The spatial shift instantly changed the noise and scents around them.
No longer was it the air of New York, saturated with modern industry, but a lively clamor filled with the smells of food and familiar local accents.
Hua Wei, Neos, and Pandora abruptly appeared on a bustling commercial street in a coastal city in Huaxia's Lu Province.
It was early evening. The streetlights had just come on, neon signs flickered along both sides of the street, and the enticing aromas from countless food stalls drifted through the air. Pedestrians brushed shoulders as they passed, their faces full of ease and happiness.
Neos and Pandora almost immediately noticed Hua Wei's momentary, unusual silence.
He stood there, his gaze sweeping over the familiar Chinese signs, distinctive architectural styles, and Eastern faces among the passing crowd. An extremely complex emotion flashed through his eyes—a profound sense of realization and remembrance.
"Brother?" Pandora gently tugged at Hua Wei's sleeve and tilted her head. "Are you okay? Are you still angry about those annoying people?"
She thought Hua Wei was in a bad mood because he had been repeatedly disturbed in New York.
Neos also cast him a questioning look. This was the first time he had clearly sensed an emotional shift from the Hilling Emperor.
Hua Wei gently shook his head, reining in the emotion he had inadvertently revealed and returning to his usual calm. Yet a trace of sentiment still lingered deep in his eyes.
In the original universe, this place had once been his home.
But the scene before him was merely an unfamiliar commercial street. The writing was familiar, the buildings similar, yet it was ultimately not the same world...
"It's nothing," he said softly, his voice carrying an almost imperceptible sigh. "This environment simply reminded me of some old