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 695 - Spirit Immortal Hand! online free - Novelfull

Chapter 695: Spirit Immortal Hand!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Since he had started his journey of cultivation, Wang Baole had survived numerous encounters with death. He had crossed paths with the giant tree, escaped with his life during the lunar incident, survived a short stay inside the dark artifact on Mars, and, of course, there was his time on the ancient sword. Those incidents might have seemed like smooth sailing, but in reality, a single misstep would have left him dead. He would be bones and ashes now.

The massacre had begun from the time of the first cruiser's attack. At present, he could no longer remember how many cultivators, who were dying to meet their end, he had cut down.

Other cultivators doing the same might gradually grow cold, emotionally speaking. Wang Baole wasn't like others. Deep in his bones was a vicious, harsh streak that made him merciless towards himself. Such mercilessness allowed him to show no mercy towards the enemy as well. However, whether intentionally or unintentionally, his chubby appearance and the habits he had cultivated since he was a child had given him the appearance of someone who was cheerful and happy-go-lucky.

This was the wolf's skin that Wang Baole had learned to wear since he was a child!

This facade had been thinned considerably under the Demonic Eye Art's influence. Having flung aside his happy-go-lucky and earnest appearance, Wang Baole's true character was now fully exposed.

A massacre was unleashed instantly. With cultivation at the late-stage Nascent Soul realm, the resilience of the Flame Snatch Thearch Armor, the augmented power from the Stellar Nascent Soul, and the added strange power of the Demonic Eye Art, the result was a demonic, god-like entity that was… Wang Baole!

Thunderous booms transformed into waves of spirit energy that rippled across the battlefield. The cultivators who were trapped by the demonic eye's gaze suffered a moment of immobility and paid for that with their lives!

The countless crimson meridians that emerged from Wang Baole's Thearch Armor danced like red snakes in the air, skewering the living around him as he charged forward. His speed ensured that a brief bump from him would result in the other party being smashed into a pulp and mowed down instantly.

The Flame Snatch continued its mad absorption. Under its frenzied draining, the Thearch Armor grew more fearsome by the moment. White strands of bone increased in startling numbers and thickened into bones that protruded from the armor and turned into spikes. As the massacre continued, excitement, delight, and a lust for more seemed to emerge from the consciousness resting within the Demonic Eye Art.

It devoured one soul after another greedily, transforming each devoured soul into another black eye hovering at Wang Baole's back. Even when the immobilizing effect of the demonic eye passed and the surrounding cultivators regained control of themselves, there was still no escape. What awaited them was an inevitable death!

Truly… Wang Baole had now become the source of all terror, shock, and despair, amongst other equally horrid emotions. Such devastating feelings spread across the battlefield like wildfire, casting a looming shadow over everyone. They lost all ability to organize themselves into some semblance of an effective force and mount a joint attack. This was, in fact, one of the reasons Wang Baole had chosen to initiate an attack!

He needed the shock and the deaths. He knew how the Dao Palace cultivators he faced thought and acted. He knew that any hesitation on his part would flame their lust for battle. What awaited him then would be the joint attack of a ten-thousand strong force. He might have the ability to kill a Soul Conduit realm cultivator with ease, but he knew his own limits. On his own, he wouldn't be a match for such a combined, organized attack!

Ants might be small, but with enough of them, they could terrorize the king of all beasts!

Instilling fear and shock was of utmost importance at this moment. The black eyes conjured by the Demonic Eye Art might be able to exert an influence over the masses every time they opened and shut, but there was still a limit to that influence. As the backlash on him increased, the effect on the enemy decreased.

That gave the Dao Palace cultivators around him temporary respite. As the Never-Ending Clan cultivators continued to bark out orders and incite the Dao Palace cultivators with battle credits, the masses began to organize themselves amidst their battle frenzy and lust.

Before some semblance of an organized force could emerge, Wang Baole greeted them with a silently chanted… scripture!

The power of the scripture took the Demonic Eye Art's place, descending from above and striking terror into the Dao Palace cultivators' hearts. Another round of massacre unfolded!

Wang Baole had spiraled into a kind of madness. Being locked in by the troops from Mercury had sent chills deep into his bones. The sense of danger that he was in now made him feel cold. He felt as if his life was not his own.

Luckily, as he continued to cut down his enemies, and as the demonic eyes hovering at his back grew in numbers, this chilly sense of death lightened, fading slightly with every additional demonic eye.

Not enough, it's still not enough! Wang Baole's eyes were red. He seemed to have forgotten where he was. The strong, looming sense of danger forced him to seek warmth instinctively, one that would drive the cold away indefinitely. In his mind, everyone standing before him were targets!

Kill!

Wang Baole took a step forward, appearing next to a Never-Ending Clan cultivator. The latter, shocked, tried to withdraw and shift away. Wang Baole didn't even spare him a glance. He rushed into the Never-Ending Clan cultivator. With a loud slam, the Never-Ending Clan cultivator was flung into the distance. Like an ordinary human colliding with an airplane, his bones were crushed instantly and his spirit destroyed!

Kill!

Wang Baole didn't stop. He leaped and gritted his teeth as the force of hundreds of Dharmic treasures pummeled into him from all directions. The Thearch Armor trembled, then the Divine Armament on his right arm unleashed a blinding light as it slashed forward. A huge, glowing sphere of lightning appeared then exploded, transforming into a net that cast itself across ten thousand feet and burned everything trapped under it!

The deaths reaped from such methods were many, but the energy it consumed was equally significant. Even with the Flame Snatch rapidly absorbing new energy, it was hardly sustainable in the long run. There were simply too many Dao Palace cultivators!

The difficulty was intensified by the Never-Ending Clan members in the Dao Palace cultivators' midst. Their pointed attacks aimed at overpowering him, as well as Daoist You Ran's orders, ensured that the Dao Palace cultivators continued to hold their ground firmly on the battlefield. They were waiting for Wang Baole to show a moment of weakness!

They were like a coiled spring pressed into itself under growing pressure. As soon as Wang Baole showed a moment of weakness, they would unleash the pent-up energy within them. Of course, coils had their limits as well. If the stress became too great, there wouldn't be a window of opportunity for them to unleash their power. In fact, they might even be crushed instantly!

Fifteen minutes passed in the roar of violence. The coil finally… shattered!

The battlefield was in utter chaos. The cultivators could no longer take it. There were signs of them caving. No one knew who the first one to retreat with horror on his face was, but others followed. The battlefield resembled a retreating tide as cultivators withdrew and the army showed signs of internal collapse.

"I don't want the battle credits anymore. This guy's not human!"

"I still have the Great Dao ahead of me and many other things I want to accomplish. I'm not going to be the pebble destined to be crushed under some other person's boot!"

The breakdown of the army was a blow to the troops that followed after, and chaos descended on the battlefield. The sight sent shivers down Feng Qiuran's spine. She stared at Wang Baole, then at the Dao Palace cultivators who surrounded them. Her heart brimmed with indescribable emotions. In the end, she could only sigh.

As the cultivators scattered, Wang Baole emerged from the center of the battlefield, which was a sea of corpses and rivers of blood. The crimson Thearch Armor remained a terrifying sight to behold. More terrifying was what lay behind him. Adrift in space were tens of thousands of black eyes!

They were all closed, shifting and spasming while distorting the surrounding fabric of space. They hovered behind Wang Baole as he stood atop and was surrounded by countless corpses. It was as if a demon god had descended upon them all!

That's barely enough. It's still not enough! Wang Baole was heaving, mentally exhausted and physically weakened, hardly able to stand on his own two feet. The continuous energy flowing from his Thearch Armor and the will of the Demonic Eye Art, however, forced him to straddle the space between utter exhaustion and heightened excitement. His eyes reddened, and he shifted his feet, ready to kill again.

It was then that, suddenly, a strange sound emitted from Mercury and resonated in space. The great Never-Ending Clan battleship on Mercury, and the black lightning bolts that had gathered, suddenly unleashed their power!

The countless black lightning bolts were no longer beams of light ten thousand feet wide. They expanded to a hundred thousand feet in width. What had been beams of light gathered and materialized into a gigantic black hand formed from lightning!

The gigantic hand swept across the cosmos, bringing along with it power that surpassed that of a Soul Conduit realm cultivator. It was a terrifying power that seemed to rival that of a Spirit Immortal realm cultivator. It appeared on the battlefield suddenly and surged towards Wang Baole in a sudden grab!

The gigantic hand might seem insignificant when compared to the vastness of space. However, it was as vast as the heavens when placed on the battlefield. It appeared ready to gather Wang Baole and the surrounding stars, crush them in its fist, and bury them alive!

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Chapter 696: Escape from Danger!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Wang Baole might be able to hold his own against a Soul Conduit realm cultivator at the early- and mid-stages after a series of boosts from his artifacts and mystic arts, but when it came to a Soul Conduit realm cultivator with a mastery over late-stage Soul Conduit realm level mystic techniques, the challenges he would face in battle would be tremendous. A single misstep would result in grievous injury, much like his past fight against Daoist You Ran.

With his late-stage Nascent Soul realm cultivation, even after multiple augmentations from his various artifacts and techniques, the power he could display would only reach the late-stage Soul Conduit realm. Besides, there were limits to what his Thearch Armor was capable of. His Stellar Nascent Soul was bound by even more rules, and his Demonic Eye Art had its own set of dangers. The price he had to pay for such boosts were considerable.

There were ways for him to become even more powerful with his current level of cultivation. He could either unleash the power of his scabbard, or he could rely on the unique feature of his Stellar Nascent Soul and find a planet that could provide him an endless and increasing source of power.

The former was an impossible feat for him currently. As for the latter, there was no planet in sight.

The current attack from the Never-Ending Clan battleship was of a power that surpassed that of a late-stage Soul Conduit realm cultivator. Instead, it was the power of a perfected Soul Conduit realm cultivator and matched the power of a cultivator at the true Spirit Immortal realm. The extent of that power made Wang Baole tremble.

Every muscle and nerve in his body was screaming. They were telling Wang Baole that he had to escape, that he had to run immediately. All of his senses were screaming danger at him. The alarm was like waves of danger rushing at him, a tsunami that threatened to pull him under.

I would lose psychologically if I retreat. That would be the end of me! Madness colored Wang Baole's eyes. He stared unblinkingly at the approaching gigantic black hand, a massive form that blocked a great part of space, and sent a quick voice transmission to Feng Qiuran, who was on her way to help him. Feng Qiuran paused in her tracks when she heard what he had to say. It was then that the gigantic black hand swooped at him with its overpowering aura and made a grab for him.

Its aura rushed at him before the physical hand arrived. It seemed to contain the power to erode and burn everything away. Wang Baole's robes withered away, and the Thearch Armor showed signs of dissolution.

Wang Baole stood his ground against the waves of spirit energy rushing at him. His eyes reddened as his hands came together in a flurry of hand seals then flung outwards at the approaching gigantic hand.

"Demonic eyes, explode!"

The howl that emerged from Wang Baole was tinged with grim determination, madness, as well as brutality. Tens of thousands of black eyes filling the heavens behind him, alongside his own demonic eye, went from shut to open in an instant!

The concrete gaze that shone from these thousands of eyes rippled across the cosmos, holding the approaching gigantic black hand in a momentary grip!

Unfortunately, the levels of cultivation separating Wang Baole and Daoist You Ran were too many. The gigantic black hand wrestled itself free from the Medusa-like gaze instantly and continued its approach!

The collective attack was not without its effects. By the time that the gigantic hand had freed itself, the tens of thousands of black eyes behind Wang Baole had disappeared and reappeared before him. They blew up simultaneously, the destruction transforming into a black hurricane that was the embodiment of destruction and evil. It howled and collided into the gigantic black hand.

The thunderous howl that resonated in space seemed to overwhelm the cosmic laws themselves as its echoes traveled outward, farther into space. The demonic eyes smashed into the gigantic hand, exploded, and created shock waves that collided with the gigantic hand repeatedly. The gigantic black hand was flooded with repeated waves of spirit energy. It shuddered under the endless attacks, growing more indistinct with each blow.

The waves of spirit energy that resulted from their collision smashed into the Dao Palace cultivators in the vicinity. Many had barely enjoyed a moment of delight at the black hand's appearance before they were swept away from the residual shock waves in the next instant, their bodies torn apart and their spirits crushed.

Wang Baole cared nothing for their deaths, however. His hands flew into a series of hand seals as he wielded the power of his Thearch Armor and allowed it to fuel the Flame Snatch without stopping. He had observed the extraordinary power displayed by his demonic eyes. Regardless, there weren't enough of them. They continued to explode and flood the gigantic hand with the destructive force of their explosions. The gigantic hand's form gradually grew indistinct. Its size had shrunk. Regardless, its core remained.

When the last of the demonic eyes finally disappeared, the gigantic black hand—now half its original size—continued its charge towards Wang Baole, its palm outstretched!

It was swift and exuded the murderous intent of Daoist You Ran. It approached and was about to make a grab for Wang Baole. It was then that the madness in Wang Baole's eyes brightened. His hair whipped in the stillness of space as Wang Baole howled like a demonic god and unleashed the full power of the Thearch Armor!

An incredible, overwhelming force erupted from Wang Baole's person, from his mass of meridians and his Thearch Armor, and from his Divine Armament arm, which was raised and sweeping towards the gigantic black hand in a violent slash.

As the blade fell, the Stellar Nascent Soul inside Wang Baole's body opened its eyes. Starlight glittered within, and a star appeared to also be spinning inside the Stellar Nascent Soul. It unleashed its full power, becoming a relentless engine that was giving its all to fuel Wang Baole in this battle!

The gigantic black hand and Wang Baole clashed in a cacophony of thunderous booms. The black hand stilled, momentarily held back by Wang Baole. Its five fingers continued to close in though, trapping Wang Baole within its palm that abruptly tightened into a fist…

It was an incomplete fist. Wang Baole stood in the center like a stubborn rock. No matter how much force the gigantic hand exerted, it couldn't crush him.

The slash from Wang Baole's Divine Armament had landed true, the damage it created further weakening the gigantic hand. The latter's form gradually blurred, growing increasingly indistinct. Regardless, it would take some time before the Divine Armament could fully pierce through the palm.

It seemed like a stalemate had been reached. Wang Baole's red face said otherwise. The sensation of being grabbed by the gigantic hand had been akin to being slammed into by a speeding cruiser. His organs were spasming, and there was a loud buzzing in his ears that was drowning out everything else.

The power that the gigantic hand was exerting on him seemed capable of crushing everything. His life wasn't going to be snuffed out like a flame. He was going to be crushed to bits and then buried alive!

His Thearch Armor was creaking under the gigantic hand's pressure. It seemed on the verge of giving out. The stores of blood and flesh that had been accumulated by the Flame Snatch were being channeled to the armor's continuous repair. Regardless, cracks continued to appear, lining the armor. His Stellar Nascent Soul was trembling, as if forced to its limits.

The fight wasn't going to boil down to strength or power, it was going to boil down to resilience. The person to outlast the other would emerge the winner!

As the two continued their fight to the death, Feng Qiuran stood a distance away. Her face was pale, and anxiety shone brightly in her eyes. She didn't join the battle immediately but was instead biding her time and awaiting the right opportunity. She knew that if she were to join the fight now, whatever aid she could provide Wang Baole against the gigantic black hand would be minimal. She knew what she had to do. If Wang Baole won the fight, she would protect him as both of them escaped the battlefield. If he lost, she was to rescue him in the nick of time!

That was the contingency plan that Wang Baole had shared during his voice transmission!

Moments trickled by. The gigantic black hand continued to tighten itself into a fist. It seemed to be gradually gaining the upper hand. Wang Baole appeared to be losing the fight against the increasing pressure. The Thearch Armor began to creak loudly. The surrounding Dao Palace cultivators grew alert and tense, whereas Feng Qiuran was wrecked by anxiety. She could no longer wait by the sidelines. She was prepared to rush forward and help Wang Baole. To hell with the consequences.

Then, something that resembled the sound of the universe ripping itself apart came screaming from distant space. It materialized into countless waves of energy that rippled outward. In an instant, a vast fleet of Federation battleships appeared in the wake of the energy ripples. They had made use of the Solar System Array Formation, teleporting through the abyss, leaping through space, and arriving at the battlefield!

Layers of array formations flared up and gathered upon their landing. The light of spells swept outwards like a furious flood and rained down on the battlefield like a relentless storm. Alarm flashed across the Dao Palace cultivators' faces as they hurriedly evaded the attacks and mounted a hasty defense. A voice, augmented spiritually, boomed from within the Federation battleships and thundered across space.

"Do not fear, Qiuran. I'm here to save you!"

More than a hundred large spheres of light flared up inside the Federation battleships as soon as Li Xingwen's voice rang out. Inside each sphere of light was a strange crystalline stone that emanated incredible power!

Another ten spheres of red light flared into being, capturing the attention of everyone on the battlefield!

These stones… were the Federation's trump card—the Anti-Spirit Bomb. The blue-colored bombs rivaled a Nascent Soul realm cultivator's power, while the red-colored bombs were a recent upgrade. Due to certain restrictions, the latter couldn't be manufactured on a large scale. Regardless, any of the second-generation Anti-Spirit Bombs was more powerful than a Nascent Soul realm cultivator. Its power could match a Soul Conduit realm cultivator!

There were fewer of these second-generation Anti-Spirit Bombs. Only those with the highest access rights could deploy them. Li Xingwen had brought nearly half of all existing second-generation bombs with him. He had seen the danger Wang Baole had been in and deployed all of them without hesitation.

The hundred spheres of light rushed towards the gigantic black hand instantly, approaching and blasting the latter with relentless force!

The gigantic black hand was a force to be reckoned with. Regardless, it had been weakened earlier by Wang Baole's demonic eyes and his subsequent attacks at full force. It was to the point where its materialized form was blurring and growing indistinct. Trapped in a corner, it was unable to avoid the Anti-Spirit Bombs. It suffered a frontal assault from the hundred bombs. The blue-colored bombs were still manageable, but the combined explosion of the red-colored bombs managed to reach the hand's core!

Feng Qiuran's eyes flashed as she spotted an opportunity to attack. She unleashed her artifacts and her mystic techniques relentlessly. The attacks from the outside helped ease the pressure on Wang Baole. The tide gradually turned to his favor.

"Now!" An exhausted Wang Baole roared. The near-withered Stellar Nascent Soul inside him suddenly opened its eyes. It released the last of its energy, which darted into Wang Baole's Divine Armament. Wang Baole was transformed into a shooting star, the Divine Armament the tip of his blade as he surged forward in a sudden charge!

He rushed forward with the force of floodwater bursting a dam open. The gigantic black hand could no longer hold its form. It shuddered, then began to break apart. Wang Baole's Divine Armament pierced clean through the back of the hand, resulting in the hand's explosion!

Violent shock waves surged outwards with the force of a tsunami. Wang Baole darted out from the disintegrating black hand, freed at last!

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Chapter 697: Drawing the Snake out from Its Hole!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Wang Baole could no longer hold back the full extent of his injuries. As soon as he broke free from the gigantic black hand, his injuries became fully exposed. He spat out a mouthful of blood. More blood began to trickle out from the gaps in his Thearch Armor, which drifted into space and formed streams of blood. The Thearch Armor could no longer maintain its form as well. It shattered and transformed into mutilated strands of meridians that retreated into Wang Baole's body.

COMMENT

He hadn't initiated the Thearch Collapse, which meant that even though the armor was severely damaged, he could still restore it to full functionality by nourishing it with sufficient Spirit Qi. However, the terrible state it was in was a testament to the difficult battle Wang Baole had just survived.

Wang Baole had just lost the protection of his Thearch Armor. His vision began to blur after he had broken free. He was at the end of his rope and had expended all his energy. However… the threat hadn't been completely eliminated despite him having wrestled himself free.

As soon as he had broken free of the collapsing gigantic black hand, a cloud of mist had materialized into a seal inside the disintegrating hand and flown out. It charged towards Wang Baole, ready to imprint itself on the latter.

It exuded the aura of all things dead and dying, the power to end all living creatures and erode away life itself!

Should it reach Wang Baole, with his current weakened state, there was no way he was going to survive the seal!

Wang Baole was in no position to evade the attack. His Thearch Armor had vanished, and his demonic eye's form had grown blurry with weakness. It eventually transformed into a mark inked into Wang Baole's forehead, like a third eye. The only hope Wang Baole had against the approaching seal was his final words to Feng Qiuran over his voice transmission. If any accident had befallen Feng Qiuran over the course of his battle, he could only rely on his scabbard to unleash its power and save him from death.

Feng Qiuran didn't disappoint Wang Baole. She had been watching the battle closely. As soon as Wang Baole had dashed out, she rushed towards him. She appeared next to him in an instant, grabbed him, and spun around. Then, her left hand formed a series of hand seals and raised into the air. Her Soul Conduit realm cultivation erupted. She risked backlash and injuring herself again as she pressed her left palm into the air, towards the approaching seal.

Her face paled instantly. A white bottle materialized before her palm and collided with the seal.

The bottle shattered amidst a thunderous boom. The black seal's approach was halted by its explosion. It finally lost the power to pursue Wang Baole, giving Feng Qiuran sufficient time to escape. She turned and took Wang Baole with her, transforming into an arc of rainbow that rushed away from the battlefield. With the coordinated aid provided by Li Xingwen and the Federation fleet, she finally approached and landed on one of the Federation battleships.

Li Xingwen rushed over, anxiety clear on his face, as soon as they landed. He hadn't had time to take a look at Feng Qiuran, who was staggering and still suffering a backlash from her injuries. Instead, he took Wang Baole from Feng Qiuran's arms. Staring at the pale-faced Wang Baole, who was weakened to the point where he couldn't even open his eyes, and sensing the drained state he was in—like a candle on its last inch of wax—Li Xingwen's heart stuttered painfully.

"You little rascal…"

"Grandmaster…" A dazed Wang Baole seemed to have heard Li Xingwen's voice, so he struggled to open his eyes. He saw Li Xingwen, then noticed Feng Qiuran, who was standing beside Li Xingwen. His eyes seemed to clear slightly, and a grin appeared on his face.

"Your disciple did as he was told. I brought the grandmatron back safely…" He didn't finish speaking the words he wanted to say. Wang Baole couldn't stay awake any longer. After seeing familiar faces from the Federation, his heart finally eased into long-awaited relief. His head tilted to one side as he passed out.

Li Xingwen sighed secretly at the thought of Wang Baole still trying to gain Feng Qiuran's favor when he was in such a terrible state. He lifted his head and looked at Feng Qiuran. Her face was pale. She seemed to feel the same sudden sense of relief. She spat out a mouthful of blood that she had been holding in, then sat down immediately. Unable to move any further, she began her healing process.

Li Xingwen stared at Feng Qiuran and Wang Baole, then lifted his head and looked at the stars beyond. He gazed at the Dao Palace fleet and the Dao Palace cultivators, clearly thrown off course and into chaos after the Anti-Spirit Bombs had blown the gigantic black hand apart. He took a deep breath. They were too near Mercury. The mission objective was to rescue Wang Baole and Feng Qiuran, and the objective had been achieved. There was no need to start another incident. He gritted his teeth and stopped himself from acting on impulse, which was crying for him to turn the battleship around and pursue the enemy. Instead, he barked out an order to retreat.

As the fleet retreated, Li Xingwen sent orders for the deployment of another hundred Anti-Spirit Bombs. They hovered in space, threatening to blow up at any second. The Dao Palace cultivators stared at those glowing spheres, their pupils contracting in alarm. Their hesitation intensified.

Somewhere on Mercury, Daoist You Ran had fallen silent. Sending out the gigantic hand had consumed a great portion of his energy. Replicating the attack would affect the overall recovery of the Death Dao Battleship. The Anti-Spirit Bombs had left an impact as well. He narrowed his eyes. After assessing the situation, he clamped down on his murderous thoughts and didn't pursue the fleeing Federation fleet.

The Federation fleet retreated slowly, making use of the vortexes conjured by the Solar System Array Formation to leap through space. The battlefield descended into a deathly silence with their departure. A long while passed. Then, the Dao Palace fleet and their cultivators finally dispersed soundlessly.

Having made a safe retreat, Li Xingwen immediately sent down orders for a defense array formation to be temporarily set up around Feng Qiuran as she continued her healing. He also made arrangements for a trustworthy cultivator to guard her. He personally brought Wang Baole to the secret chamber, where he made full use of the Solar System Array Formation and the Federation's vast resources to set up a conducive environment that would optimize Wang Baole's recovery.

Li Xingwen finally released a sigh of relief when he was assured that Wang Baole had only passed out and wasn't in critical condition. He extended his spiritual senses and stood guard over the two injured cultivators.

Time passed steadily. The Federation fleet traversed vast regions of space as it headed for Venus. Several hours into the journey, Wang Baole's eyes finally fluttered open.

A bone-deep exhaustion and multiple sharp pains all over his body made Wang Baole grind his teeth. He struggled to sit, then panted heavily as he surveyed his surroundings. He was in a secret chamber and could sense rich Spirit Qi flooding the room. His memories of the recent battle returned to him. His spiritual senses extended outwards as he scanned the area without anyone's discovery. He saw everything that was going on in the battleship, including Feng Qiuran, who was deep in healing, and Li Xingwen, who was outside watching over them.

Wang Baole was finally able to release a true sigh of relief.

It seems like I didn't die. I even managed to get back to the Federation safely. Wang Baole rubbed his tummy, which had lost all former softness. As his heart eased into a sense of relief, he pulled out a bag of snacks from his storage bracelet without thinking and began munching loudly. He began to inspect his injuries.

Seems quite serious. The damage to the Thearch Armor's quite significant too. Nothing to be worried about though. Ten bottles of spirit liquid… hmm, maybe twenty bottles. That should be enough for me to recover fully.

Wang Baole continued snacking. He didn't begin healing immediately. Instead, he did some calculations, then pulled out a bottle of Ice Spirit Water and finished the entire bottle. After that, he narrowed his eyes and lifted his hand to touch the image of the black eye inked on to his forehead. Memories of the earlier battle, which had nearly got him killed, flashed across his mind.

The power of the Demonic Eye Art seems more terrifying than I imagined it to be. The combined force of ten thousand demonic eyes is enough to destroy half a gigantic black hand and halve its power. Wang Baole didn't immediately extend his senses towards the imprint on his forehead. An imperceptible light flickered in his eyes. He placed his snacks to one side, then pulled out a bottle filled with spirit liquid from his storage bracelet. He placed it under his nose and took a deep sniff.

The bottle shuddered. The spirit liquid inside the bottle transformed into a thick spirit mist instantly, entering Wang Baole through his nose, mouth, eyes, and ears. The mist shook inside Wang Baole's body, then expanded and filled his entire body. It began healing his injuries.

The bottle was soon depleted. Wang Baole pulled out a second, then a third bottle. Thirty minutes later, more than thirty emptied bottles had accumulated next to Wang Baole. It was then that he opened his eyes. They still showed signs of exhaustion, but the injuries that had lined his body had recovered fully.

His Thearch Armor had also been restored to its full functionality after being nourished by the spirit liquid, its damaged parts repaired completely. The store of energy accumulated by the Flame Snatch had to be replenished by draining more blood and flesh though, as Wang Baole didn't waste his spirit liquid on the Flame Snatch.

Having accomplished the series of restorative actions, Wang Baole took a deep breath and prepared to rest his eyes and mind. His tired spirit required rest. Based on his calculations, when he next woke up, the battleship should be just about to land on Venus.

He hadn't seen Zhao Yameng or any other familiar faces on the battleship. However, when he had last scanned the battleship, he had caught snippets of information from casually chatting cultivators. That had given him a greater understanding of the current situation. He had also found out that Zhao Yameng and the others had returned to the Federation safely. They hadn't joined the current mission because they had been assigned other missions.

They're going to find out that I've suddenly become so powerful. That's going to inspire some strong feelings of adoration. I have to think about how I'm going to present my humble, modest self.

Brimming with anticipation, Wang Baole's eyes slowly fluttered shut. Tension seemed to ease from his body. However, an icy light continued to dwell somewhere deep inside him… As soon as his eyes shut, the imprint of the demonic eye inked on his forehead suddenly shifted. It seemed to have suddenly come alive. The black, shut eye seemed to possess its own mind. It… opened!

The consciousness dwelling within erupted instantly. Wang Baole's current state appeared to be its best chance to seize control!

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Chapter 698: Who's the Devil!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Hmm? It seems like another idiot to me. One that got hooked so easily. Wang Baole's eyelids twitched. He opened his eyes, revealing an icy glimmer deep within. His lips twitched upwards into a cold smile.

Wang Baole had multiple ways to soothe his exhausted mind. He was, after all, a master of Dharmic Armaments. Refining Dharmic Armaments required great mental strength and focus. He might not be able to fully utilize the fruit he had obtained from the Hyacinthus Tree on the ancient sword or his many other mystic techniques in battle, but using them to speed up the recovery of his mind and spirit outside battle was still something within his means.

He hadn't done so earlier and had concentrated purely on healing his physical body because he had wanted to test the consciousness that he had discovered hidden within the Demonic Eye Art!

He hadn't had time to examine it earlier during the chaos of battle and their escape. That didn't mean that he didn't care. He had been keeping a close eye on it all along.

That was why he had left the healing of his exhausted mind to last and why he had pretended to relax. He wanted to know if this consciousness would show any signs of movement or change. Upon sensing its sudden eruption, Wang Baole pulled out the dried Hyacinthus Tree fruit with a wave of his hand, as well as a few pills that he swallowed immediately. With his other hand, he formed a series of hand seals and initiated a few tricks he remembered. They helped soothe his mental exhaustion and stabilize his mind, transforming it into a mental stronghold.

Then, with bright, curious eyes, he extended his senses deep into himself, towards the frenzied consciousness of the Demonic Eye Art that was unleashing mad spikes of power!

The mode of its appearance seems to indicate that it's a spiritual companion of sorts. It didn't surface during my fight with the gigantic black hand. That means this consciousness possesses a certain degree of intelligence. It knew that if I were endangered due to its sudden interference, it would also face the risk of destruction.

"But a simple bait managed to lure it out. It seems like it's not that smart, after all. Maybe it relies on pure instinct?" Wang Baole muttered to himself. The look in his eyes sharpened, and a black, mist-like entity began to cloud the sharpness in his eyes, threatening to color his eyes fully black.

Or maybe it only has one trick up its sleeve, which is to cloud my mind with blood lust and a hunger for death during battle? Wang Baole was slightly disappointed. He dissected the agitation that was rising within him currently, and the thoughts of murder that had started to surface in his mind. The sensation was akin to a drug addict suffering a relapse. If he didn't obey those instincts to kill, those impulses would consume him.

Is that all it's got? What a waste of my efforts. Wang Baole shook his head. Black mist clouded his eyes, giving him an almost supernatural appearance. But he was extremely clear-headed. His mind seemed separated from his body, his observations neutral and devoid of emotion.

He observed for a while longer, realized that this consciousness that had risen from the Demonic Eye Art had no other tricks up its sleeve, and then lost interest completely. He was about to silence it when this companion consciousness appeared to be dissatisfied with only spreading murderous thoughts in Wang Baole's head. It began to reach for his Nascent Soul.

That was a pleasant surprise for Wang Baole. He paused in the middle of his hand seals and continued his observation.

The companion consciousness was like thin black strands that gathered inside Wang Baole's body, unaware that he was awake and watching. It crept further inward, like a serpent, as it headed for his Nascent Soul.

So its target is the Nascent Soul? Or maybe after it extends to the Nascent Soul, it's going to infect or devour my spirit, which is housed inside the Nascent Soul? The look on Wang Baole's face turned serious when he realized where the consciousness was headed. When a cultivator achieved the Nascent Soul realm, his spirit would transform into a Divine Soul that would then be housed within his Nascent Soul. Once he reached the Soul Conduit realm, the Divine Soul would transform into a God Soul!

The Divine Soul held incredible importance to a Nascent Soul realm cultivator and required the latter's careful protection. Wang Baole's eyes flashed as he studied his Nascent Soul. Within hid his scabbard as well as the Dark Fire. The latter had formed when he had become a Dark Child and was proof that he was from the Dark Sect. Within the Dark Fire was his Divine Soul.

Just to be safe… Wang Baole quietly activated the Dark Art and released a sliver of dark energy through the Dark Fire housed inside his Nascent Soul. He intended to direct the dark energy towards the consciousness and test the latter's strength.

It was but a mere wisp of dark energy. As soon as it appeared, the black strands of consciousness that had been trying to approach Wang Baole's Nascent Soul shuddered violently. It was as if it had suddenly discovered the presence of a terrifying entity. It shook and cowered, appearing on the verge of disintegration.

"Hmm?" Wang Baole received a fright. He hurriedly weakened the wisp of dark energy to a tenth of its original power. That saved the Demonic Eye Art's consciousness from annihilation and gave it a fighting chance as it clashed with the dark energy.

Wang Baole released a breath of relief at the sight of the fight. He continued observing, at first curiously, then with an increasingly odd expression on his face. The fight between the two entities had grown intense. The consciousness seemed to have used its full force in order to hold its own against Wang Baole's dark energy. Then, having realized the tenacity of its current host, it slowed down its encroachment of Wang Baole's Nascent Soul, retreating rapidly and hiding. It even silenced its murderous desires.

"That's amazing!" Wang Baole coughed. There was no way he was going to admit that he was blowing things out of proportion.

He started consoling himself as he muttered with a serious look on his face, "It seems to harbor some form of strong will, a kind of madness. It's as if it were emperor of this heaven and earth. It possesses a degree of intelligence and resembles a virus, or at least, a kind of possession that's been recorded in the Dao Palace archives!"

Wang Baole thought long and hard about what he had just seen. It was the embodiment of the devil. Wang Baole found the term extremely appropriate.

What a terrifying devil. To think that it's able to stand its ground against a tiny sliver of my dark energy, one that's been weakened ten times, and hold its own. Not a simple feat at all! Wang Baole rubbed his chin. He gazed inward, at his Nascent Soul, and tried to put himself in the shoes of this terrifying devil. He considered how difficult it must be to infect his soul.

Hmm, if I were that devil, I'd have to first defend myself against the power of the Dark Art. I'd start from one-thousandth of its full power, then gradually advance to being able to hold my own against the full power of the Dark Art. Then, I'd be able to approach the Nascent Soul… I'd be able to see a Stellar Nascent Soul, which is unique and completely different from all other Nascent Souls. At that point, I'd have to work very hard to become more powerful, trying again and again to infiltrate the Stellar Nascent Soul. If I was unlucky, I might cross paths with a strange scabbard. Then, that would likely be the end of me…

Of course, maybe luck would be on my side. I'd manage to avoid the scabbard and enter the Nascent Soul. I could relax then and ready myself for a sumptuous meal. When I'm just about to possess and infect the soul, I would see a ball of fire. The Dark Fire. The spirit energy that it exudes is the exact same as the creature that I'd first encountered while outside the Nascent Soul!

Then… I'd have to work very, very hard, grit my teeth, and fight the Dark Fire. When I finally see the host's soul, I would realize that it possesses the unique traits of a Dark Child and power many times stronger than that of a Dark Fire…

So, I'd have to work like mad. If luck was on my side, I'd overcome the Dark Child. Finally, just as I think I could finally possess and infect the host's soul… I would discover, my god, a devouring seed lurking in a corner, watching and waiting greedily for its turn. Wang Baole coughed again at that thought. He decided he should stop trying to pretend to be the devil. He turned his thoughts towards the origin of this entity.

There's something very strange about this. I don't doubt the power of the Demonic Eye Art. It's an extremely evil mystic art. So why isn't this devil as strong? Wang Baole fell into a contemplative silence. After a long while, he finally arrived at two possible conclusions. The first possibility was that the cultivation technique and the consciousness might seem to be one and the same, but they were, in fact, completely separate entities. The second possibility was that his very presence was many times more evil and more perverse than the Demonic Eye Art…

The second possibility is out of the question! Wang Baole tapped his nose lightly. He extended his senses and felt for the devil hidden inside the Demonic Eye Art. He thought for a bit and decided not to destroy it immediately. Instead, a wild idea popped into his head.

Should I… rear another devil for kicks? Wang Baole itched with temptation at that thought. It was then that he realized that he seemed to have forgotten something.

"What did I forget?" Wang Baole muttered to himself and wondered. His eyes widened suddenly.

"The donkey!" Wang Baole smacked his forehead. He hurriedly pulled open his storage bracelet and rummaged inside. He finally found the donkey he had forgotten. It was skin and bones and barely breathing.

The donkey kicked its four feeble legs subconsciously after being pulled out of storage. It had been starved to the point where even breathing was becoming a chore. It remained in a daze for some time. Then, tears started to stream from its half-opened eyes, which glimmered with an intense, almost unbearable resentment…

"Son…"

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Chapter 699: We Will Get Even!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The Solar System Array Formation was activated once the battleship carrying Wang Baole and Feng Qiuran entered the Venusian outer atmosphere. A series of checks confirmed that neither of them hid Never-Ending Clan parasites. Li Xingwen conducted his own special inspection as well, verifying that they were indeed not under an external force's control. Their battleship was finally allowed entrance and landed at the Venusian aerial port.

The entire aerial port was placed under martial law.

The interior of the port was placed under lockdown, and the defenses around the port were ironclad. Masses of cultivators stood guard, alert and curious. They were commandeered by Duan Muque himself. Countless eyes stared as the battleship slowly landed.

The doors of the battleship swung open. All eyes turned towards the opened doors, and a low voice thundered in the air.

"Salute!"

Every cultivator and staff member on the ground, including the various leaders of the respective political entities, raised their right hand and performed the Federation military salute. Duan Muque was one of them.

The salute was directed at Wang Baole!

They had all heard the reports from Zhao Yameng and Sect Lord Xu. Wang Baole himself had personally escorted Feng Qiuran back to the Federation. The contributions he had made to the Federation were beyond parallel!

The reports had revealed how Wang Baole had risked his life to send Zhao Yameng and the others to safety. That had been how the Federation was alerted to the incoming danger. Wang Baole's subsequent return with Feng Qiuran had been a boost of confidence to the currently disadvantaged Federation.

When the Federation's Hundred Seedling Plan had first been initiated, Duan Muque had advertised Wang Baole's name as well. Wang Baole's reputation and his contributions to the Federation had been made known to the entire Federation. Even Duan Muque had no idea what position he was to award Wang Baole now…

Regardless, this was a salute that Wang Baole clearly deserved!

However… just as everyone stood at attention and extended their salute, ready to receive the new arrivals, an excited bray pierced the air and echoed in the port. The sight that greeted everyone when the battleship doors opened made their eyes widen. The expression on their faces was that of surprise, and Duan Muque was clearly startled.

The first people to step out of the battleship were Li Xingwen and the giant tree. Their appearances were ordinary and hardly noteworthy. However, there was a slightly embarrassed look on both their faces. Wang Baole followed behind. He also seemed normal. He was no longer exhausted, was dressed in proper attire, and was no longer chubby looking but had become slim. Even his aura had changed. It was drastically different from when he had left the Federation.

It was all due to the advancement of his cultivation, his attainment of the Stellar Nascent Soul, and his years of hardship. He had shed all residue of immaturity. The changed and matured him should have been an opportunity to leave a good impression on everyone. His new self should have inspired respect and admiration. It would have… if not for the donkey sitting on his shoulders!

It was a small black donkey. Its hind legs were hanging over both sides of Wang Baole's neck, while its front legs were pressed onto Wang Baole's head. It was skin and bones. However, the braying it let out was filled with life and clear as day…

Humans riding donkeys was a common sight, but a donkey riding a human… was certainly out of the ordinary. The bizarreness of the situation was compounded by the bag of snacks in Wang Baole's hand and how he kept raising his arm up to feed the donkey…

The expression on everyone's faces turned odd at the sight.

Wang Baole wasn't immune to embarrassment, but there was nothing he could do. The donkey hadn't been willing to return inside the storage space after being let out. It had cried tragically, shivered like a leaf, and even stuck its tongue out to make a show of its willingness to just kill itself right there and then. The sight had sent guilt spiking through Wang Baole. A moment's weakness had led to their current situation.

The snacks had been something Wang Baole had started feeding the donkey after seeing its starved state. The donkey had started exploiting his guilt-driven generosity then. It would threaten to bite its tongue and kill itself if Wang Baole stopped feeding it.

That was how they had ended up walking out like that. An embarrassed Wang Baole swept his eyes across the crowd outside the battleship, as well as the strange looks on their faces. He sighed secretly, then stopped in his tracks. With a solemn look on his face, he shouted, "My fellow Daoists, you must be wondering why I have a donkey on my back as I appear before you!"

"That is because, in my eyes, this is not any mere animal. This is my comrade, my ally. He saved me repeatedly in times of danger. He even chose to forsake food and water in order to search for food and medicine for me while I was unconscious, to the point where he almost starved himself to death!"

"I, Wang Baole, value friendship and loyalty above all else. Carrying him on my back is nothing. In fact, I won't hesitate to cut my own flesh to feed him. It's because when I first began my journey of cultivation, my grandmaster at the Ethereal Dao College taught me—us cultivators of the Federation will always return a favor!" Wang Baole's voice grew increasingly louder. The crowd was clearly moved as he came to the end of his speech.

The skin-and-bones state the donkey was in was the strongest proof. There must be a reason why any animal or human would choose to starve itself to such an extent!

In such a day and age, trying to starve to die was a considerable feat. The reason it had tried to do so… must be because of what Wang Baole had just said. It had chosen to sacrifice itself in order to save its master!

Not everyone believed Wang Baole, but a great many accepted his words for truth. When they looked at the donkey, it was with great respect. The donkey, naturally intelligent, sensed the sudden shift in their attitude and the look in their eyes. It froze at first, then blinked. It was about to grin when Wang Baole suddenly coughed softly. It was so soft only the donkey heard him.

The expression on the donkey's face immediately turned solemn. It looked as if it had just sworn to die by its master's side.

Wang Baole was pleased at how quickly the donkey reacted. His speech not only resolved the embarrassing moment he had been caught in, but it also seemed to have left a positive effect as well. He brimmed with self-satisfaction. His tact and awareness seemed to have improved considerably once again. Then, he spoke again with great solemnity.

"Then, when I graduated from the Ethereal Dao College, our president, Duan Muque, taught me another thing, and that is… we must always get even! The Never-Ending Clan has invaded the Federation's turf. This wrong must be avenged. The Dao Palace cultivators have willingly chosen to follow the orders of the Never-Ending Clan. As Elders of the Dao Palace, Senior Qiuran and I will cleanse the sect of its evildoers. But everything boils down to what President Duan Muque has taught me. We, the cultivators of the Federation, must never forget. We will get even!"

Wang Baole used all of his strength to shout out the last words. With his cultivation, his final roar gained the force of a hurricane, sweeping through the aerial port. His words were like lightning bolts, striking deep into the hearts of the crowd, stirring emotions to life. Many of them began to shout as well.

"We will get even!"

The Federation cultivators' morale surged as Wang Baole worked the crowd. They gathered closer to one another, a united force that emanated an intense fighting spirit that made one tremble with excitement. The upper echelons of the Federation, from the respective political entities, were equally stirred. They began to cheer loudly as well. Duan Muque, Li Xingwen, and others more familiar with Wang Baole knew his habit of spewing nonsense. Regardless, their eyes were bright with an intense light. Duan Muque, especially, was seized by a sudden thought… If Wang Baole were to become the Federation President, despite not knowing how he would perform in other areas, it was clear that at least when it came to motivating the people, he was doing much, much better than Duan Muque was. He was clearly suited for this role.

Feng Qiuran, who had followed Wang Baole out of the battleship, was equally moved. Her injuries hadn't fully recovered, and her face was still slightly pale. However, upon hearing the roars rising all around her and feeling the Federation's fighting spirit, she took a deep breath and shut her eyes. The faces of Dao Palace cultivators—cultivators she had to fight her way through—flashed across her eyes. When her eyes opened again, they were clear of mixed emotions and divided loyalties. Instead, a bright, resolute light shone in them. At the end of Wang Baole's speech, she stepped forward and stood next to him. Then, she turned towards the crowd, cupped her fists, and bowed deeply.

"Grand Elder Baole is right. The Dao Palace… is in need of cleansing! The Dao Palace's betrayal has caused great injury to fellow Daoists in the Federation. I can extend ten thousand apologies, but it wouldn't be enough. I can only offer my full aid and my life, to fight the war with my fellow Federation Daoists!"

Wang Baole's and Feng Qiuran's words resonated with the crowd, inspiring and exciting them. Their bold declarations gave the people a greater determination to fight.

"Let us salute Wang Baole and Senior Qiuran!" Duan Muque shouted, his bright voice steady and resolute. Everyone bowed once again. Their fighting spirit, united, flooded the port once again.

The welcome party reached an emotional climax at that point. Wang Baole and Feng Qiuran descended from the battleship, then followed Li Xingwen, Duan Muque, and the other upper echelons of the Federation into the military base.

Duan Muque represented the Federation as he and the other upper echelons of the Federation spoke to Feng Qiuran in detail and gathered more information regarding the current situation. Feng Qiuran was then placed in a secret chamber in the base where she could continue healing. The donkey was led away as well. Wang Baole was left standing in the main pavilion. Only he, Duan Muque, and Li Xingwen remained after everyone else left. Duan Muque had a serious expression on his face. After some thought, he suddenly spoke.

"Wang Baole, if the Federation wins this war, you will be made the next Federation President!"

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Chapter 700: The Federation's Top Secret!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Upon hearing Duan Muque's declaration, Wang Baole, who had just reached into his storage bracelet for another bag of snacks and started munching again, shook. He almost choked on his chips. His eyes widened, and he could hear buzzing in his ears. Fortunately, his throat was thicker than most. He took a huge gulp and forced the chips down, then swiftly set his bag of snacks aside. His breathing quickened as he stared at Duan Muque. He blurted out a question hastily.

"You mean it?"

In principle, Wang Baole's current strength and cultivation had made his becoming the Federation President a moot point, but this was his goal in life, a dream that he had pursued since childhood. It was his personal mission. He had entered the Ethereal Dao College largely because of his dream to become the Federation President. Besides, he had sent back so many sets of cultivation techniques when he had been on the ancient sword. Based on his calculations, that should have been enough for his promotion to Federation President.

However, since he had returned and gained a greater understanding of the current dilemma the Federation was in, he had realized the gravity of changing a president during wartime. He knew that something was amiss. He also knew Duan Muque's character. He would face great challenges if he were to force the man to retire and give up his presidency. It would be difficult even if he were the strongest cultivator in the Federation.

There were too many complications involved in taking over the office. This was his home. Besides, Duan Muque and the rest had always treated him well. There was no way he was going to force his way into office.

That was why he hadn't asked about the rewards he would be receiving. He had observed the discussion Feng Qiuran had with Duan Muque and the others and realized the situation with the Dao Palace. He planned to ask Li Xingwen in a roundabout way instead. He wanted to know if he could maybe get a promotion to the next Noble's rank. It would be best if he could be declared the next candidate in waiting for the presidency. However, if that were impossible, he would be satisfied with a promotion to Secondary Rank One Noble.

He hadn't expected Duan Muque to initiate the succession himself. His excitement peaked at that moment, especially when he saw Duan Muque nod after he asked him to repeat himself. Excitement and glee flooded his brain, causing him to feel slightly faint. His breathing quickened, and he smacked his chest hard, his eyes red.

"The Federation is going to win this war. The Never-Ending Clan and the Dao Palace are going to lose. I'll kill whoever stops me from becoming the Federation President!"

Duan Muque watched the intense emotions playing on Wang Baole's face. He had no idea whether he should laugh or weep. Li Xingwen smiled. He wasn't surprised by Duan Muque's declaration. If not for Wang Baole's young age, he could have become the president right away.

He knew Duan Muque's character. His successor had a strategist's mind. He had ambition and vision. He also had his own pride. Their failure at Mercury had dealt a heavy blow to Duan Muque. Others might not have realized it, but Li Xingwen knew how serious an impact it had on him!

On the other hand, Duan Muque knew his responsibilities as well. He wasn't going to let Wang Baole be the president who would witness the civilization's end. He was going to be the one to shoulder the burden of their loss. If they won, however… he was going to be there, fighting with all that he had to prove his worth with their victory. He wanted the future generations to know his contributions to the Federation. He wanted Wang Baole to begin his presidency with a fresh new era!

"Baole, your mission will no longer be to fight. You're going to have to… ensure that you and many others with equally important missions stay safe and survive!" Li Xingwen took a deep breath, then gave Wang Baole a meaningful look.

Wang Baole shuddered when he heard that. He shoved down the rising excitement and cleared his mind. It took him less than a second to understand Duan Muque's choice, as well as the meaning hidden behind Li Xingwen's words.

If they won, Wang Baole would be the future president. If they lost, he would have to shoulder the burdens of protecting their civilization and ensuring its survival!

"How much longer can the Venusian line of defense last?" An unfathomable light appeared in Wang Baole's eyes after a long bout of silence. He stopped worrying about his future presidency and finally asked solemnly.

"If nothing unexpected happens, it will collapse completely the next time the Never-Ending Clan launches a full-frontal attack," Duan Muque replied hoarsely. He finally admitted to the inevitable end that he hadn't wished to accept but couldn't deny.

"The Federation made preparations many years ago for war with the Dao Palace. The plan had been to make use of the Solar System Array Formation and the three lines of defenses on Mercury, Venus, and Mars. Unfortunately… there wasn't enough time. With the additional Never-Ending Clan forces and their terrifying battleship, we aren't their match, even after we include you and Feng Qiuran." Li Xingwen sighed. He smiled wryly as he spoke.

"The fall of Mercury was my fault!" Duan Muque said solemnly.

"Duanmu, you don't have to blame yourself for that. Even if we were to blow up Mercury, the war would still continue. It would only have given us more time, time that still wouldn't be enough for us to prepare for a complete war. We would still have ended up here." Li Xingwen shook his head, then turned towards Wang Baole.

"Baole, Earth is the origin and the core of our civilization. The objective of this battle is to ensure that the Solar System Array Formation, which was set up to protect Earth, does not get destroyed."

"As long as the array formation survives, the Federation will have the power to defend itself. Our civilization will have hope of survival. Mars and Venus are the two key points supporting the Solar System Array Formation. As long as either of these planets remains, the array formation will stand indefinitely. Destroying just one of them will not affect the array formation," Li Xingwen said. At that juncture, Wang Baole frowned and interrupted him.

"Grandmaster, President Duanmu, I have two questions!

"First question. The two key planets are located on either side of Earth, and their coordinates are completely different. Why did the Never-Ending Clan decide to destroy Venus first, then make their way around Earth to destroy Mars? Are they unable to break through the array formation and head for Earth instead?

"Second question. Is the Solar System Array Formation really that powerful? Is it truly capable of protecting our civilization?"

Wang Baole looked at Li Xingwen and Duan Muque after having asked his questions. The two exchanged looks under Wang Baole's gaze. Then, after a bout of silence, Duan Muque suddenly formed a series of hand seals with his right hand. A defensive barrier rose around them, shielding them from eavesdroppers. Li Xingwen pulled out a wooden figurine, placed it on one side, and activated it. The defensive barrier strengthened visibly.

Wang Baole's eyes flashed brightly as he observed them. He formed a series of hand seals as well, even drawing on the power of the Thearch Armor and his Stellar Nascent Soul. The latter pulled on the power of Venus, further reinforcing the defensive barrier around them.

Layers of protection ensured that no eavesdropper would be able to listen in on their conversation. A serious look fell on both Li Xingwen and Duan Muque's faces. They stared at each other again.

Finally, Li Xingwen sighed and whispered, "Baole, what I'm about to tell you next is something that only I, Duan Muque, and Master Zhao Pinfang know. You'll be the fourth person in the Federation to know this secret!"

"This is the most confidential secret in the Federation. In principle, only the president should have access to this information. Zhao Pinfang is exceptionally gifted in the study of Spirit Science, which was why Duan Muque and I agreed to share this information with him!

"That is why… you must not share this secret with anyone else! Unless… the Federation loses this war. If that happens, the confidentiality of this secret will be made void. You can decide then if you wish to tell anyone else."

The expression on Wang Baole's face turned solemn when he heard that. His heart began to race slightly. He could sense the solemnity in both Li Xingwen and Duan Muque. He knew that the secret that Li Xingwen was about to share was likely going to be something very important. It was likely going to be world-shattering.

"Yes, Master!" Wang Baole cupped his fists and swore.

Li Xingwen stared at Wang Baole for a long time in silence. He seemed to be lost in memories, or perhaps he was trying to find the words to express himself. Some time passed before he spoke again, softly.

"The spirit energy that is supporting the Solar System Array Formation comes from the Federation citizens practicing… the Qi Fostering Art. We have ten billion citizens, and almost all of them practice the Qi Fostering Art. The Spirit Qi that they produce during their cultivation fuels the Solar System Array Formation. This is supposed to be a secret, but there are many who know of it. However, there are only three of us who know the core foundation that the Solar System Array Formation is built on!"

"Its foundation… is a talisman of mysterious origin!" Wang Baole's eyes widened when he heard what Li Xingwen said.

"A talisman?"

"More than a thousand years ago, before the arrival of the Spirit Inception Era, a talisman was discovered in an ancient ruin in the southeastern region of Earth. It had been an object of worship. No one knew what it was, and the conditions were unsuitable for excavation. Despite numerous guesses and a great deal of research, no conclusive findings were reached. The talisman was eventually categorized as an ordinary historical artifact and archived.

"Then came the Spirit Inception Era. Spirit Qi, brought forth by shards from the ancient sword, transformed civilization on Earth. I was the first person to reach the Foundation Establishment realm in the Federation. That very day, the talisman suddenly appeared before me. I did extensive research before I could conclude that it had been unearthed more than a thousand years ago.

"The talisman possesses incredible power. What is most extraordinary about it… is that it appears to be invisible to those who are not from Earth. They can't see it or sense it. It is almost imperceptible to them. I tested it with a Divine Armament and witnessed the Divine Armament shudder in the presence of the talisman, as if in extreme awe!

"After a great deal of research, I believed there was a sixty percent chance of this talisman being a map of an array formation. I called for the Federation to build the Solar System Array Formation. However, nobody knew that the core of the entire Solar System Array Formation… was built on this talisman. It acted like an amplifier. However, without sufficient resources, it couldn't expand its reach. We have to use Venus and Mars as keystones to increase the reach of the talisman's power. Extraterrestrial species that are alien to Earth will face increasing difficulty as they try to approach Earth. The closer they get, the harder their advance will be!

"When I retired from office, I shared this secret with Duan Muque. A rule was set up. Only Federation Presidents are privy to this information, while the public will believe that the Divine Armament is what is keeping the Federation safe. In reality, what is protecting us is this talisman!

"The world believes that Master Zhao Pinfang conjured the Anti-Spirit Bomb out of nothing. The truth is… he gained enlightenment after studying the talisman and its changing contents. That was how he came to invent the Anti-Spirit Bomb.

"I wasn't worried about you and Feng Qiuran arriving on Venus. The reason being, because I could borrow the mysterious powers of the talisman through the Solar System Array Formation and verify if you had parasites hidden inside your body, or detect if any extraterrestrial beings had seized control of your mind!"

"That is the truth behind the Solar System Array Formation. That is why I am certain that the Never-Ending Clan will head for Mars after they've destroyed Venus. There is no other way for them to land on Earth!" The words spilling from Li Xingwen's lips were like bolts of lightning that were striking at Wang Baole's senses. His eyes widened as he listened to Li Xingwen, and his breathing quickened. This was beyond his wildest imagination. There was no way he could have guessed this—that such a secret existed on Earth!

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Chapter 701: Li Xingwen's Guess!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"The talisman looks like an ordinary talisman, drawn haphazardly and made of a material that seems no different from ordinary paper. It's been placed at the bottom of the lake in the Ethereal Dao College. If the Federation should fall apart after this war, you are to take it away and become the guardian of our civilization. Also… I've examined the talisman before. It seems to be… some sort of memento!" Li Xingwen gave Wang Baole a long, unfathomable look as he spoke in a serious manner.

Wang Baole reeled back from shock. He found that unimaginable. What kind of being could imbue an object with such an immense power—power that could defend an entire civilization—just by painting some characters on a piece of paper?

I wonder if Senior Brother has the power to do that… Wang Baole's breathing quickened. Stunned by what he had just heard, he didn't notice the complicated looks of hesitation exchanged between Li Xingwen and Duan Muque.

It took a while for Wang Baole to digest what he had just heard. Then, Li Xingwen, seemingly having come to a decision, spoke again.

"That's why we have to defend Venus with our lives, even though it will eventually fall to the enemy. It's to prepare for the final battle, and our final sacrifice, on Mars!

"Baole, I know that there are secrets buried on Mars. Various signs on Mars have shown that you have now mastered those secrets. I hope that you will give your all during the battle on Mars!"

Wang Baole took a deep breath, then nodded solemnly. Li Xingwen had already realized something was going on with the Dark Artifact on Mars. Wang Baole had known that. He knew that if Li Xingwen hadn't helped him with his cover-up, he couldn't have kept the Dark Artifact under wraps. It would have been usurped by others.

Li Xingwen passed down a few other instructions to Wang Baole. As night drew close, Wang Baole finally left the secret chamber with a heavy heart.

Duan Muque couldn't hold it in any longer. He turned towards Li Xingwen and opened his mouth. He couldn't find the words. After a moment, he finally asked, "Are we really not going to tell him the whole truth?"

"What should we tell him? About the statues in the main capital city? Those statues that are from an ancient civilization on Earth? There's not enough time for us to awaken them. We can only activate them once. Both of us have run through this. They won't be able to hold back the enemy forces. Instead of using them as an offensive weapon, we should keep them as a means to protect the survivors!" Determination flashed across Li Xingwen's eyes. As he spoke softly, his right hand was forming hand seals as well. He was drawing power from the Solar System Array Formation, gathering it around them and forming a barrier.

"Besides, what he doesn't know is the final part to the secret, and that incident… has been buried for decades. He shouldn't have to bear that burden. It's fine if we win the war, but should we lose, I want the past to remain the past, to turn to dust and scatter to the wind. What remains should be new life and new hope!" Li Xingwen stared at Duan Muque as he spoke resolutely. Determination shone in his eyes. Hidden deep underneath was a tinge of unwillingness, as if he had not yet given up on something.

Duan Muque saw both emotions clearly in Li Xingwen's eyes. He fell silent. Then, after a long while, he sighed. His spirits seemed to have fallen, and his face looked older.

"Those people… chose to leave all those years ago. They chose to abandon this place. Why did they leave the talisman behind then… You gave Wang Baole a hint and told him it was a memento. Isn't that proof that you still have hope?" Duan Muque asked softly. Li Xingwen's eyes fell shut. He didn't answer Duan Muque's question.

The secret chamber fell into a deep silence. Neither of them spoke. Li Xingwen sighed inwardly, bitterness filling his heart and leaving a sour taste in his mouth. He hadn't shared the final part of Earth's secret with Wang Baole. Even Duan Muque didn't know the whole truth. He was the only one who did.

He could tell them, but he didn't want to. He didn't want to tell Wang Baole. When he had unearthed the talisman then, all those years ago, he had studied and researched it. He dug up all historical records and excavated all ancient sites that had ever appeared on the planet, uncovered many artifacts and information. In the end, he had made a single discovery.

The cultivators who had first appeared during the Spirit Inception Era were not the first generation of cultivators to have appeared in human history!

Everything pieced together to form one singular conclusion… Earth had been a faction of an ancient and great civilization that had later abandoned it. Li Xingwen had his suspicions that the planet had been insignificant to the great civilization. The latter could've done without Earth at all. In fact, such a great civilization probably had countless other sub-civilizations like Earth scattered across the universe.

Perhaps our only value is in our similar bloodline. That might have made our people viable options as servants. What do they treat this place as? A breeding farm? Li Xingwen shut his eyes, concealing the fierce streak of resentment within. He had hinted to Wang Baole about the talisman being a potential memento. Perhaps Duan Muque had been right. Somewhere deep inside him, he still held hope.

He was sure that the person who had left the talisman behind hadn't been someone from that supposed great civilization, but a human from Earth who had been taken away by the great civilization. That human had left the talisman behind secretly!

Time passed amidst the pair's silence. Wang Baole was unaware of the conversation between Li Xingwen and Duan Muque that followed his departure. He didn't know the secret about the ancient civilization and Li Xingwen's guesses. However, his cultivation had far surpassed Li Xingwen and Duan Muque's. His spiritual senses were especially enhanced. That was why… he had still been able to sense the power of the Solar System Array Formation protecting the secret chamber even after he had left.

Grandmaster… hasn't told me everything. Wang Baole followed a cultivator of the Venusian base as the latter escorted him to his temporary residence. He entered and sat down, an unfathomable look settling in his eyes.

"Something's not quite right with the talisman," Wang Baole mumbled. He believed that Li Xingwen meant him no harm. If he were to analyze and assess the situation based on that belief, the conclusion that followed came easily. Whatever Li Xingwen was keeping from him must be related to the talisman's origins. He hadn't told Wang Baole either because certain reasons had compelled him not to or because he hadn't wanted to exert unnecessary stress on Wang Baole.

Old folks all want to give the young ones peace of mind. They'd rather shoulder the hardships themselves. They want to turn into a huge tree, becoming shelter for the young, protecting them from the winds and the rain. That's right. But these young ones who are being protected want to grow up more quickly so that they can, in turn, protect the huge tree. Wang Baole sighed softly.

Wang Baole picked up his voice transmission ring and gave his parents a call. He had gone missing for a few months. He had no idea how his parents were doing, but he had his guesses. They had been wrecked with anxiety and worry. Fortunately, Zhao Yameng and Zhou Xiaoya, who had left seclusion, had been visiting them regularly and keeping their spirits up. Their constant comforting words and presence had soothed the old couple's worried minds and kept the worst of their anxieties at bay.

Having received Wang Baole's voice transmission and his assurance that he was unharmed and well, the old couple was finally able to rest their minds. After some time, Wang Baole finally placed the voice transmission ring down. Next, he sent voice transmissions to Zhao Yameng, Zhuo Yifan, and others to inform them of his return. Replies to his voice transmissions came in swiftly, one after another. From their hurried and short messages, Wang Baole could tell that they were all busy with their respective missions, which had not yet ended.

Zhuo Yifan was the only one who didn't reply. Wang Baole didn't think too much of it. He allowed his mind to settle and didn't try to pry into the secret that Li Xingwen had left unspoken. He believed that when the time came, his grandmaster would let him know everything.

A thoughtfulness settled in his gaze. He began to assess the various means available to him for the upcoming battle. A long moment passed before he suddenly said loudly, "Senior Brother, your most precious junior brother is in trouble. My most handsome, most invincible senior brother, are you there?"

He waited for a long while but received no reply. Wang Baole sulked. He didn't believe that his senior brother had left, but there was no way he was going to bet everything on his senior brother really hanging around either. If his senior brother had really left, then he would really be in trouble then.

"The most beautiful Little Missy in the whole wide universe, are you there…" Wang Baole sighed as he called out in his head. Nothing changed. Little Missy's replies were closely related to her mood. She seemed to be in a bad mood now. No matter how many times Wang Baole called out for her, there was no response.

They're all ignoring me! Fine, I don't believe that I can't solve this on my own! Wang Baole glared and snorted. He began to think, hard.

There's still the giant on the moon and the Dark Artifact on Mars… I can also make use of the unique traits of the Stellar Nascent Soul…

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Chapter 702: The Lunar Stronghold!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The days passed steadily as Wang Baole considered his options. Feng Qiuran's and his arrival on the planet had spread to every Federation cultivator situated on the base. Duan Muque had intentionally promoted the matter. As a result, everyone on Venus, Mars, as well as Earth, were aware of Wang Baole's return.

They found out about Wang Baole's advancement in his cultivation as well as the Grand Supreme Elder of the Dao Palace, Feng Qiuran's alliance with the Federation. The news excited everyone in the Federation.

The response on Venus was especially positive. Wang Baole's speech at the aerial port had reached the ears of many and energized many more cultivators on the planet. They were burning with fighting spirit.

Visitors continued to bombard Wang Baole's temporary residence since his return. They included Federation Seedlings he had gotten to know on the ancient sword, old acquaintances like the giant tree and Sect Lord Xu, and powerful figures from the various political entities in the Federation. They expressed their desire to get to know Wang Baole better and showed great respect and even deference during their visits.

If it had been some other occasion, Wang Baole, well-versed in the high officials' autobiographies, would have spent most of his time with these people, deepening his relationship with them. However, he wasn't in the mood for that now. After a few days, he announced his decision to retreat into seclusion.

The war continued while Wang Baole remained in seclusion, growing from minor skirmishes to more frequent encounters. As the Solar System Array Formation continued to monitor everything under the sun, all evidence seemed to be pointing towards the inevitable… the Dao Palace and the Never-Ending Clan were close to completing their preparations for battle. The war against Venus was approaching.

On the tenth day of Wang Baole's seclusion, Kong Dao finally completed his own mission and returned to the Federation. He was the first of Wang Baole's friends and comrades to return.

He made his way to Wang Baole's place immediately upon his return. The first thing he told Wang Baole when they met was…

"Baole, Zhuo Yifan has gone missing!"

A cold light flickered in Wang Baole's eyes. Questions, careful and precise, began flowing. During that fateful mission on the Never-Ending Clan battleship, Kong Dao had hidden himself inside a rescue pod and avoided the massacre that followed. Then, he had seized the moment of Daoist You Ran's absence and the weakening in the battleship's interference to escape.

He hadn't managed to catch up with Zhao Yameng after he had returned to the Vast Expanse Dao Palace and had missed the evacuation back to the Federation. However, he had made use of his connections in the Dao Palace and used up whatever battle credits he had accumulated to escape from the ancient sword before Daoist You Ran's return.

"I was lucky. Mercury was still standing when I returned. The President hadn't given the orders to blow up Mercury. If he had…" Kong Dao shuddered at that thought.

"I found Zhao Yameng and the others when I came back. We exchanged information and realized that no one had seen Zhuo Yifan. You've returned, and Zhuo Yifan remains missing. His brother, Zhuo Yixian, is missing as well!" Kong Dao said, then eyed Wang Baole.

Wang Baole remained silent for a long while before releasing a soft sigh. If not for the looming war, he could have easily made use of his status as the Vast Expanse Dao Palace's Grand Supreme Elder to locate his friend.

But they were at war. Zhuo Yifan had only himself to rely on now. No matter how worried Wang Baole was for his friend, he could only set this matter aside for the looming war ahead of them. He spoke a while longer with Kong Dao. Kong Dao was exhausted and concealing his injuries, so Wang Baole gave him a few bottles of spirit liquid before ending their chat.

The skirmishes between the Federation and the Dao Palace cultivators continued to grow more violent. After Kong Dao recovered from his injury and got sufficient rest, he was once again summoned for a team mission. All Core Formation realm cultivators like Kong Dao were being worked hard. There were simply too many things that required their attention.

Core Formation realm cultivators were the pillars that supported teams that patrolled their borders, supported the greater array formation, went on scouting missions, and conducted search and rescue efforts. The cultivation techniques that Wang Baole had sent back while in the Dao Palace had aided many of the Federation's more experienced cultivators who had been stuck at the perfected Core Formation realm for a long time and granted them great enlightenment. Regardless, there had only been three new additions joining Sect Lord Xu, the giant tree, Duan Muque, and Li Xingwen in the ranks of the Nascent Soul realm.

One of them was Li Wan'er's father, the head of the Senate. Another was an elder from the Five Generation Sky Clan. The last… wasn't from the Four Dao Colleges or the Trilunaris Corporation, nor was he the Sect Lord of the Plume Manifestation Connate Sect. He had seemed an unlikely candidate. Yet, upon closer contemplation, it should have been something that was to be expected. The third person was… Lin Tianhao's father, the City Lord of Ethereal City, Lin You!

Lin You had been one of many senators in the Senate. He might have wielded great power in the Federation as the lord of a city, but he had not been counted amongst the ranks of the truly powerful in the Federation. Everything had changed since his breakthrough. No one dared underestimate this young senator who showed great potential now!

Besides, Lin You had displayed his flair at dealing with people and matters alike. Li Wan'er's father had promoted him to Deputy Head of the Senate. His political status elevated the status of Ethereal City, as well as that of his son.

Counting Lin You and Wang Baole, the Federation now had eight Nascent Soul realm cultivators. Five were currently stationed on Venus. Of the remaining three, one stood guard on Earth, while two were stationed on Mars. The latter two were also standing guard over the Martian Colony's Governor, who was currently in seclusion and striving towards her breakthrough. Everything pointed to how important a role Core Formation realm cultivators played at the moment.

Kong Dao wasn't the only one who was busy. Every single one of the Federation's Core Formation realm cultivators was busy. Even Zhao Yameng wasn't spared, despite her unique status. She continued to send Wang Baole voice transmissions while carrying out her missions but hadn't returned to the Federation since Wang Baole's arrival on Venus.

Wang Baole himself didn't have the luxury to remain in seclusion indefinitely. Not long after Kong Dao had left, Wang Baole received a mission from Li Xingwen and Duan Muque.

"Head for the moon. Your mission is to escort the moon safely… to Venus!"

The moon was Earth's natural satellite. Current levels of Spirit Science technology had enabled the Federation to transform the satellite into an advanced, near-perfect stronghold. The lunar stronghold not only possessed powerful offensive capabilities, but it also had the ability to change its trajectory. It was akin to a galactic stronghold that could traverse space!

The initial plan had been for the lunar stronghold to provide support during the battle on Mars. After Li Xingwen and Duan Muque had discussed and consulted with the others, they decided to initiate its deployment earlier. It would now provide support to Venus.

The mission was of great import, but the actual risk involved was minimal. The journey the moon was required to undertake might be long, but it fell within the protective area of the Solar System Array Formation. The chances of them bumping into Dao Palace forces were slim.

Wang Baole had been given this mission because of its significance. He would be personally steering the moon away from its natural orbit around Earth and into war. The mere thought of that would excite the masses. The pure visual impact of seeing the moon's departure would give a boost to Wang Baole's reputation!

Wang Baole accepted the mission readily. He was of the opinion that his capabilities could be better used for more difficult missions. However, he had a secret plan that involved the moon that he wanted to test. Upon receiving the mission, he immediately boarded a Federation battleship and led more than a thousand Federation cultivators towards the moon.

The Federation battleship's swift speed was further bolstered by the Solar System Array Formation. After six days, they neared Earth and landed on the lunar base.

The upper echelons of every political entity on the base were already there, waiting for him. They had received their orders. Everyone was to answer to Wang Baole's commands. Wang Baole had been given full control over the lunar base.

The abrupt change in leadership had gained the general acceptance of the major political forces. Regardless, there were still a select few who showed dissatisfaction and discontent over the decision. They had heard about Wang Baole's advancement to the Nascent Soul realm. Regardless, they hadn't personally seen or experienced his power. The lack of personal experience meant they neither felt pressured nor awed by his strength. There were also those who held stubbornly onto traditional views. They believed that social status was more important than one's level of cultivation. These people might not openly challenge Wang Baole, but they would certainly not show full cooperation.

Of course… those were thoughts held prior to the battleship's landing. They vanished as soon as Wang Baole emerged from the battleship. The truth was… Wang Baole was fully aware of how the older, powerful folks of the Federation would think. He wasn't going to give them the chance to not cooperate with him. As soon as he stepped out of the battleship, he summoned his Thearch Armor. The full force of his Stellar Nascent Soul, his demonic eye, as well as the blood lust that Wang Baole had accumulated through his numerous kills, erupted from his person instantly. It was like a sudden howling storm, a tsunami that swept across and flooded the entire moon!

"I believe you know who I am. There's no need for an introduction then. I don't care who you are and what you think. From this moment on, keep your thoughts to yourself. Carry out my orders exactly… or be executed!" Wang Baole said calmly as he walked out of the battleship. His voice wasn't loud, but bolstered by his immense aura, it seemed to boom like thunder in everyone's minds. Every cultivator's breathing quickened in that instant. They stared at the armored, devil-like Wang Baole, their heads buzzing. They trembled under the weight of his murderous aura. All stray thoughts were silenced. Everyone lowered their heads in deference as they replied.

"Yes, sir!"

Wang Baole raised his head and gazed in the direction of the slumbering, giant corpse. His eyes narrowed.

Perhaps his aura had been overly powerful. The slumbering giant seemed to be responding to it. The moon shuddered violently the moment Wang Baole directed his eyes towards the location of the sleeping corpse. An imperceptible, inhuman howl appeared to have risen from the giant's sleeping grounds!

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Chapter 703: The Night Immortal King!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The moon trembled as the howl rose. Alarm flashed across everyone's faces as they stood, half-bowed and facing Wang Baole, in the aerial port. There was stark terror on some of those faces.

As cultivators stationed on the lunar base, they knew the mysteries hidden on the moon better than anyone else. The visible half of the moon was still relatively safe. The dark side of the moon, on the other hand, was filled with danger. In the deepest region of this half of the moon slept a gigantic corpse!

Since the ancient sword had entered the Solar System and its fragments had landed on the moon, the gigantic corpse had awoken only twice. The first time had occurred decades ago. The second time… had been only a few years ago!

During the most recent awakening, the corpse had exuded a terrifying power and revealed the chains that bound its entire body. It had fallen to its knees while staring in the direction of the ancient sword. The sight had awed and terrified everyone who had witnessed it.

The gigantic corpse's existence was why the moon remained such a dangerous place. At the same time, it also gave the moon an extraordinary and unknown edge in terms of the satellite's actual offensive capabilities!

At the present moment, while everyone was frozen in awe at the unexpected roar, Wang Baole spoke coolly, his eyes flashing.

"Activate all engines powering the moon. We will depart from the moon's natural orbit in three days' time and head towards Venus. There shall be no delay!"

Having made his instructions clear, Wang Baole turned and raced straight towards the roaring giant corpse. Waves of air rose in his wake, marking his swift departure. He disappeared almost immediately, vanishing from everyone's sight. His voice echoed in his absence, resonating in the aerial port.

"Yes, sir!" The awe he had instilled in the crowd remained after his departure. Everyone bowed instinctively and replied in unison. Then, they lifted their heads and stared in the direction Wang Baole had left.

"The giant corpse roared as soon as Wang Baole landed on the moon. I have a feeling that something big is going to happen!"

"I remember it now. The last time the giant corpse woke up was during the Foundation Establishment trial for the various political entities' disciples… Senator Wang was there then as well…"

"That's right. I remember City Lord Wang nearly died. The Galactic Dusk Sect elder who stole his core is still imprisoned!"

Wang Baole was both senator and city lord, so there was no specific way to address him. Everyone was still recovering from fright and nervousness, but despite their concerns, no one dared to defy Wang Baole's orders. His instructions were soon passed down the ranks. The entire moon soon began to shake.

It was a different sort of tremor from the shuddering that followed the giant corpse's roar. The latter followed no rhyme or reason. The former was a sustained and consistent trembling, which was a result of all engines installed on the moon being activated in consecutive order.

As the engines were activated and preparations were swiftly made for the moon's deployment, Wang Baole was also making his way speedily across the visible side of the moon. He left bursts of howling winds in his wake, which went sweeping across the lands. Ancient Martial realm Moon Beasts trembled and stayed out of his way.

Nocturnal Moon Bats also howled in terror upon sensing Wang Baole's aura in the distance. They dared not take flight. Instead, they fell to the ground and started digging frantically, then wormed into those hastily made holes and hid their trembling forms underground.

Both types of beasts had been beneath Wang Baole's notice during his first visit to the moon. He didn't spare them a single glance as he sped through the air like lightning now. A few moments later, as he was about to reach the dark side of the moon, he finally came to a standstill.

On the ground beneath his feet were hundreds of gigantic Moon Gu. These huge centipede-like creatures were like the mythical monsters of death that lived in the deserts. Each one of them spanned hundreds to thousands of feet long, with cultivation at the third and fourth levels of the True Breath realm. They had appeared in masses during Wang Baole's first time on the moon. It had been a near heart-stopping experience. Now, though…

He hovered in midair while the Moon Gu wriggled on the ground and cowered in fear, afraid to raise their heads. Liquid stained the ground near many of the Moon Gu's tails. It looked like they had just pissed themselves.

Wang Baole shook his head and was about to continue forward. Then, the expression on his face shifted slightly. He tilted his face to his right. On the horizon, mist was gathering, transforming into thick waves of fog that spilled outward in all directions.

The Mystic Trace Fog! Wang Baole's lips twitched upwards into a slight grin. It was almost fond of it. If not for the Mystic Trace Fog, he might not have survived the Mystic Luna Realm back then. Instead, his bones would be dust on the moon now.

The sight of the Mystic Trace Fog warmed Wang Baole slightly. He shifted and headed for the Mystic Trace Fog. Within the blink of an eye, he appeared next to it. Wang Baole allowed the fog to envelop him.

The fog obscured his vision, and he could sense waves of energy within the fog washing over him, trying to teleport him away.

"Interesting," Wang Baole muttered to himself. Even though he had used the Mystic Trace Fog in his creation of the Mystic Trace Bead, he was still in the dark about how the Mystic Trace Fog actually worked. He had only been borrowing its unique capabilities for teleportation then. However, his level of cultivation was now much higher than when he had first encountered the Mystic Trace Fog. The giant corpse had fallen silent after its first roar, so Wang Baole wasn't in a hurry. He decided to step deeper into the fog.

The waves of energy that were washing over him transformed into a tiny stream. Wang Baole didn't even need to activate his cultivation. He allowed his body to advance, and it freed itself easily from the fog's attempt to teleport him. It didn't take long for Wang Baole's curiosity to be piqued once again. As he continued deeper into the fog, the forces of teleportation intensified gradually, to a point where he was nearly affected. Wang Baole had to unleash his cultivation at this point in order to fight against the forces of teleportation.

I couldn't figure it out then. I wonder if… I can make out what this Mystic Trace Fog is exactly now! Wang Baole narrowed his eyes. He allowed his spiritual senses to extend and scan the Mystic Trace Fog.

The image of the Mystic Trace Fog appeared in his mind immediately. He maneuvered his senses and amplified the fog in his head. It took the activation of ninety percent of his spiritual senses before he finally managed to see what the fog was truly made up of. His pupils contracted instantly at that moment.

This is… Through his spiritual senses, he saw the true form of the fog—countless bugs the size of bacteria!

Bugs that weren't living—bug corpses!

They had long, tube-like forms that were translucent and slightly yellowed, as well as twin feelers on both ends of a body that was distinctly divided into three segments!

What kind of bug is this? Their corpses possess the ability of teleportation! A startled Wang Baole raised his right hand. The devouring seed inside his body started churning, and his Stellar Nascent Soul opened its eyes. His cultivation and the devouring seed unleashed their powers at the same time, causing a strong suction force to erupt from Wang Baole's palm.

The surrounding fog began to distort in form, the spread of the fog suddenly disrupted as it began to gather instead around Wang Baole. A vortex materialized as the devouring seed unleashed its full power and drew more fog towards it. Wang Baole transformed completely into a vortex, which stopped the spread of the Mystic Trace Fog entirely. Instead, it curled into itself, towards Wang Baole.

An observer standing a distance away would see the fog's gradual thinning while Wang Baole's form grew increasingly distinct. The fog finally disappeared completely. In Wang Baole's right hand, a small yellow sphere that was the size of a fist appeared!

Wang Baole studied the sphere in his hand carefully. He didn't recognize the bugs at all, but his gut told him that there might be some other use for this sphere. He sealed it and threw it into his storage bag before flying off.

He flew across the visible side of the moon and finally stepped onto the dark side of the moon. He crossed past battlefields. Be it Moon Spirits, beasts with eyes all over their bodies, or the more powerful Night Immortals, all stopped at the sight of Wang Baole. The former would shudder upon seeing Wang Baole, while the latter… after the initial moment of stillness, would fall to their feet as if kowtowing to him!

The Night Immortals' reactions sent Wang Baole into a contemplative silence. He could feel the green lotus inside his devouring seed swaying slightly. He finally arrived in the central region of the dark side of the moon. He stepped into the valley that he had barely crawled out of alive the last time he was there!

Wang Baole stood in the valley and eyed the ruins before him. He stared at the cavern, what remained of the former valley, and fell silent. Then, he lowered his head and gazed into the darkness of the cavern. After a long while, he finally whispered, "Night Immortal King, do you still… possess a mind of your own?"

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Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

There was no roaring, no reply. There were only… twin glows, crimson and filled with madness, that gradually lit the darkness inside the cavern. They were… the eyes of the Night Immortal King!

There was a blackish tinge to the red. It lacked the clarity of purple, and instead had a certain murkiness to it. The eyes showed no intelligence. They revealed the violence of a feral beast as they stared unblinkingly at Wang Baole, as if he had something that held their obsessive attention, something that they couldn't turn away from.

Wang Baole's eyes were calm. He lowered his head and stared straight into the Night Immortal King's eyes. Man and corpse, one outside the cave and one concealed in the cave's darkness, stared at each other.

The scene would make a bizarre painting indeed!

Time flowed slowly. Thirty minutes passed. The activation of the moon's engines and the growing tremors spreading across the moon had agitated the Night Immortal King. Wang Baole's appearance seemed to have intensified that agitation. The Night Immortal King's breathing grew heavier as the prolonged eye contact continued. A low, threatening growl began to emerge from the cave.

Wang Baole stared into the Night Immortal King's eyes as he listened to the latter's threatening growl. He could feel waves of spirit energy, cultivation that had belonged to the Night Immortal King's former living self, stirring inside the Night Immortal King. Wang Baole's assessment… placed the Night Immortal King's cultivation at the Soul Conduit realm.

Without a semblance of intelligence and left with only instinct, the Night Immortal King clearly couldn't unleash his true former Soul Conduit realm cultivation despite having awoken. His last two awakenings had resulted in a catastrophe, but those disasters had been within the bounds of the Federation's control. The damage had been kept to the minimum. This might have something to do with the chains on the Night Immortal King, which were sealing his true strength.

"Well, that's quite a disappointment." Wang Baole sighed. He must truly possess great potential. He had trembled like a fool at the sight of the Night Immortal King mere years ago, but now, he felt like he could overpower the Night Immortal King.

He's still something we could use during battle. Wang Baole shook his head slightly in disappointment as he stepped towards the cave. In the next instant, he was racing into the cave. The Night Immortal King's eyes flashed with violence as soon as Wang Baole entered the cave. The Night Immortal King lifted his head and howled, causing fierce winds to whip the air. He raised his right hand and sent it swiping at Wang Baole.

The Night Immortal King was enormous, his finger the size of Wang Baole. His hand shot out and was about to seize Wang Baole when he vanished with a sudden teleportation, evading the Night Immortal King's giant hand while appearing in the deepest part of the cave, where he finally saw the Night Immortal King's gargantuan form.

Green-colored seals decorated the Night Immortal King's body, which bristled with unreleased violence and brutality. The sight was enough to send most Nascent Soul realm cultivators reeling back in terror. Wang Baole was clearly not most Nascent Soul realm cultivators.

Armed with the Thearch Armor, the unique capabilities of his Stellar Nascent Soul, and the bizarre power of his demonic eye, Wang Baole could kill a Soul Conduit realm cultivator with relative ease. What more the Night Immortal King, who was a mere corpse.

Having evaded the Night Immortal King's swipe, Wang Baole got up close and personal with him. He wasn't interested in the Night Immortal King but the nine heavy chains imprisoning the latter. The origins of the chains remained mysterious. In the Federation's records of the Night Immortal King's fall, the chains had already existed then. They had sunk deep into the moon's core and bound the Night Immortal King to the moon.

A chain that could fuse with a satellite must be crafted from extraordinary material and possess incredible power. Wang Baole considered the possibility of extracting the chain and refining it. It might become a valuable artifact that could pose a threat to Daoist You Ran.

With a side-step, he avoided another furious swipe from the howling Night Immortal King and appeared behind the latter. He was less than a hundred feet from the chains, and he inspected them carefully.

His findings sent his pupils contracting in shock. His head began buzzing loudly, and his breathing stopped momentarily. Then, his form blurred as his avatar materialized and stepped away from him. It raced towards the chains. Upon their sudden collision, bursts of red lightning bolts exploded from the chains. The lightning bolts seemed to possess sentience. They surrounded Wang Baole's avatar instantly, then blew up. Despite his avatar's resilient form, it was overpowered by the explosion. It shuddered and began showing signs of degradation.

The signs of degradation continued even after the avatar managed to free itself and retreat back to Wang Baole's side. Its hair was fully white, its body aged and wrinkled. It was as if it had been drained of life and vitality and had aged suddenly.

Wang Baole gasped at the sight, shock flooding his system. The chains… were not only immensely powerful, but they were familiar as well!

They're like the chains on the Never-Ending Clan battleship, the chains that bound the fearsome beasts and forced them to drag the wooden logs that moved the millstone! Wang Baole narrowed his eyes and stared at the chain in front of him. Then, he turned abruptly towards the Night Immortal King, his eyes glimmering with a solemn light.

It's impossible that someone who has to be kept in check by such chains is only at the Soul Conduit realm. There must be something I overlooked! Wang Baole narrowed his eyes and began circling the Night Immortal King quickly, studying the latter carefully. It didn't take long before he saw three healed scars on the Night Immortal King. They were almost impossible to spot underneath the fully regrown flesh and blood.

One was on the back of the Night Immortal King's head, another was right over his heart, and the last was on his dantian!

There were plenty of other scars like those in other locations, but these three left a deep impact on Wang Baole after a closer inspection.

They don't look like injuries inflicted during battle… they look like the result of someone ripping into flesh with their bare hands while he was unable to fight back! There was a dark look on Wang Baole's face. Someone else might not have so quickly realized what had happened, but not Wang Baole. The three wounds reminded him of what had happened to him on the moon, when his Dao Foundation had been torn out of his body.

Perhaps the exact same thing hadn't happened to the Night Immortal King, but the differences lay in degree and not in the nature of the action. Both of them had something ripped out of their bodies! The wounds had been the result of that!

"Taking his brain, digging out his heart, and destroying his Dao. What viciousness! How much did the person hate the Night Immortal King?" Wang Baole muttered. His gut feeling told him that this was some dark art that stole one's power. His eyes were filled with a mix of emotions and pity as he looked at the Night Immortal King. The Night Immortal King's cultivation, while he had been alive, must have been incredibly powerful. That must be why even after the theft of his brain, heart, and Dao, he was still at the Soul Conduit realm!

The perpetrator didn't seem to stop there. After taking both brain and heart and destroying his Dao, they also imprisoned the Night Immortal King with chains that could drain his vitality. They drove the chains deep into the Night Immortal King's body so that the Night Immortal King can't heal himself. That's strange. Why would someone do that to a person who's already dead… unless the Night Immortal King isn't dead at all? Wang Baole's eyes widened at that thought. His breathing quickened as he examined the Night Immortal King again. He began to spot what was amiss. The green seals on the Night Immortal King's body… was another form of curse!

There's only one explanation for that. The perpetrator couldn't destroy the Night Immortal King completely because of some reason, and they were worried that the Night Immortal King would recover from his injury. That's why they used a mix of means to imprison the Night Immortal King… though that still doesn't explain the Night Immortal King's current state… Wang Baole frowned. Then, after a while, a flash of light flickered in his eyes. He dodged another swipe from the howling Night Immortal King, retreated a couple of steps, then muttered to himself.

"Who cares. Night Immortal King, I'm going to see for myself whether you still possess a God Soul!" Wang Baole's eyes turned completely black. His Dark Fire surged out as he unleashed the Dark Art. His demonic eye materialized as the power of the Dark Art rippled outwards. It fluttered open and gazed at the Night Immortal King.

The agitated Night Immortal King shuddered, and Dark Fire enveloped him instantly. Wang Baole had transformed into a guide for lost souls. His eyes pierced through the curse binding the Night Immortal King, into the latter's body, where a wisp of dark, murky soul remained!

Feral, barbaric, and without any intelligence—a wild beast's pure instinct. That was the soul that Wang Baole glimpsed!

This is a newborn soul, not the true soul that belongs to the Night Immortal King! The uninitiated might not have discerned that, but Wang Baole was a Dark Child who had been taught the Dark Art, a mystic art that had originated from the past Heavenly Dao era. He could see things in souls that ordinary people could not.

Wang Baole fell into a brief bout of silence. He wasn't about to give up now. He shut his eyes, then pressed his hands together in a series of hand seals. He bit the tip of his tongue, spilling a mouthful of blood. Then, with a wave of his right hand, he unleashed a spell that gave his Dark Fire a sudden, temporary boost in power. Wang Baole opened his eyes suddenly. When he looked at the Night Immortal King again, he could finally see a concealed wisp… that would have been undetectable if not for his Dark Art—the Night Immortal King's soul!

The low mumblings of the soul rippled outward as his eyes locked onto the soul!

"Zi Yue, my dear wife, why did… you do it…"

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Chapter 705: Don't You Hate Her?

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The soul's murmurs were gentle and brimming with love. There was no hint of confusion or doubt despite the question it was asking. It was as if the Night Immortal King wasn't confused about why his wife Zi Yue had done something so terrible to him. It was as if he was voicing regret over a relationship's end because of what had happened. His murmurs were like a pair of invisible hands, weighed down by regret and loss as they tried to caress an absent wife's face gently and smoothen her hair against her cheeks.

Even after suffering an injury that an ordinary person would have found unimaginable, he seemed to still only harbor thoughts of longing for his wife…

Wang Baole couldn't understand the Night Immortal King. However, he vaguely remembered something he had read when he had still been a young boy. What came next, after a love so deep?

The answers varied. Perhaps it was longing, perhaps it was duty, perhaps it was pain, or perhaps, it was the disappearance of one's soul.

Wang Baole was silent. He wasn't the Night Immortal King, he couldn't feel what the latter was feeling, but his eyes were dark with emotions. He couldn't tell if his compassion for the Night Immortal King was because of what had happened to the latter, or because he could sense the blind love the latter still held!

Wang Baole didn't spend time finding out if there were other emotions hidden within the Night Immortal King's soft murmurs. He wouldn't know that the unique qualities of his Dark Art had enabled him to see this lingering wisp of soul. His tiny blood sacrifice and the spell he had cast had helped as well.

Wang Baole shook almost immediately after the brief murmuring passed. His eyes no longer saw the wisp of the Night Immortal King's true soul. He could only see the murky soul of the newborn.

"Zi Yue?" An unfathomable light appeared in Wang Baole's eyes. He turned to his side suddenly. Little Missy had materialized. She stood next to Wang Baole, her eyes filled with bitterness and an intense sorrow as she looked at the Night Immortal King.

Wang Baole didn't speak. He remained at Little Missy's side silently. A long while later, the Night Immortal King began to shake. He seemed to be trying to shake Wang Baole's Dark Art off. He began to howl. It was then that Little Missy said quietly, "Baole, lend me one of your lotus seeds."

Without any hesitation, Wang Baole activated his devouring seed, causing the green lotus within to sway. A single lotus seed fell and landed in Wang Baole's hand.

It wasn't real. The lotus seed was a mere illusion, translucent in form. Wang Baole held it before Little Missy.

"Thank you," Little Missy whispered. She took the lotus seed, then transformed into a soft sliver of light that darted into the Night Immortal King's forehead. A brief moment later, the Night Immortal King trembled and stopped struggling. He quieted down, then slowly shut his eyes, as if he had fallen into a deep slumber.

Wang Baole watched the scene before him in quiet contemplation. He waited silently. An hour passed. It was then that a ghostly light appeared on the Night Immortal King's forehead, and Little Missy reappeared next to Wang Baole. Exhaustion lined her features. The sorrow she had displayed earlier had morphed into a fury tinged with sadness.

"Zi Yue was the first friend I made in the Vast Expanse Dao Palace," Little Missy whispered after a long period of silence.

"On her wedding day, when she got married to Lord Zhou's disciple, Chen Mofeng, I gave her a gift. It was a powerful artifact my father had given me.

"The most powerful Dao in the Vast Expanse Dao Palace was the Star-Seeding Dao. My father praised it endlessly when he first read about it. Lord Zhou had practiced the Star-Seeding Dao. Passing it down from one person to the next was extremely difficult. In each generation, there could only be one successor. The successor had to possess his predecessor's Soul Seed…"

"Chen Mofeng was Lord Zhou's only disciple. He was the next master of the Star-Seeding Dao in the Vast Expanse Dao Palace!" Little Missy said, then stopped speaking. She seemed unable to continue.

"Baole, I know why you are here. You want to test if the lotus can be used to control him. Unless you truly have to, please don't disturb Senior Brother Chen's rest… I'm tired…" Little Missy's voice grew increasingly faint. Finally, it vanished completely as she returned back into the mask. It was as if she had returned to a deep sleep. Or perhaps she had simply lost herself in contemplation as she wondered about the horrors that a person was capable of committing.

Wang Baole stood there for a long time. Finally, he sighed. Little Missy had guessed his objective correctly. He had intended to verify the connection between the lotus and the Night Immortal King. He had wanted to know whether he could control the Night Immortal King. He didn't know the details of the Night Immortal King's past, nor did he know what Little Missy had done after entering the Night Immortal King's forehead. However, he could make some guesses from what Little Missy had said.

The Never-Ending Clan invaded. Before Lord Zhou fell in battle, he passed the Star-Seeding Dao down to his disciple, Chen Mofeng. Chen Mofeng shouldered a heavy responsibility but fell victim to his Dao partner's viciousness. His brain was extracted for his memories, his heart dug out for his soul, his Dao destroyed and robbed of his cultivation. They were used to refine a Soul Seed so that his Dao partner could gain the necessary qualifications to practice the Star-Seeding Dao. Wang Baole stared long and hard at the slumbering Night Immortal King.

Zi Yue's methods were vicious and cruel. She seemed to want to prevent the Night Immortal King from awakening. Of course, she had no idea that the Night Immortal King didn't harbor any hatred towards her. He only had feelings of longing for her… Wang Baole sensed the connection between the lotus seed and the Night Immortal King. He sighed. The pity in his eyes disappeared. He turned and left the cave, appearing outside, in midair in the next moment.

The green lotus and the Night Immortal King seem to share an intimate connection. Perhaps… he was the last owner of the green lotus. Or perhaps… he wasn't. Maybe it was his master, Lord Zhou, instead? Wang Baole chose not to disturb the clearly depressed Little Missy with his questions. He flew off, raising his head and gazing into the starlit skies.

The most powerful Dao in the Vast Expanse Dao Palace? Even though it might be extremely powerful, who would do such a horrible thing just to own a mystic art… not me. Wang Baole's eyes turned towards the slumbering ground of the Night Immortal King. Then, with a single step, he headed for the lunar base.

Three days passed under Wang Baole's watchful supervision and detailed inspection. Assured that everything was running smoothly, Wang Baole stood inside the command center on the lunar base, amidst a crowd of busy cultivators, staring at numerous projection screens as endless data ran across them. Finally, he gave the order for the moon's departure!

"Let's take off!"

As Wang Baole's order rang out in the air, all engines on the moon began to activate at full force!

A loud thunder began to spread across the moon as vast stores of energy began to accumulate inside the moon after its engines were activated. Energy continued to build up. The moon began to quake, and its quakes slowly nudged it away from its orbital course. The Earth's gravitational pull continued to lock the moon in place though. They needed more time before the moon could pull completely free from its orbit. They needed time for the moon to gather more energy, enough to surpass the gravitational forces of Earth.

"The lunar array formation has been fully activated. Results of our simulations show that stability can be maintained at the moon's greatest speed!"

"We're at sixty percent of our full force and heading towards the seventy percent mark!"

"All indicators display as normal. I propose igniting ten Anti-Spirit Bombs to increase the moon's thrust!" Reports from various departments were sent to the command center and continued to come in. Wang Baole nodded and approved the ignition of Anti-Spirit Bombs.

As a stronghold fitted for battle, the moon housed numerous Anti-Spirit Bombs. Wang Baole had only found that out after he had taken command of the moon. He realized then that the Federation had been trying to present a weaker front. In reality, it had built a considerable stock of Anti-Spirit Bombs over the years.

The explosion of ten Anti-Spirit Bombs triggered a deafening boom that pushed the moon's propulsion to ninety percent. Everyone could sense a force tugging at them.

"Everything is going as planned. Waiting for your approval to merge with the Solar System Array Formation and give the moon a final thrust!"

"Approved!" Wang Baole took a deep breath and barked out his approval. The moon and the Solar System Array Formation performed the approved fusion. Upon complete fusion, the entire moon shook violently and thundered. It broke free from Earth's gravitational pull… and began speeding towards the stars!

The moon's departure sent tremors rippling through Earth itself, startling Earth's populace. Everyone raised their heads and stared skywards. The moon was no longer where it was supposed to be, it was far away and shrinking in size right before their eyes!

It was a mind-blowing sight to witness. The moon's deviation from its orbit had thrown the tidal waves into disarray. Towering waves rose all of a sudden, threatening to transform into a flood that would put all land underwater.

Fortunately, the Federation had been prepared for this. The cultivators left on Earth unleashed their full power against the tidal waves, finally stabilizing the tidal chaos. However, the image of the departing moon and the sudden tsunamis had been branded into the minds of the Federation citizens!

The Federation chose that moment to announce to everyone the person in charge of the lunar base. Wang Baole was the one who was commanding the moon and steering its course!

Wang Baole's reputation saw an instantaneous spike in the Federation. His fame might have surpassed even that of Duan Muque!

As the moon freed itself from its orbit and raced towards space, somewhere on Mercury, aboard the Never-Ending Clan battleship, Daoist You Ran—who had been sitting in meditation while repairing the battle robes that controlled the battleship—opened his eyes slowly.

The battle robes before him were mostly restored. He raised his head and stared at Venus, his eyes glimmering with a dark light. A moment passed. Then, his command thundered throughout the entire Dao Palace!

"Destroy Venus!"

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Chapter 706: The Battle at Venus!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Daoist You Ran's order was transmitted throughout the base on Mercury. Dao Palace cultivators, as well as parasitic Never-Ending Clan members hiding in their host bodies and leading the Dao Palace cultivators, acted upon the order immediately. Because of greed and profit, a second great war had broken out in the Federation civilization!

The battle at Venus had commenced!

The Never-Ending Clan and the Vast Expanse Dao Palace seemed confident of their victory. There were no doubts that they would win this war. Their only concern was to do so with minimal loss while obtaining the greatest victory. The Federation's Anti-Spirit Bombs had made them cautious.

They were wary of the Anti-Spirit Bombs' power, as well as the Federation's display of its intent… to risk everything for the war!

Including, for example… blowing up a whole planet in order to kill its enemies!

Such a self-destructive method that caused harm to their own while inflicting destruction on the enemy was a source of frustration and annoyance for the Dao Palace and the Never-Ending Clan.

That was also the reason why, despite having taken over Mercury, Daoist You Ran hadn't immediately launched a full-scale offensive on Venus. He had instead waited for the Death Dao Battleship to be repaired to a level where it could overpower Venus' self-destruction before commencing an attack on the planet.

The Federation had known that this would happen. The main objective of this battle was to determine how to successfully initiate Venus' self-destruction and cause maximum damage to the Dao Palace.

It was a tough balance to strike. Despite a great deal of preparation, the Federation wasn't confident of its success. Timed too early, the self-destruction might be rendered useless. Timed too late… and they might lose all chances of even triggering an explosion in the first place.

That was why Li Xingwen and Duan Muque had decided to send the lunar stronghold over. The lunar stronghold was to hold off Daoist You Ran's battleship and allow the successful explosion of Venus.

That was why the Federation notified Wang Baole immediately when they had discovered movement from the Vast Expanse Dao Palace and the Never-Ending Clan troops. They instructed him to speed up and make sure he arrived in time.

Li Xingwen, Duan Muque, and the others in command also sent orders for all Federation cultivators and battleships to fall back and form a defensive formation around Venus. Nine strong defensive rows formed and awaited further orders. All mechanisms were activated. Array formations and large-scale military Dharmic Artifacts alike were kept running.

Numerous small teams that added up to tens of thousands of cultivators were spread out around Venusian galactic space. They were the first swords to engage in battle. Leading them were Sect Lord Xu of the Galactic Dusk Sect and the giant tree.

As Nascent Soul realm cultivators, they were given full responsibility of these teams. Li Xingwen was in charge of shifting the line of defense, while Duan Muque was to control the pace in which the battle would unfold.

They also had Feng Qiuran, the only Soul Conduit realm cultivator on base. Her cultivation had almost recovered to its former peak condition after a long period of rest. Her mission was to make use of the boost provided by the Solar System Array Formation, in coordination with her cultivation techniques, and create multiple doppelgangers to hold back Never-Ending Clan Soul Conduit realm cultivators!

It was an extremely heavy responsibility with grave consequences!

As Venus deployed its full defenses, the Vast Expanse Dao Palace troops were taking off from Mercury. The troops gathered and then fanned out into an offensive formation as they headed towards Venus. The day that the two forces were going to clash drew near. In the space between Earth and Venus, Wang Baole was commanding the lunar stronghold and speeding towards Venus. He was faced with a difficult decision.

"City Lord Wang, based on the moon's current speed, we will need at least two weeks before we reach the Venusian line of defense!"

"Even if we were to risk everything and overload the engines, we can only shorten our journey to ten days. That is assuming everything runs smoothly during the journey. Such prolonged overtaxing of the engines brings a high risk of instability… If any accident were to occur, the moon might cave in while traveling at such high speed."

In the command center, Wang Baole's face was stormy as he listened silently to his staff's report.

Li Xingwen's instruction to him was to arrive within two weeks. However, Wang Baole knew that nothing was predictable on the battlefield. If luck were on their side, nothing unexpected would happen. But should the Dao Palace and the Never-Ending Clan arrive earlier than expected and initiate battle before the lunar stronghold could arrive, the Federation would be plunged into a dire situation.

We have to get there as soon as possible… Wang Baole narrowed his eyes, which flashed with determination. He immediately ordered for the stronghold to sustain the prolonged overtaxing of their engines. The other cultivators in the command center showed signs of hesitation after receiving his orders. Regardless, they chose to obey. As the moon sped through space, it suddenly quaked as its engines received another boost of energy. It had been relying on the occasional burst of propulsion to glide through space. Now, it propelled itself forward with a sustained thrust.

Deafening booms thundered across the entire moon as its speed tripled. Waves of energy appeared to surge outward in endless ripples as the moon charged towards Venus.

Time continued to pass. The Federation's populace kept their eyes glued on Venus. Be it the folks on Earth or Mars, their attention was focused on the impending Venusian battle. They watched with great sorrow that concealed within it hope.

Six days passed on Earth. On the seventh day, the battle on Venus officially began!

First, a dozen enormous vortexes appeared beyond the Venusian line of defense. From within the vortexes scattered a myriad of colors. From within the dazzling colors emerged Dao Palace battleships that charged forward!

The first wave of Never-Ending Clan and Dao Palace troops had arrived in hordes of Dao Palace battleships. They approached the outermost ninth line of defense around Venus.

Venus was a blur in the cosmos. Surrounding it were numerous Federation battleships. Beams of light from array formations criss-crossed space, and countless Dharmic Artifacts glimmered with a cold light. The battle started as soon as the first wave of Vast Expanse Dao Palace troops arrived!

It was a fierce battle, whose intensity spiraled to a peak almost as soon as both forces collided with each other. The combat teams helmed by the giant tree and Sect Lord Xu faced the greatest dangers. Battleships on both sides thundered with each shot taken, and masses of Dao Palace cultivators rushed out from the battleships, their lust for battle credits driving them to attack. The clashes of battle rang in the cosmos, and explosions boomed and resonated throughout the entire ninth line of defense.

The Vast Expanse Dao Palace troops were like locusts, eating away at the Federation's defenses. They were like a flood that continued to push the Federation back. The ninth line of defense was in critical danger. Despite the Federation's continuous readjustments of their forces, the overwhelming difference in power was apparent. The ninth line of defense began to display signs of collapse.

The force of array formations and Dharmic Artifacts continued to be unleashed. Bursts of spells shot through the cosmos, blinding beams that lit up the battlefield. Some Federation cultivators chose the route of the kamikaze warrior, blowing themselves up. The casualty count spiked within the short period of time since the battle had commenced.

A Soul Conduit realm cultivator, who had been hiding inside a Dao Palace host body, appeared in the ranks of the Never-Ending Clan. He had been one of the cultivators who had attacked Wang Baole and escaped with Daoist You Ran's timely rescue. His appearance was like a sharp arrow that tore through the ninth line of defense. He was about to charge through when Feng Qiuran, who had received her orders, summoned a projection of herself. The latter flew out and intercepted the Never-Ending Clan Soul Conduit realm cultivator. The both of them engaged in battle instantly!

The battle seemed to have reached peak intensity. It was then that a dozen more vortexes appeared in the cosmos. The second wave of Dao Palace troops had arrived, and the situation on the battlefield was once again transformed!

Duan Muque had a full overview of the situation. He was able to see how the war was progressing through the Solar System Array Formation. Every other Federation cultivator on the battlefield was both part of a united front and an independent entity. They had no idea how they were faring as a whole. What they knew was… to keep on fighting!

Zhao Yameng, Li Wuchen, Kong Dao, and the others might not be part of the forces fighting in the outer regions, but as members of the rescue forces, they had been driven mad with killing. They continued to provide support. The battlefield was filled with the sounds of violence that continued with no end in sight.

As the battle raged on, Wang Baole was rushing towards the battlefield at full speed. His access rights gave him access to information that told him the battle on Venus had begun. This caused his heart to rage with anxiety. The cultivators in the lunar stronghold had calculated that at the speed they were traveling, they would need another four days before they could reach the battlefield.

Four days… can we make it? Wang Baole was silent for a few moments. Then, a bright, determined light filled his eyes. He couldn't wait four days. He wasn't willing to bet on Venus lasting four days.

Any accident on the battlefield could change everything. The best option was to reach the battlefield as soon as possible and throw the might of the lunar stronghold, as well as his own power, into the fight. That was the best way to optimize the Federation's advantages.

Everyone in the lunar stronghold's command center could see the resolution in Wang Baole's eyes. They could guess his thoughts. One of them grimaced, then spoke.

"City Lord Wang, this is the greatest thrust the lunar stronghold is capable of generating at the moment…"

"That's not true!" Wang Baole raised his head skyward. There was a strange light in his eyes. He vanished amidst the crowd's startled looks and reappeared in midair. Gazing toward the resting place of the Night Immortal King, he cupped his fists and made a deep bow. He muttered, "Senior Chen Mofeng… my apologies for disturbing your rest!"

Then, without hesitation, Wang Baole unleashed the full force of his devouring seed. The green lotus resting within began to sway violently. Out of the hundreds of lotus seeds it had, one exploded!

At that same instant, deep within the moon's cavern, the slumbering Night Immortal King suddenly… opened his eyes!

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Chapter 707: Controlling the Corpse!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Using the lotus seed to control the Night Immortal King was something Wang Baole had done before. During the battle in the Mystic Luna Realm, Wang Baole had unintentionally used his lotus seed and directed the Night Immortal King into killing Chen Hui, a disciple from the Galactic Dusk Sect, with a single glance!

The Federation had their guesses regarding the matter. Some felt that it might have had something to do with Wang Baole. Regardless, there had been no evidence to prove anything. Most importantly, Wang Baole had not attracted as much attention then as he did now.

That had been the first time Wang Baole had successfully gained control over the Night Immortal King. The second time had been the earlier attempt. These two attempts had given him confidence. He was sure that the lotus seed wielded some form of control over the Night Immortal King.

He had planned to arrive on the battlefield, then unleash the lotus seed at the most opportune and critical moment in the war. That would help gain the Federation the edge for the Venusian battle. However… it seemed that he couldn't wait that long after all.

After weighing his options, Wang Baole had finally chosen to unleash his control over the Night Immortal King without hesitation. He had crushed a lotus seed, causing the Night Immortal King's eyes to flutter open. That was soon followed by a thundering roar that rose from the Night Immortal King's slumbering ground and shook the entire moon.

Even though the moon was propelling itself forward at full thrust, it still quaked slightly at that roar. The cultivators on the moon reeled back in alarm simultaneously, their hearts racing with fear.

Before they could recover from their shock, the ground underneath their feet shuddered again. From deep inside the Night Immortal King's cave, an enormous hand covered with green seals suddenly stretched out and pressed its palm against the edge of the cave. As the ground caved in under the weight of the palm, the gargantuan form of the Night Immortal King rose from the cave and rushed towards the heavens!

He didn't go far before the heavy clanking of chains resonated in the air. The chains shackling him were pulled tight, making the Night Immortal King's form jerk in midair. He was stopped in mid-flight. His eyes reddened, and he lifted his face skyward and let loose another furious howl.

The thundering roar rippled outward and swept across the sky. Inside the command center, Wang Baole hovered in midair. The shocked cultivators in the room heard his low voice boom in their ears.

"Heed my command. Adjust the thrust ratio and shift the point of propulsion to the dark side of the moon. Prepare to re-initiate thrust!"

Loud gasps could be heard amongst the cultivators on the moon as they realized what Wang Baole was trying to do. Waves of emotions threatened to pull them under as they exclaimed in shock.

"Is he trying to get the Night Immortal King to propel the moon forward?"

"City Lord Wang actually holds influence over the Night Immortal King!"

Amidst the sudden outburst, Wang Baole shattered his second lotus seed without hesitation and sent another command to the Night Immortal King!

As the command was transmitted, Wang Baole felt as if he had transformed into the Night Immortal King. The command was a thought inside his head. As soon as that thought was sent out, the howling Night Immortal King shuddered, his red eyes beginning to glow with a strange light.

The light was like another pair of eyes looking through the Night Immortal King's eyes… Wang Baole's eyes!

The Night Immortal King swerved around and, with a thunderous roar, unleashed his full speed and raced towards the heavens. His strength could only be rivaled by the strength of the chains binding him. His power traveled down his shackles and into the moon, tugging at the moon with equal strength.

Under Wang Baole's instruction, the moon readjusted its thrust at the same moment. The full force of its propulsion, coupled with the Night Immortal King's crazed tugging, sent a series of booms thundering across the moonscape. The ground trembled and splintered, and the satellite seemed on the verge of being ripped apart into multiple chunks. It was then that a sudden burst of speed erupted from the lunar stronghold!

The new burst of speed was many times that of the moon's initial speed. It sent the moon hurtling through space, like a satellite driven by a crazy driver!

The Night Immortal King seemed to have transformed into a giant, a humongous dragon that was half dead, half alive, bound by chains that acted as its reins. He dragged the moon… and sped across the cosmos!

The speed that the moon was traveling at reached the max speed a Soul Conduit realm cultivator was capable of. It seemed to rival that of a Spirit Immortal realm cultivator. The price paid for it was the destruction of Wang Baole's lotus seeds, the shattering of one lotus seed after another sustaining the impossible speed.

Everyone on the moon could feel it as they hurtled through space. They couldn't see it with their own eyes, but they could imagine what was happening. It was a shocking image that surfaced in their minds, and it would likely never be forgotten for the rest of their lives!

The person who managed to accomplish this was Wang Baole… that, to everyone on the moon, made him seem even more mysterious and, at the same time, even more worthy of their respect!

The cosmos itself was affected by the Night Immortal King's roars and his pull on the moon. Waves of energy rippled through the cosmos, surging outward. Space transformed into a lake, and endless ripples disturbed its surface. A journey that had required four days was violently shrunk to a single day!

One day might seem brief to some, but to the Federation cultivators fighting on the battlefield of Venus, it was a torturous eternity. The ninth line of defense had collapsed one day ago. The eighth, seventh, sixth, and fifth lines of defense were being blasted at relentlessly by endless waves of Dao Palace troops.

The Federation was faring horribly in the war. Their Anti-Spirit Bombs and the meticulous preparation that they had made hadn't nudged the battle in their favor. They could only stand firm and resist, drawing out the battle while awaiting their inevitable defeat.

More than half of their Dharmic Artifacts had been rendered useless, and a great portion of their array formations had been deactivated. The casualty count was sky-high. The Dao Palace also suffered great losses, but the worsening situation was gradually driving the Federation's morale into a downward spiral.

Everyone was waiting, not for Wang Baole's arrival, but for Duan Muque's command to blow up Venus. That was the critical maneuver for this battle. But… no such order came.

Duan Muque was ready to give the order, but he couldn't. Since the battle had commenced… more than three hundred thousand Dao Palace cultivators had rushed the Venusian line of defense, and countless enemy battleships had attacked. Five to six Soul Conduit realm cultivators, including Mie Liezi, had even entered the fray. The enemy had the planet surrounded, but… Daoist You Ran remained absent!

You Ran's absence meant that the enemy had not yet displayed its full strength. That meant that Duan Muque couldn't give the orders to blow up Venus. He had learned his lesson on Mercury. Then, the explosion of the planet had been swiftly overpowered by Daoist You Ran and his fearsome Death Dao Battleship.

"We will keep waiting for Daoist You Ran to appear. When he turns up, we will activate the Solar System Array Formation to hold him down. That will be when we blow up Venus!" Duan Muque stared unblinkingly at the screens before him. Scenes from the battlefield flashed across the screens and reflected onto his reddened eyes. His nerves were pulled tight to their very limits.

The fourth line of defense collapsed as they continued to wait. Feng Qiuran had summoned five projections and was doing her best to hold back the five enemy Soul Conduit realm cultivators. She might have fully recovered from her previous injuries, but the five-way fight was still challenging the limits of her capabilities. She risked new injury in order to keep the enemies away and prevent them from unleashing their full power.

The Dao Palace Nascent Soul realm cultivators should have given the Dao Palace an advantage on the battlefield. However, the Federation had drawn up a strategy that targeted this group specifically. The Core Formation realm cultivator leading each small Federation combat team had ignited an Anti-Spirit Bomb at the beginning of their fight. Dealing with the bombs became a source of headache for the Dao Palace Nascent Soul realm cultivators. As the battle continued, rescue efforts led by Zhao Yameng and the rest became increasingly challenging.

No one had the time for a breather. Zhao Yameng and Kong Dao could have used their status and chosen to station themselves behind the safety of the first line of defense, but they had chosen to head for the front lines in the end.

The rescue teams, which included Li Wuchen in their midst as well, had suffered great casualties during the battles of the past few days. Everyone was exhausted and stretched to their limits. Injuries accumulated and worsened. Regardless, retreat was not an option!

The combat teams were still deep in battle, engaged in a fierce fight. There was no reason for them to retreat and leave their comrades in the lurch!

Venus was one of the two key strongholds for the Federation. It was paramount to the Federation's survival. There was no way they could retreat and give it up!

"Hold our ground!" Zhao Yameng clenched her jaw and dashed forward. She saved a fellow Federation cultivator and blocked a blow from a Dao Palace Core Formation realm cultivator. The latter had a familiar face. He seemed to recognize Zhao Yameng as well and immediately drew back from her cautiously.

Kong Dao followed closely behind Zhao Yameng. The injury on his chest was deep, bone visible through its opening. He sucked in a quick breath, gritted his teeth, then flung his pills towards the cultivator whom they had just rescued.

There were multiple wounds on the cultivator. His face was pale, his lips streaked with bright crimson blood, and a bitter smile split his face in half. He was about to say something when the bright glowing barrier of the fourth line of defense suddenly… collapsed!

It happened too quickly. The precarious state of the Federation took a plunge for the worse. The cause of this was the sudden charge of a cultivator from the ranks of the Dao Palace cultivators. He appeared, then immediately attacked the array formation holding up the fourth line of defense. A Soul Conduit realm cultivation blasted at the fourth line of defense, tearing it apart and causing its collapse.

This cultivator was… Mie Liezi!

He blasted the fourth line of defense apart, dodged Feng Qiuran's hastily conjured projection, then headed straight for the third line of defense. He seemed intent on destroying every array formation in the area and forcing the Federation to deploy its trump card ahead of time!

"Stop Mie Liezi!" Li Xingwen's roar thundered across the entire third line of defense. He raced towards Mie Liezi with a sudden burst of speed. Sect Lord Xu had turned around and was doing the same. It seemed like both of them were too late.

The third line of defense was about to fall… it was then that a sudden shout erupted from behind the Never-Ending Clan and Dao Palace forces, overpowering the cacophony of battle!

The lunar stronghold approached from the distant starlit space, thundering as it drew near!

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Chapter 708: A Grand Entrance!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The moon might not seem huge when compared to Venus, but it was still a cosmological entity in its own right. As it sped across the cosmos, it left ripples in its wake that surged outward and distorted the fabric of space!

Its entrance sent cultivators on and outside Venus reeling back.

What made the sight more shocking was the gargantuan, crazed-looking giant before the hurling moon. The giant was armored, his skin covered with seals, and his entire person enveloped in an aura of death. Vast chains bound him as he dragged the moon forward, howling!

The sight was unbelievable and utterly terrifying. It made the moon's entrance even more dramatic and forceful. Everyone's eyes landed on the figure standing on the Night Immortal King's shoulder—it was Wang Baole!

His robes fluttered, his black hair flowed. His good looking features, his slim build, and his cold eyes made him seem strange and foreign. There was an aura of authority that forbade others from challenging him!

The Night Immortal King might be towering in form, but he was still an ant when compared to a planet. Wang Baole's spells might not be able to physically grow the Night Immortal King's size, but casting an illusory projection of the Night Immortal King was still something within his means!

The effects… struck true. Shock and terror rose in the hearts of Dao Palace cultivators as soon as they saw the Night Immortal King's enormous form. They were like ants before a giant. The overpowering pressure exerted by the Night Immortal King made their scalps prickle with fear!

Recognition flashed across the faces of a few older Dao Palace cultivators. They shouted in alarm, "Chen Mofeng!"

While the Dao Palace cultivators were caught in sudden shock, waves of spirit energy suddenly rippled in the region before the charging moon. Dozens of vortexes appeared, and another wave of Dao Palace troops emerged. They charged at the moon, intent on stopping it in its path.

These battleships had clearly kept their presence on the battlefield concealed for some time. Their objective was to waylay Federation reinforcements and also to keep the full strength of the Dao Palace hidden from enemy eyes. When the right time came, they could then show themselves and join forces with the other troops, overpowering Venus in a single overwhelming wave of attacks.

These hidden troops who had concealed themselves in the periphery of the battlefield were significant in number. Waves of spirit energy continued to ripple across the cosmos. Within the blink of an eye, dozens of vortexes appeared. There were almost a hundred vortexes spinning in space now. Hordes of Dao Palace battleships rushed out of the vortexes. They seemed to be closing in on the moon and surrounding it. Spells erupted in beams of light, transforming the area into a sea of light. The moon and the Night Immortal King were flooded by the light instantly.

Any other Federation planet that had arrived as reinforcements might have been able to hold its ground against such an ambush, but it wouldn't have been able to avoid the damage that would have resulted from the clash. The best it might have done was to divide the Dao Palace forces and lessen the pressure being placed on Venus. It wouldn't have been able to rescue Venus completely from attack.

This was the lunar stronghold, though, which had the Night Immortal King under its command. Such attacks were useless against it. Wang Baole's eyes had narrowed when the sea of light had flooded the area. Then, he raised his right hand and pointed his finger forward.

A howl tore itself loose from the Night Immortal King. It was like the sudden roar of a hurricane. His enormous form charged out of the sea of light. He tugged the moon, ignored the battleships blocking his path, and charged headfirst into their ranks!

The battleships were powerful weapons not to be trifled with, but the enemy they were facing down was the Night Immortal King and the enormous moon. They were like a house of cards. The sea of light might be powerful, but it wasn't strong enough to keep the moon back!

The battleships had no time to run. They crashed against the waves of energy created by the moon as it approached and were flung outward, crushed by the moon as it sped into them!

The sounds of collisions resonated in the air as battleships were destroyed, followed by continuous screams of pain and terror. Many cultivators tried escaping from their battleships, but they could only watch in despair as the waves of energy surging from the moon bound their bodies. The moon approached, grew larger in size, and finally crushed and robbed them of their lives!

The Dao Palace cultivators were being massacred. The Night Immortal King's roars resonated in the cosmos as his enormous form tugged the moon forward. Both gargantuan entities charged through enemy ranks, rushing into the center of the battlefield!

Dao Palace battleships exploded and were torn to pieces in the wake of the Night Immortal King's charge. Wang Baole's eyes flickered with a cold light as he barked another order. Every cultivator in the lunar stronghold unleashed their Dharmic Artifacts. The moon was bathed in an instant red glow. Every Dharmic Artifact on the stronghold was activated, and countless beams of light blasted into space from every corner of the lunar stronghold, blindly and with full force.

On their own, each beam of red light might not be extremely powerful, but… combined, their numbers exceeded a hundred thousand beams. Waves of spirit energy surged into the cosmos, and dozens of eruptions blasted into space with hardly any rest between each wave!

More than a million beams of red light flooded the battlefield. Every Dao Palace battleship within the lunar stronghold's line of sight received hundreds of blasts from the latter. Dao Palace cultivators who had rushed out of their battleships were not spared either. The thunderous explosions of battleships and the pained screams of cultivators filled space like an endless song of violence!

Wang Baole continued to crush lotus seeds to perpetuate his control over the Night Immortal King. The latter spread his arms wide, instinctively sweeping his arms through the cosmos. Each sweep of his arm sent a hurricane spiraling through space, destroying everything in the vicinity. Wang Baole leaped up and rushed towards the five Never-Ending Clan Soul Conduit realm cultivators whom Feng Qiuran's avatars had been keeping busy. He wasn't greedy, he only targeted the three nearest to him.

His avatar split from his form and walked away. It didn't charge into the fray. Instead, it remained perched on the Night Immortal King's shoulder!

Wang Baole's arrival was like a nightmare to the Never-Ending Clan Soul Conduit realm cultivators. They had heard of what had happened in the previous battle with Wang Baole, including the bizarre mystic art he had unleashed with the black demonic eye that had hovered at his back. It had been the cause of dozens of Soul Conduit realm cultivators' deaths!

As soon as they saw Wang Baole appear, these Soul Conduit realm cultivators began to retreat and attempted to stay away from Wang Baole.

"Elder Qiuran!" Wang Baole roared as his enemies made an attempt at retreat. A black demonic eye materialized behind him and opened!

Feng Qiuran and Wang Baole had fought together numerous times. The former immediately steered her avatars forcefully into the paths of the retreating Soul Conduit realm cultivators, risking everything to keep them in place. What awaited them then would be… their worst nightmare!

Thunder boomed in the cosmos. The dark demonic eye opened, and a strange power surged from the open eye. Wang Baole attacked without hesitation, killing one Soul Conduit realm cultivator instantly. Feng Qiuran seized the opportunity and, together with Wang Baole, managed to kill another Soul Conduit realm cultivator and injure the third!

The last Soul Conduit realm cultivator was lucky enough to escape with his life. He was also the sole surviving Soul Conduit realm cultivator who had escaped with his life intact in his last battle with Wang Baole. It was this instinctive fear of Wang Baole that had made him draw back immediately upon Wang Baole's arrival on the battlefield. That had been what had saved his life.

Within the blink of an eye—following Wang Baole's sudden arrival, the million crimson blasts erupting from the lunar stronghold, and the terrifying roars of the Night Immortal King erupting in the cosmos—the Venusian battlefield had descended into complete chaos!

Every Federation cultivator who witnessed the sight was shocked. Some couldn't control their excitement and cried out, saying, "It's Wang Baole! It's the Night Immortal King!"

Compared to the name "Chen Mofeng", which was unfamiliar to many in the Federation, the Night Immortal King was a familiar name to all Federation cultivators. Ordinary citizens might not know much about the Night Immortal King, but any Federation cultivator would have heard about the legend of the Night Immortal King!

And now… they were witnessing the true form of the fully awakened Night Immortal King. They also saw Wang Baole's true power. Both were a shock to the Federation cultivators. Even Li Xingwen and Duan Muque were reeling. Mie Liezi was equally affected, shuddering momentarily. The Night Immortal King's appearance seemed to have stirred something in him. Memories seemed to be shifting inside his head. His eyes glimmered, as if he were struggling with his own mind.

His charge towards the third line of defense seemed considerably slower. That cost him the element of surprise and lost him his prior advantage of speed. Li Xingwen intercepted him with his team before he could reach the third line of defense.

Of course… everyone's attention was captured by the moon and the Night Immortal King's arrival, as well as Wang Baole's powerful attacks. As their minds reeled from shock, no one noticed Li Wuchen, who was part of the rescue teams on the battlefield. They didn't see the look of confusion on Li Wuchen's face when he saw the Night Immortal King.

This wasn't his first time seeing the Night Immortal King, but it was the first time strange images had surfaced in his mind upon the sight of the giant. He didn't know the cause behind that, he only felt a strange and near-imperceptible sense of familiarity as he gazed at the Night Immortal King.

Before Li Wuchen could examine the sudden surge of images in his head and the unexpected feeling of familiarity, an emotionless snort thundered across the cosmos, descending upon the battlefield like the voice of a god. A black light appeared out of nowhere and shot across space, traversing the vast starlit battlefield and heading straight for Wang Baole!

It was extremely fast, like an arrow piercing through space itself and leaving waves of spirit energy rippling in its wake. The ripples of spirit energy rushed outward, draining any ordinary cultivator that was unfortunate enough to come into contact with it and destroying said cultivator completely, in both body and soul!

Wang Baole's pupils contracted. He didn't hesitate in the face of sudden danger, switching places with his avatar immediately. He reappeared on the moon, sitting cross-legged on the Night Immortal King's shoulder. The green lotus inside his devouring seed swayed fiercely, and Wang Baole crushed another five lotus seeds and strengthened his command over the Night Immortal King!

Wang Baole knew that he had to awaken and keep the Night Immortal King's true soul awake. His true power would remain in slumber otherwise, under the reins of the newborn zombie soul. Wang Baole knew that the Night Immortal King's true power wasn't in his Soul Conduit realm cultivation but in his endless strength and powerful physical body!

The Night Immortal King trembled when the five lotus seeds were smashed to dust. The red glow in his eyes intensified, brightening like two stars. He raised his head up and roared. Then, he raised his right hand, tightened it into a fist, and sent a powerful punch flying towards the approaching black light!

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Chapter 709: You Ran Arrives!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The punch smashed into the cosmos and created an instant vortex that seemed capable of tearing everything coming its way apart. It spiraled towards the approaching black light and crashed into it. The black light released its full power, unleashed its full force, and exploded!

The resultant backlash and destruction rushed outward like angry waves, pulling the Night Immortal King under. The giant shuddered and staggered backward under the force of the backlash. He didn't slam into the moon but instead stumbled in another direction.

Amidst the series of thunderous booms, the chains on the Night Immortal King whined under the force of the black light. They creaked and swayed dangerously. The moon quaked and was jerked hundreds of feet into the distance.

The strength of the attack was so immense that it struck terror into the hearts of every cultivator present. Both Dao Palace and Federation cultivators alike stared at the sight, their hearts racing and their minds reeling.

Wang Baole's heart sank. If it were him, he would have found the attack immensely challenging to hold back. The price in exchange for that would have been serious injury and blood spilling from his lips. He immediately turned towards the Night Immortal King to inspect the latter's condition.

The result led to an odd expression on Wang Baole's face. The Night Immortal King had been driven back, to the point where he had stumbled off course. But the next moment, he had lifted his head fiercely again, with hardly a scratch on his body!

That eased the worry in Wang Baole's mind. He narrowed his eyes and stared into the distance, towards where the black light had come from. An enormous, familiar-looking battleship formed from three circular disks was rapidly shifting from its initial translucent form into something completely visible!

Atop the vast battleship stood a person. He appeared tiny next to the huge battleship. Regardless, this person was clearly the core of the battleship!

It was a sight that Wang Baole found familiar…

A strong build, with three heads and six arms, that exuded terrifying Spirit Qi. The aura he exuded was overwhelming and seemed as if it could overpower anything and everything. It surged from his person, as if attempting to assert authority and control over every living thing in the area!

He didn't look like Daoist You Ran. Instead, he looked like the Never-Ending Clan battle robes that had been soaked in spirit liquid on the battleship and that Wang Baole had destroyed!

Regardless, when Wang Baole set his eyes on the transformed battle robes, he immediately recognized that as… Daoist You Ran!

"So they've fused…" Wang Baole narrowed his eyes. There was no fear or intent to retreat in his eyes. What there was instead was a steadily rising, fierce battle lust. Red meridians materialized around his body as the Thearch Armor clanked loudly and assembled over his form. Growing and extending over his right arm was the Divine Armament and its star-bright, gleaming blade. The dark demonic eye hovering behind Wang Baole chose this moment to grow larger in size, its eye opening in a narrow slit as it stared unblinkingly at Daoist You Ran!

As its gaze locked onto Daoist You Ran, a gray light also surfaced in Daoist You Ran's eyes. Hidden deep within those eyes was an irregularly shaped shard the size of a human fingernail. Its form straddled the boundaries of illusion and reality, giving off black and white glows that merged into a gray, murky light in Daoist You Ran's eyes!

As his eyes flickered with gray light, Daoist You Ran ignored the gaze of Wang Baole's demonic eye. He stepped off his battleship and onto the starlit sky, transforming into a blur. His speed was so swift that the vast distances in space seemed like mere inches!

His murderous aura arrived before he did!

His palms pressed together in a series of hand seals, and moon and sun-like shapes materialized around him. They spread out, shone like the stars, and transformed instantly into a miniature cosmological map!

Within the map were nine suns and hundreds of moons, and countless stars lit the map. It wasn't the map of the Solar System, but of a piece of sky that didn't exist in reality. An awesome power erupted as soon as the map appeared. It was a power that seemed capable of crushing everything. Daoist You Ran's low voice boomed as the surge of energy rushed at Wang Baole, thundering!

"Hold him down!" The cosmos shuddered and rippled, and the stars in the sky seemed to have dimmed. The map that Daoist You Ran had summoned appeared to be the only source of blinding light in space as it rushed towards Wang Baole. It was as if Daoist You Ran was wielding a piece of the cosmos in his hands and using that to overpower Wang Baole!

That seemed like sheer exaggeration. In fact, the actual power of the spell might not be as incredible as what had been described. Regardless, the impression it gave and the feelings it inspired were indeed awe-inducing!

An intense danger that sharpened into a murderous intent the likes of which Wang Baole had never experienced before exploded in his head with the force of a hundred thousand thunderbolts. All alarm bells in his head went off wildly. His heart almost stopped beating under the overpowering force of the approaching attack. A bout of dizziness struck Wang Baole, and his soul began to tremble. He couldn't avoid the attack. He had no time to wonder why his demonic eye had lost its power. Eyes red, he could only pour everything he had into activating the dark demonic eye behind him!

Freeze Daoist You Ran in his tracks and disrupt his star map—that was the only way to retaliate against this attack and avoid being killed!

"I've killed you once, I can do it again!" A crazed look shone in Wang Baole's eyes. His Stellar Nascent Soul opened its eyes as well and activated its full cultivation to support Wang Baole's demonic eye. The eye shot wide open in the next moment. Blood-like strands appeared in its iris and spread throughout the white of the eye. A sudden force that contained an immense seal within it erupted and enveloped Daoist You Ran!

The shard hidden in Daoist You Ran's eyes glimmered, but before it could act, Wang Baole shouted the scripture in his head. An awesome power descended from above them. It came from the deepest regions of space and erupted all around them!

A thunderous roar erupted in every cultivator's head as the power of the scripture arrived. Meanwhile, the dark demonic eye unleashed its full power. The expression on Daoist You Ran's face finally shifted and revealed alarm, and he and his fearsome star map stumbled to a momentary halt.

Nested deep inside his eyes, the irregularly shaped shard dimmed considerably, its glow seemingly sealed and enveloped by an external force. It cloaked the shard and momentarily imprisoned its light within!

Wang Baole seized the opportunity without hesitation, leaving his avatar behind and dashing out. His armored form raised its right hand, and the light flaring from his Divine Armament was like the sun, its light blinding. The Divine Armament pointed towards Daoist You Ran and slashed!

Waves of spirit energy surged through the cosmos. The force of the slash was like a long arc of rainbow that shot through the abyss and appeared instantly before Daoist You Ran. It evaded the star map and attacked Daoist You Ran directly.

It was then that the shard inside Daoist You Ran's eyes managed to struggle free. Wang Baole's demonic eye trembled as he spat out a mouthful of blood. The shard unleashed its full power once again.

Alarm flooded Wang Baole's senses, and an intense violence surged alongside it. He didn't retreat, he held his ground and continued the forward slash!

Daoist You Ran had just managed to regain his mobility. He didn't attempt to dodge Wang Baole's attack either. Murder filled his being as he pressed his hands together in a series of hand seals, wielding his star map to intercept the attack. The star map and Wang Baole's Divine Armament collided in the next instant.

"Shatter!" Wang Baole roared. His Divine Armament fell heavily, crushing the star map and shattering the latter into pieces!

A loud thunder resonated in the cosmos as waves of spirit energy rushed outward like the waves of a tsunami. The backlash hit at cultivators from both sides of the war. Many cultivators spat blood from their mouths as they staggered away hurriedly.

Blood seeped from Wang Baole's mouth. An unbelievable force had rushed at him the moment the star map had shattered. His Thearch Armor's protection didn't save him from being injured. His armor creaked under the backlash, and cracks appeared all over it. Wang Baole was driven back, an intense flare of danger erupting in Wang Baole's head as he watched Daoist You Ran's arm reach out from behind the shattered star map.

The arm seemed to be imbued with a strange power. The shard that had rested in Daoist You Ran's eye materialized inside the palm of that arm as the arm continued stretching towards Wang Baole, intent on capturing him!

There was no doubt that should he be captured, his fate would be the destruction of his body and soul. He would be powerless to defy the inevitable. Fortunately, Wang Baole was an experienced fighter. Just as the hand of death was about to close in around him, he switched places with his avatar.

Wang Baole's true form vanished. In his place appeared his avatar, which blew itself up as soon as the fist tightened around it. The explosion thundered in the cosmos, and the force of the explosion hit the hand squarely.

Daoist You Ran grunted. Then, he transformed into a long arc of rainbow and charged through the shattered star map towards where Wang Baole's true form was—on the Night Immortal King.

He was a blur that rushed towards Wang Baole. It was clear that he intended to end this battle quickly. He wasn't going to give Wang Baole the chance to recuperate and react. However, he had underestimated Wang Baole's quick response. As soon as Wang Baole had switched places with his avatar, he had shattered another ten lotus seeds decisively. Under his control, the Night Immortal King roared and charged, lifting his right hand and sending a punch forward!

It was as if Wang Baole and Daoist You Ran had acted at the same time. They rushed at each other and soon clashed. The Night Immortal King stumbled back amidst their thunderous collision. Daoist You Ran staggered backwards as well, driven back a thousand feet before he finally managed to plant his feet down and stop. He lifted his dark, furious face and glared at the Night Immortal King's shoulder, where Wang Baole was.

There was blood seeping from Wang Baole's lips. He, too, lifted his head and returned Daoist You Ran's stare. Their fight had only lasted a few moments, and Wang Baole was clearly at a disadvantage, but he had managed to hold his own through various tricks and means.

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Chapter 710: Refining Venus!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"Wang Baole, we've activated the Anti-Spirit Bombs on Venus. They are ready for deployment anytime. Find a way to get Daoist You Ran to unleash his Death Dao Battleship's power. That should hold his full attention and prevent him from focusing on overpowering the planet's self-destruction!" As Wang Baole stared at Daoist You Ran, Li Xingwen's frantic voice traveled into his ear via the Solar System Array Formation.

Wang Baole narrowed his eyes, and his right hand lifted skyward, pointing at Daoist You Ran. The Night Immortal King's eyes went ablaze with a crimson glow. He roared and charged forward, heading straight for Daoist You Ran. The chains shackling him jerked tight, the moon barely holding him back.

An array of lights flared on the moon, and its Dharmic Artifacts became fully activated. They didn't start attacking in all directions like they had earlier but shifted and targeted a single spot instead. A hundred thousand red lights locked onto a single target, then blasted at Daoist You Ran.

A flicker of light flashed across Daoist You Ran's eyes as his hands came together in a flurry of hand seals. Two beams of light, black and white, surged from his palms, rushed forward, and merged into a gray light before him, blocking the stream of red as well as the Night Immortal King's fist.

Booms thundered across the cosmos. Wang Baole summoned an avatar, sent it out, and blew it up!

The expression on Daoist You Ran's face shifted immediately. He flew back amidst the deafening explosion. He was a single man fighting a hard battle against the combined forces of the lunar stronghold, the Night Immortal King, as well as Wang Baole's self-exploding avatars.

He seemed reluctant to bring the Death Dao Battleship into the fight. As he retreated, his six arms came together to form a series of hand seals. An enormous flower with pale-white petals and a black center materialized next to him. It grew to full bloom, then scattered its petals into the cosmos. The snow-white petals enveloped the Night Immortal King.

The Night Immortal King roared, his arms thrashing violently in the air. His armor separated from his body into multiple separate pieces that spread all around him. Wang Baole leaped and sent his Divine Armament downward in a decisive slash. The moon shuddered. The cultivators on the satellite gave everything they had in them. Even the stellar source housed inside the lunar stronghold churned fiercely. The red stream then transformed into a gigantic red hand that charged past the petals and made a grab for Daoist You Ran.

Waves of energy rippled through the cosmos again. The Night Immortal King shook, and blood seeped from Wang Baole's lips. Their combined forces destroyed the petals. They then pulled their efforts together and made another charge at Daoist You Ran.

A flash of grim determination flickered in Daoist You Ran's eyes as danger loomed over his head. He raised his right arm and pointed at the Death Dao Battleship. His hoarse, raspy voice echoed across the cosmos as he spoke!

"Seal!"

All three disks on the Never-Ending Clan Death Dao Battleship unleashed a blue light as soon as the command was issued. A sea of light appeared, cold and chilly, rushing outwards and freezing everything in its wake!

The blue sea of light flooded the battlefield within the blink of an eye. At the sight, a faint ghostly light flickered in Wang Baole's eyes. He seemed thoughtful and anxious at the same time. Without hesitation, he retreated, unleashing his full speed in order to escape. It was too late. The moon, the Night Immortal King, and Wang Baole were flooded by the sea of light instantly, then rapidly encased in ice!

The sight sent both Dao Palace and Federation cultivators reeling back in shock. It wasn't the first time they had seen the power of the Death Dao Battleship. Mercury's self-destruction had failed to achieve its purpose precisely because the Death Dao Battleship had unleashed a similar attack when the Anti-Spirit Bombs had gone off. It had frozen the entire planet and overpowered the Anti-Spirit Bombs, causing the mission to blow up Mercury to be a complete failure!

This same attack had made a second appearance, but its target hadn't been a planet this time. Instead, it had been the invincible looking lunar stronghold and the Night Immortal King… as well as Wang Baole!

Zhao Yameng's face turned pale instantly as she swayed on her feet. Kong Dao shook as battle lust and violence erupted from his person with increased intensity. As for Wang Baole's other friends, they were all filled with shock and worry.

Li Xingwen and Duan Muque clenched their jaws. They had been waiting for this moment for a long time. Li Xingwen activated the Solar System Array Formation to teleport the Federation cultivators away while Duan Muque immediately triggered Venus' self-destruct mechanism!

They weren't being reckless or bold. They worried that this was a trap planted by the enemy. However… if they missed this opportunity, the fate of Venus might end up like Mercury's. That was why… they had decided to bet on it, despite the fact that it might be a trap!

Unfortunately… they lost the bet!

Just as Venus' self-destruct mechanism was triggered and the Anti-Spirit Bombs buried deep inside the planet were about to blow up, Daoist You Ran laughed. He raised his right hand, then clenched it into a tight fist!

The blue light blasting from the Never-Ending Clan Death Dao Battleship turned black instantly. A sea of black, vaster than the sea of blue, was unleashed in the cosmos. It surged past the Dao Palace and Federation cultivators, the lines of defense, and appeared right above Venus. Then, it transformed into an enormous seal that blanketed Venus from above and fell heavily onto the planet!

Venus shuddered violently. The Anti-Spirit Bombs buried deep in the planet were overpowered by the seal's force, their explosions stopped midway!

Duan Muque shook. A crazed look colored his eyes as he and Li Xingwen formed hand seals and activated Venus' final trump card!

Deep underground on Venus, there was a prison that had been built at the beginning of the Spirit Inception Era. It held every criminal who had committed serious offenses since the start of the Spirit Inception Era, the old lady from the Galactic Dusk Sect being one of them. There were also beasts from Earth imprisoned there!

Most of them were at the Core Formation realm and hadn't posed a great danger. However, Duan Muque had given a secret order that led to Zhao Yameng's father, Zhao Pinfang, personally modifying an Anti-Spirit Bomb that was eventually planted inside these prisoners' bodies. These were Anti-Spirit Bombs with stellar source as their core. Each was as powerful as a blow from a Nascent Soul realm cultivator. An array formation had also been set up around these prisoners, with every hundred prisoners coming together to form a mini array formation. These mini array formations came together to form an enormous array formation!

This array formation… was directly linked to the planet's stellar source. The self-destruction of the prisoners would, therefore, trigger the collapse of the stellar source and the destruction of Venus!

This was the double-layered strategy that the Federation had prepared!

As the array formation was activated, every mindless criminal in the Venusian prison began to shake violently. Beams of light erupted from their bodies, forming waves of destructive energy that affected the planet's stellar source. The entire planet began to shudder, seemingly on the verge of blowing up again!

"So that's your trump card!" Daoist You Ran laughed lightly. His right hand formed a series of hand seals, then pointed. The black seal hovering above Venus released countless black flames immediately. The flames burned fiercely, swept around, and surrounded Venus like a gush of strong wind. The planet was enveloped entirely in flames. The black flames became the second seal that caused the Federation's final trump card to fail. As the flames burned, they began to refine the planet!

Venus' third line of defense collapsed instantly, with its second line of defense melting away rapidly!

Fury rushed up Duan Muque's body and emerged as blood was spat out from his mouth. His eyes were red. Bitterness flooded his heart. Li Xingwen was in the same condition. He was swaying slightly on his feet, his face pale. Meanwhile, the other Federation cultivators fell into a deathly silence!

"If I hadn't required your assistance to blow up Venus so that its stellar source could fully expose itself and be accessible for my collection, I would've refined all of you earlier," Daoist You Ran said as he smiled. His aim wasn't simply to destroy Venus, it was to make use of the Federation to stir the planet's stellar source into an active state. This wouldn't only perfect his refinement, it would also provide a great source of energy to repair the Death Dao Battleship he had fused himself with on a larger scale.

He had made it seem as if he had been forced to bring the Death Dao Battleship into the fight with Wang Baole, the lunar stronghold, and the Night Immortal King, but that had been a trap. His aim had been to lure the Federation into blowing up Venus.

"Wang Baole, I want you to watch the planet that you've tried so hard to protect be slowly eaten away and turn into nutrients for my battleship." Daoist You Ran raised his face skyward and laughed out loud. His eyes fell on Wang Baole, who remained encased in ice on the Night Immortal King's shoulder.

Wang Baole was trapped and frozen to a spot, but he was still alive. No one knew what he was thinking. However, Daoist You Ran could see the anxiety in Wang Baole's eyes clearly.

"Now, let the feast begin!" Daoist You Ran's spirits soared at the sight of Wang Baole's anxiety. He laughed. With another wave of his hand, the sea of fire that surrounded Venus burned through the planet's second line of defense. The defensive array formation shattered. The Dao Palace cultivators were all struck dumb by the power that was on display. However, in the end, greed prevailed. After realizing that the black flames posed no danger to them, they rushed excitedly through the fire and began fighting.

The self-destruct mechanisms had failed, and the planet's lines of defenses were falling, it seemed that defeat was inevitable. Duan Muque laughed bitterly. He was about to send the orders to abandon Venus and instruct the troops to escape to Mars via the Solar System Array Formation—they would reorganize the remaining troops on Mars.

It was then that Wang Baole, encased in ice and frozen to the Night Immortal King's shoulder, stared deeply into Daoist You Ran's eyes. A black flame suddenly erupted from his body. It seemed similar to the one that Daoist You Ran was using to refine Venus, yet was completely different in essence. The flame passed through the ice, melting it at an astonishing rate. Wang Baole's voice boomed across the cosmos.

"Does that mean you have no cards up your sleeve now as well?"

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Chapter 711: Chen Mofeng!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The black flame inside Wang Baole's body erupted with sudden violence as he spoke. It spread outward from the Night Immortal King's right shoulder with a mad fervor!

The layer of blue ice encasing the Night Immortal King took on a different color instantly.

The black flame was the Dark Fire!

Daoist You Ran might have had some knowledge of the Dark Sect that had once engaged in fierce battle with the Never-Ending Clan, but his status in the Never-Ending Clan and his level of cultivation meant that he couldn't recognize the Dark Fire instantly. Regardless, he immediately sensed an indescribable danger, causing alarm to color his face.

The black flame spread from Wang Baole outward, and the ice that had encased him began to disappear rapidly!

It didn't melt, it disappeared!

Melting meant that the layer of ice had turned to water upon contact with a fire that had a higher temperature. Disappearing… meant something else entirely!

Temperature was a relative thing. Daoist You Ran's blue ice might appear to be of a low temperature, but should it come into contact with something that was even colder than it was, it would no longer be ice, it would become fire to that colder entity.

The blue ice was disappearing. An observer watching from afar might even think it was evaporating, dissipating into the cosmos, and revealing its sealed prisoners—the Night Immortal King and Wang Baole. As the black flames spread, the blue ice encasing the lunar stronghold began to vanish rapidly as well.

The sight sent Daoist You Ran's pupils contracting.

What is that fire made of? Daoist You Ran's heart raced as he reeled back in shock. The cultivators on the battlefield who witnessed the scene were also collectively shocked. Venus, whose defeat had been inevitable a moment ago, seemed to have glimpsed a sliver of hope!

Wang Baole was secretly sighing though, as his level of cultivation was still too low. If he were powerful enough and had been able to engineer a greater and more explosive display of the Dark Fire, this battle… might just end right there and then.

Resolution flashed across Wang Baole's eyes at that moment—after having uttered those words and given the Federation a sliver of hope. Without hesitation, he reached for the remaining dozens of lotus seeds inside his devouring seed and… crushed them all!

The Night Immortal King shuddered violently as the red glow in his eyes burned with a sudden intensity. They were like two blazing lamps whose light flooded the entire battlefield. A slumbering consciousness seemed to be struggling fiercely. It was like someone asleep was being shoved at, hard, and was on the verge of waking up!

The purpose of unleashing the Dark Fire and shattering all his lotus seeds was none other than… to awaken the Night Immortal King's true soul!

Wang Baole was going to awaken the Night Immortal King's true soul and unleash the Night Immortal King's true power on the enemy. That was his greatest and last trump card!

The sudden intense danger alarmed Daoist You Ran. A fierce light flashed in his eyes. There was no time to concern himself with Venus at the moment. His hands came together in a flurry of hand seals, and the three disks on the Never-Ending Clan Death Dao Battleship flared with a bright light. Instead of another blast of blue light, they summoned a seal that was identical to the one hovering over Venus. It flew out and appeared right above Wang Baole, releasing the same black flames and attempting to stop Wang Baole and refine him!

"No one will stand in my way!" Daoist You Ran's eyes flashed, and the irregularly shaped shard hidden within shone brightly. He took one step forward and unleashed his full cultivation. Then, like an arrow released from the bow, he charged at Wang Baole!

The realization finally dawned on him. Destroying the Federation was difficult but not impossible. Wang Baole, however, was the greatest unknown in the war. With him around, a slight misstep could result in a completely different outcome for the battle!

"I can't have you live!"

As Daoist You Ran rushed towards Wang Baole, the latter suddenly got to his feet. He stood on the Night Immortal King's shoulder, his eyes glimmering brightly and his arms outstretched. The Dark Fire inside his body surged out again. Along with the flames spread the power of Soul Guidance. Its power combined with that of Wang Baole's lotus and transformed into a force built on the Dark Art, a force that seemed to be calling out for one's soul. Wang Baole said coolly, "Chen Mofeng!"

There was a strange tonality to Wang Baole's voice. It echoed in the cosmos and sent the Night Immortal King shuddering violently. The Night Immortal King let loose a fearsome roar.

"Soul, return!" Wang Baole said. His voice appeared to have power over the soul, as if whatever he said would be done. His hands came together to form a series of hand seals. They fell apart, like the parting of yin and yang, the unbinding of life and death. A slumbering soul was finally… awoken!

The Night Immortal King lifted his head skyward and roared again. His fury echoed across the battlefield, sending fear and shock into everyone's trembling hearts. The roar drowned out Wang Baole's voice, sending waves of spirit energy rippling across the cosmos and surging outward. A terrifying aura erupted from his person!

The appearance of the aura immediately overpowered everyone on the battlefield. Every cultivator, from the Dao Palace and the Federation alike, began to tremble!

Even Daoist You Ran started shuddering violently during his charge. Shocked, he instinctively retreated, fearful to stray too near the Night Immortal King. A red mark suddenly appeared out of nowhere on his forehead. He seemed unaware of its existence. Deep inside the Never-Ending Clan Death Dao Battleship, a woman sitting atop a cliff began to lift her head slowly. She gazed into the world beyond the battleship, a torrent of emotions coloring her eyes.

At that exact moment, the red glow in the Night Immortal King's eyes dissipated rapidly. Replacing it was a deep ghostly light that grew increasingly distinct and finally transformed into a look of confusion and loss.

The battlefield fell into a dead silence. No one spoke. Feng Qiuran, despite her excitement, found it hard to speak in the overpowering presence of the Night Immortal King. His power weighed down heavily on everyone. No one noticed Li Wuchen then. He was trembling, a seal that was hidden inside his eyes seemed to have shattered, causing memories to surge into his head. There was a look of pity in his eyes when he stared at the Night Immortal King.

"Chen Mofeng…"

Amidst everyone's shock, Chen Mofeng lowered his head and stared at the cursed seals on his skin in confusion. He looked at the chains weighing him down. Then, silently, he turned his head and looked at Wang Baole on his shoulder. It was a look that seemed to see right through Wang Baole. Unfortunately, while he had awoken, his full senses hadn't yet returned to him. He was still lost in confusion.

Wang Baole's face was pale. He stood on Chen Mofeng's shoulder, in the full blast of Chen Mofeng's powerful aura. It was only through the combined forces of his Stellar Nascent Soul, his Thearch Armor, his Dark Fire, and the connection between his green lotus and the Night Immortal King, that he managed to stay on his feet. His eyes met the Night Immortal King's. Wang Baole raised his hands with great difficulty, then cupped his fists and bowed deeply.

"I'm Wang Baole, your humble junior and a disciple of the Vast Expanse Dao Palace. Daoist You Ran betrayed the sect and plunged the Dao Palace into danger. I had no choice but to awaken the esteemed elder. I beg you to aid us and kill the traitor Daoist You Ran!"

Chen Mofeng seemed not to have heard Wang Baole at all. He retracted his confused gaze from Wang Baole and swept his eyes across the battlefield. They paused momentarily on Li Wuchen before shifting away and landing on Daoist You Ran. The latter was shuddering, his scalp prickling with fear. Chen Mofeng saw the mark on Daoist You Ran's forehead, which seemed to agitate him. He appeared to be struggling against his own confusion.

Wang Baole grew frantic when Chen Mofeng ignored him after having been awakened. He could feel the power of his shattered lotus seeds fading away rapidly with Chen Mofeng's awakening. They would be gone completely within ten counts. Chen Mofeng would fall back into slumber then. Anxious, he seized upon the struggle in Chen Mofeng's eyes and called out to Chen Mofeng again.

"Please, esteemed elder, help me kill this man!" Wang Baole sent the green lotus inside him swaying violently as he spoke and released his Dark Fire. Chen Mofeng finally shook slightly, and murder flashed across his eyes as he raised his enormous right hand slowly.

The Moon Spirits, Night Immortals, and Moon Gu on the moon quivered at the sight of the raised hand. A mysterious power was pulling at them. They faded away, transforming into spheres of light that sped towards the cosmos.

The lights numbered more than hundreds of thousands. They amassed in the cosmos, as if they had been a part of the Night Immortal King all along, transforming into a river of light that circled to the Night Immortal King's side. As the Night Immortal King's right hand raised itself fully, the river of light reached his upraised hand and transformed into an illusory, translucent finger!

COMMENT

The finger was small compared to the moon, about one-tenth of the satellite's size, but its appearance shocked everyone present. It rushed towards Daoist You Ran in a thundering charge!

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Chapter 712: A Past Lover!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Wang Baole sighed a breath of relief when Night Immortal King Chen Mofeng attacked. He had spent all his lotus seeds in order to awaken the Night Immortal King's true soul. That was why… Chen Mofeng's hesitation had Wang Baole worried and anxious…

Wang Baole narrowed his eyes. He had his own assessment of Chen Mofeng's true level of cultivation. Wang Baole sensed that the power contained within Chen Mofeng's illusory finger had surpassed that of a Soul Conduit realm cultivator. In fact, it might even have surpassed that of a Spirit Immortal realm cultivator. He still wasn't as powerful as Wang Baole's senior brother, but the power Wang Baole had felt was similar to the power he had felt during his ascension to the Stellar Nascent Soul realm. It had almost reached the level of a Planet realm cultivator!

Perhaps this was indeed… the power displayed by a Planet realm cultivator!

It wasn't a true measure of Chen Mofeng's real strength though. He was still in a daze and only had a wisp of his original true soul. His physical body and his cultivation were both in a weakened state. Regardless, he still managed to unleash a power that rivaled that of a Planet realm cultivator. One could imagine how powerful Chen Mofeng had truly been at the peak of his strength!

Such a powerful cultivator should have become one of the leaders of the renewed Dao Palace. He should have had a bright future ahead of him. Fate had played its games and ensured that such a choice hadn't been made available to him.

These thoughts flashed across Wang Baole's mind as he stared at Daoist You Ran. The latter's face was colored with alarm, and he was retreating rapidly, trying to evade the gigantic finger. Wang Baole's eyes were filled with murderous intent.

"I've killed you once, I can kill you again. Let's find out if you'll be able to resurrect yourself a second time!" Wang Baole's murderous gaze was tinged with doubt. His suspicions concerned… Daoist You Ran's resurrection.

He had a feeling that… there was a huge secret hidden behind the resurrection!

Daoist You Ran had no idea that he had died previously. In the face of an attack that came from someone who rivaled a Planet realm cultivator, he could only tremble while his scalp prickled with fear.

The looming sense of death and danger was driving him insane. As he retreated, his hands came together to form a series of hand seals. The Never-Ending Clan Death Dao Battleship unleashed a dazzling light that transformed into an enormous seal. The seal appeared before Daoist You Ran, a shield against the Night Immortal King's attack.

He felt that wasn't enough. Daoist You Ran couldn't care less for Venus at this moment, so he pulled the seal over Venus away. The black flames and mark hovering over Venus vanished and reappeared before him, transforming into a weighty seal that spanned ten thousand feet!

The seal felt ancient and appeared to be at ease in the cosmos while repelling the cosmos at the same time. It was an indescribable, contradictory feeling that gave one the impression that… it was being sealed!

It repelled the cosmos and hence was sealed. The seal allowed it to coexist harmoniously in space!

This was what made the Death Dao Battleship special. Daoist You Ran, who was in grave danger at the moment, had abandoned all his plans and was risking everything. He gathered the full power of the battleship to fight back against the force of Night Immortal King Chen Mofeng's single finger!

The cosmos thundered, the seal glittered, and it froze Chen Mofeng's approaching finger in its tracks. As it held the finger back, Daoist You Ran picked up speed and retreated hastily with the intent to leave the battlefield!

He might have been fast, and the defense he had mounted might have been powerful, but… it still fell short!

Chen Mofeng's finger, which had been formed from all living creatures on the moon, collided loudly with the black seal that Daoist You Ran had unleashed from the Never-Ending Clan Death Dao Battleship.

Thunderous booms erupted in the cosmos and surged outward, stirring violent waves of spirit energy that swept across the battlefield. The Night Immortal King's finger, formed from a multitude of lights, smashed into the black seal like a meteor. The collision destroyed almost half of the finger and shattered the black seal into multiple pieces. The remaining part of the finger shot past the shattered black seal and landed on Daoist You Ran's body.

It didn't matter how fast he retreated, there was no escape. Daoist You Ran watched as the finger and the threat of death rushed at him, madness coloring his eyes. He shouted, "Heavenly Dao!"

The irregularly shaped shard in his eye flared up with an intense light. It materialized and grew in size before Daoist You Ran, then charged towards Chen Mofeng's approaching finger and crashed into the latter.

Explosions boomed in the cosmos yet again. The shard didn't shatter under the incredible force of Chen Mofeng's finger. Regardless, Daoist You Ran's cultivation was clearly not powerful enough to support the resilient shard. The shard might not have been damaged in the collision, but it was easily nudged away by Chen Mofeng's finger and then shoved into Daoist You Ran. The attack still landed on Daoist You Ran.

Daoist You Ran spat out a mouthful of blood, wailing as his six arms came together to form a flurry of hand seals. It seemed to be a mystic technique that allowed him to transfer his injuries. They were distributed to his limbs. The result of that was… four broken limbs out of six and two destroyed heads out of three. Cracks appeared all over his body, and blood continued to spill from his wounds.

Daoist You Ran had managed to escape death despite a direct blow from the Night Immortal King due to his mystic technique. His eyes exposed his weakened, terrified state. He retreated frantically and tried to widen the distance between him and the finger. He could tell that Chen Mofeng's current state was only temporary and wasn't sustainable for a long period of time. He just needed to survive for a while longer before he was out of critical danger.

That was what happened. After the attack, the unfathomable look in the Night Immortal King's eyes faded away and was swiftly replaced by a red glow. The power of Wang Baole's lotus seeds was waning. He had only a few seconds before the Night Immortal King's true soul fell into slumber again. When that happened, the finger that had been formed from lunar beasts would disappear as well.

Wang Baole was prepared for that. As Daoist You Ran tried to delay their next engagement and distance himself from the Night Immortal King's finger, Wang Baole dashed out. Boosted by the Thearch Armor and with the Divine Armament shining on his arm, he unleashed his full speed and rushed at Dao You Ran like a shooting star.

Alarm flashed across Daoist You Ran's face. Widening the distance between him and the finger took all that he had. Wang Baole's charge came at the most critical moment, so there was no way he could avoid Wang Baole's attack!

"I won't admit defeat!" Madness filled Daoist You Ran's eyes. His true form was still inside the Death Dao Battleship, but his soul was fused with the battle robes. If the latter was wounded, he too would suffer the same injury. The resultant backlash might even destroy his true form!

At that precise moment, on Venus, Duan Muque's eyes were also equally colored by madness. When he had given the order to blow up Mercury, he had misjudged and lost their advantage. Then, when it had come to Venus, he had made a mistake again. Tragedy had almost repeated itself. Now, he had two options before him. The first was to continue waiting. Perhaps the battle would end without the need to blow up the planet. The second option was to seize the opportunity and blow up the planet. They would sacrifice Venus so that the overall war strategy would unfold as planned!

"Even if Daoist You Ran still has a trump card up his sleeve, he would choose to save himself. He has no energy to cause interference for Venus. That's why we should… self-destruct!" A red-eyed Duan Muque roared, his mind made up.

The entire planet shook suddenly as the Anti-Spirit Bombs buried underground were freed of the seal and reactivated. The explosions began. Thunderous booms erupted in the air, the planet quaked. Li Xingwen commandeered the Solar System Array Formation and unleashed the latter's full power for a wide-scale teleportation. In an instant, every Federation cultivator on Venus began to blur and vanish.

They disappeared in batches as the waves of destructive energy within Venus intensified. The Dao Palace cultivators reeled back in shock and alarm. No one bothered to stop the planetary self-destruction. Instead, everyone began to scramble in fear and run—as far as they could.

Daoist You Ran had no energy to bother with Venus either. Even if he did care, there was no way he could do anything about it when he himself was facing grave danger!

Venus was approaching eventual destruction, while Daoist You Ran was frantically trying to escape. Just as Wang Baole was about to reach Daoist You Ran, a sigh suddenly sounded from the Never-Ending Clan Death Dao Battleship behind Daoist You Ran. It belonged to a woman and was tinged with a certain sense of remembrance and a myriad of emotions. The sigh resonated across the battlefield. A similarly illusory, translucent finger appeared before Daoist You Ran. It tipped towards Chen Mofeng's finger and touched it!

There was no loud explosion, no terrifying shock waves. Chen Mofeng's finger disintegrated soundlessly upon collision, separating into numerous white lights that faded away in the cosmos.

Wang Baole's pupils contracted at the sight. He immediately retreated, shock rising within him. The power of his lotus seeds had faded away completely, but Chen Mofeng, who should have fallen back to sleep, suddenly murmured in a low, hoarse voice. This was the first time he had spoken since he had been awakened for battle.

"Zi Yue…"

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Chapter 713: Lady, I Swear It Isn't Me!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The expression on Wang Baole's face shifted to alarm when he heard the name spilling from Chen Mofeng's lips. His pupils contracted. It was clear that he was no stranger to that name. In fact, he knew very well what that name meant to the Night Immortal King!

His Dao partner, who extracted his brain, dug out his heart, and destroyed his Dao, is actually on board the Never-Ending Clan battleship now! Wang Baole reeled back from the revelation. Fortunately, the self-destruct mechanism for Venus had been activated. Explosions and destructive waves of spirit energy were thundering nonstop on the planet. The power of the Solar System Array Formation enveloped the battlefield. Wang Baole could feel the invisible waves of teleportation pulling at him. If he wanted, he could teleport away right this instant!

That knowledge calmed Wang Baole considerably. As he continued to retreat, he turned and stared at the finger hovering before Daoist You Ran!

At that precise moment, the finger glimmered, and a woman's form began to materialize. The finger extended into a palm, then an arm, until it finally materialized into a beautiful woman in Daoist robes.

It was as if the cosmos were a painting, and this woman had just stepped out of the painting, gracing the world with her immense beauty!

Her form was still translucent, preventing one from observing her actual features in detail. Regardless, it didn't detract from her beauty. In fact, it was the blurry indistinctness of her form that captivated all who saw her. They appeared to be slightly dazed.

Perhaps it wasn't because of her beauty but her mysterious aura, which seemed capable of affecting all living things.

"You've… finally made an appearance…" Chen Mofeng's mind had fallen into deep slumber rapidly earlier, but the appearance of the second finger and the sigh had been a shock that had jerked him awake. His mind had cleared.

The confusion in his eyes had disappeared when he had spoken. He seemed to display his true thoughts for the first time since he had awakened. They echoed what he had murmured, not pain, not hate, but a deep longing.

The beautiful woman fell silent after hearing Chen Mofeng's murmuring words and looking into his eyes. She stared deeply at Chen Mofeng, an unfathomable look in her eyes. Then, she curtsied and said softly, "My dear husband, it's been so long. You suffered such a great calamity, but you still call out for me. How can your dear wife… not appear before you?"

Hearing his Dao partner's voice for the first time in a very long time might have stirred Chen Mofeng's memories. His vast form trembled. Deep within his clear eyes, a red glow flashed again. The soul that had formed after his death was trying to overpower Chen Mofeng's true soul.

The power of Wang Baole's lotus seeds had long dissipated, making the only thing keeping Chen Mofeng's true soul awake his stubborn longing. Chen Mofeng fought to stay clear-headed. He gazed at Zi Yue, tried to keep the look in his eyes gentle and soft, and said quietly, "Zi Yue… I miss you so much. I don't blame you for what you've done. Come… come home with me."

Chen Mofeng raised his right hand as he spoke, the look on his face gentle and filled with longing and hope. It was the look of blind, foolish love.

Zi Yue gazed back at Chen Mofeng, the color of her eyes deepening into a faint, loving gaze. She replied softly, "My dear husband, your wife misses you very much too. Whenever I start missing you, I'll bring this out…"

As Zi Yue spoke, her right hand rose and swiped through the emptiness before her. A blood-drenched heart appeared in her palm.

It was still pumping, and powerful waves of spirit energy surged from the organ and flooded the cosmos. Chen Mofeng shuddered, his mouth moving with great difficulty.

"Zi Yue, don't…"

"There's this as well…" Seemingly unaware of Chen Mofeng's trembling form, Zi Yue smiled and interrupted his plea. She loosened her grip on his heart and clawed through empty space again. What appeared next was a clump of white. It was… Chen Mofeng's brain!

"My dear husband, look. My longing for you is soothed with them at my side."

"Zi Yue… please stop, I beg you…"

"Let me think. There seems to be another thing that eases my longing for you. Don't fret, let your dear wife search for it…" Zi Yue gazed at Chen Mofeng as his trembling grew stronger and the pain on his face intensified. She was smiling as she spoke.

Her voice was clear and beautiful, like the voice of fairies. It had a certain grace to it. Anyone who heard it would be subconsciously soothed by it. However, if they also saw what she was doing and heard the viciousness in her words, there was no doubt that they would reel back from shock and fear instantly!

Daoist You Ran, especially, shook fiercely as he stared at the woman who had clearly saved his life. He seemed to have seen her somewhere before, but after thinking very hard, he realized he hadn't. The sense of unfamiliarity she exuded was mingled with something familiar. The contradictory feelings shocked Daoist You Ran. In addition, when he stared at the woman, he felt as if he were a servant in the presence of his master. It was a troubling and confusing sensation.

Everyone seemed to be in a state of shock. As for Wang Baole, he was still retreating from the woman. He returned to the lunar stronghold. He stared at Chen Mofeng and Zi Yue, then turned his eyes towards the trembling Daoist You Ran. There was a stormy look on Wang Baole's face as he realized what was going on.

She's trying to agitate Chen Mofeng!

Little Missy mentioned the Star-Seeding Dao before… maybe that has something to do with why Zi Yue didn't kill Chen Mofeng. Her agitating Chen Mofeng might also be because of the Star-Seeding Dao? Wang Baole had no answers. However, he had a feeling that he was on the right track.

This also means… Zi Yue is the reason why Daoist You Ran resurrected! Emotions flickered across Wang Baole's face. The stress he had been feeling spiked instantly.

A Daoist You Ran fused with the Never-Ending Clan Death Dao Battleship was a disastrous threat to the Federation. Who knew… that behind that was an even more powerful entity!

To the Federation, this was like adding oil to fire. Wang Baole knew the details between Chen Mofeng and Zi Yue, which meant that Zi Yue wasn't as much a stranger to him despite her making her first appearance before them.

She's the one who stole Chen Mofeng's Star-Seeding Dao, hid on the Never-Ending Clan battleship, secretly controlled Daoist You Ran, and started this war! A murderous glow colored Wang Baole's eyes, and grim determination settled inside him. He knew that the Federation's odds remained grim despite the successful self-destruction of Venus.

Wang Baole wasn't the only one who realized that. As the destructive waves of spirit energy continued to spread across Venus and thundering explosions continued to grow louder and echo through the cosmos, as the fabric of space around the planet distorted, and as batches of Federation cultivators disappeared and were teleported to safety by the Solar System Array Formation, the remaining cultivators also felt the same!

Duan Muque was one of them. He stood inside the command center at the moment, staring unblinkingly at Zi Yue, who was standing in space before Daoist You Ran. He was unaware of Zi Yue's and the Night Immortal King's past history, but he could tell that something was wrong. He realized that the mastermind behind this war wasn't Daoist You Ran, but… this woman whom the Night Immortal King had called Zi Yue!

Others who had remained were Feng Qiuran and Li Wuchen. They were both silent, their eyes filled with a myriad of emotions.

As batches of Federation cultivators continued to be teleported away, Zi Yue suddenly sighed forlornly.

"I can't seem to find it!"

"My dear husband, why don't you help your beloved Yue'er find it?" Zi Yue loosened her hold on the brain and swiped through the air. Instantly, appearing within her palm was an illusory… bell!

The bell was black, and despite its illusory form, it exuded a near-imperceptible aura of a star. It was clearly something extraordinary!

"My dear husband, where is this bell? I've eaten your brain and crushed your heart, but I can't seem to find the bell. It's all your fault. Why did you seal it before your death? I can't sense it anywhere. Tell your beloved Yue'er, where is it?" Zi Yue appeared before Chen Mofeng as she spoke. There was a smile on her face, and Chen Mofeng finally couldn't take it anymore. He raised both his hands, hugged his head, and howled in pain.

"Stop talking, stop talking!"

A red glow erupted in Chen Mofeng's eyes. His true soul, which had been struggling to stay lucid, was immediately overpowered. The giant spiraled into madness, lifting his hands and reaching for Zi Yue.

"How boring." Zi Yue shook her head slightly. Before the Night Immortal King's hands could touch her, she raised her right hand and tapped slightly. A thunderous boom erupted from the Night Immortal King's body. His armor shattered, and the runes on his body flared and overpowered him like a seal. He screamed in pain and fell, crashing into the lunar stronghold.

Zi Yue turned away from Chen Mofeng, her eyes landing on Wang Baole. There was a beautiful, evil smile on her face.

"You, the guy who has the Saint's eye. Is what I want with you?"

Wang Baole's scalp prickled. He shook his head frantically and exclaimed, "Not a chance. The most beautiful, invincible lady in this entire universe, if you're not convinced, you can verify my words with your spiritual senses!"

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Chapter 714: Never Get Too Ahead of Yourself!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"What a sweet talker, no wonder the Saint favors you. It's alright if you don't know. Perhaps the Saint does?" Zi Yue hid her smile behind her hand as she spoke, then raised her right hand in an attempt to capture Wang Baole.

It was then that the waves of self-destructive energies generated by Venus reached their peak. A sudden boom thundered. Venus shook, then… blew up!

The force of the explosion was incredible. It surged from the depths of Venus and moved across the entire planet. Beams of piercing, bright light blasted from Venus' core, skewering it and turning it into a sieve!

Terrifying waves of spirit energy accompanied the beams of light. They overflowed and rushed outwards. In their wake, everything was drained dry, shriveled. They disintegrated and turned to dust!

Buildings, mountains, everything. Fortunately, Duan Muque, Feng Qiuran, and the others had chosen to teleport themselves away before the self-destruction of the planet. No Federation cultivator had remained on the planet at the point of its destruction. There were only… Dao Palace cultivators on Venus!

The Dao Palace cultivators were faced with a calamity. Most of them had no means to leave the planet and nowhere to escape. No matter how hard they tried to run or how much earlier they had begun running, there was no way they could outrun their inevitable death.

Many were enveloped by the waves of spirit energy caused by the explosion, their trembling bodies wiped out instantaneously and turned to dust. The entire planet's destruction seemed to have created a temporary black hole, which was devouring everything in sight!

Everything and everyone… except Zi Yue, who seemed not to care a single bit about Venus' self-destruction. Amidst the thundering booms echoing in space, her hand continued stretching towards Wang Baole, intent on capturing him.

Wang Baole's scalp was prickling with numbness. He deeply regretted his decision to not teleport away immediately.

"I'm such an idiot! Why didn't I leave immediately? This is something between the both of them. Why am I poking my nose into their personal affairs?" Wang Baole yelled amidst his panic and fear.

"Zi Yue, you really dare to harm me? My senior brother is the first Divine King of the Never-Ending Clan! Senior Brother, quick, save me!" Wang Baole said, then silently chanted the scripture. The mysterious will descended from the heavens once again and enveloped everything with its awesome aura. Zi Yue smiled faintly.

"Feels powerful. Unfortunately, you've used this trick on my puppet." A ghostly light flickered in Zi Yue's eyes. Her outstretched right hand was now right in front of Wang Baole, reaching for his neck.

Just as she was about to grab him by his neck, an illusory, slender arm stretched out from Wang Baole's body and hit Zi Yue's approaching, outstretched palm in a swift collision.

It was Little Missy!

A loud boom erupted, and Wang Baole shuddered as he felt a fierce wind accompanied by an unimaginable power land on him. If he were a flame, the wind might have extinguished him. The blow was strong enough to crush him completely.

A layer of gentle light flowed from the illusory arm that had extended from his body. It formed a layer of protection against the attack, preventing it from being fatal. The backlash from the blow remained, however. It shattered Wang Baole's Thearch Armor, and his Stellar Nascent Soul shriveled up and almost collapsed. Blood even spilled from his mouth and burst out from multiple places on his body.

He was flung backwards, like a kite cut from its string. He smashed through numerous buildings that collapsed in his wake and finally crashed into the lunar stronghold.

"Quick, run!" Little Missy's weak voice urged him frantically. Wang Baole bit hard on his tongue and forced himself to stay conscious despite his serious injuries. He allowed the Solar System Array Formation to surround him with the energies of teleportation. The entire moon and himself began to blur. As the glow from the teleportation spell intensified, a flash of ghostly light flickered in Zi Yue's eyes. She stepped forward just as the moon and Wang Baole were about to be teleported away.

Her foot landed, and she passed through the glow of the teleportation and appeared before Wang Baole. Zi Yue's lips tilted upwards into a devilish smile as she observed Wang Baole's shock. Her finger reached out for Wang Baole's forehead.

"Boy, call out for your senior brother, ask him to save you."

Her finger landed on Wang Baole's forehead. It seemed that what awaited Wang Baole in the next moment was the shattering of his bones and the complete destruction of his body and soul. The teleportation would fail, and Little Missy, the lunar stronghold, and the Night Immortal King would be trapped here.

It was at that moment, when Zi Yue's finger and Wang Baole's forehead touched… that her finger suddenly melted away. It was as if her finger were made from snow and Wang Baole was a piece of scorching hot metal!

As her finger melted away, it transformed into tiny sparks of light that entered Wang Baole's body. They were like nutrients that were absorbed by his body without any signs of being repelled by the latter. Wang Baole's injuries healed instantly, and his cultivation received a great boost as well, spiking suddenly!

Everything happened too quickly, within the blink of an eye. Even Zi Yue was stunned momentarily. Strong emotions colored her face, something that hadn't happened for a long time, not since she had obtained the Star-Seeding Dao. She retreated hastily, unleashing her mystic art promptly and cutting all connection between herself and her melting finger. Her heart raced as she withdrew.

Wang Baole was equally stunned, but he didn't have the chance to express his joy. His body, alongside the lunar stronghold, blurred in the teleportation spell, then vanished completely!

Venus' explosion reached the height of intensity then, and waves of destruction continued to surge outwards, finally reaching where Zi Yue was. The entire planet was rapidly transforming into a black hole. The Dao Palace cultivators around her were heavily injured or dead, and their pained cries prior to their deaths were drowned out by the loud explosions caused by a planet's self-destruction.

Daoist You Ran shuddered. All his efforts were for naught. Anxiety wrecked him, but he dared not speak. The woman standing before him inspired such terror and dread in him.

"Useless." A stormy-faced Zi Yue threw a glance at Daoist You Ran before frowning and turning her eyes towards Venus. She lifted her right hand and pushed it forward against the waves of self-destructive energy sweeping out from the planet.

The terrifying tsunami seemed to freeze momentarily in its tracks. It was as if there was an invisible wall in front of the woman, and not even the energy backlash from an exploding planet could penetrate this wall.

Zi Yue's right hand clawed through emptiness and plucked a pouch out of nothing. It was made of black cloth and had a strange floral pattern embroidered on it. Terror snaked through Daoist You Ran when he saw the pouch. He could sense the power exuding from it, a power that seemed even more terrifying than the woman before him.

He wasn't given any time to guess what was inside the pouch. Zi Yue had pulled it open, her actions seemingly cautious. Then, seven black seeds flew out from the opened pouch. With a series of hand seals, Zi Yue guided them towards the exploding Venus.

They entered Venus almost instantly. The waves of self-destructive energy generated by the planet didn't seem to cause any harm to the seeds. In fact, the energy was being absorbed by the latter. The seeds exuded a golden light. As they entered Venus, they began to grow, twines extending outward and covering the entire planet… All this while, they continued to drain the explosion of its power, transforming the energy into nutrients for themselves!

Daoist You Ran's scalp prickled as he watched the scene before him. There were more and more twines. Soon, the entire planet was covered in dozens of layers of the twines. Its appearance had transformed radically. The explosion was being contained, as if sealed, with no outlet for release!

Countless bumps began to appear on the twines. They clustered together and finally covered all surfaces of the twines. The bumps wriggled and spasmed, and many broke apart. From within these bumps climbed out… Never-Ending Clan cultivators!

These cultivators flew into the air and gathered before Zi Yue. Their numbers grew. When all the bumps had burst open, and all cultivators had flown out, Zi Yue had before her an army with a hundred thousand cultivators!

However, it was clear that these Never-Ending Clan cultivators had no minds of their own. They were like puppets!

Daoist You Ran's head buzzed at the sight. He was shaking violently. This was beyond his wildest imagination, he couldn't understand what was going on!

"Take them and destroy this civilization. Then… capture and bring me that boy!" Zi Yue commanded calmly.

Daoist You Ran's face was pale. He instinctively lowered his head and accepted his orders. Then, he began reorganizing the surviving cultivators. With the Never-Ending Clan's Death Dao Battleship at the helm, he led the army of a hundred thousand puppets away and raced towards Mars!

The patch of cosmos finally quietened down following his departure. Zi Yue was the only person left standing there. Her fingers danced through a series of hand seals, as if running through a simulation. This went on for some time before she suddenly froze. Then, she shut her eyes and fell silent. It was a long time before she opened them again. She lifted her head and gazed into the distant cosmos.

I can only make out the fact that someone incredibly powerful has changed my fate… I've been steering the lives of others and changing their fates, treating them like ants… this whole time, without my knowledge, someone has also been controlling my life and treating me like… what? An ant? Or is that person trying to use me to nourish Wang Baole's cultivation? Zi Yue shuddered. An icy light glimmered fiercely in her eyes.

The first Divine King?

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Chapter 715: The Dark Child Returns!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

An icy glint flickered in Zi Yue's eyes. At that exact moment, Daoist You Ran was leading a hundred thousand emotionless puppets and the Dao Palace cultivators who had survived the Venusian blast towards Mars. The surviving Dao Palace cultivators were filled with terror and were reluctant to continue the war. Regardless, they hadn't been given a choice. As they charged for Mars, thousands of teleportation array formations on the planet began to shimmer. They had been set up earlier to coordinate with the Solar System Array Formation's mass teleportation.

Batches of cultivators that had been based on Venus appeared amidst the shimmering light. They were all exhausted and injured to varying degrees.

They were immediately surrounded by Martian cultivators, who had been waiting for their arrival. The Martian cultivators rushed forward to help, leading them away from the teleportation array formations. Thousands of medically trained physicians began attending to the cultivators' injuries.

However, there were simply too many incoming Venusian cultivators, making it difficult for the physicians to attend to all of them immediately. The Martian Colony Governor had foreseen that happening and had arranged another tens of thousands of cultivators to assist the physicians and make the appropriate arrangements.

"Internal injury, three out of five organs injured. Quick, send this fellow Daoist to the medical area immediately!"

"Fellow Daoist, your injuries aren't serious, you've just expended too much spirit energy. Someone bring this fellow Daoist to the chambers to rest and heal!"

"Your spirit shows signs of dissipation. Quick, bring three Soul Recovery Pills here!"

The Martian base continued with the post-battle efforts in a swift and organized manner. Appropriate arrangements were quickly made for the cultivators who had been teleported from Venus to the base. Amongst them were Zhao Yameng and Kong Dao. They all came bearing serious injuries and in a weakened state. They didn't leave to attend to their wounds though. Instead, they stood outside the teleportation array formation, waiting anxiously.

They were waiting for Wang Baole, Duan Muque, and Li Xingwen.

Waiting alongside them were… cultivators from the Divine Armament New City, who were led by Liu Daobin!

The development of the Divine Armament New City had progressed rapidly during the years that Wang Baole had been in the Vast Expanse Dao Palace. The city had grown in size, and the number of cultivators based in the city increased exponentially. Various political entities had their eye on the position of city lord, which had been a source of immense trouble for Wang Baole's followers, whom he had left behind to oversee the city.

Liu Daobin had been pushed to the sidelines and almost driven out of the city. Even though Wang Baole had been diligently proving himself and making contributions to the Federation, that didn't dissuade or prevent the various political entities from having their greedy eyes on the city.

Fortunately, he had the support of the Martian Colony Governor and Li Xingwen. That had helped save his position as city lord.

Then, Wang Baole had risen through the ranks in the Dao Palace. His position as their Grand Supreme Elder had sent the entire Federation into an uproar. It was then that the situation had improved. The various political entities had to play their cards more carefully. They hadn't been concerned about offending Wang Baole at first, as no matter how great his contributions had been to the Federation, he had still been part of the system and had to play by their rules. But as soon as he had become the Grand Supreme Elder, the situation changed. Things weren't so simple anymore.

Liu Daobin and Li Wan'er had released sighs of relief then. They had then gradually asserted their authority. After that, the war had broken out, and Wang Baole had gone missing, but at that point, the various political entities had no longer been interested in wrestling for power. They hadn't lost much power during the period of Wang Baole's absence. Then Wang Baole had reappeared and killed a Soul Conduit realm cultivator. The scenes of his battle prowess had excited the stalwarts in the city. They had been overjoyed.

They had seized the opportunity and wrestled full control over the city. Now, they had brought masses of cultivators from the new city to welcome their city lord!

The Martian Colony Governor wasn't at the teleportation array formation. Instead, she was in the center of the Great Martian Array Formation. She and the upper echelons of the Martian City administration had activated the array formation. They were preparing the planetary defenses for an outbreak of war.

A hundred thousand battleships were already stationed outside Mars, and an even greater number of cultivators were standing in formation, awaiting orders. Upon the Martian Colony Governor's command, all military Dharmic Artifacts on the planet were activated instantly. An atmosphere of battle and violence permeated the planet.

The Martian Colony Governor was different from Duan Muque and Li Xingwen. She might be a female cultivator, but her character was strong and unbending, fierce like a scorching fire. If nothing were to spark that fire, peace would reign. Once ignited, it would burn everything in sight.

Her strategy was different from the Venusian battle strategy. The latter had comprised nine lines of defenses in space. It had been reactive and passive in nature. Her strategy, on the other hand… was to extract the Martian stellar source and use the Anti-Spirit Bombs in coordination with the Great Martian Array Formation and the Solar System Array Formation. Mars would weaken the Dao Palace in waves and finally force Dao Palace cultivators to land on the planet, where the final battle would take place!

"The Solar System Array Formation's self-destruct module has been modified. We still lack the necessary access rights. Once we obtain those rights, we can initiate five self-destruct cycles instantly!"

"Preparations for the Great Martian Array Formation have been completed. We can perform three rounds of suppression on the entire surface of the planet at any time!"

"All three hundred and seventy thousand self-destruct areas fully set up and ready for activation anytime!"

Status reports kept arriving in the command center. The Martian Colony Governor seemed calm as she lifted her head and gazed into space. A general from the Martian military stood next to her. He seemed to hesitate before speaking in a hushed voice.

"Governor, regarding the access rights to the Solar System Array Formation… Li Xingwen might not grant them to us. He still wants to keep it as a final line of defense for Federation survivors."

"That fossil!" the governor said coolly. Her Nascent Soul realm cultivation lent her a greater sense of authority and power.

"A battle in space is to our disadvantage! A battle on land is the only way we can maximize our advantage and optimize our strength in Spirit Science. Besides… if the Federation falls, any survivors will be left to wander space. What's the point in that? Even if one is to escape with his life, he has nothing but a miserable life living under an alien civilization's roof ahead of him!"

"Even so, this strategy will result in great numbers of casualties…" The general grimaced.

"Most of us come from an ancient eastern civilization on Earth. They have a saying… only the mad man lives!

"Casualties are unavoidable. Mars is the Federation's final line of defense. As long as Mars remains standing, the Federation will survive. If we fall… my entire family of three will fight to the death on the battlefield. Let that be our final show of loyalty to the Federation!

"I'll handle Li Xingwen and get the access rights from him… give your orders now!"

The general listened to the governor's strong and resolute words and fell silent. Then, he took a deep breath, obeyed her instructions, and gave the orders immediately. A thunderous boom rippled across Mars instantly. Everything was in place.

As preparations for battle on Mars were ongoing, things at the teleportation array formation were nearing their end. Duan Muque and Li Xingwen appeared, followed by Feng Qiuran and Li Wuchen. The last to appear was Wang Baole!

He came with the moon though, and the teleportation array formation couldn't contain both of them. Finally, with the aid of Li Xingwen and Duan Muque, the moon appeared next to Mars in the wake of waves of spirit energy rippling through the cosmos.

The Night Immortal King had fallen back into slumber. As for Wang Baole, he had no time to speak to Zhao Yameng, Liu Daobin, or Li Wan'er, who he shared a special relationship with. He noted their wellbeing, nodded, then immediately bade farewell to Li Xingwen and Duan Muque, after which, he raced towards his city!

He had spoken to Duan Muque and Li Xingwen before leaving.

"President, Grand Elder, please buy me more time. I need to get something… it might be the weapon that will turn the tides of this war!" Having said that, Wang Baole had unleashed his full speed and sped away.

Wang Baole had commandeered the Night Immortal King, fought against Daoist You Ran, and faced the mysterious Zi Yue. He had made the greatest contribution to the battle on Venus. His words held an immeasurable weight to Li Xingwen and Duan Muque, as well as all cultivators who had participated in the Venusian battle.

In addition, Mars was like a second home to Wang Baole. He was the epitome of authority and fame in both the new and old cities alike.

That was why his last words before he had departed quickly spread throughout Mars. When Li Xingwen and Duan Muque arrived at the Martian command center, they had met the Martian Colony Governor and informed her of what Wang Baole had said as well.

That might have been why, after a bout of silence, Li Xingwen gritted his teeth and agreed to the Martian Colony Governor's request to blow up the Solar System Array Formation!

It was then that Wang Baole finally arrived at his Divine Armament New City. He gazed at the city, which was many times larger than when he had left. There was familiarity to be found in the change, and that sparked numerous memories that surfaced in his mind and then quickly faded away. He rubbed his forehead and remembered the scene where Zi Yue's finger had turned to dust.

He didn't know what had happened then, but Little Missy seemed to have truly fallen into a deep sleep this time, so Wang Baole's questions received no reply.

He could only set this matter aside for now and race towards the sacrificial altar in the middle of the new city. That… was the entrance to the cave!

A familiar wave of spirit energy surged out from the depths of the cave as soon as he stepped in. The State Preceptor, the burly man, and the young boy appeared before Wang Baole and greeted him.

"Welcome back, esteemed Dark Child!"

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Chapter 716: The Martian Battle Begins!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The State Preceptor looked his usual cunning self and the young boy his creepy self as well. Their translucent forms looked as if they might disappear at any moment.

The burly man's greeting had been the loudest. Out of the three Artifact Souls, he was the most loyal.

They hadn't changed a single bit, while Wang Baole was no longer the same Wang Baole. He had been at the Core Formation realm when he had left them. Now, he had returned with his cultivation at the Nascent Soul realm and his battle capabilities rivaling that of a Soul Conduit realm cultivator. In fact, with the combined forces of his Thearch Armor and his Stellar Nascent Soul, killing an early-stage Soul Conduit realm cultivator was almost a cakewalk for him!

His dark demonic eye was another boost to his power. It brought him closer to the level of a late-stage Soul Conduit realm cultivator. At present, even without the Dark Artifact's explicit acknowledgment of him as their master, he could still easily overpower the three Artifact Souls and make them do his bidding.

That was why he hadn't hesitated when the three souls had greeted him. He summoned the Thearch Armor and unleashed the full extent of his cultivation. An incredible power erupted from his person. The three souls had suspected Wang Baole's actual power earlier, but the sudden display left them dumbstruck.

The expression on the State Preceptor's face shifted. The young boy widened his eyes. The burly man, too, stood rooted to the spot. They had sustained great injuries due to the damage to the Dark Artifact. As a result, they hadn't been able to accurately gauge Wang Baole's level of cultivation. The sudden surge of his cultivation that formed an overwhelming blanket of pressure weighing down on them instantly sent them reeling back.

"Come on, get up. How has the Dark Artifact been during my absence?" Wang Baole stored his Thearch Armor and then asked casually.

As the souls recovered from their initial shock, they hastily replied to Wang Baole. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened while he had been gone. However, due to the lack of materials, repairs of the Dark Artifact had progressed with great difficulty.

Wang Baole nodded. With a wave of his right hand, hordes of materials poured out from his storage bag. There was everything. Perhaps not enough of each material required for the Dark Artifact's repairs, but it was almost there.

Small mountains of materials formed out of the varied types of materials. The Spirit Qi in the air thickened instantly. After Wang Baole pulled out the spirit liquid and stellar source, the Spirit Qi in the air almost transformed into liquid form.

Shock rippled through the three souls again, and their eyes widened. That wasn't the end of it… a greater surprise came in the end!

Wang Baole laid out the items he had gathered on the main Vast Expanse star as well as other planets. The souls grew agitated with excitement when they saw the Supreme Fire Ore that he had gotten in the Mi Luo Forest.

"Supreme Fire Ore!"

"My god, the ore will speed up the repairs. In fact, they're a necessary material for repairing the Dark Artifact, a key component that can't be substituted by any other material!"

"A pity that there's so little of it…" The souls sighed. Wang Baole seemed unfazed when he heard what the State Preceptor had said. He glanced at the latter, then pulled out another storage bracelet. This time, instead of pulling out materials, he pulled out… dozens of storage bags from the storage bracelet. He opened everything, and countless pieces of Supreme Fire Ore flowed out of the bags, piling into a small mountain next to Wang Baole.

The souls staggered with shock. Before they could say anything, Wang Baole hummed in contemplation, then pulled out two beast corpses!

They were the corpses of the Spirit Immortal realm Star Fang Beasts that he had met during his two days in the Mi Luo Forest. His senior brother had forced them to charge each other, and the collision had injured them fatally. Before they had died, they had even saved Wang Baole the trouble of extracting their beast cores by digging the cores out themselves!

"Apply the Dark Artifact's power on these two Star Fang Beasts and resurrect their corpses. I have something important for them to do. Also… begin the repairs on the Dark Artifact immediately. You have ten days. Ten days… to restore the Dark Artifact to the state… where I can take it out of this cave and lead it into space for battle!" The firm tone of Wang Baole's voice allowed no room for disagreement. He knew he hadn't much time left.

The three souls had clearly been sneaking out during his absence, so they were aware of the war between the Federation and the Dao Palace. The State Preceptor had somehow gotten his hands on a receiver that had allowed them to watch the news being broadcast by the Federation. They had been kept abreast of ongoing events outside the cave and knew the severity of the matter at hand. They dared not play the fool, nodding their heads solemnly and immediately going to work.

Wang Baole watched the souls vanish into thin air. He could sense them hard at work repairing the Dark Artifact. He narrowed his eyes. The former Wang Baole wouldn't have easily allowed the souls to start repairs. That was despite his master using the Dark Dream Mystic Art to get them to acknowledge him as their master in the Dark Dream. The reason being was that the Dark Artifact had been severely damaged, weakening the souls considerably. The restoration of the Dark Artifact would also naturally lead to the three souls' recovery.

Nothing might come out of that. Alternatively… he might be consumed by these souls. That had been a source of hesitation when Wang Baole had scavenged for materials.

Things had changed. Wang Baole didn't have the luxury of time now. He couldn't wait any longer. In addition, he had become more powerful, which had strengthened his resolve and resulted in his decision to make this gamble. Besides, he had done his calculations. He had gathered plenty of materials, but they were still a long way away from fully restoring the Dark Artifact.

We should be able to restore it to fifty percent of its full functionality… my current level of cultivation should be sufficient to activate another function of the Dark Artifact.

Wang Baole narrowed his eyes and extended his spiritual senses. They enveloped the entire Dark Artifact, extending over the Dark Robe, the Dark Sampan, and both the staff and lantern of the Lantern Oar. He relaxed and allowed his mind to maintain a constant state of fusion with these three Dark Artifacts.

That would speed up the souls' repair of the Dark Artifact. In addition, based on what he remembered from the Dark Dream, Wang Baole knew that he should be able to form an avatar of his own consciousness.

That had been beyond his abilities in the past. Now though, Wang Baole felt it was something he should be capable of achieving.

Amidst Wang Baole's furious formation of hand seals, an illusory figure gradually materialized before him. His eyes were shut, and he looked like the exact twin of Wang Baole. What differentiated them was their attire.

The avatar was dressed in black robes. Beneath his feet was a Dark Sampan, in his hand a Dark Staff, at the end of which hung a Dark Lantern. The avatar wasn't exactly an illusion, yet he wasn't real either. He appeared as if formed from a cloud of black mist that exuded a chilly aura in waves. He was like a messenger of death who had descended upon the living world.

His eyes suddenly opened. Twin ghostly lights flickered in those eyes, making Wang Baole's avatar look inhuman. Wang Baole extended his senses and assessed his avatar's level of fighting capability, then sighed.

Next to none. It's a more convenient way of controlling the Dark Artifact though, at least when compared to using my own true form. Wang Baole fell into a bout of contemplation. Then, his avatar suddenly lifted his right hand and raised his Dark Staff. A vortex suddenly appeared where the two Star Fang Beast corpses had been placed, swallowing the two corpses. Vast Dark Qi suddenly appeared out of nowhere and entered the corpses.

The Dark Artifact will be my go-to weapon. Next, I still have to use the power of the Dark Artifact to refine the two beast corpses into puppets. They will become my second go-to weapon. Determination flashed in Wang Baole's eyes. He steered his avatar into maneuvering the Dark Artifact and began refining the beast corpses.

Puppets were another type of Dharmic treasure, and Wang Baole had a talent that surpassed the ordinary cultivator in this particular area. The experiences he had accumulated in his early years had led to his realization that he had a gift when it came to refining puppets.

During his time as the Grand Supreme Elder in the Dao Palace, he had gone through volumes of Dao Palace records and documents. That had helped him in refining Dharmic Armaments and strengthened his overall mastery of puppets.

Besides puppets, I'll also have to refine and enhance some Dharmic Armaments. With a wave of his hand, Wang Baole summoned a huge black bow. It entered the vortex. His hands came together in a flurry of hand seals as he began the urgent business of refining Dharmic Armaments.

While he was busy with refinement, Mars was also busy preparing for war after the mass teleportation had ended. The Martian Colony Governor's instructions were being carried out dutifully. Time… passed steadily.

Seven days went by. There was an inspection of the Solar System Array Formation, an alarm system was set up across the entire planet, and all Dharmic Artifacts were activated. Then, the Martian Colony Governor gave the orders. The Dharmic Artifacts unleashed their powers simultaneously, transforming into countless beams of light that blasted into the cosmos beyond Mars.

An enormous vortex appeared in space at that exact moment, and the Never-Ending Clan battleship charged out from within!

The Dharmic Artifacts' attacks landed directly on the battleship, but they barely caused a scratch. As the Dharmic Artifacts disintegrated amidst their self-destructive attacks, a figure appeared on the battleship. It was… Daoist You Ran.

"Wang Baole!" There was a stormy look on Daoist You Ran's face, and murder colored his eyes. His right hand rose, then pointed at Mars. The vast fleet of Dao Palace battleships appeared behind him. The remaining survivors of the Dao Palace and a hundred thousand Never-Ending Clan puppets appeared as well and made a charge towards the planet.

The Martian Colony Governor barked out her orders decisively, without any hesitation!

"Deploy the Solar System Array Formation's first wave of offense!"

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Chapter 717: The Only Way Is To Fight!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The Martian planet quaked when the Martian Colony Governor barked out her orders, and a wave of spirit energy appeared out of nowhere. It had the planet as its center as it rippled outward, surging into the surrounding cosmos. It was like a swift hurricane that threatened to sweep away everything in its path.

The Martian Colony Governor's strong and decisive character, as well as the unyielding fire hidden deep in her bones, ensured that the battle on Mars would be completely different from the battles on Venus and Mercury. The dramatic difference had caught Daoist You Ran completely by surprise!

He had been aware of the strange capabilities the Solar System Array Formation possessed since the onset of the invasion. He had tried to think of many ways to circumvent it, but it seemed almost impossible to infiltrate Earth unless he destroyed the key planets supporting the array formation.

That had been the reason for the battle on Venus and the battle now against Mars. He had never expected Mars to unleash the Solar System Array Formation's power in such a manner!

It was equivalent to triggering the self-destruct mechanism for the Solar System Array Formation. The difference was instead of doing it once, the destruction was controlled and released in waves. The force of the explosions wouldn't be as strong, but the array formation wouldn't be rendered completely useless. Regardless… its strength would be weakened. If Daoist You Ran had the luxury of time, he could even attempt to weaken the array formation by sacrificing his troops. Eventually, he would be able to get past Mars, barge through the Solar System Array Formation, and enter Earth.

However, Daoist You Ran was caught in a dilemma. It would've been easier on him if he didn't have Zi Yue's orders. He recalled her explicit instruction to capture Wang Baole alive. Then, he eyed the Never-Ending Clan puppets. After a moment of thought, he gritted his teeth and abandoned the idea of weakening the Solar System Array Formation. If he did choose to do so, he would also be giving Mars more time to strategize and fight back.

"Attack with everything you've got!" An icy glint flashed across his eyes as he barked out his orders. The vast fleet of Dao Palace battleships rushed towards Mars and unleashed their full power. The fleet resembled numerous arrows that had been fired from bows, charging towards the Solar System Array Formation's first offensive wave and colliding head-on with the former.

Numerous battleships disintegrated instantly in the self-destructive wave erupting from the Solar System Array Formation. The cultivators on board were killed instantly, their bodies turned to dust. Many battleships shook under the shock waves and suffered varying degrees of damage.

The Federation battleships and the Dharmic Artifacts on Mars unleashed their attacks then as well. Their attacks were interspersed with the destructive waves of energy from the array formation, forming an offensive barrier that prevented the Dao Palace from advancing.

However, the first wave of offense eventually weakened as the Dao Palace fleet persisted in its advance. Hordes of Dao Palace battleships approached Mars. An icy glint flashed across the Martian Colony Governor's eyes then. The second and third offensive waves were activated consecutively!

Explosions thundered in the cosmos surrounding Mars, and spheres of light flashed as Dao Palace battleships blew up. Battleships that survived destruction continued to receive damage. When the fourth offensive wave swept across the cosmos, sixth-tenths of Daoist You Ran's fleet had been decimated!

Countless cultivators perished. Amongst them were Dao Palace survivors, but a majority were Never-Ending Clan puppets. The battleships suffered great damages as well. Daoist You Ran's fleet had shrunk considerably when compared to the original numbers he had at the beginning of the invasion.

That might seem like a great achievement, but the Federation had paid a great price for it. The Solar System Array Formation had weakened considerably, its power shaved off. The gates protecting the core of the Federation had thinned, its defenses weakened.

Mars had also lost the ability to make use of the Solar System Array Formation for mass teleportation. Unlike the battle on Venus, it was no longer possible to teleport everyone away simultaneously should there be a need for it. The best that it could do was teleportation by batches. Mars was effectively driving itself into a corner.

It was hard to determine whether they had gained more or lost more in this exchange. However, Li Xingwen and Duan Muque had chosen to support the governor's decision. They didn't say anything. Instead, they watched closely as the battle unfolded.

"Battleships, fall back, draw them in. Great Martian Array Formation, be on standby. Martian cultivators, await my orders as well!" The Martian Colony Governor narrowed her eyes as she barked out her orders. The Federation battleships defending Mars in space immediately retreated and ceased fire. Dao Palace battleships immediately rushed through the line of defense and entered the airspace above the Martian City. Dao Palace cultivators and Never-Ending Clan puppets rushed out of the battleships in hordes. Their target, the Martian City!

"Kill everything on the planet and find Wang Baole!" The battleship that Daoist You Ran was aboard emerged in a thunderous explosion in the Martian skies. It was a giant that seemed to block out the entire sky, casting a black shadow over the land.

Inside the Martian City, everyone was currently reeling back with shock. Zhao Yameng and Kong Dao were amongst these cultivators. They stared at the enormous battleship in the air, a dark looming entity that obscured the skies. A kind of madness colored their eyes as they swore they would fight to their last breath.

The remaining survivors of the Dao Palace showed hesitation in response to Daoist You Ran's orders. In comparison, the mindless Never-Ending Clan puppets accepted the orders without protest. They obediently charged out, murder clear in their eyes, and rushed towards the Martian City beneath them.

The Dao Palace cultivators and Never-Ending Clan puppets descended like a storm, falling from the heavens and approaching their target. It was then that…

"Activate the Great Martian Array Formation's first wave of suppression!" The Martian Colony Governor made a hand seal promptly. The Great Martian Array Formation shuddered violently and released a wave of suppressive force that swept the skies and hit the approaching army.

There wasn't much lethal force behind the attack. Instead, it was a mental shock wave that sent many Dao Palace cultivators' heads buzzing. The entity pulling the strings of the Never-Ending Clan puppets was also affected and momentarily rendered motionless.

"We fight now!" As the array formation's shock wave rippled across the battlefield, the Martian Colony Governor's declaration thundered in the air. Masses of Federation cultivators charged out, roaring, and Federation battleships appeared in the air, providing aerial support. They seized the momentary pause in the enemy troops' charge and began… their counterattack!

Casualties on both sides spiked instantly. The figures were alarming. Blood rained down from the skies without ceasing. Broken limbs plunged to the ground. Screams of terror and pain pierced the air. Suicidal self-destruction boomed. Anti-Spirit Bombs exploded while Never-Ending Clan puppets fought fearlessly. Scenes of death and violence repeated themselves on the Martian battlefield.

A battle on land did result in Daoist You Ran and his army's loss of the aerial advantage. In addition, the waves of suppression unleashed by the Great Martian Array Formation boosted the Federation cultivators' offensive attacks. Regardless, the difference in power separating the two sides remained. Mie Liezi and two other Soul Conduit realm cultivators decided to join the battle. Daoist You Ran, who had been using the Death Dao Battleship to search for Wang Baole, chose to divide his attention between the search and the battle. Under his command, the Death Dao Battleship unleashed countless runes, which transformed into pillars of light that crashed into the Martian City. Even with the array formation's defenses, Mars was still at the losing end of the battle!

Half of the city was destroyed in an instant, and black flames spread fiercely and rapidly across the planet, refining both cultivators caught in the fires and the planet itself. Of course, Mars was still fighting back fiercely and holding its ground. Its cultivators had sworn to fight to their last breath. Spirit Science genius Zhao Pinfang's preparation for the battle had paid off. The Martian retaliation against its enemies was fearsome and terrifying to behold.

Seventeen Stellar Source Spirit Cannons, fueled by the Martian stellar source, were raised above the ground and fired simultaneously. Beams of light blasted into the sky, shocking even Daoist You Ran with their power.

Next came the Anti-Spirit Bombs, a weapon the Dao Palace was intimately familiar with. Amongst these bombs were those with an explosive force as powerful as an attack from a Nascent Soul realm cultivator. Their purpose wasn't to kill, it was… to create chaos and effectively lock down the entire battlefield, preventing Nascent Soul realm enemy cultivators from teleporting!

The Federation had few Nascent Soul realm cultivators. It suffered little in comparison to the enemy if both sides were to lose the ability to teleport. This would be to the Federation's advantage!

Then came the more powerful Anti-Spirit Bombs. They were each as powerful as an attack from a Soul Conduit realm cultivator but were fewer in numbers. Their terrifying power meant their greater importance in the battle. Finally, Zhao Pinfang also had a trump card ready for the Martian battle!

That was… an artificial cosmological entity that resembled a Dyson Sphere!

Countless Dharmic Artifacts rose into the air and surrounded the planet, transforming into an enormous Dyson Sphere. Its function wasn't to drain the planet of its power. Instead… it sucked the waves of spirit energy and Spirit Qi on the battlefield, serving as an offensive weapon while… creating a sealed environment on the battlefield!

It was a barricade around Mars that stopped the flow of Spirit Qi on the planet and prevented any inflow of Spirit Qi!

The Federation had shown all its trump cards in this battle. This was the fiercest counterattack that it was mounting. They still weren't a match for the enemy, but they had effectively dragged out the battle. The seal that prevented any inflow of Spirit Qi to support cultivators' use of mystic techniques meant that firearms came in useful in this battle. That was a further disadvantage to the Dao Palace. The situation worsened as time passed!

Nevertheless, this was a universe ruled by cultivation. The unparalleled significance of individual power was proven as a furious Daoist You Ran abandoned his search for Wang Baole and chose to join the battle. He crushed the Dyson Sphere around the planet effortlessly.

I refuse to believe that you can still manage to escape if I destroy this entire planet, Wang Baole! A murderous glint flashed in Daoist You Ran's eyes. He was ready to unleash his full power and annihilate the planet. It was then that Wang Baole's avatar, hiding deep underground in the belly of the Dark Artifact, lifted his head abruptly. There was a solemn look on the avatar's face.

The repairs of the Dark Artifact weren't complete, but the ninth-grade bow had been fully restored, and the two Star Fang Beast corpses had been successfully refined. The corpses couldn't compare to their living Spirit Immortal realm selves, but they were still at the Soul Conduit realm.

The only way to gain more time to repair the Dark Artifact is to fight! Wang Baole's avatar narrowed his eyes, and a ghostly light erupted from his form. His right hand made a grab through the air, causing the bow to come flying towards him. The two beast corpses opened their eyes and released twin howls. With Wang Baole in the lead, they made their way through the Dark Artifact and emerged above ground!

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Chapter 718: I'm Not Going to Repair It Anymore!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Daoist You Ran hovered in midair, about to attack. He lifted his head the exact moment Wang Baole's avatar dashed out from the cave. Daoist You Ran stared in the direction of the Divine Armament New City. With his level of cultivation, he could easily sense the familiar presence emerging from underground.

"Wang Baole!" Daoist You Ran narrowed his eyes. He hadn't found any traces of Wang Baole earlier, no matter how hard he had searched. He concluded that there must be something hidden on this planet that he was unaware of.

"So what… it doesn't matter at all!" An icy glint flashed in Daoist You Ran's eyes. The scene of Zi Yue planting vines on Venus with a wave of her hand and bringing to life a hundred thousand Never-Ending Clan puppets surfaced in his mind. It was an indelible image, seared deep into his brain. He concluded that she was at least at the Planet realm. At that thought, he sneered, then turned and headed for the city!

As Daoist You Ran raced towards the city, Wang Baole's avatar appeared in midair above the city. However, because his level of cultivation wasn't high enough, he was unable to let his Dark Sampan, his Dark Robe, and his Lantern Oar materialize. In addition, his avatar appeared translucent.

His avatar's battle capabilities weren't on par with those of his true form, which was why Wang Baole wasn't in favor of engaging in battle now if he could help it. He had no choice though. As soon as his avatar appeared above the city, he immediately sensed an overpowering presence rushing towards him from the main Martian City. An icy glint flashed in Wang Baole's eyes.

He didn't hesitate and lifted the enormous black bow in his left hand while his right hand pulled the bowstring back, transforming the shape of the bow into the shape of a full moon. He pointed the bow towards the presence charging at him, then released the bowstring abruptly.

The air around him trembled and splintered in multiple spots. A dazzling light gathered around the bow and, with the release of the bowstring, shot forward. It transformed into a spear that sped into the distance, its blade so sharp it seemed capable of ripping through everything in its path!

The power exuding from the spear was incredible, stirring both the heavens and the earth. It was as if anything that stood in its path would be destroyed instantly, without any fighting chance!

All cultivators in the Divine Armament New City were dumbstruck. However, this wasn't the end of the avatar's preemptive attack!

His eyes flashed as he pulled the bowstring again and released eleven shots at one go!

Explosions like thunder erupted without pause, and cracks began to appear in the space around him. His surrounding sky appeared on the verge of complete collapse. The black bow's power was so great that the heavens themselves couldn't withstand it!

That wasn't far from the truth. The black bow was a ninth-grade Dharmic Artifact. Even though it was damaged when Wang Baole had found it, its power had been restored almost completely after he had repaired it. Wang Baole had added some stellar source as well as Supreme Fire Ore during the repairs. He had also involved his Dark Artifact during the restoration process. The result had been a rebuilding of the original artifact that had made it even more powerful than before!

The black bow's power was enhanced to its full potential. In fact, it might have surpassed its original potential… in addition, Wang Baole wasn't using it in the conventional way. He was sacrificing long-term functionality, gaining maximum destruction from the bow without considering the damage done to the artifact. The destructive power the bow unleashed was beyond what it should have been capable of. Eleven shots… was its limit!

As soon as the eleventh spear shot out from the bow, the artifact turned to dust in Wang Baole's hand.

Eleven arcs of rainbow sped forward like lightning bolts, merging into a dazzling sea of lights. Seemingly locked on to a single target, they surged forward, tearing through the air. They were thundering and filled with violence and power as they continued to race through the heavens and head for… their target, who was similarly racing at extreme, unbelievable speeds and rapidly approaching the city—Daoist You Ran!

The eleven spears made of blinding light appeared before Daoist You Ran instantly. The latter narrowed his eyes, raised his right hand, and flung it forward. A sealed rune appeared before him, growing in size until it spanned a thousand feet long. The seal rushed forward and collided with the eleven spears.

A deafening eruption immediately exploded in the region. The spears' attack seemed to have been stopped. However, waves of black smoke soon began to exude from the spears. They ate away at the seal, intent on consuming the seal and escaping.

Daoist You Ran frowned slightly. He could sense something hidden beneath the power of these eleven spears. It was an aura that struck terror into his heart instinctively.

He couldn't pin down the exact nature of this aura, there was no time for him to do anything like that. He teleported instantly, stepped out of the spears' attack range, and headed for Wang Baole!

"Is that an avatar? That means that your true form should be in the vicinity as well!" Daoist You Ran's voice was laced with ice and hate. As his words echoed in the air, he charged forward, his form a blur as he approached Wang Baole!

Wang Baole's avatar retreated hastily, his hands forming a flurry of hand seals. A beast corpse appeared on either side of him instantly. The eyes of the beast on the right suddenly glowed bright red, and its jaw fell open as it let loose a furious roar. The beast charged forward and lunged at Daoist You Ran!

Green flames enveloped the Star Fang Beast puppet as it dashed out. It was a fire that was different from what the beast would have given off when it had still been alive, and different from the Dark Fire as well. It appeared to be a fire that was born out of the two, one that resembled both and yet neither. Regardless, there was no doubt of its power. The beast transformed into a great sphere of fire as it lunged at its target!

The same happened to the Star Fang Beast puppet on Wang Baole's left. Both Star Fang Beast puppets charged at Daoist You Ran, cornering him from both sides. The collision was almost immediate, and the air boomed with deafening thunder. The joint attack of the twin Star Fang Beast puppets was trouble even for Daoist You Ran. He frowned. The beasts had been at the Spirit Immortal realm prior to their deaths. That meant that their physical forms would be extremely strong and a force to be reckoned with.

That wasn't the only thing that Daoist You Ran had to be wary of. He could avoid their physical attacks by teleportation and continue his pursuit of Wang Baole. However, just as he raised his right hand in a wave and was about to teleport himself away, Wang Baole suddenly formed a hand seal. The two beasts roared, and green flames surged from their bodies. They appeared to be using their own bodies as fuel. The flames transformed into a sea of fire that spread out and enveloped the area!

Two spheres of fire merged together, forming an ocean that enveloped the entire region. It sealed the area and prevented one from teleporting!

Everything happened within an instant. As the flames surged from the beasts' bodies, light flashed across the eyes of Wang Baole's avatar as his eyes formed a series of hand seals. Black flames erupted from his body, fanning outwards and, together with the sea of green fire, trapped Daoist You Ran within!

That wasn't the end of it. As the flames enveloped Daoist You Ran, a low, booming voice thundered, igniting another round of transformation in the sea of fire!

"Seal!"

With that single booming command, the eleven spears, which had been held back by the seal, suddenly released a dazzling light. They pierced the seal, swung in the opposite direction in a swift arc, and unleashed a burst of sudden speed. They appeared almost instantly around Daoist You Ran, hovering beyond the flames, spread out in a circle around him. Then, like spears skewering a caged basket, they descended into the sea of fire, their simultaneous attacks unleashing a thunderous eruption in the sea!

This was all part of Wang Baole's plan. He knew that his avatar wasn't Daoist You Ran's match. That was why he had only one aim from the start of this battle. It involved sacrificing his avatar so that he could seal Daoist You Ran and buy himself more time!

The eleven spears landed, then began spinning furiously, releasing their full power and transforming that into a suppressive force that sent the sea of fire boiling. The sea of fire reached unbelievable temperatures. The surrounding air began to distort, like living creatures contorting in pain as they were burned in the extreme heat!

Wang Baole had planned everything meticulously, and his plan had unfolded smoothly. Too easily. Wang Baole was surprised by the turn of events. His gut told him that something was wrong.

It was then that an enormous arm shot out from the sea of fire and grabbed one of the spears. Covering the arm were countless faces devoid of emotion. It was a terrifying sight to behold. The arm yanked fiercely and shattered the spear!

The spear's destruction thundered in the air, and terrifying laughter emerged from the flames. Another arm, as well as an enormous head, rose from the fire!

It both looked like Daoist You Ran and looked nothing like Daoist You Ran. The two heads and four arms that had been destroyed by the Night Immortal King were fully healed and even appeared stronger than before. Countless faces covered the surface of his arms and heads!

"I knew you would be up to your tricks again. That's why I sacrificed ten thousand Never-Ending Clan puppets before I arrived on this planet. The sacrifice healed my body and brought me to the peak of my physical condition. In fact, it made me stronger than before. I now contain the vitality of ten thousand souls. How… are you going to defeat me now?" Daoist You Ran's voice was filled with triumph as it thundered in the heavens. He dashed out, and in an instant, the spears surrounding him shattered. Waves of fire surged outward and exposed his fearsome form!

At that exact moment, Wang Baole, who was still sitting within the Dark Artifact, finally opened his eyes. They were bright with determination.

"Since there's no time to repair it fully… let's just not do it then!"

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Chapter 719: The Birth of the Dark Artifact!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Dark Sampan, resume your position!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"His name is… Wang Baole!

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

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

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

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

"Baole!"

"Senior Brother Baole!"

"Fatty…"

"Brother Baole…"

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

"Dark Robe, resume your position!"

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Chapter 720: The Advent of the Dark Child!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

All eyes were on him!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Lantern Oar… resume your position!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It was a shocking sight to behold!

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

"Dark Child!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Soul, come!"

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

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

But… there was no use in trying!

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

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

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

"Knowing what's to come in the future, the one who is working hard now is…"

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Chapter 721: You Ran's True Form!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The singing voices of the three souls resonated in the heavens. The skies darkened, and devilish winds appeared out of nowhere and swept across the lands. They stirred the black mist that had emerged above ground due to the power of the Dark Artifact and had been spreading across the lands!

Spurred by the devilish winds, the black mist began to spread more rapidly across the Martian lands. They howled furiously. Everyone watched as the skies around Wang Baole transformed into an ocean of black mist!

It was an ocean of mist, a mist of death. It seemed to hail from the underworld. One might even venture to call it the Dark Sea!

The sea filled both the lands and the skies, its rumbling waves coursed through the planet. Mars became a mere shadow of its former self. The Dark Fires on Wang Baole flared up. If the path towards rebirth was lined with lighthouses, they would be the fire lighting up the lamps in those lighthouses—cold flames that burned true, that seemed to contain within them the laws of this universe.

They drove the Dark Sea to unleash its power again. Waves of spirit energy rushed forward, unstoppable and overpowering, at Daoist You Ran, threatening to pull him under!

Thunder crashed, fearsome and deafening!

Daoist You Ran tried his best to escape the Dark Sea, whose power was so great it stirred the entire planet, but it was useless. Shock and despair raced through his mind. He screamed and struggled madly, trying his best to fight back.

The waves of the Dark Sea towered like pillars, ready to crash down and flood everything. As they descended on Daoist You Ran, he blew up every face on his body in a last-ditch attempt at self-defense. In that instant, he was like a fragile air bubble, helpless and vulnerable, bursting instantly!

The force of the explosion of all those faces created a backlash inside Daoist You Ran's body. Blood flowed from his lips, and his hair, loosened and disheveled, whipped in the fierce wind. His clothes were torn, his eyes were bright with despair and madness, and his voice was sharp and brimming with hate and resentment.

"Wang Baole, I don't admit defeat!" Daoist You Ran roared and gave up all attempts at escape. His right foot stomped heavily into the ground, holding him in place as his six arms came together in a flurry of hand seals. He was burning his very life in order to gain more power. He was going to fight until his last breath.

He unleashed a hundred and twenty percent of his full cultivation, and the irregularly shaped shard in his eyes appeared again. This precious shard, clearly invaluable to him, began showing signs of self-destruction!

There was no doubt of the extreme danger that Wang Baole had placed him in. It had exceeded any other danger he had ever experienced. He threw everything to the wind as he hoped for the best—that luck would allow him to survive the onslaught of the Dark Sea.

A series of booms thundered in the air. Daoist You Ran continued to hold his ground, proving the extent of his resilience and strength in the face of extreme danger. As he continued to unleash his cultivation and sacrifice his vitality, the irregularly shaped shard in his eyes continued to show itself. It was as if the shard had transformed into an enormous rock that stood before him, protecting him from the waves of the Dark Sea rushing at him. The waves stopped before him, as if held back by the rock. They couldn't advance and pull him under!

Everyone who was watching the fight shivered at the sight. The powers that Wang Baole had displayed had been incredible, so the fact that Daoist You Ran was still alive and holding his own was simply unbelievable. However, the reality was that… Daoist You Ran himself was reaching his limits. His body shuddered violently as cracks began to appear on his arms. The Dark Sea pressed upon him with the weight of an entire planet. He feared that he couldn't hold on any longer.

"Since you won't allow me to take your spirit, I'll simply have to destroy you." Wang Baole remained calm as he stood on the Dark Sampan and observed Daoist You Ran's struggles. As he spoke in a hoarse voice, he raised his right arm, which was holding onto the Lantern Oar. The Lantern Oar pointed at Daoist You Ran, then swept downwards through the air!

The Dark Sea retreated from the invisible barrier in front of Daoist You Ran instantly. Its waves rose into the heavens, shifting and transforming into a finger, followed by a second, then a third. In the blink of an eye… a palm spanning tens of thousands of feet materialized in the air!

It swiped at Daoist You Ran!

Daoist You Ran's eyes widened, they were red and filled with intense despair.

"Mistress Zi Yue, please, save me!" Daoist You Ran screamed out in fear. It didn't matter how much he struggled, the enormous hand approached him and landed with a deafening thunder. Daoist You Ran's six arms turned into mush, and his legs caved in from the impact.

There wasn't even time for him to scream out again. The huge hand rushed at him once more… instantly capturing Daoist You Ran.

It tightened suddenly. Daoist You Ran's combat body, and his soul housed within the body… were instantly destroyed!

The fight hadn't ended yet. An intense light flashed in Wang Baole's eyes. This wasn't the first time Daoist You Ran had died. Wang Baole knew very well that his battle with Daoist You Ran had just begun!

"Or should I call it my battle with Zi Yue…" Wang Baole narrowed his eyes. He lifted his right hand into the air without hesitation and turned it towards a spot a distance away from him. His palm sliced downwards. The Dark Sampan under his feet began to rumble, and it charged out and sped through the heavens with Wang Baole aboard it.

The giant hand that had crushed Daoist You Ran rushed out alongside Wang Baole. They sped across the heavens and appeared in the skies above the main Martian City, right in front of… the Never-Ending Clan Death Dao Battleship.

The Never-Ending Clan Death Dao Battleship took action immediately upon Wang Baole's arrival. No one knew how it managed to do what it did, but tens of thousands of Never-Ending Clan puppets in the Martian City immediately blew themselves up. Their mutilated and maimed pieces of flesh and blood rose to the skies rapidly and gathered before the Never-Ending Clan battleship. Then, they amassed and transformed into a gigantic tumorous mass that slammed into the approaching Wang Baole!

Countless faces formed the surface of the tumor and screamed and cursed at Wang Baole in a language he couldn't understand. Their shrieks filled the air as they unleashed their power in an explosive eruption.

Wang Baole's pupils contracted. His left hand formed a hand seal, then it pointed. The giant hand that had been formed from the Dark Sea charged at the approaching tumor and grabbed at it.

Thunder rose into the heavens. The collision resulted in a violent impact that shook the entire planet. The tumor burst open instantly, transforming into formless flesh and blood. The giant hand that had been formed from the Dark Sea, the temporary vessel for the Dark Artifact's power, showed signs of damage and disintegration as well.

Consecutive use of the giant hand had caused its damage. The fact that Wang Baole's current level of cultivation wasn't able to allow its sustained use contributed to its damaged state as well. Finally, the partially restored state of the Dark Artifact had a great deal to do with the giant hand's rapid deterioration.

Wang Baole's face appeared slightly pale, and his organs were churning. He gritted his teeth and unleashed the Dark Fire, continuing to wield the Dark Artifact. The disintegrating giant hand rushed out instantly, its target, the Never-Ending Clan Death Dao Battleship!

He knew that the battleship was the key to this battle's outcome!

It was then that the Never-Ending Clan battleship suddenly shuddered. An incredible, terrifying force that sent Wang Baole's heart racing erupted from the battleship. It was a power so strong that the battleship itself began to fall apart. Pieces of the battleship shrank rapidly, and black vines shot out of the battleship and wrapped themselves around the latter. They appeared to be draining the planet of its energy while growing in size and length. The Martian City began to cave in, and the city started to disintegrate before their eyes!

Regardless of which side they were standing on, cultivators on the planet suffered the same fate—their vitality and their cultivation draining from their rapidly withering bodies. The lands suffered a similar fate. All across the planet, the vitality of every living creature was escaping from their bodies and rising up into the air, heading straight for the battleship, which was growing increasingly smaller by the moment!

The unexpected turn of events caught everyone by surprise. Every cultivator trembled as they tried their best to fight back, but it was of no use. Their struggle was caught on-screen and projected to the rest of the Federation. Citizens of the Federation stared in shock and horror at the scene unfolding before them.

Alarm flashed across Wang Baole's face. He had no time to think as danger loomed over the entire planet. The Dark Fire erupted from his body as he roared and controlled the giant hand formed from the Dark Sea. He pushed the giant hand, as its vitality continued to be drained away, to grab onto a corner of the ever-shrinking, withering form of the Never-Ending Clan battleship. Then, with a sudden burst of energy from the Dark Artifact, he maneuvered the hand into flinging the battleship away into space!

A loud boom thundered in the heavens and reverberated across the entire planet. The shrinking, withering form of the Never-Ending Clan battleship transformed into a long arc of rainbow as it was forcefully thrown into the air. It crossed the heavens, tearing through space itself as it was flung out of Mars and into the cosmos!

The suction that had originated from the battleship weakened as the distance between the battleship and Mars widened. There was no time for Wang Baole to catch his breath though. He sped for the stars, where he saw something that sent shock snaking down his spine!

The battleship had lost most of its parts as they had withered away or had been torn away from it when it had been thrown into space. The remnants of its core were covered by countless vines. These vines continued to grow, extending into four human limbs and a human head. The head… was clearly Daoist You Ran's!

It was humongous!

Daoist You Ran's eyes were shut, his face covered with black vines that resembled blood veins. Under his forehead, a tumor seemed to reside, one that pumped without pause. He looked terrifying. At the same time, waves of incredible power continued to exude from his gigantic form.

As Wang Baole observed the giant's strange and startling formation, alarm bells began to ring loudly in his head. They screamed danger at him. It was then that Daoist You Ran's eyes opened abruptly.

"All thanks to my master, and to you, Wang Baole, I've finally reached complete fusion with the Death Dao Battleship!"

"As a show of my sincerest gratitude, I'm going to destroy your civilization. It shall become the food that will nourish my master—my gift to thank her for what she's done for me."

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Chapter 722: Destination—Pluto

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The face of every Federation citizen was filled with horror. Every cultivator on Mars was struck by shock. Terror surged through them uncontrollably. Even the cultivators from the Dao Palace were seized by fear!

They had lost all desire for battle and were trembling. They had been ignoring the presence of the Never-Ending Clan cultivators as well as the Never-Ending Clan puppets. However, as the events continued to unfold before their eyes, and as Daoist You Ran declared his intentions upon his complete fusion with the Death Dao Battleship, they could no longer fake ignorance.

Besides… if not for Wang Baole, there was a great chance that Daoist You Ran would have drained them dry of their vitality and cultivation earlier. Emotions flashed across the eyes of these Dao Palace cultivators as they stood in silence and gazed into the cosmos.

Reflected in their eyes, and in the eyes of the Martian cultivators and the Federation citizens… was Daoist You Ran's gargantuan form. He seemed to hold the power to shake heaven and earth as his enormous form towered before Wang Baole. The aura he exuded remained as supernatural and eerie as before, but the power he seemed to possess… had clearly drastically transformed!

Zi Yue… Wang Baole narrowed his eyes. He knew that Zi Yue was the cause of Daoist You Ran's transformation. He could hear the difference in Daoist You Ran's voice as well. He sounded like a machine, and there were sounds of something metallic running. It appeared that his very nature had been changed.

Wang Baole had no idea the price that had to be paid for this transformation. Regardless, he understood that Daoist You Ran's power and strength were clearly much greater than before. Wang Baole might have his Dark Artifact with him, but that didn't stop him from feeling an extreme sense of danger at that moment!

One might say that the tables had been turned the moment Daoist You Ran and the Never-Ending Clan Death Dao Battleship had completed their fusion!

Daoist You Ran didn't give Wang Baole time to react to his transformation. As his words resonated in the cosmos, he raised his right hand and pointed at Wang Baole, launching an immediate attack!

The attack didn't trigger an eruption of light, but that didn't stop the flash of alarm flickering on Wang Baole's face as he swept his Lantern Oar before him. The Dark Fire spread out instantly, transforming into a sea of fire in front of him. The Dark Sampan under his feet glided back swiftly. At that precise moment, the cosmos before him caved in. A thunderous boom reverberated in the air, and countless vines surged out of the collapsed cosmos and rushed at Wang Baole.

Where these vines passed, the cosmos withered and wrinkled. Finally, the vines collided with Wang Baole's Dark Fire.

The Dark Fire, which had proven a bane against everything else, met a worthy opponent for the first time. Amidst the rumbling of their collision, the Dark Fire burned numerous vines. However, it was also rapidly being extinguished. Within a few seconds, the Dark Fire was completely put out. The scorched vines wriggled as new shoots sprouted from their bodies. Then, they made a second charge at Wang Baole.

Daoist You Ran narrowed his eyes, and his right hand formed a series of hand seals. Numerous more vines emerged from his body, surging into the cosmos. They looked like countless tentacles swaying in the air as they raced towards Wang Baole. It was as if they intended to surround him fully and trap him within!

That wasn't the end of Daoist You Ran's attack. A murderous glint flickered in his eyes as he stepped forward and raised his left hand. It tightened into a fist that then smashed towards Wang Baole with overpowering force. It was a punch that seemed to contain the power to destroy everything in its path!

Countless vines danced in the air, swift and innumerable. They surrounded Wang Baole, on the verge of closing in and trapping him. Daoist You Ran's fist was descending upon Wang Baole as well, carrying with it incredible destructive power.

The expression on Wang Baole's face was dark as the intense danger and immense threat of death loomed over him.

Every one of the vines contained incredible resistance and resilience. Wang Baole's Dark Fire could burn them, but it was clear that he didn't have enough Dark Fire when compared to the countless number of vines. That was why he hadn't been able to destroy them completely.

What made things worse was how the vines would continue to regenerate as long as they weren't completely destroyed. Their strong regenerative abilities and inherent power made Wang Baole's heart sink. The overwhelming power exuding from the approaching Daoist You Ran added greater stress to Wang Baole.

We can't continue the fight here… Grim determination flashed across Wang Baole's eyes. He knew that continuing the fight here might result in collateral damage inflicted on Mars. Any one of their attacks could be disastrous for the planet. At the same time… while Mars was a huge planet, when compared to the entire Solar System… it still wasn't the place where he could unleash his full power.

I have to leave this place! Wang Baole didn't hesitate as he watched the vines around him charge at him. He placed the Lantern Oar on the Dark Sampan, the sound of both artifacts coming into contact resonating in the air once more. Then, a string of complicated Dark Sect spells came out of Wang Baole's mouth!

As soon as the spells were spoken, the State Preceptor's face appeared on his Dark Robe, and the figure of the little boy drifted out from the Lantern Oar. There was a fearsome look on the boy's face, it was lined with fury and violence. He screamed, and the lamp on the Lantern Oar suddenly cracked!

The Dark Fire inside the lamp surged out. The flames spread out, greater in number compared to the Dark Fires housed inside Wang Baole's body. He was sacrificing the Lantern Oar in order to unleash the power of the Dark Fire once again!

Black flames flowed out of the broken lamp, surrounded Wang Baole, then surged outward in the blink of an eye. It was like the eruption of a volcano, black fire that clashed with the surrounding vines.

Thunder rumbled in the skies. The vines might be resilient, but Wang Baole had paid a heavy price for this second attack of Dark Fire. The vines weren't its match. Most of them turned into dust in an instant, though the Dark Fire also suffered a hit in the collision. As a result, it wasn't a match for Daoist You Ran's punch. In the next instant, it scattered to the winds like autumn leaves. Daoist You Ran's fist smashed through the sea of Dark Fire and headed straight for Wang Baole.

Just as his fist was about to land on Wang Baole, the State Preceptor howled. The Dark Robe ballooned into an incredible size, surrounding Wang Baole like a protective barrier. Daoist You Ran's destructive punch landed on the robe.

Thunderous booms reverberated in the air, and the Dark Robe shattered into multiple pieces. The State Preceptor's face grew blurry, and Wang Baole himself spat out a mouthful of blood. Then, the blow pushed the Dark Sampan under his feet… it dashed out of the sea of fire in the next moment, shot out of the wall of vines surrounding him, and reappeared… in the distant starlit skies.

It didn't stop there, it continued to head for the stars.

"Trying to escape?" Daoist You Ran narrowed his eyes. He didn't pull back his right fist, and instead, the fist suddenly stretched out in an impossible manner, moving towards Wang Baole as if in pursuit!

His fingers stretched rapidly as well. It was a disturbing sight to behold. Wang Baole had experienced numerous fights since he had first embarked on his journey of cultivation. He was battle-worn and experienced. He didn't even spare a glance for what was going on behind him. A resolute light glimmered in his eyes.

"Lantern Oar, I promise that I'll remake you again one day in the future!" The little boy hovered above the ruined Lantern Oar, on the verge of tears. He could only nod in reply. As he turned back and stared at the giant hand pursuing him, a flash of murderous grudge appeared in his eyes. He started chanting a curse in step with Wang Baole's intentions. Then, Wang Baole released the Lantern Oar. The little boy's soul returned to the artifact, and the Lantern Oar swung itself around and charged at Daoist You Ran's giant hand!

Waves of self-destructive power surged from the Lantern Oar, growing in strength until they reached their peak. Then, in the next instant, the oar exploded. The explosion transformed into an invisible barrier that stopped Daoist You Ran's giant hand in its tracks!

Despite Daoist You Ran's desire to continue the pursuit, he wasn't given a choice to do so. No matter how damaged the Lantern Oar was, it was still a Divine Armament of superior grade. Its timely and region-specific self-destruction forced the powerful Daoist You Ran into retreating so as to evade the attack!

Explosive booms thundered in the air, and Daoist You Ran was successfully held back by the explosion. Wang Baole spat out a mouthful of blood as the Dark Sampan unleashed its full force and sped away into the distant cosmos. There was a fierce glint in Wang Baole's eyes. He knew that he wasn't Daoist You Ran's match at the moment. The only way to turn the tides of this fight might be to receive a boost of power from the largest planet in the Solar System. There was also something else… the summoning call from Pluto!

He was making a gamble. He was betting on his importance to Zi Yue, betting that it surpassed the importance of the Federation. He might not have been confident of his odds prior to his battle with Zi Yue, but after absorbing the power of her finger, he now felt a certain measure of confidence in his judgment.

He was also betting on Zi Yue's nature. Someone who was so selfish and focused on her own self-interests wouldn't think of trying to threaten him with the survival of a civilization, as that would be the ultimate childish act in her eyes.

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Chapter 723: A Battlefield Created Just for Wang Baole!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Wang Baole made the right bet!

Daoist You Ran was a mere puppet, so what he thought wasn't important. What was important was how Zi Yue thought, and because of the loss of her finger, Zi Yue clearly thought that Wang Baole was more important than the Federation!

It made sense. After all, her plan to destroy the Federation civilization was only a trial she was conducting on Daoist You Ran, and part of her practice of the Star-Seeding Dao. Her intention all along had been to allow Daoist You Ran to carry out her plans. She had only wanted to remain an observer while using this opportunity to advance her cultivation.

It was the same as flying a kite and watching where the wind took it. Essentially, she didn't care whether the Federation was destroyed or not. Wang Baole, on the other hand, had become a threat to the core of her existence. She had clearly realized that she couldn't interfere directly. No matter how one looked at it, she simply wasn't going to let Wang Baole escape!

Besides, events had developed to a point where the situation had spiraled slightly out of Zi Yue's control. The spell that she had cast on Daoist You Ran had been a test of her Star-Seeding Dao as well as a part of her cultivation. That was why she had spent such a long time preparing for this. Once she completed her observation of Daoist You Ran's journey through his conquest of the Federation, her Star-Seeding Dao would've advanced to a greater level.

That was why she couldn't give up. Another reason that she couldn't was that she had done her calculations. This was her only chance of finding the object that Chen Mofeng had hidden from her, the important item essential to her practicing of the Star-Seeding Dao.

In addition… in her original plan, the destruction of the Federation civilization and the sacrifice of an entire star system was going to bring her sufficient energy and nourishment for her rise to power. She would be able to master the ancient sword and brand the elders slumbering on the ancient sword with the Star-Seeding Dao. The Solar System would become the foundation upon which she would advance further in cultivation and attain the Eternal Star realm within a short period of time!

Her plan had been perfect, and it had unfolded perfectly, until… Wang Baole had appeared!

This meant too much to her. She had given too much of herself for this. They were at a point where she was ready to reap her returns. If not for all of the above reasons, Zi Yue would have stayed clear of the first Divine King and left. Now, though… she could only grit her teeth and carry on!

She wasn't interested in killing Wang Baole. Due to her current circumstances, she had no choice but to seize his very life and remove him from the karmic cycle. This was the conclusion she had reached after using the Star-Seeding Dao to run through the various scenarios. It was the only solution that would release her from the karmic cycle as well!

As her will pulsed through Daoist You Ran, the latter's eyes flashed. Daoist You Ran ignored the battle taking place on Mars and began his pursuit of Wang Baole. The both of them vanished from Mars instantly as they raced towards the stars glittering in the distant cosmos.

Their impossible speed ensured that no one could watch their battle and make sense of it. The Solar System Array Formation, which was weakened due to its earlier waves of controlled self-destruction, could no longer perform long-distance observation. Folks on Mars and Earth could only wait anxiously as they watched the two disappear into the distance.

Fortunately… the battle on Mars reached a balance of sorts following Daoist You Ran's departure. Everyone knew that the fight that was taking place on Mars was no longer the decisive battle. The decisive battle was the one between the two cultivators racing away from them!

The Federation's victory in this war was going to be determined by Wang Baole's victory in his fight with Daoist You Ran. If he won, their civilization would live on. If he lost… everything would be destroyed and turned to dust and ashes.

Wang Baole shouldered the fate of an entire civilization, but he wasn't in a great state currently. Blood seeped profusely from his lips. He was traveling as fast as he was capable of. Behind him was Daoist You Ran, who was equally swift. It was difficult for Wang Baole to put distance between the two of them.

He kept calling out to Pluto and replying to its earlier summoning call desperately as he raced through the cosmos. However, he was too far away. In addition, even though he had been able to sense the original summoning call, his limited cultivation made it difficult for him to establish a connection or even get through to the other side!

The problem of distance can be easily solved, but what about the problem of insufficient cultivation? Wang Baole was filled with anxiety. Daoist You Ran seemed to have unleashed some kind of mystic technique, as Wang Baole could sense a sudden spike in Daoist You Ran's speed. The anxiety racing through Wang Baole intensified.

He knew that if things remained as they were, Daoist You Ran would soon catch up with him. Without any powerful means to fend off Daoist You Ran's attacks, Wang Baole's death was almost inevitable!

Jupiter it is! Determination flashed across Wang Baole's eyes as he decided to head for Jupiter. He would still be shortening the distance between him and Pluto. In addition, the Stellar Nascent Soul's unique capability would allow him to receive a boost of power from the planet that would then make up for his current insufficient cultivation!

The Dark Sampan beneath his feet began burning its own vitality. No price was too heavy as he raced through the cosmos in a blur, almost like he was teleporting, and crossed vast distances. When he next appeared, he was in Jupiter's vicinity.

The price for crossing such vast distances so swiftly was great. Wang Baole spat out a mouthful of blood and almost collapsed, his physical body pushed to its limit and almost unable to withstand such travel. The Dark Sampan's form had turned blurry and indistinct due to the energy it had expended, and it now resembled a thin cloud of mist!

It hadn't been repaired fully and now appeared to suffer great damage, but Wang Baole didn't have the time or energy to care about that. He commanded the power of the Dark Sect once more and continued his approach towards Jupiter, which was still a distance away. Regardless, his Nascent Soul was already becoming more lively in his body.

The connection between him and Pluto also seemed stronger and clearer than before. This greatly boosted Wang Baole's confidence in his success.

Jupiter alone might not be enough… Madness entered Wang Baole's eyes then. He just thought of a place that could greatly augment his Stellar Nascent Soul to levels that would seem almost terrifying.

He had no idea the current distance separating him and Daoist You Ran. Based on his calculations, though, he just needed to reach Jupiter. He still might not stand a chance to win a fight against Daoist You Ran, but he could definitely get through to Pluto!

His Dark Sampan burned its vitality to unleash greater speed, pulling him closer to Jupiter. It was then that a thunderous boom erupted in the cosmos behind him. Daoist You Ran had slid through space just like he had and reappeared behind Wang Baole, a frustrated look on his face. He then immediately shifted. Countless vines erupted from his back, intertwined with one another, and transformed into a pair of enormous wings. A single flap of the wings sent waves of spirit energy rippling through space and gave Daoist You Ran another burst of speed. He dashed out, his hands merged into a series of hand seals as dozens of runes lit up his body.

"Wang Baole, the Solar System is a small place. Do you really think you can escape me?" Daoist You Ran's voice echoed in the cosmos. The runes separated from his body and floated in space, then they sped towards Wang Baole, their speed swifter than Daoist You Ran's. The distance between the two had been shrinking all along. These runes crossed the distance swiftly, and three of them immediately caught up with Wang Baole. Before they came into contact with him, they exploded abruptly!

The shock waves created from the explosion carried the power to destroy the cosmos. They surged through space, whipping up a storm as they rushed at Wang Baole.

Wang Baole didn't spare the attack a glance. With a wave of his hand, his Dark Robe ballooned once more to fend off the attack. Blood seeped from his lips, but he kept his speed up and continued to use the Dark Sampan's vitality as fuel. He was approaching Jupiter, and the Stellar Nascent Soul inside his body was becoming stronger.

The connection with Pluto was becoming more powerful as well, to the point that he could sense the summoning call from Pluto. It had originated from something whose form remained unclear to him at the moment.

It's still not enough! Wang Baole narrowed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and continued running. Daoist You Ran's runes continued to explode behind him, inflicting increasingly greater injury to Wang Baole. Regardless, Wang Baole continued his hasty escape to Jupiter. His Stellar Nascent Soul began to brim with power, and its vitality began to overflow to the rest of his body, causing his injuries to heal almost instantly.

Finally, he saw Jupiter within his line of sight. Wang Baole's Nascent Soul opened its eyes then, and a terrifying power pulsed within those eyes. Strange waves of energy flowed from Jupiter and into Wang Baole. This was a power he had never experienced, one that lit Wang Baole's eyes up with an intense light.

Wang Baole tried his best to hide his sudden transformation. Regardless, Daoist You Ran still managed to sense something was amiss. The expression on Daoist You Ran's face shifted as a sense of foreboding settled in his gut. However, there wasn't time to think. Instead, with a flash of determination in his eyes, Daoist You Ran raised his right hand and ripped off his left arm. Then, he roared, "Divine Star Transformation!"

His amputated left arm began to wriggle. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a black stick insect that spanned a thousand feet long. With a shriek, it leaped into space and lunged for Wang Baole, its jaws wide open and ready to devour the latter whole. Wang Baole's Dark Robe ballooned in size again, but it was no use, the stick insect pierced clean through the robe!

As the stick insect approached, a flash of violence crossed Wang Baole's eyes. His body blurred as he summoned multiple avatars hastily. A dozen avatars appeared. They didn't attack the stick insect, and instead, they exploded. The force of the explosion propelled Wang Baole forward in a sudden rush. Thunder rumbled in the cosmos amidst the avatars' explosions, and the burst of speed pushed Wang Baole closer to Jupiter. He finally entered the asteroid belt that lay between Jupiter and Mars!

This was Wang Baole's target, this was the idea he had thought of that would allow him to receive a boost of power that would raise his current cultivation to terrifying levels!

That was because hundreds of thousands of small planets could be found here. They were right in front of Wang Baole, a special planet that had been discovered by the Federation a millennium ago was located here as well… it was Ceres, the only dwarf planet in this asteroid belt!

It was here that the Stellar Nascent Soul would unleash unprecedented power and make known to the world its might!

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Chapter 724: Hades' Coffin!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The Dark Sampan was still burning its vitality, pushing Wang Baole forward as it sped through space, thundering. When it reappeared again, Wang Baole was atop Ceres!

The gray planet lay beneath Wang Baole's feet. He could feel it trying to fuse with his Dark Sampan. Wang Baole stood stock still on the planet, then turned suddenly, his eyes bright with an intense light. He stopped holding back the cultivation inside his body and unleashed it. His Nascent Soul unfurled and allowed its power to erupt!

This explosion of power was fueled by Ceres and Jupiter, as well as… the hundreds of thousands of smaller planets in the region!

It was a power… that could move planets!

The Stellar Nascent Soul's unique trait allowed its owner to grow ever more powerful the nearer he was to a planet. The size of the planet directly affected how much more powerful the Stellar Nascent Soul holder would become.

The same… applied to the number of planets in the Stellar Nascent Soul holder's vicinity. An individual small planet might not provide a significant boost to the Stellar Nascent Soul holder's power, but when amassed in the hundreds of thousands, the combined boost in power they gave one would be incredible.

Ceres itself was a source of power that boosted Wang Baole's cultivation, while another was the largest planet in the Solar System… Jupiter!

The power free for Wang Baole's taking was incredible. This was the greatest leap in cultivation that Wang Baole had experienced since he had acquired the Stellar Nascent Soul!

This location… was second only to the mysterious Pluto. For Wang Baole, it was the second-best battlefield he could find in the entire Solar System!

His cultivation surged outwards, forming a fierce hurricane in space. Countless wisps of white Qi drifted from Ceres, from Jupiter, and from the countless minor planets around Wang Baole. It was as if they were being pulled towards Wang Baole. They surrounded him, transforming the hurricane into a pure snow white. Wang Baole stood in the center of the storm, like a child of the cosmos, a god who had descended upon the living world!

The power he was exuding surpassed that of a Soul Conduit realm cultivator, reaching the level of a Spirit Immortal realm cultivator. In fact, he might even be more powerful than the latter. He had reached an unbelievable level of cultivation. At that moment, he finally felt the connection between him and Pluto settle with great difficulty!

He could feel… the vast frozen Plutonian land, temperatures so low almost no living thing could survive, then buried underground, something… it was a coffin!

Shock rippled through Wang Baole. He tried nudging the coffin through the connection he had with Pluto, but he failed. He needed more power. He wasn't going to succeed in one shot, he'd have to accumulate more power before trying again.

I need more time! A fierce light glimmered in Wang Baole's eyes. He didn't stop his attempts at awakening the coffin as he raised his right hand and pointed towards the approaching Daoist You Ran. The latter's face was colored with alarm!

"You Ran, let's fight!"

Wang Baole's roar was filled with his desire to battle. It affected Ceres, Jupiter, and the hundreds of thousands of minor planets around him. It was as if the entire star-filled cosmos was roaring with him!

Wang Baole swung his arms to his sides, and the Thearch Armor materialized over him instantly, covering him from head to toe. It looked different. The armor was white, looking one with the hurricane!

The Dark Robe, tattered and torn, became a cape for the armor, fluttering in the still air. The demonic eye also appeared behind Wang Baole!

The boost from the planets had transformed not only the Thearch Armor but the demonic eye as well. It remained shut, but it appeared so very real, like an actual eye of a planet that was in slumber!

It was an alarming sight even for one as powerful as Daoist You Ran. He stumbled to a halt, then stared warily at Wang Baole. He could feel a rising sense of danger.

Their eyes met, and Wang Baole's demonic eye opened abruptly. An invisible force descended upon the cosmos, drawing upon the power of the surrounding planets and transforming it into something tangible—a light with the power to freeze everything in its tracks, which fell over Daoist You Ran and enveloped him entirely.

Daoist You Ran shuddered. Before he could even try to free himself, Wang Baole dashed forward, like an arrow off a bow. He gathered the power of the stars in his right fist and activated his Stellar Nascent Soul. The Divine Armament right hand of his Thearch Armor dazzled with the light of a fierce sun as he charged at Daoist You Ran!

The collision of the two caused a loud eruption that reverberated in the cosmos. Daoist You Ran spat out his first mouthful of blood in this fight. It was proof of how powerful he had become since he had fused with the Never-Ending Clan Death Dao Battleship. He had faced a sudden attack from Wang Baole, one that had behind it a boost of power from the planets as well as from Wang Baole's demonic eye. Despite that, the injury he suffered was hardly serious. In fact, it healed instantly. It was as if the core powering him possessed vast stores of vitality that gave him a near-invincible body!

His counterattack was swift and fierce. Numerous black vines danced in the air as he unleashed a series of spells with a flurry of hand seals. His physical body became his weapon that he unleashed alongside the vines and his spells. Spirit energy rippled through space as he clashed with Wang Baole in the asteroid belt.

Daoist You Ran healed fast, but so did Wang Baole. His recovery rate was faster than the ordinary cultivator at the same cultivation realm. With the incredible boost of power he currently enjoyed, his injuries were healing immediately, at the same rate as Daoist You Ran's.

They were pitting their powerfully built forms against each other in a brutal fight. Neither held back. Each clash gave both of them a fresh set of injuries. They persisted… but neither could bring the other down!

Wang Baole might have suffered a slight disadvantage, seeing how he hadn't been Daoist You Ran's match at the start of the fight and was now being pushed into a defensive position. But… Daoist You Ran was also caught in a fix. He just couldn't seem to defeat Wang Baole.

Things had spiraled out of Daoist You Ran's control. They were now caught in a prolonged battle. Daoist You Ran tried to destroy the smaller planets around him, but he still wasn't able to completely destroy Wang Baole's source of power within a short period of time.

As time passed, anxiety and unease grew in Daoist You Ran's heart. He couldn't explain where these feelings were coming from, it was an instinct. He had a feeling that if the battle continued to drag on, he was going to lose and be killed.

Is this the legendary Stellar Nascent Soul… this doesn't make sense at all! Why do I feel so much unease? There must be something that I'm missing!

Zi Yue felt the same sense of uneasiness. In fact, the unease that Daoist You Ran had been feeling had originated from her. She was a cultivator of the Star-Seeding Dao and could control the karmic cycle. That meant that her uneasiness and sense of looming danger was even more intense than Daoist You Ran's. It felt like a grim reaper's scythe hovering over her neck, ready to fall at any moment.

Nevertheless, she couldn't step in directly and attack Wang Baole. She could only grit her teeth and struggle with the sudden desire to change her preset plans. The idea grew roots in her head, and her mind was made up immediately. She was going to complete the final steps to advance her Star-Seeding Dao in the fastest way possible, reap her gains in Dao, and advance her cultivation. Then, she would decide whether she would remain or leave!

It was a difficult decision to come to, as she would be forced to give up many things. Her plans for the future were going to be disrupted as well. But the threat that she was feeling forced her to this. Zi Yue immediately barked out her orders to Daoist You Ran, her instructions resonating in his head!

"Give up fighting Wang Baole. Use your essence as fuel and convert it to power. I will give you an additional boost so that you will possess enough power to destroy the Federation, open the gates to the karmic cycle, and complete your destiny! You Ran, since the moment you met me, your destiny was determined. You are meant to destroy this civilization. This is… the destiny that I, Zi Yue, have given you!"

As she spoke, a vast region of the cosmos began to twist and contort itself. No one knew how she managed to accomplish that feat, but a black hole-like vortex appeared suddenly in the cosmos!

There was a patch of sky in the vortex, as well as a blue marble of a planet. It was… Earth!

The black hole was like a door that opened to another place in the universe!

The sight sent Wang Baole reeling back with shock!

Daoist You Ran's eyes began to shimmer with an intense light. He started muttering to himself.

"I will follow my destiny and destroy this civilization. This is my destiny… I must get this done!" His murmurs rippled through space. His physical form, his core, his spirit, and his cultivation became fuel, which he set afire without hesitation. Before Wang Baole could come to terms with what Daoist You Ran had just said, the latter had transformed his enormous form into a sea of fire!

Daoist You Ran raised his face skyward and howled madly. He was burning in the sea of fire. An enormous, illusory hand reached out from the flames. It stretched from thousands of feet to tens of thousands, then hundreds of thousands, then millions of feet long. It grew to the size of a planet and then charged into the vortex, heading straight for Earth… making a grab for the latter!

The sudden turn of events happened too quickly. In the vortex, Earth began to lose its color. The planet was being drained of its life—the planet where he had spent his childhood, where his parents were, where everything he cared about was!

Wang Baole's eyes reddened. The sudden, overwhelming surge of emotions forced his potential to be fully unleashed. The seal of the Dark Fire appeared on his forehead, then spread rapidly to the rest of his body. It was accompanied by a throbbing pain. Wang Baole howled, his face contorting in agony. The connection he had with Pluto suddenly settled fully!

The vastness of time, ancient and ageless, leaped across the cosmos and surged into Wang Baole's mind. He could feel the coffin and what it held within. It was the power of the Dark Sect, unimaginably strong yet free for his taking. It was tinged with a familiar warmth!

It was a warmth like rain in the springtime, warmth that nourished his spirit. It freed him from the pain and possible dangers of overexerting himself as he unleashed his full potential. It gave Wang Baole the energy to raise his right hand and point at Daoist You Ran's hand, which was headed straight for Earth!

"Soul, come!"

In an instant, Pluto began to shake. Its frozen lands collapsed, and huge crevices splintered the earth. Waves of terrifying energy surged from these crevices. They had been hidden underground for thousands of years, perhaps even longer, and now, they rose to the skies!

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Chapter 725: Extermination!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The universe shuddered as waves of spirit energy surged out from Pluto and spread across the entire Solar System!

At that very moment, it had become the center of the Solar System. Even the sun's light seemed to dim considerably as the waves of spirit energy surged from Pluto. The lands of Pluto shuddered, as if on the verge of collapse. Cracks appeared on the ground, spreading and splintering further like a growing spider web. Within the blink of an eye… these cracks covered the entire surface of Pluto.

Black mist erupted from these cracks and blanketed the entire planet. Pluto became invisible to the naked eye. Instead, what one saw… was an enormous ball of mist!

The mist boiled and rumbled, its form transforming rapidly from a sphere to something longer. When the transformation finally ended… what appeared in space was a gigantic coffin!

It appeared ancient, its aura, wearied with the passing of time, unleashed fully when the coffin appeared. Waves of energy surged into the surrounding cosmos. The ancient song of the Dark Sect could be heard coming from the coffin!

It was a strange song that traveled far. Within an instant, the entire Solar System was filled with the song. Mars and Earth alike, all living creatures within the Solar System, even those deep in slumber on the ancient sword, couldn't escape from this song… they heard it loud and clear!

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

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

"Knowing what's to come in the future, the one who is working hard now is…"

The song echoed through space, and every planet in the Solar System came to a standstill. They stopped their rotation, their orbit. Meteors and dust alike fell still. All laws of this universe had fallen under the song's influence and lost all effect.

All life, any life that was trapped in the cycle of life and death, was ensnared by the song that was traveling out of the coffin. The entire Solar System seemed to have become a still painting at that moment!

In the painting, there were all living creatures, all planets, all life. Naturally, there was also Daoist You Ran and Zi Yue… both of them were in the painting as well!

But there was no Wang Baole.

As a Dark Child, he had risen beyond this level. He was no longer part of the painting but its observer.

He stood on Ceres and gazed at what was happening around him. His senses extended themselves as the power of the song spread outwards. It was as if he could see the entire Solar System at a single glance.

He saw planets, dust, countless lives. On every living being, he saw an indistinct shadow that circled them. This indistinct shadow… was known to the Dark Sect as one's soul. It was proof of one's existence!

Wang Baole had a feeling that if he wanted, he need only think about it, and he would be able to harvest the tens of thousands of souls found in the Solar System. There would be no laws of this universe that could stop him from doing that. Even the Heavenly Dao must watch silently, powerless to stop him!

"Perhaps I'm not yet capable of achieving such a feat now. But… the path that I've chosen will give me access to this power. I'll be able to have this power even before I reach my full potential," Wang Baole muttered as he gazed at the painting of the Solar System. He had a strong feeling in his gut that if his level of cultivation were higher, he might even be able to… change the laws governing this universe at this very moment!

He would be able to change each planet's location, dictate whether they stood still or orbited the sun. He could even stop the sun from giving off light and heat, break it apart and change its very structure and essence. He was free to change anything and everything in this painting of the Solar System!

"Is this what makes the Dark Sect such a terrifying force?" Wang Baole whispered to himself. It suddenly dawned upon him.

The Dark Sect was like a pen that allowed one to change reality!

They didn't simply have the right to act on behalf of the Heavenly Dao and dictate one's death… they had the ability to change the Heavenly Dao itself and write their own laws. They might appear to be servants of the Heavenly Dao, but in reality… the Heavenly Dao was their instrument, their Dharmic Artifact. With this Dharmic Artifact in hand, they could write the laws of the entire universe!

Even a powerful force like the Dark Sect cannot escape the inevitability of its fall. Regardless, even though it has become history, its power, which still lingers in this world, can change the world to a certain degree… This coffin, which has rested inside Pluto for who knows how long, is one source of the Dark Sect's remaining power!

Wang Baole was silent. There was no way he wouldn't recognize the familiar aura coming from the coffin. It was his master's aura!

His memories from the Dark Art allowed him to come to a conclusion. The coffin had been part of his master's plan. It had been for Wang Baole. His master had manipulated the Dao in a manner unknown to Wang Baole, sent the coffin through time and space, and allowed it to appear inside Pluto.

Filled with gratitude and sorrow, Wang Baole began to examine the people in the painting of the Solar System. His eyes swept past everyone before finally resting on Daoist You Ran.

He saw Daoist You Ran's soul, as well as who rested within his soul. It was Zi Yue!

Zi Yue's presence was different from the rest. Special. She seemed to have no physical form. Instead, she was an illusory Soul Seed resting inside Daoist You Ran's soul.

Wang Baole's eyes swept across the entire Solar System. He examined the Death Dao Battleship and the ancient sword. There were no traces of Zi Yue's true form. What he found instead… was a near-imperceptible strand that was connected to Zi Yue's Soul Seed, which extended into the cosmos beyond the Solar System.

I understand now. The real Zi Yue isn't here at all. Instead, what we are fighting is only one of her Soul Seeds!

Wang Baole narrowed his eyes, his gaze following the strand and attempting to see into the cosmos beyond. Regardless, he didn't gain much out of the exercise. An icy glint flashed in his eyes then, and he raised his right hand and pointed at Daoist You Ran!

The coffin on Pluto shuddered, its lid sliding open slightly. The song became louder instantly, and a black arm slowly reached out from inside the coffin, expanding in size and heading for the painting of the Solar System and Daoist You Ran!

It was swift, crossing the vast expanse of space in an instant and appearing before Daoist You Ran. Without hesitation, it reached into Daoist You Ran and grabbed his soul, as well as Zi Yue's Soul Seed, which was resting inside Daoist You Ran's soul!

Both Daoist You Ran and Zi Yue's Soul Seed were powerless before the giant hand. They appeared to lose all ability to fight, allowing the hand to yank them out of Daoist You Ran's body and drag them into the coffin with it.

Everything happened instantly. It took but a moment for the black arm to return into the coffin, for the lid to fall back heavily, for the mist to dissipate. The coffin transformed into a mass of black mist that wormed into Pluto. Then, the cracks on the planet vanished, completely healed.

It was as if nothing had happened!

As Pluto resumed normalcy, the Solar System did the same as well. Planets began to rotate and orbit once more, dust continued their aimless drifting in space, sunlight spilled across the universe—every living creature returned to their normal states at that moment!

Perhaps what was truly terrifying… was how no one had noticed the momentary pause in time. Perhaps Daoist You Ran's fallen form had been the only thing to have witnessed the moment and glimpsed the truth hidden within the Solar System!

Daoist You Ran's body immediately shriveled up and broke apart, turning into ashes and dust that scattered to the cosmos, lost in the asteroid belt.

His body and soul were completely destroyed!

His death affected every Never-Ending Clan cultivator on Mars, and the light faded from their eyes. They fell to the ground and turned to dust, as their existence had been rooted in Daoist You Ran's existence.

Mie Liezi and the others whose minds had fallen under Daoist You Ran's control shuddered as they regained their senses!

The weakening of the Solar System Array Formation meant that no one had been able to observe the final battle between Wang Baole and Daoist You Ran. However, every Federation cultivator on Mars saw the Never-Ending Clan cultivators turn to dust, and Mie Liezi and those under Daoist You Ran's control regain their minds. Excitement and joy filled their hearts as they guessed what had happened.

Of course, there was no way they could get immediate confirmation on whether their guesses were true. Nevertheless, one thing was certain, the war that had the potential to end the Federation civilization… had finally come to an end!

It was then that Wang Baole spat out a mouthful of blood as his body slid to the ground. The injury and pain he had experienced from overextending himself might have been soothed by his master's healing, but this battle had still caused him deep injuries. Now that everything had finally ended, the tension finally drained from his body. Unable to stand any longer, he passed out.

At this exact moment… somewhere far away from the Solar System, on a distant and foreign star system, was a rather unique planet. It was unique because of the vines, blood, and flesh covering its surface. It was a horrifying sight to behold. If one should examine the planet more closely, they might spot between the mesh of vines, blood, and flesh, a face with shut eyes.

The face appeared indistinct. Regardless, one could immediately tell that it was clearly… Zi Yue!

Her eyes opened. They seemed to contain countless dimensions and tens of thousands of eyes. Within each eye sat a figure, and suddenly, one of those figures cracked and shattered.

"Wang Baole?"

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Chapter 726: Project Dark Swallow!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

On the forty-eighth year of the Spirit Inception Era, war had broken out between the Dao Palace and the Federation.

Five months later, the war had ended. The Dao Palace cultivators, led by Mie Liezi, had chosen to surrender.

It had been a brief war, but one that had been intense and with a high casualty count. Its end had been viewed as a mystery by almost everyone.

That was because no one had witnessed the most decisive battle. It had remained a mystery that had fueled many rumors regarding how the war had truly ended.

Rumors spread from person to person. During this period, the postwar cleanup and rebuilding efforts continued nonstop. The first on the agenda was what to do with the Dao Palace cultivators who had surrendered. Thirty percent of the surviving cultivators were judged to have committed grievous crimes. Their sentence was declared forcefully by Duan Muque and broadcast to the entire Federation. They were to be executed!

It was a harsh sentence, but the people of the Federation needed this. There was no way they could allow those who had invaded Federation territory to surrender without suffering any consequences. Duan Muque was willing to bear the consequence of allowing such a massacre to happen!

In addition, almost all of the Dao Palace's upper echelons were planted with a Spirit Science hex—a product of Zhao Pinfang's research. They were no longer a threat to the Federation. They were also given a five-hundred-year sentence!

They would be released from their hexes five hundred years later, once they completed their sentence. Mie Liezi's status and circumstance made him an exceptional case. While the Federation hesitated over his final sentence, he chose to make an oath and return to the Dao Palace. He would guard the Dao Palace for the rest of his life. Unless the Federation summoned him, he wouldn't take a single step out of the Dao Palace.

As part of the war reparations, the Dao Palace would grant the Federation full access to their resources. That included access to all their records and mystic techniques. The Federation would also possess unilateral rights to enter and leave the Dao Palace. Federation cultivators could now enter and leave the ancient sword freely. Of course… under Feng Qiuran's insistence, the deepest regions of the ancient sword were designated as restricted zones. Federation cultivators were forbidden from entering the area and disturbing the slumber of the Dao Palace elders.

Next… Wang Baole's proposal to form an alliance prior to the outbreak of the war was raised again. Duan Muque gave it the full attention it deserved, summoning the upper echelons of the Federation as well as Feng Qiuran to discuss the matter. Both parties made minor modifications to the original proposal and agreed to the setup of the alliance.

In the forty-ninth year of the Spirit Inception Era, the Solar System Alliance was established. Its creation heralded a new era—the Solar Era!

There were currently two members in the Solar System Alliance, the Federation civilization and the Vast Expanse Dao Palace. Alliance regulations stated that the Federation civilization was the only member to possess a longstanding, first-tier membership status in the alliance. It had the power to change or veto decisions of the alliance. The Vast Expanse Dao Palace, on the other hand, held a second-tier membership.

These rules clearly gave the Federation a great advantage over the Dao Palace. The latter would never have agreed to such terms in the past. Even though Feng Qiuran had always had the intention to build an alliance with the Federation, she would have pushed for the Dao Palace to be the leader of the alliance. However, the war and the power that the Federation had displayed during this war had changed her mind. Both Feng Qiuran and the Dao Palace began to view the Federation with greater respect, and they recognized its power. The key reason for their change was still… Wang Baole!

His power and his final mysterious battle with Daoist You Ran had resulted in Feng Qiuran's agreement to the terms of the alliance. It didn't matter that no one had witnessed the final battle.

The honeymoon period between the Dao Palace and the Federation officially began with the alliance's establishment. Communications and exchanges between the two took place with unprecedented frequency. The wealth of knowledge and mystic techniques the Dao Palace possessed were invaluable to the Federation. Spirit Science development in the Federation progressed rapidly during this period of exchange.

The Dao Palace stood to gain as well. Extension of the Federation's infrastructure, such as the Spirit Internet, as well as provisions of daily supplies, were a great help to the Dao Palace cultivators. As the immigration laws between the two grew more liberal, many Dao Palace cultivators and Federation cultivators on Earth chose to immigrate.

Rebuilding efforts in the alliance were ongoing as well. With the Dao Palace's support, rebuilding efforts on Mars progressed smoothly. Deep excavations on Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune were successes with the combined efforts of the Dao Palace and the Federation. They became the first bases of the alliance. To a certain extent, they could even be considered as the first free cities of the alliance.

There was Jupiter as well… After some deliberation, the Dao Palace decided not to bring the matter of the planet up. The Federation, on the other hand, utilized their first-tier membership status to classify Jupiter and its surrounding asteroid belt as a restricted zone!

Few understood the strategic value of that decision. Not Li Xingwen, Duan Muque, and the other upper echelons of the Federation though, who had sought Wang Baole's advice and understood the situation. They were prepared to cordon the region and create a place that belonged solely to Wang Baole.

The alliance overflowed with life and opportunity. The smooth assimilation between the Dao Palace and the Federation allowed many great things to be done. Civilization advanced without stop. At the same time, Wang Baole received the Federation's recognition. He had not only become their hero, but everyone—from the citizen on the ground to the upper echelons of the Federation, and even the Dao Palace—knew very well that he was going to be the next Federation President. He was going to hold the highest office in the Solar System Alliance!

That wasn't going to happen anytime soon because the Federation and the Dao Palace had just begun their assimilation and alliance. There was still a great deal of work to be done. They had to rebuild, to set up laws and rules. They needed to decide how to divide profits. There were so many tedious details to be ironed out. Most importantly, Duan Muque didn't want Wang Baole to have to deal with such a chaotic situation immediately when the latter got into office. He wanted to get all the grunt work done. He intended to untangle the political chaos in the Federation, which was caused by the presence of the various political entities. He intended to amputate the malignant tumor hidden in the Federation. He was going to exploit the authority and power he had gained from the war and consolidate all power in the hands of the presidency. Then, he would hand over a brand new Federation to Wang Baole, one free from troubles and burdens!

Wang Baole couldn't wait to be made president. However, he also understood Duan Muque's good intentions. After gaining consciousness from his battle with Daoist You Ran, he returned to Earth. He spent his time with his parents, enjoying an ordinary person's life while burying the unresolved matter that had risen inside him after his battle with Daoist You Ran. He put it to rest silently, unwilling to touch the matter again.

He told himself to be happy. As he kept brainwashing himself quietly, he seemed to slowly forget about the existence of this unresolved matter. He began to look forward gleefully to the announcement declaring him as the Federation President.

Wang Baole's life with his parents became peaceful and calm. Besides staying by his parents' side, what Wang Baole enjoyed doing the most was leading his donkey out secretly. It was then that he would eavesdrop on conversations, listen in on heated, passionate voices, and watch the looks of adoration on the speakers' faces as they discussed him.

He even put up the occasional pretense of being a wolf in sheepskin. He would pretend to be bullied, then reveal his powerful self at the end and observe the shocked expressions on everyone's faces. The experience brightened his mood every time. But after doing that too many times, his donkey grew tired of it. He himself found it meaningless as well. After some thought, he began protesting his singlehood in his mother's presence. Soon, his mother began setting up matchmaking sessions for him.

His mother knew how amazing his son had become. However, no matter what, Wang Baole would always remain a child in her eyes. As she went through her selection of candidates, Wang Baole began bringing his donkey to session after session of matchmaking. The experience became a new source of fun for Wang Baole.

Then, Bunny arrived. Wang Baole could only end the matchmaking. Still, he enjoyed his time with Bunny. The academic exploration they conducted with each other was extremely enjoyable.

This didn't last long. However… Li Wan'er arrived next. The feelings of happiness that Wang Baole had been experienced shifted immediately to that of absolute terror. Wang Baole's head began to throb. Time crawled as three months passed. The alliance was running along smoothly, and rebuilding efforts were nearing completion. After spending a great deal of effort, Duan Muque finally got the Federation into shape. Everything was pointing to a new beginning. Wang Baole was sitting on his hands, waiting in excitement. It was then that…

Many of Wang Baole's friends—Zhao Yameng, Liu Daobin, Li Wuchen, Jin Duoming, Lin Tianhao, and Kong Dao—came knocking on his door and bid him farewell.

They didn't share any details of their departure, they only informed him that they were off to carry out a secret mission. The duration of this mission might be short or very long.

Zhao Yameng had originally not been part of the mission. She was the daughter of the Martian Colony Governor and Zhao Pinfang, so she had a bright and stable future in the Federation and in the alliance. However, she had chosen to join the mission of her own accord. No one knew why she had done so. Her tone had been cold when she had said farewell to Wang Baole. She had even glared at him fiercely before her departure.

The intense hostility in her eyes had made Wang Baole shiver with guilt. He had quickly made use of his access rights to find out the details of their mission. There was nothing he wasn't allowed to know in the entire Federation.

A quick search left him looking somber. Their mission was highly classified, with only four people allowed to access the mission details!

They were Li Xingwen, Duan Muque, Zhao Pinfang, and Wang Baole!

The mission was a continuation of the Hundred Seedling Plan and the Federation's plans involving the Dao Palace. It had been drawn up many years ago. It had been given a name… Dark Swallow!

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