Yu as a god.

"I heard that your daughter was frightened and has been sent to another residence to recuperate." Lin Yu looked calmly at Master Li. "Would it be convenient for me to see your daughter?"

Lin Yu wanted to confirm something.

A hint of hesitation flashed across Master Li's face.

He was about to refuse, after all, his daughter was not in good condition... but then he thought that this Mr. Lin was a truly capable person who had just solved the evil spirit that had been bothering the mansion for many days with a wave of his hand. Perhaps it would be a good choice to let him take a look at his daughter to see if there were any aftereffects.

Furthermore, the other party has just done a great favor, and it would be too unreasonable to refuse this request.

After hesitating for a moment, Master Li nodded and said, "Since you have such a kind intention, it is my daughter's good fortune. However, my daughter's residence is outside the city, which is a bit far away. Moreover, she has been in poor health recently, and I am afraid that she will neglect you."

"It's alright," Lin Yu said.

"Alright, alright! I'll arrange the carriages right away!" Seeing Lin Yu's resolute attitude, Master Li dared not say anything more and immediately instructed his steward to make preparations.

About half an hour later, a carriage drove out of Lin'an City and arrived at a quiet manor in the western suburbs.

The environment here is elegant and far from the hustle and bustle, making it a good place for quiet recuperation.

Led by Master Li, Lin Yu arrived at a charming little courtyard.

The courtyard was filled with the fragrance of flowers, and the pavilions and towers were exquisite and unique. However, Lin Yu's Heavenly Eye could detect that a death aura several times stronger and purer than that of the Li Mansion was enveloping the small courtyard like a spider web, and its source was the main house in the courtyard.

As expected.

"Sir, my daughter is inside."

Master Li said in a low voice, his face showing some worry.

Lin Yu nodded slightly and pushed the door open to enter.

The interior is simply furnished and softly lit.

A young girl dressed in a plain white dress was sitting on a soft couch by the window. Her face was pale and her features were delicate, but she had an inescapable air of fragility and weariness. She was Miss Li, the daughter of Master Li.

However, in Lin Yu's perception, the "Miss Li" in front of him seemed to be an empty shell formed from dense death energy. Only her eyes, which looked up at him, held an expression that was completely out of place with this frail body.

The moment their eyes met, Lin Yu understood.

Sure enough it was her.

Yes, Lin Yu recognized at a glance that this so-called Miss Li was none other than Hong Shang, whom he had seen in that so-called Lin'an consciousness.

Miss Li looked at Lin Yu and her lips curved upwards very slightly, forming an eerie smile.

At the same time, Lin Yu felt the eyes of Master Li and the steward who followed him in instantly become empty and dazed, as if they had been frozen in place by a spell, losing all perception of their surroundings.

The entire room seemed to be isolated by an invisible barrier.

"You're quite clever." A subtle voice entered Lin Yu's mind directly; it was Hong Shang's telepathic message.

Lin Yu stared at her expressionlessly, offering no response through thought, merely gazing at her coldly.

Miss Li didn't seem to care and continued to transmit her voice: "Now that you know my current identity, I don't need to say anything more. Time is running out in this world. The edge of the dream world has begun to collapse. If you've figured it out, you can come to me anytime."

After saying that, she stopped looking at Lin Yu, slowly closed her eyes, and seemed to fall asleep from exhaustion.

Behind them, Master Li and his steward trembled, their eyes regaining their clarity, as if their earlier daze had been just an illusion.

"Sir, my daughter..."

Master Li looked at his daughter with concern, as if nothing had happened.

"Your daughter needs to rest. The evil spirit has been exorcised, but her heart needs a cure. She can recover slowly." Lin Yu casually said a few words and then turned to walk out.

"The matter at your residence is settled; I shall take my leave."

Despite Li Yuanwai's repeated attempts to persuade him to stay, Lin Yu quickly left the villa.

On the way back to Lin'an City, Lin Yu sat in the carriage, his eyes closed in deep thought.

Just now, when he met Miss Li, he confirmed one thing.

That is, the world is not as perfect as he imagined.

The reason he couldn't see any flaws when he first entered was mainly because he was too fixated on the "flaws" themselves.

After all, although this game world is on the verge of destruction, it is still a world. The underlying rules that the system used to create it still exist. Therefore, apart from the system rules and other things found in normal game worlds, it is actually a normal game world.

In this situation, his third eye naturally couldn't see anything, since his third eye wasn't as strong as a True Monarch's.

Lin'an City is a real place, and the shattered spaces that Lin Yu and his companions saw when they first entered this world are also real.

This is not actually contradictory. Lin Yu guessed that the so-called world consciousness "Lin'an" mentioned by Hong Shang used its own ability to preserve this seemingly "false" Lin'an city before the world was destroyed.

You can't believe everything Hongshang says, but some of the information she provides might be true.

For example, this "Lin'an City" is the last remnant dream of the world's consciousness, and it is indeed collapsing at an accelerated pace.

The only thing he couldn't understand was why this world was called the "Abyss of the Dead," and the identity of Hongshang.

What kind of person is she exactly?

And does the so-called "devourer of world origin" really exist? If it does, what is its relationship with the "story invader"? Will killing it drop something like the [World Power Core]?

Lin Yu rubbed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache. He had only wanted to explore a world on the verge of destruction, but who knew he would get caught up in such a bizarre situation?

That's absolutely outrageous.

Lin Yu took a deep breath and began to think about what he should do next.

The immediate priority is to find a way to leave this dream world, while also confirming the whereabouts of the Voidwalker and the others.

Did they also enter Lin'an? Did they encounter Hongshang?

……

It was evening.

The night was as dark as ink, enveloping the seemingly prosperous and peaceful city of Lin'an.

Lin Yu sat in a guest room at an inn, the night market lights still blazing outside the window, but his heart was ice-cold.

I tried to contact Voidwalker, Ancient Warrior, Demon Slayer, and Blue Fox through the friends panel multiple times, but the messages were like stones sinking into the sea, with no response whatsoever.

He also tried using the badge with the spatial imprint given to him by the Voidwalker. After injecting mana, the badge only got slightly warm, but he was unable to establish a spatial channel.

There wasn't even a response; it was as if they had all "gone offline."

"It seems that communication has been completely blocked, or rather, the rules of this world have cut off contact with the outside world." Lin Yu frowned and temporarily abandoned his plan to find his teammates.

Hongshang's words echoed in his mind—the dream shatters, and all trapped consciousness will be annihilated.

To be honest, he didn't dare to completely believe what he was told, but he also didn't dare to completely disbelieve it.

Sitting idly by and waiting for death is not his style, but it is even more foolish to place his hopes on a treacherous person.

"We must find a way to leave, or... find the core of this world." A resolute glint flashed in Lin Yu's eyes.

He didn't believe in Hongshang, but he believed that this world must have a core that operated within it, namely the world consciousness called [Lin'an].

As the consciousness of this world, it is certainly the most resistant to being destroyed. Therefore, if we can communicate with it directly, we may be able to obtain real information and even find the key to breaking the deadlock.

But how did he find a fragment of world consciousness on the verge of collapse?

Lin Yu had no experience in this area.

His few interactions with the game world's consciousness can be traced back to the [polluted aggregate of Heavenly Dao rules] in the previous world of Seeking Immortality.

This thing could be considered a world consciousness, although it had absolutely no ability to communicate, and strictly speaking, it was the True Lord who was dealing with it at the time, not myself.

"No, strictly speaking, Old Chen's incident should also count, right?"

Suddenly, Lin Yu thought of something.

In the previous world, he had also experienced the destruction of the world.

However, he did not see what he considered to be the world consciousness at that time.

But now, thinking about it carefully, the things Old Chen did back then, whether it was easily defeating the demonic dragon or giving himself the [Heart of Nightmare World] before the world was destroyed, were not things that ordinary beings could possess.

"Could Old Chen be the world consciousness of the [Knock on the Door] world, and the heart of that nightmare world is very likely a product of the world's origin power?"

Lin Yu pondered to himself.

Thinking about it this way, it doesn't seem like there's absolutely no way out.

Lin Yu immediately thought of the talents he gained after obtaining the Heart of the Nightmare World—the Lord of Nightmares and the ability of Nightmare Spirit World.

"The Nightmare Spiritual World allows me to enter a special spiritual realm during sleep for cultivation... and according to Hongshang, this world itself is a huge remnant of consciousness."

The Nightmare Lord talent allows me to manipulate nightmare power at will. So perhaps… I can try to connect with the consciousness of this world through the nightmare spiritual world, or rather, directly find the dream of [Lin'an]!

This is a bold idea, and there are also unknown risks involved.

Lin Yu had never done anything like traversing the consciousness of a world before.

But it's not like we can't give it a try.

And he doesn’t seem to have a better option.

After careful consideration, Lin Yu began to adjust his breathing, calm his mind, and set up several simple warning and protective arrays around the room before lying down and actively guiding himself into a state of sleep. At the same time, he also began to activate the nightmare power within his body.

Soon, his consciousness broke free from the constraints of his body and sank into a bizarre and fantastical realm.

This was the Nightmare Mental World, which Lin Yu had visited many times before, so he wasn't too surprised.

After arriving in the Nightmare Mental World, Lin Yu began to try out his ideas, activating the omnipresent Nightmare Power within the Mental World and spreading it outwards, searching for what he wanted to see.

To his surprise, he sensed a vast dream world without much effort.

Lin Yu first used the power of nightmares to explore the dream. After confirming that there were no dangerous elements in the dream, he directly tried to enter it.

He entered the dream smoothly.

But as soon as he entered the dream, Lin Yu frowned slightly. This dream was completely different from his clear and controllable nightmare mental world. Almost the instant he entered, he felt endless chaos and wailing.

Countless shattered images flashed by like shooting stars; bustling streets were instantly engulfed in flames; kind old people turned into hideous skeletons in the blink of an eye; laughter and joy were replaced by piercing wails...

Lin Yu kept his mind focused, and his Heavenly Eye remained effective even in his spiritual state, helping him to discern directions and resist the impact of this mental pollution.

After an unknown amount of time, the chaotic scene around them gradually thinned out, replaced by a sense of decay and death.

He seemed to have stumbled into the edge of nothingness, where even shattered dreams could not be sustained, leaving only the most primal desolation.

In the middle of this desolate place, he saw a figure.

It was a little boy who looked about seven or eight years old, curled up on the ground, his body appearing ominous and translucent, as if he might disappear at any moment.

He was dressed in tattered ancient robes, his body covered with spiderweb-like cracks, and wisps of black energy, like maggots clinging to his bones, were constantly eroding his body.

His face was extremely beautiful and lovely, but at this moment it was filled with endless exhaustion, pain and fear.

The little boy seemed to sense Lin Yu's arrival and slowly raised his head. His eyes were empty, as if they bore the weight of millennia of sorrow.

He looked at Lin Yu, his lips moving so faintly that they were almost inaudible:

"Help...help me..."

"Watch out...that...monster..."

"He... is a liar... a fake..."

After he finished speaking those words, it was as if he had used up all his strength. His body became even more transparent, and the cracks seemed to widen slightly.

He could offer no further information, only staring at Lin Yu with his empty eyes.

Lin Yu was startled.

Is this Lin'an?

The consciousness of this world is presented in the image of such a vulnerable child?

He tried to get closer, wanting to ask more, but as soon as he took a step, he felt an extremely evil, greedy, and powerful force surging from all directions, trying to overwhelm him like a tide.

This thought, filled with a desire for destruction and devouring, is constantly eroding the little boy—[Lin'an].

"Is this the 'predator' that Hongshang mentioned?" Lin Yu's spiritual body shone brightly, and the spiritual projection of the Samadhi True Fire Heart Fire burned on his body, forcing back the surging evil thoughts.

But that intent was like a persistent, inexhaustible wound. Although it couldn't break through Lin Yu's inner fire, it showed no intention of stopping and continued to invade frantically, trying to overwhelm him.

Lin Yu's internal fire is insufficient.

He realized that he could not stay here for long, nor could he obtain any useful information from the collapsing Lin'an.

But he confirmed a few things: Hongshang was at least partially telling the truth; there was indeed a monster that devoured the origin of the world.

The situation in Lin'an was extremely bad; they had almost lost the ability to resist.

A part of this monster is indeed trapped in this world and is closely intertwined with the consciousness of [Lin'an].

"We must act quickly!"

Lin Yu took a deep look at the curled-up boy, then quickly withdrew his consciousness from this core area.

……

Soon, Lin Yu emerged from the dream, and the Lin Yu in the real bed also instantly opened his eyes.

"Hiss~"

As Lin Yu thought about the scene in his dream, he subconsciously touched his chin.

"What did that guy mean by those words? Monster? Does he mean the one that devoured its essence? And what did he mean by 'liar'?"

Lin Yu's eyes were sharp as knives.

The state of Lin'an cannot be faked, nor can the malice left by that "intruder".

Alright, now here's the question: what is Hongshang's job, and why does she claim to be a vengeful spirit who refuses to completely slumber with [Lin'an]?

Lin Yu had a feeling that this guy was definitely hiding something important.

After all, how could a vengeful spirit possibly know so much about the origin of the world and invasion?

What is her relationship with Lin'an? Why was she able to easily enter its consciousness space?

"Ugh, why do I always run into these weird things?"

Lin Yu felt a headache coming on. He wasn't a person who liked to use his brain, but in this situation, he couldn't avoid using it.

"My benefactor, perhaps that fellow who calls himself Red Robe is lying to you."

Just as Lin Yu was having a headache, a gentle voice appeared in his mind.

"Um?"

Upon hearing this voice, Lin Yu was taken aback. The one who had just spoken was none other than Liu Xiangxiang, the sword spirit who had not appeared for a long time.

Since she was enlightened by the True Lord and became the sword spirit of the Demon-Slaying Sword along with her daughter Liu Yue'er, she has rarely appeared again.

The main reason is that Lin Yu's strength is increasing day by day, and she, with only Platinum-level strength, can hardly help him. Therefore, Lin Yu rarely summons her.

She is a rather quiet person, so she rarely speaks.

Liu Yue'er, on the other hand, would chat with Lin Yu whenever she had free time.

Lin Yu didn't expect her to suddenly speak.

"How so?"

Lin Yu asked.

Hearing Liu Xiangxiang's voice in his mind, he perked up.

Liu Xiangxiang was a vengeful spirit who died unjustly, and she was perhaps more perceptive and direct than Lin Yu in understanding the nature and tricks of vengeful spirits.

"Benefactor," Liu Xiangxiang's voice carried a hint of solemnity and confirmation: "that being who calls herself Hongshang, the 'resentment' she carries is not an ordinary grievance or obsession, but more like a... twisted greed and some deeper malice disguised as something else."

My impression of her wasn't that she didn't want to sleep, but rather... that she was unwilling to be bound, craved more, even... harbored a devouring desire.

"The desire to devour?" Lin Yu's eyes sharpened.

"you mean……"