Apocalypse Circular-Chapter 543 - 541: Behind the Back

On the other side, Qi Xinzhu, Bai Yuetong, and Lu Xiaofang were all seated before Lu Luo.

"Are you leaving now?" Dumb Hair asked, a touch of reluctance in her voice.

Every time Lu Luo left, he would be gone for a long time.

His journey was very dangerous, and its duration uncertain, which made her, a new mother, somewhat anxious.

The former Bai Yuetong had been full of confidence because she didn't have children and believed that Lu Luo could always return safely. But this time it was truly different!

She was very worried about Lu Luo. This unease stemmed from the depths of her heart.

Lu Luo's perception was now very keen. Of course, he could sense Bai Yuetong's anxiety.

He held Dumb Hair in his arms and spoke softly, "Don't worry. I will definitely come back. I'll come back to be with you and watch our child be born."

"Mm-hmm, I believe you."

After hugging tightly for a while, Lu Luo also embraced Qi Xinzhu and Lu Xiaofang.

After a long moment, Lu Luo let go and began to instruct them seriously.

"You all must leave after I do. This place isn't safe. Although we've been operating here for a long time, it's far too close to the west. Meiqi's power is simply too overwhelming. I'm not sure if she can break through the seal in her current state. So, after I leave, you need to get out of here as quickly as possible. Head southeast, find a suitable place to settle down, and then wait for my news. During this time, Brother Gu will protect you! Remember, you must be careful. Prioritize stability during this period."

Lu Luo's demeanor was very serious. Both women knew this wasn't the time for jokes and immediately nodded in acknowledgment.

"We understand."

Then, Lu Luo slightly raised his hands towards Qi Xinzhu's and Dumb Hair's foreheads and suddenly made a grasping motion.

"Eh, Lu Luo?"

"What are you doing?"

Both women felt something unusual. Following a slight sensation in their bodies, two glowing fragments emerged from their foreheads.

They were fragments of the Truth Disc and the Dawn Disc!

These two fragments had been inside the two women's bodies for a long time.

For some reason, Lu Luo felt these fragments could be of use during this mission.

The two fragments floated in the air, emitting milky-white and pale-gold glows.

When they were exposed to the air, the Doomsday Disc experienced a fervent desire.

A desire to devour these two disc fragments.

This yearning naturally affected Lu Luo himself.

However, he refrained from doing so.

He had a premonition that consuming these two fragments would surely trigger something. Yet, Lu Luo also had another intuition: even if the outcome was good, he must not do it.

If he devoured them, he would be discovered. And he needed to remain hidden!

"Just wait a bit longer, wait a bit longer!" Lu Luo mumbled, as if to comfort himself or to appease the Doomsday Disc.

Grasping the two fragments, Lu Luo's tentacles stretched out, drawing them into his body.

Then he looked at the two women. "I'm leaving now. You two take care."

"Understood!"

Watching Lu Luo depart, Bai Yuetong felt a touch of sorrow for a moment.

However, she quickly gathered her spirits and turned to Qi Xinzhu. "Hey, Qi Xinzhu, get ready to go."

"Alright!"

Following Lu Luo's instructions, Circular also began to pack up bustlingly.

They were moving to another city, one much farther from the west.

「A day later, in the Imperial Capital.」

In the dead of night, Lu Luo landed on the rooftop of the Inspection Department's headquarters.

When he arrived, Wu Ye Ji also appeared on the rooftop.

Her perception was among the best of the Seventh Tiers. Since Lu Luo wasn't concealing his presence, she noticed him immediately upon his arrival.

"Lu Luo, what brings you here?"

Wu Ye Ji looked at Lu Luo. Bathed in moonlight, his silhouette gave her a sense of profound distance.

This sensation was indescribable, yet she felt the distance between herself and Lu Luo becoming somewhat elusive.

Only when Lu Luo spoke did this vague sensation gradually dissipate. "What's up? Haven't seen me in a few days, and you're already thirsting for me?"

Lu Luo's tone remained as frivolous as ever, but Wu Ye Ji wasn't offended.

She circled Lu Luo slowly. "Lu Luo, are you... somewhat different than before?"

"Different? What are you referring to?"

"Don't mess around, I'm serious!" Wu Ye Ji swatted at Lu Luo, her expression somewhat reproachful.

Lu Luo dodged gently, not letting Wu Ye Ji hit him.

Because his current state was somewhat off.

He used to be able to control his emotions, but after arriving in the Imperial Capital, his condition had become erratic.

He could originally control his Sequence, but upon seeing Wu Ye Ji, an incredibly strong urge had risen within Lu Luo.

The urge to eat!

To be precise, to devour.

Devour everything: energy, life, matter.

Even Wu Ye Ji, a woman with whom he had a significant relationship, an ally.

Lu Luo didn't know what was happening, but the intensity of this feeling had somewhat exceeded his ability to control it.

He didn't let Wu Ye Ji touch him because he feared that upon contact with her body, the Devourer would be involuntarily triggered, instantly devouring her whole.

Lu Luo didn't want that.

Although Wu Ye Ji wasn't his wife, not even really a lover—just a simple friend with benefits—

their alliance was real and solid.

Lu Luo wouldn't kill an ally because of his desires.

If he really did that, he would undoubtedly become a slave to the Devourer, perhaps even to the Doomsday Disc!

"Lu Luo, why are you dodging? Haven't seen you for a few days, and now you're giving me the cold shoulder?"

Seeing Lu Luo avoiding her, Wu Ye Ji was somewhat displeased.

She knew that Lu Luo didn't regard her as his woman, but she herself was quite satisfied with him.

Especially after not seeing him for twenty days, Wu Ye Ji had even started to miss him a bit.

Now that Lu Luo was avoiding her, it naturally made the proud Wu Ye Ji very unhappy.

"You'd better not touch me. Touch me now, and the consequences are unknown."

Lu Luo's face suddenly turned cold. The abrupt change in his attitude startled Wu Ye Ji.

She instinctively felt a sense of crisis.

It was as if the Lu Luo before her might kill her at any moment.

"Lu Luo, this state you're in... this killing intent... Are you serious?"

As one of the most perceptive individuals among the Seventh Tiers, Wu Ye Ji could naturally sense the murderous aura emanating from Lu Luo.

But she still found it hard to believe that Lu Luo, with whom she had been intimate, would harbor murderous intent towards her.

"I've told you, touch me now, and the consequences are unknown. Why can't you understand?"

Lu Luo turned away again, looking at the stars, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

Wu Ye Ji couldn't see his pupils. If she could have, she would have realized that Lu Luo's eyes had become completely black!

His black eyes seemed capable of devouring everything around them.

And Lu Luo himself thought so too. While he gazed at the stars, he even contemplated the possibility of devouring the cosmos.

But right now, he was just a minor Transcendent.

He couldn't encompass a single planet, let alone the distant cosmos.

The cosmos held a sea of countless stars.

As someone from a modern era, Lu Luo naturally knew the terrifying vastness of the sea of stars!

"My current state isn't quite right. Keep some distance from me; you'll be safer that way."

After Lu Luo withdrew his gaze, Wu Ye Ji hesitated.

She looked at Lu Luo, and an incredulous thought crossed her mind.

"Lu Luo, could it be that you've..."

But before she could finish, Lu Luo nodded. "Yes, it's exactly what you're thinking."

Wu Ye Ji covered her mouth, her fingers trembling slightly!

How could this be? How could it happen so fast?

Lu Luo's growth rate... This is impossible, isn't it?

"You can't control your power?"

"It's not so much that I can't control my power; it's just very difficult to control my desires. When desires emerge, my power also spirals out of control."

After Lu Luo spoke, he fell silent.

Zhang Changming was approaching. Although he was still far away, the Observer's perceptive range was now so vast it could sense everything within several kilometers.

So Lu Luo was fully aware of Zhang Changming's approach.

"Old Zhang is coming; wait for him."

"How do you know?"

"I just know. There's nothing more to say."

Lu Luo's attitude remained indifferent. He took a deep breath, as if that could lessen his desires somewhat.

Soon, Zhang Changming arrived at the headquarters of the Inspection Department.

From afar, he sensed Lu Luo's presence.

Lu Luo wasn't hiding his presence, so Zhang Changming walked straight over.

"You're not even concealing your aura now? What's going on?"

Upon meeting, Zhang Changming immediately posed this question. In his view, not concealing one's aura was extremely dangerous.

This held true even for a Seventh Tier master. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"It's not that I'm not hiding it; I can't hide it. Forget it. This matter is rather complicated. Let's talk about your investigation results instead."

Lu Luo didn't know how to explain, but Zhang Changming's inquiry reminded him of something.

Could Gu Tianfeng sense his arrival?

His own aura had reached the Eighth Order.

With his aura unconcealed, what would Gu Tianfeng think?

Would he think Lu Luo was provoking him?

Provoking one of the Imperial's three great War Gods after reaching the Eighth Order?

Lu Luo was very curious. He was curious not only about Gu Tianfeng's potential reaction but also about Gu Tianfeng's current level of strength.

Now that he had reached the Eighth Order, did he possess the strength to fight a peak Eighth Order expert like Gu Tianfeng?

Zhang Changming looked at Lu Luo, not questioning him further.

If Lu Luo said so, there must be a reason.

Besides, as a man, he wasn't likely to get physically close to Lu Luo in a way that would trigger issues. Therefore, Lu Luo didn't warn him about his control issues.

"The results of the investigation into the Imperial Family's descendants are out. I wouldn't have known if I hadn't looked, but seeing it is truly startling! There are a total of 273 Imperial descendants. Currently, 108 of them are recognized as princes or princesses. The remaining 165 do not hold the status of prince or princess. Most of them are commoners or individuals suffering from illnesses. Thirteen of them died young. Of the remaining 152, over the past six months, 98 have died—either from illness or accidents. This number, Lu Luo..."

Zhang Changming didn't elaborate, but the figures clearly showed that the number of deaths among the non-princely descendants was alarmingly high, implying a greater death toll than among the recognized princes and princesses.

"The Emperor is certainly prolific, having so many children. Doesn't he get tired?"

Lu Luo's previous dream was to have a dozen or two children, but the current Emperor had already surpassed that by more than tenfold.

Truly a paragon among men!

"Inform those princes and princesses about this. Once they get the news, they'll react."

"So, what should we do now?"

"Unite."

"But what if they don't agree?"

"Tell them this news. If they still don't agree after that, then there's something wrong with their heads."

Lu Luo knew very well that these princes and princesses weren't fools.

If they were, they couldn't possibly have reached their current positions.

So, after learning this news, while not certain, at least a large portion of them would agree.

At least they wouldn't be as opposed and hostile as they were before.

"Alright, I got it. When do we start?"

"Now. Right now. Have everyone prepare for the arrival of the Angel Envoy!"

"Okay!"

Since Lu Luo had spoken, Zhang Changming naturally could not shirk his responsibility.

This wasn't a personal matter; it concerned the entire New Imperial.

After Zhang Changming left, Wu Ye Ji also said, "My abilities are well-suited for this. I'll go too."

"Alright. Be careful. After all, I don't know if any of the princes or princesses are aligned with the Angel Envoys, or are Angel Envoys themselves."

"Understood."

Wu Ye Ji took a deep look at Lu Luo. His current state made her feel endangered.

But after all, Lu Luo was still the backbone of their faction.

So she didn't oppose him or show hostility; she just wanted to keep her distance from Lu Luo for a while.

After everyone had left, the Observer stated, "They are afraid of you!"

"I know."

Lu Luo's expression was somewhat indifferent. He raised his hand, and the markings on his skin became more prominent.

The writhing under his skin also grew more intense.

It felt as if tentacles hidden within his body were about to burst out through his skin at any moment.

It was an uncontrollable sensation, one he did not like.

Nor would he let his emotions and desires run wild.

"What do you plan to do next?" the Observer asked.

Lu Luo didn't speak. He just shifted his gaze towards the bunker.

Then he reached out his hand and made a slight grasping motion!

The space around him seemed to twist and distort. Simultaneously, Lu Luo appeared underground, in front of Gu Tianfeng.

"Senior, we meet again!"

"You really are a very special person!"

Gu Tianfeng assessed Lu Luo from head to toe. He could clearly see Lu Luo's current state.

Eighth Order! Such a young Eighth Order.

Unprecedented. It's unlikely there will ever be another like him.

As a peak Eighth Order expert and one of the Imperial War Gods, Gu Tianfeng certainly knew how difficult it was to achieve the Eighth Order.

A normal person couldn't possibly become an Eighth Order before the age of 26, let alone by 27.

The reason for this has nothing to do with talent, but accumulation.

The speed at which humans absorb energy has its limits.

In fact, at their level, even with exceptional talent, the speed of energy absorption is more or less the same.

So even if one's talent allowed them to easily breach the Eighth Order threshold,

they would still need to spend a great deal of time accumulating energy.

But what about Lu Luo's situation?

Suppose when Lu Luo left last time, his energy intensity was 100. Now, it would be 300.

This increase in energy is erratic and simply cannot be explained by common sense.

Lu Luo's energy level was as absurd as if the numbers themselves had been altered.

Is this really related to talent?

Gu Tianfeng didn't think so.

Perhaps Lu Luo's talent is indeed great, so great that no one can compare.

But even the most exceptional talent couldn't allow someone to triple their energy intensity in a mere twenty days.

Even breaking through from the Seventh Tier to the Eighth Order would only result in a slight increase in overall energy.

The process from the Seventh Tier to the Eighth Order is mainly about the transformation of one's Essence of Life.

Even after reaching the Eighth Order, one still needs to continue accumulating energy, eventually undergoing a qualitative transformation to reach the human War God realm.

That is the normal path, not like Lu Luo's current situation.

How should one describe it?

Force-fed? Altered?

Gu Tianfeng watched Lu Luo with slight vigilance, now uncertain about his current state.

"I am indeed very special; I've known that for a long time. Senior, have there been any new developments regarding the Angel Envoy in the Imperial Palace?"

Although Lu Luo still maintained a relatively humble stance, Gu Tianfeng was very clear that Lu Luo now possessed the power to threaten him.

This sudden surge in power intensity... how vexing!

"No progress yet, but I feel it should be soon. You're also investigating the deaths of the imperial children, aren't you? You must have sensed the connection?"

Lu Luo showed no intention of answering Gu Tianfeng's question. He scanned the surrounding books and finally placed the Heart of the Mecha on Gu Tianfeng's desk.

Then he nodded.

"Understood.

This item is for you, Senior.

With your wisdom and strength, you should know how to use it.

If a problem arises, you can draw upon its power."

Lu Luo's words were somewhat baffling, but Gu Tianfeng, who had been sitting still, felt that something was off.

"Lu Luo... your current condition...?"

"Heh." Lu Luo only laughed, not continuing the conversation.

Standing in front of Gu Tianfeng, he once again twisted his palm and made a light grasping gesture.

The surrounding space twisted once more.

Lu Luo had already arrived within the Imperial Palace!

「Lady Nolan's bedchamber.」

In the palace, a silent massacre was underway.

Lu Luo moved slowly towards the center of the massacre, like a detached onlooker.

The people around him seemed not to see him, and their enemy was a slightly hunched old man leaning on a cane.

DING!

SQUELCH!

The old man drove his cane into the ground. A ring of blood-red light spread out from him as the center.

A large number of Transcendent died instantly upon touching the blood-red ring.

They couldn't even utter screams or moans before dying.

This must be considered a relatively comfortable way to die, I suppose!

And before the old man stood the Eighth Order expert, Lady Nolan.

She watched him guardedly, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

This old man was strong; his aura was incredibly oppressive.

But she was sure he wasn't the one who had been monitoring her.

He must be someone else!

"You're not him," Nolan said directly.

The old man was the Ninth Angel Envoy, Convex-Concave, the Bearer of the Blood Mark.

Convex-Concave paused, his expression momentarily freezing when he heard Nolan's words. "Him? Who are you referring to?"