Apocalypse Circular

Han Shiyu's words made Lu Luo pause for a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"Although the Church has abolished the Saintess system, that was because His Holiness the Pope was in charge. After Bai Qingshuang took office, many aspects of the Church have become less lenient than before. In the past, the duty of the Saintess was to forever guard the Dawn Disc, which is a very arduous, even brutal, job."

Lu Luo frowned slightly. "Guarding the Dawn Disc should be the pursuit of every devout Believer of Light, shouldn't it? Is there anything wrong with it?"

Han Shiyu nodded, her gaze tinged with a hint of reminiscence. "Indeed, it is not good, because all the Saintesses die! The intensity of Dark Energy around the Dawn Disc can reach twenty times that of the Third Ring, even higher than the Nightmare Castle you mentioned. Working in that kind of environment for a long time, Sanctified Distortion is almost inevitable. The end result for every generation of Saintesses was cruel. Some suffered Sanctified Distortion, while others were directly corrupted by Dark Energy. While they sacrificed everything for the Dawn Disc, they were also deprived of their basic human rights. No one even bothered to record where they ended up—whether they died or were killed. It is because of the flaws in the Saintess system that His Holiness the Pope abolished it. After Judgment Chief Bai Qingshuang took office, she tried many times to restore the Saintess system, but the Pope always refused her. Now that the Pope is critically ill, no one can stop the Judgment Chief. She is very likely to carry out her previous intentions and directly take Qi Xinzhu away. So, Xinzhu being with you and reaching this final step is actually a good thing."

The host actually saved Little Qi indirectly. This is the choice of fate!

After listening to Han Shiyu's explanation, Lu Luo suddenly felt an epiphany! No wonder the previous Church members had all shown strong hostility towards him. So the identity of the Saintess came with such duties.

"If Qi Xinzhu is with me, the Judgment Chief won't capture her?"

"Yes, absolutely not. Because the Saintess needs to remain pure, she must be a virgin. Now that she is with you, she has naturally lost that purity."

Upon hearing this, Lu Luo raised an eyebrow. "Han Shiyu, there's something wrong with what you're saying. Although Qi Xinzhu is with me now, I still feel she's very pure. But her purity blooms only for me!"

"Psycho! Pervert! Scum!"

Han Shiyu grew flustered and angry, even swearing at Lu Luo. However, Lu Luo didn't care. He continued to massage Han Shiyu, enjoying the smoothness of her back.

After ending this topic, the two fell silent for a while. Lu Luo was still massaging, but the silence seemed to raise the temperature of the environment.

You're zoning out again!

"I know!"

Silence is the poison of ambiguity. Lu Luo knew he had to say something, or else he wouldn't be able to hold back!

"Han Shiyu, I saw a lot of Church people in the Red and White Castle. Or to put it another way, among the groom candidates chosen by the Nightmare Demon, many are from the Church."

"So what? It just shows that the Church has many talented people and that the Nightmare Demon has good taste."

Although Han Shiyu disliked some of the Church's current actions, she was still a member and always hoped for it to improve. But Lu Luo had no good feelings towards the Church at all. After all, if not for the Church, Ludie wouldn't have died!

Lu Luo suddenly applied more force. Han Shiyu grunted; naked as she was, she couldn't turn around to strike back.

"Lu Luo, you did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"Uncomfortable? It should feel very comfortable, right?"

Han Shiyu's face flushed. The gentle Qi He penetrated her skin, constantly impacting her muscles. The sensation was indeed wonderful. It was even somewhat addictive, just as Lu Luo had said: though painful, it was also comfortable. But as comfortable as it was, admitting it was out of the question!

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

Lu Luo stopped joking and said seriously, "There are Believers of Light among those people. One of them is named Chen Mo."

"Chen Mo?"

Han Shiyu certainly remembered this name. For a long time while practicing as a Believer of Light, Chen Mo had always been practicing with her. He was a very diligent and hardworking person. Unfortunately, he wasn't particularly bright, and such people were easily used by others.

"What about Chen Mo?"

"He likes you a lot!"

Han Shiyu knew Chen Mo liked her. When Lu Luo brought him up at this moment, she worried that some conflict had occurred between the two men and quickly explained, "So what? Many men like me. The line could stretch from the Fourth Ring to the Inner Ring. Many of the injured in the school hospital see me as a goddess. He's just a nobody to me; you don't have to mention him specifically."

Lu Luo knew Han Shiyu had misunderstood, but her demeanor was rather cute. Han Shiyu was always very aloof in front of others. Perhaps only with Lu Luo would she reveal such a prickly yet endearing side.

"Yes, yes, Goddess Han is the most beautiful!"

"You insincere man! In your heart, you've probably compared me with Qi Xinzhu countless times. Then you'd give me 9 points and Qi Xinzhu 10, after evaluating my strengths and weaknesses. I guess if I have one thing better than Qi Xinzhu, it must be my waist!"

This woman can actually read your mind, unbelievable!

After Han Shiyu finished speaking, she deliberately swayed her waist a few times, causing Lu Luo to suddenly...

Er, Lu Luo felt a bit embarrassed. Isn't comparing two beautiful women and scoring them what most men do?

"My point isn't about Chen Mo; it's about the Believers of Light themselves. What's strange about this incident is that among the four grooms, two are from the Church. One was a Believer of Light, the other a member of the Four Knights Corps. Both left safely, which seemed somewhat deliberate."

Han Shiyu hesitated slightly. "Are you saying they were intentionally let go by the Nightmare Demon? That Lu Xiaotian?"

"Yes, that's what I was thinking. I spoke with Old Gu about it; he told me that the grooms can gain a portion of the bride's power. This power stems from the Nightmare Demon. It not only significantly increases their Dark Energy Level but also grants them some Exotic Species traits. When I was leaving, I even fought the semi-Exotized Chen Mo. So, I wanted to ask you: does the Church have any way to detect these semi-Exotized people?"

Lu Luo knew that the Nightmare Demon's actions were never that simple, but now many details had to be confirmed with Han Shiyu.

"Normally, individuals who have undergone Exotization cannot pass the detection at the high walls. But there is one exception."

"An exception?"

"Lu Luo, do you remember how Priest Wu En got out?"

"Sanctified Distortion!"

"That's right. Those with Sanctified Distortion are very special; they can evade most Dark Energy distortion detection, and it allows their own power to remain in a very pure state."

This conclusion surprised Lu Luo. "So, you're saying the Nightmare Demon's power allows them to achieve an effect similar to Sanctified Distortion, thus evading detection by the high walls? Her power, is it already on par with the Dawn Disc?"

After careful thought, Han Shiyu ultimately shook her head. "I haven't seen the people you're talking about, so I'm not very clear on that, but I don't think it's likely. The power of the Dawn Disc far surpasses that of a Seventh Tier human's will, and a Seventh Tier human's will is enough to confront Eighth Order Exotic Species. So I think that even if the Nightmare Demon is very powerful, it's not likely to be as strong as the Dawn Disc."

Lu Luo nodded thoughtfully. Lu Xiaotian had released so many people; there must be a purpose behind it. He just couldn't figure out her purpose for the moment. Chen Mo and Qi Gefei were both members of the Church. Did the Nightmare Demon choose them because they were truly outstanding, or because the Holy Radiance itself was special?

"Lu Luo, didn't you say the grooms gained power? So what power did you gain this time? Show me."

Lu Luo raised an eyebrow. What does she mean? A challenge?

Woman, you are treading a dangerous path!

Han Shiyu's expression suddenly changed because Lu Luo's hand had moved to the wrong place!

"Lu Luo?"

"Hmm? Sorry, my hand slipped."

"You said your hand slipped last time too!"

"Last time it really did slip!"

"So, you're saying this time it's fake?"

"This time it's real too! Look, my hand slipped again."

Han Shiyu suddenly turned around and pulled Lu Luo onto the bed.

"Your hand slipped, my ass! Scum!"

「At the break of dawn」

Han Shiyu lay on the bed, completely satisfied. What surprised Lu Luo was that, in certain aspects, Han Shiyu could even be considered reserved. This was completely contrary to her normally dominant personal style! Gentle Qi Xinzhu was passionate, while the strong-willed Han Shiyu turned out to be surprisingly delicate. Truly, a woman's heart is an unfathomable ocean!

"The Nightmare Demon business is too complicated. Let the big shots deal with her! As for myself, should I accept the Inner Ring's invitation?"

"Are you scared?" After their intimate encounter, their relationship had fully solidified, so Han Shiyu asked very directly.

"I am a little scared, actually. I'm not completely confident in my own strength, and the people in the Inner Ring are quite formidable. If the people of the Inner Ring target me, I'm afraid I won't be able to escape!"

In front of Han Shiyu, Lu Luo had nothing to hide and directly shared his concerns. However, this thought of his elicited a light laugh from Han Shiyu.

"Caution is an excellent quality, but sometimes one doesn't need to be *this* cautious. Lu Luo, the Inner Ring is the ruling core of the Alliance, a place that values law and rules. In a sense, the Inner Ring is even more rule-abiding than the Outer Ring. It's like Luo Xuemin's policy of equality between ordinary people and Transcendents. Although this policy seems quite outlandish, it is actually being implemented in the Inner Ring. So you don't need to worry so much. You're imagining the Inner Ring to be more terrifying than it is!"

"Really?"

"Really! But their inviting you to the Inner Ring definitely isn't that simple. Especially Bai Yuetong's father, Luo Xuemin. Although he appears to be a 'nice guy' in front of many people, you should know, a 'nice guy' wouldn't be able to survive under Bai Qingshuang."

Han Shiyu's reminder made Lu Luo nod heavily. "I understand!"

After dressing, the two of them walked out of Han Shiyu's bedroom. Han Shiyu ultimately refused Lu Luo's suggestion to return to the Lan Tian base together. Going with Lu Luo was fine, but meeting the people from the Lan Tian base was out of the question. Han Shiyu had decided to settle down on the edge of Lu Luo's sphere of influence for a while. It wasn't truly a refusal. She felt that by staying on the periphery, she could better help Lu Luo understand the current sentiments of the Fourth Ring's populace. For Lu Luo, this was all very important intelligence.

Besides this reason, Han Shiyu also intended to actively avoid Qi Xinzhu and Bai Yuetong. Lu Luo still hadn't sorted out his relationship with Qi Xinzhu, and now Bai Yuetong's father was inviting him to the Inner Ring. If she joined Lu Luo's base herself, it would only create an even more chaotic situation. Han Shiyu was a mature woman; she naturally knew not to cause Lu Luo more trouble at this time. Floating around outside wasn't so bad for her! She just needed to arrange times with Lu Luo to... 'pay her dues,' so to speak. Nothing else mattered much.

Han Shiyu straightened Lu Luo's cuffs and collar, then gestured that he could leave.

"Go on, Lord Lu Luo. You're no longer just a simple student. Develop Circular well and make this company great. Only when the company is great enough can you improve the lives of more people from the Fourth Ring."

"Understood!"

The two were about to leave when, at that moment, a somewhat familiar figure appeared before them.

"Lord Han Shiyu and Lu Luo have a really close relationship! I've been waiting for you both for a long time."

The newcomer was Qi Gefei, which surprised Lu Luo. The Observer didn't notice him?

Scrutinizing Qi Gefei, Lu Luo realized that he had made significant progress since their last encounter. His strength had reached the Fourth Tier, the same level as Lu Luo's own.

[Qi Gefei, Fourth Tier Believer of Light, Fourth Tier Black Cat Animal-type. Attributes: Strength 65, Agility 70, Constitution 40.]

Qi Gefei's attribute increase was enormous. Over the past few days, he had completely absorbed the power of his bride, Tong Yuan. Not only had he advanced to the Fourth Tier, but his primary attributes had also shifted, making him more agile than strong. Lu Luo noticed that Qi Gefei was still wearing the uniform of the Knight of Justice. This could only mean one thing: his absorption of the Nightmare Demon's power had gone undetected.

Lu Luo turned to Han Shiyu beside him and said, "He is one of the grooms."

Han Shiyu nodded, scrutinizing Qi Gefei from top to bottom. "Judging by your clothes, you haven't been discovered, huh!"

By this time, Qi Gefei had approached and said directly, "The way you're both looking at me is making me nervous. Have you figured it out?"

Lu Luo certainly understood Qi Gefei's meaning; he nodded. "Can you, having already absorbed the Nightmare Demon's power, still enter the Inner Ring so openly?"

Qi Gefei chuckled and shook his head. "This is the guidance of the Lord of Li Ming. Besides, if you don't say anything and I don't say anything, who's to know?"

"Why should I help you keep it a secret?"

"Lu Luo, have you forgotten that you're also one of the grooms?" As soon as Qi Gefei finished speaking, his face transformed into that of a black cat. He licked his paw and said, "Lu Luo, in this form, I can smell your scent. So I know very well, we're the same!"