A World Worth Protecting

Zhou Fei’s words instantly exposed Wang Baole’s delay tactic. The latter’s plan failed as soon as Zhou Fei appeared. At that moment, Wang Baole could clearly feel the difference between a True Breath realm cultivator and a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator.

Compared to a True Breath realm cultivator, a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator would have lived through numerous fights to the death as well as contests for resources. That was how they had emerged from the faceless crowd of True Breath realm cultivators to form the central forces of the Federation.

Such survivors would have honed their mind after undergoing many hardships as well as events that broadened their horizons. Their mental resilience surpassed that of a True Breath realm cultivator. Their decisiveness, as soon as they made up their minds, was something a True Breath realm cultivator couldn’t compare to. Once their minds were made up, they weren’t easily swayed. The level of their craftiness was also greater than that of a True Breath realm cultivator.

Wang Baole couldn’t spare a moment more for thought. His eyes flashed. As soon as Zhou Fei approached, he raised his right hand and summoned his seventh-grade Dharmic Armament saber in his hand, slashing it at Zhou Fei!

He knew clearly that Zhou Fei held an understanding of his Dharmic Armament that was far greater than anyone else there. Since he dared to appear out in the open, he must have a certain degree of confidence in his chances. If Wang Baole had still maintained the level of strength and power that had allowed him to cleave a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator into two, he might not have been too bothered. However, he clearly sensed the weakening of his cultivation. It had dropped by three-tenths. His current level of cultivation was a mere seven-tenths of his full cultivation.

The only option left to him was to kill Zhou Fei quickly. His death would serve to terrorize the others. Even if they were aware of his plans, they would move with greater caution and give him more time to seek out the Mystic Trace Fog.

Wang Baole placed his full strength behind the attack. The tornado expanded outwards, and the black crocodile roared and lashed out in all directions. Wang Baole narrowed his eyes and stomped heavily on the ground with his right foot. His entire person sprang upward suddenly, like the long arc of a rainbow, surging behind the arc of his blade light towards Zhou Fei.

Zhou Fei sneered as he watched Wang Baole attack, his hands swiftly forming hand seals. A large mirror, which seemed to be crafted from Spirit Stones, appeared before him. It started giving off a bright, blinding light as soon as it appeared. It was something Zhou Fei had borrowed from someone in order to suppress Wang Baole’s Dharmic Armament.

As he formed the hand seals and the mirror appeared, the blinding light of the saber came rushing towards him. Both the light from the mirror and the saber met. Everything seemed to happen at the same time. Amidst a deafening explosion, the twin lights collided.

The mirror shattered with an explosion. As it cracked and shattered into pieces, an ethereal hand reached out from within the shattering mirror and stretched towards the approaching Wang Baole. It pointed at him.

An immense energy silently unfurled in the air. It formed a binding force that cast itself over Wang Baole, who suddenly felt the sensation of sinking deep into water. He felt as if his whole body had been suddenly and tightly bound. He froze in his steps, his movements slowing down considerably.

It was as if he had frozen on the spot, unable to move and unable to fight back!

The surrounding Foundation Establishment realm cultivators witnessed the sight before them, and their eyes glimmered. They were about to dash out when Zhou Fei, with a loud burst of laughter, his spirits energized, raised his right hand and grabbed towards Wang Baole’s Dharmic Armament!

The surrounding cultivators’ breathing and pace quickened as Zhou Fei was about to wrap his fingers around the Dharmic Armament. However, as Wang Baole lay bound and helpless, suddenly, an icy glint flickered in the eyes hidden behind his helmet.

His devouring seed had been focused on keeping his injuries under control. His black lightning and the power of the purple sea hidden in his eye had also sunk into slumber after the events in the Coulomb Basin, without signs of awakening. They hadn’t emerged even when the old woman had struck.

That didn’t mean that Wang Baole had no way of activating them, however. As the fierce light in his eyes flashed, the black armor he was wearing started emitting a black light. A series of cracking, metallic sounds rang out. The exterior of Wang Baole’s armor started caving inwards, and in the middle of each dent, lay a self-exploding bead. They shot out into the air instantly.

More than a hundred self-exploding beads scattered outwards from Wang Baole’s armor and exploded instantly. Explosions resounded in the air, sending tremors through the ground. They were like a sudden boiling thunderstorm, their immense force sending shockwaves across the land—shaking the earth around Wang Baole, tearing the grass and leaves, and uprooting whole trees. The binding power that had trapped Wang Baole within its grasp was blown apart instantly!

Zhou Fei was alarmed. He retreated hastily, but it was too late. The icy glimmer in Wang Baole’s eyes transformed into a murderous glint. He eyed the approaching Foundation Establishment realm cultivators and started chanting inwardly.

“Enlightened…” He echoed the words in his heart, and remarkable spirit energy exploded from his person. The heavens boiled, and amongst the distant stars, a faraway, ancient being seemed to be awakening. It had its gaze on them. The oppressive weight of the gaze sent shivers through the Foundation Establishment realm cultivators who had been closing in.

“What is this aura!?”

“My god, this is… this is…”

The Foundation Establishment realm cultivators from the Galactic Dusk Sect fell back in unison, but Wang Baole paid them little attention. As he muttered the scripture, he dashed forward in a sudden burst of speed and arrived before the retreating Zhou Fei. With murder in his eyes and a rage that he had been suppressing all along, he slashed towards him!

The sudden sweep of the blade almost drove Zhou Fei’s spirits out from his body in terror. He did his best to counter it but to no avail. As the blade fell, amidst a loud thunder, Zhou Fei spat out a mouthful of blood and let out an agonizing cry. His body fell, like a kite cut from its string, to the ground. His chest was a bloodied mess. Even though the actual injury wasn’t visible, it was clear that he had been wounded severely.

Wang Baole narrowed his eyes. He stared at Zhou Fei, who was on the verge of passing out. The latter had fallen near where the other Foundation Establishment realm cultivators stood. That couldn’t have been a coincidence. He chose not to follow through with a killing blow and instead, turned and fled into the forest.

“Stop him. He’s trying to find the Mystic Trace Fog. What frightened you earlier was the aura from the Dharmic Armament…” Zhou Fei struggled to speak. He spat out another mouthful of blood and passed out.

The others treated his words with equal doubt and belief. However, there was something he said that they clearly believed, and that was… the reason for Wang Baole’s fleeing. It was something they hadn’t expected. However, it held a hint of truth and possibility to it. Their eyes flashed as Wang Baole raced further away. The earlier terrifying spirit energy wasn’t enough to deter them from continuing their pursuit.

Instantly, seven to eight sixth-grade Numinous Treasures as well as a dozen spells erupted from the cultivators’ hands, heading straight for Wang Baole.

The color drained from Wang Baole’s face. He wanted to put on a strong front that would continue to strike fear in his pursuers’ hearts. The mind was willing, but the flesh was weak. He could only spare a sweep of his right hand as he fled. He put all he had behind the attack, but his weakening cultivation and the severity of his injuries made it impossible for him to stop the full onslaught. Two Numinous Treasure-grade flying swords pierced clean through his left arm and shoulder!

Wang Baole staggered from the blow. Inside his helmet, blood started flowing heavily from his lips. He continued escaping hurriedly, and the thought of casting the Dharmic Armament aside to lure the group away even flashed across his mind.

Doing so, however, wouldn’t change the situation drastically. With the Dharmic Armament in his hands, he would be pursued relentlessly by the crowd. Without it, the situation wouldn’t change. It might even have adverse consequences.

His weakened state was immediately exposed. The Foundation Establishment realm cultivators pursuing him had excited glimmers in their eyes. They dashed forward in a burst of sudden speed, in fierce pursuit. The fire in their eyes burned brightly. It was the chance they had been waiting for!

A cacophony of noises exploded within the forest. Wang Baole fought as he retreated. Spell after spell, and Numinous Treasure after Numinous Treasure, flew at him from all directions. A few Foundation Establishment realm cultivators skilled at sudden, swift attacks drew near and ambushed him from time to time.

If the eight to nine Foundation Establishment realm cultivators had combined their efforts and made a unified attack, they would have instantly killed the rapidly weakening Wang Baole. Unfortunately, they were all lusting after the Dharmic Armament for their own and guarding against one another. They were also wary against any sudden counterattacks from Wang Baole right before he died. Each of them had their own ideas and schemes and hence held back. They continued to engage in a long-drawn battle with Wang Baole to wear him down.

Wang Baole’s condition worsened. Amidst another explosion and the cleave of Wang Baole’s saber, a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator had his hand chopped off, and blood splattered everywhere. At the same time, Wang Baole’s stomach was pierced through by a flying sword that had sneaked up on him!

It pierced through the existing raw wound on his stomach, making even the devouring seed stutter in its churning. Wang Baole shuddered, and blood spilled from his mouth. He could no longer suppress the full extent of his injuries, and they erupted. His cultivation drained away like the sudden rushing away of flood waters.

His eyes reddened as a deadly calm took over him. He was like a silent lone wolf, charging straight into one of his foes and slamming him right in his forehead. The latter was knocked aside while Wang Baole fell back hastily as well, panting. His hands shook, and black spots danced in his vision. The violent aura exuding from Wang Baole grew more intense.

He continued to flee from the group of cultivators’ pursuit, unknowingly approaching the deeper regions of the dark side of the moon, the most restricted zone of all restricted zones—the center of where the mysterious ancient corpse, the Night Immortal King slept!

The roots intertwined on the ground like a thick blanket and were crimson in color. With a single glance, one would be able to recognize the place as the restricted zone highlighted in the materials distributed by all of the political forces. That was because anyone who entered that place would be faced with inevitable death!

The Foundation Establishment realm cultivators who had been pursuing Wang Baole, upon realizing where they had been led, were shocked. A few of them stopped in their tracks, their breathing stilled.

“He’s not looking for the Mystic Trace Fog. He’s trying to lure us to the land of the slumbering Night Immortal King!”