A World Worth Protecting

1

Even though the ten breaths had ended, the punch was still unleashed with a powerful force that seemed like it represented the powers of heaven. Right now, as it arrived, it suppressed everything. It caused the ground to shake as cracks appeared, and that was the case for the surrounding mountains as well. That was especially so for the spectating cultivators who were all shocked as they retreated. Zhao Yameng and Kong Dao, who were watching everything, were both extremely anxious.

However, there was no way they could help, and neither could they participate. In reality, the battle between Wang Baole and Dugu Lin, having reached the current stage, was no longer on the level of Core Formation realm cultivators. It was closer to that of the Nascent Soul realm, just that they could probably demonstrate more types of spells.

“He still lost…?” Outside the training grounds, everyone who was watching the battle was shocked. Wang Baole lay amongst the broken rocks, looking at the giant fist arriving from the skies above him, his lips curled into a bitter smile. However, in the depths of his eyes, a desire to fight was hidden!

<em>I still have one move that I haven’t used! </em>Wang Baole’s breathing quickened. Until now, Little Missy didn’t say anything throughout the battle. However, Wang Baole knew clearly that Little Missy wasn’t hibernating. She was watching his battle!

Naturally, the move that Wang Baole had never used wasn’t Little Missy, it was his intrinsic scabbard!

It was the first true treasure that Wang Baole had refined. In the words of Little Missy, it was an intrinsic treasure that could slay anything. Under the nurturing environment in Wang Baole’s body, other than releasing mosquitoes, it didn’t seem to have other uses.

Wang Baole had never considered using it before, but now… A chilly glow flashed across his eyes. The moment the Four Beast Punch neared him from the skies, the green lotus in Wang Baole’s body shook violently, injecting him with life and allowing him to recover from his severe injuries quickly. Even though he was suppressed by Dugu Lin, which made his recovery slow and incomplete, it was sufficient to give Wang Baole enough energy to unleash his never-before-used move!

Instantly, Wang Baole’s heart burned with the desire for combat, which was extremely strong. He shouted, and green veins bulged on his forehead. His left hand slammed on the broken rocks and broke them with a bang. He leveraged on the force and leaped into the air. Instead of retreating, he charged forward towards the approaching Four Beast Punch!

That scene immediately gripped all the spectators around him and outside with shock. They watched on, dumbfounded, as Wang Baole charged towards the Four Beast Punch as if courting death!

As Wang Baole caught the attention of everyone, both outside and on the trial grounds, the Four Beast Punch was a mere hundred feet from him when he raised his head and grabbed his chest!

With that, a brilliant glow emerged instantly from Wang Baole’s chest, revealing an end of the scabbard. In the blink of an eye, as Wang Baole screamed painfully, a complete scabbard was pulled out from within his body!

The scabbard was an antique and had never been seen in civilization. Now that it emerged, the firmament was transformed, and the winds and clouds churned. Even the trial grounds trembled. It was clearly just a sixth-grade Dharmic treasure and not a Dharmic Armament, but when it appeared, it seemed to be able to influence the entire ancient greenish-bronze sword. This culminated in an indescribable force that concentrated in the trial grounds, from Wang Baole’s scabbard!

Very vaguely, Wang Baole had a strong feeling that there was an invisible sword in the scabbard that he couldn’t see. Even though he wanted to pull it out, something seemed to be lacking!

It was just short of something!

Wang Baole didn’t have time to feel regret and didn’t have time to ponder over it. Right now, without hesitation, he gave up the thought of pulling out the sword. Instead, he used the scabbard as a sword, slaying the incoming Four Beast Punch!

Instantly, the brilliance was like an eternity that soon vanished at that moment. Initially, there was still light under the night sky, but right now, all the light had disappeared. It was as if the act of flailing the sword caused all light to be sucked away, leaving behind the scabbard that had made contact with the Four Beast Punch under the sky!

Loud booms that sounded like the angry roars of the world filled the training grounds, while a maniacal force spread in all directions like a wave. As it spread, Wang Baole trembled, spewing large volumes of blood from his mouth. His body landed on the ground due to the suppressive force of the Four Beast Punch, but he still held the scabbard in his hands tightly, a frightening look on his face as he continued to resist!

That extremely powerful Four Beast Punch didn’t become devastated with the slaying of the scabbard, but it vibrated strongly, and it could no longer suppress Wang Baole!

It was blocked by the scabbard!

The scabbard seemed to magnify Wang Baole’s power, allowing him to withstand the force of the Four Beast Punch. Right now, looking from a distance, the entire scene was a frightening image. The large and powerful Four Beast Punch was only one man’s length away from the ground. Under that gigantic fist was Wang Baole, who was gripping onto the scabbard and preventing the fist from landing on him!

He was like an extremely hardy stone that was blocking the wheels of fate. As he suppressed it, the wheel couldn’t successfully destroy everything!

It was already Wang Baole’s limit, having achieved all of that. His hand that held onto the scabbard was trembling, and the green lotus in his body was shaking. Life energy was released on a scale that was never seen before as it tried to restore Wang Baole’s body. As a result, it couldn’t relax one bit, as if he did so, he would be completely crushed. His only choice was to persevere.

However, very soon, his body couldn’t withstand it any longer. As cracks appeared on his skin and on his bones, the force from the fist caused Wang Baole to be unable to catch his breath. His body was continuously torn apart and continuously repaired, but it was difficult for him to last long.

Even his Lightning Core began to crack at this moment. This was the case for his Dark Core as well. The cracks grew larger. If it were to continue, his two cores would be destroyed, his cultivation would be wiped out, and his Core Formation realm would crumble!

His consciousness grew increasingly blurry at this moment. He seemed to have heard some voices, some familiar, some foreign, but all anxiously screaming for him to give up and concede defeat!

<em>How can I concede defeat? My Dao doesn’t allow me to concede defeat. My ambitions don’t allow me to concede defeat… I, Wang Baole, would never concede defeat, ever! </em>As Wang Baole screamed in his heart, the cracks in his Dark Core and Lightning Core grew wider. His body showed signs of breaking down. The repair of his body by the green lotus couldn’t keep up.

However, just as his body was about to break apart, as his will continued to burn, and as he was suppressed to the maximum, the devouring seed in his body was suddenly unleashed with a loud boom!

It didn’t absorb the force from outside. Instead, in this life-and-death crisis, the devouring seed swallowed the green lotus, as well as the Dark Core and Lightning Core. They didn’t vanish and were instead integrated with the devouring seed for the second time!

The first integration happened when the green lotus was first planted on the devouring seed, and equilibrium was reached. Right now, at this life-and-death juncture, the devouring seed was unleashed. After taking everything in, it still felt insufficient, which was why it began absorbing Wang Baole’s body. His originally rotund body could be visibly seen slimming down swiftly. In the blink of an eye, the Wang Baole that appeared before others…

It was no longer a rotund body, but one that had entirely slimmed down. He had a long body, well-defined eyebrows, and sharp eyes. Coupled with the well-chiseled face and loose clothing, Wang Baole appeared extremely handsome right now. Perhaps it was due to the significant contrast with how he looked previously, but everyone who saw him was surprised by the transformation in his physique. The Wang Baole right now was extremely eye-catching!

Even Zhuo Yifan, who was considered handsome in the Federation, conceded defeat to Wang Baole’s handsomeness. That was because Wang Baole had something he didn’t have—defiance, an overbearing attitude, and a power that could destroy everything!

All this made the current Wang Baole look handsome, yet a little sinister. His charisma was instantly boosted, and even Li Yi, the Federation Seedling outside, was bewildered.

At this moment, as the devouring seed was in the process of backlash, the process of reverse nourishment also began!

Wang Baole’s cultivation was instantly activated, his force growing stronger from an initially weak state. It reached the peak of the mid-stage Core Formation realm and entered into the late-stage Core Formation realm. He broke through with a bang!

That wasn’t the end. After entering the late-stage Core Formation realm, the devouring seed continued to nourish him, and his cultivation was boosted again. In a short period of time, his cultivation reached the peak late-stage and was just a small step away from perfection!

This scene shocked Dugu Lin, as well as everyone inside and outside the trial grounds!

“Breakthrough in the midst of battle!”

As the people exclaimed and gasped in shock, Wang Baole’s cultivation was activated, and all his injuries were healed instantly. He regained the power that he had lost, and his power was now several times that of what it was previously. Waves of astonishing forces were released from his body, and it was as if it were capable of destroying the heavens. The hand that was gripping the scabbard no longer trembled and was instead extremely steady. Amid Dugu Lin’s disbelief, Wang Baole raised his head, looking past the Four Beast Punch before him and directly at Dugu Lin within it!

“I do not concede defeat!” Wang Baole spoke softly, a frightening desire for combat clearly evident in his eyes!