A World Worth Protecting

According to the information given by Feng Qiuran to the trio before the teleportation, a trial would take place in each of the seven palaces in the Seven Worships Palace of Worship Palace Pavilion. Passing each trial would mean that they had successfully conquered one of the seven palaces, and that would eventually allow them to earn the title of a Dao Palace disciple.

The different ranks of disciples that could be attained, in ascending order from the first to the sixth palace, were in-name disciple, outer sect disciple, inner sect disciple, core disciple, personal disciple, and adopted disciple!

As for the highest rank that one could attain in the seventh and the last palace, it would be Vast Expanse Dao disciple!

Feng Qiuran didn’t reveal the details of the trial.

Right now, standing in front of the first palace, Wang Baole was filled with energy. He turned to look at Zhao Yameng and Kong Dao and noticed that they were fueled with anticipation as well. Without speaking excessively, the trio looked at each other before moving in unison towards the first palace in front of them!

The trio reached the main gate of the first palace instantly. When they stepped in, Wang Baole and Zhao Yameng suddenly trembled. An illusory image of a giant tree appeared on Zhao Yameng’s glabella. It was a representation of the Ecang Ancient Array Formation heritage that she had attained. At the same time, the Thearch Armor marking on Wang Baole’s heart also glowed, as if being inspected in detail by a mysterious force!

The bodies of both of them then blurred out, before disappearing entirely as if they had been teleported away. They didn’t appear on a trial ground but in the great hall of the fourth palace on the fourth peak!

Only Kong Dao stepped into the first palace to begin the trial to become an in-name disciple!

Due to the heritage that Wang Baole and Zhao Yameng had attained at the Eye of Infinite Techniques that was sensed by the Worship Palace Pavilion, they were both allowed to skip the first three palaces. They didn’t have to begin at the stage of an in-name disciple and could instead enter the trial to become a core disciple directly!

If they could pass the trial, they would become a core disciple. Even if they didn’t, as long as they survived, they would be an inner sect disciple!

That was the advantage of the powerful heritage of the Eye of Infinite Techniques!

Right now, the moment the two of them appeared in front of the great hall of the fourth palace, an extremely strong suction force immediately sucked the both of them in. When Zhao Yameng and Wang Baole appeared inside, they saw nothing but a blur. They couldn’t even see each other, and it was as if they had been separated. They felt as if they were alone in the surrounding nothingness.

Wang Baole immediately grew vigilant as he inspected his surroundings. Suddenly, in the emptiness, a cold and emotionless voice arrived by his ears.

“The trial to become a core disciple in the fourth palace will begin after the time of a hundred breaths.

“Trial-taker, please prepare. You will be sent to the Black Spirit Dwarf Planet of the Scorpion’s Pupil Star System. You are to kill an alien cultivator formed from the accumulation of a cloud of black wind who has usurped the Microstar. Complete the kill to accomplish the mission!

“The alien cultivator has the cultivation level of a Nascent Soul realm cultivator. If the trial-taker doesn’t voice his rejection within the time of a hundred breaths, it will be taken that he accepts and is willing to take on the trial! Please note that this is not an illusion but reality. If the trial-taker dies, he will be deemed to have fallen. If he gives up during the trial, he will still have to persevere for a month!”

As the chilly voice stopped speaking, Wang Baole was thrown into a daze. He had heard and understood every word loud and clear. However, the message that was being revealed to him made him feel incredulous.

Scorpion’s Pupil Star System? Black Spirit Dwarf Planet? An alien cultivator formed from the accumulation of black winds? What on earth is all that… Wang Baole blinked in disbelief. However, despite those doubts, he still made preparations and ensured that he was at optimal physical condition. He counted down the time of a hundred breaths in his heart, and at the end of that period, a force of teleportation stronger than what he had ever felt before exploded in the emptiness he was in!

As the force exploded, an invisible hurricane swept towards him from all corners, circling Wang Baole as it spun at high speed. It was pitch black in front of Wang Baole’s eyes. It felt as if a century had passed, yet it also seemed as quick as the blink of an eye. When Wang Baole regained clarity of vision, he was no longer in the fourth palace.

A heatwave enveloped him!

The heated air was dry and carried an unusual scent which made one feel extremely uncomfortable breathing it in. Even though Wang Baole was physically tough, he also became queasy upon the first whiff, retching while hugging his stomach.

However, he didn’t vomit anything out. With his head lowered, he could only see the ground, which was composed of black-colored sand. After a while, when Wang Baole had slightly gotten used to the new environment, he raised his head with his face still pale and noticed the boundless desert surrounding him!

The entire desert was made up of the black-sand and made one feel indescribably constrained. The sky was green in color, completely different from the one that existed in Wang Baole’s memories.

There was also no moon and no sun where he was. There was only an uneven and oddly shaped source of light that hung high up in the sky to light up the land. At the same time, it also made the entire place feel eerie and bizarre.

Wang Baole was somewhat confused. He had already inspected the area when he had first arrived by teleportation, and he understood that it was not a threatening place. Despite that, he still stood frozen for a long while.

“Is this an extraterrestrial civilization?” Wang Baole mumbled after a moment. He was curious about the fact that he could breathe in the air in the area, and he was also curious about whether the extraterrestrial civilization really existed.

He had an explanation for the former. After all, he had the physique of a cultivator and not a commoner. If he could traverse the cosmos, there was no doubt that he could withstand the poor weather conditions on some of the stars.

Wang Baole was more troubled over the latter issue. He wouldn’t be fretting so much if he hadn’t experienced the fame of Descend. However, having played the game, Wang Baole took a look at his surroundings and touched his own body. He even took a look at his storage bracelet. Eventually, he came to the conclusion that he was indeed not in an illusory world.

Everything present was real!

This place should be the Scorpion System Black Spirit place… or something like that. However, if there is really a black wind alien cultivator, then how could the Worship Palace Pavilion be so sure that he is still at the Nascent Soul realm? After all, the Vast Expanse Dao Palace has already fallen due to the crisis…

At the same time, how did this trial come about? Is it the same trial for both Zhao Yameng and me? A glow flashed across Wang Baole’s eyes. He had too many doubts, and he couldn’t help but ask Little Missy about them.

After all, Little Missy had once told him that when his name appeared on the Dao Plate, she would assist him so that he could advance.

Wang Baole’s doubts were extremely simple to Little Missy. Therefore, she didn’t feign ignorance this time. Instead, she carried the tone of a know-it-all and spoke nonchalantly.

“This question…”

“I know, I know. Little Missy knew the answer since you were three years old…” Wang Baole cleared his throat and replied to Little Missy in his head while he glanced at his surroundings.

“Wrong! I knew the answer since I was one!” Little Missy seemed somewhat displeased as she snorted. Then, she continued with her reply.

“The Worship Palace Pavilion is similar to the Lands of Five Senses. They didn’t belong to Vast Expanse Dao Palace initially and were both alien items that were found in the universe by the Vast Expanse Dao Palace. They were then modified to become areas where trials for the disciples took place. All the trial grounds were once colonies of the Vast Expanse Dao Palace. Furthermore, even if the Dao Palace has fallen now, these colonies still continue to exist. Despite them being transformed significantly, they are still under constant surveillance.”

“Now, go on and complete your mission. After attaining the status of a core disciple, go take on the trial to become a personal disciple in the next palace. When the next mission is announced, activate the scabbard in your body. That way, there is a high chance that you will be sent to a place where it is suitable for me to give you a hand. With my assistance, becoming a personal disciple would be a piece of cake!” Little Missy announced proudly. Wang Baole blinked several times before singing some praises to Little Missy. Then, he turned and charged forward.

The mission is to kill the black wind alien cultivator. However, how am I to find him on such a vast star? I only have a month’s time. Wang Baole had no plan of action. In his silence, he continued to pick up speed and was so fast that he created a sonic boom. After fifteen minutes of charging forward at high speed, Wang Baole suddenly stopped in mid-air.

He turned and looked to his right for several seconds as if noticing something. He then turned and charged towards the left. Before long, in the area a distance away, a village-like gathering area appeared!

The gathering area wasn’t large, and the buildings were shabby and had the appearance of mud huts. There were about a hundred of them, and it was there that Wang Baole noticed the indigenous people of Black Spirit Dwarf Planet!

Unlike the Federation, the Vast Expanse Dao Palace, and Herodium, the indigenous people on Black Spirit Dwarf Planet were all skinny and had small heads. However, their legs were very well developed. The length of their legs made up half their body lengths.

Therefore, at a glance, they looked somewhat like ducks.

They also had black skin. Even though they had a pair of eyes, there was only the sclera and not the pupils. Right now, hundreds of them were gathered at the center of the village as they prayed towards a sculpture.

The sculpture looked even more unusual, with a skull that looked like an elderly human whose face was covered with wrinkles. However, it had the black-colored body of a bird that gave out a red glow.

Wang Baole was surprised and couldn’t help but inch closer. However, the moment he stepped forward, all the indigenous people in the village turned their heads to look at Wang Baole, who was in mid-air. When they noticed Wang Baole’s appearance, their facial expressions changed. They screamed in a language that Wang Baole didn’t understand and appeared to have been frightened by Wang Baole’s appearance as the scrambled to retreat…

If Wang Baole could understand their language, he would definitely be surprised. That was because the indigenous people were all exclaiming that a monster had arrived. It seemed that, in their eyes, Wang Baole, who had an entirely different appearance from them, was an extremely frightening monster!