A World Worth Protecting

The second barrier… was clearly stronger than the first. The spirit energy it exuded alarmed everyone in the catacombs!

The purple protective barrier expanded as soon as it appeared. It looked like a veil of purple light, and waves swept outward and collided with Li Xingwen, who had been standing at the front of the party.

Alarm flashed across Li Xingwen’s face. He couldn’t fight back and was pushed backward by the light. The Governor and the remaining Core Formation realm cultivators were even more powerless to defend against the light. Shocked and alarmed, they were all shoved back by the light instantly.

The Governor’s breathing quickened as she fell back. Alarm fell across her face. It was clear that she hadn’t expected this, that she hadn’t expected there to be another purple light barrier behind the first barrier. She even sensed that someone might be controlling the eruption of the second barrier.

Could it be… that this Divine Armament, this Dark Artifact, really has an owner? Doubts arose in the Governor’s mind. She spared a quick glance at Li Xingwen as she retreated and noticed a similar suspicion in Li Xingwen’s eyes then.

It was clear that this light barrier held no ill will towards the cultivators. It merely forced them back and didn’t injure or harm anyone. Regardless, it still sent the crowd reeling in shock. Many gasped.

Wang Baole was amongst this group of people, apparent shock coloring his face as he gasped.

There was no question… that the strength the barrier had displayed had exceeded their expectations. As the party fell back, Li Xingwen’s pupils contracted, and a jade slip appeared in his hand suddenly. Should he shatter it now, it would trigger the launch of the Anti-Spirit Bombs and the activation of the Solar System Array Formation. He didn’t do so immediately. Doubt and uncertainty colored his eyes as he tilted his head and appeared to glance at Wang Baole.

It was then that an overpowering spirit energy that stirred the heavens erupted like a storm from within the purple light barrier!

The force of the spirit energy surpassed that of the Core Formation realm and overpowered that of the Nascent Soul realm. It filled the entire catacombs and appeared to transform into a consciousness that swept across everyone, including Wang Baole. Everyone’s heads seemed to buzz, as if their minds were touched by this consciousness.

A stern, authoritative voice, tinged with mild displeasure, rang out in everyone’s minds then!

“What a din!”

It was a voice like thunder, and it exploded inside the catacombs and boomed in everyone’s ears. Everyone was stunned. They could sense the age in this voice, as if the person speaking had lived for a very, very long time. Even his voice sounded as old as time and as vast as space.

Shock flashed across every cultivators’ face when the voice appeared. Some of them had had their guesses about the Divine Armament and had felt that its owner was residing in the Divine Armament, but the Federation had felt that the possibility of something like that was very slight.

Now, though, the voice reverberating in the catacombs proved that this very slight possibility had become reality. The master of the Martian Divine Armament was indeed residing within the Divine Armament!

He was clearly an unfathomable character. His words didn’t originate from any civilization but formed a will that had originated from his consciousness and then had echoed in their minds. It was an exchange of minds that crossed the boundaries of language. It was a means that sent everyone reeling back in shock.

There’s indeed someone inside! The Martian Colony Governor narrowed her eyes. This was a Divine Armament on her planet, but she only found out today that an extraterrestrial cultivator had been residing inside it all along. Emotions flooded her inside, and she grew extremely cautious. The Mercury tragedy was still fresh in her mind!

Wang Baole widened his eyes as well, displaying a look of complete shock and incredulity. Even his breathing stopped for a moment, and he seemed to instinctively retreat. Li Xingwen might have had his suspicions that Wang Baole had some connection to this Dark Artifact, but he grew doubtful now. He sucked in a deep breath, took a few steps back, then cupped his fists and saluted the purple light barrier.

“Senior, we hail from a civilization on Earth, which is part of the Solar System. This planet… belongs to our civilization. We didn’t know you were resting here and disturbed your rest. We seek your forgiveness.”

Li Xingwen tried his best to extend his own spiritual senses as he spoke, and did all he could to mirror his good intentions in his extended spiritual senses. In reality, he too was also shocked and awed by the purple light barrier.

Everyone’s spirits trembled as Li Xingwen spoke. It was then that a voice tinged with doubt rang out from within the purple light barrier!

“Your civilization? I remember that this part of the universe belonged to the Dark Sect when I went into seclusion…” The voice paused at that point, and its consciousness seemed to erupt once again and sweep outwards. It expanded for a moment, and in the next, vanished. After a long silence, there was a sigh.

“To think that so much time has passed…”

Both Li Xingwen and the Governor were both shocked, once again, by the sudden eruption and disappearance of the consciousness. The breathing of the other Core Formation realm cultivators quickened as well. They quaked in their boots while Li Xingwen continued to hold the jade slip within his hand. He hesitated, then bowed towards the purple light barrier once again.

“Senior, this… is now where Earth’s civilization is built!”

As soon as Li Xingwen said that, a sigh rang out from within the purple light barrier.

“I, Tian Shuaizi, have been pursuing the Dao of Heaven Trampling for hundreds of thousands of years here. While the Dao in one’s heart may live eternal, time continues for the rest of the vast universe. Who would’ve known that the stars have since shifted and an age has passed…”

The old voice rang out once again from inside the purple light barrier and echoed in everyone’s minds. The name Tian Shuaizi became seared in everyone’s minds as they tried their best to calm themselves down. They hurriedly bowed and extended their greetings.

Wang Baole extended a shaky, nervous greeting amongst the crowd as well, but he was secretly brimming with satisfaction. The supposed master of the Divine Armament was his Artifact Spirit, the old State Preceptor.

Most importantly, his earlier speech had been thought up by Wang Baole. The name, Tian Shuaizi, was his brilliant idea. Even though the old State Preceptor almost couldn’t say the name when he had first ordered him to do so, the old Artifact Spirit had still submitted to his commanded eventually.

The old State Preceptor didn’t disappoint Wang Baole at all. Even Wang Baole almost believed what he had said.

The purple light barrier was the protective screen that the Dark Artifact Sampan had activated after recovering one-tenth of its functionality. Its power was akin to that of a perfected Spirit Immortal realm cultivator. This entire awe-inspiring scene was the first step to Wang Baole’s plan!

Grandfather Grand Supreme Elder hinted to me that I needed to induce awe in the Federation, to prevent the Federation from coveting the armament. This should do it, right? I can’t go overboard. Everything will be finished if the Grand Supreme Elder launches the Anti-Spirit Bombs! Wang Baole blinked. He knew that he had already successfully carried out the first step in his plans. All he needed to do was wait for the State Preceptor to speak again and complete step two of the plan.

Based on his plans, the first step was to shock and awe, and the second was to both instill fear while ensuring that the Federation President and the other political forces dared not have any ideas about the Dark Artifact again. However, he knew that the Federation had made a lot of preparation and many sacrifices in order to get their hands on the Martian Divine Armament. Even he made them leave completely empty-handed, they might continue to hold certain ideas and begin conspiring again.

That was why Wang Baole planned to throw them a carrot as well. As gears spun furiously in his head, the State Preceptor inside the purple light barrier spoke again. His voice, colored with age, rang out once again.

“Since the stars have shifted, and this place has become the origins of your cultivation, I will no longer be able to fulfill the agreement I made with the Dark Sect back then… Fine, as a heavenly being, I will not stay on your planet without giving something back in return. From now on, those who cultivate outside my cave abode will have a chance to gain the gift of immense vitality!”

As soon as those words were spoken, an overpowering spirit energy erupted from within the purple light barrier. It was thick with life and vitality, surging out from the special regional city and stirring the heavens and earth. The land under the city trembled and roared. Outside, countless cultivators reeled back in shock as thick vitality blanketed the entire city. Vegetation grew and blossomed in a single moment. At the same time, all cultivators and ordinary folks’ breathing quickened suddenly, and they felt their bodies lighten. They felt a sudden burst of energy that cleared their minds and heightened their spirits as they stood on this land!

The sight sent everyone inside the catacombs reeling back in shock once again. Speechless and uncertain of what to do next, they all turned towards Li Xingwen.