Seeing this “Chen Junnan” enter through the door, everyone’s expressions changed.

He appeared uninjured, in excellent condition overall. Seeing everyone staring at him, even he became somewhat embarrassed.

“What’s going on?” he asked. “Why are you all staring at this young master? Am I that handsome?”

The injured Chen Junnan slowly widened his eyes at this moment, his face completely bloodless, but he quickly understood. “It’s ‘Transformation’…? Xiao Chu… you’re using this crude method against me?”

The Chen Junnan at the door was slightly startled hearing this voice and turned to look at the injured Chen Junnan.

“Huh…?”

When the two made eye contact, both were obviously stunned.

“You… this…” The Chen Junnan at the door pointed at the injured Chen Junnan, his expression dazed. “What the hell? This, this is me, isn’t it?”

The injured Chen Junnan frowned, feeling somewhat short of breath. “You… still pretending?”

“Me?” The Chen Junnan at the door was stunned. “This young master is pretending? And who the hell are you?”

Jin Yuanxun paid no attention to these two. He placed the bundle he’d brought before Chu Tianqiu, then bent down and said quietly, “Bro, this person suddenly appeared in the basement just now…”

“Yes, I know.” Chu Tianqiu nodded. “No need to say more.”

Jin Yuanxun also nodded and came to stand behind Chu Tianqiu.

“You’re asking me who I am…” The injured Chen Junnan clenched his teeth, enduring his body full of intense pain as he shakily stood up. “You’re playing the real and fake Monkey King game with me, is that it…”

The Chen Junnan at the door walked forward several steps. “What the hell real and fake Monkey King? Are you the Six-Eared Macaque?”

He stared at the injured Chen Junnan—both felt somewhat strange.

“No need to argue.” Chu Tianqiu smiled and interrupted the two confronting each other. “You’re both real.”

“What?”

Everyone in the room paused. The two Chen Junnans also turned back to look at him.

“I’m truly sorry.” Chu Tianqiu smiled at the injured Chen Junnan. “When I said you were an imposter just now, I was deliberately wronging you. Don’t be angry.”

“You… what do you mean?” The injured Chen Junnan asked. “You… where did you even get this thing from…”

He pointed at “himself” in front of him, his expression exceptionally complex.

“‘Echo,’ of course.” Chu Tianqiu smiled. “Everyone, I’ve temporarily mastered a method to make you immortal.”

“Immortal…?”

“This Chen Junnan…” Chu Tianqiu pointed at the person at the door. “Was created by me using some ‘Echo’ ability.”

“Xiao Chu, do you know what you’re saying?” The Chen Junnan at the door’s expression turned cold. “You’re saying this young master was fucking created by you?”

“Don’t get excited.” Chu Tianqiu smiled. “This ability creates a brand new you, like cloning. You two might have some small gaps in your memories. I suggest you communicate more now and synchronize your memories.”

“What…?” Both Chen Junnans frowned. “You’re saying… we’re both real?”

Yun Yao, Yan Zhichun, and Xu Qian all stared at the two carefully. Apart from their injuries and complexion, they truly appeared identical.

Including their mannerisms and tone of speech—everything was exactly the same. Neither seemed fake.

“What? Nothing to say?” Chu Tianqiu turned to face the injured Chen Junnan. “Since you have nothing to say, you can now die in peace. There’s another Chen Junnan who will live here in your place. You’re useless now. Die peacefully.”

The injured Chen Junnan stared helplessly, his bewildered expression fully revealed on his face.

He had never felt this way in his entire life. At death’s door, for the first time he intensely wanted to live.

He felt the person before him who looked exactly like himself was not him. Even if they were completely identical, even if their entire bodies including their memories were the same—he just wasn’t him.

“No… that’s not right…” Chen Junnan tremblingly extended his hand, turning back to grab Yun Yao’s arm. “Big, big star… this isn’t right, is it? I’m me… he’s him… you shouldn’t abandon me this way, right…?”

Yun Yao could clearly feel Chen Junnan’s helplessness, but there was simply no way to do anything about it right now.

The old Chen Junnan was destined to die. The new Chen Junnan was destined to live.

“Chen, Chen Junnan… you…” Her lips trembled for a long time before she could only throw out a weak, ineffectual phrase. “You’ll be fine…”

“What the hell do you mean fine?!” Chen Junnan shouted with all his strength, then pointed at himself in front of him. “He… you all…”

He struggled to organize his words for a long time but ultimately said nothing.

“Right… I’ve become a burden?” Chen Junnan slowly lowered his head, panting heavily. He felt his entire body was ice cold, and his head was terribly dizzy. Although he had died countless times before, what was this uncomfortable feeling in his heart?

“What a domineering ability…” Chu Tianqiu smiled and muttered to himself. “No wonder I absolutely had to make you achieve ‘Echo’…”

Seeing Chen Junnan so distressed, Yun Yao turned to look at Chu Tianqiu with indignation. “What exactly did you do?”

“Didn’t I already say? I used the lives of all ‘Heaven’s Gate’ members to explore a new path.” Chu Tianqiu said. “From now on, you need never fear death again.”

“Just with this?!” Yun Yao pointed at the two Chen Junnans. “You abandon dying teammates, then create a brand new ‘copy’?!”

“What’s wrong with that?” Chu Tianqiu said. “Go ask that lively Chen Junnan—is he fake? Apart from not having today’s memories, which part of him isn’t Chen Junnan?”

The Chen Junnan at the door flared up again after hearing this. “What the hell are you saying…? What gives you the right to create me?”

“But this really isn’t right!” Yun Yao said. “This… this seems…”

“This seems to violate ethics?” Chu Tianqiu smiled. “We seem to have returned to the 1960s, when cloning technology was just emerging. Tell me—is a cloned person a ‘tool,’ an ‘animal,’ or a real ‘person’?”

“This is clearly the same question…” Yun Yao said somewhat dazedly. “This ability is truly too bizarre. If we have to rely on it to get out…”

“So I said you’re really selfish…” Chu Tianqiu took out his glasses from his shirt pocket and put them on, then said, “Obviously, every time you die you’re also revived by being copied through the same principle, but now when I copy someone while they’re still alive, you suddenly think it violates ethics?”

“I…”

Old Lu and Aunt Tong, who had been silent on the side, looked at each other. They also felt this ability was somewhat ominous. Although they didn’t know how Chu Tianqiu had obtained this kind of ability, if there really was a way to freely copy teammates, then before they could get out, the entire “Heaven’s Gate” would surely fall into chaos.

Taking ten thousand steps back, even if all the copies could follow arrangements, who could determine how many people would get out? Would those who get out be themselves or copies?