Eddie stood before an unexpected challenger in the Twin Palace: his own shadow.
A perfect copy of himself in every way – appearance, height, combat beasts, and even fighting habits – it was like Eddie facing his reflection in a mirror.
The only difference was this shadow clone could engage in battle, while Eddie himself was bound by the ancient laws, unable to fight directly.
Next to the shadow clone stood a duplicate of Little Wenli, and behind them were the shadows of Kieran Shaw, Girlie, and Haye Yew's Grey Wolf.
Even a sleeping Sophia's shadow clone was present on the back of Eddie's shadow clone.
The Twin Palace's law created an exact copy of the warrior's strength. Eddie summoned his book and transformed the metal creature on his wrist into a long dagger. His shadow did the same.
The only distinction: Eddie couldn't fight directly, while his shadow clone brandished the Ashen Blade, ready to strike.
The stronger Eddie was, the quicker his defeat seemed. A weak scholar might pass through the Twin Palace, but a strong warrior would only hasten their downfall.
"Can you speak?" Eddie asked, hoping to exploit any difference in thought processes.
But his shadow clone, devoid of intelligence and only capable of battle instincts, donned a half-crying, half-smiling golden mask and slowly advanced towards him.
The shadow's Kieran Shaw took flight, Girlie summoned numerous plants, Grey Wolf bristled with aggression, and the most powerful, Little Wenli's shadow, followed closely behind Eddie's shadow clone.
Eddie realized this attack strategy was something he and Little Wenli had honed over time. Surprisingly, the shadow clone replicated it effortlessly.
Eddie was relieved that his shadow clone couldn't unlock his innate first-level powers.
His Breaking Body Invisible Sword Qi seemed undetected by the realm's laws and thus not replicated. Otherwise, his defeat would be even more decisive.
If the shadow clone knew how to use Nirvana Fire or the Wheel of Extinction right away, Eddie wouldn't stand a chance.
Thankfully, the Twin Palace only replicated the surface level of Eddie's strength and his accompanying combat beasts.
Those combat beasts left in the duel space, such as the Smoke Phantom, the Five Elements Gold-Seeking Rat, and Ahman, were not duplicated.
The Twin Palace's replication targeted visible strengths and combat beasts. But even this was enough to induce despair.
After all, the opponent had an additional active combatant: Eddie's shadow clone.
Facing his shadow clone in the Twin Palace, Eddie realized the golden mask worn by the clone was a mysterious artifact, its purpose not fully discernible even with his level-four Wisdom Eye.
It seemed related to the cloning process, much like the golden bell under the holy sheep head of the Chimera or the golden ring on the white bull's nose, key to victory.
Without seizing the golden mask, defeating the shadow clone and conquering the palace was impossible.
But how could Eddie snatch the mask from a clone with equal strength?
The more powerful he was, the stronger the clone became.
When Eddie transformed the metal creature into a dagger, the clone replicated the same ability, revealing the challenge of facing an equal opponent.
Little Wenli shook her head and merged into Eddie, weakening the Little Wenli shadow clone significantly.
The clone, now deprived of Diamond Book, Medusa, Mermaid, and Naga summons, eased Eddie's mind.
Despite the dire situation, he felt a glimmer of inspiration – a direct battle was unwinnable.
The key lay in his unreplicated hidden strengths and the clone's lack of intelligence.
Designed with a solution in mind, the Twin Palace remained insurmountable without uncovering its secret.
Eddie mused over the palace's enigma, contrasting it with the illusory world of "Dream of the Red Chamber."
Upon investigating the right hall, he discovered a giant mask depicting half a smile and half a tear, rather than a matching couplet.
Realizing the golden mask was the key, Eddie wondered how to remove it from the shadow clone.
The clone observed Eddie's movements without aggression, its protective shield and key item making it complacent.
With the same smug expression as Eddie often wore, the clone's demeanor frustrated him.
Deciding not to engage in battle that day, Eddie carried Sophia on his back, contemplating his next move.
He considered using his Wisdom Eye combined with normal vision to observe from outside the door, not as an act of stealth but as a rightful appreciation of human beauty.
Eager to witness the world's most beautiful sight, Eddie activated his level-four Wisdom Eye combined with normal vision, concentrating his innate energy into his eyes.
His eyes shone with a brilliant golden light, too dazzling to look directly at. The wooden door separating the bathroom and the hall quickly became transparent, eventually resembling an almost non-existent clear substance, allowing an unobstructed view.
Eddie's gaze fell upon an exquisitely perfect, flawless snowy figure. Droplets of water cascaded over her, sliding down her icy skin, each droplet shimmering like crystal against her frost-like complexion.
The sight was breathtaking, unparalleled in beauty. Her flawless back tapered to a slender waist, leading down to round, tender hips, their perfect curvature and form almost causing Eddie's heart to leap out of his chest.
His pulse quickened, blood rushed to his head, and a warm current rose in his abdomen, spreading throughout his body.
The allure of her long, fair legs was infinite, especially the hidden mystery that remained concealed, beckoning exploration.
Eddie thought, "I can't resist this temptation. She's too alluring. I never knew she had such an amazing figure. I should seize the moment and have a romantic bath with this enchanting woman."
Eddie initially planned to pursue Laura, the City Lord of Falling Flowers, as he thought she would be the easiest to win over.
He considered Jean, the Princess, to be more challenging due to her fiery temperament, unlike Laura's more approachable nature.
The most elusive conquest was the mysterious beauty; if it weren't for the incident with Mother Grace, he wouldn't even know her true appearance.
Unable to wait for Laura, Eddie decided to take action with Jean first. He thought, "I'll deal with Alexander's possible backlash later. For now, I'll enjoy the blissful moments."
Ready to barge into the bathroom, Eddie quickly undressed, preparing to leap in, kick open the door, and overwhelm Jean.
Just as he was about to act, he sensed a disturbance in the air outside, accompanied by barely audible footsteps.
Holding his trousers in hand, he initially thought his cousin Rue had entered, and he hurried to dress.
However, to his astonishment, it was Jean, the Princess herself, holding a small bottle with pink liquid, possibly perfume or bath oil.
The enchanting fragrance wafted through the air, even through the bottle's stopper.
Jean, the Princess, had come outside?
As Eddie realized the person bathing inside was his cousin, Rue, he broke into a cold sweat.
"What have I done? I mistook the person inside for someone else!"
Jean, the Princess, entered the room, holding a small bottle with pink liquid.
Noticing Eddie's state of undress, she scolded, "You pervert! What are you doing in my room?"
Eddie, caught in the act, stood there with his trousers in hand, embarrassingly exposed.
Rue's voice came from inside the bathroom, asking if Jean was outside.
Jean, perhaps with some hidden motive, covered for Eddie, saying she had just brought back some fragrant bath oil from the Warrior's Guild, a gift from Laura.
Eddie, however, couldn't leave as Jean fixed a stern gaze on him, as if demanding an explanation.
Eddie shrugged and spoke in a faint voice, "I didn't know someone was inside. I was just about to take a bath. Lucky you came back, Tigeress, but if you keep staring at me, I'll scream for help..."
Jean raised her voice and announced to Rue that Eddie had returned.
Eddie, terrified of being caught in such a compromising position, was ready to teleport away.
But Jean's next words made him surrender instantly, "If you dare to leave, I'll tell Mother Grace and Sophia!" Eddie had no choice but to capitulate.
He wrapped his arms around Jean's shoulders, earnestly nodded, and said, "Princess, I know you've been wanting to get close to me for a long time. But may I make a request? After all this, could you at least give me some milk powder money?"
Jean stared at Eddie in disbelief for three whole minutes, as if seeing a monster. Just when Eddie thought he had utterly shocked the Princess, she reacted with a surprisingly forceful move, causing Eddie to scream in both pain and pleasure.