CHAPTER 409: CHAPTER 409 NOAH - BECOMING HUMAN (PART 2) MAJOR CHAPTER

Noah’s expression was indiscernible, but from his flickering electronic eyes, one could sense that he was somewhat excited at this moment.

Luo Dan couldn’t quite understand this emotion; however, the terms Noah offered were too good for her to refuse.

"Alright, I can’t really comprehend what you are talking about. But I am still very willing to proceed with our deal," she said.

"Hehe, I feel the same, Miss Luo Dan."

Noah slowly exhaled an object from his mouth, sharp and crystalline like a needle. When this object landed on the podium, it quickly assimilated other materials there, turning them into a metallic state.

This object resembled fire, ice, and water, constantly changing, yet it did not have a particularly steady state.

After he had expelled it, Noah no longer touched it. This attitude seemed somewhat disdainful.

He waved at Luo Dan and then pointed to the object on the podium.

"Miss Luo Dan, this is the Intelligent Machine Heart, the divine object of the Intelligent Machine species, a symbol of the identity and power of the Intelligent Machine Monarch. With it, you can have control over an Intelligent Machine Legion, everything I once possessed. Now, it is yours!"

Luo Dan looked at the Intelligent Machine Heart on the podium, her expression filled with excitement. With this, she could thoroughly convince everyone and completely take control of the Inner Ring, which was already in chaos. She could subdue those dissenting heretics! And the Inner Ring Council, those who only cared about their interests. These people had played a significant role in the Inner Ring’s current state.

Being the acting Pope these past few months had exhausted all of Luo Dan’s energy. She no longer wanted to deal with these scoundrels.

No wonder the Judgment Chief wanted to cleanse the Inner Ring.

Having ascended to the Pope’s position, Luo Dan felt more and more that the Judgment Chief’s ideology was correct. It was just a pity that she hadn’t always sided with the Judgment Chief! Otherwise, the Inner Ring would not have fallen to its current state.

Without Holy Radiance, their power was greatly diminished. In the past few days, Luo Dan had already seen some people secretly practicing the strength and Qi He of Hunters.

A person of the Church actually practicing the ways of Hunters—this was something utterly unacceptable to Luo Dan. Her heart, her pride, the education she received since childhood, all told her that the Church was the most powerful entity. The development of everything in the Wasteland Alliance depended on the Church. The Church was the core of all. The Church possessed the strongest energy, the most formidable Sequences, and the most superior skills.

But all that had crumbled!

Luo Dan wouldn’t accept this; a Church like this wasn’t what she envisioned. She wanted to rebuild all of it; she aspired to restore the glory of the Inner Ring!

And to resurrect such glory, what she needed most was strength. She needed enough strength!

That’s why there was this transaction.

"It seems, Miss Luo Dan, that you have made your decision. I have shown my sincerity. What about you, Miss Luo Dan? You wouldn’t be thinking of taking what’s mine for nothing, would you?"

Noah’s voice interrupted Luo Dan’s reverie, dragging her back from her fantasy of revitalizing the Church of the Inner Ring to reality.

She looked at Noah with a grim expression. If she hadn’t completely lost her Holy Radiance, and with their current proximity, she might have...

Just as Luo Dan thought this, Noah gestured dismissively. "Do not show such a terrifying gaze, Miss Luo Dan. And do not think that just because you have regained your strength, or have obtained new power, you would be able to kill me. I have lived for over 400 years; countless times I have stood before human champions... But I have never been killed. Miss Luo Dan, you are not superior to those individuals, such as Pope Fan Zhen, or the other human sages that have appeared. Therefore, you cannot kill me either. Do you understand?"

Luo Dan, whose thoughts were seen through by Noah, felt a mix of shame and annoyance as she denied, "I don’t know what you’re talking about!"

"Alright, alright. There’s no need to admit it, but I don’t want such an interlude to affect our transaction. So, where’s the thing I asked for?"

As Noah said the last word, the overwhelming aura of the Wasteland Monarch suddenly descended. The terrifying presence filled every corner of the room. This kind of power was almost no different from that of Bai Qingshuang in the past.

Just what level has Noah’s strength... reached?

Luo Dan looked at the decrepit robot in front of her with some horror; its damaged mechanical body was emanating a layer of Dark Energy that seemed almost tangible. This state had actually been exhibited by Lu Luo when he entered the Extreme State and transformed into his ultimate form. This form already belonged to the super-dimensional state of Exotic Species energy. The only difference was that Lu Luo needed to gather all his energy to maintain the state for five minutes, whereas Noah could enter it anytime and anywhere.

"With such power, why do you still pursue something as elusive as life?"

Luo Dan’s tongue was a bit tied. Fortunately, Noah gradually reined in his aura and returned to being that ordinary, obsolete robot.

He smiled faintly at Luo Dan. "Elusive? No, you’re completely wrong, Miss Luo Dan. Only life is the most substantial thing. Anything other than life is elusive. I have everything, but I’ve always lacked a complete life. So, let’s begin the transaction!"

This time, Luo Dan did not hesitate anymore. After staring at Noah for a few seconds, she nodded firmly.

"Alright!"

From the bag she carried, she pulled out a handful of beads. The Fruit of Life, or rather, the Seed of Origination! There were many, with a single handful containing more than a dozen. But it did not end there. She continued grabbing more, and more, until the Seeds of Origination eventually covered the entire table. Only then did she slowly stop.

Then, she took a small booklet from her bosom and placed it to one side.

"All the Fruits of Life that I could find in the Church are here, a total of 503. This is the secret tome of Life Return, something left by the Pope. Check them."

Noah’s electronic eyes scanned the items on the table. He immediately turned towards Luo Dan with a charming smile.

"There’s no need to check. Even from this distance, I can feel the surging life force in these things. Your Church really is full of talent. To think of a forbidden Secret Technique like Life Return. Indeed, the thinking of life is limitless, impressive."

These heartfelt words from Noah sounded to Luo Dan like mockery of the Church. The two had completely different understandings of life and thought, hence the conflict in thinking.

"Mocking the Church won’t get you anything more, only my disdain!"

Hearing Luo Dan’s retort, Noah hesitated for a moment. His hesitation was due to not understanding! But he soon grasped the meaning behind Luo Dan’s words:

"Sorry, I spoke out of turn. I should not impose my views on others."

Seeing Noah apologize sincerely, Luo Dan once again turned her gaze back to the Intelligent Machine Heart.

"Can we start our transaction now?"

"Anytime. I told you, the Intelligent Machine Heart is already yours."

Luo Dan carefully approached the Intelligent Machine Heart, slowly extending her finger. Just as she was about to touch it, she stopped again.

"Will there be danger?"

"Of course not."

"You’re not deceiving me?"

"Haven’t you felt it already?"

Though Noah’s voice carried an electronic timbre, at that moment, it was full of a tempting quality, enticing Luo Dan to get closer to that Intelligent Machine Heart.

Luo Dan took a deep breath, and her finger directly touched the Intelligent Machine Heart.

SIZZLING!

The moment Luo Dan’s finger touched the Intelligent Machine Heart, energy, rules, and the information exchanged between Intelligent Machine species flooded into her mind in an instant.

Her skin swiftly turned to metal—white, gold, blue... All sorts of colors flashed across Luo Dan’s skin. Some were as cold as ice, while others were like molten iron.

After each metal material flickered past, Luo Dan’s state gradually became more restrained. She reverted back to her human appearance.

She slowly clenched her fist, feeling the surging power within her body. She was slightly fascinated by it.

But when she tried to take a deep breath to feel the transformation, Luo Dan’s expression suddenly turned to shock!

"Huh? What’s this sensation?"

Luo Dan covered her mouth and nose, seemingly uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, Noah calmly collected the Seeds of Origination from the table. Then he flipped through the manual that recorded Life Return. After a dozen seconds, the manual turned to ashes in Noah’s hands.

Having done all this, Noah turned his head, bowed slightly, and spoke to Luo Dan, "This is the sensation of the Intelligent Machine species. Welcome to the world of machinery, Your Majesty, my Queen!"

Seeing Noah bow before her, Luo Dan suddenly felt an unreal sensation. The acquisition of power, the compliments from the strong—these gave her an immense sense of satisfaction in a very short time. Yet the absence of certain things made her feel bizarre!

"Noah, my breathing..."

Noah seemed to know what Luo Dan wanted to say and preemptively spoke, "No, my Queen, as the Monarch of the Intelligent Machines, you no longer need to breathe. What a relief that is! From now on, you will never experience the fluctuation of breath during battle. You can merge perfectly into any metal and can also influence the thoughts of other Intelligent Machine species. In the presence of all Intelligent Machine objects, you are undoubtedly the Queen!"

However, Luo Dan actually didn’t listen to the rest of Noah’s flattering remarks. The only thing pacing through her mind was that she no longer needed to breathe.

Is this a good thing, or a bad thing? She didn’t even know herself.

At that moment, she was still in a state of bewilderment. She needed time to control and get acquainted with her new power. So, having Noah here seemed like a very dangerous affair.

"Alright, I get it. Since our trade is complete, Noah, you can leave now!"

Noah bowed again, as if he had anticipated Luo Dan’s concern. "As you wish, Your Majesty, I shall depart now. But I must remind you that after I leave this time, we may never meet again. Please take good care of yourself!"

"Go, just go!" For some reason, Luo Dan felt suddenly unable to control her emotions, her voice becoming almost a roar.

"Oh, I’m leaving now, but before I go, I, as the former Monarch of the Intelligent Machines, have one last treasure, or rather a gift for the Monarch, to present to Your Majesty."

Suppressing the turmoil in her emotions, Luo Dan looked at Noah and asked, "A gift? A treasure? What are you giving me?"

"Don’t worry too much, Your Majesty, this really is a treasure." Noah said, taking out a ring identical to the one Lu Luo had. "This object is called Noah’s Heart. I spent my life creating it, and it contains a space within. However, only the Intelligent Machine species can use it. As you know, Your Majesty, I’m off to pursue life, so this symbol of the Intelligent Machine Monarch can only be left to you. I hope you like it!"

After Noah spoke, he unceremoniously placed Noah’s Heart on the table. He then left the room directly.

Luo Dan looked at Noah’s Heart with a touch of skepticism, but after pondering for a long time, she still picked up the ring.

She had already merged with the Intelligent Machine Heart; what was a mere ring in comparison?

The moment she held Noah’s Heart, Luo Dan understood its use.

Upon opening the ring, Luo Dan was slightly surprised!

"There’s actually... really a space, and such an immense one at that. Noah didn’t lie to me; this ring, it truly is a spatial artifact!"

Luo Dan excitedly slipped the ring onto her finger and then tentatively put some items inside it. She lifted the ring and looked at it again.

After putting her hand down, Luo Dan’s gaze regained its determination.

"Noah is right, I am the new Intelligent Machine Monarch, and I will restore the glory of the Inner Ring! I will become the true sovereign of the Wasteland Alliance!"

Everything around her turned to ashes at the sound of Luo Dan’s low roar.

And old Noah himself had long since left the place, returning to the Fourth Ring.

「...」

Noah arrived at the amusement park in the Southern Ring, looking at everything before him. This overlord, who had withstood 400 years of trials and tribulations, also felt somewhat dazed. All that he had managed and created seemed to be relinquished at this moment. He did all this because he wanted to become a true living being. But was such a price really worth it? Noah himself wasn’t too sure.

He went alone to the laboratory deep underground and took out the 503 Seeds of Origination from his space. He placed them in his purification vessel.

"Success or failure, it all comes down to this moment. And to hesitate is to be defeated!"

CLICK, CLACK!

The sound of machinery starting up resonated in the room, with energy gathering in front of the purifying machine. Whether it was a problem of thought or distrust in the nature of life, Noah did not use the Life Return Cultivation Technique. At least, during the process of guiding the life force, he consistently used machinery.

The purification proceeded methodically. But as Noah was about to enter the critical final stage, the life force began to grow unstable.

Noah panicked. The Fruit of Life required the sacrifice of a bride, Holy Radiance, and the birth of life—a trinity—to be created. Now that the Wasteland Alliance was without Holy Radiance, there were no more Fruits of Life. For these Fruits of Life, he had already given up the supreme power he once held.

If he were to fail...

"I am Noah, I am the Intelligent Machine Monarch, and I... will never fail."

Noah suddenly rose into the sky, not staying within the Fourth Ring, but instead flying beyond the wall. He stopped in a vibrant forest.

The moment Noah landed, the trees around him instantly withered and died, as if life had been drained from them in an instant.

His palm suddenly lit up with intertwining red and green lights. If Lu Luo were here, he would certainly recognize this light. This intermingling of red and green light was the overlap of life force, as well as a cycle of life and death.

The first time Noah saw Life Return, he had already grasped how to use it. After 400 years of accumulation, Noah had, in fact, already obtained various human cultivation methods from countless humans. But those were not what he wanted. He disdained them, and he didn’t need them.

But this time was different; he wanted to become human. For this purpose, he was willing to practice the human Cultivation Technique he most disdained.

"Noah—become human!"

Vitality, matter, and innumerable energies gradually clung to Noah’s body. His mechanical body was being replaced bit by bit, from the initial fingers and arms, to his torso and internal organs!

Time ticked away.

Until black strands of hair fluttered in the wind, and the new Noah, at last, appeared.

At this moment, he resembled a young man. Average height, average face.

The life force brought forth by the 503 Fruits of Life could extend a creature’s lifespan by hundreds of years.

Noah was extremely satisfied. This feeling, this state.

Noah glanced at his arms, his legs, and his heart that was still pulsating strongly. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. In fact, this wasn’t a twitch, but the slight pull of real muscles forming a smile.

Noah had never truly smiled before. So, all his knowledge was purely theoretical, a form of mechanical simulation. But this time it was completely different; this time, he smiled as a real living being for the first time. Although the smile looked fake, it was genuine.

"The rotten, sour air, the insects disrupting peaceful dreams. Hehehehe, hahahaha, HAHAHAHAHAHA!..."

Noah laughed uncontrollably, his breath astonishingly enduring. The surrounding Exotic Species seemed to sense something in this laughter and kept their distance, because the aura Noah inadvertently exuded instilled a fatal sensation in these creatures.

After getting accustomed to his state, Noah stomped his foot on the ground and flew back to the base in the Southern Ring.

The moment he landed, all the Intelligent Machine species within the Southern Ring naturally prostrated themselves on the ground.

This scene was somewhat unexpected for Noah.

"The Monarch’s coronation!"

The voices of the Intelligent Machine species echoed across the Southern Ring amusement park, despite Noah not requesting or commanding them. He had even given up the Intelligent Machine Heart, so everything before his eyes was beyond his expectation.

"I’m no longer your king. Your new queen, you should be able to sense her, right?"

Noah was referring to Luo Dan, but the Intelligent Machine species completely ignored what Noah said. Once more, they cried out together:

"The Monarch’s coronation."

Noah pondered for a moment, as if he understood something.

"It seems I am a step closer to that realm! If you still honor me as king, then continue doing so! Next, we must dutifully follow the commands of Queen Luo Dan. After all, I did gift her a Noah’s Star; she must be quite fond of it, right? Just like Mr. Lu Luo, treasuring the ring as if it were a precious belonging, never letting it go!"

Noah casually approached the vending machine and, after punching it, two bottles of coke fell out. He drank the coke with great pleasure.

Noah’s gaze then shifted towards the wall outside, his eyes once again resolute.

"I’ve completed everything; this time, it should be enough!"

「...」

The Nightmare Demon stood by the red pillar of the Fourth High Wall in the Eastern Fourth Ring, gazing at the red pillar, lost in thought.

"The Fourth Ring has found its right path. If you were still alive, would you be happy?"

It was uncertain whether Lu Xiaotian’s words were addressed to Ludie inside the red pillar or to herself.

At that moment, Tong Meng slowly walked up behind Lu Xiaotian and knelt down on one knee.

"Master, what do you need?"

"Tong Yuan is dead."

"Huh?" Tong Meng was somewhat shocked.

Given Tong Yuan’s strength and their group’s current status in the Fourth Ring, she could almost be described as having no natural predators. The people in the Inner Ring were recuperating; this process could be very long. And during this period, it was the best opportunity for the Fourth Ring to develop. Without any disturbances, who could kill Tong Yuan? A high-level Exotic Species from beyond the wall?

That seems unlikely! Tong Yuan carried the Nightmare Demon’s aura; even high-level Exotic Species would show her some deference. How could she die?

"Are you surprised?"

"Yes. How did Tong Yuan die?"

"She, well, she went where she shouldn’t have," the Nightmare Demon said ambiguously.

Tong Meng knew she shouldn’t ask any further. But she still couldn’t help wondering: apart from the Inner Ring, were there any other places within the Wasteland Alliance that one shouldn’t go to?

"Do you have any orders, master?"

"Grab something and hold a funeral for Tong Yuan."

"A funeral?"

Tong Meng didn’t quite understand. Since when did Exotic Species have the custom of funerals? Normally, after an Exotic Species died, it would either decompose or be eaten. There was no such thing as these empty rituals.

"Tong Meng, we’ve changed!"

"Eh? I understand. I’ll start preparing right now."

The Nightmare Demon’s expression grew somber. Steam Qi He swirled in her hands, converging, then she punched the red pillar.

In the Fourth Ring, she had gained a lot. However, she wasn’t as happy as she had imagined. She didn’t know when, but the people around her had become fewer and fewer.

The path to perfection for Exotic Species is to become human. But what is the path to perfection for humans? Gods, perhaps?

The Nightmare Demon had a feeling that after she completely transformed into a human, with the unification of her spirit, body, and will, her humanity was also slowly diminishing.

Back when she was still in her Nightmare Demon form, if she discarded a doll, she would wail and cry. Or she would unleash her rage, letting Netherflame consume everything. But not anymore. Abandonment, compromise—she had done too many things that only humans do. And she had experienced too many emotions unique to humans.

In the past, she wouldn’t have cared about the loss of these emotions. But today, she felt the death of Tong Yuan!

The black cat Tong Yuan was actually one of the first Exotic Species to follow the Nightmare Demon. They grew up together, becoming the best of companions, comrades, and subordinates. Tong Yuan was the Exotic Species that the Nightmare Demon treasured the most. This favoritism lasted even after they had all taken on human forms.

But recently, whether it was because black cat Tong Yuan was too slow in learning how to be human, or because she herself was too busy, the Nightmare Demon felt that she didn’t love Tong Yuan as much as before. The two gradually grew apart without realizing it, transforming from initial companions into mere subordinates. Tong Yuan must have sensed some changes too, which is why she started to distance herself from the Nightmare Demon, following Qin Wanyu around every day instead. The Nightmare Demon herself didn’t say much about it. They were all veterans who had come out with her; excessive criticism was completely meaningless.

If it was just a matter of gradually growing apart, the Nightmare Demon might not have noticed anything. It was only with Tong Yuan’s death that she felt something was definitely wrong.

She was... not very sad!

Logically, Tong Yuan’s death should have been a huge blow to her. But at this moment, she felt nothing.

Clearly, this was abnormal. It was some change that had occurred in her, not simply a change in personality, but a change in her will that had arisen after her strength increased.

Have I become indifferent in my emotions?

The Nightmare Demon looked at the red pillar. The image of Ludie dying in front of her was becoming blurred. At the time, she had vowed to remember this incident for a lifetime. How long had it been? And there were already signs of forgetting?

Her memory was strong. Although it couldn’t reach the Observer’s level of super memory, it was still much better than that of ordinary creatures. Since her memory was fine, this forgetting itself had nothing to do with memory.

Is it because my strength has grown so much that I’m naturally discarding my own emotions and memories?

To be honest, the Nightmare Demon didn’t want it to be like this. She wanted to retain her humanity; though she was not very old, she understood this very clearly. Humanity, despite its many ugly aspects, also had its beautiful side. Just like when their family reunited in the Red and White Castle. Even though it was only for one night, that night remained the most memorable in the Nightmare Demon’s memory, resonating more deeply than any suffering she had endured before. Compared to the happiness of that moment, the previous hardships seemed trivial.

So, she wanted to preserve her humanity as much as possible. She didn’t want to become a monster that only understood self-interest, devoid of emotion.

Noah, that guy who lived more than 400 years, how did he seek out humanity?

The Nightmare Demon released her aura, a Monarch-level presence that could be easily detected by other Monarchs. Her purpose in doing so was to call out to Noah.

If it had been before, Noah would have responded to her quickly. But this time, there seemed to be a problem... Her call was like a stone sinking into the sea; for a long time, there was no response.

Noah, what’s going on?

The Nightmare Demon looked towards the Southern Fourth Ring. Her relationship with Noah wasn’t particularly good, but his existence served as a significant warning to the Nightmare Demon! If Noah were gone, it would be more than just losing a reference point for her.

Something’s wrong with this guy!

「...」

On the road from Dong’an to Coal Capital, Yang Di was driving a small car, humming a tune, contentedly enjoying the barbecue Lu Luo had just prepared for her.

Damn! You know what, Lu Luo, this guy, not only looks handsome and is strong, but he can also cook. He got all the good stuff; I wonder what kind of woman will be lucky enough to have him in the future.

"Aren’t you eating?" While she ate, Yang Di drove with one hand.

Although Lu Luo’s physical constitution was strong enough to be immune to car explosions, he still disliked Yang Di’s habit of driving one-handed, or even no-handed.

"Driving with one hand is not good."

"Oh, my driving is slick; I won’t roll the car over!"

Lu Luo felt helpless; such a trivial matter was indeed not worth arguing over.

At this moment, his gaze turned towards the rearview mirror and he said faintly, "Someone is coming closer to us."

"Huh?"

Upon hearing Lu Luo’s words, Yang Di subconsciously looked into the rearview mirror. There’s nothing there, right?

Then she turned her head to look back with her naked eye. At the edge of her vision, she indeed spotted an almost imperceptible black dot.

"Lu Luo, your eyesight..."

"What about my eyesight?"

"Nothing."

I bet what she wanted to say was, if you were peeping at women bathing, it would be really convenient.

Lu Luo’s eyes suddenly lit up! That made so much sense!

BEEP BEEP!

The car behind caught up quickly. After pulling alongside Lu Luo and the others, a somewhat uninhibitedly dressed woman popped her head out.

"Hey! Handsome, we’re running low on gas. Could you spare us some? Of course, we’ll pay for it, double the price."

The "handsome" she was calling out to was not Lu Luo, but Yang Di. Lu Luo was in the passenger seat, so the woman opposite couldn’t see his face. It was normal for her to call Yang Di handsome. This was because Yang Di was wearing a men’s shirt, had short hair, and wore a huge pair of sunglasses. Her bust size was also almost negligible. Perfectly concealing almost all feminine characteristics, wasn’t she just a handsome young man?

Although what the other person said wasn’t wrong, Yang Di still bristled. Although she dressed androgynously, she had never considered herself a tomboy. So she directly cursed at the other person.

"Bullshit, I’m a woman!"

Yang Di’s infuriated embarrassment only made the woman opposite’s tone more teasing.

"Oh, so you’re a flat-chested one, huh? No wonder."

Lu Luo subconsciously glanced at Yang Di. Flat-chested? ’Airport’ seems more direct.

"What are you looking at? Do you want to give them some oil?"

Lu Luo shook his head. The people opposite them were all Transcendents, three in total, with Sequence ranks of 2, 2, and 3. He was on his way to Coal Capital for a case; aside from that, he didn’t want much interaction with the people there.

Seeing Lu Luo shake his head, Yang Di was about to refuse the other party verbally. But just then, several giant scorpions burst from the ground, blocking the way ahead.

"Green Armor?"

Lu Luo frowned slightly, not expecting to encounter such a familiar Exotic Species within Imperial territory. However, Green Armors were a very common type of crustacean. They were abundant, so their appearance in such a semi-Gobi environment wasn’t entirely surprising.

Before Lu Luo and his group could take action, the car next to them screeched to a halt. The three people from the car rushed out and attacked the swarm of Green Armors!

The sounds of blasts and gunshots continued incessantly. The trio’s coordination was incredibly in sync, and in no time, they wiped out the few Green Armors.

After tossing the corpses to the side of the road, the leading woman strutted over to Lu Luo and his group, chest puffed out.

"All right, handsome young man, the danger has been cleared!"

The woman was still teasing Yang Di, but just as she finished speaking, her gaze suddenly swept over to Lu Luo. Lu Luo’s appearance seemed to surprise her.

"So there really is a handsome young man here!"

After saying that, the woman was ready to leave, no longer mentioning the issue of car oil. However, their dealing with the Green Armors was genuinely helpful, and they didn’t ask for anything in return. Even though Lu Luo didn’t need this kind of help, he still acknowledged the favor.

"Hey, if you’re short on oil, come over here. We can spare you some."

Only then did the woman turn her head, looking at Lu Luo with a beaming smile, "Hehe, you really are a thoughtful guy! I’m Man Ni, and you?"

"Lu Luo."

Man Ni and her group refilled some car oil, not much, but enough to get them to Coal Capital. To thank Lu Luo and his companion, Man Ni’s group took out some food from their car, inviting them to take a break right there.

The journey was quite long, and there was a river not far ahead. Man Ni specifically invited Yang Di to bathe with her. When Yang Di heard the request, her expression was strange, but she ultimately agreed.

After the two women left for their bath, the remaining three men—Lu Luo, Li Er, and Li San—rather boredly sat down on the highest available rock.

Why sit on the highest rock? Because you can see farther! Why the need to see farther? Children wouldn’t understand.

Li Er and Li San, holding binoculars, poked Lu Luo who was beside them, "Hey, bro, want to try this out?"

Lu Luo spoke with righteous indignation, "An upright gentleman like myself would never spy on others bathing."

The Li brothers nodded respectfully, not saying anything further.

But at that moment, Lu Luo muttered, She’s so slow at undressing!

The Li brothers: ???

Then Lu Luo continued, "A man’s life has at least 10 years utterly wasted: five of those are spent waiting for women to change clothes, and another five are spent waiting for women to undress."

Upon hearing this, Li Er thought it made a lot of sense, but Li San offered a different interpretation.

Doesn’t that mean I’ve gained 10 years for nothing?

Lu Luo: ??? Is this the self-awareness of a hardcore bachelor?

This person’s comprehension is on an enterprise level!