"This? What is it?"

Looking at the orb of light before him, Lu Luo's fingers trembled slightly. His heart was beating very fast, exceptionally fast—an instinctual impulse. Well, perhaps "heart" isn't the right word for what's beating. It's the core, or rather, the Doomsday Disc. Right now, the Doomsday Disc is like a dog that's spotted a meat bun, frantically signaling me to devour this orb of light.

However, the Lu Luo of today is no longer the weakling he once was. He knows how to restrain his desires, including those of the Doomsday Disc. Desire is a driving force, but irrational desire is a fast track to the abyss. Rational restraint of desire is the correct path to becoming strong.

Qi Xinzhu, leaning against Lu Luo, seemed not to have noticed his odd state. She held up the orb of light in her hands and said with a laugh, "I didn't know at first either. Wan Jing told me this thing is called the Dawn Star. It's said to be related to the Dawn Disc—a key or some kind of tool. Although I don't know exactly what it does, I think it must be a treasure! Haha!"

Qi Xinzhu laughed happily, but her expression soon dimmed. The Dawn Star had been given to her by the Pope, a gesture laden with profound implications. The Pope's purpose was for her to use the Dawn Star to disrupt the Judgment Chief's plans. Although the process had deviated somewhat from the Pope's predictions, his objective remained clear: to contend with the Judgment Chief. Qi Xinzhu, his disciple, was merely a pawn in the game between him and the Judgment Chief. This undoubtedly saddened Xinzhu deeply.

"This thing is called the Dawn Star?" Lu Luo's eyes were fixed on the orb of light. Without his conscious control, the Observer had already analyzed its data from every angle.

[Above Sequence, cannot evaluate!]

[Above Sequence, cannot evaluate!]

[Above Sequence, cannot evaluate!]

Alright, alright, I get it. The Observer is useless. No need to repeat it so many times, Lu Luo thought.

[Scram!]

As Lu Luo focused on the Dawn Star, Qi Xinzhu lowered her head. "Lu Luo..." she began, but didn't continue. Still, Lu Luo sensed her current dejection.

What's a husband for? A husband is there to step up and comfort his wife when she's sad. Now that his wife was upset, it was natural for Lu Luo to activate his long-dormant, ultra-attentive mode.

With the gentlest voice, he whispered in Qi Xinzhu's ear, "What's wrong, Xinzhu? Are you feeling unwell? Is it a problem, or is something weighing on your mind?"

As he spoke, Lu Luo turned and pulled Qi Xinzhu into his embrace. His gentle demeanor made her feel very comfortable and secure, and her spirit found solace.

By now, Qi Xinzhu was accustomed to such intimate contact with Lu Luo, so she leaned against him naturally. "This thing... my teacher gave it to me."

"Your teacher?"

"Yes, my teacher, Pope Fan Zhen."

Lu Luo frowned slightly. He quickly realized this was probably very complicated! The implications could far exceed his imagination.

"Are you saying the Pope gave this to you? How did he give it to you? Did you meet him?"

"No, this orb was transmitted to me by my teacher through some secret technique. Although we haven't met in person, we did communicate. It was because of those conversations that I confirmed something."

Looking at Qi Xinzhu's expression, Lu Luo had already guessed what she had encountered. "Is your teacher using you?"

"Ah? How did you know?" Qi Xinzhu was somewhat surprised, but Lu Luo didn't find it strange at all.

A 200-year-old man, an old man nearing his end. He had taken many Believers of Light as disciples, all of whom were exceptionally talented. Qi Xinzhu, Han Shiyu, and even Chen Mo were actually among the Church's finest members. If they hadn't belonged to the Pope's faction, they would surely have become the backbone of the Dawn Church, its true driving force. But because of the conflict between the Pope and the Judgment Chief, Qi Xinzhu, Han Shiyu, and even Chen Mo—that fellow Lu Luo particularly detested—all had to leave the Dawn Church's center of power. For this group of outstanding Believers of Light, it was undoubtedly very unfair. A man who had lived for 200 years, witnessing half of the Alliance's history since its establishment, must have seen far too many things—hardships and quandaries. Such a person couldn't possibly be unaware of the difficulties Qi Xinzhu and Han Shiyu would face in the future. Yet the Pope still hadn't tried to avoid suspicion, and his struggle with the Judgment Chief hadn't ended. Han Shiyu and Qi Xinzhu were likewise labeled as the Pope's people. If the Pope were truly as detached from worldly affairs as they claimed, this fact alone was highly incongruous. Therefore, with simple deduction, Lu Luo was certain: the Pope could absolutely not be as benevolent as Qi Xinzhu and Han Shiyu described. According to Lu Luo's way of thinking, all powerful individuals should be regarded as crafty schemers. The older a person, the more outrageously scheming they could be. The Pope was 200 years old; in Lu Luo's eyes, he was an ultimate crafty schemer. An ultimate crafty schemer cultivating a tenderfoot like Qi Xinzhu as a pawn? Perfectly normal.

Lu Luo patted Qi Xinzhu's shoulder. "Of course, I can guess. A 200-year-old man, if he truly wished to let go of everything, wouldn't do so many things while acting as your teacher."

"Acting as our teacher? Perhaps you're right." Qi Xinzhu's expression turned sorrowful again, as if she were about to cry.

Clearly, Pope Fan Zhen's influence on Qi Xinzhu was still very significant. At this moment, Lu Luo knew he had to comfort his wife properly.

"Alright, alright, don't be sad," Lu Luo said gently. "Tell me the specifics. You'll feel better once you talk about what's on your mind."

Qi Xinzhu was silent for a moment, then she stealthily kissed Lu Luo's neck. The intimate sensation was very comforting to him; the sweet feeling was genuinely pleasant.

Actually, Qi Xinzhu felt comfortable too. At least for now, Lu Luo belonged only to her. The feeling of not having Bai Yuetong, that Dumb Hair, to disturb them was simply too wonderful.

"I actually became my teacher's disciple quite early, around the age of ten, along with my senior sister."

"That young? At ten, you probably hadn't even had your Awakening to Dark Energy, right?"

"Of course, I couldn't have Dark Energy at ten years old."

"Then that's strange. Did he only accept you as such a young disciple at the time?"

Lu Luo's question left Qi Xinzhu somewhat astonished. She also wondered why the Pope had specifically chosen her, a child, as his disciple. At ten, she indeed couldn't cultivate Dark Energy, nor had she had her Awakening. How did the Pope know she had the future potential to become a Believer of Light? Was it really as her teacher had said, that she was called by the Dawn?

"Now that you mention it, the way my teacher and I met does seem rather magical."

"Magical?" Lu Luo didn't like this word. Behind "magical" circumstances, more often than not, lay conspiracy. If the Pope had arranged for Qi Xinzhu to join at ten, it could only mean his conspiracy had been ongoing for at least eleven years.

Qi Xinzhu nodded. "Indeed, it was magical. I remember meeting my teacher because I'd dreamed of the Holy Light. Then I went to the Church to pray. Afterwards, my teacher asked those who went to pray that day if anyone had dreamed of the Holy Light the night before. It was something like that. Being very young, I got quite excited when I heard him say this. I felt like I was a child chosen by the Dawn. So, we met, and I became his disciple."

Hearing this, Lu Luo was practically certain. This was a conspiracy, a thoroughgoing conspiracy!

"Think carefully. Was there anything special about the process of becoming Fan Zhen's disciple?"

"Hmm, it was so long ago; many things are blurry now. I was quite playful back then, so most of my memories from that time are about having fun. There doesn't seem to be anything unusual," Qi Xinzhu said, sticking her tongue out a little in embarrassment.

However, Lu Luo wasn't dissuaded by her gesture and urged again, "Xinzhu, think again about the process of becoming his disciple. This matter probably isn't that simple. It might have been when you became a disciple, or before, or after. His accepting you must have involved more than just the dream. Were there any other... additional actions?"

Qi Xinzhu looked at Lu Luo's serious expression and became serious as well. "Before or after becoming a disciple? Let me think... Oh, that's right, I remember now! At the private initiation ceremony where we were formally accepted as Believers of Light, light emanated from my body! It was the light of a Healer! This wasn't widely spread in the Church, but many of my teacher's disciples knew about it. I heard that the aura radiating from me back then was very similar to the Dawn Disc."

At this, Lu Luo's eyes gleamed with understanding. Light very similar to the Dawn Disc! Lu Luo already had suspicions about the Dawn Disc's role. To create a Sequence? If it truly had such a function, then the Healer ability in Qi Xinzhu might have been deliberately implanted by the Pope eleven years ago.

[Information: Dawn Disc, Qi Xinzhu, Pope, similar light emission, Healer Awakening.

Result 1: The Dawn Disc can create Sequences.

Result 2: Pope Fan Zhen regarded Qi Xinzhu as a useful asset—perhaps a tool or a key—but definitely something that needed to be nurtured and developed.]

These two points are just the most basic deductions. What about the deeper reasons?

Qi Xinzhu watched Lu Luo, who was still pondering, and didn't interrupt, quietly waiting for him to work through the problem.

"Xinzhu."

"Hmm?"

"The Pope wants to use you to confront the Judgment Chief, is that his aim? Logically, that shouldn't be the case. Your power doesn't seem to have reached that level yet."

Lu Luo wasn't underestimating Qi Xinzhu; the power of the Seventh Tier was simply too overwhelming. Even now, he felt it was untouchable. Qi Xinzhu was only at the Fourth Tier; she stood no chance against a Seventh Tier. Lacking clues, he needed to understand the ins and outs of this matter. He wanted to handle this thoroughly, not because he hoped to gain anything from it, but simply to get Xinzhu out of this affair. Both the Pope and the Judgment Chief were entities they couldn't contend with. Those two were already the ultimate powerhouses of the Inner Ring. Under such pressure, a minor figure like Xinzhu could easily be utterly crushed, becoming a victim of their power struggle. So, even though he felt a strong desire for the Dawn Star—or rather, the Doomsday Disc greatly coveted it—Lu Luo managed to conceal this urge. He didn't want Xinzhu caught in such a vortex because of his own interests. It was obvious the Dawn Star must be a very important item. This could be inferred from the Pope's special instructions to Xinzhu and the fact that Wan Jing had pursued her for it. If Lu Luo decided to take the Dawn Star now, Xinzhu would most likely be finished. Trade an item of unknown purpose for a wife? And not just any wife, but one who was beautiful, generous, had a good figure, was considerate, and could even cook? Only an idiot would do that. Lu Luo considered himself intelligent; no, he wouldn't want such a thing.

[Ultimately, it's just cowardice and incompetence. Combined, you're both cowardly and incompetent.]

Scram! Lu Luo mentally retorted.

Qi Xinzhu had no idea Lu Luo had gone through such extensive thoughts in such a short time; she was still caught up in the power struggle between the Pope and the Judgment Chief.

"I don't know what my teacher is trying to do. After entrusting the Dawn Star to me, he asked me to sabotage the Judgment Chief's plan. He also mentioned a place called the Doomsday Sanctuary."

"Doomsday Sanctuary?" That was a new term. Obviously, something with such an impressive-sounding name would never appear in ordinary history textbooks. Seeing the confused look on Xinzhu's face, Lu Luo understood it wasn't just ordinary textbooks; Church archives probably had no records of the Doomsday Sanctuary either.

"Yes, my teacher specifically mentioned the Doomsday Sanctuary to me."

"What else did he say?"

"He said all I need to do is disrupt the Judgment Chief's ritual during the inheritance."

Disrupt the ritual during the inheritance? Based on this information, Lu Luo could formulate some theories. But there was still too little information; he couldn't accurately deduce the situation.

"Alright, the information is too limited. Even if we wrack our brains, we probably won't figure anything out," Lu Luo said.

Seeing that Lu Luo also seemed at a loss, Xinzhu suddenly felt unsure what to do. "So, what now? Wan Jing's death will surely be investigated by the Church. Even though she attacked me first, if the Church really investigates, they'll definitely blame you."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.