I walk sideways in the game world

Chapter 144: Across Time and Space, Infinite Possibilities

The dazzling light engulfed everything. Ren Xiaoyao felt his head spin, his ears filled with a buzzing sound. He held Xia Lin's hand tightly, feeling a mixture of nervousness and excitement. After an unknown amount of time, the light gradually dissipated, and the dizziness gradually faded.

When Ren Xiaoyao opened his eyes again, the scene before him shocked him so much that he was speechless.

The familiar altar and stone slabs had vanished, replaced by a vast expanse of grassland. The sky was a cloudless blue, and the fresh air was filled with the fragrance of grass and earth. In the distance, towering peaks reached the sky, shrouded in mist, creating a fairyland-like scene.

"Where...is this place?" Pharmacist Li muttered to himself, his eyes full of disbelief.

"This... this is impossible!" Master Mo pointed tremblingly at the front, "Look over there!"

Everyone looked in the direction Master Mo pointed, and saw towering metal buildings standing on the grassland not far away. These buildings had strange shapes and gleamed with metallic luster, which was out of tune with the surrounding environment.

"This... could this be...?" Ren Xiaoyao widened his eyes, and an incredible thought emerged in his mind.

"That's right, this should be the legendary... technological civilization!" Xia Lin took a deep breath, her tone full of shock and excitement.

Ren Xiaoyao looked around and found that besides them, there were other people near the teleportation array. These people, like them, had come here through the teleportation array. Some of them came from other places in the game world, while others came from even more distant places.

"It seems we're not the only ones who discovered this place." Ren Xiaoyao said in a deep voice, "Xia Lin, can you sense the spiritual energy fluctuations here?"

Charlene closed her eyes and felt it carefully. After a moment, she opened her eyes with a solemn look on her face.

"It's strange. I can't feel any spiritual energy." Xia Lin said, "Not only that, the spiritual energy in my body has also been suppressed. I can't use any spells."

"What?!" Everyone was shocked when they heard this.

"Without spiritual power, then wouldn't we be..." Pharmacist Li's face was pale and his voice was trembling.

At this moment, a strange voice suddenly came from behind them: "Who are you? Why are you here?"

Ren Xiaoyao and others turned around suddenly and saw a man in a silver uniform holding a strange weapon standing behind them, staring at them vigilantly.

"Be careful, he doesn't seem to be from our world..." Ren Xiaoyao warned in a low voice, then stepped forward and asked in a deep voice, "My friend, may I ask where this place is..."

"This is..." The man was about to speak when his expression suddenly changed. He raised his weapon, pointed it at the sky, and shouted, "Something's happening!" In the sky, several dazzling beams of light pierced the clouds. With a deafening roar, several strangely shaped aircraft roared in and hovered above the crowd. These aircraft were silver-white, their surfaces as smooth as mirrors, without a single visible crack, giving off a futuristic, technological feel.

"Outsiders, you have illegally invaded the territory of the Interstellar Alliance. Lay down your weapons immediately and accept inspection!" A cold voice came from the loudspeaker on the aircraft.

Ren Xiaoyao and others looked at each other in bewilderment. They had never seen such advanced technology, let alone what the Interstellar Alliance was. They were at a loss for a moment.

"We...we have no ill intentions..." Pharmacist Li tried to explain, but his voice sounded particularly weak.

"Stop talking nonsense! Anyone who disobeys orders will be killed without mercy!" The voice on the aircraft was even colder and full of unquestionable majesty.

Ren Xiaoyao's heart sank. He knew a conflict was inevitable. He gripped his sword tightly, signaling Xia Lin and the others to prepare for battle. However, at this moment, a clear voice suddenly rang out.

"Stop! They're my friends!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a beautiful woman in a white dress running towards them from a distance. She was followed by a group of people whose attire was distinctly different from that of the inhabitants of this world; they looked like adventurers from another world.

"Leah! Are you crazy? They are invaders!" The voice on the aircraft was full of anger and confusion.

"I know, but they don't mean any harm. They're just lost." The woman called Leah ran up to Ren Xiaoyao and the others, then turned to the people on the aircraft and said, "Please believe me, they won't pose a threat to us."

The people on the aircraft were silent for a moment, as if weighing the pros and cons. Finally, the cold voice sounded again: "For Leah's sake, I will spare you this time. But you must return with me for investigation, otherwise..."

The voice from the aircraft did not continue, but the threat was self-evident.

Liya turned to Ren Xiaoyao and the others and said, "Come with me, I will protect you."

Ren Xiaoyao and the others looked at each other and finally decided to follow Leah. They knew that in this strange world, they needed a guide, and Leah seemed to be a good choice.

Leia brought Ren Xiaoyao and others to a huge city. This city was more magnificent than any city they had ever seen before. The towering buildings, the endless stream of flying vehicles, and all kinds of strange creatures made them dazzled and amazed.

"Welcome to Stardust City, one of the central cities of the Interstellar Alliance." Leia pointed to a magnificent building in the distance and said, "That's the Interstellar Council, responsible for managing the entire Interstellar Alliance."

Ren Xiaoyao and the others followed Leah into Stardust City. Along the way, they found that the residents here were full of curiosity and vigilance towards them. Some residents even pointed at them and whispered to them.

"Ignore them, they're just curious about you," Leah explained. "After all, you are visitors from another world."

Ren Xiaoyao nodded in understanding. He knew that outsiders would be noticed anywhere.

"Leah, why did you bring these people back?" A man in a black uniform walked over and asked in a bad tone, "Have you forgotten the rules of the Interstellar Alliance? Any outsider who enters the Interstellar Alliance without permission must..."

"I know, Captain Carl." Leah interrupted him, "But they are my friends. I believe they will not pose a threat to us."

"Friends?" Captain Carl sneered. "Liya, you're too naive. These guys from another world, who knows what they're thinking? What if..."

Before Captain Carl could finish his words, Leah interrupted him: "That's enough, Captain Carl! I believe in my friends!"

Captain Carl wanted to say something, but in the end he kept silent. He looked deeply at Ren Xiaoyao and the others, then turned and left.

Leah breathed a sigh of relief and said to Ren Xiaoyao and the others, "I'm sorry, I..."

"It's okay, we understand." Ren Xiaoyao said, "We shouldn't have been here in the first place. We're sorry to have caused you trouble."

Leah shook her head and said, "No, it's not your fault. It's this world..."

Before Leia could finish her words, her expression suddenly changed and she looked up at the sky.

"What's wrong?" Ren Xiaoyao asked.

Leah didn't answer, but said solemnly: "Follow me, quickly!"

After saying that, Leia turned around and ran. Seeing this, Ren Xiaoyao and others hurriedly followed.

They followed Leah to the rooftop of a tall building, only to see a huge black vortex appear in the distant sky...

The massive black vortex, like a predatory beast, greedily devoured everything around it, preventing even light from escaping. Its sudden appearance enveloped the entire city, leaving residents panicked and fleeing. The once orderly city was instantly plunged into chaos.

Leah's face was solemn as she hurriedly said to Ren Xiaoyao and the others, "That's a void rift, connecting to an unknown and dangerous space. We must close it as soon as possible!"

Ren Xiaoyao and the others were shocked and confused when they saw such a shocking scene for the first time. They followed Leia to the Interstellar Council. The atmosphere in the council hall was tense, and representatives from all parties were arguing fiercely about how to respond.

"The interstellar fleet must be mobilized to destroy the void rift with maximum firepower!" a representative in military uniform shouted.

"No!" an old man retorted sharply, "The void rift is extremely unstable. A rash attack will only widen it, with disastrous consequences!"

"So what do you say we should do? Are we just going to watch it devour our city?!"

Ren Xiaoyao noticed that in a corner of the parliament hall, an old man in a scholar's robe remained silent, with his brows furrowed, as if he was thinking about something.

"Master Mo, what do you think?" Leah walked to the old man and asked softly.

Master Mo slowly opened his eyes, his deep gaze sweeping over the crowd as he spoke slowly, "The appearance of the void rift is no accident. It may be related to the ancient civilization ruins we have been searching for..."

In the days that followed, Ren Xiaoyao and his companions assisted the Interstellar Alliance in stabilizing the situation while actively collecting information about void rifts and the remains of ancient civilizations. They learned to use translators to communicate with local residents, and learned that this world once housed a highly developed civilization, but it was destroyed in a catastrophe, leaving only a few mysterious ruins scattered throughout the world.

Ren Xiaoyao discovered that although the technology in this world was advanced, it was surprisingly similar to their original world in some aspects, especially the records about the remains of ancient civilizations, which coincided with the murals and texts they found in the ruins.

To better integrate into this world and enhance their own strength, Ren Xiaoyao and his companions decided to learn the local language, combat techniques, and advanced technology. With her exceptional talent, Xia Lin quickly mastered the common language of the Interstellar Alliance and began learning to operate some simple mechanical equipment. Pharmacist Li, on the other hand, developed a keen interest in this world's pharmacy, spending his days in the library researching various potion formulas.

Ren Xiaoyao, under the tutelage of a retired Space Marine, learned to control a weapon called the Energy Blade. The Energy Blade utilizes advanced technology to compress energy into a blade, resulting in an incredibly sharp and powerful weapon. With his martial arts talent and diligent training, Ren Xiaoyao quickly mastered the technique.

During a collaboration with local residents, Ren Xiaoyao's team ventured deep into a dangerous forest, searching for a rare ore that could be used to repair void rifts. During their conversation with the locals, an elderly hunter inadvertently mentioned an ancient legend...

"It's said that deep within those cursed ruins lies a mysterious device capable of controlling the power of the void..." The old hunter's words were like a pebble dropped into a calm lake, stirring up a thousand waves in Ren Xiaoyao's heart. A mysterious device capable of controlling the power of the void? Could it be that these ruins weren't merely a culmination of technology, but rather involved a deeper power?

After returning to camp, Ren Xiaoyao told Xia Lin and the others what the old hunter had said, sparking heated discussion. Master Mo pushed his glasses and said thoughtfully, "If what the old hunter said is true, then this mysterious device is likely the key to the appearance of the void rift!"

Pharmacist Li nodded in agreement. "Controlling the power of the void sounds like a technological level far beyond our comprehension. Perhaps it could only be created during the peak of ancient civilization."

"No matter what, we can't let go of any clues." Ren Xiaoyao's eyes were determined. "We must find that mysterious device and solve the mystery of the void rift!"

After some discussion, Ren Xiaoyao decided to change the original plan and make finding the mysterious device the primary goal. In order to better complete the task, they decided to invite old hunters to join the team and recruited several experienced explorers from local residents.

Led by an old hunter, Ren Xiaoyao and his team embarked on a journey to find the mysterious device. They crossed dense forests, climbed steep mountains, and encountered various dangers along the way, but they never gave up.

On a dark night, Ren Xiaoyao's team sat around a campfire to rest. An old hunter pointed at the starry sky and said slowly, "Do you see that brightest star? Legend has it that the central city of ancient civilization was built beneath that star..."

"Central city?" Ren Xiaoyao's heart moved, and he thought of the star map he had found in the ruins before. Could it be that the central city that the old hunter mentioned was the mysterious place marked on the star map?

"Indeed, the Central City is a symbol of ancient civilization and the crystallization of their wisdom and power," the old hunter said with awe. "Legend has it that countless treasures and secrets are hidden there, but it is also guarded by powerful guardians..."

"Guardian?" Charlene asked curiously.

The old hunter nodded and said in a low voice, "It is said that the Guardian is the ultimate weapon created by ancient civilization, possessing the power to destroy heaven and earth..."

Ren Xiaoyao's heart trembled. He knew that they were walking on the edge of a knife. But in order to solve the mystery of the void rift and save their world, they had no choice.

"Tomorrow, we'll set off for the central city!" Ren Xiaoyao said firmly, his gaze gazing into the depths of the starry sky. There, it seemed, was hidden an infinite number of possibilities...

The next morning, Ren Xiaoyao's team packed up and prepared to set off. The old hunter pointed to a misty mountain in the distance and said, "The entrance to the central city is just behind that mountain!"

Ren Xiaoyao nodded, took the lead, and walked towards the unknown area...