The Imperial, a place the Doomsday Disc aspires to.

Huh? The always-useless Observer actually provided useful information at this time. This made Lu Luo feel a hint of surprise.

"How come you suddenly became useful?"

Are you even speaking human? This information was disclosed by the Doomsday Disc; what the hell do I know about any Imperial?

"Ah, so it was the Doomsday Disc that was useful. You're still exactly as I imagined."

...And what exactly is the image you have of me in your heart?

"You know! I've mentioned it many times."

Get lost.

A pure soul is not necessarily a transmigrator; it could also be an Imperial.

After seeing this hint, Lu Luo felt a mix of regret and slight relief. Judgment Chief Bai Qingshuang is not a transmigrator. Hearing this news, he felt an overwhelming sense of powerlessness. He was indeed special; the identity of a transmigrator was still unique to him to this day.

But there was also a bit of regret. If there were a fellow transmigrator, they might have had a lot to discuss in detail. Clearly, his life was destined to be a solitary one.

Lu Luo now understood. Anyone who hadn't been illuminated by the Dawn Disc, or hadn't been contaminated by the particles of Holy Radiance, possessed a pure soul. The Dawn Disc contaminated this land, so people born here did not possess pure souls. His soul was very pure because he was a transmigrator. And the purity of Judgment Chief Bai Qingshuang's soul stemmed from the fact that she wasn't purely a Wastelander.

Judgment Chief Bai Qingshuang was an Imperial!

A place yearned for by the Doomsday Disc, huh!

Although he didn't know what kind of entity the Imperial was, the very word 'Imperial' itself implied something vastly different from the Wasteland Alliance. Emperor and alliance, nation and dwelling. The meanings of the two were undoubtedly different.

If the Wasteland Alliance wasn't the only human stronghold, what level of civilization might the Imperial be at?

Bai Qingshuang caught the hesitation on Lu Luo's face.

"You're not an Imperial?" Bai Qingshuang's tone suddenly became harsh.

With her judgment, she could naturally tell that Lu Luo was not an Imperial. This perplexed her; how could someone not an Imperial have a pure soul?

"Um, I'm an orphan..."

You finally admit it! Yes, you're an orphan! The kind without a mother.

Lu Luo was a bit speechless.

"I mean, I'm a native of the Alliance, but maybe because I've disliked the Church since I was young, so I... um!"

Seeing Bai Qingshuang's skeptical eyes, Lu Luo felt he couldn't continue his fabrication.

"Alright, I truly am an Alliance person, but the light of Holy Radiance has never shone upon me. Judgment Chief, please believe me. If I weren't special, the Doomsday Disc wouldn't have appeared to me."

Bai Qingshuang furrowed her brows as she looked at Lu Luo. She had initially thought that Lu Luo, like her, was an Imperial. If Lu Luo was an Imperial and had seen the Imperial, he certainly wouldn't stay in a place like the Wasteland Alliance. In that case, they would have been on the same side.

But now Lu Luo was saying that he wasn't an Imperial. This made Bai Qingshuang very uncomfortable. Having experienced so much torture and betrayal, she found it hard to trust another member of the Wasteland Alliance, aside from her daughter.

"Not an Imperial, yet still favored by the Dawn Disc. It seems there are many things between this land and the three great Discs that I cannot perceive."

After a slight pause, Lu Luo finally spoke up, "Judgment Chief, what exactly is this 'Imperial' you speak of?"

"The New Imperial."

"The New Imperial? Alright, I understand."

Lu Luo actually had many more questions, but at this time, he didn't dare to continue asking. He sensed that Bai Qingshuang's attitude had shifted after confirming he was not an Imperial. This change was for the worse. Too many questions could further strain their relationship, an outcome Lu Luo wished to avoid.

"Are you perhaps wondering why I, a person of the New Imperial, am here?"

"Uh, can you tell me?"

"There's nothing to tell."

"Fine, if you can't say, then forget it."

Bai Qingshuang smiled. "Don't worry, Lu Luo. It doesn't matter whether you are an Imperial or not. I know you are special, but I am also special—and far stronger than you. So, I have no need to concern myself with your specialness. What truly could concern me about you is actually your identity!"

"My identity?"

"You are with Tong Tong now. You know what I mean."

"Uh, yes."

It seems making things a fait accompli is still useful.

Lu Luo knew Bai Qingshuang meant they had consummated their relationship. This was recognized by the laws of both the Imperial and the Wasteland Alliance. This was also Bai Qingshuang's greatest reservation regarding him.

"So your current identity is that of Tong Tong's husband. She is an adult now, and adults need to be responsible for their actions. Since she has chosen you, I naturally will not interfere. I'm not as heartless as you all imagine, nor am I the dictator you speak of. As a mother, I only hope that you will treat her well in the future."

With Bai Qingshuang speaking to him so solemnly, and as an elder, Lu Luo naturally responded with equal respect. He nodded slightly, making his promise.

"Please rest assured, Judgment Chief. Protecting one's beloved is a man's duty. I will take good care of Bai Yuetong."

Bai Qingshuang nodded. Whether Lu Luo could fulfill his promise was not for her to judge. At such a time, her only option was to trust Lu Luo; she had no other choice.

"Since you are already Tong Tong's lover, there are indeed some things I can tell you. A thousand years ago, the New Imperial was known as Dongji. Dongji was a dwelling for humans after the age of cataclysm. I don't know if it was the largest dwelling. However, at that time, Dongji already possessed a scale comparable to the Doomsday Halo. After many events, Dongji gradually expanded and slowly started to take the shape of a nation. However, due to rapid development, the governance of Dongji became increasingly chaotic. Fortunately, with the help of a great leader, the people united and overthrew the corrupt government of Dongji. It was at this moment that Dongji was renamed the New Imperial, symbolizing the end of all calamities and the beginning of new life. The Dawn Disc was an item belonging to the leader of Dongji. It was also after the establishment of the New Imperial that the Emperor of the Imperial exiled the Dawn Disc."

"Dongji, the New Imperial, exile..."

"That's right. The Doomsday Halo has existed for a thousand years now. The high walls are not there to protect humanity, but to imprison the Dawn Disc; they were built as a seal."

"A thousand years of confinement, all this was to imprison the Dawn Disc..."

"History is written by the victors. Apart from the Doomsday Sanctuary, the Alliance's history has been altered many times over by those controlled by the Dawn Disc. The true history is only partially buried here. The rest has long since faded into the river of time."

Lu Luo was somewhat speechless at what Bai Qingshuang had said.

"Alright, that sounds quite complicated. So now..."

"It wants to leave this place! But even with its power, it can't do it. I was the best candidate, but I rejected it. So now, it has set its sights on you. As Bai Yuetong's mother, I am here to remind you, Lu Luo: you need to think carefully about how to deal with the Dawn Disc when you see it again."

Hearing this, Lu Luo was a bit speechless. He had long known the Dawn Disc was interested in him. Even so, hearing Bai Qingshuang mention the specific reasons still made him feel somewhat helpless. Compared to the Dawn Disc, he preferred his own Doomsday Disc that called him "Daddy"—Lu Xiaoyi.

His original goal in coming to the Inner Ring was to pave the way and solve problems. But after arriving in the Inner Ring, problems arose one after another, all of them seemingly uncontrollable and their objectives undeniable. This made Lu Luo feel that coming to the Inner Ring might have been a mistake.

"Uh, it doesn't have hands or feet, so it shouldn't be able to move, right? I may not be good at other things, but I can run pretty fast."

"Indeed, it doesn't have hands or feet. But it has people."

"Uh, who exactly are these people?"

"Pope Fan Zhen. How about that? Do you think he might be a bit faster than you?"

I can testify, Lu Xiaoluo really isn't fast!

"Alright..."

Lu Luo had already guessed it, but still felt a bit helpless when he heard the Pope's name. Once he got out, he would need to quickly get away from this vortex. Whether it was the Pope or the Judgment Chief, they were both too strong for him.

"Fan Zhen and the others think they have found a new power, but they don't realize that it's just a higher-level trap. The so-called Life Return is actually a power stored within the Disc. Those who possess a Disc will naturally master the power of Life Return, allowing them to maintain a youthful appearance for a long time, just like you and me."

People who hold a Disc can stay young for a long time? Lu Luo subconsciously glanced at Qi Xinzhu beside him.

Immortality...?

While it sounded tempting, Lu Luo still felt that growing old with his loved one was preferable. Watching one's children slowly grow up was, in itself, a very happy affair. One could live a long life, but it wasn't necessary.

Moreover, Lu Luo still had some doubts concerning Life Return.

"Judgment Chief, before I came here, I killed a Seventh Tier. Her name was Mo Fan, a bald woman with strong abilities. Her power was also known as Life Return. After using her ability, she indeed became younger; when she first appeared, she looked like a woman over a hundred years old. But after using Life Return, she reverted to a youthful state. Is her situation the same as what you described? If it really is the same, then can they achieve true immortality through this method?"

Hearing Lu Luo's words, Bai Qingshuang looked surprised. "You're saying you killed Mo Fan? The Life Holy Knight of the previous generation?"

"Uhm, if the previous Life Holy Knight was indeed a bald woman, about this tall... She looked quite good after becoming younger, with long, straight black hair. If I'm not mistaken, then it should be her."

Bai Qingshuang sized Lu Luo up and down again. "I wouldn't have thought you could actually kill Mo Fan. I had already raised my expectations for you as much as possible, but it seems I still underestimated you. Indeed, Mo Fan was using Life Return; moreover, she was the first person to discover the Life Return technique. However, while longevity is simple, eternal life is extremely difficult to achieve. The souls of all living beings are capable of exhaustion. Ordinary flesh cannot withstand powerful souls, yet weary souls also cannot adapt to a strong body. They coexist, yet they also repel each other."

Bai Qingshuang's admiration made Lu Luo feel a bit embarrassed. Must be humble, must be low-key. Although I really did kill a Seventh Tier, I can't exactly tattoo my battle record on my forehead, right? That's something only an amateur show-off would do! A true prodigy, the kind who could effortlessly break such a person, corner them, and leave them stammering, 'Terrifyingly powerful!'—that's a different league entirely.

"It wasn't exactly like that. My battle with Mo Fan involved some opportunism. She didn't know me well enough, so she fell into my trap. The fight wasn't very glorious, even though I won in the end."

Bai Qingshuang shook her head. "At your age and tier, regardless of the methods—whether props, abilities, powerful equipment, or an information advantage—achieving victory is remarkable, even incredible. You claim Mo Fan didn't understand you and thus fell into your trap. But by that logic, wouldn't it also be true that you didn't understand Mo Fan? Since neither of you fully understood the other, the playing field was level. Ultimately, you were the one who survived."

"That's true. Hearing you say it like that, Judgment Chief, I also think I did quite well." Lu Luo scratched his head, feeling a bit bashful. After all, being praised by such a prominent figure was indeed a very pleasant experience.

"Alright, that's about enough talk. Lu Luo, this is the Doomsday Sanctuary of the Church of Truth. This is also the only place within the entire Wasteland Alliance that hasn't been eroded by the Dawn Disc. Truth protects this place, and it was here that I obtained the Truth Disc. The coffins in this hall are called the Coffins of Truth. Don't worry, these coffins are different from the ones produced by the Dawn Disc. The inheritors here are all pure. You and Qi Xinzhu can each choose a coffin and inherit a part of the power from our ancestors. This power will definitely contain a Sequence. This place is also where humanity's legacy of Sequences comes to rest. You can refuse or accept; it all depends on your own choice."

Huh? How did we suddenly jump to the 'randomly pick a lucky coffin' part?

"Judgment Chief," Lu Luo began, "are there any hints or anything? Like what abilities each person had, whether they were good or evil, or if there are any potential threats? We're, uh, rather timid and not very strong, so we need to be careful about some things."

Bai Qingshuang glanced at Lu Luo. This guy… is playing it way too safe.

"There are no hints. Whether you choose or not is entirely up to you."

"Alright then!"

At this point, Lu Luo turned to look at Qi Xinzhu. "Xinzhu, what do you say?"

Qi Xinzhu also looked conflicted. Inheriting the power of human ancestors sounded quite grand. But when she thought of this so-called inheritance involving choosing from these coffins, she felt uneasy all over. The desiccated corpse of Ali had left a significant psychological impact on her, making her feel a deep-seated aversion to the coffins here.

"Lu Luo, do you want to?"

"No need. I won't inherit any ancestral Sequences. You know my situation; I don't need it," Lu Luo declined very clearly and directly.

The reason was simple. The Sequences Lu Luo possessed were already powerful enough. The inherited Sequences here might also be very powerful, but it was unlikely they were more powerful than his own. By now, Lu Luo was sure that Grade S Sequences were the highest on the Disc. The Disc had twelve cycles, likely corresponding to twelve Grade S Sequences. He had already mastered four of them. He truly didn't need to supplement his abilities with another Sequence.

All he needed to do now was diligently study the Sequence Force, developing and expanding upon it. Then, his strength could reach a level unattainable by others. To absorb other Sequences would only be needless trouble and a waste of his energy.

When Qi Xinzhu heard Lu Luo say he didn't want it, her thoughts gradually calmed. "If you don't want it, then I don't want it either!"

Lu Luo looked at Qi Xinzhu and ultimately didn't say anything to persuade her. Whether to take something from here was a personal choice. There might be benefits to taking it, but choosing not to couldn't be considered wrong either. As for everything in the Inner Ring, Lu Luo felt a genuine sense of alienation. He didn't trust anything here; the vast world beyond the walls was where he belonged.

"Fine, then neither of us wants it."

Lu Luo turned his head. "Judgment Chief, let's forget about the inheritance. We are still young and haven't established our own cultivation systems; there's a long road ahead for us. Accepting someone else's inheritance at this time could very likely disrupt our original development rhythm. So..."

Bai Qingshuang narrowed her eyes at Lu Luo. She could sense the wariness in both Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu, and she understood it. So, she wouldn't insist despite their refusal.

"Stop with the official platitudes. You are responsible for your own choices. If you don't need the power from here, then come with me. I'll take you out."

Hearing they could leave, the expressions on both Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu instantly lit up with surprise.

"We can finally go out!"

"Don't celebrate too soon. We still have one more hurdle to cross," Bai Qingshuang said coolly, interrupting them.

"The Pope, is it?"

"Fan Zhen believes everything he has done is for his own breakthrough. Little does he know, he has fallen into the Disc's trap. Let's go. I've rested enough. If I am defeated, you two should flee."

Looking at Bai Qingshuang's indifferent expression, Lu Luo nodded slightly, his heart a little heavy. "Understood, Judgment Chief. If we encounter danger, I will definitely run away at the fastest speed and from the most unexpected angle."

To speak of fleeing with such righteousness – that could probably only be Lu Luo.

"Let's go. To the upper level."

...

Luo Dan gazed thoughtfully at the murals on the walls of the Doomsday Sanctuary. "Leviathan, huh? It's incredible that humans once fought with Leviathan... It seems this place truly records some history that doesn't belong to the Wasteland Alliance."

"There are many incredible things. Such historical legends and allusions hardly warrant such surprise."

"Who?" Luo Dan was somewhat startled; she had no inkling of the other's approach. It was as if they had suddenly materialized before her. If she were just an ordinary Transcendent, she might have been very calm. But the problem was, Luo Dan was already a Seventh Tier master, and the Life Holy Knight of this generation—a peak existence among the Church's Seventh Tier. Yet with such strength, she hadn't noticed the newcomer. This in itself was very strange.

"You are... the Judgment Chief." Luo Dan recognized Bai Qingshuang slowly emerging from the darkness. What surprised her even more were Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu following behind Bai Qingshuang.

"Ha!" Luo Dan suddenly gave a wry laugh. Her life-sensing ability, which she had always taken pride in, had utterly failed her at this moment.

Even though we're both Seventh Tier, it seems the gap between one Seventh Tier and another can indeed be insurmountable. She had thought her current strength might have already reached the peak of the Seventh Tier, with the threshold of the Eighth Order just one step away. But now, seeing Bai Qingshuang at such a level yet still not having reached the Eighth Order cast a shadow over Luo Dan's vision for her future development.

"Who would have thought the gap would be this large?" Luo Dan mused. "With such a disparity, the Pope using Eighth-Order methods as a lure is truly laughable. If I can't even reach the peak of the Seventh Tier, what good would obtaining the method to advance to the Eighth Order be?"

The distance between them wasn't great, and naturally, at this range, Bai Qingshuang and the others could clearly hear Luo Dan's monologue.

Bai Qingshuang shook her head. "Don't belittle yourself, Luo Dan. Among the four great knights of this generation, your talent and strength are undoubtedly the strongest. Compared to Wan Jing, who always wants to take shortcuts, your approach to cultivation is indeed more solid and correct. If you weren't born in the Wasteland Alliance, reaching the Eighth Order would just be a matter of time."

Bai Qingshuang's words made Luo Dan pause slightly. She had heard countless praises before. Being a genius, it was natural for her to be praised. But what did the last two sentences mean?

"If I wasn't born in the Wasteland Alliance, where else could I have been born?" Luo Dan asked. "Judgment Chief, it feels like you haven't finished your thought."

In fact, compared to the so-called methods and channels promised by Pope Fan Zhen, Luo Dan was more hopeful of reaching the Eighth Order through her own efforts. Truly, at their level, they all possessed their own pride. Without pride, one couldn't reach this stage. So Luo Dan was very interested in the hidden meaning in Bai Qingshuang's words.

"Don't be anxious. It won't be long before I meet with Fan Zhen. At that time, there will naturally be a resolution between him and me."

"And then?"

"If I win, then we can discuss what comes next. If I lose, there's no point in telling you now. Besides, hasn't Fan Zhen already promised to give you Life Return?"

"Life Return?" Luo Dan was very sensitive to this term. The originator who created Life Return by combining Life Energy with secret techniques from ancient texts was the previous generation's Life Holy Knight, Mo Fan. As the Life Knight of this generation, Luo Dan had read most of the Life Knight sacred texts. She was even very clear about the ritual of sacrificing the Fruit of Life. It was just that she was a very proud person, though she didn't always show it strongly. Deep down, Luo Dan scorned such abilities. Although she was domineering, she also cherished her own sense of justice. To some extent, Luo Dan's personality was somewhat similar to Qi Xinzhu's.

Now, hearing Bai Qingshuang mention it, Luo Dan's perception of the Pope was inexplicably shrouded in shadows. "Can you confirm, Judgment Chief, that what His Holiness the Pope intends to give us is Life Return?"

"Regarding regaining youth, is there any method other than Life Return? You are a Life Holy Knight yourself; your research into Life Force should be deeper than mine."

Bai Qingshuang spoke lightly, but Lu Luo, standing behind her, could feel the tension emanating from her. Or rather, the Observer sensed Bai Qingshuang's tension.

Her blood flow has slightly increased, and her heartbeat is accelerating, though the change is minute. This is likely due to psychological tension.

So, the Judgment Chief also gets nervous, Lu Luo chuckled to himself. From this perspective, she still seems human.

Is there any way to ascertain her attributes now? Lu Luo wondered.

Unable to ascertain!

Alright, Lu Luo was disappointed again. Compared to everything else, what he was most interested in was the true extent of Judgment Chief Bai Qingshuang's power. Just how strong was she?

After pondering for a while, Luo Dan looked at Bai Qingshuang and said, "Wouldn't the Judgment Chief care about our attitude?"

"It's not that I don't care; it's completely unnecessary to care. What you seek is still within this realm. But having reached the legendary rank, it's time to look at a wider world."

Legendary rank? Luo Dan found Bai Qingshuang's words increasingly incomprehensible. It wasn't just her; Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu behind her couldn't understand either.

"What is the legendary rank?"

"Tiers one through three are considered lower order, four through six are high order. Anything above the Seventh Tier is legendary. Explained this way, it should be easy to understand, right?" Bai Qingshuang elaborated.

Luo Dan nodded thoughtfully. "I understand."

"Since you understand, let's go. It's time to meet Fan Zhen, to settle the grudges between our generation and the last. The matters of the Dawn Disc should also be concluded."

...

Pope Fan Zhen stood above the Doomsday Sanctuary with Li Hongyun. The Holy Radiance of the Dawn Disc shone upon him, but he rejected it.

"Rejecting my power at this time is not a wise choice," the raw voice of the Dawn Disc echoed. "If your condition cannot be restored to its peak, then it will be difficult for you to be a match for Bai Qingshuang."

The voice resounded within the Inner Ring. The surrounding guards exchanged bewildered glances, unsure who had just spoken. Li Hongyun, standing next to the Pope, remained silent; even if she did speak, her voice wouldn't be this loud, nor would it carry such a harsh tone. The guards looked towards the Dawn Disc. Although many had claimed to have heard the voice of the Dawn Disc before, it had never been as clear as it was today. The Dawn Disc had actually made a sound, and it had a humanoid quality to it.

"Um, Your Holiness the Pope?" a guard ventured.

Only after hearing the Dawn Disc's voice did Pope Fan Zhen shift his gaze from the corridors of the Doomsday Sanctuary. Turning back to the Dawn Disc, Fan Zhen's expression became firm.

"I apologize," he said. "I know it's dangerous to confront Bai Qingshuang in my incomplete state. But even if it's dangerous, that is a matter between her and me, irrelevant to others. Great Disc, I have served the Dawn for over two hundred years. During most of these two hundred years, I can say with a clear conscience that I have been diligent and dedicated. I have given everything: my youth, my ideals, my love. But I have not obtained what I wished for. Now, I no longer wish to be controlled. I no longer want to be the puppet of an instrument. I hope you can understand me."

If the Disc could laugh, the Dawn Disc would have laughed by now. Did Fan Zhen really believe that by not using Holy Radiance, he could escape it? Such a naive thought!

Fan Zhen had indeed been the Pope for two hundred years, having perused countless texts and historical records. But Fan Zhen was, after all, a native of the Wasteland Alliance. He did not know the world beyond the Alliance; all his channels for obtaining information were within the Wasteland Alliance—that is, within the Doomsday Halo. And the Dawn Disc had been exiled to this land for a thousand years. Over a thousand years, the Dawn Disc had thoroughly corrupted this land. All of history, all progress, had been modified according to the Dawn Disc's will. The power of the Dawn Disc had long since permeated every corner of the Wasteland Alliance.

Fan Zhen believed he had found a way to ascend to the Eighth Order, free from the Dawn Disc. Yet, he was unaware that the methods and conditions he found still lay within the Dawn Disc's framework. There was no real change; it was merely a shift from the prison of Holy Radiance into the prison of Life Energy.

"Actually, you don't need to be so averse to my power, the power of Holy Radiance..." the Dawn Disc began, but Fan Zhen interrupted it.

"No. No matter the circumstances, I will not accept Holy Radiance any longer. I have my own ideas. If I fail, then it's due to my own lack of ability, and I blame no one."

After all, Fan Zhen was the Pope; he had once stood at the pinnacle of this world. He too had his pride. After two hundred years, he had reached this point, the threshold of the Eighth Order. All Fan Zhen wanted was to advance further. Now, he had nothing left to lose. Since there was nothing to lose, there was nothing to fear.

"Although Bai Qingshuang is extreme in many of her actions, she's not wrong about some things," Fan Zhen declared. "The Wasteland Alliance and the Inner Ring truly need revitalizing powers."

After Fan Zhen finished these words, the Dawn Disc fell silent once more. After a lengthy pause, it finally made a sound.

"As you wish. She has arrived."

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