Meanwhile, in Tong Meng's room!

Gu Fangyi slightly opened his eyes. The woman beside him was none other than the Exotic Species, Peacock - Tong Meng.

Although they had indeed been intimate, Gu Fangyi's expression remained indifferent.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was being utterly callous.

He stood up, about to leave, but Tong Meng grabbed him.

"Leaving just like that?"

"Yes, I have to go!"

Gu Fangyi felt that was a bit too heartless, so he added, "My brother is waiting for me."

The three groom's tokens from before had vanished, but that no longer mattered.

He could distinctly feel his power had increased—and by a significant amount!

He was Third Tier! Moreover, there were some strange, vague changes he couldn't quite discern.

Although he had no idea why 'riding a bike' had led him to the Third Tier, he indeed had reached it, and it was quite a huge leap!

The excuse of looking for his brother wasn't going to convince Tong Meng.

"So you're going to find your brother now and just leave your wife here? Gu Fangyi, we were quite happy just a moment ago. You got everything you wanted, and now you're dumping me? Isn't that a bit much?"

Gu Fangyi hadn't expected he'd ever act like such a cad, but he had to leave now.

And this Tong Meng before him wasn't exactly a paragon of virtue either!

Gu Fangyi was well aware that their relationship went beyond mere physical intimacy.

Tong Meng had done something to him; he just hadn't realized what it was yet!

"I'm human, you're an Exotic Species. We were always different creatures. I achieved my goals, and you achieved yours, so this is the end."

Gu Fangyi's words left Tong Meng somewhat dumbfounded. Was he really going to be so callous?

"Gu Fangyi, you shouldn't treat me this way! Come back, you'll regret leaving!"

Gu Fangyi hesitated for a moment. Tong Meng thought he was regretting his decision.

Unexpectedly, Gu Fangyi pulled out his wallet, counted the cash carefully, and then placed 800 yuan on the table.

"I'm quite an honest person; that's what everyone says about me. So, I've never paid more than 150. Here's 800 for you; I've done all I can."

With that, Gu Fangyi pulled up his pants and left.

He left Tong Meng staring at the 800 yuan on the table, utterly dumbfounded.

Tong Meng stood up, naked, and called out to Gu Fangyi again.

"Hey, Gu Fangyi, the real wedding ceremony is about to begin. Lu Luo and the others will definitely be there. Are you sure you want to miss it?"

This time, Gu Fangyi finally stopped.

"What do you mean, the real wedding ceremony?"

Although many people had found their brides, some hadn't. Like Mr. Lu Luo, a few hours ago.

After Lu Luo experienced the void traversal and the surrounding space gradually stabilized, he slowly got up, glanced around, and confirmed his location.

It was the room of black and white chess pieces.

But this room was different from the last one he had seen.

This place had pieces!

However, there were only white pieces. This room seemed to have no end, and the array of white pieces before him also stretched endlessly.

The shortest pawn was over two meters tall, and the tallest piece, the Bishop, reached heights of four to five meters.

Lu Luo scanned the attributes of these chess pieces.

[White Piece - Pawn, Third Tier Intelligent Machine Species. Strength 30, Agility 30, Constitution 30]

[White Piece - Rook, Third Tier Intelligent Machine Species. Strength 65, Agility 30, Constitution 55]

[White Piece - Knight, Fourth Tier Intelligent Machine Species. Strength 60, Agility 90, Constitution 60]

[White Piece - Bishop, Fourth Tier Elite Intelligent Machine Species. Strength 120, Agility 70, Constitution 110]

"All Intelligent Machine Species? Any way to tally up the numbers?"

[System: You can see 193 pieces within your field of vision. Those further away are obscured, and their details are not visible.]

One hundred ninety-three Third Tier or higher Exotic Species, huh? That's a pretty formidable lineup.

But Lu Luo was not who he once was; both his strength and stamina had improved significantly.

Especially since lifting the Fourth Tier restriction, his attributes were now very close to those of the Fifth Tier Lord-level Exotic Species.

Unless it was an exceptionally powerful and special Lord-level Exotic Species, attribute-wise, they no longer held an advantage over Lu Luo.

His strong point was that the Steam Gear Position could greatly increase his speed and power.

His Constitution for defense was complemented by armor traits.

The effective value of his attributes had far surpassed that of an ordinary Lord.

So this time, Lu Luo wanted to test his own limits!

"Is that all?"

What a humblebrag.

[System: What? Are you expecting a Sixth Tier as a reward?]

"Activate overclock mode!"

[System: Overclock mode activated.]

Lu Luo drew a short blade from Fenrir. Holding the greatsword in one hand and the short blade in the other, a dense Qi He began to envelop him!

Steam Gear Position Two, Qi Union Slash!

With Qi He clearing the path, the Third Tier Pawn pieces couldn't hinder Lu Luo in the slightest.

Although Lu Luo's build was still as lean as ever, he was now like a human battering ram, charging and smashing his way through.

The power of Steam Gear Position Two allowed him to suppress elite Fourth Tier entities and contend with ordinary Fifth Tier Lords.

More impressively, despite his immense power, Lu Luo's speed hadn't diminished at all.

This was the advantage of well-rounded development!

The short blade in his left hand sliced through ordinary Pawns! A Third Tier Intelligent Machine Species was cleaved in two by Lu Luo's strike.

A Qi Union Slash could even cleave two or three Third Tier enemies with a single blow.

Even the Fourth Tier Knight pieces couldn't withstand Lu Luo's current strength and were easily dismembered.

Only the elite Fourth Tier Exotic Species, the Bishop pieces, could somewhat contend with Lu Luo in terms of strength and physique.

But only just.

The seemingly solid bodies of the Bishop pieces were quickly breached by Lu Luo's vibrating Qi He.

The penetrating force shattered their torsos, their gear-like cores scattering on the ground, completely destroyed.

Having slain more than thirty Intelligent Machine Species, Lu Luo's fighting spirit surged.

Fenrir in his right hand split into five segments, steel wires whipping the blades around him like five deadly fans.

He instantly killed all the chess pieces blocking the way!

The blades merged back into one. Lu Luo cleaved through a Bishop piece blocking his path, the force of the blow repelling all other pieces before him.

After killing nearly a hundred Exotic Species, Lu Luo finally saw the scene behind these huge chess pieces.

There were a King and a Queen!

[White Chess Piece - Queen, Fifth Tier Elite, abilities unknown. Attributes: Strength 150, Agility 130, Constitution 150]

[White Chess Piece - King, Fifth Tier Lord Intelligent Machine Species, abilities unknown. Attributes: Strength 90, Constitution 90, Agility 50]

The Queen's attributes are much stronger than the King's! It seems the Queen is combat-oriented, while the King likely focuses on abilities!

Having confirmed this, Lu Luo didn't want to waste any more time.

He drew Fenrir's auxiliary blades, clenching one between his teeth and holding the other in his left hand, while his right hand wielded the main sword!

Fenrir's greatsword vibrated slightly. Lu Luo's current strength was enough to maximize the advantages of such a large weapon.

At this moment, he truly understood the meaning in Qiao Xing's words.

When one's strength was sufficient, the destructive power and ease of wielding a heavy weapon like a double-edged greatsword were truly astonishing.

Steam Gear Position Four, Sword Blade Storm!

"Though the enemy is numerous, a single strike will cut them all down."

Lu Luo pushed his steam power to its limit, his body instantly forming a whirlwind of blades.

Violent Sword Qi, carried by the gale, swept across the field, felling swathes of Third and Fourth Tier Exotic Species before him.

The white chess pieces couldn't get near Lu Luo. It wasn't long before he reached the King and Queen.

The Queen attacked suddenly, also wielding a similar double-edged greatsword.

Lu Luo retracted the blades from his mouth and left hand, Fenrir reforming into one.

Steam Gear Position Four, Thunder Slash!

ZZZT! ZZZT! ZZZT!

Lu Luo hadn't consumed the Thunder Fruit before.

He was hesitant whether to consume the Thunder Fruit himself or give it to a companion, like Qi Xinzhu.

To be honest, his current Thunder attribute was already sufficient.

Each Qi He Enhancement and Devourer Enhancement also strengthened his Thunder Seed.

If the Thunder Fruit only provided an Enhancement, it would be more effective to give it to someone else, allowing them to gain a lightning ability or a Thunder Sequence.

I'll wait a bit. I haven't tested my full strength since the breakthrough! Let's try it now.

THUMP!

The familiar core vibration pulsed. Lu Luo had once thought it was his heartbeat, but he later realized he'd lost his heart long ago.

Well, even without a heart, it didn't stop him from trying to be a good person.

Gripping Fenrir once more, Lu Luo's eyes lit up with white lightning.

Fenrir's blade was now wreathed in lightning. Facing the Queen's twin-edged greatsword, he executed an instantaneous drawing strike!

Thunder Breath, First Form: Flash!

The Queen chess piece was instantly bisected by Lu Luo.

An instant kill!

This was truly Lu Luo's first instant kill, and on a Fifth Tier elite Exotic Species no less.

Unfortunately, this elite Fifth Tier entity didn't possess a Doomsday Factor.

While keeping an eye on the remaining King, Lu Luo used the Devourer to clean up the battlefield behind him.

[System: You have devoured the Fifth Tier Elite Exotic Species, White Chess Piece - Queen, gaining 3,500 energy.]

[System: You have devoured the Fourth Tier Elite Exotic Species, White Chess Piece - Bishop, gaining 2,000 energy.]

Time was pressing, so saving any amount was naturally for the best.

The King didn't move, so Lu Luo didn't either.

After a short rest, Lu Luo's condition returned to its peak, thanks to his freakishly resilient Constitution.

But when Lu Luo thrust his sword at the King, it raised its palm.

HUMMM!

The King piece's force field actually withstood Lu Luo's attack—an attack made in Steam Gear Position Four!

"Such strong defense!"

Fortunately, the current Lu Luo was quite adept at breaking defenses.

Sword Heart Technique: Spiral Sword.

Lu Luo's spiral Sword Qi struck the center of the white King piece. Dark Energy erupted from its defensive barrier like a tide.

This power even contended with Lu Luo's own, repelling his Spiral Sword.

This... this shouldn't be possible, right?

Although the white King piece seemed to lack combat prowess, its defense was shockingly formidable.

His Spiral Sword, even at Position Four, hadn't made it flinch in the slightest.

Lu Luo observed his surroundings. There were no doors, and no other monsters besides the remains of chess pieces on the floor.

If he wanted to get out, it seemed he'd have to deal with this white King piece.

The Spiral Sword Qi could enhance the piercing power of a thrust to its absolute limit, further augmented by the sharpening and penetrating properties of lightning.

If this strike still couldn't break through the white piece's defense, he would have no choice but to use the Doomsday Disc.

FZZT! FZZT! FZZT!

Lightning flared again. Lu Luo focused on the sensation of his blade and body merging into one.

Momentum can be instantly transformed into offense; a concentrated will can pierce through the hardest stone!

Sword Heart Technique, Spiral Sword: Thunder Pike!

CLANG!

The tip of his sword struck the barrier before the white King piece. Intense Dark Energy and Lu Luo's Sword Qi clashed violently.

Their collision generated violent spatial turbulence.

[System: Host, the barrier is about to shatter! I sense something is wrong!]

"A bit late for that warning, don't you think?! Damn it, all those Exotic Species corpses are wasted!"

BOOM!

Space collapsed with a thunderous roar. Lu Luo was dragged into the chaotic turbulence, swept towards the other side of the chessboard.

「The Black and White Mirror World.」

Through the swirling chaos, Lu Luo saw Qi Xinzhu. She was also in a black and white chess room on the third floor.

However, Qi Xinzhu was entangled with black chess pieces, the opposite of Lu Luo's situation.

Qi Xinzhu had already killed far too many black chess pieces.

Unlike Lu Luo's overwhelming assault, Qi Xinzhu was painstakingly killing them one by one.

The continuous battle had left her mentally and physically exhausted. Fortunately, her strength had improved significantly during this time, and she hadn't suffered any serious injuries.

However, if this dragged on, she might genuinely be worn down to death by the chess pieces.

Lu Luo didn't know what state he was in, but when he tried to touch Qi Xinzhu with his hand, Qi Xinzhu gave a clear reaction.

"Huh? What's that?"

Qi Xinzhu swung her sword at whatever had just touched her. Lu Luo quickly dodged, his heart still pounding.

I can actually touch her? Then could I... Ahem!

I'm a gentleman, after all. And there's no need. She's going to be my woman soon anyway. Really, no need.

Lu Luo reached for Qi Xinzhu's hand again, and this time, he didn't let go.

At that exact moment, a black piece's attack arrived. Lu Luo pulled Qi Xinzhu, yanking her out of its attack range.

This scene left Qi Xinzhu somewhat puzzled.

"Someone's holding my hand? A pervert?"

Lu Luo wanted to use Qi Xinzhu's iron sword to write on the ground and reveal his identity, but after trying, he found he couldn't.

It seemed the only things he could touch were Qi Xinzhu and the iron sword in her hand.

Isn't this easy?

Lu Luo immediately used his finger to write on Qi Xinzhu's palm: "I am Lu Luo."

Qi Xinzhu felt ticklish, but this time she did not resist.

After Lu Luo finished writing, she said, somewhat embarrassed, "There were too many strokes, I couldn't clearly feel what you wrote."

[System: This is too difficult.]

"Lu Luo?" Qi Xinzhu suddenly asked.

Lu Luo squeezed Qi Xinzhu's hand and made it tap affirmatively.

Qi Xinzhu tightened her grip on the broken sword. Although she couldn't be certain if it was truly Lu Luo, at least for now, this presence could help her.

"Then help me deal with these black pieces!"

Qi He began to flow along Qi Xinzhu's short sword. This wild power, even with her extensive experience, was astonishing.

Is this Qi He really Lu Luo's? Has he broken through?

With Lu Luo's assistance, Qi Xinzhu's Sword Qi became devastating.

The Fourth Tier chess pieces, which she had struggled to contend with, could now be dispatched in just two or three strikes.

Their coordinated attacks became increasingly smooth, and they defeated the Fifth Tier elite Queen piece without much effort.

They fought until they stood before the black King piece.

Drawing from his experience with the white pieces, Lu Luo knew that to escape, they needed to break the black King piece's barrier.

Lu Luo guided Qi Xinzhu's arm slightly, and she quickly understood his intention.

"Are you talking about the Spiral Sword?"

Qi Xinzhu felt a little nervous; she wasn't particularly skilled with the Spiral Sword.

But since Lu Luo indicated she should use it now, she had to brace herself and try!

"Let's give it a try!"

Mirage!

An identical Qi Xinzhu appeared before Lu Luo.

He took hold of both Qi Xinzhus' hands, transferring his Qi He and lightning to them!

Both Qi Xinzhus' Spiral Sword Qi now carried Lu Luo's lightning and Qi He.

However, the intense lightning still caused her fingers to stiffen slightly.

Clearly, this power was too strong; the current Qi Xinzhu couldn't quite handle it.

"We're going in!"

"We're going in!"

Though they were not in the same space, they spoke in unison.

Sword Heart Technique: Spiral Sword!

CLANG!

Two sword points struck the black King piece's barrier.

Holy Radiance assault! Qi He spinning! Lightning breakthrough!

The black and white mirror world shattered once again!

Lu Luo's figure materialized before Qi Xinzhu. Unlike last time, he immediately pulled her into a tight embrace.

"This time, I absolutely won't let go."

He refused to believe the Nightmare Demon could be so cruel!

And Qi Xinzhu also held Lu Luo tightly.

"Me too!"

But this time, the world around both Qi Xinzhu and Lu Luo began to twist and distort.

The scene shifted. Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu found themselves at the top of the castle, the same area both had visited before.

[System: It seems safe now!]

This time, Lu Luo didn't even pause to observe his surroundings before moving towards Qi Xinzhu.

Lu Luo reached out, intending to lift Qi Xinzhu, but she stopped him.

Her palm, the hand of a Da Qi disciple, pressed against Lu Luo's chest.

"Wait! I know you're having some weird ideas right now! But before you do anything... untoward... to me, can you let me clean up first?"

Lu Luo raised an eyebrow!

"Of course!"

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