
Lu Feng shuddered at the voice and *jolted* up from the ground in an instant.
163Please respect copyright.PENANAsiTsuxXnSn
*Holy crap!*
163Please respect copyright.PENANA2vYlm9s2lt
Who wouldn’t be startled by someone suddenly appearing out of nowhere in the middle of nowhere? Without thinking, he yanked the Shadowfang Lynx in front of him like a living shield, squinting warily as he whipped his head around.
163Please respect copyright.PENANAfkQ6Gnm65M
There, standing a short distance away, was an old man dressed in coarse linen robes. His hair and beard were stark white, yet his aura brimmed with vitality. A faint, otherworldly air surrounded him, like some immortal who’d wandered out of a myth.
163Please respect copyright.PENANAJjDnD1LI8Z
*When the hell did he get here? I didn’t even sense him!*
163Please respect copyright.PENANABlfVXo87RF
Lu Feng’s mind raced as he kept his guard up.
163Please respect copyright.PENANAlpUUkPQu41
"Who... who are you?" he asked cautiously, scanning his memory for any hint of recognition.
163Please respect copyright.PENANAvqZFhIzwuY
The old man chuckled, stroking his beard. "Just a wandering old fool, passing through. No need to be nervous, young man—I mean you no harm."
163Please respect copyright.PENANAHdSjFb7AQh
*No harm? Yeah, right. This feels like a setup straight out of ‘Among Us.’*
163Please respect copyright.PENANANaIsRPed4M
Still, Lu Feng forced a respectful tone. "What guidance do you have for me, Elder?"
163Please respect copyright.PENANAsnxTcZSyM4
Instead of answering, the old man studied him for a long moment, then glanced at the Shadowfang Lynx. "To tame a spirit beast like this so soon after arriving in the interstice between worlds... your luck is extraordinary. This Shadowfang Lynx is a rare treasure—swift, elusive, a natural-born assassin. The fact it chose you as its master suggests there’s something special about you."
163Please respect copyright.PENANAD89YROwyBj
Lu Feng’s heart skipped a beat.
163Please respect copyright.PENANAuBZOFpUbW2
*This old man knows his stuff.*
163Please respect copyright.PENANAwsQ8G2KLhK
He’d instantly recognized the lynx’s rarity and even knew about the interstice. Definitely not some random wanderer.
163Please respect copyright.PENANA2imBdjTCQU
"You flatter me, Elder," Lu Feng replied humbly, though his mind was spinning. *What’s his angle?*
163Please respect copyright.PENANAIv78a7wFQd
The old man waved a hand. "No need for modesty. You must have already realized this place isn’t ordinary. It’s where the Cultivation Realm and the Lord’s World intersect—one governed by spiritual energy, the other by elemental forces. Their rules clash, yet they’re inextricably linked."
163Please respect copyright.PENANAXKCdySZsiJ
*Cultivation Realm? Lord’s World?*
163Please respect copyright.PENANAQh3h8hlz0Q
Lu Feng’s stomach lurched. He’d suspected as much, but hearing it confirmed still hit like a truck.
163Please respect copyright.PENANAMjS0vtPgfK
*This is some straight-up xianxia novel nonsense!*
163Please respect copyright.PENANAh5DlIfRWfM
"Elder... what’s really going on here?" he blurted.
163Please respect copyright.PENANA7qTTNq2R97
The old man sighed. "A long story. These two worlds once coexisted peacefully, but recently, the passages between them have grown unstable. Energy storms erupt unpredictably, and the ancient formation that maintains the boundary is failing. If it collapses completely, the two worlds will merge—and no one can predict the consequences."
163Please respect copyright.PENANAkuIy8Sz57F
*World fusion?!*
163Please respect copyright.PENANAGTo68bZObU
*Oh hell no. That’s apocalyptic-level bad.*
163Please respect copyright.PENANA6wMLaO2SfO
Lu Feng’s blood ran cold. He felt like he was standing on a ticking bomb.
163Please respect copyright.PENANAOM3ZCMZ3K0
"So... what can we do?" he pressed.
163Please respect copyright.PENANA56FC5YQLFs
"There *is* a way," the old man mused. "The formation can be repaired, but it requires vast amounts of energy and a rare material—Chaos Stone. It can only be found in the borderlands between the two worlds, and it must be refined using both energies to be effective."
163Please respect copyright.PENANAC3bhvlLWRc
*Dual refinement?*
163Please respect copyright.PENANAUql8vVYDVi
Lu Feng frowned. "You mean...?"
163Please respect copyright.PENANAoN0KBus3yw
"Exactly." The old man nodded. "Spiritual energy from the Cultivation Realm *and* elemental power from the Lord’s World. Only together can they unlock the Chaos Stone’s potential."
163Please respect copyright.PENANAMPgvQz3VTe
Lu Feng absorbed this, his understanding of this world deepening.
163Please respect copyright.PENANA4UIgPiv1Ge
"Then... where do we find this Chaos Stone?"
163Please respect copyright.PENANAjqrKH4kwnj
The old man smirked and pointed toward a distant mountain range shrouded in twilight. "That way lies the Ruins of Dusk—an abandoned fortress that once served as a trading hub between the two worlds. You might find clues there."
163Please respect copyright.PENANA60WRH1NZ38
*Ruins of Dusk.*
163Please respect copyright.PENANA1h5rIyMLDM
The name alone screamed *danger*.
163Please respect copyright.PENANAlzwef0hQSH
"However..." The old man’s tone darkened. "The ruins have been overrun by powerful monsters and unknown perils. If you go, be prepared."
163Please respect copyright.PENANA3fmjFZH1Bh
"Thank you for the warning," Lu Feng said sincerely.
163Please respect copyright.PENANAbzvZ5e2iRD
He knew the old man wasn’t telling him everything, but for now, this was his only lead.
163Please respect copyright.PENANAO0FRhNWJD1
"Elder, one more thing—how long do these energy storms last?"
163Please respect copyright.PENANA3UPyk8wNrE
The old man shook his head. "Unpredictable. Some last days, others months. But as the formation weakens, they’ll grow more frequent and violent. So, young man—find shelter, grow stronger, or you may be trapped here forever."
163Please respect copyright.PENANA64JieXBNsE
*Trapped forever?!*
163Please respect copyright.PENANAtSdx7moxCB
Lu Feng’s stomach dropped. That sounded worse than a lifetime of overtime.
163Please respect copyright.PENANAsi7dCdpJcl
"Thank you, Elder," he said again, now resolved to reach the Ruins of Dusk and establish his own territory.
163Please respect copyright.PENANADTPEgZDCzb
The old man smiled. "I’ve said all I can. The rest depends on your fortune."
163Please respect copyright.PENANAdApXdbIjAl
Then—*poof*—he vanished into thin air.
163Please respect copyright.PENANARNpx6YR7gy
*What the—?! Teleportation?!*
163Please respect copyright.PENANA2qRhfpv8vh
Lu Feng gaped, his curiosity about the old man skyrocketing.
163Please respect copyright.PENANARYuaVAnTZB
"Shadowfang, let’s move!" he called, dashing toward the ruins with the lynx at his heels.
163Please respect copyright.PENANA6beW9RoZSG
As they traveled, Lu Feng tinkered with the **Simulation Engine**, exploring ways to merge the two worlds’ rules and breed even stronger spirit beasts.
163Please respect copyright.PENANAcFYU7kmHS1
The more he experimented, the more he realized its potential—it could accelerate cultivation, simulate evolutionary paths for beasts, even design cross-world devices.
163Please respect copyright.PENANAIv1aFUPSes
*This thing’s basically a cheat code!*
163Please respect copyright.PENANAQdyD5fbilj
With this kind of advantage, fear melted away. He felt unstoppable, like a protagonist with plot armor.
163Please respect copyright.PENANAfuSw7rxFIJ
Gradually, he adapted to the rhythm of this world. He noticed time flowed differently here—**30 days in the Lord’s World equaled just 1 in the Cultivation Realm.**
163Please respect copyright.PENANAIvXO2uk6QA
*Talk about a grinding advantage!*
163Please respect copyright.PENANAO8goEstJJQ
Meanwhile, Shadowfang grew stronger too, mastering stealth and short-range teleportation. The lynx scouted ahead, hunted, and even handled minor threats on its own.
163Please respect copyright.PENANAD1S9r6nMW4
Over time, their bond deepened. Lu Feng saw Shadowfang as family, and the lynx never left his side.
163Please respect copyright.PENANAXZGa6PRIMH
Together, they navigated the dangers of the interstice.
163Please respect copyright.PENANAiiZOXvF8ON
But just as the Ruins of Dusk came into view—
163Please respect copyright.PENANAvE4ucGs1f6
**A nauseating stench hit them.**
163Please respect copyright.PENANAzgpFZ46rkv
Rotting flesh and sulfur. Lu Feng gagged, covering his nose with a cloth.
163Please respect copyright.PENANAL01J2rc36u
*What is this, a damn biohazard zone?!*
163Please respect copyright.PENANAb32dnHiylO
Shadowfang’s ears pricked up, eyes sharp with alarm, a low growl rumbling in its throat.
163Please respect copyright.PENANATHbQH6V1u8
Lu Feng froze, scanning the area.
163Please respect copyright.PENANAZdl2Ug04GF
The ruins loomed under the bloody twilight, a monstrous silhouette of crumbling walls and eerie silence. A faint crimson mist hung in the air, distorting vision.
163Please respect copyright.PENANAFl3HYinoLV
"Stay sharp," Lu Feng whispered, gripping his dagger—a limited-edition gaming merch item that was now his only weapon.
163Please respect copyright.PENANAAyIKSVYiz7
Shadowfang *flickered* into the darkness to scout.
163Please respect copyright.PENANAJJTvZtkwvH
Then—**a bone-chilling wind swept through.**
163Please respect copyright.PENANAfAAIQKpkdQ
Lu Feng’s hair stood on end.
163Please respect copyright.PENANA1SDhhBvDoQ
*Something’s watching us.*
163Please respect copyright.PENANAM2tMkDBI7K
Before he could react, Shadowfang let out a **piercing screech—**and vanished into the shadows.
163Please respect copyright.PENANAEZzSJYxIcZ
"Shadowfang!" Lu Feng lunged forward—
163Please respect copyright.PENANASxf27uQNHp
**The ground trembled violently.**
163Please respect copyright.PENANATcvTEnm52G
From the darkness, **a pair of crimson eyes slit open.**
ns216.73.216.95da2