“Haha, I made it back! … Only partially though!”

Zhang Dong's clone celebrated upon returning to his previous world, relieved to find his family alive and well. Time seemed to flow differently between the two realms, with only a small discrepancy. While several months had elapsed in the realm he had just left, here, only a month had passed. The time differential was advantageous, especially considering he had gained thousands of years of longevity. This exchange granted him additional time to adequately prepare for the future.

The previously persistent pull was now absent, and Zhang Dong attributed it to his original self sitting at the administrative desk. Through some research, they discovered that this pull was a feature that could be deactivated. It forcefully yanked a system holder out of any world, directing them through a teleportation gate and into a waiting area where they would be disabled by medical professionals. The recycling process would then commence. To evade this fate, Zhang Dong had chosen to return.

'I wonder how everyone will react when I tell them the truth. Will they believe me?'

As Zhang Dong flew through the sky, he pondered while leisurely taking in the breathtaking scenery. Although he could create a gate to transport himself directly to his family, he opted to savor his time in the current location. The sights from the upper realm were still overwhelming, and he was uncertain if his endeavors would prove successful. There lingered the possibility that the godly being he sought to confront might swat him like a mere fly, even if he grew stronger. Everything could potentially be in vain, but he felt compelled to try - for his own sake and for the well-being of every living being in the world he had come to love.

The once vast world now felt remarkably small. Despite merely flying, Zhang Dong's speed exceeded what he had as a nascent soul master by several times. He effortlessly pushed through the atmosphere without repulsion and even landed on one of the moons. The view from up there was breathtaking, with everything appearing diminutive. He could even discern the other empires and, from this height, observe the artificially crafted divide, which, if he wished, he could pass through or even disable.

‘I’m not sure any of the other empires will be of much help. I should probably focus on my sect, for now, taking them to that trial tower will probably be the best way for their progression.’

Zhang Dong had a well-thought-out plan to enhance everyone's progress, starting with the removal of the nascent soul limit. While there were several approaches to address this issue, he opted for a localized solution. The ideal location for this transformative change was the grand tower with multiple levels, where he and his companions had once confronted an elusive immortal. This place was already devoid of limitations, and Zhang Dong intended to expand this effect further, enabling his people to progress more easily. As the administrator of this world, he possessed the authority to implement any desired changes. Additionally, resources were abundant, allowing him to infuse greater amounts of spiritual energy into the world.

‘There she is, as beautiful as ever… I wonder how she will react…’

Satiated with the picturesque view, Zhang Dong honed in on a specific spiritual signature, identifying it as that of his wife. He materialized in a familiar location, one of the summer resorts they frequently visited. The climate here maintained a perpetual warmth, and the crystal-clear water added to the inviting atmosphere.

Zhang Dong found Liena sitting by the edge of a tranquil lake, engrossed in a book. The soft rustling of leaves and the occasional chirping of birds created a serene ambiance. As he approached, Zhang Dong couldn't help but marvel at the beauty and resilience of his wife. Despite the trials and tribulations they had faced, Liena radiated an inner peace that resonated with the world around her.

“Hey there…”

Zhang Dong said, a warm smile spreading across his face. Liena looked up from her book, her eyes widening with surprise and disbelief. For a moment, she simply stared at him, the book slipping from her hands and into the grass. Then, as realization dawned, her expression transformed into a mix of joy and disbelief.

"Zhang Dong? Is that really you?"

She asked, her voice a mixture of excitement and uncertainty. Zhang Dong nodded, his heart swelling with emotions. He extended his hand, helping her up from her seated position. The sensation of their hands meeting brought an overwhelming sense of familiarity and comfort.

“It’s me, Liena. I’m back…”

The two embraced each other tightly, her arms wrapping around him as if she feared he might vanish if she let go. Tears of joy streamed down her face but soon after her arms pushed away. Her expression shifted to a somewhat stern one as she posed a question.

“...There is something off about you… are you really my husband?”

“Haha, I guess you have noticed it? Quite the feat for a nascent soul master!”

Taken aback by the peculiar response, she instinctively took a step back. Although Zhang Dong's clone possessed the same memories, mannerisms, and expressions, it wasn't quite the genuine article. The soul of this clone was smaller, making it generally difficult to discern, but for some reason, Liena could sense that something wasn't quite right.

“Let me explain, I am Zhang Dong but I’m also not Zhang Dong.”

“You’re not really making sense…”

“I am a Dao Clone of him, we share everything with each other and in a sense are the same being but we can function as individuals as well.”

Liena raised an eyebrow, clearly trying to wrap her head around the concept of a Dao Clone. While clones existed in this cultivation as well, they weren’t as perfect as this one before her. Even as she realized that something was off, the way this clone talked, his whole vibe was that of her husband. If he denied the claim previously she would have probably ignored it. Zhang Dong chuckled and decided to simplify the explanation.

“Think of it this way: I've split a part of myself to handle different tasks and responsibilities. We share the same essence, memories, and consciousness, but we can act independently when needed. The main body, let us call him Zhang Dong Prime, is still in the upper realm and he is fine so don’t you worry!”

Liena nodded slowly, still absorbing the information. It was a lot to take in, but she had been through enough with Zhang Dong to accept such a thing as normal. Her ears perked up the moment he mentioned the Prime version and also the upper realm. It was clear that something was afoot there as her husband would probably not send his clone here just to keep her company.

“So, what brings you back? And why in this form?”

“Glad that you asked, you should sit down as this might be a lot to take in, but you already know about the system and my true origin, so I’ll just talk about what happened in the ‘upper realm’.”

“Please do…”

Zhang Dong explained the situation, detailing the bizarre world he stepped into after walking through that mirror. He explained about system-holders in more detail and how they were people from his original world. Liena was having a hard time processing the information but she continued to nod as he told her about how he became the administrator of this current system. As he was finishing up the tale, he could see that his wife wasn’t fully convinced about the tale but he could probably just show her part of the trick.

“I see that you don’t fully believe me but that’s fine, how about I just show you the big lie that we all have been living under?”

“The big lie?”

He nodded and took her hand, the best way of explaining was to show her how the world above looked. While he couldn’t bring her through the window he could still show her the fake planet they were living on.

“Now hold on tight, this might feel a bit strange.”

Even in clone form his cultivation level was identical to that of an immortal. He could easily leave the atmosphere by surrounding himself and Liena with a transparent barrier. Soon the two were blasting off into the heavens.

As they ascended, the scenery changed dramatically. The illusion of a vast, thriving world below gave way to the cold reality of a fabricated sphere suspended in an endless void. The stars were not distant suns but mere pinpricks of light embedded in the artificial backdrop.

Everything on the surface was real, but anything above had been fabricated. With a sweep of his hand, he lifted the veil before her eyes, exposing the fakes. He demonstrated that even the star providing them with light was nothing more than a creation crafted using the Dao of Light.

Liena gasped in disbelief as the truth unfolded before her eyes. It was as if the entire world she had known was nothing more than an elaborate stage set for some cosmic joke. Everyone in the world below was convinced that there was more to everything but this was quite different.

“This... this is all fake?”

“Yes, it's an illusion created by the system. The real world is beyond this facade, and that's where I came from.”

“So someone created this illusion for people like you? The System-holders?”

“Yes, and there is no happy end. I saw other people like me be drained of their essence, all of their experiences and memories before being sent out back to the world they came from. They were able to keep their soul but in a sense, they were erased at their core…”

In Zhang Dong’s mind, memories and experiences were what made a person what they were. Even if the core which was the soul remained in place, it was wiped clean and would never be the same.

Liena's eyes widened in horror as she comprehended the magnitude of the deception. The world she had known, the people, the landscapes, all of it was a grand illusion created by an external force. It was a bitter pill to swallow, the revelation casting a shadow over the once picturesque scene. Her body began to shake in indignation but Zhang Dong was there to hug her close.

“Who would do such a thing? Create this illusion… create us?”

‘I don’t know, but I will find out, no we will find out together with everyone and put a stop to it!”

Both of them nodded at each other, it was time to start a rebellion and first, they needed to get everyone else informed about this situation…