A World Worth Protecting

by Stayrr

By the year 3029 CE, Earth’s technology has developed rapidly, borders no longer exist, and Earth has been unified, marking the beginning of the era of the Federation. At that time, a huge sword flew from the heavens, piercing the sun and causing a huge sensation on Earth. Perhaps because the scabbard of the sword was already in tatters, countless shards have broken off from it f

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Read A World Worth Protecting - Chapter 149 - Lu Zihao's Moral Principles online free - Novelfull

Chapter 149: Lu Zihao's Moral Principles

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Ah?" Lu Zihao had no idea if others were shocked or surprised, but he was utterly stunned by Wang Baole's sudden outburst.

However, just that exclamation was enough, and Wang Baole smacked his thigh, his voice conveying immense excitement.

"Indeed! Such a Dharmic Artifact would cost three thousand Spirit Stones."

Lu Zihao was struck dumb with astonishment.

That forced advertisement was seriously too fake to the audience on Upper Academy Island. Although the bead was indeed of excellent quality, its price was ridiculously expensive. That was especially so because they were all attracted by Wang Baole. This caused the Combat Academy Pavilion to lose some of its glamour.

Nonetheless, the reputation of the Golden Bell Bead has been built up solidly. One could say that almost everyone on Upper Academy Island knew about it. Even the old disciples at the fifth stage of the True Breath realm had to know about it.

Under the weird expressions of the audience, Wang Baole was still very energetic. He slapped his thigh again, letting out a loud 'Pah!' sound, and looked very energetic.

"However… I have very good news for all of you today. The first one hundred Daoists to make an order will not need three thousand Spirit Stones—you will only need one thousand! You heard that right! Just one thousand Spirit Stones, and you can bring this treasure home!" Wang Baole shouted loudly, even sharing his voice transmission number with everyone. As he finished speaking, his voice transmission ring started vibrating profusely.

Message after message was immediately sent to Wang Baole's voice transmission ring. Lu Zihao and the two Combat Pavilion disciples watched in shock as they saw Wang Baole's voice transmission ring tremble as though it was about to explode.

In the blink of an eye, there were hundreds of messages sent to him. Wang Baole was very excited and surprised. Although he had expected his advertisement to not be in vain, he did not expect it to be so effective.

Actually, although the price of one thousand Spirit Stones was relatively expensive, it was still acceptable. That was especially so because it was a second-grade Dharmic Artifact and because of Wang Baole's advertisement. Whether they wanted to buy it for research purposes or to use it, even if the customer base of tens of thousands of Upper Academy Island disciples found the advertisement fake, Wang Baole still received a few hundred orders.

Even the two Combat Pavilion disciples immediately asked to purchase the beads after coming to their senses. After all, they had personally experienced its power, and it was selling like hotcakes. For the two of them, Wang Baole was so happy that he gave them a discount.

"You have good taste!" Wang Baole laughed. Under the gazes of the audience, he completed the deal with the two Combat Pavilion disciples. After that, he pulled the still stunned Lu Zihao along and headed straight for the path that appeared following the disappearance of the light screen in front of him.

The fireworks had long since dissipated, and Wang Baole's advertisement had already ended. However, many people among the audience on the sky platform and Upper Academy Island disciples still paid attention to Wang Baole, and the rowdy discussions were never-ending.

"This Wang Baole, he can't possibly do an advertisement in every match, can he?"

"That being said, I'm actually looking forward to seeing the next Dharmic Artifact he advertises."

While the audience was discussing, Ethereal Dao College and the Army all gazed with different expressions toward Wang Baole and Lu Zihao, who were traveling on the mountain road.

Wang Baole did not bother about the attention of others. He felt highly spirited and looked toward Lu Zihao. Standing beside Wang Baole, he seemed to have just come to his senses and had an extremely ugly expression. However, seeing Lu Zihao look like he was about to scream at him, Wang Baole patted Lu Zihao's shoulder and spoke generously.

"Lu Zihao, we're relatives. Don't worry, we'll split the profits seventy-thirty!"

Once he said that, the storm of fury about to erupt within Lu Zihao immediately paused for a moment. After that… it dissipated and extinguished without the control of Lu Zihao.

I'm not going against my moral principles; I'm just getting the remuneration I deserve! Lu Zihao thought secretly. However, his heart rate increased uncontrollably, and he started to calculate how much money he would get. Alas, as he calculated, he thought of how Wang Baole had attacked and stolen his limelight, and his anger arose once more.

"Wang Baole, I, Lu Zihao, am not a man who will do anything for money. I'm telling you, I'll let what you did previously slide, but the upcoming second battle is mine. Don't come steal my limelight; this is my tournament!"

"Got it! Come, equip this armor. Go forth and fight!" Wang Baole quickly said after seeing Lu Zihao look as though he was going to explode once more. He threw out a glittering suit of armor.

Lu Zihao's anger disappeared after he saw the suit of armor, but he harrumphed secretly. He felt that this was not against his moral principles… After that, he picked up the pace alongside Wang Baole, who was in high spirits, and eventually arrived at the second meeting point.

The first meeting point was the round of sixteen, and the second meeting point right now was the round of eight. The teams who could get into the round of eight were definitely not weak, and they had to have their own talents. Hence, neither Wang Baole nor Lu Zihao dared let down their guard.

That was especially so for Wang Baole. Learning from the experience of the previous battle, he retrieved a Golden Bell Bead and activated it at his feet the moment that he arrived at the second meeting point with Lu Zihao. As the golden light screen appeared, Wang Baole stood there and smacked his chest.

"Zihao, the rest is up to you. Good luck!"

Lu Zihao felt Wang Baole's sincerity. He took a deep breath and was about to speak.

"Here they come, Zihao, go!" Wang Baole immediately reminded him. Lu Zihao's expression changed, and a vicious glint appeared in his eyes. He turned his head to look toward another path and immediately noticed a man and a woman charging toward him.

The man was large and imposing, with a glint in his eyes. He wore a purple suit of armor, and three flying swords surrounded him. The woman behind him was petite and looked very sweet. She had a ring of bells on her snowy-white wrist, and they rang as she charged.

That was not all. Beside this woman were three vicious wolves who were more than half a man tall. These wolves had vicious glints in their eyes and growled as they ran. Their exposed fangs were unbelievably sharp, and they looked extremely vicious.

Beast Tamer! Lu Zihao furrowed his eyebrows, but a glint appeared in his eyes afterward. Although he was unwilling to meet a disciple from the Beast Taming Pavilion because it was troublesome to fight them, his will to fight rose since he knew that he had to fight one anyway.

As he shook his body and flicked his hands, the five Flying Frost Swords immediately flew out, and an icy aura surrounded him, making him seem like a war god. He charged directly at the Combat Pavilion disciple.

The Combat Pavilion disciple narrowed his eyes and noticed the protective screen surrounding Wang Baole's body. He did not bother about it and charged toward Lu Zihao, looking like a huge beast as he took his first step.

The two men immediately got into a brawl. As the sounds of battle spread, their flying swords also clashed at great speeds in midair, trying to break each other's seal. At the same time, talismans flew, and the physical power of the both of them was on full display at that point in time as they traded blows.

Lu Zihao's strength was also fully displayed at that time. His control of the Flying Frost Swords and the changes in his spells were all swift and ferocious. With a few hand seals, he made his right hand expand to twice its size. As it exuded a black glint, he threw a punch.

Although the Combat Pavilion disciple was remarkable, he was not quite in Lu Zihao's league. As his expression changed, a cold glint flashed in the woman's eyes, and she formed a hand seal. Immediately, the three wolves beside her growled and charged directly at Lu Zihao.

These three wolves were not slow, and their fangs had incredible biting power. It seemed like they could even break a Dharmic Artifact with one bite.

Seeing this scene, Wang Baole was furious and shouted within his protective screen, "Hey, that's not fair. You're bullying him!"

The woman tilted her head to throw a disdainful look at Wang Baole. She did not stop but instead rushed toward Lu Zihao with a leap forward.

Even under those circumstances, Lu Zihao was evenly matched with them. That was because Wang Baole had added magnetism within the Flying Frost Swords. Hence, he did not need to spend so much spirit energy to control them. The suit of armor on Lu Zihao had also been crafted by Wang Baole to become extremely sturdy. It even had a knockback effect.

Because of that, Lu Zihao got stronger as he fought.

Seeing that Lu Zihao was fine, Wang Baole stopped worrying and retrieved another small wooden pail from his storage bracelet. With a snicker, he threw it out, and it immediately exploded in the air.

Fireworks quickly spread, and the gazes of the audience on the sky platform and Upper Academy Island gathered upon Wang Baole once more after seeing the resplendent fireworks. Meanwhile, the expressions of the Combat Pavilion disciple and woman changed. They had already seen the fireworks previously but did not know what was going on. They were on high alert after seeing the fireworks again.

As they were on high alert and as Lu Zihao's expression changed to one of anger and sorrow, Wang Baole coughed within his protective screen and looked toward the sky with cupped fists.

"Dear Elders, teachers, and fellow disciples, look over here…

"I'm sure all of you get a headache whenever you see a Beast Taming Pavilion disciple. After all, they have vicious beasts beside them, and we're at a disadvantage when fighting them. You see, my boy… hood friend, Lu Zihao, is facing this very situation now. Now then… what should we do?" Wang Baole's voice became excited once more. Although he almost called Lu Zihao 'my boy', he was lucky to have quick reactions and gave a huge flick of his wrist.

"Today, I, Wang Baole royally introduce to you another type of Dharmic Artifact. Its name… Shut Up!

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Chapter 150: It Also Works on Humans!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Yes, you heard right! This type of Dharmic Artifact is called Shut Up!" Wang Baole exclaimed in high spirits, his voice booming.

After Wang Baole set off the second set of fireworks, everyone in the sky and on Upper Academy Island involuntarily fixed their gazes on Wang Baole once again.

"What, is he determined to advertise his artifacts time and time again!"

"What on earth is this, a Combat Pavilion Tournament or a new product release?"

"Shut Up? What is he up to?"

Everyone had different expressions. This particular Combat Pavilion Tournament was especially different from previous years.

In the sky, those from the Military and Federation officials, as well as the senior management of Ethereal Dao College, also had unusual expressions. Looking at Wang Baole, they felt as though they were not watching a tournament but rather an unprofessional host putting up an amateurish live broadcast for the advertisement segment.

But the most terrified of all were Lu Zihao's competitors, the man and the woman. The moment Wang Baole opened his mouth to speak, they had been shocked. But now, after watching his actions and hearing his words, they were dumbfounded once again. Were it not for the layer of protection that he had, they would have instinctively stopped him. Wang Baole's actions made them faintly uneasy.

In a moment of panic, the burly fellow could not help but ask Lu Zihao, "What is he doing?"

Lu Zihao was wallowing in misery. He felt like his spotlight was being stolen by Wang Baole yet again. He kept quiet. In a bad mood, he swung his fist.

"That darn Fatty is playing tricks and creating trouble! He's nothing to be afraid of! Big Black, Little Black, Little White, bite him!" exclaimed the female disciple from the Beast Taming Pavilion with a cold laugh, seeing that Lu Zihao kept quiet. Her eyes flashed, and with sharp movements, she manipulated her bloodthirsty wolves, making them run straight for Lu Zihao and bite him below his head.

While their battle ensued, Wang Baole's advertising continued.

"Don't belittle this object. This is a perfect second-grade Dharmic Artifact, its core being a Rainbow Spirit Stone. What more, this artifact is the sturdiest out there. I even carved over twenty thousand inscriptions on it! When you line this up with others, not only does it have an adjustable ability to lock onto target objects, it also produces fog…" As Wang Baole rattled on, his eyes grew ever brighter. With the wave of his right hand, three yellow masks instantly appeared!

These three masks looked like ducks' beaks, except their color was uneven. They looked ugly, but upon careful inspection, streams of light emanated from their interior, releasing a strong suppressive force.

As Wang Baole spoke, he observed Lu Zihao retreating upon hearing the explosive roar of the three wolves. Worry instantly gripped him.

"And now, let me demonstrate!" Wang Baole declared, violently flinging the three duck masks across the space.

Having witnessed this, the female disciple sneered.

"I hate fatties the most!" she exclaimed, feeling irritated by Wang Baole's pretentious air. With a wave of her hand, the three wolves were sent darting for Wang Baole!

But just as these three wolves were bounding for him, the three masks penetrated through the Golden Bell Shield, emanating a bright flash of light. In its resplendence, the masks released a suppressive force more shocking than previously. Furthermore, as they flew, the upper and lower lips of the mouths automatically came into contact, releasing weird, ear-piercing screams that instantly caught everyone's attention.

The three wolves also reeled in shock. As they stopped in their tracks momentarily, the three masks suddenly gained momentum. At a speed much higher than before, they locked onto the three ferocious wolves, flying straight for them. No matter how much the wolves struggled, attempted to hide, or even howled, it was of no use.

Two of the masks had already covered two wolves' mouths!

However, the last mask seemed to malfunction under the sudden surge of speed. It failed to lock onto its target. It did not fly toward the third wolf, circling midair instead, as though it was ineffective.

All this had happened too quickly. Before the female disciple could recover from her stupor, the two masks that had attached themselves onto the wolves' mouths let out cracking sounds. In a flash, clamps formed on the masks, sealing the wolves' mouths completely and permanently. The wolves were unable to completely open or close their mouths, and their howls stopped abruptly, as though they were strangled.

The wolves collapsed under the impact. When they got to their feet, their whimpers were stuck in their throats. In a panic, they clawed at the masks, to the extent that even scratch marks formed, but they could not get rid of the masks within that short period of time. With a puff, fog billowed from within the two masks, filling the wolves' mouths. However, the effect of the fog was unusual—those two wolves only swayed but were still conscious.

The other wolf, although not affected by the mask, was evidently frightened. Fear flashed through its eyes, and it hurriedly retreated.

"Little Black! Little White!" the female disciple exclaimed. Her expression instantly changed to one of worry, and she rushed forward to help them.

At the same time, the observers on the sky viewing gallery were uninterested. These masks had their merit, but they were still considered to be ordinary, unlike the golden bead that Wang Baole had previously. Not to mention, one of the three masks had malfunctioned. This live demonstration was a failure in their eyes.

However, on Upper Academy Island, there were many boos from those who had witnessed the scene that unfolded. There was a heated discussion about what had happened.

"That was nothing. To think that one of them malfunctioned!"

"Seems like this Wang Baole is running out of tricks. What a failure!"

Wang Baole was also worried and started sweating. He knew that this must have been because he failed to consider many aspects when he manufactured the mask. Furthermore, he had some trouble with his inscriptions. In a panic, he hurriedly raised his right arm, and the mask that was circling the air returned to its master. He grabbed it.

"Ahem, that was just a small mistake. This Dharmic Artifact, Shut Up, which I have made, is adjustable. I have recorded a list of seven to eight types of ferocious beasts in it, which you can add on to. Look, all I have to do is readjust this a little, then all is well!"

Only, this time, when the mask flew off, it still did not lock onto the remaining wolf that was already stricken with fear. It flew into the sky. Wang Baole slapped his forehead and heaved a huge sigh. He knew that his advertisement had failed.

Seeing his disappointment, the boos from Upper Academy Island became louder. When observers on the sky grandstand retracted their gaze, all of a sudden… that malfunctioning mask—after circling the air once—flew straight for the female disciple, as though it had a new target sighted!

The uproar that followed was astonishing and ear-piercing. Immediately, those outside who had initially retracted their gazes looked over. One by one, they were greatly shocked.

The female disciple was full of anger. She had been helping to remove the masks from her wolves, but upon witnessing the remaining mask coming for her, her eyes widened. Instantly, images of herself wearing the mask filled her mind. It was too frightening for her; she felt like her brain would explode. With a high-pitched scream, she hurriedly backed away.

She was quick, but the duck mask was quicker. It whistled through the air and neared her in an instant. Just as it was about to cover the mouth of this petite, pretty girl, her face paled, and without thought, she took out many protective Dharmic Artifacts, blocking the mask immediately.

Among the roar of commotion, this exceptional mask stopped in its tracks despite cracking after penetrating a few layers of the female disciple's protective Dharmic Artifacts. Before she could heave a sigh of relief, it suddenly exploded. A thick cloud of fog was released in the blink of an eye, which floated straight toward the female disciple.

Never mind the thick fog. To make matters worse, a thin rope, hidden in the fog, suddenly emerged from within the cracked mask. The female disciple's expression changed once again. Although she could dispel the fog, she could not escape the rope. Soon, the rope had wrapped itself around her a few times, tying her hands behind her back.

"Wang Baole!" she screeched. She had heard his self-introduction earlier on. She was enraged, but she could only stand there struggling.

Wang Baole blinked, but he quickly came to his senses, immediately lifting his head toward the sky, coughing.

"Actually, I wasn't finished. This Dharma treasure is not only adaptable but is also amazingly effective on humans…" he said but was instantly interrupted by the huge commotion in the voice transmission ring!

The number of voice transmissions skyrocketed, instantly hitting the roof.

Concurrently, on Upper Academy Island in the outside world, tens of thousands of people paid close attention to this battle, of which many cried out in alarm, their eyes shimmering with excitement. Even disciples of the Dharmic Armament Pavilion took a liking to this product.

Although there was an abundance of such adjustable Dharmic Artifacts in the Dharmic Armament Pavilion, the mask that Wang Baole had made—though not without flaws—evidently had unique characteristics. And sometimes, such characteristics could have unpredictable effects during actual combat.

"It can do that too! Absolutely wicked! Too crafty! Wang Baole, I despise you! I want to get three!"

"This Dharmic Artifact is amazing! To think it has three usages! First the face mask, followed by the fog, and lastly the rope! Simply impossible to guard against! It is worthy of being a formidable tool for bondage!"

"All of you have a screw loose! So what if it can tie someone up? This artifact is prepared for our Alchemy Pavilion! Though that fog was rubbish, once we replace it, this baby will be awesome! Whoever smells it will faint!"

"I want ten of them!"

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Chapter 151: Daoists, Listen Up!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

While the audience in the outside world was heatedly discussing about what had happened, Lu Zihao's competitor—the Combat Pavilion disciple—also admitted defeat, depressed. There was no way that he could win. Fighting Lu Zihao was already a challenge. He was no match for him.

Not to mention Wang Baole with his strange Dharmic Artifacts. It left his scalp tingling. That was especially so since his assistant was all tied up with her hands behind her back. Forcing a smile, this Combat Pavilion disciple could only admit defeat.

At the same time, many of those in the sky platform had expressions of interest. Although they were learned with lots of experience, in their eyes, this subtle gimmick had its merits.

However, the elder of the Combat Pavilion was in a fit of rage. A perfectly good Combat Pavilion Tournament was single-handedly being ruined by Wang Baole's advertisements.

If it were any other disciple, they would have long been afraid of the serious repercussions, but Wang Baole had the elders of the Dharmic Armament Pavilion putting in a good word for him. Furthermore, he had made great contributions to Ethereal Dao College. The former was a favor that he could not ignore, and the latter was the reason Wang Baole had special treatment in the first place.

Quickly, after the elder of the Combat Pavilion expressed his displeasure, Wang Baole was given a lenient punishment. He was only given a warning, which came from the direction of Ethereal Dao College and could be heard from the sky platform.

"Wang Baole, disciple of the Dharmic Armament faculty, focus on assisting! You must stop intentionally promoting your Dharmic Artifacts to the public!"

This warning spread far and wide, throughout the entire combat area. Many disciples who were engaged in combat heard it and were surprised. Some of them had noticed the fireworks previously and deduced what had happened.

The whole audience on Upper Academy Island heard it. Those who had considered following in Wang Baole's footsteps immediately abandoned the idea.

Wang Baole retracted his head. He had initially been full of excitement, but upon hearing the warning and knowing that he could not continue, he was depressed and wistful.

"What a pity… I lost such a good advertising opportunity…" Wang Baole lamented, anger bubbling within him. He had neither cheated nor interfered with their combat. What right did they have to ban him from advertising his Dharmic Artifacts?

Standing at the side, Lu Zihao became agitated. Truth be told, he had thought that this tournament would allow him to shine, but Wang Baole had stolen his limelight. Once was enough, but a second time? The thought made him uncomfortable.

Seeing that the Dao College had banned Wang Baole from advertising, Lu Zihao felt that the Dao College had handled it brilliantly this time. Although anger festered within him, seeing the depressed look on Wang Baole's face, he looked away with a snort.

"This is unfair! Wang Baole, if I were you, I wouldn't take this lying down! The Dao College is obviously targeting you. If you want my advice, you should fight it out with the Dao College. They won't be able to do anything to you. After all, you weren't wrong on this matter, and you've contributed so much to the Academy!" Lu Zihao whispered in Wang Baole's ear, egging him on. He really did want to see Wang Baole fight it out with the Dao College.

Only, Lu Zihao was too young and inexperienced at this. When Wang Baole heard this, he observed Lu Zihao through the corner of his eye.

"You can't take this lying down? Why don't you do it then! Come, my son, come! Daddy will help you set off the fireworks while you fight it out with the College! As long as you can take down the elders, I don't care if you call me Daddy or not!" Wang Baole exclaimed, lifting his hands and producing a small wooden bucket.

"What a scaredy-cat, it's so embarrassing to be seen with you!" Lu Zihao cried out angrily. He was shocked to see the small wooden bucket in Wang Baole's hand. Snorting, he quickly backed away, making his way toward the third meeting point.

"Look, if you're so brave, why don't you do it! Quit playing mind games with me!" Wang Baole retorted, rolling his eyes. Still depressed, he walked forward. When Lu Zihao heard this, he spun around in anger and glared at him.

"Wang Baole, listen here. The first two times, I let you off, but if there's a third time… if you dare steal my limelight again, I'll fight it out with you! I'm not kidding!" Lu Zihao warned in a low growl, his eyes bloodshot.

"This time, I don't care what you give me! Don't even try to bribe me. I, Lu Zihao, am a man of principle. This is my tournament!" Lu Zihao declared. He glared at Wang Baole, then turned around and sprinted toward the third meeting point.

"What's there to be worried about? The Dao College doesn't let me advertise anymore. Don't worry, I definitely won't attack!" Wang Baole said, waving his hand. Deep in his heart, he was still regretful that he could not continue advertising and was too lazy to launch any attacks.

By now, the two of them were not far from the meeting point. They could vaguely make out two figures standing at the end of the small road—the meeting point—waiting for them.

One of them was short, and the other was tall. Both of them had calm expressions, but their eyes were full of vigor. As they stood there watching Wang Baole and Lu Zihao, their gaze seemed to harden. The duo did not attack, and they could not tell who the combat cultivator was or the background of his assistant.

The moment he saw the duo, Lu Zihao's eyes instantly brightened. Although Wang Baole had already promised that he would not attack, Lu Zihao was still worried that he would steal his show once again. Hence, he picked up his speed. Roaring, he went straight for the two figures.

Seeing that Lu Zihao was so eager, Wang Baole simply stopped in his tracks, but in a flash, his expression changed. He observed that there was something amiss about the two figures standing at the meeting point.

"Wait!"

He should have kept quiet. The moment that word left his mouth, Lu Zihao increased his speed, as though someone had stepped on his tail. He went all out with a loud roar.

But… he was sprinting too fast. At the same time Wang Baole let that word out, the short figure's eyes flashed. At breakneck speed, he retrieved a compass and aimed it at the floor, pressing the button fiercely. Suddenly, a windstorm arose from all around, turning into a prison cage, exploding directly in front of Lu Zihao.

"No!" Lu Zihao cried, his mind whizzing. His eyes were full of sorrow, and his roar reverberated across the area, but he simply could not hide from it. Instantly, he was captured within the windstorm. From afar, it seemed like he was trapped in a gigantic windstorm ball, effectively muting him and cutting him off. Even his growl had ceased.

"An array cultivator?" Wang Baole questioned, showing a weird expression. Deep in his heart, he felt sympathy for Lu Zihao. He knew that he was just anxious to the point that he lost all sense of propriety, allowing him to fall for the array formation ambush.

"This unlucky child, why were you so anxious? I already told you, I won't attack. Look at what has happened…" Wang Baole sighed. He blinked and observed that the duo was coming for him with wry smiles. Evidently, their plan was to take the assistant down first before working together to defeat the competitor.

Watching the duo come straight for him, Wang Baole's eyes lit up. He pondered that this would be a good opportunity for him. Although he was banned from advertising, nobody said that he could not set off fireworks. In fact, that wooden bucket of fireworks was also a Dharmic Artifact in itself…

While the duo was charging straight for him, Wang Baole lifted his right hand. Instantly, a wooden bucket appeared and flew skyward. It exploded with a loud boom, setting off resplendent lights that spread across the sky!

Once the fireworks exploded, all in Upper Academy Island could not help but turn their heads toward the scene.

The duo was shocked by the change in colors of the fireworks. At the same time—before the duo could reach him—Wang Baole's eyes brightened. In his excitement, he waved his right hand. Immediately, three Flying Frost Swords flew out from his storage bracelet.

"My two Daoists, listen up! That was just a shocking explosion of my first-grade Dharmic Artifact. What I now have is my perfect second-grade Dharmic Artifact! These swords are indestructible. To top it off, they have Rainbow Spirit Stones at their cores—equipped with formidable might!" Wang Baole roared. The moment those three swords appeared, the coldness spread, and they went straight for the duo.

They were so quick that they seemed to have broken space. This changed the duo's expressions. Immediately, they tried to block them, but just as this was happening, Wang Baole waved his hands and out came three big seals.

"My two Fellow Daoists, listen up! This is my perfect second-grade Dharmic Artifact, the Mountain Seal. This seal welcomes the wind and has strength inscriptions inscribed internally. It's akin to having a mountain crush the opponent!"

"My two Fellow Daoists, look out for my Dharmic Artifact, the Deity Immobilization Rope! It can tighten or loosen, and it even has potent burning inscriptions!"

"Both of you… this is the Baton of Abolition! Even rocks shatter in its presence. Never ever touch it, for it will explode!"

"This is the Sky Destruction Whip! Once it explodes, blood will fill the skies!"

"This is the Blinding Soul Mirror… You will lose your soul once you look at it!"

As Wang Baole continued to speak, Dharmic Artifacts started popping out from his storage bracelet one by one until the entire area seemed to be covered. They whistled toward the duo like an overwhelming tidal wave.

The place was so densely packed with colorful artifacts that the whole land seemed to be taken over by Dharmic Artifacts. All the artifacts within a glance were different, and to add to it, Wang Baole explained the how every Dharmic Artifact worked. The duo was struck dumb in amazement at its sheer absurdity.

"What is he trying to do? What kind of habit is this, giving such detailed explanations!"

"Damn it, why does he have so many Dharmic Artifacts!"

The duo was angry and sorrowful. They wanted to retaliate, but they simply could not because Wang Baole had thrown out too many Dharmic Artifacts. Furthermore, his explanations added on to the stress that they felt. To top it off, the Dharmic Artifacts were extremely fast.

Everyone in Upper Academy Island and the sky had weird expressions as they watched the two cultivators, instantly… drown in the sea of Dharmic Artifacts.

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Chapter 152: The Grand Supreme Elder's Personal Disciple!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The artifacts surrounded the duo without attacking. Although this was not as effective as an attack, simply being surrounded by dozens of different Dharmic Artifacts and watching them flash was enough to suggest their swift and forceful effects, as though a mere touch would trigger an explosion.

This feeling was like having a knife suspending behind their neck, not knowing when it was going to chop their head off; the duo was about to go berserk. If they had not known the effects of the artifacts, they might have taken a gamble, but… Wang Baole had explained the effects of his artifacts to the finest detail. And watching the artifacts floating all around them, the images of their effects and the consequences of touching them surfaced in their minds.

They could not help but panic. As their hearts pounded with fear, they were also sad and angry beyond belief. Deep down, they believed that they had been tricked and were full of regret—they should not have trapped Lu Zihao but his assistant from the Dharmic Armament Pavilion.

"I know that Lu Zihao—he's always playing mind games. When he came straight for us just now, roaring so loudly, it must have been on purpose! He was trying to divert our attention to make us trap him! We've fallen for their ruse!"

The duo looked at each other, turning their heads to glare at Lu Zihao, who was still trapped inside the windstorm, fighting and kicking vigorously, totally unaware of the happenings in the outside world.

"This asshole is too crafty! He's still acting!" the duo commented, gritting their teeth as they had no choice but to admit defeat. Following this, the audience from Upper Academy Island was intrigued by the Dharma treasures that Wang Baole had used. Amid the many gasps, an uproar erupted.

"He's changed his methods! He's using soft advertising this time!"

"I've seen fighters shouting out their moves and the names of their Dharmic Artifacts, but I have never seen someone give such detailed descriptions…"

The tens of thousands of people on Upper Academy Island had originally thought that Wang Baole would stop after receiving the warning. Never did they imagine that he would still continue advertising his artifacts… Although everyone could obviously tell that he was advertising, they could not say anything about it.

He was not as deliberate about his advertisements as the previous times. He had only shouted out when he was attacking. His actions were ambiguous. He could say that this was a habit of his or claim that he was reminding his competitors of the effects before he attacked out of good will.

Truth be told, he was not the only one to do such a thing. Others had done similarly, except none as obvious as Wang Baole, who even set off fireworks before the whole show…

As for the audience on the sky platform, they did not know whether to laugh or cry at Wang Baole's attempt to push the envelope. Watching Wang Baole with eyes of interest, General Zhou could not help but howl in laughter.

Seeing that Wang Baole had succeeded in gaining the interest of General Zhou, Zhou Lu—who was standing at the side—smirked in excitement, thinking that her act of revenge was about to be complete.

"Humph, Wang Baole, I, Zhou Lu, am not one to abuse public power to settle a personal dispute. Indeed, you are the most suitable candidate to carry out this mission!"

The elders of Ethereal Dao College also pondered over what had happened. The middle-aged man in a red robe sighed, sneaking a glance at the Combat Pavilion Elder whose face was as black as coal. He coughed then sent his words reverberating for the first time.

"Wang Baole, you're not allowed to set off fireworks anymore!"

This voice was filled with a suppressive force, immediately echoing around the combat area. Everyone in the Combat Pavilion Tournament was alarmed. Within this short amount of time, they had heard Wang Baole's name twice.

Wang Baole was satisfied. Even if he was singled out, he had no regrets. He had already introduced all the Dharmic Artifacts that he wanted to sell. He was in a flurry of happiness. Seeing the duo admit defeat, he lifted his right hand, and with a wave, all the Dharmic Artifacts instantly flew toward him.

From afar, this scene was shocking. Under the lights emanating from the dozens of Dharma treasures that were surrounding Wang Baole, he seemed to glow. This scene was etched in the minds of the tens of thousands of people on Upper Academy Island.

It was also at this moment that a loud sound ensued. Lu Zihao had finally escaped the windstorm. Roaring, he rushed out with great force.

"Come, fight me!" he exclaimed with imposing might. The Flying Frost Swords around him lost their chilliness. After taking a few steps, he stopped in his tracks, staring dumbly at the duo who were now glaring at him. He observed the Dharmic Artifacts surrounding Wang Baole and came to a realization. His body started shaking, and his eyes became even more bloodshot.

"Wang Baole! Didn't you say that you wouldn't attack? You stole my limelight again!" Lu Zihao roared, anger and sadness bubbling within him.

Wang Baole glared at him. He was about to say something when the duo snorted coldly.

"Lu Zihao, stop acting already. As if all this wasn't an act!" the duo exclaimed, glaring at him. They turned to Wang Baole, cupping their fists to salute him.

"Senior Wang Baole, we accept this defeat wholeheartedly!" the duo declared, having calmed down. They thought of the attacks that Wang Baole had executed earlier and were deeply moved that Wang Baole did not embarrass them. All of his Dharmic Artifacts were very amazing.

After the salute, the disciple from the array formation pavilion could not help but ask, "Senior Baole, are you selling the Dharmic Artifacts that you used just now?"

"Yes, I am!" Wang Baole replied, his eyes brightening. Hurriedly, he went forward to exchange voice transmission numbers with the duo, happily offering them discounts. In no time, the three of them hit it off. Wang Baole even walked a few steps with them as he sent them off, waving as he did.

Lu Zihao was raging at the sight that unfolded before him. His brain was about to explode. Feeling very wronged, he let out another roar.

"Wang Baole, you…"

"I'll give you two of the five Flying Frost Swords that are beside you!" Wang Baole interrupted, waving his hand with great generosity. He knew Lu Zihao's character. He refused to lower himself to a child's level. The matter could be solved with a few pieces of candy.

"I… I, Lu Zihao, am a man of principle!" Lu Zihao exclaimed, his eyes widening. In an instant, his vigor dwindled uncontrollably, but he became angrier.

"I'll give them all to you!" Wang Baole offered, raising an eyebrow.

Lu Zihao took a deep breath. Since it had already happened, whatever he said would be of no use. Besides, the assistant could only help out in four battles. As of now, there was only one battle left. Once it was over, it did not matter whether it was the final battle or the second stage of the competitions—he would not have to see Wang Baole again.

Most importantly, when his principles were being tested, he did not fall for Wang Baole's Trojan Horse. Once these thoughts flitted through his mind, Lu Zihao felt his anger dissipate. He wanted to snort, but recalling Wang Baole's earlier reminder, he only snorted internally. With a gloomy expression, he whirled toward the fourth meeting point.

This fourth meeting point was his assistant's last battle!

The tournament that took place there would determine the strongest competitor of each of the four sides of the mountain peak, and only those four competitors would be able to step onto the mountaintop for the battle of four. The last competitor standing on the mountain peak would then enter the second stage of the Combat Pavilion Tournament.

Basically, those who could make it to the fourth meeting point were definitely not weak. Even as Lu Zihao approached, he tried to calm himself down, forcing himself to keep the utmost focus.

From the perspective of the purpose of an assistant, in actual fact, Wang Baole had been very reliable, completing his tasks almost perfectly. Lu Zihao did not use many resources within the first three tournaments. In terms of energy and materials, Lu Zihao was at the peak.

Lu Zihao was obviously not paying attention to Wang Baole. One after the other, they walked toward the fourth meeting point—the region near to the mountaintop. Following the merging of two roads, the end of the road was visible. There was a curtain of light, and beyond that was a road that led straight to the mountain peak.

Wang Baole was in a good mood, so he did not pick a fight with Lu Zihao. He felt that he had accomplished his mission already and was very relaxed. His mind was filled with images of an abundance of filled order forms once he returned from his assisting role.

I should be able to make a killing this time. It should be sufficient to sustain my research and cultivation, Wang Baole thought, filled with joy. He hummed a tune, strolling forward with his hands behind his back. As Lu Zihao got closer to the meeting point, he stopped dead in his tracks.

It was as though every single hair on his body was standing on end. Sweating, Lu Zihao took a deep breath, making his heart pump faster. There was a serious, grave expression on his face as he saw the two figures at the fourth meeting point.

"Wang Baole, you… you need to help me this time…" Lu Zihao took a deep breath and stammered in a low voice. When Wang Baole heard his words, he was surprised. As he got closer, he also saw the two figures.

One of them was meditating while the other seemed to be a bodyguard standing beside him!

The guard was strong-built, wore a purple armor, and had long hair that blew in the wind. He appeared like a small mountain standing there. The aura that he exuded was akin to the peak of True Breath, and it seemed like he could surpass this level any time.

Looking at him was like looking at a terrifying beast. Extremely obvious was his fierce gaze, as though he was a volcano that was about to explode!

Compared to him, the meditating youth had a different aura and gave off a different vibe. He exuded an aura of peace and indifference, as though few happenings in the world could gain his attention.

Although he was bald, he was still handsome. He seemed gentle and frail-looking. His eyes were closed as if he was sensing something. Gentle winds circulated around him, as though they were attracted to him.

This person was none other than the nameless Dao Enlightenment faculty disciple, the one who had made a drop of water appear in an empty cup—out of thin air—just by focusing on it, back then on the peak of the mountain in the Dao Enlightenment faculty!

Also… he was the only personal disciple of the former Federation President, the present Grand Supreme Elder of Ethereal Dao College!

Although Wang Baole did not know him, the moment that he saw the bald youth, his footsteps also slowly came to a halt. He realized why the proud Lu Zihao had asked for his help. In actual fact… the guard was nothing, but this meditating youth exuded an oppressive force that was like a sharp, invisible knife pointing between one's eyebrows

Wang Baole squinted and retracted his smile. He was no longer relaxed, and his eyes instantly glimmered a keenness.

In that split second when Wang Baole looked at the bald youth, the latter… opened his eyes!

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Chapter 153: Can You Speak Normally?

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

As the bald youth's eyes opened, they had an inexplicable attractiveness. His clear eyes, looking pure as water, seemed like they could suck one's state of mind into them and cause one to be thrown into confusion.

They might even have the illusion that their opponent's body was exuding rays of light, as though he was a deity. The resulting feeling, wanting to worship the opponent, made Wang Baole shudder. His cultivation within his body started circulating immediately, and right at that moment, his devouring seed rotated slightly. As his cultivation circulated around his body, even Wang Baole himself did not notice that deep within his pupils, a purple glow flashed past!

After Wang Baole absorbed the purple light in the Spirit Breath Village, it had integrated with his devouring seed. This formed a strange light—the purple glow that flashed in his pupils. The moment it appeared, the meditating bald youth suddenly let out a soft gasp. His original calm, elegant expression also changed at that moment. When he looked toward Wang Baole, his expression changed to one showing interest.

As his expression changed, the previously formed suppressive force immediately destabilized and dissipated. This caused Lu Zihao, who was walking forward as though he could not control his footsteps and whose body was shivering, to shudder as though he had just awoken from a dream. His breathing hastened, and he had a stunned expression.

"What kind of spell is this!" Lu Zihao exclaimed, caution and shock appearing in his eyes.

Not caring about Lu Zihao's reaction, the bald youth tilted his head slightly, with his posture showing a nobility seemingly deeply rooted within him. The guard beside him—the contestant from the Combat Pavilion—immediately bowed down to listen, nodding for a moment. After that, he got up and walked toward Lu Zihao until he reached the center of the meeting point. He raised his arm and beckoned Lu Zihao, as though challenging him to a duel!

Lu Zihao's expression changed, and he looked toward the bald youth with fear. Then he looked toward Wang Baole, his eyes pleading for help. It did not matter how proud he was—he put that all away at that moment. He knew that this battle would be extremely arduous because his opponent was too strong. But in his heart, Wang Baole was just as strong, so he instinctively looked toward him for help.

"You even have a guard? Stop acting high and mighty!" Wang Baole furrowed his eyebrows and let out a cold snort. He could not get used to the bald youth's posture just now, but at the same time, he also felt the suppressive force emanating from the bald youth's body. Wang Baole felt that the bald youth was the strongest opponent that he had ever met in the same cultivation realm as him. Hence, he followed the bald youth and sat cross-legged, speaking calmly.

"Zihao, there's no harm in fighting. This is your big competition! If it's one on one, it's your issue whether you win or lose. But if it's two on one, it depends on whether I, Wang Baole, agree!"

Hearing Wang Baole's words, Lu Zihao heaved a sigh of relief. Although he disliked Wang Baole and could not see eye to eye with him, Wang Baole's words made him feel more comforted. At that moment, after he raised his head to look at the purple-armored cultivator beckoning him, fighting spirit exploded in Lu Zihao's eyes. He let out a low growl and shot toward the purple-armored cultivator.

With tremendous speed, he got close to the purple-armored cultivator instantly. With a few hand seals, he sent the five Flying Frost Swords surrounding him flying and threw out multiple amulets, transforming them into spells with a bang. Meanwhile, a cold smile appeared on the purple-armored cultivator's face as he strode forward and stomped with his right foot. Immediately, Spirit Qi exploded from under his feet like a storm, and he burst toward Lu Zihao.

Obviously, Lu Zihao had the upper hand in terms of agility and speed. At that moment, he dodged by phasing his figure away and attacked again.

In a flash, the two of them clashed together in the middle of the meeting point.

In this battle, even though Wang Baole did not set off fireworks, he still attracted the attention of the Federation officials, the Army, and Ethereal Dao College's elders who were watching from the viewing platform in the sky.

"Is he that person's disciple?" On the Army's viewing platform, General Zhou narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze landing on the bald youth.

"This person is named Li Wuchen 1 . He's the only personal disciple of Ethereal Dao College's Grand Supreme Elder. With my authority, I can't see his background and dossier," Zhou Lu whispered at his side.

"Of course you can't see it… He should be twenty years old this year…" General Zhou's eyes showed deep thought, and a cold glint gradually appearing in his pupils. However, he quickly suppressed it. He repeated the bald youth's name in his heart a few times and remained silent.

At the same time, the Federation officials all looked toward the bald youth. Obviously, they knew whom his master was, but they did not have as weird a reaction as General Zhou. At the very most, they only paid closer attention to him.

But all the Elders of Ethereal Dao College had complicated expressions when they saw the bald youth. Even the middle-aged man in red robes had such an expression. Deep within his eyes, where others could not see, a cold glint flashed as well.

As booms reverberated around the meeting point at that moment, Wang Baole and the bald youth were both meditating. They gazed at each other, as though they were facing off. After a while, Wang Baole felt a little bored and coughed.

"Senior Brother, why do you keep looking at me?"

"I'm looking at your past and present lives," the bald youth replied calmly.

After hearing that, Wang Baole had an odd expression on his face. He felt that this guy was crazy.

At that moment, Lu Zihao's duel with the purple-armored cultivator at the meeting point became increasingly intense, and it was obvious that Lu Zihao was at a disadvantage. After all, it was obvious that his cultivation level and battle experience could not compare to that of the purple-armored cultivator.

Just as he was about to lose, the purple-armored cultivator suddenly retreated. In a flash, he returned to the bald youth's side with a shake of his body and bowed toward Lu Zihao with cupped fists.

"It's a draw!"

Lu Zihao was taken aback. As he was about to speak, a strange glow suddenly appeared in the bald youth's eyes. He lifted his chin slightly and spoke softly while looking at Wang Baole.

"Now, let's duel!"

Lu Zihao's breathing hastened; he looked at the bald youth then looked toward Wang Baole. No matter how slow his reaction speed was, he understood that at this moment, his opponents' target was not himself at all. It was Wang Baole!

He even suspected that his opponents might have used an unknown method to him to find out that Wang Baole was assisting him, choosing to join the competition because of that. Without a doubt, their backgrounds were extraordinary; that was why they could meet Wang Baole and have this battle with him in the end!

With those thoughts in mind, Lu Zihao had a conflicted look, but he did not say any more. Instead, he returned to Wang Baole's side and remained silent.

Wang Baole raised his head and gazed at the bald youth. Actually, from the moment he first looked at the bald youth, he already had the feeling that the bald youth was sitting there as though he was waiting for him.

But that felt a bit ridiculous, so Wang Baole did not think much of it. However, seeing how obvious the bald youth's actions and words were, he could not help but ask, "Do we know each other?"

"Master said that a few people have tremendous potential and let me invite them to work together and support one another. You're one of them, but I feel that you're just ordinary. However, I thought about giving you a chance, so I looked for you to test you in a battle!" The bald youth raised his head and spoke calmly. As he spoke, it seemed like a certain aura was emanating from his body.

"Can you speak normally? Can you stop posturing?" Wang Baole seemed speechless and raised his hand to smack his forehead. However, at the moment he raised his hand, he did not smack it against his forehead. Instead, he turned his palm over and slammed it toward the ground.

With a boom, his body left the ground like a hare using the force from the slam. Like an arrow shot from a bow, he burst toward the bald youth instantly with his body almost pressed toward the ground.

His actions were as smooth as flowing water, unexpected and cleanly executed. At that moment, Wang Baole's speed was released without reservation, causing him to look like he was flying. His cultivation erupted completely, conjuring Spirit Qi storms around his body. From afar, he looked imposing. Getting close to the bald youth in the blink of an eye, he grabbed toward him.

All this happened too fast, and the bald youth was stunned for a moment, obviously not given enough time to react. However, it was as though the sole purpose in life of the guard at his side—the purple-armored cultivator—was to protect Li Wuchen. Being well-versed in combat and constantly monitoring Wang Baole's actions, he actually stepped out and blocked Wang Baole at that moment.

A boom immediately sounded, and the purple-armored cultivator's body shook violently. Shock appeared in his expression, and he retreated dejectedly while fresh blood leaked from the corner of his mouth. Nonetheless, his block had some effect, causing Wang Baole to slow down a bit.

The bald youth's breathing hastened, using this split second to retreat backward rapidly just as Wang Baole got close. He dodged Wang Baole's grab, and it whizzed past his face. He raised his right hand, pressing toward Wang Baole through the air.

Immediately, a huge boom sounded between the two of them, and a strong force exploded forth. It forced Wang Baole, raring to charge forward again, to take many steps backward, and regret appeared in his gaze.

"Your reaction speed is pretty fast, but it's a two on one, so you can't be considered a true man."

"You're shameless, you ambushed me!" the bald youth exclaimed angrily. He could not remain calm at that moment and retreated backward rapidly.

"Finally, not posturing?" Wang Baole glared at him.

Everyone who saw that scene on the sky platform had pleasant looks of surprise. That was especially so for General Zhou and the Red-robed Cultivator. The both of them had radiant glows in their eyes.

"Nice!"

However, Zhou Lu seemed very unhappy and muttered, "That's a sneak attack. It can't be considered as glorious!"

"Did your brain get damaged from studying too much at White Deer Dao College? Pedantic!" General Zhou furrowed his eyebrows and, in a rare occurrence, berated Zhou Lu.

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Chapter 154: Illusory Armament, Up to Your Imagination!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

This was the first time that Zhou Lu had experienced this kind of scolding since she enlisted in the army. In that instant, her expression changed slightly. She wanted to retort but did not dare. Hence, she could only bow her head, but the indignation and injustice in her heart kept growing.

In the end, she whispered, "Shouldn't cultivators of my generation do things in a just and forthright manner so as to follow the Great Dao?"

"Doing things in a just and forthright manner is one's primary intention; attacking your opponent depends on means. Are they the same? What about the Great Dao? Do you think that the purpose of cultivation is to follow the Great Dao!" General Zhou had a strict expression and glared at Zhou Lu.

"The purpose of cultivation is for self-protection, survival, and killing! Only when you resolve all these issues do you have the right to follow the supposed Great Dao!" General Zhou seemed unwilling to say too much, and he stopped glaring at Zhou Lu, ignoring her.

Zhou Lu was taken aback. It was obvious that she had never heard this train of thought in White Deer Dao College. This was the first time that she had heard of it, and she was a little lost. She lowered her head in thought.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield that everyone was paying attention to, after the bald youth's attack, after Wang Baole's body flew backward and the distance between them increased, the bald youth glared at Wang Baole. After taking a deep breath and forcing himself to calm down again, a golden glow appeared deep within the bald youth's eyes. He raised a finger on his right hand, putting it in front of his face, and spoke calmly.

"Master said that the Dao Enlightenment faculty of Ethereal Dao College can understand the myriad Dao of the Heavens and Earth, choose one to fuse with, and form a world. I, Wuchen, am foolish; I only created a drop of water. Please teach me, Fellow Daoist Wang." At this moment, his voice seemed different, emanating a deep persistence.

Almost immediately after he opened his mouth and raised his finger on his right hand, a drop of water gathered from the surroundings, seemingly out of thin air. It was directly manifested on the bald youth's fingertip.

This water droplet was clear, reflecting the light from all directions. In the blink of an eye, it seemed resplendent, and the moment that it appeared, all the light from the surroundings seemed to dim. This water droplet, unbelievably bright, became the center of attention!

The moment that the water droplet appeared, Lu Zihao's expression changed completely. An unprecedented sense of danger stifled his breathing, causing him to instinctively retreat backward as though he wanted to get far away from this place.

That droplet of water made him feel like it was irresistible. In fact, he felt that his state of mind would be shaken like it was struck by lightning after just one look at the water droplet.

"What kind of Dharma spell is that? He didn't even use talismans. Is he really at the first level of the True Breath realm? He claims that he's from the Dao Enlightenment Faculty?"

While Lu Zihao's state of mind was shaken, Wang Baole narrowed his eyes. The appearance of the water droplet also made him feel an inexplicable sense of danger. It was as though this water droplet contained some power that he could not understand. Even if it was only a sliver, this sliver of strange power seemed to be able to stir the surroundings and affect his whole state of mind.

This guy is from the Dao Enlightenment faculty! Wang Baole stifled his breath. Originally, Wang Baole did not think highly of the Dao Enlightenment faculty. Right now, the moment that he saw the water droplet, he felt that impression of the Dao Enlightenment faculty was a little different now.

But, so what if they're from the Dao Enlightenment Faculty. He instinctively dodged against my attack just now. That means… as long as I get close to him, I can definitely send him flying with a punch!

After that temporary shock, a keen glint exploded from Wang Baole's eyes, and a purple glow flashed deep within his eyes. At that moment, circulating all of his cultivation and unleashing his aura, he strode toward the bald youth.

As Wang Baole's imposing might was created, he was like a sharp sword drawn from its scabbard. The moment that he strode forward, the bald youth seemed to feel Wang Baole's force. He narrowed his eyes and flicked his right hand. Immediately, the water droplet left a resplendent mark and shot toward Wang Baole.

"You have no chance to get close to me again."

Almost at the same time as the bald youth spoke, Wang Baole landed on one foot, his body shooting up and changing direction in midair. He wanted to avoid the water droplet, but this water droplet was special. At that moment, it exploded, forming a cloud of mist. With indescribable speed and tumbling crazily, it spread in all directions, enveloping Wang Baole.

As the mist surrounded him, Wang Baole's vision was blurred. When he could see clearly again, his eyes immediately narrowed. At that moment, everything in his surroundings had changed. Lu Zihao and the mountain peaks had all vanished.

Even the viewing platform disappeared from the sky. It was as though there was only the mist left in the world. Standing there was like standing in a sea of mist, as though one was forcefully pulled into an illusion.

"An illusion?" Wang Baole's breath hastened slightly, feeling cautious. Suddenly, the surrounding mist tumbled, and following the echoing waves of weird growls, many faces shot out from the mist. Without exception, all of those faces looked like Wang Baole's!

They all had different expressions. Some were laughing, some were crying, some were gnashing their teeth in anger, and some were crying hysterically in desperation. There were even some showing greed. It was as though they wanted to express a human's seven emotions and six sensory pleasures through different faces, and they were all whizzing toward Wang Baole.

Wang Baole's expression changed, and he summoned Flying Frost Swords with hand seals using his right hand. Protective Beads exploded, forming a protective screen. But to the faces showing the seven emotions and six sensory pleasures, it had no effect. It was completely ignored by the faces and they passed through it, as though wanting to devour him and bite him to shreds, destroying his body and mind!

It's pretty similar… to the Enduring Clan! Wang Baole's expression changed. These faces made him think of his experiences in the debris mountain.

Just as Wang Baole's state as mind was shaken, Li Wuchen's voice resonated within the mist world.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, we from the Dao Enlightenment Faculty seek to understand the myriad Dao of the Heavens and Earth. After I fused the water droplet, I created with a thread of alien Spirit Blood given to me by my master, and it went through refinement by my master's spells. I finally created this area—the ultimate transmogrified Illusory Armament!

"In the world of my Illusory Armament… everything is up to your imagination! You can see this place as a virtual world of your consciousness, so in here, you're free to imagine. Even if you imagine that you've become a peerless master and come to battle me, it's not an issue!

"However, this is my Illusory Armament, so no matter what you imagine in here, I'll always be stronger than you. Master once said that you have tremendous potential. So, in here, I really want to know how great your ambition is when faced with your seven emotions and six sensory pleasures!"

As Li Wuchen's words echoed, the faces charging toward Wang Baole all started roaring louder. As they suddenly got close to him, a cold glint flashed in Wang Baole's eyes, and he immediately retreated backward.

Illusory Armament? What's that?

Fighting on the basis of imagination? You can battle like that? Seems like those from the Dao Enlightenment faculty are all crazy after all…

With suspicion, Wang Baole tried imagining himself as an unstoppable giant. As that thought arose, his body expanded in the blink of an eye. In this world, he was unbelievably massive, as though he was able to hold up the heavens and support the earth.

You really can do that!

Shaken, Wang Baole felt that a power capable, shaking up the heavens and earth and destroying everything, was exploding within his body. However, at that moment, the illusory mist world expanded according. It was as though this world could contain any outrageous creation that Wang Baole's imagination could come up with!

At that moment, the whizzing faces also expanded, fusing together with each other. Finally, a huge face seemingly blocking out half the sky appeared before him. With an aura even more imposing than Wang Baole's, it flew toward him.

It was as though, in front of it, there was no such thing as an unstoppable giant!

At this moment, outside of the illusion, in the sky platform for the Combat Pavilion's huge competition, the eyes of the Army, Federation officials, and Ethereal Dao College Elders were all wide open. In fact, many people stood up directly.

"This is…"

"Illusory Armament, this is a self-created spell of the former Federation President, Li Xingwen, when he was trying to gain enlightenment on Dharmic Armaments! He once said that he would use this spell to create a huge revolution regarding Dharmic Artifacts in the Federation. He would use that to obtain the approval of the Heavens and Earth and try to break through, thereby becoming the Federation's only Nascent Soul expert!"

"Li Xingwen is a heaven-sent genius. It wouldn't be wrong to say that his affinity for enlightenment is the best in the Federation. I'm surprised his disciple has the same affinity for enlightenment. He's only a True Breath disciple, yet he can use this spell!"

In the eyes of the people watching from the viewing platform in the sky, on the battlefield where Wang Baole and Li Wuchen were, Li Wuchen was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed. His lips quivered slightly, and he was chanting a mantra that outsiders could not hear.

In front of him, ten feet away, there was an enormous water ball. This water ball was turbid, as though there was mist tumbling within it. Although one could not see Wang Baole's body clearly, he was trapped within that water ball!

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Wang Baole did not know about the surprise of those on the sky platform.

In the mist world, he had transformed into a massive giant, producing huge rumbles with his footsteps. With his eyes showing that he did not believe in evil, he threw a punch toward the huge face in the sky!

"Break!"

This punch shook the heavens and stirred the surroundings. It even conjured a storm that seemed able to destroy everything. In no time, it came into contact with the face that was whizzing forward.

The resulting boom shook the heavens, and the face trembled. Multiple cracks appeared on it, and it collapsed directly as though it was unable to withstand the blow.

However, the moment that it collapsed, Wang Baole's expression changed. He wanted to retreat backward, but it was too late. The collapsing face transformed into countless small faces. Roaring forth with a speed much faster than before, they traveled along Wang Baole's arm and entered his body, circulating around his meridians!

So weird!

Feeling like his body was full of rays of auras, Wang Baole immediately inhaled. Each ray represented one of the seven emotions and six sensory pleasures. They were bumping around randomly as though they wanted to burst open his body and tear it apart.

How do I fight like this? This is his territory. He'll always be stronger than me no matter how I use my imagination. Besides, I really can't fight against a crazy guy in terms of imagination… There's no use even if I imagine myself as the Federation President.

Wang Baole's eyeballs were about to burst. He still could not get used to this battle of imagination. Seeing how cracks were appearing on his body at that moment, he was just about to imagine his devouring seed absorbing the crack out of panic when he suddenly had a light bulb moment.

That's not right… Why am I fighting him with my imagination? I should be fighting him in terms of refining Dharmic Artifacts. You can't depend on imagination alone to refine Dharmic Artifacts! The process is unbelievably complex. If he doesn't know the basics or the principles behind it, even if he imagines Dharmic Artifacts, they'll only be mirages!

Until absolutely necessary, Wang Baole was instinctively unwilling to use his devouring seed in public.

As for the auras within my body… I'll take them as Spirit Qi to refine! Wang Baole had a vicious look in his eyes, raising his right hand. As though he was refining Spirit Stones and absorbing the surrounding Spirit Qi, he opened his right hand instantly, targeting the auras expressing the seven emotions and six sensory pleasures within his body.

In a flash, Wang Baole's body shuddered, and the bald youth's exclamation sounded within the illusory world. As the exclamation reverberated, the seven emotions and six sensory pleasures within Wang Baole's body actually flew toward his right hand after being guided and started gathering!

In the blink of an eye, a Spirit Stone, formed using the seven emotions and six sensory pleasures, rapidly appeared in Wang Baole's right palm!

This Spirit Stone was extremely radiant, with its resplendence surpassing that of the Rainbow Spirit Stones refined by Wang Baole. The moment that it appeared, a dazzling glow exploded from it. This caused the surrounding mist to visibly dissipate, as though they were snowflakes coming into contact with a heatwave.

"Knowledge is power! Little Baldy, this is the result of you not knowing how to refine Dharmic Artifacts!"

Seeing that it was effective, Wang Baole was instantly surprised. Laughing, he used all of his power to activate the Spirit Stone in his hand, causing its radiance to burst forth once more. As it spread toward the surroundings, the mist instantly thinned after tumbling and dissipating.

Wang Baole was excited, and he took a step forward. As his foot landed, cracks actually appeared in that mist-covered world, as though it was a mirror. It seemed like it was unable to withstand the impact and was about to collapse. Through those cracks, Wang Baole could clearly see the battlefield at the mountain road meeting point outside.

Whether it was Lu Zihao who rushed to one side or the viewing platform in the sky, they all entered his field of vision. Ten feet directly in front of him were the bald youth and the purple-armored cultivator, who had a different expression.

"This illusion realm is pretty interesting!" Wang Baole's eyes glowed, the glow of the Spirit Stone created from the seven emotions and six sensory pleasures exploding forth once more. His body also whizzed forward, seemingly fusing with the glow. He aimed to shatter this mirror-like world where cracks had already appeared!

At that moment, on the battlefield at the mountain peak's meeting point, the purple-armored cultivator had an expression of shock. In his eyes, Wang Baole remained where he was and had a huge water droplet enveloping his body.

This water droplet enveloped him within it. Looking from afar, it was like an amber, but upon closer inspection, cracks actually appeared on the water droplet. It was as though it could not withstand Wang Baole's sharp aura and was about to collapse!

As for the meditating bald youth, he had an even nastier look. Staring at Wang Baole, blood leaked from the corner of his mouth, and his gaze showed deep indignation.

Actually, when he previously spoke to Wang Baole, he was trying to mislead him. He knew that even though he had created the water droplet through his own natural talent and transformed it into his own Illusory Armament under the assistance of his master, he was lacking in ability and knowledge. He could not achieve mastery in all areas such as alchemy, Dharmic Artifact refinement, and array formations. That was why he was unable to control the Illusory Armament perfectly as of now.

That was why his mislead Wang Baole, making him ignore this point and purely depend on his imagination. That way, he could make use of the Illusory Armament to establish a position of invincibility.

But he did not think that Wang Baole would come to a realization that quickly. At this moment, with indignation in his heart, the bald youth's eyes glowed. Just as the water droplet was about to collapse, decisiveness appeared in his eyes. He raised his right hand and pointed toward the water droplet that Wang Baole was in!

"My Illusory Armament world is indestructible. Seal!"

As his words rippled through the air, he caused the water droplet enveloping Wang Baole to heal. The cracks on it were visibly closing up, seemingly letting the water droplet regain its original glossiness. Within the droplet, multiple faces appeared. They no longer looked like Wang Baole—they looked even more hideous!

Within the water droplet illusion, Wang Baole saw everything that was happening outside through the huge cracks in front of him. As the cracks were closing up rapidly, he raised his right hand and laughed coldly. "It's no use!"

A cold glint flashed in Wang Baole's eyes. "Refining Dharmic Artifacts doesn't only involve creating Spirit Stones—it also involves Inscriptions and Spirit Kernels!"

As he raised his right hand, countless Inscriptions at his side spread toward the surroundings as though they could topple mountains and move the seas.

If it was somewhere else, these Inscriptions would all have been in Wang Baole's memories and naturally been unable to be manifested. However, since this mist world depended on imagination, the countless Inscriptions manifested according to Wang Baole's imagination at that moment.

There were way too many Inscriptions. Not only was their number close to a million, Wang Baole could create more using the formula that he had mastered. There were even high-level Inscriptions inside. They covered the heavens and earth, almost occupying the whole mist world. They even formed storms, sweeping across the land. While their aura shook the heavens, they kept colliding with the faces, creating loud booms constantly.

"I thought about this in the past. What would happen if I gathered all the Inscriptions onto a single Spirit Stone? Sadly, that was impractical, and no one could do it, but in here… since you said this world is indestructible, let's see if it can withstand my… dream!"

A strange glow appeared in Wang Baole's eyes as he suddenly realized that this world of imagination was actually a unique opportunity for him!

In here, he could use his knowledge to refine a Dharmic Artifact in his imagination. During the process of this Dharmic Artifact's refinement, he did not need refinement materials, and there was no chance of failure. Hence, for Wang Baole, the experience of this process was extremely precious!

With this thought, Wang Baole's eyes immediately lit up, and his body actually moved backward. He did not care that this world's cracks were being rapidly repaired. He had already lost the intention to leave. Instead, his eyes were full of vigor.

Laughing, he raised his left hand and waved toward the surrounding Inscriptions. On the Spirit Stone formed using the seven emotions and six sensory pleasures, he started carving Inscriptions!

In the blink of an eye, countless Inscriptions appeared on the seven emotions and six sensory pleasures Spirit Stone. These Inscriptions were densely packed, covering the entire Spirit Stone.

"That's not enough, I still need to continue!" Wang Baole grabbed his hair, continuing to carve Inscriptions. Very quickly, the Inscriptions on the Spirit Stone started overlapping layer after layer.

As the Inscriptions overlapped, a terrifying aura slowly arose from this Spirit Stone. In a moment, this aura rose to horrifying levels!

The surroundings warped, the mist was tumbling, and the faces within were retreating backward. They had expressions of fear, not daring to get close to him. It was as though a horrifying presence existed where Wang Baole was.

"It's still not enough, damn it. Make this Spirit Stone bigger!" Wang Baole's breath hastened, and he seemed to forget that he was fighting against someone at that moment. Only Inscriptions appeared in his eyes, and he threw the Spirit Stone in his hand, making it float in midair. He grabbed with his right hand, grabbing all the surrounding faces that had already retreated in fear.

Sharp, hysterical cries sounded. The previously fierce faces now tried to avoid Wang Baole frantically, but they were unable to escape. Under Wang Baole's suction force, they were all sucked toward him and sent into the Spirit Stone, causing it to expand continuously. At the same time, Wang Baole controlled the surrounding Inscriptions, frantically gathering the Inscriptions yet again.

At this point, the aura emanating from the Spirit Stone had already reached a horrifying level. In fact, the world had already started shaking!

Outsiders could not experience it, but the bald youth's expression changed greatly, and his breathing hastened. Just as he was considering whether to end this battle or not, Wang Baole suddenly raised his head in the mist world.

"This Spirit Stone is too small; it's not enough at all. It's not enough even if I overlap the Inscriptions!" Viciousness appeared in Wang Baole's eyes at that moment. After looking toward his surroundings, a strong glow suddenly appeared in his eyes, and he smacked his forehead.

I must be a fool. Why did I think about carving Inscriptions on Spirit Stones? I can carve them on this world! Can't Dharmic Armament disciples refine anything in this universe? Let me refine this world and refine it into a Dharmic Armament!

With this thought, Wang Baole was so excited his body started quivering. Throwing back his head and laughing, he waved both of his hands. Instantly, all of the Inscriptions in that world exploded forth. They no longer floated in midair, instead fusing with the world, and he started… carving!

Right at that moment, the bald youth outside was instantly dumbfounded. A bad feeling immediately gushed within him like waves, causing his breathing to hasten and his eyes to widen.

"Wang Baole, stop it. I'm done playing, f*cking hell… Stop it!"

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Chapter 156: You Dare Command Me?

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

While the bald youth was bellowing, Wang Baole threw back his head and laughed in the world of the water droplet. All Inscriptions in this universe burst with great light as Wang Baole waved his hands, imprinting on this emptiness and this world!

At a glance, countless Inscriptions hung in the sky of this empty world, decorating it. Although the sky was not entirely covered by these Inscriptions, they still acted as stars in the night sky that could not be counted with the naked eye!

"Yes, that's right. This is the feeling!" Wang Baole said excitedly. His hair was streaming in the wind, and his eyes were full of excitement. At that instant, his brain was completely filled with formulas of Inscriptions. It seemed that to him, the whole Illusory Armament world had become his toy.

"Continue to imprint. The imprinting is far from complete as this world is so big," Wang Baole muttered to himself. He looked stimulated and even quivered because of the excitement. Indeed, this kind of experience was an opportunity that came about with luck, and couldn't be forcefully attained.

While he was waving his hands, more Inscriptions were created out of nothing and stayed around him. With his will, all Inscriptions moved around and sealed on the universe again. Soon after, as far as the eye could see, this universe was full of countless 'stars'. They were all Inscriptions!

At this moment, there were too many Inscriptions being imprinted, and each of them was created by Wang Baole and contained his will. Because of this, when Inscriptions spread and occupied this Illusory Armament world formed by the water droplet, they actually started to compete intangibly with the bald youth to contend for the control over this world!

When the bald youth in the outside world saw this, his expression changed radically. He stopped sitting cross-legged, stood up abruptly, and started to exclaim.

"Wang Baole, you are shameless! This is robbery, stop now!"

The bald youth had become agitated, and his facial expressions kept changing. His calmness had completely disappeared, and he had already been driven mad.

When he roared, he started to conjure hand seals to take back his magic weapon. In his heart, he already regretted finding Wang Baole to test the power of his Illusory Armament. It was because he really did not expect that Wang Baole would be so impudent and even want to refine his Illusory Armament for himself!

If Wang Baole refined his Illusory Armament successfully, it was the same as taking away his Illusory Armament. He had never thought of such a thing. This was unthinkable and ridiculous!

At this moment, veins on his forehead popped out, and he moved his hands quickly to conjure hand seals. Immediately, the hand seals covered Wang Baole's water droplet. The water droplet started to distort instantaneously and seemed to disappear.

However, it was too late…

In the Illusory Armament world, a strange gleam appeared in Wang Baole's eyes. He raised his hands, grabbed Spirit Stones of the seven emotions and six sensory pleasures in front of him, and pressed them down abruptly. A roar came out of his mouth.

"Viewing this world as Spirit Stones!

"Endless inscriptions are made!

"Condensing them into… supreme Spirit Kernels!"

Those three sentences used to be in the Technique of Infinite Armament Transformation, and they had just been changed by Wang Baole. However, when he roared, it was imposing, extraordinary, and earth-shaking! The moment when it reverberated in the sky, all Inscriptions in the world that were like stars emitted even more brightness immediately and pervaded the whole world!

When Wang Baole's hands pressed downward, the Spirit Stones of the seven emotions and six sensory pleasures in his hands collapsed and exploded. Countless Inscriptions inside the stones burst immediately. At the same time, there was also a storm rolling in Wang Baole's head.

Ever since his introduction to Dharmic Armaments, all the Inscriptions that he had mastered since he began studying Dharmic Armaments burst out in a split second thanks to the derivation from his formula. These Inscriptions coalesced with the Inscriptions inside the Spirit Stones of the seven emotions and six sensory pleasures to form a sea of Inscriptions!

These Inscriptions were endless and stayed around Wang Baole. They had become earth-shaking storms that rumbled and spread all around like the carpet.

From a distance, people could see the sea of Inscriptions spreading all around frantically. The ground of the world had been completely covered in the blink of an eye.

It was not the end. With such a high speed, Inscriptions seemed to reach the edge, and they actually spread upward. In this process, as there were already Inscriptions like stars in the sky, it seemed that the sea of stars and sea of Inscriptions attracted and merged with each other to make the sea of Inscriptions magnificent. Inscriptions spread even more rapidly and immediately… covered the entire sky of the world!

At a glance, the entire world, whether heaven or earth, was filled with Inscriptions!

For people in the outside world, the water droplet that wrapped Wang Baole now appeared to be thickly dotted and completely occupied by Inscriptions. This shocking scene made everyone in the stands astonished.

The bald youth was driven completely mad. He even bit his tongue and spat blood while roaring to forcibly control and take back the Illusory Armament. He was really regretting his decision.

"Wang Baole!"

However, he spat blood, tried to wrangle back control, and roared in vain. Actually, when Wang Baole realized and wanted to refine the Illusory Armament, all that was already irreversible.

However, the bald youth was not resigned to it, and he could not take the consequences. The water droplet came from his hard work. With precious Spirit Blood and help from his master, it had finally been refined into the Illusory Armament.

"This is my Illusory Armament; nobody can take it away!" the bald youth said. His expression was ferocious as he conjured hand seals again while roaring. He was determined to take back the weapon again at all costs.

But at the same time, in the world that was occupied by the Wang Baole's Inscriptions, Wang Baole, who pressed the ground using two hands, raised his head slowly and looked around. He could feel that the world of the water droplet had become different.

For the previous world of the water droplet, Wang Baole was only a stranger who was dragged into it, but now, he could feel that he had already become its master.

It seemed that a thought could change the world.

Besides this, the structure and environment of this world of the water droplet struck such a stark contrast and changed completely!

There was no fog and no faces. At a glance, heaven or earth, everything was all Inscriptions… Among these Inscriptions, there seemed to be some lightning. The irregular lightning shuttled among Inscriptions ceaselessly. Sometimes, many bolts of lightning collided with one another to either disappear or become stronger.

Taking in all of that, there was a glimmer of inspiration in Wang Baole's eyes.

Oh, this is the feeling of refining all things into a Dharmic Armament , Wang Baole muttered to himself. This kind of experience was immensely imperative to him. This experience truly opened the doors of Dharmic Armaments for him.

Everything is viewed as Spirit Stones. Endless inscriptions are made, condensing them into… supreme Spirit Kernels!

This sentence surfaced in Wang Baole's mind again. However, he suddenly felt that he had gained a deeper understanding this time.

So, I am currently… inside the Spirit Kernel that I refined. Oh, this is actually how the interior of a Spirit Kernel looks.

Actually, not only can Inscriptions be carved outside but also inside!

There was yet another glimmer of understanding and inspiration in Wang Baole's eyes.

Inscriptions are connected with one another by these lightning that cannot be seen with the naked eye, which in turn unleashes this amazing power.

Wang Baole took a deep breath and had an intoxicated expression. It seemed that this world of Inscriptions had become the most marvelous thing in the world to him. After a long while, he gave a slight smile.

So, how do these lightning bolts form? Perhaps this is the function of the Spirit Stones! Wang Baole thought with eyes flashing with excitement. He looked around carefully and suddenly realized that there was a wisp of golden threads blinking and moving in the surrounding sea of Inscriptions.

"Eh?" Wang Baole exclaimed with eyes lighting up. This wisp of golden threads seemed to contain amazing Spirit Momentum that was formed by the compression of magnificent Spirit Qi. While it was moving around, it seemed to have a mind of its own and had destroyed the Inscriptions ceaselessly, aiming to turn the world back to the original world of fog.

However, since there were too many Inscriptions there that also complemented one another, even though the golden threads were powerful, it would not succeed by itself. But if no action was taken to impede it, maybe as time went by, it could do it.

Is this what Little Baldy did? Wang Baole muttered with a smile. He could feel the breath of the bald youth from this golden threads. He rose up and waved his right hand, and the world started to shake immediately. While all the Inscriptions were twinkling, the lightning had turned the whole world into a pool of lighting and swept away everything with thunder. The golden threads attempted to evade in vain, and it was quickly overwhelmed by the sea of lightning.

After the lightning disappeared, the golden threads turned into the color of blood. The breath of the bald youth inside it was gone!

"I can go out now!" Wang Baole said and gave a loud laugh. He leaned forward and stepped out!

At the same time, the bald youth in the outside world, who was trying his best to control and take the Illusory Armament back, trembled abruptly with his face turning pale. He staggered and stepped back. With unspeakable rage in his eyes, he was going to roar.

But before he shouted even one word, at the battleground of the last gathering point on the mountaintop, the water droplet Illusory Armament that enveloped Wang Baole released a brilliant light.

The light was like numerous sharp swords. While it was spreading around, Wang Baole stepped out of the water droplet!

As he walked out, he raised his right hand, and the world of the water droplet twinkled and shrunk into a small water droplet in the blink of an eye. It floated above Wang Baole's palm and shimmered. It looked like a droplet of ambrosia instead of water!

"Wang Baole, return my Illusory Armament now…" The bald youth, Li Wuchen, glared at Wang Baole in an extremely bad mood.

"You dare command me? This bead looks delicious…" Wang Baole glanced at the bald youth. He raised his hand and threw this drip of water into his mouth directly. He swallowed it while the bald youth was staring at him in astonishment.

Wang Baole burped with a smile. "That was rather delicious."

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Chapter 157: The Burst of Spirit Blood

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The bald youth was dumbfounded and froze on the spot. It seemed that he could not accept what he had just seen, and his eyes were full of blankness. He muttered while in a trance, "He… ate my Illusory Armament?"

"Yea, of course I ate it. I can show you if you don't believe me," Wang Baole said after hearing the youth. He opened his mouth and showed to the bald youth that he really had eaten it.

Even Lu Zihao, who had constantly been paying close attention to the battle, had an odd look after seeing this. He looked at the bald youth and then at Wang Baole. Even though he really disliked the former, he still could not help but curse Wang Baole.

"Bastard, that's such a low blow! Where does he come from? The Dharmic Armament Pavilion or the Gourmand Pavilion? Isn't he afraid of dying because of this?"

While Lu Zihao was muttering, the purple-armored cultivator was also dumbstruck and frightened by what Wang Baole had just done.

As for the bald youth, he seemed to have been struck dumb with amazement and could not accept all of this. He actually looked at Wang Baole's mouth and started to tremble.

"You… you really ate it," the bald youth murmured, and his breathing started to hasten. He seemed to gradually accept this fact, and his brain was buzzing at this moment.

There were seemingly thousands of lightning bolts exploding in his brain continuously. They became increasingly powerful and finally led to endless echoes that shocked his mind and soul, causing him to tremble uncontrollably. After which, he raised his head suddenly and started to roar with eyes full of dense blood streaks.

"Wang Baole!" he yelled to the sky, and he was driven completely mad. With hastened breath, unprecedented madness and a sense of absurdity seemed to cause his blood vessels to explode. He even spurted a mouthful of blood because of the rage.

"You… you really ate it!" the bald youth howled. He intended to kill Wang Baole, but because of the setback, his eyes dulled, and his steps staggered just after moving a few steps. He felt that the whole world in front of him was spinning.

Luckily, the purple-armored cultivator beside him walked up quickly and held onto him so that he did not fall down. However, his eyes had already turned red like blood, and if eyes could be used as weapons, Wang Baole would certainly have been stabbed to death with his body riddled with holes.

"Wang Baole, spit it out! Return my Illusory Armament, that's mine… I refined it with my tears and blood, how can you eat it?" the bald youth screamed. He held the purple-armored cultivator's arms and barely steadied himself. He could not help but start to cry and scream.

After seeing him overreacting, Wang Baole moved a few steps back instinctively with vigilance. He blinked and lightly cough. He felt that he was bullying the bald youth and had even made him cry. Thus, he waved his hand and took out a Golden Bell Shield Bead. He threw it to the Youth and then said, "It's just a droplet. This is your compensation."

"You're still humiliating me! What is this? I used Spirit Blood to refine it. Spirit Blood, do you understand?" the bald youth roared even louder than before. He swung his sleeve and knocked the bead away.

"Are you trying to racketeer? Blackmail me?" Wang Baole stared at him. Just before he spoke, his expression had changed abruptly as he realized the water droplet that he had just swallowed had started to change strangely.

In fact, the reason Wang Baole dared to swallow the water droplet was because he had refined it out of nothing and turned it into the Spirit Kernel. There was also his seal inside it, which caused him to think naturally that his body could coalesce with this thing.

That is why he had swallowed it. At first, it was in his stomach and did not change at all. However, at this moment, there was a wisp of blood coming out from the water droplet!

This wisp of blood was exactly the same as the one seen by Wang Baole in the world of the water droplet. The moment when it appeared, it started to release Spirit force and accelerate suddenly. It even wrapped the water drip and tried to rush out of Wang Baole's body!

At the same time, the furious bald youth realized this, and his eyes were filled with excitement.

"It's still there!" he said and sat cross-legged at once. He activated the hand seals and pointed toward his brows. With his body trembling, an unknown spell was conjured, which caused the wisp of blood to expand rapidly. Wang Baole was frightened and wanted to spit it out.

But at that moment, the vortex of Wang Baole's devouring seed in his dantian suddenly rotated. An amazing suction force started to leak outside his body and disappeared instantly.

Although it only burst out in a flash, the powerful suction force sucked the wisp of blood back immediately.

This wisp of blood seemed to have been grabbed by an invisible hand. It resisted in vain and was dragged forcibly into the devouring seed, as if it had been pulverized and absorbed by the devouring seed.

Everything happened instantaneously. Wang Baole's devouring seed had already devoured the wisp of blood even before he could react. As for the water droplet, it had been ignored as if the devouring seed despised it.

Wang Baole was taken aback, and his expression changed. After his devouring seed devoured the wisp of blood, it seemed to digest the blood, and an amazing wave of Spirit Qi burst out from his dantian!

The Spirit Qi was extremely powerful and dense. It even exceeded the total amount of Spirit Qi absorbed by Wang Baole until that moment. After the devouring seed burst, the Spirit Qi started to explode in Wang Baole's body like an avalanche!

The extremely dense Spirit Qi crazily spread and accumulated in Wang Baole's body, as if he had become a balloon that was inflated consistently. When Wang Baole saw his body, which was going to explode, his face drained, and he let out a tragic cry.

"What is happening? This is too abrupt!" Wang Baole held his breath and instinctively started to use the Cloud Ethereal Art to absorb the Spirit Qi at once.

With the circulation of Cloud Ethereal Art, tremendous amounts of Spirit Qi were absorbed into his meridians. After circulating around his body, his cultivation level also started to advance. In the blink of an eye, he had reached the middle of first level of the True Breath realm!

But he had no time to be pleasantly surprised—he could not care about other matters in such precarious circumstances. He activated his skills crazily, and soon, he had reached the peak of first level of the True Breath realm!

This speed of enhancement was extremely rapid, as if he had eaten a legendary immortal pill!

However, Wang Baole still cried out as he found that the Spirit Qi in his body was too dense and far beyond his imagination. Even though he had circulated the Cloud Ethereal Art and used his perfect spirit meridians to absorb it, this only prevented him from exploding.

As for the Spirit Qi that could not be absorbed within a short period of time, it all accumulated automatically in Wang Baole's organs, flesh, and blood and turned into spirit fat, even after he tried hopelessly to stop it.

The spirit fat thickened consistently, and Wang Baole's body rapidly inflated. In the blink of an eye, his whole body had turned into a ball, which stunned everyone.

"I… I…" Wang Baole stammered in anger. He tried to lower his head to look at his body but found himself unable to do it. This familiar feeling caused him to cry out even more hopelessly.

How did I become fat again? I've tried so hard to lose weight. My slim body, my handsome face, no…

Don't be fatter. I was at fault. I shouldn't overeat. I haven't become the Federation President; I don't want to die of obesity!

The angry Wang Baole did not even care that his cultivation level had broken through the peak of the first level to the second level of the True Breath realm. His tragic cries, which contained hate and regret, spread everywhere…

At that moment, every disciple on Upper Academy Island who saw this scene through the screens felt their mind and heart quake. Everyone was dumbfounded and kept sucking in deep breaths.

Many of them had seen the whole battle between Wang Baole and the bald youth. Although they did not really understand, Wang Baole's mighty figure in the end had caught their eyes for a long while. However, following that, things had become really unexpected. It was fine for Wang Baole to swallow the water droplet—they also could understand that he had become such a 'fatty'—but they could not accept that his cultivation level had also broken through in front of him.

"This is a major competition of Combat Faculty Pavilion. Yet, he… he has broken through!"

"What kind of luck is this! I also want to break through. If I can break through, so what if I became a 'fatty'!"

"Spirit Blood, what is Spirit Blood?"

When there was an uproar and sounds of discussion exploded forth in Upper Academy Island, on the sky platform of the arena, the military, officials from the Federation, and the upper echelons of the Ethereal Dao College were all stunned with eyes widening, staring at the meatball—Wang Baole.

"I always felt that this Wang Baole is very aggressive. He dared to swallow the Illusory Armament…"

"It's no wonder this Li Wuchen could own an Illusory Armament at the True Breath level. Spirit Blood was actually used to refine it. The Spirit Blood is extracted from the blood of rare alien animals in the Ancient Sword, and it is extremely precious. The way Li Xingwen treats his disciple is way too extravagant!"

When everyone was stunned, General Zhou became even more curious and smiled, as if he was completely satisfied with Wang Baole. As for the upper echelons of the Ethereal Dao College, everyone had odd looks on their faces at this moment. After a while, some people started to whisper.

"Eh… Grand Supreme Elder hasn't come back, right?"

"He has quite a bad temper…"

While the upper echelons of the Ethereal Dao College were having a headache and the middle-aged man in red robes did not know whether to laugh or cry, at the highest point of the world where they could not feel and sense, there seemed to be a layer of water. Above the water surface, an elder sat cross-legged under the white clouds and the blue sky.

This elder was hoary-haired and looked sage-like. He was the Grand Supreme Elder of Ethereal Dao College, the master of the bald youth.

At this moment, he lowered his head and stared downward at the rotund Wang Baole, who was at the gathering point in the mountains. After a while, he seemed to hear Wang Baole's cries, and the elder's expression became astonished. He could not help but started to laugh.

"This fatty, isn't he afraid of dying from overeating?"

While he was saying that, he raised up his hands and pointed downward!

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Chapter 158: I… I Am Pregnant!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

After the Grand Supreme Elder pointed, a blue light, which seemed to be formed by fog but at the same time had features of light, emerged from his finger and flew out.

Its speed was extremely fast and went through the world. When it arrived at the battleground, everyone on Upper Academy Island, as well as disciples in the large competition, were unaware of the light. Even for those in the stands, the number of people who had sensed the light was only two!

One was General Zhou, who was one of the upper echelons of the military with an amazing cultivation level.

The other one was the red-robed cultivator from the Ethereal Dao College. As one of the Deputy Sect Lords in Ethereal Dao College, he had a profound cultivation!

Across the entire arena of the Combat Faculty Pavilion, they were the only two who were aware of the fleeting blue light. Even for them, the blue light could barely be sensed, and their expressions changed instantly. They raised up their heads suddenly to look at the emptiness above the ground and then looked toward Wang Baole.

It was because this blue light was directed at Wang Baole!

Instantly, the blue light arrived and landed on Wang Baole's body without anybody else noticing it. After the light integrated into his body, Wang Baole's body suddenly quivered. His devouring seed had transformed automatically and turned into the eight-inch Spirit Root, as if it had sensed the threat. Even part of his spirit meridians had been concealed.

After the blue light integrated into Wang Baole's body, it circulated around his body and checked. However, nothing was found. It did not take away the Spirit Qi that Wang Baole had absorbed from the Spirit Blood. Instead, it went to the water droplet directly and vibrated slightly after approaching the latter. Instantly, Wang Baole's eyes widened, and his stomach started to brew storms. With a loud sound from his mouth, he spat out the Illusory Armament that he had swallowed previously.

The water droplet went straight to the bald youth and integrated into his glabella. The bald youth also did not care about Wang Baole's saliva and mucus on the water droplet and allowed the water droplet to integrate into his body straightaway.

This took time to describe, but in reality, only split second had passed.

Only then did the blue light leave Wang Baole's body and disappear into the void.

"What happened?" Wang Baole said with eyes widening. His body now looked like a huge meatball. He wanted to touch his tummy, but his hands were not long enough. Wang Baole was upset and angry. After seeing that the water droplet had been taken back by the bald youth, he was infuriated.

"This is robbery! I'd eaten it, and you still took it back. There is my saliva on it. You are so disgusting!"

The bald youth was also confused, but he suddenly thought of something. He did not care about Wang Baole's roar and took out his Illusory Armament instantly to check. His eyes widened immediately after seeing it.

"Wang Baole, what kind of digestive ability is this? How could my Illusory Armament become so weak within such a short period of time?" The bald youth was also upset and raised his head to stare at Wang Baole angrily.

After checking the water droplet, he found that it was no longer as radiant and resplendent as it had previously been.

Now, it had become dull, and there were even many bumps and hollows, as if it had been corroded. Although he had immediately removed all Inscriptions inside the water droplet after gaining back the control, the Illusory Armament still seemed to be badly damaged.

While Wang Baole was glaring furiously at the bald youth, he also noticed the tragic state of the water droplet in the latter's hand. Wang Baole blinked as he felt that even though the droplet had been taken back, it had obviously been absorbed fully by him.

Furthermore, even my devouring seed despised it. How precious could it be? Wang Baole laughed, becoming smugger. He habitually put his hands behind his back but found that his hands were still not long enough…

"Wang Baole, I will remember this. I hope you will also remember my name; I'm Li Wuchen!" the bald youth said. He took a deep breath and barely controlled his temper. After glaring at Wang Baole hatefully, he turned back and left.

The purple-armored cultivator beside him had witnessed everything. Even though he had followed the bald youth and left, he still could not help but take a few looks at Wang Baole, with awe in his heart. Wang Baole had made him utterly astonished and impressed in this battle.

"Why would you give a self-introduction after the battle? That's so stupid," Wang Baole muttered and looked at the bald youth's back. He felt that not only was the bald youth's behavior foolish, even his name was. He needed to tell the youth what was considered a good name.

"Foolish Li, remember my name as well—I'm Wang Baole!" Wang Baole shouted after coming to this realization.

The bald youth, Li Wuchen, staggered and became furious again after hearing Wang Baole's words. He spent quite a while controlling his anger and left rapidly without turning back.

Wang Baole hummed a tune while watching Li Wuchen leave. However, when he lowered his head to look at his tummy, he became upset again. His slim body and handsome face… Wang Baole was going to go mad.

Lu Zihao had an odd expression and tried not to laugh. He did not dare approach Wang Baole and could only look at his amazing body from afar. He wanted to mock Wang Baole but instinctively felt that he should not offend Wang Baole. Otherwise, he would be called 'son'.

Thus, he said softly, "Senior Brother Wang, what should we do next?"

Although he called Wang Baole 'senior brother' with a polite tone, he did not feel that he had violated his own principles. He did not think that he was compromising. Instead, he believed that he was looking out for his fellow schoolmate.

"How would I know?" Wang Baole said sadly. Even though the path toward the peak had been opened, he did not feel like going up after seeing his body. So, he turned back and wanted to leave. He even forgot to ask Lu Zihao for his Dharmic Artifact armor.

"Eh… Then I will leave now, Senior Brother Wang. Thank you so much for your help," Lu Zihao said at once. After saying this, he ran toward the path instantly and charged toward the peak, as if he was so afraid of being asked by Wang Baole for the armor and Flying Frost Swords that had been giving to him previously.

As Lu Zihao charged toward the peak, Wang Baole went down the mountain in a foul mood. But his figure was too special and looked like a huge meatball from afar. While rolling downward, he reached the foothill instantly.

Thankfully, when he arrived at the foothill, a teleportation array appeared in front of him before he said anything. With a vexed mood, he stepped into the array and disappeared instantly.

When he appeared again, he was already back to the square of Upper Academy Island. When he walked out the array, the cheers of spectators from the various pavilions of Upper Academy Island broke out immediately.

"Wang Baole is back!"

If Wang Baole did not become fat, with a good mood, he surely would have chatted with the spectators and become the focus of their attention. At the same time, he could also sell his Dharmic Artifacts.

But now, he was really not in the mood. Especially when he recalled the family tree that his father had shown to him; he felt that those Fatso Forefathers, who had originally left, seemed to be waving at him.

Why did this happen? I only went to provide some help; I only wanted to advertise my Dharmic Armaments! Wang Baole shouted with a sad face. He took out his cruiser and flew to his cave abode in Dharmic Armament Pavilion straight away, leaving the spectators behind.

The spectators' facial expressions varied among themselves after seeing this. All of them were wise and did not disturb Wang Baole, who was obviously going to explode.

As Wang Baole's cruiser was built according to his body, it struggled to maintain a high altitude. With Wang Baole still upset, it shook all the way and returned to his cave abode in Dharmic Armament Pavilion.

After reaching the cave abode, Wang Baole was angry and mad again because he realized that it was very difficult for him to fit in the door of the cave abode. After trying very hard, he finally got into the cave abode.

When he returned to his cave abode, Wang Baole sat on the cattail hassock, which was far smaller than his butt. He looked around his cave abode and cried. He took out the Dharmic Artifact that Chen Yutong had given him and put it on his head. With the vicious gleam in his eyes, he turned it on immediately.

"I haven't eaten for ten years!" Wang Baole said and prepared for what was to come. Alas, after a while, he found that nothing had happened and became stunned. He took the Dharmic Artifact and checked carefully. After making sure that there was no problem, he put it on again.

"I have already run a million steps!"

After finishing his sentence, instantly there a series of beeping sounds coming from the Dharmic Artifact. With excitement, Wang Baole prepared to withstand the pain. However, he was dumbfounded again. Following the beeping sounds, the Dharmic Artifact, which used to be very useful in losing weight, still remained the same. It seemed that his brain had already gotten used to not eating for years or running millions of steps.

"It can't be!" Wang Baole started to get worried.

"I've stayed in the Lava Chamber for ten years!"

"I got stabbed a hundred times and survived. I need nutrients to recover!"

"I was struck by lightning, all spirit fat melt!"

Wang Baole gave many instructions. As the Dharmic Artifact still remained unchanged, his breathing started to hasten, and he was driven mad completely. He started to think of all kinds of ideas. Finally, when he glanced at his round tummy, and there was a flash of light in his mind suddenly.

"I… I am pregnant. I need to melt the spirit fat to provide nutrients!"

After his words, the Dharmic Artifact shook suddenly. Obviously, Wang Baole's words had triggered it, and it started to operate. Wang Baole was very delighted and roared again immediately, "I have multiple births. One hundred, wait no, one thousand!"

There was a bang sound coming out from the Dharmic Artifact, as if it was going to explode. It started to operate at an unprecedented rate.

Before Wang Baole could be happy, he felt his mind buzz, and he immediately fell unconscious.

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Chapter 159: Could This Be a Kidney Stone?

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

As the Dharmic Artifact was spinning at a dizzying speeds in the Dharmic Armament Pavilion cave abode, the order that Wang Baole transmitted to the brain was perfectly activated by the Dharmic Artifact. A momentary explosion resulted in the spirit fat within Wang Baole's unconscious body to visibly disintegrate.

His body gradually recovered. However, the process—compared to normal slimming rates—was indescribably fast. Wang Baole's body also trembled subconsciously.

If seen by others, this would be unnerving. They would not be able to help but be impressed by the fatty's harshness and courage to slim down.

At the same time, in Wang Baole's unconscious state, there was a forbidden zone that was off-limits to those not granted permission to access. It was found on the mountain peak of the Dao Enlightenment Pavilion, located at Upper Academy Island.

Looking from afar, the peak had a depression that looked like a lake. At the lakeside, there was a wooden house. At that moment, the Grand Supreme Elder, who had pointed at Wang Baole, was sitting there, looking at the water surface.

Along his gaze, the great competition within the Combat Pavilion appeared clearly beneath the water surface, just like the ones participated in by Wang Baole. In reality, it was just like a great competition that was held underwater.

Under his observation, the bald youth called Li Wuchen paced quickly from far, wearing an ugly expression. As he arrived, he took a deep breath to barely cool himself down. Walking up to the elder's side, he quietly saluted him once.

"Master."

"How do you feel?" his master asked with his eyes fixated on the lake surface, without looking back. At this moment, the large competition within the Combat Pavilion had already decided on who was the strongest from each mountain peak. The second round of the competition was beginning.

Upon hearing his master's words, Li Wuchen, who could already hardly keep his cool, seemed to struggle to contain his anger even after taking a few consecutive deep breaths. He clenched his teeth.

"That Wang Baole was too shameless! I merely went to test him, yet he went on to swallow my Illusory Armament world and even digested a good half of it… Master, I suspect he was originally a beast!" Li Wuchen felt more exasperated at this moment.

Listening to the words of his disciple, the elder expression somewhat changed. Recalling what had happened earlier, he uncontrollably laughed and turned back to look at the still peeved Li Wuchen.

"Wuchen, why not let Wang Baole be your junior brother?" The elder deliberated, with his eyes having a glint.

"What?" Li Wuchen obviously did not expect that his own master would say such a thing. His mind buzzed. If Wang Baole became his junior brother, that would be extremely terrible in his mind. Li Wuchen became anxious. However, it would be impossible to persuade his master in such a situation. He can only speak indignantly.

"Master, you need to be careful when making such a decision. I am afraid that you may regret it in the future…"

The elder gave a faint smile and turned to look at the lake surface quietly. However, his eyes seemed to be filled with an even sharper glint. The smile at the corner of his lips did not fade away for a long time.

Seeing that his master seemed to have made his decision, Li Wuchen, depressed, could not help but look at the water drops of his own Illusory Weapon World. Particularly when he suddenly recalled that this was spat out from Wang Baole's mouth, his anger uncontrollably shot up, his expression changed, and he sharply inhaled.

As time gradually elapsed, the Combat Pavilion's competition finally ended after three days. Even though Lu Zihao finished strong, he did not come in as champion of the first level of the True Breath realm in the final match. At least, he managed to be among the top ten of those at the first level of the True Breath realm.

The champion this time round was Zhuo Yifan!

In third place was Chen Ziheng. As for the second, it was a female disciple called Wu Hui. She was lesser known. However, the assistant whom she invited was actually Zhao Yameng. With her help, Wu Hui was able to go all the way to the mountain peak. Furthermore, she was augmented by the array formation given by Zhao Yameng afterward, becoming the dark horse of the large competition.

At this moment, the Combat Pavilion's competition finally ended. As the military and the Federation officials were leaving, the top ten warriors of the first to the fifth level of the Combat Pavilion immediately became famous on Upper Academy Island, catching the attention of many people.

In previous years, the supporting teammates of the other pavilions might be mentioned after the competition, but they would not have received as much attention as those victors of the competition. This was because the competition belonged to the Combat Pavilion after all.

However, this time around… it was different. This was due to the appearance of Wang Baole. Regardless of whether it was the advertisement about Dharmic Artifacts that displayed fireworks, his outburst during the battle with Li Wuchen, or his breakthrough in swallowing the water droplets to become a huge fatty, each of those acts was enough to discuss for days.

As such, his name was mentioned multiple times. In fact, he was gradually mentioned more often than the favored ones in the Combat Pavilion, becoming more famous. Even the victors of the competition were all struck dumb when they heard of Wang Baole's feat.

However, the Wang Baole at the moment was still lying very still in his own cave abode, in a state of oblivion. His body would twitch once in a while. At the same time, his body was clearly slimming down, no longer as hefty as when he returned, gradually returning to his original size.

Only at dusk two days later, Wang Baole's body, which was still lying there, jolted to life. He slowly opened his eyes, appearing lost. After Wang Baole regained full consciousness, he suddenly sat up, breathed heavily, and looked down to scrutinize his own body.

Noticing that his abdomen had become much smaller and that his body had fully recovered, Wang Baole was so excited that he immediately took a mirror to examine himself. Upon seeing that familiar face in the mirror, he could not help but laugh out loud.

Success! Things like slimming down is too easy for me! Wang Baole stood up while laughing wildly and continuously turned around in front of the mirror, becoming more and more excited.

I am still this slim and handsome! While being pleased with himself and high-spirited, Wang Baole could not help but raise his hand and thump his abdomen. Just as he was about to sigh emotionally, the thump stunned him and prompted him to look down suspiciously.

Why is it that I feel like I had hit something? Wang Baole touched carefully, while his facial expression suddenly changed for the worst.

What is this round thing? Wang Baole's eyes opened widely, and his breath stop instantaneously. He immediately recalled the order that he had transmitted to his brain before he became unconscious.

It can't be… Wang Baole's head buzzed, and his face turned pale in fear. He quickly took a look and then heaved a sigh of relief. However, he was still stunned for a long while.

At this moment, there was an impressive fist-sized crystal in his body that was found on top of the devouring seed, which occupied his dantian. It seemed like a Spirit Stone but was blood red in color. In it, it seemed to encapsulate the amazing Spirit Qi. Upon sensing it a little, Wang Baole immediately drew a deep breath. Based on his own instincts, this crystal appeared to be like a bomb.

Once burst open, the huge amount of Spirit Qi emitted would definitely cause his body to explode straightaway.

What is this, could this be a kidney stone? A kidney stone formed by highly concentrated Spirit Qi? Wang Baole was quite nervous. After observing it closely, he was taken aback.

Although about ninety percent of the spirit fat in his body had disappeared and his cultivation level had risen a little, he did not feel it strongly. Combining with his recollections of the order that he had transmitted before losing consciousness, the origin of this crystal became perfectly clear.

"Just because I tricked my brain that I was pregnant, the spirit fats dissolved and released Spirit Qi. The Spirit Qi then coagulated to form this thing," Wang Baole muttered in fascination, smiling bitterly for a long time.

It was good that he had realized that the meridians of the Spirit Qi were no longer the Spirit threads in the past. Instead, it seemed like countless threads had come together to form a small stream, flowing along his own meridians, making his own body clearly much stronger than before.

"The second level of the True Breath realm!" Feeling the cultivation level after his own transformation, Wang Baole was much better. He guessed that the stone was very powerful at a glance. If he slowly absorbed it, it would be comparable to pills, expediting his cultivation and refinement.

Wang Baole was excited by this thought and quickly had a go. He realized that as his cultivation was activated and the spirit stream was flowing along his meridians, the red stone indeed released some spirit energy. After being absorbed by the large network of spirit streams, Wang Baole was immediately stimulated.

This is fate! Wang Baole laughed wildly in elation. Realizing that he was truly at the second level of the True Breath realm, his burning excitement made him control the Spirit Qi in his body to concentrate on his palms, according to the spells recorded in the Cloud Ethereal technique. He raised his hand and clenched his fist. A fist-sized fireball immediately appeared with a bang.

Indeed, I no longer need to rely on talismans! Wang Baole's eyes glittered, and he extinguished the fireball with a wave. He tried again, and small wind blades quickly appeared. This excited Wang Baole, prompting him to try over and over again. However, the Spirit Qi in his meridians seemed to deplete very quickly, making it hard for him to withstand the expenditure.

Looking at what happened, Wang Baole quickly stopped trying. After meditating for a while, he realized that the Spirit Qi in his meridians had recovered to normal, and he opened his eyes, unable to contain the look of excitement.

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Chapter 160: Cloud Finger

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

After using it approximately thirty times, the Spirit Qi will be completely depleted. It requires five minutes of meditation to recover. Wang Baole was excited and delighted, because based on the introduction by someone else he had seen on the Spirit Intranet, he knew that others at the second level of the True Breath realm could release the spells at most ten times.

No one had exceeded twenty times. However, he had made it to thirty times, and his restoration time was much shorter. This meant that he was very powerful.

My ability to have multiple transformations with the spirit roots is powerful! Wang Baole was delighted. At this moment, his Spirit Qi was fully replenished. He then recalled the Cloud Finger in the second level of the Cloud Ethereal technique.

This Cloud Finger was a specified spell of the Cloud Ethereal technique. At the same time, it was in fact the special spell of the disciples of Ethereal Dao College. Its power was naturally not ordinary. However, this spell could not be used by cultivators at first level of the True Breath realm. Only at the second level could this spell be utilized.

Upon thinking of this, Wang Baole's heart warmed. After taking a deep breath, he took out the jade slip for the Cloud Ethereal technique and studied it. He then fixed his gaze on it, slowly raised his right hand, and controlled the flow of the Spirit Qi in his body according to the specified method in the Cloud Ethereal technique. Gradually, a thread of mist was formed, drifting out from the tip of Wang Baole's right index finger.

This gray color mist, though seemingly ordinary, did not show any sign of diffusion or disappearing. Instead, it concentrated on Wang Baole's index finger and encircled it, just like a short, gray snake.

"Cloud Finger is able to fade into the void and disappear without a trace. At the same time, it can diffuse like clouds, obstruct external enemies, and even be shot out. Depending on the cultivation level, it can demonstrate varying levels of lethality!" muttered Wang Baole. This was the introduction of Cloud Finger on the jade slip. Looking at the thread of mist on his finger, he was unable to see how powerful it could be. As such, he raised his right hand and waved it once.

Suddenly, the thread of mist encircling his finger really looked like a short snake. Carrying a feel of spiritual movement, it was shot out in an instant and faded into nothingness, making it hardly possible to see its path. In an instant, it touched the face of a wall.

There was no loud bang, just a thud, but Wang Baole's eyes widened, and he took a few steps forward, breathing heavily. He saw a small hole where the thread of mist had touched the wall. Although the small hole did not penetrate the rock wall to the adjacent cave abode, the hole was very deep. By Wang Baole's visual inspection, its depth was about one foot!

It had to be realized that this wall was no ordinary rock; it contained an array formation. Even so, the Cloud Finger was able to penetrate one foot deep, displaying its great power. This made Wang Baole take a deep breath.

At the same time, he felt physically weak. In fact, about sixty percent of the Spirit Qi in his meridians had vanished in an instant.

If it is others in the second level of the True Breath realm, they can perhaps only use it once. Even for myself, I can barely do it twice… This is too powerful! Wang Baole immediately realized that the Cloud Finger was his trump card thus far.

In the midst of his excitement, Wang Baole moved his body. He was again surprised because he felt much stronger than before. As such, he threw a few punches to assess his body, in preparation of a speed test. However, by just moving his body, he almost collided with the wall in an instant. Shocked, Wang Baole quickly stopped his footsteps, raising his hand and leaning forward to support himself.

Immediately, a loud bang came from the wall as if it had been hit by a large force. Wang Baole took a few steps, feeling shocked and baffled.

My strength has increased! But I did not see anyone commenting on the Spirit Intranet that when advancing a level, the body will become stronger. As for myself, both my strength and speed has at least doubled.

Is it because of my devouring seed and hundred percent spirit meridians?

The feeling of being stronger than his peers of the same level made Wang Baole both happy and satisfied. He did not think further. Just as he was about to continue experiencing how much stronger had he been, the voice transmission ring suddenly started to shake. Wang Baole looked down and realized that there were a few hundred voice messages in the voice transmission ring.

They had clearly been sent when he was still in a state of unconsciousness. And even when Wang Baole had regained consciousness, he had not really notice it. After seeing that, he recalled his order form for Dharmic Artifacts and quickly took a look.

After taking a glance, he instantaneously laughed joyously.

Apart from the voice transmission inquiries from his good friends, the others were order forms from unfamiliar disciples. As Wang Baole flipped through them, his eyes slowly glowed with delight.

I've struck it rich!

Most of them are to buy Golden Bell Bead and Shut Up. Other purchases are not common. Looks like the focal point of the advertisement is really very important.

Wang Baole was excited and continued flipping, but very quickly, he was puzzled.

Someone actually wants to buy my small wooden pail for fireworks? What would they want to buy this for? To confess their love?

After reading finish all the order forms behind in awe, Wang Baole scratched his head, fascinated.

Indeed, the number of people buying the small wooden pail for fireworks was second only to the Golden Bell Bead and Shut Up.

However, he was immediately delighted.

Looks like this brand has already gained traction. Nevertheless, I still need to stabilize longer and put a mark on the Dharmic Artifacts to prevent counterfeit goods from appearing!

Wang Baole happily counted and took out all the Dharmic Artifacts that he had refined and made in the past from his storage bracelet and storage bag. However, he was still short of a significant number of artifacts.

But Wang Baole was not at all worried. After much deliberation, he thought of carving the word 'happiness 1 ' on all those artifacts.

I am called Wang Baole. With this method, I can separate my treasures into three different grades. I will carve the word 'happiness' on this batch. After refining and making the Numinous Treasures, I will carve the word 'treasure 2 '. Lastly, when I am able to refine and manufacture Dharmic Armaments, I will carve the word 'king3 '!

If there is one day that I am able to refine and make Divine Armaments, then only these Divine Armaments are worthy to have my full name carved on them!

Unfortunately, although he felt that his words were incredibly grand, there was no one around to suck up to him. While feeling quite wistful, he suddenly thought of Liu Daobin.

I hope that Liu Daobin can work harder and aim to quickly come and help me. I am facing a shortage of manpower.

While sighing, Wang Baole carved the word 'happiness' on all the Dharmic Artifacts and immediately contacted the department in the Dao College that managed the Spirit Intranet. He would send all the artifacts there and let those buyers retrieve and trade them.

Such a trading method was most common on Upper Academy Island. Although the department that managed the Spirit Intranet would collect some fees, this relieved producers from the need of meeting their customers face-to-face, as well as validating that the Dharmic Artifacts were real as it was officially recognized. This helped to eliminate many more undue troubles

At the same time, this allowed people to sell their Dharmic Artifacts anonymously. The department that managed the Spirit Intranet had done a perfect job in protecting privacy all those years.

In days, the first batch of Wang Baole's Dharmic Artifacts was out of stock. With the reflux of a large amount of Spirit Stones, Wang Baole started the refinement and manufacture of the second batch. After half a month, he finally completed all the orders for Dharmic Artifacts. Looking at then Spirit Stoneshe earned, his eyes glimmered.

This helped me earn faster than the refinement of Rainbow Spirit Stones, and it's not exhausting either… Wang Baole was very happy and used all the Spirit Stones that he had earned to buy materials for refining artifacts. Then, he opened up the Dharmic Artifacts guidebook from the Dharmic Armament Pavilion. After searching, he chose the batch that was the hardest to make and refine. He then started to familiarize himself with the manufacturing process and refine the perfect second-grade Dharmic Armaments.

In this batch of Dharmic Artifacts, there were fly-whisks, precious beads, seals, ropes, lotus flower platforms, and many others.

Although he was able to refine the perfect second-grade Dharmic Artifacts, the probability of failing was significant, and he could not be considered skilled at it. With a sufficient amount of materials, he immediately went into seclusion and began his refinement.

Very soon, in the process of manufacture and refining, Wang Baole surprisingly realized that he seemed to be different from the past.

Regardless of whether it was the carving of Inscriptions or the making of Spirit Kernels, he was much sharper and more precise. It was as if that at a glance, he was able to feel the internal structure of the Spirit Kernel that was placed in front of him. Moreover, during the carving of Inscriptions, he was able to consider the internal parts of the Spirit Kernel. He could then imprint some of the Inscriptions through the Spirit Kernels.

With this, the inscriptions became versatile and flexible. The availability of so many choices allowed Wang Baole to improve tremendously in the refinement of Dharmic Artifacts. Even though there was no major difference in the materials or the refinement process, the phase of Spirit Kernels had reached a nearly perfect level.

As if he already had a strong foundation, by laying another foundation, it became extremely strong. This resulted in the probability of failing at the stage of materials, manufacture, and refinement to be much lower. The success rate of producing a perfect product would drastically increase.

This is because of my enlightenment in the water droplet! Wang Baole's eyes glittered with happiness.

I am not far from the day of the refinement of the third-grade Numinous Treasures and reaching the benchmark of an Armament Soldier!

Full of hope, Wang Baole was immersed in manufacturing and refining during seclusion. As one month gradually elapsed, when the ripples of the Combat Pavilion's competition finally subsided, Wang Baole finally completed the refinement of the perfect second-grade Dharmic Artifact.

Looking at each and every Dharmic Artifact placed there emanating streams of light, Wang Baole stood up and laughed out loud.

At that moment, he was completely able to achieve a success rate of one hundred percent for any Dharmic Artifacts of the Dharmic Armament Pavilion in the list, even if it was the hardest batch to refine!

Even in the whole of the Dharmic Armament Pavilion, few were able to achieve this. Even among the Armament Soldiers who were able to refine Numinous Treasure, there were only a few that could accomplish this.

Can I now try to refine Numinous Treasures? Wang Baole held his breath. To him, Numinous Treasures contained too much unfathomable power, at a completely different level from the Dharmic Artifacts. If one made the analogy of Dharmic Artifacts as iron, then Numinous Treasures would be steel!

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Chapter 161: Armament Sand!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

With this in mind, Wang Baole couldn't help but feel moved. He quickly opened the jade slip of the Technique of Infinite Armament Transformation. After reviewing it, he took out the materials and tried manufacturing and refining Numinous Treasures for the first time.

Let me choose an easy one first!

Wang Baole's eyes showed anticipation. Using the Dharmic Armament guidebook from the Dharmic Armament Pavilion, he found a Numinous Treasure known as a Water Droplet Separator. It was considered an easy to refine among the third-grade Numinous Treasures. However, it required one hundred thousand Inscriptions.

Looking at the requirements for the Inscriptions, Wang Baole was quite speechless, but after regulating his own breathing, he decided to give it a shot.

Time passed, and after five days, Wang Baole let out a long sigh. He was forced to give up on this attempt. Spirit Kernels for Numinous Treasures usually required at least a hundred Spirit Stones to condense.

Since too many Inscriptions were required, and almost all of them required advanced variations of the study of Inscriptions, it was strenuous even for Wang Baole. A single mistake could lead to the Spirit Stones' collapse, resulting in the failure of the refinement process. After studying the recipe, he realized that the second stage of refinement was way harder than Dharmic Artifacts.

More importantly, Wang Baole discovered that though the Inscriptions of the Numinous Treasures looked the same as Dharmic Artifacts, he had a nagging feeling that they were somewhat different. Yet, he was unable to figure it out exactly.

I was too complacent in the past. The knowledge required for making Dharmic Armaments is too vast. I still need to continue learning and studying!

Wang Baole took a deep breath. He knew that his biggest issue was not craftsmanship but that he had not mastered the knowledge of Upper Academy Island's Dharmic Armaments. As such, for the days ahead, he frequently went to the various halls in the Dharmic Armament Pavilion to learn the knowledge in the Technique of Infinite Armament Transformation and searched for videos and information on the Spirit Intranet. Occasionally, he also consulted Chen Yutong.

Like a sponge, he kept absorbing the more advanced knowledge of Dharmic Armaments, as well as studied the recipe for the third-grade Numinous Treasure.

Just like that, time passed. Gradually, Wang Baole started to have a better understanding of the differences between Dharmic Artifacts and Numinous Treasures.

Regardless of whether it is the seniors in the halls or Chen Yutong, they all tell me that the linchpin of refining Numinous Treasures is the temperature and the changes of the Inscriptions. However, for the specifics, I will still need to figure them out and understand them all by myself.

The requirement for perceptivity and aptitude is high for Dharmic Armaments. Many of the principles explained by others are just the basics. Only with my own understanding can I master it.

After trying, Wang Baole realized that even though he knew the principles, when it came to actual work, it seemed virtually impossible to complete because of a lack of understanding.

This made him quite worried, but he knew that he could not rush the matter. Unless there were other opportunities, he could only accumulate knowledge and wait for the fruits of success to ripen when the conditions were right. As such, he had no other choice but to settle down and treat the refinement of the third-grade Numinous Treasures as a mid to long term goal.

But I cannot waste this period of time. Can I start refining using the recipe given by Little Missy? Wang Baole took a deep breath. He felt that making Dharmic Armaments would only become harder. However, he did not give up. Instead, he became more spirited and pumped.

In the following days, he simultaneously learned and studied the Numinous Treasure recipe, as well as attempting to refine the scabbard.

Since Wang Baole was already extremely familiar with making perfect second-grade Dharmic Artifacts, the past difficulties of refining the scabbard were no longer challenging to him, regardless of whether it was sword-shaped Spirit Stones or the extremely complex Inscriptions that became Spirit Kernels. Although he didn't succeed at once, after failing multiple times, he finally…

After ten days, Wang Baole completely refined the scabbard Spirit Kernel.

Furthermore, in terms of quality, it was considered perfect!

Looking at the colorful scabbard-shaped Spirit Kernel that seemed to be circulated with light, Wang Baole was a little excited. It had been quite some time since he first obtained the recipe for the scabbard, but only then had he managed to complete the first phase.

The difficulty level of scabbards is second only to Numinous Treasures. Wang Baole sighed and settled down. He proceeded to the materials stage, by infusing the Spirit Kernels into various materials, which could be used to refine artifacts at the end.

But at that step, Wang Baole knew that there was a difficulty that had to be overcome; otherwise, the material forging stage might not be successful.

"It requires one hundred grains of Armament Sand!" Wang Baole muttered. He had seen this material when he studied the recipe earlier and had gone on the Spirit Intranet to search. Nevertheless, he could not find the Armament Sand on either the Spirit Intranet or the material list of the Dharmic Armament Pavilion.

He had even gone to ask Xie Haiyang, but he had not heard of such a thing. At this stage, Wang Baole understood that this Armament Sand was one of the materials that had not been found by the Federation. In order to obtain it, the only solution was to ask Little Missy.

Coming to this conclusion, he took out his Hallucination Pillow and plunged straight into his dream to start asking.

This time round, Little Missy—wearing a black mask—did not pose difficulties for Wang Baole. After Wang Baole completed his question, she immediately gave the answer, as if she already knew that he would come and ask.

But after Wang Baole took a look, he started to be suspicious.

"Recipe for Armament Sand? Is this Armament Sand not a material but a Dharmic Artifact?" Wang Baole scrutinized it while still puzzled. Slowly, he became astonished. The Armament Sand was indeed a material, but it required refinement processes. As for the materials required for these processes, they were mostly ordinary. The main component required was even simpler—Rainbow Spirit Stones.

"Why do I feel that this seems to be specially prepared for me?" Wang Baole hesitated for a while and looked at the black mask suspiciously. Then, he continued to look down and study the recipe for making Armament Sand.

According to the method mentioned, Armament Sand was an extremely special spirit material. Once successfully refined, it contained many magical powers.

Its effect was to activate all the potential that was contained within the Dharmic Artifact, reaching the stage of transforming a rotten object to having mystical effects. However, it carried the risk of failure and required precise control during the fusion process.

As for the method of refining Armament Sand, it required the materials to first be melted to a molten state. Immediately after this, the Rainbow Spirit Stones should be immersed, allowing the materials to absorb and cool. Then, Inscriptions found in the recipe would be carved on the Spirit Stones. These Inscriptions were so unique that Wang Baole had never seen them before.

According to the method written, the Inscriptions would cause the Spirit Stones to shrink, forming a grain of sand at last.

The result was Armament Sand.

Although he still had some hesitation, but Wang Baole decided to try after giving it some thought. As such, after leaving the Hallucination realm, he immediately bought large amounts of materials required to make and refine Armament Sand. He then begun the process.

To Wang Baole, if he did not consider its consumption, refining Armament Sand was not really difficult. Both the melting and engraving processes proceeded smoothly. Very quickly, he successfully refined the first grain of Armament Sand.

Placing the Armament Sand on his hand, Wang Baole raised his hand up to his eyes and examined it closely for a long while. This grain of Armament Sand was completely black and did not seem to be in any way intriguing. Most others would simply think that it was an ordinary sand grain.

"Is this thing as magical as the Little Missy said?" Wang Baole muttered and put away the grain of Armament Sand before proceeding to refining more Armament Sand.

When he gradually completed the refinement of all one hundred grains of Armament Sand, Wang Baole was shocked by the amount of materials consumed by making the Armament Sand. These were actually Rainbow Spirit Stones. If the Armament Sand was refined by others, the consumption level would be unimaginable. Even for Wang Baole himself, the period in which he refined both the Spirit Stones and the Armament Sand exhausted him so much that he had no time for other activities.

These are actually one hundred Rainbow Spirit Stones. I hope they really have magical powers.

Seeing that he was about to complete the refinement of the Armament Sand, his eyes gleamed. He took out his scabbard Spirit Kernel and started to fuse it with the materials according to the recipe's instructions.

As precious materials were fused one-by-one by Wang Baole, within a short time span, a blue scabbard gradually formed on the smelting furnace in front of him.

Furthermore, a suppressive force—far exceeding a first-grade Dharmic Artifact—exuded from the scabbard. After experiencing it, Wang Baole's eyes lit up.

It already has such a spiritual force before completely becoming an artifact!

With anticipation, Wang Baole focused on putting in all the materials, other than the Armament Sand. In a flash, the scabbard was immediately formed. He suddenly waved his right hand, fusing all one hundred grains of Armament Sand into it.

The instant that it touched the scabbard, the Armament Sand melted, forming black lines in a bid to fuse with the scabbard.

Wang Baole was shaken. Unleashing his cultivation, he dispersed his spirit energy, his mind and body completely immersed in the process. He controlled the black lines formed by the Armament Sand, allowing them to fuse into the scabbard bit by bit. The whole process was slow, and Wang Baole did not dare allow himself to get distracted.

Six hours quickly passed. Wang Baole's forehead was already coated in sweat. With his cautiousness, the black lines formed by the Armament Sand has completely fused with the scabbard. In fact, under his observation, the black lines penetrated the material that covered the scabbard, touching the Spirit Kernel.

But the moment when they touched the Spirit Kernel, the Inscriptions carved on the Spirit Kernel by Wang Baole shone brightly, seemingly coming alive, and even swam on the Spirit Kernel on its own accord. Rushing to the fore, they seemed like they wanted to touch the one hundred black lines.

Even among themselves, they contested and started to devour and fuse with each other!

This sight made Wang Baole open his eyes widely and exclaim in shock.

"What's happening!"

Wang Baole's body shook, shocked by whatever had unfolded before his eyes. The hundred black lines shattered in unison and fused together with the scabbard.

Jumping to his feet, Wang Baole rubbed his eyes. He recalled his memory many times to ensure that his eyes were not playing tricks. Slowly, he breathed heavily, and his eyes lit up.

It really works!

He became high-spirited and immediately refined the scabbard Spirit Kernel and the Armament Sand. After ten days of no rest, he finally used the preparatory materials to restart the refinement of scabbards. Just like ten days ago, before the scabbard was in shape, the Armament Sand was thrown in. Wang Baole used all his might to control the process.

He was mentally prepared this time around. When he once again saw that the Inscriptions appeared to be alive, fighting for the right to be fused with the black lines, he was calmer than before despite still being somewhat shaken. Under his careful observation, the Inscriptions continuously fused and devoured each other, forming one hundred Inscriptions that Wang Baole had never seen before.

They leaped and absorbed the hundred black lines. Then, the scabbard shone intensely, shaking the whole smelting furnace. Wang Baole was so shocked that he took a few steps back. He raised his right hand and grabbed at the air.

Immediately, a beam of blue light sparkled. The scabbard flew out of the smelting furnace and floated before Wang Baole. The scabbard shook, emanating a suppressive force that exceeded the first grade and, to a certain extent, even the perfect second grade!

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Chapter 162: Detached

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Wang Baole's mind buzzed, and his breathing halted. Staring at the scabbard in front of him, his eyes widened and slowly emitted an intense gaze.

"This suppressive force… could this be a first-grade Dharmic Artifact?" Wang Baole drew a gasp as he carefully examined the scabbard. Upon confirming that it was indeed first grade, a wave of shock and excitement unwittingly began to well up in his heart.

"This unbelievable suppressive force coming from just a first-grade weapon. Imagine this to be second-grade… or even third-grade, how much more powerful will this be!" Wang Baole exclaimed.

Just the mere thought of it caused whirlwinds in his heart. With his mind still in disarray, it took him a while before he could suppress his shock and settle down. Suddenly, with a strange glint in his eyes, Wang Baole thought of what Little Missy had said—when it reached its top level, the ancient greenish-bronze sword could be attracted. Although it seemed unreliable, it might still be a more plausible option.

Still pondering over the situation, Wang Baole waited for the scabbard to cool before grabbing it. With a fiery gaze in his eyes, he decided to test the prowess of the scabbard by transferring his Spirit Qi to it. However, the scabbard merely shimmered. Nothing happened.

Wang Baole was taken aback. He stared at the scabbard—empty yet emitting Spirit Qi. Upon checking the interior of the scabbard, Wang Baole found out that the Inscriptions on the Spirit Kernel were not the same as what he had previously seen. Instead of a hundred of them, the Inscriptions were now countless and dense, as if it was some form of encryption. Even Wang Baole himself had to carefully study those Inscriptions before arriving at only a superficial understanding of it. As for outsiders who did not have knowledge of these Inscriptions, it would be a highly difficult task for them to fully understand.

"Hmm, Inscription mutation? Oh, and didn't Little Missy say before that a sword-like Spirit Qi needle would appear on the scabbard?" Wang Baole remarked and sighed deeply. Refusing to have his beliefs shaken, Wang Baole once again gathered his Spirit Qi and transferred it to the scabbard before swinging the scabbard outward. However, the scabbard remained as before.

"Is this a lie?" remarked Wang Baole with a tinge of anger in his tone. Refusing to admit defeat, Wang Baole once again decided to confirm the suppressive force emitted from the scabbard. It was indeed a remarkable force. In a state of confusion, Wang Baole casually used the scabbard as a dagger and stabbed at the wall beside him.

With a bang, the walls cracked slightly, but nothing else happened. Seeing this, Wang Baole momentarily became dumbfounded. In the heat of the moment, he decided to take out the Hallucination Pillow and ask Little Missy for a clear explanation.

Just as Wang Baole was about to take out the Hallucination Pillow, he paused for a moment. Recalling Little Missy's eccentric temper behind that mask of hers, he pondered for a while before turning his head around and leaving the cave abode. Upon returning from the marketplace—where he had bought a bouquet of fresh flowers—he entered the Hallucination realm.

With an affectionate gaze, he removed the mask, placed it on the ground, and softly said, "Little Missy, I have come to see you. There was nothing much to do today. I coincidentally passed by a cliff, saw these flowers, and instinctively thought of you."

Having said that, Wang Baole took out the flowers that he had bought and placed them beside the mask.

The purple petals—together with the black mask—seemed to cast a beautiful radiance. Especially in the wintry Hallucination realm, a small breeze could gently cause the petals to flutter and be carried away by the wind.

"Little Missy, these flowers grow ever so lonely on the cliff, which reminded me of the lonely you. I cannot visit you frequently. I hope these flowers can take my place and accompany you," Wang Baole muttered. With that, he immediately went to observe the mask. No signs of change. A wave of disappointment began to rise in him.

"Seems like Little Missy is also an experienced being. It's so difficult to please her…" Wang Baole remarked. Heaving a sigh of relief internally, he blinked and coughed.

"Oh right, Little Missy, I suddenly thought of something. I have already refined the scabbard, which you asked me to do, but the problem is, how do I use it? I have tried a couple of times already…"

Just as Wang Baole was about to complete his sentence, a gust of wind blew, brushing the flowers against the mask. It seemed like these flowers were about to be blown away into the distance.

At that moment, a seemingly invisible hand appeared from the mask and gently pinched a fluttering flower petal. The flower petal froze and stopped in midair!

This scene made Wang Baole's pupils shrink suddenly, and his breathing hastened. Staring at the flower that hung in midair, he saw the flower rise slightly, as if someone had brought it near their nose to take a whiff.

Not sure if it was just an illusion, Wang Baole vaguely saw a woman's silhouette above the mask. She had long hair that was swaying lightly. With an indistinct face, she was wearing a traditional regal gown. Yet, she appeared to stand aloof from the world—detached. At that instant, her tender hands held onto the flower, taking in the faint scent.

"Thank you."

A cold, tranquil voice suddenly sounded out of the black mask while Wang Baole's heart was racing. This sudden voice gave Wang Baole a fright as he hurriedly took a few steps back. After suppressing his alarm, Wang Baole blinked and hurriedly said, "Little Missy, you have such a pleasant voice."

The black mask remained silent. After a while, the originally cold-hearted voice became apparently less cold and seemed to have more emotions in it, just as it started to say more.

"The scabbard is a growth-typed Dharmic Artifact. Only by refining it to the third grade will you be able to release the sword-like Spirit Qi needles. Let me teach you a way where you can infuse the scabbard into your body for nurturing. This will allow you to become one with your weapon, granting you the ability to command it with ease as you wish.

"At the same time, throughout this cultivation period, it will also serve as your Intrinsic Dharma treasure. In the future, in terms of function and physical changes, this scabbard will also match your personality as well as your state of mind.

"In addition, I will impart the knowledge on how to refine this scabbard to the third grade to you. You must remember that you have to quickly refine this to the third grade."

As Little Missy's voice constantly spoke, Wang Baole became more agitated and excited.

This was the longest conversation that Wang Baole had held with the mask ever since he obtained it. This time, it was evident that the tone was not as cold-hearted as before. This made Wang Baole excited. He realized that he had given the correct present. As he pondered over his stupidity in the past, he recognized that it was becoming apparent that there were still many things that he had to individually understand and dive deeper into.

Hmm… It looks like I have to put in more work to please her in the future… I should quickly grab hold of the opportunity to understand everything, obtain a mutual cordial relationship, and boost our impression of each other!

Feeling delighted, Wang Baole faithfully remembered what Little Missy had taught him—about how he had to use his scabbard as his Intrinsic Dharmic Artifact as well as how he could refine it to the third grade. Only then did he decide to leave.

Just as he was about to pick up the mask and leave the Hallucination realm, Little Missy's cold-hearted voice once again reverberated.

"I wish to remain here."

"Ah?" Wang Baole was taken aback. Pausing for a moment, he left the Hallucination realm on his own. Before he left, he turned back to look at the mask with the flower floating in midair as before.

It was as if she was always looking, gently taking in the flowery scent…

All of this left a deep impression on Wang Baole. It appeared that he could genuinely feel the loneliness of the woman…

Amid the silence, Wang Baole returned to reality. As he opened his eyes, he realized that the mask had indeed disappeared. All that was left was just the Hallucination Pillow. As such, he carefully put away the pillow, took a deep breath, and sat cross-legged. Following the teachings imparted from Little Missy, Wang Baole attempted to infuse the scabbard into his body for cultivation.

Little Missy's technique was simple, and the process ran smoothly. In a matter of seconds, the scabbard vanished from the outside world into his body.

As for the formula to refine the scabbard to the second grade, the materials required were far more precious than those required for the first grade, and the quantity needed was at least ten times greater.

Furthermore, he also needed to acquire Armament Sand, not just a hundred grains but a thousand!

This was still not worth mentioning. To refine the scabbard to the third grade, the materials required were far more exaggerated—especially the Armament Sand. It required ten thousand grains!

These numbers—even if Wang Baole himself could refine the Rainbow Spirit Stones himself—were still an astounding amount that would leave one speechless.

However, upon thinking of the prowess of the scabbard, Wang Baole gritted his teeth. Filled with anticipation, he began to refine the Armament Sand. However, in the midst of his refinement, an idea suddenly flashed across Wang Baole's mind.

Hmm… the Armament Sand can fully trigger the potential of the scabbard and cause the Inscriptions to evolve… then… can I use it on other Dharmic Artifacts?

The thought of this excited him.

The scabbard's power is hindered by its grade. Up till now, the refinement of the scabbard still has not shown any obvious effects. However, those flawless and unparalleled second-grade Dharmic Artifacts that I have are extraordinarily powerful. If I can fully trigger the potential of my scabbard and cause the Inscriptions to evolve, then won't my power increase exponentially?

With this in mind, Wang Baole's eyes shone, and he sighed deeply. Thinking of all the possibilities, he decided to attempt to refine the scabbard and observe the outcome of it. With that—instead of the precious Dharmic Artifacts that he had—Wang Baole retrieved several leftover second-grade Dharmic Artifacts from his storage bag that he had used in his previous refinement, many of which he had been unable to sell. He then ran toward the smelting furnace and started his refinement process.

It doesn't matter if I fail, but once I succeed, my Dharmic Artifacts will undoubtedly possess unimaginable power! However, due to the wild and uncontrollable nature of the evolution, even I myself do not know what will happen if the Dharmic Artifact evolves!

Wang Baole's eyes were filled with longing—unable to suppress the desire in him.

Will some kind of nascent Divine Armament appear?

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Chapter 163: Crossed Dharmic Artifacts

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Dreams are beautiful, but reality is cruel.

On Wang Baole's first attempt, he took out a small shield and put it into the smelting furnace. After making some measurements, he put in an Armament Sand particle. However, as soon as it was integrated, the small shield vibrated vigorously and immediately lost all its Spirit force.

Wang Baole frowned while taking it out to examine it. He realized that all the inscriptions on the Spirit Kernel had already been destroyed. The Dharmic Artifact needed to be filled with new inscriptions again, and the materials on its exterior also needed to be removed. Overall, it was considered half broken.

Wang Baole sighed and retrieved the second Dharmic Artifact to try again. His progress was initially going well, but after half an hour, a loud boom accompanied the complete deconstruction of the second Dharmic Artifact. Wang Baole got a shock, and upon taking the second Dharmic Artifact out for examination, he found that not only had the Spirit Kernel been completely destroyed, its inscriptions were also all warped.

"Is it really impossible?" Wang Baole scratched his head as he looked at the large number of Dharmic Artifacts that he could not sell off. After thinking about it, he decided to continue trying.

In the blink of an eye, three days passed. In those three days, Wang Baole was immersed in the process of trying to integrate the Armament Sand with the Dharmic Artifacts. He failed eighteen times and was so demoralized that he was about to give up.

In most of those eighteen failures, the entire Dharmic Artifact had destabilized not long after the Armament Sand was integrated. All the inscriptions within the Dharmic Artifact were destroyed and warped one after another. It was as if the Dharmic Artifacts could not withstand the integration of the Armament Sand and were being immediately destroyed.

However, when Wang Baole was about to give up dejectedly, on his nineteenth refinement trial, which involved a second-grade flying sword, a bright glow suddenly appeared after the flying sword vibrated as it integrated with the Armament Sand.

The appearance of the glow made Wang Baole excited. He immediately put in his best effort to control it. After five minutes, as he retrieved the flying sword following the disappearance of the glow, he realized that there were obvious changes being made to it.

"Success!" Wang Baole was extremely surprised as he quickly examined it. He realized that the flying sword had become heavier than before. Therefore, he integrated some Spirit Qi within it to inspect its interior and immediately found that inscriptions of greater complexity had appeared on the flying sword's Spirit Kernel, similar to the scabbard. The only difference was that those on the scabbard were more complex.

At the same time, the inscriptions on the flying sword were clearly different from before. After analyzing it closely, Wang Baole found that nine inscriptions had been changed, and it was those changes that created subtle differences in the overall arrangement of the inscriptions.

However, even though the differences were minor, it created major transformations in the potency of the flying sword. Wang Baole had never seen this inscription arrangement on the jade slip before and was unable to work out what effect had occurred to the flying sword after its transformation.

Fortunately, he had his formula for the inscriptions. Therefore, he sat down and tried to derive them. After a while, as Wang Baole lifted his head, he was mildly bewildered.

"Its speed has been decreased, and so has its degree of sharpness. Every aspect has been sacrificed, except that… it has been strengthened almost tenfold in terms of hardiness?" Wang Baole mumbled to himself. That was the conclusion that he had arrived at after using the formula to derive the inscriptions. After a long while, with his head lowered, he took out the Flying Frost Sword, a perfect second-grade Dharmic Artifact, and slammed it directly on the transformed sword!

Theoretically, even though both swords were second-grade Dharmic Artifacts, one was perfect, and the other was just ordinary; one was extremely difficult to refine, while the other was easily made; one required the expenditure of many precious materials, while the other merely required cheaper materials.

This way, upon contact, the transformed sword should be broken. However, right now, as Wang Baole's Flying Frost Sword landed, the crisp sound of metal clashing was produced. The Flying Frost Sword violently rebounded, and a hairline crack even appeared on it. Instead, the ordinary sword remained undamaged!

It's so strong!

That scene caused Wang Baole to gasp in shock. He held up the transformed flying sword and flung it forward.

Instantly, the flying sword floated forward slowly, with a speed akin to a mosquito.

That made Wang Baole dumbfounded. After testing out the extent of its sharpness, he looked at the transformed sword. It could no longer be considered a sword—calling it a spear would be more appropriate.

What is this? It was previously trash, and now, it's still trash…

Wang Baole sighed, tempted to change some inscriptions in order to preserve its hardiness while increasing its speed and sharpness. However, after spending time trying to figure it out, Wang Baole had no choice but to give up, for he could not seem to find any clues as to how to go about doing it.

Despite that, it was not all bad—at least Wang Baole had managed to record the order of the mutated inscriptions so that if he wanted to strengthen his Dharmic Artifacts in the future, he could just carve the same inscriptions in that particular order.

He finally tossed the Dharmic Artifact aside. After pondering for a moment, Wang Baole was still indignant and continued trying to make alterations using the Armament Sand.

Just like that, a month passed.

After Wang Baole had exhausted all his trashy Dharmic Artifacts and tried transforming dozens of Dharmic Artifact puppets, he slapped his forehead dejectedly as he looked at the Dharmic Artifacts strewn before him.

Why is everything in a mess?

In his refinement process, he had quite a substantial number of refinement failures. Even though he had managed to succeed in transforming dozens of Dharmic Artifacts, none of them were what he wanted.

The transformation that occurred after integration of the Armament Sand was too unpredictable and uncontrollable. It was impossible to attain a particular change in a specific domain, seemingly a result purely based on luck.

If that was all, it might not have been so troubling. However, what made matters more complicated was that in the Dharmic Artifacts that he had succeeded in transforming, some ridiculous functions had appeared, which put Wang Baole at a loss.

For example, the flying sword originally had advantages in terms of speed, sharpness, and hardiness. However, not only was the first flying sword a disaster after Wang Baole further refined it, of the two that followed, one of them was incredibly fast yet extremely fragile and blunt, and it almost disintegrated while flying in the air.

The other flying sword was even more ridiculous. It was not able to differentiate between friend and foe, charging ferociously at Wang Baole in a crazy manner once it was activated.

There were also several Golden Bell Beads, which had yet to become perfect second-grade Dharmic Artifacts, that transformed into self-destructing beads. They did not have to be thrown at others, as they would explode by themselves under the slightest pressure. As Wang Baole simply held the beads after refining them, they immediately exploded.

Yet, none of that was what gave Wang Baole the most trouble. The ones that drove him up the wall were an umbrella, a fly-whisk, and a Deity Immobilization Rope.

The transformations made to these three Dharmic Artifact did not seem to make much sense. The umbrella was originally for shielding and protection, and even though its protective effect was increased significantly after refinement, it seemed to always malfunction. Every time that it malfunctioned, it would fly out like a flying sword. It was as if it was a flying sword born into the body of an umbrella.

The fly-whisk made Wang Baole sigh disappointingly. It had originally been made of soft whisk threads but became extremely tough after being transformed by the Armament Sand. The threads were like strands of steel and seemed to be extremely hardy. Logically, Wang Baole should have been glad that such a transformation occurred, but in reality, the threads turned limp after a maximum of three seconds…

What made Wang Baole most troubled was the rope. Wang Baole still remembered vividly that he had refined the rope five days ago. When he stepped out of his cave abode to try its functions out, the rope simply rose into the skies and… disappeared.

That darned rope. I've no idea what happened to it after it flew away. It hasn't returned since then…

The more Wang Baole thought about the rope, the more agitated he became, as he felt that the rope had created the greatest problem.

Even so, of the dozens of Dharmic Artifacts, there were a few that Wang Baole felt were acceptable. For example, there was a large seal that was originally an ordinary second-grade Dharmic Artifact. However, after the random mutation, it became a perfect second-grade Dharmic Artifact that was even more powerful. Wang Baole was shocked, as he felt that it was not too different from a third-grade Numinous Treasure.

However, when Wang Baole tried it out, he realized that the large seal would occasionally malfunction. When this happened, it became useless. It would become highly flexible such that, at the slightest touch, it would be tossed into the sky.

As for Wang Baole's puppet Dharmic Artifacts, there were two that were successful. One of them was incredibly tough, such that Wang Baole's punch could not even break it apart. That made Wang Baole surprised.

The other puppet was changed in terms of speed. Wang Baole took it out for a trial and realized that it was running faster than even he could. Therefore, Wang Baole hurriedly studied the inscriptions on the puppet's Spirit Kernel and made a note of them.

"What on Earth are all these?" Wang Baole looked at the Dharmic Artifacts in front of him and sighed deeply. He felt that he had wasted both time and Armament Sand during this period.

Thankfully, he had gained an understanding of the arrangement of some inscriptions that were not found in the Dao College's records. That somehow soothed his troubled mind a little. Now, as he planned to put his Dharmic Artifacts away, he stopped suddenly.

This is not the way to go. I have so many Dharmic Artifacts, both good ones and bad ones. If they are mixed together…

Wang Baole thought about the scenario where he was in a battle and wanting to injure the enemy using his flying sword. Instead of attacking the enemy, the flying sword would end up trying to stab him instead. This made Wang Baole sigh, and he quickly carved a cross on the surface of each modified Dharmic Artifact!

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Chapter 164: Free If It Breaks

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

After crossing out the Dharmic Artifacts one by one, Wang Baole felt more at peace. He decided that, in future, he would put a cross on all the other Dharmic Artifacts that he was unsatisfied with.

This way, not only would it be more convenient to classify them, his own reputation would also not be at stake if the undesirable Dharmic Artifacts happen to be leaked out.

Hmm… I don't have much use for all this trash. Why don't I sell it?

Wang Baole rubbed his chin. He had grown proficient at selling Dharmic Artifacts through his previous experience. Thus, as he looked at those Dharmic Artifacts, he felt that it was not a bad idea to sell off the trashy Dharmic Artifacts as a way to recoup some losses.

However, I can't sell them in my name. If I do, the branding that I've worked so hard to create will be ruined… Wang Baole thought about it and decided to stay anonymous as he listed them in the management department in charge of the Spirit Intranet.

This way, other than the management department of the Spirit Intranet, nobody would know the origins of these Dharmic Artifacts. Furthermore, the management department had always been strict in terms of confidentiality.

I'll sell whatever I can. If no one wants to buy anything in the end, so be it.

With that thought, Wang Baole immediately sprang into action. He only listed a portion of them, and not everything at the same time.

In order to attract attention, Wang Baole also named the few Dharmic Artifacts that he had listed with what he thought were impressive names. As for the prices, they were not exorbitant.

After finishing all that, Wang Baole did not pay further attention to the matter. Gradually, his life was restored to the state that it had been a month ago. Other than studying and researching, his days were spent refining Dharmic Artifacts and Armament Sand.

Two weeks soon flew by. Wang Baole had already accumulated hundreds of Armament Sand grains. As he continued working toward his goal of accumulating a thousand of them, he received a payment of five hundred Spirit Stones.

This payment was entered directly into his account at the Dao College. After receiving the notification, Wang Baole was slightly confused. After checking it up, he realized that someone had bought one of the trashy Dharmic Artifacts that he had listed.

The Dharmic Artifact sold was the extremely sturdy flying sword that Wang Baole had made previously by successfully integrating Armament Sand with it.

It seems like there are many hidden talents on Upper Academy Island who have an eye for treasures… Wang Baole was extremely delighted. He recalled that he had given the flying sword an impressive-sounding name.

He basked in delight as he continued refining more Armament Sand while anticipating that more of his trashy Dharmic Artifacts would be sold.

In the blink of an eye, seven days passed.

That day, in the Public Square of the Combat Pavilion stood an ugly youth who was dressed in a simple gray Daoist robe. He was Shi Nan, a new disciple of the Combat Pavilion. He stared with his eyes red at a man and a woman, clenching his fists.

The woman looked relatively attractive, with a provocative figure that could not be completely hidden by the Dao College's robe. The man beside her was thin and looked ordinary, but he obviously had an advantage in terms of height. Now, he lowered his head slightly, speaking as he looked condescendingly at the youth.

"Shi Nan, are you sure you want to battle me?"

Shi Nan's breathing quickened, and his eyes were filled with rage and bitterness. Both he and the woman beside the man were disciples who had just gained admission to Upper Academy Island. They were lovers, but he had never expected that the woman would abandon him and get together with Li Fei, the senior disciple, once she was on Upper Academy Island.

He was indignant and was insulted when he came to confront the man. Anger overrode his logic, which had made him propose a battle.

"Fine, if you want to battle, I'll fulfill your wish!" Just as Shi Nan stared angrily at him, Li Fei grew annoyed. He raised his right hand and slammed forcefully. Instantly, a flying sword appeared, charging toward Shi Nan.

It was moving at a high speed. Even though it did not cause a sonic boom, it made a bright sword mark in midair. In the blink of an eye, it had arrived before Shi Nan. Shi Nan was taken aback, as the gust of wind following the flying sword's movement fell on his face and felt like a cold bucket of water. He was immediately awakened from his agitated state.

As a newbie who had just gained admission to Upper Academy Island, there was a substantial difference between him and Li Fei. Now, he scrambled and retreated as he was at a loss as to what to do. He quickly took out several Dharmic Artifacts from his storage bag, but most of them were first-grade Dharmic Artifacts. Regrettably, only the flying sword was a second-grade Dharmic Artifact.

He tossed the flying sword out without thinking further as he wanted to put up some resistance. However, Li Fei's flying sword, as a perfect second-grade Dharmic Artifact, was extremely sharp and reliable. As it neared, it immediately turned many of Shi Nan's Dharmic Artifacts to dust. It was a hair's length from Shi Nan's glabella when an ordinary looking flying sword blocked it.

The moment contact was made, a deafening boom was created, causing passers-by to stop instantly in their tracks in shock. Shi Nan, who had turned pale, immediately retreated by taking several steps back.

Most of the Dharmic Artifacts in front of him had already been damaged. Only the second-grade flying sword floated before him, acting like a shield and giving off a blinding glow.

On the other hand, Li Fei's flying sword seemed to behave as if it has hit an immovable rock, as it directly bounced off as the loud boom continued reverberating. There were also cracking sounds produced as the sword tip was blunted. Even the sword body was severely broken, with a frightening crack appearing on it.

Seeing what had happened, Li Fei gasped in shock as his mind buzzed noisily. He was taken aback, his surprise swiftly apparent on his face as he looked at the half-damaged flying sword that scrambled back to him and then at the sword floating in front of Shi Nan. He felt his heart ache with pain.

"I was wondering about why you would dare to battle me… Seems like you're relying on this Dharmic Artifact, huh?" Li Fei narrowed his eyes and revealed a chilly look. He flailed his hands again as he did not believe what had just happened. Immediately, seven flying swords flew out from his storage bag.

Every single one of them was a perfect second-grade Dharmic Artifact, amazing both in terms of their speed and sharpness. He had accumulated them over the course of two years, and now, as he activated his hand seals, the flying swords charged forward at an astounding speed.

"Then… I'll just destroy your Dharmic Artifact. Let's see if you can still act so arrogant after that!" As Li Fei spoke, the flying sword neared Shi Nan, who was still frozen with shock, at high speed.

Loud booms instantly erupted. All the onlookers stared incredulously with their mouths agape. Some of them were even dumbfounded as their eyes widened in disbelief.

"Gosh! My eyes aren't playing tricks on me, are they? That flying sword is too strong to be true!"

"What… what Dharmic Artifact is that? A Dharma shield in the shape of a sword?"

"There seems to be a cross at the top of it! What does the cross mean?"

Looking at everything from their perspective, Li Fei's flying swords formed something like a sword rain, colliding with Shi Nan's flying sword directly. However, in the blink of an eye, all those flying swords were completely repelled, breaking apart almost completely due to the high speed and force. Some of them even instantly broke into pieces. Even the most minor damage involved the sword tip breaking off the sword.

Whatever happened was unusual and bizarre. Very soon, as the loud boom quieted down, large amounts of flying sword debris flew around Shi Nan. He was still in a daze, and Li Fei was frozen with shock. His body was trembling as he stared at the flying sword in front of Shi Nan, as if he had just seen a ghost.

"Is it a Numinous Treasure? How shameless of you, Shi Nan! It's just a battle fellow disciples, and you used a Numinous Treasure!" Li Fei trembled and was feeling so appalled that he no longer felt his physical pain. With his eyes wide open, he retreated several steps. Even though the sword did not look like a Numinous Treasure at all, he also could not figure out which Dharmic Artifact could be so robust to such a sickening degree.

The onlookers were also gasping in shock. Even Shi Nan's ex-girlfriend was thrown into a daze.

Shi Nan, on the other hand, had become tongue-tied with shock before everyone else. He was breathing rapidly now, staring at the flying sword in front of him. He clearly remembered that he had bought the sword a week before simply because he thought that it was cheap. After he bought it, however, he had soon realized that the sword was annoyingly slow and was not sharp at all.

Despite its hardiness, he felt that a flying sword was useless if it was not equipped with high speed and sharpness. If not for a no-refund policy, he would have long returned it.

However, right now, those thoughts were thrown out of his head. He snapped back to reality and clutched the flying sword before him, looking agitated.

"This is not a Numinous Treasure but a second-grade Dharmic Artifact that I had bought a week ago. It is named… Free If It Breaks!" Shi Nan shouted loudly in excitement.

The moment that he heard those words, Li Fei's eyeballs almost fell out of their sockets. To him, that Dharmic Artifact was of supreme-grade, but its name was even more unbelievable… However, he agreed that its name matched its characteristics very well.

The onlookers all looked puzzled after hearing the flying sword's name. However, very quickly, someone shrieked loudly, apparently having thought of something.

"That name… I remember now! I saw someone buy it on the Transaction Zone, and it only cost five hundred Spirit Stones!"

"I saw it before as well! I think there are seven or eight of them on sale, all marked with a cross…"

"They only cost five hundred Spirit Stones? Then I want to buy one, too!"

As everyone listened to the conversation, they suddenly all became agitated. Some of them immediately logged onto the Spirit Intranet with the intention to purchase the items. Even Li Fei joined in and opened up the Spirit Intranet without hesitation.

Seeing how things had turned out, Shi Nan also grew anxious. He quickly tried to make more purchases as well.

Instantly, everyone seemed to have forgotten about the battle. They all rushed to search for the items on the Spirit Intranet, and before long, the Dharmic Artifacts that Wang Baole had listed on it were completely sold out.

Some were delighted, while some ended up in disappointment. Wang Baole, who was refining Armament Sand inside the Dharmic Armament Pavilion, was confused as he read the messages appearing continuously on his voice transmission jade slip.

"Five hundred Spirit Stones have been transferred to your account… Your balance now is…"

"Seven hundred Spirit Stones have been transferred to your account…"

"One thousand Spirit Stones have been transferred to your account…"

…

Wang Baole immediately put away his Armament Sand to check the situation out.

What on Earth is going on?

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"How are there so many people with an eye for treasure?"

After checking the situation out, Wang Baole felt incredulous, especially upon discovering that some people were posting messages on the Spirit Intranet to purchase Crossed Dharmic Artifacts.

"Crossed Dharmic Artifacts?" Wang Baole instantly realized that they were talking about the Dharmic Artifacts that he was selling upon hearing the term. He did not continue listing the remainder of his trashy Dharmic Artifacts on the Spirit Intranet as he was still suspicious of what was happening. He planned to observe the situation for a few more days, as he felt that it was ridiculous that the popularity of the Crossed Dharmic Artifacts has grown so quickly.

However, upon observation, the results were completely not what Wang Baole had expected. In the days that followed, the term 'Crossed Dharmic Artifact' was increasingly mentioned by users of Upper Academy Island's Spirit Intranet.

At the same time, the number of people who wanted to purchase the items visibly grew. Most of them had never heard of the term 'Crossed Dharma Artifact' prior to this, but curiosity got the better of them, which led them to find out more about it. Very quickly, they became aware of the items' origin and inevitably grew surprised. They had strong desires to purchase one for themselves but were unable to buy them anywhere…

This made the Crossed Dharmic Artifact even more mysterious.

If that was the case, the commotion would have died down quickly without causing much fanfare. However, very soon, a recorded video of Shi Nan and Li Fei's battle was put up on the Spirit Intranet by someone, which immediately created shock waves among many the moment it was published.

"This Dharmic Artifact is so unbelievably hardy!"

"This is obviously not a flying sword but a shield! An extremely strong and resistant shield!"

The effect of the video was akin to the ripples in the water created when one tossed a small rock into the pond. If more time passed, everything would have returned to normalcy. However, even before this ripple was attenuated, a disciple who was quick to purchase one of the Crossed Dharmic Artifacts put up another video.

"Look here, everyone! This is the flying sword that I have just bought! Don't be fooled by how tattered it seems, for you would never expect how shockingly fast it is!"

In one of the videos, a disciple from the Combat Pavilion agitatedly threw out a flying sword that looked as if it was about to disintegrate. As the sword flew out, it instantly vanished, creating a sonic boom but did not leave behind any visible tracks. However, even by looking at it in action through the video, one could still feel that at the instant the flying sword flew out, its speed was already out of the world!

In the short time needed to take a few breaths, the sword returned in a flash. The sonic boom was even louder, creating a strong gust of wind swept around the disciple. As the dust settled, the disciple stood there agitatedly, holding the sword that had just flown out.

However, from the video, one could clearly see that the sword had become more damaged than before.

"Did you see that? The speed of this sword instantly trumps all the other Dharmic Artifacts. What do you think? What's more, this sword only cost me seven hundred Spirit Stones!" The disciple laughed heartily, with an extremely happy look on his face as he had picked up a treasure for cheap.

The video immediately created a bigger commotion around the Crossed Dharmic Artifacts, which made those who already had their attention on the Crossed Dharmic Artifacts even more tempted. Even those who originally had not been following the trend began to curiously find out more about it after watching the video. In the days that followed, similar videos also emerged one after another!

Every Dharmic Artifact that appeared in the videos had some astonishing and wondrous features. The way to go about using it depended on the user. What was more iconic was that every Dharmic Artifact of this type was marked with a cross!

The Crossed Dharmic Artifacts became an instant hit, creating a huge commotion among the masses.

However, Wang Baole did not continue selling the Dharmic Artifacts during this critical period. That made the first batch of the Crossed Dharmic Artifacts limited products. No matter how much one desired it, they could not buy it.

The concept of 'that which is rare is dear' immediately boosted people's attention on the Crossed Dharmic Artifacts. At the same time, resale transactions of the Crossed Dharma Artifacts were also taking place. The prices involved were all shockingly exorbitant.

Everything that happened shocked Wang Baole himself. Looking at all the posts on the Spirit Intranet requesting for purchase of the Crossed Dharmic Artifacts, he lowered his head and looked at all the trashy Dharmic Artifacts in his storage bag, and his eyes slowly lit up.

Perhaps all these… are not trash after all?

Wang Baole thought about it and listed the second batch of trashy Dharmic Artifacts in order to ride the rising popularity of the items. Just as that happened, another post suddenly appeared on the Spirit Intranet!

That post was a video, where an arrogant-looking disciple from the Dharmic Armament Pavilion slowly peeled open the flying sword before him, as if he was carrying out a dissection.

"My fellow Daoists, I have heard about these Crossed Dharmic Artifacts from others, and many people have come forward to ask me about my thoughts on them. Therefore, I bought one of them at a high price out of curiosity. Initially, I was filled with excitement, but after checking them out, heh…" The Armament Soldier laughed condescendingly, as he was seen to swiftly disassembled the flying sword in the video.

Before long, all that was left of the flying sword was the Spirit Kernel. Looking at the inscriptions on the Spirit Kernel, the Armament Soldier shook his head disappointingly.

"Based on my analysis, this Dharmic Artifact is a piece of trash! Almost all of its functions are being sacrificed, with only a few of them being specifically strengthened. What's the point of that? This is simply a dishonest practice that is out to cheat people of their money.

"No one wants to make Dharmic Artifacts like these, which is why it garnered all your attention. In reality, if I put my heart into it, I could refine tens of them in a day. Trash like this is useless!"

The Armament Soldier spoke calmly. As the inscriptions on the Spirit Kernel were equipped with additional protection, he was unable to erase them. However, he did not care much and simply tossed them aside.

"Lastly, I would like to encourage everyone to be rational in their purchases. I would also want to take the opportunity to warn the black sheep who is making all these trashy Dharmic Artifacts to not taint the reputation of the Dharmic Armament Pavilion!"

The moment the video was published, a huge commotion erupted on the Spirit Intranet. It was important to note that the Armament Soldier in the video was a high-ranking figure. He was the leader of the Dharmic Armament Pavilion's audit department. It was in charge of the auditing tasks in all the departments within the Dharmic Armament Pavilion, and no one dared to provoke them for no reason.

His video naturally garnered a lot of attention. As the number of people who viewed it increased, discussions began to emerge among the masses.

"I see… Isn't this fraud, selling trash to us?"

"Who is this? Such a lousy object. I still thought that it was some kind of treasure, but it's actually far from it!"

Those who made those comments were people who did not manage to purchase the Crossed Dharmic Artifacts. However, despite people who had successfully bought the Dharmic Artifacts defending the Crossed Dharmic Artifacts by posting about their efficacy as proof, it was of little use in dispelling the unnecessary discussion among people.

Wang Baole instantly grew furious when he noticed the situation. The video extinguished the interest that people had in his Dharmic Artifacts, severely impacting his original sales plan.

Even though his Dharmic Artifacts were nothing to shout about, they were definitely not as bad as the other party claimed. Furthermore, the boastful claim that the Armament Soldier could refine tens of them in a single day was an impossible task in Wang Baole's eyes. Even if he did manage to do so, it would never be as hardy as Wang Baole's flying sword.

Therefore, Wang Baole laughed coldly and immediately retrieved another flying sword from his storage bag. He anonymously listed it and specifically put up a post directed to the Armament Soldier.

"Hey, Armament Soldier from the audit department, if you have the ability to successfully understand this, I will concede defeat to you!"

Even Wang Baole was troubled over the flying sword that he had just listed. That was the reason he had not listed it on the Spirit Intranet previously, for the sword behaved like a lunatic. After being activated, it would often malfunction, unable to differentiate between friend and foe. There was a possibility that it would charge toward the enemy but also an equal possibility that it would charge toward the owner and even the passers-by.

Therefore, Wang Baole had not originally planned to sell it. It was only now that Wang Baole was angered that he decided to list this dangerous weapon.

Zhao Hailin, the Armament Soldier from the audit department, laughed coldly upon hearing about the sword. He did not pay much attention to it initially, but the commotion on the Spirit Intranet was growing stronger by the minute. In reality, Zhao Hailin was not the first to buy the sword. Rather, someone else bought it first, but after trying it out, they could only gasp in disbelief. That person also put up a video about it.

In that video, the sword was like a lunatic, hacking anyone it encountered. That shocked everyone, and more of such videos appeared after being resold between several people.

Eventually, the commotion that rose like waves was further boosted, transforming into a form of hurricane as it garnered more attention.

With all that attention, calls for Zhao Hailin to dissect the mechanisms of the flying sword grew louder. Eventually, tempted by the opportunity to boost his fame, Zhao Hailin got someone to buy the sword for him and began trying to understand it.

However, his eyes widened in shock as he tried to dissect it. His breathing suddenly grew rapid, as not only were the inscriptions on the Spirit Kernel secured with added protection, the structure and arrangement of the inscriptions were also immensely complex. It was something that he had rarely seen, even on third-grade Numinous Treasures.

This made understanding the reason behind the sword's malfunction even more challenging.

However, news that he had bought the sword to understand its mechanisms had already spread far and wide, drawing the attention of the masses. Zhao Hailin cursed under his breath as he was trapped in a position from which he could not escape.

"Which lunatic refined this Dharmic Artifact?"

Left without a choice, Zhao Hailin could only seek help from his friends. He engaged the help of three other Armament Soldiers like him to understand the sword. After the three of them saw the inscriptions on the flying sword's Spirit Kernel, they reacted with shock. Therefore, all of them sacrificed their sleep and finally managed to understand the flying sword's mechanism after seven tiring days that fully exhausted their mental capacity.

"Thank you, everyone!" After sending the trio away gratefully, Zhao Hailin returned to his cave abode with an awful expression on his face. He grew wary of the person who had refined the Dharmic Artifact, as he felt that someone who had the ability to refine the object had to be an Armament Soldier like him at the very least.

However, he did not want to make an enemy without reason. Therefore, through his personal connections, he communicated with the department in charge of the Spirit Intranet to find out more about the refiner's identity.

Even though the department in charge of the Spirit Intranet was not able to reveal all the information due to the regulations set, they mentioned that the refiner was an Armament Disciple. Upon hearing that, Zhao Hailin heaved a sigh of relief, but a cold look soon flashed across his eyes.

"You're only an Armament Disciple, and you dare to challenge me?"

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Chapter 166: Warm-hearted and Considerate Senior Brother Zhao

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

With a cold laugh, Zhao Hailin immediately recorded a video and published it on the Spirit Intranet.

Till now, the number of people on the Spirit Intranet who had their attention on the matter grew. They all anticipated that Zhao Hailin's video that would reveal the mechanism of the flying sword. The instant that Zhao Hailin's video appeared, its viewership shot up. People told others they knew about the video, and very quickly, the number of people viewing Zhao Hailin's video skyrocketed.

In the video, Zhao Hailin did not show any signs of the sorry state he was in that resulted from researching the flying sword. He was energetic and carried the same supercilious look that he had previously as he spoke calmly.

"The reason this video took a few days was because I was refining a fourth-grade Numinous Treasure. I did not have any time or attention to spare this. It was only yesterday that I managed to successfully refine the grade-four Numinous Treasure, which finally gave me time to look at this sword.

"In my opinion, this sword… is still trash!

"It's even worse than the previous one and is the trash among the trash!

"I would like to inform the maker that even though I do not care whether you concede to this or not, but as an Armament Soldier of the Dharmic Armament Pavilion, I have the responsibility to make you realize that it is not as simple as you think to be part of the Dharmic Armament Pavilion!

"As for this sword of yours… due to issues in technique, the temperature was not properly controlled and was too high. This resulted in the melting of the 3,785th inscription. This then caused an error in the inscription arrangement, such that when it was activated, it would fail in locking in its target. Furthermore, due to your messy set of inscriptions, the sword has such immense killing power that was being suppressed that it had nowhere to release it, causing it to be indiscriminate of friend and foe!

"Lastly, I want to warn you to not use these trashy Dharmic Artifacts to swindle others again. If not, I will find out who you are and bring up the matter for investigation!"

In the video, Zhao Hailin sounded strict and just. As his voice reverberated, it seemed as if he was a representation of authority, such that everyone who saw him were instantly vigilant.

That was even more so as whatever he said was logically proven. In the video, as he spoke, he took apart the flying sword and pointed at the inscription that was incorrect. His actions made everyone believe him wholeheartedly.

"So, that's how it is! It's no doubt that he is an Armament Soldier. It only took him a day to do such a thorough examination of the Dharmic Artifact!"

"Impressive! That's the real capability of an Armament Soldier!"

"I said so previously! All these Crossed Dharmic Artifacts are trash. Now, this is indeed the case from what we have seen. All trash!"

Immediately, discussions erupted on the Spirit Intranet. Voices against the Crossed Dharmic Artifacts grew louder. Seeing that a momentum has been created, Zhao Hailin was delighted.

To him, even though the person who refined the Crossed Dharma Artifact was somewhat talented, that was the end of the matter. He thought that person would not retaliate any further.

That was especially so after he had observed the situation for two days and found that even as voices against the Dharmic Artifacts were growing louder, the person who had refined the Crossed Dharmic Artifact had remained silent. Zhao Hailin snorted to himself, thinking that his prediction that the refiner had been driven to his wit's end was correct.

"He seems smart, but he is ignorant!" After making one last comment on the Spirit Intranet, Zhao Hailin shifted his attention away from the matter.

As another day went by, seeing that the maker of the Crossed Dharmic Artifact still had not made any comments, the insults and discussions about it grew.

It was also at this time that Wang Baole finally managed to complete the refinement of a thousand Armament Sand grains. In his delight, he thought about his Crossed Dharmic Artifacts and opened up the Spirit Intranet. Immediately, he saw the discussions and voices against his Dharmic Artifact, and his rage grew.

"Who would be so free as to look at the Spirit Intranet day and night?" Wang Baole was angry. When he listed the flying sword, he took a look at it once in a while. However, since the examination had taken so long, Wang Baole had subsequently forgotten about it and was busy refining Armament Sand instead.

Now, after reading all the insults, he found Zhao Hailin's video. He was filled with indignation after watching the video. With his eyes wide and breathing rapid, a glow was apparent in his eyes. After a few moments, he slapped his thigh hard.

"So, this is the reason! The Armament Sand affects the temperature!" Wang Baole jumped up immediately in surprise. Agitated, he took out a bottle of Ice Spirit Water and gulped everything down before throwing the bottle aside. He walked circles around his cave abode, trying to play out the logic in his mind.

This way, if that segment of inscriptions can be adjusted, such that other areas will be altered as well, then this sword will be completely improved. Not only will it distinguish between friend and foe, its power will also be significantly stronger!

The key to transforming a Dharmic Artifact to a Numinous Treasure lies in the temperature and the inscriptions… I… I seem to understand now!

Wang Baole was agitated. Before listing the indiscriminate flying sword, he had memorized the inscriptions. However, due to a lack of insight and his need to pay attention on refining the Armament Sand, he had been unable to figure out where the problem lay. Therefore, he did not make any alterations to it. Now, he suddenly stopped after pacing around and retrieved a flying sword before dashing straight to the smelting furnace room.

In the smelting furnace room, Wang Baole experimented over and over again in order to confirm the hypothesis. After ascertaining that the solution given by the Armament Soldier was correct, he became even more agitated. He recalled the relationship between temperature and inscriptions, and he felt that the video was like a bolt of lightning that instantly turned the impossible into the possible.

So, this is how it is… Wang Baole held his breath and immediately tried it out. After several days, when he stepped out of the smelting furnace room, Wang Baole was extremely exhilarated, his eyes revealing a look of excitement. Clutching a Spirit Kernel in his hands, he laughed heartily.

That Spirit Kernel was a new product that Wang Baole had refined after achieving a breakthrough in his understanding of inscriptions, through combining his own reasoning with his understanding from Zhao Hailin's video. Even though Armament Sand was not incorporated within it, its power was already exceedingly similar to that of a Numinous Treasure!

There's actually such a use for inscriptions. This means that, in reality, many of the Dharmic Artifacts that I made before did not need to be completely covered with inscriptions. During the refinement process, there will be slight changes to the inscriptions due to the temperature. This is also why I failed at refining Numinous Treasures previously! If it is possible to account for the changes in temperature during the refinement, then the inscriptions can be made complete immediately, and perfection can be achieved!

I know now! This is the difference between a Dharmic Artifact and a Numinous Treasure! It is precisely what they told me before… the relationship and changes between temperature and inscriptions!

Looking at the Spirit Kernel in his hands, Wang Baole laughed even more heartily. Not only did the Armament Soldier manage to solve something that he had been troubled over, which allowed him to improve on his Dharmic Artifacts, it was even more valuable that he had completely understood the fundamental difference between a Dharmic Artifact and a Numinous Treasure through the Armament Soldier's examination video!

To Wang Baole, all this was like fate. From the confusion and ignorance that he had previously, he had managed to gain a better understanding. It was like a road to the exit had appeared in front of him just as he was trapped in a maze!

Not only is this Senior Brother Zhao capable, he is also good-natured!

Besides feeling exhilarated, Wang Baole also conceded. His feelings of rage were immediately eliminated. He genuinely thought that Zhao Hailin was very capable and that he should not be angry at him. After all, Zhao Hailin had helped him solve a problem.

What Zhao Hailin had done was akin to helping him to become an Armament Soldier quickly!

Thinking of that, Wang Baole was excited. Now, he thought about what other problems he was unable to solve. After thinking about it for a moment, Wang Baole's eyes lit up. He then carefully retrieved two self-exploding beads from his storage bracelet.

These two self-exploding beads were placed in a cushioned box to significantly reduce the chance of accidents happening.

He had studied the beads previously but was unable to find out where the problem lay. To him, it was many times more difficult figuring them out than figuring out the problem with the flying sword. Now that he had the opportunity, Wang Baole wasted no time completing the necessary administrative work and listing them on the Spirit Intranet.

"Senior Brother Zhao is indeed very capable! Since this is the case, then I should be more serious as well. These two beads are self-exploding beads, and they explode by themselves upon the slightest touch!

"Non-professionals are not allowed to buy them, as I cannot bear responsibility for anything that happens. Therefore, I have already set a restriction that it can only be bought by you, Senior Brother. I do not believe that you have the capability to thoroughly understand it!"

Wang Baole quickly published his post before emotionally taking out a bag of snacks to eat.

Senior Brother Zhao is such a nice person. He is so serious in helping me, and I shouldn't make him feel that it's not challenging enough. Therefore, I'm saying all that in order to agitate him… Wang Baole laughed to himself. He felt that he should definitely change his habit of always being so considerate of others.

After finishing the snacks, he noticed that when his post was published, a commotion seemed to be created on the Spirit Intranet. It garnered a lot of attention. Wang Baole suppressed his anticipation as he delightfully took out his scabbard and began the improvement process for it.

In the improvement process, he also made adjustments to the inscriptions that he had recorded from the Crossed Dharmic Artifacts and added them to the scabbard, such that it would become more powerful than before.

At the same time, as commotion in the outside world erupted, the unappeased attitude carried by the maker of the Crossed Dharmic Artifact, as well as the self-exploding beads that he had listed as a challenge, became the spotlight of people's attention.

Very quickly, Zhao Hailin also received the news. After checking the Spirit Intranet, a glow flashed across his eyes.

Interesting… is this a challenge?

People who had made it to Upper Academy Island were not dumb. Almost instinctively, Zhao Hailin sensed the meaning behind Wang Baole's actions.

He realized that he had acted rashly previously, such that he was now in a situation debating Dharmic Artifacts with someone who was no match for him in terms of status.

However, I have to see whether you're qualified or not!

Zhao Hailin laughed coldly and retrieved a Numinous Treasure to list on the Spirit Intranet. He then posted a message.

"To the refiner of the Crossed Dharma Artifact, I will accept your request. However, I want you to try examining this Numinous Treasure as well. It has a few problems that I have not had time to correct. I'll loan it to you for a month to figure out the issue. If you fail, do not bother me in the future!"

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Chapter 167: This Must Be a Ploy

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The moment Zhao Hailin's post was published, the incident that had already garnered so much attention became even more heated. It shocked even more people, such that at present, on Upper Academy Island, the incident had become the most widely debated topic.

Wang Baole was also paying attention to it during his spare time while refining the scabbard. After reading about the Armament Soldier's provocation, Wang Baole looked serious as he pursed his lips.

"All of them are sly old foxes…" Wang Baole was feeling upset about how he never met anyone who was simple-minded and straightforward. After all, he just wanted to learn.

Even though Wang Baole was rueful, his eyes still lit up. Almost immediately, he completed the necessary administrative processes and took Zhao Hailin's Numinous Treasure.

However, Senior Brother Zhao is indeed a nice person. This is a Numinous Treasure, which is not cheap at all. Even I can hardly bear to use it for my studies.

Wang Baole's heart was fired up. Even though he had some Numinous Treasures in his hands, be it Chen Yutong's Slimming Helmet, the jade pendant given by the Chancellor, or the mirror given by the Lin Family as compensation, they were all important. He was afraid that he would ruin them if he researched them and did not have the courage to do so.

Despite being relatively well off, Wang Baole still felt a pinch even though he could purchase new Numinous Treasures for himself. However, all his worries were eliminated now, since Zhao Hailin had sent one to him of his own accord for him to research.

Upon receiving the item, Wang Baole looked at the Numinous Treasure that appeared to be a bronze mirror, his heart filled with anticipation. He then immediately rushed to the smelting furnace room to begin the research and dissection process.

It seems like there were numerous different materials used on this Numinous Treasure. Theoretically, there shouldn't be a need for so many of them. Furthermore, it doesn't look impressive and is filled with many cracks and flaws that have been left behind after the integration process…

This flaw… Could it have inevitably appeared because the temperature affected the inscriptions?

As for this Spirit Kernel… Darn it! The inscriptions on the Numinous Treasure are far too complicated!

As he researched, Wang Baole gasped in surprise time and again. He grew more and more exhilarated, and a glow escaped his eyes. It was as if in his eyes, the bronze mirror had become a treasure, such that as he immersed himself in the process of examination and dissection, he was also putting his own knowledge and understanding of Numinous Treasures to the test.

To Wang Baole, this was like fate. As he analyzed and dissected the Numinous Treasure, he swiftly grew more confident of handling a Numinous Treasure, and that alone made him even more agitated with exhilaration.

While Wang Baole was researching on the Numinous Treasure, Zhao Hailin also received the two self-exploding beads. After trying to examine them, he realized that it was too difficult. Cursing under his breath, he invited the friends who had helped him previously for another round of examination and research.

However, this time, the four Armament Soldiers burrowed their heads in research for three days but were all disappointed and had to give up. The inscriptions within the beads were so problematic, far exceeding what they had expected.

"Senior Brother Zhao, the person who refined this Dharmic Artifact is crazy. It's just a second-grade Dharmic Artifact, but it is filled with tens of thousands of inscriptions. There are several hundred aspects that have been transformed. How do we go about this?"

"Even if we don't eat and sleep in order to look through everything inscription by inscription, we will still need at least half a year."

Zhao Hailin was somewhat dumbfounded. He struggled as he thought about whether or not he should give up. Over at Wang Baole's side, Wang Baole was laughing with his head raised toward the sky as he rushed out of the smelting furnace room.

"I get it now! Temperature changes do not just depend on the smelting furnace but also on the forging material!

"Different forging materials have different melting temperatures. Therefore, this point must be considered when refining Numinous Treasures!

"Refining a Dharmic Artifact involves a completely different process, as Dharmic Artifact refinement follows a sequence of steps. The second step is only considered when the first step is completed. However, this aspect is different from that of a Numinous Treasure, where all the details and steps must be considered before starting the refinement process. Obtaining an approximation of the influence of all the details on temperature is like arriving at an answer after solving a sum. Only after that can inscriptions be carved to complement it. It is only through this way that it is possible to refine Numinous Treasures!

"This is advanced inscription studies for someone who has already learned about high-level inscriptions!"

In his exhilaration, Wang Baole used his inscription formula to pinpoint the error in the Numinous Treasure. He found that the error lay in the arrangement of the wind- and fire-type inscriptions. The wind-type inscriptions were more powerful, which not only prevented the fire-type inscriptions from riding on its force but suppressed it instead. This resulted in a mess that led to the malfunctioning of the entire Numinous Treasure.

If it was someone else, a lot of research and testing would have been needed to discover the error. However, it was made easy for Wang Baole as he had a strong knowledge foundation and the necessary formula.

Agitatedly, Wang Baole immediately published a post on the Spirit Intranet. After explaining his findings from examining the Numinous Treasure, he ended the post emotionally.

"It was indeed a small problem. Senior Brother, you are definitely a man of his word."

Many people who were keeping watch on the Spirit Intranet immediately resumed their discussions upon seeing the post. After all, no one had expected that Wang Baole would only take three days to derive an answer, and that filled everyone with surprise.

On the other hand, Zhao Hailin, who was originally still struggling to decide whether or not to continue, was taken aback after hearing the news. He subsequently let out a cold laugh.

"Previously, I needed a month's time, heavily discussing and experimenting in order to find the root of the problem. This person only used three days… Impossible!" Zhao Hailin sighed coldly and opened up the Spirit Intranet. He searched for Wang Baole's post and looked at it with his eyes narrowed. As he read the post, he widened his eyes suddenly and gasped in shock.

"Impossible!"

Zhao Hailin's facial expression warped wildly. He took a closer look and took in a deep breath. When he read Wang Baole's emotional ending clause, blue veins popped out of his forehead. To him, the emotional ending clause was the biggest insult to his ego!

"If this person is not an Armament Disciple, he must be someone with a strong backer!

"This is a plot directed against me!"

With that thought, Zhao Hailin trembled. He began making associations, and very quickly, enemies that he had made over the course of these few years surfaced in his mind. However, there were simply too many of them, and he could not put a finger on who it could be.

However, he also thought about why he sent the first video in the first place. It was because his curiosity was piqued as a relative of his had casually mentioned the topic to him.

"There is something wrong with this person!" A cold look was revealed in Zhao Hailin's eyes. The more he thought about it, the more he became convinced that it was a meticulous plot against him.

"No matter how sly that person is, this is a battle that cannot be lost. So long as I keep winning, I will definitely be able to foil the plot!" Zhao Hailin looked vicious and determined. He gritted his teeth and activated his connections.

In the days that followed, he managed to enlist the help of tens of Armament Soldiers from the Dharmic Armament Pavilion. There were altogether over twenty people who were researching the beads intensively.

Finally, after a month, just as the people on the Spirit Intranet began gossiping, Zhao Hailin emerged disheveled with blood shot eyes. He had paid a significant price, and it was then that he sent away the twenty or so Armament Soldiers who were equally exhausted.

In the month that had passed, they had researched in seclusion. By combining the intellect and Dharmic Armament knowledge of the twenty or so people, they had finally discovered the problem with the self-exploding beads. To them, refining several Numinous Treasures was nothing compared to the research in terms of difficulty.

In the end, even Zhao Hailin himself began to grow wary of the mysterious maker of the beads. He found it impossible to imagine how the maker had managed to create the self-exploding beads.

It was a pity that he did not know that, in reality, even Wang Baole was clueless as to how the beads were made.

This Dharmic Artifact is so difficult to make and is not particularly impressive. No one would go to the effort to make it. Therefore, this must be a carefully prepared trick by the other party to defeat me!

After sending the people away, Zhao Hailin sat in his cave abode and laughed chillingly to himself.

However, even though that was the case, I still managed to solve it. Retaliation is part of my personality!

Zhao Hailin took a deep breath and combed his messy hair. He then swallowed a pill to dissipate the blood in his eyes before recording the video and sending it out!

"This Dharmic Artifact was indeed somewhat challenging, but it was still a small feat. Its Spirit Qi was too concentrated and not properly blocked, resulting in the Spirit Qi being unable to flow in the correct path to spread around the necessary inscriptions after being integrated. The accumulation of Spirit Qi results in it self-exploding with the slightest touch!"

The video was very detailed and even included the lines of inscriptions where errors were found. Zhao Hailin's tone and facial expression were as disdainful as before. In the end, he listed yet another Numinous Treasure.

"It is rude to not reciprocate. Do you dare find out where the problem lies in this Numinous Treasure?"

Wang Baole did not care about the commotion that had erupted on the Spirit Intranet. Now, all his attention was on the answer that Zhao Hailin had given. His breathing hastened while he gained enlightenment, as if lightning was erupting in his mind.

This is another problem in the refinement process of Numinous Treasures!

Not only it is necessary to estimate the temperature that is optimal for the materials, it is also important to be able to spread the Spirit Qi in the correct sequence so that it can be perfectly functioning!

Wang Baole's face showed his enlightenment. The only thought he had was that this exchange with the Armament Soldier had benefited him significantly.

Senior Brother Zhao is indeed impressive!

In his agitation, Wang Baole immediately obtained the Numinous Treasure from the Spirit Intranet. When he received it, he sprang into action to research it. After several days, Wang Baole looked exhausted, but he was energetic and in high spirits. After announcing the answer, he listed yet another Dharmic Artifact.

The Dharmic Artifact he listed was an umbrella that thought of itself as a flying sword…

In his anticipation, Zhao Hailin, with his eyes reddened, paid the price to invite others to join him in the battle of deciphering the umbrella. Just like that, the entire process cycled between the two of them, and a never-before-seen battle of treasures began!

In the days that followed, relying on Zhao Hailin's help, Wang Baole's knowledge of the Dharmic Armament grew significantly. That allowed him to refine the scabbard into a perfect second-grade Dharmic Artifact. In his agitation, he became even more passionate about Zhao Hailin's videos. Wang Baole treated all the minor details in the videos as an opportunity for him to learn.

Senior Brother Zhao is so impressive!

Senior Brother Zhao is so capable! He could even find out the problem with the umbrella!

Senior Brother Zhao's knowledge of Dharmic Armaments is so profound!

The more Wang Baole watched the videos, the more agitated he became. He continuously listed all sorts of Crossed Dharmic Artifacts on the Spirit Intranet. In the end, as he listed the large seal, Zhao Hailin seemed to have been driven crazy. The twenty or so Armament Soldiers that he had invited all felt that they have been surrounded by bad luck to be involved in the entire fiasco. No matter what benefits Zhao Hailin promised them, they no longer wanted to participate. As they left one by one, Zhao Hailin stood solemnly in his cave abode and was left with no choice but to give up on this battle of the treasures.

To him, the battle of the treasures was of secondary importance. It was imperative to find out the details of the other party's plot. However, even then, no matter how hard he analyzed the situation, he was unable to find out the motive of the other party's ploy.

This, in his opinion, was what made the entire situation so frightening!

The other party is very well prepared. I imagine that this plot against me definitely took more than two years to plan. What should I do?

Zhao Hailin took a deep breath to calm himself down. He began to feel that this was the biggest challenge that he had faced since becoming the supervisor of the audit department!

The Dharmic Artifacts prepared by the other party, as well as the speed at which he managed to understand his own Dharmic Artifacts, made him completely frightened and confirmed his hypothesis at the same time.

There is definitely a group of people backing this person!

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Chapter 168: Buzz Buzz…

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Zhao Hailin's withdrawal, while causing a huge commotion, also thoroughly built up the reputation of the Crossed Dharmic Artifacts. Combined with the small number of them, they soon became rare items.

Even though this scuffle had come to an end and it was no longer trending, the three words 'Crossed Dharmic Artifact' were deeply ingrained in the hearts of people. One could say that almost everyone knew about them. Naturally, many people started guessing the identity of the Crossed Dharmic Artifact creator.

However, Wang Baole was full of regret. Zhao Hailin's withdrawal made him extremely dejected—he felt that he had learned a lot from this friendly exchange of ideas with Zhao Hailin.

Not only did he gain a deeper understanding of Numinous Treasures, he was also more confident about his capabilities in creating them. Previously, he had no confidence in creating a Numinous Treasure, but now, Wang Baole felt like he could start refining Numinous Treasures.

As for exposing himself as the creator of the Crossed Dharmic Artifacts, Wang Baole thought for a while and felt it inappropriate to do so. On one hand, the Crossed Dharmic Artifacts did indeed have problems. On the other hand, Wang Baole personally enjoyed the feeling that he had his own brand on the light side and the Crossed Dharmic Artifacts on the dark side. Having these two brands on the light and dark side made him feel like he was really powerful.

The high officials' autobiographies once said that, in one's glorious life, people used many titles to describe them. Right now… I can be considered to have met that criteria.

Although he might have misunderstood the meaning of the quote, he felt that he was very extraordinary at that moment.

With a prideful smile, Wang Baole started officially researching and refining third-grade Numinous Treasures. Combined with the various methods that he understood from Zhao Hailin's videos, other than his fixed daily routine of refining Armament Sand, he spent almost all his attention on refining third-grade Numinous Treasures in the days that followed.

At that point in time, his list of rewards from the Spirit Breath Village was finally recorded and sent to him. Wang Baole took a rough look, and even he got a shock.

Over 13,600 items…

Wang Baole had not counted the specific number of items when he ransacked the Spirit Breath Village. Now that he saw the items, he finally understood why the Dao College had taken so long to record down the items.

This number was way too large. That was especially so because all of the items had to be entered into the Dao College's records. Hence, it had taken a longer time for them to be sent to Wang Baole.

In fact, there were over three thousand items with effects unknown even to the Dao College. These items were specially marked in the list.

After checking, Wang Baole discovered that he could choose over one thousand items from the list of the items. However, for items such as corpses and pills, he could not take everything. He could only choose at most one item from each category.

After contemplation, Wang Baole chose to keep half of his right to choose the items and gave the other half back to the Dao College in exchange for Spirit Stones of equal value. Immediately, the number of Spirit Stones that he had grew to an alarming amount.

Seeing the massive number of Spirit Stones that he had in his account, Wang Baole was extremely excited. He took a deep breath after a long while.

I'm rich!

His eyes glowed. Seeing how he suddenly had so many Spirit Stones, he bought many ingredients he could not bear to buy in the past few months in one shot and started refining new third-grade Numinous Treasures.

But the difficulty of refining third-grade Numinous Treasures was still immense even though Wang Baole had already come to understand a lot more.

Two months passed, and Wang Baole had accumulated seven thousand pieces of Armament Sand after a lot of effort. Finally, he succeeded once after going through countless failures.

He had refined his first Numinous Treasure!

This Numinous Treasure was nothing special. It was a flying sword named Heaven Wave Sword.

Once released, this sword could conjure waves. While its aura was alarming, its offensive power was also impressive. Although it could only be considered ordinary among third-grade Numinous Treasures, and it could not cleave through perfect second-grade Dharmic Artifacts per se, it could still cause them to break into fragments.

Wang Baole was extremely excited after experiencing the Heaven Wave Sword's power, but he understood that to become an Armament Soldier, it was not enough for him to only know how to refine a Heaven Wave Sword.

After all, the Armament Soldier test in the Dharmic Armament Pavilion was a huge deal. After asking around, he understood the rules clearly and knew that every Armament Soldier test required the examinees to prepare a Numinous Treasure for the test.

The main point of the test was the excellence level of the Numinous Treasure. A third-grade Numinous Treasure was just the most basic requirement. It was possible to become an Armament Soldier by randomly refining a Numinous Treasure, but it depended very much on luck!

So, for a conventional Armament Soldier test, one would always try their best to prepare the best Numinous Treasure that they could refine with their abilities. Once they were done with their preparation, they could apply for the test. Once the Dharmic Armament Pavilion approved their application, they would be given a test date.

When that day came, the four Deputy Pavilion Heads and the Pavilion Head of the Dharmic Armament Pavilion would make an appearance at the Armament Soldier test's designated area. As examiners, they would decide whether the examinees could become Armament Soldiers. Meanwhile, they would also require examinees to answer various questions on the refinement of Numinous Treasures.

Of course, they would sometimes ask an examinee to refine another piece of the same Numinous Treasure in front of them. There were even times when a Deputy Pavilion Head asked an examinee to refine a different Numinous Treasure on the spot!

Once there was a mistake in the process, they would fail to become an Armament Soldier. If they were caught cheating, the consequences were pretty serious. It was enough to get one expelled from Upper Academy Island, and Upper Academy Island would take back everything that they had learned. As a result, there were still people who dared cheat in the Armament Soldier test, but those cases were extremely rare, and they faced extremely severe consequences.

Realizing this, Wang Baole understood deeply that his current standard was still not enough. Meanwhile, he also had not prepared the Numinous Treasure required for the test.

Besides, my target is to get to a level where I could refine perfect third-grade Numinous Treasures like how I refined second-grade Dharmic Artifacts without much effort. That way, even if someone makes things difficult for me, no one will be able to stop me from becoming an Armament Soldier!

This was the requirement that Wang Baole had set for himself. He had a decisive look in his eyes and went into seclusion again, refining third-grade Numinous Treasures with greater intensity.

As time passed and Wang Baole refined his seventh Numinous Treasure, he could feel that his proficiency level in refining Numinous Treasures increased as the days went by. It was at this time that he finished refining his ten thousand pieces of Armament Sand.

Looking at the Armament Sand and feeling the scabbard within him, Wang Baole pondered. He was at a loss as to whether he should stick to his plan and continue familiarizing himself with third-grade Numinous Treasures or refine his scabbard first.

The former took a long time, and Wang Baole felt that he had to keep experimenting. Although he was not very confident about the latter, he had already gathered the key ingredients, and he could get the remaining ingredients on Upper Academy Island.

Moments later, Wang Baole made his decision. The Armament Sand and scabbard were too precious, and Wang Baole did not have enough confidence to try refining them. Hence, he continued immersing himself in refining third-grade Numinous Treasures.

Time trickled by. When he went into seclusion this time, Wang Baole steeled his heart and even ate fewer snacks. He lost some weight and seemed a lot more handsome.

Finally, after three months with the support of enough Spirit Stones, Wang Baole became more proficient in the refinement of third-grade Numinous Treasures through countless failures. He could finally refine perfect third-grade Numinous Treasures. Although they were of the type that were easy to refine, Wang Baole was already very motivated.

At the same time, he also upgraded all of his perfect second-grade Dharmic Artifacts. He even upgraded some of his Crossed Dharmic Artifacts. With his tremendous wealth, they all became third-grade.

Under the brave experimentation of Wang Baole and supported by his skill and a little bit of luck, Wang Baole succeeded in one try. Although not perfect, the scabbard also became a third-grade Numinous Treasure.

However, as the extremely excited Wang Baole waved the scabbard around excitedly and expected sword aura needles to appear within it, something happened to make his jaw drop.

Buzzing sounds spread from within the scabbard. Wang Baole was shocked. He stared while in a daze as nine mosquitoes flew out from the scabbard. His gaze momentarily lost its focus, and his head buzzed.

"What the heck?"

Wang Baole rubbed his eyes in disbelief and felt that what had just happened was too unbelievable. After coming to his senses moments later, he became anxious and immediately checked the inscriptions on the scabbard.

Upon closer inspection, he finally found the reason. Because there were problems with his technique, an accident happened when upgrading the scabbard to the third grade. While the Armament Sand was being infused into the scabbard, it had caused the inscriptions to change and caused an unusual transformation that Wang Baole could not understand at that moment. Hence, this unknown effect appeared.

To a certain degree, this scabbard… was both a success and a failure!

But it was different from a typical Crossed Dharmic Artifact. The transformations for those Crossed Dharmic Artifacts were caused by a grain of Armament Sand. However, the scabbard… had ten thousand grains of Armament Sand infused into it!

"No way…" Wang Baole felt like crying, but no tears appeared. He regretted having itchy hands and refining the scabbard so early. As though someone had thrown cold water on him, Wang Baole's expectations and excitement disappeared completely. That was especially so when he saw the nine mosquitoes flying in front of him. He almost raised his hand to kill one of them, but when he thought of how he had spent ten thousand grains of Armament Sand and countless ingredients to refine this Dharmic Artifact, he could not bear to do so.

"Mosquitoes… can also be very powerful!" Wang Baole cried and comforted himself. He thought of the horrifying giant mosquito that he had encountered in the Pond Cloud Rainforest.

Thus, he gathered his courage with a grimace and walked out of his cave abode. He decided to test just how strong these mosquitoes were…

"Fatso Forefathers and the grandfathers in the high officials' autobiographies, please bless me. These mosquitoes must have some uses; they must at least be worth my Armament Sand. After all… I spent ten thousand grains of Armament Sand!"

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Chapter 169: The Rumbling Smoke Signal

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Pained, Wang Baole grimaced and left his cave abode.

It was dusk, so the sky in the horizon was awash with orange hues. It was approaching spring. Even though the location of Ethereal Dao College made it seem like spring all year round, during the actual spring season, the temperature outside still carried a hint of the coldness.

The humidity was also higher. The winds blowing into one's face went straight to the bones. It might not have seemed too cold initially, but one would start feeling the cold after an extended period outdoors.

To a cultivator, however, a little cold was something that could be disregarded.

Wang Baole was not bothered by the cold winds that preceded the approach of spring. He walked out of the cave abode area, toward the setting sun, and ended up in a corner with no one in sight. He prayed inwardly, raised his right hand in a wave, and saw, instead of the scabbard appearing, invisible strands of Sword Qi shooting out from his palm soundlessly.

The Sword Qi transformed into nine mosquitoes in midair!

The nine mosquitoes looked extremely realistic, their appearances no different from real mosquitoes. They possessed a certain mind of their own and started flying around Wang Baole.

They gave off a similar feeling. Wang Baole shivered as he heard the endless buzzing in his ears. He almost raised his hand and swatted them, but he held back his sudden urges, took a deep breath, and forced his agitated mind to calm down. Instead, he tried to control the mosquitoes.

As soon as the thought rose in Wang Baole's mind, the nine mosquitoes shook. They flew in front of Wang Baole instantly and lined up in one row, like soldiers, before him.

"Hmm?" Wang Baole's eyes brightened. Another thought formed. In an instant, the mosquitoes kept reorganizing themselves before him, forming all kinds of formations that were identical to what Wang Baole had thought up.

"They're so agile!" Wang Baole was slightly surprised and pleased. He had been too glum earlier and had not immediately realized how different the mosquitoes were. He suddenly felt the mosquitoes to be quite powerful.

What if I don't go for precise control and instead issued a command?

Upon thinking that, Wang Baole immediately tried doing it. He soon realized to his surprise that these mosquitoes seemed to possess a certain mind of their own and could likely carry out the orders that he issued.

Patrolling, for example, or guarding against enemies. After Wang Baole infused more Spirit Qi into the scabbard inside his body, he was surprised to find a huge transformation in his vision!

An ordinary person, when staring straight ahead without moving their eyes, would maybe have a field of vision of approximately forty-five degrees. This was something even being a cultivator could not change. The most he could do was to hone his five senses and acquire a vague sensing of his surroundings.

But now… Wang Baole discovered, much to his shock, that his field of vision had transformed from its original forty-five degrees to a full three-hundred-and-sixty-degree field of vision!

"This… this…" Wang Baole's breathing halted. After detailed observations, he immediately realized the cause. He was borrowing the field of vision from the nine mosquitoes. Each mosquito was like a pair of eyes. In this manner, he was able to exceed the limits of his original vision!

This discovery sent Wang Baole shaking inside. He immediately realized very clearly that such a field of vision would prove to be of immense help to him. When facing an enemy, it would be as if he had grown eyes all around his head… making him even more agile and aware of his surroundings.

In addition, if someone attempted to ambush him, it would be difficult for them to do so without his discovery!

Excited, Wang Baole felt that he needed to study this ability more. He maneuvered the mosquitoes and shifted their lines of sight endlessly. He found out excitedly that it did not matter if it was one mosquito or all nine mosquitoes, they could all become his eyes. He was able to control them flawlessly.

This ability alone is worth the ten thousand Armament Sand! Wang Baole was beyond excited. He eagerly tried to manipulate the mosquitoes into flying further away into the distance.

Let's see how far they can fly…

The thought had just appeared in Wang Baole's mind before a wave of emotions stirred within him again. As the nine mosquitoes flew rapidly away, Wang Baole discovered his vision transforming instantly again!

It was like ten different images being layered together without affecting one another, sharing one another's vision. He could see almost half of the Dharmic Armament Pavilion!

Even though blind spots started appearing as the mosquitoes flew further and further away, such an experience was already unprecedented to Wang Baole. It was at that moment that a cacophony of noises suddenly appeared and exploded in Wang Baole's head!

He could hear countless voices!

"The Armament Disciple exam is too hard. I hope I can pass this time!"

"Senior Brother Zhou, can this Mystic Flame Metal of yours be cheaper? I need loads of it!"

"Fried potatoes, freshly made fried potatoes…"

"Have you heard? The Beast Tide this year is approaching. A primary stronghold near my hometown is already preparing for war!"

All kinds of sounds exploded in Wang Baole's ears. It was like a huge tsunami that nearly flooded and drowned Wang Baole. The sensation was akin to being teleported instantly to a market place from a silent environment. Wang Baole was dazed instantly. He quickly controlled the mosquitoes into flying higher. This made him feel slightly better.

These mosquitoes can actually hear sounds… It's just that there is too much noise.Wang Baole felt his head swelling in pain. However, he was more excited than pained. He tried filtering the noises. The effect was not very promising, but it was still acceptable, though barely.

After that, he maneuvered the mosquitoes into flying in the further parts of the Dharmic Armament Pavilion. He soon heard voices and saw an image. It was the inside of the hall in the College Administrative Department. Sun Fang, his face grave, was about to leave the hall. Someone chased after him and shouted for him to stop.

"Senior Brother Sun, we…"

Upon hearing that, the look on Sun Fang's face changed. He surveyed the surroundings with great care, then turned and glared angrily at the new arrival.

"Shut up. Next time, when we're in public, call me Senior Brother Fang. I'm called Fang Sun!"

Watching Sun Fang, and hearing Sun Fang's words, the remote Wang Baole could not help but cough. This Sun Fang had offended him previously and had been disciplined by the College Administrative Department. Wang Baole felt himself to be a forgiving man, and especially with him recently promoted, he did not wish for others to find himself too harsh. That was why he had let him off lightly. He had intended to wait a while longer before finding an opportunity to deal with him, but this person was like a devious monkey spirit. After the incident, the genius had claimed to have changed his name and, from then on, was called Fang Sun.

Wang Baole could not, in good conscience, continue to pursue the matter. He thought of how forgiving and benevolent he was and truly let the matter rest.

At present, he did a sweeping glance and disregarded the scene, continued to maneuver the nine mosquitoes into flying farther ahead, and finally found that they could fly as far as three miles away from him. Wang Baole was overjoyed. He tested how fast they could go in a short-distance dash as well as the strength of their attacks.

The former was astonishing. The sudden burst of speed was too fast for the human eye to see. The latter was considerably weaker. The most that they could achieve was piercing some trees. Rocks were more challenging.

That's okay—they're mosquitoes. They're supposed to bite people, not bulldoze them!

After comforting himself, Wang Baole wanted to test the effects of the mosquitoes' bite on a person, but even though there were plenty of people in the Dharmic Armament Pavilion, they had done nothing to offend him. As for Lin Tianhao, he was away in seclusion. Wang Baole manipulated the mosquitoes into making a few rounds in front of the cave abode that Lin Tianhao had recently moved into, but he gave up after they could find no way in.

"It's a pity the shameless monkey isn't around," Wang Baole muttered regretfully. He planned to test out the power of his mosquitoes' bite when either the shameless monkey turned up or when Lin Tianhao emerged from his seclusion. Then, he recalled the nine mosquitoes.

Right, I still have to test their defense!

When the nine mosquitoes appeared before Wang Baole again, he thought for a bit before pinching one of them. It seemed quite hardy, but after Wang Baole used his strength…

Smack.

The mosquito shattered into pieces…

Wang Baole frowned and quickly his heart stirred. Spirit Qi surged into the scabbard. With a wave of his hand, another mosquito appeared. Wang Baole's eyes shone brightly at the sight of it. After multiple tries, he realized that as long as he did not exhaust his Spirit Qi, the mosquitoes could be regenerated for an infinite number of times after they were destroyed.

"This is too much!" Wang Baole examined all the data he had collected. As a soon-to-be Armament Soldier who could refine Numinous Treasures, he was blown away.

Even though he did not know how powerful the actual scabbard that could shoot out flying sword needles would be if he had followed the instructions of Little Missy in the black mask and refined that scabbard, from how he saw it, this mutated scabbard of his was not that much weaker. In some respects, it might even surpass the real deal!

While Wang Baole was about to test out the Dharmic Artifact that were the mosquitoes, a signal was activated a long distance away from Ethereal Dao College in a vast expanse of mountains.

From afar, the mountain range was obscured in darkness. Only a smoke signal rose in thick waves into the sky. It seemed like it would never be extinguished and exuded an aura that was beyond description. It seemed to be connected directly to the heavens and made the entire sky appear to be scattered with rings of clouds!

However, if one should approach for a closer look, one would discover that the mountains seemed like they were coated in metal. On the peak of the mountain, where the smoke signal rose, sat a giant stronghold!

This stronghold was imposing and grand, made not from bricks and mortar but from a special kind of metal. It glimmered with a pitch-black light. Constructed against one side of the mountain, the walls of the stronghold were covered with spikes. The spikes varied in length, some long and some short, and were stained in dried blood. At the edge of some of the spikes stood a ring-shaped platform. Upon the platform sat what looked like a giant cannon.

This was the composite Numinous Treasure that had been invented by the Federation; it was extremely powerful. With a single glance, one could see numerous Numinous Treasures like it on the spikes lining the stronghold walls. It was almost impossible to count them all.

The main body of the stronghold spanned hundreds of yards. It stood impressively tall, towering five thousand yards. It was as if a gate that could seal the heavens stood on the mountain, merged with the entire mountain range. It impressed, astounded, and at the same time, divided the lands into what lay inside and what was kept outside.

Inside was the Federation!

As for what lay outside, it was an expanse of scorched land. Even further beyond it were endless jungles. One could almost hear the howls of ferocious beasts thundering from the within the jungles, resounding through the air.

It was like a primordial land!

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Chapter 170: The Seventh Stronghold

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

At present, a swamp of ferocious beasts, their flying forms illuminated by lightning, approached rapidly. The Numinous Treasures outside the stronghold retaliated swiftly before the beasts could draw near. With a terrifying roar, the sharp spears and cannons let loose a blast of light, slaughtering the creatures without mercy.

The flying lightning beasts stood no chance of escape. Their deaths were instant. The cries that they released before their deaths could shake one to their core.

However, to the countless soldiers in the stronghold bustling around with their affairs, this was but the daily course of affairs—nothing that they were not accustomed to.

There lay one of the primary strongholds guarding the Federation, also known as the Seventh Imperial Gate!

Seven primary strongholds spread across the entire Federation. Within each area that fell under the protection and command of a primary stronghold were hundreds of smaller, minor strongholds.

The military stationed all year round in the strongholds exterminated all beasts that ventured near and defended against minor Beast Tides that occurred from time to time.

At every primary stronghold, a general stood watch and held the fort. The general was responsible for and directed the mission of hundreds of minor strongholds within the primary stronghold's sphere of influence—the mission of defending against the beasts.

At this precise moment, within the Seventh Imperial Gate, General Zhou, who first made his appearance at the Combat Pavilion Tournament alongside Zhou Lu, stood on a tower. He had his hands behind his back, his gaze set upon the wild jungles in the distance. He stood like this for a long time, and a tinge of concern colored his eyes.

"The Federation predicted that the upcoming Beast Tide will take place on a small scale… so why can't I rid myself of the nagging sense of worry that has been plaguing me for the past few days?" General Zhou frowned and muttered to himself. Then, he barked out an order.

"Contact the four Dao Colleges. The numbers joining our party this year are to be increased!"

General Zhou's orders were sent without delay to the four Dao Colleges. Similar requests from other strongholds arrived at the same time.

While the colleges went about their preparations, Wang Baole ended his examination of the mosquitoes in a great mood. He was humming a tune softly while strolling back to his cave abode. It was when he saw his cave abode in the distance that it happened.

Suddenly, a rope flew out of nowhere and flung itself—not at Wang Baole—at the huge tree beside him. As soon as it wrapped itself around the tree trunk, it tightened into a strangle.

"Who's there!" Wang Baole's eyes brightened in a flash. His body surged a step forward in an instant, and with a swift wave of his hand, nine mosquitoes appeared. A glove appeared around his right hand; faint strands of mist wove themselves around his left hand. He stared warily in the direction that the rope had come from.

He stared for a very long while and could stop doubts from surfacing. There did not seem to be anything out of place. Stunned, he turned and looked at the rope that had the tree in a chokehold. It was a common item that often turned up among Dharmic Artifacts on Upper Academy Island. Recognition escaped Wang Baole at first. After repeated looks, his eyes suddenly widened.

"Could it be that?"

Wang Baole stepped forward for a closer examination. He could feel his own seal within the rope, and his eyes narrowed.

"It really is…" There was a look of disbelief on Wang Baole's face. This was the rope that he had refined with Armament Sand a few months ago, the one that had flown into the sky and disappeared without a trace as soon as he had flung it out!

Wang Baole had almost forgotten it. Who could have expected that it would make its way back a few months later?

There's something seriously wrong with this rope… Wang Baole sighed and retrieved the rope. He intended to take a closer look at it when he was back, to see if there was any possibility for modification.

If there was not, this rope would just be trash. For something that, after being thrown at the enemy, would rise into the sky and disappear, only to reappear a few months later—anything that it could do then would be too little, too late.

Not to mention where the rope had actually gone those few months… it was something that defied Wang Baole's imagination.

As he immersed himself in thought, Wang Baole placed the rope in his storage bag and returned to his cave abode. He immediately marched over to the smelting furnace. After hours of study, he finally stepped out. He let loose a deep sigh of exasperation. The rope was an unsolvable puzzle.

Under his close examination, he had found that the inscriptions carved within the rope had been completely transformed. The inscriptions clustered together like the messy, overlapping lines of a cypher, thwarting his attempt at analyzing them.

There was nothing to do but store the rope and come back to it again when he was more well-versed in Dharmic Armaments.

Let's not care about the rope now. Now that I've achieved the basic requirements of becoming an Armament Soldier, the next step is… to familiarize myself with the refinement of third-grade Numinous Treasures as well as to prepare the Numinous Treasure for the advancement assessment!

After thinking for a bit, Wang Baole sat down and opened up the Dharmic Armament guidebook. He went down the list, his eyes finally pausing on a third-grade Numinous Treasure named Dragon's Tooth.

Among third-grade Numinous Treasures, the Dragon's Tooth was considered a top-tier treasure. It was a challenge to refine; not only were the inscriptions complicated, the materials required to craft it were extremely rare. Besides metals and precious stones, a large quantity of teeth had to be harvested from monsters.

There was even a note in the Dharmic Armament guidebook stating that the more monsters' teeth used, the greater this Numinous Treasure would turn out. In theory, if one could venture into the unfathomable Sea, slaughter the Sea Dragon—a fearsome beast whose sightings started in the Spirit Inception Era—and harvest its teeth for crafting, the final treasure created would have power rivaling that of a fifth-grade Numinous Treasure!

The same principle applied for the use of any teeth belonging to monsters stronger and more fearsome than the Sea Dragon. With such teeth, the power of this Numinous Treasure would increase exponentially!

This Numinous Treasure looks like a mace. Wang Baole stared at the picture of the Numinous Treasure on the Dharmic Armament Scroll hesitantly. He was ambivalent.

After studying the other Numinous Treasures in the guidebook though, Wang Baole concluded that he could only guarantee a smooth advancement by crafting the Dragon's Tooth.

Monsters' teeth are sold in the Dharmic Armament Pavilion, but there aren't many for sale, and the variety's limited. Besides, this Dragon's Tooth will need a core tooth… what should I choose for its core tooth? Wang Baole thought. His mind instantaneously brought up the image of the Diamond Ape grinning fiercely at Wang Baole.

The stupid monkey's teeth are very white. They look to be in pretty good shape. If I can get my hands on one of its teeth and use it as the core material, this Numinous Treasure of mine should turn out to be pretty strong.

The temptation was strong, but Wang Baole knew that the task was too challenging. Putting aside the question of whether he would even succeed in the first place, even if he did successfully get his hands on one of the teeth, he would not dare to flaunt its use in public. With some regret, he moved on to consider other potential options.

Even though there were few monsters' teeth available in the Dharmic Armament Pavilion, Wang Baole received many replies from Upper Academy Island disciples after posting his request on the Spirit Intranet. Many of these disciples were from the Combat Pavilion. They had many monsters' teeth in their possession. After some hunting, Wang Baole finally had his eyes set on the tooth of a Severed Finger Wolf; it would form the core tooth of the Numinous Treasure that he was going to craft.

Severed Finger Wolves traveled and lived in packs. A fully-grown wolf would rival one who was at the second, maybe even third, level of the True Breath realm. In addition to its brutal nature was its gruesome appearance. Tentacle-like cartilage in the shape of human fingers grew all over its body.

For someone seeing a Severed Finger Wolf for the first time, a glance at a distance was enough to make one's hair stand on end.

Its teeth were razor-sharp and poisonous. Wang Baole spent quite a number of Spirit Stones on the purchase. After a few tests, he was impressed and awed; at the same time, he believed his choice of the tooth as the core tooth for his Numinous Treasure to be quite the sound decision.

Before he could continue his purchase of other monsters' teeth, a piece of news turned up and spread across the entire Upper Academy Island like wildfire.

"There's a Beast Tide approaching! Think it won't be long before we are summoned to fight!"

"These wretched monsters! Not only do they compete with us for Spirit Qi, evolve faster than us, and leave us in the dust, they even intrude upon our lands every year!"

"Who cares? During the Beast Wars, we were the ones who won! We annihilated every one of those monsters in all the Beast Tides that followed!"

"We've had casualties every year, but the senior brothers who returned were all richly rewarded with wealth and other benefits!"

The spreading news was a surprise to many new disciples. After all, they had not had full access to such news when they were at the Lower Academy Island. They had some vague semblance of awareness, superficial and limited.

Now, having entered Upper Academy Island, they finally understood the order of the world and the horror that were the monstrous beasts. The news traveled. Wang Baole heard it all. More information surfaced on the Spirit Intranet without pause.

Wang Baole set aside his shopping and instead focused on the upcoming Beast Tide. He browsed through some readings and a number of Spirit Intranet posts, which cemented what he had known previously. The Federation had seven generals. In the Beast Wars, the seven generals had expanded Federation territories, pushed the frontiers ever closer to the primordial lands, and finally established the seven primary strongholds!

Surrounding each primary stronghold were hundreds of minor strongholds that guarded against and exterminated all encroaching monsters. For the strongholds in the entire Federation, the Beast Tide every spring was a season of war.

The four Dao Colleges that enjoyed elevated statuses were also obliged to shoulder a portion of the responsibility. Every year, the respective Upper Academies would send out numerous disciples to join the seven primary strongholds. The disciples would fall under the military's command. Their assistance in the monster extermination also served as a form of cultivation.

Combat disciples killed; Alchemy disciples healed; Array Formation disciples supported with their array formations; disciples from the other pavilions were tasked with their own responsibilities. As for the Dharmic Armament disciples, they repaired and restored damaged Dharmic Treasures, especially the large-scale composite Numinous Treasures in the stronghold.

Every disciple who headed toward the stronghold faced the threat of death. If they returned, they would be gifted with praise and rewards from the college. There would even be a record made in their academic dossier. When they took up a position in the Federation in the future, this would form a part of their qualifications.

The news on the Beast Tide spread further and wider. It was then that Wang Baole received a missive from the college. He was to join Chen Yutong and head for the seventh primary stronghold.

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Chapter 171: To Be Bestowed the Rank of a General, Extinguish a Species!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The delivery of the missive was followed swiftly by a voice transmission from Chen Yutong.

"Junior Brother Baole, you should've received the missive as well. We'll be traveling to the seventh stronghold to support the repair and restoration of the composite Numinous Treasure. Nearly all of us Dharmic Armament Pavilion disciples have been dispatched to the different primary strongholds. There are a few who will be traveling with me—you, Zhou Penghai, and someone called Sun Fang will be in my team.

"There are seven great generals in the Federation. The general stationed at the seventh primary stronghold is Zhou Dexi. Junior Brother Baole, do you know what it takes to be a general? It takes a primary stronghold, a ninth-grade Dharmic Armament, a conquest of new lands for mankind—it is the utmost glory!"

Chen Yutong's voice was overwhelmed with excitement, as if he was brimming with anticipation for the mission to support the war efforts.

"If one wishes to become a general, one must extinguish an entire species! Annihilate any one of the top twenty species found in the Beast Records, destroy the entire bloodline, and one will receive the honored rank of general!

"Every time that a new general appears, the Federation will declare a war of expansion on the wilderness where the monsters reside. A new primary stronghold will be built in the newly conquered lands. There, we will light the Eternal Smoke Signal that will strike fear straight into the hearts of the monsters!

"The Eternal Smoke Signal is a ninth-grade Dharmic Armament crafted by all living top-rate Dharmic Armament cultivators who have been gathered by the Federation, made from the spirit blood of the extinguished species.

"My passion is to create a living puppet, and my dream has always been… to destroy an entire monster species, to become a general, and for an eighth primary stronghold to appear in the Federation, lighting the eighth Eternal Smoke Signal!"

Chen Yutong's words climbed steadily toward a near-feverish intensity as he shared his dream. He continued speaking with inexhaustible excitement before ending the voice transmission with their date of departure.

Wang Baole placed the voice transmission token away and took a deep breath. His expression became solemn as his mind digested what Chen Yutong had said.

Wang Baole was cautious but hardly a coward; prone to anger, even more so toward violence; forceful to the extent of being overly aggressive. He understood that the threat of the monsters was akin to a sharp sword hanging over the Federation's head. Many even believed that the second Beast War would inevitably break out in the future.

With regard to the general status and the Eternal Smoke Signal… Wang Baole felt that neither were what his final goal was. That was because his dream was to become the Federation President!

If exterminating one monster species is what it takes to become a general, then to become the Federation President, I'll have to at least exterminate ten monster species, expand our lands and build ten primary strongholds, and light ten Eternal Smoke Signals. Else, I won't be able to keep the generals in order.

Taking a deep breath, a fierce light burned in his eyes. He held the same fervor as Chen Yutong when it came to conquering new lands.

With that thought, Wang Baole started his preparations. He organized his Dharmic Artifacts and sold quite a few pills. During that period, he noticed the daily cruisers, each ferrying three to five people, dashing through the layered clouds from one place to another—disciples who had set off early for their respective assigned strongholds.

His eyes shone with anticipation as he saw them off. Three days later, after he had purchased all his necessities for the trip, the day of departure as agreed upon with Chen Yutong arrived.

Wang Baole left his cave abode early that morning and headed straight for the disciplinary department. He was in high spirits and greatly looking forward to the mission.

He soon reached the disciplinary department and spotted Zhou Penghai and Sun Fang. The pair had arrived early and were waiting for Chen Yutong and Wang Baole.

Sun Fang seemed especially nervous. He was speaking in hushed, respectful tones beside Zhou Penghai while his eyes wandered all over the place. Upon seeing Wang Baole, he sucked in a deep breath and took a few hurried steps toward Wang Baole. Wang Baole was hardly given any time to approach before Sun Fang cupped his fists hastily and bowed deeply.

"Fang Sun greets Senior Brother Wang!"

When Zhou Penghai, who had been standing alongside Sun Fang, heard that, an odd expression fell across his face. He had caught wind of news that Sun Fang had been referring to himself as Fang Sun. At present, after observing Sun Fang's behavior before Wang Baole, he could not help but smile. He cupped his fists and greeted Wang Baole, a tinge of deference in his demeanor.

Wang Baole broke out into laughter as well after seeing how quickly Sun Fang had fallen in line. He gave Sun Fang a pat on the shoulder before greeting Zhou Penghai warmly and drawing the latter into a lively conversation.

As for Sun Fang, he felt as if a burden had been lifted off him with that mere pat on the shoulder from Wang Baole. A great portion of the heaviness that had been weighing upon his heart finally dispersed. His spirits excited and energized, he remained cautious as he stood beside the two, nodding incessantly in agreement regardless of what Wang Baole or Zhou Penghai said.

Not much time passed before Chen Yutong also appeared, fully equipped. He looked at Wang Baole and the rest, laughed, and without saying a word, retrieved his cruiser.

Chen Yutong's cruiser was incomparable to Wang Baole's. It was of unquestionably superior quality, could seat ten people, and was painted completely silver. Its mere appearance was exceptional.

"Let's set off!" With a wave of his hand, Chen Yutong leapt on board. Wang Baole followed his lead, followed by Zhou Penghai and finally the meek Sun Fang.

Once everyone had gathered onboard, Chen Yutong took a deep breath as his eyes shone brightly.

"Everyone, let's all pull together as a team for this mission. I hope that when we return, no one will be left behind!"

After saying that, Chen Yutong's Spirit Qi suddenly unfurled; energy that far surpassed the cultivation level of Wang Baole and the rest—the peak of the True Breath realm—exploded instantaneously and fused with cruiser. That sent a tremor throughout the cruiser and sparked an incredible propulsive force; the cruiser crossed a vast distance in a blink of an eye.

Wang Baole stood in the middle of the cruiser and turned toward a Green Forest Lake, which shrunk rapidly as the distance grew. He took a slow, deep breath. His determination and resolve toward the mission shone clear in his eyes.

Chen Yutong's cruiser differed from the cruisers of the Ancient Martial realm and the common folk. As someone who was not only a top-tier disciple of Upper Academy Island but was also a popular candidate in the running for deputy Pavilion Head as well as a cultivator at the peak of True Breath realm, Chen Yutong's cruising speed was extremely fast. Despite the vast distance separating the seventh primary stronghold and Upper Academy Island, if all things went well, it would be a matter of hours before they reached their destination.

In comparison, if Wang Baole had taken the cruiser at Lower Academy Island, the traveling time would have been much, much longer. After all, they were bound to encounter numerous bad weather conditions, every manner of which would affect the speed of the cruiser.

Only cruisers such as Chen Yutong's could, due to his exceptional cultivation level, ignore and pass safely through most parts of the adverse weather. There were of course quite a few changes in the weather and atmosphere that even Chen Yutong's cruiser had to steer clear of.

As for the threat of monsters, though there existed ferocious beasts within the Federation lands, most were of the Ancient Martial realm. True Breath realm beasts generally lay low. The Federation had plans of exterminating all beasts within their territory, but this was a nearly insurmountable task. Each year, common beasts, nourished by Spirit Qi, mutated into ferocious beasts in great numbers.

It would not be completely impossible a task if the Federation was to put its mind to it. However, due to reasons unknown, the Federation only set their sights on ferocious beasts of the True Breath realm. Every year, a specialized department would conduct a targeted extermination.

There were also some territories that seemed to have reached an agreement with the Federation to keep out of each other's backyard.

Presently, Chen Yutong's cruiser dashed through the clouds. From afar, one could see a streak of white arcing across the blue heavens, accompanied by the thundering boom of the sound barrier being broken resonating all around—it was like the roar of a giant beast, formidable and awe-inspiring.

Within the cruiser, Chen Yutong and Wang Baole stood at the front of the deck, gazing into the distant lands.

Cities town after cities could be sighted on the ground that passed speedily by. Most were, regrettably, in ruins and had been taken over by the encroaching jungles. A few times, they could see the remains of what had once been cities.

"When the Beast War broke out, humankind was on the losing end of the war. More than half the population died," Chen Yutong said softly as the sight of city ruins sped past.

"I've read a lot about that war. During that time, among all the various political forces in the Federation camp, the highest cultivation level reached then was the Foundation Establishment realm—no one had attained the Core Formation realm!

"The monsters camp, on the other hand, had three Core Formation realm Beast Kings…

"Fortunately, during that pivotal moment of crisis, someone in the Federation finally broke through the Foundation Establishment realm and stepped into the Core Formation realm. It was this that turned the tide of the war. The Divine Armament came into being then. After battling the other political forces as well as the monsters for the Divine Armament, the four great Dao Colleges finally emerged victorious!

"The appearance of the Divine Armament resulted in the Federation's decisive victory. The Federation built the seven primary strongholds and killed all the Beast Kings. However, they failed to drive the beasts to extinction…

"But I believe that as we continuously advance and improve, this planet beneath our feet will one day be fully ours!"

A fierce light shone in Chen Yutong's eyes.

Wang Baole was experiencing a roller coaster of emotions. He was about to speak before he noticed a stronghold appearing on the land ahead. It sat on a mountain valley; armed with fierce-looking spikes, pitch-black stronghold walls of metal, Numinous Treasure-grade grand cannons on numerous ring-shaped platforms nested within the spikes, the stronghold exuded a fearsome aura that shook one to the core.

The countless warriors in the stronghold and the air of violence emanating from their persons were equally terror-inducing.

"Are we here?" Wang Baole looked over immediately. Chen Yutong, Zhou Penghai, and Sun Fang followed suit.

"This is a minor stronghold. The one slightly ahead is the seventh primary stronghold—the one we're to report at!" Chen Yutong said in a low voice after he had taken a look.

"This is just a minor stronghold?" Wang Baole was stunned. He soon noticed many more strongholds like the one that he had just seen ahead. Even though they were referred to as 'minor', the size and scale of each stronghold was, in actuality, huge. They were often built on mountain ranges and mirrored the primary stronghold. Together, the strongholds formed an irregular blockade!

Within an hour, Chen Yutong announced that the seventh primary stronghold was right ahead of them. Wang Baole stared, in awe, at the earth-shattering, great metal wall on the mountain range in the distance.

No words could describe the tempest of emotions that he was experiencing. Wang Baole was shaken to his core. The stronghold before him, whose size and magnitude vastly exceeded the many minor strongholds that they had seen, and the imperial gate that seemed to support the heaven and earth held his gaze captive.

It was at this precise moment of weakness, of faltering, that he saw—from within the majestic stronghold walls, rising into the skies—rings of smoke clouds that continued their ascent up the heavens.

The Eternal Smoke Signal!

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Chapter 172: A Celebrity?

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The Eternal Smoke Signal rose for more than thirty meters, appearing spectacular from afar and breathtaking up close.

One could not see its source or fathom how it came to be; what was clear in one's eyes were the rings that rose steadily and endlessly heavenward, expanded across the blue skies, and transformed into spirals in the skies. It was like a giant eye hung upon the heavens.

An earth-shattering spirit force could be felt within the smoke signal, the potency of which felt so strong it seemed as if it could, upon triggering, level mountains. Even True Breath realm cultivators like Wang Baole and Chen Yutong would be instantly disintegrated.

"Ninth-grade Dharmic Armament! The most powerful Dharmic Armament that the Federation is capable of crafting at present!" Chen Yutong sucked in a deep breath. Beside him, Wang Baole's breathing hastened as well.

The smoke signal was indeed a staggering sight. However, it was incomparable to the majestic imperial gate, the spike-ridden moat surrounding the metal walls… and beyond the imperial gate, the expanse of scorched lands and the vastly different spirit energy that spoke of a world that was drastically different from the Federation.

It was a world that seemed full of primordiality, of madness, and of violence!

"The seventh primary stronghold…" Wang Baole murmured to himself. Their cruiser approached the towering stronghold walls and, drawn by the array formation, lost all power suddenly. It was akin to being picked by an invisible hand and then placed within the walls among the countless camps.

As they descended, a dozen or so cruisers in the distance approached rapidly. They were disciples, like Wang Baole and the rest, from the various colleges. The cruisers were similarly drawn by the array and landed after another.

The camp site was vast and could accommodate a hundred thousand warriors. Upon their cruiser's landing, Wang Baole and the rest disembarked; a warrior approached immediately, saluted, and led them away.

Wang Baole turned serious as he sensed the solemn atmosphere. Alongside Chen Yutong and the others, he went through a series of examinations and was led by the same warrior to the front of another tent.

"After you've registered here, you'll receive your respective missions. Thank you all for your invaluable help!" The warrior who had led them there was a young man; he finished speaking then saluted them again.

"For mankind!"

Chen Yutong, Wang Baole, and the rest of the team cupped their fists and returned the salute respectfully. The young warrior turned away and went on to receive other newcomers.

Outside the tent, a hundred people stood waiting. Every one of them was in the True Breath realm. They wore different attire, coming from different Dao colleges. Some were excited, some were nervous, and others were silent. Some gazed repeatedly at the distant untamed wilderness, a cold light in their eyes.

"We have quite a number of people from the four Dao Colleges this around," Chen Yutong whispered to Wang Baole. Wang Baole nodded. He noticed more people who had arrived after going through the examinations.

Time passed steadily as they waited. Chen Yutong was obviously well-known around there; people standing in front or behind them in the queue soon recognized him and came forward to say hello.

Some were from Upper Academy Island of Ethereal Dao College, but there were also quite a few from the other three Dao colleges. Chen Yutong greeted all of them with a smile. He was well-mannered and charming, laughing and chatting with them. During the conversations, he would bring Wang Baole in and introduce the latter.

Zhou Penghai and Sun Fang could only look on in envy at Chen Yutong, surrounded by friends, as well as Wang Baole, who was showered by constant attention from Chen Yutong. They were not in the same league, unable to compete against Chen Yutong and his wide social network across the four Dao Colleges.

However, they were soon surprised to find out that Wang Baole seemed equally capable in his ability to make friends.

"Wang Baole!"

"It's Wang Baole!" Wang Baole was all smiles and friendliness to the people to whom Chen Yutong introduced him. Gradually, many of the new disciples from the four Dao Colleges started taking notice. When they caught his face, an odd look fell over their faces.

These were the people who had participated in the examination at Spirit Breath Village and had all advanced to become disciples in their respective colleges' Upper Academies. They knew Wang Baole all too well. They smiled wryly, and some approached him to say hello.

As this went on, Chen Yutong's curiosity grew. He tugged at Chen Yutong and asked in hushed tones.

"Junior Brother Baole, these people are giving you strange looks. What's up with them?"

"It's nothing. Basically, they all think I robbed them of their fortunes at Spirit Breath Village," Wang Baole said, almost smugly. He briefly explained what had happened in Spirit Breath Village. Zhou Penghai and Sun Fang widened their eyes in amazement and fear, as if gazing at a godly figure before them.

A look fell over Chen Yutong's face after he heard the story as well. He felt as if he had gained a whole new understanding of this junior brother of his. He patted Wang Baole on the shoulder and was about to say something when suddenly, a newcomer in the new batch of arrivals—a girl—saw Wang Baole and narrowed her eyes.

"Wang Baole!" The girl was wearing the robes of White Deer Dao College. Her pretty, petite features were marred by the glaring almond-shaped eyes and gnashing teeth.

"Li Yi?" Wang Baole turned his head and gave an enthusiastic wave.

This girl was Li Yi. She glared at Wang Baole, snorted, and turned her head the other way, ignoring him.

Chen Yutong, witnessing the scene before him, whispered to Wang Baole questioningly, "Also someone you got to know in Spirit Breath Village?"

"Yup. This girl is vicious. She wanted to strip me naked then. Luckily, I was careful, else I would have been in danger," Wang Baole lamented.

Chen Yutong opened his mouth, as if to say something. Moments passed, and the words would not form. He simply shook his head and smiled wryly. As for Zhou Penghai and Sun Fang, they were once again stunned beyond words.

In the following time, the people waiting outside the tent got to know one another. Those queuing in the front entered the tent, and when they reappeared, they retrieved their cruisers and left. It was as if the registration dispelled the effects of the array formation on them.

Finally, the row of people ahead of Wang Baole stepped into the tent as well. Soon, it would be their turn. It was then that a shout resounded in the distance. The explosion of the sound barrier being broken pierced through the air.

It was an ear-piercing sound, driving pain into all who heard it. They were compelled to look upward, and when they did, the expressions on their faces changed. Wang Baole raised his head hastily. Beyond the stronghold wall, in the skies above the wilderness, three gigantic flying beasts were headed straight for the stronghold.

The three flying beasts had huge forms that spanned more than thirty meters. Their serpentine bodies were covered with feelers while countless pairs of wings grew on their backs. They were swift and looked ferocious. The waves of cultivation energy being emanated struck fear in everyone's heart. The cultivation energy was more powerful than even that of Chen Yutong.

As the beasts dashed through the skies, the stronghold wall tremored. Three beams of light exploded from within. Their force was earth-shattering; it felt as if they could pierce the heavens itself. Where the light passed, they left scorching heat in their paths. The three flying beasts tried to escape but to no avail. Light pierced through their bodies, and the beasts exploded into clouds of dust, killed instantly!

"That's the Fire God Cannon!" Chen Yutong exclaimed, excitement bright in his eyes.

"The Federation gathered all its top-tier Dharmic Armament cultivators, who researched and fused hundreds of Numinous Treasures together to finally craft a great cannon of devastating, destructive power!

"That is the mission that the Dao College has given us—protect and repair the Fire God Cannon!"

Wang Baole was taken aback by the Fire God Cannon's destructive power. Then, he realized that the warriors around him had not once raised their heads during the commotion. It was only then that he realized that perhaps for the warriors, who were stationed here year round, such incidents were a common sight.

"This is what the frontier is like…" Wang Baole calmed himself down. He had noticed the Fire God Cannon that Chen Yutong spoke of when he had been traveling in the skies earlier. As he immersed deep in thought, a group of people who had entered the tent stepped out. They bade Wang Baole and his friends farewell, retrieved their cruisers, and left.

Chen Yutong took a deep breath and looked over at Wang Baole. Both of them entered the tent, one after another. Zhou Penghai and Sun Fang hastily suppressed their feelings of shock and awe as they swiftly followed.

The tent was not too spacious. Four warriors stood on two sides; in the middle was a table, and behind the table sat a young woman. She was dressed in uniform and had an air of alertness and competency to her. A more diligent observer might have been able to discern the untamed wildness in her eyes.

Zhou Penghai's and Sun Fang's eyes brightened when they saw the young woman. Chen Yutong remained unfazed. As for Wang Baole, he was flabbergasted.

Not this… Wang Baole subconsciously touched his nose. This was not going well. The young woman before them turned out to be Zhou Lu.

Zhou Lu saw Wang Baole as well. She did not seem the slightest bit surprised. She had gotten hold of the list of names prior and knew that Wang Baole would be coming.

Her eyes were like frost. She eyed Wang Baole up, then sneered.

"Wang Baole, remember me?"

Her words caught Zhou Penghai, Sun Fang, and Chen Yutong by surprise. They looked toward Wang Baole in unison. The people who recognized Wang Baole in this stronghold seemed to keep growing larger and larger in number.

Wang Baole blinked. If this had been Ethereal Dao College, based on Wang Baole's character, his admission might have been without question, but he was in enemy territory now; a momentary retreat was nothing to be ashamed of. He looked at Zhou Lu with surprise and confusion.

"Fair lady, you know me?"

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Chapter 173: The Calm Before the Storm

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Zhou Lu's breath froze upon hearing Wang Baole's words. She had expected Wang Baole's denial, but she never would have thought that he would call her a fair lady.

The compliment did nothing for her temper. She snorted. This was not the time for revenge, however. She glared at Wang Baole and turned toward Chen Yutong, rising to her feet and saluting him.

"You must be Senior Brother Chen Yutong. If you may, please let me have the jade missive issued by Ethereal Dao College," Zhou Lu requested; regardless of her military status, a greater degree of courtesy was required for someone like Chen Yutong.

There was his cultivation level to consider as well as his family background. For someone to become a candidate included in the running for the Dharmic Armament Pavilion's Deputy Pavilion Head, his status outside the college would have to be extremely elevated.

Chen Yutong set aside his thoughts and feelings, stepped forward, and presented the jade missive. He was courteous and respectful despite Zhou Lu's lower cultivation level. The positive feelings that Zhou Lu had for Chen Yutong increased substantially.

It helped that Chen Yutong had the appearance of a gentleman—well-mannered and polite. With such status and cultivation level, he was the object of adoration of many female and male disciples in Ethereal Dao College's Upper Academy Island. Despite that, he remained alone and free of romantic entanglements.

The exchange between Zhou Lu and Chen Yutong proceeded smoothly; Ethereal Dao College's missive was swiftly executed by the military. They were arranged to be stationed at a minor stronghold. Between Beast Tides, they would be charged with the task of repairing and restoring the Fire God Cannon in that stronghold.

After the mission was confirmed and they had received the safe travel jade slip issued by the military, Chen Yutong, alongside Wang Baole and the rest, walked out of the camp. Zhou Lu leveled an icy glare at Wang Baole's retreating back and sneered silently.

I, Zhou Lu, am not one who abuses public power to avenge a personal wrong. If I were the sort, getting him skinned alive would be a piece of cake! But I will get my revenge… eventually!

She turned her eyes away from Wang Baole and continued with her work.

Outside, having left the tent and boarded the cruiser once more, in preparation of heading toward the mission's designated minor stronghold, Chen Yutong, Zhou Penghai, and Sun Fang looked at Wang Baole. The latter two did not feel like it was their place to ask any questions, but Chen Yutong could not help his curiosity and finally spoke.

"Baole, you definitely know the female officer just now. Did you meet her in Spirit Breath Village as well? Can it be that she tried to strip you naked, too? That doesn't seem right. She didn't seem like she had been enrolled in the Upper Academy of the four Dao Colleges. If she had, she wouldn't have been able to join the army at such a young age. This must have been some arrangement by some family clan…" Chen Yutong looked at Wang Baole with suspicion.

Wang Baole let out a cough. There was no one else here. He decided not to hide the truth any longer. Exasperated, he spoke.

"Her name is Zhou Lu. She didn't try to strip me naked, but… I kicked her once on her butt. I remember her wearing something skin-tight then. The kick made one cheek bigger than the other… turned a peach into a gourd…"

Wang Baole's description was extremely vivid. A very clear picture of what had happened appeared in the other three's minds. Zhou Penghai and Sun Fang had no choice but to concede defeat then. They stared at Wang Baole and could not help but think that the fatty standing before them had reached a certain pinnacle when it came to flirting with women, one that left them trailing in the dust.

Chen Yutong smiled wryly before giving Wang Baole a pat on the shoulder. He spoke slowly and with great intent.

"Baole, women are troublesome creatures. My advice is to stay clear of them in the future. They are too much trouble. I'm speaking from experience, so just take it from me."

Wang Baole thought there was something odd with what Chen Yutong just said. He barely had any chance to mull it over before the cruiser that they were on reached the designated minor stronghold.

The minor stronghold was built on a mountain peak. From afar, the stronghold looked pitch-black in its entirety and was shaped like an enormous, metallic half-moon. It towered hundreds of meters tall and spanned more than three thousand meters. The primordial jungle-facing side was curved like an arc; from it, hundreds of branches spread out and ended in a moon-shaped platform. The entire structure looked like a spoon.

Atop each round platform stood a huge Fire God Cannon that rose thirty-odd meters skyward. On each round platform, many warriors were stationed, numbering to the thousand.

Some of the warriors were responsible for the basic repair of the Fire God Cannon; others were tasked with exterminating monsters during Beast Tides and preventing the monsters from breaking through and damaging the Fire God Cannon.

The arrangement was decided because, on the one hand, the Fire God Cannon required guarding, and on the other hand, the collapse of the Fire God Cannon would result in an explosive self-destructive force, which meant that it could not be placed too near the stronghold.

Concurrently, on both sides of the stronghold, within the rise and fall of the mountain range, could be seen a translucent barrier. It flowed with the mountain range and expanded toward both ends. It was like a protective shield that not only served as a defense measure against the beasts surging from the wildlands but also as a link to two farther strongholds on either end.

If one were to stand perched on the highest peak and lower their gaze upon the scene before them, they would see that each and every one of the minor strongholds were like tiny spots that surrounded the focal seventh primary stronghold and sat within a vast and shimmering glow of a protective array formation.

Besides defending against the invasion of Beast Tides, the minor strongholds were also tasked with the mission of guarding against array formation attacks targeting the seventh primary stronghold. Regardless of where the Beast Tide sprung from, the spirit energy from the array formation attacks that they conjured would be dispersed across the various minor strongholds. Such a strategy strengthened the stability of the protective array formation.

As a result, every minor stronghold became a potential breach point in the eyes of the monsters. That was why each minor stronghold was equipped with its own Fire God Cannons. Though the numbers were not as great as that of the primary strongholds, they still numbered in the hundreds. In addition, there was also a teleportation formation, so backup could be sent or received in a moment's notice.

These destructive minor strongholds under the seventh primary stronghold numbered in the hundreds. Together, they formed the Federation's Seventh Imperial Gate. They were like an impenetrable wall that had stood the test of countless Beast Tides to this day, prevailing at the end of each battle.

The flying cruiser descended and landed in the stronghold. Wang Baole and his friends met the commander-in-charge, a strong bulky man with a huge beard, and eased themselves into the crowd.

In the blink of an eye, three days passed.

During these three days, Wang Baole barely had any time for cultivation. He followed Chen Yutong's lead and inspected a portion of the Fire God Cannons.

Many disciples from the four Dao Colleges had also been assigned to this minor stronghold. Combat cultivators counted for the majority, but a number of Alchemy and Array Formation cultivators, as well as cultivators from other disciplines, were also present.

Everyone had their own task. Dharmic Armament cultivators tasked with the repair and restoration of Fire God Cannons, including Wang Baole's group, numbered at a dozen or more. All of them spread out to repair the cannons; only thirty cannons fell under the care of Wang Baole's group.

It was a low number; however, the Fire God Cannon was a machine of great complexity. During those three days, Wang Baole studied and inspected the machines ceaselessly; he had been blown away by the cannon's structure right from the start.

Every Fire God Cannon had been constructed from more than a hundred Numinous Treasures. Each Numinous Treasure formed one part of the machine. When the Fire God Cannon was activated, its power was more than the sum of all the Numinous Treasures combined.

It was precisely because of such complexity that ordinary cultivators were unable to manage when things went wrong. The warriors were not qualified to repair Numinous Treasures. Even Wang Baole, Zhou Penghai, and Sun Fang could only serve as assistants; the primary duty of repair and restoration fell upon Chen Yutong.

Wang Baole was already capable of crafting Numinous Treasures, though. As such, during these three days' study, his understanding of the composite Numinous Treasure grew at a rapid pace, astounding even Chen Yutong. The latter eventually grew confident enough to let Wang Baole go about the repair work independently. This lessened the team's workload substantially.

Such busy work continued for a week. Only after they had inspected all Fire God Cannons, as well as repaired and replaced the necessary parts, did Wang Baole's team have time to take a breather.

At this point, their mission was almost halfway to completion. What remained was to ensure the cannons' smooth operations during the Beast Tides.

During the time leading up to the Beast Tides, Chen Yutong spent a large part of his making friends with other disciples from the other Dao Colleges. Zhou Penghai eagerly followed suit, while Sun Fang got friendly with the military officers.

Wang Baole was the only one who took a greater liking to the warriors instead of the army commanders. During the course of the week, on many occasions, he found that many of the warriors were at the Ancient Martial realm. They were obviously not his match, but when they looked at him, their eyes were filled with admiration as well as protectiveness.

Not seeking to be protected but to protect Wang Baole, or to be more precise, to protect cultivators like Wang Baole!

Wang Baole's repeated encounters with such a protective streak left him greatly shaken.

Despite being a cultivator, these Ancient Martial realm warriors still thought of protecting him.

In their eyes, cultivators were few and rare; they symbolized hope; they were to be protected at all costs!

Cultivators who could create and restore Fire God Cannons all the more so!

As Wang Baole gradually came to this realization, a strange and indescribable feeling stirred within him. He saw many warriors his age, the battle scars many of them carried, and the marks left on their Dharmic Artifacts that spoke of countless damages and repair.

As he was cultivating in the Dao college, these people were engaging in life-or-death battles with monsters.

These were the warriors who gave their blood and life in exchange for time for cultivators to mature and strengthen and a more peaceful life for the common folk.

This was why as the work slowed down, Wang Baole chose to approach these warriors and, to the best of his ability, repaired and treated the flaws on Dharmic Artifact. His work and his character gradually led to his fostering a familiarity with the warriors.

After they got familiar with one another, on many occasions, Wang Baole forgot his position as a cultivator. He was different when he was in the company of the warriors.

"Come, who was it who said that I won't be able to beat him at arm wrestling? Let's put that to the test today. Loser washes the socks for everybody!" At the open square, outside barracks that housed a hundred odd warriors, laughter and cheering rang out loudly. Sat there was Wang Baole. He slammed the fist of a thick-muscled, grimacing man before him onto the table and shouted smugly.

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Chapter 174: The Beast Tide Begins

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Laughter resounded all around. The cynics soon stepped forward for another round of arm wrestling with Wang Baole. They had all agreed at the start that Wang Baole was not to use his Spirit Qi; he could only rely on his physical strength.

The warriors who stepped forward were all of them at the peak of the Pulse Enrichment level. One after another, they lost to Wang Baole with grimaces on their faces. Round after round of friendly jeering arose.

"Wang Baole, are you sure you're a Dharmic Armament cultivator and not a Combat cultivator?"

"I heard that the Combat cultivators from the four great Dao Colleges were skilled in enhancing their physical abilities. Never heard that the Dharmic Armament cultivators were the same."

Upon hearing what the crowd said, Wang Baole patted his tummy smugly.

"That's all due to my good looks. You know how good-looking people are usually geniuses." Wang Baole laughed. He started letting himself go in this convivial atmosphere. He took out a bag of snacks and started munching.

The laughter from the surrounding warriors grew when they heard Wang Baole's words. The teasing got worse, but Wang Baole had thick skin and was immune to the friendly heckling. He started taking out more snacks and distributing them to the warriors. Soon, everyone was sitting together, munching on snacks.

"Wang Baole, I'm not going to eat your snacks for nothing. Do you have a girlfriend? I have a sister. How about I introduce her to you when I go home visiting? Let me tell you, my sister is real pretty!" The muscular man who had lost to Wang Baole earlier grinned and spoke with great pride, all the while eating Wang Baole's snacks.

Wang Baole was momentarily stunned. He had lived for quite some time; this was the first time that he had encountered something like this.

"You're talking about matchmaking me?"

Upon hearing the exchange between the man and Wang Baole, the crowd started another round of cheering. The man had likely forgotten the number of people to whom he had told he would introduce his sister. As soon as someone did him a favor or gave him a gift, he would immediately think of introducing his sister to the person. His mentioning of that now sparked unending teasing from everyone.

After hearing what everyone else said, Wang Baole could not help but find the whole thing funny. The thick-muscled man chuckled and continued shoving food into his mouth without a hint of embarrassment.

There were so many people snacking together. The sounds of crunching traveled and caught the attention of many patrolling warriors. They also laughed when they saw Wang Baole. During this period, Wang Baole's name had traveled far and wide in the barracks; there was no one who did not know of him.

He was different from the other cultivators. The warriors were not stupid; they could see that Wang Baole was sincere in being friends with them, and he had a likable personality. Since his arrival, the stronghold had heard more laughter than in the past.

This caught the eye of the military officers as well as big-bearded commander-in-charge. Their impression of Wang Baole continued to deepen.

Half a month passed by harmoniously. Just as Wang Baole fully assimilated himself into the warriors' group… the Beast Tide arrived!

One night, a shrill, ear-piercing whistle suddenly erupted, shaking every resting person in the entire stronghold. They dashed out and looked into the sky beyond the stronghold.

Wang Baole had been deep in cultivation. He opened his eyes abruptly and immediately came out from his residence. He heard the piercing alarm and saw a number of the warriors in the stronghold marching off in a swift and organized manner toward the spoon-like structure and the platforms connected to the stronghold and housing the hundred-odd Fire God Cannons.

The scene before him was a dose of sobriety. His body shook slightly and burst into sudden speed. When he reached the boundaries of the stronghold, he cast a look outside. In an instant, his pupils contracted. He was utterly stupefied.

Beyond the stronghold, on the primordial wildlands, between the heavens and the earth, appeared a boiling mist. Within the fog, one could vaguely make out numerous ferocious-looking beasts. The horde of beasts, roaring and thundering, were headed straight for the stronghold.

The beasts were each three to seven meters long. They differed from one another in appearance and speed, but they were all of them exuding ferocity and wildness. They carried the scent of blood, which filled the air.

They were filthy and had a strange, gruesome appearance. Some were wolves with two heads or some alligators with countless bone spikes growing out from their bodies; there were even a few grotesque-looking beasts that escaped Wang Baole's identification.

Among them was a beast towering twenty-odd meters. Be it raging bears, giant elephants, or even dinosaur-like, gigantic beasts, their numbers were great.

Wang Baole was especially stunned by what he thought that he saw in the distant Beast Tide—thirty-meter-tall giants that held heaven-piercing tree branches, their figures striking fear into hearts with every step that they took.

As they drew near, the earth trembled. Standing on the stronghold, Wang Baole could feel the growing tremors traveling through the mountains under his feet.

In the skies, swamps of ferocious beasts gathered like a dark thunder cloud and approached with the Beast Tide on land. They were like a great flood threatening to sweep away and destroy everything that stood before them.

This was Wang Baole's first time witnessing a Beast Tide and his first time seeing such a huge horde of beasts. He did a rough count, and the number of beasts likely exceeded a million!

Even the weakest-looking beasts in the horde could rival one at the Physical Seal level, not to mention the many others who gave Wang Baole an impression of facing off a True Breath realm cultivator!

Such a sight not only blew Wang Baole's mind, it also sent fear deep into the cultivators from the four Dao Colleges who were participating in their first Beast Tide.

It was then that a thundering bellow, brimming with violence and ferocity, rose from within the stronghold, from the big-bearded commander-in-charge.

"Such a puny Beast Tide. Give them a salvo of our Fire God Cannon and show them what we've got!"

Big Beard's words resounded throughout. Beyond the stronghold, on each platform where the hundred-odd Fire God Cannons sat, the warriors gathered around the cannons and fired.

The entire stronghold shook violently. A roar like thunder rose from the hundred or so Fire God Cannons. As the sound shook the air, explosions burst forth from the cannons.

The explosions were followed by what seemed like a roar from a metal beast. As the hundred Fire God Cannons fired at the same time, beams of light exploded into being. The beams of light were infused with thick Spirit Qi and gave off a spirit force that was fearsome beyond measure. Even a True Breath realm cultivator would not survive such a cannon blast; they would instantly be disintegrated!

And now, more than a hundred Fire God Cannons fired at the same time, the power of which was beyond immense; it shook one to their very core!

Wang Baole watched as the hundred beams of light blasted out and, with stunning speed, hit the Beast Tide. The heavens shifted in an instant, while the earth rumbled. Waves of air rolled outward, like a tornado sweeping through the stronghold, sending everyone's hair into a mess. Wang Baole's breathing hastened. His ears were pounding, and he stared at where the light beams landed. The expanse of jungled ground was completely disintegrated.

One following another, the beasts let out savage howls and turned into dust!

The sky seemed to darken. One giant took a direct hit from a cannon blast and collapsed instantly!

Almost a third of the fearsome beasts in the air were wiped out by the Fire God Cannon blasts. In a short span of time, the Fire God Cannon blasts ceased. The battleground was an expanse of scorched land, and the Beast Tide had been scattered by the blast. The vicious howls and blood lust of the surviving beasts did not dissipate, however. The horde, thinned out, moved more quickly. They headed straight for the stronghold.

"A mindless mob!" Big Beard snorted and barked out an order.

"Fire God troops, fire at will! Target the bigger beasts—I want them all exterminated!"

"The First Army, dispatch immediately!" The military officers executed Big Beard's commands. Soon, Wang Baole could see a hundred thousand warriors surging out from the stronghold gate!

The hundred thousand warriors donned armor and held Dharmic Artifacts. As the bloodlust in the air became palpable, the Combat cultivators from the four Dao Colleges rushed out as well. They clashed with the beasts on the grounds before the stronghold, and… a massacre began!

The Fire God Cannons fired here and there. Their targets were the twenty-odd-meter tall beasts. The situation on the battlefield seemed volatile. However, in reality, the Beast Tide was crumbling and disintegrating rapidly.

The Array Formation cultivators as well as the Beast Taming cultivators from the four Dao Colleges stepped in as well. The battlefield was thrown into earth-shattering chaos. Wang Baole and the other Divine Armament cultivators had their own tasks; they were to repair the Fire God Cannons under their respective charge and made sure that the cannons stayed at peak condition.

Chen Yutong led the tense Zhou Penghai and a Sun Fang who was breathing heavily to take care of twenty Fire God Cannons. Wang Baole himself was charged with ten cannons.

Wang Baole made his way from one platform to the other, inspecting the cannons while keeping an eye on the battlefield. The roars of beasts and humans, as well as blasts of explosions, resounded in his ears. He slowly calmed himself down from the earlier shock. Battle lust rose to take its place. With a wave of his hand, nine mosquitoes appeared. They dashed out from within his palm toward the battleground.

Let's test out the bite of my mosquitoes. The skin of the beasts looks thick and furry. Not sure if this will work…

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Chapter 175: An Itch Beyond Relief

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The dangers posed to a Divine Armament cultivator were not great. However, the stress on their technical capabilities was great and the volume of work substantial. This was especially true for Wang Baole, who was in charge of ten Fire God Cannons. He could not spend too much time on a single platform.

After each inspection, he had to hurry to the next platform. He had to keep a sharp eye out at the same time for any Fire God Cannons that might be experiencing malfunctions; any problems would have to be attended to immediately. In the event that the malfunction was something that he could not manage, he would need to shout for Chen Yutong's urgent help.

Time would be needlessly wasted if he returned to the stronghold before heading to the next platform. Wang Baole retrieved his cruiser and flew it around the grounds outside the stronghold, weaving his way among the ten platforms. He managed to catch a breather then and called out his mosquitoes. He was just about to search for a test subject for them.

It was then that one of the Fire God Cannons started shaking and experiencing instability. Wang Baole set aside his attempt at controlling the mosquitoes and raced to the platform where the unstable Fire God Cannon was. He gave a simple order to the mosquitoes to sting True Breath realm beasts; there was no time to tend to them for the time being.

The nine mosquitoes made their way rapidly through the battlefield, hunting for prey.

They soon locked onto a target. It was a beast in the form of a leopard. It had surpassed the Ancient Martial realm, the aura exuding from its body that of the True Breath realm. Its fearsome form moved swiftly through the battlefield.

The beast was extremely cunning. It avoided the attacks from the Combat cultivators of the four Dao Colleges and instead sought out Ancient Martial realm warriors. With a leap, it would surge forward, rip the throats of these warriors out, and slip away in a blink of an eye.

At present, the leopard carried a cold glint in its eyes as it dodged another attack from the Combat cultivators from the four Dao Colleges and licked its lips. Its eyes narrowed and locked onto the throat of a muscular, middle-aged warrior. The man was in a fierce battle with an Ancient Martial realm beast.

As it dashed out, suddenly, nine mosquitoes appeared in the vicinity. They landed on the beast without it noticing. Its proboscis whose length originally seemed unable to penetrate furry skin suddenly grew in length, piercing through the furry skin and straight into the leopard's body. The nine mosquitoes drank, and the next moment, they flew off.

As they flew further away, a harsh bright light exploded. The leopard that had been charging the middle-aged strongman suddenly widened its eyes. Its body spasmed mid-leap, and a pained howl tore itself out from its throat. The lunging form trembled and, without rhyme or reason, suddenly changed course and charged headfirst into the ground!

The leopard hit the ground and started howling madly. Its body wriggled on the ground ceaselessly, its paws trying to scratch itself; it was as if it had been hit by an uncontrollable itch all over. It was an extraordinary itch that seemed to sink through the bones to the depths of the soul. That left a leopard that rivaled a True Breath realm cultivator shrieking in agony. Its battle prowess was drained away almost entirely. It was as if there were countless insects biting it, inside and outside its body. Its eyes screamed fear.

The beast tried to get on to its feet but failed. The itch was indescribable. It could only howl madly. Its screams did not travel far; the beast's strange behavior caught the attention of a Combat cultivator from one of the four Dao Colleges. He approached speedily and drove his sword straight through the leopard's forehead!

"What's the situation!" Upon seeing how the leopard did not attempt to dodge the attack, allowing itself to be killed instantly, the Combat cultivator froze. He could not spare further thought on this though as he immediately retreated and attacked another beast.

The episode was akin to a small wave in the huge ocean, drawing little attention. Even Wang Baole, busy with inspecting the malfunctioning Fire God Cannon, had no energy to meld with the mosquitoes. The nine mosquitoes continued their flight through the battlefield.

Violence permeated the battlefield; the smell of blood rose heavy in the air while howls of rage resounded through the battleground. Injuries and death abound. However, the nine mosquitoes were not only agile but small. Be it cultivators, warriors, or even the beasts, barely anyone noticed them.

With such stealth, the nine mosquitoes accomplished Wang Baole's order perfectly without drawing attention. They began to frantically sting the True Breath realm beasts that appeared before them, one after another.

Gradually, a string of strange phenomena took place on the battlefield. Many True Breath realm beasts, which had appeared fine and had been engaged in fearsome battles with great prowess a moment before, suddenly widened their eyes and fell to the ground with an agonizing cry, wriggling uncontrollably as if trying to scratch an itch.

Those who could reach the itch started scratching at the indescribable itch, as if practicing self-mutilation, until their skin broke and flesh tore.

Those who could not ease the itch flew into a mad frenzy; in their howling madness, they did not differentiate ally from foe, charging blindly at and tearing into the beasts around them.

An isolated scene started repeating itself, quickly and in large numbers. It was like a plague and caught the attention and surprise of many people.

"What's going on?"

"These beasts, have they gone mad? What are they doing? Scratching an itch?"

"Are my eyes deceiving me?"

Warriors and cultivators alike exclaimed in surprise as more and more of such strange beast behavior occurred. This was especially so for the warriors on the Fire God Cannon platforms—their elevated positions gave them a grander view. Every one of them was stunned beyond belief.

They had lived through countless battles with beasts, fought beasts all year round, but never had they seen such a sight before.

As for Wang Baole, he had just completed the repair of the Fire God Cannon. He raised his head in surprise when he heard the disbelieving cries. At that timely moment, a flying beast in the sky fell to the bite of the mosquito. It screamed in pain midair, and its wings froze. With an excruciating cry, it crashed heavily to the ground.

What was most amazing was how as the beast fell—one could clearly see with one's eyes its body swelling up.

As this sight blew everyone's mind away, Wang Baole's body shook slightly, and the expression on his face shifted, barely noticeable. Spirit Qi flowed into the scabbard housed within his body. The scene before his eyes transformed, becoming fused with the mosquitoes' fields of vision. The scene of the entire battlefield appeared before his eyes.

There was no attempt at further control. Instead, Wang Baole observed as the mosquitoes inflicted swift bites on one True Breath realm beast after another before flying away, leaving the bitten beasts in howling, frenzied madness. Wang Baole sucked in a deep breath, his eyes wide.

"That… that's seriously fierce!" Wang Baole muttered to himself in both disbelief and excitement. With the aid of the mosquitoes' fields of vision, his eyes landed on the beasts' teeth… and brightened suddenly.

"There are teeth everywhere. The Dragon's Tooth that I'm crafting requires a huge number of beasts' teeth. This place is like a treasure trove!" Wang Baole became excited. He immediately commanded a mosquito to return to him. The mosquito's field of vision would be used to monitor the ten Fire God Cannons. His form blurred as he sped toward the battlefield before him!

His appearance caught the attention of many warriors. They were about to shout out their concern, but Wang Baole was too fast for them. He appeared almost instantly on the battlegrounds. As he dashed forward, a raging bear-like beast charged toward him, howling. Wang Baole teleported next to it while it was in mid-leap, raised his left hand, and caught the lower jaw of the raging bear. With a twist of fingers, the bear's mouth fell open.

"That's not a bad-looking tooth." Wang Baole's eyes glimmered. His right hand shot right in, grabbed hold of a molar, and broke it off without mercy. With a wave of his hand, seven to eight flying swords flew out and beheaded the howling beast. Then, he sped off.

The warriors who had been about to call out to Wang Baole witnessed the entire scene. They gasped and stared at Wang Baole in shock.

That raging bear was a True Breath realm beast!

Before Wang Baole, it seemed as weak and fragile as a thin piece of paper.

Wang Baole excitedly tossed the tooth into his storage bag. With the aid of the mosquito stationed at the Fire God Cannons, he checked that the cannons were in order. Utilizing the field of vision of the other mosquitoes, he moved from one part of the battlefield to the next. Soon, the terrific screams of beasts losing their teeth echoed across the battlefield.

Amid their screams were Wang Baole's shouts of delight.

"This tooth will do!"

"Eh, this molar's not bad!"

"This tooth looks sharp—I'm taking it!"

Wang Baole wove in and out of battle on the battleground, like a fat ghost; he appeared before beasts that had been bitten from his mosquitoes, pulled teeth out, and slew the beasts. His movements were fast and fluid, like a passing cloud or flowing water, gone the next moment.

Gradually, more and more people bore witness to such a scene. Be it warriors, Combat cultivators from the four Dao Colleges, or even the many in the stronghold, they all saw Wang Baole striking and… extracting teeth.

"What sort of hobby is Wang Baole into? Teeth extraction?"

As each and every one of them bore an odd expression on their face, they were also amazed in equal measure. It was as if Wang Baole had eyes on the back of his head; amid the chaos of the battlefield, his eyes seemed to see all, and his ears hear all. He moved fast, like a fat loach that slipped through the grasp of the beasts that tried to encircle him time and time again. When he struck, he would, without fail, pull a tooth out.

Every beast that fought him would fall howling to a strange itch and lose their ability to retaliate. Within a short span of two hours, the beasts that died by Wang Baole's hand rose to a count of thirty!

He had exterminated an even greater number of Ancient Martial realm beasts along the way. His body count surpassed that of many Combat cultivators and sparked flames of rivalry in the hearts of many cultivators who witnessed his battle prowess. Thus, their attacks quickened.

All of a sudden, those standing on the side of the stronghold seemed fearsome beyond measure. Even though Wang Baole's mosquitoes suffered some damage, as long as his Spirit Qi did not run dry, he had an infinite number of mosquitoes at his command. He grew fiercer in battle, and his methods at teeth extraction became more efficient. With a brief glance, he could assess the beast's teeth and determine how to extract it from the root up.

"Could it be that I am naturally gifted at dentistry?" Wang Baole murmured, surprised. He approached a green-skinned, lion-like beast speedily. The beast's form was obviously swollen and enlarged beyond its original size. It wriggled on the ground, trying to reach an itch.

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Chapter 176: A Threat Appears

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Wang Baole neared in an instant. He grabbed the beast's tooth and was about to break it off when the beast released a bolt of lightning from the tooth in its struggle. It shot into Wang Baole and loosened a splinter off the crystallized Spirit Qi within his body.

The lightning, when compared to what he had suffered at the hands of Little Missy Black Mask, was insignificant to the point of being negligible. His body pushed on without pause, and with a straight pull, he extracted the beast's tooth.

Wang Baole felt the warm sensation of smug satisfaction. He took a look at the battlefield; more than half the beast horde had been decimated, and many beasts were already retreating. The end of that round of the Beast Tide was nigh. It was then that a series of quakes shook the earth. In the distant skies, a heaven-splitting tornado ten times the size of the previous one appeared abruptly!

The tornado was formed from the stirring of dust and earth and the flocks of beasts in the skies. They shadowed the earth and blanketed the heavens. As the tornado approached at a rapid pace, the tremors grew stronger. No warrior or cultivator remained unshaken. As they stood, stunned and awed, a whistle sharper and more piercing than the first alarm sounded from the stronghold.

Big-bearded commander-in-charge's voice carried a tone of hastiness and gravity that hadn't been present earlier. His words traveled across the battlefield.

"The First Army and all cultivators, fall back immediately!"

"Activate the array formation!"

"Fire God Armament Soldiers, prepare for five salvos of cannon shots!"

Wang Baole could feel a strong sense of foreboding and danger as he heard the chain of orders being barked out. He retreated speedily, pulling along other warriors as he passed them.

Everyone fell back quickly under the crowd's nervous watch. Wang Baole and Chen Yutong stood together on the stronghold, with their eyes fixed on the distant lands. No matter how accustomed he grew to that place, he was still taken aback by the sight.

In the distance, between heaven and earth, the Beast Tide rose once again. The scale of it dwarfed the first tide by at least ten times, and as it rushed forward, the hundreds of thousands of beasts spread across the horizon, seemingly without end. The sight was enough to drive fear deep into all those who were watching and stun them beyond belief.

Strong winds carrying the smell of blood surged forward; the earth itself seemed to move, its mountains waver. Within the Beast Tide stood countless beasts towering twenty-odd meters tall. A hundred-meter-tall beast could even be seen—a true blue giant beast—dragging boulders along as it charged at the stronghold.

If that had been the end of it, it might not have been so bad, but behind the endless Beast Tide rose seven individual Spirit Qi. They rose up into the heavens and exuded power clearly beyond the True Breath realm—possibly leaving the True Breath realm in the dust. The Spirit Qi formed a howling hurricane in their approach.

What was within the hurricane couldn't be seen clearly. Though, on its edges floated seven fearsome beasts. The seven beasts had strange and extraordinary physical appearances, and inscriptions flashed and glimmered on their bodies. They stood in mid-air, on stone-like structures. The stones seemed extraordinary; they were like Dharmic treasures and gave off a strong imposing aura.

The fearsome and imposing aura that rose from all seven creatures shook everyone to their core.

"Foundation Establishment realm!" Chen Yutong, who stood beside Wang Baole, breathed heavily and spoke in a low voice.

Upon hearing the two words, "Foundation Establishment", Wang Baole's pupils contracted. He had already been aware that beyond the True Breath realm lay the Foundation Establishment realm!

The power of the Foundation Establishment realm was too great; the chasm separating it from the previous realm was far wider than the gap between the Ancient Martial realm and the True Breath realm. It could even be said that beyond the Foundation Establishment realm, the True Breath realm was only marginally stronger than the Ancient Martial realm. Those of the True Breath realm weren't ants, but to crush them would be an easy feat.

The chasm in power wasn't something that sheer numbers could overcome. Even if a group of True Breath realm cultivators launched a unified attack, a Foundation Establishment realm opponent would decimate them!

An overwhelming sense of danger rose within Wang Baole. He couldn't have guessed that the scale of that round of Beast Tides would be so great. The enemy even had seven Foundation Establishment realm beasts!

"This is just a minor stronghold, and we're already facing such a Beast Tide. What about the other strongholds… and the primary stronghold—does it mean the Beast Tides they are facing are on an even greater scale?" Wang Baole sucked in a deep breath. He took out the glove that he had refined into a Numinous Treasure and put it on without thinking.

Wang Baole wasn't the only one experiencing a shift in his emotions. A serious look also fell over the faces of the warriors who were stationed at the stronghold year round.

As the tense atmosphere permeated the entire stronghold, and as the frenzied Beast Tide approached steadily, the entire stronghold suddenly quaked. Numerous inscriptions appeared on the exterior of the metal stronghold walls. The inscriptions shimmered, and a translucent protective barrier appeared suddenly.

The barrier surged outward with explosive force. Where it swept past, the surviving beasts that roamed outside the stronghold trembled and instantly burst apart.

Wang Baole's pupils contracted upon witnessing the barrier's destructive capabilities. As a Dharmic Armament cultivator and based on his understanding of Dharmic Artifacts, he knew that such grand-scale protective barriers couldn't be sustained for long periods of time. As such, they were only activated in moments of extreme necessity.

It was clear that the big-bearded commander-in-charge of the stronghold had decided that it had reached a point where it was necessary to activate the barrier. Wang Baole watched as the barrier roared outwards, pushed itself out three thousand meters and beyond, then stopped—forming the first shield against the Beast Tide!

As soon as the protective shield appeared, the formidable Beast Tide charged towards it, thundering. Savagery and violence were the essence of their nature. Without a hint of hesitation, the beasts bashed into the barrier, crimson-eyed and thirsting for blood.

Thunderous roars resounded through the air. Regardless of the level of their cultivation, every beast that touched the barrier collapsed in a pile of blood and mangled flesh. Bright red blood spilled across the land, but more beasts charged forward, fearless of death. The barrier trembled and blood splattered across it.

Waves of emotions swept through Wang Baole as he witnessed the madness. It was then that the Fire God Cannons started firing rampantly. The loud cannon shots sounded as if the heaven and earth roared in unison. Each cannon fired five blasts, forming five salvos of cannon shots—five waves of killing shots!

Each wave was a hundred-odd beams of light shooting across the skies. The sunset skies lit up in a fiery instant. The beams of light fell like rain, shooting through the protective shield and landing on the Beast Tide.

The earth trembled, its quakes rippling outwards without pause. Hordes and hordes of beasts were torn apart instantly and turned to dust. The explosive power of five hundred cannon beams decimated half of the Beast Tide outside the barrier.

Seas of blood and mountains of corpses spanned as far as the eye could see!

However, within a blink of an eye, the next wave of Beast Tide surged forward and took over. Hordes of beasts gathered without rest in the distance. Their numbers seemed to grow, and they charged at the shield without pause. The shield warped and bent under the attack as if it couldn't withstand such force for much longer.

In the skies, the hurricane approached. The seven Foundation Establishment realm beasts at the edge of the hurricane neared steadily, and the suppressive aura exuding from them seemed to grow ever more vicious.

Big-bearded commander-in-charge narrowed his eyes and cursed, "Didn't the Federation predict a small-scale Beast Tide? Screw that. This is the first time I'm seeing a Beast Tide of such proportions!"

In a moment of haste, big-bearded commander-in-charge sent a plea for aid to the primary stronghold. However, the situation at the primary stronghold was equally dire. In fact, every stronghold was currently facing an unprecedented Beast Tide; the primary stronghold especially, because a Core Formation realm Beast King had made an appearance!

Upon hearing the sighting of a Beast King, big-bearded commander-in-charge inhaled sharply. He watched with reddened eyes as fractures appeared in the protective shield under the assault of the beast hordes. Viciousness flashed through his eyes. He raised his hand abruptly and barked out an order.

"Self-destruct the barrier. Let's give these wretched creatures one hell of a blow. Fire God Cannons, ten salvos of cannon shots! Array Formation troops, activate the array formation inscription. The Second Army, the Flying Sword Rites!"

Big Beard issued his commands. Soon after, the collapsing barrier holding off the Beast Tide exploded and caught the beasts unaware. Its sudden explosion was like a huge scimitar; it swept across the land, amidst the screams of beasts, slicing their bodies into clean halves!

It was then that thousands of cannon beams exploded from the Fire God Cannons in ten consecutive shots. The earth quaked, and waves of air rose into the heavens. The beams fell alongside the virtual scimitar, and triggered another wave of slaughter!

The decimation of a huge horde of the beasts still didn't put a dent in the sea of beasts. The growing number of beasts, eyes red with rage and howling for blood, was like a flood surging into the three-thousand-meter distance separating it from the stronghold. They rushed towards the mountain peak where the stronghold sat in a mad frenzy.

If one were standing atop the highest point in the stronghold with their gaze lowered, they would see ferocious-looking beasts charging forward in hordes. Their numbers were uncountable and stretched into the distance with no end in sight under the darkening sunset skies…

Within the seventh primary stronghold's sphere of jurisdiction, all minor strongholds were faced with the same predicament at that moment. The Beast Tides they faced were all beyond the scale expected by the Federation!

That was especially so for the seventh primary stronghold, where the Beast Tide was overwhelming to an extreme and included the presence of a Core Formation realm Beast King. The Foundation Establishment realm beasts under the Beast King's command were equally dangerous, and they mobilized a grand army of beasts. Even the seventh primary stronghold faced the threat of danger.

The entire seventh line of defense raised the alarm—it was an emergency!

At the same time that a great army of beasts assailed the seventh line of defense, the first to sixth primary strongholds in the Federation—and the areas under their commands—were also defending against huge beast armies beyond their wildest imagination!

The fourth primary stronghold, especially, was at the brink of being broken through. The beast armies targeted it as the main breaching point, mobilizing eight Beast Kings!

No one knew why the round of Beast Tides had arrived so suddenly and with such vehemence.

The Federation did respond as soon as they could. However, the battlefields spread across too many locations, and the aid they could render wouldn't be able to reach everyone. They could only prioritize military aid to the fourth primary strongholds.

The four Great Dao Colleges were activated as well, as were the senators and the various factions. They weren't headed towards the battlefields outside the strongholds though. That, to their mind, would be meaningless.

Under the Federation's secret orders, the highly skilled from the various political forces would—using the opportunity presented to them from the surging Beast Tides—leave the Federation and infiltrate the primordial jungles. Their target… the sea of beasts within the primordial jungle land!

It was where the base of the beasts sat!

The strategy had the intention of setting up an ambush on one hand and, on the other, the aim of launching an attack from behind. They planned on forcing the enemy to retreat from their own forward assault to deal with the split attacking forces. Of course, the success of the strategy rested on the seven primary strongholds standing strong against the enemy forces!

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Chapter 177: Qi-Stopping Sound Waves

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Wang Baole was in one of the minor strongholds along the seventh line of defense that was engaged in the battle for mankind's survival. He didn't possess the capability to command and direct the battle, and neither did he possess invincible cultivation. To a certain extent, he was but an insignificant True Breath disciple.

He was also shaken by fear, and his body trembled uncontrollably; however, Ancient Martial realm warriors around him continued to engage in battle. As a cultivator, how he could try to escape the battle of the Beast Tide?

Let's do this! Wang Baole decided. It was as if he was back in the Pond Cloud Rainforest, and a wave of murderous intent burst forth from his person. He leaped into the air, stepped onto the flying cruiser, and traveled amongst the ten Fire God Cannons under his charge. He inspected and repaired cannons without rest, and made sure they were all running smoothly.

It was then that the countless waves of beasts outside the stronghold rushed into the ten-thousand-feet perimeter, thundering as they charged. The big-bearded commander-in-charge watched as they approached. A tinge of madness colored his eyes, and he raised his right hand and swept it across in a violent wave.

"Array Runes!"

A thundering roar rose. At the ten-thousand-feet perimeter surrounding the stronghold, an array formation flashed into being. The array formation cultivators from the four Dao Colleges as well as the array formation masters from the army struck, activating the power of the array formation buried underground. In an instant, Spirit Qi shot up into the heavens within the ten-thousand-feet perimeter. The light of the array formation dazzled and blinded.

It was as if the force of invisible mountains suddenly descended, transforming into a strong force that cast a shadow over the ten-thousand-feet perimeter!

The beasts that had charged into the ten-thousand-feet perimeter, into the thundering roars and blinding light of the array formation, seemed to sink into a mudslide. Their movements slowed to a crawl, and in their struggles, they cried out in rage to no avail.

As the beasts slowed due to the array formation, a staggering rain of swords flew from within the stronghold. They were the swords belonging to the Flying Sword troops comprised of all Combat cultivators from the colleges as well as cultivators from the army. The flying swords soared straight into the ten-thousand-feet perimeter, tearing everything apart wherever they passed.

The flight of the swords interweaved with one another, forming a net of swords. All of a sudden, shrieks of pain rang out, and the smell of freshly spilled blood hung heavy in the air. The lands outside the stronghold bled red. From afar, it looked like a carpet of flesh and blood.

Blood and violence permeated the air. If it had been any other occasion, one would have thrown up. But, on the battlefield, the smell of blood stirred the beasts into a blood frenzy and pushed the men to kill!

The coordination of the array formation and flying swords turned the ten-thousand-feet perimeter into a no man's land for the beasts. The Fire God Cannons, having undergone a short spurt of repairs, commenced their firing again. Their targets—the beasts beyond the ten-thousand-feet perimeter!

Both the areas within the ten-thousand-feet perimeter and beyond were transformed into a living hell. Multitudes of howling beasts were torn to shreds in large swaths.

The scene of their destruction brought no cheer to the men. When they raised their heads and looked into the distant primordial jungles, they could see the waves of Beast Tides between the heavens and earth, an ocean that spanned across the horizons without end…

The sight was a heavy-weight that sank the hearts of everyone.

Big-bearded commander-in-charge took in the sight, then took a deep breath before his voice resounded throughout the entire stronghold.

"Brothers, and friends from the four Dao Colleges, fear not. I, Old Zhang, have stood guard here for ten years. I've seen too many Beast Tides. The size of this one may be big, but my experience tells me that as long as we survive this wave, and stand strong, the Beast Tide will ebb and weaken!"

Big-bearded commander-in-charge was clearly not adept at stirring up the crowds. Regardless, his words during that time were a boost to many and caused hope to glimmer in their eyes.

Wang Baole also took a deep breath. He knew that hope was a precious commodity to many at times like that. He traveled swiftly in silence and continued his work on the Fire God Cannons.

He knew that his contributions on the battlefield were negligible. All that he could do was to ensure that the ten Fire God Cannons under his care maintained their levels of destruction.

The fighting continued. The ground quaked, and the mountains shook. An hour passed, slowly. The time that would have sped past on an ordinary day seemed to crawl by on the battlefield.

The Beast Tide was relentless, their numbers countless. However, under the combined destructive force of the array formation, the torrent of swords, and the Fire God Cannon firings, the two camps seemed to reach a delicate balance!

An avalanche of ferocious beasts continued charging forward despite round after round of massacre, only to be held at bay a ten thousand feet away. Even if the beasts were to successfully dodge the Fire God Cannons, they would be slain by the array formation and flying swords.

The beast camp will not stand by as this balance continues… Wang Baole had a grave look on his face. As he continued repairs on a Fire God Cannon, he raised his head and stared at the distant hurricane as well as the seven Foundation Establishment realm beasts that had not yet moved to attack.

The moment his eyes fell on the hurricane, his pupils contracted to pinpricks. He watched as the hurricane expanded and spread out suddenly, rousing waves of clouds. As the clouds rolled outwards, from within the eye of the hurricane, out flew a…

Gigantic bat!

The bat was purple all over, and its eyes glimmered with cold cruelty. It flew from the eye of the hurricane to the edge, and the seven Foundation Establishment realm beasts swiftly gathered around the bat in a protective circle.

The appearance of the bat shook many to their core; even Wang Baole, upon seeing the bat clearly, was affected. His breathing quickened, and buzzing sounded in his mind.

As everyone was knocked off balance, the bat opened its mouth wide with a vicious look on its face. It seemed to be screaming amidst its fearsome posturing, sending a blast of ultrasonic waves towards the stronghold.

Those of the Ancient Martial realm couldn't sense the ultrasonic wave, but its hit landed true on True Breath realm cultivators. It was akin to a sharp blade piercing through one's brains. In an instant, many cultivators let out a pained cry. Tremors shook throughout Wang Baole's body as well. Fortunately, the devouring seed was triggered in the nick of time and blocked the shrill shriek from penetrating his mind. However, that didn't stop blood from seeping out of his nose.

The thundering roar was accompanied by a wave of inscriptions bursting from within the bat. It swept towards the stronghold in a rush and passed into the ten-thousand-feet perimeter in a blink of an eye. Where it passed, the inscriptions on the array formation darkened and were rendered useless!

The Sword Rain lost stability in the same instant as well and was drained of all nimbleness. Their owners called the swords back immediately, but the damage had been done, and some swords shattered instantly.

The greatest damage was dealt to the Fire God Cannons. It seemed that the cannons were the bat's true target. The wave of inscriptions surged over, and with a blow, sent a third of the hundred-odd Fire God Cannons convulsing. They seemed to lose all power and were turned into scrapped metal instantaneously!

One of the cannons included a cannon under Wang Baole's charge. Wang Baole wiped away the blood from his nose, studiously ignored his discomfort, and rushed towards the cannon to inspect it. He quickly discovered the inscriptions carved on the inside of the Fire God Cannon had disintegrated into dust!

The Fire God Cannon originally had a self-destruct option, which was no longer possible. Wang Baole's hasty inspection of the remaining cannons found a few of the cannons had fragmented inscriptions. The cannons were a step away from a complete malfunction!

What kind of beast is that! Wang Baole was shocked to his core. That was the first time he encountered a beast that could affect inscriptions. It was clear that even big-bearded commander-in-charge had not seen it coming, as anger colored his face.

The attack shattered the earlier balance between the two camps. As everyone in the stronghold stayed frozen in shock, the roars of the beasts resounded in the air. The Beast Tide was like a giant wave crashing forward from a ten thousand feet away, surging towards the stronghold in a frenzied charge.

It was then that four Sword Qi shot into the air from within the stronghold—overpowering Spirit Qi from the four Sword Qi suppressed even that of a True Breath. The aura exuded equaled that of the Foundation Establishment realm beasts on the edge of the hurricane; it was almost identical to the latter, and could even be discerned as slightly stronger!

Foundation Establishment realm cultivators! Wang Baole's eyes widened. His heart rose in excitement as he stared at the four Sword Qi soaring in the sky. They were four flying swords, and standing on the four flying swords were three men and a woman!

The four exuded an overwhelming, awe-inspiring aura. It was clear that they had been waiting in hiding for a long time. Their explosive reveal must have been because their target was the bat that appeared from the eye of the hurricane!

Just as they dashed out like bolts of lightning, the seven Foundation Establishment realm beasts surrounding the bat surged forward and held them at bay. A tinge of bloodlust flashed across the beasts' eyes.

The four must have guessed that would happen. They originally planned to wait a little longer, but the bat's attack was too ferocious. If they had continued to lie in wait, the casualties would have been alarming. There was even the possibility of the stronghold falling, so they had no choice but to strike.

It was a tactical blunder. They should have disregarded the losses to the stronghold since their task was to exterminate the bat. Based on their deduction, the bat's death would be a major blow to the Beast Tide.

But they were still cultivators at heart. They had advanced, a step at a time, from an ordinary person to their current position. It was impossible for them to disregard the deaths of so many!

The four cultivators clashed with the seven Foundation Establishment realm beasts and engaged in an aerial battle. It seemed they had staged an ambush, but many in the stronghold could tell that they were launching a proactive attack and drawing the seven beasts—beasts that would unleash a terrible destructive power once they entered the battlefield!

The sight before him sent shivers down Wang Baole's spine yet again, and his breathing quickened. The light in his eyes brightened even more fiercely as he stared at the beasts around him. His body swayed as he sped off to repair the Fire God Cannons with everything that he had. As the Beast Tide on land approached in a thunderous roar, the remaining Fire God Cannons fired again. Fragmented inscriptions spiraled into further magical instability following the round of shots. Some let out a despairing creak, and after that, one shot and broke down completely.

Big-bearded commander-in-charge saw it all. With his eyes red, he roared, "All Dharmic Armament cultivators, direct all efforts to repairing the Fire God Cannons. The Fire God Cannons cannot fail! We will hold them back and give you more time!"

Upon saying that, big-bearded commander-in-charge issued his command. In a blink of an eye, save the few left to stand guard, the entire army rushed out of the stronghold and, alongside the cultivators from the four Dao Colleges, went head to head with the Beast Tide for another round!

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Chapter 178: Danger Every Step of the Way

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Thundering blasts tore through the heavens without rest. The four Foundation Establishment realm cultivators battled fiercely with the seven Foundation Establishment realm beasts. They fought brutally and without pause, and any misstep could mean life or death!

That was especially so when faced with seven Foundation Establishment realm beasts. The four cultivators were clearly struggling to hold their own, but none retreated. They engaged in battle with all their might. The Foundation Establishment realm beasts relied on their invincible physical bodies, while the cultivators had not only Numinous Treasures but also array formations at their disposal. One of them, a man in his middle age, even possessed a seventh-grade Dharmic Armament!

Just this single Dharmic Armament was enough to strike awe and fear into the opponents' hearts!

A Dharmic Armament was, after all, an item of extreme luxury and rarity to a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator. It was referred to by all as a priceless treasure, and few had their hands on one. Dharmic Armaments were typically wielded by the top-notch warriors in the respective political forces—Core Formation cultivators!

The battle in the sky continued fiercely, while the fight on land was a complete massacre.

The hundreds of thousands of stronghold troops clashed with the Beast Tide on land. The violent slaughter was soul-shaking, and deaths occurred every moment. Flesh tore and blood spilled, drenching the earth in blood!

The destructiveness of the behemoths as well as the giants was overwhelming. They could only be taken down by multiple cultivators most of the time, and because of that, the stronghold was placed at a severe disadvantage; they were clearly at the losing end of the battle.

Fortunately, compared with the beasts' simplistic attacks, the cultivators had Array Formation cultivators, Alchemy cultivators, and Beast Taming cultivators amongst them. They were able to force a delicate balance between the two camps.

There was battling high in the skies and on land, and another layer of battle took place between them, one that was equally brutal!

The aerial battle in midair took place on the various Fire God Cannon platforms. The enemies were swarms of flying beasts; they were swift and cruel, fearless of death as they flung themselves forward without rest. Their attacks disrupted the repairs of the cannons and hastened the cannons' malfunction.

The repairs of the Fire God Cannons was slow work. In the midst of that, frequent firings continued to take place in coordination with the fighting in the sky and on land. There wasn't time to spare for their own self-defense, and the thousand-odd warriors stationed on every platform formed the last line of defense for the Fire God Cannons.

Battle cries rose in the air without pause. On the platforms, there were Fire God Cannons with fragmented inscriptions awaiting repairs while being swarmed by beast attacks. They couldn't last until the repairs were made and broke down immediately.

With the collapse of a cannon, the platform it was on was immediately swarmed by hordes of beasts. They surged forward, frenzied with bloodlust, and the casualties skyrocketed. It was a bloodbath.

Be it Chen Yutong, Zhou Penghai, Sun Fang or the Dharmic Armament cultivators from the four Dao Colleges—all were possessed by rage, and red veins lined their eyes. The work was too much. They had to be wary of the winged beasts while hastening their repair work which made them the natural targets of the beasts.

At that moment, Wang Baole had just restored a Fire God Cannon to a barely acceptable working condition, and as he leaped away, he heard a cry of agony. He turned his head and, through the protective glow of the Golden Bell Shield and past the warriors guarding him, saw a Dharmic Armament cultivator from the Holy River Dao College on a distant Fire God Cannon platform. Seven to eight beasts ripped through the protection of his Numinous Treasure and tore him into bits!

Amidst the thickening blood mist, countless beasts rushed onto the platform. The battle that followed left them and the hundreds of warriors on the platform dead…

If it had been another place and time, there would be Combat cultivators around to protect them. However, everyone was fighting for their lives. The only protection the Dharmic Armament cultivators had were their own Numinous Treasures and the thousand warriors on each platform!

Wang Baole had become familiar with the warriors. Every time he approached a Fire God Cannon platform whose care he was charged with, hordes of warriors rushed forward surrounding it and used their bodies as meat shields against the encircling beasts.

His Golden Bell Shield proved its worth during that time, and he flung more than a dozen of them at the platforms he was responsible for.

Other Dharmic Armament cultivators did the same. They pulled out every Dharmic Artifact they could use. Wang Baole even went to the extent of distributing the Dharmic Artifacts he had crafted to the warriors guarding him, enhancing their battle capabilities.

Despite all that being done, casualties couldn't be avoided. The winged beasts in the skies gathered like a dark storm cloud, and their numbers were countless. The True Breath realm beasts within the horde of beasts often struck in groups of ten and more with unimaginable force.

Even though Wang Baole had released the mosquitoes earlier, in the face of innumerable beasts, they were but a drop in the vast ocean. They barely survived.

Danger continued surfacing. Regardless of the repair work by Dharmic Armament cultivators, Fire God Cannons all around repeatedly broke down, and a slew of killings followed each malfunction.

At that moment, Wang Baole had just completed repairs on a Fire God Cannon. The cannon let loose a blast of light that shot into the air and, in sync with the four attacking Foundation Establishment realm cultivators, bombed the Foundation Establishment realm beasts. A violent heave traveled through the cannon before it malfunctioned and broke down!

In mid-air, nine True Breath realm flying beasts saw a window of opportunity with the malfunction. They swooped near at high speed, leading thousands of Ancient Martial realm flying beasts, and smashed straight into the protective Golden Bell Shield.

A thunderous hum resounded through the air, and the flying beasts were flung back, shaking. The Golden Bell Shield trembled as well; however, it was made of superior quality, and there was a great deal of them. As a result, the shield didn't suffer one crack.

"Go!" Wang Baole shouted in haste and retreated quickly with the warriors on the platform. The beasts gave them no chance to escape, though, and charged a second time. An aura of bloodlust exploded from his person, and he roared.

"Wait for me at the next platform!" he said, then rushed out from the protective barrier of the Golden Bell Shield. He stepped onto the cruiser, his gloved right hand tightening into a fist, and punched!

Spirit Qi spiraled in, forming a tidal storm that surged out; where the storm passed, beasts cried out in pain and were ripped into pieces.

Without a pause in his steps, Wang Baole formed hand seals immediately after his first punch. Blades of wind sliced the air, and flying swords formed a river and shot out around him.

In the span of a moment, blood fell from the skies like crimson rain. Wang Baole's sleeves had long been stained crimson, and he watched as the surrounding beasts retreated. His face darkened suddenly, and his left hand made a hand seal hastily. A mist rose around him immediately, and he whirled around without warning, his left-hand thrust behind his back and gripped tightly.

"Trying to ambush your granddaddy?"

With a thunderous boom, Wang Baole's hand, which had the Cloud Finger channeled, grabbed the throat of the True Breath realm beast that tried to sneak up on him. It exploded upon contact!

Bright crimson blood spurted out. Wang Baole did not linger, and he retreated swiftly and caught up with the warriors who were within the Golden Bell Shield worrying about his safety. Once he caught up, they returned hastily to the stronghold.

The warriors didn't stay for regrouping or rest, hurrying off to some other Fire God Cannon instead. Wang Baole panted heavily, retrieving a pill and swallowing it whole. Without even waiting for the pill to dissolve, his body pashed away, and in moments he was aboard his cruiser and on his way.

The battle in the sky raged on. Midair, winged beasts cast a shadow over the entire land, where beasts roared and bellowed. The primordial jungle battlegrounds spanned as far as the eye could see.

Danger lurked everywhere, and death shadowed every step. Wang Baole gritted his teeth, and a tinge of madness colored his eyes. He hadn't forgotten his mission. It didn't matter that he had lost three Fire God Cannons to malfunction, he still had seven functional and firing.

Every one of them was still holding on and fighting. Not one had cowered or retreated from the fight!

It wasn't that they weren't afraid, but that some things had to be done regardless of fear!

It wasn't that they weren't afraid of dying. Standing in the battlefield, where a single distracting thought was impossible, it would be an exaggeration to proclaim that they didn't harbor such fears. But most of those who harbored such thoughts had already been slain.

The sight before Wang Baole affected him immensely, and fire seemed to course through his veins. The madness in his eyes deepened. He stood in his cruiser, battle worn and scarred by the claws of beasts, and sped towards another Fire God Cannon platform.

It was at that moment, as he sped out, that he felt a prickling on his scalp. He leaped off the cruiser without thinking, and the devouring seed within his body activated instantaneously, pulling towards one side of the stronghold walls with a violent heave. The cruiser dashed off on its own.

As Wang Baole completed the series of actions, more than ten beams of dark light came surging from the distant skies where the four Foundation Establishment realm cultivators were deep in battle with the Foundation Establishment realm beasts.

It was impossible to tell which of the beasts issued the attack, but the dark beams of light sped towards the stronghold, and their targets weren't the Fire God Cannons but the Dharmic Armament cultivators!

The dark light beams were traveling too quickly. They approached in a blink of an eye, and instantly, each one of them shot a True Breath realm cultivator through the forehead, splitting heads instantaneously and decimating both body and spirit of the cultivators!

Chen Yutong barely countered the attack with his peak True Breath realm cultivation level, and only after sacrificing almost ten of his Numinous Treasures—all above third-grade quality. Even then, blood spilled from his mouth.

As for Wang Baole, his cruiser was shot through by a dark beam the moment he jumped off. As the cruiser exploded, the dark beam of light swerved and headed straight for him. The pull of the Wang Baole's devouring seed allowed him to draw back at an impossible angle and land on the stronghold wall—escaping the approaching dark beam a second time.

Amidst the battle explosions, the dark beam brushed past Wang Baole, almost touching him, and landed on the ground below him with a deafening blast. Wang Baole panted heavily and raised his head in shock.

In the skies, where the Foundation Establishment realm beasts fought, a pitch-black beast in a form akin to a unicorn seemed to be staring coldly at him and Chen Yutong.

They were the only two who had escaped the fate of death from the numerous dark beams of light. Wang Baole managed to dodge the attack in the first place, a feat greater than blocking it. The Foundation Establishment realm beast hadn't anticipated that happening.

After all, it should have been impossible for Wang Baole to escape the attack considering the level of his cultivation. However, Wang Baole had the extra sight gifted by his mosquitoes which alerted him to the attack in advance. There was also the devouring seed, which allowed him to emulate flight to a certain extent even though his cultivation level didn't grant him the ability of flight. That was the unexpected factor that allowed his successful escape.

Wang Baole's heart rate soared. As the threat of death grew stronger, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He had no time to think. The sounds of explosions and the cries of pain from the fallen rang ceaselessly in his ears.

With the appearance of the dark beams of light and the deaths of the Dharmic Armament cultivators, the repairs on the Fire God Cannons stalled. The Fire God Cannons were barely running in the first place, but after the attack, a massive scale of malfunctions surfaced!

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Chapter 179: Steely Resolve!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

With the breaking down of the Fire God Cannons, the stronghold camp was obviously at a disadvantage in both aerial and land battles. They were pushed back steadily and at the verge of defeat.

The watchful beasts surged forward as soon as the cannons broke down. They dashed onto the platforms and towards the warriors standing atop, sparking another round of slaughter!

Mangled flesh littered the ground while blood stained the earth. The clashing sounds of battle drowned out the screams of agony and raging howls, but they didn't need to travel far; clinging onto the wall, Wang Baole could hear every sound and see everything clearly!

He watched the bloodbath on the platforms; his warrior friends were torn apart one after another.

Some of them were tossed into the sky by the beasts, then ripped into pieces by the beast flock.

Wang Baole watched as it all happened. Red veins appeared in his eyes as he saw another strong, built man caught by a beast. He was about to rescue him when the beast's huge beak cracked and pierced the man's forehead!

The man was the one who had lost to Wang Baole at arm wrestling, ate his snacks, and said he would matchmake him with his sister!

Yet, he was dead; his body ripped into halves by the beast.

Wang Baole let loose a pained howl, and his right hand shot up and swept to one side. In an instant, a blast of Cloud Finger exploded from his hand, snaking forward swiftly and skewering the beast that murdered the muscular man. The beast's body quivered. As it died, Wang Baole looked at the platforms drenched in blood with rage and agony. He leapt into the air onto one of the sharp spikes outside the stronghold walls, and from that spike jumped onto the next, racing towards the few functioning Fire God Cannons the stronghold still had.

He wanted vengeance!

Beasts flew towards him mid-way and tried to surround him, but Wang Baole's rage was beyond control. He struck brutally, seal after seal exploding. Wang Baole forced his way out, a trail of bodies in his wake, and blood staining his lips. He was swift, and finally, he stepped onto a Fire God Cannon platform.

Following the mass breakdown of Fire God Cannons, only thirteen cannons in the stronghold remained functioning. One of the thirteen was under Wang Baole's care. The cannon sat on the platform he approached and was the only surviving cannon out of the ten he had been charged with!

Beasts approached at that very moment. The number of warriors present was great, and they were all fighting with all they had. Alongside the cannon firings, they managed to hold the attacks at bay for the moment. However, the quaking Fire God Cannon was clearly on the verge of collapse and would break down at any time.

Wang Baole arrived just in the nick of time. The warriors parted for him, and he rushed to the Fire God Cannon and pressed his right hand against it. Spirit Qi surged into the cannon instantly and started the repairs. Despite the tremors traveling through the cannon, it was still able to fire shots. The cannon swerved into position and fired straight at the beasts leaping about—the ones who had slaughtered their way through platform after platform.

"Die!" Wang Baole howled. Four consecutive shots shook the heavens and earth, thunderous booms resounding throughout the battlefield. Four beams of light pierced through the skies, blowing four gigantic holes in the swarming sea of beasts. Pained shrieks rose into the air, and countless beasts were decimated!

The remaining Fire God Cannons fired continuously as well. Under their attacks, thunderous explosions shook the lands. The stronghold began to hold its ground again on the battlefields in the sky and on land.

In the skies, as the beasts fell back, Wang Baole's target for vengeance shifted and locked onto the Foundation Establishment realm unicorn. With rage in his heart, he fired six rounds of shots.

Boom, boom, boom—the six cannon shots didn't land a hit in the aerial battlefield, but they still made an impact. The Divine Armament-wielding cultivator seized the opportunity and beheaded the unicorn with one broad sweep of his sword!

The beast let loose cries of agony and rage as it died, and blood fell to the earth like a torrent of rain.

The Fire God Cannon couldn't hold for too long, though, as every few rounds of shots required repairs. With the dwindling number of targets and only thirteen cannons surviving, the beasts in the air roared and swooped down upon seeing a pause in the cannon firings—intent on destroying every single one of the remaining cannons.

In the moment of crisis, Wang Baole flung out all the Golden Bell Shields he had without thinking. Thunderous booms resounded in the air. The golden shield that had been erected on the platform was significantly reinforced within the blink of an eye. Together with the thousand-odd warriors on the platform, they held off the attacks from the beasts!

Wang Baole panted as he started repairing the Fire God Cannon. Soon, he fired the cannon again, a grim look on his face.

Explosions rang through the air, and shots of cannon beams rang from where Wang Baole stood. It was his nature to be vengeful. He no long targeted the beasts on land but the Foundation Establishment realm beasts in the sky.

At that time, with the battle escalating to such a state, there was no longer anyone left in command. Even Big Beard had charged into battle. His clothes stained with blood, he was unrecognizable at first glance. Big Beard pushed forward on land, diving deep into the Beast Tide and moved steadily towards the hurricane.

"I'll wipe you all out!" Wang Baole cursed, yearning to send a blast of cannon beam at the bat in the eye of the hurricane. He could tell that the bat was the key to ending the battle, but it was too far away and protected within the hurricane. Wang Baole tried firing a shot but realized that he couldn't reach his target. After firing a few shots into the air, he turned the cannon on the beasts on land.

He might have been raging and had his eyes on the Foundation Establishment realm beasts in the sky, but he knew that could draw too much attention and bring death to his doorstep. That was why he had a shot made into the air, another towards the land; he kept changing where he fired to keep his enemy from realizing it was being targeted.

The other Fire God Cannons did the same. As a result, the Foundation Establishment realm beasts, engaged fiercely in battle, weren't immediately alerted to what Wang Baole was doing.

However, the Fire God Cannon, despite Wang Baole's repairs, grew ever more unstable. A great extent of its inscriptions had been damaged and were in fragments, causing Wang Baole's anxiety to grow. He was deliberating on how to repair the cannon and restore some semblance of stability to it when howls of rage came from the other Fire God Cannon platforms.

Wang Baole shuddered. He looked over and saw the swarms of beasts encircling the other Fire God Cannons. Under the massive attack, some of the cannons broke down, and beasts swarmed others. Injury and death abound, Wang Baole turned his cannon around quickly in a bid to help, but it was all for naught. Where Chen Yutong stood, two cannons collapsed. Amidst the sea of dying Armament Soldiers, with a grim smile on his face and fury heavy in his heart, Chen Yutong fought his way out and raced to where Wang Baole stood.

The entire stronghold was only left with three Fire God Cannons!

Chen Yutong's arrival eased the burden on Wang Baole. The pair had no time for talk, but there was no need for Wang Baole to speak; Chen Yutong, looking ragged and wounded heavily, poured himself straight into repair work. The cannon held strong under their care, firing shot after shot.

It was a mere drop of water in the bucket, but as long as the Fire God Cannon remained standing on the battlefield—even if it was but one cannon—it would serve as a force to instill fear into the beasts' hearts and hold them back!

After firing a few shots, the cannon shook violently. A dark look fell over Wang Baole's face, and bitterness rose in his heart. The bat's ultrasound wave attack had damaged the inscriptions, and their continual fragmentation was inevitable. This cannon was about to break down as well, causing despair to rise in Chen Yutong's eyes. He muttered, "Baole, it's beyond repair… there are two more cannons! Should we go?"

Wang Baole was silent. He turned and looked at the warriors around him.

The warriors within the Golden Bell Shield noticed the expressions on Wang Baole's and Chen Yutong's faces. Their faces grew pale, and they fell into a deathly silence. Their Dharmic Artifacts were damaged, and even those given by Wang Baole were severely fractured and cracked. Wang Baole had gone to the extent of depleting his entire stock of self-exploding beads, and they were at the brink of exhausting their ammunition and weaponry.

All of them knew that they could no longer defend the platform. As soon as the Golden Bell Shield shattered, as soon as the Fire God Cannon broke down, they would be faced with the tragic fate that had met the other Fire God Cannon platforms.

Outside the Golden Bell Shield, swarms of beasts circled. Mad with violence and blood lust, they slammed repeatedly into the Golden Bell Shield. Their numbers were countless, and amongst them were numerous True Breath realm beasts. The force of their attacks was powerful and overwhelming, causing the Golden Bell Shield to start warping under the force of the attacks. At any moment, it was going to shatter.

"Baole, Dharmic Armament Master Chen, go, quickly! We'll hold the beasts back and fight for more time for you!"

"We may not have the aptitude to become cultivators, but we are still warriors. The day we joined the army, we swore to protect the Federation with our lives!"

"Baole, remember to visit my parents on my behalf—I've given you my address!"

"Baole, just go!"

After a brief silence, the warriors spoke almost at the same time, in near unison, raising their voices to Wang Baole. There was a steely resolve in their eyes, one that would only be broken by death. As their words rang out, a few warriors stepped forward, and gathered themselves around Wang Baole and Chen Yutong, ready to escort them away. More stood ready, prepared to use their own flesh and blood bodies as a shield against the beasts.

The sight utterly stunned Chen Yutong. Wang Baole's eyes turned red and teary. The blood in his body seemed to have frozen, and his heart contracted. He stared at everyone around him, then at the approaching Beast Tide. He gazed skyward, at the beasts in the air, and the bloodbath that was the battlefield.

He thought back to when he had first arrived at the stronghold, and the special feeling he had then from being protected by Ancient Martial realm warriors when he was himself a cultivator…

Despite the brief time they had together, despite the suddenness of the Beast Tide and the unimaginable destruction it wrought, the memories they had together—the memories of arm wrestling with everyone, of sharing snacks with one another, of laughing and talking—surfaced before his eyes, one after another…

The countless scenes of death that had taken place within the span of not even one day on the battlefield were carved deep into his soul, a pain that stabbed deep at his heart…

And the scene of the tragic death of the man who had wanted to introduce his sister to Wang Baole…

Layer upon layer, those moments piled onto one another, transforming into what lay before him—the earnest eyes of those men, bright with anxiety as they prepared to sacrifice themselves for his and Chen Yutong's escape.

"This might seem foolish, but I don't wish to leave yet… I believe I can fix this cannon!" Wang Baole took in a deep breath. As he turned his head towards the Fire God Cannon, his eyes shone brightly. There was a fierce light in his eyes, and it burned like a determination that had never before been seen!

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Chapter 180: Counterattack!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Wang Baole spoke softly, then raised his right hand and pressed it on the Fire God Cannon. Spirit Qi surged out of his body and flowed into the Fire God Cannon. He inspected inscriptions on each and every one of the Numinous Treasures within and tried his best to stabilize the cannon.

Standing beside Wang Baole, Chen Yutong looked at him and was moved. He remained quiet for a few moments, then laughed. There was resolve in his eyes as he stepped forward and, together with Wang Baole, gave his all to repair the inscriptions.

Wang Baole saw what Chen Yutong was doing. He looked over, and when their eyes met, they laughed. Amidst the swarming beasts, against a sky shaking with the thunderous roars of beasts, that moment was immortalized in the hearts of the warriors around them.

Everyone could see reason, and everyone was afraid of death, but sometimes the value of action triumphed that of thought!

Less deliberation and more action didn't mean one was rash; it spoke of a genuine pure-heartedness!

"Senior Brother Chen, let me handle the inscriptions. I'll hand over the repairs and replacement of materials to you!" Wang Baole's eyes shone brightly. He spoke calmly as they continued their repairs.

Chen Yutong nodded and didn't question further. He immediately withdrew his Spirit Qi from the inscriptions and poured his energies into inspecting damaged materials, dismantling them from the cannon and replacing them swiftly.

As for Wang Baole, he stilled his breath and focused his mind. His brain ran the simulations from the formula at top speed. His grasp of the internal machinery and workings of the Fire God Cannon had been refined to perfection during the period when he conducted repairs on the cannons. He knew that the Fire God Cannon was composed of hundreds of Numinous Treasures and that every Numinous Treasure acted like a component of the composite machine, making the Fire God Cannon a weapon of immense intricacy.

Each Numinous Treasure contained one to a few hundreds of thousands of inscriptions. The combined number of inscriptions found in the Fire God Cannon was incredible.

The bat's ultrasound wave attack sent an aural quake through the Numinous Treasures within the Fire God Cannon, inflicting fractures on their inscriptions. As the Fire God Cannon continued operating, the inscriptions, no longer able to withstand the activity, would shatter in great numbers and lead to a breakdown in the cannon.

Their previous approach to repairing the cannon was akin to sketching—Spirit Qi was used to ink over the fragmented inscriptions so that the inscriptions could continue to support the Fire God Cannon. But as more and more inscriptions suffered fragmentation, the effect of this traditional approach weakened. The fractures were too numerous and were found on a quarter of all inscriptions.

That was why Chen Yutong had concluded bitterly earlier that the cannon was beyond repair.

Chen Yutong was right. If they had applied the traditional method, the cannon would indeed be irreparable. The only way left for Wang Baole to repair the Fire God Cannon… was to refashion the inscriptions!

Not to restore, but to apply different inscriptions and refashion the fragmented inscriptions within the Fire God Cannon—to a certain extent, it could be seen as a reform!

To reform the Fire God Cannon was something that was beyond even the ability of a Dharmic Armament Soldier; it would be an unimaginable feat for a Dharmic Armament Disciple.

Even if they had complete knowledge of the inner workings of the Fire God Cannon, they weren't the original creator and didn't have the core recipes for crafting the cannon. They might be able to attempt an imitation, but modifying the inscriptions inside would prove too great a challenge. Had it been another time and place, the military would have forbidden them from trying, as any failure might result in instability and the collapse of the Fire God Cannon.

However, there was no one around to stop them. What's more, the inscriptions within the Fire God Cannon were largely shattered. Even if Wang Baole failed in his modification, it wouldn't trigger an explosion. The worst that could happen was a complete breakdown.

Regardless, he was left with no other choice!

Wang Baole steadied his breathing, and determination shone in his eyes. Based on his grasp of inscriptions and inscription system he had, in order to modify the damaged inscriptions and refashion them, he would need to choose amongst the numerous inscriptions available.

For example, Wang Baole had to replace a damaged segment containing extremely complex inscriptions with a series of simple inscriptions to allow the part to carry on running.

There were also shattered inscriptions that were no longer functioning and couldn't be used; Wang Baole had to add in a few inscriptions so that the part could be activated again to some extent. Such adjustments couldn't be done in isolation, because the Fire God Cannon was an elaborate and intricate piece of machinery—a tweak to a single part could affect the whole!

The deductions he would have to run were too immense and completely unprecedented!

Chen Yutong seemed to realize what was going on the moment Wang Baole started modifying the Fire God Cannon. His pupils contracted, and he gave Wang Baole a deep, long stare, deciding to place his faith in Wang Baole. He left Wang Baole undisturbed, took out various materials, and started replacing and repairing them furiously.

The pair combined their efforts as the surrounding Armament Soldiers stood guard amidst anxiety and steely-eyed determination. Thunderous roars resounded throughout the battlefield, and beasts threw themselves upon the Golden Bell Shield ceaselessly; the Golden Bell Shield was on the verge of collapse… Wang Baole and Chen Yutong threw all that they had into the cannon.

They worked free from distraction and immersed fully in the repairs on the cannon. It was at that moment, wrought with anxiety, that the Golden Bell Shield shattered with a blast. It created an explosive force that swept outward, decimating great hordes of beasts in a blink of an eye. As the warriors howled in rage and held off the beasts that came charging…

The Fire God Cannon thundered. Wang Baole shouted and slapped the cannon, and a gigantic blast of light shot out from within, directly at the swarm of beasts approaching from ahead.

The heavens shook, and the earth quaked. The blast seemed to punch a hole in the sky, and waves of inscriptions rippled outwards. Where the light passed, beasts were torn apart by an invisible giant hand—wiped out.

That wasn't the end. Chen Yutong continued his replacement of materials, and Wang Baole refashioned more inscriptions before firing the Fire God Cannon again!

Boom, boom, boom!

Three consecutive shots shook the heavens and earth, and the hordes of surrounding beasts kept falling back. Despite having suffered some casualties from the brief onslaught of beasts, with their retreat, the surrounding Armament Soldiers finally could catch their breath. The looks directed at Wang Baole and Chen Yutong were filled with gratitude and utmost respect!

One had to know that, at that time, in the stronghold, theirs was the only working Fire God Cannon!

The other Fire God Cannons had either been torn apart by beasts or had broken down…

As a result, their sole Fire God Cannon became a presence that drew everyone's attention on the battlefield. Be it the warriors and cultivators on land, or the beasts, their eyes were all drawn to the sole working Fire God Cannon.

That was the case for the aerial battle as well, which had grown in intensity, and where the scales of life and death could tip anytime for either side.

Even the bat in the eye of the hurricane narrowed its eyes and directed an icy glare at the Fire God Cannon where Wang Baole and the rest stood.

"Continue!" Wang Baole roared as he ignored the stares and continued modifying the inscriptions. His energies were spent. Such modifications required substantial deductions; it was beyond what he could cope with, but Wang Baole persevered. He would modify a few inscriptions, then activate the cannon and fire another beam of light.

Every cannon shot shook and fractured the inscriptions. As a result, despite Wang Baole's unceasing repairs, the Fire God Cannon struggled to keep firing.

The cannon blasts aided the fights in the sky and on land, but its efforts were limited. The psychological impact of its presence, and its symbolism, however, were boundless!

As long as even one Fire God Cannon remained standing, its thundering blasts would resound throughout the battlefield. The will to fight would never die!

However, they soon reached the end of their ropes. Despite Wang Baole's and Chen Yutong's combined talents and the modification attempts—unless the cannon ceased its firing—with every third of it repaired, a cannon shot would destroy it by nearly half!

Gradually, despite the repeated modification of the inscriptions in the cannon, the inscriptions fragmented further. At that moment, two-thirds of the inscriptions had shattered. The cannon would stop working at any moment!

"What do we do!" Wang Baole was frantic beyond measure, his hair disheveled; he was driven to madness, and was powerless. Misfortune had to rear its ugly head then and add fuel to fire!

In the skies, the battle between the two Foundation Establishment realm camps finally drew to an end!

Two Foundation Establishment realm beasts let out cries of agony, followed by an explosive boom. Their bodies were torn apart in an instant, and another three were wounded grievously; jets of blood spurted from their bodies. They seemed to be injured badly!

The price of those injuries and death… was the death of two of the Foundation Establishment realm cultivators, and the serious injury of the remaining two!

At that moment, following the deaths of two Foundation Establishment realm beasts, the surviving cultivators—the man who possessed the Divine Armament and the female cultivator—spat blood out. Their bodies shook, and they struggled to grab hold of their Dharmic Artifacts. They retreated rapidly, heading straight for the stronghold.

Left behind them were the beasts. Out of the original seven, three had been killed consecutively; the surviving four, while injured greatly, remained ferocious and savage. They howled and chased after the two cultivators, relentless in their pursuit!

Upon seeing that, Wang Baole maneuvered the Fire God Cannon in a bid to help the cultivators. It was then—as the four beasts pursued the two Foundation Establishment realm cultivators, speeding through the battlefields—that a rainbow burst out from the earth!

Big-bearded commander-in-charge's silhouette leaped into the air with inconceivable speed. He stood atop a flying disc-shaped Numinous Treasure and held a long sword the color of blood; as he charged in mid-air, he let loose a startling battle cry and, and with a single blade sliced through the heavens!

From afar, the blood-colored blade seemed to transform into a destructive blade of heaven-shattering proportions. The four beasts howled furiously, shock frozen on their faces as the crimson blade descended and swept past—cleaving the two Foundation Establishment realm beasts, that had previously been injured severely and couldn't escape in time, in half!

As bright red blood continued spurting out, the remaining two Foundation Establishment realm beasts retreated in alarm. Big-bearded commander-in-charge lifted his face to the heavens and laughed, and madness colored his eyes. He bellowed, "Brothers, for the Federation, counterattack!"

Roaring, he raced towards the two retreating Foundation Establishment realm beasts. Not too far away, the two heavily wounded Foundation Establishment realm cultivators gritted their teeth before turning and charging as well!

Back on land, following the deaths of four Foundation Establishment realm beasts, the Beast Tide stilled momentarily, and signs of its dispersal seemed to surface. Every single one of the Armament Soldiers, eyes red and battle-crazed, retaliated in a mad counterattack!

"There's hope!" Wang Baole went mad with glee. He was astounded by big-bearded commander-in-charge's ambush and assault, and a rush of hot blood surged through his body.

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