A World Worth Protecting

Be it traveling for a vacation or any other reason, one was always beset by the same strange feeling. The journey there was always especially slow, and the journey back miraculously fast.

It was the same for the trip to the moon. Their return was swift, and the cruiser quickly landed on the Upper Academy Island of the Ethereal Dao College. Those who had successfully reached the Foundation Establishment realm, and those who had not, all got off. They stared at the sky vastly different from the one seen from the moon, and at the Sword Sun. They could hear birdsong and smell flowers blooming. They could feel the air, and the Spirit Qi infused in it. Wang Baole was finally able to relax completely.

Even though a mountain of tasks awaited him after he had advanced to the Foundation Establishment realm, Wang Baole still decided to give himself a long vacation. He was going back to Phoenix City, back to his parents.

His return was of great importance to the City Lord of Phoenix City as well as all the city officials. They didn’t go to the extent of journeying outside the city to receive him; however, the City Lord and the Deputy City Lord stationed themselves outside the port and had a short chat with Wang Baole when he arrived. They didn’t impose on his reunion with his family and instead left after exchanging a few words.

Wang Baole’s spirits were high on the way back home. He listened to his mother’s nagging with a great deal of patience, and his father was quiet most of the time, only interrupting his mother’s nagging with a few words of reprimand now and again. He remained smiling, and they spent the next two weeks in harmonious cheer.

During that period, Wang Baole also settled his spirits and did more in-depth research on the green lotus inside his body. He gradually became convinced that the green lotus was an augmenting presence on his cultivation, and its effects on the physical body were even greater, almost out of this world.

Wang Baole recalled being hunted for his life in the Mystic Luna Realm. His recovery speed had saved his life, as all his injuries had healed at a tremendous rate.

His physical strength was also receiving increasing nourishment from the green lotus. It grew exponentially on a daily basis. Wang Baole assessed his physical capabilities to have surpassed that of a typical cultivator in the same realm. In other words, if he were to split himself into two people—one with his cultivation and another with his physical body—the one to emerge victorious after a fight would be the one with his physical body!

The green lotus triggers the devouring seed to absorb vitality from all living things while it sits inside the devouring seed so that it can receive sustenance… Wang Baole mused. He observed the green lotus’s seed head and the four lotus seeds inside it. He had a feeling that the lotus seeds weren’t only useful for controlling the Night Immortal King.

He had only recently acquired the green lotus though, and he was unable to fully pin down the full properties of the lotus seeds in such a short period. He tried absorbing them but found it a tedious challenge.

He didn’t give up. The few benefits that the Green Lotus Foundation Establishment core had given him were enough to send him into an excited flurry.

With the devouring seed, I believe the green lotus will flourish with continual cultivation and nourishment. With its augmentation, my physical body will grow increasingly stronger as well!

Wang Baole inhaled deeply. He found his future ever bright and hopeful. He had to climb back from the gates of hell in the Mystic Luna Realm, but it had all been worth it!

Wang Baole continued to study the green lotus while enjoying his family life. He had wanted to extend his stay for a few more days, but he received a voice transmission message from Chen Yutong. The latter was swamped with endless work at the Dharmic Armament Pavilion to the point where he could barely cope with it alone. The college had also called for Wang Baole to return and retrieve his Foundation Establishment realm mystic technique.

Besides the messages from the college asking him to return… at home, Wang Baole had also discovered, much to his grief, that his mother had begun to arrange matchmaking sessions for him these few days… he was utterly horrified.

“My dear mother, your son is an esteemed Foundation Establishment realm cultivator, a young genius, the Deputy Pavilion Head of the Dharmic Armament Pavilion, and one of the Federation’s hundred seedlings. There are few who don’t recognize who I am when I walk the streets. I just have to say the word and ladies who want to be my girlfriend will line the streets all the way from Phoenix City to the Ethereal Dao College. And you still think I need to be matchmade to solve my singlehood status?

“Matchmaking is an insult to my good looks and talents!”

Wang Baole’s mother rolled her eyes and glared as soon as she heard Wang Baole’s protest. She grabbed at his ear. Under duress, and with much exasperation, Wang Baole was left with no choice but to sneak out of Phoenix City and escape from his grudging parents.

Wang Baole ended his vacation and returned to the college. The first thing he learned from Chen Yutong was what had followed after the Mystic Luna Realm fiasco.

Those who had left the Mystic Luna Realm two weeks prior weren’t only the disciples from the four Dao Colleges but also those from the other political forces. The real clean-up on the moon had commenced after their departure.

It was an utter bloodbath, an absolute massacre intended to squash the mutinous forces!

Chaos overran the entire Mystic Luna Realm. Trapped within the seal of the array formation, none from the Five Generation Sky Clan and the Galactic Dusk Sect could escape. Every Five Generation Sky Clan cultivator who had participated in the revolt—be it a Core Formation realm or Foundation Establishment realm, or even a True Breath realm cultivator—with a few exceptions, was exterminated. The exterminators were the other family clans of the Five Generation Sky Clan.

It was a cleansing that had to be done. They needed to answer to the Federation, and this answer required the heads of hundreds and thousands of their clan members!

The Five Generation Sky Clan also paid a heavy price elsewhere. They lost nearly a third of their lands and only then did the Federation and the other political forces finally let them off the hook. After all, it wouldn’t look good if they went too far.

The fate of the Galactic Dusk Sect was worse. They had been the mastermind behind the entire fiasco. The Sect Lord was sent away into seclusion for sixty years, and the various political forces in the Federation would be keeping guard over where he was secluded, to prevent him from sneaking out.

Save a few True Breath realm cultivators who had advanced to the Foundation Establishment realm, all others from the sect who had entered the mystic realm were executed. Their resources, as well as their lands, were also seized by nearly half.

This was a catastrophic blow to the Galactic Dusk Sect. They would be feeling the pain of their losses for a long time.

Finally, all Core Formation realm cultivators from both sect and clan who had been part of the lunar rebellion were captured. Unlike the old lady, they wouldn’t suffer the agonizing fate of having their Core Formation core ripped from their bodies. However, they would be spending the remainder of their lives in prison and use their lives to serve their penance.

Such a fate was worse than death.

The entire affair received extensive coverage from the media. Everyone in the Federation knew about it. The popularity of the Federation President Duan Muque spiked instantly, and his power grew and surpassed that of the former president because of this event.

In the present political climate, after the severe weakening of the Five Generation Sky Clan and the Galactic Dusk Sect, the Trilunaris Corporation, who had maintained cordial relations with the Federation, stood to gain a great deal. As for the isolationist Plume Manifestation Connate Sect, it maintained a low profile after the ordeal.

In the eyes of those unaware of the truth, the Federation’s response to the luna rebellion might be perceived as slow but decisive. They might feel that the Five Generation Sky Clan and the Galactic Dusk Sect were also the victims in the entire ordeal. They had paid a heavy price and should be forgiven for their crimes.

Wang Baole knew, however, that the negotiations and choices ultimately made at the end weren’t something that could be easily explained with a few words. He had no interest in making wild guesses. After bidding farewell to Chen Yutong, he poured himself into the matters that required his attention since he had reached the Foundation Establishment realm.

First was the Foundation Establishment realm mystic technique to be given by the college. Within the Ethereal Dao College were multiple Foundation Establishment realm mystic techniques. The one most commonly practiced was the Ethereal Piercing Technique.

It was simple and safe and suited most disciples. Wang Baole didn’t receive that commonly practiced technique, however. Instead, the college had given him a choice of three top Foundation Establishment realm techniques that existed in the college and were practiced explicitly by those who had a fully intact artifact as their Foundation Establishment core.

One was the Ethereal Nine Killings Technique, the second the Five Elements Unification Mystic Art, and the third… the Lightning Dao: First Volume!

The Ethereal Nine Killings Technique was the Grand Supreme Elder’s creation. Its power wasn’t to be underestimated, and it suited college disciples who had formed their Foundation Establishment core from a fully intact artifact. The Five Elements Unification Mystic Art had been discovered on the ancient sword, and it was a complete mystic art with equally astounding power. It was able to wield the five elements, and the art of escape formed the essence of this mystic art.

As for the Lightning Dao: First Volume, it didn’t originate from the extraterrestrial giant sword, but had been branded onto a meteorite. The meteorite had crashed onto earth two millennia ago, before the appearance of the ancient green-bronze sword. It had been cast aside when it had first appeared, until the arrival of the ancient green-bronze sword and Spirit Qi had permeated the planet. That was when people had discovered the inscriptions carved into the meteorite. It landed in the hands of the Ethereal Dao College eventually.

From the engravings on the meteorite came the unique… Lightning Dao: First Volume!

All three mystic techniques required one to have a Foundation Establishment core formed from a fully intact artifact, as they would be difficult to master otherwise. In the best case scenario, a cultivator would be mastered by the technique. In the worst case scenario, one would spiral into madness and die from instant self-combustion.

Wang Baole weighed his options. He didn’t choose the Ethereal Nine Killings Technique nor the Five Elements Unification Mystic Art. The former was best for those whose Foundation Establishment core was formed from a metal artifact. His might have the appearance of a pill bottle, but in reality, it was a green lotus…

The Five Elements Unification Mystic Art would produce Spirit Qi of all five elements in his body after practicing it. It was powerful, but if any of the elemental Spirit Qi in his body became too strong, it would adversely affect the other elemental Spirit Qi.

As a result, Wang Baole was left with one remaining option, and that was the Lightning Dao: First Volume. Effects of practicing the technique included the strengthening of his physical body. After some thought, Wang Baole decided on this technique!

There were four levels to the Lightning Dao: First Volume. They aligned with the early-stage, mid-stage, late-stage, and perfected-stage of the Foundation Establishment realm. At every level, the practitioner would have a lightning tattoo seared into his body. He would sustain and nourish the tattoo, which would eventually transform into actual lightning.

After some studying and a great deal of thought, Wang Baole mused on how he enjoyed kicking his opponents, especially in the crotch. Both the fluidity of the movement and the extent of damage were astonishing. He decided to have the first lightning tattoo on his right leg.

This way, there will be lightning every time I kick someone. Even if they block the actual physical blow, they’ll still be electrocuted. They won’t expect that. It’ll be great! Wang Baole became immeasurably pleased at the thought. He was in the middle of practice when he thought of Little Missy in the black mask. His eyes lit up.

Little Missy taught me the Great Void Qi Devouring Art when I was at the Ancient Martial realm… and the Compression Method before I reached the Foundation Establishment realm… now that I’m at the Foundation Establishment realm, she might have something better than the Lightning Dao: First Volume!

Wang Baole grew excited at that thought. He immediately pulled out the black mask and reached out to Little Missy.