A World Worth Protecting

1

As Wang Baole stared at the ice that had suddenly melted, at the enormous palace that had unexpectedly revealed itself before him, and at the beam of red light rising into the sky, his breathing stopped momentarily. His hair ruffled as waves of spirit energy rippled from the towering beam of light. He stumbled back from the force of the spirit energy.

The land around him began to shake. It was as if a ferocious beast that had been in deep slumber for eons had just suddenly opened its eyes. The incredible power that emanated from it upon its awakening shook the world!

It might not be appropriate comparing Wang Baole to an ant next to the palace, but he was still incredibly small in comparison. The size of the palace and the aura it exuded gave one an impression of something unimaginably majestic and vast.

The impression given would have been magnified if one had been gazing at the palace from afar. The three palaces were enormous. With the other two palaces still sealed in ice, the palace with its crimson beam of light seemed especially arresting a sight.

It took more than thirty seconds before the palace’s overwhelming aura slowly dissipated. The red beam of light continued rising into the heavens, and rings of spirit energy continued rippling outward from the beam. However, everything else returned to normalcy. The doors of the palace slid open slightly, spilling red light into the open.

It was but a narrow opening, a mere slit when compared to the entire palace, but to Wang Baole, the gap was wide enough for three grown men to march through while holding hands.

It was an awe-inspiring sight, but he was no longer a young and inexperienced brat who had just begun his journey of cultivation. He didn’t act rashly. Instead, he surveyed his surroundings and thought carefully about what the icy voice had said earlier. He began piecing together the clues he had gathered. It gradually led him to a conclusion.

<em>I’m being presented with a golden opportunity!</em> Wang Baole’s eyes shone brightly, burning with excitement and hunger. He had dreamed of becoming the Federation President since he was a kid. He knew that only the most powerful… had the right to command the entire Federation. If he could become stronger, he would have the power to master his own destiny!

Having survived a battle with Daoist You Ran and having experienced the powerlessness he had felt while on the Death Dao Battleship, Wang Baole’s single-mindedness towards his cultivation and his pursuit for strength was unquenchable. He might not show it on his face, but in his heart, he hungered desperately for greater power!

Having thought it through and assessed the situation, Wang Baole raced towards the palace decisively. He arrived before the palace almost instantly. He stood before the opened doors, gritted his teeth, and stepped into the red light on the other side of the door!

Wang Baole’s vision blurred and then cleared instantly. He was inside the palace, surrounded by a vast emptiness. There were three statues around him, and a red pearl was set on the top of their heads. It gave off a red light. Before him, sat an elder!

Shock rippled through Wang Baole when he saw the elder. He took a few steps back instinctively. Then, he steadied his breathing, cupped his fists, and took a deep bow.

“Greetings, Senior!”

Wang Baole continued standing there after his bow while sneaking a peek at the elder sitting before him. At first, he wondered who the person was, but he soon realized something was wrong.

<em>He’s not real?</em> A thought flickered in Wang Baole’s mind. He could tell that the elder’s body wasn’t real. It seemed illusory. He sat there, motionless.

As Wang Baole was studying the man before him, the elder, whose eyes had remained shut for who knows how long, suddenly opened his eyes. A gaze, bright like twin stars, landed on Wang Baole.

He felt something explode in his head. Those eyes seemed to see through him. No secret remained concealed under those eyes. Everything was exposed before the illusory elder’s assessing gaze.

The feeling didn’t last, as the elder soon retracted his gaze. Sweat poured down Wang Baole’s forehead. He was breathing heavily and utterly shocked. He was still recovering from that shock when the illusory elder spoke with a raspy voice.

“You are qualified to take the trial. If you can endure the force of my spirit energy for ten counts, you will be deemed to have passed the trial. If you pass, you will receive the chance to enter the Ten Thousand Spirit Blood Pool once, and the opportunity to strengthen your physical body!”

The elder didn’t give Wang Baole the freedom to accept or reject the offer. After he was done speaking, he raised his right hand suddenly and pointed at Wang Baole. The moment the finger stilled in mid-air, a powerful force that resembled a hurricane erupted from the elder’s body. Waves of spirit energy surged outward like tumultuous waves stirred by a wild storm and rushed at Wang Baole like a tsunami, threatening to pull him under.

The force of those waves of energy could wipe everything out. They sent the earth quaking and the skies shaking, causing the world before Wang Baole’s eyes to blur. He had become a single leaf in the storm, unable to hold onto his mind or a single breath. His entire body seemed to be screaming. He passed out instantly, his body shuddering under such terrifying power.

Wang Baole had no idea how much time had passed before he finally regained consciousness. He lay outside the palace, amidst a deathly silence. He was confused for a moment before he suddenly sat up. Memories of what had happened before he had passed out surfaced in his mind. His breathing stopped momentarily. Then, he turned his head towards the palace. The doors were still open, causing him to let loose a sigh of relief.

<em>Seems like this trial won’t disappear if one fails… There’s no harm done even if I fail. I’ll simply be pushed out?</em> Wang Baole fell into a contemplative silence. He recalled what had happened before he had passed out. That might have something to do with him not being mentally prepared for the trial.

<em>Let’s give it another go!</em> Determination flashed across Wang Baole’s eyes. He got to his feet, shifted, and once again entered the palace. This time, he was ready for it. He unleashed his full cultivation as soon as he stepped inside, roaring as he tried his best to stand his ground. He didn’t last long. Waves of spirit energy spiraled into a hurricane inside the halls a second time. In the next instant, Wang Baole’s body was swept out of the halls, through the narrow opening between the doors. He crashed into the ground and was knocked out immediately.

Wang Baole woke up an hour later. He sat up and stared unblinkingly at the palace, the gears in his head spinning furiously. He reached a conclusion. He wasn’t going to be able to breeze through this trial.

<em>The rules didn’t say anything about using Dharmic treasures!</em> Wang Baole’s eyes flashed. He lowered his head and began rummaging through his storage bag. After a short while, he pulled out several Dharmic Armaments. He armed himself and then charged forward, entering the palace again. This time, he managed to last three counts. On the fourth, a loud thud sounded from his body, and he passed out, being sent out again.

<em>It’s not that my body can’t withstand the pressure, it’s my senses, they’re too sensitive. That’s why I’m affected by the overwhelming pressure. I might stand a chance if I can somehow dull my senses…</em> Having woken up again, Wang Baole frowned and began thinking. After a long bout of contemplation, his eyes suddenly lit up.

<em>What if I knock myself out after I enter the palace. Doesn’t that mean I won’t be able to sense the suppressive force at all? Maybe I’ll pass that way. If that doesn’t work, I’ll just have to… recite the sutra.</em> Wang Baole grew excited at that thought before sighing. He really didn’t want to use the sutra unless it was his last resort. He had a feeling that the mysterious entity had probably just fallen asleep after he had been awakened the last time. If he were to disturb his rest again, he might just incur the entity’s wrath.

“He probably isn’t a morning person… Of course, most importantly, I, Wang Baole, should be relying on my own abilities to win this chance for a breakthrough!” Wang Baole muttered to himself. Then, he dashed through the opening again. This time, before the elder could unleash his cultivation, Wang Baole raised his hand decisively and smacked himself hard on his own forehead.

There was a loud smack. He had used quite a bit of force and was knocked out immediately. Relentless to a fault, Wang Baole had even unleashed his cultivation as he hit himself on the forehead. This time, he was knocked out so hard that he might be declared dead. He fell to the floor with a loud thud. The illusory elder froze at the sight. As an illusion, he didn’t possess much intelligence. But it was clear that Wang Baole’s self-inflicted violence had confused and bewildered him.

The waves of spirit energy that he had unleashed dissipated. There was analysis and assessment in his eyes as he pondered whether Wang Baole had fulfilled the requirements of the trial.

He had never encountered something like this before. There were many who had been knocked out by his blast of spirit energy, but Wang Baole’s unconsciousness was akin to a complete shutdown of his five senses. He was currently no different from a corpse. To a certain extent, that meant that he was no longer affected by the elder’s suppressive force… Ten counts passed as the illusory elder was steeped in confusion.

A long moment passed. The confused elder gave Wang Baole a strange look and then shut his eyes.

“You pass!”