Two Avatars, One Stage: Su Chen's Perfect Performance Against Himself

At the end of the corridor, the thick smoke had yet to disperse.

A tall figure stood before the damaged metal gate.

The hem of her dark-gold robe snapped in the cold wind.

Those clear, amber-gold eyes pierced through the wreckage strewn across the floor and locked firmly onto the white-haired little girl.

The Female Lord, who should have been "meditating" in the VIP Lounge, had somehow come out.

She held the dark-gold Star-Piercing Spear in her hand.

The spearhead pointed diagonally at the ground, its edge still carrying the heavy, faint glow of Geo.

Su Chen's head was about to explode.

It felt as if someone were hacking down through the center of his brow with a rusty saw blade.

The system had just popped up a red warning window.

[Short-Term Split-Control Mode activated.]

Half of his mental power was now maintaining the dignity of the female version of Zhongli.

The other half had to operate Little Satoru Gojo's arrogance.

His left brain had to stay composed, while his right brain had to go insane.

Two completely opposite personas were crammed into one soul, making his temples throb violently.

A thin layer of cold sweat appeared on the Female Lord's fair forehead.

But the show had already begun. Even if he had to bite the bullet, he had to see it through.

Su Chen drew a deep breath and controlled the Female Lord as she strode forward.

Her high-heeled boots struck the floor covered in metal fragments.

"Tap. Tap."

The footsteps were not fast, but each one seemed to land on the heartstrings of the Astral Express Crew.

"I was wondering who had made such a commotion."

The Female Lord's voice was cold enough to freeze, carrying the absolute pressure of a superior.

"So it was you, you crazy girl."

On the other side.

Su Chen hurriedly shifted his attention to his right brain.

Little Satoru Gojo had originally been pointing at Xingbao, looking arrogant enough to gut her.

At the sound of that voice, the little girl froze.

She slowly turned around.

Her sunglasses slid down a little, revealing a pair of large, sky-blue eyes.

The fervor and madness in them vanished in an instant.

She unwillingly curled her lips, her cheeks puffing up like buns.

"Tch."

Little Satoru Gojo kicked a part lying on the floor.

"How did you old fossil get out? Weren't you sleeping in there?"

The Female Lord walked to a spot five paces from everyone and stopped.

The spear struck the ground heavily.

"Buzz—"

A ring of visible golden ripples spread across the floor.

The ripples swept over Welt, making his calves go weak.

He instinctively tightened his grip on his cane.

"If I hadn't come out, you would have dismantled Herta Space Station."

The Female Lord stared at the little girl, her tone stern.

"The Divine Court's rules forbid meddling in the causes and effects of ants. The way you're behaving is bringing shame upon the First Seat."

Little Satoru Gojo rolled her eyes dramatically.

She reached out and pushed her sunglasses back up the bridge of her nose.

"You're so naggy! I just finished cleaning up the trash outside. What's wrong with looking for a little fun?"

She pointed at Xingbao sprawled on the floor.

"Can't the Seventh Seat even touch a toy?"

At the word "toy," Xingbao bit down hard on her lip.

The taste of rust spread through her mouth.

She hugged her head, shrinking behind Welt without making a sound.

The two Avatars went back and forth, their conversation never pausing.

Su Chen felt his soul being yanked back and forth.

But he had to make this act flawless.

He had to make the natives completely believe that the Imaginary Divine Court was a vast organization with a strict hierarchy.

There even had to be factions and infighting within it.

The Female Lord's gaze turned completely cold.

The gravity in the air seemed to increase tenfold in an instant.

The damaged pipes overhead creaked under the strain.

"Toy?"

She raised her empty left hand, golden Geo swirling around her fingertips.

"Put away your Limitless. If you continue misbehaving, I have no objection to sealing you in Amber and taking you back to the Divine Court for punishment."

Her voice was not loud.

Yet it carried the merciless certainty of someone who meant every word.

The defiance on Little Satoru Gojo's face stiffened.

She stood where she was, her small hands gripping the hem of her clothes tightly.

The two confronted each other across a few paces.

The air solidified like a block of raw iron.

March 7th covered her mouth, not daring to make a sound.

Himeko's palm was drenched in sweat around the Mechanical Saw, her knuckles pale.

Ten seconds later.

"Pop."

With a soft sound, the blue-violet barrier around Little Satoru Gojo—which even the genius Herta could not analyze—disappeared.

The little girl plopped down on a relatively intact supply crate beside her.

Her short legs swung twice in midair.

"Seal me, seal me, seal me. You always threaten people with Amber."

She turned away angrily, no longer looking at the Female Lord.

"You're the higher-ranking one, so you get to call the shots. Who told you to rank Fourth? You're boring to death!"

Su Chen let out a long breath of relief inwardly.

Perfect.

Their double act had gone off without a hitch.

Not only had he resolved Xingbao's crisis, he had also raised the Divine Court's prestige another notch.

The Female Lord was cold and imposing, while the Seventh Seat was unruly and violent yet obedient to her superior.

The personas were firmly established.

His forehead was now covered in a layer of cold sweat.

Split-control mode consumed far too much energy. He felt that if he switched Avatars even once more today, he would suffer a cerebral hemorrhage.

And at that moment, the Astral Express Crew—

had been plunged into complete shock.

Welt stared fixedly at the little girl sitting on the crate and sulking.

Then he looked at the imposing Female Lord standing where she was.

His breathing slowed, as if he feared making even the slightest sound.

His mind frantically extracted the key words from their conversation.

First Seat. Rules. Sealed in Amber.

The Seventh Seat, who could erase a fleet with one hand, did not even have the courage to resist before the Fourth Seat.

She could only obediently withdraw her defenses like a child who had made a mistake.

What did this mean?

It meant that the Imaginary Divine Court was not a loose alliance of powerful individuals.

It was a terrifying force with a rigorous organizational structure, absolute superiority in combat power, and even its own unique punishments.

What level of existence was that unseen First Seat?

What kind of being could make these monsters willingly follow the rules?

Could it really be an Aeon itself?

A deep sense of powerlessness surged throughout Welt's body.

They had actually tried to speculate about the purpose of such a force.

It was as ridiculous as an ant trying to shake a tree—utterly laughable.

The Female Lord slowly put away her spear.

The spear transformed into golden motes of light and faded into the air.

She ignored Xingbao on the floor and did not look at anyone from the Astral Express Crew.

She merely clasped her hands behind her back and stared coldly at Little Satoru Gojo.

"From now on, you are forbidden to use your Cursed Technique without my permission."

The Female Lord issued her final order.

With her back turned, Little Satoru Gojo gave a forceful snort, which counted as an agreement.

The Astral Express Crew watched from the side as the two immortals argued.

The scene was so quiet that the only sound was the wind in the ventilation ducts.

Welt's throat tightened, and he struggled to swallow.

His Adam's apple rolled, making a faint, muffled gulp.

He knew that he absolutely could not interrupt now.

When immortals fought, even breathing was a mistake for mortals.

Welt slowly turned his head toward Himeko and March 7th beside him.

He raised his hand, covered in cold sweat, and made an extremely stern downward gesture.

Himeko and March 7th looked at him.

Welt's expression was taut, every line of his face radiating warning.

He made no sound, merely opening and closing his lips forcefully at the two of them.

Using lip-reading, he mouthed each word slowly:

"Don't make a sound. Whatever you do, don't get dragged into their internal disciplinary talk!"