Having dealt with Tang Pan, Lu Luo left the studio and headed straight for a casino in the East Ring.

The former Circle Studio employee named He Hai was squandering his money there at the moment.

In fact, his luck had been pretty good recently, and it all started after he left Circle Studio.

He felt that betraying Circular for money, and then leaving Circular to live extravagantly, was the best decision he had ever made.

At that moment, He Hai was sitting in the middle seat at a baccarat table, flanked by two "seafood girls" who probably cost 300 bucks each, one of whom even had a 100-dollar chip stuffed between her breasts.

Considering the prices set by the Wasteland Alliance, the number of women, and the 300 bucks these seafood girls cost, it wouldn't be too much compared to the 3,000 from Lu Luo's previous life.

The price of 300 was really not cheap.

He Hai called for two at once, which showed how inflated he had become.

A few gamblers here were discussing topics related to the East Ring and Dark Energy.

They didn't have much ability when it came to fighting Exotic Species, but when it came to pontificating, no combat strength was needed.

"Hey! There's been a lot of commotion in the Fourth Ring lately!"

"No kidding, it's crawling with Exotic Species. It's hard to find a place to have fun. This place is still decent, though."

"Nonsense, didn't you see how many Transcendents the boss of Jin Xi has hired? Look at those bodyguards and thugs over there, they are all Transcendents."

Hearing these people boast, the worldly He Hai felt disdainful. Were these people even worthy of being called Transcendents?

"You guys don't know shit. These are just newly minted Transcendents, barely at the beginner's level, not even First Tier.

Plus, Transcendents are not that valuable anymore. I heard that in a while, once we adapt to the new Dark Energy Level, we'll be pretty much on par with Transcendents."

"Brother He always knows more."

"Is it hard to adapt to the Dark Energy Level? I've been feeling unwell these past few days. What if I can't adapt?"

"Then you'll become an Exotic Species and eat them all up! HAHAHA!~"

Men and women mixed together, spouting all sorts of improbable boasts, creating a very lively atmosphere.

Two minutes later, the beautiful croupier had already shown the cards.

"Banker seven points, Player eight points, Player wins."

"HAHAHA! I knew it, 11 Player wins in a row, and this hand is Player again."

"Follow Brother He's bets, and you're sure to win."

"Of course!"

He Hai burst into laughter, casually pinching the woman next to him, causing the seafood girl to giggle continuously.

However, a somewhat abrupt voice interrupted He Hai's laughter.

"Eleven Player wins, Brother He is going to make a fortune!"

"Who the hell are you?"

He Hai turned his head irritably, wanting to see which blind bastard was disturbing his money-making.

But when he saw the person behind him, his mind went blank.

His body, already numbed by alcohol and women, suddenly felt a shiver.

At first, he couldn't even remember who this person was, but his instincts quickly reminded him, bringing him gradually back to his senses.

"Lu, Brother Lu Luo!"

Lu Luo's reputation was no joke; at least among the Hunters and everyone at Circle Studio, no one ever dared to question him.

Even though Lu Luo had not been at Circle Studio for very long.

And even after returning to the studio, he usually holed up in his own office, acting like a mascot boss.

But none of this detracted from Lu Luo's dominant image in the minds of the Circle Studio employees.

Because those who had been involved in the early construction of Circle Studio knew that its success today was inseparable from Boss Lu Luo's solid channels and formidable personal combat strength.

So even though He Hai had not seen Lu Luo many times, his feeling toward Lu Luo was one of pure awe.

"Brother Luo, I..."

"Let's go."

Lu Luo didn't give He Hai a chance to explain and grabbed him by the neck, lifting him up.

"AH!~"

Screams erupted from all around, and the newly recruited Dark Energy-Awakened bodyguards in the casino immediately blocked Lu Luo's path.

A group of men dressed in suits, wearing black sunglasses, had quite an imposing bearing.

They were all newly-emerged Transcendents from the past few days, although most of them had not yet reached a tier.

However, the sudden surge of Dark Energy within their bodies had still given them enough power, even without any Cultivation Technique, to set them apart from ordinary people.

The lead bodyguard casually brushed his hair back, then took off his sunglasses with great style.

He was also tall and slim, and standing beside Lu Luo, it even created an air of sharp antagonism!

[Name unknown, First Tier human, weak, no Sequence. Attributes: Not necessary to mention.]

"Sir, making trouble in our Jin Xi, you'd better think clearly..."

BANG!

The man hadn't finished speaking when Lu Luo slammed his head into the wall with one hand.

If it had been a normal day, Lu Luo might have taken a moment to explain the Hunters' rules to these people.

But Lu Luo wasn't in a good mood at the moment, so he couldn't be bothered with their nonsense.

Since he had decided to act, he might as well settle it all at once!

The force was immense, but a First Tier Transcendent shouldn't die that easily!

"You..."

A few of the casino's bodyguards began to retreat. Lu Luo's strength was too shocking; he had actually pinned their leader into the wall with one hand. It was simply outrageous.

It wasn't just his strength; they hadn't even clearly seen Lu Luo's movements.

In this situation, no one dared to move against Lu Luo. They could only raise the guns they had recently purchased from Hongtu Armory and point them at Lu Luo.

"I'm only taking He Hai with me. If you don't particularly want to die, then stop right there."

Lu Luo walked straight towards the exit, while He Hai cried out and struggled, trying to break free from Lu Luo's grasp.

Lu Luo didn't knock him out, allowing He Hai to squirm in his grip, but he never released his hold on his neck.

Just as he was about to reach the exit, some people from the Jin Xi casino could no longer hold back.

BANG!

A guard from a corner took a surreptitious shot at Lu Luo.

DING!

The shooter wasn't very accurate, so the bullet hit Lu Luo's ear, getting squashed in the gap between his earlobe and scalp.

Lu Luo stopped, plucked the flattened bullet from his ear, and, holding it, turned around.

"Interesting."

The guard in the corner was already stunned. He just wanted to kill this guy.

That way, he could make a name for himself in the company, gain more resources, and even get a Cultivation Technique for Transcendents from their boss.

Now that the Fourth Ring of the Wasteland was so chaotic, anyone could rise to power. He just didn't want to be a lackey anymore and wanted to reach the top in one step. What was wrong with that?

But... why was there someone impervious to bullets? This was a Desert Falcon pistol from Hongtu Armory!

No, that's not right, he must have missed. There had to be an explanation. How could anyone be bulletproof? It must be an illusion.

The bodyguard was nervous and trembling, but he chose to continue firing, this time in rapid succession.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Several bullets hit Lu Luo harmlessly, but one of them actually struck He Hai's arm, nearly killing him.

This, Lu Luo couldn't tolerate.

WHOOSH!

He casually flicked the bullet he held, and it blew the man's head off.

Then, he gently lifted his foot and forcefully stomped on the ground.

BOOM!

A ring of shockwaves, almost visible to the naked eye, spread rapidly outwards, sending almost everyone sprawling.

The wooden staircase leading to the second floor completely collapsed. Such a fierce attack finally forced the person in charge here to act.

Jin Kai emerged from a private room on the second floor, looking alarmed and unsure, hastily putting on his clothes. He was followed by an attractive woman with a flushed face.

In this situation, one glance was enough to know what he had just been doing.

Although this casino operated under his name, he wasn't the real owner.

Usually, Jin Kai just dallied with women here and took his cut; he was essentially just an enforcer tasked with watching the place.

Now, with such a major incident at the casino, if he didn't show himself, he would likely be unable to explain today's events to the real owner.

"Which group are you with, brother? How should I address you?"

Lu Luo slightly raised his eyes. He wasn't actually very keen on dealing with these underworld and gang types.

Because in his past life, he had dealt with them far too much.

Although many stories and novels romanticized these gangs, the underworld was the underworld, and no amount of romanticization could change that.

Don't say that some underworld groups have principles.

In reality, the very essence of most underworld organizations was wrong; principles couldn't change their fundamental nature.

Moreover, the Wasteland world was a world of Transcendents. Since the 404 Incident, Lu Luo had primarily dealt with Hunters and Exotic Species.

Underworld figures, with their low level of power, were genuinely beneath his notice.

Previously, at the Little Swan Entertainment Club, Lu Luo had dealt with a gang once, making 30,000 bucks and incidentally... hmm!

But after that, he hadn't really involved himself in gang-related business.

They were too low-grade. Even back then, Lu Luo had already looked down on gangs, let alone now.

"I'm Lu Luo, from the Circular Transcendents Affairs Office."

Jin Kai was uncertain of Lu Luo's strength, but even at his Second Tier Transcendent level, he definitely couldn't have caused such destruction with a single stomp.

Forget Second Tier; even a Third Tier probably couldn't do it.

So the question was, how strong was this guy? What exactly did he want? Was he here to smash up the place? Or to demand money?

"Peace brings wealth, Brother Lu Luo, why such a big temper? If it's money you want, that can certainly be discussed.

The situation in the Fourth Ring is a bit different now; a master like you, Brother Lu Luo, is actually very much in demand."

Lu Luo scanned the casino and sighed softly.

He wasn't sighing for these people, but for the increasingly unpredictable future of the Fourth Ring.

"I wasn't angry to begin with," Lu Luo said. "I was just pondering whether to address you using the rules from inside the wall, or to teach you a lesson using the rules from outside the wall.

I know that after the Dark Energy surge, many ordinary people have gained significant improvements, even awakened their Sequence, and re-unlocked Transcendent talents.

Previously, the Alliance could somewhat restrain the Fourth Ring through Hunters and the Church, but things are different now.

The increase in Dark Energy has given many ordinary people, who originally lived at the bottom, some ideas.

Regardless of whether these ideas are right or wrong, most people are no longer willing to be controlled, oppressed, and exploited.

They feel they have self-awakened, so it's no exaggeration to say that the Fourth Ring is now a lawless land.

And it's precisely because of this that gangs like yours can gather so many low-tier Transcendents and form power groups.

You have a certain negative impact on society, on the stability of the entire Fourth Ring.

The Fourth Ring now is almost no different from the environment outside the wall. If we go by the rules outside the wall, since you've offended me, I should kill you all."

As Lu Luo spoke of killing them all, most people visibly tensed up.

Whether Transcendents or ordinary people, they all felt the same nervousness.

In fact, these new Transcendents hadn't experienced the true law-of-the-jungle rules from outside the wall; they had only gained their powers in the last few days.

These people who had suddenly obtained power, Sequence, and talents often had an upstart mentality or an inflated sense of self.

They didn't understand the rules for Transcendents outside the wall, nor could they comprehend the tyranny of power that arises once things like laws fail.

Therefore, Jin Kai said with faux defiance, "To start talking about killing over a mere disagreement, surely Hunters aren't that unreasonable?"

Hearing Jin Kai say this, Lu Luo suddenly felt like laughing. They really didn't get it!

"Hunters indeed don't usually act too outrageously within the wall. But if you think of them as perfect gentlemen or guards, well, that's rather laughable.

If this were outside the wall, killing to silence, survival of the fittest—these are the precedents Hunters set, the rules they established. What did you think?"

"You're talking about outside the wall. But this isn't outside the wall; this is inside the wall," Jin Kai said, very nervous. Although Lu Luo hadn't made a move, the pressure he exuded was immense.

Doubt flickered in Lu Luo's eyes as he stroked his chin.

"Yes, this is inside the wall, which is why I haven't acted.

But I don't know if, after a while, this place will become just like it is outside the wall.

If the rules here will become the same as those outside the wall.

It's because I can't be sure of this that I haven't dealt with you using the rules from outside the wall."

Looking at the men and women in the casino, Lu Luo felt somewhat bored. Without realizing it, he had become a person from a different world.

"Let's call it a day. Good luck to you all, and may the world find peace."

Lu Luo grabbed He Hai and left, leaving behind a group of dumbfounded casino staff.

They pondered Lu Luo's words. Some were dismissive, while others truly grasped things they had never considered before.

Lu Luo was completely right. If the environment in the Fourth Ring became identical to that outside the wall...

Then the question arose: would new rules emerge?

If new rules did emerge, who would decide them?

The Wasteland Alliance Council? The Dawn Church? Or the Hunters?

Hunters had always gained strength by operating in the harsh environment outside the wall. Now, the Inner Ring's Dark Energy advantage was gone.

Would the Hunters continue to obediently listen to the Council?

If the Hunters staged a coup or something similar, would these emerging Transcendents join the turmoil?

These were questions that humans who had adapted to the anomalies of the Fourth Ring needed to consider carefully.

...

「In the slum's Lan Tian base, Lu Luo threw He Hai into a deep pit underground.」

"Brother Luo, listen to my explanation."

Lu Luo didn't speak. He just took out a moldy cigarette he hadn't smoked in a long time, lit one for himself, and then lit one for He Hai.

Although the cigarette reeked of mold, He Hai didn't dare refuse it.

Lu Luo exhaled a smoke ring filled with the smell of mold and sighed slightly.

"Although I was mentally prepared for the possibility of a mole, I still find it hard to accept when it actually happens.

Take Brother Kane, for example. A perfectly good Soup Messenger, turned into a little sapling. What exactly did he go through?"

He Hai didn't quite understand what "Soup Messenger turning into a little sapling" meant, but Lu Luo's current expression terrified him.

Moreover, he had already noticed something monstrous in the cave behind them!

"Brother Luo, I'm sorry! I'll give you all the money, just let me go, please?"

Lu Luo still ignored him, continuing to mutter to himself, "Brother Kane had it rough that time. His whole hand was gone. Luckily, a little sapling grew out."

He Hai was crying now. He didn't understand why Lu Luo kept mentioning the "little sapling." What on earth was this little sapling?

"Brother Luo, give me a chance! Please, Brother Luo! Really, I-I-I don't want the money anymore!"

Lu Luo finally turned his gaze to He Hai.

"Brother Kane was only one of them. That time, if I hadn't had some backing from big shots like Qiao Xing and Ludie supporting me, and if I hadn't possessed some strength myself to navigate that crisis smoothly—otherwise, the Circular would be gone by now, and so would I.

You didn't give me a chance, so why should I give you one?"

"Lu Luo, you..."

"Only the happiness of old age needs to be maintained with money.

You're not old. You should have some personal ambitions."

Lu Luo patted He Hai, then turned and left.

Seeing Lu Luo leave, He Hai instinctively glanced behind him and saw a pair of giant vertical pupils.

HISS HISS HISS!~

Walking out of the slum area, Lu Luo looked at the sky.

"This timing... it should be about right!

Believers of Light, Yu Luo!"

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