Apocalypse Circular-Chapter 529 - 527 Time

But even so, Wu Ye Ji was still unwilling to submit.

She remained stubborn.

"What about being Eighth Order? Does it mean that whatever an Eighth Order says or does is definitely correct?"

Lu Luo frowned slightly, feeling that something wasn't quite right.

Given Wu Ye Ji's character, it was unlikely for her to say or do such things. Even if someone pointed it out or exposed her, she would do her best to disguise herself. Why was she losing her composure so badly today?

Suddenly, Lu Luo looked towards Nolan. Could Wu Ye Ji's loss of composure be related to the woman before him?

"Mrs. Nolan..."

Nolan raised her hand, signaling Lu Luo not to speak. She continued to look at Wu Ye Ji, as if all her interest lay solely in Wu Ye Ji.

Wu Ye Ji herself, up to this point, had not realized that she had completely lost her composure. In the face of Nolan, she lost her usual calmness and grace and became a complete shrew.

"You always use your abilities to bewitch people's hearts. Such tactics are indeed cunning and effective for you. But if you overdo it, you will entrap yourself in a problem."

"What problem?"

"The lack of frontal confrontation."

"Lack of confrontation? What a joke. Don't you know how long I practice and fight every day?"

"Heh, practice? Battle? Those are not really frontal confrontations."

Wu Ye Ji became even more unconvinced. If those were not frontal confrontations, then what were the frontal confrontations Nolan was referring to?

"Are you starting to spout nonsense?"

However, Lu Luo, who was standing to the side, had begun to form some ideas about what frontal confrontation meant. He had a slight insight into it.

For example, facing life head-on?

"It seems you have gained a bit of insight, young man. But that's normal; your path is better than hers."

Seeing Nolan praise Lu Luo, Wu Ye Ji pursed her lips and remained silent. Because she acknowledged Lu Luo's strength.

"You don't have to feel resentful, because the frontal confrontation I'm talking about is something you genuinely have not experienced. You have not experienced embarrassment, such as the embarrassment of farting and being heard by others. The embarrassment when your period comes and stains your skirt, or the embarrassment of getting winded during practice. You have never faced these embarrassments head-on; these are actually frontal confrontations. Every time you encountered such embarrassments, you would perfectly solve them with your abilities.

"Beyond embarrassment, there are even more frontal confrontations. For example, you hardly ever win others over with your own wisdom, courage, or abilities. You almost never attend various events in person, nor do you recruit your own forces or use schemes to topple opponents. You can hardly defeat a master of the same class as yourself in frontal confrontations. But these seemingly perfect solutions have always left hidden troubles in your heart. These hidden troubles are your inner vulnerability."

Nolan's words greatly shocked Wu Ye Ji. Though she didn't speak, from the flicker in her eyes, Lu Luo understood that Wu Ye Ji's heart had indeed been shaken.

"I... I!"

Her fingers trembled slightly, trying to voice some rebuttal, but she couldn't refute it at all.

"Haven't you realized that you have lost your composure, Your Highness, the elegant Princess Wu Ye Ji?"

"What?" With Nolan's reminder, Wu Ye Ji finally realized that she had indeed lost her composure, and for quite a long time at that. She instinctively looked towards Lu Luo, her eyes seeking help. She hoped Lu Luo would assist her at this moment.

But Nolan shook her head again.

"You see, even at this moment, the first thing you think of is still not to face and solve the problem. Instead, you seek help from others. That is cowardice.

"Your weakness has always been concealed deep within your heart. You've hidden it well, and most people have never detected it. But I'm quite special; your vulnerabilities are laid bare before me.

"That's why you lose your composure in my presence; you can't even control your emotions. Your disguise is futile; your abilities are ineffective against me.

"If we were to come into conflict, I might easily kill you, don't you think?"

Wu Ye Ji gasped for breath, seemingly having some difficulty at the moment. Lu Luo watched her current state, wanting to say something, but was interrupted by Nolan. However, he had already figured out that Nolan bore them no ill will. Otherwise, with Nolan's strength and Wu Ye Ji's current condition, if she made a move, Lu Luo could only run or escape using the Doomsday Disc. The gap in strength between them must be quite wide!

The air fell silent, and numerous beads of sweat appeared on Wu Ye Ji's beautiful face. She seemed to be contemplating Nolan's words, thinking about her own weakness. Perhaps Nolan was right; Wu Ye Ji was strong, but she had never once confronted anyone head-on over the years. The only direct confrontation might have been with Lu Luo. But in her confrontation with Lu Luo, her performance was not good, lacking decisive confidence and the will to fight to the death. In the end, Lu Luo had turned her into a friend with benefits!

"I, Mrs. Nolan, what do you believe I should do?"

"Hey, hey, hey, don't just randomly seek help in your panic. I'm just reminding you, not instructing you. I'm not your mother, why are you asking me these things?"

Nolan's relaxed demeanor made Wu Ye Ji feel a little better. She slowly nodded.

"I understand. I'll slowly adjust in the future."

"Mm, very good. Actually, your flaws are not that outrageous. If you strengthen yourself later on, you can elevate your state of mind a fair bit."

"That's because her state of mind is very poor, so even a little improvement is quite noticeable, isn't it?" Lu Luo, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up.

As soon as he spoke, Wu Ye Ji shot him a furious look.

"Hmph!"

"Don't be angry; I'm merely stating the facts. But Mrs. Nolan, you're kindly reminding Princess Wu Ye Ji—what exactly is your motive? And you said you can see through other people's weaknesses. So I'd also like to know, what exactly are my weaknesses?"

Lu Luo looked directly at Nolan, unaware of where his courage stemmed from. But as they interacted more, he felt there was no need to fear her as much. He didn't know how strong an Eighth Order human could be, but he had defeated an Eighth Order hybrid, like Lu Xiaotian. Maybe Lu Xiaotian wasn't as strong as Nolan, but within the same rank, Lu Xiaotian was certainly not weak. Thus, Lu Luo believed that he should have the ability to protect himself in Nolan's presence.

Observing the self-confident Lu Luo, who even dared to face an Eighth Order, Wu Ye Ji finally realized the disparity between them. This confidence Lu Luo has is something I could never learn in my lifetime. This is the difference!

At that moment, Nolan finally focused her attention fully on Lu Luo. Lu Luo felt her focus; his Sequence indeed showed fluctuations. This must be Nolan's ability. It's just that Nolan is too powerful, so the Observer's scouting effect is seriously lacking!

"Your weakness?"

"Yes, Mrs. Nolan. What is my weakness? I too would very much like to know."

"Heh, arrogant boy, you have no weaknesses."

Lu Luo's eyes narrowed slightly. No weaknesses? Or is it that Nolan cannot see my weaknesses?

"Really, none?"

"None."

"Then, I can rest assured." Lu Luo moved on from the topic. After all, the matter of having no weaknesses couldn't be discussed deeply.

Nolan gave Lu Luo a deep look.

"Alright, let's talk about the purpose of your visit."

Wu Ye Ji wanted to speak up, but Lu Luo directly stopped her. She's already intimidated by Nolan; it's better if she doesn't speak for the upcoming conversation.

"Mrs. Nolan, what exactly is happening in the Imperial Palace now?"

"The Imperial Palace? It's quite normal. Is there something amiss?"

Nolan's face remained expressionless, seemingly oblivious to the issue Lu Luo had mentioned. But Lu Luo figured this was probably Nolan's attempt to probe him.

"If the Imperial Palace truly has no problems, why then does your chamber, Mrs. Nolan, have so many guards? This is the Imperial Palace, and your strength, Mrs. Nolan, is of the Eighth Order. With such power, what could you possibly fear?"

"Why can't an Eighth Order have guards? As the beloved of His Majesty, surely I can't do everything myself, can I? Having some guards to take care of things for me, isn't that normal?"

"Does Mrs. Nolan truly fear nothing?"

"You can try to say what it is that I should be fearing."

"How about an Angel Envoy?"

Nolan's pupils suddenly contracted, and the atmosphere around them turned icy cold in an instant. Wu Ye Ji took a step back subconsciously before positioning herself beside Lu Luo. But then she seemed to realize it was not the time to step back, and so she moved forward a bit. No matter what Nolan had just said to her, she and Lu Luo are on the same side. If Nolan really attacks, then she and Lu Luo will have to fight Nolan! That's the only outcome.

"Unexpected indeed, Lu Luo. You actually know about the Angel Envoy? Who exactly are you? How much do you really know?"

"So, Mrs. Nolan, you've always known I am Lu Luo, but you never pointed it out. Your interest in me must have lasted quite a while, hasn't it?"

Their dialogue was all about probing. Although Nolan seemed to be stronger, Lu Luo was very clear that the initiative was actually in his hands. Because he was a free man. And Nolan was someone trapped in the palace. Why say trapped in the palace? Still because of those guards—if not trapped, there wouldn't be a need for so many guards.

"Mrs. Nolan, such probing is futile. I've already told you that the Angel Envoy is indeed within the Imperial Palace. According to the rules of reciprocity, shouldn't you also tell me something? At the very least, provide a bit of information to let us know some facts to constitute a fair negotiation..."

"Fair?" Nolan took a deep breath, uncertain whether she was adjusting to her status or pondering Lu Luo's words. But she quickly clarified her thoughts.

"The Imperial Palace is in trouble."

"We already know that. Tell us more."

"His Majesty hasn't been seen for three months and fifteen days."

"Is there a problem?" Lu Luo's brow furrowed slightly.

"The number of people in the Imperial Palace is decreasing," Nolan pointed out another issue.

However, this information she provided seemed meaningless to him.

"Mrs. Nolan, do you think all this is the Angel Envoy's doing?"

Nolan shook her head. "I'm not sure, I can't confirm it either, but I have a feeling."

"What feeling?"

"Someone in this Imperial Palace has been watching me all the time, and I don't know what it is. I have sent out messages, and my daughter has also visited the Imperial Palace to see me... but!"

Nolan suddenly clenched her fists, and Lu Luo knew the anger in her heart at that moment. Because the Fourth Princess was dead, and it was due to a ridiculous conflict. Others might believe this narrative, but as the mother of the Fourth Princess, Nolan could never accept her outstanding daughter dying in such an unclear manner. This was the issue that always troubled her.

"Mrs. Nolan, do you know what it is that has been observing you?"

"I am not sure, but I can feel its strength."

Lu Luo nodded slightly. Even as an Eighth Order, she could only sense its existence and also felt danger. This likely meant the other party's strength was above Nolan's. This wasn't surprising. When he faced Meiqi and Leviathan before, their oppressive aura was far greater than Nolan's. However, this presented him with a dilemma.

The Emperor had been missing for over three months. This period should have been before the time he had promised to arrive in the Imperial Capital, which was a month ago.

He himself had never been received by the Emperor, which Lu Luo found very surprising. And it wasn't just the Emperor; after arriving in the Imperial Capital, he hadn't met a single one of the influential figures he should have. The supposed three great War Gods, the ten top masters... only today had he finally met one of the ten top masters, Mrs. Nolan. Considering his own strength and the hidden things he knew, this was simply impossible. Something like an AI crisis was extremely dangerous. As long as the upper echelons of the Imperial weren't complete morons, they would absolutely not allow an AI crisis to occur. Yet, after all this time, no one had ever asked him about it. This made Lu Luo feel increasingly strange. Were the Imperial officials, and even the Emperor, all idiots? Or... did they simply not care about this happening?

This thought no sooner occurred to him than a cold sweat broke out on Lu Luo's back!

If the Imperial's upper echelons, officials, and even the Emperor didn't care about the AI crisis occurring, what would that mean? It would mean they simply didn't care about the people's deaths. But would a true Emperor and the ruling class really not care about the people dying? Of course not. The people are, in essence, the Emperor's private property. A sufficient population is what builds formidable power, an invincible army, and inexhaustible resources. So, as long as the Emperor was sane, he would definitely have addressed the AI crisis. But what if the Emperor wasn't sane anymore? What if, for example, the current Emperor was no longer the original Emperor? Over three months... If there was anything significant about that timeframe, it was the Outburst of the AI crisis. But he had already suppressed that. He had even defeated Noah and made a pact with Yang, the mute Destroyer. Wait a minute... Over three months ago?