A World Worth Protecting

1

The sudden transmission in the middle of the night sent Wang Baole into shock. His breathing stilled for a second. He grabbed at the voice transmission ring and spoke hurriedly into it, his eyes bright with worry and anxiety.

“Tianhao, where are you!”

However, no matter how many transmissions Wang Baole sent, Lin Tianhao seemed to have vanished into thin air again. Wang Baole was greeted with radio silence. It was like sinking a rock into the deep ocean. He tried a few more times without any success before he climbed to his feet, determination shining in his eyes.

Lin Tianhao had taken his place on the team. Wang Baole knew that Lin Tianhao’s disappearance had nothing to do with him, but he couldn’t help his guilt. He didn’t hesitate. He located the Martian Colony Governor’s transmission number and contacted her.

After becoming the dean of the Dao Mountain Mist Academy, as a Secondary Rank Four Noble and part of the Martian administration’s middle management, he had almost all the transmission numbers of the members of the upper Martian administration. That included the Governor and the Deputy Governor.

If it had been some other matter, Wang Baole might not have sent a voice transmission over directly. It was in the middle of the night, after all. It was inappropriate to disturb the Governor’s rest so late at night.

Wang Baole couldn’t care less about that at the moment. As the voice transmission connected, Wang Baole started speaking hurriedly without waiting for the other side to start talking.

“Governor, this is Wang Baole. I just received a transmission from my vice dean Lin Tianhao…”

As soon as he said that, the calm, serious voice of the Martian Colony Governor rang out from the voice transmission ring.

“Lin Tianhao from Team Six?”

“Yes, he just sent a transmission calling for help. But after that, there was no message from…”

“Bring along your voice transmission ring and report to the military base!” The Martian Colony Governor said abruptly, her voice firm. She ended the transmission.

Wang Baole could hear that the Governor was treating this very seriously. He didn’t delay a single second. He rushed out of his residence and retrieved his cruiser. The donkey, with its astute senses, realized what Wang Baole was doing and leaped aboard as Wang Baole boarded the cruiser.

Wang Baole had no time to bother with the donkey. He started the cruiser’s engines, and it surged forward with a sudden burst of speed. With a roar, it sped off into the night like a dash of a rainbow, racing towards Zone Thirty-Six.

In the daytime, under usual circumstances, one would have required some time to travel from Zone Twelve to Zone Thirty-Six. However, Wang Baole drove the cruiser at top speed, and it raced across the night sky like a shooting star. Within fifteen minutes, he arrived at the military base in Zone Thirty-Six.

There was someone waiting for him when he arrived, and he was led straight to the command center. When Wang Baole entered the command center, he saw at least a hundred people working frantically in front of a large spirit screen.

Projected onto the spirit screen was an image of planet Mars. There were hundreds of locations lit up on the planet, sparkling incessantly. The five most powerful military figures in Mars, including Chen Feng, as well as the Deputy Governor, the Governor, and the Colony Disciplinary Order’s Li Wan’er, were all there. Everyone turned their eyes towards Wang Baole when he entered the room.

If it had been some other time, Wang Baole would have capitalized on this opportunity where he had all eyes on him to show off a little, but he couldn’t summon any energy or willingness for that now. He walked quickly towards the group and stopped before the Governor. Then, he quickly pulled out his voice transmission ring.

He had guessed during the trip to the command center that the Governor must have some special way of locating Lin Tianhao through the emergency call he had sent to his voice transmission ring.

His guess was correct. The Martian Colony Governor didn’t say a word as she took the voice transmission ring from him. Light flickered across her eyes. Instantly, a perfected Core Formation realm cultivation erupted from her person. The array formation blanketing the entire planet started churning. Dazzling spots of light appeared out of thin air and gathered on the voice transmission ring on the Governor’s right palm!

The voice transmission ring floated into the air. The light threads pierced through the ring and seemed to be conducting some form of analysis on the ring…

The entire process took only fifteen minutes. Under the group’s nervous gazes and Wang Baole’s anxious gaze, the light in the Governor’s eyes intensified. A fierce light exploded from the voice transmission ring hovering in mid-air and fell onto the spirit screen. The hundreds of spots of light on the image of Mars disappeared in an instant.

After they all vanished, a red light spot appeared, marking an uninhabited region a distance away from the Martian City. It was the only light remaining on the Martian map!

“The voice transmission came from this place. It came not from the surface but from underground!” the Governor said sternly. Everyone, including Wang Baole, stared at the red light. A few amongst them saw where the location was and seemed alarmed.

“This region… seems to be in the vicinity of the Divine Armament…” The few who had been alarmed earlier looked at each other. The coincidence made them wary.

Wang Baole froze when he heard that. He suddenly remembered the selection for the Federation’s hundred seedlings. There had been news then of Kong Dao’s contribution to the Federation through his discovery of what might seem to be the resting place of a Divine Armament on Mars.

<em>Divine Armament… </em>Wang Baole raised his head abruptly and stared at the spirit screen.

“We must act immediately…” the Governor stared at the location marked out by the red light then said calmly. There was a considering look in her eyes. The Deputy Governor, the giant tree, had a somber look on his face as well. He turned towards the Governor and nodded slightly, then spoke in a low voice.

“Governor, I’ve not had the chance to prove myself since I arrived on Mars. Let me take part in this mission. I want to find out what is the cause for the recent happenings!”

Everyone looked at the Governor after the giant tree spoke. The Governor had her own considerations. Her duty was to protect the Martian Colony City, so leaving the city should be her last resort. It was, therefore, most appropriate for the Deputy Governor to lead the rescue mission. He was similarly at the perfected Core Formation realm.

After some thought, she nodded her approval, and a rescue team was soon put together. The giant tree would lead the team. The military had also included three Core Formation realm cultivators, with Chen Feng being one of them.

There were also a number of Foundation Establishment realm cultivators in the team. The team numbered more than fifty members.

Wang Baole was still concerned about the personal grudges the giant tree had against him. However, he still requested to be part of the team after some thought. The Governor gave his request some thought and agreed. She gave the Deputy Governor a deep, meaningful look before the team set off.

“My Cassia comrade, I hope there will be no accidents during this mission. Else, we will not be able to avoid the Federation’s direct investigation into the matter. After all… the mission’s location is not far… from where the Divine Armament purports to be.”

The giant tree lowered his head in acquiescence. However, he was secretly alarmed. Others might not have understood the underlying message, but he was the Deputy Governor. He had fought the Federation President. With his cunning, he naturally understood the warning in the Governor’s words.

<em>I have nothing against the others. The only person I might hold a grudge against is Wang Baole. Is she trying to tell me not to try anything?</em>

<em>She’s truly underestimated me… </em>The giant tree smiled, and his eyes flashed. He wouldn’t harm Wang Baole now, not with so many eyes focused on them and with what they were about to do. It was a clumsy and foolish way of accomplishing one’s goals.

Besides, his intention was to carry out the mission flawlessly. He hoped to make a good impression and establish a good name for himself on Mars. He wanted to use this opportunity to gain the Federation’s trust.

In reality… since he had joined the Federation, he had come to realize that Federation politics… weren’t as simple as they seemed. The complexities ran deep!

He recalled what he had heard a few days earlier about something called an Anti-Spirit Bomb. It sent him reeling in shock. At the same time, his interest in the Federation’s secrets grew.

<em>The military would identify talents every year and send them to a mysterious place which nobody else knew about…</em>

<em>Not to mention the plans to colonize the ancient green-bronze sword…</em>

<em>Besides… is there really no Nascent Soul realm cultivator in the Federation? I thought so in the past, but now… I’m not so sure. </em>There was a glimmer in the giant tree’s eyes. He concealed his thoughts. He knew that what was most important at this moment was to prove himself.

The Martian Colony Governor and the others saw them off as they boarded a large cruiser and took off into the Martian sky. Within the cruiser was the giant tree, the other Core Formation realm, and Foundation Establishment realm cultivators… as well as Wang Baole!

The donkey was at Wang Baole’s side as well. It seemed to sense the tension in the air and the terrifying presence of the giant tree and the other Core Formation realm cultivators. It sprawled quietly and obediently at Wang Baole’s side and gave nobody trouble.

Wang Baole wasn’t reckless with his own safety. Before they set off, he took out his voice transmission ring and reported where he would be going to the Ethereal Dao College’s Sect Lord. He did it right in front of the giant tree.

His mind was set to ease after he had done that. He looked out towards the snow and ice-laden lands of the Martian planet. He muttered inwardly.

<em>Lin Tianhao, hold on!</em>

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