A World Worth Protecting

1

Wang Baole burst out into laughter when he heard what Jin Duoming had said. What he had asked for was an impossible thing. He hadn’t really believed that Jin Duoming would give him an actual ninth-grade Dharmic Armament.

“Can’t you be serious about this, Wang Baole? I’m very serious!” Jin Duoming sighed. He had made a grand entrance with his stronghold and his opening speech. Everything had pointed to his immense wealth. The atmosphere he had created, though, had been partially dispelled with Wang Baole’s simple question.

“Fine, I’ll be more serious. Daoist Jin, how about an eighth-grade Dharmic Armament? I, Wang Baole, swear I’ll give up on Li Yi. No matter how crazily in love Li Yi is with me, I’ll turn her down, without mercy. I’m even willing to go to the extent of beating her up just so that she’ll give up completely on me!” Wang Baole thumped his chest. When he made his proclamation, he also stared at Jin Duoming with anticipation in his eyes. He seemed prepared to offer a whole range of after-sales and value-added services if they sealed the deal.

Jin Duoming could feel a headache coming. He hadn’t expected Wang Baole’s reaction. He sensed that Wang Baole seemed to be very excited at the prospect of negotiating with him. Logically speaking, shouldn’t he first feel pressured at his own forcefulness? This would allow Jin Duoming to soften his stance after and let them come to a compromise in the end.

“Wang Baole, are you interested in continuing this talk at all? Do you really intend to fight me for Li Yi?” Jin Duoming inhaled a deep breath and asked solemnly.

“Daoist Jin, you’re being a miser. Li Yi’s such a great girl. She’s got a great face, great figure. Even if she’s not worth a ninth-grade Dharmic Armament, shouldn’t she at least be worth an eighth-grade Dharmic Armament? Alright, alright. How about a seventh-grade Dharmic Armament? That should be okay, right?” Wang Baole sighed. He looked as if he was on the losing end of a deal.

“Wang Baole, are you taking me for a fool? A seventh-grade Dharmic Armament? If I give her a seventh-grade Dharmic Armament right now, do you not believe that she’ll immediately agree to be my girlfriend?” Jin Duoming raised his eyebrow. He gave Wang Baole a look of displeasure as frustration simmered inside him. It was true that he was courting Li Yi, but even he didn’t believe she was worth a seventh-grade Dharmic Armament.

This was, after all, completely different from when he had been in the Mystic Luna Realm. Then, he had made a bet with someone and had been missing a single fragment. That one step away from his goal and his bet had resulted in the eventual trade. That and his current courtship were two completely different matters.

No one knew how he had established his yardstick. However, it was clear that he simply felt that he was the one on the losing end of the deal if he made an exchange with a seventh-grade Dharmic Armament.

Wang Baole thought for a bit after hearing what Jin Duoming had said. He seemed to agree with him and started feeling slightly bad for even suggesting it in the first place. He sighed.

“What you said makes sense. It’s not worth it… how about this? I won’t make things difficult for you, but I’d like a promotion. Can you do that for me?”

Jin Duoming released a sigh of relief. If Wang Baole had insisted on a Dharmic Armament, he would have given up on Li Yi himself. He smiled confidently.

“The dean of the Dao Mountain Mist Academy is getting old. He should retire and return to Earth.”

“The dean sacrificed the prime of his years for the Dao Mountain Mist Academy. During his appointment, he groomed numerous talents that became the pillars of Mars and of the Federation!” Wang Baole immediately added as a reminder to Jin Duoming.

Jin Duoming stared at Wang Baole, surprised. What he had meant earlier was that he would transfer the Dao Mountain Mist Academy dean through his family’s connections. After which, he would get Wang Baole promoted to the position of the school dean. He hadn’t considered what would happen to the original dean. After discerning Wang Baole’s intentions, though, he pondered for a few moments, then nodded.

“The old dean is still physically fit and mentally nimble in his old age, and he contributed greatly to the school. After he’s been transferred back to Earth, there will definitely be another important office waiting for him to take over!”

Wang Baole was pleased. Jin Duoming was pleased as well. They stared at each other and smiled, the tension between them vanishing. They even chatted leisurely for a while. Jin Duoming instructed someone to bring them wine, and both of them sat down and started conversing like old friends. Before Wang Baole left, he thumped his chest.

“Old Jin, don’t worry. I, Wang Baole, am so good looking. Why would I settle for Li Yi and make you unhappy? Am I that sort of guy?

“I admit, Li Yi is interested in me, but for my friend, I’m willing to sacrifice anything. You have nothing to worry about!”

“All right, I’ll send her a message right now!” Wang Baole thumped his chest and pulled out his voice transmission ring. He sent Li Yi a message right in front of Jin Duoming.

“Li Yi, things won’t work out between us. I hope you will treasure the person who’s been by your side all along. Let us both find our happiness elsewhere!”

Wang Baole ended the transmission without waiting for Li Yi’s reply. He lifted his eyes from the transmission ring and looked at Jin Duoming. Jin Duoming was overcome with emotion. The more he looked at Wang Baole, the more he realized what a true friend Wang Baole was!

“Baole, I’ve been too rash. If you really like her, I’ll give up on her!”

“Old Jin, don’t say that! I, Wang Baole, will do anything for a friend!” Wang Baole had a fright. He thought about how he had just managed to push Li Yi away and gotten some positive returns out of it with great difficulty. If Jin Duoming decided not to go ahead with it after all, wouldn’t he have gone to all that trouble for nothing? He smacked his chest again righteously, then turned and left.

Jin Duoming stood on the stronghold and watched Wang Baole leave. He looked clearly moved and overcome with emotion. He sighed.

“That’s what I call a good friend!” he said, then steered the stronghold away from the Dao Mountain Mist Academy and towards the Fire Spirit Academy. As soon as he walked back into the stronghold, the emotions on his face vanished. They were instead replaced by a look of contemplation.

<em>This Wang Baole is extremely sly. He’s the sort who seems all smiles and friendliness, but will immediately stab you in the face without mercy once he decides you’re an enemy instead of a friend.</em>

<em>He’s a dangerous character. Why would the old man ask me to befriend him if he’s so dangerous? Why would he instruct me to help him where I can? Could it be that… this is related to the reason I’ve come to Mars? </em>Jin Duoming fell into deep thought. It might seem that he had come to Mars for the sole reason of courting Li Yi, but in reality… there was something even more important that he had to do.

At the same moment, after Jin Duoming’s departure, Wang Baole stepped into his residences. The smile on his face had long vanished, and he narrowed his eyes and started thinking.

<em>This Jin Duoming’s put on quite an act. He’s not an idiot… I don’t believe he didn’t see through the entire lie… but he still made it seem like he bought the whole thing. In the end, I got myself a promotion… </em>Wang Baole thought for a bit then laughed. He set the matter aside and was about to continue his seclusion, but then, he recalled Jin Duoming’s stronghold.

Since Wang Baole’s arrival on Mars, Jin Duoming’s stronghold was the thing that had impressed him the most. It wasn’t only lavish in appearance but equipped with powerful battle capabilities.

He hadn’t truly gone into the stronghold earlier, but he could still sense its powerful aura. It likely was capable of displaying battle capabilities rivaling a Core Formation realm cultivator. The stronghold was effectively an enhanced version of a Dharma artifact.

<em>If I have something like that, I won’t be as helpless as I am now when I face the giant tree. I’ll at least stand a fighting chance! </em>Wang Baole’s eyes flashed. He thought about how he was from the Dharmic Armament Pavilion. He had been refining artifacts since he had entered the Ethereal Dao College. With a bit more thought and effort, building a stronghold shouldn’t be an impossible feat for him.

<em>It’s just that it would require too many resources… </em>Wang Baole sighed. When he had been at the Lower Academy Island, outsiders had always said that Dharmic Armament cultivators were all walking Spirit Stones, that they were all rich.

Now that he had reached the Foundation Establishment realm and was able to refine fourth-grade and fifth-grade Dharmic Armaments, he was keenly aware of what it meant to be poor. The resources required for refining artifacts were too much. Despite how fast he was able to refine Spirit Stones, he still couldn’t keep pace with the rate he was using up materials.

<em>Even though it’s not possible to build a stronghold any time soon, I should still start my preparations now. That way, once I have enough resources, I can immediately start production! </em>Wang Baole thought. He had made up his mind. He would create a stronghold that was invincible and impenetrable. He even thought up a name for it.

<em>We’ll call it the Eternal Fortress! </em>Wang Baole’s eyes shone brightly. After some assessment, he realized that even if he had the blueprint and materials ready, it would still not be possible for him to build such a stronghold single-handedly. He was troubled for a moment before he remembered his puppets.

<em>If I lack manpower, then I should first study how to create puppets that can serve as construction workers. They should be able to provide some basic support and carry out simple construction work! </em>Wang Baole thought. During his seclusion, besides practicing the Lightning Dao: First Volume and edging closer towards a breakthrough in cultivation, Wang Baole also spent time studying how to refine construction puppets and running through the blueprints for his stronghold.

Time crept by. Soon, more than a month had passed!

Come noon one day, Wang Baole was sitting in meditation when his eyes suddenly opened. A rumbling roar erupted within his body, and bolts of lightning erupted from his right leg. They snaked around him in the air, thundering. The entire chamber was flooded with electricity in that instant. It appeared to transform into a pool of lightning!

Sitting cross-legged within the pool was Wang Baole. The cultivation within his body erupted at that moment, breaking through the early-stage and stepping right into… the mid-stage Foundation Establishment realm!

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