128: The Vanishing Erina

Stepping into Longevity Manor once again, the clamor of the outside world seemed to be cut off by an invisible barrier, instantly falling silent. Time here appeared to flow exceptionally slowly; the rapid changes of the modern world had nothing to do with it, leaving only a long-settled sense of simplicity and warmth that remained constant.

Because it was a weekday, Longevity Manor was much quieter than usual, but its vitality had not dissipated. A few little spirits chased patches of light in the corners of the corridor, and the crisp sound of shuffling cards still drifted from a room deep on the first floor, sounding like the steady heartbeat of the building. Tohru had long since been enthusiastically welcomed into the dining room by Ruriko, where several Little Monsters surrounded this rare guest, curiously watching her enjoy specially made snacks.

Meanwhile, Lin Luo and Ye Nianyao were led by Mr. Long toward a secluded Japanese-style room.

Sliding open the door, two people were already waiting inside. Senzaemon Nakiri sat upright, a deep, unshakeable worry etched between his brows. Beside him sat a stranger—a man with a buzz cut and bulging muscles, his brown suit stretched tight by his solid physique, looking every bit like a guardian hidden behind the scenes.

"Luo-kun, I didn't expect this matter to eventually circle back to you." Senzaemon's voice was low, laced with unconcealed concern.

Lin Luo's gaze showed confusion as he looked at Mr. Long. Ye Nianyao stood quietly to the side, her slender brows furrowing slightly, a trace of imperceptible doubt flickering in her cold eyes.

"Everyone, please take a seat first." Mr. Long gestured with his hand, and only after everyone was seated did he speak slowly. "As mentioned before, there are other worlds currently undergoing Fusion with our world."

Lin Luo nodded, and Mr. Long continued, "The process of Fusion is not a one-way impact. It doesn't just manifest in our world as anomalies, descended objects, or spatial rifts; it also creates violent disturbances in the world on the other side. Therefore, it is not impossible for people from our world to be accidentally pulled into the other side."

Lin Luo's pupils contracted slightly. "You mean we can also enter those worlds undergoing Fusion? I always thought it was a one-way Fusion."

"In terms of the essence of the process, Fusion is indeed one-way. As of now, we have yet to find a stable way to actively travel to those worlds," Ye Nianyao's cold voice rang out, pointing out the key issue.

"Then this is...?"

"It doesn't prevent the world on the other side from actively taking things," Mr. Long took over the conversation. "For example, a certain man-made summoning magic has already been able to penetrate the boundaries and snatch a target from our side."

Lin Luo looked thoughtful. "So, it's confirmed that someone from Tōtsuki has been pulled into an otherworldly Realm? But regarding this matter, asking me might..."

Before he could finish, Senzaemon interrupted in a heavy, solemn tone, "Erina is gone. At the same time, several of the most outstanding young talents in the academy have also vanished."

Hearing that it concerned Erina, Lin Luo's heart tightened, and he immediately followed up, "What do you need me to do?"

Ye Nianyao gave him a faint glance. "What use is there in looking for him for such a thing? He is still too weak right now."

Mr. Long, however, smiled slightly. "He's just right. I originally planned to have Zhou Dong arrange more tasks for him to gain experience, but if he were any stronger, it would actually be harder to hide from the perception of certain entities."

Ye Nianyao's brow furrowed slightly. "What do you plan to have him do? If it's too dangerous, don't involve him."

Mr. Long smiled knowingly. "Don't worry, I guarantee Lin Luo won't be in any life-threatening danger. Besides, this matter only has benefits for him—this is an opportunity others couldn't even beg for."

Lin Luo raised his hand. "So, what exactly do you want me to do?"

Mr. Long's gaze fell on him, his tone certain. "You go and bring the Tōtsuki students back. Only you can do this."

This categorical assertion left Lin Luo momentarily speechless. He asked dryly, "How do I bring them back?"

"We will send you into that world," Mr. Long said calmly. "The area you are going to has no powerful auras, so you don't need to worry about safety."

Lin Luo was even more surprised. "While that is one aspect I'm worried about, the more critical point is that I shouldn't be able to go at all, right? Didn't you just say it's impossible to actively enter an otherworldly Realm?"

Mr. Long wore a meaningful smile. "For us, that is indeed true. But you are different—from the moment you arrived in this world, it was destined that this kind of mission to cross boundaries could only be undertaken by you."

"What do you mean?" Clouds of doubt filled Lin Luo's mind, but Mr. Long did not explain. He simply stood up and gestured for everyone to follow.

They walked through the familiar corridors toward the hot springs but did not stop. Passing straight through a grotto misty with steam, the scene before them suddenly opened up—it was actually a Starry Canyon they had never seen before.

Lin Luo suddenly looked up to see a brilliant galaxy stretching across the sky, casting a clear glow over the walls of the jagged canyon. His heart jolted: it was clearly morning when they arrived, so how could it have turned to night in the blink of an eye? Furthermore, where could such a magnificent canyon come from within Longevity Manor?

"Where is this?" He voiced the question everyone present was wondering.

Mr. Long walked with a steady pace and explained simply, "The grotto just now connects to this region; it was excavated by the Landlord himself."

The image of the Landlord, who looked like a giant black egg, immediately surfaced in Lin Luo's mind.

At this moment, the muscular man beside Senzaemon, who was called Dojima, asked in a deep voice, "Mr. Long, what is the purpose of our trip?"

"Mr. Dojima has asked the key question." Mr. Long stopped and scanned the group. "This place is precisely the weak point between that world and ours. Luo-kun, only from here can you 'infiltrate' the other side."

Hearing this, Lin Luo immediately expanded his Divine Sense to perceive his surroundings. Above the canyon was a vast, uninhabited wasteland. With his current Realm, he could not capture any trace of a so-called 'weak point' at all.

Just then, Mr. Long slowly raised his hand and threw a punch toward the Void Realm ahead with casual indifference.

To Lin Luo, the movement looked soft and weak, not even worthy of being called a martial arts technique. However, right where the fist landed, space shattered inch by inch like a mirror without warning, revealing a deep, void-like hole behind it.

That hole was exceptionally stable, healing extremely slowly, and it didn't exert the slightest pull or cause any destruction to its surroundings.

Watching this scene that defied common sense, Lin Luo felt a chill crawl up his spine, and his whole body stiffened—could a human body really achieve such a level?

Mr. Long turned to Lin Luo and said calmly, "I'll send you in."

Lin Luo couldn't hide his surprise. "Just go in directly like this? Don't I need to make any preparations?"

"It's just stepping through a door; it's not as complicated as you think," Mr. Long replied breezily.

Lin Luo was about to nod when Ye Nianyao suddenly reached out to block him. "I'll go in for him." Her voice was cold, yet carried an unquestionable determination.

Lin Luo looked at her slender yet firm back, a wave of indescribable warmth surging in his heart, leaving him momentarily speechless.

Seeing this, Mr. Long laughed helplessly. "I've already given my guarantee; you needn't be so worried. Besides, this matter has to be him—if just anyone could do it, I wouldn't have gone to the trouble of bothering Luo-kun."

Lin Luo gently patted Ye Nianyao's shoulder, his voice gentle but firm. "I'll be back very soon."

Senzaemon solemnly said, "Thank you," and then requested in a low voice, "I'm counting on you."

Lin Luo nodded to him and, under Ye Nianyao's complex gaze, turned to Mr. Long. "I'm ready. What do I need to do?"

Mr. Long's palm brushed lightly, and the void-like hole slowly expanded, taking the shape of a doorway. Gazing at the swirling Chaos energy within, Lin Luo couldn't help but feel his heart tighten.

"Don't think about anything, just walk right in." Mr. Long's voice carried a reassuring power. "I've placed a spiritual protection on you; the spatial energy won't harm you."

Lin Luo took a deep breath. "If I find them, how do I come back?"

"Just think it in your heart. The mark I've left on you will ensure our connection is never broken."

This answer put Lin Luo much more at ease. "Alright, then I'm heading out." He turned to look at Ye Nianyao and called out softly, "Sister Nianyao."

Ye Nianyao looked up at him. Lin Luo smiled. "I don't know how long I'll be delayed at the school side, so help me ask Xiao Mafuyu for some time off, and tell everyone not to worry too much."

"Got it." Ye Nianyao nodded slightly.

Lin Luo gave a final smile. "I'm off."

Under the solemn gazes of the group, he stepped into that void. The moment his figure completely vanished, Ye Nianyao's heart tightened, and she instinctively took a step forward, only to be gently blocked by an invisible barrier.

"That world is resisting us," Mr. Long said softly, smoothing over the void-like hole with a casual sweep of his hand, returning it to its original state. "That's why we can't enter."

As Lin Luo's figure completely vanished into the void, the last trace of warmth on Ye Nianyao's face faded, returning to her usual frost-like expression. She turned away silently, not saying a word in response to Mr. Long.

Mr. Long understood her current state of mind and didn't say much, simply turning to Senzaemon and the other man to signal their return. Worry still lingered between Senzaemon's brows. "Mr. Long, will this be too much for Mr. Lin Luo to handle alone?"

"It's fine." Mr. Long walked with a steady pace, his tone peaceful. "The hardest part is finding the people. Leave that to Lin Luo with confidence; it's useless for us to worry here."

Meanwhile, the moment Lin Luo stepped into the void, he sensed something was wrong.

A sense of weightlessness suddenly grabbed his heart like an invisible hand—he had actually appeared ten thousand meters in the air! The gale was like a knife, howling as it tore at his clothes, and the land below was blurred into a chaotic mass of colors.

What made his heart sink even further was that the Qi that had originally flowed freely through his body had become as stagnant as if it were frozen the moment he entered this world. No matter how he tried to urge it, there was no reaction.

In other words, the moment he set foot in this Realm, he was faced with his first life-and-death test: how to survive the fall to the ground from ten thousand meters in the air?

The intense weightlessness continued to assault his senses, making his head spin. Lin Luo suppressed the discomfort, forcing himself to adjust his posture, turning his body horizontal to increase air resistance and slow his descent.

After about three minutes, he could finally make out the outline of the ground through the thin clouds—it was a vast, boundless sea of dark green forest. However, he soon realized that his current landing point had deviated. Even if he adjusted his direction now, it would be impossible to reach that relatively flat ground he had caught a glimpse of earlier.

Just as he was focusing all his attention on how to resolve this high-altitude crisis, a strong sense of alarm suddenly came from his side!

In the next instant, an unimaginable force slammed hard into him—he was like a person hit by an invisible cannonball, sent flying out of control and smashing heavily against a steep cliff wall!

His internal organs felt as if they had instantly shifted. Lin Luo endured the agonizing pain and looked up, his pupils suddenly contracting. On the distant horizon, an ancient giant beast shaped like a Brachiosaurus had appeared! He saw it open its massive mouth again, and the surrounding air was rapidly compressed and condensed, turning into another transparent air cannonball that tore through the sky, booming toward the cliff where he was located!