A World Worth Protecting

The expression on Wang Baole’s face shifted to alarm when he heard the name spilling from Chen Mofeng’s lips. His pupils contracted. It was clear that he was no stranger to that name. In fact, he knew very well what that name meant to the Night Immortal King!

His Dao partner, who extracted his brain, dug out his heart, and destroyed his Dao, is actually on board the Never-Ending Clan battleship now! Wang Baole reeled back from the revelation. Fortunately, the self-destruct mechanism for Venus had been activated. Explosions and destructive waves of spirit energy were thundering nonstop on the planet. The power of the Solar System Array Formation enveloped the battlefield. Wang Baole could feel the invisible waves of teleportation pulling at him. If he wanted, he could teleport away right this instant!

That knowledge calmed Wang Baole considerably. As he continued to retreat, he turned and stared at the finger hovering before Daoist You Ran!

At that precise moment, the finger glimmered, and a woman’s form began to materialize. The finger extended into a palm, then an arm, until it finally materialized into a beautiful woman in Daoist robes.

It was as if the cosmos were a painting, and this woman had just stepped out of the painting, gracing the world with her immense beauty!

Her form was still translucent, preventing one from observing her actual features in detail. Regardless, it didn’t detract from her beauty. In fact, it was the blurry indistinctness of her form that captivated all who saw her. They appeared to be slightly dazed.

Perhaps it wasn’t because of her beauty but her mysterious aura, which seemed capable of affecting all living things.

“You’ve… finally made an appearance…” Chen Mofeng’s mind had fallen into deep slumber rapidly earlier, but the appearance of the second finger and the sigh had been a shock that had jerked him awake. His mind had cleared.

The confusion in his eyes had disappeared when he had spoken. He seemed to display his true thoughts for the first time since he had awakened. They echoed what he had murmured, not pain, not hate, but a deep longing.

The beautiful woman fell silent after hearing Chen Mofeng’s murmuring words and looking into his eyes. She stared deeply at Chen Mofeng, an unfathomable look in her eyes. Then, she curtsied and said softly, “My dear husband, it’s been so long. You suffered such a great calamity, but you still call out for me. How can your dear wife… not appear before you?”

Hearing his Dao partner’s voice for the first time in a very long time might have stirred Chen Mofeng’s memories. His vast form trembled. Deep within his clear eyes, a red glow flashed again. The soul that had formed after his death was trying to overpower Chen Mofeng’s true soul.

The power of Wang Baole’s lotus seeds had long dissipated, making the only thing keeping Chen Mofeng’s true soul awake his stubborn longing. Chen Mofeng fought to stay clear-headed. He gazed at Zi Yue, tried to keep the look in his eyes gentle and soft, and said quietly, “Zi Yue… I miss you so much. I don’t blame you for what you’ve done. Come… come home with me.”

Chen Mofeng raised his right hand as he spoke, the look on his face gentle and filled with longing and hope. It was the look of blind, foolish love.

Zi Yue gazed back at Chen Mofeng, the color of her eyes deepening into a faint, loving gaze. She replied softly, “My dear husband, your wife misses you very much too. Whenever I start missing you, I’ll bring this out…”

As Zi Yue spoke, her right hand rose and swiped through the emptiness before her. A blood-drenched heart appeared in her palm.

It was still pumping, and powerful waves of spirit energy surged from the organ and flooded the cosmos. Chen Mofeng shuddered, his mouth moving with great difficulty.

“Zi Yue, don’t…”

“There’s this as well…” Seemingly unaware of Chen Mofeng’s trembling form, Zi Yue smiled and interrupted his plea. She loosened her grip on his heart and clawed through empty space again. What appeared next was a clump of white. It was… Chen Mofeng’s brain!

“My dear husband, look. My longing for you is soothed with them at my side.”

“Zi Yue… please stop, I beg you…”

“Let me think. There seems to be another thing that eases my longing for you. Don’t fret, let your dear wife search for it…” Zi Yue gazed at Chen Mofeng as his trembling grew stronger and the pain on his face intensified. She was smiling as she spoke.

Her voice was clear and beautiful, like the voice of fairies. It had a certain grace to it. Anyone who heard it would be subconsciously soothed by it. However, if they also saw what she was doing and heard the viciousness in her words, there was no doubt that they would reel back from shock and fear instantly!

Daoist You Ran, especially, shook fiercely as he stared at the woman who had clearly saved his life. He seemed to have seen her somewhere before, but after thinking very hard, he realized he hadn’t. The sense of unfamiliarity she exuded was mingled with something familiar. The contradictory feelings shocked Daoist You Ran. In addition, when he stared at the woman, he felt as if he were a servant in the presence of his master. It was a troubling and confusing sensation.

Everyone seemed to be in a state of shock. As for Wang Baole, he was still retreating from the woman. He returned to the lunar stronghold. He stared at Chen Mofeng and Zi Yue, then turned his eyes towards the trembling Daoist You Ran. There was a stormy look on Wang Baole’s face as he realized what was going on.

She’s trying to agitate Chen Mofeng!

Little Missy mentioned the Star-Seeding Dao before… maybe that has something to do with why Zi Yue didn’t kill Chen Mofeng. Her agitating Chen Mofeng might also be because of the Star-Seeding Dao? Wang Baole had no answers. However, he had a feeling that he was on the right track.

This also means… Zi Yue is the reason why Daoist You Ran resurrected! Emotions flickered across Wang Baole’s face. The stress he had been feeling spiked instantly.

A Daoist You Ran fused with the Never-Ending Clan Death Dao Battleship was a disastrous threat to the Federation. Who knew… that behind that was an even more powerful entity!

To the Federation, this was like adding oil to fire. Wang Baole knew the details between Chen Mofeng and Zi Yue, which meant that Zi Yue wasn’t as much a stranger to him despite her making her first appearance before them.

She’s the one who stole Chen Mofeng’s Star-Seeding Dao, hid on the Never-Ending Clan battleship, secretly controlled Daoist You Ran, and started this war! A murderous glow colored Wang Baole’s eyes, and grim determination settled inside him. He knew that the Federation’s odds remained grim despite the successful self-destruction of Venus.

Wang Baole wasn’t the only one who realized that. As the destructive waves of spirit energy continued to spread across Venus and thundering explosions continued to grow louder and echo through the cosmos, as the fabric of space around the planet distorted, and as batches of Federation cultivators disappeared and were teleported to safety by the Solar System Array Formation, the remaining cultivators also felt the same!

Duan Muque was one of them. He stood inside the command center at the moment, staring unblinkingly at Zi Yue, who was standing in space before Daoist You Ran. He was unaware of Zi Yue’s and the Night Immortal King’s past history, but he could tell that something was wrong. He realized that the mastermind behind this war wasn’t Daoist You Ran, but… this woman whom the Night Immortal King had called Zi Yue!

Others who had remained were Feng Qiuran and Li Wuchen. They were both silent, their eyes filled with a myriad of emotions.

As batches of Federation cultivators continued to be teleported away, Zi Yue suddenly sighed forlornly.

“I can’t seem to find it!”

“My dear husband, why don’t you help your beloved Yue’er find it?” Zi Yue loosened her hold on the brain and swiped through the air. Instantly, appearing within her palm was an illusory… bell!

The bell was black, and despite its illusory form, it exuded a near-imperceptible aura of a star. It was clearly something extraordinary!

“My dear husband, where is this bell? I’ve eaten your brain and crushed your heart, but I can’t seem to find the bell. It’s all your fault. Why did you seal it before your death? I can’t sense it anywhere. Tell your beloved Yue’er, where is it?” Zi Yue appeared before Chen Mofeng as she spoke. There was a smile on her face, and Chen Mofeng finally couldn’t take it anymore. He raised both his hands, hugged his head, and howled in pain.

“Stop talking, stop talking!”

A red glow erupted in Chen Mofeng’s eyes. His true soul, which had been struggling to stay lucid, was immediately overpowered. The giant spiraled into madness, lifting his hands and reaching for Zi Yue.

“How boring.” Zi Yue shook her head slightly. Before the Night Immortal King’s hands could touch her, she raised her right hand and tapped slightly. A thunderous boom erupted from the Night Immortal King’s body. His armor shattered, and the runes on his body flared and overpowered him like a seal. He screamed in pain and fell, crashing into the lunar stronghold.

Zi Yue turned away from Chen Mofeng, her eyes landing on Wang Baole. There was a beautiful, evil smile on her face.

“You, the guy who has the Saint’s eye. Is what I want with you?”

Wang Baole’s scalp prickled. He shook his head frantically and exclaimed, “Not a chance. The most beautiful, invincible lady in this entire universe, if you’re not convinced, you can verify my words with your spiritual senses!”