A World Worth Protecting

1

“I’ve been injured during my cultivation earlier and have been recovering from my injuries. You’ll say anything to make it seem like I’ve done something wrong. Besides… Wang Baole, I’ve merely found out about the illicit affair you’ve been having with my fiance and have gotten hold of evidence of your adultery. Are you trying to silence me for that?”

Chen Mu seemed extremely aggrieved. In his madness, he pulled out a jade slip and shouted.

“If that’s the case, I’ll show everyone what you, the adulterous couple, have done!” Chen Mu howled. He was about to activate the jade slip when a party of people came charging from afar. Amongst them was a pale-faced figure that almost stumbled. She was Li Wan’er.

“A load of rubbish!” Just as Chen Mu was about to activate the jade slip, Wang Baole, with a stormy expression on his face, stepped forward swiftly. Chen Mu had no chance to react before Wang Baole was right in his face. Wang Baole raised his right hand suddenly and swept it forward. It landed loudly on Chen Mu’s chest. Chen Mu spat out a mouthful of blood and staggered back. The jade slip in his hand shook from Wang Baole’s attack and shattered into pieces!

“Wang Baole! Are you trying to destroy the evidence because you’re afraid!”

“Silence!” Wang Baole turned, a murderous aura erupting from his person suddenly. It rose to the skies. He stared coldly at Chen Mu, suspicion and doubt flickering across his eyes. The blood that Chen Mu had spat out seemed too little… the paleness of his face didn’t seem to be from injury but from extensive blood loss… a thought flashed across Wang Baole’s mind. He said coolly.

“Revolting against the new city and against the Federation. Falsifying evidence in order to protect oneself. These all point towards a flaw in your character! Such false evidence is merely an eyesore. Of course, I have to destroy it!

“You harbored ill intentions and worked with unknown entities. You killed your fellow Federation cultivators and tried to mess around with our senses. Chen Mu, you would do anything to escape incrimination!”

“Fine, you’re not going to admit to your crimes, are you?” Murder colored Wang Baole’s eyes. He raised his right hand and waved it towards a pile of collapsed stone nearby. A sudden force overturned the shattered rocks, revealing beneath them… a shattered, small blood-colored drum!

The small drum gave off the stench of blood and exuded an evil aura. It was weak but present! Upon closer examination, one would find that it was the same aura as that of the giant python!

Everyone was alarmed. They all turned and stared at Chen Mu. Jin Duoming and those whose comrades had perished in the earlier battle stared at Chen Mu with murder in their eyes!

“The blood inside this thing. It’s yours, isn’t it?” Wang Baole’s eyes flashed as he said abruptly. As soon as the words rang out, alarm colored Chen Mu’s face. He instinctively staggered back, his breathing quickening.

This was the best possible and strongest evidence that one could produce!

“I…” Chen Mu’s face was pale. Alarm and fear were clear on his face. He retreated hastily, shouting.

“Five Generation Sky Clan cultivators, protect me!” He immediately fell back and was about to plan his exit. As soon as he spoke, however, Wang Baole roared. It was like thunder crashing from the heavens.

“Five Generation Sky Clan, any move taken by anyone would be seen as a revolt. That’s treason against the Federation, an immense crime!”

As soon as Wang Baole’s words rang out in the air, he dashed forward in a sudden burst of speed. It was even more astonishing than the speed he had displayed before. Within the blink of an eye, he arrived beside the retreating Chen Mu. He lifted his right leg and kicked out.

There was a thunderous boom. A sudden force surged outward. As the surrounding Five Generation Sky Clan members remained stunned and hesitant, Chen Mu’s blood spilled from his mouth again. He let out a cry of agony. Wang Baole had kicked him directly in the crotch. He flew into the air and landed in front of Jin Duoming. He had already been seriously injured, and Wang Baole’s kick had been too vicious, so he had passed out again.

Blood seeped through his clothes. It was clear that this kick had castrated Chen Mu!

Wang Baole harbored an intense hatred towards Chen Mu as well. The latter had ill intentions towards him, and he had not only targeted Wang Baole but Zhuo Yifan as well. He had long wanted to kill Chen Mu. Chen Mu had tried to turn the new city upside down and kill Wang Baole. He had resorted to desperate measures in his final moments. He deserved to be castrated!

Everything that had happened had resulted in Wang Baole barely keeping a rein on his murderous intent. It had resulted in that vicious kick, but it had only castrated Chen Mu. Wang Baole wasn’t a fool; he knew what awaited Chen Mu. There was no need for him to kill the man prematurely.

The rest around him seemed to share similar thoughts. Jin Duoming narrowed his eyes. He waved the Dharmic Armament in his right hand and chopped Chen Mu’s right arm off!

Blood spurted out. The agonizing pain of having his right arm sliced off drove Chen Mu right back into consciousness, screaming. The pain from his lower body and his arm was driving him mad, but he was in no position to go crazy. He could only continue screaming in pain. The donkey was furious too. It snuck its way near without anyone noticing and sent its hoof… into Chen Mu’s injured crotch.

That hooved kick was like piling snow onto a glacier. Chen Mu’s scream took on a different pitch. His entire body shuddered before he passed out again.

Kong Dao and Lin Tianhao had wanted to join as well, but the scene made their faces twitch. They stared at the donkey, then at Wang Baole, and didn’t join in. Li Wan’er eyed the donkey from afar. It was the first time she was looking at the donkey with tenderness and liking in her eyes. It was clear that she had found the final kick from the donkey extremely satisfying.

The cultivators from the Five Generation Sky Clan might have found the scene unbearable, but they knew that this was going to be another disaster for the Five Generation Sky Clan. Their heads were all throbbing. Unfortunately, the world outside the city was besieged by blood-colored winds and all communications had been cut off. They had no means of contacting the family clan.

“City Lord Li!” As the members of the Five Generation Sky Clan panicked and fretted, Wang Baole pretended not to have seen the final blow the donkey had delivered and said coolly.

Li Wan’er immediately lifted her head. She took a few steps forward, gave Wang Baole a deep, meaningful look, and bowed.

“City Lord!”

“According to the Federation laws, which are also the laws Mars abides by, Chen Mu has staged a revolt against the Federation. He tried to overthrow his superiors and stage a coup. What should be his punishment?”

“He should be executed! We will have to dig to the bottom of this!” Li Wan’er didn’t waver or hesitate. Her voice was firm.

Wang Baole was very pleased with her reply. His eyes grew colder when he turned and stared at the unconscious Chen Mu. Chen Mu and the political force backing Chen Mu had gone too far too many times. It was similar to him having a house. He agreed to someone entering and visiting his house, and even treated the latter cordially with good food and drinks, but that someone continued to overstay and wouldn’t leave. That would have been fine, but he had even tried to amend the house deed and change the name of the owner. That someone had even tried to kill him.

This was the behavior of a bandit!

And the way to treat a bandit was to give him a severe thrashing. He immediately declared, “Arrest Chen Mu! After the blood winds have died down, report immediately to the Governor and to the Federation. I want… the Five Generation Sky Clan to answer to the millions of cultivators of my new city. I want them to answer for every single life lost. I want them to answer to law and justice!” Wang Baole’s voice was strong and powerful. It echoed in the air.

At the same time, the blood-colored winds and mist that had spread across half the Martian planet gradually weakened after the black-robed man was devoured by the donkey and after Chen Mu’s failed coup. The next day, after Chen Mu’s arrest, the mist finally cleared up.

With the re-establishment of communications, Li Wan’er immediately reported this incident to her father. She also reported to the Governor and the Federation about Chen Mu’s coup.

Kong Dao, Lin Tianhao, and Jin Duoming also exerted the full extent of their influence. Even Fang Jing seemed to have come to her senses. She realized that the appearance of the catacombs within her zone couldn’t have been a coincidence. She contacted her sect angrily as well.

Wen Huai saw what was going on and knew that he had to make a stand. He immediately contacted his sect and reported this matter for his sect’s deliberation. As soon as this incident was made known, it caused an uproar in the various political forces on Mars and in the Federation. The association between the Martian mists and this incident had intensified the seriousness of this matter.

It was clear that Chen Mu had some connection with the Divine Armament Catacombs. They had worked together. There was no way that the Martian mists were a coincidence. The Martian Colony Governor had Chen Mu taken away and imprisoned within the main Martian city. The trial was carried out jointly with the Federation and the various political forces.

The trial wasn’t made public. It was carried out internally. The final sentence—Chen Mu was to be sentenced to death!

Throughout the entire trial, the Five Generation Sky Clan didn’t speak for Chen Mu, not even once. They were very cooperative. Chen Mu had also stated firmly that this had been his idea all along and that it had nothing to do with his family clan. However, everyone knew what was going on. This implicated too many political forces and angered too many people. There was a need for compensation and an answer.

As a result… the Five Generation Sky Clan had to compensate great quantities of materials and resources. The compensation went towards the new city as well. The Five Generation Sky Clan ached from the loss. They resented Chen Mu’s actions. After all, while they had agreed to his plans, he had only had to kill Wang Baole and a few other people of little importance. There had been no need for him to offend everyone…

Even if he had offended everyone, everything would have turned out fine if he had succeeded. But he had failed…

The Five Generation Sky Clan was frustrated beyond relief. Wang Baole knew that. He immediately sent a voice transmission to the Martian Colony Governor.

“Governor, in order to put down Chen Mu, I self-destructed ten eighth-grade Dharmic Armaments. All the cultivators in the new city can vouch for me. Please speak for your subordinate and help me seek compensation from the Five Generation Sky Clan!”