A World Worth Protecting

“Calm down, Long Nanzi…” The Grand Supreme Elder of the Holy Crest Sect narrowed his eyes. He was pleased with what Wang Baole had said. The sect was going through a difficult time, and he himself was under extreme stress as well. Most of the sect disciples’ loyalty appeared to be tested. Even if he were to speak to them individually and give them words of encouragement, it wouldn’t improve the situation much. Wang Baole was the first to have offered both his services and his resources.

“Grand Supreme Elder!” Wang Baole raised his head suddenly. There was red in his eyes, and he looked like he was in pain as he spoke loudly.

“I can’t calm down. I’ve not been eating or sleeping well for the past few days. When I’m awake, all I can think about is the troubles that are plaguing the sect. When I shut my eyes, all I can see is the sect’s uncertain future. I kept telling myself that our great Grand Supreme Elder will lead us out of these difficult times. But… I just can’t sit by and continue deceiving myself into inaction while the entire sect is in trouble!”

“Grand Supreme Elder, please allow me to participate in the repair efforts of the battleship. I’ve bled for the sect in the past, so what’s a little sweat and toil now?” Wang Baole said excitedly. He cupped his fists once again and gave the Grand Supreme Elder a deep bow.

The Grand Supreme Elder sucked in a deep breath of air and studied Wang Baole for a long moment. There was praise and comfort in his eyes. Then, the Grand Supreme Elder nodded. Wang Baole watched as the Grand Supreme Elder opened his mouth, about to say something. What came from his lips was a long string of complicated words—a curse!

The halls shuddered violently, and a blinding light that was as bright as an Eternal Star’s appeared and enveloped Wang Baole suddenly.

Wang Baole was unfazed. He had thought this through clearly before he had come here, and he knew that what he had said contradicted Long Nanzi’s true character to a certain extent. Getting the battleship repaired and restored was extremely important to the sect, so he had expected the Grand Supreme Elder to search him.

This wasn’t an issue though. He might be acting out of character, but his actions were still within the realm of possibility. Wang Baole believed that his actions were something the Grand Supreme Elder had wanted to see. There was no other explanation for the latter’s earlier concealed threat.

In addition, he was confident in the essence technique that his senior brother had given him. He pretended to look stunned, as if he hadn’t yet reacted to the curse. The Grand Supreme Elder pressed his hands together in a series of hand seals, and his eyes shone with an unfathomable light as he unleashed some form of mystic technique and searched Wang Baole.

The inspection didn’t take long. After ten seconds, the intense light in the Grand Supreme Elder’s eyes faded away. He smiled, then gave Wang Baole permission to enter the restricted zone and help with the repairs.

Wang Baole left excitedly, the look on his face showing his strong desire to do his part for the sect. As he walked out of the hall, the smile on the Grand Supreme Elder’s face vanished. In its place was a cold, calculating look. He grabbed Wang Baole’s storage bag and began inspecting its contents.

The resources he has given aren’t exactly that valuable, but at least he’s a smart man who offered his services without me having to force his hand. Besides, he’s the first person to approach me. There’s potential in grooming him. As for the others, they continue to train independently and show no signs of offering any help to the sect. They pretend not to have heard my words…

An icy glint flashed across the Grand Supreme Elder’s eyes. He was prepared to wait a few more days. If these people didn’t come forward, he would have no choice but to sell them to another sect that specialized in refining servant puppets in exchange for resources to repair the battleship.

Many Core Formation realm cultivators chose to continue their cultivation in isolation in the sect. While this would have been something Wang Baole would have done in the past, he was now happily making his way from his own residence and towards the restricted zone.

The Holy Crest Sect’s restricted zone was a separate space that spanned hundreds of kilometers. There weren’t many cultivators inside, only three to four hundred of them. It should have been a vast space, but the presence of the battleship overshadowed everything else.

The battleship floated in the center of the restricted zone and was surrounded by numerous array formations unknown to Wang Baole. They dazzled in an array of colors and appeared to be fueling the battleship with Spirit Qi.

The Holy Crest Sect’s battleship was in the shape of a cross, with two long rectangles spanning five-thousand kilometers intersecting perpendicularly in the middle. It was red, alarmingly bright while exuding a dangerous vibe.

It was damaged in multiple locations. Some parts of its interior seemed to have been emptied completely and were left with nothing but a vacant exterior. Regardless, the battleship’s sheer size still made it a terrifying sight to behold. Its threatening aura made Wang Baole gasp.

The Holy Crest Sect is only a small sect. To think that the battleship for such a small sect is so powerful… Wang Baole’s eyes shone with an intense light as excitement sparked inside him. He immediately joined the team on the battleship’s repairs.

His arrival didn’t attract much attention at first, as everyone was busy with repairs and had their own tasks to carry out. Some had to break down the raw materials into something usable, while some had to craft new components for the battleship. Some were even tasked to assemble or dismantle parts, and clean up or create more energy threads. There were even those tasked with repairing the offensive Dharmic Artifacts on the battleship. The tasks occupied everyone’s time and attention.

Wang Baole’s first task was to deal with components that made up the exterior of the battleship and had been reported as damaged beyond repair. He was to inspect every component assigned to his station, identify damaged components, and send them to the respective teams responsible for dismantling these components into potentially reusable parts.

It wasn’t a difficult task, simply tedious. He labored like a worker at the factory, moving components from place to place without stopping. Wang Baole didn’t find it hard work though. In fact, he enjoyed it. The inspection helped reinforce his earlier lessons on the Divine Eye civilization’s Dharmic Armament system. He would gleam whatever practical experience he could from each inspection, then send the components to the relevant teams. He tried to appear enthusiastic, wanting to get to know the team and learn more while secretly observing what they were doing.

Two weeks passed in this manner. Wang Baole had fully mastered his task at this point and no longer needed to send certain components to the relevant teams. Instead, he did the repairs himself. This boosted his efficiency greatly. It also refined his proficiency at refining armaments.

Wang Baole didn’t waste the additional time saved from his increased efficiency. He began to help other disciples with their repairs. He had established a cordial relationship at the onset. That, along with the fact that there was simply too much work to be done, meant that everyone welcomed his help. Wang Baole was soon doing the work of two.

As a Dharmic Armament master, the practical experience that Wang Baole continued to gain during the process quickly allowed him to master the Divine Eye civilization’s refinement techniques. His proficiency at refining armaments improved rapidly, and it was evident in the speed he was repairing the battleship’s armaments. His efficiency got another boost. A few components that should have been sent to teams in charge of more advanced repairs were successfully repaired at Wang Baole’s station!

The other disciples in the smaller repair teams were astounded by his performance. Everyone looked at Wang Baole with respect and admiration. With Wang Baole’s perfected Core Formation realm cultivation and relatively high rank, he was soon being treated as the leader of the small team of seven to eight people.

During the entire process, Wang Baole’s understanding of the inner workings of the Holy Crest Sect battleship deepened.

Battleships in the Divine Eye civilization are categorized by their belts. First-Belt battleships are the least powerful and Sixth-Belt battleships the most powerful. Legends speak of Seventh-Belt and Eighth-Belt battleships too… due to certain reasons, the Holy Crest Sect is allowed to possess battleships at a relatively high level. This battleship appears to be a Fourth-Belt battleship…

Fourth-Belt battleships are typically divided into three hundred sectors, with each sector having a different function. The entire battleship is a finely tuned machine. Every sector is required to perform properly for the battleship to run smoothly. There are more than ten thousand primary Dharmic Artifacts in each sector. Bigger sectors would have more… This complex structure gives the battleship its great traveling speed when it’s been activated. It has the capability to cross star systems. It also possesses tremendous offensive capabilities!

The excitement in Wang Baole grew as he learned more about the battleship.

There’s also a core sector that acts like both the heart and brain of the battleship. It’s the most important sector in the entire battleship!

Wang Baole lifted his head and stared at the center of the battleship as it floated in the air. That… should be where the central sector lay. However, only seven people in the entire Holy Crest Sect had access to it. Everyone else wasn’t even allowed to stand anywhere near the sector.

One of them was the early-stage Soul Conduit realm Grand Supreme Elder. The rest were the only six Nascent Soul realm elders in the sect.

If I want to fully understand the complete structure of the battleship, I’ll have to get inside and get involved in the interior’s repairs. I’ll need to find a way into the core sector… maybe I can try killing a Nascent Soul realm cultivator and taking over his identity? Wang Baole narrowed his eyes and began considering the pros and cons of his idea.

He wasn’t given the luxury to think it through fully though. His team had performed exceedingly well in their repair work, and the lack of manpower in the sect meant that their exemplary work quickly caught the attention of others. That included the Nascent Soul realm elder in charge of the teams repairing battleship components.

Long Nanzi? I didn’t realize he had such talents. A late bloomer, perhaps? The elder didn’t give it too much thought. Late bloomers were common when it came to refining armaments. With Wang Baole’s relatively high level of cultivation, it didn’t take the elder long before he decided to transfer Wang Baole to work on the battleship’s interior. He was to join a more advanced team!

Wang Baole blinked upon receiving his assignment. He placed the component in his hands aside and sighed secretly.

This Holy Crest Sect really isn’t a bad place at all. I’m going to feel bad about what I’m going to do… so be it. Perhaps my very appearance is the result of the karma the Holy Crest Sect has accumulated over a thousand years!