A World Worth Protecting

Wang Baole got to his feet as he said that. With a single leap, he entered the abyss and vanished. Outside, the heavens and earth were shifting. Winds howled, and clouds rolled back. Wang Baole appeared in midair, above the Divine Armament New City!

He hadn’t summoned his Thearch Armor or his demonic eye, nor did he unleash any of his mystic techniques. He simply floated in the air, a calm expression on his face, the only difference being… the black flames burning in his eyes!

Daoist You Ran, who had freed himself from the earlier dangerous situation, absorbed the flesh and blood of numerous Never-Ending Clan puppets, regained his full strength and received an additional great boost to his power, reeled back in shock at the sight of the black flames!

The feeling that Wang Baole was giving him was extremely strange. He had no Thearch Armor on him, no demonic eye hovering at his back, and his cultivation was clearly only at the Nascent Soul realm; however… as he stood there, black fire lighting up his eyes, he still managed to feel extremely dangerous. Daoist You Ran’s blood curled. His body was screaming. It trembled and told him that there was no way… he could defeat this person!

Without Daoist You Ran’s support, both sides became more evenly matched on the ground. Mars’ preparations and fierce retaliation was one reason. The other was the sudden shift of alliance of one faction of Dao Palace cultivators to the Martian side. Led by Dugu Lin, they joined forces with the Federation cultivators and began targeting Never-Ending Clan puppets.

Their sudden aid and the slogan they began to shout affected many more Dao Palace cultivators. Tired of the battle, they began to doubt their actions. Feng Qiuran’s appearance and subsequent commands intensified their indecision… the invading Dao Palace cultivators might not choose to change their alliance, but they began to retreat from battle subconsciously, choosing to stay out of this war.

The upper echelons of the Federation, including the Martian Colony Governor, Li Xingwen, and Duan Muque, continued to observe the fierce battle through the Great Martian Array Formation. They also saw… another battle unfold in midair above the Divine Armament New City!

They saw Wang Baole’s avatar clash with Daoist You Ran, how the avatar’s efforts went to waste when Daoist You Ran freed himself and revealed himself to be more powerful than before, and they saw the moment… when Wang Baole’s true form appeared!

It was as if the key fight in the Martian battle had changed with Wang Baole’s appearance. The fight between him and Daoist You Ran became the most important fight. Li Xingwen, Duan Muque, and the Martian Colony Governor observed everything through the Great Martian Array Formation. It was then… that Daoist You Ran struck!

The strange feeling he was getting from Wang Baole and the terror rising within him made him antsy. He couldn’t wait any longer. Murderous intent filled his eyes, and he raced towards Wang Baole, an unstoppable force of nature, all the faces on his body roaring as he charged. The power he exuded rose to the heavens, surpassing that of a Soul Conduit realm cultivator at that moment.

He was like a tsunami rushing at a lone raft. He was going to pull Wang Baole under and destroy the latter in both body and soul!

As Daoist You Ran charged towards Wang Baole, Dark Fire flickered in Wang Baole’s eyes. He appeared unfazed as he lifted his right hand and pointed towards the ground.

“Dark Sampan, resume your position!”

The earth thundered. Columns of black smoke burst out from underground all around Wang Baole and rose to the skies. They headed for the edge of heaven, rising upwards continuously.

These columns of smoke exuded incredible power. Their sudden eruption enveloped Wang Baole and his surroundings in smoke. It was a sudden barricade that stopped Daoist You Ran outside. Alarm flashed across Daoist You Ran’s face, but before he could figure out what had happened, something made him lower his head suddenly and stare at the ground.

The Martian lands shook. Those with a sufficient level of cultivation, who could extend their spiritual senses while ignoring the power exuded from the Dark Artifact, were able to distinctly see what was underground. Buried deep under the Divine Armament New City was an enormous artifact!

It was shaped like a sampan. It appeared to be old and damaged, but its overall shape had been preserved. A closer examination might even allow one to sense how very old the sampan was. Above everything else, it exuded an indescribable power.

The sampan shuddered and triggered quakes under the city and the vast surrounding lands. Columns of smoke continued to erupt from the ground and rise to the heavens, their numbers continuing to increase.

It appeared as if… the Dark Sampan intended to break through the earth and emerge above ground. It was as if it wanted to return to the cosmos!

“That’s…” Daoist You Ran couldn’t see what was happening underground, but he could sense something. It caused his heart to race, and incredulity colored his eyes. It was then… that the ground erupted as if struck by a bolt of lightning. A deafening explosion resonated in the air.

The lands around the Divine Armament New City collapsed. The Dark Sampan dismantled itself and transformed into a thick Dark Qi that rose to the heavens like a sea of black smoke. It surged towards Wang Baole and quickly gathered beneath his feet. In an instant, the smoke transformed into… a black sampan!

It was… one of the three Dharmic Treasures that never left a Dark Child’s side… the Dark Sampan!

Its appearance sent the heavens and earth trembling and Mars shaking. The cosmos rippled. Waves of spirit energy erupted and surged outwards as an immense power rose in the air. Even someone as powerful as Daoist You Ran was alarmed. He howled as he tried his best to hold his ground, but the overpowering presence of the Dark Sampan drove him back.

The power exuded from the Dark Sampan was like a physical force that could squash and kill all living creatures!

It didn’t matter if one didn’t see the descent of the Dark Sampan, every cultivator on Mars reeled from its overpowering presence. It affected cultivators from the Federation as well as Dao Palace cultivators who had chosen not to participate in the battle!

Even the Never-Ending Clan puppets were trembling. They seemed to sense a force weighing down on them and began to display erratic behavior, signs that control over these puppets was waning. Mie Liezi and the other Soul Conduit realm cultivators were similarly affected. The hex that Daoist You Ran had placed over Mie Liezi had shown signs of weakening and instability when the Dark Sampan had appeared. At that precise moment, a hint of clarity had reappeared in his eyes!

The ones who were most affected were those who were watching everything through the Great Martian Array Formation, people like the Martian Colony Governor. Li Xingwen had immediately recognized the Dark Sampan when it had appeared… it was the Martian Divine Armament of mysterious origins!

“I knew it! He had it all along!” Joy and excitement flashed in Li Xingwen’s eyes. This was the first time in the entire war that he had glimpsed hope!

Duan Muque, Li Xingwen, and the Martian Colony Governor were all equally excited. Of course, they immediately guessed that the sampan was the Martian Divine Armament, but there was someone standing next to them who gasped in shock at that exact moment.

“The sampan of the Dark Sect!” The person who exclaimed that was… the greatest contributor to the advancement of Spirit Science in the Federation, a researcher in matters concerning the Dark Sect—Zhao Pinfang!

There wasn’t time to question Zhao Pinfang further on his unexpected words. Li Xingwen and Duan Muque eyed each other and came to an immediate decision. Li Xingwen formed a series of hand seals without hesitation. He activated the Solar System Array Formation, which was currently struggling to keep itself going, connected the visuals captured through the Great Martian Array Formation, and broadcast the battle to the entire Federation!

The Federation needed to stare death in the face. It needed a hero. Above all else, it needed hope!

At this present moment, Wang Baole was the hero. He was their hope. He was fighting for the Federation and for their civilization!

No matter the outcome of this battle, be it victory or defeat… this was a battle everyone had to be aware of. It was something they had to bear witness to with their own eyes!

That was why, in the next instant, every screen on Earth, Mars, and everywhere else within the Solar System—anywhere with Federation cultivators—began to broadcast the battle!

Countless screens in countless homes across the entire Federation were turned on. Be it in their homes or outside on the streets, inside and outside each building, every Federation citizen was watching!

Gasps of shock erupted all across the Federation as Li Xingwen’s solemn voice boomed from the screens and across the Federation.

“He is a senator of the Federation Senate, the city lord of the Divine Armament New City, the Grand Supreme Elder of the Vast Expanse Dao Palace, the commander of the moon, and the most powerful cultivator in the Federation!

“His name is… Wang Baole!

“This battle will determine the fate of the Federation and our civilization!”

There was a brief moment of deathly silence. Then, the entire Federation erupted into a cacophony of gasps and shouts. Countless people dashed out of their houses. Countless others lifted their heads and stared at the screens overhead. Countless were struck by alarm and shock. Countless became filled with anxiety and fear…

The entire Federation, the entire world, gathered like they had never done before, in the streets and alleys… this moment in time belonged to Wang Baole!

His parents, his past teachers, his friends, including Du Min and Bunny, his junior brothers and sisters from the Ethereal Dao College—they were all scattered across the Federation at that moment. They were all affected in their own ways as they gazed at Mars!

“Baole!”

“Senior Brother Baole!”

“Fatty…”

“Brother Baole…”

All eyes across the Federation watched. In midair over the Divine Armament New City, atop the Dark Sampan and surrounded by Dark Qi, Wang Baole, who was driving Daoist You Ran into a continual retreat, stood like an entity divorced from this world. He was straddling yin and yang as well as life and death… the Dark Fire flared in his eyes once more. The expression on his face was calm as he raised his right hand and pointed at the land!

“Dark Robe, resume your position!”