Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

When Lin Yi nodded in agreement, a gentle smile appeared on Anna's pale face.

She gently raised her hand, her fingertips tracing an arc in the air.

In an instant, the scene in the hall rippled outwards like water. The wooden walls, the broken doorway, the central round table, and the bloodstains on the floor all disappeared as if erased by an eraser, replaced by an elegantly furnished room.

The room is small, about 30 square meters, and the color scheme is mainly warm white and light purple.

Against the wall stood a four-poster bed covered with a lace bedspread, and on the bedside table sat an exquisitely designed brass lamp.

Opposite is a bookcase embedded in the wall, with books with leather covers neatly arranged inside.

There was a small round table and two high-backed chairs in front of the window, and a set of white porcelain tea set was placed on the table.

The most eye-catching feature is the painting on the wall—an oil painting depicting the starry sky, with delicate brushstrokes and dreamlike colors, which contrasts sharply with the title of "Queen of Pain".

"Please sit down." Anna walked to the small round table, pulled out a chair, and did so with graceful and natural movements.

Lin Yi sat down as instructed, but his gaze still involuntarily swept around the room.

This place exudes femininity—soft, warm, and even somewhat girlish—a stark contrast to the fearsome image of the owner of the Death House as rumored to be outsiders.

Anna noticed Lin Yi's curious gaze, but simply smiled and didn't seem to care.

She picked up the teapot and began to brew tea.

“My acquaintance with Hill was probably in…” Anna paused, as if calculating the time, “…around the beginning of the Second Era. At that time, she was a young healer who had just begun to make a name for herself in the Void, and I was not yet the owner of the House of the Dead.”

Her voice was very soft, as if she were telling a distant story.

White steam rose from the teapot, carrying the delicate fragrance of some kind of flower or herb. Anna poured the brewed tea into a white porcelain cup and pushed it towards Lin Yi.

Lin Yi took the teacup, but did not drink it immediately.

He looked at Anna's pale, almost translucent face and suddenly remembered something.

"Since I've come to their home, I can't leave without bringing a gift." Lin Yi said, taking out a palm-sized jade box from his storage space.

The jade box is pure white with no decorations on its surface, except for a shallow indentation in the center of the lid.

Lin Yi pressed his finger on the indentation, and a wisp of abyssal power was injected into it. A slight "click" sound came from inside the jade box, and the lid popped open automatically.

An indescribable refreshing scent instantly filled the air.

It wasn't just any floral or tea scent; it was a complex aroma with incredibly rich layers.

The outermost layer is as refreshing as a forest after the rain, the middle notes are the deep and mellow flavor of aged wood, and the bottom layer subtly reveals a sweetness full of vitality, as if the first ray of spring sunshine melts the winter snow.

The inside of the jade box was lined with a layer of dark purple velvet cloth, on which dozens of tea leaves were neatly arranged.

This is a special tea made by mixing tender leaves of black maple trees with the first fruits of the Fengyang tree, and then processing it using a special process from the Paradise of Reincarnation.

Black maple trees are extremely rare, and the Phoenix Sun Tree is Lin Yi's unique creation.

The combination of these two elements, along with the ancient techniques of the Reincarnation Paradise, produces tea that not only has an excellent flavor but also possesses the remarkable effects of nourishing the soul and balancing energy.

In the entire void, probably only Su Xiao and Lin Yi would be so extravagant as to use black maple and phoenix sun trees to make tea.

Anna's gaze fell on the tea leaves in the jade box, her eyes widened slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed across her face.

She put down the teapot and carefully examined the tea leaves. After a long while, she spoke softly, "Hill... she really left all the good things for you."

There was no jealousy in his tone, only a faint sense of感慨 and gratification.

Anna poured out the pot of tea she had brewed earlier—if that pot of tea were outside, it would be enough for many chieftains of small and medium-sized races to fight over, but it was indeed far inferior to the one Lin Yi had brought out.

She fetched more water, boiled it, and then carefully took three tea leaves from the jade box with tweezers and placed them into another antique-style purple clay teapot.

As boiling water is poured into the teapot, the aroma in the room reaches its peak the moment the tea leaves unfurl.

The fragrance seemed to take on a physical form, transforming into a light mist that swirled in the air. Every breath brought a sense of refreshment, as if the soul itself had been gently cleansed by flowing water.

Anna poured two cups of tea and handed one of them to Lin Yi.

She picked up her glass, took a deep sniff first, and then sipped it slowly.

The moment the tea touched her lips, a faint blush appeared on Anna's pale face; though fleeting, it was there nonetheless.

She closed her eyes, savored the moment for a dozen seconds, and then let out a long breath.

“Good tea,” Anna commented simply, but the admiration in her eyes was undisguised.

She drank a few more sips, and the paleness on her face did lessen somewhat. Although she still looked sickly, at least she no longer seemed like she could collapse at any moment.

“You know what?” Anna put down her teacup, her fingertips gently tracing the rim of the cup. “Marvin and Hill, when they were young, they got into quite a few funny situations.”

Lin Yi became interested: "For example?"

“For example, once, that brainless guy Marvin insisted on going to the demon territory to ‘experience life.’” Anna’s lips curled into a nostalgic smile. “In the end, he went to the most famous demon place, ‘Molten Core’—the most upscale entertainment venue in the demon realm, with ridiculously high prices.”

Lin Yi could imagine that scene.

Those who destroy the Dharma will perish; this is common sense in the void.

Marvin Waltz, as one of the destroyers of the law, is probably no exception.

“He spent the whole night there, ordered the most expensive drinks, and the best… well, the service.” Anna carefully chose her words. “But when he went to pay the bill, he realized he didn’t even have enough money on him for a small change.”

Lin Yi almost burst out laughing.

“The shop owner turned green with rage and said he would strip him naked and hang him up at the city gate for three days as a warning,” Anna continued. “Marvin, on the other hand, was quite calm and said, ‘Wait a minute, I’ll have someone bring the money.’ Then he contacted Green using his communicator.”

Grin Gillian, another legend among the first generation of Spellbreakers.

Yeah, the worst female pervert among the Destroyers of Law.

“When Green arrived and saw the bill, he was dumbfounded.” Anna’s smile deepened. “She took out all the valuables she had on her: a few good-quality soul crystals, a spare dagger, and a few bottles of healing potions—but it still wasn’t enough.”

"What should I do?"

“Green said, ‘Wait a minute, I’ll borrow some money too,’” Anna mimicked her tone at the time. “Then she came to me.”

Lin Yi imagined the scene: two renowned destroyers of the law in the void were trapped in a demon clan's entertainment venue because they didn't have enough money for prostitution, and they made phone calls one after another to borrow money.

“But I didn’t have much money back then,” Anna said, shrugging. “The House of Death may sound scary, but it’s actually a very expensive place. Maintaining it, repairing the damaged areas… every penny counts. Most of my savings went into it.”

"So Hill was the one who finally solved it?"

Anna nodded: "When Green contacted Hill, Hill was treating a Star Clan elder. After hearing the news, she was silent for three seconds—she later told me that those three seconds were spent considering whether to pretend she didn't know these two shameless guys."

Lin Yi finally couldn't help but laugh out loud; this answer was very much in Hill's style.

“But Hill went anyway,” Anna said. “She brought a huge bag of soul crystals and slammed it on the counter, startling the shop owner. Hill only said one thing: ‘I’m taking the person with me. Keep the extras; consider it compensation for their emotional distress.’”

"Compensation for emotional distress?"

“Because Hill kicked Marvin and Green out of the store in front of all the customers,” Anna said with a laugh. “After that, Marvin didn’t dare to speak loudly in front of Hill for a full six months.”

Lin Yi laughed so hard his shoulders were shaking.

He found it hard to imagine that Marvin Waltz had such a dark past in his youth.

Anna then recounted several similar amusing anecdotes: how Hill traded a potion for valuable information from an old demon; how Marvin lost his spare weapon in a gambling game, only to have it stolen back by Green; and how the three of them teamed up to swindle an arrogant Void Merchant, taking all his treasured alchemical materials…

Time passed in relaxed conversation.

More than an hour later, Anna finished telling her last story and drank the tea in her cup in one gulp.

Her complexion had improved significantly; although she was still pale, she no longer looked like she might collapse at any moment.

She put down her teacup, stood up, and walked to Lin Yi's side.

"It's almost time," Anna said softly.

Lin Yi also stood up: "Thank you for your hospitality, and for those stories."

Anna shook her head: "I'm the one who should be saying thank you. It's been a long time since anyone has chatted with me like this, and it's been a long time since I've had such good tea."

She looked at Lin Yi, her eyes sparkling with a gentle light.

Then, she did something that Lin Yi didn't expect—she leaned down and gently kissed Lin Yi's forehead.

It wasn't a kiss with erotic undertones, but rather a blessing, a senior's bestowal of a blessing upon a junior.

Anna's lips were cool, like snowflakes on a winter night, but the moment they touched his skin, Lin Yi felt a warm and powerful force surge into his body.

At the same time, a series of notification sounds from the Paradise of Reincarnation rang in Lin Yi's mind:

[Hint: You have received the blessing of 'Anna, the Queen of Pain'.]

You have gained a special status: 'Sanctuary in the House of Death'.

[The House of Death's Protection: Within the House of Death's boundaries, you are under Anna's absolute protection. Any attempt to harm you will be met with a counterattack from the rules of the House of Death, the intensity of which is equivalent to a full-force attack from Anna herself.] [Note: This status is only valid during this Battle of the Strongest and will automatically disappear upon leaving the House of Death.]

You have been granted special privileges: 'Rule Exemption'.

[Rule Exemption: You are not subject to any environmental rules within the Death House (including but not limited to equipment restrictions, storage space restrictions, area lockdown restrictions, etc.).]

[Note: This permission was granted unilaterally by Anna and is only valid for you.]

You have gained the temporary skill: 'Pain Mark'.

【Pain Mark (Temporary Skill, Lv.1): You can mark a target, causing them to take double damage for the next 24 hours. Skill Cooldown: 12 hours.】

[Note: This skill is a temporary ability granted by Anna and will automatically disappear after leaving the House of the Dead.]

Lin Yi quickly scanned all the clues, with only one thought in his mind: in this death house, as long as he didn't commit suicide, he would truly be invincible.

Anna took a step back, looked at Lin Yi, her eyes full of gentleness: "Go."

Lin Yi bowed respectfully to Anna.

He took out a larger jade box from his storage space, which contained about five kilograms of roasted tea leaves—this was already one-third of his stock.

"Please accept these." Lin Yi placed the jade box on the small round table. "If you need anything, you can contact me through the amusement park at any time."

He gave his contact number in the Paradise of Reincarnation.

Anna looked at the box of tea, a complex light flashing in her eyes. She didn't refuse, but simply said softly, "Hill really found a good heir."

She walked to the bookshelf, took down a leather-covered notebook from the top shelf, and handed it to Lin Yi: "Here, take this. It contains some things you might find useful—secrets about various forces in the void, ways to obtain certain special resources, and contact information for some... old friends."

Lin Yi took the notebook; it felt heavy. There was no text on the cover, only a badge—the mark of the Abyss Physician.

"Let's go." Anna waved.

Lin Yi nodded, glanced at Anna one last time, and turned to walk towards the door of the room.

The moment he pulled the doorknob, Anna's soft voice came from behind him: "Give my regards to Hill. Tell her that if she doesn't come to see me soon, I'll go to the Paradise of Reincarnation to find her."

Lin Yi turned around and saw Anna standing under the warm light, a faint smile on her face. In that smile were nostalgia, relief, and a hint of loneliness that was hard to detect.

"I will definitely bring it," Lin Yi said earnestly.

Then he pushed open the door and went out.

The scene shifts again the instant the door closes behind you.

Lin Yi found himself standing in a wide wooden corridor, with rough black wooden plank walls on both sides and a high arched ceiling above him, hidden in darkness.

A faint musty smell and another, more dangerous odor filled the air—the smell of predators.

Lin Yi activated the 'rule exemption' permission, and the storage space was immediately restored to use.

As Lin Yi walked forward, his footsteps echoed in the empty corridor.

After walking for about two minutes, they heard sounds of fighting and hissing from some kind of creature ahead.

Lin Yi quickened his pace, turned a corner, and the scene before him made his pupils shrink slightly.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the corridor.

Su Xiao pressed his back against the wall, held his breath, and stared intently at the massive silhouette in the darkness ahead.

Dragon-hunting Spider.

He had seen this creature once in the depths of the Black Abyss, but at that time he was not strong enough and could only avoid it from a distance.

These spiders are not top-tier fighters, but their hunting methods are extremely insidious—they first secrete special bodily fluids to attract prey, then ambush them in their nests and strike them dead.

The one in front of us clearly considers this corridor its den.

Su Xiao's gaze swept over the four people trapped in the spider web.

Dillian was stuck to the left wall, spread out in a "T" shape, her red robes covered in sticky white spider silk.

She seemed to have tried to struggle, but the stickiness and toughness of the spider silk far exceeded her expectations, which only made her stick even more firmly.

At this moment, she was gritting her teeth and muttering something under her breath, clearly preparing some kind of spell, but because her arm was fixed in place, the process of casting the spell was extremely difficult.

Mond hung suspended in mid-air in the middle of the corridor, tangled up like a dumpling by several thick spider silk threads.

Demonic flames burned on his body, severing several spider silk threads, but more immediately wrapped around him.

He was like a moth caught in a spider's web; the more he struggled, the tighter he became entangled.

He was muttering curses under his breath, each word brimming with the unique "creativity" of the demon race.

Shangyue was in slightly better condition; she was stuck to the right wall near the ceiling, with only her legs and one wing glued to the wall.

Her other wing was still free to move, and it was constantly flapping, cutting off the new spider silk that was trying to entangle her.

But clearly, this is just a delaying tactic.

Su Xiao's mechanical eye floated on his shoulder, with data constantly updating on the lens, but the vast majority of it was question marks.

Based on his own knowledge base, Su Xiao was able to identify the origin of the giant spider in front of him.

【Name: Dragon Hunter Spider (Mutant)】

[Category: Void Creature]

Threat Level: Extremely High

[Known Information: They prefer to hunt from their lairs, and their secreted bodily fluids have a special attraction for dragon-like creatures. Their saliva has powerful anesthetic and dissolving effects. Their silk is extremely strong, resistant to fire, corrosion, and energy impacts.]

Su Xiao certainly wanted to retreat, but the problem was that the only way out was behind the Dragon Hunter Spider.

To get around it, you would have to leap directly over the spider—which, given the dragon-hunting spider's reaction speed, is practically suicide.

The Dragonslayer Spider's carapace is extremely hard; while the Dragon Slayer Flash can break through its defenses, it takes time.

That's enough time for the spider to trap him in its web ten times.

Outsmarting them? In such a narrow, straight corridor, tactical options are extremely limited.

Just as Su Xiao was weighing various options, the Dragon-Hunting Spider made its move.

The dragon-hunting spider's eight compound eyes simultaneously turned towards Su Xiao's direction—clearly, it had already spotted this prey lurking in the shadows, but had prioritized dealing with the easier target earlier.

The dragon-hunting spider slowly stood up, revealing a terrifying mouthpart beneath its abdomen—not an ordinary spider mouthpart, but a ring-shaped structure like a meat grinder, filled with several layers of rotating sharp teeth.

Its forelimbs were raised, pointing in Su Xiao's direction.

puff!
A white spider silk shot out from the spinneret at the end of its abdomen, as fast as a bullet, heading straight for Su Xiao's face.

Su Xiao was prepared. He rolled to the side, and the spider silk grazed his shoulder and stuck to the wall behind him.

The moment the spider silk hit the wall, it immediately unfolded into a web-like structure with a diameter of two meters, completely sealing off that area.

If the first attack missed, the Dragon-Hunting Spider immediately shot out a second and a third web.

Su Xiao darted and dodged through the narrow corridor with ghostly speed. But the area covered by the spider silk was growing larger, constantly shrinking his space to move.

This can't go on.

Su Xiao's eyes sharpened, and he decided to take the risk. Instead of dodging, he charged towards the spider silk.

The Dragon Slayer was drawn, its blue-green blade tracing an arc in the dimly lit corridor.

laugh!
The spider silk was cut, but more mucus was immediately secreted from the cut. This mucus quickly solidified in the air, forming new spider silk.

Within a second, the severed spider silk reconnected, even thicker than before.

The dragon-hunting spider let out a satisfied hiss, as if mocking the prey's futile efforts.

It increased the spraying frequency, and spider silk poured down like a torrential rain.

Su Xiao's sword swings were so fast they left afterimages, but the sheer number of spider silk threads was overwhelming. One thread grazed his left arm and immediately stuck to his skin. He yanked hard, tearing a gash in his skin, blood gushing out, but the silk remained stuck there.

Trouble.

Su Xiao's heart sank.

Once the spider silk of the dragon-hunting spider is stuck, it is almost impossible to escape.

Once completely trapped, he would be injected with anesthetic saliva and slowly swallowed up.

Just as Su Xiao was about to unleash his ultimate attack, Lin Yi's footsteps echoed down the corridor, drawing everyone's attention. (End of Chapter)