A World Worth Protecting

1

A loud explosion thundered inside the Martian Colony City port that day. It came from the skies and resounded across the entire city.

Wild winds howled fiercely in the heavens as a startling and overwhelming presence spread across the sky.

The loud explosion and the overpowering presence sent the sky port’s staff reeling back in shock and alarm. They raised their heads skyward as a cruiser—the likes of which they had never before seen in their entire lives—descended gradually from the skies.

Perhaps it could no longer be called a cruiser. It was a ten thousand feet long, with the appearance of a stronghold, and from afar, it dazzled glaringly. Anyone who had their eyes on it would soon find their eyes tearing from the blinding glare.

It was like a small sun!

The eyes of the sky port’s staff, the residents of the Martian Colony City, as well as many pedestrians were immediately drawn to the sight of the sun stronghold as soon as it appeared!

“My god… what is that?”

“It looks like a star, but the size seems weird…”

In Zone Twelve, within the Dao Mountain Mist Academy, on the public square, Wang Baole was supervising Jin Duozhi and the other students in their cultivation. He froze as well when he saw the dazzling light in the sky.

“A bomb?” Wang Baole tensed immediately. Jin Duozhi lifted his head hastily. He took a look and seemed uncertain, so he took another, closer look. Then he spoke sullenly.

“Dean, that’s not a bomb. The awful jerk Jin Duoming is here. He loves to show off, so he’s arrived in his stronghold. Humph!”

“Of course, it’s not a bomb!” Wang Baole glared, but he released a sigh of relief secretly. Then, he asked curiously.

“Is Jin Duoming your brother?”

“Dean, do I look that old to you? Jin Duoming’s my uncle… we’re completely different people. He’s an idiot with too much money to spare, while I’m so much smarter than him, never spending my money needlessly.” Jin Duozhi sighed, then suddenly seemed so proud of himself.

Wang Baole gave Jin Duozhi a strange look but coughed and remained silent. He was curious about Jin Duoming’s arrival. They had crossed paths on the moon when the youth had made an exchange with his Dharmic Armament. He had indirectly been an invaluable help to Wang Baole when they had been in the Mystic Luna Realm.

<em>It’s getting crowded on Mars. Since Jin Duoming’s here, I should find a chance and pay him a visit, </em>Wang Baole thought. Beside him, Jin Duozhi stared at the stronghold in the distant sky and snorted.

“My uncle has many interests. He’s especially obsessed with pretty women. I’m guessing that he has his eye on some girl on Mars, otherwise, with his personality, coming to Mars is like being cast into hell.”

Wang Baole heard that, and he remembered Jin Duoming’s procession on the moon. He sighed, feeling almost envious. He thought about asking his father when he returned home if they had any relatives they hadn’t been keeping in contact with. There might just be a filthy rich relative they hadn’t heard of.

His grandfather, especially. Where exactly was he?

He remembered asking that question when he was a young boy. His father had remained silent then…

Wang Baole suddenly found that really peculiar. Something wasn’t right. It caused him to grow excited all of a sudden.

<em>Maybe… I do have a mysterious, filthy rich grandfather!</em>

As Wang Baole immersed himself happily in his strange imagination, a commotion stirred amongst a great portion of the Martian Colony City public. Numerous cruisers dashed from the various city zones in the Martian City towards the sky port. They were all of uniform appearance—silver and with a smooth, fluid form. They looked to be from the same political force, as well as looking very expensive.

Hundreds of such cruisers sped towards the sky port. They seemed to hold certain privileged access that allowed them to disregard the port defenses and array formation. They passed through both without a hitch and landed on the largest public square in the sky port, and then, more than a thousand cultivators alighted.

The cultivators were dressed in the same attire. They immediately spread out and redirected other cruisers out of the area and cleared out a wide parameter, then lined up in neat rows. After that, they lowered their heads and waited.

The sight shocked everyone in the port as they recognized the silver cruisers and the uniforms. They stared at the vast stronghold in the sky, which was making a slow descent into the port, and gasped.

“The Trilunaris Corporation!”

“The guys from the Trilunaris Corporation actually came to receive whoever’s in the stronghold. Whoever’s inside must be… some important figure in the Trilunaris Corporation!”

The sky stronghold gradually approached amidst everyone’s shock. Its appearance became more distinct, and everyone soon saw that it was built out of a custom-made diamond. The diamond was extraordinarily hard, even harder than Mystic Silver. It conducted Spirit Qi extremely well and hence was an essential ingredient in the crafting of Dharmic Armaments.

The novelty of Dharmic Armaments meant that any of its ingredients were also extremely costly. To use such a costly material to build an entire stronghold of such enormous proportions, the cost of its production must be… unimaginable.

It was beyond extravagant!

The stronghold approached as everyone’s breathing grew uneven, dazzling with its blinding light. Everyone had to focus their Spirit Qi in their eyes in order to protect their eyes against the blinding glare of such a massive entity. The outer shell of the stronghold was covered in countless inscriptions. Between the lines of inscriptions were cannons built out of special Spirit Stones.

The stronghold wasn’t only striking and overwhelming in its sheer size and appearance, but its battle capabilities were equally impressive. There was no doubt it would send the earth shaking should it release its full power!

As the crowd stood in awe, a deafening thunder resounded in the air. The enormous stronghold finally landed. The doors to the stronghold opened, and a dozen large men in black walked out. Every one of them possessed impressive cultivation. Behind them followed a dozen beautiful female servants of all races and ethnicities.

At the tail of the long procession was Jin Duoming!

He wasn’t dressed in his floral pants. Jin Duoming had on a pair of black aviator sunglasses and a formal suit, and his near-shoulder-length hair swayed lightly in the breeze as he walked out. He had a lazy smile on his face, and three puppets trailing behind him!

One male puppet, one female puppet, and one monster puppet!

Each puppet was dressed in armor. The waves of spirit energy exuding from the armor were clear proof that the armor was more powerful than the puppets themselves…

“Greetings, Young Master!” As soon as Jin Duoming stepped out from the stronghold, the thousand-odd cultivators lined up in the square cupped their fists and bowed deeply towards him. Their booming voices were like thunder, resonating in the air.

Jin Duoming seemed accustomed to such treatment wherever he went. He didn’t say anything as he stepped onto another cruiser under the escort of the thousand-odd men. The hundreds of cruisers soon lifted into the air and clustered protectively around the cruiser where Jin Duoming sat, speeding towards Zone Twelve.

Everyone who caught sight of the procession of cruisers was stunned by the elaborate scene. It was simply too striking a sight. The cruisers looked like countless Spirit Stones dashing across the sky.

“It’s so nice… to be rich…” Envious mutters could be heard in the crowd that watched the cruisers fly away.

On the way to Zone Twelve, Jin Duoming sat in his cruiser, his head on the laps of two beautiful female cultivators. He nibbled at the fruit slices prepared by another female cultivator while taking his sunglasses off. He looked at the stern, middle-aged man reporting before him.

“Young Master, this year, the Trilunaris Corporation has made a profit of the following in the Martian Colony City…”

“Old Li, just report this to my dad. You know I don’t care about this.” Jin Duoming yawned and interrupted the man’s speech.

The middle-aged man grimaced and shook his head. He lifted his head and looked at Jin Duoming. He realized that the young master’s cultivation was now at the Foundation Establishment realm and his Foundation Establishment core was clearly not formed from fragments but from a fully intact artifact. He eyed the three puppets standing beside Jin Duoming, sighed, and spoke again quietly.

“Young Master, the political situation on Mars is chaotic and somewhat sensitive… perhaps we should keep a low profile?” He was obviously talking about the stronghold.

Jin Duoming laughed when he heard that. He sat up and said softly, “My dad keeps a low enough profile for the both of us. If I do that as well, our Trilunaris Corporation will be in serious trouble… let’s not talk about that. Old Li, I asked you to prepare a dossier on Li Yi, is it ready?”

The man had been deep in thought because of the first half of what Jin Duoming had said, and he smiled wryly when he heard the second half. He pulled out a jade slip with an odd look on his face and handed it to Jin Duoming.

Jin Duoming’s eyes shone. He grabbed the jade slip and started reading, his eyes flashing with excitement after reading. He smacked his thigh.

<em>Li Yi is quite something. That’s the girl that I, Jin Duoming, have my eyes on. She’s actually the assistant to the Deputy Governor. She’s got a bright future ahead of her.</em>

At the thought of Li Yi, the flames of passion became ignited inside Jin Duoming. When he had first seen Li Yi in the Mystic Luna Realm, he had immediately been drawn to her well-endowed figure. He had felt himself falling for her. Even though he had experienced that feeling for more than two hundred times in his life, this didn’t lessen his excitement and passion each time.

He had come to Mars in order to court Li Yi, but since he was going to be here, he might as well get an official appointment. Coincidentally, the position of the Fire Spirit Academy vice dean was currently vacant. As a result, he was now… the new vice dean of Fire Spirit Academy.

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