A World Worth Protecting

He could choose not to believe, but he didn’t dare to make the gamble. As he stood torn and terrified, and before he was given the chance to decide, Wang Baole’s spirits strengthened. He lifted his head to the sky and laughed. He didn’t retreat and instead charged towards the black-robed man, a cold, murderous glint glimmering in his eyes. A loud roar thundered from his lips, rumbling through the air and shaking the earth, and summoning raging thunder!

“It only takes a thought to leave the deep prison…”

As the words left his lips, the thunder grew more ferocious. The deafening roars transformed the heavens and earth. Clouds gathered rapidly, forming a giant hand spanning ten thousand yards in the sky!

The hand blanketed the heavens and cast an enormous shadow over the vast lands. From afar, the giant hand in the air was a fearsome sight. The shadowed lands beneath it were not only cast into darkness but seemed to be stripped of all life, revealing signs of death!

The black-robed man trembled fiercely. He could feel himself shuddering like never before; a fear unfurled within him that he had never felt before. He stared at the giant hand in the sky and at Wang Baole, who had an air of confidence. He didn’t seem as if he was trying even the slightest to put on an appearance of self-assurance, it was as if he was confident of his ability to destroy the giant tree.

His self-confidence amplified the overpowering aura of the hundred-thousand-feet long giant cloud hand hovering in the sky behind him. The hand slammed towards the earth in a thunderous rush, blanketing everything in its descent!

The sight of it finally drove the black-robed man to a mental collapse.

I’ve heard in the past that the Ethereal Dao College’s Grand Supreme Elder, the former Federation President, landed on the ancient green-bronze sword… and brought back an infant boy…

This infant was not of the earth’s human bloodline but had come from beyond the skies… could it be that he’s that infant! Upon that thought, the black-robed man was overcome by emotions, his breathing stilled. The more he thought about it, the more he thought himself right.

Yes, those two kids, the boy is a War Soldier from the Five Generation Sky Clan, and the girl is a rare mutation. They are destined to reach the Core Formation realm… that such gifted ones would willingly unleash their most powerful attacks to protect him… clearly, they must be his servants, tasked with the responsibility of guarding him!

At the thought of that, the black-robed man could stand firm no more. With his face pale, he started retreating quickly and ran away. His only thought was his own loathing of how slow he was. The idea of killing Wang Baole and the others had been wiped clean from his mind.

He knew that at present, Wang Baole was too great a terror. He also knew that if he touched a single hair on Wang Baole, the whole Ethereal Dao College might go crazy, especially the former Federation President; he would fly into an unimaginable rage.

In his mind, Wang Baole’s origins were tied intimately with the ancient green-bronze sword. That was a great blow to his spirits, and he fell back quickly.

If it had been before, Wang Baole would have been overjoyed at the black-robed man making his escape, but he was brimming with confidence. He thought it natural for the black-robed man to run away and had no intention of letting him escape.

His confidence had soared to the heavens. He thought of Little Missy in the mask as a genius. The power of the sutra had exceeded his wildest imagination.

Such faith and confidence led to his laughing out loud to the sky, with a cold glint ignited in his eyes.

“Trying to run?”

“Let me tell you something. Once I unleash my killer move, I’m invincible!”

“You can kneel and call me daddy, but it won’t help. You’re not going to get away!” Wang Baole growled. He started a fierce pursuit, shouting as he ran.

“Await!” As he recited, the power exuding from the giant hand in the heavens grew.

“The!” The stars trembled. It was as if the entire heaven and earth were howling; as if a volcano was on the verge of eruption!

“Path!” At that juncture, Wang Baole was mad with glee. He yelled out the words. All of a sudden, even the Sword Sun started trembling and tilting!

A Qi that seemed as if it could wipe out all living things and exterminate all living creatures descended from the heavens and locked onto the black-robed man!

The series of events finally drove the black-robed man to a complete and utter mental collapse. He let loose a howl filled with fury and madness.

“No!” he roared. He would escape at all costs. He smacked his chest brutally with his right palm and spat out a big mouthful of green blood. In exchange, he became faster, speeding off in a thunder.

Wang Baole’s heart was filled with excitement. He raced ahead fearlessly, speeding up his pace. He pursued relentlessly and was about to shout out the final two words.

But it was then…

Suddenly, the panicked voice of Little Missy rang out in his head.

“Stop chasing him!”

“Little Missy, don’t stop me. Today, I, Wang Baole, must kill this wretched creature and let him know what I’m capable of!” Wang Baole replied inwardly with pride. Then, he shouted.

“Of!”

The speed of the giant sky hand grew even more quickly. The rumbling sounds grew fiercer and louder. In the distance, the black-robed man smiled a tragic smile. Madness colored his eyes, and he spewed out more blood without hesitation, casting a mystic spell and speeding up further.

Wang Baole raised his head proudly. He marched forward, ceaseless in his chase. He was about to yell out the final word when Little Missy realized his overly excited state and panicked even further. She yelled straight into Wang Baole’s mind.

“Wang Baole, you idiot. You’ve already scared it off, but you still want to go after it? The sutra is fake. It’s a hoax! It can only be used to scare people off, it has no actual power behind its attack…”

“I didn’t tell you the truth then because I was afraid you’d know it for the sham it is and wouldn’t put on a convincing act. But who knew, you actually started going after him… once you recite the entire sutra, everything will disappear. Then, the enemy will run back and kill you with a single smack to your face!” Little Missy’s voice carried a tone of anxiety as well as exasperation. It was as if she had no words for Wang Baole’s actions.

Her words resounded in Wang Baole’s head like a bolt of lightning. His eyes widened instantly, and he stopped in his tracks. The muscles in his throat seemed to move, and his fatty flesh quivered. Uncertainty and alarm gripped him, and he asked hastily, “Are you for real?”

“What I said is the truth. The sutra is fake. You big dumb idiot!” Little Missy was beyond annoyed. It seemed as if she didn’t know whether she should be laughing or crying at that point.

Wang Baole was stunned. He stood, dazed, and didn’t shout out the last word. The giant hand in the sky gradually slowed down its pursuit. The black-robed man who had been trying to get away was first overjoyed then confounded. He couldn’t help but turn around and sneak a glance as he made his escape.

Wang Baole saw the man glancing back. His body shuddered, a cry rising from within him, but he was quick to react. He grit his teeth and glared, making as if he was going to continue his pursuit. He opened his mouth wide as if to shout, then secretly maneuvered his cultivation and forced himself to spit out a large mouthful of blood. Wang Baole pretended he was struggling to force out the final word with everything he had.

“I’m going all out! Even if it means paying a terrible price for shouting out the last word, I’m going to go all out… we’ll die together!”

His face turned red under his efforts. The extent to which he was striving, and his internal trembling, interwove with one another and made his act seem completely earnest and genuine, despite how inauthentic he was feeling.

However, the power of the scripture felt too real. The black-robed man saw Wang Baole’s crazed looks and instantly sucked in a breath of cold air. He ran more quickly as he raged.

He’s gone completely mad!

The black-robed man sped off, quicker and quicker, finally disappearing into the horizon. Wang Baole dared not stop his pretense immediately. He suppressed his feelings of sheepishness and the trembling within his heart, shouting furiously while pretending to heave and pant. He slowed down gradually, pretended that he could run no longer, and finally stopped.

It was then that a sudden fear gripped him. He recalled how he had chased after a cultivator who had been at the perfected Foundation Establishment realm so relentlessly and couldn’t help the cold sweat from forming.

“Little Missy, let’s not joke around like this the next time. You almost got me killed!” Wang Baole, frightened within an inch of his life, protested.

“Who knew you actually bought it. Believing it is one thing, but you actually became a true convert!” Little Missy snorted and paid Wang Baole no further attention.

Wang Baole could only smile wryly after hearing Little Missy’s words. But, thinking back to his performance just then, he felt slightly pleased. He thought he had been a force of nature.

“Hmmph, you can count yourself lucky this time around. You dare to give me trouble? I scare even myself when I start reciting the scripture!” Wang Baole’s feelings of self-satisfaction were mixed with sheepishness. He put up a show of yelling some more before hurriedly picking up Zhuo Yifan and Zhao Yameng and running off in the opposite direction. His pace started slow, then gradually increased. Soon, it became a run for his life, as if he feared the black-robed man would realize what was amiss and exterminate him.

Time passed as he continued running. The anxiety and fear within Wang Baole didn’t dissipate. It was only after fifteen minutes passed, and seven to eight cruisers bearing the emblem of Ethereal Dao College appeared, that his nerves finally settled down.

“I’m here! I’m right here!” In his mindless joy, he was about to rip off Zhuo Yifan’s clothes before he realized something wasn’t right. He hugged Zhao Yameng more tightly in his arms, loosened his embrace around Zhuo Yifan and tore a strip off his clothes. He waved the torn strip of cloth in the air…