A World Worth Protecting

1

The Governor was rendered speechless when faced with Wang Baole’s impossible demands. However, she wasn’t going to be the one having to pay for the compensation. She told Wang Baole that she would direct her request to the Federation. As for his chances of success, she had no idea.

Wang Baole had only been trying his luck. His eyes lit up when he saw that the Governor didn’t refuse his request. His anticipation grew. As he looked forward to the response, the Five Generation Sky Clan was going mad. The head of the Chen family, especially, flew into a rage in the Chen family’s residence. He almost went mad with rage.

“Robbers, they’re a gang of robbers!

“That bastard Lin You. He said that his son self-destructed thirty Dharmic Armaments. Damn him to hell. His son? I doubt he himself has so many Dharmic Armaments!

“And there’s that undying old fart Jin. He said that his own Jin Duoming self-destructed seven ninth-grade Dharmic Armaments. I’ll be a fool if I believe that! You’d think that ninth-grade Dharmic Armaments could be easily found everywhere!

“The Martian military is equally shameless. They said that Kong Dao self-destructed twenty Dharmic Armaments. That’s not the end of it. The president Duan Muque personally criticized them and said that Kong Dao didn’t self-destruct that many—he only self-destructed six… a president of that rank and status playing along with the rest and adding fuel to the fire!”

“That Wang Baole as well. He dared to say that he self-destructed ten eighth-grade Dharmic Armaments!” The head of the Chen family clan simmered with rage. He simply couldn’t afford it all. The Five Generation Sky Clan couldn’t afford it all. As he boiled in his fury, his voice transmission ring vibrated as it received the latest demands for compensation from the Plume Manifestation Connate Sect. They mentioned Dharmic Armaments as well…

It was like the spark that lit the fuse. The head of the Chen family clan exploded. In the name of the Five Generation Sky Clan, he announced the demands he had received to the Martian administration and to the Federation President. He asked a final question.

“Would a perfected Core Formation realm puppet require the joint self-destruction of three ninth-grade Dharmic Armaments, dozens of eighth-grade Dharmic Armaments, and more than a hundred seventh-grade Dharmic Armaments before it could be put down?”

Duan Muque had an odd expression on his face when he saw the demands made public. The Martian Colony Governor blinked as well. Everyone had only known their own demands. They hadn’t known what the other parties had asked for. As the Five Generation Sky Clan’s announcement was made known to all the political forces, similar thoughts flashed across everyone’s minds.

Wang Baole had also received the announcement from the Five Generation Sky Clan through the Governor. He sucked in a deep breath when he saw the demands from the rest.

<em>That’s brutal, none of their Dharmic Armaments exploded, only mine did! </em>Wang Baole instantly felt as innocent and naive as a little white bunny when compared to the others.

At present, Kong Dao, Jin Duoming, and Lin Tianhao were all feeling slightly sheepish. The political forces backing them didn’t falter though. This tug-o-war continued for quite some time. Finally, Duan Muque stepped in. The matter was finally resolved!

The Five Generation Sky Clan would compensate for the new city with large quantities of resources. This was akin to a fine for the destruction caused by Chen Mu. They would also hand over an eighth-grade Dharmic Armament and fifteen seventh-grade Dharmic Armaments.

Wang Baole got his hands on the eighth-grade Dharmic Armament, while the remaining seventh-grade Dharmic Armaments were divided amongst the others. The matter finally came to an end.

The final fate that awaited Chen Mu was also decided. After being tried by the Federation, he was sentenced to death!

His arranged marriage with Li Wan’er was invalidated as well. No one mentioned it again.

Chen Mu left a mayor’s position vacant. Wang Baole seized the opportunity immediately and recommended Zhuo Yifan for the position. It wasn’t immediately approved, but Wang Baole staked a firm claim over this office. With Li Yi and Chen Mu as precedents, the various political forces had begun to understand Wang Baole better. They knew that as long as Wang Baole didn’t agree to it, no matter whom they sent as a replacement, there was a great chance of said replacement meeting the same fate as his predecessors.

Divine Armament New City suddenly resumed an unprecedented calm and peace. The Martian Colony Governor and the Federation had dispatched inspectors to examine the donkey as well. They found strong energies that rivaled a perfected Core Formation realm cultivator inside the donkey, but the donkey seemed unable to transform at will. It seemed as if the power residing within it was asleep.

The four Dao Colleges stepped forward and vouched for the donkey in the end. That was how the donkey could remain at Wang Baole’s side and wasn’t taken away.

The donkey’s presence meant that Wang Baole, to a certain degree, would be recategorized as one of the Federation’s most powerful cultivators. He might not be seen as a fully legitimate member of this group, but he took up at least half a headcount.

As everything came to an end, and as the new city resumed its peace and quiet, Wang Baole finally received his eighth-grade Dharmic Armament from the Five Generation Sky Clan. It wasn’t a weapon but a set of armor. When worn, it would form a protective barrier that could resist and defend against the attacks of powerful cultivators.

Amongst eighth-grade Dharmic Armaments, weapons that possessed offensive capabilities were naturally valued more highly than armor, but defensive armor was extremely rare. They were even rarer amongst eighth-grade Dharmic Armaments and beyond. It was difficult to judge which was more valuable. It all boiled down to the user’s needs.

The Five Generation Sky Clan was clearly unwilling to hand over any offensive weapons. That was why they had chosen to give away the armor instead. Wang Baole had no complaints with that. He preferred armor, in fact.

<em>An eighth-grade Dharmic Armament requires one to have at least a Core Formation realm cultivation before one can wield it perfectly. I’ll find it challenging to unleash its full power if they’d given me a weapon. I wouldn’t be able to wield it as well as a seventh-grade Dharmic Armament. </em>When Wang Baole received the armor, he immediately inspected it. Based on his proficiency in refining artifacts, he verified that there was indeed nothing wrong with the armor. He quickly put it on. He patted the armor all over and was extremely pleased.

<em>It’s a pity the saber was destroyed… I must make full use of what time I have and quickly refine that Dharmic Armament megaphone of mine! </em>The thought of his saber still made his heart ache. It had been by his side for so long. They had killed together on the moon. It held a certain place in his heart.

Fortunately, even though Wang Baole was down one saber, he still had a seventh-grade Dharmic Armament flying sword. After some thought, he made up his mind and began his seclusion again. He was prepared to gain enlightenment on Heavenly Evocation. He was going to direct heavenly will and create his own Dharmic Armament megaphone.

<em>It’d be great if I could refine a Numinous Treasure that could summon the will of gods… As soon as I activate it, it would automatically draw the wills of gods to me. </em>Wang Baole sighed. He knew that it was an impossible feat. He inhaled deeply, twice, and calmed himself down. He shut his eyes inside the secret chamber. Through the Dharmic Armament flying sword and his own armor, with their guidance, he began to allow his mind to wander. His mind went in search of the wills of gods.

Time passed. A month went by. Wang Baole let his mind wandered multiple times during the month. He went in search of the wills of gods. Every time he crossed paths with one, he tried to lead them towards him. He always failed.

Almost every time, he would sense a scorching spirit deep inside the Martian planet. It was vast like the sun. It was an overpowering presence that dominated all other remnants of gods on the planet. In fact, Wang Baole felt that if he was able to guide this spirit towards him, he might be able to refine a ninth-grade Dharmic Armament!

His cultivation was inadequate though, so he dared not venture near. Once, tempted, he had approached slightly and was immediately assaulted by the sensation of his spirits being ripped into shreds. He was frightened into retreat. He refocused his efforts on the weaker wills of other gods after that.

After repeated attempts, he finally locked onto a god that wasn’t particularly powerful but was extremely spirited. It felt like a giant fire tiger to Wang Baole, which seemed appropriate for his Artifact Spirit.

Wang Baole made up his mind. He tried, again and again, to lure it, attempting to guide it towards him. But this spirit seemed particularly bad-tempered. It would approach Wang Baole, then immediately transform into shockwaves and attempt to shatter anyone that tried to venture near it.

Wang Baole grew frustrated. He felt this spirit was like an oblivious man, while he himself was the beautiful and seductive woman. Regardless of how she tried to flirt with and seduce the man, the latter continued to ignore her. If she angered him, he would even try to hit her…

<em>There’s something wrong with this analogy… </em>Wang Baole began to sulk. As he troubled himself over this and brainstormed over how to lure the spirit, a conspiracy targeting Wang Baole was brewing secretly!

The instigator was still the Five Generation Sky Clan. The conflict between them and Wang Baole was complicated and unlikely to be resolved. That was why they had to squash Wang Baole. This time wouldn’t be like the rest. In the past, it had been the young ones from the Five Generation Sky Clan who had clashed and fought with Wang Baole. This time, the cunning elders from the family clans of the Five Generation Sky Clan were personally staging the attack!

They even contacted the Galactic Dusk Sect and the Plume Manifestation Connate Sect. The latter had come into conflict with the Five Generation Sky Clan due to what had happened in Fang Jing’s autonomous zone, but they weren’t going to turn down something that was to their benefit. The plan and setup that the Five Generation Sky Clan had proposed were simply too devious. It not only had a high chance of success, but it was also an open conspiracy.

An open conspiracy referred to a conspiracy that openly declared its ill intentions towards the victim. It openly declared its next steps. However, the victim would still be helpless to escape or stop whatever was going to happen next. The victim was powerless to fight back!

This open conspiracy that the few sly elders from the Five Generation Sky Clan had concocted… was to assist in the construction of the new city. They would utilize their full resources and fan the flames. They would push for the currently third-grade city to rise and become a second-grade special region!

Its status would be second only to the Federation Capital and to the main Martian city. It would hold the same special regional status as the other eighteen cities of the Federation!