A World Worth Protecting

1

Amidst Xie Haiyang’s delight, amidst the complex emotions and awe that the people on the public square felt towards Xie Haiyang, amidst the reverberation of the bell ring, and with Feng Qiuran announcing the results, the trial had finally concluded.

What followed would be the trip to the Worship Palace Pavilion. However, the Worship Palace Pavilion was located in the body region of the sword and was extremely far from their current location. Even though there was an array formation in the Vast Expanse Dao Palace that could teleport them there directly, it required a lot of preparation in order to open it each time. They still needed to wait for a period of time before the array formation was ready for the teleportation process.

Regardless of that, Wang Baole, who now held the Hyacinthus Tree leaves, had a different status and identity in the Vast Expanse Dao Palace after the trial!

However, Wang Baole didn’t stay long on the main island of the Dao Palace. Instead, he left after Feng Qiuran announced the results. Even to Wang Baole, the trial was extremely dangerous. Had he not been able to unleash his potential at the last moment, it would be impossible for him to defeat Dugu Lin.

Furthermore, as he had just achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation, he needed to stabilize it. Feng Qiuran understood that clearly, and therefore, before Wang Baole left, she generously passed Wang Baole a bottle of pills that could consolidate his cultivation.

The pills were expensive and were suitable for both cultivation and healing injuries. Wang Baole expressed his gratitude for the pills before leaving with Zhuo Yifan, Zhao Yameng, and Kong Dao. Many other agitated Federation Seedlings also followed them.

After exchanging greetings with the other people outside the Dao Palace doors, Wang Baole turned and stepped into the air, leaving the main island of the Dao Palace and charging towards his Green Fire Island. The Federation Seedlings sent him off.

Zhao Yameng and company also dispersed to return to their own cave abode after Wang Baole left. Even with their departure, the trial didn’t become an event of the past so quickly. It continued to spread between the Dao Palace disciples and became the topic of conversation amongst them.

Wang Baole didn’t care about those matters. Right now, he unleashed his full speed and returned to Green Fire Island, stepping directly into the cave abode to enter seclusion. He meditated with his legs crossed to cultivate, and also checked on his devouring seed in detail.

<em>The green lotus is gone, and so is the Lightning Core and the Dark Core… </em>Wang Baole was troubled as he recalled the final transformation of the devouring seed at the last moments of the trial. Even though he vaguely felt that the transformation benefited him, he couldn’t help but scratch his head when he thought about it. After pondering for a moment, he tapped into his Spiritual Sense to find out what exactly was going on inside the devouring seed.

As his Spiritual Sense spread and entered the interior of the devouring seed, he soon saw a pitch-black emptiness before his eyes. He didn’t know how big it was, but it was extremely quiet and vast. There was only a green lotus shaking in that emptiness…

Looking at the green lotus, as well as the Dark Core and Lightning Core on it, Wang Baole heaved a sigh of relief. However, he couldn’t figure out how to take them out. Vaguely, he felt that his green lotus, together with the Lightning Core and Dark Core, had integrated together with the devouring seed. He felt that everything was culminating in some sort of transformation.

Wang Baole didn’t manage to figure out anything after thinking about it in detail. He gave up eventually and retracted his Spiritual Sense. He then sealed his hands, and his lightning avatar stepped out from his body. After taking a look, he realized that there were some subtle differences to his Lightning Avatar.

The transformation was shown on… its absorption!

It appeared that after the lightning avatar had been released, it could absorb the Spirit Qi from the heavens and earth for cultivation!

Wang Baole’s heart trembled. He widened his eyes and observed. After a moment, a peculiar look flashed across his face as he raised his right hand and pointed. Instantly, a flying sword emerged from his storage bracelet, charging directly and ferociously to his lightning avatar. It didn’t pierce the avatar but inflicted an abrasion to it.

The injury healed in the blink of an eye. That made Wang Baole ponder, and his eyes lit up.

<em>The ability to cultivate has something to do with the devouring seed. At the same time, the fact that the avatar is so tough and could recover so quickly means that… it has something to do with the green lotus! </em>Wang Baole’s heartbeat became even faster. He hypothesized that the avatar harnessed part of the energy of the Dark Core. There were no spirits that Wang Baole could use to test out the hypothesis, but he was quite certain that was the case.

<em>Interesting… This way, the combat power that my lightning avatar can demonstrate will be formidable… </em>Wang Baole seemed to be deep in thought. He then unleashed his physical force, as well as the force of the Dark Fire. He realized that even though the devouring seed had devoured everything, there seemed to be no negative changes to him. Instead, there seemed to be some improvements. He then put the matter aside and no longer pondered about it. Instead, he took out the cultivation technique jade slip of the Lightning Immortal Transformation to take a look at the third level.

The first level of the Lightning Immortal Transformation cultivation technique allowed Wang Baole to carry the power of lightning in all his abilities, with a more obvious effect on his physical body. The second level allowed him to produce an avatar that was extremely helpful to him. However, what he desired most was still the third level!

Once the third level of the Lightning Immortal Transformation had been successfully cultivated, he could change positions with his lightning avatar instantly. It wasn’t seamless, but it was extremely close to that state. That would allow him to be more flexible in terms of his battle techniques, and it would make him unpredictable. To a certain extent, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that his combat capabilities would be significantly boosted.

For example, in the battle between Wang Baole and Dugu Lin, if his lightning avatar had been able to change positions with his physical body, the flexibility would have allowed him to retaliate under Dugu Lin’s second level seal, even without a breakthrough in his cultivation.

With that thought, a fire burned in Wang Baole’s heart as he began to research the third level of the Lightning Immortal Transformation, and as he tried to cultivate it. However, the more advanced the level of the Lightning Immortal Transformation, the more challenging it was, and it was difficult to successfully cultivate it in a short period of time. However, Wang Baole was in no rush, and he cultivated it slowly in seclusion as he stabilized his cultivation.

At the same time, he didn’t forget about his Flame Snatch Thearch Armor. He would set aside some time every day to cultivate the second level of the Flame Snatch Thearch Armor. The second level Thearch Armor, after transmogrifying, would have bones, transforming it into a frightening-looking Bony Thearch Armor that looked like a human’s skeleton.

Once it was successfully cultivated, its power would be significantly boosted. However, like the third level of the Lightning Immortal Transformation, the cultivation progress was slow. To Wang Baole, the latter felt more challenging than the former.

Other than the need for intelligence and understanding, a large amount of resources were also needed. Even though Feng Qiuran had given Wang Baole an expensive bottle of pills, it was still insufficient.

After thinking about it, Wang Baole could only set his goals on the Worship Palace Pavilion. He thought about how he was in no rush to return after putting his name on the Dao Palace and how he should stay in the body of the sword to reap some gains.

<em>The higher my status, the more places I can go, and the more restrictions I can disregard… </em>With that thought, Wang Baole was filled with anticipation, and at the same time, he began to observe his intrinsic scabbard.

He now believed what Little Missy had once said about the power of the scabbard. As for withdrawing the sword again, it was an unlikely feat right now, and it would likely only be accomplished after a long period of nurturing.

However, the great power of the sword, as well as the meaning represented by the intrinsic seventh-grade Dharmic Armament, made Wang Baole more determined to turn it into a seventh-grade Dharmic Armament.

<em>I must go on a journey to the body of the sword! </em>Wang Baole had a look of determination in his eyes, but he also knew that it was a matter that he shouldn’t rush into. Therefore, after being in seclusion for half a month and finishing his pills, he decided to make a trip to the Dao Palace to use his battle credits and exchange for other pills that could facilitate his cultivation.

Before leaving, Wang Baole took out a mirror from his storage bracelet to look at the well-chiseled, yet somewhat foreign face in it. He couldn’t help but feel emotional.

“I have become handsome so suddenly that even I am lured by myself…” As he whispered, he patted his tummy instinctively, but his hands landed on nothingness instead. He lowered his head to take a look and realized that his belly was no longer as big.

“Wang Baole, you could obviously get by with your looks, but you still chose to depend on your capabilities and hard work!” Wang Baole gloated and sighed and then posed and took a selfie. He sent it to the Federation Seedlings on the regional group chat before leaving Green Fire Island with satisfaction.

Stepping into the Dao Palace this time, Wang Baole was treated differently from before. He was noticed by others the instant he appeared on the main island of the Dao Palace, and they neared him immediately, greeting him.

They didn’t merely greet him, but they followed him as he moved. That was the case for all the cultivators who noticed him. The awe and respect they had towards him made Wang Baole somewhat dazed. It was as if he had returned to Ethereal Dao College.

That was especially so when he arrived near the mission stone steles, where there were many cultivators. He caused a commotion the moment he appeared, and the cultivators immediately greeted him and opened up a path for him as if they had met with a personal disciple.

That treatment made Wang Baole delighted, and what made him most proud was that along the way, when several female Dao Palace disciples noticed him, they looked at him with dewy eyes. That was a very comfortable feeling.

<em>Hah, I wonder if the female cultivators on this ancient greenish-bronze sword have the same body structure as those in Earth’s Federation… </em>Wang Baole blinked as he began to ponder seriously about this technical question.