A World Worth Protecting

1

Wang Baole had now witnessed the core formations of both Kong Dao and Zhao Yameng. He had seen the core of their cultivation techniques.

That was why when a cultivator was advancing from the Foundation Establishment realm to the Core Formation realm, he would typically find a quiet spot for seclusion. This was to prevent others from disturbing him as well as to maintain the secrecy surrounding one’s cultivation techniques.

However, it was clear that both Kong Dao and Zhao Yameng trusted Wang Baole very much. Wang Baole couldn’t help but compare the two. The more he did that, the more he realized how extraordinary Kong Dao truly was.

<em>He didn’t share our experiences at the Eye of Infinite Techniques. Despite that, an illusory eye appeared at the point of his breakthrough. The power he exhibited then was comparable to Zhao Yameng’s… This Kong Dao is really something! </em>Wang Baole patted Kong Dao’s shoulder.

“Not bad. Keep up the good work. We have another great general joining the ranks of our Adonis Association!” Wang Baole burst out into laughter. Kong Dao looked excited and invigorated as well. The Core Formation realm and the Foundation Establishment realm were two completely different cultivation realms. As a peer of Wang Baole, he had been facing considerable pressure. Wang Baole’s progress had been too astonishing. Kong Dao could finally catch a break now, after having reached the Core Formation realm.

He thanked Wang Baole. The Sea of Fire was going to flood the entire place soon, so they didn’t linger. They retrieved their Spirit Boats and left hastily. After they left, the Sea of Fire surged in and finally filled the entire cave. After they emerged outside, they saw how the ancient battlefield had sunken considerably into the sea.

Their journey back was smooth. They didn’t meet any obstacles during the trip. They soon flew out of the Sea of Fire and returned to Wang Baole’s Green Fire Island. Once they were inside Wang Baole’s cave abode, Wang Baole watched as Kong Dao calmed down from his earlier excitement. He took out everything he had looted from this trip.

The loot was sizable. There were many small items that were worth quite a bit. Three items were particularly eye-catching. One was the large alchemical cauldron, the second, the jade box, and the third, the stone bat statue!

The cave abode had been opened for the first time after many years, so everything was well-preserved. The two of them even discovered a pill inside the alchemical cauldron!

They weren’t sure what kind of pill it was though. That was why they didn’t open the cauldron. Wang Baole might not be familiar with alchemy, but he had the basic common knowledge. He knew the last step to alchemy and how different types of pills required the cauldron to be opened in different ways. After some discussion, they decided that Kong Dao would take the cauldron away. He would find someone to take a look and find a way to open the cauldron.

Then, there was the jade box. It was sealed, but the seal wasn’t particularly powerful. The primary purpose of the seal seemed to be to seal in the spirit energy within the jade box. Wang Baole and Kong Dao managed to get it open very quickly. They found inside the jade box… a dried fruit!

Its skin was wrinkled, and it was the size of a chicken’s egg. It seemed ordinary. However, as soon as the jade box was opened, whiffs of strange fragrance began to ooze out. It was a strong, rich smell. Wang Baole had only taken a slight sniff before startlement flashed across his face. He felt energized suddenly, and his spiritual senses seemed clearer.

Wang Baole was immediately excited. What he desired the most now was a way to enhance his spiritual senses, and the fruit seemed to possess properties that could achieve that. He said hastily, “Kong Dao, I have uses for this fruit!”

Kong Dao knew how valuable the fruit was. As soon as he heard what Wang Baole said, he pushed the jade box towards Wang Baole without hesitation. He didn’t look at it any longer and ignored the stone bat statue as well. He said immediately, “Take the stone statue with you as well. I can’t handle it if it comes back to life one day.”

Wang Baole didn’t try to reject the offer. He nodded, then gave seven-tenths of the remaining loot to Kong Dao. Kong Dao smiled at his gesture and accepted the reciprocation readily. The two of them were pleased with the treasures they had gotten. They had also gained in terms of their cultivation. Kong Dao had advanced to the Core Formation realm, while Wang Baole had made advancements in his mid-stage Core Formation realm. Overjoyed, they began discussing the encounter they had with the murderous cultivators from the Vast Expanse Dao Palace earlier.

“I was in the midst of my breakthrough, but I could sense the danger then. I got a peek and saw Li Bin…” The expression on Kong Dao’s face was serious as he spoke in a low voice.

“Baole, you have to be careful. That Li Bin… based on what I know of him, he’s a vicious character. He holds some authority amongst the disciples in the Vast Expanse Dao Palace, and no one dares to offend him. There are even scandals of other disciples dying by his hand… but his master is a Nascent Soul realm cultivator. He’s also at the late-stage Core Formation realm and hence relatively powerful. That’s why he’s managed to get his way and stay out of reach of the law.”

“Since he has his eye on us after this incident, based on his vengeful and greedy character, he’ll definitely find a chance to make life difficult for us!” As Kong Dao spoke, an icy glint flashed in his eyes. He might have only recently reached the Core Formation realm, but his lust for violence had always been strong. He narrowed his eyes and spoke in a low voice.

“I suggest that we find a chance and gather our own people to get rid of this Li Bin once and for all!”

Wang Baole smiled when he heard what Kong Dao said. He shared the same intentions. However, they needed some time to plan this carefully. It was easy to kill someone, the difficult part was cleaning up after.

“There’s a high chance of someone finding out if we do it in the sword handle. That should be our last resort. Keep an eye out on him. Check if Li Bin will be visiting the sword body any time soon. If he does, we’ll make sure he doesn’t return!” After some thought, Wang Baole shared his intentions with Kong Dao. Kong Dao then left.

Wang Baole watched as Kong Dao vanished into the distance. He returned to his cave abode, picked up the jade box, and opened it again. He took out the dried fruit inside and took another sniff. The sensation of his senses clearing up resurfaced. He studied it in detail and confirmed that if he continued to absorb the spirit energy given off by this fruit over a prolonged period of time, his spiritual senses would definitely improve.

<em>A heavenly fruit that can enhance one’s Spiritual Sense… </em>Wang Baole licked his lips. He had half a mind to swallow the fruit whole. However, he hesitated as he stared at the shriveled form of the fruit.

<em>I can’t eat it recklessly. What if it gives me food poisoning… </em>At that thought, Wang Baole decided to return to the Vast Expanse Dao Palace to research more on the fruit. He wanted to know if he could find more information on the fruit. Wang Baole tried calling out to Little Missy as well, but she didn’t respond to him. He knew Little Missy’s character. She would always pretend to be asleep when it came to matters that she knew nothing about!

Wang Baole sighed at that thought. He sat down and began to meditate and stabilize the growth in his cultivation after his earlier massive absorption of Spirit Qi. When the following morning arrived, he walked out from his cultivation and headed straight for the Vast Expanse Dao Palace to research the fruit.

A month soon passed. The Federation Seedlings had spent a full year in the Vast Expanse Dao Palace.

According to the agreement between the Federation Seedlings and Feng Qiuran, the second batch of Federation Seedlings should be arriving soon. However, Wang Baole realized that the Vast Expanse Dao Palace didn’t seem to be carrying out any preparations for the second batch’s arrival. That caused Wang Baole to fall into thought.

During the past month, he had spent some battle credits and searched through many records. He tried to locate information on the fruit. After some searching, he found as many as six types of fruits that fit his search criteria. Each one had extraordinary properties, and they were all similar, which made it difficult for Wang Baole to tell them apart at once.

This didn’t interfere with his cultivation with the dried fruit though. During each cultivation session, he would place the dried fruit before him, and his spiritual senses would come to life. They had shown significant development in the past month.

That translated to clear results in his refinement of Dharmic Armaments. Even though Wang Baole was still unable to refine an actual eighth-grade Dharmic Armament, out of every ten attempts, he had managed to create an eighth-grade Dharmic Armament that could be used twice instead of once.

Most importantly, he could clearly sense that he was moving in the right direction. As long as his spiritual senses continued to improve, there would come a day when he would finally be able to refine a true eighth-grade Dharmic Armament!

<em>Once I can refine an eighth-grade Dharmic Armament, based on my proficiency in Dharmic Armaments and the battle credits I can and will exchange, I’m confident that I can enhance the scabbard to the level of a seventh-grade Dharmic Armament!</em>

Wang Baole lifted his head. His eyes shone with anticipation and excitement. His scabbard had been a challenge to enhance all this while. There was the challenge of acquiring materials. There was also the fact that it was different from ordinary artifacts and posed a great challenge during the refinement process. Wang Baole had a feeling that if he should fail during the refinement process, he would also suffer considerable damage.

It was still manageable when the scabbard was at the level of a sixth-grade Numinous Treasure. However, enhancing a sixth-grade Numinous Treasure to a seventh-grade Dharmic Armament was a critical stage when a Numinous Treasure became a Dharmic Armament. That was why Wang Baole was especially careful.

<em>There’s also the spear. When I can finally refine an actual eighth-grade Dharmic Armament, I’ll have the ability to repair it. Even though it won’t be restored fully, it would still be able to unleash incredible power. </em>Wang Baole’s eyes shone. He had also been practicing the Lightning Immortal Transformation as well as the Thearch Armor inheritance during this period. His progress with the Lightning Immortal Transformation proceeded without any hiccups. The avatar he summoned had a clearer form.

There was still no progress where the Thearch Armor inheritance was concerned though. His suspicion that he lacked a catalyst of sorts began to grow. Wang Baole felt that he was only missing a critical step.

<em>Perhaps what I lack is a kind of enlightenment… That can’t be right. What exactly am I missing… Could it be a demonstration?</em>