Chapter 109: The Power of Steam (3rd release, 14,000 words, seeking full subscription)

Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu arrived at the East Ring’s district.This place was the central location of the Fourth Ring’s East Ring, right next to the Dawn Cathedral of the East Ring. Beside the cathedral, a large area had been cleared out to create a district. The district was not just a set of buildings. It included close-combat training areas, shooting ranges, various classrooms, and a family area in the corner. The architectural style was somewhat antique but also simple, with most buildings made of beige rocks stacked upon one another. Here, the Church specifically cultivated elite individuals, but it was not open to the general public. It was also one of the few places in the Fourth Ring with green grass. Those who could come here were the elite among the Believers, such as Believers promoted to Priests or the Church’s knights. Of course, the rarest of all were Believers of Light like Qi Xinzhu. Believers of Light themselves represented the Church’s rarest profession: Transcendents skilled in both healing and combat. The guards at the entrance of the district were not some security uncles or street aunties but real knights of the Church. All of these people were Transcendents, and their duty was merely to guard the gate. When Lu Luo arrived here, looking at the stern guards, he still felt a bit nervous. A person set to investigate the Life Knights Group actually comes to the district to train. Life is full of ups and downs indeed! "We are here at the introduction of Lord Han Shiyu," Qi Xinzhu said, handing Han Shiyu’s letter of introduction directly to the guarding knight. After checking the letter, the knight let them in. What they checked was not the content of the letter but the high-tier Believer of Light seal on it. The inspection process was unexpectedly simple, a testament to the extraordinary confidence this place possessed. There would always be those willing to court death in the Wasteland. However, very few dared to do so in the district. This was because those who courted death elsewhere still had a chance to flee, but courting death in the district almost assuredly meant certain death. Lu Luo remained silent, following behind Qi Xinzhu, observing the buildings, environment, and people inside the district. [Detection of Holy Light energy response...] [Detection of Holy Light energy response...] [Detection of Holy Light energy response...] Such notifications were endless. The strength of these people was mostly above First Tier. It was only when passing a group of ordinary reserve knights that Lu Luo encountered a group of entry-level Transcendents. The number of people in this district, their quality... such formidable strength! And this is just the Fourth Ring! The quality of the Church’s Transcendents was usually far higher than that of ordinary Transcendents. It was a matter of course for those with even a little talent to join the Church. Moreover, coupled with the powerful effects of Holy Light, ordinary Transcendents who relied on the crude use of Dark Energy could not compete at all. Walking to the depths of the district, Lu Luo saw the words "Swordsmanship Training Ground" and knew that this should be their destination. It was an open area that looked very simple. Green grass, targets full of scratch marks, neatly arranged Cross Greatsword racks, and a teaching blackboard comprised everything here. The swordsmanship training ground was already filled with people, approximately fifty to sixty, just about the number of a standard class. Among them, the most conspicuous were the knights in various armors, each with a sharp gaze and a formidable aura, usually Second Tier experts. Lu Luo was very aware of the gap between the Church’s top knights and ordinary savages. There was no need for comparison. Life Knights in red armor, Harvest Knights in green armor, Courage Knights in gold armor, and Justice Knights in white armor. These individuals were all very young; they should be of the same age as Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu. Lu Luo rubbed his fingers excitedly. All masters! These are the kinds of people that are interesting! In addition to the members of the Church’s Four Knights Corps, there were also some ordinary Believers. These individuals were truly from humble backgrounds, basically outstanding members from various districts of the Fourth Ring. Compared to those of the Four Knights Corps, they were much more low-key. Lu Luo also noticed that not all of them were using Holy Light. The Observer detected Qi He on one of the trainees; there were two such individuals, both Second Tier. Qi He, huh? Hunters joining the Church? That’s quite interesting! While Lu Luo was observing them, others were also observing Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu. Of course, their main focus was on Qi Xinzhu. Lu Luo, who didn’t even have a Church robe, was clearly seen as an outsider who had somehow been pushed in. Such people appeared every year and were generally looked down upon. Compared to Lu Luo, the pure Holy Radiance emanating from Qi Xinzhu drew much more attention, marking her as a formidable opponent. When the two arrived at the swordsmanship training ground, two reserve Knights of Justice stopped them. "Those who come here may only need a recommendation letter as a ticket, but to actually get in, they must undergo a test." Qi Xinzhu frowned slightly. She had expected some difficulties but hadn’t anticipated them arising so swiftly. "We were recommended by Lord Han Shiyu..." Qi Xinzhu began. But the man cut her off. "I don’t care who recommended you. Anyone who wants to enter must pass the test." Qi Xinzhu’s expression turned ugly. Lu Luo looked at the two individuals in their white armor, who carried themselves with an air of importance but were clearly just bullies. He sneered and pulled Qi Xinzhu behind him. "A test? In this territory of the Wasteland Alliance, besides the Holy Light and the people, no one has the right to test us." "You count for nothing! What right do you have to test us?" "Heh, such words from a Fourth Ring person." [The opponent’s Holy Light power is at Second Tier. Please proceed with caution, Host!] The two struck at the same time, but Qi Xinzhu was quicker and intercepted one of the attackers with Holy Radiance, shielding Lu Luo. This action left Lu Luo somewhat regretful; he hadn’t been able to demonstrate his strength properly here, and he clearly remembered Han Shiyu’s expectations of him! BANG! Lu Luo grabbed the opponent’s wrist single-handedly, the strength in his fingertips growing increasingly intense. THUD! A single burst of steam Qi He pressure was enough to increase Lu Luo’s strength of 20 by another 30%. Without releasing any additional Qi He, the steam pressure-amplified strength in his arm was already enough to suppress the Holy Radiance of the knight before him. "Your prowess doesn’t seem to match your mouth! I repeat, you count for nothing! What right do you have to test us?" It was a yearly ritual to intimidate those from the Fourth Ring. The members of the Knight of Justice had fought hard for this role of gatekeeping, and to be humiliated here made this one flush with shame and anger. "’Justice!’" A Holy Seal appeared on the man’s chest, and Lu Luo immediately sensed his strength increase significantly. [The opponent has likely released the Holy Seal of Justice. Its specific effects are not recorded in the archives. Analysis suggests it enhances strength and Holy Radiance effects. It’s very powerful.] Just as the opponent’s strength surged and Lu Luo nearly lost his grip, THUD, THUD! White steam began to emanate from Lu Luo, his grip unwavering, his strength growing to an absurd degree. Until his fingers crushed the Holy Radiance that protected the knight’s body. "’Stop!’" The other members of the Knight of Justice tried to intervene, but it was too late. CRACK! With a scream of agony, the knight clutched his arm and knelt on the ground. Lu Luo’s display of power drew the sideways glances of other Knights Group members. They wondered when the Fourth Ring had produced someone this strong. They made a mental note of Lu Luo; this guy had a few tricks up his sleeve. Watching the four members of the Knight of Justice approach, Lu Luo felt a strong sense of pressure, even though they were only Second Tier reservists. "What, looking for a fight? I’ll be happy to oblige." Lu Luo was itching for a challenge; the strength of the members of the Knight of Justice far exceeded his expectations. Although his previous performance seemed effortless, it was achieved by using his steam state. Just by this, the Justice Knight Lu Luo had taken down could have easily crushed a peak Second Tier savage like Ge Tuo. These were exactly the kind of opponents Lu Luo wanted. Messing about in a fishpond held no interest for him; he needed to gauge his own strength properly. The Church’s training district was his best choice. As for losing? Please. He was a Fourth Ring person with scarce resources and no education. What was wrong with losing to a big shot from the Inner Ring? Face meant nothing. If he lost, he lost. If he lost, he’d train more, absorb more, learn more. What was there to be afraid of? These Justice Knights hadn’t expected Lu Luo to be so brazen, showing no signs of fear or weakness, and they found themselves in a difficult position. This was Qiao Xing’s district. Many people knew of Qiao Xing’s temper by reputation, even if not personally. The test, the attempt to intimidate—these were yearly minor occurrences. But Lu Luo had clearly passed the test. If they continued to provoke and fight, that would be another matter entirely. "’Consider yourself lucky, kid.’" "Knights of Justice? You think you’re worthy? Is there no one left in the Inner Ring?" Lu Luo cursed and grumbled as he walked in, and no one stopped him again. The antithesis of the Knight of Justice is the Knight of Evil; to describe them as such wasn’t entirely wrong. On the other hand, Qi Xinzhu’s approach was much gentler. A Holy Radiance assault was enough to push back her opponent. Since both used Holy Radiance, they nodded to each other, a sign of mutual respect, and she entered as well. "Lu Luo, acting this way will make you the target of hostility." Qi Xinzhu was worried about Lu Luo being isolated and targeted. If he were to join the Church later, it would not be good for his development within it. But Lu Luo hadn’t considered these issues at all; he had no plans to join the Church, and he never had. "Professor Han told me to do this. If you want to blame anyone, you can only blame her." Hmph, blaming Professor Han is his solution, Qi Xinzhu thought, rolling her eyes. This Lu Luo is truly shameless. While Lu Luo was confronting the members of the Knight of Justice, Lu Yang watched him with a peculiar expression. This person... he resembles Lu Luo. But that’s not possible, is it? "’Lord Qiao Xing has arrived!’" A shout made everyone compose themselves. The Archbishop of the East Ring, the man who was once the most likely candidate to become the youngest Sword Saint in the Church’s history, would be their teacher for the coming period. He would be teaching them the Church’s secret martial arts, the Holy Radiance Cross Swordsmanship. [A calm yet formidable aura. His power is above that of Han Shiyu but below that of Ludie, currently the second strongest person you have encountered.] Lu Luo nodded. A perfectly ordinary middle-aged man, almost completely unremarkable. That’s the impression Qiao Xing gives me. Without self-introduction, without an overview of the course, Qiao Xing casually picked up one of the Church’s Cross Greatswords as if it were a stick and began his lecture, so direct that it startled the audience. "The Church’s swordsmanship was largely standardized two hundred years ago, and members of the Church should be aware of this. However, some students might not be clear about this, so I’ll repeat it here. Because of the strength augmentation the Holy Light provides to our physical bodies, and due to the threat posed by higher-tier Exotic Species beyond the wall, the Church’s swordsmanship over the centuries has become increasingly simple and robust. From the fancy flourishes of the past, it has gradually shifted to the current three tenets of simplicity: faster, heavier, and sharper. The power that Holy Radiance brings enables us to wield the heavy Cross Greatsword and confront formidable Exotic Species. When our power is strong enough and Holy Light surges within us, such a heavy weapon becomes light as a feather in our hands, delivering slashes with the force to rend heavens and earth. Like this!" Qiao Xing firmly grasped the sword, and with a gentle swing of his arm towards the sky, a massive Holy Radiance Slash Strike broke free from the blade. The slash was like the dawn’s light, cleaving through the lingering dark clouds in the sky and bringing a momentary burst of sunlight to the land. Damn! That’s the power of a high-tier Transcendent. Outrageous! Qiao Xing, having demonstrated his strength, naturally had everyone’s full attention during the lesson. His teaching methods were simple and effective. "Traditional sword techniques include: draw, drag, lift, block, hit, pierce, tap, crush, stir, press, chop, intercept, wash, mist, hang, lift, and slash... These are very intricate and contradict the principles of Cross Greatsword training..." On the first day of class, Qiao Xing taught the most basic swordsmanship knowledge, something that those who had undergone Church education already knew. Some members of the Church showed signs of impatience or irritation, but others remained focused and earnest, such as some outstanding members of the Four Knights Corps and Qi Xinzhu. Of course, there was also Lu Luo, who had always longed for systematic martial arts education. [Observer is recording the basic knowledge of Holy Radiance Cross Swordsmanship for the host...] In fact, Lu Luo listened very intently, with Observer diligently helping to record the data. What seemed simple and dull might, in fact, be the best opportunity for him to close the distance with the people of the Inner Ring. A class session lasted about three hours. After Qiao Xing talked about the development history of Holy Radiance Cross Swordsmanship and some basic application methods, he ended the morning class. "Alright, that’s it for the first lesson. The techniques of Holy Radiance Cross Swordsmanship are on the wall over there; everyone is free to practice them on their own. We will continue in the afternoon." Qiao Xing was serious during the lecture and no-nonsense upon its conclusion, dealing with everything in a businesslike manner. After the class ended, some members of the Four Knights Corps from the Inner Ring immediately gathered around, seeking guidance from Qiao Xing—whether they were genuinely seeking advice was another matter. "Lord Qiao Xing, I am Wang Yudong, a reserve knight of the Life Knights Group. I have a question for you." "Lord Qiao Xing, I have a question too." "I have one too." Blocked by the students, Qiao Xing, dressed in his Priest’s robe, frowned deeply, clearly displeased by their behavior. "Didn’t you listen during class just now? It’s my private time, and I’m about to have lunch. If you don’t want to be expelled, stay away from me." His attitude towards the members of the Four Knights Corps remained cold and calm. If no one bothered him, he would maintain this cold and calm state. But if anyone disturbed Qiao Xing, he would definitely turn hostile. "’Uh...’ Several members of the Four Knights Corps were struck speechless by Qiao Xing’s rebuke. Even though he was only the Archbishop of the Fourth Ring, they wouldn’t dare talk back to him. Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu witnessed the Four Knights looking foolish, and Lu Luo roughly understood what Han Shiyu meant when she said Qiao Xing had a strange and troublesome personality. So he’s very cold? The kind that’s impervious to both soft and hard approaches? "Lord Qiao Xing’s personality has always been like this," Qi Xinzhu explained. "His life is as regular as clockwork; it hasn’t changed for many years." "Many years? You knew him before?" Lu Luo asked. Qi Xinzhu puffed out her chest somewhat proudly, seemingly unaware of the impact this gesture had on the male students around her. "Yes, my swordsmanship initiation teacher was none other than Lord Qiao Xing. Come on, Lu Luo, follow me." "’Huh?’" Lu Luo didn’t understand what Qi Xinzhu meant. "Since we’re here, of course, we should take the initiative to visit Lord Qiao Xing. It’s been many years since I last saw him. I think he definitely hasn’t forgotten me!" Qi Xinzhu started walking towards Qiao Xing, and Lu Luo, somewhat bewildered, followed her. Is this what it feels like to have connections? No wonder everyone loves to use backdoors. As Lu Luo followed Qi Xinzhu to the chapel, Lu Yang from the Courage Knights looked in their direction with a confused expression. That guy really looks like Lu Luo! Isn’t he supposed to be in college? How did he end up here? This is Lord Qiao Xing’s annual swordsmanship course. Lu Luo wasn’t even a Transcendent a few months ago! How did he seem so formidable just now? Curiosity piqued—as seeking truth is a knight’s virtue—Lu Yang headed towards the chapel, wanting to confirm if that person was indeed Lu Luo. Qiao Xing was sitting in the Church’s prayer room, which resembled a small chapel. The circular emblem representing Li Ming was placed in the center of the room, with two rows of seats on each side. This prayer room could probably seat five to six people. Unlike other large cathedrals, this place was generally for the exclusive use of Church members. Devout Believers would pray at any time, and Qiao Xing was one such devout Believer. "The hope of Li Ming bestows upon me food, Holy Light forever shines upon the land, Li Ming is with me..." As Qiao Xing prayed, he opened the lunchbox Li Lan had prepared for him. One meat dish, one vegetarian dish, along with an egg and a few strips of dried radish—the meal was simple, but one could tell from the presentation and arrangement that Li Lan had made it with care. Normally, eating was not allowed in the prayer room. Such behavior would usually result in a reprimand from the Bishops of various districts, but as Qiao Xing was the Archbishop of the East Ring himself, no one could really discipline him. Moreover, eating here, out of reverence for the Li Ming emblem, meant those annoying flies wouldn’t come to bother him. Qi Xinzhu, leading Lu Luo, arrived at the prayer room and knocked on the door. "Lord Qiao Xing, I am Qi Xinzhu. Long time no see. Do you still remember me?" Qiao Xing was somewhat annoyed. He finished the food in his mouth before slowly turning around to look at Qi Xinzhu and Lu Luo, who was behind her. When his gaze fell on Qi Xinzhu, he simply nodded slightly. "’So it’s the Saintess. Long time no see.’" "’Please don’t say that,’ Qi Xinzhu said modestly. ’The title ’Saintess’ was abolished by the Church long ago. I am just an ordinary Believer of Light.’" But Qiao Xing, maintaining his usual demeanor, didn’t buy it and continued, "’What was abolished was merely a Church system. What is meant to exist, will always exist. You are the one closest to Li Ming; naturally, you are the Church’s Saintess.’" "’Uh...’" Qi Xinzhu felt a bit awkward. She glanced at Lu Luo and saw he was looking at her too. Lu Luo smiled and said, "’Hello, Saintess.’" "’Lu Luo, you too...?’" Qi Xinzhu exclaimed. Lu Luo smiled and turned his gaze to Qiao Xing. The East Ring Archbishop’s gaze also shifted to him.