A World Worth Protecting

In an instant, the figurine shuddered violently and, before being drowned by the red sea, erupted and exploded. It strengthened the power of the surrounding winds multiple folds and was on the verge of drawing the small tripod cauldron away.

It didn’t succeed, however. The crimson sea seemed to possess a strange power that dispelled all spells. Despite the figurine’s self-combustion spurring stronger winds, it seemed to have made little difference.

Chen Hui could only watch on, unwillingly and helplessly, as the tornado was dispelled, and the small tripod cauldron hovering in mid-air was drawn back and under the red sea.

She knew she had no chance of snatching away the small tripod cauldron that could be used for one’s Foundation Establishment core. A stranger may not know what the red sea was, but she had vaguely read about it in their sect library. She knew how terrifying it truly was. She bit her lip and decided to give up and leave.

It was when she had abandoned all hope, and the small tripod cauldron was about to be swept under the crimson sea, that Wang Baole finally struck. A strange bright light shone in his eyes. The devouring seed inside him erupted with an unprecedented force and intensity, forming an extraordinary suction force that he focused in his hands. He held them towards the small tripod cauldron bobbing in the sea of red light and, across an expanse of emptiness separating them, grabbed at it!

Come to daddy!

In the sea of red light, the small tripod cauldron instantly shuddered. It was as if an enormous pair of invisible hands had suddenly grabbed at it. Chen Hui watched, stunned, as the small tripod cauldron flew out and raced straight towards Wang Baole. Wang Baole snatched it out of the air with a gleeful look. As he used the devouring seed to suppress the Spirit Qi, he dashed upwards towards the fissure’s entrance!

Chen Hui’s eyes widened as she stared at Wang Baole’s figure, identical to the earlier puppet. White noise erupted in her head. She came to a sudden realization and let loose a terrifying scream. She dashed out immediately and pursued Wang Baole.

A murderous aura erupted from her person as she chased relentlessly after Wang Baole. Her eyes shone brightly with violence and madness. Arrogant and prideful, she never would have thought in her wildest dreams that the fatty would trick her!

He had clearly set up a trap and hidden after summoning his replica. She had stalked a replica for so long, like a fool, even wasting a precious figurine. The damn asshole must have been so pleased with himself, following behind her, stealing the small tripod cauldron from her at the most critical moment!

The insult to her intellect and the loss of a precious opportunity was something Chen Hui, hailing from the Galactic Dusk Sect, could not swallow. Murderous intent gathered around her. At that instant, a sea of blood seemed to rise behind her.

Such a strong killing intent! Wang Baole was shocked. Before dashing out from the fissure, he sent a Supernova punch below him.

The fissure quaked amidst the deafening explosion, and a whirlpool erupted into being. The force of the Supernova surged towards Chen Hui, and a cold glint flashed across Wang Baole’s eyes. His past near-death experiences had taught him that Chen Hui was intent on killing him. He wouldn’t bother to be gentlemanly with her then. After striking with the Supernova, he pulled out a handful of self-exploding beads and threw them out!

A loud rumbling traveled through the air. The earth trembled and parts of the opening started collapsing. Upon seeing Chen Hui on the verge of being buried in, Wang Baole dashed out from the opening without hesitation and sped off into the distance at full speed!

He wasted no time lingering. After snatching the small tripod cauldron, the latter’s Spirit Qi, upon coming into contact with his own, had erupted anew. Its reemergence was an earth-shattering force that rose to the sky.

The devouring seed tried suppressing the Spirit Qi, but the results were dismal. He was like a gigantic fiery hurricane in a pitch-black night, clearly visible regardless of how far away one was. It was more startling, more glaring, and more intense than it had been in the fissure!

The intense Spirit Qi was like strong waves surging and hitting against Wang Baole’s spirit. An instinctive, overwhelming longing overcame him. He longed to meld with the cauldron and attain the Foundation Establishment realm!

At such a time, lingering even for a moment was dangerous. If the young woman caught up with him and Wang Baole was caught in a fight, any delay, even if Wang Baole was forced to use his Dharmic Armament and kill her, would be a waste of precious time. If Wang Baole was to be wounded, he didn’t know if he would be able to guard against the small tripod cauldron being snatched by others before reaching the Foundation Establishment realm.

He knew clearly that the moment he snatched over the small tripod cauldron, he had become a brightly burning torch that would drive any powerful person in the Mystic Luna Realm mad with hunger for it!

In the past, every time the Mystic Luna Realm was open, before the current strange happenings, death was common during contests amongst the political forces. It was worse now, with the realm sealed and them separated from the outside world, and with a fully intact artifact in his possession.

The temptation and appeal were too great for everyone. He could imagine the blood that would be shed, the danger that loomed at every corner!

He had no choice. Unless he decided to cast the small tripod cauldron aside, the other path left to him was to attain the Foundation Establishment realm as soon as possible. Only by achieving the Foundation Establishment realm did he have a chance to turn the tide against them.

Wang Baole’s greater worry was the Foundation Establishment realm and Core Formation realm cultivators from the Five Generation Sky Clan. He knew he had no time to waste. That was why he had immediately raced away after exiting the crevice.

He sped away into the distance, swift like a sudden bolt of lightning.

It was as Wang Baole had predicted. In the forest miles away, the seven to eight Plume Manifestation Connate Sect disciples had been racing when the one ahead carrying the compass froze at the exact moment Wang Baole grabbed hold of the small tripod cauldron.

“The Spirit Qi source is moving. Damn it, someone’s gotten to it first! My god, this source… how can it be so strong? It’s more than ten times stronger than before!

“This isn’t just a fragment. It’s a… fully intact artifact!”

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone’s eyes popped. Their breathing quickened, and a murderous intent flickered across their eyes. They didn’t hesitate, charging at full speed towards the location pointed out by the pulsing light on the compass that was ten times brighter than it had been before.

At the same time, a distance away from the fissure, the black-robed youth from the Galactic Dusk Sect was approaching with a dark, solemn face. The expression on his face transformed suddenly. He twisted his head towards where Wang Baole was at, incredulity and a mad joy on his face.

This Spirit Qi source… could it be a fully intact artifact? I don’t care who has it. It’s mine! An air of viciousness erupted from his person. He swiftly unraveled the black bandages on his right hand. Wisps of black gases spread out rapidly. His speed increased multiple folds as he dashed towards the source!

There was no end to it. At that moment, the cultivators from the various political forces were gathered at the boundaries separating the visible and dark sides of the moon. The visible side of the moon had been searched clean. Everyone had their sights on the dark side of the moon.

As a consequence, even though the fissure was located at only one of those intersections, the cultivators gathered there still numbered in the hundreds. Amidst the chaos, killings and fights over fragments took place from time to time. They were all painfully aware that some of them might have already attained the Foundation Establishment realm.

However, the Mystic Luna Realm was too vast. With the failing of the voice transmission jade slip, there was no way of truly knowing.

At that moment, with the Spirit Qi source on Wang Baole erupting like a fiery tornado and roaring to the heavens, every cultivator within a two thousand mile radius, to varying degrees, sensed it. With great eagerness and excitement, they raced from all directions towards the source of the tremendous Spirit Qi!

As for the region where the fissure stood and where Wang Baole had snatched away the small tripod cauldron, a loud explosion rang from underground after his departure. Earth was flung into the air, and a disheveled Chen Hui, her hair loosened and in a mess, shot out from underground. She spat out a mouthful of blood as soon as she emerged above ground. Her face was pale, and blood lined the veins in her crazed eyes. She let out a shrill shriek.

I’m going to kill you! She whirled around and glared in the direction where the obvious and glaring source of Spirit Qi lay. She raced towards it with murder in her eyes.

If someone were to stand perched atop an elevated spot and look below, he would be able to see, within the two thousand mile radius that included the intersection between the visible and dark sides of the moon, hundreds of cultivators approaching swiftly from all directions.

The location they were approaching was where Wang Baole stood!