Apocalypse Circular-Chapter 534 - 532: Persuasion

"Hmm, elder, do you have any instructions for me?"

"I really like a sentence from a book. For things beyond our power, we must let go. People who are not destined to be in our lives, let them go. Worries and distracting thoughts in our hearts, let them go. Where our eyes look, there are memories; what our hearts ponder, is the past. Only by letting go of our obsessions can our hearts return to peace."

When Lu Luo heard these words, his first reaction was somewhat baffled, but he quickly understood some of the elder's meaning. However, he had a different opinion about what the elder said.

"Are you advising me, elder?"

"There are some things that even if we know about them, we don't have the power to change. Like Bai Qingshuang; even though I possess the pinnacle of human strength in this world, I can't change her past and experiences. To let go, to abandon, and to separate, is to give up some things in order to gain others. Letting go is how we truly acquire."

Lu Luo shook his head slightly; to him, this sentiment seemed too idealistic. If one were to speak more harshly, it would seem rather self-deceptive.

"Have you let go yourself, elder?"

At this, Bai Yueguang's lips twitched. Lu Luo was truly bold. In the entire family, perhaps nobody had dared to talk back to the old man like this.

"I... have not let go."

The elder didn't deny it, and his gaze grew complex.

"Since you haven't let go yourself, elder, why try to persuade me?" Lu Luo asked.

"You're right. Being able to reach this stage at such a young age, your excellence doesn't require my evaluation. Forget it; everyone has their own choices. Just tell me!"

Lu Luo was slightly startled. "Uh, tell you what?"

"About the Doomsday Halo, of course. After all, it is a land of abandonment. The being guarding that place is even a dreadful sealed entity."

Lu Luo could understand the concept of a "land of abandonment," but this mention of a "seal"—was it referring to an Angel Envoy? Could their term for Angel Envoys here be different from what he was used to? Before dwelling on these questions, Lu Luo knew he first needed to give the elder the information he sought. He wouldn't refuse the request of an old man longing for news of his kin.

"This matter, well, it's a long story."

"If it's a long story, then stay and speak slowly."

"Let's start with the Dawn Church!"

Lu Luo began to talk about the Doomsday Halo, the Dawn Church, the parliament, and the Hunters.

When he mentioned Bai Qingshuang's limbs being broken and her being discarded outside, Lu Luo clearly felt fluctuations in the elder's aura. It was evident the old man cared deeply for Bai Qingshuang, more so than Lu Luo had imagined. So, a War God-tier powerhouse wasn't necessarily heartless. This seemed somewhat at odds with his high-order status; at least the elder before him still retained fairly complete emotions.

"In the end, Judgment Chief Bai Qingshuang and Pope Fan Zhen both disappeared, but she laid the foundation for the transformation of the Inner Ring."

"Is that so... The Circle of Truth! Oh yes, didn't you say that Bai Qingshuang had a daughter? Where is she now, and how is she?"

The elder remembered Lu Luo mentioning Bai Yuetong. It was highly likely he no longer had the opportunity to make amends with or protect Bai Qingshuang. However, he could certainly protect Bai Qingshuang's daughter. Then again, the current Bai Family seemed hardly able to provide any real protection. If Bai Yuetong were to rashly reveal herself, she would likely be implicated by the Bai Family's current predicament.

Lu Luo certainly understood this point, so his next words were somewhat blunt, clarifying the dire nature of the situation.

"Senior, the Judgment Chief's daughter is named Bai Yuetong.

"She is now my beloved, as well as my friend and comrade-in-arms.

"She is doing very well and is very safe.

"You must also be aware of the Bai Family's current predicament, so I do not wish for Bai Yuetong to know about this.

"Her not knowing is the safest option.

"After all, you wouldn't want her to pursue family matters and make some irrational decisions, would you?"

The old man frowned slightly. Lu Luo's words, though direct, were somewhat irritating. Was he, a War God-tier master, unable to protect his own great-granddaughter?

"Young man, are you underestimating me?"

"Senior, I truly am not underestimating you; it's just that this matter involves too much, and my reason for seeking you out isn't solely about family affairs."

At this point, Lu Luo finally began to reveal his true purpose. He hoped for success, but it wouldn't matter if he failed. At least he would have tried.

"What you're trying to talk about, is it the matter of the sealed artifact? Or put another way, the Angel Envoy?"

"Yes, the Angel Envoy!"

The two had finally broached the subject. As Lu Luo expected, someone at the Eighth Order would possess a far greater understanding of the world than the average person. The elder knew of Angel Envoys and likely had a decent understanding of them. The term "sealed artifact," in particular, aligned almost perfectly with the Angel Envoys' previous state.

"What's the point of talking about the Angel Envoy with an old man like me, who's been coerced by the Empire and is even on the brink of extinction? Fighting against the Angel Envoy, solving the Angel Envoy issue, and sealing the Angel Envoy—such matters should be handled by the Imperial Family. What, is the mighty Empire unable to deal with a few Exotic Species?"

Although the old man explained his reasons and expressed some dissatisfaction, Lu Luo still detected disdain for the Angel Envoys in his tone. Perhaps this was the true mindset of the Empire's powerhouses—they didn't fear the Angel Envoys. In their view, as long as the Empire's power could be concentrated, dealing with the Angel Envoys would be a simple matter.

However, Lu Luo disagreed. The current Angel Envoys might be different from their prior understanding. Take Meiqi, for example. That woman had already taken control of the entire Upside-Down Sea. She used the Upside-Down Sea and the power of the Slumbering City to cultivate other Eighth Order Exotic Species. She even intended to tame a Nightmare Demon with terrifying growth potential! If it weren't for Ludie, the Nightmare Demon might have truly become the completely demonic, aggressive Monarch Meiqi envisioned.

Although the elder was aware of the Angel Envoys' power, he clearly hadn't grasped this particular point.

"Senior, I'm afraid you have some misunderstandings about the current situation."

"Misunderstandings? Speak then. Perhaps you can really persuade me!"

The old man had already indicated his refusal. Lu Luo knew that even bringing the medal wouldn't compel the Bai Family to make such a choice. The best way to invite them to join now was to persuade them with sound reasoning.

"Senior, are you aware that the Emperor has been missing for over three months now?"

"Missing?" Bai Yueguang's eyes widened.

"That's good news!" the elder exclaimed.

Lu Luo was somewhat speechless. Perhaps this news was indeed good for the Bai Family. But for the entire Empire, it certainly wasn't! Moreover, if the Empire were truly destroyed by the Angel Envoys, the Bai Family wouldn't escape unscathed, would they?

"Missing for three months? That's great!" Old Bai said. "If that fellow is dead, perhaps the new Emperor will be more lenient towards the Bai Family. What, you don't think this is good news?"

He countered Lu Luo's earlier statement, seemingly wanting to see what answer Lu Luo could provide.

Lu Luo didn't hold back, getting straight to the point.

"Of course, it's not good news. The current power of the Angel Envoys has likely already exceeded what you imagine, Senior.

"They are no longer those slow-witted creatures of the past.

"They have accumulated power for a thousand years, all for today, for this very moment.

"If we don't take them seriously, the Empire might indeed be destroyed and vanish at their hands."

Old Bai smirked slightly.

"The Empire's destruction and disappearance isn't necessarily a bad thing for the Bai Family, is it?

"Even if the Empire were destroyed, my abilities are sufficient for the Bai Family's survival.

"If you're trying to sway me with talk of 'shared prosperity, shared loss,' I can tell you now: it won't work."

Old Bai had directly shut down that line of argument, catching Lu Luo off guard. He paused, considering how to persuade him. Though he could find other excuses or reasons, none felt compelling enough. Ultimately, it had to come back to the core idea of shared prosperity and loss; though it might sound grandiose, it was true. Lu Luo knew the elder's resistance stemmed mainly from his past experiences and encounters.

So, he shifted his approach and changed his words.

"Your views are straightforward, senior, and I understand the experiences of the Bai Family. But I still want to say, senior… If you do not view this matter correctly, then the Bai Family will certainly cease to exist."

"That's quite an arrogant statement, Lu Luo!" Old Bai's expression soured.

He's quite emotional, Lu Luo had noticed. This man might be at the Eighth Order, but during their conversation, Lu Luo sensed he couldn't control his temper well. Such a thing shouldn't happen to an Eighth Order expert. Or perhaps, his current Eighth Order state held some secrets Lu Luo was unaware of.

"The arrogance comes from you, senior. Perhaps your understanding of the Angel Envoys is still based on those records in books and anecdotes, right? Have you ever seen a real Angel Envoy?"

"A real Angel Envoy? Heh, indeed I haven't. Have you?"

"I have, and not just one!"

Lu Luo's words made Old Bai slightly taken aback. Such a candid admission suggested Lu Luo might indeed have some understanding of the Angel Envoys.

"Then you might as well tell us, what's different about the Angel Envoys?"

"Firstly, their strength is unimaginable!

"The power of Angel Envoys is not something ordinary Nightmare Demon Monarchs can compare with. They have mastered rules, they have mastered seals.

"Even many of the Nightmare Demon Monarchs you know of are merely their slaves.

"They have gathered a thousand years of wisdom and plotted for a thousand years.

"All of this, just to retake what they have lost.

"The awakening of the Angel Envoys is like a torrent; their rise is inevitable.

"Whether it's ordinary people or a top-tier War God expert like yourself, none will be spared their slaughter.

"Even if you could fight a single Angel Envoy, their underlying strength is undoubtedly greater than yours."

Lu Luo spoke very directly. While stating the facts, he did not overly consider Old Bai's dignity.

After hearing Lu Luo's words, Old Bai hesitated for a moment.

Seizing this opportunity, Bai Yueguang suddenly interjected, "Lu Luo, what do the Angel Envoys you've seen look like? Where are they?"

Upon hearing his great-granddaughter's question, Old Bai looked at Lu Luo, equally curious. He, too, was eager to know.

This time, however, Lu Luo shook his head.

"I cannot tell you where they are. Revealing their location prematurely could lead to a situation beyond my control.

"But I can tell you what one of the Angel Envoys looks like.

"The Tenth Angel Envoy is called the Doomsday Serpent, an incredibly massive, strange serpent.

"In its complete form, its body length can exceed hundreds of kilometers.

"I couldn't obtain precise data, but one thing is certain: whenever Meiqi—the Doomsday Serpent—appears in the world, this world's end is imminent.

"That's why she has been named the 'Doomsday Serpent.'"

Bai Yueguang's eyes gleamed faintly. Such a marvelous entity wasn't recorded in many ancient texts. Lu Luo certainly looked like he was telling the truth. Still, she found it hard to believe there could be a creature stronger than her great-grandfather. How could that be possible?

"Lu Luo, you're not bragging, are you?"

"How could I possibly brag about such a thing?" 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Lu Luo glared. He didn't really want Bai Yueguang interrupting his discussion with the old man. But since Elder Bai showed no intention of asking her to leave, Lu Luo couldn't say much.

"Huh, even if what you say is true, what about it?"

"If the world really collapses, do you think the Bai Family can remain unscathed?"

"Whether the Bai Family is destroyed or not, hasn't it already been determined? Even without the Angel Envoys, it seems the Bai Family cannot escape the fate of destruction."

After Old Bai spoke so directly about the Bai Family's potential destruction, Lu Luo fell silent.

It almost sounded as if the elder was giving up in despair, but Lu Luo quickly realized that wasn't it at all! The Bai Family wouldn't compromise, nor had they shown any signs of doing so. The elite forces he'd seen on his way upstairs were a testament to that. The Bai Family had been prepared for a do-or-die struggle from the very beginning! They would not give up. Therefore, Elder Bai's words were still a probe. Lu Luo knew that to persuade the Bai Family now, he needed to give them sufficient confidence.

"Elder, in my view, there is still hope for the Bai Family."

"Hope? I've lived 151 years, and yet I haven't seen the hope you speak of."

Elder Bai looked somewhat despondent. Perhaps he had long been disheartened by this country and the Imperial Family. As a former Royal Family Clan, the Bai Family should have enjoyed the nation's most elite resources. Yet, instead of resources and pleasures, their status brought them nothing but relentless persecution. The Bai Family had been persecuted for far too many years.

From his youth, the four great Royal Family Clans had suffered subtle, persistent persecution. Pressure and assaults from all sides constantly loomed around them. In such an environment, Elder Bai witnessed the other three clans decline from strength to weakness, and ultimately to ruin. Some tried to resist, others attempted to reconcile, and some even sought to submit. But all these attempts were futile.

The Imperial Family would not spare the four great Royal Family Clans. They would slowly erode their power, murder their members, and dishonor their women, until the once-mighty clans were devoured, leaving not even bones behind. This was the Imperial Family; this was the new Empire.

Having seen all this, Elder Bai was clear: there was no room for compromise; compromise was meaningless. The Bai Family would never give up. Even if it came to the very end, they would take a bite out of the Imperial Family. He, Bai Mo, would also cripple the Empire's other masters! This was the Bai Family's resolve! Their pride would not allow them to surrender.

Looking at the calm yet suppressed elder, Lu Luo nodded slightly.

"I can understand some of your thoughts, elder. But as you said, the troubles the Royal Family Clans face are mainly caused by the Imperial Family. Doesn't that give you considerable leeway? Haven't you noticed?"

"Leeway? Does the Bai Family still have room to maneuver now?"

"They do, and the opportunity is significant."