The Green Lotus Dojo was eerily quiet. The remains of humans and Demon Beasts, scattered about, cast a faint green glow.

Luo Xiu stood silently before the stone statue, and it took him a long while to come back to his senses.

Looking at this statue, an exact replica of himself, Luo Xiu felt a strange sensation. It was as if he were looking in a mirror, or as if another version of himself were standing right in front of him.

"So, who am I, really?" he murmured, asking a question that would sound bizarre to any bystander. "And where do I come from?"

Beside him, Dou Dou scratched her head, looking at Luo Xiu as if he were a complete fool. "You're Chen Shuisheng, from Hua Country. Have you lost your mind?"

Yaya simply gave Luo Xiu a deep look and said nothing.

Luo Xiu smiled and turned to walk toward the other side of the dojo. "Let's go. We'll explore deeper."

He was now certain that the Green Lotus Palace was deeply connected to him and most likely held clues to his origins.

At that moment, Tuof spoke up. "My lord, I've never gone any further than this. Years ago, when I came here, I was nearly killed by the Sword Qi that came from your statue, so I fled. The architecture of the Green Lotus Palace incorporates an inherent Array Principle, making it very easy to get lost."

Luo Xiu simply smiled. "The place may be big, but it's not boundless. I refuse to believe it can truly keep someone lost."

However, Tuof's words proved prophetic.

Not long after, Luo Xiu was lost. He remained lost for several hours.

Likely restricted by a Formation, they couldn't fly or break through the walls. The palace passageways were a labyrinth of confusingly similar corridors, making it easy to lose one's bearings.

"Oh no, what do we do? We're lost! This is driving me crazy!" Dou Dou stamped her feet anxiously. Suddenly, she grabbed Luo Xiu's hand. "Chen Shuisheng, since we're lost anyway, why don't we roast some meat here? Dou Dou is hungry."

"Mmm, mmmhmm!" Yaya nodded vigorously beside her like a little glutton.

Thinking of the cute, simple-minded giant crabs Luo Xiu had stored in the Land of Lawlessness, soon to be eaten, she felt so heartbroken that tears began to stream from the corners of her mouth.

Luo Xiu sighed, sat down, and began to think. Although he was a foodie himself, he really wasn't in the mood to eat right now.

「Meanwhile, on the other side.」

Following the trail left by Yingxiao, Xia Chan arrived smoothly at the Green Lotus Palace.

She ascended the stone steps and entered the Green Lotus Dojo. Upon seeing the statue, she froze.

Xue Xiao's expression also stiffened. He slowly twisted his neck to look at Xia Chan's profile. "Miss, is this... is this that brat, Luo Xiu?"

Xia Chan's delicate frame trembled. She clutched her sleeves tightly, her expression complicated as she was reminded of the man she both loved and hated. She couldn't understand why a statue of him would be in a place like this.

The statue before them had flowing, waist-length hair. It was clad in magnificent and imposing Battle Armor and held a longsword, appearing like a peerless god of war. Although the style of dress was different from Luo Xiu's, the facial features, temperament, and bearing were identical to the man in her memory.

Xue Xiao's expression grew heavy. He said slowly, "It seems Luo Xiu's background is far from simple. But now that he's afflicted by the Blood Ban Technique, he's just a useless man who has lost all his cultivation. He's probably hiding somewhere and won't be able to stir up any trouble."

「...」

"Mmm, the meat in this crab claw is delicious! You're a great cook, Little Mule!"

"Dou Dou is willing to trade a whole bucket of instant noodles for this crab claw!"

"No way. You think a mere bucket of instant noodles is enough to trade for one of my Blue Blood King Crab claws? You'll have to add at least two sausages before I'll even consider it."

"You sure know how to drive a hard bargain."

"..."

Luo Xiu sat by the palace path, a look of complete helplessness on his face as he watched the two little lolis bickering. He truly didn't understand how they could be so cheerful all the time.

It had been about seven or eight hours since they left the Green Lotus Dojo, and the three of them were still trapped. No matter how hard Luo Xiu wracked his brain, he couldn't figure out how to break the Formation.

"Chen Shuisheng, get out Dou Dou's instant noodles, and add two sausages!"

While Luo Xiu was lost in thought, Dou Dou walked up to him and held out her small hand.

He passed a hand over his chest and retrieved the items from the Holy Lotus Jade Pendant. But then he suddenly froze, his hand reaching into his collar to grab the pendant he always wore.

He took it off and stared at the patterns etched upon its surface, his brow gradually furrowing. After a long moment, he slapped his thigh. "I've got it!" he exclaimed.

Startled, Dou Dou and Yaya both turned to look at him.

"Little Mule, do you need to poop?" Yaya asked with an innocent expression.

Luo Xiu laughed. "I just realized the patterns on this Jade Pendant are a map of the Green Lotus Palace! I can't be certain yet, but when I compare the routes we've already taken to the patterns on the pendant, they're a near-perfect match."

The two lolis tilted their heads, looking up at him in utter confusion.

Luo Xiu pursed his lips. "Forget it. There's no point explaining it to you two little dummies. Hurry up and pack away these pots, pans, and garbage. We're hitting the road."

Having found his direction, Luo Xiu strode forward, his pace quickening, growing almost frantic. According to Yaya, Ai Hongye had also come to the Green Lotus Palace. That meant she had to be somewhere in its depths right now.

The thought of seeing the senior sister he had yearned for day and night filled Luo Xiu with a surge of excitement.

Ai Hongye must know the connection between this palace and me, Luo Xiu thought. She might even know about my origins. I'll just have to ask her when I find her.

Senior Sister, wait for me. I'm coming!

「...」

About an hour passed.

Luo Xiu and his two companions finally arrived at the great hall in the deepest part of the Green Lotus Palace—the Holy Lotus Hall. According to the map on the Holy Lotus Jade Pendant, this was their destination.

Luo Xiu strode quickly up the stairs, but he stopped abruptly at the entrance of the great hall. He noticed a woman sitting at the entrance.

She sat quietly, her head bowed and her long hair unbound, as if she were dozing or perhaps lost in thought. Her clothes were of a modern style. A campfire burned in front of her.

Though the fire was still burning, Luo Xiu couldn't sense any life from her. He was certain it was a corpse.

"Sister Hong Ye!" Yaya suddenly cried out, rushing toward the body. "Sister Hong Ye, what happened to you?!"

Hearing this, Luo Xiu jolted. His body grew rigid and cold as he hurried after her. He was instantly overcome with fear and anxiety.

When he got closer, he saw that the female corpse was, indeed, Ai Hongye.

She seemed to have been dead for a very, very long time. Though not decomposed, the body was somewhat desiccated, but her features were still recognizable.

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