Chen Xiang shook his somewhat dazed head, opened his eyes, and saw the three unconscious figures beside him: Little Wei, Big Fatty, and the old woman.

Looking up again, he saw Lu Saleng sitting in a wheelchair, his expression serious and grave.

"How did I end up here?"

Chen Xiang rubbed his forehead and asked.

Lu Saleng gazed at him and said softly, "There was a significant change; the Jiuzhou, which was continuously descending into the subspace, erupted. It was very dangerous. If you hadn't 'tamed' the Jiuzhou, the entire Great City could have been dragged into the subspace."

"The Jiuzhou?" Chen Xiang's gaze shifted slightly. "And then you brought us here?"

"Exactly. You were also fortunate."

Lu Saleng clasped his hands together, and his youthful face bore an expression of solemnity that did not match his appearance.

"The Jiuzhou tore apart all gazes directed at that place; only two people witnessed everything."

"One was me, and the other was the primordial fear. It shouldn't actively expose your situation, and your containment of the Jiuzhou would only make it trust you more."

Lu Saleng couldn't help but chide, "Do you know how disastrous it would be if your ability to contain subspace vessels were exposed? The Outer Gods would hunt you down!"

He raised his eyelids, one eye golden and the other silver.

"I brought these few with me; the other hundred-plus rioters have already died under the mental shock, so there's no need to worry about them. As for Wei Shun…"

Chen Xiang's heart tightened as he listened quietly.

Lu Saleng continued, "Wei Shun, after being kicked by you, will probably be unconscious for a long time. I estimate he will be sent back to the Eastern Hong Kingdom for treatment; a certain council member is high up in the Eastern Hong Kingdom, and I will have him suppress this matter. But before that…"

His tone grew increasingly solemn.

"Chen Xiang, I have two questions that I might need you to answer."

Chen Xiang furrowed his brows, feeling the solemn atmosphere. He no longer regarded Lu Saleng as a mere young one but instead as the [Primordial One], and he spoke in a low voice:

"Please go ahead."

"The first one."

Lu Saleng frowned and said, "Why can you tame and contain the Jiuzhou?"

"I refuse to answer."

Chen Xiang replied firmly, "This relates to my mentor; he baptized me. I can't disclose the specifics. If you really want to know, you might as well ask my mentor."

Lu Saleng's expression softened slightly.

"I suspected as much. The mystery of my mentor is something I cannot comprehend; it's not surprising that a supreme being freely traversing the subspace granted you the power to contain the Jiuzhou."

After a pause, he became serious once more, even more so than before.

"The second question: Why did you choose the name [Emper Xiang] to spread your faith?"

Chen Xiang was taken aback; was it really just this?

He had expected something much more significant.

However, the reaction of this [Primordial One] was somewhat strange.

Chen Xiang kept a keen eye on the matter, smiling as he replied, "I thought about it seriously. If I spread the faith directly under the name of Emperor Titan, it would easily attract a siege. Even if I ultimately achieved something, the faith would be shattered by the Great City. So…"

He said earnestly, "I combined the 'Xiang' from my name to create 'Emper Xiang.' It wouldn't attract the attention of the Outer Gods, nor would it be besieged by the Great City. Later, once the faith spreads widely, I can declare it back to Titan at the right moment; doesn't that sound perfect?"

He ultimately concealed the matter of the true name set by the God of Justice that day.

There seemed to be something fishy about it.

Lu Saleng's lips moved, revealing a helpless expression:

"Now I understand; it's merely a coincidence. I thought…"

"What did you think?"

Chen Xiang asked curiously like a child.

"Is there a problem with the name Emper Xiang? Is there really such an existence?"

Lu Saleng was silent for a moment, shook his head, and then nodded:

"There is, but you shouldn't know; it's a secret, the greatest veil. Since you coincidentally chose this name, it doesn't matter. Just follow what you said; spread the faith under the name Emper Xiang first, and at the last moment, change 'Xiang' to 'Titan,' and everything will be set."

Chen Xiang, leveraging his curious nature, pressed on tirelessly:

"I'm still very curious about [Emper Xiang]. Could you share something about it with me? I promise to keep it confidential."

"No."

Lu Saleng rejected him firmly, a hint of light flickering in his eyes as if recalling the past, reminiscing over a thousand years ago.

He sighed and said, "This name is a secret, a source of great ill omen; the whole world has already forgotten it. I only learned about it under very special circumstances, even the Outer Gods. You don't need to care or seek it out because you won't find anything."

"The whole world, including the Outer Gods, has forgotten this name?"

Chen Xiang muttered to himself, his expression showing no change, but his heart sank.

Where do so many coincidences come from in this world?

His name in the last life was Emper Xiang, and in this life, he became Emperor Titan. However, according to the words of the absolutely rational and selfless God of Justice,

Emper Xiang is indeed his true name.

Interesting; it's getting more and more interesting,

and increasingly bizarre.

Chen Xiang pondered for a moment and changed the subject:

"By the way, senior, I've heard of nature gods, such as the God of Justice and also the Twelve Gods of Time. What exactly are these?"

"Oh, this…"

Lu Saleng replied casually,

"Gods, strictly speaking, can be divided into three categories. One category belongs to the old days, the rulers of the past; another category comes from the Outer Universe, the Outer Gods and their subordinates."

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Chen Xiang shook his somewhat dazed head, opened his eyes, and caught sight of the three people lying unconscious nearby: Xiao Wei, Da Pang, and the old woman.

Raising his gaze, he saw Lu Saleng sitting in a wheelchair, his expression solemn and grave.

"How did I end up here?" Chen Xiang rubbed his forehead and asked.

Lu Saleng fixed his gaze on him and replied softly, "There has been a great upheaval. The 'Jiuzhou' ship that was continuously falling into subspace has erupted, and it was very perilous. If it weren't for you 'taming' the Jiuzhou, the entire Great City might have been dragged into subspace."

"Jiuzhou," Chen Xiang's eyes shifted. "And then you brought us here?"

"That's right. You're just lucky."

Lu Saleng clasped his hands together, his youthful face filled with an expression that was incongruous for someone of his appearance. "The Jiuzhou tore apart all gazes directed at that place. Only two people witnessed everything."

"One was me, and the other was the Original Fear. He shouldn't actively expose your situation. In fact, your containment of Jiuzhou will make him believe in you even more," Lu Saleng couldn't help but scoff.

"Do you know how bad it would be if it became known that you can contain subspace vessels? The outer gods will hunt you down!"

He raised his gaze, one eye shimmering gold, the other silver. "I brought these few people with me. The rest of the more than a hundred ruffians have already died from the psychic shock, so don't worry about them. As for that Wei Shun—"

Chen Xiang's heart tightened as he listened quietly.

Lu Saleng continued, "Wei Shun was kicked by you and will probably remain unconscious for a long time. I suspect he will have to be sent back to Donghong Nation for treatment. A certain member of the parliament is high up in the Donghong government, and I'll ensure this matter is suppressed. But before that—"

His voice grew increasingly somber. "Chen Xiang, I have two questions that perhaps you need to answer."

Chen Xiang furrowed his brow, sensing the solemn atmosphere. He no longer regarded Lu Saleng as a mere child but viewed him as the "First Generation." He replied solemnly, "Please, go ahead."

"First," Lu Saleng asked with a frown, "why were you able to tame and contain the Jiuzhou?"

"I refuse to answer."

Chen Xiang replied bluntly, "This is related to my mentor. He baptized me, and I cannot disclose the specifics. If you truly want to know, you might as well ask the mentor."

Lu Saleng's expression softened a bit. "I suspected as much. The mystery of the mentor is something I cannot fathom. It's not surprising that an unparalleled being traversing subspace granted you the power to contain the Jiuzhou."

After a pause, he became serious again, even more than before. "The second question: why did you choose to propagate the faith under the name 'Emper Xiang'?"

Chen Xiang was taken aback. Was that it? He had expected something much more serious. However, the reaction of this "First Generation" was somewhat strange. Chen Xiang discreetly kept a watchful eye, smiling as he replied, "I thought about it seriously. Using the name 'Emperor Titan' directly to preach would easily attract a crackdown. Even if I eventually made a significant contribution, the faith would be crushed by the Great City. So…"

He explained earnestly, "I combined 'Xiang' from my name to create 'Emper Xiang.' This way, I wouldn't attract the attention of the outer gods or provoke a crackdown from the Great City. Later, once the faith spreads widely, I can declare a change from 'Xiang' to 'Titan' at the right time. Isn't that perfect?"

In the end, he still concealed the matter regarding the true name determined by the God of Justice.

There seemed to be something amiss.

Lu Saleng's lips moved, and a look of helplessness surfaced on his face. "So it was just a coincidence. I thought…"

"What did you think?" Chen Xiang inquired curiously, "Is there a problem with the name Emper Xiang? Is there really such an existence?"

Lu Saleng remained silent for a moment before shaking his head, ultimately nodding: "There is, but you shouldn't know. This is a secret, the greatest veil. Since you coincidentally chose this name, it doesn't matter. Just as you said, propagate the faith under the name Emper Xiang first, and at the critical moment, change 'Xiang' to 'Titan,' and everything will fall into place."

Chen Xiang, curious as ever, pressed on: "I'm still quite curious about Emper Xiang. Could you share some information with me? I promise to keep it confidential."

"No."

Lu Saleng refused decisively, his eyes shimmering with a light as if recalling the past, memories from over a thousand years ago.

He sighed: "This name is a secret, and more so, a source of ominousness. The whole world has forgotten it, including the outer gods. I only came to know about it under very special circumstances. You need not care, nor should you seek it out, for you won't uncover anything."

"The whole world, including the outer gods, has forgotten this name?"

Chen Xiang muttered to himself, showing no outward changes on his face, but feeling a heaviness in his heart.

Where do so many coincidences come from in the world? In his past life, his name was Emper Xiang, and in this life, it became Emperor Titan. However, according to the God of Justice, who is absolutely rational and devoid of self-awareness, Emper Xiang is his true name.

Interesting, it's getting more and more intriguing and also more enigmatic.

After pondering for a moment, Chen Xiang changed the subject: "By the way, senior, I've heard about the gods of nature, such as the God of Justice and the Twelve Time Gods. What exactly are they?"

"Oh, that…"

Lu Saleng replied casually, "Strictly speaking, deities are divided into three categories. One category is the Old Ones, the rulers of the past. The second category is the outer gods and their subordinates who descended from beyond the universe."

"Lastly, the third category is the gods of nature, the gods that naturally arise from reality, a personification of certain rules, devoid of self-awareness and wisdom. Using ancient words from Donghong Nation to describe it—"

He paused for a moment before continuing: "It's akin to 'Heaven and Earth are merciless, treating all creatures as straw dogs.'"

Chen Xiang understood: "Impartial, hence both benevolent and indifferent; to them, all flora and fauna are equal, without any favoritism or emotion. Everything operates solely according to 'rules'?"

"Exactly!"

Lu Saleng smiled: "But it's not absolute. For example, during the upheaval a few days ago, the long-lost Lord of Pure White unexpectedly reappeared. He should not be the original but a successor. Whether successors possess self-will remains uncertain."

Chen Xiang lowered his gaze slightly, smiled in response, and then asked, "Senior, what should we do now? Xiao Wei and the others didn't witness me taming the Jiuzhou. As for the Jiuzhou, can I not use it?"

"Correct, you cannot use it."

Lu Saleng nodded affirmatively. "But you can give it to others to use or manipulate it under another identity. Just don't be 'Chen Xiang,' otherwise, the outer gods, already on high alert, will hunt you down, and you won't survive."

Chen Xiang understood. The outer gods were too sensitive now; anything related to subspace would be under their scrutiny.

He nodded slightly: "In that case, I will prepare to unify the Outer Third Ring. I estimate I can establish a safe zone under my control in a few days. Once the situation stabilizes, I will take the altar when the time is right."

"Fine, but you must be cautious."

Lu Saleng warned: "To remove the altar, a suitable opportunity is needed. I will help you find that opportunity. When you see the deity standing atop the Great City, act immediately!"

"I understand."

The two discussed and conversed for a while longer, and then Lu Saleng warned, "I have already taken care of the rest, but you must ensure that these three do not leak the conflict between you and Wei Shun. Otherwise, all parties will still pinpoint the primary suspect on you."

After a pause, he hinted, "Wei Qingqiu doesn't count, but for the other two, I suggest you be ruthless."

"No need."

Chen Xiang decisively refused: "I will invoke the mentor's power to imprint spiritual seals on Yuan Wanli and Wu Mengling, ensuring absolute confidentiality. It's not that I am soft-hearted; I plan to develop them into sparks and messengers."

Seeing this, Lu Saleng didn't press further and simply nodded: "Alright then, go ahead with your tasks. Remember, when the deity stands atop the Great City, commence your plan immediately."

"The deity designated as your vessel will descend on July 1. If nothing goes wrong, I will create the opportunity on June 30. Seize it!"

"I got it."

…………………

Carrying the unconscious Xiao

Wei and the others, Chen Xiang slipped into the secret chamber of the old house. He didn't awaken them immediately but fell into deep thought instead.

After a long while, he touched the fissured tattoo on his arm and softly asked, "Mirror, have you ever heard of the name Emper Xiang?"

"What name?" The mirror questioned in confusion.

"Emper Xiang."

The mirror fell silent.

After a long while, Chen Xiang frowned: "Mirror?"

"I'm here?" The mirror sounded a bit dazed. "I've been waiting for you to speak; you've been silent!"

"Emper Xiang, I said Emper Xiang! Didn't you hear me?"

The mirror looked even more confused: "Can you complete your sentence? It's so strange... Have you gone mad?"

Chen Xiang's eyelids twitched. He then asked: "Complete the sentence and repeat what I just said."

"As you wish."

The mirror coughed twice, changing its tone: "&@, I said ￥@! Didn't you hear?"

Chen Xiang was taken aback.

After a moment, he repeated: "Emper Xiang!"

Mirror: "&!"

Chen Xiang: "Emperor Titan, Emper Xiang, Emperor Titan, Emperor Titan Xiang!"

Mirror: "Emperor Titan, ￥%, Emperor Titan, ￥%!"

Chen Xiang stopped speaking.

There was something wrong.

The problem was greater than he imagined, and even larger.

The mirror couldn't hear the words Emper Xiang.

Yet, the key was that others, whether it was Lu Saleng or the Jiuhuan fellows, could hear it, and they had already started propagating the faith of Emper Xiang among Jiuhuan!

Only the mirror could not perceive it.

This pointed even more towards the strangeness of the name Emper Xiang and indicated that the mirror was somehow involved!!

What does the First Generation know?

Chen Xiang temporarily buried the doubt in his heart, staring at the mirror for a long while. After taking out the Mind Mentor from the mirror and equipping it, he placed spiritual seals on the unconscious Yuan Wanli and Wu Mengling.

After completing all of this, Chen Xiang put away his monocle and fell back into thought.

"According to the First Generation, the Jiuzhou cannot be used by me."

"Hand it over to others? Who can endure the erosion of subspace? Even if there is someone, they would be hunted down by the outer gods. Use another identity? No, there's a risk of exposure; I cannot take the chance."

"If only I had a doppelgänger."

After thinking for a long while, he still had no headway. Regretfully, it seemed this subspace vessel would have to be temporarily sealed, unable to be utilized.

With a sigh, Chen Xiang glanced at the mirror, and a flash of insight lit up in his mind: "Oh, right, Mirror."

"What is it?" the mirror replied.

"You have the ability to replicate images. Since you can replicate the Twilight relic, can you replicate people?"

"What I mean is, if another me were to emerge from the image, what would he be?"