Apocalypse Circular-Chapter 486 - 484: Pressuring Luo Xuemin

Luo Dan really had made a deal with Noah. Logically, they should be harshly criticizing Luo Dan right now. Then, they should arrest her and put her on trial.

But now, with the Nightmare Demon here, even though there were many Seventh Tiers present, everyone knew how unreliable the Church’s Seventh Tiers currently were. Without the Holy Radiance, they were even weaker than a Seventh-Tier Exotic Species. Asking them to fight a powerful human-Exotic Species hybrid like the Nightmare Demon was out of the question.

At this moment, the only one who could contend with the Nightmare Demon was Luo Dan.

So... should they continue to criticize Luo Dan?

"These humans, they’re truly ridiculous, don’t you think?" the Nightmare Demon’s voice echoed as its body gradually coalesced in the air, and rolling Netherflame began to rain down upon the earth. "They always wanted to pull you down, but now they have to rely on your strength to survive. Their hypocrisy disgusts me. What about you, Luo Dan? Do you have anything you want to say to them?"

The Netherflame scorched the Church, and large crowds began to flee, screaming.

Yet, Luo Dan shook her head. "To survive in this complex world, everyone has to make sacrifices. I am no exception, and neither are they. Altruism needs to be cultivated; selfishness is human nature. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with them relying on my strength; I just find them particularly disgusting. But disgust is disgust, and responsibility is responsibility. I, Luo Dan, am the Pope, and I must fulfill the Pope’s duties. And the Pope’s duty is to expel the Inner Ring’s external enemies."

As soon as her voice fell, a torrent of steel converged in Luo Dan’s hands. She was ready to fight at a moment’s notice. She threw a punch, and a silver iron curtain instantly flew towards the Nightmare Demon in the sky.

The Nightmare Demon, already prepared, unleashed an eruption of Netherflame. Dark purple flames descended like the apocalypse.

BOOM!

The massive Church dome shattered instantly, and large quantities of rock were devoured by the exploding Netherflame. Molten iron began to flow into every corner of the Church.

In this exchange, Luo Dan was a step behind.

"You are truly powerful, Nightmare Demon. Why are you so strong? Even after gaining so much power, I am still no match for you."

"Simple. It’s because I want the entire Inner Ring annihilated."

The Nightmare Demon descended from the sky, its dark hooves striking the ground, instantly shattering stone slabs that had stood for 400 years. A ring of Netherflame spread outwards, incinerating everything visible to the naked eye.

Luo Dan met it head-on, engaging the colossal Nightmare Demon. Their collision destroyed numerous buildings, and an aura of destruction began to ravage the Inner Ring!

「...」

In a remote corner of the Inner Ring, Qi Lin stared blankly at the Netherflame in the sky. Behind him, Fang Jing, Qi Xinzhu’s mother, looked at him skeptically.

"Qi Lin, did you already know trouble was coming today? Do you still have contacts in the Outer Ring? Do you know about Xinzhu’s situation? You old scoundrel, why don’t you tell me anything?"

Qi Lin ignored Fang Jing, his gaze fixed on the Netherflame, his mood seemingly shifting to one of delight and anticipation, until Fang Jing twisted his ear.

"Ow, ow, ow! That hurts! Woman, you’re being completely unreasonable!"

"I’m unreasonable? I’m asking you about our child! Well? Do you know something about Xinzhu and the others?"

Qi Lin hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. "Indeed, I know a little."

"If you know, then tell me quickly! Why are you still being cagey with me at a time like this?"

"Xinzhu is fine, and Lu Luo is fine too. They have a child, a girl named Lu Xiaofang."

"Lu Xiaofang... Is that so? That’s good. It’s just a pity it’s not a boy."

Qi Lin looked at her, puzzled. "What’s wrong with having a girl? Woman, how can you still be so biased towards boys?"

"Don’t you know how large Lu Luo’s family enterprise is? An estate that large needs a son to inherit it. Since Xinzhu gave birth to a daughter, her position isn’t secure. What do you understand about these things!"

Hearing Fang Jing’s words, Qi Lin shook his head. "You’re wrong. Lu Luo isn’t that kind of person; he doesn’t care about successors or anything like that. He’s a free spirit and always thinks differently from ordinary people. That’s how he’s achieved what he has today."

"Have you... met him?"

"Yes, I met him once before."

"Then... never mind. You can handle these matters yourself."

Fang Jing was also an educated woman. She knew very well that some questions shouldn’t be probed too deeply, or it would spell disaster for their family. All they could do now was keep quiet and hide. That was the only way to minimize trouble for Lu Luo and the others.

"As Lu Luo said," Qi Lin murmured, "perhaps the day we reunite isn’t far off."

He and Fang Jing both looked up at the Netherflame in the sky. This battle might very well decide the future of the Inner Ring.

「...」

Elsewhere, Shi Tingyu stood on her rooftop, a glass of red wine in hand, slowly savoring the terrifying scene.

Netherflame rained down incessantly from the sky. Everyone within the battle’s affected range was frantically fleeing. But the Netherflame’s destructive power was too immense; people in the Inner Ring were dying continuously.

Shi Tingyu had once considered asking Lu Luo if he could show some mercy during the battle, to look out for the Inner Ring’s civilians. But in the end, she never voiced the thought. Looking at it now, she was right not to have said those words. The scale of a battle above the Seventh Tier could no longer be confined by normal combat parameters. The collision of energies from both sides would inevitably cause massive destruction, leading to a large number of casualties. There was no way to avoid it unless the Fourth Ring was opened to evacuate people from the Inner Ring.

But evacuating people was simply impossible. Not unless the Inner Ring and Fourth Ring had become one big, happy family. So, the topic was a non-starter.

"Miss, the Luo Family has started to move."

"Understood."

After hearing her assistant’s report, Shi Tingyu immediately picked up the nearby phone and dialed.

"Hello, it’s me. Your father-in-law has started to move."

"Understood."

Lu Luo calmly hung up. Beside him stood a large number of combat members from the Fourth Ring Hunters. Even his own Privileged Breath squad had been brought by Gu Fangyi.

And the one who led them in was none other than his own elder brother, Lu Yang. He had been mysteriously assigned this task. As a Wall Guardian, he naturally knew how to disable the Third High Wall’s alarms. Although he was puzzled as to why Shi Tingyu had given such an order, being habitually obedient, he rarely questioned his superior’s requests.

It wasn’t until Lu Luo appeared from the High Wall with a large number of combatants that Lu Yang realized what he had done.

"Lu Luo... you!"

"Brother, don’t overthink it. Just focus on your duties."

Lu Luo patted Lu Yang’s shoulder and walked straight past him, leaving a shocked Lu Yang rooted to the spot.

「...」

On the battlefield, the Council’s main forces had assembled at the edge of the Second High Wall. As the planner of this support operation, Luo Xuemin watched the High Wall elevator with an expressionless face. Although he had made numerous preparations for this battle, he still harbored some misgivings. He always felt he might have overlooked something, but he could never pinpoint what it was.

"Family Head, the Seventh-Tier members have already rushed to provide support. Now..."

BOOM!

Before Zhang Yifan could finish, a grenade blast severed the elevator cables in front of them.

Luo Xuemin turned his head to look in another direction. He knew what he had been worried about was likely happening.

A Seventh-Tier Peacock soared into the sky, green light bursting from the false eyes on its feathers. This was the mighty power of a Seventh-Tier Exotic Species.

Tong Meng, who had merged with Gu Fangyi to become a half-human, half-beast, had become the first among the San Tong to break through to the Seventh Tier.

And Gu Fangyi, standing in the distance, watched Tong Meng with a thoughtful gaze. Several years have passed since we last met, and this woman has grown stronger again!

He silently raised his sniper rifle, aimed, and fired!

BANG!

The members of the Privileged Breath squad had already begun their advance on the Council families’ warriors, with the Hunters leading the charge. They had waited for this moment for far too long, suppressed for far too long. They needed to release their pent-up resentment; they needed slaughter, needed to annihilate the Wasteland Alliance, this aberration that had existed for 400 years.

"Kill them all!"

The battle finally erupted!

Luo Xuemin flexed his mechanical arm. Just as he was about to make a move, a bullet struck it.

THUD!

The intense impact made Luo Xuemin’s body tremble. At the same time, his phone rang.

"Mr. Luo Xuemin, if you don’t want to die, you’d best not move."

Luo Xuemin’s expression changed drastically. Have my preparations already been anticipated? Who planned all this? Was it Lu Xiaotian? An image flashed through his mind, a fleeting figure he couldn’t shake off.

He picked up the phone. "Is it Lu Luo?"

"Mr. Luo Xuemin will have his answer after this is all over."

Although Gu Fangyi didn’t answer directly, Luo Xuemin had a strong feeling his guess was correct. The mastermind wasn’t Lu Xiaotian; it was Lu Luo.

"When did he return? I know it’s him. Tell him to come see me!"

After a moment of silence, Gu Fangyi finally spoke. "Mr. Luo Xuemin, you should be very clear about why Lu Luo hasn’t come to see you. Let’s not inquire further. Don’t make things difficult for me. Because I really will shoot."

BANG!

Another bullet struck Luo Xuemin’s arm. Even now, Luo Xuemin couldn’t pinpoint Gu Fangyi’s location. Gu Fangyi’s position was beyond his normal visual range.

At this moment, Luo Xuemin felt torn. He seemingly had two choices: first, ignore Gu Fangyi’s warning, recklessly enter the Inner Ring, and try to interfere with the ensuing battle; second, stay put and await the end of this upheaval.

These two choices...

"Where is Lu Luo right now?"

"He has his own battle to fight; we are not qualified to interfere. However, Mr. Luo Xuemin, you can rest assured. He wouldn’t make a move if he didn’t have absolute certainty."

Absolute certainty? Luo Xuemin suddenly realized something. "What counts as absolute certainty?"

"Absolute certainty means absolute power. Only by possessing power that the Inner Ring cannot contend with can one have absolute certainty."

Gu Fangyi disliked explaining so much, but Lu Luo had personally assigned this task. So, even if he preferred silence, he had to speak. Luo Xuemin was, after all, Lu Luo’s father-in-law, and Lu Luo didn’t want him dead. If Luo Xuemin died, Bai Yuetong would undoubtedly be heartbroken and might even leave Lu Luo. She was a stubborn woman, and Lu Luo didn’t want to lose one of his wives. That was why he had arranged for Gu Fangyi to placate Luo Xuemin. He couldn’t trust anyone else with this.

"Absolute power is absolute certainty? You mean to say that Lu Luo now possesses absolute power?"

"You can assume that."

"The first to attack was the Nightmare Demon. Has Lu Luo’s strength already surpassed the Nightmare Demon’s?"

"Yes, Lu Luo’s strength has indeed surpassed the Nightmare Demon’s."

Luo Xuemin’s pupils suddenly shrank. He had expected Gu Fangyi to equivocate or change the subject. He hadn’t anticipated such a direct admission.

A power even greater than the Nightmare Demon! What kind of mighty force is that? Consider this: the mere existence of one Nightmare Demon is enough to nearly suffocate the Inner Ring. If someone’s strength surpasses that of the Nightmare Demon, it would undoubtedly spell absolute disaster for the Inner Ring.

So, the world has long since slipped from my control!

"Before Lu Luo left, he asked me to relay some words to you."

"What words?"

"The vastness of this world is beyond your imagination. Don’t fixate your gaze on one place; doing so will only limit yourself. This world offers a much bigger stage. Bai Yuetong is one of the protagonists on this stage. She has always been waiting for you, waiting for you to help her, to assist her in standing upon this stage and showing her best self."

If Luo Xuemin still harbored some doubts and conflicts before, hearing these words made him give up completely. The cane in his hand fell to the ground; he had utterly lost the will to resist. Both Bai Qingshuang and Bai Yuetong were the loves of his life. Gu Fangyi’s words about a grander stage, with Bai Yuetong as one of its protagonists, carried many implications. Luo Xuemin wasn’t entirely ignorant of Bai Qingshuang’s past. He knew she might have come from a place beyond their own. So, the implication was... Is Bai Yuetong the protagonist of that other place? His own daughter was waiting for his help; he couldn’t afford any mishaps now.

It seems Lu Luo anticipated my every move! How could he see so far? Was he banking on me giving up for Xiaobai’s sake?

"No. It is precisely because Lu Luo doesn’t want to cross swords with you that he had me say all this. Had it been anyone else, Lu Luo would have killed them long ago."

Luo Xuemin narrowed his eyes. This kind of frank conversation might make many uncomfortable, but he appreciated it. Because he would do the same. If there was an excellent planner in the enemy camp, he wouldn’t want to engage in a battle of wits, a gamble of various schemes. Instead, he would choose the most direct method: find the planner, kill him, and physically destroy the opponent. That was the most effective method. The best way to solve a problem is to eliminate the person causing it. This is a truth that holds, anytime and anywhere.

That Lu Luo... he really has matured these past few years!

Ultimately, Luo Xuemin shook his head and simply sat down on the ground.

Zhang Yifan, standing nearby, was somewhat puzzled. He didn’t know what Luo Xuemin and the person on the phone had discussed, but after the call, Luo Xuemin seemed to have abandoned any idea of resistance.

"Family Head?"

"Never mind. This matter is beyond our ability to intervene."

"Is that so?"

"Let’s wait for the outcome. Perhaps it won’t be so bad for us," Luo Xuemin spoke cryptically, then quietly moved aside with Zhang Yifan and the others, becoming mere observers of the struggle.

The killing continued; the battle never ceased. Luo Xuemin’s actions might seem irresponsible, but he had no other choice.