A World Worth Protecting

1

“He’s… reached the Core Formation realm…”

Those words were like a slight breeze passing by the ears of the group discussing the best and most suitable candidate to take over supervision of the Martian special regional city. It stirred gentle ripples, and the discussion about potential City Lord candidates continued for a few more moments…

Finally, the voices faded. The various important figures gradually froze, then abruptly turned towards the expressionless Martian Colony Governor. There was a moment… when the entire hall descended into a deathly silence.

It was during this silence that the Ethereal Dao College Sect Lord coughed. The sound of his cough echoed in the quiet halls. His voice, which the rest found annoying then, drifted amongst the group.

“I’ve also just received the news. Now that Wang Baole, whom everyone has agreed is the best choice for City Lord of the special regional city, has reached the Core Formation realm, I thank all my Fellow Daoists present for your recommending him to the post. I shouldn’t be displaying such favoritism, but for the good of the Federation, and since everyone here approves of and believes so strongly in this disciple of my sect, as a Sect Lord, I naturally am not in a position to decline or refuse the recommendation!”

“Esteemed President, on behalf of the Ethereal Dao College and the four great Dao Colleges, I recommend that Wang Baole take over as City Lord of the Martian special regional city. In addition, given his contributions to the Federation and to Mars, I believe he should be promoted to a Secondary Rank Two Noble!” the Ethereal Dao College Sect Lord said suddenly. As his words rang out, a late-stage Core Formation realm cultivation erupted from his person. It was like a hurricane that spun inside the great halls. His words were filled with an… overpowering aura that he hadn’t had earlier!

This was because he wasn’t only speaking for the Ethereal Dao College but also the four great Dao Colleges. His words meant that the other three Dao Colleges couldn’t refute him if the alliance of the four Dao Colleges was to remain strong. Regardless of their internal conflicts and in-fighting, they had to present a united front in such summits!

Should there be any opposing voices amongst the four Dao Colleges, it would create a tremendous adverse impact on the four great Dao Colleges. There would even be a fracture in the alliance between the Ethereal Dao College and the other Dao Colleges!

In addition, what the Ethereal Dao College Sect Lord had said was indeed true. Regardless of anything else… Wang Baole was a member of the four Dao Colleges. That was why the Sect Lords of the other three Dao Colleges, after staring at the Ethereal Dao College Sect Lord, didn’t challenge his words. A strange feeling began to rise within them. The Ethereal Dao College Sect Lord at this moment was different from the familiar Sect Lord that they had known. He had changed.

The Sect Lord of the White Deer Dao College was silent for a few moments. He might dislike Wang Baole, but he spoke immediately as well.

“I, too, recommend Wang Baole to be promoted to a Secondary Rank Two Noble and take over as City Lord of the special regional city!”

His recommendation was followed by the recommendations of the other two Dao Colleges. Lin You smiled lightly and became the first senator to support the proposal!

Witnessing Lin You’s declaration of support, the remaining members of the Senate looked at one another, then at the Head Senator.

There was no expression on the Head Senator’s face. However, he glanced towards Lin You, then smiled slightly. He nodded and said, “This is a great outcome!”

The expressions on the representatives of the Five Generation Sky Clan, the Galactic Dusk Sect, and the Plume Manifestation Connate Sect changed then. The Head Senator’s words carried great weight, which was why they began to frown. The few clan leaders of the Five Generation Sky Clan felt an indescribable resentment surface within them. They were frustrated beyond measure. Wang Baole had picked the best time for his breakthrough to happen!

They still had to maintain their reputation, so there was no way they could go back on what they had just said. They were thinking about how to address this matter, perhaps using another approach after first setting this matter aside for later discussion, when the representative from the Trilunaris Corporation suddenly laughed. He was an elder who hadn’t participated in the discussion earlier. He was the younger brother of Master Jin, who was the head of the Trilunaris Corporation.

“The Trilunaris Corporation will increase its investments in the special regional city!”

As soon as he said that, the pressure on the Five Generation Sky Clan and gang grew. The Trilunaris Corporation might not have explicitly made a stand, but the fact that the elder hadn’t mentioned increasing their investments earlier and had only done so now showed very clearly where they stood. There was no need to put that in words.

The Martian Colony Governor didn’t say anything. However, they knew that she need not say anything. Her position on the matter had been made clear the moment she had announced that Wang Baole had reached the Core Formation realm.

This was the same with the military. They didn’t state their position on the matter, but the seeming smiles on their faces seemed to hide deep, unfathomable meaning!

The sudden turn of the tables caught the Five Generation Sky Clan by surprise. The final blow came… from Federation President Duan Muque!

Duan Muque didn’t give the Five Generation Sky Clan a chance to speak and simply waved his hand.

“Credit must be rewarded, and an able man must be put to good use!

“I’ve said before that the Federation needs a hundred Wang Baoles. Today, I’m amending my statement. The Federation needs ten thousand Wang Baoles!”

“Declare to the people of the Federation that Wang Baole will be given the title of a Secondary Rank Two Noble and promoted… to the City Lord of the Martian special regional city. He will also join the Senate as its eighteenth senator!” Federation President Duan Muque announced decisively before he rose to his feet and ended the summit.

The pupils of the various clan leaders of the Five Generation Sky Clan contracted. They sensed something was amiss. Duan Muque had decided too quickly on the matter. They looked at one another, deep in thought. The other political forces also had considering looks on their faces, and they all carried their thoughts with them as they left.

Their projected forms soon disappeared in the great conference halls. Finally, Duan Muque rose to his feet and walked across the vast halls, towards the door.

His back was akin to a sharp sword. With every step he took, the spirit energy exuding from his person rippled. It was as if he was holding his cultivation back!

<em>Soon… the time for a breakthrough is near… it’s just a pity that I’m still one step behind the old guy. </em>Duan Muque shook his head and smiled. He had seen the considering looks in the eyes of those who had left, but he paid them no heed. He believed that they would soon find out.

There were three reasons that Duan Muque had made such a decisive decision. The first was that he had great expectations of Wang Baole, though not to the extent that he would give him a hand up. The second was that… the current Federation needed a hero!

After the Mercury tragedy, the people of the Federation hadn’t yet recovered from their sorrow and worry. The Federation needed to reshape its image in the eyes of its people. It needed to have a hero that everyone knew!

This hero would draw the attention of the people and rouse them into uniting. Wang Baole’s image didn’t really match what he had been looking for. He might come from a family background that would invite no complaints, and he might have climbed to the top, step by step, in the eyes of the people. However, he hadn’t done enough to warrant Duan Muque picking him in the end.

If there had only been these two reasons, Duan Muque might have delayed this matter and used it as a bargaining chip. He would wait for both sides to make their bids, then as he re-calibrated the balanced relationships amongst the various political forces, he would reap as much as he could from this selection of the Martian special regional city’s City Lord.

However, with the addition of the third reason, everything would change. The third reason formed the basis for everything. With the third reason, he had to reassess the importance of the first two reasons. Without the third reason… nothing would have happened!

This third reason was… the Grand Supreme Elder of the Ethereal Dao College—the former Federation President who had led the Federation in the way of founding the cultivation era, the former most powerful person in the Federation—Li Xingwen, was about to achieve a breakthrough from the Core Formation realm and enter the Nascent Soul realm!

The Ethereal Dao College might have been able to hide this from others, but they couldn’t hide this from Duan Muque, who was also about to achieve his own breakthrough. He had long since felt, indistinctly, a fearsome presence within the Ethereal Dao College that was unnoticed by others and that seemed about to rise towering into the skies!

It was because of this that the Ethereal Dao College Sect Lord had a basis for his newfound confidence. It was the basis of the overpowering sense of authority exuding from his person!

“The construction of the teleportation array formation can be sped up…” Duan Muque said softly as he walked into the distance.

The summit ended, and the announcement of Wang Baole’s appointment was made. Wang Baole, having returned to the new Martian city and realizing that nothing had changed since his disappearance, finally heard the news that he was waiting for!

Wang Baole burst out into happy and loud laughter when he received the news. He was beyond excited. He could feel the distance separating him from the Federation President’s office closing with every step he took. It had been such an unreachable goal, but now it was almost within reach!

<em>From now on, I’m going to start on my autobiography. When it’s done, I’ll use it to tell the future generations how the legendary Federation President Wang Baole relied on his own hard work and perseverance, worked diligently, step by step, without relying on anyone else, relying only on his own sweat and tears, to become the fated son of Lady Fortune!</em>

<em>I’ve even thought of a name. It’ll be called the President’s Autobiography! </em>Wang Baole laughed maniacally. He felt that he had reached a peak in his life.

As Wang Baole basked in a joy that was beyond words, the media agencies across the entire Federation began simultaneously promoting Wang Baole like crazy. Every city on every Federation planet in the Solar System flashed the poster of Wang Baole on all available projection screens immediately.

An excited voice was accompanied by grand music as it declared Wang Baole’s appointment!

The youngest Core Formation realm cultivator in the whole of Federation history!

The youngest Secondary Rank Two Noble who was a City Lord!

The youngest member of the Senate!

All of a sudden, Wang Baole’s name spread across the entire Federation. He became a household name. There was no one who didn’t know his name. He became… the new rising star of the Federation!