A World Worth Protecting

No one cares about my Dharmic Artifacts now, but I will make them something that everyone will desire regardless of how high the price is after the tournament!

Wang Baole looked determined, but he had also been forced to behave this way. The feeling of being completely penniless was difficult for him to get used to, similar to when a wealthy individual was used to living lavishly but was suddenly turned into a pauper overnight.

This feeling forced Wang Baole to think of ways to sell off his Dharmic Artifacts. He slapped his thigh and stood up after taking a deep breath. After walking a few rounds around the cave abode, it became more obvious that he was deep in thought. He stopped in his tracks after analyzing and playing out his plan in his mind, concluding that there should be no major issue.

I’ll do it this way! Wang Baole gritted his teeth and took out his voice transmission ring immediately to contact Zhuo Yifan.

“Hey Yifan, I heard about the tournament held by the Combat Pavilion. How’s your preparation been? Do you need me to facilitate you? With me around, hah, you’ll definitely… hmm? You already found someone to facilitate you in the match, huh?”

Zhuo Yifan was extremely embarrassed. He had originally wanted to team up with Wang Baole but was afraid that Wang Baole would reject him. After some hesitation, he did not reach out to Wang Baole and instead found someone else.

After Wang Baole made it known to Zhuo Yifan that he understood his reasoning, he put down the voice transmission ring. He did not give up, for he had decided to go all out this time around. Even though those Dharmic Artifacts of his had no reputation or branding, he would create them himself!

The best way to create branding and to build up a good reputation would be to astonish everyone with how powerful his Dharmic Artifacts were in front of all the spectators. The goal would be to throw everyone into disbelief that such an impossibly formidable set of Dharmic Artifacts actually existed in this world, such that it would make a lasting impression and simultaneously increase people’s desire to possess them.

To put it simply, this was advertising!

As for the place to advertise the Dharmic Artifacts, Wang Baole had long decided. The location would be where the Combat Pavilion’s tournament would be held. There was no other place that garnered as much attention as the tournament. Wang Baole was planning to make use of the tournament to create a strong branding effect for his Dharmic Artifacts!

After all, the Combat Pavilion’s tournament had become the focus of the entire Upper Academy Island. Numerous people would be spectating it, and as such, as long as the Dharmic Artifacts could shine in the tournament, it would definitely surprise everyone and, in the process, create a good reputation!

In reality, this method of advertising had been thought of not only by Wang Baole but also a number of people in the other pavilions. Even though they were not exceptionally talented, they were also relatively skilled in their own domains. To these people, immediate wealth did not matter as much as a good reputation. Therefore, the annual Combat Pavilion’s tournament was an opportunity for them to build a good reputation.

Their goal of sponsoring the disciples from the Combat Pavilion by giving them the Dharmic Artifacts, pills, or array runes that they had refined, as well as acceding to their requests, was to use the tournament to advertise and raise the worth of the objects that they had refined.

This win-win situation was naturally favored by the disciples from the Combat Pavilion. At the same time, the Dao College did not regulate against it. Therefore, new pills, Dharmic Artifacts, and array runes could be seen during the Combat Pavilion’s tournament every year.

However, Wang Baole’s plans were slightly different from theirs. To play it safe and to adjust to the ever-changing circumstances during the tournament, Wang Baole had decided to participate in the tournament, in order to ensure that his branding and advertising would succeed!

This way, he could make adjustments based on the actual situation. Even if something unexpected happened to his plan, he could immediately rectify it and publicize his Dharmic Artifacts to the fullest.

As he thought about this, Wang Baole grew alert. He held onto his voice transmission ring and thought about a suitable candidate.

Since Zhuo Yifan is unable to make it, then Chen Ziheng will be suitable!

With that thought, Wang Baole immediately sent a voice transmission to Chen Ziheng. However, he soon realized that Chen Ziheng had also found a supporting teammate.

That made Wang Baole frustrated.

In reality, like Zhuo Yifan, Chen Ziheng had thought about teaming up with Wang Baole. However, Wang Baole was thought to be far too superior in the minds of these people, and since Chen Ziheng was also a prideful person who was afraid of being rejected, he did not approach Wang Baole.

Wang Baole grew anxious and quickly began contacting all the Combat Pavilion disciples that he was familiar with. However, he was dumbfounded in the end as he had been a step too late. As it was merely days away from the tournament, almost everyone had already found a supporting teammate.

Wang Baole was indignant that this was happening. Therefore, he logged onto the Spirit Intranet as he recalled that he had once seen someone looking for a supporting teammate on it.

Finally, after searching hard, he found a Combat Pavilion disciple who was not only extremely stingy in the price that he offered but also sounded quite arrogant.

“I’m now cultivating for the tournament and do not have time to meet you. I do not want to know who you are, nor do you need to know who I am. Let’s just meet at the competition grounds when the time comes. You do not need to prepare anything since you’re just there to make up the numbers. In reality, if not for this darn regulation and my indignation for being embarrassingly paired up by the Dao College, I would not have needed this supporting teammate!”

This was what the other party sent after Wang Baole reached out to him. It seemed as though he was not even bothered to speak properly. After looking at the message, Wang Baole felt as if the other party had been kicked in the crotch, which made him sound so ridiculous. If it was not that he had no other choice, he would have chosen someone else.

However, since the tournament was about to commence, everyone who was normal had found a supporting teammate. Those who had not found one were either crazy as though they had been kicked in the crotch or had planned to be automatically allocated a partner by the Dao College.

“Who was so vicious to kick this fella so hard, such that he has become so rude?” Wang Baole muttered under his breath, but he had no choice but to pair up with this person.

He was thinking that since that person was so arrogant, he probably did not need his support. Therefore, he could focus all his attention on advertising the Dharmic Artifacts. The only issue that troubled him was that if the other party did not cooperate, it was likely that he would not use his Dharmic Artifacts.

“I need to prepare for all unexpected situations!” Wang Baole took a deep breath. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that there was something weird with this mysterious person from the Combat Pavilion. However, even so, the only thing he could do was retrieve all his Dharmic Artifacts from the storage bracelet and come up with a good plan.

Even though he did not have any more Spirit Stones, he still had a few materials remaining. Therefore, he made some adjustments to the Dharmic Artifacts on the basis of his own plan. For example, he felt that it was very possible for him to meet with a ferocious beast from the Beast Taming Pavilion, which prompted him to improvise the rope Dharmic Artifact into a muzzle. He even added a powder that could cause unconsciousness, which he had bought on the Spirit Intranet.

There were also other Dharmic Artifacts that he had improvised for specific situations. There was a Dharmic Artifact known as the Flying Frost Sword that Wang Baole thought would be a popular item.

Time passed quickly as Wang Baole made preparations, and there were only two days before the commencement of the tournament. The last island on Ethereal Dao College’s Green Forest Lake, the Sky Path Island, which was similarly covered with a foggy array formation, was now silently tumbling. One could see that there were several figures stepping out onto the clouds. As they exited the array formations surrounding the Sky Path Island, the array formations slowly transformed into a wide path.

Other than the middle-aged man at the center of this group of people, everyone else was an elder. They all looked extremely experienced, and their level of cultivation was sky high. However, compared to them, the middle-aged man dressed in a long red robe in the center was like a sharp sword. It was as if he could cut through a hurricane once he unleashed his prowess.

They stood there, looking up with the middle-aged man in the lead. In the firmament, three gigantic black cruisers could be seen approaching gradually!

As the cruisers landed, one could see that there were layers of dried blood stains on the cruisers’ exteriors. It seemed like the blood belonged to the people killed during the journey by those in the cruiser. On the deck of the cruiser stood hundreds of people wearing the same uniforms. They were all expressionless and carried strong, unusual killing intent. It was apparent that years spent battling with ferocious beasts in life-and-death scenarios had made them develop this toughness.

The three cruisers were from the Federation’s military!

The people on board were warriors stationed on the border of the Federation!

Now, at the tip of the middle cruiser stood a middle-aged, burly man wearing a black cape. Under the cape was a uniform filled with numerous badges. There was an obvious, unconcealable scar on his face that divided his face in two. He stood there like a tall mountain, and a ferocious aura was continuously emanating from him. He was as imposing as the red-robed, middle-aged man from Ethereal Dao College.

“Zhou Lu, is the fatty you’re referring to there?” The burly man shifted his gaze away from the red-robed middle-aged man on the Sky Path Island, toward Upper Academy Island, as he spoke calmly to the lady beside him, who appeared to be an orderly.

Beside him was a slender, beautiful woman who appeared to be filled with wildness that seemed difficult to subdue. She was Zhou Lu, the person who had once been kicked on the buttocks by Wang Baole, the person who could not wait to take revenge on him!