A World Worth Protecting

Wang Baole began to butter her up again after hearing her response. Finally, he voiced his views about enhancing his spiritual senses. After hearing that Wang Baole wanted to know how to enhance his spiritual senses, Little Missy fell into a contemplative silence. She said that there were ways to do that. However, the price was often complete physical exhaustion.

She didn’t encourage Wang Baole to carry out any of those solutions. Instead, she offered an alternative.

“You’ve been to the vision heritage’s Eye of Infinite Techniques, one of the Lands of Five Senses in the Vast Expanse Dao Palace. In your next trip to the sword body, I’ll see if I can help you locate the Land of Hearing. I recall the aural Dao there could aid in enhancing the spiritual senses of someone who’s hearing it for the first time.”

“The Land of Hearing?” Wang Baole’s eyes brightened. They shone with anticipation. However, the sword body was simply too dangerous a place. Even with Little Missy’s help, Wang Baole felt that he needed to make sufficient preparations before he embarked on another trip there.

After some thought, Wang Baole decided he would continue his cultivation for some time first. After he had fully absorbed his previous loot, he would make another trip to the sword body. He set aside the matter regarding enhancing his spiritual senses and began to focus on practicing the Lightning Immortal Transformation as well as the Thearch Armor inheritance.

As for refining eighth-grade Dharmic Armaments, even though he had no success with that, he had acquired a damaged ninth-grade Dharmic Armament spear. After studying it, Wang Baole concluded that he could repair it partially. He was unable to restore it fully due to his current level of spiritual senses. However, with whatever repairs he could do, he would be able to use it like an eighth-grade Dharmic Armament.

There’s also the recipe for the Divine Armament… let’s not think about that first. We’ll study that after I can refine an eighth-grade Dharmic Armament successfully. Wang Baole took a deep breath and set his thoughts aside. He began his cultivation and his repair of the spear.

Two weeks flew by. A year had almost passed since Wang Baole and the other Federation Seedlings had arrived at the Vast Expanse Dao Palace.

Based on the agreement between the Federation and Feng Qiuran, after a year was up, the second batch of cultivators from the Federation would arrive at the Vast Expanse Dao Palace for their cultivation.

During the past year, the first batch of Federation Seedlings, including Wang Baole, had seen great improvements in their level of cultivation. Zhao Yameng had reached the Core Formation realm. Zhuo Yifan had advanced to the perfected Foundation Establishment realm. The others had also gained much from their one year here, all advancing a level in their cultivation. There was also Kong Dao…

The last time Wang Baole, Zhao Yameng, and Zhuo Yifan had journeyed to the sword body, Kong Dao had been away on a mission with another team. He hadn’t been able to join them in their quest. As a result, he had missed the opportunity to acquire his inheritance at the Eye of Infinite Techniques. However, he had clearly come across some other golden opportunity. Even though it might not be as amazing as what Zhao Yameng and Zhuo Yifan had gained at the Eye of Infinite Techniques, he had similarly reached the perfected Foundation Establishment realm and was a mere step away from the Core Formation realm!

It was a step that could be said to be both challenging and simple to take. His foot was at the door, ready to cross over. Everything boiled down to how he planned to kick the door open. Kong Dao knew that such things couldn’t be rushed, though. Despite that, he still came looking for Wang Baole.

It had nothing to do with his breakthrough in cultivation though. It was something else that he needed Wang Baole’s help with.

Wang Baole welcomed Kong Dao heartily. He exited from his seclusion and took a seat in his cave abode. He stared at Kong Dao. The latter clearly looked different than when he had been in the Federation. Wang Baole’s eyes shone brightly.

He had known right from the start. If he were to pick someone else besides him in this current batch of Federation Seedlings who was going to flourish in the Vast Expanse Dao Palace, his first choice would be Kong Dao. After all… Kong Dao had been born in the sea of beasts. To a certain extent, he was part monster.

He had survived on his own on Mars when he had been a child, young and weak. His experiences revealed the strong survival instincts and streak of independence in Kong Dao’s character. He had tried to conceal the blood lust exuding from his person while he had been in the Federation, but in the Vast Expanse Dao Palace, he unleashed his full blood lust. Dressed in Daoist robes, Kong Dao appeared like a sharp blade that had been unsheathed from its scabbard!

As a result of the aura of violence surrounding him, cultivators from the Vast Expanse Dao Palace dared not offend him easily. They could sense that his hands had been stained with the blood of many.

Others of his kind began to draw nearer to him. The team mission had been a result of that. Kong Dao had kept a low profile during the year. However, he had quietly established his own circle of allies as well as his own network of connections in the Vast Expanse Dao Palace.

He knew very well that those in his circle couldn’t be considered his true friends. Nothing would go wrong while he was still strong and powerful. However, should he show signs of weakness, he would be eaten alive.

After all… he had done similar things in the Vast Expanse Dao Palace!

He sat before Wang Baole now. He might seem cold and distant, but he was clearly considerably relaxed, as his eyes weren’t as cold as they were usually. After some thought, he spoke.

“Baole, I need your help!”

Wang Baole’s expression grew serious when he heard that. He didn’t question Kong Dao and simply nodded his head and agreed to help.

A smile appeared on Kong Dao’s face when he saw how Wang Baole agreed to help him without even thinking or questioning him. He thought for a while, then said in a low voice, “I used the Spirit Boat you lent me the last few times I carried out my missions. I accidentally found a secret cave abode under the Sea of Fire… It’s well-preserved and protected by a hex. Because of its unique location, no one else except me has discovered this cave.

“During this period… I found chances to observe the cave in secret. Nothing’s changed in the past few months, so I am fairly confident that no one has discovered the cave.

“I’ve tried getting past the hex but found it challenging to do it alone. Baole, we’ll have a greater chance of success if we do it together. Your level of cultivation is higher than me. For everything that we manage to find there, you’ll get…”

“We’ll split everything in half!” Wang Baole waved his hand. He knew what Kong Dao was trying to say. The latter wanted him to have a bigger share. He would have gone along with that if someone else was speaking to him about this, but Kong Dao was his brother. It was within reason for him to get a bigger share of their gains, but Wang Baole couldn’t do such a thing.

Kong Dao stared at Wang Baole, then shook his head and laughed. Warmth unfurled inside him. He didn’t quibble with Wang Baole and shared everything he knew about this cave abode in detail. After discussion, they decided that they couldn’t afford any further delays. They left Wang Baole’s cave abode and immediately set off while the sky was darkening.

Wang Baole and Kong Dao raced speedily in their Spirit Boats underwater. They approached their destination as Kong Dao led the way. Finally, after two hours, they reached some ruins under the Sea of Fire.

Forceful blasts savaged the area. Numerous cracks lined the seabed. The area was flooded over by the Sea of Fire. It was clear that this had been the battleground between powerful cultivators. One might even call it an ancient battlefield. There were many skeletons scattered around the place, though most had been searched through. What items remained on them were worthless.

“This is it. Baole, follow me.” After sending a voice transmission in the Spirit Boat, Kong Dao steered his boat ahead, circling the battlefield several times. Then, he located a crack amongst the countless small and large cracks on the seabed and snaked in. Wang Baole followed him close behind. He watched as Kong Dao’s Spirit Boat went further inward for some time. Then, Kong Dao stepped out of his Spirit Boat. He endured the scorching temperatures and the agony of being burnt as he swiftly pressed his palm on the wall beside him.

A distortion appeared on the wall. As it contorted and warped, a crack appeared on it. Kong Dao returned inside his Spirit Boat hastily, then steered the boat through the crack and advanced.

Wang Baole watched in shock as Kong Dao executed the same series of steps repeatedly and unlocked a series of cracks in walls swiftly. The openings gradually healed shut after they entered.

How did he manage to find this place? Wang Baole had an odd expression on his face as he followed behind. They soon reached the depths of this battleground ruins and found themselves in a cave!

There was no Sea of Fire in this cave. They were surrounded by complete darkness. On the wall before them was a large stone door!

Beyond the stone door were two stone statues in the shape of bats. One had lost its head, and aside from a huge gash on its chest, the other could be said to be rather well-preserved. It stood immobile beside the stone door.

“This is the place. I found this place when I was chasing after an Inferno Rat. This was originally the nest for a dozen Inferno Rats.” Kong Dao seemed to have sensed what Wang Baole was thinking and began to explain how he had found this place. He pointed at the large stone door.

“There’s a hex on the door. Based on my previous attempts, it takes a great deal of strength to push it open. After it’s opened, we have a span of ten breaths before the stone statue comes to life and attacks any trespasser in the area!”

“I have no idea how powerful the stone statue used to be, but right now, it’s as powerful as a late-stage Core Formation realm cultivator. I accidentally resurrected it the last time and only managed to escape with the life-saving treasure that my godfather had given me.” Kong Dao took a deep breath and looked at Wang Baole. His eyes were colored with anticipation.

“Tell me. What should we do?”