CHAPTER 142: CHAPTER 142: THE TIME HAS COME (REQUEST FOR FULL SUBSCRIPTION)

Lu Luo had no choice but to pay the bill himself, then carry Qi Xinzhu on his back and leave.

It was already midnight, and the entertainment street was still brightly lit.

Lu Luo didn’t have the key to the Church district with him, so he could only carry Qi Xinzhu back to his own home.

Walking on the dark streets, occasional passersby would glance at Lu Luo. They most likely assumed he had just picked up someone dead drunk from the entertainment street.

The woman on his back has a nice figure; this guy is really lucky, was probably what most passersby thought.

But only Lu Luo knew that even if he let go, Qi Xinzhu wouldn’t fall off. Her hands were clasped tightly around Lu Luo’s neck, her whole body pressed firmly against his back. She was holding on with such force that if it weren’t for Lu Luo’s Constitution of 30, she might have choked him half to death by now.

However, Lu Luo didn’t ask her to let go; he allowed her to hold onto him. Her generous proportions and the intense sensation left Lu Luo somewhat dazed. Setting other thoughts aside, it felt very comfortable; it was just a shame he couldn’t turn his head to look.

The cold wind calmed Lu Luo’s ardor. He gently held Qi Xinzhu’s thighs, helping her find a more comfortable position.

The two of them walked like this all the way back to Lu Luo’s home.

They had been in the room for less than twenty seconds when the door suddenly knocked again.

The person at the door was Lu Yang. He had just finished his cultivation and was returning to pack some things. But when he opened the door, he stared at Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu, stunned. After they all stared at each other for ten seconds, Lu Yang blinked and backed out of the room, muttering to himself, "Hey, my door isn’t broken, is it? Why is the key so hard to use? This rundown place isn’t fit for living in. I should go back to the Church."

BANG! The door closed, and Lu Yang thoughtfully left the space to Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu once more.

Lu Luo planned to put Qi Xinzhu in Lu Yu’s room, but when he pushed the door, it was locked.

Well, I’m not going to kick the lock open just for one night’s sleep; that would be too much, Lu Luo thought.

At that moment, Qi Xinzhu’s body suddenly began to squirm, her legs rubbing constantly against Lu Luo’s waist, and intermittent moans escaped her lips.

"Hey! You don’t need to pee, do you?"

"Mmm!" A moan, as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, made Qi Xinzhu’s face turn even redder.

Something’s not right, Lu Luo thought. Is she really drunk, or is she still conscious?

Lu Luo quickly put Qi Xinzhu down and helped her to the bathroom door.

"Can you go to the toilet by yourself?"

Qi Xinzhu didn’t respond, which made Lu Luo break out in a nervous sweat.

"You can’t possibly expect me to help you pull down your pants, right?"

Whether Qi Xinzhu heard him or not, her face turned even redder. She pushed Lu Luo away and staggered to the toilet.

Lu Luo immediately turned away, waiting until the trickling sound stopped before turning back to look at Qi Xinzhu.

"You don’t really expect me to help you put your pants on now, do you? Are you serious? Is this some kind of revenge?"

Lu Luo stepped forward, helped Qi Xinzhu up, let her lean on him, and then pulled up her pants for her.

He swore he really hadn’t looked the entire time; the places his fingertips touched didn’t count.

Looking at Qi Xinzhu leaning in his arms, Lu Luo simply scooped her up by the waist and walked towards his bedroom.

In the bedroom, Lu Luo carefully placed Qi Xinzhu on the bed, took off her shoes, and covered her with a quilt. He then went to the bathroom, fetched a basin of water, and briefly wiped her down.

Just as he was about to leave, Qi Xinzhu suddenly wrapped her arms around Lu Luo’s neck and pulled him down to her chest.

"Stay with me," she whispered, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.

Who could withstand this? Was he to be a beast, or something even less than a beast? Lu Luo never imagined he would one day have to make such a choice.

If Qi Xinzhu were some girl from a club, he would have acted already. Unfortunately, Qi Xinzhu was too special, both to Lu Luo and to the Church. She was the Saintess of the Church. Although the Church claimed to have no Saintess, Lu Luo knew from Qiao Xing’s tone that Qi Xinzhu’s identity wasn’t that simple. Any move he made regarding her, any potential development, had to be carefully considered.

"Qi Xinzhu, making a life-altering decision in your youth is very reckless. You’ve decided to serve Li Ming, and that is your faith. I won’t judge it as right or wrong. But have you considered what you would do if, one day, you discovered I am not the Li Ming you seek? What then? All the sacrifices you’ve made for Li Ming, everything you’ve dedicated to Li Ming—would it all become empty talk?"

Lu Luo was very aware of his own situation. He possessed the Doomsday Disc. Although he didn’t know if he would actually bring about the apocalypse, Lu Luo was certain that the disc he held was definitely not the one Qi Xinzhu worshipped.

The tipsy Qi Xinzhu felt a wave of sorrow. Dedicating her life to Li Ming was a goal that had been instilled in her since she could remember. She had always believed it was her duty to serve Li Ming, which was why she had made her decision today. Being with Lu Luo was actually a decision that brought her great joy. But, as Lu Luo had said, did she feel happy because the Li Ming she sought was Lu Luo, or because she was happy to serve Li Ming himself? If one day, Lu Luo truly wasn’t the Li Ming she sought, what would she do?

She simply couldn’t answer such a question.

"You’re so annoying! Why are you twisting words with me at a time like this? Lu Luo, why are you so infuriating?" Qi Xinzhu finally burst into tears, which streamed down her face.

"Get some good sleep." Lu Luo wiped away her tears and, without answering her question, turned and left the bedroom.

What a great girl!

"Indeed, she’s quite good!" Lu Luo nodded.

What if someone spirits her away?

"If anyone abducts her, I’ll eliminate them all," Lu Luo said with a grin, his true intentions unreadable.

That night, Lu Luo sat in the living room, lit three damp cigarettes for himself, and let the smoke envelop him.

[Optimization of the Dust Demon Mystery Technique – Mist Form training method has been extracted for the host.]

[Optimization of the Mist Form – Smoke Pervasion training method has been extracted for the host.]

[Optimization of the Mist Form – Mist Shadow Mimicry training method has been extracted for the host.]

[Optimization of the Mist Form – Energy Fusion training method has been extracted for the host.]

[Optimization of the Dust Demon Mystery Technique – Dust Demon Form is ongoing. Please wait patiently, host.]

At this point, he began to understand why Ludie always carried cigarettes. With just a little smoke, combined with the Dust Devil’s second state, Mist Form, he could use Qi He to mimic a large amount of smoke. Creating mist, controlling mist, and using mist as a weapon—that was the essence of the Mist Form.

Lu Luo was currently only able to produce a small amount of mist and control it in a rudimentary way. As Qiao Xing had said, this was indeed an enlightenment that came after his battle with Wu En. During his daytime battle with Qi Xinzhu, he had also simply used the mist to conceal their fight. Lu Luo’s understanding of the Mist Form was still very superficial. However, now that he had a path forward, mastering the Mist Form completely through diligent practice was only a matter of time.

The night passed uneventfully. Faced with the choice of being a beast or less than a beast, Lu Luo chose the latter. Perhaps it was because staying away from women truly made one stronger, but he also gained some concrete insights into the Dust Devil’s second state, the Mist Form.

Although he had forsaken a girl, he had become stronger. Wasn’t that something to be happy about?

「The next morning.」

Lu Luo bought about thirty rolls and brought them home.

Qi Xinzhu had just stepped out of the bathroom when she saw the astonishing number of rolls on the table. The awkwardness from the previous night had barely subsided, and seeing these rolls made Qi Xinzhu feel even more embarrassed.

"Lu Luo, so you eat this much in one meal!"

"Can’t help it. Those who train their bodies eat a lot."

Qi Xinzhu quietly lowered her head. After a long pause, she said softly, "I drank too much last night and started talking nonsense. Don’t take what I said to heart."

"Of course," Lu Luo said nonchalantly. "I definitely wouldn’t take something like that to heart."

Qi Xinzhu’s feelings were complicated. She wanted to tell Lu Luo that she hadn’t been completely drunk last night; at least, when she spoke at the end, she had been sober. And those words asking Lu Luo to stay... But how could she possibly bring herself to say it? Seeing Lu Luo eating and drinking heartily, Qi Xinzhu simply buried her head and sighed in frustration.

After breakfast, Lu Luo returned to the parish with Qi Xinzhu. Life, once again, settled back into its usual calm.

「In the following days.」

Their relationship seemed to return to normal. Yet, compared to their previous closeness, there was a subtle distance between them now.

The days of swordsmanship training passed one by one, and Lu Luo’s skills improved rapidly. He had set a goal for himself to complete 300,000 empowered sword swings during this period. After more than twenty days of arduous practice, he was nearing that number.

In actual combat sparring, Lu Luo had successively defeated Qi Gefei of the Knight of Justice, his elder brother Lu Yang, Yun Sang of the Fourth Ring, and many other top Second Tier experts from various Knights Groups. At this point, his invincibility among his peers no longer needed to be emphasized.

The chief of the Harvest Knights Group had not appeared. Today, Lu Luo’s final match would be against Lu Shan, the short leader of the Life Knights Group.

Lu Shan’s combat style had also undergone a significant transformation over the past month. She had transitioned from wielding her sword with two hands to using a single hand in the final few days. However, perhaps due to insufficient strength, she had to carry the greatsword on her shoulder. Moreover, when swinging it, she needed to leverage momentum and enhance it with Holy Radiance.

The two stood ready in the center of the training ground, each having adopted their stance. Lu Shan looked eager to begin. She glanced at Qi Xinzhu, who was looking down at the edge of the field, then turned her gaze back to Lu Luo.

"I’ve long wanted to spar with both you and Qi Xinzhu. It’s a pity today is the last day of swordsmanship class; it seems I won’t have another chance to face Qi Xinzhu. Nevertheless, Lu Luo, having the opportunity to face you makes this trip worthwhile."

After a month of swordsmanship cultivation and practicing the Mist Form, Lu Luo’s demeanor had become even more restrained. The pursuit of swordsmanship had brought him an inner calm, and he was already accustomed to handling matters with composure.

"As long as you’re satisfied."

"It’s getting late. Let’s begin!"

"Alright."

The members of the four major Knights Groups eagerly awaited this battle. Lu Shan had yet to lose, having defeated Lu Yang, Qi Gefei, and others. Lu Luo’s record was equally impressive; aside from his loss to Qi Xinzhu, he had no other defeats. Therefore, this was a top-level contest everyone was eagerly awaiting.

The moment Lu Luo nodded, Lu Shan drew her sword, striking first to gain the advantage—an age-old truth in combat. But her next move was peculiar: she swung her sword five times through the air, each swing releasing a slow-moving Slash Strike. These strikes seemed to hover, moving so sluggishly that even an ordinary person could easily dodge them. Lu Shan had never used such a technique before, and its purpose was unclear to everyone.

Lu Luo narrowed his eyes slightly. The strikes were too slow, far slower than Qi Gefei’s. He didn’t even need to block them. In his Steam - First Gear state, Lu Luo casually sidestepped and dodged these slow-moving strikes.

However, Lu Shan’s strikes were not so simple. As soon as Lu Luo dodged the five slashes, Lu Shan’s eyes suddenly turned blood-red.

[The target is generating Sequence particles, suspected Sequence B-004-Energy Control.]

Sequence B-004-Energy conversion

Effect: Convert the energy you release.

Description: This is an ability that needs to be cultivated.

The five Slash Strikes suddenly converged behind Lu Luo, accelerating and transforming into a bird made of Holy Radiance, which then flew towards him.

Converted Slash - Kai Bird!

This move caught Lu Luo off guard. With Lu Shan posing a threat from the front, he had no choice but to jump to evade. His agility amplified by Steam pressure, Lu Luo leaped more than nine meters high, even while holding a greatsword.

What Lu Luo hadn’t anticipated was that Lu Shan’s Converted Kai Bird could change direction.

Second Conversion!

The Kai Bird swooped towards Lu Luo again, this time from the side. Suspended in mid-air, Lu Luo had no way to dodge and had to face it.

Meanwhile, Lu Shan, on the ground, wasn’t just going to stand by and watch Lu Luo deal with her Kai Bird. She gripped her sword with both hands again, standing in a prayer-like posture.

At the same time, the Observer issued another Sequence prompt:

[Target is generating Sequence particles, suspected Sequence C-345 Heat.]

Sequence D-345-Heat (LV3)

Effect 1 - Heat: Heat something—a weapon, an object, energy, or even oneself.

Effect 2 - Flame Burst: Cause a large amount of heat energy to converge instantly at one point, creating a flame burst.

Introduction: One should never underestimate any Sequence, even a simple one like heating.

Another Dual Sequence Holder, and she’s even enhanced it to Level 3! Are Sequences so common now?

As Lu Luo said this, he completely forgot about the Sequences he himself possessed.

By the time Lu Luo sensed the heat emanating from Lu Shan, she had already prepared her unique swordsmanship.

Flame Burst - Flame Sword!

A scorching sword thrust towards Lu Luo, combining with the Kai Bird to form an inescapable pincer attack.

Lu Shan was one of the top experts here. In Lu Luo’s eyes, only Qi Xinzhu was comparable to her. So, at this moment, he wasn’t being arrogant.

Steam, Second Gear!

When the steam Qi He appeared, it began to jet downwards—the principle of a jet-propelled omni-directional mobility gear, though doing so consumed a tremendous amount of energy. However, the temporarily ejected steam propelled Lu Luo forcibly higher by a short distance.

Looking at the Kai Bird to his left and the Flame Sword flying up from below, Lu Luo could have used his Second Gear and formidable defense to withstand the attacks. The attack power of these two moves was far less than Qi Xinzhu’s Soul Sunder Strike. However, he had already tested his body’s strength; such blunt resistance was no longer meaningful.

Since it was a contest of swordsmanship, it was only natural to resolve it with swordsmanship. His mind was currently filled with images of Qiao Xing wielding his sword that night.

Sword Heart Second Form, Thousand Cuts Slash, Fu Yu!

SWISH SWISH SWISH...

Unlike Qiao Xing’s Thousand Cuts Slash, Lu Luo unleashed only eleven sword strikes in that instant. Yet, even these eleven strikes were not something Lu Shan could withstand. The first three shattered the Kai Bird, the next three annihilated the Flame Blade, and the remaining five Sword Qi...

CLINK! CLINK! CLINK! CLINK! CLINK!

Like Sword Qi steles, they were pinned into the ground around Lu Shan.

Lu Luo dived, punching Lu Shan in the chest. Although his opponent was a woman, Lu Luo, in combat, never held back against anyone except Qi Xinzhu. Lu Shan grunted and fell to the ground. The punch wouldn’t cause serious injury; by using his fist instead of his sword, Lu Luo had already shown considerable restraint.

"You’re truly amazing. I lost," she said.

This bout wasn’t as obscure as the previous fight between Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu. The straightforward advanced Sequences, top-tier swordsmanship, and powerful energy confrontation made everyone feel as if they were witnessing a battle between deities.

Were these two really our peers? What on earth did they eat growing up?

The fight between the two was short, but the details had been pushed to the extreme.

Still, there would always be those who made snide remarks.

"That’s it? I can do those two moves. Isn’t it just hacking and thrusting? Anyone with hands could do that!"

The speaker was a Hunter from the Western Ring. His comment left the members of the Four Knights Groups somewhat speechless. Perhaps he was one of those armchair experts from the comment sections.

While such armchair experts had their own views, others formed their own opinions about Lu Luo and Lu Shan.

"This Lu Luo from the Fourth Ring is incredibly strong. Only Qi Xinzhu is slightly better than him."

"Qi Xinzhu is on their side too!"

"No matter what, Qi Xinzhu is still from the Inner Ring, which shows that there are still people in the Inner Ring who can hold him down."

Regarding such evaluations, Lu Luo remained indifferent and felt no need to explain.

In this month, he had learned more than enough. He had a rough grasp of two of the Sword Heart’s four forms, Spiral Sword and Fu Yu Sword, and had also gained some rudimentary understanding of the Mist Form. His swordsmanship, strength, and timing were all sufficient.

What he now lacked was an energy reserve of nearly 30,000.

It was time for another expedition beyond the Wall.