A World Worth Protecting

“The Fallen Star Boat!” Daoist Lin Hai had been meditating in the Heavenly Spirit Sect’s camp when he suddenly opened his eyes. He stared at the spirit boat, then vanished suddenly. When he reappeared again, he was standing next to the Dao Disciple of his civilization, Xing Ling.

Xing Ling had been meditating as well, but his current status and level of cultivation weren’t sufficiently high enough for him to hear the summoning call of the spirit boat. He had been prepared for it, though. Unconcealed glee appeared in his eyes when he saw the cultivator standing before him.

“Patriarch…”

“This is your chance!” Daoist Lin Hai said coolly. With a flip of his sleeve, he took Xing Ling away. Alongside went the patriarch of the Divine Sovereign Justice Sect. There was a look of peace on his face. He didn’t show any signs of struggle.

He knew that the time had come for him to fulfill his end of the deal. He knew the value of his Fallen Star mark. If he hadn’t been at the Planet realm, he might not have gone so easily. He might have decided to just wing it. But he was at the mid-stage Planet realm now. His planet might be an ordinary Spirit Star, but what he was truly concerned with was how he could get an opportunity to break through and attain the late-stage Planet realm!

Daoist Lin Hai and he had reached an agreement previously, and he had agreed to the terms of their deal of his own accord. He was willing to help the Violet Gold civilization enslave the Divine Eye civilization, and he was also willing to become a member of the Violet Gold civilization and a vassal of Daoist Lin Hai’s sect for the next five hundred years. In exchange, Daoist Lin Hai would aid him in crossing the hurdle in his cultivation and attaining the late-stage Planet realm.

This goes to show that I’m the biggest winner in the Divine Eye civilization! The Divine Sovereign Justice Sect’s patriarch was extremely pleased with the outcome of his deal and with the plan that he had concocted out of thin air. He had earned everything that he had gotten.

Regardless of how he felt, he was still besieged by slight hesitation when Daoist Lin Hai led him across the cosmos and brought him to the edge of the Divine Eye civilization, to stand before the ancient-looking spirit boat.

It wasn’t a particularly big boat, but the antiquity that exuded from it was strong. It seemed to have been around for a very long time and appeared as a vessel of unspoken opportunity. There were dozens of men and women on the boat, with every one of them clearly being the chosen one of their respective civilizations. This was a good opportunity for him to gain allies. There was also the creepy paper human cutout on the boat. Its eerie aura gave one the impression that this was a boat… that was headed for the future!

What if I destroy my own planet, plunge back to the perfected Spirit Immortal realm, and try to get a place on the boat with my mark… would it be worth it? The thought flashed across the patriarch’s mind before being dispelled immediately. He then turned and gave Daoist Lin Hai a deep bow.

“Patriarch, I’m ready.”

Daoist Lin Hai appeared calm, but his Divine Will had been focused on the Divine Sovereign Justice Sect’s patriarch all this while. This was a critical moment in their deal. He might have had to resort to force if the patriarch decided not to fulfill his end of the deal. He eyed the submissive look that the Divine Sovereign Justice Sect’s patriarch gave him and finally nodded slowly.

The Violet Gold civilization’s Dao Disciple, Xing Ling, stood next to them. However, what he saw was a mere abyss. He couldn’t see the spirit boat. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop the excitement inside him from growing. He turned towards the Divine Sovereign Justice Sect’s patriarch immediately when he heard what the latter had said.

The Divine Sovereign Justice Sect’s patriarch didn’t hesitate as the other two cultivators stared at him. He lifted his right hand and smacked himself hard on the forehead, causing the white mark on his forehead to erupt into a glaring light instantly. It was as white as a sheet of paper. The light surged outwards and seemed to transform into a kind of connection with the spirit boat. It seemed to be guiding him towards the spirit boat.

The Divine Sovereign Justice Sect’s patriarch spoke then.

“Esteemed Envoy, please bear witness as I make my proclamation. I am transferring my place on the boat to this man of my own accord!” The patriarch pointed at Xing Ling as he spoke.

With the aid of the Eye of the Eternal Star, Wang Baole managed to watch the scene unfold before him clearly. He saw the young men and women on the spirit boat. Some of them had opened their eyes, and they didn’t seem surprised by the proclamation. There was scorn and condescension in the eyes of a few passengers too. It was clear that they knew that a deal was taking place before them, and it was obvious that this deal was going to go through!

That was indeed the case. Upon hearing the proclamation of the Divine Sovereign Justice Sect’s patriarch, the ferryman on the boat nodded slightly. The white light that had enveloped the patriarch charged towards Xing Ling, cloaking him in a blinding light. A paper card appeared in his hand then!

Xing Ling could see the spirit boat now, could see the prodigies seated on the boat and the paper human cutout. His heart overflowed with emotion. He cupped his fists and saluted Daoist Lin Hai, then, in a single bound, he followed the pull of the mark and raced towards the boat, landing on the boat in the next moment. Standing on the boat, he couldn’t control himself as he burst into laughter.

The other passengers didn’t seem to approve of his laughter. No one commented on it, though. The spirit boat began to take off. As the paper human cutout’s oar glided through space, the boat started drifting off into the cosmos that lay beyond the Divine Eye civilization, fading away silently as it glided away slowly.

The Divine Sovereign Justice Sect’s patriarch watched as the boat departed. He couldn’t explain the slight sense of loss that he was feeling. He stayed resolute to the choice that he had made, though, casting the feelings of loss aside quickly. He knew that was the only choice he could have made. His fate was bound with the fate of Daoist Lin Hai.

“Patriarch, I…” At that thought, the patriarch of the Divine Sovereign Justice Sect cupped his fists and tried to vouch for his loyalty. But, before he could continue speaking, something flickered in Daoist Lin Hai’s eyes.

“How dare you!” Waves of brilliant light erupted from Daoist Lin Hai as he shouted, and Eternal Star realm power surged out instantly. The cultivator was akin to the sun, his power a suppressive weight bearing heavily down on everything in sight. He lifted his right hand and made a grab at something above the faraway spirit boat!

“Die!” His voice thundered as an enormous fiery hand that burned as brilliantly as the sun descended from above. Awesome power exuded from the palm and fell upon the cosmos, casting a shadow over the vast expanse of space. It descended with a weight that seemed capable of crushing stars and planets.

As his cultivation swept across the cosmos, an indistinct, blurry form materialized above the spirit boat that had drifted off into the distance!

It was Wang Baole!

He hadn’t planned on boarding the boat while in the presence of the Eternal Star. He had planned to go after the boat after it had left. But as he watched the boat drift off into the distance, the paper human cutout in his storage ring spoke for the first time!

“You won’t get another chance if you don’t go for it now!”

Wang Baole didn’t hesitate. He activated the Eye of the Eternal Star and teleported himself away, appearing above the spirit boat just as it was about to disappear. Upon his reappearance, he immediately sensed an incredible heat around him and the burning hand reaching out for him!

There was nowhere for him to hide and nothing that he could do to evade the attack. His cultivation had been suppressed completely, and he had lost all ability to defend himself. As death approached, Wang Baole steeled himself and decided to make a final gamble. He bet that the paper human cutout in his storage ring would come to his aid!

At that very critical moment, the paper human cutout in his storage ring suddenly let loose a burst of creepy laughter.

It was a laughter that only Wang Baole could hear inside his head. As it echoed inside Wang Baole’s mind, someone else struck. It wasn’t the paper human cutout inside his storage ring, but… the paper human cutout on the spirit boat that was fading away steadily. The ferryman lifted its head suddenly and jerked the paper oar in its right hand up slightly.

A huge white wave appeared out of nowhere and fell over Wang Baole instantly. It formed a protective barrier before him as it collided with the burning hand.

A thunderous boom rumbled in the cosmos, and the burning hand disintegrated. Fury and incredulity rose within Daoist Lin Hai as he watched the white wave that the paper human cutout had summoned sweep Wang Baole away and take him safely onto the boat.

“Impossible!”

“Long Nanzi!”

“What’s going on?”

“You!”

The first exclamation came from Daoist Lin Hai. The shock he was currently experiencing was indescribable. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined that the Fallen Star Envoy would lend its aid. This was something that was completely out of this world. He had never heard of something like that happening before.

The second exclamation came from the patriarch of the Divine Sovereign Justice Sect. He was completely dumbfounded by Wang Baole’s boldness and insanity.

The third wave of exclamation came from the other chosen ones on the boat. Not all of them had exclaimed in shock, only the dozen newer arrivals had voiced their surprise. What was unfolding before them had stunned them. At the same time, they were also aware of the strange expressions of the other passengers on the boat. Those looks appeared tinged with exasperation and resentment. What was completely absent was shock.

The fourth exclamation came from another passenger who was currently on the boat as well. It was Xing Ling. The excitement that he had experienced earlier died as he watched Wang Baole step onto the boat and, without any hesitation, charge at him. The Emperor Armor materialized instantly, and the glare of the Divine Armament blinded him as the blade slashed mercilessly at him!