A World Worth Protecting

Wang Baole sighed dejectedly again. He was moving extremely slowly and carefully through the Spirit Breath Village under the stone shell, afraid that he would meet Spirit Roots that were more than two inches long again.

He felt that his entire experience in the Spirit Breath Village was too bizarre, and he was troubled and glad at the same time.

What on Earth caused every single Spirit Root to adore me the moment they see me?

The more Wang Baole thought about it, the more he felt that something was amiss. It was either because he was too handsome and lovable, causing the Spirit Roots to fall head over heels for him, or it was something to do with him achieving the Golden Body state. After all, before he utilized his Golden Body, the Spirit Roots had been extremely hostile and violent.

However, he also understood that the underlying reason was no longer important. What was more crucial now was to find a two-inch Spirit Root as soon as possible.

So long as I find a two-inch Spirit Root, I do not need to be afraid anymore! Of those Spirit Roots that morphed into my appearance previously, the three-inch-long ones are aplenty!

Time trickled by just like that. The stone shell that Wang Baole was hiding under was moderately effective, for when he advanced within the forest and met the illusionary figures of some Spirit Roots, no transformations like those that happened previously occurred. This allowed him to finally heave a sigh of relief.

He realized, however, that he could not get too close to the Spirit Roots as it would significantly decrease the effectiveness of the stone shield in hiding him. Another two days passed, and the students of the four major Dao Colleges in the Spirit Breath Village all managed to meet the respective Spirit Roots that were fated to them. It was also at this time that Wang Baole became agitated by the illusionary figure of the Spirit Root that he noticed in the forest.

“Two inches!”

The moment he saw the two-inch Spirit Root, Wang Baole excitedly threw the stone shell away, revealing his body, and immediately dashed toward the illusionary figure of the two-inch Spirit Root that was floating ahead.

At that instant, the illusionary figure of the Spirit Root abruptly turned its head, immediately morphing into Wang Baole’s appearance. Even before it could attack, Wang Baole landed a heavy punch on it, dispersing it quickly using his immense combat power.

After absorbing the green fog that was released the moment that the two-inch Spirit Root dispersed, Wang Baole trembled from head to toe. He could feel the one-inch Spirit Root that was within his body rapidly being replaced by the two-inch Spirit Root. He was touched, shaking in agitation as he looked at the sky and laughed heartily.

After so much effort, I finally have reached two inches!

Now, there is no need for me to continue hiding. Spirit Roots, your Grandpa Wang is here for you!

While laughing, Wang Baole quickly stowed the stone shell that he had used to hide himself in his storage bracelet. He felt formidable. Even if he met those Spirit Root illusionary figures from earlier on, he would not be as troubled.

After all, having attained the foundation of the two-inch Spirit Root, he was now able to absorb the three-inch-long ones. He was delighted, and his heart was at peace as he burst forward with high energy, scouring the rainforest.

Perhaps luck was on his side, for an hour later, as Wang Baole was about to leave the boundaries of the forest, he noticed a three-inch Spirit Root looking at his rotund body and suave looks. Wang Baole laughed happily, charging directly toward it before dispersing it and absorbing it.

After noticing that the Spirit Root within his body had been replaced by the three-inch Spirit Root, Wang Baole was even more thrilled, and his mood was lifted. To him, even the colorful and vibrant sky was beautiful. He advanced forward with large strides.

A distance away, Wang Baole saw the peak that he had leaped over when he was being pursued by the gang of Spirit Roots. Uncontrollably, a grandiose feeling arose within him.

A few days ago, I was forced here by all of you. Now that I’m back… just you wait and see, Spirit Roots!

Wang Baole was exhilarated. However, as he picked up speed and neared the peak, he noticed that the secret forest in front of him was barricaded and demarcated by warning tape.

At the same time, footsteps could be heard coming from the secret forest that had been cordoned off. Wang Baole took a look and noticed two women dressed in black Daoist robes whispering to each other as they walked.

The two women were students from White Deer Branch College. They were relatively good looking, and their youthful beauty could not be hidden even though they were wearing black Daoist robes. One of them looked like she had just applied medication as she was buttoning up her Daoist robe while walking.

Wang Baole was not acquainted with them, but they all belonged to the four major Dao Colleges. He had wanted to greet the two women after seeing them, but the two women merely threw a brief glance at him before looking away, walking past him as if he was invisible.

“It’s that fatty again, how annoying!”

“I saw four of them today. That Fatty’s name is Wang Baole. Ah, forget it, let’s not talk about him. Let us just be cautious here and not let anyone barge in.”

These soft whispers between the two women were heard by Wang Baole as the two women passed him.

Wang Baole had wanted to greet them but stopped hearing those words. He was confused, and in his suspicion, he turned to look at the two women before lowering his head to look at himself. His facial expression was unusual, but his eyes flashed when he raised his head to see that the entire region was being covered and protected.

Could it be that they have found some treasures? Wang Baole perked up as he advanced forward curiously.

As he advanced, he heard more women’s voices coming from the secret forest. He blinked and turned serious. Without stopping, he covered a certain distance and noticed that there was a pond situated within the forest.

In the pond, there were several female students from White Deer Branch College who were taking a bath.

There were also several people guarding the surroundings, preventing people from entering accidentally. Some of them were also getting dressed.

To a male, it would not bother them if they had not bathed for several day. To these girls who were not cultivators yet and were unable to clean themselves using spells, the pond was a blessing from the heavens. After all, they were surrounded by a desert, and the temperatures were scorching. If one did not bathe for a day, they would quickly be sticky with sweat. Coupled with the inevitable battles that took place in the process of finding the Spirit Roots, it was no wonder that the girls would gather in the pond to wash themselves.

The scene was like a lightning striking Wang Baole’s head. He stared with his eyes widened. Everything before him was too exciting, and he could not withstand it.

“So many little Bunnies… Oh! There are big Bunnies as well!” Wang Baole was in a blur. He was thirsty, and his heart pounded furiously. His gaze swept over everything, and perspiration flowed down his forehead. He realized that the consequences of this were heavy, so he decided to escape.

Even though his sudden appearance initially surprised the girls who were bathing and guarding the pond, they quickly ignored him after sweeping their gaze over him quickly.

“What’s going on? The irritating fatty is everywhere. I’ve seen so many of them today!”

“I also saw five or six of him. One just walked by as well.”

“Forget it, let’s not care about him.”

After hearing the women’s words, Wang Baole, who originally wanted to escape, instantly stopped. He blinked, realizing that the problem lay in that there were just too many Spirit Roots that had morphed into him, resulting in the frequent encounters of figures of himself in Spirit Breath Village.

Perhaps they still reacted to him initially, but since several days had passed where they kept seeing him in all kinds of circumstances, they grew accustomed to his presence and began treating him as a Spirit Root.

This threw Wang Baole into a dilemma, and he stood there, troubled.

What am I to do? If I revealed that I’m the real Wang Baole, they will be furious and might even become illogical in their anger. That would affect their ability to find their True Breath Spirit Roots. Everyone in the four major Dao Colleges is in it together, and this is something I should not do!

However, I can’t just leave like that as well, as it would be too obvious. Sigh… these girls… why did they have to bathe in front of me?

Wang Baole was deeply troubled.

Forget it, I’ll sacrifice myself… Wang Baole sighed once again, thinking about the sacrifices that he made for these girls as he tried hard to remain expressionless while walking toward them.

As he neared, the girls’ inattention to him cause Wang Baole’s heart to pound hard, especially when one of them stood up and walked past him right after bathing as he neared the pond.

Everything caused Wang Baole to hyperventilate. He felt something that he had never experienced before and tried his utmost best to remain poker faced as he passed them. Only when he was a distance away did Wang Baole heave a sigh of relief. However, it was at this moment when he heard sounds of apprehension from where the girls were bathing.

“That Spirit Root… seems weird.”

“It seems like… I can’t make out how many inches it was.”

As the sounds of hesitation emerged, almost instantly, the area surrounding the pond fell silent before waves of screams of varying pitches erupted.

Wang Baole’s facial expression changed, but he did not run. Instead, he retrieved a puppet that looked exactly like him, summoning it to run wildly, before taking out his stone shell to cover himself as he laid down motionless.