A World Worth Protecting

1

A few Core Formation realm cultivators hadn’t managed to dodge the giant pythons’ charging and were instantly swallowed alive. Muffled screams of pain were drowned amidst the corpses’ furious howling. The group of cultivators had no choice but to scatter under the attacks of the giant pythons.

Wang Baole did just that as he retreated hastily. A giant python came charging at him from his right, roaring. It seemed like he was going to be swallowed alive. But Wang Baole’s strength was akin to that of a Nascent Soul realm cultivator. The Flame Snatch Thearch Armor appeared on him instantly, and his eyes flashed with an icy cold glint as he surged forward instead of retreating, charging straight into the giant python!

The deafening sound of a collision rang out in the air as Wang Baole’s Divine Armament arm pierced through the giant python’s body upon their collision. He slid around the giant python, then leaped into the air. The giant python’s head fell to the ground with a deafening thud.

The python’s body continued to wriggle despite the loss of its head, thrashing at Wang Baole. Wang Baole formed a series of hand seals. His tri-colored flying sword came dashing through the air, slicing the python into multiple chunks. Then, the sword came flying back, buzzing as it circled Wang Baole and slashed apart the corpses that came charging at him.

Wang Baole paid no attention to the corpses around him. Instead, he looked around him with a dark expression on his face.

The giant pythons had separated the battlefield into multiple, smaller battlefields. Battle cries continued to rise into the air. Many of the pythons had already been slain by other Nascent Soul realm cultivators. However, there were still some wreaking havoc on the field, and more than a dozen cultivators had since perished.

A fish-scale armor had appeared on Kong Dao. It seemed to have augmented his speed and gifted him semi-transparency. Kong Dao dashed about on the battlefield, fighting alongside a Nascent Soul realm cultivator and slaying another giant python!

<em>We can’t keep this up forever. No one’s going to make their way out of this alive if we don’t do something!</em> Wang Baole’s breathing quickened slightly. He approached a few Core Formation realm cultivators and, with a wave of his hand, put down a giant python. Then, he lifted his head abruptly to the sky and stared.

In the skies above, Feng Qiuran and Zhao Yameng were currently surrounded by countless winged beasts. The pair shone with a dazzling light that continued to grow even more blinding. Feng Qiuran suddenly raised the ruler in her hand into the air. Her eyes shone with an intense light as she yelled, “A hundred thousand feet!”

Feng Qiuran’s right hand forcibly slammed the ruler downwards, towards the ground. Zhao Yameng formed a series of hand seals at the same time, unleashing the power of nine hundred and ninety-nine array runes that she had accumulated earlier!

The heavens rumbled, and the earth quaked. Winds howled, and the clouds rolled back. Within a hundred thousand feet of Feng Qiuran, all corpses and beasts, including pythons and black-robed zombies alike, shook violently. It was as if a sudden incredible force had descended from the heavens and crushed everything in sight!

Within the hundred thousand feet of land, explosions rumbled, and everything turned to dust. Everything living was wiped out. Zhao Yameng’s array formation intensified the attack and pushed the shock waves further outwards, reaching nearly three hundred thousand feet. It was as if a gigantic hand had reached out from the cracks in the earth and wiped out everything!

The monsters in the sky were Feng Qiuran’s and Zhao Yameng’s primary targets. The area of attack spread much further in the air!

“Quick, go!” The lands rumbled, and everything turned to dust. Feng Qiuran grabbed Zhao Yameng and raced off into the distance as she shouted frantically.

The rest needed no reminder from Feng Qiuran. They had witnessed their attack earlier, and everyone had been on high alert and ready to run. With the sudden opening presented, as well as the appearance of the next horde of enemies in the horizon hundreds of thousands of feet away—already charging towards them—they dashed out immediately and sped off.

Wang Baole did the same. He leaped into the air and pulled Kong Dao along with him. The group was about to make use of the cleared battlefield to make an escape when suddenly, another rumbling roar rang out from the caved-in ground, where the dozens of giant pythons had emerged.

The ground sank further in before it erupted. A huge crevice appeared in the earth, and a fierce howl, striking terror in everyone’s hearts, rang out from its depths.

The howling was accompanied by the sound of chains clanking. An enormous blank hound, partially decomposed, charged out from the crevice rapidly. It appeared in mid-air in the next instant and snapped its jaws shut, catching and gobbling up a Nascent Soul realm and three other Core Formation realm cultivators instantly!

Horror and alarm flashed across everyone’s faces. Their nightmare had just begun. Similar crevices started to appear in the ground. Black hounds dashed out, howling furiously and leaping into the air!

Fortunately, they were all chained to the ground and couldn’t run too far. Regardless, they numbered in the dozens and posed a significant threat, especially… due to their unique physique. Spells were useless against them. It was like throwing a pebble into the vast ocean—they weren’t affected at all. Only physical attacks inflicted on the flesh affected them!

“Nascent Soul realm cultivators, spread out. Core Formation realm cultivators, gather around me. We’ll make a run for it and assemble at the end of the wooden log!” Feng Qiuran’s face was pale as she barked out her order hastily. She wanted to attack, but she could sense a horrifying power rumbling deep underground. It was moving rapidly and headed their way!

They had but thirty seconds before it emerged above ground!

With danger so close at hand, she had no time to map out a detailed plan. She raised her right hand, and with a wave, she gathered a few Core Formation realm cultivators around her. Afterwards, she led Zhao Yameng and the others into the distance!

Chi Lin and the other Nascent Soul realm cultivators, whose faces were pale, had all spread out. Wang Baole had done the same. He had intended to follow Feng Qiuran, but just as he made a move, the ground below him began to rumble. A black hound roared and charged at him, blocking his path and intending to swallow him whole!

A vicious glint flashed across Wang Baole’s eyes. The Flame Snatch Thearch Armor was activated immediately, and incredible power gathered in his Divine Armament arm. He unleashed a sudden punch towards the black hound!

The blow whipped up a tornado and landed squarely on the hound’s head, causing a loud boom to erupt in the air. The hound whined in pain and stumbled back, while Wang Baole shook from the backlash of the blow. His armor creaked, and he was sent flying backwards from the force of his punch, like a puppet cut from its strings.

As he was flung backwards, the skies were once again crowded with newly amassed corpses. The fearsome creatures were slaughtered before they could draw near by flying swords that had appeared around Wang Baole. Wang Baole’s breathing quickened as he steadied himself. He looked around and saw only torn and maimed limbs of several Dao Palace cultivators. Chi Lin and the others had long scattered to the winds.

The corpses had all separated and gone after the cultivators.

<em>We shouldn’t have come to this damned place!</em> Wang Baole ground his teeth. He retreated without hesitation, chose a random direction, and started running. Just as he was about to dash off, the ground a hundred thousand feet away from him began to rumble. An enormous, partially decomposed, Kun Peng heaved from the ground, as if breaking the surface of the ocean, and leaped into the air!

The beast emanated a black Qi. Waves of energy surged from its decomposing form, striking fear in Wang Baole’s heart. His cultivation began to grow unstable. It was a sensation that he had experienced before when he had crossed paths with a Star Fang Beast. He knew that the monster before him was at least… at the Planet realm!

<em>The Planet realm!</em> Wang Baole’s scalp went numb. He saw the chains on the Kun Peng, which were like those that were on the black hounds. There were more chains though. There was no time for further thought. He fled hastily without turning his head back.

He unleashed everything he had on him. His Dharmic Armament bell enveloped his Thearch Armor while his tri-colored flying sword flew protective circles around him. After boosting his defenses, he let loose a sudden burst of speed, transforming into a shooting star that dashed across the heavens, smashing through winged beasts that dared stand in his path!

Death and dust were left in his wake as he smashed his way through mindlessly. Wang Baole’s senses had heightened to the extremes. He swerved in another direction as soon as he sensed something amiss. He managed to survive several dangerous encounters that way. The pollen’s effect might have been wearing off after all this time, as the corpses had started to stiffen. Soon, most of them slowed down to a complete standstill. Wang Baole finally made his way out of the crimson mist and the land of the living dead!

He was panting, his clothes drenched in sweat. He quickly pulled out a few pills and swallowed them whole. Then, he turned back and stared at the battlefield behind him, residual terror still lingering in his eyes.

<em>The Kun Peng was chained, so it can’t come after me now that I’m so far away. Zhao Yameng and Kong Dao are with Feng Qiuran. They should be safe.</em> Wang Baole’s heart was still racing. However, he knew that there was no use in panicking. He took a few gulps of air, shoved down the unease inside him, and looked around him with a grave expression on his face. His gaze settled on a direction. The land looked sparse and empty of threats, so he began running in that direction.

<em>What’s most important now is locating the direction of the other end of the wooden log, where the sacrificial altar is located…</em>