A World Worth Protecting

In Wang Baole’s opinion, the Black Earth Star Refinement Art was an incredible refinement art. Even with his current level of refinement competency, he was barely able to understand the first chapter of this extraordinary refinement art.

The refinement art consisted of nine chapters and was rich with knowledge and wisdom. The eighth chapter described the possibility of refining an entire Dao Domain. The Dao Domain would become one’s personal realm. The cultivator would rise above the cosmos then and achieve the supreme Great Dao.

Even though cosmic cultivation had become a way of life for Wang Baole, even though certain myths and legends no longer seemed as implausible as they had before, and even though Wang Baole now took such tales with an equal measure of doubt and faith, he couldn’t help but think… that the Dao Domain that chapter eight was talking about was pure myth.

The contents in chapter nine sounded even more preposterous. It spoke about a separate domain in which every living creature possessed the power to easily destroy another being.

The author of this chapter might have been worried about the clarity of his description, so he had included an example. For example, one could paint a person on a piece of paper, then cut the painted image up. The painted person would be defenseless against those actions. One could easily tear it into shreds, just like they could paper. Even if they had drawn something else other than a human, such as the most fearsome beast or the most powerful cultivator, the outcome would remain unchanged. They could crush them just as easily.

The methods that were described in chapter nine were a kind of dream conjured out of thin air, where one could transform themselves from a mere painted image into an actual living being in that separate domain.

Wang Baole was gasping by the end of it. The cultivation technique seemed like pure madness. However, it didn’t matter if what it said was true or mere lies. He wasn’t at the level of cultivation to consider such things. It was beyond him at the moment. He couldn’t help but consider what the author had said in chapter nine, though. He looked up. His eyes seemed to see right through the walls of the Dharmic Battleship and into the cosmos outside.

A long while later, Wang Baole turned towards Little Wu again and asked him, “Where are you from?”

Little Wu blinked. He then got to his feet slowly and swept his sleeve aside gently. His eyes no longer looked lost. A calm and composed look had settled over his face, and his eyes shone with a mysterious light. In that instant, he was no longer Little Wu, the boy who called Wang Baole his daddy, but a mysterious cultivator.

“I’ve told you before, I’m a prince of the Black Earth Empire. You shouldn’t be asking who I am, but… where the Black Earth Empire is!”

Wang Baole was silent. He took a deep breath, then asked again in a low, deep voice, “Where’s the Black Earth Empire?”

“That’s not the question you should be asking. You should be asking if the Black Earth Empire is here, in this Dao Domain!” A transformation rippled across Little Wu’s aura as he spoke. One could sense the pride hidden deep inside him and the mystery surrounding his origins.

The donkey’s eyes widened then too. It even seemed to have gasped. There was a deep, meaningful look in its eyes when it turned and studied Little Wu. The creature seemed to be trying to look into Little Wu’s soul.

Wang Baole remained quiet for a long time. Then, he asked slowly, “Where is the real Black Earth Empire?”

“That’s not the question you should be asking…”

“To hell with that!” Wang Baole exploded into a rage before Little Wu could finish his sentence. He had been holding himself back the previous two times, but the rascal was just asking for a lashing. Wang Baole glared at the boy and gave him a kick.

Little Wu cried out as he was flung into the distance. He had a thick hide, though, and sustained no injury from the kick. However, it still hurt. The memory of him being thrashed by Wang Baole for the very first time popped up in his head. Wang Baole had forced him to call him Daddy. He shuddered violently then and hurriedly returned to his former self. A fawning look settled on his face as he spoke eagerly and almost desperately.

“Daddy, don’t be mad. I was wrong. I made a terrible mistake. I’m not from some Black Earth Empire, I’m just one of many princes from a small kingdom. The jade slip is our kingdom’s national treasure. I stole it…” Little Wu’s face crumpled into a pitiful look as he explained the origins of the jade slip to Wang Baole.

Wang Baole felt so much better after hearing that. That was how questions should be answered. But Wang Baole wasn’t going to believe anything that Little Wu had said. He still had his suspicions about the boy’s origins. There was the information detailed in chapter nine of the Black Earth Star Refinement Art to consider as well… It blew his mind and made him look at Little Wu differently as well.

Could this fellow be from the domain that chapter nine wrote about? It seems unlikely. He’s so weak.

Wang Baole had that thought in mind as he continued to consider the Black Earth Star Refinement Art. After some time, he shifted his attention away from Little Wu and sat down. He stared at the jade slip in his hand and began studying the contents of the first chapter.

Time flew by, and soon, a month passed. During that month, Wang Baole’s enormous fleet traversed multiple galaxies and encountered a few groups of cosmic travelers. Without any exception to the rule, these travelers panicked upon sensing the terrifying presence of Wang Baole’s army and only released a sigh of relief when he left.

Wang Baole wasn’t in the mood to care about these strangers. He was immersed in the first chapter of the Black Earth Star Refinement Art. He had spent an entire month studying the chapter and had only begun to understand a small portion of it.

This portion had to do with refining a Planet realm cultivator into an artifact.

“I need to find myself an Eternal Star!” Wang Baole muttered. He looked up and stared at the cosmos outside his Dharmic Battleship. His Divine Sense then melded with the Dharmic Battleship. Augmented by the Dharmic Battleship, his Divine Sense extended outwards into space, stretching into the distant cosmos. He pulled out a star map and began studying it in detail. Then, he adjusted the Dharmic Battleship’s course and began speeding towards the nearest Eternal Star.

It took Wang Baole’s fleet seven days to reach the galaxy. There was a civilization living in the galaxy, but it was a primitive one and hence couldn’t sense Wang Baole’s arrival. Wang Baole wasn’t planning to intrude upon the civilization anyway. As he approached the galaxy’s Eternal Star, a bright red sun appeared in his sight.

Its size and heat resembled the Solar System’s Eternal Star. Wang Baole squinted as he felt the scorching heat and immense destructive power radiating from the Eternal Star. The contents in the first chapter of the Black Earth Star Refinement Art—the way to refine a Planet realm cultivator—appeared in his head.

We have to modify the internal structure of an Eternal Star’s fire and refine the fire in the Divine Sea. We have to transform it into our puppet!

The steps might seem easy, but the hardest part is where one has to swallow the fire of an Eternal Star!

Wang Baole fell into a contemplative silence. Swallowing Eternal Star Fire was the first step to practicing the Black Earth Star Refinement Art. The practitioner needed a form of kindling inside him. As he continued his cultivation, he would add other forms of kindling to keep the fire inside him going. This would make him stronger and madder at the same time.

There were great risks to this first step. A misstep would result in his being burned alive. There was a reminder in the jade slip that stated that one should attempt the Black Earth Star Refinement Art under specific conditions. It was inadvisable to practice it otherwise.

Two different types of special conditions were mentioned in the chapter. One had to practice on an Eternal Star that was on the verge of collapse or on a newly born Eternal Star!

One needed luck in order to meet either of these conditions. Wang Baole wasn’t lucky enough at the moment. But the Black Earth Star Refinement Art only discouraged practicing the refinement art without meeting either of those specific conditions. It didn’t explicitly state that he would fail otherwise.

That was why… Wang Baole thought that he could still give it a go. He had an advantage no other person had. His current form… was an avatar conjured by his essence technique!

If I fail the first time, I’ll try another ten times. If I fail those ten times, I’ll just try a hundred times! Wang Baole’s eyes flashed as he lifted his right hand and formed a hand seal. His physical form grew indistinct instantly. Wisps of mist emerged from his body, gathered before him, and morphed into a smaller version of himself. This mini Wang Baole stepped through the walls of the Dharmic Battleship and rushed towards the sun.

It got as close as it could to the sun, then took a deep breath in. Flames surged towards the mini Wang Baole and flooded his mouth. In the next moment, the mini Wang Baole shuddered, then burst into flames. The avatar turned to dust instantly.

Wang Baole narrowed his eyes. He carefully examined what he had felt from the earlier attempt.

I tried to absorb too much energy. I should take in less. I need to tweak what the avatar does after absorbing the energy as well… Wang Baole dissected the causes of his failure and quickly summoned the second avatar.

Lather, rinse, repeat. Wang Baole’s fleet stationed itself next to the Eternal Star for an entire month!

Wang Baole almost drove himself mad during that month. He made failed attempt after failed attempt, downing pills when he felt weak and eating other supreme-grade materials such as Spirit Stones to keep himself going. Despite all of that, he could feel his essence being drained away and the fading of his body.

His repeated attempts weren’t for nothing, though. Each failed attempt earned Wang Baole a great deal of experience. On his hundred and seventy-third try, his avatar finally managed to swallow a ball of Eternal Star Fire without exploding, successfully returning to the battleship!

Wang Baole was elated upon its return. His physical form dissipated into pure mist, racing towards his avatar and transforming it into his primary avatar via the essence technique. His body shuddered violently at that instant. He could feel heat coursing through his whole body!

A prototype of a sun had appeared in his Divine Sea. It was burning hotly. Dark Fire surrounded the brightly burning sun, achieving a kind of balance between the two types of fire!

I’ve done it! Upon sensing the Eternal Star Fire inside his body, Wang Baole opened his eyes and revealed a flash of fire flickering in his eyes. The sight of the fleeting flames sent Little Wu and the donkey shuddering uncontrollably. Even though Wang Baole was only at the False Immortal realm now, the dangerous vibes that he was exuding had surpassed that of a Planet realm cultivator!