A World Worth Protecting

1

Time passed, seemingly fast and slow at the same time. Wang Baole didn’t know how much time had gone by, but when he came to, Little Missy had vanished. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was the ceiling of the cavern.

Wang Baole seemed lost for a moment before his pupils contracted, and he sat up suddenly and inspected his surroundings cautiously. He widened his eyes at the sight before him, shock flooding his mind.

<em>This is… </em>Wang Baole was stunned. His breathing stilled as he observed the majestic scene before him. The sight of the tens of thousands of ancient cultivators’ corpses and the three-tiered altar they had been worshiping sent a flood of emotions surging through him.

The altar, especially, and the items placed on the altar, inspired in him an indistinct feeling of surreality. He had immediately recognized the altar. It was the one which had appeared in the scenes that flashed across his mind during his fusion with the small tripod cauldron.

<em>How did I end up here… </em>There was confusion in Wang Baole’s eyes. He couldn’t recall anything that happened after he entered the restricted zone to escape from his pursuers. He remembered distinctly that he had been at the end of his rope then. His vitality had been a faint, weak flame that had been on the verge of being extinguished any moment.

He had felt death looming close over him. It had felt inevitable. His small tripod cauldron had been robbed from him, the foundations of his Dao destroyed, and he had been injured grievously. He had then been forced to flee from the countless Foundation Establishment realm cultivators after his life. It didn’t matter how many he had taken down. His death had seemed inevitable.

His memories halted at the point when he entered the restricted zone. Then, he seemed to have fallen into a long, deep slumber. After he had woken up, he found himself here.

In his loss and confusion, Wang Baole took in a deep breath and looked down at his chest and the black mask that had appeared there without his knowledge. As he fell silent, he could feel the changes. His injuries had been healed, and there was a certain strength brimming within him that hadn’t been there before.

Upon that discovery, Wang Baole started shivering, and his eyes shone with incredulity. He started inspecting his body and soon fell into a dazed shock; it was as if he had just been struck by lightning.

He saw, within himself, the ruined foundations of his cultivation completely rebuilt. His meridians were completely healed, and where his dantian lay, in the emptiness that had formed after the small tripod cauldron had been ripped out by the old woman, was… a green lotus!

The green lotus was the size of his palm. As it swayed, it radiated tremendous vitality and Spirit Qi which flooded Wang Baole’s entire body. Wang Baole’s breath froze instantly. At that moment, he was caught in an illusion of utter invincibility, as if he had the power to pluck the sun, the moon, and the stars from the heavens!

He knew what he was feeling wasn’t real, but he could still clearly and distinctly feel that the Spirit Qi in his body surpassed his earlier small-tripod-grade Foundation Establishment realm cultivation by more than tenfold!

It was like a miracle. Wang Baole felt as if he was in a dream. He found the green lotus familiar… it seemed to be the same lotus that was being worshiped by the small tripod cauldron and other beings in the scenes that had flashed within his mind during his fusion with the small tripod cauldron!

There was no need, and no basis, for a comparison. He knew that if the green lotus within his body was indeed the lotus he had seen in his mind, then… the lotus and the small tripod cauldron were clearly in different leagues.

<em>How did it appear inside me… </em>Wang Baole was brimming with excitement and agitation. He hadn’t simply regained what had been lost to him. He had, after losing something precious, found something even more valuable and priceless. That feeling was beyond what words could describe.

His heart started beating fiercely. He inspected his body and surveyed his surroundings. Finally, his eyes landed on the black mask. Somehow, Wang Baole felt that he had perhaps found his answer.

“You’re the one who saved me, right, Little Missy?” Wang Baole asked softly. He picked the black mask up, but it didn’t respond. After a long while, Wang Baole stood up, placed the mask before him, and with great gravity, gave it a deep bow!

“Little Missy, you saved my life. I, Wang Baole, will never forget this!”

The black mask glimmered faintly, like a reply to Wang Baole’s deep bow of gratitude. Wang Baole stared at the black mask’s response until it faded away and silence reigned again. He carefully kept the mask, then lifted his head. He could feel the immense vitality and Spirit Qi emanating from the green lotus that had melded with the devouring seed in his dantian. He could feel the Spirit Qi of a Foundation Establishment realm, and the waves of spirit energy that were much more powerful and terrifying than before.

An intense murderous intent suddenly erupted inside Wang Baole. His eyes narrowed, and within them flashed a cold, terrifying glimmer.

“Galactic Dusk Sect, Five Generation Sky Clan… since I, Wang Baole, am not dead, the grudge I have against you is due for settlement!” His soft, murmuring words were laced with ice. They echoed faintly in the cavern. Wang Baole tried activating the green lotus in his dantian. He wanted to know the degree it had changed him since he had used it to attain the Foundation Establishment realm.

The thought surfaced and seemed to fuse with the green lotus, but as the latter was about to stir, suddenly, the earth rumbled and quaked. An immense, remarkable aura suddenly surged from the depths of the land, terrifying even Wang Baole.

The aura was so potent that its momentary release was enough to shake the heavens and the earth. Every living thing that existed within the Mystic Luna Realm was shaken to the core of their souls. Wang Baole could sense that the owner of the Spirit Qi was deep in slumber and that the sudden burst of spirit energy seemed to signal its awakening.

<em>The Night Immortal King? </em>Wang Baole instinctively withdrew his consciousness, which was in the midst of sinking into the green lotus. As soon as he withdrew it, the immense spirit energy disappeared. All prior signs of its awakening vanished, and the Night Immortal King continued its deep slumber.

Doubts rose within Wang Baole. He was guessing that within the Mystic Luna Realm, the only being that could give off such remarkable spirit energy must be the terrifying ancient giant corpse deep in slumber. He didn’t try to test his theory further. However, he could sense that, somehow, the green lotus inside his body and the ancient corpse were related.

Wang Baole fell silent. He was uncertain of what the awakening of the ancient corpse due to him activating the green lotus would bring. He wasn’t confident that he could wield and control the corpse successfully if it truly woke up.

The uncertainties made him set the idea of awakening the corpse aside. He lifted his head and looked towards the exit to the cavern. He leaped out and saw, immediately, in the thin mist outside, the silhouettes of Moon Spirits and Night Immortals.

The Moon Spirits and Night Immortals, upon seeing Wang Baole, lowered their heads as if in a bow…

Wang Baole froze at the sight. His eyes flashed. He tried to exert control over the creatures, but after a few attempts, he realized that even though the Moon Spirits and Night Immortals bowed to him, they weren’t receptive to his commands.

Wang Baole silently observed the mist around him. He could sense that the mist was different from the Mystic Trace Fog. However, it seemed to share the same essence. There even seemed to be wisps of Mystic Trace Fog appearing within it from time to time.

He withdrew his gaze and lifted his head towards a point in the distance. That must be where he had come from. He could barely suppress the icy glint in his eyes.

He had killed few in his short life. His experience in the Mystic Luna Realm had been a memorable one. The sense of helplessness he had felt, the grievances he had suffered, how he had been forced to the brink of death—all these incited an uncontrollable rage that surged in Wang Baole’s mind. A murderous want, eager to be unleashed, boiled within him. If he didn’t let it loose, he would go mad.

Based on his assessments, the green lotus was definitely an extremely powerful object. However, regardless of how overwhelming its power was, he was still merely at the Foundation Establishment realm. He needed time to become more powerful. It still wasn’t within his means to fight a Core Formation realm cultivator, as the chasm separating cultivation realms grew wider the further one progressed.

Wang Baole didn’t lose his reason because of his green lotus Foundation Establishment realm. He pondered, then turned and eyed the mist around him, a glimmer flickering in his eyes.

<em>I’ve studied the Mystic Trace Beads for quite some time. There are still a few steps I haven’t tested. If I succeed… there will be no one in the Mystic Luna Realm who can stop me from taking my revenge! </em>Wang Baole narrowed his eyes and suppressed his vengeful fury. He walked towards the fog and flipped his right hand over, revealing a handful of beads. Then, he continued his research of the Mystic Trace Fog.

A Foundation Establishment realm cultivation didn’t only give Wang Baole enhanced fighting abilities, but also augmented his mind. He became more adept in his control and craft of inscriptions and Dharmic Armaments. There was also an abundance of Mystic Trace Fog in this place. In addition, Wang Baole discovered that with the green lotus inside him, he was no longer affected by the Mystic Trace Fog.

His research progressed swiftly and extensively. Days later, Wang Baole successfully refined the Mystic Trace Bead and walked out from the restricted zone. Battle thirst erupted from his person, murderous intent rising to the skies!

<em>I’ve returned!</em>

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