Apocalypse Circular-Chapter 535 - 533 Refusal

"How so?" Bai Mo was still somewhat curious.

Although the Bai Family had prepared themselves for battle and death, if they could avoid dying, no one would wish for the family to be extinguished. In the past few generations, the Bai Family had flourished. They had produced four Seventh Tier masters, and the younger generation also boasted many outstanding descendants. There was also Bai Yueguang, such an adorable junior. If they could avoid dying...

The elderly man's gaze gave Lu Luo the feeling that there was an opportunity, an opportunity to persuade the other party.

"Elder, have you forgotten what I just said? The Emperor has been missing for over three months now."

"So what? It's nothing more than a tactic commonly used by the Imperial Family to select heirs. They do this every generation to ensure fresh blood remains within the Imperial lineage. The transmission of power within the Imperial Family is not the same as that of normal humans. With the Emperor missing for three months, those Imperial princes must already be in disarray, right?"

"The princes are indeed somewhat chaotic, but the current situation isn't as bad as you might imagine, Elder. Plus, the disappearance of the Emperor is not as simple as just selecting an heir."

Lu Luo's gaze was incredibly firm. This confidence slightly wavered Bai Mo's stubbornness.

"Go on." 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"I had the fortune of visiting the Imperial Palace yesterday. Originally, I only intended to look for some clues and information. However, I didn't expect that the news I obtained from this action is simply too much for me to digest right now. That's also why, after leaving the Imperial Palace, I rushed to find you as quickly as possible."

"Continue!"

Seeing Bai Mo nod his head, Lu Luo went on.

"The Imperial Palace is now sparsely populated, very sparse. I wandered through more than a dozen palaces with the Fifty-first Princess, Wu Ye Ji, and didn't encounter a single living soul. It wasn't until we reached Lady Nolan's palace that we began to understand what was happening in the Imperial Palace."

"Nolan? That girl is indeed not bad at all."

Bai Mo clearly knew Nolan. It was rare for someone to be considered 'not bad' by him; Nolan, an Eighth Order master, naturally qualified.

"Lady Nolan told us about the current situation in the Imperial Palace. It involved a steadily decreasing population, strange sensations of surveillance, and the Emperor's disappearance. She mentioned these issues but never offered a clear answer. She felt the presence of a powerful being lurking in the darkness, watching her, which is why she dared not leave that place. Yet she hoped we could relay the situation of the Imperial Palace to others, which is why she found me and Wu Ye Ji, asking us to convey the message and seek allies."

Lu Luo relayed the situation within the Imperial Palace to Bai Mo in as much detail as possible.

This bizarre turn of events made Bai Yueguang's eyes light up. "Are you saying the Emperor is dead? That's great news! If the Emperor is dead, our Bai Family will be safe!"

Lu Luo's mouth twitched. Probably only people from the Bai Family could laugh at the death of the Emperor. They had long since ceased to hold any respect for imperial authority. The only sentiment that remained, perhaps, was hostility!

"Is everything you've said true?"

"It's all true, and the situation is far more complex than I have described. My original purpose for entering the Imperial Palace was to track the whereabouts of the Ninth Angel Envoy, Convex and Concave. It was only while chasing after Convex and Concave that I stumbled upon all this. The Angel Envoys are weakening the Imperial Family's power, and perhaps they have already succeeded in part of their plan. For instance, the Emperor's disappearance, and the death of Imperial Family members. I had made some conjectures about Convex and Concave's sealing methods before. I think that the deaths and numbers of the Imperial Family members might be related to the strength of his seal."

Lu Luo had spilled a lot of secrets, all of which were explosive news. Under normal circumstances, he could have taken his time to release all this information. But right now, that was definitely not possible. He had to move Bai Mo as quickly as possible.

Bai Yueguang smacked her lips, speaking the words Bai Mo wanted to say but didn't quite wish to articulate: "You mean, you want our Bai Family to help the Imperial Family? HAHAHAHA, Lu Luo, are you joking? Let's not even talk about the hatred between the Bai Family and the Wu Family. Even if we were willing to put aside our past grievances, do you think those people from the Wu Family would accept our help? Besides, even with an Angel Envoy, couldn't we just wait for the Wu Family to be annihilated before stepping out? Isn't the old man's strength reliable enough! Even when faced with an Angel Envoy, our Bai Family won't Xu. Since we're not afraid of the Angel Envoy, why should we go to the rescue of the Imperial Family?"

Even Lu Luo had to admit that Bai Yueguang's judgments and logic on these matters were sound. If it weren't for the Angel Envoys being too powerful, he might have done the same. But now, definitely not!

"Little Bai, you and your family always overlook what I said before. As a top family of the Imperial, you have always carried arrogance. I have already said that relying on the power of a single family absolutely cannot counter an Angel Envoy. The power of an Angel Envoy is absolutely beyond your imagination! What I've mentioned is just the lower limit of an Angel Envoy's strength. We don't know how powerful they actually are without truly battling them."

"You haven't seen the old man's strength either, so how do you know that the old man is not a match for an Angel Envoy?"

"Because the Angel Envoy is Ninth Tier, and the Elder is just Eighth Order. It's that simple!"

The simple numerical comparison revealed a bloody reality. Yes, perhaps the Bai Family is very strong, and War God-level experts are also very powerful. But no matter how strong a War God-level expert is, the upper limit for humans is always Eighth Order. There is always a gap to Ninth Tier. Humans could perhaps optimize through Cultivation Techniques, equipment, and the way they utilize energy rules, greatly enhancing personal combat strength. However, the Essence of Life between Eighth Order and Ninth Tier is vastly different. No matter how much one tried to enhance through cultivation and external items, this difference in life essence was insurmountable.

"Old man, aren't you going to refute?"

Bai Yueguang wanted Bai Mo to show off, as he had already reached the ceiling of human combat strength. But to her surprise, Bai Mo just nodded slightly, acknowledging the point. "Yes, there is a fundamental difference between Ninth Tier and Eighth Order. But you should also know that I do not fear the Angel Envoys!"

"Of course I know, but Elder, you should also know that Angel Envoys aren't just one; their numbers are not few. Meiqi is just the Tenth Angel Envoy. Against such enemies, how many can the Imperial withstand?"

Lu Luo spoke the truth. Under his words, Bai Mo finally chose silence. "Then what do you think the Bai Family should do to survive?"

Bai Mo's thoughts were simple, and Lu Luo was clear about it. For the Bai Family at present, what they craved was certainly not any honor. This could be seen from his attitude towards medals. By now, the Bai Family had long abandoned those once-held honors. They craved only one thing: to survive. How to survive was their current demand. Lu Luo was aiming to persuade the Bai Family of today from this very point, to bind them completely to his war chariot.

"The current Bai Family has almost no chance of overturning the situation. The entire Imperial Capital maintains respectful but distant relations with you. It is almost impossible to change this state in a short amount of time. However, the current situation is actually an opportunity!"

"Are you saying... salvation?" Bai Yueguang was smart. Before Lu Luo could speak, she had already guessed his idea.

Indeed, it was about salvation. He also judged this point according to what Ludie had once done.

"It's roughly that idea, yes. Salvation represents a lot. If we join forces and truly repel the sealing Angel Envoy, then the Bai Family, as the leader and the main combat force, will become the heroes of the Imperial."

"Heroes? The outcomes for heroes are mostly tragic, especially in a place like the Imperial. Wu Qiyi won't let heroes end well."

"I understand your meaning, but isn't the situation now different?"

"What's different?"

"His Majesty the Emperor is not present, and the current Imperial also needs heroes. If you become heroes, then you've gotten the entire Imperial's approval. The approval of the Imperial might not seem useful, but when the time comes, public opinion and sentiment will be your best umbrella of protection. You'll be able to safely leave the Imperial Capital and live wherever you wish! Elder, what do you think?"

Lu Luo's argument wasn't novel, but once spoken, it did have some feasibility.

Bai Mo pondered for a long time; this time, it was indeed very long. Whether the Bai Family would be extinguished or make another leap seemed to hinge on his single thought.

"Keep talking. What do we do next? How do you plan to proceed? How do you plan to have the Bai Family act? How do you plan to have the Imperial Family act? Tell me everything."

Bai Mo had many questions. Lu Luo briefly organized his thoughts and then continued: "I need the Bai Family's help to establish an Alliance. You, as a War God-level expert, are naturally the best candidate for the chief of this Alliance, and I need to represent the Alliance as its spokesperson. This is the foundation of everything because without sufficient strength as backing, the Alliance cannot be formed. So, the premise of establishing this Alliance is your participation.

Secondly, it's the unity of the Imperial Family members. You know they are always embroiled in internal strife. They wage war against each other without restraint. But in reality, this represents a very powerful force. Owing to the need for positioning, most of the Imperial's forces are backed by princes and princesses. After the announcement of the Four Great Princes' policy, the vitality of the princes and princesses has surged. This means that in this period, they garnered a stronger force than ever before. If this force could be united and focused, then it would definitely be a power capable of contending with Angel Envoys.

Finally, there's the Inspection Department and the societies. They represent the last of the Imperial's forces, with the largest population, as well as the most extensive information channels and networks. Their strength might not be the strongest, but they absolutely have the most raw numbers. War will breed enough powerful individuals, and the potential of the Transcendents will be amplified without restraint. In the end, a portion of these people will become the mainstay of this war. They cannot be underestimated, forming the best complement.

That's roughly my plan. So, what is your decision, Elder?"

At this point, Lu Luo had nothing left to hide and laid his cards on the table. If, after saying so much and adding the relationship with the Judgment Chief, he still couldn't sway the other party, then there was nothing left to discuss.

"I need to consider this matter!"

"Consider?" Lu Luo hesitated slightly.

The more significant the decision, the more it should be dictated by those in charge. At least, that's what he thought. The saying 'three cobblers equal a Zhuge Liang' is often nonsense. Subordinates don't have the perspective of their superiors. When you are not strong enough, you tend to prioritize immediate benefits. If such matters were to be discussed within the family, Lu Luo didn't even need to be told to know it would surely spark great controversy. Then, the progress of the matter would be stalled.

So, when Bai Mo said he needed to think it over at this moment, it instantly chilled Lu Luo's heart.

"Alright then, when can you give me an answer, Elder?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"I understand!"

Lu Luo left with a troubled expression. He didn't linger or say too many persuading words. He had said enough. Since the Bai Family couldn't make a decision, he would have to find another way.

After Lu Luo left, Bai Yueguang looked at Bai Mo with a curious expression. "Old man, you must have already made a decision, right? Why not agree to him directly? If you wanted to refuse, you should have blasted him out earlier!"

Bai Yueguang, who knew her grandfather all too well, voiced her doubts. As the person in the family who communicated with Bai Mo the most, Bai Yueguang was quite aware of the old man's temperament. If he really had no interest in Lu Luo's proposal, Lu Luo would have been kicked out as soon as he mentioned saving the Imperial Capital. He might have even ended up with a broken leg. But what was the old man's response? He listened carefully to Lu Luo's plan, heeded many suggestions, and finally pondered for a long time. In Bai Yueguang's opinion, such behavior clearly indicated he was about to agree to Lu Luo. Yet, unexpectedly, at the last moment, he claimed he needed to think it over. Think it over, my ass! The old man's status within the Bai Family is beyond doubt. With his Eighth Order strength, he's not someone who can be trifled with by anyone of the Seventh Tier. So even four individuals at the Seventh Tier combined could not sway Old Bai's mind. What's more, out of those four Seventh Tier experts, three were Old Bai's lackeys. Oh… 'lackey' might not be the right word here; let's say admirers. So, all things considered, Old Bai was someone whose word was law in the Bai Family, the true autocrat. Even more autocratic than the Emperor. For such an issue, there was no need for hesitation; autocrats simply make things happen. That's why I can't understand why he would leave Lu Luo hanging for a while. Lu Luo must be feeling pretty crappy right now!

Bai Mo watched Lu Luo's departing figure, a slight smile on his face. "This kid has hidden a lot. In fact, he has the scent of an Angel Envoy about him. His motives may not be as simple as he claims."

"He has the scent of an Angel Envoy about him?" Bai Yueguang was fairly shocked when she heard this.

"Exactly. His nature seems to have some similarities with that of an Angel Envoy, but he is not entirely one. Perhaps he also bears the genes of an Exotic Species. But when I speak of hidden things, I am not just referring to the matters of the mysterious Angel Envoy but also the secrets he carries himself. This kid is quite ambitious! What he wants to achieve is definitely not as simple as peace."

"Is Lu Luo that outrageous? I find him quite amiable."

"Bullshit! You just think the guy is handsome. You don't know jack squat! You judge a book by its cover. How did our Bai Family end up with someone like you?"

"What the hell, Grandpa? Who talks to their great-granddaughter like that? Besides, I'm a girl. How can you talk to a little fairy like that?"

The bickering between the old man and the young girl was somewhat bizarre. If other members of the Bai Family heard it, they would be astounded. No one could imagine that the usually serious Bai Mo could speak so casually with Bai Yueguang, the youngest of the family.

"Little fairy? You wish. You're just flat-chested."

"I am only fourteen! I am still growing."

"Back in our days, girls at fourteen were already having kids. It's not going to get any bigger. Just give up!"

"You…" Bai Yueguang was so angry she was at a loss for words, unable to win the argument. So frustrating!

"Enough, enough. No more of this pointless talk. The issue at hand is not just on our side. There's a reason why I'm making him wait."

"What reason?"

The two of them returned to discussing Lu Luo's situation, Bai Yueguang now a bit curious.

"There are three War God-level powerhouses in this country. I'm just one of them. There are two others we need to consider. Our Bai Family could become heroes of the Imperial, but before we do, we need the consent of others."

"The other two War Gods? Isn't one of them His Majesty the Emperor? He's already gone missing…"

"I know. Besides the Emperor, there's still one more!"

"I see. You're waiting for Lu Luo to deal with the other War God, right?"

"No, it's that person who will approach Lu Luo!"

"That person?"

"Gu Tianfeng!"