A humming sound of distorted space filled their eardrums as Han Feng and Wang Hao were pulled into a dazzling tunnel by an irresistible force. All around them were constantly stretching and compressing geometric shapes, as if they had stumbled into an abstract painting by a madman.
"Holy crap..." Wang Hao's mouth dropped open. The scene before him far surpassed even his most absurd dreams. Rainbow-colored ribbons of light floated like silk, and in the distance were miniature versions of the birth and annihilation of stars. Time lost its meaning here—he simultaneously saw his childhood toy car and the cane that might appear in his old age flash by in the void.
A particularly dazzling purple ribbon of light drifted closer, and Wang Hao instinctively reached out to touch it. The light was so beautiful, so much like the sweetest memory from his childhood.
"Don't touch it!" Han Feng shouted sharply, forming a barrier of starlight to deflect the band of light. "Spatial turbulence! Even a cultivator at the Origin Realm would be instantly annihilated upon contact!"
Wang Hao abruptly withdrew his hand, cold sweat instantly soaking his back. The "beautiful" band of light grazed the barrier, swallowing up even the light in its path, leaving behind absolute darkness.
"Where...where exactly is this place?" Wang Hao's voice trembled as he gripped Han Feng's arm tightly.
"A rift between planes." Han Feng maintained his shield with all his might, starlight forming an egg-shaped protective barrier around his body. "Travelers from the old era called this the 'Kaleidoscope Corridor.'"
Countless lights and shadows swept past them: schools of winged fish swam in emerald clouds; crystal mountains silently collapsed and reformed in a vacuum; at one moment, Wang Hao even saw another version of himself working overtime in the office—a parallel life if he hadn't followed Han Feng down this path.
"Close your eyes!" Han Feng suddenly commanded. "Some images can corrupt the mind!"
It was too late. Wang Hao could already see a writhing, compound-eyed creature, each eye reflecting a different way he had died. His stomach churned, and he almost vomited into his shield.
"Concentrate on happy things!" Han Feng slapped him on the back, channeling pure starlight energy into him. "Think about getting your first paycheck! Think about the girl you have a crush on!"
Wang Hao desperately tried to recall the most beautiful girl in the next department from his university days, only to find her face covered by countless compound eyes. Just as he was about to collapse, a cool energy surged into his mind, and Han Feng's voice rang out like a bell:
"Hold on! See that point of light ahead? That's the exit!"
In the far distance, a single point of silver light flickered steadily in the chaos. Unlike other fleeting illusions, this point of light continuously emanated a familiar energy fluctuation—the coordinates of the Rota Realm described by Aya Ikegami!
"Hurry up! We need to speed up!" Han Feng's eyes blazed with starlight, and his shield transformed into a shooting star as it hurtled toward the point of light.
The spatial turbulence became violent, attempting to impede the two intruders. Suddenly, a massive rift, comparable in size to a mountain range, appeared in their path, containing a swirling, dark red vortex.
"Hold fast to the One!" Han Feng shouted, and seven meteorites flew out from his arms, forming a second barrier outside the original shield.
There was no sound at the moment of impact, only a pure explosion of energy. Wang Hao felt as if his internal organs were about to be shattered, but he gritted his teeth and didn't scream—he couldn't let his brothers be distracted!
The point of light rapidly magnified, gradually revealing the outline of a door. Unfamiliar constellation patterns were carved on the door, with a star-shaped groove in the center.
"Now!" Han Feng poured his last bit of power into the meteorite, and the seven stones were arranged like the Big Dipper, precisely embedded in the grooves.
The door opened.
Just before the intense light engulfed everything, Han Feng glanced back one last time—in the folded space, he vaguely saw the outline of Villa No. 1, and the figures of three girls flashed past the window.
"I'll come back..." he murmured, before being completely engulfed in the light.
The sky above the Luota Realm was a pale purple, with two moons hanging on either side of the celestial canopy. Han Feng knelt on one knee, panting, while Wang Hao lay on the ground, dry heaving.
"Welcome...to...the world of a higher dimension..." Han Feng forced a tired smile.
Wang Hao looked up at the completely unfamiliar vegetation, then suddenly grinned: "Worth it!"
Beneath the pale purple sky, two moons, like giant pupils, gazed upon the newcomer. One was a bright white full moon, the other a dark red crescent moon; their light intertwined in the air, creating a dreamlike halo.
Han Feng knelt on one knee, panting, his star power almost exhausted. Wang Hao lay on the ground, retching, the aftereffects of the spatial travel leaving him dizzy.
"This godforsaken place... even the air is sweet?" Wang Hao sniffed, catching a peculiar scent that resembled a mixture of honey and sandalwood.
Han Feng cautiously looked around. The vegetation here was completely unfamiliar—ferns emitting a faint blue glow, trees with crystal-like trunks, and even the moss on the ground shimmered with starlight.
"The energy concentration is more than thirty times that of Earth." Han Feng sensed the strange energy flowing in the air. "Cultivation speed here will be very fast, but be careful of energy overload."
Wang Hao struggled to his feet, then suddenly pointed into the distance: "Old Han, look! That cloud is glowing!"
Sure enough, the edges of the clouds floating on the horizon shimmered with an iridescent light, as if they were imbued with some kind of energy. Further away, enormous flying creatures streaked across the sky, their wings trailing arcs of light like electricity.
"Let's get out of here first." Han Feng pulled Wang Hao up. "The fluctuations from the spatial rift might attract unwanted attention."
The two ventured into a forest emitting a blue glow. The fallen leaves beneath their feet made a soft, crisp sound as they stepped on them, then dissipated into specks of light. Wang Hao curiously stomped his foot, startling a swarm of glowing insects.
"This place...it's like a scene from a fairy tale," Wang Hao said softly, afraid of disturbing anything.
Han Feng suddenly stopped and crouched down to examine the ground: "There are signs of artificial excavation."
A faintly discernible path meandered forward, its surface smoothed and marked with glowing pebbles along its edges. Most surprisingly, the arrangement of these pebbles subtly corresponded to some kind of energy circuit.
"Should we follow this path?" Wang Hao asked nervously.
Han Feng pondered for a moment: "Follow them for a while, but keep your distance." He took out several fragments of meteorite and set up hidden warning arrays along the way. "In case of any trouble, these will buy us some time."
The deeper they went, the stranger the forest became. Some tree branches would automatically give way to pedestrians, and glowing patterns resembling circuits would appear on the rock surfaces. On one occasion, they even saw a small, hexagonal beast emerge from a tree hole, curiously observe them for a moment, and then turn into a puddle of liquid that seeped into the ground.
"This place is too eerie..." Wang Hao rubbed the goosebumps on his arms.
Suddenly, Han Feng abruptly pulled Wang Hao down to crouch: "There's an energy fluctuation ahead."
Through the glowing bushes, they saw an open area. Several people in silver uniforms were inspecting a device on the ground—a device composed of intersecting crystal pillars, with a constantly rotating polyhedron suspended in the center.
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