CHAPTER 75: THE PROTAGONIST WHO STILL HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO SHOW OFF

Wind Dragon quickly stirred up a breeze, steadying Lu Chen. "Little Lu, what's going on?"

Lu Chen stared at the Hunyuan Greatsword in his hand, disbelief written across his face. "The stone monument is draining my spirit qi... and the spirit qi in the Heavenly Pool vanished in an instant."

Nantian Wan'er helped him into a cross-legged position. "Lu-gege, how could this happen?"

At the same time, she guided the qi from the small world to slowly flow into the Heavenly Pool, replenishing the spirit qi it had lost.

"Didn't the senior from last time say that he'd already taken care of it? Should we try calling him?" Nantian Wan'er asked while gently patting Lu Chen's back.

Lu Chen looked up. He seemed reluctant. "Call him? But he doesn't seem like a good person."

Still perched on Lu Chen's head, Wind Dragon spoke softly, "Don't worry, Little Lu. He's the one who gave you this thing. Since he still wants something from you, he definitely won't harm you now."

"Alright then."

Finding the reasoning sound, Lu Chen quickly channeled his recovered qi, directing it toward the Innate Bagua Diagram at his ankles.

Sensing the spirit qi fluctuations of a divine ability being activated, the twin fish emerged from the Heavenly Pool, hovering above him and Nantian Wan'er. Their shadows—one black, one white—spread out beneath the pair's feet.

Lu Chen and Nantian Wan'er stood at the eyes of their respective fish shadows. Yin and yang merged, and the spirit qi around them began to intertwine.

The two shadows pressed together, spinning slowly until they formed a twin-fish Taiji Diagram.

By now, Lu Chen's spirit qi had fully circulated to his ankles. The Innate Bagua Diagram beneath him shone with a blue light, rising to join the Taiji Diagram. Gradually, the Bagua expanded and rotated, its radiance spreading across the entire first floor of the tower.

A soft bang echoed within the medallion's world. The intertwined roots of the Innate and Acquired Green Sovereign Divine Trees pulsed faintly, breaking through the air and projecting the image of the Green Sovereign Divine Tree into the Bagua Diagram.

Seeing the projection of the Green Sovereign Divine Tree take shape, Lu Chen let out a long breath. "This is the first time I've unleashed this divine ability at full power. It's really troublesome."

Nantian Wan'er gazed at the image of the tree. "Lu-gege, has that senior arrived yet?"

Wind Dragon hovered in the air, sensing the fluctuations around them. "It doesn't seem like it. Little Lu, try controlling the Innate Bagua Diagram with your qi."

Lu Chen gave him a helpless look. "He forced this divine ability on me back then. I don't even know how to use it."

Wind Dragon promptly smacked him on the back of the head with his tail. "Unbelievable. You wasted two hundred years of potential training while in the illusion trial."

"A divine ability is part of your body. You can control the Innate Bagua Diagram in the same way you control the Green Sovereign Divine Tree."

"Ah... but I never activated a divine ability during the trial. Let me try."

Scratching his head, Lu Chen began channeling all the spirit qi within the Bagua Diagram toward the tree projection at its center.

Nantian Wan'er's eyes lit up as fresh buds sprouted on the branches. "Is he here yet?"

Lu Chen frowned. "Doesn't seem like it worked."

"Little Lu," Wind Dragon said, "hasn't he been wanting to make a deal with you? Try calling him through this."

"This? Alright."

Lu Chen stopped circulating his qi and faced the projection. "I am willing—"

Before he could finish speaking, immense power welled up from deep within him.

A young Daoist in green robes emerged from the projection, looking half-asleep. With a casual wave, he dispersed the Innate Bagua Diagram beneath Lu Chen's feet, then strode over with growing excitement. "You've agreed? I thought I'd have to wait much longer."

Startled, Lu Chen instinctively stepped back. "Ah... no. I was just thinking that since you hadn't shown up for so long, something might have happened to you."

"Did I mishear you? Then why call me? Do you have any idea how exhausting it is for me to come out?"

The Daoist stared into Lu Chen's eyes for several minutes before turning away. "And you seem fine. Everything's normal."

As he turned to leave, Lu Chen let out a quiet breath. Staring at someone who has the same face as me is so unsettling.

Lu Chen wiped the sweat from his brow and pointed at the stone monument. "No, it's about Eggy. I can't unlock this layer of the tower."

"You can't unlock it? That's odd. The spirit qi I left behind should have been enough for you to last for a while."

The Daoist turned back to the stone monument. Spirit qi swirled around him as clock-like dials spun rapidly in his eyes. Moments later, he glanced at Lu Chen in disbelief. "Strange... I didn't miss any time."

He formed a series of hand seals and probed Lu Chen's cultivation state. "Your strength is fine. What did you do? Why has all the power of the Time Key been drained?"

Wind Dragon landed beside the Daoist and pointed at the planetary jade token. "Senior, the problem lies with Eggy. It's awakened its intelligence again. Could it be..."

"Let me see."

The Daoist took the Hunyuan Greatsword and fiddled with the planetary jade token. "I see... so that's it. I didn't expect them to return."

Lu Chen cautiously approached. "Senior, how is it? Is there a problem?"

"Hmm? It's nothing major. It's just that the power of the Time Key has run out."

He tossed the Hunyuan Greatsword back to Lu Chen and casually placed Wind Dragon atop his head.

Watching him play with the green dragon, Lu Chen became even more careful. "Then... what should we do now, Senior?"

"Have you forgotten who I am? Dad-Making Lu, always at your service, with satisfaction guaranteed."

The green-robed Daoist glanced at Lu Chen and let out a light chuckle. "I didn't explain things clearly to you last time, so think of this as after-sales service. There's no need to trade any conditions with me this time."

Lu Chen's eyes lit up. "Oh? You're being that generous?"

If not for those previous terms, he might have even found this Daoist rather likable.

The Daoist's lips curled into a sly smile as he repeated his conditions. "Hehe, if you think I'm being generous, why not agree to my terms right now?"

Lu Chen quickly waved his hands. "No, no, it's not the right time yet. Let me think it over."

The Daoist's smile turned into a cold, wicked smirk, and his eyes instantly sharpened. "Hmph..."

He pressed his middle and index fingers together, gave a slight wave toward Lu Chen, and a transparent seal of the Innate Bagua Diagram slowly formed before him.

"I only said I'd help you solve the problem without an exchange, but I never promised to let you off for disturbing my rest."

With a flick of his hand, a rift split open at his side. Like plucking a chick, he reached in and pulled out the sleeping Fire Phoenix.

"You!"

Lu Chen quickly tried to stop him with spirit qi, but before his attack could even take shape, the green-robed Daoist had shattered it with a single palm strike.

The Fire Phoenix gave two soft cries, then straightened on the Daoist's arm like a proud eagle.

The green-robed Daoist gently stroked its feathers. "Good bird, but you'll have to endure some inconvenience for now."

Lu Chen asked, a trace of tension in his voice, "What are you trying to do?"

Spirit qi surged rapidly from the Daoist's fingers. The Fire Phoenix nodded toward him and gracefully took to the air. "This is for your own good."

Chains of spirit qi shot from the Innate Bagua Diagram, coiling around the Fire Phoenix and binding it in place.

The Daoist placed a light kiss on its head before sending it back into the medallion's world. "There, little one. All done. Go rest now."

"Chirp, chirp."

Reluctant to part, the Fire Phoenix called softly, glancing back several times before returning to the Innate Green Sovereign Divine Tree.

The divine tree sensed the chains and coiled its branches around them, instantly sealing away the phoenix's aura.

Inside the Tower of Time, the Fire Phoenix Mark surfaced at the center of Lu Chen's forehead. The same chains that had bound the Fire Phoenix wound around the mark, and in that moment, Lu Chen felt his control over it slow by at least tenfold. "Why has my connection with the Fire Phoenix weakened? And it's not just the phoenix..."

He stepped back from the Daoist. "What did you do to me?"

"Nothing much. Consider it both punishment and aid."

Lu Chen's gaze fixed on the spinning chains in the Daoist's hand. "What do you mean?"

The Daoist wound the remaining chains around the Hunyuan Greatsword. "I found your control over spirit qi far too crude, so I'm helping you improve it.

"It just means that from now on, if you want to use any external power, you'll have to spend ten, even a hundred times more spirit qi, unless..."

Lu Chen tugged hard at the chained Hunyuan Greatsword. "Unless what?"

"Unless you have great enough strength, or you can wield spirit qi with precision. Then these chains will dissolve on their own."

Feeling the bindings on the mark on his forehead, Lu Chen's frustration flared. "Why do this to me?"

"Your external tools and helpers demand too much spirit qi," the Daoist said as he straightened Lu Chen's rumpled robes. "I still need to rely on you to manifest in this world. I don't want you suddenly dropping dead from overuse of spirit qi while I'm resting."

Lu Chen protested. "But... this is my body!"

The Daoist ignored his protest. As the final chain locked onto the Hunyuan Greatsword, he cut him off. "No buts. I've told you before. I am you, and you are me. You're not weak, but you rely too much on external powers. And they're too strong compared to you. One wrong move, and your body will explode. These chains are for your own safety."

Lu Chen let out a helpless sigh. "Senior, at least leave me something. I am the protagonist, after all. I haven't even had the chance to show off yet!"

He remembered the storyteller's tales of novel protagonists—how, once they gained great power, they would dominate from the start, flaunt their strength, live like kings, bask in glory, gather harems, and command loyal followers.

But him? He had barely touched these powers before they were all sealed away. He truly felt like crying.