A World Worth Protecting

All eyes were on him!

Standing atop the Dark Sampan, Wang Baole’s expression appeared calm. The black flames in his eyes seemed to possess the power to burn everything that existed between this heaven and earth. It appeared to have the power to cleanse the world. Standing atop the Dark Sampan, Wang Baole appeared an overpowering presence, overwhelming everyone’s senses, including Daoist You Ran’s!

The overwhelming aura that had descended with the Dark Sampan’s arrival had sent Daoist You Ran reeling back in alarm. He had retreated instinctively, and his retreat had been witnessed by the entire Federation. That had made the impact of Wang Baole’s second utterance even greater!

The lands shook with an intensity that surpassed the first round of quakes. Multiple collapses occurred. Craters were born. The land groaned and thundered. Muffled howls seemed to rise from deep underground, creatures threatening to defy the laws of nature and emerge from the earth!

A greater wave of Dark Qi surged upwards, pouring out of the cracks in the ground, escaping from deep crevices and rising into the air!

They transformed into columns of black smoke, darkening the air around Wang Baole and racing straight for the heavens!

Deafening thunders resonated in the air, and the skies were transformed as winds whipped fiercely and clouds rolled back!

Tall pillars formed of black-colored smoke connected the land to the edge of the sky. It was like the coming of the end times, the advent of a world-ending apocalypse. Daoist You Ran was dumbstruck. His shock intensified as the overwhelming power weighing down on him strengthened!

The heavens continued to be assaulted relentlessly by the columns of black smoke. The swirl of dark and light resembled when the world was first created. An enormous vortex appeared in the sky; it spun rapidly, thundering as it spun, the sounds traveling far into the distance. The black smoke spread outwards and blanketed the entire sky!

Wang Baole’s presence loomed like a giant. His right hand, which was pointed towards the land, lifted gradually, towards the vast black vortex spinning in the sky, and pressed upwards.

Lightning gathered and struck the earth in a series of loud explosions. The black vortex in the sky suddenly descended and raced towards Wang Baole, enveloping him. No one could see what was going on inside. Then, it shrank rapidly, and in the next moment, Wang Baole reappeared before everyone again. The black vortex had shrunk and transformed into a black robe that covered him from head to toe!

Feet planted on the Dark Sampan and dressed in a Dark Robe, Wang Baole’s new appearance threw everyone into shock. Those with more acute spiritual senses instinctively felt a sense of rising awe. It was as if they were staring the god of death in the face!

It was… an instinct that all living creatures shared, one that arose from their natural fear of death!

The overpowering aura exuded from Wang Baole increased exponentially with the appearance of the Dark Robe. Blood seeped from Daoist You Ran’s lips. He knew he was sliding into a dangerous situation. However, no matter how hard he struggled, no matter how much he wanted to fight back, it was useless.

“Nothing but cheap tricks! Wang Baole, who are you exactly?” Daoist You Ran trembled as he roared at Wang Baole. The answer was slowly making itself known to him, but he dared not believe it. It was utterly ridiculous.

No, I can’t scare myself like that. This… doesn’t look like what the records described. It’s missing another…

Before he could complete his own thought in his head, alarm flashed across his face as he continued to draw back. He heard Wang Baole’s… next words!

“Lantern Oar… resume your position!”

Wang Baole, dressed in his Dark Robe and standing on the Dark Sampan, allowed his right hand to fall. As he spoke, the entire planet shuddered violently. Shrieks coming from deep beneath the ground emerged above ground and pierced the air. It was as if they had been silenced for an eternity and, after having waited for so long, were finally given release. The result was a full-blown aural eruption!

Dark Qi rose from underground in waves greater than before, thundering in the skies. They didn’t head for the space beneath Wang Baole’s feet, nor did they transform into a vortex in the heavens. Instead… they rushed before Wang Baole and hovered an arm’s length away from him!

An ocean’s worth of black smoke suddenly gathered before Wang Baole, growing in volume. Materializing first was a handle that extended and grew in length as the smoke solidified. Finally, it transformed fully into an oar!

That wasn’t the end of it. The transformation continued, and a chain appeared at the tip of the oar. From the end of the chain… hung a Dark Lantern giving off a black light!

The overwhelming power in the air intensified, and Daoist You Ran lost all capacity for thought!

Wang Baole, whose face was partially covered by the Black Robe and whose expression was hidden from others, raised his right hand. His fingers tightened around the Lantern Oar in front of him!

With a sweep of his right arm, the Lantern Oar flipped from its horizontal state to an upright standing position. He placed the Lantern Oar on his right. The tip touched the Dark Sampan, knocking loudly against the latter upon contact!

It was a clear, bright sound that thundered across the skies and sent the ground quaking. The world resonated with it, Mars shook, and a ripple surged through the cosmos. An imperceptible, near-inaudible song-like murmur traversed the vast expanse of time and sent ripples across the universe. It spread across the entire Federation through the screens.

It was a shocking sight to behold!

The sound of collision between Lantern Oar and Dark Sampan, the echoes of a song reverberating in space, they were like the chiming of bells that stirred something in the hearts of everyone in the civilization. They echoed in their heads, and in Daoist You Ran’s head. He spat out another mouthful of blood and fell further back instantly. His guesses had turned into reality, everything had fallen into place. Waves of emotions surged inside him, and he was drowning in incredulity and disbelief, his mind on the verge of a mental breakdown. He gasped.

“Dark Child!”

Daoist You Ran’s voice was filled with disbelief, which was, in turn, overshadowed by intense horror. He had clearly read about the Dark Sect in the many volumes of records in the Never-Ending Clan. The Dark Sect had existed a long time ago, and while it had existed, it had been empowered by the Heavenly Dao and been an extremely terrifying force. His reading of the records had seared that knowledge deeply into his mind!

Feng Qiuran was shocked as well, and her body trembled. Zhao Yameng and her father, Zhao Pinfang, experienced the same emotions!

Another person who was reeling back with equal shock, who was currently concealed in the abyss… was Zi Yue!

It was all because… of Wang Baole’s current appearance. His Black Robe, his Dark Sampan and Lantern Oar, and the black flames that continued to surge from his person. He looked like the very personification of death!

Wang Baole’s reaction towards Daoist You Ran’s horror and shock was unexpectedly bizarre. He didn’t strike immediately. Instead, he lifted his head and stared through his black robes, towards… the stars!

Only half of his face could be seen, his eyes were hidden from the others. No one knew what he was looking at.

“So, it’s Pluto…” He shut his eyes as he murmured secretly. A sudden feeling had struck him the moment his hand had tightened around the Lantern Oar and his Dark Artifacts had resumed their rightful positions. He seemed to have lost all capacity for emotions—joy, anger, sorrow. He felt nothing for life and nothing against death.

The emptiness was terrifying and incredibly easy for one to get lost in. It was akin to a small raft being lost in a vast ocean and led adrift by the currents. Fortunately… at that critical moment, something had come rippling across space from Pluto. It had been something akin to a lighthouse, or perhaps an anchor. It had grounded him and guided him towards the light.

“It’s like a summon…” Wang Baole muttered to himself. He wouldn’t have sensed the summoning under ordinary circumstances. It was a feeling he could only perceive the moment the Dark Artifact was born, as he was fitted with the Dark Robe, his hand gripped around the Lantern Oar, and his feet planted firmly on the Dark Sampan!

Something seemed to be hidden on Pluto, something very important. It felt very old, very ancient, as if it had existed for a very long time.

Wang Baole was silent for a brief moment. Then, he took a deep breath and retracted his gaze. His eyes landed on Daoist You Ran, who was still recovering from shock and was frantically trying to draw back from Wang Baole. Wang Baole’s eyes narrowed slowly. His right hand, which was holding the Lantern Oar, slowly raised upward, then dropped while pointing towards Daoist You Ran!

“Soul, come!”

Daoist You Ran immediately released a terrifying howl. The sudden intense sense of danger pushed all other thoughts out of his head. The faces on his body exploded at the same time, transforming into a terrifying power that permeated the air. His hands moved in a blur, going through a flurry of hand seals as he unleashed every mystic technique he had up his sleeves. He was burning his very life in exchange for great power. It wasn’t to fight back but to… escape!

His self-preservation instincts told him that he shouldn’t fight, they told him that he should run!

But… there was no use in trying!

As Wang Baole’s voice rippled through the air, the face of the burly man appeared over the Dark Sampan, the face of the State Preceptor appeared on his Dark Robe, and the silhouette of the young boy slipped out from the Dark Lantern. The three souls turned towards Daoist You Ran and began to sing!

“When the heavens and earth separate, the cycle of fate stops…”

“Knowing what happened in the past, the one who suffers now is…”

“Knowing what’s to come in the future, the one who is working hard now is…”