Apocalypse Circular-Chapter 440: There is a Problem with the Thought (8K)

Chapter 440: Chapter 440: There is a Problem with the Thought (8K)

Lu Luo, with Wu Liji in tow, had shaken off the pursuers behind them. During the journey back to Coal Capital, Wu Liji constantly writhed against Lu Luo, exuding charm in abundance.

However, Lu Luo showed no reaction at all; not even "his brother" managed to stand at attention.

If Wu Liji had opened her eyes to take a look at Lu Luo at that moment, she would have understood that the state Lu Luo was in was far from that of a normal human.

Runes from various Sequences covered his entire body, including those of the Devourer, the Fusioner, the Summoner, and the Observer.

As a non-believer, his flesh continually accepted and merged with the Sequences of Lu Luo.

This compound transformation was spontaneous.

Lu Luo neither tried to stop it nor guide it.

He simply let the Sequences wander over his body, wanting to see what effect these changes would ultimately produce.

Thus, Lu Luo, who had long since immersed his spirit in his own body, had no reaction to his surroundings whatsoever.

He was almost completely unaware of Wu Liji’s bodily seductions.

After returning to Coal Capital, the Sequence Glyphs on Lu Luo’s body gradually receded.

He reminisced about the scene where he released the eyeball of the Devourer, very sure that the eyeball was an energy aberration.

The Observer even provided a detailed report of its abilities.

[Unknown Aberrant, Soxth Tier, Strength 110, Agility 5, Constitution 250.

Sequences: Grade A Devouring, Grade A Information Reconnaissance.

Abilities: Flesh Devouring, Eye Beam, Devourer’s Tentacles]

Looking at this ability list, Lu Luo felt it strange that the eyeball which had appeared in the spatial barrier possessed abilities exactly like the ones he had released.

It was a weakened version of an Exotic Sequence Species.

This couldn’t help but remind Lu Luo of what Wu Liji had said before.

Those words about the Bizarre King.

"The Bizarre King is the source of the Sequences; they are polluters by nature.

Their energy has the effect of contaminating the surrounding environment. If a Bizarre King is not dealt with promptly, its surroundings will inevitably be filled with anomalies.

Because the Bizarre King can cause aberrations without limit."

Lu Luo hadn’t felt much about these words at the time because he thought he was only Soxth Tier and it would take a long time to grow to the Eighth Order.

And since he was human, polluting energy, contaminating Sequences and such, seemed irrelevant to him.

But today’s events made Lu Luo realize his own situation.

Pollution is not something exclusive to the Bizarre King, and reaching Eighth Order does not necessarily correlate.

Pollution itself depends on the level of the polluter’s Sequence and energy.

Though Lu Luo was essentially just Soxth Tier, his energy and Sequence levels were so high that he was already capable of causing pollution.

If not properly controlled, this ability could very likely harm those around him.

This gave Lu Luo a bit of a headache.

He looked at his hands and sighed.

"Ah, my body is unclean."

Just as Wu Liji was coming to her senses, she heard this very sentence, and her heart instantly leaped with joy.

Did Lu Luo... already do that sort of thing with me?

She glanced at her pants with a slight surprise. Damn, they’re still on? Is Lu Luo being virtuous?

At this point, Wu Liji began to feel unhappy.

You’re a grown man, over 20 years old, still being virtuous? Don’t you have any practical actions? In fact, I wouldn’t resist...

Wu Liji’s heart was conflicted and she struggled.

Although her relationship with Lu Luo didn’t seem to be very good on the surface, her heart greatly admired him. Young, handsome, with unprecedented strength. Although he had a sharp tongue, a bad temperament, and often made people angry, none of that matters; what’s truly important are Lu Luo’s strength and potential. Compared to characters like Dan Kun, everything Lu Luo has shown could be called perfect.

In the more than twenty years of Wu Liji’s life, there hasn’t been a single man who could match Lu Luo. So, if it’s Lu Luo, it really would be possible! If she had a man with Lu Luo’s strength as her backing, she would also occupy a very superior position within the Imperial Family.

And given that Lu Luo’s strength is immense, and his potential even greater, if one day he truly reached the peak and stood atop the world, then she, Wu Liji, might as well give the position of the Emperor a shot. Well, if it’s the Empress, that wouldn’t be too bad either.

Just as Wu Liji was fantasizing about her beautiful future, Lu Luo’s next words ruthlessly interrupted her train of thought and yanked her back to reality.

"Awake? If you’re awake then get down; you’re quite heavy and it’s uncomfortable with you lying on top of me."

HUH?!

What kind of thing is that to say? Is this how a person talks? Where is the gentlemanly conduct?

"Lu Luo, I’m feeling a bit unwell, and I’m so hot."

Wu Liji’s face turned red, and at this moment, she actually leaned into Lu Luo’s arms, radiating the charm a mature woman should have.

Her urgency wasn’t unfounded. Since she’s a princess, after the end of the Divine Group Conference, she would have to return to the Imperial Capital. This also meant that the relationship between her and Lu Luo would become distant. Although their collaboration would continue normally, she was very clear that her personal relationship with Lu Luo would no longer be close. At least, it would be hard for such intimacy to occur in the future as it had now.

This was her only chance. The restraint of a princess? To hell with the restraint of a princess! Compared to true Seventh Tier power, princes would be willing to offer up their own "chrysanthemums." Not to mention a princess.

"Hot? That’s easy to deal with!"

Lu Luo randomly found a thick branch, skewered Wu Liji onto it, and hung her on the wall to blow in the cold morning breeze from outside.

Feeling the chill of the morning air and dew, Wu Liji was not only hot but also angry.

"Lu Luo you bastard, let me down. I really am very hot, and my body aches."

Lu Luo looked at her skeptically.

"Come on, you’re grown up, still playing that ’Ding Ding can detoxify’ game with me? Nowadays, everyone has read novels; that stuff is out of style."

Wu Liji’s face flushed with embarrassment. Lu Luo made this... well, this beautiful thing between a man and woman, sound so vulgar it was over the line. Although this "Ding Ding detoxifying" theory actually fit perfectly with what she had in mind. But in such moments, you simply shouldn’t be so blunt. What about my dignity?

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Whether I’m talking nonsense or not, I’m not sure, but what I can confirm is, you definitely are in heat. Look, your pants are damp."

Wu Liji: ...

"Lu Luo, I’m going to kill you!"

In the end, Wu Liji’s cunning plan did not succeed. At this time, Lu Luo was as pure as a saint, his gaze steady, unswayed by the world’s temptations. It wasn’t that Wu Liji lacked charm; rather, Lu Luo was in a state of transcendence. Human emotions and desires were weakened in this state. So, it could only be said that Wu Liji’s seduction came at the wrong time.

「...」

The next day, before Wu Liji left, she met with Lu Luo once more. The poison from yesterday had mostly dissipated, and her condition was much more normal, but as soon as she opened her mouth, Lu Luo still felt a tingling on his scalp.

"Lu Luo, have you really not considered combining forces with me? My resources and channels, coupled with your strength and potential, could secure the future of the entire new empire for us."

Wu Liji’s straightforwardness took Lu Luo by surprise.

Was she dropping the seduction act from yesterday already?

Lu Luo squinted his eyes, actually understanding Wu Liji’s decision. Their acquaintance was too short, and their interactions too few. Yet the cooperation between them was far too important. This led to a problem. The trust between them couldn’t be established.

Wu Liji couldn’t be sure whether Lu Luo would truly help her, nor could she be certain that their mutual investment would come to fruition in the end. Would it all be a wasted effort? The solution to this problem was simple: they just needed to further confirm their relationship.

Like a romantic relationship, which was why Wu Liji was so eager for something to happen with Lu Luo. If the relationship could be even tighter, that would be even better. Like... a parent-child relationship.

If a romantic relationship can’t bind Lu Luo, then a closer tie, naturally, would be that of a parent and child. Bearing Lu Luo’s child would surely be far more effective than any other method. At Lu Luo’s age, he probably has no children. If I could bear Lu Luo’s child, even if he didn’t like me in the future, it wouldn’t matter. As long as the child is noble, that’s enough.

But her plans fell through. At least for now, Lu Luo had no intention of taking such a step with Wu Liji. He was cautious, constantly remembering that he was a member of the Wasteland Alliance. The exact relationship between the Wasteland Alliance and the Imperial remains unclear to this day.

"You’re panicking?"

"Yes, I’ll admit, I am panicking."

Wu Liji nodded candidly, which Lu Luo admired.

"Don’t worry, my commitments are somewhat effective.

"After all, I am not like the others.

"Since we’ve become partners, I won’t abandon you recklessly.

"I’ll still give it my all.

"Rest assured."

The emphasis on his promise didn’t produce much effect on Wu Liji. As a princess, having witnessed the blood and complexity of the Imperial Family, she had never placed much faith in human nature.

"Trust you? On what grounds should I trust you? Trust that you’ll use me to entice the Grey Robes? Or because you’re handsome?"

"It’s because I’m Lu Luo, Wu Liji. Just wait a little longer. In a few more years, the new empire will certainly echo with my name."

"Is that a promise? Sounds more like you’re bragging."

At this point, Lu Luo didn’t directly answer Wu Liji’s question but repeated what he had said before.

"It’s because I’m Lu Luo. I was born different from others."

Wu Liji looked at Lu Luo, ultimately remaining silent. Because at this juncture, besides choosing to trust him, she had no other option. This afternoon, she would be returning to the Imperial Capital. For the foreseeable future, GuiXi District would no longer be within her control.

"Then, here’s to a pleasant cooperation?"

"To a pleasant cooperation."

「...」

After Lu Luo obtained the resource point in GuiXi District, Circle Company finally got on the right track.

In the blink of an eye, two years had passed.

The various products of the Wasteland Alliance Circle Trade Company, including Dark Spirit Stones, were continuously transported into the Empire through underground channels.

Meiqi, the Lady of the Apocalypse Serpent, adopted an attitude of turning a blind eye towards everything Lu Luo did. Her indulgence was the biggest confidence boost for Lu Luo’s development.

In GuiXi District, Zhang Changming and the Inspection Department became Circle Company’s biggest umbrella of protection. Circle Company had become the supplier of Dark Spirit Stones for the GuiXi District Inspection Department. The reason and rationale were simple: Circle Company was a subsidiary of Her Highness Wu Liji, a princess of the Imperial Family. Enterprises of the Imperial Family were absolutely safe and guaranteed.

So, Circle Company leveraged the Inspection Department as its company’s protective umbrella on the one hand, while on the other, it vampirically tapped into the Department’s resources. Lu Luo’s team of devoted breath members had grown to 500 people in two years, and all of them had undergone Enhancement twice. These individuals were the core members of Circle, and their strength had become formidable; most were between Third and Fourth Tier.

They were not far from the full membership of the Inspection Department being Fourth Tier. Moreover, after Enhancement of their physical constitutions by the devoted breath, their strength was no weaker than that of the Inspection Department.

During these two years, the main members of Circle each made their own progress. As the nominal leaders of Circle, Qi Xinzhu and Gu Fangyi had both advanced to Fifth Tier. Furthermore, both had reached the peak of Fifth Tier. They were truly great experts, and considering their age, they would not have many opponents to speak of in the Empire.

This was purely a comparison of energy levels. If they added their Sequence and physical constitution Enhancement, they could likely wreak havoc among their peers within the Empire.

However, the Transcendents of the Empire also had devices like Sequence Devices, so it was hard to say what the gap between the two would be.

Circle’s influence, like a spider’s web, occupied every corner of GuiXi District. Both the Sunset Association and the Cain Secret Cultivator Society had become the fangs and vassals of Circle in the span of these two years.

It didn’t matter to Lu Luo whether they were merely namesakes or harbored other intentions internally. They were not members of the devoted breath, so their life or death, their differing hearts, none of these affected the development of Circle. Circle’s fundamental backing was still the Wasteland Alliance. They had become a seed parasitically attached to the colossal entity that was the Empire.

And Lu Luo himself had now, rather unexpectedly, returned to the Wasteland Alliance, the very starting place.

「...」

"Quan Pu."

"Boss, I’m here."

Quan Pu, with his mechanical legs braced, walked up to where Lu Luo stood atop the Fourth Great Wall.

"Did you notify them?"

"I did, but..."

"If there’s something to say, just say it. What’s there between us that makes it hard to speak your mind?"

Lu Luo said so, but Quan Pu didn’t dare to take it so casually. Lu Luo now was not the same person he used to be. The aura emanating from him would cause Quan Pu to feel emotionally unstable.

If a descriptive term was needed to describe Lu Luo, it’d definitely be monster!

"Uh, Boss, we’ve lost contact with Lord Noah for two years now."

"Is that so? Then why didn’t you mention it earlier?"

"People from the south said that it was Lord Noah himself who instructed that his whereabouts not be revealed for two years."

"To keep it secret for two years without a word getting out is quite interesting, but Noah’s subordinates are all mechanical species. These creatures have a one-track mind; they can indeed keep a secret for such a lengthy period."

"Boss, there’s also Mr. Qiao Xing who says he will be a few minutes late because he wants to have dinner with his wife."

"I see, I got it. You can go now."

"Yes."

After Quan Pu left, Lu Luo gazed at the towering red pillar on the Fourth Wall.

Sometimes he would wonder: If I fully unleashed the Sequence Energy and then found a human corpse... if I shattered the red pillar, took control of the Fusioner, and allowed the energy spilling from the pillar to fuse with the corpse... would that person be revived from death? If he truly came back to life, could that person possibly be Ludie?

[It seems unfeasible.]

I think so too.

Lu Luo chuckled self-deprecatingly; the idea of resurrection sounded far too far-fetched. Even with the current stage of Transcendent development, resurrection still didn’t seem feasible.

Lu Luo took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket; it was an Imperial brand called Imperial Red Square Seal. It was the best cigarette one could buy on the Imperial market. He took out three, stood them on the high wall, lit them, then drew one for himself and lit it up.

Lu Luo took a slow drag and shook his head.

I no longer need to use cigarettes to create mists. Have I surpassed the original?

No one answered Lu Luo; at this moment, he seemed somewhat desolate and lonely. But Lu Luo was an optimistic person, and he quickly gathered his emotions; desolation and loneliness were reserved for the defeated.

I think I understand now why you didn’t advance to the Seventh Tier. Higher-tier Transcendent beings are truly terrifying!

Lu Luo smoked one cigarette after another; amidst the drifting smoke, he seemed to care less about everything around him. Especially since the Nightmare Demon had already brought Tong Yan and Tong Meng here, he seemed completely unaware.

"You can go down now."

"Yes."

Upon hearing Lu Xiaotian’s instruction, Tong Yan and Tong Meng obediently left the high wall, leaving space for the two who were both enemies and friends.

After they left, Lu Xiaotian strolled behind Lu Luo.

"Lu Luo, you seem to be increasingly negligent of me.

"It seems that the rise in strength has also started to change your mindset.

"This change is not good."

Lu Luo paid no attention to Lu Xiaotian’s reminder; surely no one would allow an Eighth Order Exotic Species Monarch to stand right behind them. But Lu Luo could, because he was Lu Luo, just as he had said two years before. From the beginning, he was truly unique.

"Lu Xiaotian..."

"Ah, listening."

"Actually, in the time just after Ludie died, I would often think about one question before going to sleep."

Hearing Lu Luo say this, Lu Xiaotian’s interest was piqued.

"I’m so young, you wouldn’t be harboring improper thoughts, would you? I was only 7 or 8 at that time."

Lu Xiaotian’s joke did not make Lu Luo laugh; he continued to speak seriously.

"I often thought, if one day my strength was sufficient, would I kill you to avenge Ludie."

The air suddenly grew silent, and Lu Xiaotian also felt quite strange.

Was it anger? Amusement? Or did it feel like there was a hint of fear?

"That’s an interesting thought, so what would you do then?"

"I don’t know. I still haven’t come up with an answer to that question.

"You are Ludie’s daughter and the leader of the Fourth Ring of the Alliance, the successor he envisioned.

"To kill you seems to have no reason whatsoever.

"But I always remember that Ludie’s death was caused by you."

Lu Luo’s mood seemed somewhat unstable, and just as Lu Xiaotian was about to say something, she suddenly discovered something strange about the position where his finger pressed on the red pillar! The red pillar was crimson, but the spot where Lu Luo’s finger rested had turned somewhat black.

This change...

"Lu Luo, are you okay?"

Lu Xiaotian surprisingly didn’t get angry; instead, she asked about Lu Luo’s condition at this time.

Lu Luo sighed and finally turned around, the red glow in his eyes had not completely dissipated. But that transcendent state, Lu Xiaotian knew all too well.

The loss of humanity, or rather, when one entered such a state, humanity was bound to be lost.

"Me? I guess I’m fine, at least I feel pretty normal myself, why do you ask?"

"As strength grows, whether it’s humans or Exotic Species, humanity gradually fades away.

"No matter what creature it is, once their strength reaches a certain level, divinity will gradually manifest.

"Gods are unique; they are powerful individuals.

"They no longer need to pay attention to other affairs, and their interest in emotions, offspring, and the like also gradually wanes.

"Your state just now was very similar to that."

Lu Luo smiled and did not comment on the Nightmare Demon’s statement.

He knew that perhaps the Nightmare Demon had once experienced such a state, but his difference from the Nightmare Demon was absolute. Just like now, he was still a mature flirt; that had never changed.

"Aren’t you angry about what I said just now?"

"In a transcendent state, having some special emotions is very normal. If I were to get angry over this, my tolerance would be too small."

Lu Xiaotian raised her head slightly, looking somewhat proud, which was the pride exclusive to an Exotic Species Monarch. At this moment, Lu Xiaotian had transformed into a roughly 11-year-old youthful little girl, which surprised Lu Luo with such a huge change. The confidence and pride on her face were something her Nightmare Demon form had never shown before. At this time, Lu Xiaotian indeed seemed very much like a person.

"You’ve changed quite a bit in these two years."

"Indeed, these two years have made me realize the gap between Noah and me.

"So I’ve been trying hard to bridge these gaps and make myself more like a person."

"It seems you have made some gains."

Lu Luo nodded, but his manner of assessing and commenting still left Lu Xiaotian somewhat dissatisfied.

"Lu Luo, with two years’ time, you’re only at a Soxth Tier level. Where do you get the confidence to challenge me with Soxth Tier strength?"

Lu Luo blinked, and at this moment, the Observer also provided his current state of strength.

[Lu Luo, Soxth Tier Aberrant, Faceless, Human, Sequence Origin.

Strength: 700, Constitution: 700, Agility: 700

Sequence: ...]

The descriptions were very detailed, and what Lu Xiaotian said was not wrong; Lu Luo was still at the Soxth Tier level. But the current Lu Luo had long reached the point where he could casually crush an ordinary Soxth Tier individual. Those former bigwigs no longer counted as bigwigs. Those people who were to be revered no longer required reverence. Even someone like a Seventh Tier expert, Zhang Changming, now seemed to be nothing special in Lu Luo’s eyes.

Only an Eighth Order Exotic Species Monarch like Lu Xiaotian was truly an existence that could spark Lu Luo’s interest.

"Soxth Tier, to be fair, indeed! I’m really full of myself right now, and I should indeed be taught a lesson."

Lu Luo’s tone was very odd, as if he was provoking Lu Xiaotian, but Lu Xiaotian just glanced at him with a hint of skepticism and said nothing more.

"Naive thoughts, Lu Luo, do you know why there’s seldom war among the Exotic Species Monarchs?"

"Why is that?"

"The snipe and the clam grapple while the fisherman profits. You don’t understand such a simple principle?"

Lu Luo did not answer. Instead, he looked towards the direction of the Inner Ring and then nodded. "You’re not wrong," he said. "If we start fighting at this time, the Church that has been holding back for two years will definitely take action. That’s not good!"

Seeing that Lu Luo agreed with her, Lu Xiaotian also smiled.

However, just when Lu Luo thought that their conflict had ended and no friction would arise, Lu Xiaotian’s aura suddenly changed. The overbearing presence unique to the Monarch of the Exotic Species spread over the Fourth Ring’s high wall. Most Transcendents in the Inner Ring looked up at that moment toward the location of the red pillar. The Monarch’s aura was unstoppable.

"You understand that’s good," Lu Xiaotian said, "but you’ve provoked a Monarch of the Exotic Species several times. Do you really think the Monarch of the Exotic Species has no temper?"

"You really don’t have much of a temper."

Lu Luo unreasonably provoked her once again.

Suddenly, Lu Xiaotian revealed her sharp teeth and kicked Lu Luo in the stomach. Like a shooting star, Lu Luo flew out from the high wall of the Fourth Ring and landed on the wall of the Third Ring.

BOOM!

With Lu Luo at its epicenter, a web of cracks appeared in the wall of the Third Ring’s high wall. The Wall Guardians on the wall were stunned. Was this attack a declaration of war from the Fourth Ring against the Inner Ring?

But the person concerned, Lu Luo, seemed unconcerned. He crawled out from the wall, dusted off his clothes, and lightly jumped out.

"That attack’s strength, well, it’s passable."

Jumping back, Lu Luo returned to his spot by the red pillar on the Fourth Ring’s high wall.

When he came back, Lu Xiaotian looked at him with a displeased expression.

"Are you sober now?"

"Actually... not yet!"

Lu Luo’s renewed provocation took Lu Xiaotian by surprise and filled her with rage. She felt as if Lu Luo was acting crazy, like someone with a mental illness. Their relationship was delicate, and she was unlikely to kill Lu Luo in such a situation. But seeing Lu Luo’s inflated attitude, some punishment had to be administered.

"Lu Luo, you’re asking for this."

Netherflame suddenly lit up on the arms of the Nightmare Demon, and a new form of energy appeared as steam infused with Netherflame.

Black Flame Steam.

"Steam Block Four, Black Flame!"

Lu Luo looked at the oncoming Black Flame Steam, and his gaze became dazed. It was as if he could see Ludie, once alone, facing off against a Monarch of the Exotic Species. But he could never have imagined that the current Lu Xiaotian would be so similar to Ludie of the past.

She really is his daughter! Even their moves are so similar.

The surging black flame, mixed with the explosive effect of steam, completely engulfed Lu Luo. Lu Luo, submerged in the black flames, didn’t even attempt to dodge, just endured the attack of an Eighth Order Monarch all alone.

Qiao Xing, who had said he would be late, arrived slowly at this moment.

Seeing Lu Xiaotian taking action, he asked uncertainly, "Nightmare, who are you attacking?"

"Your good disciple."

"Ah? This..."

Qiao Xing wasn’t sure if he should intervene at that moment. But, as a Seventh Tier human, he could still sense Lu Luo’s presence. And it was very stable... This meant that Lu Luo, although attacked by the Nightmare Demon, was probably alright.

As the black flames dissipated, the naked Lu Luo appeared.

He first looked at Qiao Xing. "Teacher has arrived, huh."

"Yeah, arrived."

Then, he looked towards the Nightmare Demon. "That’s enough, stand down."

Lu Xiaotian watched Lu Luo, particularly the black flames that were gradually dying out on his body, with an unprecedented seriousness in her eyes. Those black flames were not extinguished by her, but rather, they went out on their own while remaining on Lu Luo’s body. That is to say, Lu Luo could really resist her attacks now.

"Lu Luo, what on earth are you trying to do?"

"Nothing much, just got a brain cramp and wanted to challenge you, to see the gap between myself and an Eighth Order Monarch, HEHEHE!"

Lu Luo laughed foolishly; honestly, he looked like a bit of a dope. But Lu Xiaotian wouldn’t really take Lu Luo for a dope.

Dopes can’t resist the attacks of an Exotic Species Monarch.

"Lu Luo, you’ve been developing outside for these past two years, haven’t you?"

"Oh, you know?"

Lu Luo showed a look of surprise, but Lu Xiaotian was somewhat unimpressed.

"With you not coming back for so long, I should know something about it by now.

"How is it, is the outside world so wonderful that you don’t want to come back?"

"Of course not, the outside world is just a bit more expansive, that’s all."

Lu Luo collected his emotions, then put on a new set of clothes and turned his head to look at Qiao Xing.

"Good day, Teacher."

Qiao Xing looked at Lu Luo, and at that moment, Lu Luo did indeed give him a strange sense of unfamiliarity.

Even the sarcasm he wanted to throw out couldn’t be expressed.

"Earlier, I felt the rhythm of the Ashes Fragment, Lu Luo, have you obtained it already?"

"Is Teacher talking about the Ashes Envoy?"

"Yes, that is what my teacher left behind. He told me to give it to someone who could shoulder everything.

"The one who ends Dawn."

"Teacher’s teacher is truly visionary, to recognize at a glance that I’m the kind of person who can end Dawn and save the world..."

As Lu Luo was boasting about himself, Qiao Xing interrupted him.

"The ’ending Dawn’ here refers to someone who will put an end to the Dawn Church.

"Lu Luo, are you planning to take action against the Dawn Church?"

Lu Luo was taken aback.

"Uh, no, my sword developed some issues with its thinking, so I left it somewhere to cool off by itself for a while."

Now Qiao Xing was also stunned.

The sword developed issues with its thinking? How come that sounded so odd?

「...」

「Imperial, GuiXi District.」

Rumors had spread in the marketplace that a Divine Artifact appeared in the eastern part of GuiXi District, where its presence turned rivers into lava and mountains into volcanoes. It was said that the one who obtained this Divine Artifact would unlock a formidable secret of cultivation. This secret was even related to the Imperial Family.

As time passed, these rumors became more and more exaggerated, and the information more and more unreliable. But what could be confirmed was that somewhere in GuiXi District, indeed a sword of molten lava had appeared. The forest wildfire that broke out in GuiXi District two years ago was related to this sword. This was something confirmed by the head of the Inspection Department, Zhang Changming.

With the spread of this news, GuiXi District suddenly became tumultuous.