Going home...

Such a distant concept.

Lu Luo didn't know if he would ever have the chance to go home in this lifetime, but even if he did return, there wasn't much left for him to yearn for.

Since the Observer arrived, things from his previous life felt incredibly vivid despite the passage of time. But even though the memories were clear, Lu Luo still felt their unreality.

Sometimes he wondered, Could all those things from my previous life have been just a dream? After I arrived in this world, was it like waking up from that dream?

This feeling wasn't so pronounced before, but after he confirmed Bai Qingshuang was not a transmigrator, it became overwhelmingly strong.

"Life is always full of ups and downs."

[Observer: I think you're just overthinking because you have nothing better to do. Once you get back to the Fourth Ring and get busy, you'll feel better.]

Having nothing to do after being well-fed, huh! It seemed to make some sense; currently, Lu Luo really had nothing to keep him occupied.

"I need energy, a vast amount of energy. After returning to the Fourth Ring, I'll sort out the company's situation quickly and then start a new round of Exotic Species eradication plans."

Lu Luo didn't plan on leaving tonight, so he stepped out of the Luo Family's residence.

By this time, most people in the Luo Family recognized Lu Luo. Even the annoying matriarch, following Luo Xuemin's admonitions, dared not provoke him anymore.

Lu Luo, like a lonely ghost, quickly walked out of the Luo Family's gates.

No sooner had he stepped out than he encountered someone he hadn't expected to see.

"Brother?"

"You came to the Inner Ring and didn't even contact me," Lu Yang said to Lu Luo with a smile. His figure was hunched and somewhat frail.

Lu Luo knew this was due to the side effects of the Holy Radiance being extracted.

Lu Yang could be considered a very devout believer. Although he held the desire to protect his family in his heart, the extraction of the Holy Radiance still dealt him a severe blow.

Seeing Lu Yang, Lu Luo gave an awkward smile. Truth be told, he had been in the Inner Ring for only a few days. His original plan had been completely disrupted, and many things hadn't developed as he had envisaged. As a result, he hadn't found the time to visit this rather decent brother of his.

"Brother, how have you been recently?"

"How could I be? The entire Church is in this state; there's nothing extraordinary about it."

Lu Yang spoke lightly, but through the Observer, Lu Luo could sense the melancholy in his eyes. Lu Luo had also sensed this melancholy in Qi Xinzhu. A belief cultivated since childhood had suddenly vanished before them, completely and utterly. This was undoubtedly a fatal blow for any believer.

"Brother, come back to the Fourth Ring with me. The Fourth Ring isn't bad at all right now. I've managed to do quite well for myself, and our sister is doing great too. If you return to the Fourth Ring, we can look out for each other much of the time."

Lu Luo truly wanted Lu Yang to return because his older brother had been genuinely good to him. In his times of prosperity, he never forgot about his younger siblings and even prepared private housing for them despite not having much money. To Lu Luo, this was doing his utmost. So, now that he himself was successful, he hoped Lu Yang would join him. That way, at least their future livelihood wouldn't be an issue.

"Don't worry about me; I won't leave the Church."

"Brother, must you be so obstinate?"

"This isn't stubbornness," Lu Yang said. "Perhaps my faith used to be in Li Ming's Holy Radiance, but after this incident, I've realized that the departure of the Holy Radiance isn't as bad as I had imagined.

"Alright, I look quite weak right now, and it might seem like I'm just being tough with my words, but I genuinely feel this way. After the Holy Radiance left, I've thought long and hard. My hope, or what I've hoped for, is nothing more than seeing the Wasteland Alliance improve. Whether it was believing in the Holy Radiance or joining the Church, my initial intention was always for the betterment of the Wasteland Alliance. As long as my initial aspiration remains unchanged, the presence or absence of the Church or the Holy Radiance isn't actually that important to me.

"What do you think?"

[Observer: I never expected your brother to have such profound thoughts. That's quite impressive.]

Lu Luo hadn't expected Lu Yang to express such sentiments, but he still hoped Lu Yang would return with him.

"If it's for the better development of the Wasteland Alliance, then why not follow me to the Fourth Ring? The Fourth Ring now offers more opportunities than the Inner Ring. It has more Dark Energy, more space, and a larger population. Its future development will definitely far surpass the Inner Ring's."

Lu Yang shook his head. "That's not for the benefit of the Wasteland Alliance; that's for self-improvement. Lu Luo, the Inner Ring is also part of the Wasteland Alliance. Although the Inner Ring had many chronic issues before, now is the best time for change. I am staying in the Inner Ring in the hopes of changing the current Inner Ring, transforming the current Church. So, Lu Luo, you don't need to persuade me anymore. I'm not young anymore. I know what I'm doing and what I want to achieve. If you can't understand, then consider it your brother's willfulness."

Lu Yang's words finally dispelled Lu Luo's idea of forcibly taking him back to the Fourth Ring.

Indeed, each person has their own pursuits. Pioneering new frontiers is tough, and many are reluctant to stay and build them up. But you can't say that such pioneering efforts are a mistake. Lu Yang's choice might be very tough for an individual, but his choice was also great.

"People who have ideals and are willing to act on them are amazing. Brother, you will definitely become a very impressive person."

"Stop flattering me. You are the truly remarkable one. The Church now describes you as a future great enemy, a figure considered even more outrageous than the entire Inner Ring Council."

Lu Luo was stunned when he heard this, then burst into hearty laughter. "Hahaha, really? Then they are... really spot on."

Lu Yang was also taken aback by Lu Luo's response. He hadn't expected Lu Luo to forego modesty at this time but to openly acknowledge it.

"Lu Luo, you..."

"Brother, do you think I've become arrogant? Actually, it's not that I've become arrogant; it's just that the Church's assessment of me is quite accurate."

"Why do you say that?" Lu Yang didn't quite understand why his brother had become someone the Church was wary of. It had only been a few days, hadn't it?

"Because some things happened while I was in the First Ring, things that have the whole Church scared. And I, well, I've exposed some things. It's obvious the Church wants to kill me. They know I'm a person who bears grudges, and they also know that in the future, I will develop to a point where I can threaten them. Because of certain things, our conflict has escalated to a point where one of us must be destroyed. So, pre-designating me as a hypothetical enemy and warning all of you in advance is indeed a far-sighted move."

At that moment, Lu Luo exuded the aura of a Lord. When the energy of a Transcendent, the imposing presence of a Lord, and the powerful Sequence Force mixed together, even though Lu Luo wasn't targeting Lu Yang directly, Lu Yang still felt an innate sense of terror.

The current Lu Luo was too strong.

"Lu Luo, what level have you reached now?"

After thinking for a moment, Lu Luo answered seriously, "If given time to prepare, I should be able to kill anyone from your Church in a one-on-one situation."

Lu Yang's pupils contracted slightly. Lu Luo hadn't spoken of tier levels. This meant that such matters were no longer important in his eyes. Anyone, which included all those at the Seventh Tier. Such high-end combat power could be killed by Lu Luo. The level of threat Lu Luo posed was indeed unimaginably powerful.

"Impressive." After struggling for words, that was all Lu Yang could muster.

He didn't know what would happen in the future with someone like Lu Luo as an enemy of the Church. But he understood some basic principles. For example, the Church had now lost the Holy Radiance and seemed to be in decline. At times, it even seemed weaker than the Council. And Lu Luo was still young; his future potential was boundless. If one day Lu Luo became as powerful as the Judgment Chief, would that spell disaster for the Church?

"Lu Luo, if you ever really have that power..."

"Which power?"

"Well, like, for example..." Lu Yang didn't know how to continue, but Lu Luo had no such reservations.

"Like the power to obliterate the Church?"

"Ah? Yes, that's right."

"If one day I truly possess the power to obliterate the Church, then I will surely..." Lu Luo's gaze suddenly sharpened. Lu Yang, beside him, swallowed hard, not daring to speak at that moment.

However, Lu Luo stopped, smiled, and said, "Who can say for sure about the future? Brother, you're thinking too much. The world outside is vast. When a person sees a wider world, they might not care about those past issues anymore."

Hearing Lu Luo say this, Lu Yang laughed dryly. The Church had thoroughly analyzed Lu Luo's character. He was someone with a particularly strong vindictive streak. Could you expect such a person to let the Church off? To Lu Yang, such a statement sounded as ridiculous as if a spa manual had suddenly turned into the Bible.

"It's good if you can see it that way."

"Brother, are you really not going back? Lu Yu is with me now. If you go back..."

"Really, it's not necessary. Thank you, Lu Luo."

Lu Luo nodded. He could understand and accept Lu Yang's refusal. But after this departure, who knew when they would meet again. He suddenly felt he could understand how Qi Xinzhu must be feeling right now.

"Then, Brother, take care."

"Yes, you too. Take care."

...

That evening, Lu Luo strolled through the Inner Ring for a long time. He left time and space for the two women to say proper goodbyes to their families.

The next morning, when Lu Luo arrived at the Luo Family's garrison, Qi Xinzhu and Bai Yuetong were already waiting for him there.

"Didn't you chat more?"

"Everything that needed to be discussed has been discussed. We're packed and ready to go." Qi Xinzhu had regained her usual aura. The changes from the Star of Li Ming made her even more radiant than before.

After Lu Luo nodded slightly, he turned to look at Luo Xuemin and Qi Lin, who were behind him. "Uncle, Aunt, I said my goodbyes last night. If there's nothing else, then we shall leave."

"Have a smooth journey."

"The same to you."

Lu Luo retracted his gaze and turned toward the direction of the Third High Wall. "Let's go..."

...

When Lu Luo and his companions returned to the Fourth Ring, Gu Fangyi and Zhou Kai were obviously startled, but there were no particular changes within the Circle Company. Under their management and Lu Luo's original grand strategy, the company was already on the right track. Many things wouldn't pose any problem even without Lu Luo's presence. The Circle Company was thriving, and everyone's faces were brimming with happiness and vitality.

Looking at the company's harmonious and dynamic scene, the ambition in Lu Luo's heart also slowly grew.

"Brother Gu, Brother Kane, make preparations. In three days, we're going to hunt some Exotic Species to collect the Breath of Favor that the company needs."

"So soon? Don't you want to rest some more?" Gu Fangyi asked.

"We have more important things to do," Lu Luo replied, "so there isn't much time to rest."

"More important things?" Zhou Kai and Gu Fangyi didn't understand, nor did they know what Lu Luo had experienced in the Inner Ring. However, according to the original plan, the company should have entered a period of steady development after Lu Luo returned from the Inner Ring. Was it time to set a new target now?

As Lu Luo's right-hand men, Zhou Kai and Gu Fangyi rarely questioned his decisions. At this time, what they needed to do was obey.

"Understood. You get some good rest these few days; we will have the team ready."

...

The hunt proceeded as scheduled three days later. A powerful team of Transcendents, entirely belonging to the Circle Company, followed Lu Luo across the landscape of the Fifth Ring.

When a team is strong enough, and its leader even stronger, many things become simple. In this hunt, Lu Luo no longer needed to discover, pursue, and kill on his own as before. The team members could handle plenty of tasks for him, such as hunting lower-tier Exotic Species, searching for Exotic Species hordes, and setting traps, even luring Lord-tier Exotic Species.

Only after Lu Luo became a top-tier Transcendent did he truly realize the power of human collectives. The collaborative ability of humans was far beyond what Exotic Species could match. Areas Lu Luo once dreaded, like the Mire of Maternals and Rift Valley, became easy to navigate with his own team. Their advance was sheer domination.

In a little over two months, Lu Luo had already hunted down nine Lords. He was more than halfway towards the Pride of Twenty-Two Lords.

At night, Gu Fangyi sat beside Lu Luo, looking worriedly at Qi Xinzhu as she healed the injuries of other team members.

"Brother Luo, if Qi Xinzhu continues to use the Holy Radiance like this, she will be exposed very soon."

Lu Luo understood Gu Fangyi's worry. It wasn't a lack of trust in their team members or concern about them being indiscreet. Mainly, such blatant use of the Holy Radiance couldn't be concealed. Others would definitely notice the issue with this power, and it would spread quickly, probably within a few days after their return.

Lu Luo knew this would happen, but this time, he wasn't particularly concerned. "Brother Gu, have you ever thought about who really cares about the Holy Radiance?"

"The Church?"

"Yes, those who care about the Holy Radiance are from the Church. But the Church right now is probably still figuring out how to restore its strength. They are at their weakest. Do you think those old folks have the guts to come out? They didn't dare to come out even at their strongest, let alone now. This is the Fourth Ring, not the Inner Ring, and certainly not the Church's domain. The only likely person to show up is probably Luo Dan."

"The new acting Pope?"

"Yes, Luo Dan is a very wild and self-willed person. Though I've had little contact with her, I can tell she is very capable. If she comes out, then… that would be exactly what I want. Nightmare Demon, Noah, Teacher Qiao Xing, and myself!" Lu Luo did not hide his lethal intent.

Gu Fangyi looked at Lu Luo. Lu Luo had already told them about what happened during his trip to the Inner Ring in previous conversations. It seemed that the journey to the Inner Ring had a significant impact on Lu Luo.

"Our food supply is running low. Should we head back?"

Lu Luo glanced at the current team, then at the energy he had accumulated, and finally nodded. "Yes, it's about time to go back."

After returning to the Fourth Ring, Lu Luo began his seclusion. A large amount of Witches' Candy was transported to his retreat. No one knew what was happening inside.

During that period, the Circle selected a team of about 200 Transcendents. These 200 individuals were rigorously screened for their personalities, loyalty, and individual abilities. Although Lu Luo's Breath of Favor had the effect of testing loyalty, the cost to create the Breath of Favor was just too high. Even though they now had ample resources, they were not extravagant enough to use the Breath of Favor for testing others' loyalty. Such screenings were quite necessary to save resources.

After these 200 individuals were chosen, they were secretly taken to the deepest part of the base—the legendary location where Exotic Species were detained—for a secret project. This secret project lasted for three days. Their leader, Lu Luo, and these 200 people also disappeared for a full three days.

Three days with 200 people—that sounded a bit terrifying! What an extraordinary constitution! Well, no one who worked for the Circle dared to gossip, as gossiping within the company could lead to severe punishment. However, though they weren't allowed to gossip, it didn't stop them from making their own wild guesses!

...

In the depths of the Circular Base, Lu Luo sat on a foundation stone, emitting billowing white mist. No one knew what had happened to him, but a large number of black carapaces lay scattered around him. Lu Luo's skin was like polished jade, much fairer than before. But it wasn't the ghastly pale result like that caused by the Netherflame last time. Last time it was a deathly white; this time, it was a normal, healthy white.

The rolling white mist prevented a clear view of the surroundings. In fact, the 200 Transcendents stationed there had already absorbed the power of the Breath of Favor. Lu Luo had uniformly used it for the Enhancement of their Constitution.

This might have seemed strange, but it was the result of collective discussion among the senior members of Lu Luo's group.

Why enhance Constitution? Because increasing Constitution is the most effective way to improve survivability. An increase of 25 points in Constitution could almost instantly give an ordinary human a robust vitality comparable to that of a Second Tier Exotic Species. An increase in Constitution wouldn't grant humans explosive strength or extreme speed. However, the Enhancement of Constitution could slow down a human's rate of death by many multiples.

The biggest difference between humans and Exotic Species is that humans can use equipment: from basic firearms, grenades, bombs, and individual missiles, to exoskeletons, Mecha, and other gear. These weapons could infinitely amplify human attack power. When humans possessed a sufficiently strong physique, they could maximize the power of these military-grade weapons. That was the effect Lu Luo currently needed.

Right now, he had money and equipment. Based on the current prices in the Inner Ring, exchanging a set of exoskeleton armor from Hongtu Armaments cost about the same as ten pigs. A gun cost about a dozen or so pounds of pork, or a pile of soap.

Pork and soap, in exchange for the Alliance's most advanced weaponry? That sounded absurd, but it was reality. The Inner Ring had truly changed!

The current situation in the Inner Ring was extremely awkward. Its cutting-edge military force had been halved, and the Church was completely in hiding. The Council was also in a state of panic; they didn't dare to provoke the Church at this time, fearing retaliation from the Fourth Ring. Because up until now, they still didn't know exactly how their Seventh Tier members sent to the Fourth Ring had died.

Without land, workers, or resources, they could only engage in unequal trades with the Fourth Ring, causing prices to become increasingly ridiculous. For example, some of the Inner Ring's fine cigars could now perhaps be exchanged for a few cans of Outer Ring beer. A set of exoskeletons could be exchanged for ten pigs.

The people of the Inner Ring had thought about getting into livestock breeding and farming, but their environment and past history meant that any attempt to transition would be incredibly time-consuming and likely doomed. The problem now was that they no longer had that time.

In this environment, Lu Luo could acquire plenty of weapons and equipment. Once they had sufficient weapons and equipment, the Constitution of the soldiers became the greatest guarantee for their increase in strength. Humans fear being killed instantly. As long as they aren't killed instantly, a person armed with a large-caliber rifle retains their lethality. With firearms and explosives, they could easily kill Exotic Species of a higher level than themselves. This was Lu Luo's understanding of Transcendent forces.

But now, his attention wasn't on these soldiers. It was on himself and the woman before him.

Through the mist, Lu Luo looked at the rather enchanting woman in front of him, his expression somewhat bizarre.

"You?"

The woman kept walking closer until she stopped right in front of Lu Luo.

"My name is Bai Lin."

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