Lin Fengtian stared at the Last One with narrowed eyes, disbelief mixed with interest as he digested the words that had just been spoken. “A gap between the concepts of 'inside' and 'outside'? Even in my deepest Paradox Cultivation lessons, such a concept was only alluded to as a theoretical possibility.”The Last One nodded slowly, his golden eyes dimming momentarily as if conserving energy for what he was about to do. “Theoretical for ordinary cultivators, Lin Fengtian. But you're not an ordinary cultivator, and I'm not an ordinary entity.” He raised the Immortal Balance Seal to chest level, its liquid yin-yang symbol spinning faster and faster. “Stand directly behind me and touch my back with your palm. Whatever happens, don't break our physical contact.”Lin Fengtian obeyed the instruction, feeling a strange vibration as his hand touched the Last One's back-like a subtle electric current creeping up through his arm.“Now,” The Last One whispered, ”activate your Paradoxical Cultiva

A vortex of dimensional energy threw Lin Fengtian viciously, flinging his body onto a hard surface hidden behind a thin layer of snow. He groaned, feeling his bones crunch in protest as he forced himself to get up. A piercing cold enveloped his surroundings, far more biting than he had ever felt on the highest mountain.“Elder Yi? The Last One?” he called out, his voice muffled by the strong gusts of wind that carried sharp grains of ice.There was no answer.Lin Fengtian squinted, trying to penetrate the blizzard raging around him. As far as the eye could see there was only white - the sky, the ground, the air, all merging into a blinding monotony. The portal that brought him here had disappeared without a trace.“Perfect,” he grunted, hugging himself for warmth. “An icy dimension without a clue.”He began walking without a definite direction, driven by his instincts and the need to keep moving to keep from freezing. His thoughts returned to the events in the Mirror Room, to the shoc

The vortex of dimensional energy violently released Lin Fengtian. He was knocked to the rocky surface, his body still weak from injuries and dimensional trauma. He lay there for a moment, his breath coming in short gasps, while the last image of his mother turning into a silvery light continued to linger in his mind.“Mother...” she whispered, her voice hoarse with an emotion she never thought she would feel-a deep longing for someone she had just met.“She gave us time,” The Last One knelt beside her, her golden eyes dimming. “Mei Ling knew the risks she was taking.”Lin Fengtian rose with sudden anger. “But you didn't tell me! You knew about my mother all along and you hid it!”Elder Yi, who was standing a few meters away from them, sighed heavily. “Secrets don't always equal lies, Lin Fengtian. There is knowledge that can kill you if you possess it too soon.”“And now that knowledge might have killed my mom,” Lin Fengtian stared back. He looked around for the first time, observing

Lin Fengtian stood in the middle of a sea of his own reflections. Each face-even his own-had a different expression, age, and features. Some looked wise and tired, while others were young yet cold and calculating. There were versions of her with golden eyes like the Last One, while others seemed completely human without a trace of primordial power.“How could I possibly find my true self?” Lin Fengtian whispered to himself, “If I don't know who I really am myself?”“That's the essence of this test,” one of his reflections replied, the figure of a young man younger than the current Lin Fengtian, with long hair and a gentle gaze. “Finding yourself among the possibilities.”Another reflection-an old man with an elongated scar on his face-laughed dryly. “Don't listen to him. He's just Lin Fengtian who never met Elder Yi. The version that never existed other than in possibility.”“And you're the version that gave up on the Compiler,” the third reflection mocked, a man with sharp eyes and a

Absolute silence enveloped the Resonance Dimension. Even the dimensional cracks emitting the Architect's white light seemed frozen in time. Lin Fengtian felt the world slowing down around him, every second felt like an eternity while his mother's words echoed in his mind.“My father...?” Lin Fengtian finally whispered, his voice almost inaudible.Mei Ling nodded slowly, her eyes never leaving the silvery figure of the Compounder who now seemed frozen in his defensive position. “That's right, my child. Although not in the form you see now.”Lin Fengtian looked from his mother to the Compiler, then to Elder Yi who stood rigid with a calculative expression on his face. “No way... how could that be...?”“Twenty-seven years ago,” Mei Ling began, her voice clear as morning dew after a long sleep, ”I was a young cultivator under Elder Yi's guidance. I had a natural resonance talent, but it was not strong enough to become a vessel. My duty is to be the guardian of the artifacts in the Temple