A World Worth Protecting

1

The expression on the tree-turned-man darkened as the Galactic Dusk Sect Lord spoke. His stare at the latter also grew more piercing.

The Galactic Dusk Sect Lord narrowed his eyes, and his smile widened. He seemed confident of his victory.

“I know Duan Muque and his methods. He likes his backup plans. The first is the mysterious way he’s exerted his control over you. As for the second, I can vaguely guess it as well…”

“It must be… the Night Immortal King!” The Galactic Dusk Sect Lord burst out into laughter. He raised his right hand suddenly. Within his palm was a ball of mist!

It was a rainbow-colored mist. As soon as it appeared, it transformed into seven differently-colored dragon heads. They looked almost like the real thing. They roared endlessly as they surged outwards.

As soon as they spread out, a startling Spirit Qi that threatened to overpower everyone erupted and rose in the air. Its power surpassed Wang Baole’s seventh-grade Dharmic Armament by leagues. There was, in fact, no basis for comparison. It was like a tiny firefly competing against the luminous moon!

<em>A ninth-grade Dharmic Armament! </em>The tree-turned-man in black robes was taken aback. His pupils contracted into pinpricks. He experienced panic for the first time. Every word that fell from the Galactic Dusk Sect Lord’s lips was more powerful than a prophet’s. The Sect Lord was slowly but surely revealing all his innermost thoughts as if he could see through him!

“Fellow Daoist Osmanthus, I’m not sure what you’re afraid of. Is it the destruction of your parent tree, or the Night Immortal King’s awakening? Or perhaps, there is a connection between the two. Once the Night Immortal King awakens, your parent tree will be inevitably destroyed… this must be why Duan Muque wasn’t worried when he let you in, and why he is confident of steering the events towards his desired outcome!

“I can do both! That’s why I’m changing my conditions now. I’ll claim two-tenths of the fruit on behalf of the Five Generation Sky Clan and a half for myself. You can take it or leave it… but know that I will destroy my own Dharmic Armament in order to destroy your parent tree and awaken the ancient corpse. Calamity will fall upon this land. No one will get to have the fruit then!”

A sullen gloom fell over the face of the tree-turned-man. He rapidly weighed his options. It was as the other had said. Despite him working with Duan Muque, and despite Duan Muque’s limited control over him, he remained ambitious and didn’t wish to be constrained. He had planned to go along with Duan Muque’s plans and use them to his advantage to become a Nascent Soul.

That was why he hadn’t followed the plan to activate the array formation to allow those outside to enter the Mystic Luna Realm. However, the Galactic Dusk Sect Lord had pointed out something of utmost importance, and that was Duan Muque’s backup plan.

It was something that the black-robed man was terrified of. Once the Night Immortal King awakened, he would start absorbing the vitality of the parent tree instinctively. Everything would be ruined then!

As the black-robed man fell into deep thought, Wang Baole’s mind was wavering. He had been shocked by the ninth-grade Dharmic Armament, the various conspiracies and counter-conspiracies that had bubbled up, and by the giant fruit. He held his breath as a myriad of mixed emotions flashed across his eyes. There seemed to be a struggle taking place within him. He soon made up his mind. Instead of retreating, he raced towards the cavern where the crowd was gathered.

As he charged forward, he took out half of all the Mystic Trace Beads he had on him as well as seven to eight puppets. He got the puppets to hold onto the beads and race ahead of him!

<em>Fortune favors the bold. I’m blessed with great looks and a good character. I’ll bet on those!</em>

As Wang Baole approached rapidly, the tree-turned-man remained silent. After the span of a few breaths, he sighed inwardly and made his choice.

“You’ll be taking away seven-tenths of the entire fruit. I’ll be left with less than what Duan Muque promised me… after all, there are three of us here, the Five Generation Sky Clan, you and me. We’re not going to get a large part of the fruit after dividing it amongst us three.”

“I’m only agreeable to splitting half of the fruit with you…” The black-robed man said firmly. As he spoke, he glanced towards the entrance to the cavern, as if he had noticed something. He didn’t pay it further attention.

The others seemed to have sensed something as well. However, as Core Formation realm cultivators, they wouldn’t pay any attention to the appearance of a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator. One of the elders from the Five Generation Sky Clan, who had been going on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, didn’t spare a further thought before he raised his right hand and sent an attack towards the entrance!

A giant handprint materialized in the air and surged towards the entrance. It looked as if it was going to smack the hell out of the insolent trespasser.

As soon as the giant handprint appeared and blasted towards the entrance, suddenly, the three elders from the Galactic Dusk Sect who had summoned their Sect Lord sensed something and seemed to come to a certain realization. Looks of alarm flashed across their faces. They were about to say something, but it was too late…

They could only watch as seven to eight figures dashed out from the entrance and collided with the incoming handprint. Everything happened too quickly. The seven to eight figures disintegrated in a deafening explosion. As they shattered into dust, the hundreds of Mystic Trace Beads they were carrying… exploded at the same time!

The thundering booms of the explosions resounded all around in the cavern, stirring deafening reverberations as well as summoning vast clouds of mist. The mist erupted and rapidly blanketed the entire area!

The three elders from the Five Generation Sky Clan were the first to be caught in the blast. The mist instantly enveloped them. The other three from the Galactic Dusk Sect retreated hastily but were still a step too late. The mist enveloped them in the next instant.

Even the Sect Lord of the Galactic Dusk Sect, the crimson-robed youth at the perfected Core Formation realm, displayed his first signs of alarm. He tried to escape at full speed. He even wielded the ninth-grade Dharmic Armament in his hand and tried to slash the mist in halves. However, while the Dharmic Armament might be powerful, the mist was fluid and changeable, and it had the ability to teleport anything!

The explosion of hundreds of Mystic Trace Beads wasn’t something to be trifled with!

The Mystic Trace Fog contained within them was voluminous. Deep underground in the cavern, unless one was a Nascent Soul and was able to teleport away… he would be cornered with nowhere to go!

In a blink of an eye, the entire cavern was filled with rolling wave-like mist. It blanketed the entire area. The mist enveloped everyone—be it the Galactic Dusk Sect Lord, the black-robed man who was a tree-turned-man, or anyone else.

The mist that Wang Baole had adapted for his own use had no source. It erupted swiftly and dispersed equally swiftly… After it had dispersed, neither hide nor hair of the Five Generation Sky Clan Core Formation realm cultivators, the Galactic Dusk Sect elders, or their Sect Lord could be found in the cavern…

They were powerless against the mist. Every single one of them was teleported away…

Only the tree and its giant hanging fruit, as well as a flabbergasted black-robed man, remained standing.

Everything had happened too quickly. A moment ago, they had still been at each others’ throats, fighting for their own gains. A single misstep would have resulted in a full-blown fight. The next moment, the people who had been fighting with him for the fruit had all vanished.

<em>The Mystic Trace Fog? </em>The black-robed man was stunned and lifted his head towards the entrance of the cavern. Wang Baole walked in with a calm expression on his face.

Wang Baole narrowed his eyes at the giant tree that hadn’t been transported away by the mist. He wasn’t too surprised. The mist was only effective against outsiders. The giant tree could be considered a native of the moon.

“Wang Baole…” The black-robed man stared at Wang Baole, then narrowed his eyes. He started to laugh. There was a hint of madness to his laughter, a hint of mad glee as well as an unprecedented excitement. He could hardly describe the excitement he was feeling right now. He raised his right hand, intending to destroy Wang Baole with a single blow.

He did not care whether Wang Baole lived or died. As a token of his gratitude though, he was willing to send him on his way.

Wang Baole remained unfazed as the black-robed man raised his hand. The former said casually, “Awaken!”

Wang Baole activated the green lotus inside him as he spoke the word. Instantly, from deep down underground, a roar thundered and traveled through the ground. Its loudness surpassed the snoring, shaking the heavens and the earth. It sent a tremor through the entire Mystic Luna Realm. Even those outside could hear it clearly, and countless people were shaken to their core at that instant!

At the same moment, the Galactic Dusk Sect Lord had been transported to a lowland on the visible side of the moon. The crimson-robed youth let out a furious howl as soon as he reappeared.

“Damn it, what the hell happened!” He was furious. He knew that even if he were to rush over right now, it would be too late. All his ploys, all that preparation, withstanding the pressure from the Federation and risking it all for something that would be considered mutiny, breaking everything down for the giant tree and persuading it to share the fruit…

The fruit was within reach, but everything was lost when the mist appeared…

The Galactic Dusk Sect Lord thought about the sacrifices he had made—those he had made in order to execute this entire thing and those that awaited him in the future—and was driven absolutely mad with rage. He was almost tempted to destroy his own Dharmic Armament and awaken the Night Immortal King. Since he couldn’t have what he wanted, others shouldn’t dream of having it either.

He held his Dharmic Armament, but he was unable to destroy it… not for the lack of ability… but because of fear!

If he had gotten the fruit, it would have been worth the price of awakening the Night Immortal King. As long as he attained the Nascent Soul realm, everything would be resolved. He would have been able to change the current situation in the Federation!

However, now… the fruit was beyond his reach. If he simply left without doing anything more, it was still possible to save his sect. The Galactic Dusk Sect would inevitably be punished, but the penalty would be light. However, if he made any further moves and awakened the Night Immortal King, he wouldn’t only lose the fruit but also make enemies of everyone in the Federation. It would no longer be a simple matter of light punishment. The price he had to pay might cripple his entire sect. They would be persecuted fiercely by all the other political forces in the Federation!

His feelings of powerlessness, fear, and raging fury reddened his eyes. He ground his teeth and whirled around, growling inwardly as he sped away.

<em>I’m going to find out who exactly has the audacity to do this. What kind of grudge he has against me… to ruin my path towards the Nascent Soul realm at such a critical moment!</em>

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