Chapter Forty-Two: Lu Mingfei—You Finally Believe It!

"You don't know?" Lu Mingfei frowned slightly as he asked in return.

If the little devil wouldn't tell him, he'd have to consult Senior Brother Chu for information. Although it wasn't ideal to ask about spirit-related powers at night after just copying the senior's swordsmanship at the dojo during the day, it was worth the risk for Furnina's sake.

Besides, Senior Brother Chu had probably already started to realize the true nature of his abilities during their battle; any attempt at concealment was just self-deception at this point.

"What does my dear brother want to do with this kind of spirit power?"

"Do what?" Lu Mingfei looked at Lu Mingze, his gaze deep and grave, as if he could see straight through Lu Mingze's soul. After a brief silence, he looked at the God's Eye in his hand and gradually raised his voice: "Since you're sincerely asking, I'll mercifully tell you."

"In order to summon the Dragon God from beyond, I must create seven different dragon orbs, then communicate through spiritual methods, obtain the Dragon God's power, complete the Holy Dragon evolution, and become the ultimate being in all existence. On this road, mastery of spirit-based abilities and authorities is absolutely essential."

"Uh..."

Lu Mingze's lips twitched as he looked at Lu Mingfei, who had once again entered one of his wild fits. His expression became helpless and pained, and yet, along with the pain, there was a kind of relief. Instinctively, he thought, "So that's how it is," and "Now it makes sense."

Still, he sensed something off about Lu Mingfei's current state. His performance seemed a little too deliberate, what he was making up sounded even more fabricated than usual, fundamentally different from the natural madness of before.

Maybe something was wrong?

Or perhaps... he's just pretending this time?

If he's pretending now, then perhaps he wasn't pretending before, and there really is someone from another world communicating with him?

It didn't seem entirely impossible...

On the other side, seeing Lu Mingze deep in thought, Lu Mingfei pressed on urgently: "Lu Mingze, listen to me, this world is on the brink of destruction—the bronze mountains will melt, the roaring seas will evaporate, the backbone of the earth will break, and storms will destroy everything. That's why I must become the world's only god, the sole master!"

Wait a minute... Isn't that a line I used before?

Are you just copying my lines?

So he is faking it! Lu Mingze's suspicion grew more certain. After running through the possibilities in his mind, a conclusion, as clear and elegant as the final letter in a line of code, emerged: He really can communicate with people from another world; it's just so unbelievable that I didn't dare believe it at first.

With this thought, a playful smile gradually appeared on the little devil's face. He asked, "Brother, didn't you say yesterday you needed to cross over into another world? Why have you changed your tune today? Unless..."

He moved lightly and swiftly closer to Lu Mingfei, whispering by his ear, "You're just pretending, aren't you?"

The devil's whisper crashed like thunder. Lu Mingfei instinctively clenched his fist, his previously fired-up spirit faltering for a split second. But after only a moment's hesitation, he rallied, shouting:

"Nonsense! If I could cross over, I'd have done it already! I've calculated it carefully—even if I fully transform into a dragon, I can't break through the world's barrier. The world is a vast cage; destiny has already been woven. We're just prisoners inside. We need strength. We must resist! Let us sing in defiance!"

"Pfft!" The little devil couldn't help but laugh, and laughed heartily, like a child who had finally cracked a code after countless attempts. The sight of his brother desperately trying to cover up his secret was simply delightful to him.

Lu Mingze's smile deepened as he quietly watched Lu Mingfei's performance, propping his chin on one hand as he asked softly, "Hey, brother, you don't think I can't tell, do you?"

"Tell? Tell what? I need your help, I need you to communicate for me! I need spirit-based powers to assist me!" Lu Mingfei's body trembled slightly, but his eyes shone brilliantly, as if this were the real answer.

The little devil instantly saw through this nervous reflex, and this tension in hiding his secret only confirmed his own speculation and judgment about Lu Mingfei. Confident, he said,

"Brother, if you said things like this to anyone else, they wouldn't believe you. But I'm different. I'm your most adorable, most trustworthy little brother. Only I will always stand by your side and watch over you. Only I will believe what you say, and only I will weigh the reasonableness of your words."

He sat down beside Lu Mingfei, his voice growing soft and beguiling as he continued, "Brother, there's no need to hide anymore. I've already caught your little secret. I know you can communicate with people from another world."

"You... you know?"

"Of course I know. I'm your dearest brother, after all."

"......"

Lu Mingfei hung his head, his face hidden in a shadow so deep that no expression could be seen. He slowly turned, gazing at the beaming little devil with a look of complex emotion, and asked in a voice heavy with difficulty, "R-really?"

"Why would I ever lie to you, brother?"

"Then... then..."

Suddenly, Lu Mingfei grabbed the little devil's hand, a look of wild delight lighting up his face as he shouted excitedly, "That's wonderful—ah, my dearest brother, you finally believe me! I can tell, I've always known—you used to think I was just raving, but I wasn't! I really can communicate with people from another world!"

"Ah?" Lu Mingze stared at the wildly joyful Lu Mingfei, his mind suddenly buzzing as a new possibility occurred to him.

Lu Mingfei really was pretending...

But he was pretending just to make me believe him!

My brother is crazy, but he's not stupid!

"Sigh, I always feared you wouldn't believe me before, so I never dared explain it all in detail. Really, when you said you were willing to believe me, I was so touched!" Like two old friends chatting, Lu Mingfei pulled Lu Mingze onto the sofa, beaming as he slung an arm around his shoulder and said, "Let me tell you, the one I like is called Furnina. You know her, right? The Water God of Fontaine, the Goddess of Justice. Of all the ideals, my favorite is a girl as lovely as her!"

"I've realized something: I can't seem to establish a real connection with her. She only exists in my mental exchanges, cut off from this world. I think it's because my command of spiritual authorities or spirit words isn't strong enough. That's why I can only hear her voice, barely perceive her blurry image. So I have to learn spirit-based powers, master the authorities of the mind."

"Help me, Mr. Lu Mingze!"