She's so close! Can't she wait any longer? Lu Luo thought.

He didn't show anything out of the ordinary on the surface, just continued to walk forward, holding Qi Xinzhu's fingers.

Mo Fan, following closely behind them, was getting closer and closer, and there were fewer and fewer people around.

She was like a ghost wielding a huge scythe, ready to swing her death god's scythe at any moment to harvest the lives of Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu.

This was a situation that Lu Luo could not accept.

Although they were already very close to where the Judgment Chief and the Pope were fighting, this distance was clearly too great; they were obviously too late.

A Seventh Tier… this is a truly terrible situation! Overwhelming strength can render many combat techniques useless. The principle of brute force triumphing over skill applies universally. Now, let's see just how strong this old woman's power really is, Lu Luo mused.

While Lu Luo complained internally, he subtly rubbed his fingers together.

This slight gesture didn't escape Mo Fan's eyes, though she didn't know what Lu Luo meant by rubbing his fingers. However, it didn't seem to hold any special significance.

A minor movement? Such things are normal, but is his gesture really so simple? Mo Fan wondered.

As a Seventh Tier, Mo Fan still maintained a high level of vigilance. She didn't act rashly because of the power disparity between herself and Lu Luo. Vigilance was the hallmark of their generation. If they hadn't been sufficiently vigilant, the Pope and the Apocalypse Riders of their generation wouldn't have survived for so long.

Mo Fan narrowed her eyes. After careful observation, she finally confirmed that nothing unexpected had happened to Lu Luo. That recent gesture seemed to be just an ordinary, small movement.

Mo Fan was exceptionally cautious, yet even she couldn't escape Lu Luo's design. She also didn't realize that the air around her was now filled with red eyes. They were densely packed and extremely numerous; a rough estimate suggested thousands. Anyone with trypophobia would have been terrified by this scene.

These eyes relayed every minute detail of Mo Fan's movements to Lu Luo, allowing him to gather as much useful information as possible without sound or communication. Most of this information was useless. However, Lu Luo still hoped to analyze something useful from Mo Fan's behavior and actions.

From an angle Mo Fan couldn't see, the corners of Lu Luo's mouth lifted slightly. So, she focused all her attention on me and neglected her surroundings, just as I thought?

Lu Luo rubbing his hands had indeed been a subtle act, but it wasn't insignificant. As Lu Luo rubbed his hands, an additional figure had appeared on the adjacent street—unnoticed by Mo Fan, hidden from her senses. This person, seemingly walking with them, was merely a phantom within an illusion.

This was Lu Luo's first step in constructing a perfect illusion for a Seventh Tier master: creating the illusion.

Next came his second step: replacing reality.

BOOM!

A deafening roar came from up ahead. The shockwave, carrying a fierce wind, swept over. It was hard to imagine what kind of collision could generate wind pressure that traveled so far.

At that moment, Lu Luo looked up, watching the unfolding events ahead with a pensive expression.

"Qi Xinzhu, the power of a Seventh Tier is truly unimaginable!"

"Ah? Oh, yes, it truly is." Qi Xinzhu found it somewhat perplexing that Lu Luo would say such a thing at this moment. Usually, when there was something to be done, Lu Luo avoided idle chatter, focusing all his attention on the task and his thoughts. It was the same during battles. His silence en route had become his signature, so his making small talk now struck Qi Xinzhu as odd.

Has Lu Luo sensed some kind of threat again?

Qi Xinzhu didn't ask, afraid that a wrong response from her might cause whatever Lu Luo was planning to fail. Now, all she could do was grip Lu Luo's hand tightly, refusing to let go.

Lu Luo suddenly broke into a goofy smile. "Seventh Tiers are really amazing. I hope one day I can be that amazing too."

Lu Luo looked at Qi Xinzhu earnestly. If she hadn't known him so well, she might have actually believed his serious expression.

Suppressing the strange feeling in her heart, Qi Xinzhu forced herself to praise him. "Lu Luo... you'll definitely become a Seventh Tier expert in the future."

Lu Luo, however, nodded in satisfaction. "Mhm, I think so too. I'll definitely be amazing in the future, as powerful as the Judgment Chief and the others! I want to become one of the top powerhouses of the Alliance, protect humanity, contribute to the Wasteland Alliance... yada yada (the rest is omitted)."

Qi Xinzhu didn't know what was going on with Lu Luo at that moment. But she was sure something she hadn't noticed was definitely happening. Lu Luo might currently be dealing with events that had already transpired, or with certain people. Because normally, Lu Luo's dream had always been to marry a few wives and have over twenty children. Lu Luo wouldn't say things like becoming a hero of the Wasteland Alliance and contributing to humanity. It wasn't that Lu Luo lacked the thick skin for it; he had simply never considered protecting humanity. Qi Xinzhu knew that in Lu Luo's heart, marrying a few wives was far more important than protecting humanity.

However, at this moment, Qi Xinzhu could only very reluctantly play along with Lu Luo. "Mhm, your ideals and ambitions will definitely be realized. Keep it up, Lu Luo!"

Their conversation was particularly awkward, like two cringeworthy teenagers.

Mo Fan, standing behind them, also smiled faintly, touching her dry lips. Once, she and Pope Fan Zhen had also cherished similar ideals. They too had made their vows beneath the Dawn Disc, pledging to defend the Wasteland Alliance to the death and revitalize the Dawn Church, among other things.

Unfortunately, people always change. As time passes, life's goals change with each stage. When one is in dire straits, impoverished and destitute, all one desires is a full meal and a warm bed. But when you have a full meal and a warm bed, you start to want a woman. And once you have a woman, food, and a bed, you start to desire even more things, like becoming a Transcendent. Once you're a Transcendent, you want to become stronger! And when you stand at the pinnacle of all Transcendents, you realize you've grown old. So, you reflect on your life, trying to make up for your regrets.

Mo Fan was like this; so was Fan Zhen. It could be said that the goals of the Apocalypse Riders and the Pope were merely reflections of their respective stages in life. It's just that in pursuing these goals, they committed many unforgivable acts—that was all.

Two interesting little ones, Mo Fan thought. If you hadn't encountered me, if you had been allowed to live... perhaps you truly could have reached the positions you desired. But alas, you no longer have that chance!

Perhaps it was sentiment, or perhaps Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu's words resonated with Mo Fan. She raised her finger and made the Church's characteristic prayer gesture.

Then... she closed her eyes.

It was an opportunity!

My chance! The thought flashed through Lu Luo's mind.

The eyes surrounding Mo Fan repeated the message thousands of times, feeding it into Lu Luo's brain: "Opportunity!"

At the same time, Lu Luo reacted!

A gigantic eyeball appeared in the sky, obscuring the sun. The entire world seemed to darken. However, the eyeball in the sky quickly reverted to the sun's appearance. But whether this sun was real or an illusion, no one could tell.

In front of Mo Fan, the space between Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu seemed to ripple. If Mo Fan had opened her eyes then, her keen perception would have undoubtedly allowed her to detect this subtle fluctuation. But unfortunately, she was still performing her prayer.

Everything returned to tranquility.

But unbeknownst to her, Lu Luo had already completed his second step: replacing reality.

This step was crucial; at least, he had separated Mo Fan from Qi Xinzhu. If Qi Xinzhu were present, he wouldn't be able to focus on fighting Mo Fan.

Mo Fan's eyes reopened at this moment. She looked at Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu, muttering, "You two poor little things. Consider this prayer my final gift to you."

Mo Fan was completely unaware of what had just transpired. Since she was following behind them, she hadn't noticed that the Qi Xinzhu Lu Luo was now holding had a somewhat vacant look in her eyes, her previous vivacity gone.

In fact, it wasn't just Qi Xinzhu; all the surrounding pedestrians had also lost the spark in their eyes. Because these people were all fakes!

Illusion, space, and Sequence!

Lu Luo's actions left him fatigued, but he had no choice. At a time like this, he couldn't even communicate with Qi Xinzhu. Any communication would surely lead to discovery. Everything he did had to be carried out stealthily, without anyone noticing.

Mo Fan didn't realize the Qi Xinzhu she saw had lost the life in her eyes. And Qi Xinzhu herself hadn't realized that the Lu Luo beside her had also lost the light in his.

She felt very uneasy and worried. Thankfully, the sounds of battle were growing louder. As long as they reached the Judgment Chief and the Pope, everything would be alright. The Judgment Chief was Bai Yuetong's mother; she would certainly help Lu Luo.

"Lu Luo, we're almost there, but the battle's intensity is fluctuating wildly. We should now..."

As Qi Xinzhu spoke, she suddenly sensed something was amiss. She immediately turned to Lu Luo, only to find his figure gone.

How is this possible?

Because she had always been vaguely worried that Lu Luo might hide dangerous things from her, Qi Xinzhu had been tightly gripping his fingers. She hadn't let go since they arrived in the Second Ring. In her mind, as long as she held Lu Luo tightly, they could face any danger together. She didn't want to be alone anymore. If they encountered a danger neither could resolve, she would rather they die together.

But now, it seemed Lu Luo had other plans.

"Darling, where are you?"

Qi Xinzhu stood bewildered on the street. By now, not many people remained in the Second Ring to watch the battle. Bai Qingshuang's voice had carried far; almost the entire Second Ring had heard it. Although most people were quite bold, risking their lives was another matter. When faced with real danger, most would choose to save themselves.

Of course, some who truly wanted to witness a top-tier Transcendent battle hadn't left. These were mostly young or middle-aged individuals, generally of high strength. They possessed great potential and the chance to advance further on the Transcendent path. Thus, despite the extreme danger of the battle between Bai Qingshuang and the Pope's faction, these people remained.

At such a time, Qi Xinzhu, walking against the thinning crowd, seemed rather conspicuous. Especially since she didn't dare call Lu Luo's name, only "Darling," she appeared somewhat foolish.

No one could sense Qi Xinzhu's helplessness then, nor would anyone step forward to help. Without Lu Luo, she was on her own.

Qi Xinzhu bit her lip. The Dawn Star hidden within her began to flicker, almost imperceptibly.

In the same environment, the same Second Ring, Lu Luo watched the Qi Xinzhu beside him with a touch of sadness. That's right. Lu Luo was standing right next to Qi Xinzhu, following just behind her. Not only Qi Xinzhu but even the surrounding passersby appeared real. Lu Luo could see them, but they couldn't see him.

I'm sorry, Xinzhu. This time, I can't afford any distractions, not even for a moment of explanation.

Facing the old monster pursuing him, Lu Luo was prepared. Although the probability of a Seventh Tier expert suddenly suffering a mental collapse was extremely low, almost negligible, Lu Luo hadn't given up. He believed he had a chance, even if he wasn't sure it was as high as one percent.

"What you're doing is far too dangerous."

She's too close. There's no time to reach the Judgment Chief, Lu Luo thought, continuing to walk forward, his gait and pace unchanged, as if nothing were amiss.

Behind him, in Mo Fan's field of vision, Lu Luo was still holding Qi Xinzhu's hand. But then, she caught a flicker from Qi Xinzhu's figure.

Although Mo Fan had been in deep slumber for several years and her physical condition was at its nadir, a Seventh Tier was still a Seventh Tier. Even the weakest among them bore the title of one of the world's strongest humans. The observational prowess of a Seventh Tier was naturally beyond an ordinary person's imagination. Even if Lu Luo's illusion was nearly perfect, even if it could deceive a Seventh Tier...

Hmm? Mo Fan's suspicion was aroused.

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