Lu Feng shuddered at the voice and *jolted* up from the ground in an instant.
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*Holy crap!*
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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.
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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.
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*When the hell did he get here? I didn’t even sense him!*
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Lu Feng’s mind raced as he kept his guard up.
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"Who... who are you?" he asked cautiously, scanning his memory for any hint of recognition.
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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."
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*No harm? Yeah, right. This feels like a setup straight out of ‘Among Us.’*
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Still, Lu Feng forced a respectful tone. "What guidance do you have for me, Elder?"
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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."
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Lu Feng’s heart skipped a beat.
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*This old man knows his stuff.*
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He’d instantly recognized the lynx’s rarity and even knew about the interstice. Definitely not some random wanderer.
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"You flatter me, Elder," Lu Feng replied humbly, though his mind was spinning. *What’s his angle?*
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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."
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*Cultivation Realm? Lord’s World?*
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Lu Feng’s stomach lurched. He’d suspected as much, but hearing it confirmed still hit like a truck.
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*This is some straight-up xianxia novel nonsense!*
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"Elder... what’s really going on here?" he blurted.
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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."
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*World fusion?!*
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*Oh hell no. That’s apocalyptic-level bad.*
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Lu Feng’s blood ran cold. He felt like he was standing on a ticking bomb.
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"So... what can we do?" he pressed.
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"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."
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*Dual refinement?*
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Lu Feng frowned. "You mean...?"
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"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."
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Lu Feng absorbed this, his understanding of this world deepening.
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"Then... where do we find this Chaos Stone?"
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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."
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*Ruins of Dusk.*
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The name alone screamed *danger*.
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"However..." The old man’s tone darkened. "The ruins have been overrun by powerful monsters and unknown perils. If you go, be prepared."
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"Thank you for the warning," Lu Feng said sincerely.
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He knew the old man wasn’t telling him everything, but for now, this was his only lead.
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"Elder, one more thing—how long do these energy storms last?"
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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."
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*Trapped forever?!*
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Lu Feng’s stomach dropped. That sounded worse than a lifetime of overtime.
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"Thank you, Elder," he said again, now resolved to reach the Ruins of Dusk and establish his own territory.
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The old man smiled. "I’ve said all I can. The rest depends on your fortune."
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Then—*poof*—he vanished into thin air.
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*What the—?! Teleportation?!*
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Lu Feng gaped, his curiosity about the old man skyrocketing.
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"Shadowfang, let’s move!" he called, dashing toward the ruins with the lynx at his heels.
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As they traveled, Lu Feng tinkered with the **Simulation Engine**, exploring ways to merge the two worlds’ rules and breed even stronger spirit beasts.
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The more he experimented, the more he realized its potential—it could accelerate cultivation, simulate evolutionary paths for beasts, even design cross-world devices.
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*This thing’s basically a cheat code!*
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With this kind of advantage, fear melted away. He felt unstoppable, like a protagonist with plot armor.
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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.**
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*Talk about a grinding advantage!*
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Meanwhile, Shadowfang grew stronger too, mastering stealth and short-range teleportation. The lynx scouted ahead, hunted, and even handled minor threats on its own.
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Over time, their bond deepened. Lu Feng saw Shadowfang as family, and the lynx never left his side.
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Together, they navigated the dangers of the interstice.
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But just as the Ruins of Dusk came into view—
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**A nauseating stench hit them.**
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Rotting flesh and sulfur. Lu Feng gagged, covering his nose with a cloth.
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*What is this, a damn biohazard zone?!*
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Shadowfang’s ears pricked up, eyes sharp with alarm, a low growl rumbling in its throat.
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Lu Feng froze, scanning the area.
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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.
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"Stay sharp," Lu Feng whispered, gripping his dagger—a limited-edition gaming merch item that was now his only weapon.
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Shadowfang *flickered* into the darkness to scout.
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Then—**a bone-chilling wind swept through.**
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Lu Feng’s hair stood on end.
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*Something’s watching us.*
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Before he could react, Shadowfang let out a **piercing screech—**and vanished into the shadows.
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"Shadowfang!" Lu Feng lunged forward—
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**The ground trembled violently.**
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From the darkness, **a pair of crimson eyes slit open.**
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