A World Worth Protecting

Some were killed, some gave up, and others continued their pursuit. The brightness of the source of Spirit Qi on Wang Baole surpassed the definition and concept of a torch. It was like a burning volcano. Every cultivator within a two thousand mile radius would immediately sense it.

Those within the hundreds of miles, especially, upon sensing the source of Spirit Qi, immediately stirred and grew excited. Even though they knew that it might be all for naught, the greed in their hearts and the tiniest sliver of possibility still drove them towards the location of the spiritual source.

The Galactic Dusk Sect, for example, had seventy to eighty disciples within the radius. They were scattered throughout the area and on their respective solo hunts inside the Mystic Luna Realm. At that moment, however, an icy glint flickered across their eyes. They started dashing towards the same location.

Besides the Galactic Dusk Sect, there was also the Five Generation Sky Clan. Not every disciple from the clan knew about what was going on at the dark side of the moon. The Five Generation Sky Clan, after all, comprised of multiple family clans that were in constant conflict. At that moment, there were as many Five Generation Sky Clan disciples seeking their fortunes and fragments in the mystic realm. They grew excited and agitated as well after sensing the source of Spirit Qi and rushed towards it.

The same happened for the Plume Manifestation Connate Sect. Besides the three political forces, there were also the descendants and heirs of the City Lords who sat in the Senate, as well as minor political personalities affiliated with the Senate. There were easily more than a hundred people within the two thousand mile radius. Regardless of where they were scattered in the area, they all chose to charge towards the source of the Spirit Qi like the rest.

Amongst them were those with a prominent status, like Li Xiu. Besides him, there were two others—one a nephew of the Heavenly City’s City Lord and the other a nephew of the Eternal Joy City’s City Lord.

The latter two were your typical tyrants and bullies. They had attended the Ethereal Fruit Feast as well. Now that they were there and had the Foundation Establishment realm within reach, they had no reason to give up when they sensed the source of Spirit Qi.

Every political force gathered. They seemed to form a huge spiraling whirlpool that had Wang Baole as its locus, spreading a thousand miles in all directions.

Wang Baole, who had become the eye of a storm, was presently racing through the forest and silently counting down the time. He didn’t mind fighting to the death, but he wasn’t a bloodthirsty person at heart. If he could resolve the crisis he was in without having to kill anyone, he would do so in a heartbeat.

That was what he had planned to do. If he could find a chance and create a window of three free days for himself, he would be able to build his Foundation Establishment core. It was a good idea. The execution of it was the challenge.

Wang Baole was racing through the forest when his eyes suddenly flashed. His right hand raised and swept behind him. His Spirit Qi burst out, and lightning bolts snaked around his right hand as he caught the flying sword surging towards him.

The flying sword was black in color, and a strange glimmer shone on its blade. It seemed to contain some sort of poison. Wang Baole used his Spirit Qi to stop it in mid-flight, lightning bolts snaking up the sword, and, without any hesitation, flung it back where it came from.

His series of actions were fluid like water and very, very fast. In an instant, a pained cry rang out. A silhouette dashed out from deep within the forest, hand pressed against his chest as he retreated hurriedly.

He didn’t get far. The person shuddered as blue spread rapidly over his entire body, and he quickly fell to the ground with a thud—dying on the spot.

There was a cut on his forehead. A gray mosquito flew straight out from the cut and vanished in the surrounding forest.

Another one. Wang Baole’s face was cold and hard. He recognized the other’s attire. It was a disciple from the Galactic Dusk Sect. Excluding the black-robed youth, that was the seventh person from the Galactic Dusk Sect.

They were all eccentric characters who were extremely skilled in concealment and camouflage. They were proficient in staging ambushes as well. If Wang Baole didn’t have his mosquitoes’ vision, he would find it challenging to sense them as clearly.

Wang Baole didn’t check out the corpse. He was about to continue his journey deeper into the forest when a flash of light flickered across his eyes. He retreated hastily. As soon as he stepped back, the light from ten spells surged forward from both sides in a deafening roar, disintegrating the trees around him. The ground on which Wang Baole had stood a moment earlier quaked, and snapped branches and torn leaves flew in the air.

If Wang Baole hadn’t dodged in time, he would have been struck by the ten spells.

As soon as he had fallen back, twenty odd people dashed out from both sides of the forest. Most of them were from the Five Generation Sky Clan. They weren’t from the same family clan of those Five Generation Sky Clan disciples Wang Baole had crossed paths with earlier, but the greed and murder in their eyes were the same.

They wasted no time talking. As soon as they appeared, the twenty-odd people charged at Wang Baole with greed in their eyes. They had never seen each other before and hadn’t held grudges against each other before that moment. However, at that moment, anyone who held such a tremendous source of Spirit Qi was the enemy in their eyes! The consequences they would face after snatching such an item from Wang Baole was something they, in the face of extreme greed, hadn’t considered. They had to get it first.

Wang Baole wasn’t an indecisive person. He didn’t enjoy killing. However, if he couldn’t set aside the three days he needed by any other means, he was left with no choice.

If I have no choice but to kill my way to a three-day window, I’ll do it! A vicious light flashed across Wang Baole’s eyes. As the twenty or so Five Generation Sky Clan disciples rushed towards him, he shifted and formed hand seals with his right hand. Bolts of lightning descended immediately, and a web of electromagnetism was cast out over the air. It transformed into numerous lightning swords that shot out towards his enemies.

It didn’t end there. As the deputy pavilion head of the Dharmic Armament Pavilion, Wang Baole had countless Numinous Treasures. Even though he had expended quite a few, he still had enough of them at his disposal. With a sweep of his hand, he summoned a dozen Flying Frost Swords and a handful of self-exploding beads and flung them out. In an instant, deafening explosions shook the lands and sent heaven and earth quaking.

Amid the chaos, as the twenty or so Five Generation Sky Clan disciples whipped out their Numinous Treasures and cast spells, Wang Baole’s form blurred. It was like the sudden eruption of a lightning dragon as a shrill cry pierced the air. He appeared suddenly before one of the disciples and, without a pause in his step, slammed right into him.

A myriad of emotions flashed across the person’s face. He hurriedly fell back and tried to counter the blow, but to no avail. He was slammed straight in the chest. Blood spilled out from his mouth as his chest was crushed inwards. He let loose a terrifying scream and, like a kite cut from its string, keeled over. Wang Baole, without any stutter in his steps, turned and kicked smoothly at another person’s crotch. The latter tried to block the blow with his right hand. It didn’t work.

There was the sound of an arm breaking as Wang Baole’s kick landed on the person’s crotch, and an almost inhuman cry rang out into the air. A spasm shot through the cultivator’s body before he fell to the ground, dead.

After two consecutive kills, the battle lust emanating from Wang Baole intensified. He knew that they were intent on exterminating him. He had two choices before him—kill, or be killed!

“I’ll kill you all!” Wang Baole roared. He dashed forward in a blur and engaged in battle with the twenty odd cultivators, leaving death in his wake.

A mere fifteen minutes later, corpses lay scattered on the ground. All that remained of the Five Generation Sky Clan group were two cultivators. Their faces were drained of blood, and their eyes bright with terror and confusion. They seemed to have been roused from their earlier madness and greed. With a shrill scream, they fled hastily.

Wang Baole was panting slightly. He hadn’t suffered many injuries. However, battling with twenty odd perfected True Breath realm cultivators was an exhausting feat. It was a pale comparison to the backlash from using the Dharmic Armament though. It was still something within Wang Baole’s limits.

Wang Baole narrowed his eyes upon seeing the two fleeing people. He didn’t plan to pursue them, but as he was about to leave, he heard a scream, followed by another not long after.

A flash of light flickered across Wang Baole’s eyes. He didn’t issue an order to kill to the mosquito…

The gray mosquito returned swiftly and hovered before Wang Baole. After experiencing multiple rounds of massacre, its Spirit Qi had transformed. One could clearly sense, after careful observation, bloodthirst exuding from the gray mosquito.

That was the first time it was displaying signs of rebellion before Wang Baole. It buzzed aggressively, with enmity. As soon as the buzzing sound rang out, the other nine mosquitoes emerged from the surrounding forest, racing forward and surrounding Wang Baole, displaying hostility towards the gray mosquito in the nine-to-one stand-off.

“I was the one who made you. How dare you rebel against your master? You’ve grown gutsy, haven’t you?” Wang Baole snorted. The scabbard inside his body started churning. Instantly, a binding force erupted and blanketed the gray mosquito. The mosquito shuddered violently. Its body started showing signs of shattering!

Wang Baole, who possessed the sword scabbard, held the life of the mosquito within the palm of his hand!

After some time, the gray mosquito started crying out for mercy. Its thoughts surfaced clearly in Wang Baole’s mind, causing surprise and startlement to flicker across his eyes. He withdrew the power of the scabbard.

“If this happens again, I’ll break your proboscis!” Wang Baole said coolly, then turned and left.

The gray mosquito was still for a moment, before immediately following Wang Baole. Together, with the other mosquitoes, they split up and flew off into the distance, extending Wang Baole’s vision and, at the same time, guarding their master.