CHAPTER 417: CHAPTER 417: THE SILENT SIXTH TIER (GRAND CHAPTER)

What should a normal person think when they hear this news?

They should think, wow, the human peak is at the Eighth Order, what a powerful realm that is, blah, blah, blah...

But Lu Luo?

He thought, If I reached the Ninth Tier, could I just become the Emperor directly? If I became Emperor, would marrying and having children not be an issue anymore?

Are you serious? Can’t you be a bit more ambitious? You’d use the Ninth Tier just to have kids?

Ahem!

Lu Luo pondered for a moment and stealthily glanced at Zhang Changming beside him.

"So, reaching the Eighth Order is already the pinnacle of humanity!"

"Do you think it’s that simple? There’s a big difference between an ordinary Eight Order and one that’s at the peak. All ten of the Imperial top experts are Eighth Order powerhouses, but none of them can be called the War God. The gap between them and the War God level is far bigger and more ridiculous than you could imagine."

Zhang Changming stressed the difference between the two, but Lu Luo just shook his head slightly.

If one could really enter the Ninth Order, who would stay at the Eighth? It’s like money; no matter how crisp a fifty-dollar bill is, it’s not as attractive as a hundred-dollar bill.

"Why is there such a big difference in combat power among those at the Eighth Order?"

It’s probably a combination of Sequence, Cultivation Technique, equipment, and such. But these are all guesses. If you really want to understand the top Eighth Order, the so-called War God, I think it’s better to meet one in person.

Zhang Changming thought Lu Luo was asking him, so he immediately answered, "Because the top-tier War God, they possess the ultimate Sequence Force!"

As he spoke, Zhang Changming stared intently into Lu Luo’s eyes, ready to confirm Lu Luo as a Transcendent cloaked in Sequence if there were even a flicker of evasion in his gaze.

Unfortunately, he was disappointed.

Lu Luo turned his head in confusion, "Sequence, what’s that?"

"You don’t even know about this? Your teacher has really taken the wild path. I wonder how a wild path like yours has brought you this far."

Lu Luo’s expression turned sour. "You can insult me, but don’t insult my teacher. My teacher...

"My teacher, barring his quirkiness, unconventional behavior, and obsession with the ultimate, is pretty good in every other aspect."

Zhang Changming was utterly bewildered.

Is this how one describes their own teacher?

"Ahem, forget it. I won’t delve into your issues for now, but I came here with some other matters as well."

"Speak, what is it?"

"I’d like to meet that girl."

Lu Luo’s pupils narrowed slightly at this request... Was it too much?

Logically speaking, it’s not too much. But still, you need to be cautious with this person.

"Okay, you can."

Zhang Changming smiled suddenly when he heard Lu Luo agree.

"Thanks."

Lu Luo had seen this kind of smile before—it was pure joy, delight. Just like an elder seeing a long-missed relative.

Lu Luo was slightly puzzled. Why was Zhang Changming displaying such an expression? What exactly was the relationship between him and Bai Yuetong?

"Minister Zhang, you seem very happy. Is this something to be so cheerful about? What exactly is your relationship with Bai Yuetong?"

"Asking these questions won’t do you any good nor serve any purpose.

"If you could allow us to meet now, please take me to her.

"I’m very busy.

"Plus, you probably don’t like having people from the Inspection Department lingering around your base."

Zhang Changming was right; Lu Luo really didn’t want someone from the Inspection Department hanging around the base.

He nodded, "Alright then, Minister Zhang, come with me."

The two, one after the other, headed to the location of the previous cellar at the mountaintop villa.

The cellar area, which also included the swimming pool area, had been completely transformed by Lu Luo. A large part of it would become Bai Yuetong’s future lab.

At the moment, Bai Yuetong was supervising the renovation of her lab, and she didn’t even notice when Lu Luo and Zhang Changming came in.

Lu Luo was about to call out to Bai Yuetong, but Zhang Changming held out a hand to stop him.

"Don’t call her, just let it be. Just watching from afar is nice."

Lu Luo was even more puzzled. What did Zhang Changming mean by this? He wanted to meet her, but now that he could, he didn’t want to go any closer. Was watching from a distance somehow better than meeting face-to-face and having a chat?

"Minister Zhang, aren’t you going to take a closer look at her? It’s okay if you do."

Zhang Changming’s gaze flickered slightly. The usually cold and resolute face softened and grew tender.

But in the end, he shook his head, "Forget it, sometimes not seeing is better than meeting.

"She looks fine. Her hair is pretty too, nice and long."

Lu Luo pursed his lips. Dumb Hair had always had short hair, and it only became long after the incident with the Judgment Chief. Dumb Hair also clamored to cut it short again, claiming it interfered with her work. Long hair sometimes got caught in machinery. But once she realized Lu Luo seemed to prefer long hair, she simply stopped cutting it and said long hair was nice, and it looked good! Women are fickle, and Lu Luo had no solution for Dumb Hair.

Seeing that Zhang Changming didn’t want to go over, Lu Luo didn’t press the issue. Zhang Changming had made his own decision to come, and now, his own choice not to meet her directly. Lu Luo had fulfilled his part of the request, so there was nothing more to be said.

Bai Yuetong, who was adjusting the crane, suddenly sensed something and swiftly turned her head to look at the door.

But there was no one at the doorway, completely empty.

Dumb Hair scratched her head in confusion, "An illusion? But I clearly felt someone there just now. Oh well, back to work!"

Dumb Hair was quite happy as she could spend all her time with Lu Luo recently, and she was also in charge of setting up her own lab. The key point was, Qi Xinzhu was not around! As long as Qi Xinzhu was absent, Lu Luo was all hers for the entire night. Hehe!

Zhang Changming, hiding by the door, let out a sigh of relief, glad that he hadn’t been exposed.

Lu Luo, growing even more confused, asked, "Minister Zhang, do you need to hide like this? Such behavior seems meaningless!"

"What do you know?"

Zhang Changming rolled his eyes.

Although Bai Yuetong seemed to be living well with Lu Luo, he still couldn’t muster much fondness for the kid.

Zhang Changming struggled for a while, then reluctantly took out 2,000 yuan from his pocket. After a moment of silence, he took out another 1,000, making it 3,000 in total, and handed it to Lu Luo.

Lu Luo was completely baffled.

Seeing Lu Luo’s puzzled look, Zhang Changming immediately became somewhat annoyed, "What are you staring at? Take the money when I give it to you. Buy her some good food and drink.

"And buy her some new clothes too, look at her wearing that uniform; it’s not nice. Young girls should wear pretty clothes."

Lu Luo remained baffled.

Zhang Changming, looking at Lu Luo’s dumbfounded and doubtful expression, suddenly felt a surge of embarrassed anger, "What exactly are you staring at? Do I have flowers on my face? Do you need to look at me like that?"

No... Why does he think that 3,000 yuan is enough to buy Dumb Hair some good food and drink? Does he know how much Dumb Hair usually spends on food and clothes?

Lu Luo silently pushed the 3,000 yuan back to Zhang Changming, "Minister Zhang, did you see her shoes?"

"I did, what about them?"

Zhang Changming was a bit puzzled, although he seemed to have seen those shoes somewhere, he couldn’t recall at the moment.

Touching his nose, Lu Luo said very seriously, "Those shoes, 18,000 yuan."

Zhang Changming no longer spoke.

Lu Luo continued to point out, "’Did you see the hair accessory on her head? That hair accessory costs 7,000 yuan.

"And about the so-called lousy uniform you mentioned.

"They are all made from the latest breathable fibers, 4,000 yuan a piece, and she buys 20 at a time.

"Then there’s the milk tea and takeout over there; she orders dozens at a time, and whatever she doesn’t like, she feeds to her pets.

"Of course, these are all small expenses. The really expensive items, you see that air hoist?

"That air hoist is 250,000, and that square set, a set like that is over 160,000... and so on.

"Bai Yuetong is just that kind of person, a real spendthrift.

"Her things are all supported by the entire Circular; she is our Circular’s pearl.

"So Minister Zhang, why would you think that 3,000 yuan would be enough for her to eat and drink well, and get a couple of pieces of clothing?’"

Zhang Changming had long since run out of things to say. He himself was a very frugal person, spending most of his working life on the unit’s premises. He rarely had any occasion to spend money, and even when the time did come, it wouldn’t be him making the expenses. For someone like Lu Luo, who casually talked about spending tens or hundreds of thousands, even millions, Zhang Changming simply didn’t know how to respond.

After struggling for a long time, Zhang Changming managed to squeeze out that sentence, "So it turns out she... isn’t as good as I imagined."

But Lu Luo grasped his hand. "You couldn’t be more right; her flaws are not limited to these!"

"Forget it, since you guys don’t need the money, there’s nothing more for me to say.

"Take good care of her, Lu Luo.

"I can tell you clearly, no matter what you did before, whatever mistakes you made, because of her, I can let bygones be bygones.

"Just take good care of her, don’t let her get into trouble.

"The Imperial is not as harmonious as you imagine."

Zhang Changming was speaking from the heart, so naturally, Lu Luo didn’t say much, "Thanks, Minister Zhang."

"All right, I’m leaving now. I can overlook the matter with the ID card. How you handle those people you’re involved with is up to you. If you need my help dealing with them, just let me know now."

Lu Luo knew Zhang Changming was referring to Luo Yi and the others. But he didn’t have any intention of getting rid of Luo Yi and his group.

"No need, Minister Zhang; their choices, at least from their perspective, weren’t incorrect."

"But they betrayed you!"

"They were never loyal to begin with, so what betrayal is there to speak of?"

Zhang Changming nodded thoughtfully, "’All right then, you have your own style of doing things, and I won’t insist.

"This phone number is my private one. If one day you truly find yourself in trouble, I mean the kind that you can’t resolve, you can come to me.’"

"Sure!" Lu Luo agreed.

Zhang Changming left, sweeping his coat behind him without taking a single cloud with him.

"Is he gone?" Dumb Hair shuffled over, coming up beside Lu Luo.

"Yep, gone."

"What does that guy do?"

"Don’t know, maybe an admirer of the Judgment Chief?"

Lu Luo was discreet in his words, but Dumb Hair, who had been around him often, had picked up some bad habits such as speaking the lingo, "Admirer? Isn’t that just a lapdog?"

"Maybe, probably, possibly, I guess!"

"Don’t look at me like that. I was born and raised in the Wasteland Alliance, and that will never change."

"Yeah, I know."

Lu Luo glanced up at the camera above them and held a moment of silence for Zhang Changming.

Who was Bai Yuetong? The Circular’s senior technician. One could say that Bai Yuetong was solely responsible for the Circular’s defensive systems, technical framework, weaponry, and surveillance systems. At this point, the Circular was equipped with cameras in most public areas. The ultimate controller of these cameras had always been Bai Yuetong. So Zhang Changming’s sneaky approach was entirely futile. His conversation with Lu Luo had been clearly heard by Bai Yuetong through the surveillance. Fortunately, he wasn’t there in person, or else he would have faced total social annihilation.

"I’m lucky to have you."

"Good that you know it!"

"So, how about a reward tonight?"

"Psh, bring it on!"

Brave with her words, cowardly at heart, that’s what Bai Yuetong was all about. She was the toughest during the day, yet the quickest to surrender at night; but fortunately, in the absence of Qi Xinzhu, no one but Lu Luo saw her embarrassment.

In the days that followed, life gradually returned to normal.

Zhou Kai was still diligently digging tunnels, Qi Xinzhu and Gu Fangyi were both immersed in their own cultivation progress.

Dumb Hair’s lab was already up and running, and most of her attention was focused on her research.

Having almost finished scanning through the Wings of Blazing Sky archives, Lu Luo found himself quite idle.

Standing atop the mountain and watching the sunset in the west, Lu Luo began to ponder.

Just how far was he from the membrane to the Sixth Tier?

Two months of leisurely life had led Lu Luo to invest most of his time in hunting Exotic Species within the walls. His all-attribute values had already reached 400, and in terms of energy, he still had a considerable surplus. The Fourth Ring within the walls provided him with a continuous supply of Dark Spirit Stones, so Lu Luo hardly needed to worry about growing his energy. In optimizing his Qi He, he had reached a point of near wastefulness in the pursuit of perfection.

No helping it, he was simply too rich, or rather, he had too many resources. He had never fought such an affluent war before, that much was true.

Although all conditions for his breakthrough had been met, Lu Luo still hadn’t made his move. He felt that he was missing something, but what exactly was it?

The opportunity for a breakthrough? Cultivation Technique? Sequence? Or my own willpower?

I think you’re just confused. Even though all the conditions have been met, you’re still so hesitant; I’ve never seen anyone as timid as you!

Timid?

Lu Luo certainly didn’t think so. More often than not, he found himself quite brave. As a leader, his courage was often sufficient.

Such as the courage and willpower to strike a Seventh Tier expert with his fist. And the desire to survive; in these aspects, he should be quite alright.

"It’s my intuition; my intuition tells me that I’m missing something."

You’ve got a screw loose!

Lu Luo paused, considering this.

After giving it some thought, Lu Luo suddenly seemed to realize something and from his ring, he took out a piece of iron. This iron piece was a fragment of the Godless Armor.

A broken mask fragment, armor material, no longer usable. Why are you taking it out?

"From the very first moment I saw the Godless Armor, I felt it was very close to me. But there seemed to be something missing between the two."

You lack one Lord’s Pride; with it, the Faithless can be enhanced.

Lu Luo shook his head again. "It’s not just about strengthening. You wouldn’t understand that, at least, you can’t feel it."

Suddenly, Lu Luo placed the fragment of the mask by his mouth and then bit into it.

CRACK!

Have you gone mad? Eating iron?

Lu Luo ignored the Observer and continued to bite the piece.

CRACK! CRACK!

Crisp sounds came from Lu Luo’s mouth; the armor fragment was not very large to begin with. In just a few bites, he crunched it to pieces. His teeth, mixed with Qi He, could not only break steel but even the bones of the top Exotic Species. So breaking this piece of metal that had lost its energy was not difficult.

Broken iron shards churned and were chewed in Lu Luo’s mouth.

When he swallowed the metal, the first thing that reacted was not his digestive system. It was the Devourer within Lu Luo!

The Devourer spontaneously activated, numerous fine tendrils wrapped around and coiled up the iron piece, then proceeded to decompose it bit by bit. Lu Luo felt the abilities within his body start to flow naturally; this energy was not manipulated by him. But rather the Fusioner had activated on its own.

[Sequence S-04 Fusioner is now activating: Sequence Chain’s first position: 00-Faithless Supplementation Plan is starting.]

The tiny chunks of iron suddenly turned into molten iron in Lu Luo’s stomach. The scalding molten iron sliding down Lu Luo’s belly was hardly a pleasant sensation.

As Lu Luo slightly frowned, the Doomsday Disc began to turn as well. In the center of the Circular, that is, at the position of the First Ring. The runes that had already solidified unexpectedly began to absorb the energy within Lu Luo’s body, slowly melting and then starting to flow along the disc.

This Sequence Force, like a flood of rules, gradually filled the gaps and re-established the original rules of the Doomsday Disc. Then it began to establish new rules and order. And that piece of molten iron also continued to disintegrate and separate. Some of the Sequence Force rules it contained were exactly what the Faithless Sequence Chain was missing.

Feeling this, Lu Luo understood what he was lacking. It wasn’t energy, nor was it Dark Energy. What he lacked was a self-replenishment of his own Sequence.

These truths, which he had gradually come to understand after Zhang Changming had spoken of the difference between Eighth Order and Ninth Tier.

Lu Luo knew he was a special entity, different from humans. But he was also not like the Exotic Species. He was more perfect than the Exotic Species, more perfect than humans, yet this perfection was still not enough.

That fleeting desire he had earlier was real. It was the Ninth Tier!

He wanted to become a Ninth Tier powerhouse, a Ninth Tier being. He had seen Meiqi, had seen Leviathan, had seen Xu. Therefore, Lu Luo was very clear that Ninth Tier was not unattainable, and so he harbored that desire. A wish that was almost impossible to fulfill among humans.

The Doomsday Disc sensed Lu Luo’s wish, so it continuously controlled Lu Luo’s sensations, consciousness, quietly reminding him. The current him still wasn’t perfect enough; every step he took from now on needed to be more perfect. Only a human who had reached a certain degree of perfection had the possibility of entering the Ninth Tier.

The disc was in the process of fulfilling his wish. Now was the moment when the wish was gradually becoming a reality.

These things, they are not available in the Wasteland Alliance! Can they only be slowly discovered upon arriving here?

Lu Luo smiled. Coming to the Imperial, it seemed random, but it was actually an inevitable outcome. The Wasteland Alliance wasn’t vast enough. Moreover, the environment there was far too complicated. It wasn’t a place for him to spread his wings and soar. In the Imperial, he had more opportunities, greater potential for development!

"Alright, let’s begin!"

[Devouring Lord’s Pride 1: Dancing Girl’s Dual Blades]

[Devouring Lord’s Pride 2: Dancing Girl’s Wedding Dress]

...

...

[Devouring Lord’s Pride 22: Lord of Thousand Stars’ Eyeball]

Twenty-two Lord’s Prides had been completely devoured by the Devourer. These strongest parts of the Lords all contained a portion of special Sequence Energy. After shattering, this Sequence Energy also began to enter the Doomsday Disc, filling the hidden cracks and gaps of the Sequence rules.

But it wasn’t over yet, as there was still the most important item! The Nightmare Demon’s Heart!

[Devouring the Nightmare Demon’s Heart!]

The moment the Devourer’s tendrils pierced into the heart of the Nightmare Demon, all that the Nightmare Demon had ever been flashed before Lu Luo’s eyes.

A deformed mutant baby. She actually had parts of an exotic species’ body and parts of a human torso. The once Nightmare Demon was not that splendidly majestic black king horse. Instead, she was a thorough aberration, a deformed freak.

She was humiliated, beaten, and driven away. By the time she dragged her battered body to the Fifth High Wall, the Nightmare Demon was at death’s door. In such a state, there was no possibility of survival.

The Nightmare Demon needed a real opportunity to be reborn, but at that moment, she no longer wished to live. Standing atop the Fifth High Wall, gazing down at the wasteland below. The Nightmare Demon lamented that such a vast territory had no place for her to call home. She just wanted to live well, but even such a simple wish was unattainable.

Her mother was still fighting in a daze, while she herself had no way to survive in such an environment.

"Farewell, mother."

The Nightmare Demon at this moment was the epitome of despair. Lu Luo, who devoured the heart of the Nightmare Demon, almost physically experienced the once despair of the Nightmare Demon.

With this despair, the deformed Nightmare Demon jumped off the Fifth High Wall, plunging into the bottomless Nether River. That very river of life and death where Meiqi was!

The world gradually darkened, and in the Nightmare Demon’s view, everything quietly succumbed to stillness. She was about to die!

But Lu Luo knew that the life trajectory of the Nightmare Demon, her opportunity, was definitely not so limited.

Sure enough.

As darkness was about to completely engulf the Nightmare Demon, a feeling that was both cold and burning surged within her. The whole moat of the Fifth High Wall suddenly became a purple Nether River. The power of the Nether River instantly enveloped the shattered body of the Nightmare Demon.

Her injuries were healed, her body was reset.

The Nightmare Demon Monarch!

Finally born!

A black colt-like body, enveloped in rolling Netherflame. The Nightmare Demon quietly lay in Meiqi’s arms, like a sleeping baby.

When she gradually awoke, Meiqi seemed to have made a decision. Her body began to expand, the scene reminiscent of what Bai Yuetong once told Lu Luo. The entire Nether River transformed into Meiqi’s body. She morphed from a human-sized Medusa half-human form into a colossal creature rivaling the sky-covering beast Leviathan!

The Nightmare Demon was completely stunned by Meiqi before her. Even the largest and strongest exotic species within the wall, the Stone Mother, was not one-tenth its size.

"Was it you who saved me?"

"Live well, for the future is indeed glorious."

Meiqi treated Nightmare Demon as she had once treated Lu Luo. She also gave the Nightmare Demon a strand of Netherflame; Lu Luo knew this was the true Netherflame seed. It was exactly the same as his own, no different whatsoever.

Only, in the days to come, the Nightmare Demon would be more focused on cultivating the Netherflame seed than Lu Luo had been. It’s no wonder, considering the many excellent power systems Lu Luo had. The various sequences, Dust Devil cultivation techniques, swordsmanship. All these were powerful paths. But at that time, the Nightmare Demon had only one choice, to cultivate Netherflame. Therefore, her progress was astonishingly rapid, beyond what anyone could have imagined.

Netherflame became even more powerful in the hands of the Nightmare Demon; in some ways, it had surpassed the control of its original master, Meiqi. The power of life and death could devour others. The Nightmare Demon began to grow and expand through slaughter. She became stronger and stronger, and her mentality, her will, were constantly changing through the killings.

Ultimately, she became the true Monarch of Nightmares.

「...」

The scene ended, and Lu Luo’s body had already ignited with billowing Netherflame. This ignition was spontaneous.

When Lu Luo induced the Netherflame, both the Nightmare Demon inside the wall and Meiqi, who guarded the Doomsday Halo, seemed to sense something. They both looked in the direction of Lu Luo.

Meiqi’s beautiful eyes flickered with a very pleased light. "He really is a genius, huh? To have come this far in such a short time."

The Nightmare Demon inside the wall became even more confused. "’Has Lu Luo left as well? What’s the purpose of my staying here?

"I can’t feel the Dawn Disc anymore; as for the other two discs... Lu Luo has one of them, should I seek him out?’"

The confusion of the Nightmare Demon did not last long; soon, her eyes grew firm. "’No, the more critical the moment is, the more I need to be calm and collected.

"Now, it’s when the Wasteland Alliance is at its weakest.

"It’s time for those guys inside the wall to be dealt with!’"

「...」

[The Fusioner is assimilating Sequence rules, please wait...]

The long-missed "please wait" sounded in Lu Luo’s ears, and the sensation of energy being replenished was indeed particularly comfortable. With his current body strength and the presence of the Faithless, it was very difficult for Lu Luo to experience acute physical pain anymore. Even if he was hit very hard, although he would feel it, it couldn’t be called pain.

Savoring this perfection bit by bit, Lu Luo’s strength was sublimating unconsciously. The transition from the Fifth Tier to the Sixth Tier was not as vast as from the Fourth Tier to the Fifth Tier. It was a gradual and imperceptible process.

Before the Essence of Life had risen to the Sixth Tier, the evolution of the Faithless had already been gradually completed.

[Sequence Chain A-00 Faithless, completed enhancement]

[Sequence Chain A-00- Faithless Sequence level elevated to S]

Sequence Chain S-00- Faithless

Effect 1 - Armor: Reduces all damage by 50%, stacks with any other damage reduction, all resulting damage -40.

Effect 2 - Agility: Increases overall speed by 50%, reduces fall damage from high places, and improves jumping ability.

Effect 3 - Force: Increases physical damage by 50%, with 30% penetration of physical damage.

Effect 4 - Vigor: Increases vitality by 100%, and physical damage by an additional 50%.

Effect 5 - Superstition: You are very superstitious.

You don’t believe in the power of others, so you ignore 75% of attribute energy damage from anyone but yourself.

You only believe in your own power, so when you inflict damage on others, there will occasionally be additional effects.

You don’t believe in fate, so the reduction of control and mental effects is 90%.

Introduction 1: Only those who endure the Extreme State of Faithlessness can become beings that transcend life and death.

Introduction 2: You are a Faithless, no force can shake you.

Introduction 3: You have devoured the heart of calamity (the Nightmare Demon), you are the source of disaster, the legendary Faithless feeds on calamity.

[Through continuous refinement and effort, your Essence of Life has been elevated, to the second path (Sixth Tier)]