Chapter 160: The Green Robe Appears, Walls Dissolve

"No, no, no! You're not my second avatar. Neither your demeanor nor your presence are a match... And this robe, I know for certain I never owned it!"

"What's wrong, boss?" Nantian Yijian asked, watching Lu Chen's panicked reaction with genuine curiosity. "This green robe seems perfectly ordinary. Isn't it just a little old-fashioned? Why such a strong reaction?"

"Little Lu really seems terrified of this robe. Could something be wrong with it?" Jun Laoye stepped forward, extending his right hand to touch the fabric. He released a thread of spirit qi, probing carefully. "

Hm?

As I thought... This robe is extraordinary.

"The material isn't ordinary. It looks light and thin, but its defense... is incredible. I poured all my spirit qi into it, and it didn't even react. Not a single thread frayed."

"Lu-gege, it's just a robe." Nantian Wan'er murmured the Ice-Heart Command, reaching out to soothe Lu Chen. "Lord Wind Dragon, did that senior come just now? Why didn't he reveal himself?"

"Senior? Reveal himself?" Jun Laoye leaned in, alert at her words. "Who could frighten Little Lu this much?"

"Don't overthink it," Wind Dragon said quietly, scanning the surroundings but finding no trace of the green-robed Daoist. "That robe was likely sent by one of Little Lu's elders.

"That elder is extremely mysterious, burdened with some hidden mission. He constantly tries to offer Little Lu power in exchange for something, which is why Little Lu fears him."

"I knew it..." Jun Laoye murmured, already piecing together Lu Chen's identity firmly as the heir of a hidden sect.

"Senior?" Nantian Yijian stepped closer, lowering his voice. "What kind of person terrifies the boss this much?"

By then, Lu Chen had regained some composure. He stepped forward, facing the second avatar. "Do you really want this robe?"

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Yes, Original. I do. I like it very much."

The green-robed Daoist, controlling the second avatar, moved closer. He whispered to Lu Chen, "This robe holds great power. In ten days, the mist outside will surge. With it, you will be immune to the fog's corrosion."

"Keep it safe, Original..." The Daoist lowered his head, a sly smile curling his lips. "And remember, if you ever need anything, just call me. The Dad-Making Project is always on standby."

"This tone... these words... You are—" Lu Chen tried to speak the Daoist's name, but the Daoist slammed down at him with his aura, sealing his voice. No matter how hard Lu Chen struggled, he couldn't utter another word.

"

Hehehe.

I told you. I am you, and you are me. As long as you live, I will exist," the green-robed Daoist whispered close to Lu Chen's ear, ensuring only he could hear. "I've already found a new body. As long as the void passage remains unsealed, I can freely appear in this world. If you ever want to make a trade, just call me. The Dad-Making Project is always on standby."

With a wave of his hand, the Daoist dissipated the spirit qi clinging to the second avatar, and clarity returned instantly to his mind.

"

Oh?

This green robe is really nice... it fits perfectly too," the second avatar said, stretching his arms to admire it. Then he noticed Lu Chen's twisted glare and frowned. "

Huh?

Original, what's wrong? Don't you think it looks good?"

"And Original, I don't want a name anymore. Just now, some force whispered to me that something is happening soon, and that's where my opportunity lies."

The second avatar waved his hand before Lu Chen's eyes. "Original? Are you listening?"

With the wide sleeves of the green robe and a face identical to the Daoist's, he looked more and more like the green-robed Daoist himself.

Lu Chen's expression grew helpless and lost as he stared at the second avatar, his gaze clouded with confusion. "Why won't you leave me alone? What is your real purpose?"

"Little Lu, was the green-robed Daoist here just now?" Wind Dragon tapped Lu Chen's brow with his claw, steadying his mind. "Calm yourself. I don't think he means any harm. As long as you grit your teeth and refuse him, isn't that enough?"

"

Sigh...

he was here, but now he's gone. He said the mist outside will erupt in ten days, and this robe can keep us safe. Too much of our karma has already entwined. Even if I reject him, I'm afraid I won't escape it in the end."

Lu Chen glanced at the second avatar with weary resignation. "Forget it. If you want to wear it, then wear it. As for your name... We'll talk about that later."

"Yes, Original." The second avatar twisted from side to side, admiring the robe, then turned to Lu Qing with a teasing grin. "Boss, doesn't this robe look good on me? Want me to get one for you as well?"

"No need. I'll keep this outfit," Lu Qing said softly, glancing at his plain robe. "Since you've awakened self-awareness, you should use this time to cultivate and become a support for the Original as soon as possible."

"

Mm...

I understand, Boss," the second avatar replied in a low voice, still twirling with delight.

Lu Chen sighed again as he watched the avatar's antics. Ignoring Nantian Yijian's questions, he stepped into the teleportation formation without looking back.

Wind Dragon's gaze followed Lu Chen's retreating figure, his voice heavy with a solemn tone. "Let's go. Don't overthink Little Lu's situation. His identity will reveal itself in time."

His words were meant to reassure everyone, but above all, they were directed firmly at Jun Laoye.

Wind Dragon didn't know Jun Laoye's true identity or intentions. Still, he was well aware that anyone capable of pursuing, and even attempting to control, the Heavenly Dao could not possibly have a common background.

Wind Dragon proceeded to drift into the teleportation formation, turning into a phantom before vanishing.

Nantian Wan'er looked at Jun Laoye. "Let's go as well. Lord Wind Dragon is right. Some things can only be learned with time. There's no need to rush."

She followed Wind Dragon and the three avatars into the formation.

"Come on, Little Jun. No matter what happens to the boss, I'll always believe in him. He turns the tables against impossible odds every time. By now, I've long grown used to it." Nantian Yijian hoisted the Thirty-Six Cosmic Sword Guqin onto his back, laughed heartily, and strode into the teleportation formation. "Wan'er, wait for me! You're walking too fast."

Watching the others depart, Jun Laoye muttered to himself, "Am I really wrong? We swore brotherhood, and none of them ever asked about my origins. Why do I keep obsessing over the matter of their identity?"

Wind Dragon's earlier words, hidden between the lines, were clearly meant to guide him. Nantian Wan'er's casual remark, "No need to rush," echoed the same point: he was overthinking.

When Nantian Yijian left, the ease in his voice struck him even more. "Always believe? Always believe!"

Jun Laoye opened his right palm and stared at the spirit stone he held tightly. Then, as if maddened, he erupted into a mixture of laughter and tears. "Jun Laoye... Jun Laoye, how foolish can you be? Is it the identity of a noble clan that binds you, or your own conceit of being above others?

"It's just a sect! How many cultivators exist in this world, and how often do sects rise and fall? Without the Heavenly Dao to guard it, how long could your so-called noble clan, or that Heavenly Rite Manor you cling to, even survive?

"Your own elder brother cast aside kinship and hunted you across the entire continent. Now, at last, you have found brothers who accept you, brothers willing to grow alongside you, and you still begrudge them because of unclear origins? What more could you want?"

Jun Laoye's eyes welled with tears, each drop falling heavily onto the spirit stone in his hand. The patter of the stones sounded like a slap across his face. "We're already brothers. What more do I want? Little Lu and the others have treated me as a brother and cared for me. Yet how have I treated them?"

Clutching the spirit stone, he let out a hoarse roar, "

Ah... ah!

"

Then, raising his hand, he slapped himself twice across the face. Wiping away his tears, he shouted, "We are brothers! I will always believe in my brothers!"

Gripping the spirit stone tightly, he took a deep breath and stepped into the teleportation formation. "Little Lu, wait for me! Don't you want your spirit stone back?"

***

On the second floor of the Scripture Hall, Lu Chen's mood had already recovered. He was examining the structure of the upper floor when a shout from behind caught his attention. Turning just in time, he saw seven spirit stones flying straight toward him.

Lu Chen laughed and, in one smooth motion, caught all seven, holding them effortlessly. His movements were fluid and natural, as though they were second nature.

Jun Laoye came running up, panting. "Little Lu, let me tell you something. Actually, I'm from the Central Continent. I am Heav—"

Before he could finish, Lu Chen cut him off. "Alright, I like these spirit stones. I'll take them. As for what you were about to say, there's no need. Everyone has their own secrets. Where you came from doesn't concern me. As long as we remain brothers, that's enough. Brothers shouldn't care about such things."

"Little Lu, I... I..."

"There's no 'you and I,'" Lu Chen interrupted again, redirecting his words. "Do you think we're not brothers? Or is there something else on your mind?"

"Yes, yes, of course we're brothers. We'll be brothers for life," Jun Laoye said, scratching his head with an embarrassed grin. "We're definitely brothers. I absolutely trust you all. That's why I wanted to tell you my greatest secret. I am Heav—"

"If we're brothers, then take back those words. What we should do now is focus on finding the manuals."

Without waiting for a reply, Lu Chen turned and walked ahead.

"Alright, alright, I won't say it. But we're definitely the best of brothers!" Jun Laoye laughed and followed after him. "I'm determined to find a few Human Tier manuals to practice with."